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 A senior official at the presidential office said Sunday it will take time to name candidates for a new prime minister and chief of staff, after the resounding defeat of the ruling party in last week's parliamentary elections. The official told Yonhap News Agency that some media outlets have reported that the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol may announce a personnel reshuffle as early as Sunday, but "it is not physically possible." "It needs a minimum amount of time to find and verify people," the official said on the condition of anonymity. After the crushing defeat of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), Yoon delivered a message through his chief of staff that he will "humbly uphold the people's will." The opposition bloc, led by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, won 192 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, while the ruling bloc led by Yoon's PPP secured only 108. Senior government and presidential officials are likely to be replaced, after Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, presidential chief of staff Lee Kwan-sup and most senior presidential secretaries offered to resign. (Yonhap) An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel April 14, 2024. Amir Cohen | Reuters Iran rained a deluge of drones and missiles on Israel on Saturday night in response to a suspected Israeli strike that killed top Iranian officials in Syria, in a deep escalation of Middle East tensions. Israel said it identified 300 "threats of various types" and eliminated "99%" of those bound for Israeli soil, according to an update from an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. He said a 10-year-old girl was "severely injured by shrapnel" but reported no additional casualties, adding that "several launches" were also made toward Israel from Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon. Last night marked the first instance of a direct attack on Israel from Iranian territory. Iran-backed factions such as Palestinian militant group Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah, Yemeni Houthi and Bashar al-Assad's Syrian administration have engaged militarily with the Jewish state. Earlier on Saturday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards had seized a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming a connection to Israel. Demonstrators wave Iran's flag and a Palestinian flag as they gather at Palestine Square in Tehran on April 14, 2024, after Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel. Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty Images Iran's chief of staff of the armed forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, said that Tehran's operation had now concluded and would involve no further actions, in comments carried by Iran's state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency. "At this juncture, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no intention of continuing defensive operations, but if necessary, it will not hesitate to protect its legitimate interests against any new aggression," Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on social media on Sunday, according to a Google translation. Israel and Iran have been on the cusp of direct conflict since the start of Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which came in response to Hamas' terror attack of Oct. 7. Iran vowed revenge after a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1, which killed several top Iranian military commanders. "We will not be able to comment on the claims regarding a strike in Damascus," an Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson told CNBC by email, adding, "Iran's attack on Israel on the night of April 14th is a direct attack on a sovereign nation, its use of proxies for the last decades and the destabilizing effect of the Ayatollah regime in the region and beyond must end." The Israel's war cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2nd L), meeting is held to discuss the drone attack launched by Iran in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 14, 2024. Israeli Ministry of Defense | Anadolu | Getty Images Israel's Ambassador to the U.N., Gilad Erdan, has also called an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council and "demanded that they condemn Iran's attack on Israel and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror organization." The European Union has blasted Tehran's offensive: "The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel," EU High Representative Josep Borrell said late Saturday on social media. "This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security." U.S. President Joe Biden also denounced the Iranian strike on Saturday as "unprecedented" and asked to convene G7 leaders to "coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack," according to a White House statement. A Marine stands outside the West Wing of the White House as U.S. President Joe Biden meets with members of his national security team after Iran said it launched dozens of attack drones at Israel earlier this afternoon, in Washington, U.S., April 13, 2024. Bonnie Cash | Reuters "While we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people," he added. Relations between stalwart allies Washington and Israel had appeared to slightly chill in recent weeks, with Biden warning further support would hinge on Israel taking steps to protect civilians and humanitarian aid workers in the Gaza enclave. But the U.S. alongside the U.K. and France, according to Israeli military intervened to mitigate last night's Iranian attack and the assault could reignite urgency to pass a key $95 billion bill including funding for Israel and Ukraine, which has passed the Senate but stagnated on Republican opposition in the U.S. House of Representatives. "In light of Iran's unjustified attack on Israel, the House will move from its previously announced legislative schedule next week to instead consider legislation that supports our ally Israel and holds Iran and its terrorist proxies accountable," said House leader Steve Scalise on social media. "Congress must also do its part. The national security supplemental that has waited months for action will provide critical resources to Israel and our own military forces in the region," Mitch McConnell, Senate Republican leader, said in a statement. "We cannot hope to deter conflict without demonstrating resolve and investing seriously in American strength." Ramifications Oil futures prices are in focus after intermittently swelling in recent months on trade disruptions and delays caused by Red Sea maritime attacks from Yemen's Houthi, who claim solidarity with the Palestinian people. People walk past graffiti depicting a Houthi fighter stopping an Israeli ship off the coast of Yemen, painted on a wall of the Saudi embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, on Feb. 15, 2024. Khaled Abdullah | Reuters Alibaba shares got a boost last week from news founder Jack Ma is pleased with the company's turnaround so far. That's after co-founder and current Chair Joe Tsai told CNBC in late February he felt a lot more "confident" about Alibaba's ability to still be a top e-commerce player. Ma stepped down as chairman in 2019 . Wall Street analysts expect business will grow, but last week several trimmed their price targets on the stock. Their shared concern is how much Alibaba is spending in the near term for future growth. JPMorgan lowered its earnings forecasts based on "Alibaba's increasing commitment to investments in core operations: domestic/international ecommerce and cloud," China Internet Analyst Alex Yao and a team said in a report on April 9. They cut their price target to $100 a share, down from $105 previously, while maintaining an overweight rating. The new price target is still about 33% above where Alibaba's U.S.-listed shares closed Thursday. The stock has tumbled over a rocky period of about 12 months in which the company shook up its management with a restructuring into six units aimed at spin-offs "to unlock shareholder value." One by one, the company has cancelled plans for the IPO of its cloud business, and then its logistics arm Cainiao . "The first thing we did was to acknowledge mistakes," Tsai told Norges Bank Investment Management's CEO Nicolai Tangen in an interview, according to a video published on April 3. The firm says it owns 2% of Alibaba. "We've acknowledged in the past we might have not focused on our [shopping app] user experience," Tsai said. "The second thing is to reorganize our personnel, change the organizational structure that fits the strategy." Eddie Wu became CEO of Alibaba in September, and is also acting head of the cloud business. He succeeded Trudy Dai as head of the Taobao and Tmall e-commerce business in December. Daniel Zhang, the former CEO of the company, abruptly left instead of staying on to lead cloud as originally planned. "Near term, BABA's financial metrics should remain weak over the next few quarters, given its sustained user investment in Taobao Tmall and [Alibaba International Digital Commerce] investment," UBS analyst Kenneth Fong and a team said in a report on April 9. "More meaningful upside is likely to be in 2H if macro recovery builds momentum and with more concrete financial results demonstrated from the new business strategy," UBS said. They cut their price target by $1 to $105 a share and maintained their buy rating. Competition remains fierce across Alibaba's major business lines. PDD Holdings' Pinduoduo app and ByteDance's Douyin, the local version of TikTok, have emerged as two major competitors to Alibaba in e-commerce. The company had spearheaded the industry's rapid growth in China with its Taobao and Tmall platforms. In the relatively new realm of generative artificial intelligence, ByteDance Doubao chatbot is more popular than Alibaba's, according to Nomura, citing Questmobile data. Doubao had around 3.7 million users as of the end of March, more than twice that of Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen AI chatbot, the data showed. Baidu's Ernie bot was in second place, with around 2.5 million daily active users. By average daily time spent, Doubao remains first at 8.4 minutes, but Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen is second at 7.7 minutes as of the end of March, according to the data. Alibaba is also integrating AI tools and models with its e-commerce and cloud businesses. However, in Tsai's interview with Norges Bank Investment Management, the Alibaba executive said he estimated that China was about two years behind the U.S. in terms of AI development. AI monetization also got little to no mention in six analyst reports published last week on Alibaba. "We maintain our conservative view towards BABA as business transformation is likely to take time," Morgan Stanley equity analyst Gary Yu and a team said in a note on April 10. They have a price target of $85, and, in contrast to the many buy ratings, rate the stock equal weight. CNBC's Michael Bloom and Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report. U.S. crude oil futures fell slightly Monday as traders breathed a sigh of relief after Israel fended off a large-scale air assault by Iran and the U.S. emphasized it wants to avoid a wider war in the Middle East. The West Texas Intermediate contract for May lost 25 cents, or 0.29%, to settle at $85.41 a barrel. June Brent futures fell 35 cents, or 0.39%, to $90.10 a barrel. U.S. crude closed at $85.66 a barrel Friday, while the global benchmark settled at $90.45. WTI futures began the year around $71 a barrel. "Market participants have decided that this chapter of this war story is over for now," Helima Croft, head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Monday. But Israel's war cabinet is still weighing how it will respond to the attack: "You could still see some significant Israeli retaliation," Croft said. Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles against military targets in Israel on Saturday in an attack that President Joe Biden described as "unprecedented." The U.S. intervened to directly help Israel shoot down nearly all of the incoming munitions, Biden said in a statement Saturday. Though significant in scale, the Iranian attack caused little actual damage in Israel. The Nevatim Air Force Base in southern Israel sustained slight damage and a 10-year-old girl suffered injuries, according Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari. Smoke billows after Ukraine's SBU drone strikes a refinery, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Ryazan, Ryazan Region, Russia, in this screen grab from a video obtained by Reuters, March 13, 2024. Ukraine's campaign of attacks against Russian oil refineries is demonstrating how relatively cheap drones that utilize artificial intelligence could pose a major threat to global energy markets. Ukraine-launched drones have hit 18 Russian oil refineries this year with a combined capacity of 3.9 million barrels per day, according to report published by JPMorgan earlier this month. Some 670,000 bpd of Russian refining capacity is currently offline due to the strikes, according to the bank. Ukraine's capabilities are growing with its drones now demonstrating a substantially longer range. Earlier this month, Kyiv hit Russia's third-largest oil refinery, Taneco, which is located up to 1,300 kilometers roughly 800 miles from the frontlines, according to JPMorgan. Ukraine is increasingly using drones that are enabled with AI, which helps the weapons navigate and avoid jamming, according to the bank. "The AI guidance also delivers strike precision, maximizing the impact of the strikes by targeting specific areas like distillation towers, repairs of which requires Western technology," Natasha Kaneva, head of global commodities strategy at JPMorgan, told clients in the April report. "This makes the repairs costly and often require equipment that the country is not able to produce." U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made clear Tuesday that the Biden administration is worried about the strikes in a rare airing of public disagreement with U.S. allies in Kyiv. "Certainly, those attacks could have a knock-on effect in terms of the global energy situation," Austin told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "Quite frankly, I think Ukraine is better served in going after tactical and operational targets that can directly influence the current fight." The U.S. has urged Ukraine to stop the attacks on Russian energy infrastructure out of concern that they could drive up crude oil prices and instigate retaliation from Moscow, three people familiar with the discussions told the Financial Times last month. The losses to Russian refining capacity could worsen as Ukraine aims to build a full-fledge drone industry and produce a million units domestically this year, according to the JPMorgan report. If Kyiv is able to extend the drones' range to 1,500 kilometers (about 932 miles), they could potentially hit 21 refineries with more than 4.4 million bpd of refined capacity, according to the report. "There's room for this to become a bigger problem, because we've come to count on Russian supply getting to the global market, which allows other non-Russian supply to go to other places," said John Kilduff, an energy expert and founding partner at Again Capital. The deployment of AI drones also has broader implications for global energy markets, according to Bob Brackett, a senior research analyst at Bernstein. The drones are cheap to produce compared to the millions of dollars in damage they can cause and could empower nonstate actors to challenge superior fighting forces, Brackett told clients in Friday note. "These drones can easily and asymmetrically disrupt global seaborne trade," Brackett wrote, warning that oil exporters such as Russia aren't the only countries that need to be worried. Oil importers, like China and India, will now have to worry about disruptions to crude flows from drone attacks, he said. 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. A disgraced former justice minister who became the leader of the third-largest political party said Sunday he proposed talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol. Cho Kuk, the leader of the new Rebuilding Korea Party, made the proposal in a Facebook posting, days after his party secured 12 proportional seats the third-largest political party in the 300-member parliament. "As the leader of the third-largest party, I hope to meet President Yoon Suk Yeol anytime, in any format," Cho said. Cho, a former prominent law professor at Seoul National University, had served as the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs from 2017 to 2019 under the preceding Moon Jae-in administration. As one of Moon's closest aides, Cho was subsequently appointed as justice minister in September 2019. However, he resigned in disgrace about a month later following an investigation into an academic fraud case involving his children, when Yoon was prosecutor-general. Cho was convicted of academic fraud in connection with his daughter's college admissions and unlawful interference with a separate government inspection. In February, an appeals court upheld a two-year prison sentence for Cho. A final guilty verdict could strip Cho of the parliamentary seat. (Yonhap) Second City and National Lampoon stage veteran Harold Ramis was an obvious choice to help script the first Lampoon movie. While co-writers Doug Kenney and Chris Miller had writing chops from their years working for the counterculture humor magazine, Ramis brought the sketch-comedy stage experience necessary to create workable scenes for actors. Together, the three writers turned in an outrageous first draft for what would become National Lampoons Animal House. No one disputes that the first-time screenwriters original draft was uproariously funny, but that doesnt mean it was ready to be turned into a film. An executive at Universal turned that version over to John Landis, an up-and-coming director who was just coming off the gonzo comedy Kentucky Fried Movie. It was really literally one of the funniest things I ever read, Landis told Variety years later. It had a nasty edge like National Lampoon. I told him it was wonderful, extremely smart and funny, but Theres always a but. For Landis, the but was that every character in the script was a pig, a movie full of a-holes with no one to root for. Universal agreed and hired Landis to supervise a rewrite. When I first talked to (the writers), it was Harold who grasped instantly what I was saying, that everyone in the movie was obnoxious, explained Landis. My big contribution it was their script and screenplay was saying there had to be good guys and bad guys. There cant just be bad guys, so there became a good fraternity and bad fraternity. It was a long process. Don't Miss Eventually, the script was finished and ready to film. Ramis had written the role of Boon for himself, but Landis, who was eventually hired as the films director, couldnt see it. I didnt cast him because he was older than the rest of the cast, and someone else would be better, Landis said. He was very angry with me for a long time. The irony? Landis cast the younger Peter Riegert as Boon, and if you watch Peters performance, hes not playing Boon, the director said. Hes playing Harold Ramis. Advertisement Landis did offer smaller roles to all three writers, but Ramis, the only comic actor of the group, was insulted and didnt come. As for Kenney and Miller? The two magazine writers became minor but memorable members of Delta House, Dwayne Stork Storkman and Curtis Wayne Hardbar Fuller. Advertisement Advertisement Maybe not fat but definitely drunk and stupid. Ramis anger at Landis lasted for a few years, but that all changed when Ramis helmed his first comedy, Caddyshack, from another script collaboration with Kenney (and Brian Doyle-Murray). (Ramis) called me and said, Now that Ive directed my first movie, I get it, you were right, Im not mad with you anymore, Landis said. We went to lunch, and he told me he was not angry any longer, which was a huge brick off my back. This weekend saw the release of Civil War, the much-anticipated new movie set in an alternate universe in which the United States is grappling with extreme political polarization (thank goodness its only a movie!), mainly due to the actions of a brutal authoritarian president played by Nick Offerman. If the plan was to further distance himself from Parks and Recreations Ron Swanson, mission accomplished, Nick. Its not just a clever title, the movie is literally about another American Civil War. But the story is intentionally vague, offering no explanations for how the war began exactly or how Texas and California teamed up to become the Oscar Madison and Felix Unger of this brutal conflict. But Civil War isnt the first movie to tackle the subject of a modern American Civil War. In fact, one of the very best films to explore this premise was a comedy, HBOs underrated 1997 TV movie The Second Civil War. Advertisement Unlike Civil War, which avoids topical references to make a broader ideological point, The Second Civil War, directed by Joe Dante of Gremlins fame, offers up a number of bleak political specifics that serve to motivate the storys central conflict. And theyre (sadly) as relevant today as ever. The movie begins with the Governor of Idaho (played by Beau Bridges) closing his states borders to keep out an influx of Pakistani refugees, many of whom are orphans. We are being swamped. We are destroying our own way of life, he argues. This xenophobic message is soon embraced by right-wing militias as the situation intensifies. Advertisement Meanwhile the President of the United States (brilliantly played by Saturday Night Live legend Phil Hartman) moves to oppose this affront to the Constitution not because its the right thing to do, but because he wants to score points with voters in the next election. His right-hand man isnt even an official member of his administration, hes a lobbyist (James Coburn) who dispenses helpful advice like dead supporters are the worst. Advertisement Advertisement The movie effortlessly combines grim seriousness with laser-focused satire that feels all too plausible. When the president suggests giving Idaho 72 hours to reconsider their actions, hes talked into giving them 67 hours so as not to overlap with Susan Luccis final episode of All My Children, which might cause viewers to go apeshit. Civil War focuses entirely on a handful of journalists, and The Second Civil War similarly devotes a lot of its attention to the media, specifically the employees of a 24-hour news channel (including Dennis Leary and the voice of CNN himself, James Earl Jones) illustrating how their cynical machinations shape the events of the war. Advertisement Interestingly, while Civil Wars protagonists are all war correspondents, The Second Civil War was written by Canadian filmmaker Martyn Burke, an actual former war correspondent who began his journalism career by covering the Vietnam War. On the comedy side of things, Burke co-wrote Top Secret!, Zucker-Abrahams-Zuckers follow-up to Airplane! He reportedly helped to structure the trios chaotic story. If it weren't for Martyn, wed still be sitting in that room, Jerry Zucker said at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Impressively, Dantes direction somehow strikes a tone that allows the events of The Second Civil War to feel both wildly absurd, but also genuinely believable, darkly funny, but occasionally bone-chilling like the scene in which the Statue of Liberty is destroyed. Eleven years before Cloverfield, by the way. You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time youre reading this). President advised to search for personnel beyond his usual circle By Lee Hyo-jin President Yoon Suk Yeol seems to be contemplating his picks to replace key aides, including the prime minister and presidential chief of staff. These appointments will be a crucial indicator of how he addresses the perceived failures of his administration, such as not listening attentively to the public and being unable to work together with the opposition bloc, after the ruling People Power Party's (PPP) crushing defeat in Wednesday's general elections. Yonhap News Agency reported Sunday that the presidential office is still searching for candidates for the next prime minister and presidential chief of staff, adding that it needs some time to find the perfect fit for both positions. The day after the PPP's significant setback in the April 10 general elections, in which it secured just 108 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and several high-ranking presidential secretaries, including chief of staff Lee Kwan-sup, offered to step down, signaling the prospect of a wide-ranging reshuffle. It is unclear if the reshuffle process will be swift, as the presidential office is expected to undergo a thorough vetting process for new candidates, especially for the prime minister post whose appointment requires National Assembly approval. Selecting controversial candidates could lead to intensified attacks by the opposition and worsen public sentiment toward the government and the ruling party. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has already criticized some of the rumored candidates to replace Han and Lee. In the last few days, candidates mentioned for either the prime minister or chief of staff position include Kim Han-gil, chairman of the Presidential Committee of National Cohesion, Rep. Kwon Young-se, a former unification minister, and Rep. Joo Ho-young, a PPP heavyweight who secured his sixth term in Wednesday's elections. Candidates for the chief of staff post included Won Hee-ryong, the former land and transport minister who lost in the latest elections, as well as PPP bigwigs Reps. Chung Jin-suk and Chang Je-won. Chung failed to secure a sixth term last week, while Chang, one of the closest confidants of the president, did not run in the elections. "Through the general elections, people have put the brakes on the obstinacy and tyranny of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, demanding that it engage in dialogue with the opposition and improve communication with the public ... But if we look at the individuals rumored to succeed the roles, it raises doubts about whether the president is seriously taking into account the public's sentiment," DPK spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung said during a press conference, Saturday. Political observers also pointed out that the rumored candidates are primarily from Yoon's inner circle, suggesting that the presidential office should pay more attention to individuals outside this sphere and for him to broaden his scope so as to include more moderate figures. "A significant factor contributing to the ruling party's loss in the general elections is the public's dissatisfaction with the government's unilateral decision-making process and ineffective public outreach, along with controversies regarding personnel appointments," political commentator Rhee Jong-hoon said. "The public has sent a clear message urging Yoon to address these issues, so I think he needs to broaden his limited talent pool." Political commentator Park Sang-byeong said that appointing politicians who lost in Wednesday's elections, like former Land Minister Won, as Yoon's aide, could be a major policy misstep. "Regardless of his capabilities as a politician, Won failed to win public support in the elections. Appointing him would certainly not be a demonstration that the president is attentive to the people's voices," Park said. Pundits also highlighted the importance of selecting aides who can offer candid advice to Yoon, even if it means disagreeing with the president at some point. "The president does not need more yes men in his office. What he truly needs, especially for the chief of staff role, is someone who can offer candid feedback and communicate effectively with opposition lawmakers when necessary," Park said. In this regard, Yoo Seong-min, a former four-term PPP lawmaker, has also been mentioned as a suitable candidate for the chief of staff role. Yoo is a conservative heavyweight who has been critical of the president and the pro-Yoon faction in the ruling party. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday presided over an emergency meeting to discuss the economic and security impacts of heightened tensions in the Middle East following Iran's recent missile and drone strikes against Israel, his office said. The meeting was held to discuss the global security and economic situation following the latest Middle East crisis and its impact on Korea's economy and security, it added. Noting the growing uncertainty of the global economy arising from the geopolitical instability in the Middle East, the participants agreed to keep close tabs on the impact on the international oil prices and exchange rate movements and to respond quickly to its effect on the economy, including supply chains. Yoon also instructed officials to thoroughly prepare safety measures for South Korean residents, travelers and vessels in the region. Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok presided over a meeting with senior ministry officials in Seoul, to discuss the possible economic impact caused by Iran's strike. Choi said his ministry will operate a joint emergency response team of related agencies to closely monitor the financial market, and to examine its "contingency plan" to better prepare for any urgent situations. The Bank of Korea (BOK) also said it will keep a close watch on the market situation, voicing concerns that the foreign exchange market could see heightened volatility. "We are keeping a close watch on exchange rate movements, and we may take measures to stabilize the market, if necessary," a senior official at the BOK told Yonhap News Agency. The foreign ministry said it "strongly condemns" Iran's attacks on Israel. "The government is closely monitoring the situation with deep concern and urges all parties to exercise restraint to prevent further escalation," the ministry said in a release. (Yonhap) It has started. Following Israels airstrike on key Iranian commanders in the Syrian capital of Damascus, the two weeks of phoney war in which threats and counter threats were exchanged, have now ended. Unlike previous skirmishes in which Iran waged war from behind its proxies of Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels of Yemen, last night represented a significant escalation. In a chilling development, the two dominant military powers in the Middle East have begun to trade punches directly, in a heavyweight bout that could wreak terrible havoc on each other, but also the world economy. The arteries of global trade in oil and natural gas run through the region, as do Europes imports of goods from China, Japan and South Korea. Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel Missiles began to enter Israeli airspace on Saturday night, with images from international media revealing missiles being intercepted by the Iron Dome system above Jerusalem International shipping is imperilled like never before. We saw this yesterday when Iranian special forces seized an Israeli-owned container ship in the Persian Gulf. Again, this was not an act of piracy committed by Irans proxies in the Red Sea this was Tehran itself, committing an act of bald aggression. Israels next move is critical. If the countrys Iron Dome anti-missile defence system blunts this onslaught by shooting down most of Irans drones and missiles, then maybe an opportunity could present itself in which tensions could ease. But if Israel feels confident that it can go further and neutralise Iranian attacks, it may decide to go on the front foot. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could strike at Irans launch sites and nuclear facilities before Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi can retaliate. But it is a big job. Britain and the US have been trying to silence Yemens much-weaker Houthis for six months now without success. Can either side back down? The Revolutionary Guards, whose senior commanders were assassinated by Israel on April 1, are Tehrans enforcers at home as well as abroad. Iranians celebrate on a street, after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran, Iran Amid the pressure that has forced the countrys mullahs to unleash their drones on Israel, they will find it difficult to step back from the brink. The hardmen who keep them in power will push for the attack to continue, not just on Israel directly but on her allies, such as Britain and the US their shipping and embassies will become prime targets. Backing off now is not an option for either side, nor for Britain. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has committed UK support to its ally, and shouldnt waver. Any chink in Western resolve will only encourage hostile states beyond the Middle East, like Russia and China big power rivals who eagerly await a window of weakness in which to further their own territorial aims. These are deeply, deeply worrying times. Within hours of Iran's mass missile and drone attack on Israel overnight on Saturday, the consensus of the global commentariat forming in newspapers and TV channels was that Israel should refrain from retaliation. Many political leaders, especially those always quick to tell Israel what it should do when attacked, echoed the need for restraint. It is quite remarkable advice for a country which has just been the target of more than 150 Iranian drones armed with explosives, around 30 cruise missiles and about 120 ballistic missiles. If so many weapons of destruction had rained down on Britain, would we be listening to those urging caution, nodding thoughtfully at such sage advice and agreeing that it would probably be best for all concerned if we just sat on our hands? I suggest that any UK government which went along with that would quickly be driven from power. As we saw with the Argentinian invasion of the Falklands all those years ago, there would be an overwhelming national demand for a robust response to show we cannot be attacked with impunity and that those who think they can should pay a terrible price. We'd expect our allies to stand alongside us, offering every possible assistance. So nobody should be surprised if that's also the mood today in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu making a phone call to US President Joe Biden after the drone attacks Rocket trails in the sky above the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, Israel Yes, the Iranian attack was limited, it seems, to Israeli military targets and, despite its massive scale, looks like it has done little damage, with no loss of life. But that is only thanks to the excellence of Israel's missile-defence systems: not just its fabled Iron Dome, which has done such sterling work taking out short-range rockets fired by Hamas from Gaza and Hezbollah from southern Lebanon, but, more important in this latest attack, its newer Arrow 3, a top-tier system that can destroy incoming ballistic missiles. Israel has developed this with America's Boeing corporation and it proved its worth on Saturday night. Germany is buying a version in a $3.5 billion (2.8 billion) deal to improve its own security (we should consider doing the same). That's what saved Israel at the weekend. It's clear that Iran, by sending so many drones and missiles at once, hoped to overwhelm Israel's defences. That it failed should not be a factor in determining Israel's response. The Israelis are more likely to focus on Iranian intent rather than the (thankfully) pathetic outcome of its efforts. You do not launch 300 missiles and drones on another country unless you're aiming to cause a lot of death and destruction. It is being said that the attack was only in response to Israel's bombing of an Iranian 'diplomatic mission' in the Syrian capital of Damascus, which housed an important command centre of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Seven commanders and military personnel, including the most senior general, were killed in the attack. Tehran says it 'deems' its assault on Israel to be over. One of its top generals says it has 'no intention to continue the operation', which he claimed had been a 'full success' (and which makes you wonder what failure would look like). So Israel should just move on. But should it? For a start, this was the first attack on Israel launched from Iranian soil. That alone represents a major escalation of hostilities. Hitherto, Iran has worked through its regional proxies to undermine Israel and spread misery across the Middle East. Now, it has attacked Israel directly from its own territory. That is reason enough why Israel can hardly look the other way. Moreover, the command centre that Israel hit in Damascus was a major base for the IRGC's Quds Force, which arms, trains and finances Iran's proxy militia across the region, including Hamas and Hezbollah, which have brought so much misery to Israel. The general killed was a pivotal link with the proxies. So it was a legitimate target. It is important to understand the wider picture. The Islamic Republic of Iran aims to be the superpower of the Middle East but it is a Persian-speaking, Shiite nation in an overwhelmingly Sunni part of the Muslim Arab world. So it has sought to establish its suzerainty by, first, taking the most extreme positions against Israel and the West; and, second, by extending its power and influence through a variety of proxy militia that share its nihilistic approach to the democracies. Many years ago I spoke privately to the then Crown Prince of Jordan (he is now the king). He said it was the aim of Iran to create an 'Arc of Political Islam' from its borders across the north of the Middle East, through Iraq, into Syria and on to the shores of the Mediterranean through Lebanon. From that arc, it would dominate the region. Iran has been depressingly successful in realising this vision. It can now count on five Shiite militia groups in Iraq, with 170,000 armed men. It has a friendly government in power in Baghdad. It has bankrolled and fostered Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad in Gaza (who until recently had a combined 55,000 men under arms); another 30,000 militia in four groups in Syria (where it props up the evil Assad regime with massive loans); Hezbollah in Lebanon, with 45,000 under arms and 150,000 missiles aimed at Israel; and 30,000 Houthi in Yemen (as an added bonus to the south of the Arc). The extent to which Iran gives military support to its proxies is unprecedented in modern history. Not only does it finance, arm and train them, it provides them with cruise and ballistic missiles. I can't think of any other benefactor of terrorism who has been prepared to do that. In the case of Hamas and Hezbollah, it even helps them develop their own arms industries so they don't need to depend on imported weapons. As several billion dollars in Western aid poured into Gaza because it was deemed to be a humanitarian basket case, Iran was providing Hamas with $300 million (240 million) a year to create its own armaments industry. The results are clear for all with eyes. Thanks to Iran, Hamas had the ability to launch its barbarous attack on Israel on October 7. Hezbollah has rockets to spare to lob at Israel whenever it (or Iran) feels the need. The Houthis have attempted to control southern access to the Red Sea (with the help of Iranian spy ships). Iran-backed militia groups in Syria and Iraq have launched scores of attacks on American bases in the region, causing 200 casualties and several deaths. So Israel has good cause to retaliate after the weekend attacks. It just has to be mindful of how it does and the consequences if it gets it wrong. The Iranian missile and drone attack was rebuffed not just by the Israel Defense Forces but with the help of its allies: America above all, but also RAF fighter pilots. More significant, Jordan deployed its military assets to take out the Iranian missiles and drones when they entered its air space. That's right. An Arab country used its military power to help defend the Jewish state. I'm told that, along with the Americans, Saudi Arabia fed Israel with vital intelligence about Iranian intentions so that Israel could prepare for the attack. Thanks to its allies, very few Iranian missiles even made it to Israeli airspace. It's good to have friends when you're up against Iran and its proxies. Even Western critics such as U.S. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and Canadian leader Justin Trudeau are again expressing solidarity. Israel must not forget that. The Abraham Accords, agreed under President Trump, established diplomatic relations between Israel and Bahrain, the UAE, Morocco and Sudan. The rewards in terms of trade, military co-operation and, above all, the mingling of peoples at the highest level, have been substantial, much to Iran's chagrin. After too long a delay, President Biden belatedly sought to bring Saudi Arabia, the biggest prize of all, on board. Talks were going well. So much so that an appalled Iran gave Hamas the green light to attack on October 7, with the aim of scuppering the Biden plan. But, amazingly, Saudi participation in the Accords is still a runner. Again, something for Israel to keep in mind as it ponders its retaliation. For Saudi involvement would dismay Tehran. Iran is out to undermine Israel and humiliate America. It has had too much success in both endeavours. Israel has every right to respond to the mass attack. There is too much loose talk about it leading to World War III if it does. This is designed to intimidate Israel into doing nothing. Even a robust Israeli response is unlikely to lead to a wider conflict. Iran knows it could not wage one successfully given Israel's overwhelming superiority in air power. How and when Israel responds is a matter for Israel. It just needs to keep in mind the wider picture. It cannot face down Iran without allies. It has these allies not just in America, Britain and much of the West but even among Arab nations, which is the major reason why, unlike 1973 or 1979, when the Middle East was wholly hostile to Israel and the West, the oil-price weapon has not been activated. So do what you must, Israel, after the weekend's appalling events. Just don't lose your friends in the process. When Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his acolytes decided to torpedo a long-standing regional norm and attack Israel directly on Saturday night, they no doubt thought they had chosen their moment perfectly. But they appear to have made an egregious strategic error. After Hamas raped, massacred and kidnapped about 1,400 Israelis on October 7, most of the world looked on Israel with sympathy. Jerusalem set out to destroy Hamas and bring its own hostages home as it was morally obliged to do. But the narrative soon changed. As more footage emerged of the horrific human cost of the war, especially on Gazan civilians, opinion turned. The Muslim world was outraged, while the Western hard Left slandered Israel as uniquely evil. With discomfiting speed, the Jewish state seemed to become a near-pariah. Iranian politicians at an open session in the parliament in Tehran as Iran launched at horrifying drone attack on Israel An Iranian news broadcast of rockets being launched towards Israel Drones being launched in a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran (File image) Never mind the human suffering in other conflicts. Never mind that Hamas hides its fighters among the civilian population. Israel was found guilty as it always is. Iran's mullahs were watching as they always are. To them, this was an opportunity. As a Persian Shia state in a largely Sunni Arab region, Iran like Israel itself is isolated. (Indeed, the two countries have more in common than they would admit.) With Israel cast as the Middle East's bully, the mullahs could portray themselves as standing up to it working to divide Israel from its neighbours and hoovering up approval from millions of Arabs frustrated at their own leaders' increasing friendliness towards the Jewish state. Finally, on April Fools' Day, the pretext came for Iran to attack Israel outright: Israel's strike on Iran's consulate in Syria, which killed seven senior Iranian military officials, including a top commander. The retaliation, of course, came at the weekend, when Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel. The result is that, yet again, Iran now faces off against a robust alliance of Israel, the democracies and a number of Arab states. This morning, Gaza is off the front pages, and the case for military sanctions on Israel is much harder to make. How can you deny military equipment to a country that has just suffered a mass attack by the world's foremost sponsor of terror? Israel can also now claim that it is more imperative than ever that it destroys Hamas Tehran's genocidal Gazan proxy to say nothing of the other Iran-backed militias, from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen. So what happens next? It was Iran's decades-long campaign of near-ceaseless violence that helped to propel several of its Arab neighbours into signing peace treaties and normalisation agreements with Israel. The attack will only solidify their fears. But the 84-year-old Khamenei is dying. While the succession to his son, Mojtaba, seems more or less assured, senior clerics are already jostling for positions under a new regime. Many will reason that being tough on Israel is the surest way to secure them. The future on that score looks bleak. Back in Israel, war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has said Jerusalem will, when the time is right, 'exact a price' for Iran's attack. Some fear that they may strike Tehran's nuclear facilities. This would risk a broader war, yet many still believe that Israel would be within its rights to do so. Yet more proof that the mullahs have blundered. He's denied all knowledge of it, but London Mayor Sadiq Khan has spent 21million plotting a pay-per-mile road-charging scheme to drain the capital's drivers of yet more money. But why does he bother? Under his nose sits a hefty pot of gold. The world's diplomats, who flit around London's embassies in chauffeur-driven limousines, have racked up a staggering 143million in unpaid Congestion Charge fines. According to Transport for London, the US embassy alone owes City Hall 14.6million for not paying the 15 daily charge - so much for the 'Special Relationship'. The next-worst offender is the Japanese embassy, which is on the hook for 10 million, while the High Commission for India owes 8.5 million, the embassy of Nigeria 8.3 million, while even our French neighbours need to cough up 4.8 million. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Russians have let their tab slide, owing 6 million - likewise Beijing's 8 million bill. According to Transport for London, the US embassy alone owes City Hall 14.6million. Pictured, Sadiq Khan Isn't it time to abandon these ludicrous plans for pay-per-mile tax - a driver-squeezing scheme that will be the only one of its kind in Europe - and shake down the capital's pampered diplomats instead, Mr Mayor? At a rowdy hustings in the London mayoral race last week, a clearly-rattled Sadiq Khan dubbed his Tory rival Susan Hall a 'bossy headmistress'. While some shouted that Khan was being sexist, I think Hall should take it as a badge of honour. In my view, a 'bossy headmistress' is more likely to get things done than any ex-human rights lawyer, and if she cracks a few heads together along the way, so be it. While some shouted that Khan was being sexist, I think Hall (pictured) should take it as a badge of honour A model put-down The male supermodel David Gandy admits he's not a fan of Khan. 'When I met him, I shook his hand and when he tried to start a conversation, I just said: 'You'll have to excuse me.' The 6ft 3in heartthrob adds: 'There was no point having a conversation when all I wanted to say was: 'I've lived in this wonderful city for over 20 years and you're making it very difficult place to live. I had nothing positive to say to him'.' You speak for millions of us, David! The male supermodel David Gandy admits he's not a fan of Khan. David Gandy attends the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home annual gala dinner With an election looming, Tory HQ is advertising for an 'Insights Manager'. Don't they need a Miracle Worker instead? The new chairman of the Labour Party 'Youth Section' is one Jack Lubner. Might the 5 million his dad Gary, the head of windscreen-repair firm Autoglass, has given to Labour in the past few years have had anything to do with his victory? How Rishi Sunak must regret the crass decision to wear those achingly cool Adidas Samba trainers when he was filmed talking about tax cuts. Comedian Frank Skinner mocks the PM in his podcast, saying: 'Rishi surely represents a minority and that is 'Short King' [patronising slang for a small person]. Shouldn't we be happy that a Short King has got the chutzpah to wear a pair of fashionable trainers? Shouldn't we be happy that a Short King has got the chutzpah to wear a pair of fashionable trainers? William's French fancy William Wragg - the disgraced MP who lost the Tory whip last week after he admitted giving private numbers of his fellow MPs to a blackmailer on a gay dating app - had another interesting Parliamentary role. He was, until very recently, chairman of the Public Administration Committee, which scrutinises the civil service. Last month, Wragg led the committee on a 'fact-finding' freebie to Paris. Parliament's website offers no details of their itinerary: did it include the city's ooh-la-la Pigalle district? Last month, Wragg led the committee on a 'fact-finding' freebie to Paris. Parliament's website offers no details of their itinerary Michael Heseltine is listed to ask a question in the Lords today. This will be the first time the 91-year-old Hezza has spoken there for a year: even though he once vowed to 'intervene before breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner'. The strident Remainer has had his differences with his party in recent years, but Tarzan is clearly still swinging. Damian Lewis has been shaking up his style after dating the American rockstar He was once a poster boy for traditional and classic Etonian style as he donned skinny ties and crisp suits on red carpets around the world. But A-list actor Damian Lewis has had a rock and roll makeover - and it's all thanks to his grunge-chic girlfriend. The Billions star, 53, began dating 45-year-old Alison Mosshart in 2022, a year after the death of his beloved wife Helen McCrory from breast cancer. Since dating Florida-born Alison, the frontwoman of rock band The Kills, Damian has signalled a break from his sharp and and dapper style as he opts for more adventurous outfits inspired by his new flame and her signature grunge looks. The pair, who are no strangers to a little bit of PDA, have matched their outfits on occasion, while Damian opts for more casual get-ups when he's out and about - and a style expert reckons his new look is down to Alison encouraging him to 'take risks'. Damian Lewis and Alison Mosshart are pictured on a date night in London earlier this week, with the actor mirroring the rockstar's style Damian and Alison dress up in matching outfits and pose arm-in-arm for Vogue World in London last September Earlier this week, the pair were snapped while out on a date night in London, both dressed in similar dressed-down grunge attire. Alison was pictured in a cap, a black hoodie with skinny jeans and a pair of New Balance trainers, paired with chunky gold chains. The father-of-two wore a leather jacket paired with a beige hoodie and some charcoal trousers, also sporting New Balance shoes. The couple even decided to match their outfits for a Vogue World red carpet event in September last year, putting on a display of sartorial unification. They both wore sunglasses and posed for the cameras arm-in-arm, despite the event being in the evening. Alison went for a vibrant blush-coloured suit with a black and gold star print blouse underneath, indicating a playful sense of fashion. Damian also pushed his boundaries and decided to wear banana-coloured suit trousers matched with a black shirt and blazer. Celebrity stylist Rochelle White said: 'I think Alison has encouraged him to take more risks and be braver with his style and try new things. 'She has a natural edge to her style and it could be that he wants to be stepping out with her in a way that compliments her look and style - and not be too suited and booted.' Before his relationship with Alison, the musician would play it safe and go for patterned shirts, a pair of tailored trousers and polished shoes. But Rochelle believes his newfound sense of style has shaved years off his appearance, adding that he is trying to tap into a younger sense of fashion. Before, the actor would be snapped sporting more fitted and coordinated ensembles (pictured left in 2010 and right in 2018), but has since switched up his look to match his partner's, which consists of a more daring wardrobe The actor and musician has traded the suited and booted style for a more grungy wardrobe since dating Alison. Above: Damian pictured in 2018 with his late wife Helen McCrory Style expert Rochelle thinks that Damian's newfound rockstar style makes him look younger than he is. Above: Damian is pictured with Alison at a David Bowie event in April last year Damian is pictured wearing a plain grey shirt and some classic blue jeans as he posed with his late wife Helen in 2014 Celebrity stylish Rochelle White said she believes Alison has prompted Damian to take more risks with his outfit choices 'He is comfortable enough to express who he is, take risks and step out of his comfort zone,' she said. 'He has been seen as the clean-cut, classic gentleman for a long time and now it's time to have fun and express who he is, through his clothes and look. Commenting on his ensemble with the yellow trousers, Rochelle believes this look shows how relaxed he is around Alison. 'I think that look sums up where they both are in their relationship and where he is, in his life,' she said. 'I feel he looks a bit younger in this outfit and they have an air of rock'n'roll about them. I feel it takes a really confident person to be able to rock yellow trousers and he has achieved that.' Last April, the pair attended the launch of the Bowie X Mother collaboration in London, where the 53-year-old put on a hipster leather jacket. He paired it with a David Bowie band t-shirt, a pair of jade coloured tailored trousers and some white loafers. Alison was in her usual monochrome star-patterned jacket, black skinny jeans and boots, as she posed with her boyfriend with a cocktail in her other hand. Yet again the couple showed a sense of cohesion in their relationship through their outfits as Alison wore green nail varnish to match Damian's trousers. Rochelle said: 'I do believe Alison has influenced his overall style. I feel that she has shown him a new way to showcase who he is and his personality through the outfits he's wearing. 'He was probably a little too classic for her [before] and naturally with the progression of their relationship and public image, [outfits have] played a part.' His new unique outfits contrast the ensembles he used to wear to red carpet events over the years. Before, the actor would be snapped sporting more fitted and coordinated ensembles, but has since switched up his look to match Alison's outfits. Above: Damian at an event in 2020 Since dating Alison, Damian has traded in his suave Chelsea boots for grungy combat boots He is now accessorising more of his ensembles, adding paperboy hats to spruce up grey suits. Above: Damian with Alison in 2022 Events from years past show the actor opting for pops of colour here and there, but generally sticking to more muted tones in his outfits. He was known to favour tailored suits with ties and certainly always looked sharply dressed - however his new look is somewhat more adventurous than previously seen. Damian still opts for grey from time to time, but has experimented with accessories including paperboy caps, combat boots - or even just a propped-up collar to add another element to the overall outfit. Damian now opts for funky blue and black patterned shirts and leather jackets. Above: Pictured with Alison last July Style expert Rochelle says Damian opted for more safe looks in the past, whereas now, at 53, he is starting to explore his style. Above: Damian with his late wife Helen When asked why she thought Damian was taking inspiration from Alison's wardrobe, Rochelle said: 'She is known for that Rocker look both onstage and off. She isn't the classic "clean girl" fashionista chick when it comes to her look. 'Usually, she's rocking jeans, boots, t-shirts, bold patterns and prints. I feel he wants to match and compliment her aesthetic but in his own way. 'His past look was classic, safe and styled. I feel he is in a place where he can kick back, relax and have fun with his style.' And fashion is not the only thing Alison has influenced, as he also joined Instagram in 2022 - the year they started dating - much to the delight of his fans. Damian's first post was him onstage holding his guitar and he often posts videos, stories and snaps of him singing and playing instruments, following the same rockstar aesthetic as Alison. She too has the social media app, and their accounts look almost identical, with music being one of their biggest shared passions. The couple were first spotted together in the summer of 2022, with Alison's mother, Vivian, giving their relationship her seal of approval. She told MailOnline: 'They have mutual friends. I don't know exactly how they met but I'm fine with it. If she's happy, we are happy.' This was just over a year after Helen McCrory, Lewis' wife of roughly 14 years, had tragically died after a secret battle with breast cancer. When Helen died in April 2021, Damian revealed how his late wife had urged him to find love again, telling him and their son and daughter that she wanted 'Daddy to have lots of girlfriends.' The Duke of Kent has today attended the Scots Guards Black Sunday, marking his last official engagement as Colonel of the Scots Guard. The late Queen's cousin, 88, was pictured at the remembrance event in London after it was announced he would step down in favour of King Charles's brother, Prince Edward. The Duke of Edinburgh, 60 - who famously quit the Royal Marines after just four months - will today be named as the new Colonel after being chosen by the King. Speaking ahead of the ceremony at the Guards Chapel in Wellington Barracks this morning, the Duke of Kent - who served as Colonel for 50 years - said the role had been 'a true honour'. He said: 'Serving as Colonel of the Scots Guards since 1974, the longest anyone has spent in this role, has been a true honour and one which will forever fill me with great joy. The Duke of Kent has today attended the Scots Guards Black Sunday ceremony in London The late Queen's cousin, 88, attended the remembrance event - marking his last official engagement as Colonel of the Scots Guard (pictured: The Duke greets a King's guard) 'Through those years, I have seen the work of the Scots Guards during peacetime and war,' his statement, shared on The Royal Family's Instagram account today, added. The post included several images showcasing the royal's time in his role - including a photo of the prince with his late cousin Queen Elizabeth II. For today's ceremony, he donned a navy blue suit, a striped red and blue tie and a blue checked shirt. He teamed the outfit with a pair of black leather loafers, while he pinned a variety of medals representing 50 years in service to his blazer. With a walking cane in his right hand, he appeared in high spirits as he made his way to greet a King's guard. The Duke - who also goes by Prince Edward - paid tribute to the 'bravery, selfless courage and devotion to duty' of the Scots Guards ahead of relinquishing his position. He added: 'To my fellow Scots Guardsmen, I am immensely proud to have served you all. I am delighted that His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will continue to champion all that you do and work towards preserving your great legacy'. The Duke of Edinburgh is now set to head the elite infantry regiment that fought in the Battle of Waterloo. The Duke of Kent is pictured with Queen Elizabeth ll before her death The Duke has stepped down in favour of King Charles's brother, Prince Edward The Duke of Edinburgh , 60 - who famously quit the Royal Marines after just four months - will today be named as the new Colonel after being chosen by the King (pictured: Prince Edward ahead of the Service of Dedication for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, RFA Stirling Castle, in Leith on Thursday) The Duke of Kent - who served as Colonel for 50 years - said the role had been 'a true honour' Speaking on the new appointment he said it was a 'distinct honour', while also praising the former Colonel for 'extraordinary' service. He said: 'The Duke of Kent has been an extraordinary Colonel of the Scots Guards. Quite apart from his depth of knowledge and keen understanding of the Regiment and all those who serve, past and present, he has been a tireless and passionate advocate. 'It is a distinct honour to be asked and entrusted by His Majesty to serve as the next Colonel. However, I accept with a degree of trepidation as I will undoubtedly be measured against the formidable record and reputation of my predecessor. I can only promise to do my best'. For years, the Prince was kept away from military patronages after leaving his Royal Marines training course in 1987. The Queen was reportedly livid when he swapped military service for the performing arts. Although defence sources say Edward is qualified for this promotion, some observers believe it is a result of the increasingly slimmed-down monarchy. He pinned a variety of medals representing 50 years in service to his blazer With a walking cane in his right hand, the Duke appeared to be in high spirits For the ceremony, he donned a navy blue suit, a striped red and blue tie and a blue checked shirt Edward attended the Scots Guards Black Sunday at the Guards Chapel in Wellington Barracks, London He has been taking on a growing number of senior roles, especially after Prince Andrew was stripped of his military titles in 2022. The Scots Guards Black Sunday is the regiment's annual day of remembrance for its fallen servicemen and their families. The Scots Guards are one of the five prestigious Regiments of Foot Guards within the British Army's Household Division - alongside the Irish, Welsh, Grenadier and Coldstream Guards - who carry out ceremonial duties like taking part in major state events in support of the monarch. The Guardsmen are also fighting soldiers who when not guarding the King or participating in Trooping the Colour are deployed on operations or training around the world. Since the Scots Guards' formation in 1642, the regiment has played key roles in major conflicts around the world from the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, both World Wars, the Falklands War and undertaken deployments to Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and Iraq. The Duke of Kent is pictured watching the march past outside the Royal Military Chapel (The Guards' Chapel) in Westminster, London Here, Edward is seen taking part in the Scots Guards' Black Sunday Parade while flanked by the chapel's priest and other officials The Duke was first appointed Colonel of the Scots Guards in 1974, the longest anyone has spent in this role A young boy in replica uniform joins members of the Scots Guards as they gather ahead of the Black Sunday Parade, at the chapel of the Guards Museum in Wellington Barracks The Duke of Kent is the son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. He is also the first cousin of late Queen Elizabeth II (pictured in Melbourne, Australia in 2012) The Duke served with the Armed Forces for more than 21 years, starting his career as a Second Lieutenant with the Royal Scots Greys and retiring in 1976 as a Lieutenant-Colonel. In 1993, he was promoted to Field Marshal - the highest rank in the British Army. Today he joined a Service of Remembrance at the Guards Chapel in Wellington Barracks with members of the Scots Guards, before taking the salute for the final time as Colonel of the regiment at a Scots Guards parade. The Duke of Kent is the son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. He is also the first cousin of late Queen Elizabeth II. The Duke's mother was also a first cousin of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, making him both a second cousin and first cousin once removed to King Charles. Meghan Markle 'acted like a small child wanting a cuddle' as she put on an 'intensely affectionate' display with Nacho Figueras' family for a Netflix shoot yesterday, a body language expert has claimed. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were spotted with Nacho Figueras and his wife Delfina in Palm Beach, where Prince Harry was filming scenes for his upcoming Netflix series about polo. During filming, Meghan was seen warmly embracing Harry's polo-playing friend, his wife Delfina - who was previously referred to the Duchess as a 'sister' - and their eight-year-old daughter Alba. Speaking to FEMAIL, body language expert Judi James described how Meghan showed 'unity' with Delfina - as they were pictured walking off with their arms around one another. She asked: 'Meghan approached Nachos wife with both arms held out straight for a hug. Meghan Markle seen hugging a woman thought to be Delfina Blaquier during a Netflix shoot in Palm Beach yesterday 'This gesture is intensely affectionate because, as an intentional or an announcement gesture it mimes a small child wanting to be picked up by its parent for a cuddle.' What's more, Judi said the way the women walked together also gave insight into their extremely close relationship. The expert continued: 'As the two women walk together they lean their heads in to touch. Head closeness is a sign of trust as well as a symbol of unity and like-minded thinking. 'Their arms are twined around each others torsos and they are totally in step despite the height differential. They look as though they have been best friends for years.' On top of this, the expert also noted how Meghan's show of warmth towards the couple and their child was a rare coincided with news that she is working on a new Netflix series around the topic of friendship. Judi explained: 'Meghans body language displays with the Figueres family appear to comprehensively nail the non-verbal definition of friendship, which is a complete coincidence given that is said to be one of the themes of her Netflix shows. 'We havent seen Meghan looking so utterly tactile and unreservedly warm before but it does show a hidden private side to her that is so on-brand with her new subject-matter.' However, Meghan's warm body language during these interactions were the result of 'slow-built' affection. Meghan Markle displayed 'slow-built affection' towards polo player Nacho Figueras, a body language expert claimed Meghan Markle, seen here with a hat-covered woman believed to be Delfina Blaquier, traded her stilettos for $760 Hermes flip-flops and breezy linens one day after being mocked for her impractical on-field attire at a charity polo match in Miami, Florida Later in the day, Meghan was also seen hugging the couple's eight-year-old daughter Alba (pictured) The Duchess, 42, was seen in Palm Beach this weekend as she joined her husband Prince Harry for his new Netflix show about the genteel world of polo Appearing relaxed and at ease, the couple was joined by close friends and a dozen-strong Netflix film crew for the new production The expert said: 'Meghan has of course always shown a capacity for tactile and loving PDAs with both her husband and at causes she supports but the way she walks along with Nachos wife here and her hug with his young daughter hints at a level of friendship that usually only comes with time and slowly-built affection. 'Meghans embrace of Nachos daughter is also warm and affectionate. She wraps the girl in both her arms for what looks like a prolonged hug and adds a kiss on the head to add to the suggestion of affection.' For Saturday's shoot, donning a light blue linen button-down shirt and breezy white trousers. Completing her ensemble were matching cream-colored Hermes Oran flat sandals, priced at $760 on the French designer brand's website. In 2022, Delfina praised Meghan as being 'stronger than she knows' in an interview with Hello! magazine. In 2022, following a glamorous polo meet in Aspen, Colorado, Delfina said: '[Meghan] is so wonderful and strong. Stronger than she knows. I love being around my friends, and I will always support her.' In the summer of 2022, Delfina took to her social media account to share an affectionate message about the Duchess of Sussex, saying it had been 'so special' to spend time with her. Meghan was also seen affectionately greeting the couple's eight-year-old daughter Alba - giving her a kiss on the head and a warm hug Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were joined at Friday's charity polo match by Nacho Figueras - who is known as the 'David Beckham of polo' - and his wife, Argentine socialite Delfina Blaquier Meghan smiled and waved at the cameras on Friday as she walked hand-in-hand with Nacho and Delfina's daughter Alba Posting a snap of the pair standing while watching their husbands compete at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, Delfina wrote: 'M - looking forward to many more of these times with you and H. 'Getting to spend time together over these two months was so special. I wish everyone knew you the way you are.' She continued: 'My sister, my now fellow pwife (polo wife) -genius of you to come up with this. Cant wait to see you again soon, to share thrill, hikes, and just more chill time.' Delfina added: 'You also have my respect. Keep walking, steady and strong. Listen to your heart, that will guide you well, because you have a big one and its a beautiful one. I love you my darling.' Delfina first met her husband Nacho at a polo match in Buenos Aires in 1997. They started dating in early 1998 and welcomed their first son in 2000, and wed in December 2005. The couple now has four children together: Hilario; Aurora; Artemo; and Alba. Described by Tatler as 'the David Beckham of Polo', Nacho now holds a 6-goal handicap and an estimated net worth of $30million and has been modelling for Ralph Lauren since 2000. Best known for his flamboyant designs beloved by celebrities and supermodels alike, Roberto Cavalli leaves behind a vibrant legacy formed over 50 years in fashion. The late Italian designer, who died on 12 April at the age of 83, was famous for his love of animal prints, fringing, beading, clashing colours and cut-outs. His various brands, including Roberto Cavalli, Just Cavalli and Roberto Cavalli Parfums, channelled a flirtatious femininity that wasn't for the faint hearted. Not only did he dress stars such as Beyonce and Taylor Swift for the red carpet but he designed some of their most memorable stage costumes for, respectively, their Renaissance and Eras tours. Kate Moss fronted several of Cavalli's ad campaigns while her rocker ex, The Libertines' Pete Doherty, became the face of the designer's Fall 2007-2008 men's collection. Best known for his flamboyant designs beloved by celebrities and supermodels alike, Roberto Cavalli (pictured in 2014) leaves behind a vibrant legacy formed over 50 years in fashion Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Jordan Dunn are amongst the supermodels who have long been fans of his daring designs while woman of the moment Zendaya was photographed in a Cavalli gown as recently as March. Speaking to New York-based Women's Wear Daily, fellow Italian designer Alberta Ferretti said: 'Cavalli wrote a very important chapter of Italian fashion, set to continue inspiring future generations.' Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham led tributes to Cavalli following the announcement of his death after a long illness. Sharing a tribute on her Instagram stories, the now fashion designer herself posted a photo of herself holding hands with Cavalli whilst he had his hand raised and made the peace sign. She wrote: 'So sorry to hear the sad news of Roberto's passing. He'll forever be an icon.' Here, FEMAIL has curated some of Cavalli's most striking looks. We hope you agree that it's a fitting homage... Victoria Beckham arrives for the Swarovski Fashion Rocks for The Prince's Trust in Monte Carlo on October 17, 2005, wearing a gorgeous blue and green gown by Roberto Cavalli Beyonce wearing a black, tiered Cavalli creation to perform at the Oscars in 2005 Taylor Swift wore a sparkling, navy blue two-piece by Roberto Cavalli to attend last year's Grammy Awards Swift performing during her Eras Tour in Singapore dressed in an asymmetric, beaded jumpsuit by Cavalli Supermodel Cindy Crawford wore a white Cavalli gown with heavy gold beading to the Cannes Film Festival in May 2013 Kendall Jenner wore a sheer Cavalli gown with extensive beading to the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 Kate Moss fronted Roberto Cavalli's 2006 spring/summer collection ad campaign, modelling lacey lingerie Olivia Palermo wore classic Cavalli - a leopard-print gown - to attend the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 Woman of the moment Zendaya looked typically stunning in a silver Cavalli gown with beading and fringing in March of this year Model Jordan Dunn attended London Fashion Week in 2014 wearing a silk Cavalli blazer and matching mini skirt Actress Halle Bailey wore a blue Cavalli gown at the 2024 People's Choice Awards in February Kim Kardashian looked striking in a fringed leather skirt and sheer top by Roberto Cavalli in Paris in 2014 Gen Z have popularised yet another trend and this time it involves a quirky-shaped straw. In their never-ending race to turn back the clock on ageing, the generation has taken to TikTok to reveal what they say is the latest weapon against wrinkling, reports The Telegraph. The latest fad is a modern take on the standard drinking straw and instead of sucking through a vertical tube, influencers suggest using a question-mark shaped version. While some content creators from the UK and US insist using the unique straw avoids the straining or pursing of lips - therefore reducing facial lines - experts warn there is 'no scientific evidence' that anti-wrinkle straws prevent the onset of wrinkles. Dr Leah Totton of the Dr Leah Cosmetic Skin Clinics chain told the publication: 'There is no scientific evidence as to whether anti-wrinkle straws are an effective method of preventing perioral wrinkles also, some slight pursing of the lips is still involved.' Gen Z have popularised the use of the anti-wrinkle straw (pictured: influencer Michaela Scott using an anti-wrinkle straw) This advice hasn't stopped influencers like Michaela Scott who said the straw prevented users from having to 'purse' their lips. The aesthetic school graduate from California also explained how to use the straw. Pointing to it's top surface, she said: 'The hole is right here and so you drink like this. But it's so you're not like pursing your lips... you're not pursing your lips as hard when you drink through it sideways like this.' She then gently sucked through the hole of the straw while demonstrating its use to her followers. Nearby in Orange County, a dentist took to TikTok to advise that anti wrinkle straws 'help prevent the formation of wrinkles around the lips called smokers lines'. Meanwhile in Washington, one influencer who tried out the device for the first time branded it 'effective'. She said: 'Do I think it's effective? Kind of yeah - because I'm not pursing my lips. I'm not pursing them.' She also shared that she would be using them again as her current 'lip wrinkles' and 'smokers lines' were from using standard straws. Instead of sucking through a vertical tube, influencers suggest using a question-mark shaped version instead Dr Daniel Hunt, the founder and director of Imperial Aesthetics warned that the straws wouldn't single-handedly ward off facial lines - particularly if you weren't an avid straw user. He said: 'Do I think theyll cause dramatically less of these lines in 30 years? No. It really depends how much you use a straw in the first place. If were just talking about a drink on a Friday or Saturday night then using the anti-wrinkle straw wont do much for you'. The anti wrinkle straws are normally sold in sets and can be found on Amazon from upwards of $8 to $10. While some are made of disposable materials, variations of the product also made of stainless steel and glass. Earlier this year, Dr Lara Devgan, a plastic surgeon, weighed in on the debate and warned that 'repeated pursing and drinking through a straw' could contribute to the 'development of fine lines in that area.' It happens because the skin is 'like a piece of paper,' she told the New York Post. The anti wrinkle straws are normally sold in sets and can be found on Amazon from upwards of $8 to $10 'If you repeatedly fold [lips] over and over again in the same folding patterns, you will get etched lines, and it becomes progressively harder for those to go away. When we see people who drink through straws repeatedly, those lines become deeper and deeper,' she added. Celebrity esthetician Renee Rouleau also told Marie Claire that pursing your lips 'will encourage the breakdown of collagen and elasticity more quickly,' which can lead to wrinkling. Creases around the mouth are often referred to as smoker's lines because it is common for people who smoke to develop them from repeatedly pursing their lips around a cigarette - but smokers aren't the only ones at risk. Anyone who purses their lips frequently can develop the marks, including people who make duck faces for selfies or while applying makeup. The muscle surrounding the lips, known as the orbicularis oris, guides their shape and movement and is formed like purse straps. Narrowing your lips causes more tension on the skin, which leads to the wrinkles, Dr Devgan explained. By Kim Ae-ran I had an opportunity to attend the 15th Annual Archbishop's Gospel of Life Prayer Breakfast held on Wednesday, in the ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton in St. Louis, Missouri. Hosted by the St. Louis Chapter of Legatus, an international organization of dedicated lay people, including CEOs, presidents, managing partners and business owners who devote themselves to studying, living and spreading the Catholic faith in their business, professional and personal lives. They try to become better Catholics who can impact their businesses and lives. To celebrate this annual meeting, Gospel of Life Prayer Breakfast sponsors invited several groups of high school students from Catholic schools as well as various religious sisters and brothers. Interestingly, the breakfast prayer program took place from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m., with praying the Rosary on the theme of pro-life issues. To meet with this early schedule, I had to get up at 4:40 a.m. Then, the Holy Mass was presided over by the Most Reverend Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski. Breakfast followed only after praying the Rosary and saying Mass. After sharing a beautiful meal with a cup of coffee, Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, representing parts of Jefferson County in the Missouri Senate, gave her keynote address on pro-life issues while advocating for the culture of life, religious liberty and family values. Childbirth, including birth control and abortion, is a very sensitive issue around the world. France became the first country to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution in March 2023. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said, "We are sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you." With the slogan of "my body my choice," France now protects abortion as a "guaranteed freedom." In the United States, on the other hand, the abortion issue is one of the most divisive arguments. Among the country's states, 14 ban abortions in almost all circumstances, 17 have gestational limits on abortions, and 19 States allow abortions. Abortions are being performed both in public and in secret in Korea, where the birthrate is the lowest in the world. It is a pity to see that the number of children is decreasing more and more at a noticeable rate nowadays. We can see the prayer corners for aborted babies either in churches or at pilgrimage sites. Much prayer and attention are needed to protect human rights. Probably thanks to people's faithful prayers and conscious practices, more children are visible in the Catholic congregations in Missouri. It is so beautiful and encouraging to see children sitting near their parents during Mass. In terms of the presence of children and young people in the churches, I can see much hope in the United States. The term Gospel of Life came from "Evangelium Vitae," an encyclical proclaimed in 1995 on the value and inviolability of human life by Pope John Paul II. The Gospel of life toward a fullness of life is given to each of us "as a good to be shared with all people." The encyclical reads, "The Gospel of Life is for the whole of human society. To be actively pro-life is to contribute to the renewal of society through the promotion of the common good." 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.The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not reflect The Korea Times editorial stance. A new beauty trend that involves getting salmon sperm injected into your face can leave your skin bruised and covered in specs of blood. That's according to advocates of the wrinkle-defying tweakment. As well as Botox-like effects, polynucleotides which can cost in the region of 400 are said to give customers a 'baby face' and rejuvenated skin. But TikTok videos posted by women who have had the injections show them left with lumpy skin that looks like 'bee stings'. Others have showed pictures of them being left with bruises and dried blood, saying the old adage of 'beauty is pain' really is true. Aesthetic nurses who offer the treatment insist the bruising is only temporary. Sharing her experience on TikTok @donatsuyang, who has more than 9,900 followers, said she 'looked like an absolute lunatic at dinner' because she had 'dried blood and bruises' on her face One TikTok user with nearly 10,000 followers said that she 'looked like an absolute lunatic at dinner'. She showed her post-injected face, which was covered in small lumps, specs of dried blood and small bruises. 'Basically salmon sperm equals baby face and this is what I have to go through for now,' she said. 'I have got little bumps and bruises on my face. But beauty is pain, am I right?' An aesthetic nurse based in Surrey with just over 1,000 followers also posted her face just after getting the treatment under her eyes. Although the video showed her eyes were visibly swollen, she said the treatment caused 'minimal' pain and she 'could hardly feel it'. She added that she had a 'little swelling' that subsided that evening and completely disappeared by day three. Another TikTok video posted by someone with more than 4,800 followers showed her getting the injections at a clinic. Afterwards, her face was lumpy and covered in blood. However, at the end of the video she shared her blemish-free skin completely healed. Advocates say polynucleotides offer a 'natural' alternative to other traditional 'tweakments' such as Botox and filler. Some doctors claim it is safer than other cosmetic injectables, which have been linked to a catalogue of complications including blocked blood vessels, lumpy skin and infections. It typically uses purified and sterilised DNA molecules extracted from salmon or trout sperm, known as polynucleotides which have anti-inflammatory effects. South Korea's aesthetics sector has been using the treatment for over a decade but it's now gaining popularity among Western celebrities, including Jennifer Aniston, who told The Wall Street Journal she is reaping its skin rejuvenating qualities. When polynucleotides, DNA molecules extracted from fish sperm, are injected into human skin, fibroblasts are activated. Fibroblasts are stretchy molecules found in skin that help to maintain the structural framework of the tissue. As we age these fibroblasts decrease. So, when the polynucleotides are injected under the eyes, in the cheekbones or in the neck, it theoretically 'rejuvenates' the skin. An aesthetic nurse @the_art_of_beauty based in Surrey who has just over 1,000 followers, also posted a video of her face just after getting the treatment under her eyes. She said that she had a 'little swelling that subsided that evening and had completely gone by day three' Another TikTok video posted by @hi.vega who has more than 4,800 followers, shows her getting the injections at a clinic. Post treatment her face is lumpy and covered in blood Although they are 'safer' than getting filler or Botox, they are still painful and will cause bruising, experts warn. Emma Wedgwood, an aesthetic nurse who works in a Harley Street clinic and offers the treatment, compares the initial side effect of bumpy skin to 'bee stings'. But she told MailOnline this bumpy swelling goes down within a day or two. 'Sometimes you get bruising depending on where you're injecting,' she said. 'It's usually the more delicate areas such as the eye which are more susceptible. 'But not it's not in the same way as filler where you would pretty much expect bruising from filler and it is a bonus if you don't, with polynucleotides it's the other way around.' Once the swelling has reduced and the skin starts to heal, it can still take months to see the full wrinkle busting effects. Ms Wedgwood said: 'It can be frustrating for the patient because they have to wait. 'You are looking at about three to six months to see the full effects. So, it's not an overnight job.' The popular fishy injectable has been a staple skincare treatment in South Korea for more than a decade and now celebrities including Jennifer Aniston (pictured) are reaping its skin rejuvenating qualities The beauty treatment uses purified and sterilised DNA molecules extracted from salmon or trout (pictured) sperm, known as polynucleotides, and some doctors claim it is safer than other cosmetic injectables Aesthetic nurse Amanda Azzopardi also offers polynucleotides (pictured a patient) and explains because a very fine needle is used and the product isn't thick, the bruising 'shouldn't be extensive' Aesthetic nurse Amanda Azzopardi also offers polynucleotides in her clinics in London, Liverpool and North Wales. She explains the injections will bruise the skin, just like any other injectable. Because a very fine needle is used and the product isn't thick, the bruising 'shouldn't be extensive', she says. But patients should be warned that the area will sting for about a minute and it may take a week for bruising to heal. 'It's still an injectable treatment,' she told MailOnline. 'So, you're going to have minor side effects such as redness, bruising, inflammation, which will last about a week. There is no risk of vascular occlusion.' However, there is always a risk of allergic reaction. Ms Azzopardi said you should ask about allergies in your medical consultation and raise if you have a fish allergy. It is the question that has intrigued psychologists since the 1940s: are all humans capable of killing someone? Perhaps the most famous exploration of this debate came from the infamous post-Holocaust experiments on obedience by American researcher Stanley Milgram. The Jewish researcher wanted to know if a unique quality among the German population could explain why so many obeyed Hitler's violent demands. He was shocked by the findings: in the right circumstances, every one of us is capable of blindly following orders - no matter how aggressive. This is a phenomenon that psychologist Dr David Shanley knows all too well. The Denver-based therapist has spent the best part of his career supporting the mental health of both civilians and veterans who have been trained to kill on the battlefield. Rates of mental illness among active duty service members have fluctuated over time, but peaked in 2012, a year after the war in Iraq ended Basic training for all branches of the military includes core discipline and leadership lessons on top of physically grueling exercises and marksmanship 'Officers force the idea of kill or be killed on their recruits as part of basic training,' he told DailyMail.com. 'And then they end up in these chaotic warzones where its them and the other guy. Theres natural protective instinct that takes over. Theyre not debating the morality of the issues on the battlefield. Dr Ryan Fuller, a New York-based psychologist, agrees that the action in warzones proves that, 'if they're in a certain situation, can be a killer. 'I think without the training that the military provides, a person would not be able to pull a trigger that easily.' Humans were evolutionarily primed to do anything that maximizes their chances at survival. When faced with a threat, the human body enters the fight or flight response. Signals are sent throughout the body to optimize it to for survival; either through running as fast as possible in the opposite direction, or fighting the threat head-on. However, studies show that the flight reaction tends to be more common in such situations, with most people opting to avoid the risk that comes with fighting back. But experts told DailyMail.com that military training - including drills and disciplinary action - aim to dampen soldiers' immediate impulse to drop weapons and run in the opposite direction of the enemy. These training methods prioritize quick, instinctive reactions over deliberate, conscious decision-making. Basic training procedures vary based on military branch. The army's protocol consists of physical fitness programs, obstacle courses, combat skills, weaponry, and marksmanship. Dr Ryan Fuller, a New York-based psychologist told DailyMail.com said that almost anyone, with the right training such as what members of the military go through, could become capable of killing another Dr William Smith, a licensed psychotherapist in Georgia who works with veterans, told DailyMail.com: 'Some people say they did really well in basic training, they got recognized for leadership skills, they got platoon leader, something like that. 'And then other people will say it was absolutely miserable. Some feel the way the some of the training is carried out is equivalent to emotional abuse.' While much attention is given to the catastrophic impact warzones have upon soldiers' mental health, experts say many of those who kill in battle are in fact relatively unphased by their actions. One Vietnam vet told psychologists that killing others 'wasnt a big deal'. 'I didnt feel anything negative at all,' he said. 'It was exciting and I couldnt wait to get out there and do it again. 'I never really thought of it asyou know, they trained us great and you go out there and you do your training. . . . I dont feel bad.' Another former soldier said it 'wasn't that hard' to kill somebody. 'It didnt bother me when I was in that situation,' he said. 'For us its kill or be killedyour friends were getting killed. If youre going to kill me, Im going to kill you. So for me it was easy. I dont have any guilt about it, really.' Experts say some of this relaxed attitude could be partly explained by the type of person who is attracted to a career on the battlefield. Specifically, a person who has a tendency towards aggression or violence, and is fiercely patriotic. Dr Smith said: I've talked to a lot of people who are doing things like special ops, infantry, artillery, they probably do have a profile who likes to take the lead on things. I honestly think some people more or less kind of enjoy it, probably those who join the military for that exact job. Selena Soni, a clinical social worker in Arizona who sees combat veterans often, added: 'My sense is that the soldiers who are entering basic training come with the idea that I can do whatever it is I'm asked to do for the service of my country, my platoon. 'I don't know what the personality type is that has that commitment to country and service. But it is definitely there.' A sense of camaraderie can also motivate people to commit acts they feel uneasy about doing. Jonathan Lubecky, an Iraq war veteran, has used psychedelics to overcome his PTSD According to official US military guidance: The strongest motivation for enduring combat, especially for US soldiers, is the bond formed among members of a squad or platoon. However, for many veterans, the guilt, shame, and spiritual unrest after pulling the trigger leads to severe mental health and relationship problems. Army and Marine Corps veteran Jonathan Lubecky has found relief from his PTSD in psychedelics, the newest frontier in treating mental disorders and the effects of traumatic brain injury. Lubecky had been stationed in Iraq when, while using the toilet, an enemy mortar came crashing down on him. He was left with PTSD and a traumatic brain injury. And Prince Harry revealed he also struggled with PTSD since childhood when his mother died. In 2020, around 5.2 million veterans were said to have behavioral health disorders, such as depression and post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. And PTSD may impact as many as 20 percent of Iraqi war veterans. Prince Harry revealed he has dealt with PTSD since the death of his mother when he was a child. His wife Megan Markle, right, has helped him through it The number of active duty service members experiencing mental illness has fluctuated over time and may correlate with certain military operations. For instance, the prevalence of mental illness in service members climbed steadily starting in 2005, two years after troops invaded Iraq, and one year after they engaged in a six-week offensive in Fallujah, Iraq. It was the bloodiest battle in the war, killing some 110 coalition forces and wounding 600. Those rates climbed steadily until 2012, one year after all troops left Iraq and the war there ended. A 2013 report by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, who recruited 227 veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, found that those who killed in battle had twice the odds of being among the most symptomatic PTSD patients, compared to those who did not kill. They said: The combination of life-threat, loss of comrades, and killing understandably may lead to greater difficulty in recovery following combat exposure. Evidence suggests that the act of killing in combat can cause significant psychological distress. And according to Dr Smith, more often than not, the veterans he meets with do it out of a sense of obligation and not out of a sense of zeal for killing the enemy. Ive talked to people about it that have been kind of indifferent. I dont know if anyone has said they overtly enjoy it, but some people will say they take pride in doing what they needed to do. But feelings of guilt and shame are common among this group, according to psychologists who study veterans. One of the veterans interviewed said: 'I think you feel ashamed of what you did. You know youre trained to do that and it just stays with you. I guess I feel very sad sometimes. 'I feel proud to be a soldier who tried to do something that I thought was right for the country. But its hard to be a soldier. It tears away from your moral fiber. It changes your life.' Another vet put it this way: I didnt know why I should feel so bad if I didnt do anything wrong. I was not a baby killer. I was notI did my job. I did what everybody else did. But always that nagging question, why do I hurt like this? The experts say those who seek their help have usually reached the point at which they are are finally ready to open up about their experience. Ms Soni said: 'They truly are a resilient group of individuals. 'I think we see so much about the higher rates of psychiatric disorders. And I know all of that is true, but I think we also sometimes forget to talk about all their strengths.' Im going to tell you something few people will. In fact, its the final menopause taboo: something considered so private (or shameful?) that youll rarely if ever hear it discussed, even by your closest friends. But it could change your life and improve your health. It is this: masturbation is medicine. And women, but particularly those whove gone through the menopause, should consider using sex toys, in my professional opinion. You might be shocked. Or perhaps, if you think youve heard it all before, youre even rolling your eyes. Not this claptrap again. But this isnt about performing bedroom gymnastics. Its about our overall health, because orgasms are good for us. As Professor in Reproductive Science at University College London, my research involves all areas of womens health, from menstrual cycles to fertility and menopause. Most recently, Ive been interviewing dozens of women over 50 for a book Im writing about how to rediscover your mojo in later life. What Ive found is that, while many are still sexually active either alone or with a partner some havent had an orgasm for a very long time. Theyre not masturbating, nor are they having sex. 'Women, but particularly those whove gone through the menopause, should consider using sex toys... in my professional opinion' 'Its easier, perhaps, to just put a lid on it all and scoff when they come across vibrators on the shelves in Boots and dismiss it as a young persons game...' One big study shows that, for some women, this happens because theyve lost their partners through death or divorce. Others say their own ill health, or their partners, is a barrier to a healthy sex life. But for too many women, having an orgasm is simply no longer a priority, and it hasnt been for years. Outside my research Ive had conversations with friends who shrug and confess they havent been bothering with all that, as they put it. Even getting women to talk about this issue is difficult, as The Mail on Sundays resident GP, Dr Ellie Cannon, discovered. Last week she asked readers to write in about how important orgasms were to them, and whether like Emma Thompsons character in the movie Good Luck To You, Leo Grande they had never had one. Just two women got in touch normally her postbag is bulging. One said that, aged 56, she loved her orgasms and hoped to continue them well into her old age. The other, a 79-year-old, admitted to using a sex toy for the past two years since her husband died. Im delighted for both of them. But I suspect they arent typical. So why didnt more women write in? Its unlikely that everyone else has zero interest in sex in the last census, from 2021, just 28,000 people (0.046 per cent of the adult population of England and Wales) described themselves as asexual. I suspect its that, for many women, getting rid of their periods means they move into what I describe as the not giving a f*** stage of their lives where they no longer feel they have to please anyone but themselves. Letting go of sex, and that pressure women feel throughout their lives to be desirable, can be a huge relief. Its easier, perhaps, to just put a lid on it all and scoff when they come across vibrators on the shelves in Boots and dismiss it as a young persons game. I understand how it feels I really do because Ive been there myself. During my perimenopause, which started in my early 40s, I also had three small kids and sex was not high on my agenda. I didnt really feel like it. But thats a cruel trick of hormones, and for most women it isnt true. But you have to work a little harder at rediscovering it. Perimenopause, the state of hormonal flux most women go through before their periods finally stop and the menopause begins, throws a spanner in the works, both physically and emotionally. It can last for up to a decade and is often a time of increased anxiety, mood changes, insomnia and a plummeting libido, not to mention physical changes which can make sex more painful and difficult. But the vagina is a muscle which needs to be exercised, like any other muscle, or it can lead to problems. It really is a case of use it or lose it. 'Doctors have been aware of these issues for decades they arent new or unusual problems and you shouldnt be embarrassed asking a GP about them if youre suffering.' Meryl Streep as Jane and Alec Baldwin as her ex-husband Jake in the film It's Complicated For some women, the decline in levels of the sex hormone oestrogen can make the tissues inside the vagina thinner and less lubricated, a condition known as vaginal atrophy. The vagina becomes dry and itchy as it loses this natural moisture, making penetration uncomfortable. The muscle walls can weaken, causing broader problems with incontinence. Without regular penetration, the vagina itself can contract. Doctors have been aware of these issues for decades they arent new or unusual problems and you shouldnt be embarrassed asking a GP about them if youre suffering. Some treatments, including certain types of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), are available. Ill talk about these a bit later. I remember my mum who was single for many years and died in her 90s coming back from seeing the GP once with some vaginal dilators. He says Ive got to stick these things up my vagina because its too tight, she told me. And even less openly discussed is what can happen to your clitoris, a muscular organ which might look like a bean from the outside but which stretches to the top of the vagina. It contains thousands of nerve endings and, for some women, stimulating the clitoris is the only route to an orgasm. But as women age the blood flow to the nerve endings around the clitoris are reduced, which means it can become less sensitive and less responsive to touch. It can even recede known as clitoral atrophy in a small minority of women. Its hardly a surprise that, as a result, many women turn their backs on sexual pleasure during this period, then forget about it. If youre one of them, listen up: the benefits of regular orgasms include relieving these symptoms. Stimulation and orgasms can keep the tissues lubricated and relieves the dryness and itching naturally. They strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and maintain the anatomy of the vagina and vulva, and help retain (or regain) bladder control. If theres penetration of the vagina that can help stop it shrinking, too. There are also psychological benefits. An orgasm reduces stress and boosts the release of the hormone oxytocin, and neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, all of which boost feelings of wellbeing. They can help you sleep at night because an orgasm floods the brain with melatonin, which is why you feel pleasantly sleepy afterwards. In the longer term, there is even research which suggests orgasms can lower blood pressure, protect against cardiovascular disease and help ease headaches. And the more you orgasm, the better orgasms youll have and the better your vaginal health will be. The way I like to think about sexual wellness is that its a bit like happiness sometimes you just need to work at it a bit harder and be creative. Achieving orgasm can be more difficult for women as they age, just like it is for men. The key is discovering what works for you. Some women may find HRT usually a combination of drugs that top up levels of female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone restores their libido. Official guidance also says that if this doesnt work, testosterone can be used to prop up a sagging libido. But I suggest you see how you feel when the menopause is finished. It can feel like a fog has lifted, a hallelujah moment. Often your libido may resurface naturally without needing to dose up on drugs. And some women have reported testosterone makes them feel like randy teenagers. Is that what you want? What Id suggest to start with is lubrication, if dryness is a problem. Some products such as Sylk and Yes are available on NHS prescription. You can also ask your GP for vaginal oestrogen, which should alleviate any vaginal issues. But sex toys can equally help reawaken your body to pleasure. As a single woman, I use toys. Id say Im a fan. But I suspect many women have never been there in fact, Im pretty sure lots of women, particularly from our mothers generation, have never had an orgasm. If youve never considered it before, and are still rolling your eyes, please think about it. What have you got to lose, really? 'The key is discovering what works for you. Some women may find HRT usually a combination of drugs that top up levels of female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone restores their libido...' You no longer have to go into a sex shop to buy one theyre available online and are posted in discreet packaging for privacy. They even sell them in Tesco. The science has evolved we now know, for example, that certain vibrations are the most effective for stimulating pleasure. There are even vibrators approved as medical devices, which are proven to treat an array of menopause-related sexual dysfunctions. Ive recently partnered with a British-based company, MysteryVibe, whose products are licensed as medical devices by the US regulator, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). The company recently launched billboards in New York with the brilliant strapline: Orgasm now comes with a medical prescription. We still dont know precisely why it works so much of womens sexual pleasure remains a scientific mystery. But MysteryVibes medical director, urological surgeon Professor Prokar Dasgupta, says: We think vibrators improve the signalling between the body and the brain, and that the vibrations also may tone up the muscles of the vaginal wall. The vibration also seems to encourage the glands to secrete vaginal fluid again, we dont know why, but it does. If none of this has convinced you yet, perhaps this will: one day, says Prof Dasgupta, vibrators could be dished out by the NHS. Orgasms on prescription would be just what the doctor ordered. The words stopped me in my tracks. Depression 'significantly impacts' breast cancer survival, ran the headline in a medical journal. It was an article about research, published last week, that found breast cancer patients with depression are up to twice as likely to die of the disease as women with good mental health. As a former breast surgeon who's had breast cancer three times I am undergoing treatment at the moment I immediately took notice. You see, I have also been floored by depression since my first cancer diagnosis in 2015, aged 40. And I'm not alone. Up to a quarter of people with cancer develop a clinically significant depression two to three times the number found among the general population. The words stopped me in my tracks. Depression 'significantly impacts' breast cancer survival, ran the headline in a medical journal Are we unlucky ones truly doomed? Well, the short answer is, I don't think so. When I saw the study, I immediately pored over the data. I discovered that, despite the worrying claims, the real picture is unlikely to be as bleak. The Russian researchers analysed a number of existing studies to draw their conclusions. Some of these dated back to 1977 and the most recent was in 2018, which in terms of breast cancer treatment is a long time ago. Since then there has been a raft of new treatments to tackle harder-to-treat forms of the disease, and many are remarkably successful. I'm on one myself right now palbociclib which was described by the Institute of Cancer Research in London as among 'the most important breakthroughs' in decades. My treatment seems to be working, and I am optimistic. But as a patient, I can't deny the truth. It is no surprise to me that, untreated, depression can shorten our lives. When we're depressed we're less likely to eat well and exercise, more likely to drink and smoke, and less likely to take the medication we need. All these things increase the risk of recurrence. Both cancer and depression make it harder to work. We struggle financially, which makes our mental health even worse. It can be a vicious cycle. But my message, believe it or not, is one of hope. If you're a breast cancer patient who's suffering with depression, I want you to know that getting the right treatment is transformative. There are specific psychological support services for people with cancer, and they saved my life. As a cancer surgeon, I didn't realise that depression, anxiety and other mental health issues were common after a diagnosis. It sounds ridiculous, but it's true. You see, I was focused on the physical side effects until I got cancer myself. Chemotherapy was tough. Mornings spent sat in the shower feeling sorry for myself, waiting for the pain and nausea to go away. Couple that with the grief of everything I was losing. My hair. My breast. My fertility. Potentially my job. What about my relationship? Then, when I finished treatment chemo, surgery and radiotherapy I was told I wouldn't be seen again by my doctor for five years. I felt an overwhelming sense of panic and despair. Was that it? How would I cope? For the next five years, I woke up every day thinking: 'Is this the day my breast cancer comes back?' I'd suffer something minor, like a pain in my hip, and go into a blind panic. My GP would send me for investigations, which only made my anxiety worse. It was the same with my annual mammogram screening. 'What if it's not OK?' I wondered. Would I fall to pieces if I had to go through it all again? When in 2018 my cancer did come back for the first time a nodule of scar tissue near my armpit I did lose my job. I was left with chronic pain and a stiff shoulder and my life as I knew it was over. I defined myself as a surgeon and suddenly had no idea who I was or how to fill my days. And how many days did I have left to fill? It was then that my oncology nurse told me there was counselling available through Macmillan Cancer Support. I met an incredible therapist called Diane who told me it was normal to feel depressed and anxious. As a former breast surgeon who's had breast cancer three times I am undergoing treatment at the moment I immediately took notice During six sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) a type of psychotherapy she helped me develop coping strategies and little things I could focus on, such as celebrating a 'win' every day. But more important was just having someone to talk to. I didn't want to burden my friends and family with my morbid thinking I wasn't sure they would understand or know what to say. But in Diane, I found someone I could be honest with. I could admit that I wasn't fine, and vent all my irrational feelings and fears. And once I'd said them out loud, it was like a weight had been lifted. When my mum died in December 2022, I spiralled into depression again. I reached out to the local hospice, which provides eight free CBT sessions to anyone who needs it. Having that space to cry, scream and shout was so important to me. I would never have had the courage to be that vulnerable in front of my family. My therapist asked me to draw how I was feeling. As she pulled out the crayons, I thought, this is ridiculous. But soon I was staring at a black angry scrawl, and was able to explain how my grief was holding me back. She encouraged me to write silly poems and letters as a way of expressing my feelings, and I still re-read them now when I'm having a wobble. When I had my second breast cancer recurrence in 2023, I had CBT sessions again. I'm forever grateful to everyone who funds it through donations to Macmillan. Referrals for therapy on the NHS take months, if not years, and private sessions with a therapist who specialises in cancer patients can be even harder to find. Depression and anxiety can hit weeks, months or even years after a cancer diagnosis. Something you read can trigger it a celebrity being diagnosed with cancer, for instance or a friend in a support group might die, and you become consumed with guilt: 'Why am I still alive?' Knowing what I now know, I believe that everyone diagnosed with cancer needs to be told that their mental health can be affected just as much as their physical health. But depression doesn't have to be the end of us there is help out there. London, despite the doom-mongering that surrounds the stock market, is still a magnet for some of the best companies and business talent. The FTSE 100 is an international index. Many blue-chips have substantial sales and operations overseas; in some cases, their UK presence is tiny. A large number of London-listed firms have CEOs that hail from overseas. All of this is excellent but it does complicate the debate on executive pay. In recent weeks, a number of CEOs, via their cheerleaders, have been agitating for more money, believing themselves to be underpaid by US standards. They are holding investors to ransom with the implicit or explicit threat that, as fully fledged members of the global elite, they will walk if their demands are not met. Negative business culture: The argument now is that Britain undervalues not only individual bosses, but also companies The argument now is that Britain undervalues not only individual bosses, but also companies. Whether or not the UK has a grudging and negative business culture is open to debate, but it is a popular view in elite circles and is being weaponised in an effort to hike top pay. Hence the claim, made by one of AstraZeneca's biggest shareholders, that the drug company's chief executive Pascal Soriot is not merely underpaid, but 'massively' so. True, the French-Australian Soriot made only 17m last year, which is less than the 21m that rival David Ricks notched up at US drugs giant Eli Lilly. Also true: he has overseen excellent share price performance, staved off what would have been a dreadful takeover by Pfizer, and delivered a Covid vaccine. But most people's reaction would probably be: bring out the tiny violins. There seems to be no consciousness of how absurd most patients, or lower paid health professionals, would find it to describe Soriot as hard-done-by. As The Mail on Sunday reported, he is in line to make 150m over his career at the pharma company. A sizeable number of shareholders seem to have had similar feelings. Some 36 per cent voted against proposals to raise Soriot's rewards enough to put Astra on the official 'List of Shame' where more than 20 per cent of investors object to top pay. A similar row is brewing at the London Stock Exchange Group, where the CEO David Schwimmer, a New Yorker, wants a hefty pay rise. He thinks he should be rewarded on a par with the bosses of big US data groups. Rupert Soames, the chairman of medical devices maker Smith & Nephew, is running around trying to persuade shareholders to back a big increase for his CEO, Deepak Nath. The argument is that more money is needed to stop Nath, who is based in Texas, following a string of previous S&N chiefs out of the door. A whole industry has grown up to devise and justify mind-blowingly complex executive rewards. But most people couldn't give a fig. What they see is a bunch of entitled individuals who already earn fabulous sums jostling for even more obscene amounts. Bosses' pay should be set by the market for top executives, not according to some subjective view among the general public on how much an individual 'deserves', compared with, say, a nurse. But no market exists in a social and moral vacuum. The clamour for using US-style pay to hang on to some undeniably brilliant executives should be weighed up against the possible damage to trust among other constituencies. Ignoring the views of customers, employees, investors and in the case of big pharma, patients is rarely a good look. Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. T.W. writes: I am requesting your help to investigate a business called Pupil. After leaving the company in 2023, I looked to move my pension savings to my new employers scheme. However, Peoples Partnership the pension scheme used by Pupil informed me that the contributions deducted from my pay had not been passed on by Pupil. I have since found that other employees and former employees are in the same boat. Tony Heatherington replies: Pupil is no hole-in-the-corner company. It is an international high-tech business, formally registered as the Digital Reality Corp Limited, offering highly detailed computer images of buildings. Its financial backers include the Duke of Westminsters Grosvenor Estates, whose officials confirmed this but added that we do not have involvement in the day-to-day activities of the business. CASH BLOCK: Digital experts Pupil held on to pension money So what went so badly wrong that you were able to give me a whole stream of payslips showing monthly pension contributions running into hundreds of pounds, yet the pension company received nothing? Peoples Partnership told you: By law, when employers take pension contributions from your wages, your employer must pay those to your pension provider by the 22nd of the following month. But this didnt happen. And a member of Pupils HR department told you last September: It is my understanding that pension contributions are getting cleared this month. But this didnt happen either. By the time you contacted me, things had escalated. The pension company told me it had reported Pupil to the watchdog Pension Regulator. It added: We have also liaised directly with the employer in question to take the appropriate steps to ensure that their obligations are met. It took a while to get a reaction from Pupil. It finally told me: We are happy to report that we secured new funding last week; hence the company will be in a position to bring its financial commitments up to date. The only conclusion I could draw was that Pupil was so low in funds that it was living at least partly off its own employees pension contributions. Money that was not Pupils to spend. There was also the matter of commission payments you had expected to receive after winning business for Pupil. I pressed Pupil and it explained that when an employee leaves the company, outstanding commission payments are made one month following the month of departure. It added: The clients payment arrived after the one-month period. In effect, staff can win business for Pupil but there is no guarantee that their commission will be paid. This is in the hands of Pupils new client. If they do not pay Pupil promptly, the employee can lose any commission, meaning Pupil keeps the extra cash. This is so unfair. Was it really true? Yes, said Pupil, that is our policy. As for the pension contributions, Pupil made a downpayment to the Peoples Partnership. It asked me for time to pay up in full before The Mail on Sunday published this, and a week ago the pension firm told me: We have worked very closely with the company in question to resolve the issue. But some of your missing contributions date back to January last year, so it has taken about 15 months for that money to be handed over. Having to go to its backers to find the cash that it borrowed from its own employees without their knowledge speaks volumes about Pupils own image. It is not a pretty sight. Were watching you Newspaper watchdog the Independent Press Standards Organisation has rejected a complaint brought against The Mail on Sunday by Ben Revell, the boss of a series of failed wine-dealing companies, all operating under the name Winebuyers. Last September, I reported that after collapsing twice, Winebuyers, like the third instalment in a substandard zombie franchise, is back from the dead. Revells first such company was Winebuyers Limited, which collapsed in 2021 with debts said by the liquidator to be more than 1.5 million. The winebuyers.com website was taken over by Revells next company, Winebuyers Group Limited, which failed in July last year. Revell, 35, from Harlow, Essex, then bought the website name from the wreckage of his second company, using a new company registered in the Seychelles. The offshore company was said to be owned by British business Elysian Ventures, but records at Companies House revealed that both were controlled by Revell. To outsiders, winebuyers.com continued to market wines as if nothing had happened, taking orders from the public and passing them on to wine merchants whose products the website promoted. The merchants were major losers when the companies failed, but ordinary customers also reported paying up front for wines that never arrived. If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned. Planning ahead: Angela Rayner Marks and Spencer chairman Archie Norman has become the latest boss to sound the alarm over Labour's plans to reform workers' rights. Policies fronted by the party's deputy leader Angela Rayner would see staff given rights from day one in new jobs as well as a crackdown on zero-hours contracts. 'Any incoming government should consider carefully whether a package that reduces flexibility, makes it more costly to hire people and seeks to bring unions back into the workplace will help attract new investment,' Norman told the Sunday Telegraph. The M&S chairman joins a chorus of business leaders urging Labour to reconsider if Sir Keir Starmer wins the general election. Norman, a former Conservative MP, said the UK has 'some of the best employers, terms and practices in the world'. Responding to the comments, shadow business spokesman Jonathan Reynolds said: 'Labour are a proudly pro-business, pro-worker party. '[Business leaders] want the policy certainty they need to make long-term investments.' Several severely malnourished people were found aimlessly wandering in the bushes near the building Stumbled across in the depths of the Soka forest in Nigeria was a dilapidated building, overgrown with weeds and crumbling beneath the weight of the deadly secrets it held within. The rotting building, dubbed the 'house of horror', was discovered just over a decade ago by a group of motorcycle taxi drivers who had gone off the beaten track in search of a lost friend. But what they would find, would haunt them for a lifetime. Buried in the middle of the thick forest in Ibadan, Oyo State, it was originally believed the run-down house was being used by a construction company. Yet 23 survivors were rescued from the building in 2014, with cops unearthing numerous body parts, decomposing bodies and personal effects of kidnapped victims. The building was found to be a grisly hub used for human trafficking and sacrifice, coordinated by kidnappers and black magic ritualists who are often backed by affluent Nigerians and politicians who may have used flesh for rituals. Reports from the time said that several severely malnourished people were also found aimlessly wandering in the bushes near the building, and that at least 15 other captives were found chained together in iron shackles inside. The surrounding area was found to be strewn with human skulls, limbs, clothes, shoes, and school uniforms, believed to belong to the previous captives held in the ghastly building. The 'house of horror' was found by a group of motorcycle taxi drivers in the Soka forest in Nigeria, in 2014 Piles of clothes, shoes, personal identification and school uniforms were found among the piles of decomposing bodies and rotting flesh Human skulls, corpses, and fly-infested remains were unearthed in the building and in the surrounding areas of the forest as cops investigated the scene The discovery Between March 22, 2014, and March 25, 2014, the peaceful city of Ibadan was thrown into a whirlwind horror-movie-esque situation after a series of horrendous findings took place. First, the discovery of the 'forest of deaths' in Soka where numerous people had been killed for rituals and several others kept for reasons that, to this day, remain a mystery. According to a report by The Nation, the riding group, known as Okada, had received a series of distress texts by their friend and colleague, Kazeem, from Olomi, who claimed he had been abducted by kidnappers. After desperately attempting to hunt down their fellow taxi driver friend, they ended up on the doorstep of an abandoned brick building. In the hopes of finding their friend in the seemingly safe shelter within the jaws of the forest, they ventured inside and were met with a hellish view. Inside the abandoned house, piles of rotting bodies and decomposing flesh lay on the filthy blood-splattered ground, with bones and personal belongings strewn across the floor. But chained in a line in a corner were 15 people - thin and weak. Kazeem would unfortunately not be one of them. Cops quickly arrived on the scene after being alerted to the driver's findings. Inside the building, 15 hostages were found shackled to each other on the dirty ground as their belongings were strewn across the floor Shallow graves were uncovered throughout the Soka forest. It was revealed that even young students had been kidnapped and thrown into the horror house Victims of kidnapping are often tortured or used as sacrifices in black magic rituals Some local reports from Nigeria contradicted the widespread reports that 15 people had been found, and shared gory details of how after the police had stormed the dungeon-like building, around 18 males and five females were found shackled on the ground with chains wrapped around their legs. One of the women was said to have delivered a baby just the day before before being rescued, but her newborn was immediately sold. Several more corpses with flesh half-eaten by wild animals and insects were found throughout the forest, and deep dry wells littered with body parts were also uncovered. Bodies were discovered in open containers, and a platform with a large wooden plank was situated in the building covered in clots of blood from previous slaughters. The kidnapper's den was also scattered with mutilated hands and limbs, women's bags, identity cards - even including those of students from the private Lead City University, Ibadan. Children's school uniforms were also said to have been uncovered from the piles of belongings, giving officers the tragic impression that even young students had been kidnapped and thrown into the horror house. Witnesses reported swarms of flies and an overpowering stench coming from the house after suspected years of bloody murder and human sacrifice. As officers scoured the nearby shrubbery, open graves were discovered in the earth where bodies had been dumped, and locals gathered around to watch the grisly scenes unfold. Some told local reporters that victims of kidnapping are often tortured or used as sacrifices in black magic rituals. In urban centres, including the nation's economic capital Lagos, corpses are often found by the roadside with some of their vital parts missing, especially eyes and genitals. It was also reported that the bush was where human parts were freely sold to people who came through the area at night. When the local Governor Abiola Ajimobi arrived at the scene, he attempted to calm down a group of rioting locals who pleaded with authorities to rescue others feared to have been kidnapped. He said: 'The reason why we came here today was because of an ugly incident that happened. 'We were informed that you, the residents, did not know what was happening here. As you did not know, so we, too, did not know. 'If you who live in the neighbourhood did not know, how then can we who live far away know? But, we thank God for exposing all these. 'All those who did these horrible things, God would expose them'. Ajimobi also shared a warning to locals, and urged them to 'remain very vigilant and not hesitate to report matters like this to security agents'. But just three days after the chilling discovery and mass rescue mission, a man was caught at Oni & Sons Bus Stop, Ring Road, with three human tongues. With tensions heightened after the gruesome finding of the 'house of horror', he was attacked by a mob who threatened to kill him after linking him to the sickening spate of recent discoveries. Victims' stories The chained captives were rushed to the State Hospital, Yemetu, in the Oyo State capital and one brave survivor recalled his horrific time spent at the hands of brutal kidnappers. Speaking to The Nation on March 28, 2014, Nafiu Shittu, a native of Ibadan and pile medicine vendor said he was kidnapped four months prior to the mass rescue. The kidnapper's den was also scattered with mutilated hands and limbs, women's bags, identity cards - even including those of students from the private Lead City University, Ibadan Witnesses reported swarms of flies and an overpowering stench coming from the house after suspected years of bloody murder and human sacrifice Governor of Oyo State Abiola Ajimobi speaks about persons suspected to have been killed by kidnappers at the site of the abandoned building in the southwestern city of Ibadan March 24, 2014 As recently as February 2022, Nigeria's House of Representatives urged the Nigerian federal government to declare a state of emergency on the spate of ritual killings taking place in Nigeria 'After going round the area where I had customers, I felt tired, and decided to rest. It was at the Gate area,' he said. 'Suddenly, a bus stopped by my side and two men came out and rushed me into the back seat. That was all I could remember. 'When I regained consciousness, I was in a room in the forest, chained to a wall.' Another victim, Titi Adeniyi, a 45-year-old woman and Ibadan resident, revealed that in January 2014, she was standing outside the front of her house when a number of men grabbed her and told her she was under arrest. 'I was put in a bus and driven away. We did not go to any police station and I still don't know how we reached the bush,' she recalled. Adeniyi said she could not tell if people were being killed in the forest by the kidnappers. 'I don't know whether people were being killed or women giving birth. Where they kept us was where I used to be. Once I covered my head with my cloth, I would just sleep off'. One more survivor shared his horrific ordeal on a Nairaland Forum after he claims he was kidnapped and taken hostage by a rogue, knife-wielding bus driver. Adewale, an IT teacher from the Alakuka area of Lagos aid he boarded a yellow bus towards Sango before the driver revealed his weapon and ordered all passengers to surrender their valuables. The bus then allegedly sped past the scheduled stop and over the Sango Bridge before arriving in the terrifying forest. According to Adewale, the passengers had their heads shaved and they were stripped naked in minutes. 'Soon after, a rough looking guy with bushy hair came back, seized one of us , the elderly man among us, took him into the house, brought him back and right before our eyes, slaughter him like a cow,' he said. 'He also severed his head in the process. I was horrified and went numb with shock. 'By far, that was the most gruesome things I've ever seen in my life'. When the local Governor Abiola Ajimobi arrived at the scene, he attempted to calm down a group of rioting locals who pleaded with authorities to rescue others feared to have been kidnapped In urban centres, including the nation's economic capital Lagos, corpses are often found by the roadside with some of their vital parts missing, especially eyes and genitals First, the discovery of the 'forest of deaths' in Soka where numerous people had been killed for rituals and several others kept for reasons that, to this day, remain a mystery On March 24, 2014, police opened a murder probe and Oyo state police spokesperson Olabisi Ilobanafor said that six suspects, including five security guards allegedly armed with guns, bows, and arrows, found at the scene, were arrested. 'Some seven malnourished human beings looking like living skeletons were also rescued in the bushes surrounding the building,' she said. 'One of them died on the spot while we were there.' The aftermath Following the shocking discoveries, once investigations had concluded, the building was demolished. Locals encouraged the decision to destroy the building that had been the final place dozens of loved ones had taken their final breaths. Now, children can be seen coming and going from the building that was erected in its place - Oyo State Comprehensive Model School. The ex-ritualist den turned secondary school opened in 2018 and sits on the expansive green land that once homed the notorious 'house of horror'. Speaking to Punch at the time, one woman who made a living selling used nylon opposite the former murder hub said: 'As you can see, Soka is now a school. I come here almost every day but we still remember the incident well'. When the school first opened its doors, only around 20 children attended, as locals were still cautious of the area. A resident of the community, who identified himself as Ahmed, said the fear that the environment could still harbour evil discouraged many parents from registering their children in the school. He said: 'You know that in this part of the world, people read meanings to things. 'Even though the kidnappers' den has been cleared and turned into a school, the pupils are not up to 20 because of the fear. This is because of the past issue regarding the location.' Cape Cod has been flooded by rentals as wealthy property owners who snapped up vacation homes during Covid are forced back to their normal work routines. In recent years, bagging a summer rental on Cape Cod has felt like an uphill battle, with prices skyrocketing beyond the reach of many. But there is a ray of hope shining through this year's housing gloom: an uptick in availability might just make reasonable rentals a reality. The latest data from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and the Cape Cod Commission reveals that this summer boasts nearly 18,000 short-term rentals - a staggering 12 percent increase since last April and nearly 50 percent surge since March 2021. One major factor behind the sudden shift is the aftermath of the pandemic-fueled frenzy in second-home purchases that swept Cape Cod, as reported by the Boston Globe. One major factor behind the sudden shift is the aftermath of the pandemic-fueled frenzy in second-home purchases that swept Cape Cod (Pictured: Cape Cod Provincetown Beach) Cape Cod has been flooded by rentals as wealthy property owners who snapped up vacation homes during Covid are forced back to their normal work routines (Pictured: A entire cottage in Chatham, Massachusetts with 2 beds, maximum 3 guests go for $150 a night during July) With many second-home owners easing off the Cape to return to their regular routines, they're eager to offset costs by renting out their properties. (Pictured: An entire house in Orleans, 6 guests, 3 bedrooms, 3 beds and 2 baths is listed for $ 383 at night in July) With many second-home owners easing off the Cape to return to their regular routines, they're eager to offset costs by renting out their properties, explained Paul Niedzwiecki, executive director of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce. 'We had another really good year last year,' Niedzwiecki told the Boston Globe. 'It will be another solid year.' In February, he said there are currently 18,000 short-term rentals on the Cape. 'There's anywhere between 5 and 8 percent more availability compared to the same time last year,' he told Boston.com. 'With the increase in inventory for short term rentals, I think we're starting to see a lot more competition which is good news for consumers,' he said. However in March of this year, several real estate experts told Wicked Local, an affiliate of USA Today, that people who are serious about reserving beach accommodations already did so months in advance. 'Summer rentals near the beach are few and far between anyhow,' Liz Charlton, a Realtor with Jack Conway Real Estate, told Wicked Local. 'A lot of these cottages that were once available as rentals have been developed as year-round residences. There are just not as many summer rentals as there used to be.' Realtor Carole Sharoff, owner of Atlantic Vacation Homes in Gloucester, said inventory isn't the problem - it's finding an available summer rental. In February, he said there are currently 18,000 short-term rentals on the Cape Traditional lodging options like hotels and bed and breakfasts are still grappling with a downturn in demand and struggling to match the lucrative rates of short-term rentals Despite the influx of rentals, demand remains as strong as ever 'We always have beautiful homes,' Sharoff told Wicked Local. 'But the earlier they reach out about a rental, the better. 'We have many people who rent with us in the summer months who want to return the following year, so they make their reservations then,' she added. 'With the advance of software and the internet, it's easy to get our calendars up as soon as we can. By the end of summer, early fall, we have our rates and everything set up for the following year.' But Niedzwiecki said prices hit unsustainable high heights in 2021 and 2022 during the pandemic peak, and are now showing signs of stabilizing - and they're expected to level off even further this summer. Meanwhile, traditional lodging options like hotels and bed and breakfasts are still grappling with a downturn in demand and struggling to match the lucrative rates of short-term rentals. An AirDNA report revealed that last July, traditional lodging in Barnstable County scored a 71 percent occupancy rate with an average daily rate of $286, while short-term rentals reached an 86 percent occupancy rate with an average daily rate of $552. The islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket have their own set of challenges - with fewer lodging options and limited ferry connections. Despite the influx of rentals, demand remains as strong as ever. Joan Talmadge, co-owner of WeNeedaVacation, an online rental platform, said bookings are blazing ahead of last year's pace. A home in Barnstable, Massachusetts that can accommodates 12 guests in 4 bedrooms, 7 beds and 3 baths; located close walk (0.3 mi) to Covell's Beach. Listed on Airbnb for $859 Vacationers are looking for more upscale experiences now, according to Talmadge - a shift from recent years when renters chose more rustic rental options Compared to 2019, bookings have skyrocketed by a staggering 27 percent through March Compared to 2019, bookings have skyrocketed by a staggering 27 percent through March. Vacationers are looking for more upscale experiences now, according to Talmadge - a shift from recent years when renters chose more rustic rental options. 'Years and years ago, when people were renting homes, it was often a cottage that wasn't winterized, and they might have had to do their own cleaning before they left the price, of course, was much lower,' Talmadge to the Boston Globe. 'But that has all changed. It's a whole different environment now. Additionally, vacationers are also dealing with the issue of new taxes. The state occupancy excise tax and the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund tax, both introduced in 2019, along with additional occupancy fees from most towns, can hike the total cost by a hefty 14 percent or more for a week's stay. While the rental price surge hasn't put a major dent in demand, there are also major concerns about its ripple effect on local businesses reliant on summer tourism. In April, one beachfront hotel in Cape Cod has been slammed for housing migrants far beyond the time frame permitted by local laws. Since September more than 20 families have been staying at Harborside Suites in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. Since last September, more than 20 migrant families have been staying at Harborside Suites in South Yarmouth, a small, Massachusetts village on the water Rooms at the seaside hotel usually range from $110-$175 per night, meaning the migrants' stay has cost the state at least $500,000 thus far As the peak summer season approaches, the town's Zoning Board of Appeals has declared the property to be in violation of a local bylaw that limits temporary stays to 30 days or less. The housing is being paid for by the state, at vast expense to taxpayers who, this fiscal year shelled out $932million to maintain shelters. Rooms at Harborside Suites cost $110 per night on the low-end, according to the hotel's website. Based on that rate, the 20 migrant families who have stayed at the property for seven months have cost the state around $500,000 for housing alone. State House Speaker Ron Mariano said that at this rate, a handful of other state programs will likely be on the chopping block when the legislature sits to work out next year's budget, because of the exorbitant, ongoing cost of dealing with thousands of migrants. An attorney for the hotel, Mark Boudreau, told the Boston Herald that the owners of the business would 'move [the migrants] today if we could.' 'The migrants that are there, they are ready to move. A lot of them have work visas They would like to get going so they can obtain work where they're going to be,' he said. An attorney for the hotel, Mark Boudreau, told the Boston Herald that the owners of the business would 'move [the migrants] today if we could' But, Harborside Suite has fought with the Zoning Board of Appeals, seeking to reverse its violation by arguing that state officials said: 'emergency needs of migrant families supersede the occupancy requirements of local zoning' Harborside Suite has fought with the Zoning Board of Appeals, seeking to reverse its violation by arguing that state officials said: 'Emergency needs of migrant families supersede the occupancy requirements of local zoning.' The board vice chairman says they are not confident that Governor Maura Healey's state-of-emergency due to the migrants overrides the local ordinance. 'To the cities and towns across the state, many of which have a rich history tied to waves of immigrants settling within their borders, I am encouraging their communities to keep welcoming those families who wish to resettle in all corners of Massachusetts,' wrote the Democratic governor last summer. The board upheld the violation notice, noting that Healey is 'urging the cities and towns, she's not ordering us to do it.' In January, the Zoning Board was told the migrants at Harborside would soon be moved to a 'larger facility in the Foxboro area,' but that has yet to happen. Boudreau claimed that the property designated to become the new shelter 'did not pass inspection and had some code violations so they have not moved.' In a world where emergency services are accustomed to tackling human-made chaos, sometimes it's the animal kingdom that throws the wildest curveballs. Animals have kept emergency services on their toes with a mix of mischief and mayhem, and sometimes chuckling at the chaos. From skyscraper scuffles to snail showdowns to seized sheep, the wild world never fails to deliver a dose of both drama and danger along with a side of laughter. While these encounters may vary in their levels of hilarity and hazards, they all serve as reminders of the unpredictable nature of wildlife and the importance of preparedness for emergency responders. As communities continue to coexist with creatures great and small, one thing remains certain - when animals go wild, chaos is never far behind. Here are some of the most bizarre moments when animals have wreaked havoc in residences, roads and public spaces around the UK and beyond. 'Bleeping' parrot sparks Daventry emergency call-out Firefighters responding to an emergency call-out were stunned to find it was just a parrot impersonating a smoke alarm. The parrot's owner, Steve Dockerty, 63, was left baffled when fire crews banged on his door investigating a reported blaze at his house on Windsor Close, in Daventry, Northamptonshire at around 3.45pm on Wednesday. However, they soon realised that the cause of the emergency call wasn't a fire but a cheeky 17-year-old African grey parrot named Jazz. Retired steel construction worker Stephen Dockerty, 63, from Daventry, Northamptonshire, with his mischievous African Grey parrot Jazz Crow mimics police sirens leaving officers baffled Police were left in a flap after thinking their patrol cars were faulty... only to discover that a crow was mimicking a police siren. Traffic officers from Thames Valley Police were left baffled after they kept hearing what sounded like their car's warning horns going off at random. But they were amused to discover the real culprit was a cheeky crow nesting in trees above a police station in Bicester, Oxfordshire, imitating the siren sound. A crow pictured mimicking the two-tone siren of a police car from atop at tree Thames Valley Police shared the astonishing footage of the incident on Facebook, which left officers thinking their patrol cars had a fault Police respond to 'screaming woman' only to find it was a PARROT Officers in three cop cars raced to a property following reports of a 'screaming woman' - before realising the sounds were coming from a yellow-naped Amazon parrot named Freddie. Essex Police said they had been alerted to a possible incident at Steve Wood's house at 1.50pm on July 4 by a 'concerned neighbour.' And when a stunned Mr Wood, 54, who keeps 22 parrots at his home on Canvey Island, Essex, opened his door to them, he admitted feeling a wave of panic. The bird keeper, who is a retired policeman, assured the officers that the noises were actually coming from his boisterous three-year-old feathered friend. Moment policeman grapples with fugitive sheep This is the moment a policeman wrestled a runaway ewe to the ground as five escaped sheep gave officers the runaround on a main road in Kent. Traffic was brought to a halt for more than an hour while officers chased after the farm animals on the A21 near Bedgebury on Sunday, March 13. Anna Woods, who was stuck in the traffic jam, filmed the surreal scene which she described as one of the funniest things I have seen in years. Police were called in to help farmers round up the farm animals, which brought traffic to a halt for more than an hour Escaped sheep sits in the back of a police car This is the moment an escaped sheep sat in the back of a police car after he was herded off the road by officers in a Hot Fuzz-style operation. The animal was left looking a bit 'sheepish' when he was put into the patrol vehicle near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in February. Officers were called out after the sheep was spotted on the side of the A1 at Buckden. The incident was reminiscent of the 2007 comedy film starring Simon Pegg, which features a scene in which officers try to round up a swan. This is the moment an escaped sheep sat in the back of a police car after he was herded off the road by officers in a Hot Fuzz-style operation The animal was left looking a bit 'sheepish' when he was put into the patrol vehicle near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire yesterday Officers confiscate dog wearing smart blue collared shirt Passers-by gave a double take when they spotted a smartly-dressed dog sitting in a police van. The pooch, who was wearing a buttoned-up blue denim shirt, had been confiscated by officers from its female owner who they said was too drunk to look after it. A police picture of the dog in the vehicle has created a stir online, as social media wits claimed the animal's choice of dress was a 'crime against fashion.' 'The ultimutt fashionista': The smartly dressed pooch (pictured) was rescued by British Transport Police in Midlands. Police said the dog's owner was drunk and not 'adequately taking care for her dog' Moment police officers try to rein in a COW This is the bizarre moment police officers try to get control of a loose cow. Video footage posted on X, formerly Twitter, is understood to show the dark brown animal wandering up Halifax Road in Sheffield in September 2023. The escaped beast trotted alongside Papa John's pizza and a One Stop convenience store as baffled drivers during peak traffic were forced to move out of the way. South Yorkshire Police later confirmed that the animal had been recaptured and was safely back in its field around an hour later. Video footage posted on X, formerly Twitter, showed a dark brown cow wandering up Halifax Road in Sheffield Amazon parrot Dougie talks with a Yorkshire accent A pet Amazon parrot is turning heads due to its distinct Yorkshire accent. Dougie, who lives with its owner Margaret Hullah in Boroughbridge, has learnt several phrases including 'what's up w'you' and 'ello Dougie.' The 11-year-old parrot also has a very apt favourite food - Yorkshire puddings, as reported by BBC News. Dougie, who lives with its owner Margaret Hullah in Boroughbridge, has learnt several Yorkshire-centered phrases including 'what's up w'you' and 'ello Dougie' Raccoon scales 24-story Minnesota office tower A raccoon captivated social media users for two days in 2018 while scaling a skyscraper in St. Paul, Minnesota - and finally made it to the roof. Onlookers and reporters have been tracking the critter's progress after it was first spotted climbing the UBS Tower in June 2018. Police said they believed the raccoon would have begun its journey up the building on Monday night, and by Tuesday afternoon, it had stopped on a ledge more than 20 stories high. Firefighters left cat food on the top of the 24-story building in the hope of being able to catch the animal safely, and the following morning, the raccoon finally made it. Snail trespasses onto terrified eldery woman's property It wasn't the sort of emergency that required their speediest response. Firemen had been called to put something out in May 2011 - but this something was not moving at the speed of fire. Their target was a snail... and the caller an elderly woman distressed by the molluscs presence 8ft up a wall in her hallway. A crew duly swooped, carefully removed the snail from the wall and showed it to the door, then turned their expert services to comforting the householder. Police use wooden catapults to tame 'out of control' monkeys in Thailand Rampaging monkey gangs are terrorising a Thai tourist town, causing cops to arm themselves with slingshots and tranquiliser guns to combat the 'dangerous' primates. Officers said they have come under attack from aggressive macaques in the town of Lopburi, around 90 miles north of the capital Bangkok, which has become notorious for its out-of-control monkey population. The local police station has now issued wooden catapults that officers can use to fire at the unruly primates, which often climb over cars and steal food from shops and tourists as well as vandalise property. By Min Seong-jae Koreas 2024 general elections are over, and the results are clear. It is the opposing partys resounding victory. The progressive Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) won 175 out of 300 National Assembly seats, including proportional representation. The opposition bloc that includes the DPK and other smaller parties boasts of as many as 192 seats collectively, way over the desired three-fifths majority that will give them a significant boost of power in state affairs. The oppositions victory was expected. Only two years into his 5-year term, Yoon and his administration have been the subject of mounting criticisms for its handling of various domestic as well as diplomatic affairs. Midterm elections are often considered a referendum on the incumbent, and the results showed voters clear disappointment with the president and his party. The record-high voter turnout of 67 percent is also telling: In many elections, voters usually turn out in big numbers to show their disapproval toward the ruling party or the president. The election results also illustrate some other interesting but worrisome trends in Korean politics and society. First, it appears that the opposition party largely won not so much by its own merits as by exploiting the publics negative sentiment toward the Yoon administration. The opposition has not provided many viable policy alternatives or visions. Instead, its campaign deployed personal attacks against the president and publicized the idea of the judgment of the administration, pandering to the anger of the voters. However, it is not like the incumbent and the ruling party did any better. Both sides were heavily engaged in mudslinging and tribal fights against each other. The polarization and tribalism in Korean politics also show how votes were distributed. Look at the election results map. The Korean Peninsula is not just divided by North and South. It is now heavily divided into East and West. The Seoul metropolitan area and the southwestern part of Korea are all blue, whereas the southeastern part is all red. This regional division is crystal clear. Granted, polarization based on regions has always been a major problem in Korean politics. But it seems its gotten worse in recent years, particularly in this years elections. Existing tribal sentiments based on regions and politics exploiting those sentiments feed into each other, creating a vicious circle of polarization. Second, we saw some significant changes in the makeup of the third largest and other parties in Korean politics. The Green Justice Party, the most liberal and progressive wing in the Korean political scene, failed to gain any seats at all. The Green Justice Party has typically produced several representatives in general elections, as well as marginally influential presidential candidates over the years. But it was totally lost this time. Why it failed so badly is unclear. But whats apparent is its platforms of feminism and environment did not resonate with the majority of the voters. Along with that, progressive-minded Korean citizens are left with no party that can represent them and their voices. In lieu of the Greem Justice Party, we saw the rise of a new opposition, the Rebuilding Korea Party (RKP), spearheaded by former Justice Minister Cho Kuk. The party gained as many as 12 seats and became the third-largest party. It now has critical leverage in legislative actions. Jointly with the DPK and others, it can pose a significant threat to the Yoon administration. Then again, Cho formed the RKP only a month before the elections on the platform of clear judgment against the administration. The party hardly presented any policy other than the promise to investigate the scandals of the Yoon administration. The investigation may well be warranted, but one cannot shake the feeling that this is just pure political revenge against President Yoon and his prosecutors who convicted Cho of academic fraud relating to his daughter. Cho, a former justice minister, promised an investigation into another academic fraud case involving the daughter of Han Dong-hoon, his successor in the justice minister position and the interim leader of the ruling People Power Party. Fathers, daughters and raw emotions are rampant in this political theater. The elections are over, but the prospects arent necessarily bright. The Yoon administration is at the risk of becoming a lame duck with as many as three years left. There is even a possibility of impeachment. The political dogfight between the opposition bloc and the headstrong Yoon administration will likely continue. Politics of reason and efforts to bridge political divides are needed more than ever. Min Seong-jae (smin@pace.edu) is a professor of communication and media studies at Pace University in New York. He is a 202324 Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Korea. Republicans delayed the impeachment process of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas until next week to try and save the effort from being quashed by Senate Democrats. As it stands, the monthslong process has bitterly divided the two parties on a voting concern that largely unites the country. Republicans are adamant that Mayorkas, who has overseen consecutive years of record-breaking illegal immigration into the U.S., be fired. His performance overseeing the largest migrant crisis in history is enough to remove him, GOP members argue. Fueling their concerns further, many of these members represent rural areas that dwarf in population compared to the estimated over nine million migrants who have entered the U.S. unlawfully in the past three years. Democrats, meanwhile, believe Republicans are playing political games by impeaching Mayorkas. They say that Republicans have policy disagreements with President Joe Biden's border agenda and by extension his chief operator who carries out those policies. These lawmakers have growing concerns over the border too, but disagree that impeachment is the way to resolve record illegal immigration. So, as Mayorkas' future as the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hangs in the balance, what comes next? Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas' future in the position is unclear as the House has passed articles of impeachment against the man in charge of U.S. border security but the Democrat-held Senate is likely to acquit the charges against him Republicans charge that Mayorkas has intentionally loosened restrictions around illegal immigration under the orders of President Joe Biden Speaker Mike Johnson has claimed about 9 million migrants have been encountered illegally crossing into U.S. under Mayorkas' tenure How did we get here? Mayorkas impeachment timeline: The Republican-led House Homeland Security Committee has been investigating Mayorkas' mishandling of the U.S. border since last summer. The committee released a five-installment report spanning from July 2023 to December 2023. In January, Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., released an impeachment resolution with two individual charges against Mayorkas. The impeachment articles said that Mayorkas 'refused to comply with Federal immigration laws' amid a record surge of migrants and that he has 'breached the public trust' in his claims to Congress that the US-Mexico border is secure. After a late night vote passing the articles out of the committee on January 31, the resolution was teed up for a vote on the House floor. A week later, the House voted 216-214 on the impeachment articles and the Republican-backed motion failed. But a week later, on February 13, the House tried again and the articles of impeachment passed by a single vote. 'Secretary Mayorkas impeachmentthe first of a sitting Cabinet official in U.S. historyindicates how seriously the House takes his refusal to comply with the law and his breach of the public trust,' Green told DailyMail.com in a statement. 'This historic vote followed a thorough, fair, comprehensive, and nearly year-long investigation conducted by the House Committee on Homeland Security into Secretary Mayorkas and his handling of the unprecedented border crisis.' 'The Framers of our Constitution gave Congress this grave authority when public officials choose to ignore the law and inflict grave harm on our constitutional order. The Democrat-led Senate must hold the trial, render a verdict, and hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable,' Green added. Republicans say that Mayorkas has incentivized migrant to come across the U.S. border illegally because DHS has lessened penalties for doing so A number of asylum seekers await transportation from Custom and Border Protection. In recent months thousands of migrants from China have crossed into the U.S. illegally Following the passage of the articles in the House, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's office released a statement indicating that the articles would be promptly acted upon after the following a in-district work period. But as that time came and went the House did not send the Senate the articles, instead working for weeks on massive funding packages to keep the government from a partial shutdown. After another at home work period for Easter recess, Speaker Johnson and his appointed impeachment managers sent a letter to Schumer on March 28 informing him they would walk the articles to the Senate on April 10. On April 9, however, a group of GOP Senators led by Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, John Kennedy, R-La., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., held a press conference advocating for the House to hold off sending the articles. The 11th-hour plea for delaying was because the Republicans knew if the articles were delivered on schedule - Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. - the Senate would have little motivation to have a long trial as many had planned to fly out of D.C. by Thursday. 'Many House and Senate members think Johnsons timing is dumb, because a Wednesday night delivery [and] Thursday afternoon floor fight arent enough time to win the news cycle and to hammer the fight in Washington,' a senior Senate aide told DailyMail.com Tuesday. Later that evening, Speaker Johnson agreed to the Senator's request and held off on sending the articles. A spokesperson for Speaker Johnson said that 'to ensure the Senate has adequate time to perform its constitutional duty, the House will transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate next week.' 'There is no reason whatsoever for the Senate to abdicate its responsibility to hold an impeachment trial,' Taylor Haulsee told DailyMail.com. A source familiar with the matter told DailyMail.com that the House is expected to deliver the articles to the Senate on Tuesday, April 16. The U.S.-Mexico border is an inhospitable place where migrants who cross illegally regularly need immediate medical attention after their dangerous journeys What will happen next week? The articles of impeachment against Mayorkas will be physically walked across the Capitol from the House to the Senate by the Johnson-appointed impeachment managers. House impeachment managers Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn. Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss. Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo. Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla. Advertisement The procession from the House to the Senate will be led by House staff workers and will also feature the eleven impeachment managers following behind them. The last time the impeachment ceremony took place was in January 2021, when former President Donald Trump was impeached by the House for high crimes and misdemeanors related to his behavior on January 6. Once over on the Senate side the House employees are expected to enter the upper chamber and present the articles to the senator presiding over the floor. Delivery of the articles immediately begins the process in the Senate. 'As busy as we are, one issue the Senate will soon have to address is the House vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas,' Schumer said Wednesday after Johnson agreed to delaying the articles' transmission. 'Our plan over here has not changed: the Senate is ready to go whenever the House is. We want to address this issue as expeditiously as possible.' 'And as I said yesterday, impeachment should never be used to settle policy disagreements. That sets an awful precedent.' Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not revealed what he plans to do with the articles of impeachment against Mayorkas Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, requested Johnson delay sending the articles of impeachment to allow the Senate more time to deliberate the motion Schumer stating that the Senate will work quickly on the matter without providing further detail shows how closely he is holding his cards to his chest. Will Democrats move to quash the trial for Mayorkas? He has several routes forward upon receiving the articles. First, he could put the articles up for an immediate vote, which could and likely would result in the Democrats voting to table the motion, meaning there would be no impeachment trial in the Senate and Mayorkas would be cleared of wrongdoing. Democrats control the Senate by a slim majority of 51-49, but some Republicans have indicated that they would vote to dismiss because there is no path forward for a trial. Second, he could proceed by swearing in the Senate as jurors in the case, which would then enable the House impeachment managers to argue their case against Mayorkas before the upper chamber. After hearing the case, the Senate would then vote on the articles. Schumer's third option is to send the articles into committee for review. The special committee would then investigate the articles of impeachment and would later provide recommendations for how the Senate should move forward. In that case, the Senate floor would not be jammed up with impeachment proceedings, allowing them to legislate on other matters while simultaneously addressing Mayorkas' impeachment. Still, how Schumer wants to move forward is remains to be seen. Senate Republicans are hoping for a full trial as they argue it is the Senate's Constitutional duty. But as the Senate is controlled by Democrats, it appears unlikely Schumer will decide to move forward in that matter. City dwellers need to stay out of the ongoing battle over Wyoming rancher Cody Roberts who killed a wolf after parading it around his local bar with its mouth taped shut. That's the view of his aunt Jeanne Ivie-Roberts who caused outrage by posing in a wolf's hide with duct tape over her own mouth. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Ivie-Roberts, who works at the Green River Bar in the tiny town of Daniel where the animal was taken, insisted her nephew did nothing wrong and says city folk don't understand the problems wild wolves cause. 'I posted that picture on Facebook knowing it was going to cause a sh** storm,' the 59-year-old said. 'People have no idea what damage the wolves do to livestock and domesticated animals around here. 'Cody, his children and the Green River Bar do not deserve the death threats,' she added. Cody Roberts, 42, captured an injured wolf after hitting it with his snowmobile and paraded it around a local bar before killing it. He's pictured with the animal His aunt Jeanne Ivie-Roberts defended Roberts and tells DailyMail.com, 'People have no idea what damage the wolves do to livestock and domesticated animals' Ivie-Roberts insisted that only country folk understand the real nature of wolves. The tiny town of Daniel only has 108 residents Roberts, 42, was fined $250 for being in possession of a live wolf, causing outrage among animal rights activists. He was not punished for the death of the year-old animal as it is legal in Wyoming to kill wolves. Video released on Wednesday by Wyoming Game and Fish Department shows the clearly injured animal lying in the corner of the bar while patrons discuss its fate. 'He's getting ready to go,' one man is heard saying. Ivie-Roberts insisted that only country folk understand the real nature of wolves. 'Have you ever known a rancher that had to go out and put down his child's horse because it was attacked the night before by a wolf?' she asked. 'Have you lost thousands of dollars in cattle because a pack of wolves went out and killed calves? 'These wolves kill for the sport of it, they don't just kill and then eat their prey they kill for practice.' Ivie-Roberts said a pack of wolves killed 17 elk just for the sport in the area recently. 'The wolf attacks the tendon on the back of the leg on the animal or rips open the stomach area, causing the animal to bleed to death,' she said. Roberts ran over the wolf on a snowmobile on February 29. He then took it to the bar known locally as GRB to show his drinking buddies. Ivie-Roberts also said she has no problem with taping the wolf's mouth shut, likening it to a dog's muzzle and pointing out that when wolves were first reintroduced to Wyoming in 1995, they were brought from Canada, muzzled and caged with their legs bound. 'How exactly do you torture a wolf?' she asked. 'Wolves are evil animals. They destroy our livelihoods. 'It's easy to judge from some big city far away, but until you experience the damage that can be done by these animals, you really don't have room to speak on it. 'We have to deal with this every day.' 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 Video released on Wednesday by Wyoming Game and Fish Department shows the clearly injured animal lying in the corner of the bar while patrons discuss its fate The animal has on a muzzle and looks to be tired and despondent on laying in the bar But animal lovers take issue with Ivie-Roberts's view. 'The gray wolf is a misunderstood creature,' Lori Wynn, the CEO of Guardians for Wolves, told DailyMail.com. 'Wolves are not mindless killers. They balance their own populations by conflicting with other packs,' she said, adding that they also avoid humans whenever possible. 'The innocent wolf that Cody killed mattered,' added Wynn. 'She was vital to our environment.' Wynn said that wildlife officials in Wyoming recognize that wolves are valuable as they help control the overpopulation of elk in the state. The group has produced a change.org petition calling for Roberts to be punished more harshly. It has garnered more than 100,000 signatures. But Ivie-Roberts said that after she posted her now-infamous picture on Facebook, her nephew called her asking 'how it felt being the second most hated person in the world.' Cody told her he was the most-hated and thanked her for 'taking some heat off him.' Roberts has expressed remorse for his actions and apologized, according to TJ Hunt, whose wife Nan owns the Green River Bar. 'He realized he messed up. He wishes he could change what happened, I just told him to quit doing stupid stuff,' Hunt told DailyMail.com. 'I chalk it up to another dumb kid doing dumb kid stuff. 'I have known him for years, he is a good kid, I told him ''Cody, start thinking, on what the hell you are doing.''' Roberts refused to discuss the case with DailyMail.com. Witnesses said Roberts dragged or carried the animal through the Green River Bar as patrons looked on Animal rights groups are calling for the Sublette County Sheriff and county attorney to file felony animal cruelty charges against him. In a petition on change.org, has so far garnered more than 100,000 signatures Hunt said his wife's bar is being unfairly singled out and threatened because of the reports that Roberts brought the injured wolf into the bar and paraded it around. 'I don't agree with what Cody did,' Hunt added. 'He should have just shot the animal on site instead of bringing it around when it was still alive showing it off. 'A lot of hunters around here aren't too happy with what he did either.' 'Wolves are predatory animals if they are a danger to a rancher or individual, they need to be disposed of, but there is a proper way to do it and Cody didn't. 'But he's got a wife and three kids, he's been getting death threats. What he did was stupid and unethical, but I don't think he should have to live in fear for his family. Breanna Ball, Wyoming Game and Fish spokeswoman, told DailyMail.com that the department was 'disappointed' by Roberts's actions, saying, they 'are not reflective of our value for wildlife in the state of Wyoming'. 'In fact, what we believe in the actions that came to light in this case were disrespectful for wildlife and cast a shadow over our state's proven track record of responsibly managing gray wolf populations. We don't condone this behavior.' Ball further stated that 'animal cruelty charges are not applicable to predatory animals and wolves are considered predatory animals.' Roberts appears to be an avid hunter who frequently hunts wild animals alongside his kids Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon weighed in on the incident saying on social media, 'Our office has received considerable communication about the actions of an individual involving a wolf that occurred earlier this winter in Sublette County. 'I want to make my position in this absolutely clear. 'Cruelty to any wildlife is absolutely unacceptable. This is not the way anyone should treat any animal. 'I am outraged by this incident, just like thousands of Wyoming ranchers, farmers, sportsmen and sportswoman, and other around the state,' added Gordon. I would be disappointed if anyone were to paint Wyoming with a broad brush and suggest the Wyoming citizens condone the reckless, thoughtless and heinous actions of one individual.' Animal rights groups are calling for the Sublette County Sheriff and county attorney to file felony animal cruelty charges against him. Sheriff K.C. Lehr said he could not speak about the incident as it is the subject of an active investigation. Donald Trump is the first former president to ever stand trial on criminal charges when the case involving hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. The trial of the former president, 77, could be the first of four criminal prosecutions against Trump to go to trial this year as he runs for a second term in the White House. Trump is facing 34 felony counts stemming from allegations that he falsified business records in an attempt to cover up an alleged sexual encounter with the porn star which took place a decade before he ran for president in 2016. The case focuses around $130,000 paid to Daniels ahead of the presidential election to keep her quiet about their affair. President Trump being arraigned on charges stemming from his indictment by a grand jury following an investigation into hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels on April 4, 2023. Trump pleaded not guilty Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg discussing his indictment of former President Trump outside a Manhattan court on April 4, 2023 In the indictment first brought against Trump in April 2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg accused the ex-president of falsifying New York business records in order to conceal damaging information and unlawful activity from voters. Bragg claims Trump and others participated in a catch and kill scheme to bury negative information about him and went to great lengths to hide his conduct including making dozens of false entries in business records to hide criminal activity. Trump pleaded not guilty last spring to all 34 counts. Here are some of the people in Trump's former orbit expected to testify in the trial: Adult film actress Stormy Daniels speaking outside a federal court in New York on April 16, 2018. She alleges an affair with Trump in 2006 and then received a payment of $130,000 in 2016 ahead of the presidential election to keep quiet about their sexual encounter. Trump denies the affair Stormy Daniels Adult film star Stormy Daniels, aka Stephanie Clifford, is expected to testify in the trial as the woman at the center of the hush money payment case. Daniels, 45, alleges in 2006 she had a sexual encounter with Trump who at the time was already married to Melania Trump. Daniels in 2018 told 60 Minutes, she met Trump at an event in Nevada in 2006 and he invited her to dinner. She said she met him at his hotel suite where they had sex. Daniels said Trump later invited her to other events in New York and California. Prosecutors claim that in October 2016 just before the election, Trumps fixer Michael Cohen wired Daniels lawyer the $130,000 to keep her quiet about their encounters amid concern it could hurt his chances of winning the presidential election. Trump denies having an affair with Daniels. Michael Cohen paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 ahead of the 2016 election. Prosecutors claim Trump falsified business records when reimbursing Cohen for hush money payments Cohen with Trump on the campaign trail in 2016. He was Trump's longtime personal lawyer and 'fixer' turned harsh critic. Trump's legal team has attempted to prevent him from taking the witness stand Michael Cohen Michael Cohen, Trumps longtime personal lawyer and fixer turned harsh critic, is expected to take the stand as his activities are at the center of the hush money case. Donald Trump claimed he was paying Cohen for legal services performed in 2017 with payments for nine months, but the Manhattan district attorneys office alleges the ex-president was reimbursing Cohen for the $130,000 payments he directed Cohen to make to Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Prosecutors argue Cohen also coordinated with the National Enquirers publisher to give the former Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000, to thwart her accounts of sexual encounters with Trump in a practice known as 'catch-and-kill.' Trumps namesake company then repaid Cohen $420,000 in a handful of installments, prosecutors said. Last month, Trumps legal team attempted to block Cohen from testifying. Trump's lawyer, according to the court filing, argued Cohen had a history of lying and would lie again at trial. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws in regards to the payments of Daniels and lying before Congress. He was sentenced to prison in December and served thirteen and a half months behind bars and a year and a half in home confinement. Ahead of the hush money trial, Cohen told the Playbook Deep Dive podcast he thinks people will be surprised by the corroborating evidence that's brought in the case. Hope Hicks was a top aide to Trump during his time at the White House having previously worked on his 2016 campaign and at the Trump Organization before he ran for office Hicks with Trump at the White House in 2018. She met with prosecutors investigating hush money payments in March 2023 and is expected to be a witness during the trial Hope Hicks Trump's former top aide Hope Hicks is expected to take the stand during the trial. Hicks, 35, testified before the grand jury for the case in March 2023 and is set to again, according to MSNBC. She was a top aide to Trump during his 2016 campaign when the alleged hush money payment to Daniels was made, having previously worked for the Trump Organization before he ran for president. After Trump won the 2016 election, Hicks joined the Trump administration where she served in several senior communications roles before leaving the White House in 2018. Former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman predicted Hicks would be a 'devastating witness' ahead of the trial. Litman told MSNBC Hicks would be 'so credible' on the stand. David Pecker, pictured in 2014, was the chairman and CEO of American Media which owned the National Enquirer Pecker with Trump in 2004. The National Enquirer was known for a practice of 'catch and kill' to bury potentially damaging stories about Trump while he ran for president in 2016 David Pecker Another potential witness in the trial could be publishing executive David Pecker. He is the former publisher of The National Enquirer and testified before the grand jury in the case more than a year ago. The National Enquirer was known for a practice of catch and kill to bury potentially damaging stories about Trump during his presidential campaign. Pecker played a key role in the alleged hush money scheme, having helped broker the deal between Cohen and Daniels at the time. Rhona Graff, pictured in 2005, was Trump's longtime executive assistant at the Trump Organization Rhona Graff Another witness who could potentially take the witness stand is Trumps longtime executive assistant Rhona Graff. Graff worked for the Trump Organization for nearly 30 years before Trump was elected president. She has been described as Trumps right hand at the Trump Organization and the gatekeeper. Madeleine Westerhout with then-President Trump at the White House in 2018. Westerhout served as personal secretary to the president and later as Director of Oval Office Operations Westerhout pictured with Trump. She worked for the Trump administration in the White House from January 2017 until February 2019 and was known as the 'gatekeeper' to Trump there Madeleine Westerhout President Bidens executive assistant for the first two-and-a-half years of his presidency Madeleine Westerhout could also be a potential witness. Westerhout served as Personal Secretary to the President from January 2017 through February 2019 and then as Direct of Oval Office Operations. During her time in the west wing, she managed the presidents call and schedule as well as overall run of the Oval Office, giving her unique access to the president and any who came into contact with him. Jeffrey McConney served as an accountant in the Trump Organization before retiring last year Jeffrey McConney Jeff McConney served as controller of the Trump Organization and was also a co-defendant in Trumps New York civil fraud case McConney worked for the Trump Organization for more than 35 years and as an accountant oversaw internal finances and approved checks made out by Trump himself. McConney retired last year as the New York fraud investigation mounted. A woman stalked the boyfriend who dumped her so badly that he had to move to Wales to get away from her - after her lies saw him falsely branded a would-be mass murderer. Jake Green, 31, has told how he was subjected to a 'nightmare' ordeal after he dumped Jenny Keats-Rawling and was left terrified she would kill him. Keats-Rawling sent a chilling SOS message to police claiming Mr Green was 'hearing voices and was wanting to kill people.' Police went to arrest him at his home in Manchester before realising it was a hoax but obsessed Keats-Rawling then bombarded him with more than 100 silent calls in just a few days, branded him a thief and turned his family against him. She even targeted his new girlfriend, threatened to go to his eight-year-old sons school and sent him a fake baby scan claiming she was pregnant as part of her twisted revenge. At one point Keats-Rawling impersonated a police officer even refused to move out of his mother's home before she was arrested in April last year. Jake Green, 31, who has told how he was subjected to a 'nightmare' ordeal after he dumped Jenny Keats-Rawling and Jake was left terrified Jenny would kill him and even threatened to go to his eight-year-old sons school Jenny stalked her ex-boyfriend so badly that he had to move to Wales to get away from her Mr Green said: 'It was a nightmare. 'I thought she was going to kill me - it was terrifying. 'She made me out to be a murderer, a liar and a thief. It was such a mad time - things just went boom. 'I was just so exhausted with it all, there were lods of phone calls from her at one or two in the morning. 'I just wanted her to stop and for it be over. This has been devastating. Keats-Rawling, of Cheadle, Gtr Manchester, admitted stalking causing serious alarm or distress between April 14 and October 6 of last year when she appeared at Stockport Magistrates Court two months ago. The jobless 30-year-old, who has been diagnosed as autistic, escaped jail as she was sentenced to an 18-month community order, with a requirement she attends 25 days of rehabilitation and was fined 162, with 199 in costs and victim surcharge. The troubled woman was also made subject of 18-month restraining order not to contact Mr Green, his new girlfriend and two other family members. Keats-Rawling faced up to 18 months jail under sentencing guidelines but a judge has decided not to send her to prison. Mr Green had to move to Rhyl, North Wales, to escape his ex but lost two jobs and his car because of the her behaviour Keats-Rawlingm, who has been diagnosed as autistic, pleaded guilty to stalking causing serious alarm or distress at Stockport Magistrates Court two months ago She was sentenced to an 18-month community order, with a requirement she attends 25 days of rehabilitation and was fined 162, with 199 in costs and victim surcharge Mr Green had to move to Rhyl, North Wales, to escape his ex but lost two jobs and his car because of the her behaviour. The pair met out a night-out at a club in Manchester in October 2022 and romance She came across as a fun, normal person to start with but things developed pretty quickly and she told me she loved me, Mr Green told Mailonline. But things turned soar the following April and Mr Green had to call the police when she refused to move out his mothers house when he ended their relationship. His house was raided twice by police after she made up chilling stories about him. She was first arrested on April 20 last year and bailed with conditions not to go within 500m of any property that the victim was present and banned from contacting him on social media. The court heard that just the next day, Keats-Rawling carried on her stalking with 129 phone calls and messages as well as the fake pregnancy. On 5 May, she told police: 'My boyfriend Jake Green suffers really bad with his mental health. He is hearing voices and saying he wants to kill people. I am scared for my life and I desperately need your help. Police again investigated but Mr Green was soon cleared as her lies were exposed. The mental health worker said: It took a massive toll on me. She contacted my brother and claimed she was pregnant and sent a scan. But I knew it was fake and the dates didnt add up and we used protection. It was all heartbreaking especially as she made threats against my son saying he should know about me. She knew his address and where I had picked him up from school. She knew too much. I didnt want him in that danger. Jenny also sent an SOS message to police wrongly pleading her life was in danger The 30-year-old alleged Jake Green was 'hearing voices and was wanting to kill people' The mental health company boss added: She has just been given a slap on the wrist with a small fine whereas I have lost thousands and I have had to go through all this. Justice has not been done. Mr Green now runs a mental health company called Emerald Journey to help others. Magistrates heard that Keats-Rawling had no previous convictions. Her lawyer Peter Green told the hearing: 'She is diagnosed with autism and has dyslexia and dyspraxia. I think she recognises those issues and that she does need help. 'I am sure there won't be a repeat of those offences. She comes from a good family and her father has been with her through this. He has been with her at every attendance at court and is fully supportive. He understands the issues that she has. 'She is sorry for what has happened and just wants to put this behind her and move on. She has done the right thing and she would like to have this resolved.' In sentencing Keats-Rawling, JP Muhammad Rafique told her: 'We have heard what has happened and as a bench we are sympathetic to your issues and the things that you suffer from. But it was not wise to put someone through that distress. 'We have decided not to send you to prison but allow me to warn you, if you do not follow the instructions of the probation service that will happen.' But Mr Green thinks his ordeal might not be over. I think at some point, shell try and contact me again. Over 3,000 sheriffs nationwide are demanding President Biden stop the sale of a big gun ammunition and primer manufacturer to a foreign buyer with ties to Russia and China. The sale of Vista Outdoors Sporting Products business, which has been a 'trusted partner' of local, state and federal law enforcement for decades, is under new scrutiny. The company represents well-known brands CCI, Federal, HEVI-Shot, Remington and Speer. Vista Sporting Products provides 'critical supplies of primers and ammunition for service and training' for police across the country. Primers are the firing part of a bullet that projects it out of a gun. The buyer, Czechoslovak Group (CSG), which is one of the biggest producers of ammo in Europe, entered into an agreement with Vista Sporting Goods in October 2023 for an all-cash $1.91 billion sale that is expected to be finalized in 2024. However, CSG allegedly has ties to Russia and China, which could impact U.S. national security. And law enforcement officials are worried the deal could impact their trusted supply chain. The sale of Vista Outdoors Sporting Products business, which has been a 'trusted partner' of local, state and federal law enforcement for decades, is under new scrutiny Vista Sporting Products provides 'critical supplies of primers and ammunition for service and training' for police across the country However, CSG has ties to Russia and China, which could impact U.S. national security In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas this week obtained first by DailyMail.com, the sheriffs say they are concerned about a disruption to their critical supplies due to the sale. Sheriffs say they are concerned about a disruption to their critical supplies due to the sale. Particularly, a 'foreign company controlling of nearly 70% of the western supply of primers' is not an ideal situation. 'At this time of heightened global demand, any disruptions in access to affordable and reliable American-made ammunition and primers will hurt Sheriffs across the country,' they continue. 'Additionally, CSGs ownership of Vista Sporting Products could limit the ability of some law enforcement agencies with foreign procurement restrictions from continuing to purchase supplies. This would happen at time when many of our members are still dealing with shortages spurred by COVID-19 supply chain disruptions.' Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., also raised similar concerns last month, saying the proposed acquisition could harm national security. He asked Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to thoroughly review the sale to ensure that it will not negatively impact the nation due to CSG's apparent Russia and China ties. One of CSG's subsidiaries, Dako-CZ, apparently worked on a project with Huawei - a Chinese telecommunications conglomerate that has worked to steal U.S. trade secrets. But CSG spokesperson Andrej Cirtek calls that claim 'misleading' and 'outright false.' 'DAKO-CZ did not cooperate with Huawei. It supplies braking systems for rail vehicles for the well-known Swiss company Stadler which operates also in USA. One of Stadler's projects is the delivery of trains for Huawei's Dianshan Lake campus in China,' he said. 'Fabricating the claim that CSG is working with Huawei from this real information is a typical example of fake news.' Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that if the deal goes through, CSG will 'immediately become a major player in the American ammunition industry despite national security concerns.' He said that CSG once sponsored an 'exhibition in Moscow to help Russian authorities secure European military technologies and has alleged ties to Putins circle.' In addition, former Trump National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien and Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, have also warned about CSG's alleged ties to Russia. However, the CSG spokesman told DailyMail.com that the sale allows CSG to 'bring to U.S. small calibre ammo producers stability and investments which they need.' He also stated that that the company does not have ties to China and Russia, saying rumors to the contrary are 'complete nonsense.' 'We are one of the leading private suppliers of arms for Ukraine and several of our companies have NATO security clearances,' he added saying over 60 percent of their defense production goes to NATO 'never to Russia or China.' Jason Vanderbrink, president and CEO of Federal Ammunition and Remington Ammunition, similarly claimed the 'internet rumor mill' has been making 'inaccurate statements about our business.' 'Our ammo brands are proudly made in the United States, and we are known for American heritage,' he said in a video statement. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is also reviewing the sale. According to Axios, the Biden administration is giving CFIUS a 'sharper scalpel' in order to vet foreign investments. Included in the proposed changes to CFIUS authority, the agency would be able to slap a civil penalty for 'misstatements or omissions' in a filing up to $5 million from just $250,000. The demand by the sheriffs comes days before Biden is set to meet with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala at the White House on Monday. The White House announced the meeting as a way to 'further strengthen' the U.S.-Czech relationship and 'reaffirm their resolute support for Ukraine as it defends against Russias war of aggression.' Sheriffs say they are concerned about a disruption to their critical supplies due to the sale Particularly, a 'foreign company controlling of nearly 70% of the western supply of primers' is not an ideal situation Biden and Fiala are expected to discuss a number of 'shared priorities' during the visit, including 'security issues, economic opportunities that benefit the American and Czech people, and shared democratic values.' It is unclear whether this proposed sale will come up during their closed-door meeting. The scandal has rocked the Moline-Coal Valley school district in western Illinois He was caught after allegedly using the account to try and 'solicit women for sex' School board member Jason Farrell, 39, is accused of creating a Tinder profile using pictures of his wife's ex-husband Mathew Harris, 40, a military veteran A school district official in Illinois allegedly posed as his wife's ex-husband on Tinder to catfish women into meeting for sex then got caught during a nail-biting sting operation. In a scandal which has rocked the Moline-Coal Valley school district, board member Jason Farrell, 39, is accused of creating a dating profile using pictures of Mathew Harris, 40, a military veteran. Harris was previously married to Farrell's current wife, but they divorced around eight years ago. Farrell invented stories about serving in Iraq as he attempted to 'solicit women for sex', according to Harris, who shared screenshots of lurid Tinder conversations involving the fake account. But father-of-four Farrell's alleged scheme came to an abrupt end after a woman informed Harris about the fake profiles and the veteran plotted an undercover sting to expose him. In a scandal which has rocked the Moline-Coal Valley school district, board member Jason Farrell (pictured) is accused of creating a dating profile using pictures of his wife's ex-husband Mathew Harris (left) said his fiancee Heather (right) was contacted by a woman who matched the fake Tinder account and they then plotted an undercover sting Mathew Harris shared screenshots of messages sent by the fake Tinder profile, which was allegedly created by Jason Farrell to 'solicit women for sex' The Tinder profile allegedly created by Farrell includes pictures of his wife's ex-husband, Mathew Harris, who claims that Farrell posed as him to meet women for sex The bizarre events have gripped the small city of Moline in Rock County, western Illinois, where Farrell has refused to quit his position on the school board despite demands from colleagues and parents. A Facebook page has also been created for residents to campaign for Farrell's removal. He denies the allegations and his wife is believed to remain staunchly at his side. Harris first raised the alarm about Farrell and the fake Tinder profile in late March, when his fiancee, Heather, was approached by a woman who had matched with the account. The woman believed the profile was evidence that Harris was cheating. In reality, the account was created by Farrell to catfish women, it is claimed. Screenshots show that messages sent by the fake Tinder profile include 'I want to take you out for drinks and then take you to bed' and 'I want to kiss every inch of that body'. Harris and his fiancee asked the woman to continue messaging the account and arrange to meet the culprit so they could confront him. They already suspected Farrell was involved. Mathew Harris claims he caught Jason Farrell red-handed after a woman who matched the Tinder profile agreed to help with an undercover sting Farrell allegedly sent this selfie to a woman he met through the Tinder account, even though it reveals that he is not the person pictured in the profile 'The woman he matched with on Tinder agreed to meet him under the assumption it was actually me,' Harris said. 'I agreed to wait outside with Heather so we could all see once and for all that this person wasn't me, but more importantly find out who it actually was.' Before the date, Farrell even sent a selfie to the woman revealing himself as a different man to the one in the profile. In footage shared on YouTube, the woman secretly recorded on her cellphone as she spent nearly 15 minutes with Farrell on the 'date' before Harris bursts in to confront him. As Harris's fiance records on her cellphone, he calls out Farrell and reads back some of the messages sent by the fake Tinder profile. Thousands of people have since viewed the YouTube video and demanded Farrell resign from the school board. An emergency no-contact order was also put in place which bans him from contacting Harris. 'The man created a fake Tinder account, he was soliciting women for sex, meeting them as me, trying to convince them he was me despite the fact he looks nothing like me,' Harris said. 'There's women out there that he could have hurt that I don't even know that think that it was me and that's not fair.' He added: 'He's very, very poorly trying to tell stories of my life, playing them off as if they were his.' Harris said he wants criminal charges against Farrell but the Moline Police Department told DailyMail.com that it has not received an incident report. Harris posted a video to YouTube of the moment he allegedly confronted Farrell Farrell has refused to step down from the Moline-Coal Valley school board and insists that the claims against him are false During a meeting of the Moline Coal Valley school board on Monday, members voted unanimously to censure Farrell and petition the regional superintendent to remove him. But Farrell has refused to quit. He claims the audio and video of the sting was falsified. 'I have no intentions of resigning from my school board position,' he said in a statement released on April 4. 'The allegations made against me are false. I have not been charged with any crimes but instead tried solely through social media. 'My wife and I, with the advice of legal counsel, will explore all of the options we have to respond accordingly to such heinous accusations.' School board president Andrew Waeyaert told the recent meeting: 'We are not a court or jury, but the alleged conduct is just so deeply disturbing, and it has resulted in the district being cast in a terrible light. 'The board and administration have been inundated with inquiries, complaints, and FOIA requests about this matter, and it has monopolized all of our time. 'This situation and its impact have taken away countless hours from our mission, which is to serve kids and families.' Farrell did not respond to a request for comment. Stewart Lucas Murrey only wanted to find love. His girlfriend had died of cancer in 2018 and, at the age of 43, he found himself unexpectedly alone. Handsome and trim with short, dark hair, a close-cropped salt-and-pepper beard and a PhD in philosophy from Yale University, he had written books on ancient poets and Nietzsche, and might seem like a catch for many women. So in his search for romance, Murrey dived headlong into the maelstrom of online dating apps and social media. But last week he found himself at the centre of a cultural clash that is dividing opinion on both sides of the Atlantic, after his efforts ended in disaster and ugly recriminations. Murrey claims he was attacked and defamed by 50 women many of whom he has never met on a Facebook group called Are We Dating The Same Guy? Women have accused him of murder, extortion, stalking, lying and abusive behaviour, and branded him a 'legitimate danger' to other women. He had been arrested for domestic violence and even involved in his wife's death, some women alleged. In his search for romance, Murrey (pictured) dived headlong into the maelstrom of online dating apps and social media Murrey went to the Los Angeles home of Kelly Gibbons at 10.45pm and returned again days later at 8.45pm Stewart Lucas Murrey at Gibbons' home with a friend. He has branded two of his accusers as 'creeps' 'All of these statements are false,' Murrey insists in documents submitted to a Los Angeles court as part of his extraordinary lawsuit against the 50 women. 'I have never been charged, much less convicted, of any crime in my entire life... The suggestion that I was involved in the murder of someone I loved, and for whom I cared, is despicable.' How harmful is online gossip? 'Name and shame' websites exposing cheaters have exploded in the MeToo era. But popular sites such as The Dirty and She's A Homewrecker have been driven underground, with some being ousted by their internet server when threatened with litigation, while others are blackballed by search engines that refuse to include them in search results. But other platforms spring up to take their place, with groups proliferating on Facebook in particular. Sociologist Professor Juliet Williams, of the University of California, Los Angeles, said: 'People talking about other people is nothing new, whether in the ladies' room, around the water cooler, or some virtual platform. 'Sometimes this talk amounts to idle gossip, in other cases, it can do real damage to a person wrongly maligned. Online accusations, even groundless ones, can have real life consequences. 'There are a million reasons why online gossip sites, just like real-life gossip, is toxic. 'But the question isn't whether these sites are problematic, it is whether having these sites is better than nothing. In an ideal world they wouldn't exist, but in an ideal world women wouldn't distrust men.' Advertisement Now, speaking for the first time, Murrey doesn't hold back with The Mail on Sunday, branding two of his accusers as 'creeps and rejects that are unsuccessful in their dating lives'. 'These are not light battles,' he adds, adamantly, 'but I care about this cause. It affects us all and is not going away. And I should not be the only person fighting for this movement.' But Murrey, now 49, admits he is not God's gift to women. 'I'm not a perfect person,' he says. 'Like anyone else, I have my flaws. However, this is not a crime.' Shocked by the vehemence of the 'hate-filled and unrelenting' attacks, he is suing the 50 women for sexism and gender bias by encouraging anti-male discussions, and is seeking 2 million in damages. Murrey could be viewed as a victim of social media run amok, a cautionary tale for all men and, he claims, a warning how MeToo-era online protections for women can be abused to harm men and even destroy their reputations. 'Citing freedom of speech, these women put their needs, insecurities and amusement over the privacy and rights of others,' he says, claiming that he is 'shining a light on these cyberbullies who type in the shadows'. But court files seen by The Mail on Sunday, and the women who have spoken to the paper, suggest that Murrey may not be the poster boy for maligned masculinity that he appears. This is not the first time he has sued women for comments they have made about him online, and the websites that host their critiques. In November 2017 he filed a suit against his ex-girlfriend Shannyn Poer for libel and slander for allegedly defamatory online postings and emails about him. She complained in court documents that this followed 'a long line of harassing activities and frivolous legal actions by Murrey against her as well as other ex-girlfriends and family members of ex-girlfriends'. Poer complained the following year that Murrey 'is a domestic abuser' and was suing her to 'extort payment'. The case was ultimately dismissed, but Poer, now 37, was irreparably harmed, her mother, Katherine Poer-Anthony, told The Mail on Sunday, adding. 'They dated for six or nine months, but it was not good. She apparently said something on the internet that he wasn't a very good person, nothing really slanderous, and he sued. 'He stalked her, followed her and would show up at the house. It was very scary. It's actually scared her so much, she says that she'll never get married.' Poer-Anthony adds: 'How many women are never going to date again? How many will never trust again? How many will be affected like my daughter?' It was five months later that Murrey's girlfriend Sherrie Martinez died from cancer, on March 10, 2018. By his own account he was arrested despite his recent protestations that he had never been arrested or accused of murder for allegedly forging her will, and was investigated for complicity in her death. In court papers filed by Murrey on October 31, 2018, as part of a civil rights lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department, he revealed that police had indeed suspected him of murder. He alleged that the LAPD and District Attorney had him 'falsely arrested for forgery of her will... while treating him falsely as a murder suspect,' and conspired to create 'false accusations of murder and forgery'. His case was dismissed by the court in May 2020, receiving no damages. Yet his lawsuits kept coming. The Mail on Sunday spoke to one of Murrey's former girlfriends who also claimed to have experienced a nightmare ordeal after breaking up with him. Murrey insists that he was the victim throughout. In July 2020, he filed a suit in California District Court against BrandYourself.com 'This man attempted to destroy my life and my family,' said the woman, who asked not to be identified publicly. She dated him for a year and after the break-up, she sought to warn other women about him in an online forum. She added: 'He dragged me to court for two years after dating and slapped me with at least 12 separate lawsuits which were settled before trial. 'I am in no way shocked that he continues to sue women. I wish I had looked up his court records before swiping right on Tinder.' In July 2020, Murrey filed a suit in California District Court against BrandYourself.com, a website that claims to improve users' online reputation and protect their privacy. The case was dismissed. A similar suit followed against CheaterReport.com, a website that encouraged users to report a cheating wife, husband, boyfriend or girlfriend. The case was dismissed two months later when the Los Angeles Superior Court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction. In his latest legal action, the judge has already thrown out all 11 counts against one of his 50 defendants, Vanessa Valdes, who had filed an anti-SLAPP motion against Murrey. Anti-SLAPP laws provide defendants a way to quickly dismiss meritless lawsuits known as SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) filed against them for exercising their right to free speech. Judge Gregory Keosian ruled that social media posts by Valdes about Murrey 'involved a matter of public interest: women's security against male violence and harassment'. Legal experts believe the other women in his lawsuit are likely to meet with similar success in having his claims dismissed. One of the 50, Elly Shariat, says she matched with Murrey on Tinder two years ago. She says he demanded that they meet that night even though she told him she was busy with a business meeting, and declined. Murrey allegedly found her Instagram page and tracked her down in a Beverly Hills hotel bar where he disrupted her meeting, grabbing her wrist. Murrey brands this is 'a fabricated story' and insists: 'I do not know who Elly Shariat is.' Licensed as an estate agent in California, Murrey's 'charm' is evident in online exchanges with some of the women he has sued. After matching with Valdes in 2019 he realised that they had been matched before, and claims that 'she previously acted erratic and aggressive'. He opened his latest dialogue with Valdes by writing: 'I'm amused by how you'll mess it up. Wait you already did,' and said it was 'fun watching you burn'. Valdes warned Murrey: 'You're f***ing with the wrong woman. I'm reporting your ass. Stay away from women and get help.' Intriguingly, Murrey is not the only man currently in the cross-hairs of angry women on the Facebook group Are We Dating The Same Guy? British chef Charles Withers, who appeared on American television cooking show Chopped in 2022, was also featured on the website last week, accused of walking out on his wife and two young children. Ashley McGuire, living in the family home in Massachusetts, posted: 'Last year, when I was pregnant with our youngest baby he decided being a husband and a dad wasn't the lifestyle he wanted any more and he ghosted, like gone, without a trace. He has one baby he hasn't seen in over a year, and one he's never met.' She asked anyone reading the site if they knew where Withers had gone, as she wanted him to sign divorce papers 'so I can finally close this chapter and move on with my life'. Her plea was also posted on TikTok, where it attracted more than five million views. Proving the power of the internet, word reached Withers, who contacted McGuire, apparently from his new home in Texas. But she also urged social media users: 'Please do not make threats, spread hate or try to go out and locate him.' Murrey, meanwhile, declined to be interviewed, but responded to questions in a series of emails. Sociologist Professor Juliet Williams (pictured), of the University of California, Los Angeles, said: 'People talking about other people is nothing new, whether in the ladies' room, around the water cooler, or some virtual platform' Olivia Berger, left, and Vanessa Valdes, right, speak at a press conference on behalf of women being sued by Stewart Lucas Murrey He said the attacks on him were 'infuriating, shocking, and distressing'. Despite his painful experience of online dating, he insists: 'I have met an abundance of interesting women, some with whom I am still very close.' But he has harsh words for two women in particular he sued in his latest lawsuit. 'These two women are uneducated, lack class, lack sophistication, look unhealthy and simply do not compete in a city like Los Angeles,' he said, calling them 'creeps and rejects'. Murrey admits to shunning one of them on a dating app because she evaded answering whether she was 'cute or fit'. He says: 'I felt my time was being wasted and I blocked her.' Defending his lawsuit against the 50, he says: 'As someone who has also been subjected to sex- discrimination, harassment and even unwanted sexual assault, I identify with the need to protect all human beings. We have a duty, though, to vet the proper accusations against retaliation and see the truth in each situation.' He also cautions men about the dangers of internet dating sites such as Facebook, Tinder, Bumble and Hinge. 'Right now, people seem to think they can screenshot your dating profile and post it all over the internet and troll you at a whim,' he said. 'Better yet, just get offline and develop skills to meet singles in person.' But Murrey insists: 'I do not put physical attributes over intelligence, class and charm. I do not expect the perfect package. And I value, along with intelligence, when someone is nice and sweet.' He laments that: 'People also take me too seriously. Perhaps my attempts to be comical are not as successful as I would like,' and complains of women having 'unfair expectations' of him. According to Murrey, women have illegally cyberstalked him, and one 'proceeded to form a hate group about me, literally called the Lucas Murrey Support Group'. While he is not one to back down from a fight, litigation doesn't come cheap, especially when he is representing himself. To that end, he made one request: 'I would be thankful if you could mention my GoFundMe webpage.' He is seeking to raise $60,000, but as of Friday had received only $5,557 in donations. And Murrey appears unrepentant. 'These women exploited the concept of a safe space to gossip, defame and cyberbully anyone at whim,' he proclaims on his GoFundMe page. His accusers might say the same of him. Angela Rayner once described herself as 'John Prescott in a skirt' and was presumptuously billed as 'shadow deputy prime minister' when she recently wrote a column in a Labour-supporting newspaper. But if she does become Labour's first 'DPM' since Lord Prescott, will she also be granted the perk of Dorneywood the 18th-century house in Buckinghamshire where Prescott infamously enjoyed a game of croquet when running the country in Tony Blair's absence? One person likely to have a view is Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves, given that use of the house is traditionally gifted by the prime minister to the chancellor. Lord Prescott was granted use of the house because the then chancellor, Gordon Brown, felt uncomfortable with the country squire image it conveyed. Dorneywood the 18th-century house in Buckinghamshire where John Prescott infamously enjoyed a game of croquet when running the country in Tony Blair 's absence Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Labour's Deputy Leader Angela Rayner pictured together If Ms Reeves follows suit, or agrees to share it, Ms Rayner would be in the enviable position of having three homes at her disposal, in addition to the properties she has in London and her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency. The grace-and-favour government homes have been the subject of undignified squabbles in the past, with prime ministers frequently having to broker houseshare arrangements. Prime ministers have automatic use of 16th-century Chequers in Buckinghamshire. When Nick Clegg was deputy prime minister, during the Coalition Government, he shared Chevening, a 115-room mansion in Kent, with foreign secretary William Hague. Similarly, when Liz Truss was Boris Johnson's foreign secretary, she had to share Chevening with her predecessor Dominic Raab, after Mr Johnson offered him the house to soften the blow of demoting him to justice secretary. Angela Rayner pictured with leader of the Labour party Sir Keir Starmer during their local elections campaign As she has revealed in her book, Ten Years To Save The West, which is being serialised in the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, Ms Truss 'had a battle to get my hands on Chevening' because Mr Raab had been offered sole use of the property. She wrote: 'Eventually, a compromise was reached: Raab and I would have access to Chevening on a timeshare basis. 'It was like an exalted student flat-share. I'd arrive for the weekend and find protein shakes labelled 'Raab' in the fridge.' The situation was even more complicated when Theresa May was resident in Downing Street. Mr Johnson, then foreign secretary, Brexit secretary David Davis and international trade secretary Liam Fox all had to share the manor house. When Geoffrey Howe was removed as foreign secretary by Margaret Thatcher in 1989, his bitterness at leaving Chevening is said to have contributed to the devastating resignation statement he gave in the Commons a year later, which set events in motion towards the end of Thatcher's premiership. Dorneywood has traditionally been at the disposal of the chancellor since it was gifted to the National Trust in 1947. Lord Prescott, 85, gave up use of the house after the MoS published the croquet pictures. It was used by Alistair Darling after Mr Brown became prime minister in 2007. A Labour spokesman declined to comment last night. A 30-year-old tourist has been struck dead by a huge church bell during a Spanish tradition. The freak accident happened this morning before 7.30am when the victim was visiting the tower of a church in El Pinell de Brai, Tarragona. Every year, visitors are invited up to the bell tower at church of Sant Llorenc prior to the Santa Magdalena romeria, a post-Easter celebration. The man died instantly when a bell which was ringing to announce the ceremony struck him on the head. In accordance with this custom, a group of residents climbed the bell tower, including the victim, the son of a family that resides in Barcelona but is linked to the town. Here is a look at the church where a tourist, 30, was instantly killed in a freak accident Pictured: The Church in El Pinell de Brai, Tarragona, where a bell killed a man Once at the top, a bell hit the man, who received a strong blow to the head, causing him to die instantly. Doctors from the Emergency Medical System tried without success to revive him. A fire crew also rushed to the scene to recover his body. A person on the scene with medical experience also tried to save his life but without success. Police have opened an investigation. A team of psychologists was also called in to help his distraught family and friends. The mayoress of Pinell de Brai, Laura Vallespi, has declared three days of mourning after the death of the young man, who was originally from the town of Terra Alta. The Santa Magdalena festivities have also been officially suspended. 'There has always been a tradition of ringing the bell for Santa Magdalena,' she said. 'Unfortunately, this did not end well today.' The mayoress said there could be changes in the tradition of ringing the bell. 'Surely it will have to be done differently. We will let today pass because we are in a state of shock, and then we will evaluate it between the City Council, the Santa Magdalena association and the church,' she said. This video is no longer available This video is no longer available Terrifying footage captured the moment dozens of shoppers were locked inside a Myer as a knifeman went on a stabbing spree at Westfield Bondi Junction. A group of shoppers were filmed huddling in the backroom after the shutters were drawn shut at the shopping centre at 3.20pm on Saturday. Joel Cauchi, 40, was continuing to carry out his attack which would ultimately take the lives of six people and injure many more. Mother Ashlee Good, 38, was among the victims killed while her nine-month-old baby girl Harriet was left in a serious but stable condition. Cauchi was then confronted and shot by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott. Myer shoppers were ushered into the staff areas to stay safe, including a woman and her baby Joel Cauchi, 40, was continuing to carry out his attack which would ultimately take the lives of six people and injure many more Bondi Rescue lifeguard Andrew Reid told ABC News he was in Myer trying to buy a bed when an employee told him everyone had to evacuate. '[He said] there's people being stabbed outside. And we went to leave but they dropped the shutters, I guess to protect us,' he said. 'We all sort of walked up and looked up to see what was going on and we heard the two gunshots just around the corner.' It was then the lifeguard looked back and saw an injured woman on level four and asked to leave the store. Putting himself in danger, he rendered assistance to the stabbing victims. Elsewhere in the shopping centre, other shops and retail staff locked themselves and customers inside to stay safe. NSW Police identified Cauchi as the knifeman on Sunday saying they were treating the horrific attack as a mental health incident. Cauchi, who is from the Brisbane area and is understood to have suffered from schizophrenia, moved to Sydney from Queensland a month ago. There is no suggestion that Cauchi was part of any particular ideology. Police are currently searching through a 'very small storage facility' in Sydney that Cauchi rented out shortly after the move. He was reportedly sleeping rough and had no fixed address. Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said detectives have spoken to his family who have been helping police with their investigation. Shoppers were crammed into the hallway of the staff area, looking confused, worried and clutching their phones The security shutters at Myer were closed, with customers locked-in to protect shoppers and staff from the attacker. Many didn't know what was happening and were looking out of the screens 'There is still, to this point no information we have received, no evidence we have recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation - ideology or otherwise,' Assistant Commissioner Cooke told reporters on Sunday. 'We are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved.' According to his social media profiles, Cauchi grew up in Toowoomba and claimed he worked as an English tutor. He was a surfing enthusiast and just last week posted in a Sydney Facebook group asking if anyone would like to meet him for a surf in Bondi. In an profile for seeking shared accommodation, Cauchi said he was looking for a place to live in Sydney's western's suburbs in 'Liverpool, Blacktown, Pendle Hill or Parramatta'. 'I love meeting new people and seeing new interesting places!' he wrote about himself. Opposition party must prove itself as voters offer another chance The April 10 National Assembly elections sounded the alarm for politicians that voters can make or break their careers. They turned out in large numbers to vote against President Yoon Suk Yeol. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) maintained its control of the Assembly with 175 seats out of a possible 300. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) barely secured 108 seats. With this number, the ruling party can only block the DPK's attempts to revise the Constitution, and there is nothing else it can do on its own. The election result is a blessing for the DPK. But it shouldnt be intoxicated by this huge win. The DPK didnt earn the victory by itself. Voters gave the main opposition party another chance to prove itself. Sick and tired of Yoon, more voters cast their ballots in favor of the DPK. Voters ordered the DPK to play a constructive role in the Assembly in order to change Yoons course of action. A triumph like this comes with huge responsibility. This is particularly the case when the nation is in polycrisis, tasked with various daunting foreign and domestic policy challenges. Opposition for the sake of opposing the ruling party an old tactic the DPK has relied on in the past will no longer be tolerated. As seen in the latest election result, voters empowered certain politicians and parties with huge support. However, they can just as quickly withdraw their support if they believe the elected officials fail to live up to their expectations. To win their hearts, politicians need to keep checking if they are representing their constituencies properly. If they fail to do so, voters will turn their backs on them, just as they did on President Yoon in the April 10 elections. To meet voters expectations, the DPK should be born again and become a responsible political entity. It should stop Yoon when he is leading the nation in the wrong direction. However, the DPK should cooperate with the president when he needs Assembly support to fulfill his duties as the head of state. The DPKs record during the 21st National Assembly was very disappointing. Some of its members, particularly those labeled as Generation 586 politicians, who are the main force within the party, drew criticism for their self-serving behaviors. In 2021, for example, Reps. Woo Won-shik and Woo Sang-ho initiated a bill calling for perks to be granted to those who were persecuted during the pro-democracy protests as well as their families. Specifically, the bill seeks a quota for the offspring of perished democracy fighters regarding college admissions, the waiving of their tuition as well as incentives concerning employment opportunities. The main beneficiaries of the bill, if passed, would be their families or those of their colleagues. Because of this, the bill earned the nickname self-serving measure. Dozens of other Generation 586 lawmakers from the DPK co-signed the bill. Facing mounting criticism from the public, they scrapped the measure. But last year they pushed for it once again ahead of the April elections. The DPK tainted the nations reputation by pushing through the passage of the controversial bill calling for a ban on human rights activists flying of anti-Kim Jong-un leaflets to the North. Those who violated the measure faced three years in jail or were fined up to 30 million won ($21,660). It was ironic that the very people who had taken to the streets to fight for democracy in the 1980s introduced a measure to repress human rights and freedom of expression. The ban was lifted last September at the Constitutional Courts order. There has been a change in the lineup of DPK members. Many of the Generation 586 politicians were eliminated in the selections of candidates to run in the April 10 elections on the DPKs ticket. Now Lee loyalists dominate the party. With 175 seats, the new DPK is a behemoth in the legislative body. It can do almost anything it wants in the Assembly. Two choices lie ahead for the DPK in the 22nd National Assembly. It can gain the publics trust as a party that prioritizes the livelihoods of the public over its partisan interests and is willing to sit down with the ruling party to seek bipartisan measures on key policy items. Or it can be an unbridled, irresponsible party that only cares about its partisan interests and clashes with the ruling party, thereby creating a kind of parliamentary limbo. The ball is in the DPKs court. If the DPK repeats its behavior from the past four years, it will face grave consequences in the next presidential and general elections. If it strives to work for the betterment of the publics livelihood and cooperate with the ruling party, voters will choose it again at the next elections. A tragic link in the horrific Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing has been revealed, as it comes to light a lifeguard who tried to help and the fatally wounded mother who handed her baby to strangers were friends. Mother Ash Good was pushing her daughter in a pram around the shopping centre when the violent events occurred about 3.30pm on Saturday. A 40-year-old man armed with a knife stabbed more than a dozen people, killing Ms Good and five others. Her nine-month-old daughter and at least 11 other people were seriously wounded. Lifeguard Andrew Reid of Bondi Rescue fame was at the shopping centre, and gave horrific accounts of the events. Speaking on Channel 9 on Sunday morning, Mr Reid said he saw Ms Good was badly injured. Ash Good was killed just hours after she posted this photo of her and her baby Harriet (pictured) Lifeguard Andrew Reid of Bondi Rescue fame was at the shopping centre and treated those injured, including his friend Ms Good 'She just wanted to be a mum. She was a beautiful person,' Mr Reid said. He too had heard the account of Ms Good giving her baby to strangers for help, and called those actions brave. The lifeguard said he was trying to not think about the state of his friend before her death. Talking to Sky News on Saturday night, Mr Reid said 'As I looked down on level 4, there was a lady down there, there was so much blood.' Mr Reid got a retail worker to open a roller security door so he could assist the injured woman. 'There was already two other people helping ... and we all just started working on this girl, looking for stab wounds,' Mr Reid said. 'As I looked down, there was sort of victims every 50 metres. 'The other victim closest to us, there was so much blood. She was in a really bad way. 'It was quite chaotic. There was police running around everywhere and we didn't know if the perpetrator had been caught.' Mr Reid and Ms Good are both known in the health and fitness communities around the Bondi area. A 2020 Instagram post from Mr Reid shows them at Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club after a long run. A bystander armed with a bollard tries to stop the armed man (pictured) on an escalator at Westfield Bondi In the clip, waves crash over the pair and another woman, as they appear to laugh and jump around. Ms Good had commented on the post: 'So fun.' Ms Good's family released a statement on Sunday following the 38-year-old's tragic death. 'Today we are reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all round outstanding human and so much more,' it read. 'We appreciate the well-wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed an outpouring of love for Ashlee and our baby girl.' Ms Good's nine-month-old baby girl was also stabbed and remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition. 'We are so grateful for the expert care and attention of the medical team at Sydney Childrens Hospital,' the statement read. 'We would also like to thank the New South Wales Police for their kindness and diligence in this tragedy and emergency services for getting our baby the care she needed as quickly as possible. 'To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not - words cannot express our gratitude.' 'We are struggling to come to terms with what has occurred. We would appreciate peace and privacy while we work through this as a family.' As of Sunday morning there are 12 people in hospital with serious and moderate injuries, NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said. The knife-wielding man was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, whom the Prime Minister described as a hero. 'I don't think we've seen better police work than we did yesterday,' Ms Catley told Sky News. The attacker was a 40-year-old Queensland man, the Minister said. It had been earlier confirmed he was known to police. A fired up Donald Trump raged against the hush money case against him at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, just days before he becomes the first former president in U.S. history to stand trial on criminal charges. 'Two days from now, the entire world will witness the commencement of the very first Biden trial,' Trump said speaking to a rancorous crowd of supporters. 'I'm proud to do it for your. Have a good time watching, have a good time watching' Trump said. The 77-year-old ex-president was in Schnecksville, PA outside Allentown where he rambled for roughly an hour on a wide range of topics from the border to insisting 'I'm popular!' It was his final rally before the hush money trial gets underway in New York. Jury selection begins on Monday. Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Each count has a maximum penalty of four years in prison. Former President Donald Trump slammed the criminal case against him in New York just days before the trial gets underway. The ex-president told the crowd it is a 'badge of honor' to be indicted Trump insisted there was 'absolutely nothing there' was he ranted about the hush money case 'On Monday in New York City, I will be forced to sit fully gagged, I'm not allowed to talk,' Trump claimed one day after saying he would testify. The ex-president went after the presiding judge as well as the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg who brought the case. 'This is by far the weakest criminal case I've ever seen in my 60 years,' Trump, 77, said. 'There is absolutely nothing here. There is no misdemeanor. There is no felony, there is no federal crime.' Trump slammed the trial coming in the middle of him running for president. It is the first of four criminal cases against Trump that could get underway this year as he mounts his third White House bid. The hush money trial centers around $130,000 paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Prosecutors allege Trump falsified business records to cover up the payment to keep her quiet According to prosecutors, the ex-president falsified records to cover up the $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to keep her quiet about a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Supporters waiting in line for hours to attend the ex-president's rally on Saturday echoed some of Trump's own statements on the case. Jury selection for Trumps hush money trial begins on Monday. He will be the first former president to stand trial on criminal charges, but tonight hes in Schnecksville, PA for a rally. Supporters tell me the whole thing is a witch hunt pic.twitter.com/BI44QQpmPg Sarah Ewall-Wice (@EwallWice) April 13, 2024 Multiple people waiting in line told DailyMail.com the criminal case was a 'witch hunt,' orchestrated by 'corrupt' Democrats and dismissed concerns about Trump being convicted while running for president. 'I'm absolutely disgusted in our criminal justice system,' said Courtney Bracken, 46, who was at the rally with her son and also said she was at the Capitol on January 6. 'I honestly think that Democrats are making a mockery out of our criminal justice system. I think eventually after all the appeals, after everything, President Trump will be found not guilty,' she said. 'I think it's just a roadblock. They're frivilious cases,' said Michael Mann, 61, at the rally Saturday. 'I don't feel he's going to be convicted. He's going to come out of it.' The line of supporters waiting outside Trump's rally in Schnecksville on April 13. Hundreds of supporters waited in line for hours ahead of the ex-president's remarks at the Schnecksville Fire Hall Supporters of Trump ahead of his campaign rally in Schnecksville, PA on April 13 Trump himself said on Friday he would testify in the hush money case. 'It's a scam. It's a scam. That's not a trial. That's not a trial,' Trump also said Friday. A new The New York Times/Siena poll on Saturday found a majority of registered voters believe that the charges Trump falsified records related to the hush money payments are very serious or somewhat serious. Only 22 percent said they were not at all serious. The charges did divide along partisan lines. 43 percent of Republicans said the charges related to hush money payments were not at all serious. 46 percent of registered voters said they think Trump should be found guilty in the case. 36 percent said he should not. 71 percent of Republicans said he should not. Trump told supporters at his rally 'have a good time watching' as he blasts the hush money case against him that gets underway in New York with jury selection on Monday While only the hush money case has a set trial start date so far, the criminal cases against Trump could take him off the campaign trail for a significant amount of time leading up the the election. Trump's campaign said it will take full advantage of off days on Wednesday and weekends, and the ex-president will also continue to deliver his message with in-person and virtual events. They argue the court appearances and indictments have proven to backfire for Democrats and Biden and expect this case to be no different. 'Joe Biden and the Democrats entire strategy to defeat President Trump is to keep him away from campaigning by confining him to a courtroom,' said Karoline Leavitt, National Press Secretary in a statement. 'President Trump will continue to fight for truth in the courtroom and to share his winning message on the campaign trail,' she said. Trump is expected to hold in-person and virtual campaign events around the trial schedule. His campaign claims the courtroom appearances and indictments backfire on Democrats Pennsylvania is one of the biggest battlegrounds of 2024. Biden won the state by more than 80,000 votes in 2020 after Trump won the state by less than 45,000 votes in 2016. Ahead of Trump's visit to the state supporters lined the roads around Schnecksville waving Trump flags and holding signs. DailyMail.com observed one person holding a Biden sign on the side of the road near the rally, and another person waiting to greet the motorcade a little further away holding a 'Trump in prison 2024' sign. Ahead of the ex-president's visit, the state's Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro issued a statement on behalf of the Biden campaign about Trump's visit to the state blasting him on the issue of abortion and overturning of Roe v Wade. 'Pennsylvanians want a president who will fight for us and protect our freedom not the chaos and extremism Donald Trump wants to bring to our communities,' he said. A ex-British military intelligence chief has said that Iran's drone and missile attack against Israel is a deadly 'face-saving' exercise that is representative of the 'massive escalation' of the war in the Middle East. Former spymaster Colonel Philip Ingram told MailOnline last night said that he did not think the drones and missiles launched by Iran would make it through Israel's Iron Dome defence system. 'The very overt way that Iran has decided to attack Israel with these drones and cruise missiles that suggest that they fully expect the Israeli Iron Dome system to shoot down cruise missiles and drones that have been fired,' he said. Iran has launched more than 200 drones and missiles at Israel since Saturday night, the IDF said, the vast majority of which were intercepted outside the nation's airspace. A small number of the dozens of ground-to-ground Iranian missiles struck Israel, wounding a girl and causing light damage to a military installation in the south, armed forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said early on Sunday. Iran said the attacks came in response to a drone strike at the beginning of April in Syria that left 12 Iranians, including two top generals, dead. Explosions are seen in the skies of Jerusalem, following the attack from Iran on April 14 A drone is seen over the skies of Israel - after around 200 drones and missiles were launched at the Middle Eastern nation by Iran last night Ex-British military intelligence chief Col Philip Ingram (pictured) has said that Iran 's drone and missile attack against Israel is a deadly 'face-saving' exercise that is representative of the 'massive escalation' of the war in the Middle East Iran's Mission to the United Nations has warned that the US 'must stay away' from the conflict with Israel, but said that its attack against should means 'the matter can be deemed concluded'. On X/Twitter, the mission said: 'Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran's military action was in response to the Zionist regime's aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded. 'However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!' Col Ingram said: 'If [the attack] is going to be effective from Iranian perspective, there would be a number of interlinked activities. The first activity, would be: launch the drones and cruise missiles from Iran. 'The second activity would be: fire rockets from southern Lebanon using Hezbollah, and/or from Yemen, and/or from Iranian-backed organizations in Iraq and Syria to force the Iron Dome system to engage them, and therefore reduce its capacity to protect Israel against the Iranian drone and missile attacks. 'But if that doesn't happen, what the Iranians are doing is they're sending an attack with into Israel from a purely face-saving perspective. 'So they know that the Israeli Iron Dome system will likely destroy all of their missiles and drones that are coming in, but they can tell the Iranian people that they have done everything that they possibly can to avenge the IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps).' Drones or missiles vying for targets at undisclosed locations in northern Israel, in the early hours of the morning of April 14 Iran has launched more than 200 drones and missiles at Israel since Saturday night, the IDF said, the vast majority of which were intercepted outside the nation's airspace Iranian media reported that Tehran has also launched its first round of ballistic missiles towards Israel A battery of Israel's Iron Dome defense missile system, deployed to intercept rockets, sits in Ashkelon The long-range air defence system called Arman is displayed during an unveiling ceremony in Tehran, Iran Col Ingram said there was already an 'escalation' after 'Iran carried out a carried out a military attack on a ship in international waters and captured it, and started to move it towards Iranian territorial waters' before the drone attacks yesterday. Col Ingram said the drone and missile strikes were a 'massive escalation in what's going on' and that there could have to be a 'coordinated international response' which is 'likely to be more than just sanctions and will have to result in some form of increased military activity'. 'That military activity is likely to be suggesting to Iran that if any Iranian air capability flies over international waters, it could be considered hostile, and therefore could be shot down,' he said. In a sign that Iran could be coordinating attacks against Israel with allies, Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels reportedly launched multiple drones which would have arrived in Israel simultaneously. British security firm Ambrey said late on Saturday: 'Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were reportedly launched by the Huthis toward Israel. The UAVs were launched in coordination with Iran.' 'Israeli ports are assessed to be potential targets', it added, and warned of 'collateral damage' to shipping. Col Ingram said of the Houthi attacks: 'What this shows is a coordinated effort to overwhelm the Israeli Iron Dome protection system and therefore hurt Israel. 'It's impossible to say whether the attacks will overwhelm it or not, but a coordinated attack like this will result in a robust Israeli response.' Iran originally said it launched 100 drones and missiles - although this number has since risen to more than 200 - at Israel, which Col Ingram said 'won't overwhelm the Iron Dome'. 'Drones are slow, their path is predictable and they can be tracked the whole way in. 'The only problem is if you get multiple attacks at the same time from multiple locations. It would will get overwhelmed as it only has a certain capacity. 'If Iran overmatches the Iron Dome capacity that's when Israeli citizens are under threat.' Iran said the attacks came in response to a drone strike at the beginning of April in Syria that left 12 Iranians, including two top generals, dead He said if significant attacks penetrate through the Iron Dome, and have a large impact in Israel, there could be wider-reaching global repercussions. 'If the attack on Israel turns out to bigger, then there's two elements that will happen. The first thing is, Israel will assess how it's going to respond - and now its response may or may not include negotiation with the wider international community. 'But Israel has got more than enough capability to respond aggressively against Iran, so it does not need international support to do that even when it's fighting a war against Hezbollah, and Hamas, and with a security situation in the West Bank. 'However, if it comes that there needs to be a greater international community response. That will be very measured, because what the international community doesn't want to do is turn any response into something that stimulates a regional conflict, because that regional conflict will do two things: 'It will undermine the economic stability of the world. And secondly, will play into the hands of Vladimir Putin to allow him and enable him to expand his activities into Ukraine. 'So we are under very difficult balancing situation from a diplomatic and political perspective, and our our leaders are well aware of that.' John Wayne Bobbitt, who attainted notoriety in 1993 after his then-wife severed his penis while he slept, has now lost 10 more appendages - his toes. Bobbitt has been diagnosed with toxic peripheral polyneuropathy after being exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune military base in North Carolina in the late 1980s. The condition causes nerve damage to extremities, which has led to the amputation of his toes over a period of several years. The last few digits were removed in 2023. Bobbitt, who is now 57 and a former Marine said that he now has just two stumps for feet and needs special prosthetic shoes. The condition has left him experiencing chronic infections and painful skin issues. John Wayne Bobbitt, now 57, who rose to fame after his wife severed his penis in 1993 has now lost his toes due to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune The exposure caused nerve damage, leading to all his toes being amputated Bobbitt's toes were amputated over a period of several years with the last few digits being removed in 2023 Bobbitt's condition has left him experiencing chronic infections and painful skin issues Bobbitt has updated followers with his healthcare woes and continues to post pics online Bobbitt also says his experiences at Camp Lejeune impacted both his physical health including his cognitive functioning and mental well-being which he believes may have affected the relationship with his ex-wife Lorena. 'I wasn't behaving the way I should have. Maybe I would have made better decisions if my cognitive functioning wasn't distorted by the chemicals,' he told The Sun. The Camp Lejeune contamination has been described as 'one of the worst water contamination cases in US history' and saw oil, industrial wastewater, and toxic chemicals all knowingly dumped in local storm drains at the army base between 1952 and 1987, contaminating the local water supply for 35 years. 'They knew. They were testing the water and it was like up to 3,500 times above normal safety standards,' Bobbitt said. In 1993, Lorena Bobbitt famously accused him of raping and beating her before the shocking incident in which she sliced off his penis with a kitchen knife in their Virginia home. She then jumped in her car and drove to her bosses house throwing her husband's penis out of the window into a field, before calling police and confessing to what she had just done. Bobbitt, who is now 57 and a former Marine said that he now has just two stumps for feet and needs special prosthetic shoes. Bobbitt, a former Marine, was diagnosed with toxic peripheral polyneuropathy after being exposed to contaminated water at the Camp Lejeune military training facility in the late 1980s Bobbitt has had his toes removed over a period of years. This picture was taken in 2018 Sickening water contamination has caused Bobbitt and many of his fellow servicemen to suffer from serious physical and mental issues John Wayne Bobbitt on his wedding day to Lorena in June of 1989 Lorena Bobbitt garnered massive global attention after she cut off her husband John Wayne Bobbitt's penis back in 1993 after saying he raped her John Wayne Bobbitt is seen during his 1993 trial Lorena used this kitchen knife to severe her husband's organ, after she claimed he raped her John Wayne Bobbitt maintains he did not abuse or rape her that night when she cut off his penis 30 years ago Incredibly, authorities were able to locate it after Lorena described the exact location. Doctors were able to salvage and reattach it during the course of a nine-hour surgery. Bobbitt says it has returned to 'normal' function and was even able to start a career as a porn star in 2013 in which he claims to have slept with more than 70 women. Lorena was charged with malicious wounding. At her trial, she took the stand and was later acquitted by reason of temporary insanity. She was sent to a mental hospital where she was discharged after a month. John Wayne Bobbitt was charged with marital sexual assault. In a 1994 trial, he was acquitted and he continues to assert his innocence. Part of the mystery of Angela Rayner's post-marital living arrangements is a 2013 change she made to the electoral register. At the time, Ms Rayner, who bought her former council house in Vicarage Road in 2007, had just moved beyond the five-year point after which the discount obtained on the purchase does not have to be returned to the council. She received a discount of 26,000 from Stockport council on the right-to-buy price of 79,000. The rules state that owners must repay all the discounts if they sell within the first year. After that the penalty would fall to 20 per cent in the second year, 15 per cent in the third and so forth. Angela Rayner, who bought her former council house in Vicarage Road, Stockport in 2007, had just moved beyond the five-year point after which the discount obtained on the purchase does not have to be returned to the council when she changed her electoral register entry in 2013 Ms Rayner received a discount of 26,000 from Stockport council on the right-to-buy price of 79,000 for her former property in Vicarage Road In 2013, Ms Rayner, who had been listed as Angela Bowen on the roll since 2007, changed her entry to Angela Rayner. There she stayed until she left the roll shortly before becoming an MP in 2015 and put the house on the market. Meanwhile, her husband Mark Rayner and her brother Darren Bowen were listed at Lowndes Lane. In April 2016, the Lowndes Lane house was sold for 145,250, and the Rayners moved to a 375,000 house in her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency. A spokesman for the Electoral Commission has told The Mail on Sunday that 'it is not an offence to not update your entry on the register' but the same does not apply to actively recording the wrong information. They added: 'The commission does not have access to the details of an individual's registration history, which are held by the relevant Electoral Registration Officer, therefore it is not possible to make a judgment on whether any offences took place. 'Any question relating to whether an offence has been committed in relation to registering to vote should be directed to the police.' Tragic images from Westfield Bondi Junction show bodies being carried out of the shopping complex, after a lone attacker fatally stabbed six people and injured many more. Joel Cauchi, 40, entered the Westfield at 3.10pm and again at 3.20, before embarking on a violent rampage across multiple levels of the packed out shopping centre, armed with a knife. As of Sunday morning, seven people including Mr Cauchi, had died, and about 12 people were in hospital; nine who were taken there from the scene and three who had arrived at medical facilities of their own volition. Teams work to remove bodies at the scene on Sunday after six people died in an attack at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction on Saturday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer Police on Sunday named the attacker as Queensland man Joel Cauchi. Picture: 9 NEWS Among those in hospital is nine-month-old baby Harriet, whose mother, Ash Good, was killed in the attack. Dawn Singleton, the daughter of millionaire businessman John Singleton, also lost her life in the attack. Workers could be seen wheeling bodies, wrapped in a maroon bag, to the front of a long line of white vans, which had arrived to take the victims and their killer, who was fatally shot by police, away. Their faces were crestfallen as they wheeled the stretchers out of the shopping centre. Workers appeared crestfallen as they worked to remove bodies at the scene. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer The shopping centre will remain closed for the foreseeable future, though arrangements were being made for those who were forced to flee on Saturday, leaving their cars behind. Acting NSW Premier Penny Sharpe said on morning television Westfield was working with the government. "It is a crime scene. We've got to make sure every little detail is nailed down," Ms Sharpe said. The bodies were loaded into white vans, lined up outside the centre. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer Police swarmed the shopping complex on Saturday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer There are about 1500 cars locked in the carpark areas. Shoppers were told to leave their cars as the shopping centre went into lockdown. From 10am NSW time people would be notified about when they could collect their cars, Ms Sharpe said. NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said police would make arrangements "promptly" to tell people when they can retrieve belongings and vehicles from the shopping centre. He fatally stabbed six people and injured nine others The killer who murdered six people at Bondi Junction Westfield's shopping centre was looking for surfing buddies just days before the massacre. Six innocent shoppers, including five women and a man, were stabbed to death at Bondi Junction Westfield's shopping Centre on Saturday at about 3.20pm. Police identified the knifeman as 40-year-old man Joel Cauchi, who moved to Sydney from Queensland a month ago. He lived with schizophrenia, and police are investigating a potential history of targeting women. It's understood Cauchi had a history of being obsessed with knives. While living with his parents in Toowoomba, south-east Queensland, they became so worried about his fixation they took his knives away from him. Just six days before the attack, Cauchi invited Sydneysiders to join him for a surf at Bondi Beach in a post shared to a Facebook group for beginner surfers. Cauchi wrote: 'Hi I am surfing Bondi this afternoon if anyone wants to meet there for a surf!' Joel Cauchi, 40, killed six people and critically injured nine others, including a nine-month-old baby, in a stabbing spree at Bondi Junction Westfield's on Saturday The post received a barrage of negative reactions moments after police confirmed Cauchi's identity on Sunday. In another post, shared in December 2020 to an outdoor adventure Facebook group for Brisbane residents, Cauchi explained he wanted to meet with people who shoot guns. 'Hi I am looking for groups of people who shoot guns, including handguns, to meet up with, chat with and get to know. Please send me DM if you can help me out! I live in Brisbane by the way,' Cauchi wrote. Social media users noticed the alarming post hours after Cauchi was identified by police. 'Thank goodness you didn't get your hands on a gun... the devastation you have caused is horrible enough,' one person wrote. He also recently posted in various astronomy groups asking if he could tag along with an astrophotographer on a night time adventure so he could learn more about the hobby. There is no suggestion that Cauchi was part of any particular ideology, with police treating the horrific attack as mental health related. Police are currently searching through a 'very small storage facility' in Sydney that Cauchi rented out shortly after the move. He was reportedly sleeping rough and had no fixed address. Six days before the horrific attack, Cauchi invited social media users to join him for a surf at Bondi Beach (pictured) Cauchi entered the shopping centre brandishing a large knife (pictured). He was shot dead by Inspector Amy Scott In another post in 2020, Cauchi wanted to meet up with people who shoot guns (pictured) Cauchi was actively looking for a place to live, having made a profile on Flatmates - an online website for those looking for a shared home. The 40-year-old was looking for a shared home around Pendle Hill, Blacktown, Paramatta and Liverpool, writing he 'loves meeting new people and seeing new interesting places'. Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said detectives have spoken to his family who have been helping police with their investigation. 'There is still, to this point no information we have received, no evidence we have recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation - ideology or otherwise,' Assistant Commissioner Cooke told reporters on Sunday. 'We are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved.' Assistant Commissioner Cooke said police are still working to determine how Cauchi came into possession of the weapon, which has been described by witnesses as a 30-cm hunting knife. The 40-year-old had moved to Sydney from Brisbane and was reportedly sleeping rough, with no fixed address. He was actively looking for a place to stay, having shared a profile of himself to an online website for those looking for flatmates (pictured) Police were called to Bondi Junction Westfield at 3.20pm on Saturday as the attack unfolded. Footage shared online showed terrified shoppers running through the centre and taking shelter in stores as Cauchi chases after men, women and children. Cauchi, who was brandishing the blade, fatally stabbed six people, including 38-year-old mum Ashlee Good and multi-millionaire advertising guru John Singleton's daughter Dawn. Five of the victims including Ms Singleton, three other women believed to be aged between 20 and 55 and a man, aged in his 30s - died at the scene. Twelve others including Ms Good, her nine-month-old daughter Harriet, eight other women, and two men suffering stab wounds, were treated by paramedics and taken to various Sydney hospitals. Ms Good later died at St Vincent's Hospital while her daughter underwent emergency surgery at Sydney's Children's Hospital in Randwick, where she is now in a serious but stable condition. Inspector Amy Scott was patrolling nearby and was first on the scene and has been hailed as a hero and praised for her bravery. Inspector Scott entered the shopping centre by herself and sprinted through the top level of the complex, before risking her life and confronting Cauchi. Cauchi lunged at Inspector Scott, who shot him dead. The senior police officer performed CPR on the killer, along with other victims lying on the ground in nearby stores as she waited for back-up to arrive. Inspector Scott is 'doing well under the circumstances,' NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said on Saturday evening. She will be formally interviewed as part of the investigation into the deadly stabbings. Royal Marines are poised to lead a 'Dunkirk-style' evacuation of thousands of UK nationals from the Middle East after Iran launched a huge drone and missile attack against Israel last night. Commandos have already conducted reconnaissance along the Lebanese coastline ahead of a potential maritime rescue mission. The daring mission - reminiscent of the huge effort to evacuate 338,000 British troops stranded in France by the Germans during the opening salvo of the Second World War in 1940 - was exclusively revealed by the Mail on Friday. It came a day before Tehran launched a huge aerial bombardment on Saturday evening, which was in retaliation of a deadly consul blast an an Iranian embassy in Syria that killed 13 people Speaking exclusively to the Mail earlier this week, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed he 'stands ready' to assist any Britons trapped in the region. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps on a visit to Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire, to tour the base and meet troops One video shared with MailOnline showed the Iron Dome intercepting a missile Around a hundred drones and missiles were fired at Israel The Foreign Office has already advised all UK citizens to leave Lebanon. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said there remained a 'serious threat' of attack while it was reported that Iran had sent a message to Washington warning them against the involvement of US troops in the region. The evacuation plans, codenamed Operation Meteoric, will be spearheaded by the UK's 'Green Berets' and supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. The Mail has been told a party of Marines from 30 Commando arrived in the region in recent days. Operation Meteoric has been likened to Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of allied soldiers from Dunkirk in 1940 when they were surrounded by German forces. Israel and its allies remain braced for a huge Iranian response to the attack on its Syrian consulate earlier this month, which left 13 dead, including a senior Iranian commander. While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the blast it is widely considered to have been behind it. Iran's response may also involve the heavily armed military group Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon. Tonight, intelligence reports suggested the retaliation could include more than 100 drones, dozens of cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Such a scenario would likely lead to civilian 'air bridges' shutting down hence the need for a maritime solution. Defence Minister Grant Shapps confirmed he 'stands ready' to assist any Britons trapped in the region Commandos have already conducted reconnaissance along the Lebanese coastline ahead of a potential maritime rescue mission The Royal Navy's new minehunting 'mothership', RFA Stirling Castle, which has recently arrived at its new home on the Clyde The Mail has been told how the preparatory work behind Operation Meteoric was conducted by the Royal Marines' Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS). They studied stretches of the Lebanese coastline and selected potential locations for such a rescue mission. Stranded civilians would be ferried from beaches in raiding craft to Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships in the eastern Mediterranean. While it is understood Iran is eager to avoid direct engagement with UK forces, RAF Typhoon jets based in Cyprus could provide 'top cover'. Earlier this week, Mr Shapps told the Mail: 'UK nationals in the region will be concerned by what Iran is threatening to do. So we stand ready to assist them. 'There are plans, but they cannot be discussed for security reasons.' About 100 drones were reportedly launched from Iran last night - with dramatic footage revealing the moment some were shoot down above the city of Jerusalem. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said via state media: 'The aerospace unit of the Revolutionary Guards has attacked targets in Israel with dozens of drones and missiles in reaction to the Zionist regime's crimes, including the attack on the consulate section of Iran's embassy in Damascus and martyring our commanders and military advisers in Syria.' Missiles entered Israeli airspace just before midnight local time, with images from international media revealing missiles being intercepted by the Iron Dome system above Jerusalem, in Israel's east. Blasts were also heard in Jericho in the occupied West Bank, while the Israeli army said it had sounded sirens in the southern Negev region. Iranian media reported that Tehran has also launched its first round of ballistic missiles towards Israel, which have an even shorter flight time than the cruise missiles. A third wave of drones has now been launched at Israel. Yemen-based Houthis have also claimed to have shot 'dozens' of rockets towards an IDF base in the north-east of Israel. it is not currently known if the Houthi attacks are linked to Iran's salvo. The UK, among Israel's closest allies, and other nations have reportedly begun to support Israel by sending fighter jets to shoot down the drones and missiles. US officials added that their military also intercepted drones and missiles heading to Israel. Donald Trump has claimed that White House staff had to convince President Biden not to release a pre-recorded message following attacks on Israel by Iran. The former president added that if he was commander in chief 'this would never have happened' in a number of posts made to his Truth Social platform. Trump said: 'Biden's handlers convinced him not to release his taped speech on Israel. He'll now attempt to do it live.' Another post said: 'Biden, on Israel, didnt do his Address to the People LIVE. He taped it. This is no time for taped speeches!!!' Unconfirmed reports had circulated shortly after news broke of the Iranian drone attacks that Biden would address the nation live from the Oval Office. The former president has claimed that White House staff had to convince Biden to not go ahead with a pre-recorded message following the attacks Biden is seen here walking to the Oval Office after returning from Delaware to consult his national security team Prior to his posts about President Biden, Trump had posted: 'Israel is under attack! 'This should never have been allowed to happen. This would never have happened if I were President!' On Friday, Trump branded the president 'pretty pathetic' and reiterated his view that Iran wouldn't be attacking Israel if he remained in office. He had been referring to remarks made by the president that the a Iranian attack on Israel was imminent. Trump added: 'for the president of our country to actually put out a warning that he thinks that we're going to be attacked or they're going to be attacked. 'That's pretty pathetic. This is a very dangerous period of time in our nation and a big reason that it's dangerous is because we have a president that's grossly incompetent.' Shortly after news broke of the attacks on Israel by Iranian forces, President Biden was rushed back to the White House from Delaware. In a post to X, he said: 'I just met with my national security team for an update on Irans attacks against Israel. 'Our commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad.' On Friday, Trump again attacked Biden over his remarks about the attacks - saying he was 'pathetic' The former president added that if he was commander in chief 'this would never have happened' in a number of posts made to his Truth Social platform President Biden is seen here alongside his national security team after the attack by Iranian forces on Israel Iran launched the drones Saturday afternoon Eastern Standard Time, and have started to enter Israeli airspace. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said via state media that they had attacked targets in Israel with 'dozens of drones and missiles'. Video shared with DailyMail.com shows the missiles being intercepted by the Iron Dome system above Jerusalem in the east of the country. US Congressional sources say the amphibious war ship Bataan is leading a US naval task force in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Bataan has two support ships and together they have about 2,500 Marines onboard. The US also has several guided missile destroyers including the Carney in the area. A US security source told CNN that the bombardment could last for hours. Iran had threatened to hit back at Israel over an attack in Syria, which Tehran say was an Israeli airstrike on a Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed retribution in the wake of the Damascus attack, for which Tel-Aviv has yet to take responsibility. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to respond with force to any assault by Iran, leaving tensions high in the Middle East. A Sydney university student claims he was sent 'thousands' of messages after he was wrongly identified as the knifeman behind a horrific attack that saw six innocent shoppers killed. Ben Cohen, a 20-year-old first-year computing science student at the University of Technology, was accused of stabbing shoppers at Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday afternoon. New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley has since identified 40-year-old Queensland man Joel Cauchi as the man who attacked shoppers with a knife. The name 'Benjamin Cohen' began trending on X - formerly known as Twitter - just hours after the stabbings with more than 50,000 posts mentioning his name. Mr Cohen slammed internet sleuths' accusations as 'very dangerous' noting they could 'destroy people's lives'. Ben Cohen (pictured) was wrongly identified by internet sleuths as the knifeman behind the Bondi Junction Westfield attack The knifeman (pictured during the attack) has since been identified by police as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi 'People dont really think too hard about what theyre posting and how it might affect someone,' he told News.com.au. Mr Cohen's father, Mark, said the family, who live together in Sydney's eastern suburbs, were 'freaked out' by the shocking allegations. 'I think they've just gone for the first face that kind of looks the same and matches their own motives or what they wanted the story to be,' Mark told the publication. Mark added the vicious rumours even reached Mr Cohen's extended family with loved ones ringing to find out if they were true. 'Everyone's asking what's going on, people asking if it's true. Of course it's not true, he's not even a politically motivated person. He's just a normal kid who now has got to deal with this,' he said. Hours before police held a press conference and revealed Cauchi as the knifeman, Mark had taken to X to clear his son's name. 'Hey NSW Police, you need to release the name of the Bondi junction attacker before this nonsense claiming it was my son causes more harm,' he wrote. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mark Cohen for comment. Among those killed was 38-year-old mother Ashlee Good who was the first to be targeted by Cauchi alongside her nine-month-old baby daughter. The baby remains hospitalised in a serious but stable condition after undergoing surgery. Six innocent shoppers, including the mother of an injured nine-month-old baby, died from the horror knife attack on Saturday afternoon (pictured, witnesses talking to an officer at the scene) Their heartbroken family shared a statement on Sunday morning with read: 'Today we are reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all round outstanding human and so much more. 'We appreciate the well-wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed an outpouring of love for Ashlee and our baby girl. 'We are so grateful for the expert care and attention of the medical team at Sydney Childrens Hospital. 'We would also like to thank the New South Wales Police for their kindness and diligence in this tragedy and emergency services for getting our baby the care she needed as quickly as possible. 'To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not - words cannot express our gratitude.' By Lee Min-hyung One of Korea's most influential business lobbies has appointed Park Il-joon, a former vice trade minister, as its new executive vice chairman, recognizing his broad range of experiences, such as mapping out energy and ICT policies, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) said Sunday. Under a three-year tenure, Park will focus on helping the KCCI and its member companies achieve timely carbon neutrality and drawing policies for the nation's businesses to boost their transition to eco-friendly energy. Park is best-known as an energy expert by taking on key roles at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy during his bureaucratic career. He handled Korea's energy policy for a year from May 2022 while working as the vice trade minister. Previously, he also worked as a policy planning director at the trade ministry and served as a director drawing policies for the nation's ICT industry at the science ministry. Recognized for his energy expertise, he also worked as head of the state-run Korea East-West Power and was vice chairman of the Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea. "I will do my utmost to help the KCCI carry out its role as a bridge to connect the public and companies, and garner efforts so the business lobby fulfill its core role of supporting companies to enhance their competitiveness, thereby winning more trust from the public," Park said. The KCCI also expected Park to actively assist KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won's second-term activities there. Chey has long underscored the dire need for businesses to embrace carbon neutrality and enhance their eco-friendly practices for sustainable growth. Under Chey's leadership, the KCCI has conducted diverse activities to certify domestic companies for their efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The Mail on Sunday has won a major victory in its campaign to crack down on shoplifting after assaulting a member of staff was made a separate criminal offence. Ministers had previously refused to create new legislation, but criminals will now face a six-month prison sentence or unlimited fine if they target retail staff. Repeat offenders could also be forced to wear an electronic tag. The MoS has led the way on exposing abuse against store workers and shoplifting, previously revealing it has been costing 1 billion a year, which ultimately comes out of customers pockets. Earlier this month, a violent female thug documented herself in London filming herself attacking commuters and shop workers as part of a sick 'chaos for clout' social media trend An attack on Tesco workers at a shop in Bristol in October 2022. The man wielding the knife, Josh James, was jailed in June The campaign began after Tesco boss Ken Murphy revealed that every frontline worker was to be offered a body camera due to a rise in attacks. More than 200 Tesco employees each month are victims of serious physical assaults, he said last year. Sainsburys chief executive Simon Roberts told the MoS that the Government and police had a responsibility to act. The legislation will be included in the new Criminal Justice Bill. Weekend Sunrise host Matt Doran could not present the program on Sunday because he knew one of the victims of the Bondi Junction Westfield massacre. Doran's regular co-host Monique Wright told viewers both Doran and weatherman James Tobin were close to one of those stabbed at the shopping centre. 'Matt Doran and JT knew one of the victims very well and they are not with us today to join us on the show,' Wright said. Michael Usher stood in for Doran as the Network Seven breakfast program continued its coverage of the multiple murders. Weekend Sunrise host Matt Doran could not present the program on Sunday because he knew one of the victims of the Bondi Junction Westfield massacre. Monique Wright told viewers Michael Usher (both pictured) would stand if for Doran Police have identified the man who killed six shoppers on Saturday afternoon as 40-year-old Queenslander Joel Cauchi. Cauchi, who was reportedly sleeping rough and had no fixed address, is understood to have suffered from schizophrenia. Investigators are searching through a small storage facility in Sydney that Cauchi rented out shortly after he moved to NSW a month ago. Police were called to Bondi Junction Westfield at 3.20pm as Cauchi, armed with a knife, chased men, women and children. Inspector Amy Scott was the first officer on the scene. She entered the shopping centre by herself, ran towards Cauchi and shot him dead when he lunged towards her with the knife. Both Doran and Weekend Sunrise weatherman 'knew one of the victims very well', co-host Monique Wright told the audience. Doran is pictured reporting on the Hunter Valley wedding bus tragedy last year Five stabbing victims - including four women believed to be aged between 20 and 55 and a man, aged in his 30s - died at the scene who were in the centre, died at the scene. Ashlee Good, the mother of a nine-month-old child, was taken to St Vincent's Hospital where she died. Dawn Singleton, the 25-year-old daughter of multi-millionaire advertising guru John Singleton, has also been identified as one of those killed in the attack. Twelve others - including nine women, two men and Ms Good's baby Harriet - suffering stab wounds, were treated by paramedics and taken to various Sydney hospitals. Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said detectives had spoken to Cauchi's family who were helping police with their investigation. 'There is still, to this point no information we have received, no evidence we have recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation - ideology or otherwise,' Assistant Commissioner Cooke told reporters on Sunday. Police have identified the man who killed six shoppers on Saturday afternoon as 40-year-old Queenslander Joel Cauchi (above) . Cauchi, who was reportedly sleeping rough and had no fixed address, is understood to have suffered from schizophrenia 'We are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved.' According to his social media profiles, Cauchi grew up in Toowoomba and claimed he worked as an English tutor. He was a surfing enthusiast and just last week posted in a Sydney Facebook group asking if anyone would like to meet him for a surf in Bondi. Assistant Commissioner Cooke said police were still working to determine how Cauchi came into possession of the murder weapon, which has been described by witnesses as a 30cm hunting knife As investigations continue, any witnesses, anyone with information or mobile phone vision who has not yet spoken to police, is urged to call police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Israel has weathered a huge barrage of over 200 missiles and drones launched by Iran tonight that forced innocent civilians to flee to bomb shelters across the nation. Iran sent the salvo of missiles in response to a drone strike at the beginning of April in Syria that killed 12 Iranians, including two top generals. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said via state media: 'The aerospace unit of the Revolutionary Guards has attacked targets in Israel with dozens of drones and missiles in reaction to the Zionist regime's crimes, including the attack on the consulate section of Iran's embassy in Damascus and martyring our commanders and military advisers in Syria.' Missiles have begun to enter Israeli airspace, with video shared with MailOnline showing them being intercepted by the Iron Dome system above Jerusalem, forcing citizens to run to shelters across the city. Sources on the ground said that alarms have still not been raised in Tel Aviv, Israel's most populous city. Iran claims to have dealt 'heavy blows' to an airbase in Negev, though the IDF said only minor damage was caused. The IDF added that the vast majority of the missiles and drones have been shot down, with one small girl being injured by falling shrapnel. Iranian media reported that while Tehran's barrage of ballistic missiles has concluded, the drones and cruise missiles are yet to enter Israeli airspace. Iran has vowed to take further 'defensive measures' if Israel chooses to respond to the salvo. Yemen-based Houthis have also claimed to have shot 'dozens' of rockets towards an IDF base in the north-east of Israel. it is not currently known if the Houthi attacks are linked to Iran's salvo. The UK, among Israel's closest allies, and other nations have reportedly begun to support Israel by sending fighter jets to shoot down the drones and missiles. US officials added that their military also intercepted drones and missiles heading to Israel. Britain has sent jets to support Israel as it is attacked by Iran The US is sending a naval task force with over 2,500 marines But many of Iran's Middle East allies, including Qatar and Kuwait, are rallying around it Around a hundred drones and missiles were fired at Israel People wave Iranian and Palestinian flags during an anti-Israel rally after Iran launched drone attacks against Israel at Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran One video shared with MailOnline showed the Iron Dome intercepting a missile Iranians were seen celebrating as news of the attack broke Iranians celebrate on a street, after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran, Iran Israel's cabinet is currently meeting to discuss how to deal with the attack from Iran The IDF's spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said that the Iranian attack was 'a severe and dangerous escalation' in tensions, adding: 'Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran.' The IDF said: 'The air defense array is on high alert at the same time as the Air Force planes and Navy ships that are on a mission to protect the country's skies. The IDF is monitoring all targets. 'We ask the public to adhere to and follow the instructions of the Home Front Command and the official IDF announcements regarding the matter.' Israel's allies have begun to send in military assets in to help Israel. US Congressional sources say the amphibious war ship Bataan is leading a US naval task force in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Bataan has two support ships and together they have about 2,500 Marines onboard. The US also has several guided missile destroyers including the Carney in the area. US bases in Iraq have been placed on full alert and will also attempt to shoot down missiles and drones aimed at Israel. In addition, the US has two destroyers and a Cruiser in the Red Sea that are fully armed with anti-missile weapons and they too are under orders to shoot down any Israeli bound missiles or drones. But Iran has threatened the US if it gets involved in the spat, claiming that it is a conflict between Iran and Israel alone. Iran's mission to the UN wrote on X: 'Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran's military action was in response to the Zionist regime's aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. 'The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!' Iran's foreign ministry, meanwhile, said in statement to local media: 'Iran, if necessary, will not hesitate to take further defensive measures to safeguard its legitimate interests against any military aggressions and unlawful use of force while reaffirming its commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.' Israel is expected to launch a counterattack against Iran. Former IDF captain Caroline Glick told MailOnline: '[Iran's] overthrow is the key to the restoration of regional stability. Just last week, when a regime authority called for a moment of silence in memory of the Iranian terror masters Israel killed in Damascus two weeks ago, the crowd instead began calling for the overthrow of the regime.' President Joe Biden, third from right, meets with members of the National Security team regarding the unfolding missile attacks on Israel from Iran Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel Missiles have begun to enter Israeli airspace, with images from international media revealing missiles being intercepted by the Iron Dome system above Jerusalem Iranian media reported that Tehran has also launched its first round of ballistic missiles towards Israel The salvo of missiles and drones have begun to enter Israel airspace The night sky above Jerusalem was lit up by missiles Inside Iran, many were seen joyously celebrating as news of the attack broke. Iranians were seen taking to the streets of Tehran with flares and Iranian flags, whooping and cheering as the missiles and drones entered Israeli airspace. Surrounding countries appear to have begun preparations for an escalation in hostilities. Jordan, Israel's eastern neighbour, temporarily closed its airspace to all incoming, departing and internal flights. Its government refuted reported that it had ordered its armed forces to shoot down any drones that flew through its airspace. Syria is also on high alert, setting up its ground-to-air defence systems around the capital Damascus and major bases in the event of an Israeli strike, army sources said. Sources told Reuters they expected Israel would retaliate against army bases and installations where pro-Iranian militia were based after Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said they launched dozens of drones and missiles against specific targets in Israel. Lebanon, which lies to Israel's north, is also closing its airspace at 1am local time. Qatar and Kuwait have both issued directives against the US prohibiting the use of their airspace for any potential military action against Iran. People holding Iranian flags gather to stage a demonstration in support of Iran's attack on Israel in Tehran The IRGC has promised for increased violence if Israel responds to the attack Iranians celebrate on a street, after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran US military aircraft are stationed at the Ali Al Salem Air Base and the Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, as well as the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US airbase in the Middle East. But Egypt's foreign ministry urged both sides to exercise restraint, saying in a statement: 'Egypt expresses its deep concern about the indicators of Iranian/Israeli escalation and demands the exercise of the utmost restraint 'The Arab Republic of Egypt expresses its deep concern regarding the announced launch of Iranian offensive marches against Israel, and the indicators of dangerous escalation between the two countries during the recent period, calling for the exercise of the utmost restraint to spare the region. 'And its people are more factors for instability and tension. 'Egypt considers that the dangerous escalation that the Iranian/Israeli arena is currently witnessing is nothing but a direct result of what Egypt has repeatedly warned about, about the dangers of expanding the conflict in the region as a result of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, and the provocative military actions being practiced in the region. 'Egypt stresses that it is in constant contact with all concerned parties to try to contain the situation, stop the escalation, and spare the region the risk of sliding into a dangerous turn of instability and threat to the interests of its people.' . pic.twitter.com/rBJoVTqjo8 Nir Hasson (@nirhasson) April 13, 2024 Demonstrators wave Iran's flag and Palestinian flags as they gather at Palestine Square in Tehran on April 14, 2024 Iranians were seen celebrating as the missiles and drones began to hit Israel The rest of the world has begun to react to Iran's strikes. UK prime minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement: 'I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime's reckless attack against Israel. These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. 'The UK will continue to stand up for Israel's security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. 'Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed.' The UK's Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron took to X to say: 'Iran's reckless attacks on Israel will only further inflame tensions in the Middle East. The UK calls on the Iranian regime to stop this serious escalation, which is in no one's interest.' A battery of Israel's Iron Dome defense missile system, deployed to intercept rockets, sits in Ashkelon Grant Shapps, the UK's defence minister added: 'I strongly condemn the senseless airborne attack that Iran has launched on Israel. It serves no benefit other than to further undermine regional security. 'We continue to work with Israel and partners in the region to prevent further escalation. Peace and stability are in everyone's interest, and I urge Iran to immediately end all forms of destabilising behaviour. 'In response to escalation in the region and in partnership with our allies, the Prime Minister and I have authorised the deployment of additional Royal Air Force assets. The RAF jets and air refuelling tankers will bolster our existing Operation Shader - the UK's existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq and Syria. In addition, these jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required.' A spokesperson for the US' National Security Council, meanwhile, said: 'President Biden has been clear: Our support for Israel's security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defence against these threats from Iran.' US president Joe Biden said: 'I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad.' Former president Donald Trump took to his own social media platform, Truth Social, to say: 'ISRAEL IS UNDER ATTACK! This should never have been allowed to happen This would NEVER have happened if I were President! 'AMERICA SUPPORTS ISRAEL!' Inside Iran, many were seen joyously celebrating as news of the attack broke Iranians were seen taking to the streets of Tehran with flares and Iranian flags, whooping and cheering as the missiles and drones entered Israeli airspace Many lit up flares and sparklers in celebration of the attack France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Stephane Sejourne said via X: 'France condemns in the strongest terms the attack launched by Iran against Israel. By deciding on such an unprecedented action, Iran is taking a new step in its destabilizing actions and taking the risk of a military escalation. 'France reaffirms its attachment to Israel's security and assures it of its solidarity.' Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said on X: 'Iran has fired drones and missiles at Israel. We strongly condemn the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos. Iran and its proxies must stop this immediately. Israel offers our full solidarity at this time.' The UN has also weighed in, with secretary general Antonio Guterres condemning Iran's attack on Israel and calling for restraint and an immediate cessation of hostilities. 'I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East,' It was reported today that Iran has more than 100 cruise missiles ready to be launched as part of an 'imminent' strike against Israel in retaliation for an airstrike against Iran's embassy in Damascus, Syria. Announcing increased security measures in Israel during a televised briefing, chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said dozens of combat planes were airborne as part of the state of readiness. The strict measures, which include the ban of all 'educational activities' across the country, the restriction of working in offices without 'standard protected spaces' and limits on the number of people at gatherings', were implemented from 11pm last night. Educational activities have been banned across the country, while restrictions on working have been put in place on areas directly next to the Gaza Strip, and other areas in the Gaza Envelope. Israelis living on the areas next to the Gaza Strip have been banned from meeting outside in groups of more than 30, and are allowed to meet up to 300 people inside buildings. Beaches in the Gaza Envelope have also been closed to the public. Hagari said in the televised address that the directive will be reassessed at 6am local time, and urged Israelis to remain vigilant and to head to bomb shelters if they hear warnings. The long-range air defence system called Arman is displayed during an unveiling ceremony in Tehran, Iran A missile is launched during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in the south of Iran, in this handout image obtained on January 19, 2024 'We are taking all steps possible to ensure your safety. 'Since the start of the war, we have faced a variety of threats sent here by Iran's proxies and adapted our defense and attack systems accordingly,' Hagari said, adding that the IDF was 'fully prepared' for Iranian attacks. 'The air force's defense and attack formations are on alert and dozens of planes are in the sky. We are conducting a situational assessment with our strategic partners, led by the USA, and we are maintaining close coordination with them,' he added. Hagari's televised message came as Israel's defence minister Yoav Gallant held a meeting with top-level defence officials, including the IDF's chief Herzi Halevi. Gallant said the IDF was 'closely monitoring a planned attack by Iran and its proxies against the State of Israel.' 'We have added new capabilities - on land, in the air, at sea, in our intelligence directorate, within the State of Israel, and together with our partners, led by the United States. 'Iran is a terrorist state - the world is seeing this now more than ever.' Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in central Israel, November 5, 2023 Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from Lebanon towards Israel over the Israeli Lebanese border, as seen from northern Israel, April 12, 2024 Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a prepared televised statement: 'Our defense systems are deployed, and we are prepared for any scenario, both in defense and offense. The State of Israel is strong, the IDF is strong, the public is strong.' 'We appreciate the US for standing by Israel's side as well as the support of the UK, France and many other countries.' 'I established a clear principle whoever hurts us, we will hurt them. We will defend ourselves from any threat and we will do so calmly and with determination.' 'I know that you, the citizens of Israel, are also keeping calm. I urge you to listen to the directives of the Home Front Command.' 'Together we stand, and with God's help, together we will overcome all of our enemies.' The increased security measures were announced hours after Iranian commandos took control of an Israel-linked container ship as it travelled in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping chokepoints. Tensions between Iran and Israel have been massively escalating after the IDF killed 12 people, including two top military figures, in an airstrike against Iran's embassy in Syria's capital, Damascus, on April 1. More to follow. NSW police commissioner Karen Webb has revealed it could take weeks before all six victims of the horrific Bondi Junction attack have been identified. Police commissioner Webb made the admission at a press conference on Sunday, revealing two of the victims were from overseas. 'It may be some time before we can identify all of the victims, because some family members do not reside in Australia,' she said. Police commissioner Webb said help was being offered to families and friends impacted by the attack. 'A family liaison officer has been appointed to each family for us to work with them in what is an extremely distressing time for them,' she said. Six innocent people were killed after Joel Cauchi, 40, launched into a terrifying stabbing spree at the local Westfield on Saturday. Among the victims was 38-year-old mother Ashlee Good and her nine-month-old baby girl Harriet, who was injured and remains in a serious but stable condition. Cauchi was shot by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott - who was one of the first officers on the scene. NSW police commissioner Karen Webb has revealed it could take weeks before all six victims of the horrific Bondi Junction attack have been identified NSW police commissioner Karen Webb said the identification of Saturday's Westfield massacre could take weeks The bodies of the victims and their attacker were removed Sunday morning from Bondi Junction Westfield Devastated locals rallied together to show support to the Westfield victims by laying touching tributes at the site of the attack on Sunday. Residents lay flowers on a nearby pavement outside the Westfield, attaching heartfelt messages to the bouquets. With what started as one humble pink-flowered bouquet with the simple message of 'R.I.P' and a love heart, the tribute has grown considerably. Many children were escorted by parents to place their floral tribute at the popular Sydney shopping precinct. One woman with a toddler and a baby in a pram was seen laying flowers, no doubt moved by the plight of Ms Good and her nine-month-old baby girl. As flowers were being laid, emergency services were seen wheeling the bodies of the victims out of the shopping centre on stretchers. A line of white vans were parked otuside, awaiting to take the victims and the deceased attacker away from the scene. Children are seen laying flowers in a tribute to the victims and the people fighting for life in hospital Locals have rallied together to show a strong show of support The outpouring of grief has brought residents together The workers looked despondent as they wheeled out the bodies, which were in maroon bags. Shortly after leaving the shopping centre, the vans drove past the floral tributes, which were next to the closed off road. Wentworth federal MP Allegra Spender described it as 'heartbreaking'. 'We are all devastated by the shocking attack at Bondi Junction, where innocent people were killed in a senseless act of violence. It is heartbreaking,' she said. 'My heartfelt condolences go out to the victims, their families, and everyone who has been affected. Our thoughts are with each and every one of them.' Waverley mayor Paula Masselos said she was left in 'utter disbelief'. 'Its a close-knit community, people know each other because its a meeting place and considered safe, especially Westfield, where parents bring their kids,' she said. 'Importantly... this guy was acting alone. He was known to the Queensland Police. So we think there were mental health issues.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack. 'The events of yesterday have shocked the nation,' he said. 'Australians are waking up to try to deal with the shock and trauma that will come with what has occurred, with violent actions that are unspeakable and really just beyond comprehension.' 'People going about their Saturday afternoon shopping should be safe, shouldn't be at risk, but tragically, we saw a loss of life and people will be grieving for loved ones today. 'We also know there are many people still in hospital dealing with a recovery and our thoughts and prayers are with them. We also though at this time give thanks to our police and emergency services.' Heartfelt messages were attached to some of the bouquets of flowers left at the scene on Sunday One of the many children who visited the site with heartbroken families on Sunday The floral tributes started with one simple bouquet and is growing every hour The family of 38-year-old Ashlee Good released a statement on Sunday after the mother was fatally stabbed at Bondi Junction on Saturday. 'Today we are reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all round outstanding human and so much more,' it read. 'We appreciate the well-wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed an outpouring of love for Ashlee and our baby girl.' Dr Good's nine-month-old baby girl was also stabbed and remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition. 'We are so grateful for the expert care and attention of the medical team at Sydney Childrens Hospital,' the statement read. 'We would also like to thank the New South Wales Police for their kindness and diligence in this tragedy and emergency services for getting our baby the care she needed as quickly as possible. 'To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not - words cannot express our gratitude.' The family of 38-year-old Ashlee Good released a statement on Sunday after the mother was fatally stabbed at Bondi Junction on Saturday The family's statement comes after details emerge about what happened the moment Dr Good and her baby were attacked. The dying mother threw her injured baby into the arms of two strangers and selflessly begged them to help the infant. The hero who took the baby was identified on Nine News shortly after the tragedy. 'The baby got stabbed and, yeah, the mum got stabbed,' he said. 'The mum came over with the baby and threw it at me. The man said he used clothes from a store to try to stem the baby's bleeding. 'I just helped by holding the baby... and trying to compress the baby.' The two brothers stayed with the mother as they waited for emergency services. '(It was) very bad... a lot of the blood on the floor... hope the baby's alright,' the other brother said. Police are attending the scene in numbers and the Australian Federal Police are now liaising with NSW Police Another witness, a worker at the shopping centre, recalled seeing a mother screaming on the level above. 'I see a mother and maybe her partner with a baby in a pram,' she told Nine News. 'She's screaming really, really loudly. She's running back and forth not knowing what to do. 'Then she comes back to the pram and picks up her baby and there's just blood all over her back. 'The scream was unforgettable, it was the scariest thing I've ever seen. 'My co-worker took me, we locked all the doors, had to turn off all the lights and doors'. Heartbreaking images at the scene showed the baby being taken away in an ambulance. Just 12 weeks after her little girl was born, Dr Good posted a heartfelt message to social media about being a mother. 'It's almost too much to put into words,' she posted. 'The love. The happiness. The fears. The new world. The new me; one that I'm still discovering as I enter motherhood and complete the so-called fourth trimester. 'It's like experiencing your heart swell with love whilst navigating anxiety for the first time. 'Feeling so proud, and then so overwhelmed. The dichotomy of it all. 'Pure joy and extraordinary exhaustion blended with emotions you've never felt before.' She went on to say that it's a parent is 'the most outstandingly beautiful gift one can ever receive'. She added: 'Sitting here feeling so deeply thankful, and still pinching myself she's ours. 'I love her so much.' US forces have downed some of the Iran-launched drones flying toward Israel, according to officials. A defense official told CNN that troops had managed to bring down the drones as part of their 'ironclad commitment' to Israel. The official said: 'In accordance with our ironclad commitment to Israel's security, US forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel 'Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect US forces operating in the region.' Fox News reported that another official confirmed to them that the US military had managed to shoot down 'dozens' of the drones. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have now issued a chilling warning to the US saying any act from America would see a 'reciprocal' response. A defense official told CNN that troops had managed to bring down the drones as part of their 'ironclad commitment' to Israel. A F/A-18E Super Hornet is seen in this file picture preparing to launch off of the flight dick of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on March 29 in the Red Sea Israeli Iron Dome air defense system launches to intercept missiles fired from Iran, in central Israel, Sunday, April 14, 2024 A view shows drones or missiles vying for targets at undisclosed locations in northern Israel Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel In a statement, the IRGC said: 'Any threat by the terrorist state of America and the Zionist regime from any country will be followed by a reciprocal and proportional response from the Islamic Republic of Iran to the source of the threat.' The New York Times have managed to verify the authenticity of photos and videos showing the debris of drones that had been taken down over Jordan. The outlet said they had not been able to identify whether it was an Iranian missile, or an interceptor from either Israel or the US. Social media footage shows the skies above Jordan being littered with explosions as drones are intercepted. As well as drones being intercepted, the US has sent the war ship Bataan as well as two support ships with 2,500 Marines onboard into the Eastern Mediterranean. US Congressional sources say the amphibious war ship Bataan is leading a US naval task force in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Bataan has two support ships and together they have about 2,500 Marines onboard. The US also has several guided missile destroyers including the Carney in the area. In addition, the US has two destroyers and a Cruiser in the Red Sea that are fully armed with anti-missile weapons and they too are under orders to shoot down any Israeli bound missiles or drones. Missiles have started to enter Israeli airspace, with footage showing some of them being intercepted by the Iron Dome system above Jerusalem. Israel's military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Iran launched dozens of missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted outside Israeli borders. Debris from intercepted Iranian missiles fall on the city of Amman, Jordan. pic.twitter.com/ZPKsQbABCd Catch Up (@CatchUpFeed) April 13, 2024 Biden is seen here walking to the Oval Office after returning from Delaware to consult his national security team Shortly after news broke of the attacks on Israel by Iranian forces, President Biden was rushed back to the White House from Delaware for a national security meeting, seen here US bases in Iraq have been placed on full alert and will also attempt to shoot down missiles and drones aimed at Israel The Iranian salvo amounted to more than 200 drones and missiles so far, Hagari said, and had caused light damage to one Israeli military facility. The Israeli military said later that it was not advising any residents to prepare to take shelter, revising an earlier alert in what appeared to signal the end of the threat. Israel's Channel 12 TV cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying there would be a 'significant response' to the attack. Shortly after news broke of the attacks on Israel by Iranian forces, President Biden was rushed back to the White House from Delaware. In a post to X, he said: 'I just met with my national security team for an update on Irans attacks against Israel. 'Our commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad.' Iran had threatened to hit back at Israel over an attack in Syria, which Tehran say was an Israeli airstrike on a Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed retribution in the wake of the Damascus attack, for which Tel-Aviv has yet to take responsibility. The April 1 attack destroyed Iran's consulate building in the city and killed seven Revolutionary Guards, including the two generals. Trump claimed attack would not have happened if he were in office Former President Trump addressed Iran's attack on Israel where he said it was because the United States was showing 'great weakness.' 'I want to say God bless the people of Israel,' Trump said at the top of his political rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. 'They're under attack right now. That's that's because we show great weakness,' the ex-president said at the top of the event. His remarks came as Iran launched drones and missiles at Israel Saturday night in retaliation for a deadly Israeli airstrike two weeks ago. The Israeli military said the airborne threats was intercepted with help from allies including the United States. 'America prays for Israel. We send our absolute support to everyone in harm's way,' Trump said. Trump said 'America prays for Israel' during his political rally on Saturday but then claimed the attack by Iran Saturday night was because 'we show great weakness' The ex-president also cast blame on the U.S. before moving on to other topics. 'The weakness that we've shown is unbelievable,' Trump told his supporters. 'It would not have happened if we were in office.' His claim echoed similar ones he has made online and at political events in recent months as tensions escalated in the Middle East and Israel wages war in Gaza. ''Israel attack both October 7 and today would have never happened,' he went on Saturday. Biden is seen here walking to the Oval Office after returning from Delaware to consult his national security team The former president also took to Truth Social on Saturday with a series of posts about Israel including: 'Israel is under attack!' The former president added that if he was commander in chief 'this would never have happened.' After news broke of the attacks on Israel by Iranian forces, President Biden rushed back to the White House from Delaware. In a post to X, he said: 'I just met with my national security team for an update on Irans attacks against Israel. 'Our commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad.' The White House said Biden spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Saturday evening. 'I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms,' Biden said in a statement Saturday night. 'At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week,' he went on. 'Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles.' The White House said Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Saturday night President Biden is seen here alongside his national security team after the attack by Iranian forces on Israel Iran launched the drones Saturday afternoon. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said via state media that they had attacked targets in Israel with 'dozens of drones and missiles'. Video shared with DailyMail.com shows the missiles being intercepted by the Iron Dome system above Jerusalem in the east of the country. US Congressional sources say the amphibious war ship Bataan is leading a US naval task force in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Bataan has two support ships and together they have about 2,500 Marines onboard. The US also has several guided missile destroyers including the Carney in the area. A US security source told CNN that the bombardment could last for hours. Iran had threatened to hit back at Israel over an attack in Syria, which Tehran say was an Israeli airstrike on a Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed retribution in the wake of the Damascus attack, for which Tel-Aviv has yet to take responsibility. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to respond with force to any assault by Iran, leaving tensions high in the Middle East. NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott has opened up on the moment she confronted 40-year-old knifeman Joel Cauchi. Police Inspector Scott gunned down Cauchi, bringing an end to his rampage that killed six innocent people at Bondi Junction Westfield's shopping centre on Saturday afternoon. The senior officer, who is attached to the eastern suburbs police command, was near the busy shopping centre as the horrific attack unfolded. Inspector Scott entered the Westfield by herself, sprinting through the top level of the complex before coming face-to-face with Cauchi, who was brandishing a 30cm knife. Witnesses said Inspector Scott yelled at Cauchi 'put it down' before he lunged at her, and she fired, shooting him in the chest. Inspector Amy Scott shot dead knifeman Joel Cauchi after he killed six innocent people in a stabbing rampage at Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre on Saturday (pictured) Inspector Scott (pictured) said she was 'content' with her actions and did not consider herself to be a hero She then performed CPR on the killer, along with other victims lying on the ground in nearby stores as she waited for backup to arrive. Cauchi was pronounced dead at the scene. Police Association of NSW boss Kevin Morton said on Monday that Inspector Scott was 'content' with her actions and did not consider herself to be a hero. 'Amy is content with what she had to do,' Mr Morton said. 'I spoke to her last night and again this morning, and she said, "It was a night with not a lot of sleep". 'She knows she has been tagged a hero, but to her, she was doing her job.' After the shooting, Inspector Scott underwent a gun-residue test and was separated from other officers before a colleague drove her home. She will be formally interviewed as part of the investigation into the deadly stabbings on Sunday. 'I didn't ask her about the exact incident because she is yet to be formally interviewed,' Mr Morton said. 'Everyone will be keeping an eye on her obviously, there will be a lot of support from everyone.' Police minister Yasmin Catley spoke with Inspector Scott on Saturday night, labelling the officer as 'humble'. 'I thanked her on behalf of the government and the people of NSW for her courage. She was so humble,' Ms Catley said. Ms Catley explained Ms Scott said, 'It wasn't just me; there were a whole lot of bystanders assisting and helping people'. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said Inspector Scott was 'doing well under the circumstances' and praised her for her 'enormous courage and bravery' in a press conference on Saturday evening. It's not the first time Inspector Scott has been recognised for her acts of courage. Insp Amy Scott (second from the left) was recognised for her courage while stationed as a sergeant in Kings Cross in 2019 Inspector Scott's bravery has been lauded by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Prince and Princess of Wales READ MORE: Haunting final post of young mum stabbed to death in Westfield Bondi stabbing rampage Just hours before she died, Ash Good posted a photo to Instagram with her baby in her arms Advertisement In 2019, she was a sergeant stationed at nearby Kings Cross when she was recognised at the Rotary Club Police Officer of the Year award ceremony. She received the Demonstrated Courage and Devotion to Duty award. Commissioner Webb, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, NSW Premier Chris Minns, and even the Prince and Princess of Wales have led the flood of tributes commending Inspector Scott's brave actions. While NSW Police was tight-lipped about the cop's identity on Saturday night, Inspector Scott was unmasked online, where she was hailed as a national hero. 'She was utterly fearless, brave and amazing. How many lives did she save today? Brave,' one person posted on X. Another added: 'Absolute legend. Just happened to be in the vicinity and the first on scene. Didn't even hesitate.' A third wrote: 'She did what she had to do in that situation. No f******g around or pandering to a murderer. We need more police like that.' A fourth touted her as a possible Australian of the Year contender while other called for her to receive a bravery award. Some pointed out she was wearing little protection. 'No vest, no protective gear, no backup? No problems,' one wrote. Aussies across the country have hailed Inspector Scott as a national hero Others showed concern for the officer's wellbeing. 'While throwing words like 'hero' around, remember, the taking of a life will change hers as well. Heroes can be victims too, let's hope she gets every bit of support needed,' one commented. Commissioner Webb revealed that she has spoken to Inspector Scott following the tragedy. 'She showed enormous courage and bravery, and she will obviously process that,' Commissioner Webb said. 'She will need to be interviewed formally and so we just talked about that she's OK and that her family's OK. 'She's got everything she needs for the time being, and she will be formally interviewed tomorrow.' Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke earlier said that the police officer engaged immediately on her arrival to the scene. 'The officer was guided to the location of the offender by people who are in the centre, and she took the actions that she did, saving a range of people's lives,' he said. The senior police officer was seen sprinting through Westfield Bondi Junction to single-handedly confront the knifeman She confronted the knifeman alone on the top level of the shopping centre and shot him dead She rushed to the aid of injured victims in nearby stores after shooting the knifeman dead Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos also commended Inspector Scott's courage while paying tribute to the 'everyday heroes' involved, including a bystander who confronted the knifeman on the escalators. 'She (the police officer) was there on her own and she went towards the danger,' she told Sky News UK. 'Even [after she shot the attacker], she immediately began applying CPR that just shows you the dedication of the person and her incredible act of heroism even then her main concern was for someone who had fallen. 'I will be reaching out to the various service providers and to the police to see what practical support we can offer as a council.' Mr Albanese held a snap press conference in Canberra to address the tragedy on Saturday night, where he also praised Inspector Scott. 'She entered the proceedings that were taking place, obviously very dangerous, by herself,' he said. 'She is certainly a hero. There is no doubt that she saved lives through her actions. 'Today is a reminder that those people who wear a uniform are people who rushed to danger, not away from it.' The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission has launched a critical incident into the her brave actions. 'The NSWPF are investigating the circumstances of the incident and this investigation will be reviewed by the Professional Standards Command,' a statement read. Westfield Bondi Junction is expected to remain closed for several days. The knifeman behind a shopping centre stabbing that killed six was captured on CCTV ordering a red chicken curry just hours before the attack. Queensland man Joel Cauchi was shot dead by police after he stabbed six people to death and injured several others, including a nine-month-old baby girl, at Bondi Junction Westfield shortly at about 3.20pm on Saturday. Just three hours before the tragedy, CCTV footage captured Cauchi ordering two meals. The killer was seen ordering a red chicken curry from Bondi Junction's Saigon Noodle - just one block away from the shopping centre - at 10.01am on Saturday. He opened his wallet but didn't pay and then told the worker serving him that he would return before leaving the restaurant. He came back to the restaurant at 12.21pm, ordered the same chicken curry, and then paid for it. He sat down and spent 15 minutes eating his final meal. Rogate Sianipar served Cauchi and told the Daily Telegraph he appeared confused. 'He came two times. The first time he didn't bring the money. I took the order. He said I'll be back again,' the staff member said. When she saw news break of Cauchi's horrific stabbing attack she 'didn't believe it.' 'This is the man I served. It was two times he came. I was feeling so lucky,' she said. Queensland man Joel Cauchi (pictured left, at the counter) was filmed ordering a curry just hours before the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing The revelation comes as amid speculation Cauchi specifically targeted women during the attack. Six people, five women and one man, were killed. A nine-month-old baby was among those stabbed and underwent surgery on Saturday night, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb told reporters on Saturday. The child's mother Ash Good was one of those who died, passing her baby onto strangers and begging them to help before she lost consciousness. The horrific attack only ended after Cauchi was shot by a lone female police officer. New South Wales Police are working to piece together Cauchi's movements before the attack, and said it wasn't motivated by terrorism. He was schizophrenic and police are treating the horrific attack as mental health related. His distraught family is understood to have frantically contacted police concerned their son was involved in the Bondi attack yesterday, News Corp Australia reports. Cauchi (pictured during the attack) killed six shoppers and injured several more, including a nine-month-old baby girl 'Let me assure you that we are confident that there is no ongoing risk and we are dealing with one person who is now deceased,' NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said. 'The investigation will be ongoing for many, many days but there are elements that we understand at this point in time that don't indicate (a terrorist attack), but as we move into the investigation, and background this person, his home, vehicle, associates, we will only know at that time.' Anyone with information about Cauchi or Saturday's attack has been urged to contact police. Queensland Police have revealed the Queensland man responsible for the deaths of six people, and hospitalising 12 others, had been in contact with the state's authorities just five months before Saturday's attack. Government agencies from Queensland will be co-operation with the investigation led by NSW Police to the circumstances into Joel Cauchi's horrific stabbing spree at the Bondi Junction Westfield at 3.30pm on Saturday. While Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe confirmed Cauchi, 40, had never been arrested, or charged by Queensland authorities, he said the man's last contact with police was in December 2023 where he was street checked by police. This refers to an 'intelligence gathering report' where an officer might record someone dispalying 'some kind of unusual behavior,' he said. Commissioner Cauchi also confirmed police had responded to an event in 'early 2023' involving Cauchi and his family, however no charges were laid. 'That'll form subjects of investigations but he's never been charged with any offense relating to knife or being found in possession of knives in a manner that's unlawful that would warrant prosecution,' he said. Joel Cauchi went on a mass rampage at Sydney's busy Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday night. Picture: Twitter Commissioner Lowe also revealed Cauchi had been diagnosed with a mental illness at 17, however had 'treatment over the years,' before his mental health seemingly declined in the last few years. Records from Queensland Health said Cauchi last came into contact with the public health system 'more than a decade ago,' but had his care 'transferred to a psychiatrist in the private sector in 2012'. 'He has been in contact with the police, primarily in the last four to five years would be the most contact we've had with him,' he said. 'During that contact, we are aware that this individual has suffered from mental health.' Queensland officers have been in contact with Cauchi's family, who have been co-operating with police, however the family have said they were not in regular contact with the man. Police said Cauchi was unemployed, and did not have a fixed address, and had lived in Brisbane, Kangaroo Point, Carrina, the Gold Coast and with his family in south Queensland before moving to Sydney. 'The last contact with the family was in March to my understanding,' said Commissioner Lowe. 'In terms of phone calls or texts, he would periodically text his mother with an update to where he was.' Joel Cauchi was shot dead at the centre on Saturday. Qld and NSW to work together Giving an update on Sunday morning, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed Queensland Police will continue to provide NSW Police with investigations. She said police in both NSW and Queensland were aware of him for 'mental health related issues'. She said NSW investigators might need information from several Queensland agencies, such as Queensland Health in order to obtain information. 'That will mean that we work with the Queensland government and other authorities in Queensland,' she said. NSW Premier Chris Minns, who returned on Sunday from a family holiday in Japan, also said Queensland Premier Steven Miles had agreed to work cooperatively on the investigation. 'The premier of Queensland has made contact with me and opened up all the resources of the Queensland government for this investigation and it sounds like we'll need it. So that's very encouraging information,' he said. Mr Minns said the attack had been horrifying and NSW was grieving. 'We'll recover. It's going to be a very difficult few days and those families no doubt have gone through hell, but there's eight million people in this state that are behind them,' he said. 'Everybody's grieving as a result of this and they're not alone.' He also paid credit to the 'ordinary members of the public' for their instinctive bravery, as well as the actions of paramedics, doctors, and the hero cop NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, who was the first officer on the scene and shot Cauchi when he attempted to attack her. NSW Premier Chris Minns the attack had been horrifying and NSW was grieving. Eight dedicated mental health support officers will be available for people in Bondi from about 2pm on Sunday, with NSW Health Minister Ryan Park urging people to use the services. Staff will be uniformed and highly visible. 'There will be dedicated support officers in place we are boosting support on our mental health care line and we are providing mental health support to those frontline responders,' he said. 'I don't want people to suffer as a result of this tragedy. These are traumatic scenes that would have people would have witnessed yesterday both outside the centre and inside the centre and please reach out.' Ms Webb said police would remain at the large-scale crime scene for several days, 'if not weeks'. As a result, Bondi Junction Westfield will remain closed over the next few days, however cars which were stranded in the parking lot during the initial investigation are gradually being moved out. 'So this will be an active investigation for many days and perhaps weeks while we identify not only the movement of the offender, not just yesterday, but the hours, the days the weeks, his life, leading up to yesterday and it will take some time to work with the families,' she said. A family liaison officer has been appointed to every family affected by the attack. Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation as the United States pledged "ironclad" backing for Israel. Sirens wailed and Reuters journalists in Israel said they heard distant heavy thuds and bangs from what local media called aerial interceptions of explosive drones. The ambulance service said a 10-year-old boy was critically injured. Israel's military said more than 100 drones were launched from Iran, with security sources in Iraq and Jordan reporting dozens seen flying overhead and U.S. officials saying the U.S. military had shot some down. Israel's Channel 12 TV cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying there would be a "significant response" to the attack. Iran's state news agency cited a source saying its military had also launched a wave of ballistic missiles. Israel's military also said missiles were fired, but there was no immediate report of these striking in Israel. Iran has vowed retaliation for what it called an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1 that killed seven Guards officers including two senior commanders and said its strike was a punishment for "Israeli crimes". Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the consulate attack. "Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe," the Iranian mission to the United Nations said, warning the U.S. to "stay away". However, it also said Iran now "deemed the matter concluded". U.S. President Joe Biden, who on Friday had warned Iran against an attack, cut short a visit to his home state of Delaware to meet national security advisers in the White House Situation Room, an official said. He pledged to stand with Israel. The Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, now in its seventh month, has driven up tensions in the region, spreading to fronts with Lebanon and Syria and drawing long-range fire at Israeli targets from as far away as Yemen and Iraq. British maritime security company Ambrey said in a statement that drones were also reportedly launched against Israel by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group. Those clashes now threaten to morph into a direct open conflict pitting Iran and its regional allies against Israel and its main supporter the United States, with regional power Egypt urging "utmost restraint". While Israel and Iran have been bitter foes for decades, their long feud has mostly unfolded via proxies or by targeting each other's forces operating in third countries. U.S. and British warplanes were involved in shooting down some Israel-bound drones over the Iraq-Syria border area, Channel 12 reported. Three U.S. officials said the U.S. military had shot down drone aircraft without saying how many. Escalation "This is a severe and dangerous escalation. Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran," said Israel's military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose official jet took off shortly after the attack began, convened the war cabinet at a military headquarters in Tel Aviv, his office said. Israel's military said sirens would sound in any threatened areas and that its defences were poised to deal with the drones, which it said were "explosive". "We are used to having around 20 seconds to get to shelters when missiles come in. Here, the warning comes hours ahead of time. It naturally raises the anxiety level among the Israeli public," said Nir Dvori, a Channel 12 TV correspondent on social media. Israel's military told residents of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to stay close to bomb shelters, putting the area on standby for possible impact from drone strikes. Israel and Lebanon said they were closing their airspace on Saturday night. Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel, had readied air defenses to intercept any drone or missile that violated its territory, two regional security sources said. Residents in several Jordanian cities said they heard heavy aerial activity. Syria, an ally of Iran, said it was putting its ground-to-air defense systems around the capital and major bases on high alert, army sources there said. Condemnation The European Union, Britain, France, Mexico, Czechia, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands all condemned Iran's attack. Israel has been bracing for an Iranian response to the Damascus consulate strike since last week, when Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel "must be punished and shall be" for an operation he called equivalent to one on Iranian soil. Biden said on Friday that his only message to Iran was "Don't", but added that "we are devoted to the defense of Israel." Iran's main ally in the region, the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah that has been exchanging fire with Israel since the Gaza war began on Oct. 7, said early on Sunday it had fired rockets at an Israeli base. Earlier on Saturday, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that a Guards helicopter had boarded and taken into Iranian waters the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries. MSC, which operates the Aries, confirmed Iran had seized the ship and said it was working "with the relevant authorities" for its safe return and the wellbeing of its 25 crew. MSC leases the Aries from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, Zodiac said in a statement, adding that MSC is responsible for all the vessel's activities. Zodiac is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Iran of piracy. (Reuters) The shock of what happened at Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday afternoon was turning to anger by Sunday, as questions arose about how one man could stab six people to death. Sunrise host Matt Shirvington told viewers he could sense the change in mood as he spoke to locals gathered outside the shopping centre about Joel Cauchi's murderous rampage. 'People [are] asking questions as to why,' Shirvington told colleague Michael Usher back in the Network Seven studio. 'How can this guy carry a knife into a busy shopping centre where we know there is security and just start stabbing people?' Sunrise host Matt Shirvington (above) said there were questioned to be answered about how lone knifeman Joel Cauchi killed six people at Bondi Junction Westfield. Two security guards were reportedly among those stabbed Police were called to Bondi Junction Westfield at 3.20pm on Saturday after 40-year-old Cauchi began chasing men, women and children with a knife. He stabbed to death four women -believed to be aged between 20 and 55 - and a man aged in his 30s before the first police officer on the scene, Inspector Amy Scott, shot him dead. Two of those stabbed were security guards who had been on duty at the time of the attacks. A fifth woman, Ashlee Good, died of her injuries in hospital. Dawn Singleton, the 25-year-old daughter of multimillionaire John Singleton, was among the dead. Twelve others - including nine women, two men and Ms Good's nine-month-old baby Harriet- who suffered stab wounds were treated by paramedics and taken to various Sydney hospitals. Cauchi, who had been treated for schizophrenia, moved from Queensland to Sydney only a month ago and was known to police in his home state. 'We don't fully understand what happened between last month in Queensland and here in NSW, and what sort of treatment he potentially was given, if any at all,' Shirvington said. 'So there are questions being asked about that. 'People are asking questions as to why,' Shirvington told fellow presenter Michael Usher back in the Network Seven studio. 'How can this guy carry a knife into a busy shopping centre where we know there is security and just start stabbing people?' Police are pictured at the scene 'There's also questions being asked to the protocols and whether or not there was enough security on. That's the other issue. But that is something that obviously will be further investigated down the track.' Usher agreed with his colleague there were questioned that needed to be answered about security arrangements and the handling of Cauchi's mental health. 'I think that's legitimate, he said. 'I questioned it last night when I looked at the whole thing. I mean, there's security guards everywhere these days.' Security expert Scott Taylor told Shirvington there would be 'a lot more discussions' about the effectiveness of protection measures in shopping centres after Saturday's deaths. Mr Taylor believed individual Westfield shopkeepers had saved 'multiple' lives by locking customers inside their doors and bringing down shutters. 'The actions by the shopkeepers were just incredible,' he said. Cauchi stabbed to death four women -believed to be aged between 20 and 55 - and a man aged in his 30s before the first police officer on the scene, Inspector Amy Scott, shot him dead Mr Taylor said some retail staff would have received training in lock-downs and drilled for potential attacks by armed offenders. 'We hope that we're never going to have to deal with these sort of things but that's one of the reasons why we spend so much time on it,' he said. 'It will spark some more conversations and actions Some more communication and awareness I think will be of benefit.' Daily Mail Australia has attempted to contact Westfield's owner Scentre Group, whose CEO Elliott Rusanow issued a brief statement on Saturday night. 'Scentre Group extends its deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those impacted by today's tragedy at Westfield Bondi,' Mr Rusanow said. 'We extend our deep appreciation for the swift and brave action of our team and first responders. 'Our team continues to provide full assistance to the NSW emergency services response. A woman lays flowers at a makeshift shrine forming outside Bondi Junction Westfield in the wake of Saturday's mass stabbing Bondi Junction Westfield has been the scene of a number of tragic deaths in recent years. Retired barber Bernard 'Butch' Gore was found dead in a fire stairwell 21 days after he arranged to meet his wife at the shopping centre for lunch in January 2017. A post-mortem examination revealed the 71-year-old, who had dementia, suffered no obvious traumatic injury. A coroner later found the 'psychological, environmental and physiological stressors' Mr Gore experienced while stuck inside the stairwell were 'possible significant contributors to his death'. Those factors along with 'identified shortcomings and inadequacies associated with the efforts to locate Bernard,' led to the conclusion Mr Gores death was not entirely due to natural causes, but a result of misadventure. When Mr Gore failed to meet his wife in the shopping centre she searched his favourite spots before calling police. That evening the couples daughter visited Westfield and provided two security officers with information about her father. CCTV footage was viewed and the security officers searched the mall area including the lifts, escalators, toilets, dock areas and garbage rooms - but not the fire stairs. In April 2020 a man plunged to his death at Bondi Junction Westfield after jumping over a railing in what police ruled was a suicide. A month later another person died after falling over a barrier on the mezzanine level. Four people have been arrested after a huge Oklahoma SWAT raid over the kidnapping and murder of a Kansas mother and her friend, who disappeared while en route to pick up her children. A convoy of 20 police vehicles, including SWAT trucks, was spotted traveling swiftly along a dirt track in the Oklahoma panhandle on Saturday. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation announced the arrests shortly after, saying there was evidence to indicate foul play. Among the four arrested people are Tifany Adams, 54, the children's grandmother and Adams' boyfriend, Tad Cullum, 43, according to NewsNation. The other two arrested individuals, Cole Twombly, 50, and Cora Twombly, 44, are a couple of eight years. They are friends with Adams on Facebook. Four people have been arrested after a huge Oklahoma SWAT raid over the kidnapping and murder of a Kansas mother and her friend, who disappeared while en route to pick up her children. Among the arrested are Tifany Adams(left), 54, Butler's mother-in-law, and Adams' boyfriend, Tad Cullum(right), 43 The other two arrested individuals, Cole Twombly(right), 50, and Cora Twombly(left), 44, are a couple of eight years. They are friends with Adams on Facebook Veronica Butler, 27, is currently involved in a nasty custody battle with her husband, Wrangler Cole Rickman Kelley, described as more an acquaintance than a friend of Butler's, is a pastor's wife who is said to supervise Butler's visitations with her children All four individuals were booked into the Texas County Jail on two counts of First-Degree Murder, two counts of Kidnapping, and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the First Degree Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, were traveling together to pick up Butler's children, aged 6 and 8, on March 30. They were believed to have been shot with pools of blood left on the ground next to their empty car about 1,000 feet off Oklahoma State Highway 95. The children were reportedly staying with their grandmother, Adams, as Butler is going through a nasty divorce and custody battle with her husband, Wrangler Cole Rickman. Kelley, described as more an acquaintance than a friend of Butler's, is a pastor's wife who is said to supervise Butler's visitations with her children. On March 20, ten days before they went missing, Butler filed a petition in court that would grant her more time with her children, with her goal being full custody. Court filings claimed that Butler and the children's grandmother, Adams, were not getting along amid the custody battle. Butler has weekly, court-mandated visits every Saturday with the kids, with Kelley one of four people listed as supervisors of those visits. A massive convoy of SWAT trucks and police cars is racing through rural Oklahoma on Saturday. Authorities announced the arrests shortly after Multiple puddles of blood were found near the vehicle in the desolate Oklahoma panhandle, which was found 1,000 feet off of Oklahoma State Highway 95, near a school Butler attended and graduated from in 2015 Kelley is the wife of Pastor Heath Kelley, who serves at two churches in Kansas and Nebraska ABC 7 reported that the visit was also meant to celebrate Butler's six-year-old daughter's birthday. They had made the 45-minute drive from Hugoton to a gas station in Eva, located near the Four Corners section of Oklahoma, but disappeared, with the car found just three miles from where they were supposed to meet. Multiple puddles of blood were found near the vehicle in the desolate Oklahoma panhandle, which was found 1,000 feet off of Oklahoma State Highway 95, near a school Butler attended and graduated from in 2015. Kelley is the wife of Pastor Heath Kelley, who serves at two churches in Kansas and Nebraska. On April 3, Kelley's Willow Christian Church in Nebraska posted to Facebook: 'We ask that you continue to pray for Jilian and Veronica and their families as the search and investigation continue.' 'Pray for strength, wisdom and faith for everyone involved. We appreciate everyone who has shared the prayer requests. We are getting messages from all over the country of people praying for these two women and their families.' Hugoton First Christian Church has also offered prayers on Facebook, while friends and family have started a Meal Train page for Kelley's family. 'It's been over a week,' Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation's Public Information Manager Hunter McKee said on Tuesday, according to Fox News. 'We are hopeful that we can find them alive, but obviously it's becoming more and more challenging.' Court filings claimed that Butler and the children's grandmother were not getting along amid the nasty battle The endangered missing person flyer that lists details about the women's disappearance Butler is described as 5 feet, 4 inches tall with red hair and green eyes. She has several tattoos including, a Chinese symbol on her left forearm, and a sunflower on her left shoulder. She was dressed in a blue short sleeve shirt, denim shorts and lightweight shoes by the brand, Hey Dudes. Kelley, who also from Hugoton, Kansas was last seen on Saturday, with Butler. The blue-eyed woman is pictured in the Missing person flyer with blonde hair, but her hair color is now brown, and has a butterfly tattoo on her left forearm. She is believed to be wearing a long sleeve shirt, whitewashed blue jeans, and tan beige shoes. The case remains under investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the FBI. Local law enforcement authorities are still working to locate the two victims. President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will not support any counterattack against Iran, sources have revealed. Biden spoke with Netanyahu in a late-night phone call after Iran bombarded Israel with hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday in response to a drone strike in Syria that killed 12 Iranians, including two top generals. A senior White House official told Axios that Biden made it clear to Netanyahu that US forces would not participate in any further operations. Netanyahu said he understood. Biden reportedly told the Israeli Prime Minister: 'You got a win. Take the win', amid fears amongst White House officials that an Iran attack will lead to a greater war in the region. Officials told CNN that all in US forces managed to intercept more 70 drones and at least three ballistic missiles during the attack, but don't have an appetite to take Iran head on. Three senior administration officials have also told NBC News that Biden had privately expressed concern that Netanyahu is trying to pull the US into the conflict. The White House believes the Israelis are not looking for a direct war with Iran but US officials can't be certain, an official told the outlet. The comments were made by Biden during a phone call between the two leaders. Netanyahu is seen her on the phone to Biden Biden walks to the Oval Office after returning to Washington a day early to consult with his national security team about the Iranian strikes against Israel President Biden, along with members of his national security team, receive an update on an ongoing airborne attack on Israel from Iran, as they meet in the Situation Room of the White House The two spoke shortly after Netanyahu finished a meeting with ministers in his cabinet, pictured here, according to a statement from his office President Biden released a statement following the call between the two leaders saying it had reaffirmed America's 'ironclad commitment to the security of Israel'. He also added that he would be meeting with G7 leaders on Sunday to coordinate a 'diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack'. Biden said that Israel had demonstrated a 'remarkable capacity' in defending itself against the attacks that where launched by Iran on Saturday. The two spoke shortly after Netanyahu finished a meeting with ministers in his cabinet, according to a statement from his office. President Biden said that US forces had played a part in taking down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. His full statement said: 'Earlier today, Iranand its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraqlaunched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms. 'At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. 'Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. 'I've just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. 'I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. Israel's war cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2nd L), meets to discuss the attack by Iran Israeli Iron Dome air defense system intercepts missiles fired from Iran, in central Israel, Sunday, April 14, 2024 Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel Iranian missiles seen in the skies over Jerusalem. via social media pic.twitter.com/SewUbflkCF The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) April 13, 2024 'Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack. 'My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israel's leaders. 'And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people.' U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a separate statement that U.S. forces 'intercepted dozens of missiles and UAVs en route to Israel, launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.' The ballistic missiles intercepted by the US were shot down by warships in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the officials said. The US had sent the war ship Bataan as well as two support ships with 2,500 Marines onboard into the Eastern Mediterranean as part of their response. US Congressional sources said the amphibious war ship Bataan was leading a US naval task force in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Bataan has two support ships and together they have about 2,500 Marines onboard. The US also has several guided missile destroyers including the Carney in the area. US fighter jets were also brought in as part of the response, and shot down drones launched towards Israel. The Iranian foreign ministry released a statement saying the strikes carried out were in 'exercise of its inherent right of self-defense'. It said: 'The Islamic Republic of Iran would not hesitate to take further necessary defensive measures to protect its legitimate interests against any act of military aggression or unlawful use of force.' The ministry said it was responding to Israeli's 'recurring military aggressions', including the strike on Iran's diplomatic building in Syria at the start of the month. Iran issued a further warning to Israel that any retaliation from them will be met with 'stronger and more resolute' attacks. Biden said that Israel had demonstrated a 'remarkable capacity' in defending itself against the attacks that where launched by Iran on Saturday Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, seen here in early April, vowed retribution in the wake of the Damascus attack, for which Tel-Aviv has yet to take responsibility Interceptors missiles are launched into the sky early Sunday over Jerusalem Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani said in a statement: 'The Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to exercise its inherent right of self-defense when required. 'Should the Israeli regime commit any military aggression again, Iran's response will assuredly and decisively be stronger and more resolute.' Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a warning to the US saying any act from America would see a 'reciprocal' response. Iran claimed that they dealt 'heavy blows' to an airbase in Negev, but the IDF said that only minor damage was caused. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Iran fired 170 drones, over 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. The IDF added that 99% of the missiles and drones were shot down, with one young girl being injured by falling shrapnel. Iranians were seen taking to the streets of Tehran with flares and Iranian flags, whooping and cheering as the missiles and drones entered Israeli airspace. Surrounding countries appear to have begun preparations for an escalation in hostilities. Jordan, Israel's eastern neighbor, temporarily closed its airspace to all incoming, departing and internal flights. Its government refuted reports that it had ordered its armed forces to shoot down any drones that flew through its airspace. Iranians celebrate on a street, after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran People holding Iranian flags gather to stage a demonstration in support of Iran's attack on Israel in Tehran Demonstrators wave Iran's flag and Palestinian flags as they gather at Palestine Square in Tehran on April 14, 2024 Syria is also on high alert, setting up its ground-to-air defense systems around the capital Damascus and major bases in the event of an Israeli strike, army sources said. Sources told Reuters they expected Israel would retaliate against army bases and installations where pro-Iranian militia were based after Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said they launched dozens of drones and missiles against specific targets in Israel. Lebanon, which lies to Israel's north, is also closing its airspace at 1am local time. Qatar and Kuwait have both issued directives against the US prohibiting the use of their airspace for any potential military action against Iran. Iran had threatened to hit back at Israel over an attack in Syria, which Tehran say was an Israeli airstrike on a Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed retribution in the wake of the Damascus attack, for which Tel-Aviv has yet to take responsibility. The April 1 attack destroyed Iran's consulate building in the city and killed seven Revolutionary Guards, including the two generals. Air raid sirens were reported in numerous places including northern Israel, southern Israel, the northern West Bank and the Dead Sea near the Jordanian border. Israel's army ordered residents in the Golan Heights - near the Syrian and Lebanese borders - as well as the southern towns of Nevatim and Dimona and the Red Sea resort town of Eilat into protective spaces. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following Iran's launch of drones. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched 'dozens' of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military site in the Golan Heights early Sunday. It was not immediately clear if there was any damage. He was schizophrenic and obsessed with knives A 40-year-old man who was known to have mental problems and an obsession with knives is responsible for the shopping centre stabbing that killed six people. Queensland man Joel Cauchi was shot dead by a lone policewoman mid Saturday afternoon after he stabbed six people to death and injured several more, including a nine-month-old baby, at Westfield Bondi Junction. Cauchi was named by police during a press conference on Sunday morning with many disturbing details about his life quickly emerging. He was known for having a strange obsession with knives with his parents at one stage taking his blades from him. On Saturday, he used a 30cm-long knife to kill five women, including the mother of the injured baby, and a security guard. Ashlee Good, 38, Dawn Singleton, 25, Jade Young, 47, and Faraz Tahir, 30, have since been identified. Queensland man Joel Cauchi (pictured) was shot dead by a lone policewoman after killing six people at Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday afternoon In a disturbing Facebook post (pictured), Cauchi asked to meet with 'people who shoot guns' Cauchi was an avid social media user and was part of several online communities. In one frightening incident, he asked a group called 'Outdoor Adventures Hikes, Water Sports, Snow Boarding, Camping and Etc' about a meeting with people 'who shoot guns'. 'Hi I am looking for groups of people who shoot guns, including handguns, to meet up with, chat with and get to know,' he wrote on December 6, 2020. 'Please send me a DM if you can help me out! I live in Brisbane by the way.' Three years ago, Cauchi slammed a Queensland knife business for dulling his blades. 'Dealing with this business has been a nightmare for me. I put in two knives (one of which is pretty expensive) to be sharpened and he blunted them both,' he wrote. 'I made sure that I clearly, repeatedly and correctly gave all instructions when I put them in and he blunted them, then was very unhelpful afterwards, either being unable or unwilling to fix the job, leaving me with two blunt knives that are basically useless now.' It's understood Cauchi was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager and was unmedicated at the time of the horror attack. He had moved to NSW one month ago and his social media indicates he previously lived in Toowoomba with his parents, Brisbane and Surfers Paradise in Queensland. Six people - five women and one man - were stabbed to death at Bondi Junction Westfield shortly before 4pm on Saturday Just one week before the Westfield stabbing, Cauchi posted about wanting to meet other surfers in Sydney's eastern suburbs. 'Hi, I am surfing Bondi this afternoon if anyone wants to meet there for a surf,' he wrote. Cauchi was also part of several photography groups across Queensland and NSW and frequently asked for 'dark sky site' recommendations for astrophotography. His Facebook profile shows he worked as an 'online English tutor' however, he has been found listed on at least two escort websites where he offered sexual services to men and women. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb on Sunday said Cauchi was known to police in Queensland and NSW for mental health reasons. He did have a run-in with officers at The Rocks, on Sydney's harbour, last June during which he was stopped and searched before being let go. 'He's not known criminally, but he has come to the notice of law enforcement, in this state and Queensland for mental health related issues,' Commissioner Webb said. Cauchi was involved with the Queensland Health system until 2012, after which his mental health care was looked after by his GPs. 'Queensland Health extends our sympathies to everyone involved in the tragic incident in NSW,' a spokesperson said. 'We will work with Queensland and NSW police on any information and assistance we can provide. 'The man had been treated by Queensland Health for mental health issues more than a decade ago but his care was transferred to a psychiatrist in the private sector in 2012.' It's understood Cauchi's distraught family frantically contacted police after watching footage of the Westfield stabbing as they were worried he'd been involved. Cauchi Facebook profile shows he worked as an 'online English tutor' however, he has been found listed on at least two escort websites where he offered sexual services to men and women (pictured, a photo from one of Cauchi's escort listings) Cauchi's social media shows he attended Harristown State High School and studied at the University of Southern Queensland. He recently sought to learn German, Russian and Swedish in exchange for English lessons. 'Hi I am looking for a fluent Swedish speaker for a language exchange! I am a fluent English speaker and can teach that in exchange for being taught Swedish if you are interested,' he posted a Sydney language exchange group. A mother-of-two killed in the stabbing horror at Westfield Bondi Junction is the third victim to be identified. Joel Cauchi, 40, fatally stabbed six people and injured at least 12 more in a violent rampage at the busy shopping centre on Saturday afternoon. Six people, five women and one man, were killed in the attack and several others were injured. Jade Young, from Bellevue Hill in Sydney's east, was among those who died. Ms Young worked for a Double Bay architectural firm and was a popular member of the Bronte Surf Club. Jade Young (pictured), from Bellevue Hill, died in the attack 'This is and will be a difficult time for the community, and we encourage you to seek support from family, friends, fellow club members or to speak to your GP to assist you in processing this tragedy,' the club said in a statement. 'We are here to support the community, and our heartfelt condolences go out to everyone affected.' Mother-of-one, Ashlee Good, died at St Vincent's hospital on Saturday night, after defending her baby daughter from the knife-wielding man. Dr Good's nine-month-old daughter was stabbed in the attack and is in a critical but stable condition at Sydney Children's Hospital. Dr Good, the daughter of former North Melbourne AFL player and board member Kerry Good, was remembered by her family as a 'beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend' and an 'all-round outstanding human'. Ashlee Good (pictured), died at St Vincent's hospital on Saturday night after being stabbed in the rampage Dawn Singleton, daughter of multi-millionaire businessman John Singleton, also lost her life. The 25-year-old, who posted her fiance's proposal on social media in July, worked for Sydney-based fashion label White Fox Boutique. The male victim was working as a security guard at the shopping centre, NSW Police said. Two of the six victims were from overseas and have no family in Australia. At least 12 others, including nine women, two men and Dr Good's daughter, were hospitalised after suffering stab wounds in the attack. NSW Premier Chris Minns said many people ran 'towards danger' including Inspector Amy Scott, who shot Cauchi dead at the scene. 'To the ordinary members of the public that cornered and confronted a murderer in the Westfield shopping centre, showing what I would call instinctive bravery under terrible circumstances,' he said. Dawn Singleton, the 25-year-old daughter of multi-millionaire businessman John Singleton, also lost her life 'And of course Inspector Amy Scott, who ran towards danger and showed professionalism and bravery and without a shadow of a doubt, saved many, many lives in the last 24 hours. 'We're very, very grateful for the men and women that stood up in Bondi Junction.' NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb echoed Mr Minns' sentiment and commended the state's first responders for their efforts. 'My thoughts go out to those people that were in the shopping centre, and as the premier has said, showed a great deal of courage yesterday,' she said. 'But also to the emergency services and of course, the police officers who responded to this very traumatic thing.' NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said Cauchi was known to authorities in his home state. 'We have received no evidence that we have recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation, ideology or otherwise,' he told reporters on Sunday. 'We know that the offender in the matter suffered from mental health.' A young woman killed in the horror stabbing rampage at Bondi Junction purchased her wedding dress just days ago. Dawn Singleton, 25 - who is the daughter of multi-millionaire advertising guru John Singleton - was due to marry her high school sweetheart, NSW Police Officer Ashley Wildey, in coming months. Last week, she bought her wedding dress and started sending out 'save the date' invitations to her loved ones and friends ahead of the special day. But her life was tragically cut short, along with five other shoppers, when she was stabbed at Bondi Junction Westfield by Joel Cauchi, 40, on Saturday afternoon. In an impossibly cruel twist of fate, her fiance Mr Wildey had just finished a shift when he was scrambled to the shopping centre to assist colleagues with the unfolding situation. 'He had arrived at Westfield when officers realised his fiancee was one of the victims,' a source told The Daily Telegraph. Mr Wildey was then allowed to leave the scene to be comforted by family and friends, as is procedure. John Singleton's daughter Dawnie, 25, has been named among six people murdered by knife wielding attacker Joel Cauchi at Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday Dawn is the oldest of three daughters to John Singleton and his former wife Julie Martin (the couple pictured above) READ MORE: Heroic 'bollard man' who fought off knife-wielding maniac on escalator at Westfield Bondi Junction reveals what it was like to come face-to-face with the killer Damien Guerot picked up a retractable barrier and confronted killer Joel Cauchi, 40, as he advanced menacingly up an escalator (pictured) Advertisement Affectionately known as Dawnie, the 25-year-old is one of Singleton's three daughters from his marriage to Julie Martin. He has eight children in total. The tragic new details come as Australian fashion powerhouse White Fox Boutique paid tribute to Ms Singleton, who worked as the company's e-commerce assistant. 'Dawn was a sweet, kind-hearted person who had her whole life ahead of her,' the company wrote on Instagram. 'She was really amazing. We are all truly devastated by this loss. 'We send our condolences to her partner, the Singleton family and her friends. She will always be remembered as part of the White Fox family.' Ms Singleton was the second victim of the horrifying attack to be identified after it was revealed osteopath and first-time mother Ashlee Good, 38, had passed away in hospital on Saturday night. Ms Good's nine-month-old daughter was also injured in the attack and is in a serious but stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery overnight. Double Bay architect and mother-of-two Jade Young was identified as a third victim of the attack on Sunday. Police were called to the shopping precinct at 3.20pm as Cauchi, brandishing a large hunting knife, chased after men, women and children. Footage posted online shows terrified shoppers running outside to escape or taking shelter in shops as a siren blasted through the centre, urging shoppers to evacuate. Inspector Amy Scott was patrolling nearby and was first on the scene. She entered the shopping centre by herself and bravely ran towards the offender, before shooting him dead when he lunged towards her with the knife. Five other people including Ms Singleton, Ms Young, two other women, and a man, aged in his 30s - died at the scene. Twelve others including Ms Good, her 9-month-old child, eight other women, and two men suffering stab wounds, were treated by paramedics and taken to various Sydney hospitals. Some have since been discharged while others remain in serious conditions. Assistant Commissioner Cooke said there were also several other people who were injured in the attack who left Westfield and later presented to medical centres. Joel Cauchi from Queensland is pictured carrying a 30cm hunting knife on the escalator inside Westfield shopping centre at Bondi Junction on Saturday afternoon Addressing reporters on Sunday, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said it would take time to formally identify some of the victims of Saturday's attack as their family members reside overseas. Cauchi has since been identified as a Queensland man who moved to Sydney in recent months. He suffered from schizophrenia and had a transient lifestyle, with police treating the tragedy as a mental-health related incident. The shopping centre and surrounding streets remain closed on Sunday, while police continue to scour the crime scene for forensic evidence. Police have launched a critical incident team comprised of homicide detectives and set up Strike Force Mcauley to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. The investigation will also be subject to an independent review. As investigations continue, any witnesses, anyone with information or mobile phone vision who has not yet spoken to police, is urged to call police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A Georgia father was sentenced to 50 years in prison after he mixed antifreeze into his 18-day-old daughter's breastmilk in order to poison her. Curtis Jack was arrested in October 2020, after his infant daughter, named Madison, became sick. She tested positive for ethylene glycol a chemical found in antifreeze. Investigators found Jack had collected bottles of breastmilk from the child's mother two weeks earlier while she was in hospital after giving birth to their child, but did not want to pay child support after accidentally getting his co-worker pregnant. 'After delivering the breastmilk to the child's grandmother, who was also caring for the woman's other daughter, the child became critically ill within 24 hours, suspected of being poisoned. Curtis Jack, a father from Georgia received a 50-year prison sentence for poisoning his 18-day-old daughter with antifreeze that was mixed into breastmilk Within 24 hours of drinking the milk, baby Madison became critically ill and was suspected of being poisoned 'Jack admitted to adding antifreeze to the breastmilk to South Fulton Police Department detectives,' police said in a statement on social media. Jack later admitted to adding the chemical to his newborn daughter's milk in order to avoid paying child support. Within 24 hours of drinking the milk, the baby girl became 'critically ill' and was suspected of being poisoned. The mother of the newborn told police how Curtis had tried to get her to terminate the pregnancy for entirety of the gestation. The baby was born in September of 2020. The two had been in an 'intimate relationship' since January of that year, police said. 'During the trial, the State presented testimonies from the child's mother, grandmother, law enforcement officers, and medical experts, including a demonstration of how easy it was to poison the breastmilk,' South Fulton police said. 'It hit home because it was an 18-day-old baby,' said South Fulton Police Sergeant Pserda Dickerson to Channel 2. Curtis Jack had previously worked for Delta Air Lines and accidentally got a co-worker pregnant The mother of the newborn told police how Curtis, pictured, had tried to get her to terminate the pregnancy for entirety of the gestation 'It hit home because it was an 18-day-old baby,' said South Fulton Police Sergeant Pserda Dickerson to Channel 2 'It's beyond getting a confession we still have to prove someone committed the crime. You still have to prove that the person is guilty,' said Dickerson. The jury found Jack guilty on all counts, including attempted murder, and he was sentenced to 50 years, with 40 years to serve in custody. Antifreeze even if consumed in tiny quantities is extremely toxic and can result in drowsiness, vomiting, kidney damage and death. The child's mother declined to make a statement following Jack's sentencing, but the little girl is said to be doing fine. NSW police have charged a man for an alleged separate stabbing attack on a woman in Bondi Beach just one day before the Westfield mass murder horror. The police said on Sunday they had arrested and charged a 43-year-old-man with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following the alleged attack on Roscoe Street in Bondi Beach on Friday. The attack, which took place just before 11am, put a 36-year-old woman in hospital. Paramedics treated the woman for head injuries and took her to hospital in a stable condition. 'A crime scene was established and officers attached to Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident,' the police said. A 43-year-old man was arrested and charged with stabbing a 36-year-old woman on Friday morning in Roscoe Street, Bondi Beach. The woman was taken to hospital in a stable condition Police (pictured at the site of Saturday's massacre) have said the two stabbing incidents are unrelated 'Following inquiries, a 43-year-old man was arrested at Riverwood about 1.20pm the same day. 'He was taken to Campsie Police Station and charged.' The alleged knife violence came just one day before Queensland man Joel Cauchi, 40, rampaged through the Westfied shopping centre in Bondi, murdering six people. He was fatally shot by police. NCA NewsWire does not suggest the two incidents are related. Israel has levelled a building in east Lebanon and vowed a response to Iran's 300 missile attack - as the Middle East holds its breath amid fears of World War III. A source within Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group said Israel struck one of its buildings close to the Syrian border today, as tensions soared after Iran directly attacked Israel. The source told news agency AFP: 'The Israeli strike targeted an area... near Baalbek and targeted a two-storey building belonging to Hezbollah,' adding that there were no casualties reported. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency also reported that 'an enemy air strike targeted a building' in the village of Nabi Sheet and 'destroyed it'. The IDF later confirmed the strike on the 'significant weapons manufacturing site' in the Nabi Sheet area. It comes after Israel said it 'foiled' Iran's unprecedented attack on its country and revealed 120 ballistic missiles along with 200 drones were used. The strike marks the first time a direct military assault has been launched by Tehran on Israel despite decades enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran sent the salvo of missiles in response to a drone strike at the beginning of April in Syria that killed 12 Iranians, including two top generals. Reports in Israel suggested RAF and US warplanes had shot down some Israel-bound Iranian drones over the Iraq-Syria border area amid the attack. But Victoria Atkins has said she is 'not in a position to confirm or deny' whether British jets have already shot down Iranian drones. However, Prime Minster Rishi Sunak later confirmed RAF pilots shot down 'a number' of Iranian attack drones and said he wanted to 'pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of our pilots flying into the face of danger to protect civilians'. He added that 'the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate' had Iran's attack on Israel been successful'. Drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles were said to have been fired from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen in what is said to be an attempt to 'overwhelm' defences with various weapons from different directions. Israeli sources said seven of 131 ballistic missiles got through. Most seemed to have hit the Nevatim airbase in a symbolic strike - as the airbase is where the Israeli F-35s took off to hit the Damascus consulate - although Israel says the airbase only sustained minor infrastructure damage and remains operational. The Israeli Army reported that 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles were shot down before they reached Israel. The attack also came as the latest attempt to reach a ceasefire in the war in Gaza appeared to falter, with Israel accusing Hamas of rejecting a truce proposal. Drones or missiles vying for targets at undisclosed locations in northern Israel yesterday People drive along a street in Jerusalem today after Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel People cross a street in Jerusalem today after the Israeli army said Iran's attack was 'foiled' People gather around a destroyed building targeted by Israeli air strikes on the village of Nabi Sheet in the Baablbek district in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley on April 14, 2024 A source within Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group said Israel struck a building in the village of Nabi Sheet in the Baablbek district in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley today A destroyed building targeted by Israeli air strikes on the village of Nabi Sheet in Baablbek Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile defence system deployed near Jerusalem which reportedly helped intercept 99 per cent of the missiles launched Iran's foreign ministry summoned the ambassadors of the UK, France and Germany to question what it slammed as a 'irresponsible stance' regarding the strikes on Israel. It follows reports of a number of nations helping to intercept the swarm of missiles Iran fired last night.A seven-year-old girl from a Bedouin town near Arad was injured by falling shrapnel at around 2am and is in serious condition 'fighting for her life' at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, The Times of Israel reported. The medical centre confirmed she is now in the hospital's paediatric intensive care unit receiving treatment for a major head wound. Hamas has also gloated about last night's devastating attack on Israel by Iran which led to a seven-year-old girl being seriously injured - calling it a 'deserved response'. This morning, Hamas said in a statement: 'We in Hamas regard the military operation conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran a natural right and a deserved response on the crime of targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the assassination of several leaders of the Revolutionary Guards,' The Times of Israel reports. Iran today warned Israel of a larger attack if it retaliates against the overnight drone and missile assault - adding that it has warned the US not to back Israeli military action. It said any 'reckless' Israeli move will prompt 'stronger response'. 'The matter can be deemed concluded,' Iran's mission to the United Nations said in a post on social media platform X just a few hours after the start of the operation late Saturday. 'However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe,' the Iranian mission warned. NATO has joined calls for 'restraint' - as it condemned the Iran attack as an 'escalation'. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock today said that Iran has taken the Middle East to the 'edge of a precipice' with its overnight attack on Israel. She said Tehran had 'plunged an entire region into chaos' and asked all sides to show restraint, adding that the spiralling tensions needed to end. But Israel's chief military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, called Iran's actions 'very grave', telling a televised briefing they 'push the region toward escalation', and Israel's Channel 12 TV cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying there would be a 'significant response' to the attack. Speaking to Sky News, spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner said the IDF is 'poised and prepared' and it will be decided whether Israel will retaliate in a meeting later today. He said it is 'extremely tense' and its aerial defences remain on 'high alert'. The Israeli war cabinet will meet at 12.30pm, it has been reported. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock today said that Iran has taken the Middle East to the 'edge of a precipice' with its overnight attack on Israel Head of the Israeli military, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi (L), attending a meeting at the Israeli Air Force Operations Center in Kirya in Tel Aviv with the commanding officers of the Israeli Air Force, the operations directorate and the intelligence directorate today The remains of a rocket booster that, according to Israel, critically injured a seven-year-old girl Residents transfer the remains of a rocket booster that reportedly injured a seven-year-old girl After Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, near Arad, this is the remains of a rocket booster which reportedly injured a seven-year-old child Pope Francis has today made a 'pressing appeal' against the 'spiral of violence' Italy's Prime Minister posted on X to condemn the Iranian strike against Israel The attack which began late yesterday marks a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes, and comes against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Iran's proxies and allies also carried out coordinated attacks on Israeli positions as sirens sounded in many places and with blasts heard in the skies above Jerusalem early Sunday. Iran had repeatedly threatened to retaliate against Israel for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular building, and Washington had warned in recent days that the reprisals were imminent. Late yesterday, the Israeli army said Iran had launched a 'massive swarm of over 200 killer drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles'. The army said it had scrambled dozens of fighter jets to intercept 'all aerial threats', and was working with the US and other allies to stop the launches. People in Jerusalem sought cover, while some residents stockpiled water. 'As you can see it's empty, everybody is running home,' said Eliyahu Barakat, a 49-year-old grocery shop owner in Jerusalem's Mamilla neighbourhood. Earlier today, the Israeli army said that 99 percent of the launches had been intercepted. None of the drones and cruise missiles that were launched towards Israel had entered its territory, Hagari said, and 'only a few' ballistic missiles reached Israel. 'The Iranian attack was foiled,' military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement. US President Joe Biden reiterated Washington's 'ironclad' support for Israel after an urgent meeting with his top security officials on the spiralling crisis. Leaders from the G7 will hold a video conference later today to discuss the Iranian strikes on Israel, according to Italy - which holds the rotating presidency of the group of developed nations. Today, Pope Francis made a 'pressing appeal' against a 'spiral of violence' after Iran's unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, warning of a potential regional conflagration. 'I make an urgent appeal for an end to any action which could fuel a spiral of violence that risks dragging the Middle East into an even greater conflict,' he declared following his traditional Sunday prayer in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican. Israeli warships patrol off the coast of the Israeli coastal city of Netanya, today Israeli warships patrol off the coast of Netanya today, following yesterday's strike Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant (2nd R) attends the Israel's war cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (not seen), held to discuss the drone attack United States President Joe Biden meets with members of the National Security Council regarding the unfolding missile attacks on Israel An Iranian man is holding a scale model of a cannon shell during a celebration in support of Iran's attack against Israel yesterday Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (pictured) condemned 'in the strongest terms' Iran's 'reckless attack' as he pledged to 'continue to stand up for Israel's security' Read my statement on the Iranian regimes reckless attack against Israel. pic.twitter.com/xeuR3cd3kG Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 13, 2024 'The Italian presidency of the G7 has summoned G7 leaders for a video conference early this afternoon', the government said. The G7 groups the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada. Rishi Sunak is expected to join President Joe Biden on the call on Sunday amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. Mohammed, the father of the schoolgirl who was injured in the attack, told The Times of Israel how the shrapnel fell on their house while they were sleeping. He told the news site: 'It fell on us into the house at around two in the morning. She was sleeping in the house and we immediately took her to Soroka Hospital [in Beersheba].' Iran launched more missiles and drones toward Israel in the early hours of Sunday morning. The Israeli military said Iran fired more than 100 bomb-carrying drones toward Israel. Israel's airspace reopened today at 7:30 am (0430 GMT) after it was closed following Iran's attack on Israel, the Israeli airports authority said in a statement. 'As of 07:30 in the morning, Israel's airspace is reopening and Ben Gurion Airport is returning to operations', the statement said, adding that domestic airports would reopen throughout the day. The airspace had been closed since 12:30 am (2130 GMT on Saturday). Rocket trails in the sky above the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem last night Empty beaches in the Israeli coastal city of Netanya, on April 14, 2024 Pictures posted by the IDF show Israeli pilots returning to base after intercepting missiles The Israeli military said that Iran's attack using hundreds of drones and missiles had been 'foiled', with 99 percent of them intercepted overnight. Pictured are pilots returning to base Early Sunday, the Israeli army said that 99 percent of the launches had been intercepted Pilots are seen returning to base after intercepting the missiles and drones yesterday A view shows an 'Adir' fighter jet at a location given as the Nevatim Airbase, in Israel One of them 'lightly hit the Nevatim base', he added, noting that the military compound was 'still functioning'. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement: 'Together with the United States and additional partners, we managed to defend the territory of the State of Israel.' 'The campaign is not over yet - we must remain alert', Gallant added. The Iranian army has said its attack 'achieved all its objectives'. Mohammad Bagheri, the Iranian armed forces' chief of staff, told state TV: 'Operation Honest Promise was completed successfully from last night to this morning and achieved all its objectives.' Iran has said it had attacked Israel in 'self-defence' following the April 1 strike on its diplomatic mission in Damascus, which was widely blamed on Israel. The Damascus strike levelled the five-storey consular annexe of the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital and killed seven Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals. Bagheri said the retaliatory attack targeted an 'intelligence centre' and the air base from which Tehran says the Israeli F-35 jets took off to strike the Damascus consulate. 'Both these centres were significantly destroyed and put out of order,' he said, though Israel maintains that the attack only resulted in minor damage. 'We see this operation as complete, and this operation has ended in our opinion,' Bagheri said. 'There is no intention to continue this operation,' he said, calling on Israel to avoid taking further action against Iran which according to Bagheri would result in a 'much bigger' response. The army chief also warned the United States against aiding any Israeli action against Iran. Reports in Israel suggested RAF and US warplanes had shot down some Israel-bound Iranian drones over the Iraq-Syria border area amid the attack. But Victoria Atkins has said she is 'not in a position to confirm or deny' whether British jets have already shot down Iranian drones Crews work on an Israeli Air Force F-15 Eagle in a hangar, said to be following an interception mission of an Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel Israel's chief military spokesman delivered a televised address to the nation after Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israel came to an end 'We sent a message to America through the Swiss embassy that if it cooperates with Israel in their next potential actions, their bases will not be secure,' he added. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief, Hossein Salami, hailed what he called 'a limited operation' that targeted Israeli 'capabilities that were used to attack our embassy'. Salami added it was 'more successful than expected'. He reiterated warnings of a 'counterattack' if Israel targeted Iranian interests or individuals. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said via state media yesterday: 'The aerospace unit of the Revolutionary Guards has attacked targets in Israel with dozens of drones and missiles in reaction to the Zionist regime's crimes, including the attack on the consulate section of Iran's embassy in Damascus and martyring our commanders and military advisers in Syria.' Missiles which began to enter Israeli airspace were seen in video shared with MailOnline, showing them being intercepted by the Iron Dome system above Jerusalem, forcing citizens to run to shelters across the city. Iran claimed to have dealt 'heavy blows' to an airbase in Negev, though the IDF said only minor damage was caused. The IDF added that the vast majority of the missiles and drones were shot down, with one small girl being injured by falling shrapnel. Iranian media reported that while Tehran's barrage of ballistic missiles has concluded, the drones and cruise missiles are yet to enter Israeli airspace. Iran has vowed to take further 'defensive measures' if Israel chooses to respond to the salvo. Yemen-based Houthis have also claimed to have shot 'dozens' of rockets towards an IDF base in the north-east of Israel. it is not currently known if the Houthi attacks are linked to Iran's salvo. The UK, among Israel's closest allies, and other nations reportedly supported Israel by sending fighter jets to shoot down the drones and missiles. US officials added that their military also intercepted drones and missiles heading to Israel. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned 'in the strongest terms' Iran's 'reckless attack' as he pledged to 'continue to stand up for Israel's security and that of all our regional partners', while US President Joe Biden said he would convene a meeting of G7 leaders on Sunday 'to co-ordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack'. Today, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey condemned the Iranian attack but backed calls to avoid further conflict. He said it is a 'dangerous escalation' in a conflict which has caused 'far too much death and suffering' and called for an end to the 'horrifying cycle of violence'. Victoria Atkins said the 'circle of knowledge' on the conflict in the Middle East has to be 'very, very tight', when asked whether the Cabinet was consulted before RAF planes were deployed to protect Israel. Speaking to the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, the Health Secretary said: 'Of course there are relevant Cabinet ministers in that (Cobra) meeting. 'You will appreciate the circle of knowledge on this has to be very, very tight because of the sensitivities and the danger that is involved for everyone in the region.' Asked whether the Government would proscribe the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, she said: 'We keep all of these issues under constant review.' Ms Atkins said she is 'not in a position to confirm or deny' whether British jets have already shot down Iranian drones. Labour has backed the UK Government action taken overnight to help protect Israel. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'Let's be clear, we support the existing Government missions in the Middle East and continue to do so. 'That is important. We also think that it is important that action was taken overnight to prevent the Iranian strikes on Israel because we should be clear that if action hadn't been taken to prevent those strikes, we would have seen further escalation and further risk of widening conflict.' Missiles which began to enter Israeli airspace were seen in video shared with MailOnline Iran has said it had attacked Israel in 'self-defence' following the April 1 strike on its diplomatic mission in Damascus, which was widely blamed on Israel. Pictured are missiles yesterday Warplanes in Iraq and Syria have been deployed to intercept 'any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions', the Ministry of Defence said. The Times of Israel reported that Israel's chief military spokesperson said France was among the countries involved in defending against Iran's overnight attack on Israel. The news outlet added that The IDF's spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said France was 'contributing in patrolling airspace' but he didn't know if their jets had shot down any of the missiles. Israeli officials said that the United States, Britain, and Jordan also all helped intercept the massive barrage of drones Iran fired at Israel overnight, according to The Times of Israel. Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel, had readied air defences and said it intercepted flying objects that entered its airspace last night. It added that some shrapnel fell in 'multiple places' but didn't cause significant damage or injures to citizens. Iran today warned Israel of a larger attack if it retaliates against the overnight drone and missile assault - adding that it has warned the US not to back Israeli military action. The armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri told state TV their response will be 'much larger than tonight's military action if Israel retaliates', The Times of Israel reports. President Isaac Herzog wrote on X to express his gratitude to the military and to Israel's allies. He posted: 'Bless you dear soldiers and commanders of the IDF and IAF. Bless the coalition of nations led by the US and @POTUS. 'Bless my sisters and brothers, the people of Israel, for their exceptional show of resilience. Together, the forces of good will overcome the forces of evil.' Britain has sent jets to support Israel as it is attacked by Iran The US is sending a naval task force with over 2,500 marines But many of Iran's Middle East allies, including Qatar and Kuwait, are rallying around it Around a hundred drones and missiles were fired at Israel yesterday People wave Iranian and Palestinian flags during an anti-Israel rally after Iran launched drone attacks against Israel at Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran One video shared with MailOnline showed the Iron Dome intercepting a missile yesterday Iranians were seen celebrating as news of the attack broke yesterday Iranians celebrate on a street, after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran, Iran yesterday Israel's cabinet is currently meeting to discuss how to deal with the attack from Iran The IDF's spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said that the Iranian attack was 'a severe and dangerous escalation' in tensions, adding: 'Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran.' The IDF said: 'The air defence array is on high alert at the same time as the Air Force planes and Navy ships that are on a mission to protect the country's skies. The IDF is monitoring all targets. 'We ask the public to adhere to and follow the instructions of the Home Front Command and the official IDF announcements regarding the matter.' Israel's allies sent in military assets in to help Israel. US Congressional sources said the amphibious war ship Bataan is leading a US naval task force in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Bataan has two support ships and together they have about 2,500 Marines onboard. The US also has several guided missile destroyers including the Carney in the area. US bases in Iraq were placed on full alert and attempted to shoot down missiles and drones aimed at Israel. In addition, the US has two destroyers and a Cruiser in the Red Sea that are fully armed with anti-missile weapons and they too were under orders to shoot down any Israeli bound missiles or drones. But Iran has threatened the US if it gets involved in the spat, claiming that it is a conflict between Iran and Israel alone. Iran's mission to the UN wrote on X: 'Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran's military action was in response to the Zionist regime's aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. 'The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!' Iran's foreign ministry, meanwhile, said in statement to local media: 'Iran, if necessary, will not hesitate to take further defensive measures to safeguard its legitimate interests against any military aggressions and unlawful use of force while reaffirming its commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.' Israel is expected to launch a counterattack against Iran. Former IDF captain Caroline Glick told MailOnline: '[Iran's] overthrow is the key to the restoration of regional stability. Just last week, when a regime authority called for a moment of silence in memory of the Iranian terror masters Israel killed in Damascus two weeks ago, the crowd instead began calling for the overthrow of the regime.' Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel yesterday Missiles entering Israeli airspace, with images from international media revealing missiles being intercepted by the Iron Dome system above Jerusalem yesterday Iranian media reported Tehran has also launched ballistic missiles towards Israel yesterday The salvo of missiles and drones entering Israel airspace yesterday The night sky above Jerusalem was lit up by missiles yesterday Inside Iran, many were seen joyously celebrating as news of the attack broke. Iranians were seen taking to the streets of Tehran with flares and Iranian flags, whooping and cheering as the missiles and drones entered Israeli airspace. Surrounding countries appeared to prepare for an escalation in hostilities. Iraq reopened its airspace on Sunday hours after suspending all air traffic as neighbouring Iran launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel, the Iraqi aviation authority announced. Jordan, which neighbours Iraq as well as Israel, and Lebanon also reopened their respective airspace on Sunday having earlier closed them, as did Israel which said the Iranian attack had been 'foiled' with most launches intercepted overnight. The Iraqi civil aviation authority announced in a statement 'the reopening of the airspace' and resumption of flights to and from airports across the country, saying there were no longer any 'security risks to civilian aircraft'. Kurdish media in northern Iraq reported that Iranian drones had flown over the autonomous Kurdish region overnight. Israel, which had closed its airspace since 12:30 am (2130 GMT on Saturday) in anticipation of the Iranian attack, had reopened it by 7:30 am (0430 GMT), the Israeli airports authority said. However, Austrian Airlines said on Sunday it had suspended 'all flights to Tel Aviv in Israel, Arbil in Iraq and Amman in Jordan with immediate effect' due to 'recent developments in the Middle East'. 'There will be no flights to or from Tel Aviv, Arbil and Amman' until Monday, spokeswoman Sophie Matkovits said, adding that 'the safety of personnel and passengers' was the company's top priority. The airline also said a previously announced suspension of flights to Tehran in Iran would remain in effect until Thursday. Long-haul flights passing through the Middle East will also be rerouted, it said. Several international airlines have suspended or redirected flights in recent days to avoid Iranian airspace. Syria is also on high alert, setting up its ground-to-air defence systems around the capital Damascus and major bases in the event of an Israeli strike, army sources said. Sources told Reuters they expected Israel would retaliate against army bases and installations where pro-Iranian militia were based after Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said they launched dozens of drones and missiles against specific targets in Israel. Qatar and Kuwait have both issued directives against the US prohibiting the use of their airspace for any potential military action against Iran. People holding Iranian flags gather to stage a demonstration in support of Iran's attack on Israel in Tehran yesterday The IRGC has promised for increased violence if Israel responds to the attack Iranians celebrate on a street, after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran US military aircraft are stationed at the Ali Al Salem Air Base and the Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, as well as the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US airbase in the Middle East. But Egypt's foreign ministry urged both sides to exercise restraint, saying in a statement: 'Egypt expresses its deep concern about the indicators of Iranian/Israeli escalation and demands the exercise of the utmost restraint 'The Arab Republic of Egypt expresses its deep concern regarding the announced launch of Iranian offensive marches against Israel, and the indicators of dangerous escalation between the two countries during the recent period, calling for the exercise of the utmost restraint to spare the region. 'And its people are more factors for instability and tension. 'Egypt considers that the dangerous escalation that the Iranian/Israeli arena is currently witnessing is nothing but a direct result of what Egypt has repeatedly warned about, about the dangers of expanding the conflict in the region as a result of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, and the provocative military actions being practiced in the region. 'Egypt stresses that it is in constant contact with all concerned parties to try to contain the situation, stop the escalation, and spare the region the risk of sliding into a dangerous turn of instability and threat to the interests of its people.' . pic.twitter.com/rBJoVTqjo8 Nir Hasson (@nirhasson) April 13, 2024 Demonstrators wave Iran's flag and Palestinian flags as they gather at Palestine Square in Tehran on April 14, 2024 Iranians were seen celebrating as the missiles and drones began to hit Israel The rest of the world has begun to react to Iran's strikes. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement: 'I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime's reckless attack against Israel. These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. 'The UK will continue to stand up for Israel's security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. 'Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed.' The UK's Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron took to X to say: 'Iran's reckless attacks on Israel will only further inflame tensions in the Middle East. The UK calls on the Iranian regime to stop this serious escalation, which is in no one's interest.' Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the party supported all measures 'designed to restore calm' and prevent a wider regional war. In a statement, he said: 'We condemn the Iranian regime's decision to subject Israelis to these unacceptable attacks. 'The international community has been united in urging restraint and we regret that yet again Iran has chosen a different, dangerous path. 'Our thoughts are with all those in the region who want peace and security, not the fear and instability being generated by Iran. 'We continue to stand up for Israel's security and that of our other partners in the region, including Jordan and Iraq. We support all measures designed to restore calm as we must do all we can to prevent a wider regional war.' A battery of Israel's Iron Dome defense missile system, deployed to intercept rockets, sits in Ashkelon Grant Shapps, the UK's defence minister added: 'I strongly condemn the senseless airborne attack that Iran has launched on Israel. It serves no benefit other than to further undermine regional security. 'We continue to work with Israel and partners in the region to prevent further escalation. Peace and stability are in everyone's interest, and I urge Iran to immediately end all forms of destabilising behaviour. 'In response to escalation in the region and in partnership with our allies, the Prime Minister and I have authorised the deployment of additional Royal Air Force assets. 'The RAF jets and air refuelling tankers will bolster our existing Operation Shader - the UK's existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq and Syria. In addition, these jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required.' In a late-night statement on Saturday, the MoD said: 'In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks. 'We have moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region.' Tehran had been threatening to attack since an air strike, which it blamed on Israel, last week killed two Iranian generals in Syria. A spokesperson for the US' National Security Council, meanwhile, said: 'President Biden has been clear: Our support for Israel's security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defence against these threats from Iran.' US president Joe Biden said: 'I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad.' Mr Biden said the US had helped Israel to 'take down nearly all' of the drones and missiles. He said: 'I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks - sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. 'While we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people.' Former president Donald Trump took to his own social media platform, Truth Social, to say: 'ISRAEL IS UNDER ATTACK! This should never have been allowed to happen This would NEVER have happened if I were President! 'AMERICA SUPPORTS ISRAEL!' Inside Iran, many were seen joyously celebrating as news of the attack broke Iranians were seen taking to the streets of Tehran with flares and Iranian flags, whooping and cheering as the missiles and drones entered Israeli airspace yesterday Many lit up flares and sparklers in celebration of the attack yesterday France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Stephane Sejourne said via X: 'France condemns in the strongest terms the attack launched by Iran against Israel. By deciding on such an unprecedented action, Iran is taking a new step in its destabilizing actions and taking the risk of a military escalation. 'France reaffirms its attachment to Israel's security and assures it of its solidarity.' Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said on X: 'Iran has fired drones and missiles at Israel. We strongly condemn the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos. Iran and its proxies must stop this immediately. Israel offers our full solidarity at this time.' The UN has also weighed in, with secretary general Antonio Guterres condemning Iran's attack on Israel and calling for restraint and an immediate cessation of hostilities. 'I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East,' It was reported yesterday that Iran has more than 100 cruise missiles ready to be launched as part of an 'imminent' strike against Israel in retaliation for an airstrike against Iran's embassy in Damascus, Syria. Announcing increased security measures in Israel during a televised briefing, chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said dozens of combat planes were airborne as part of the state of readiness. The strict measures, which include the ban of all 'educational activities' across the country, the restriction of working in offices without 'standard protected spaces' and limits on the number of people at gatherings', were implemented from 11pm. Educational activities have been banned across the country, while restrictions on working have been put in place on areas directly next to the Gaza Strip, and other areas in the Gaza Envelope. Israelis living on the areas next to the Gaza Strip have been banned from meeting outside in groups of more than 30, and are allowed to meet up to 300 people inside buildings. Beaches in the Gaza Envelope have also been closed to the public. Hagari said in the televised address that the directive will be reassessed at 6am local time, and urged Israelis to remain vigilant and to head to bomb shelters if they hear warnings. The long-range air defence system called Arman is displayed during an unveiling ceremony in Tehran, Iran A missile is launched during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in the south of Iran, in this handout image obtained on January 19, 2024 'We are taking all steps possible to ensure your safety. 'Since the start of the war, we have faced a variety of threats sent here by Iran's proxies and adapted our defence and attack systems accordingly,' Hagari said, adding that the IDF was 'fully prepared' for Iranian attacks. 'The air force's defence and attack formations are on alert and dozens of planes are in the sky. We are conducting a situational assessment with our strategic partners, led by the USA, and we are maintaining close coordination with them,' he added. Hagari's televised message came as Israel's defence minister Yoav Gallant held a meeting with top-level defence officials, including the IDF's chief Herzi Halevi. Gallant said the IDF was 'closely monitoring a planned attack by Iran and its proxies against the State of Israel.' 'We have added new capabilities - on land, in the air, at sea, in our intelligence directorate, within the State of Israel, and together with our partners, led by the United States. 'Iran is a terrorist state - the world is seeing this now more than ever.' Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in central Israel, November 5, 2023 Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from Lebanon towards Israel over the Israeli Lebanese border, as seen from northern Israel, April 12, 2024 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a prepared televised statement: 'Our defence systems are deployed, and we are prepared for any scenario, both in defence and offence. The State of Israel is strong, the IDF is strong, the public is strong.' 'We appreciate the US for standing by Israel's side as well as the support of the UK, France and many other countries.' 'I established a clear principle whoever hurts us, we will hurt them. We will defend ourselves from any threat and we will do so calmly and with determination.' 'I know that you, the citizens of Israel, are also keeping calm. I urge you to listen to the directives of the Home Front Command.' 'Together we stand, and with God's help, together we will overcome all of our enemies.' The increased security measures were announced hours after Iranian commandos took control of an Israel-linked container ship as it travelled in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping chokepoints. Tensions between Iran and Israel have been massively escalating after the IDF killed 12 people, including two top military figures, in an airstrike against Iran's embassy in Syria's capital, Damascus, on April 1. An Australian has caused chaos in Bali after being locked up in a convenience store by locals after allegedly attacking an Indonesian man. Identified by local police only as John, he allegedly struck a 28-year-old in front of Potato Head Beach Club, North Kuta, about 3:30am on Thursday. A group of locals and bystanders then chased John into a convenience store and locked him inside while waiting for police to arrive. He was arrested and taken to North Kuta police precinct but couldn't be questioned by investigators for hours as he was allegedly too drunk. An Aussie has been arrested and accused of attacking a Balinese local on Thursday morning and was so drunk investigators couldn't question him for hours (stock image) Badung Police spokesperson, Puta Sukarma, said John had 'run amok' after being chased by a 'number of ride-sharing motorbike taxis offering him a ride'. The alleged victim was walking past the scene and told police he stopped to avoid hitting the Aussie but instead allegedly became his target. 'The perpetrator immediately beat up the victim (and) punched him in the face and head,' Puta told Daily Mail Australia. He said the incident left the local bloodied with swollen lips and bruising on his arms and right eye. John's current location remains unclear. He is yet to be formally charged but could face assault charges, according to Puta, which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment. The area where the incident occurred is a popular tourist destination with a number of nightclubs such as Potato Head, Mrs Sippy and Beach Bar. He allegedly attacked attacked the 28-year-old near some of the island's popular beach-side nightclubs such as Potato Head Beach Club (pictured) It's the latest incident of holidaymakers causing trouble on the Indonesian island as officials try to strike a balance between fun and safety. All international tourists have had to pay 150,000 Indonesian Rupiah (about A$15), to pass through Bali's Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar, or any of the island's sea ports since February. Tourists will have to pay the tax every time they enter the island, in addition to an existing $50 e-visa that has been in place since May 2022. Bali Governor's Wayan Koster said the tax will help fund efforts to preserve Bali's rich 'culture and environment' and make the destination less attractive to 'cheap' tourists. Ukraine's army chief said on Saturday the situation on the eastern front had worsened in recent days as Russia has intensified its armored assaults and battles rage for control of a village west of the devastated city of Bakhmut. The statement by Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi more than two years since Russia's invasion reflected the grim mood in Kyiv as vital U.S. military aid that Kyiv expected to receive months ago remains stuck in Congress. Syrskyi said he travelled to the area to stabilize the front as Russian assault groups using tanks and armored personnel carriers took advantage of dry, warm weather that has made it easier to maneuver. "The situation on the eastern front in recent days has grown considerably more tense. This is linked primarily to the significant activisation of offensive action by the enemy after the presidential elections in Russia," he wrote on the Telegram app. A spokesman for the forces battling on the eastern section of the front said in remarks on Ukrainian television that Russia's army was attacking using all types of weapons, from artillery to tanks, drones and guided aerial bombs. With superior manpower and equipment, Russia was fighting along the entire front, the spokesman, Nazar Voloshyn, said, adding: "The enemy is trying to exhaust the Ukrainian Army." Since President Vladimir Putin won a new term in a stage-managed mid-March election, Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine and unleashed three massive aerial strikes on its energy system, pounding power plants and substations. The slowdown in military assistance from the West has left Ukraine more exposed to aerial attacks and heavily outgunned on the battlefield. Kyiv has made increasingly desperate appeals for supplies of air defense missiles in recent weeks. Moscow's forces, Syrskyi said, were taking significant losses during their attacks in the east, but were also making tactical gains. Social media channels reported the fall of Ukraine's eastern village of Bohdanivka to the west of the occupied city of Bakhmut, prompting Kyiv's defense ministry to deny them. But it acknowledged fierce fighting in the area and said Russian assault groups had reached the village's northern outskirts overnight. "Bohdanivka is now under the control of the defense forces," it said. The settlement lies a few kilometers northeast of the town of Chasiv Yar, a Kyiv-controlled stronghold that Russia has been trying to reach after seizing the town of Avdiivka in February to the south. Seize the strategic initiative Russia's defense ministry said on Saturday its forces had captured Pervomaiske, a village to the south also located in Ukraine's Donetsk region where Moscow has focused its offensive operations for months. Moscow said its troops had improved their tactical position on the front line there after capturing the village 8 kilometers (4.97 miles) southwest of occupied Avdiivka. Kyiv did not immediately comment on the status of Pervomaiske. Syrskyi said Russian armored assault groups were attacking on the fronts of Lyman as well as Bakhmut and using dozens of tanks and armored personnel carriers to try to break through lines on the Pokrovsk front. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has warned Russia may be preparing a big offensive push in late May or in June, inspected domestically-produced weapons at an event outside Kyiv where he presented state awards to Ukrainian arms producers. At the event, Ukraine's military drone forces chief said supplies of drones to the front lines this year were already three times higher than the volume supplied over the course of the whole of last year, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. He also said Ukraine had strike drones capable of flying 1,200 kilometers. In his statement, Syrskyi said only a technological edge over Russia in sophisticated weapons would allow Kyiv "to seize the strategic initiative" from a better equipped and larger foe. He called for better training for soldiers and in particular infantry, a clear reference to Ukraine's manpower challenges. Ukraine's parliament passed a bill on Thursday to overhaul how the armed forces draft civilians into the ranks. Zelenskyy also signed legislation last week lowering the draft age from 27 to 25. (Reuters) Israel has hailed its successful air defences in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran, saying it and its allies thwarted 99 per cent of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched towards its territory. But regional tensions remain high, amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. Iran launched the attack in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month which killed two Iranian generals. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles early on Sunday. After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the IDF was 'ready for any scenario', MailOnline outlines Iran's 800million arsenal that could be used to hit Israel. An Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the Shahed-136, is being displayed at the Azadi (Freedom) Square in western Tehran, Iran, on February 11, 2024 Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel yesterday handout picture provided by the Iranian Army media office on January 19, 2024, shows the launch of a missile during a military drill at an undisclosed location in southern Iran More than 170 Iranian drones were involved in the attack on Israel last night. The country's Shaded drones have a range of more than 1,500 miles and can transport warheads weighing 80 pounds (170kg), according to the Mirror. This type of kamikaze drone can be launched in batches of five or more at a time and can hit ground targets from a distance. The Shaded drones and other types of kamikaze drones held by Iran will explode on impact. Last August Iran also announced that it created a more advanced drone, the Mohajer-10, which can transport loads of up to 660 pounds (300kg) for 24 hours while covering a range of 1,250 miles. Iran does have at its disposal a formidable array of missiles and highly capable drones - undoubtedly the most numerous and diverse in the Middle East - which it hopes to employ to deal punishing strikes on Israel. Justin Crump, British Army veteran and CEO of strategic intelligence company Sibylline, estimates Iran has no less than nine different missile systems at its disposal capable of delivering effective strikes on Israeli territory. One of the nine is the Sejil, a 1,550mile-range missile which can reach speeds of 10,500mph. There is also the Kheibar missile, which has a range of 1,240miles, the medium-range Shahab-3 missile as well as the Ghadr, Paveh and Fattah-2 missiles. Furthermore Iranian news outlets reported that the country has a missile called Haj Qasem, which was named after a commander who was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad. The missile has a range of 870 miles. Another deadly missile is the highly precise Emad, which can carry 1650 pounds (750kg) of warheads over a range of 1,056 miles. Iran enjoys a heavy advantage in terms of sheer manpower over Israel, boasting a collective active and reserve military of roughly 1.2 million troops as well as thousands upon thousands of artillery systems. Israel meanwhile has around 750,000 active and military personnel at its disposal - but hundreds of thousands of these are already engaged in operations in and around Gaza, while others maintain a presence in the north to ward off border attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon. A handout picture provided by the Iranian Army media office on January 19, 2024, shows the launch of a missile during a military drill at an undisclosed location in southern Iran A drone is launched during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on August 25, 2022 Missiles entering Israeli airspace, with images from international media revealing missiles being intercepted by the Iron Dome system above Jerusalem yesterday A handout photo made available by the Iranian Army office on 19 January 2024 shows a missile being launched during a military drill in the Persian Gulf, southern Iran Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, January 15, 2024 Drones are seen at a site at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on April 20, 2023 A missile is launched during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in the south of Iran, in this handout image obtained on January 19, 2024 But a ground assault is highly unlikely, as 600 miles separate the borders of the two countries, with Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia between them. Even if Iran were try and send troops via Iraq and Syria to approach Israel, they would be met with an immediate response from US forces. With a naval battle also highly unlikely, the conflict between the countries will likely continue in the form of aerial assaults by air forces, missiles and drones. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) certainly has the upper hand over its adversary, flying the very best US-manufactured combat aircraft including the formidable F-35 stealth fighter-bomber, and F-15 and F-16 fighter jets specifically designed according to IAF requirements. It is also believed to have more combat aircraft at its disposal, outstripping the Islamic Republic of Iran's Air Force (IRIAF) by more than 100 units. The IRIAF has managed to pull together a wide variety of aircraft into a coherent force that encompasses older generation F-14 Tomcat fighters, Iranian manufactured jets based on the US F-4 and F-5 series jets, and an assortment of Russian and Chinese manufactured combat aircraft. Israel and Iran have for years been engaged in a shadow war marked by incidents such as the Damascus strike. But Sunday's assault, which set off air raid sirens across Israel, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel has over the years established - often with the help of the United States - a multilayered air defence network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. A drone is launched during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on October 4, 2023 Drones or missiles vying for targets at undisclosed locations in northern Israel yesterday Missiles which began to enter Israeli airspace were seen in video shared with MailOnline Fighters from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah carry out a training exercise in Aaramta village in the Jezzine District, southern Lebanon, Sunday, May 21, 2023 Iran warned arch foe Israel on April 2 that it will punish an air strike that killed seven Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals Iran has said it had attacked Israel in 'self-defence' following the April 1 strike on its diplomatic mission in Damascus, which was widely blamed on Israel. Pictured are missiles yesterday Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from Lebanon towards Israel over the Israeli Lebanese border, as seen from northern Israel, April 12, 2024 That system, along with collaboration with US and other forces, helped thwart what could have been a far more devastating assault at a time when Israel is already bogged down in its war against Hamas in Gaza and engaged in low-level fighting on its northern border with Lebanon's Hezbollah militia. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran. Hamas welcomed Iran's attack, saying it was 'a natural right and a deserved response' to the strike in Syria and urged the Iran-backed groups in the region to continue to support Hamas in the war against Israel. Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah began attacking Israel's northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles towards Israel. A French tradie who picked up a bollard and faced down the Westfield Bondi knifeman said the crazed killer had 'empty eyes'. Damien Guerot was going to the gym with his fellow Frenchman Silas Despreaux on Saturday afternoon when they stumbled across the scene of carnage. Mr Guerot picked up a retractable barrier and confronted killer Joel Cauchi, 40, as he advanced menacingly up an escalator. Footage of the tense stand-off went viral on social media, with many praising Mr Guerot's bravery. Now, the French construction worker has revealed how he and Mr Despreaux thwarted Cauci's killing spree. 'We tried to catch him but he was going down the stairs,' Mr Guerot told 7News. Damien Guerot picked up a retractable barrier and confronted killer Joel Cauchi, 40, as he advanced menacingly up an escalator (pictured) 'Then we saw him going down so we followed him from the top. We tried to maybe throw the bollard to him but we couldn't.' Mr Guerot said he was running off pure 'adrenaline'. 'We didn't think. You cannot think in that moment,' he said. Mr Guerot said Cauchi had 'empty eyes' and pictures of him released today looked nothing like the man who embarked on an indiscriminate stabbing frenzy. 'His eyes were like empty eyes... he wasn't there,' Mr Guerot said. The two mates launched the bollards at Cauchi but he managed to escape. Mr Guerot grabbed a chair and made chase with NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott who shot Cauci dead after he lunged at her. The Frenchman praised the quick-thinking of Inspector Scott. 'She was actually the hero, she did the job,' he said. Social media was awash with praise for Mr Guerot. 'This guy, trying to hold back a murderer with a bollard truly is a hero,' wrote one. Another added: 'He deserves a medal.' Cauchi fatally stabbed six people and injured at least 12 more in a violent rampage at the busy shopping centre on Saturday afternoon. There are fears the death toll could rise as three people, including a baby, are fighting for their lives. A senior Labour frontbencher leapt to the defence of deputy leader Angela Rayner today as she faced fresh questions about her living arrangements. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said her 'brilliant' superior would co-operate fully with any police or tax probe into two homes she owned in Manchester a decade ago. It came as one of Ms Rayner's former aides told police that she had not told the truth about her real 'home', after detectives reopened an investigation into whether she registered to vote correctly. Matt Finnegan, who worked with her when she was shadow education secretary, has given a statement to Greater Manchester Police in which he states that her actual home was with her then husband not at the former council house where she was registered on the electoral roll. In a media round this morning Ms Cooper attacked 'gossip' being spread by Tory MPs in the run-up to local election on May 2 in which the Conservatives are expected to take a pasting. Speaking to Sky News this morning Ms Cooper: 'I certainly wouldn't expect to see the personal advice about personal finances of any of my colleagues, but I think Angela has handled this in the right way and welcomed the opportunity to set out the facts. 'Keir has a very strong team around him, and rightly so - that's why I think, not only have they looked at this and been clear about it but also, Angela has as well. 'Angela is a brilliant deputy leader of our party and she is going to continue campaigning, working, (and) continue just as all of us are for the local elections, and not be deterred - political questions are always going to be raised.' Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said her 'brilliant' superior would co-operate fully with any police or tax probe into two homes she owned in Manchester a decade ago. Police announced on Friday that they are investigating claims first published in The Mail on Sunday that Ms Rayner breached electoral law Ms Rayner breached electoral law by registering a former right-to-buy council house in Vicarage Road, Stockport (pictured), as her home - it is claimed Tory chairman Richard Holden said: 'Yvette Cooper confirmed Sir Keir Starmer still hasn't even looked at Angela Rayner's legal advice despite admitting his team have already seen it! It's crystal clear that he is deliberately avoiding dealing with this serious ethics scandal because he is too weak to lead. 'Rather than sniping from the sidelines, having spent weeks covering for Ms Rayner, it is time Sir Keir Starmer overcomes his weakness and launches an independent investigation into this whole situation so the public can know who is telling the truth and who knew what when.' The testimony is the latest evidence to shatter the insistence by Labour's deputy leader that she has not broken any rules. Rayner was once 3/1 favourite to succeed Starmer but her odds have dramatically changed since. She was at 29/1 this morning, up from a low of 44/1 overnight, according to Betfair. Police announced on Friday that they are investigating claims first published in The Mail on Sunday that Ms Rayner breached electoral law by registering a former right-to-buy council house in Vicarage Road, Stockport, as her home, rather than a nearby property in Lowndes Lane, occupied by her then husband and three children. She did so for five years after the couple married. Ms Rayner responded to the police statement by saying that she would step down if she is found to have committed a criminal offence. Mr Finnegan has told the police that he visited Ms Rayner in Lowndes Lane in the summer of 2014 around the time she became a parliamentary candidate. In his statement, he said: 'There was no doubt in my mind that this was Ms Rayner's family home, where she lived with her then husband, Mark.' His letter to police, quoted by The Sunday Times, adds: 'I remember it quite vividly because Ms Rayner was not at home at first and I had to wait for some time in my car before she eventually arrived. It was also memorable in that it was the first and only time I visited her home during the course of my voluntary work for her.' Greater Manchester Police will hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss a strategy for their investigation. In addition to the electoral law issue, the saga has also raised separate, non-criminal issues of tax liability because married couples have to nominate one property as their main residence. If Ms Rayner had been living in Lowndes Lane this would have rendered her Vicarage Road property liable for capital gains tax when she sold it nine years ago, making a profit of 48,500. Experts believe that she could be liable for an HMRC bill of up to 3,500. Government guidance says that tenants can apply to buy their council home through the right-to-buy scheme if it is their 'only or main home'. Last night, sources close to Ms Rayner tried to cast doubt on Mr Finnegan's credibility as a witness. A Labour spokesman said: 'Angela has always made it clear that she also spent time at her husband's property when they had children and got married, as he did at hers. 'The house she owned remained her main home. Angela looks forward to sitting down with the appropriate authorities, including the police and HMRC, to set out the facts and draw a line under this matter.' The controversy has dogged Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer since this newspaper first reported the arrangement which was contained in a biography of Ms Rayner by Lord Ashcroft on our front page on February 25. If Ms Rayner had been living in Lowndes Lane this would have rendered her Vicarage Road property liable for capital gains tax when she sold it nine years ago, making a profit of 48,500. (File pic, March 28, 2024) Greater Manchester Police will hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss a strategy for their investigation Labour strategists hope a police investigation will conclude that no action needs to be taken. The party is likely to then try to declare the matter closed, even though the probe will not cover Ms Rayner's alleged tax liability. Ms Rayner says that she has taken 'expert legal and tax advice' on her position, but has so far declined to publish it, or even show it to Sir Keir. Significantly, Labour's hopes of their deputy being cleared have been raised by the fact that nearly a decade has passed since she moved out of the properties, and the police rarely pursue historic infringements of electoral law. Providing false information is an offence under Section 13D of the Representation of the People Act 1983, but the legislation imposes a time limit of a year for bringing any charge. A magistrates' court can extend that deadline in certain, rare circumstances. The police investigation could also be severely hampered because the local council no longer holds key data relevant to the inquiry. Local sources say Stockport Council's 'data retention' policy means that it doesn't hold information on issues such as the details of council-funded changes to Ms Rayner's then husband's house a kerb was lowered in the driveway which could have pointed to her 'real' address. However, the police would have access to information such as utility bills, credit checks and DVLA records. Officers would also be expected to interview neighbours. Residents of Vicarage Road at the time have told reporters Ms Rayner was known as the 'landlady' at the property and that they rarely saw her. Sylvia Hampson, a resident of Lowndes Lane, has called Ms Rayner a 'f***ing liar' for insisting that she didn't live there. The MoS last week revealed dozens of posts made by Ms Rayner on social media showing her life with her children and cats at her then husband's address. One photo from the property she claims not to have lived at was even posted with the caption 'just got home'. Mr Finnegan worked as an adviser and speechwriter for Ms Rayner between 2015 and 2017. That year, he left her office while on sick leave with diabetes in circumstances that have never been made public. His subsequent action for 'unfair dismissal and disability discrimination' was settled but apparently only after then shadow chancellor John McDonnell learned that Mr Finnegan had kept numerous texts and emails from Ms Rayner. The Labour Party offered Mr Finnegan 20,000 on the condition that he signed a non-disclosure agreement. Shortly afterwards he published a political thriller called Betrayal. The plot centres on a ruthless Labour MP, Abigail Jeffers an ambitious trade union official turned MP known to her staff as 'the Diva' who is caught making a bogus expenses claim for a hotel bill after a drunken one-night stand with a fellow member of the shadow cabinet. After the shadow chancellor finds out, he tells her to resign. When he falls into a diabetic coma, Abigail gives him a fatal overdose of insulin to conceal her misdeed. Her crime is eventually discovered by a Daily Mail journalist. In her statement on Friday, Ms Rayner said she was 'completely confident' that she had followed the rules and would 'of course do the right thing and step down' if found to have committed a crime. She was accused of 'double standards' for not resigning now, with Tory MPs pointing out she called on Boris Johnson to step down when he was being investigated for Covid rule-breaking in 2022. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'The double standards are extraordinary. 'Angela Rayner herself has spent her political career calling people out for exactly the thing she seems to be doing now. 'It's not acceptable to ignore it and it's not acceptable for Keir Starmer to say he won't even read reports into it.' Greater Manchester Police refused to answer detailed questions on their probe, simply reiterating its original statement that it is 'investigating whether any offences have been committed'. A host for The Project, who recently gave birth to her first child, burst into tears on air while discussing the horrific stabbing massacre at a Sydney shopping centre. Joel Cauchi, 40, killed six people and injured a dozen more when he stormed Westfield Bondi Junction on Saturday afternoon armed with a 30cm hunting knife. He was eventually shot dead by a police officer. Among the victims were Osteopath Ashlee Good, 38 and her nine-month old baby. Dr Good sadly died when she arrived at hospital and her daughter remains in intensive care. Rachell Corbett, speaking on Sunday's episode, was overcome with emotion and said: 'It is so hard to do shows on nights like this'. 'Never in this country do we go to the shops and think something like this can happen,' she said. 'You feel like you are 100 per cent safe when you are wandering around a shopping centre. 'I just cannot stop thinking about that poor poor baby and the father who now doesn't have his partner ... It's just so so hard.' Rachell Corbett, who recently gave birth to her first child, burst into tears on air while discussing the stabbing massacre at a Sydney shopping centre. Ms Corbett (pictured while pregnant) took time off from the show last year to give birth to her first child, who she is raising as a single parent READ MORE: Fifth victim in horror Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing massacre is identified Advertisement Ms Corbett briefly left The Project's panel last year to give birth to her first child and revealed she will raise her daughter as a single mother. The show's other hosts also expressed their heartbreak over the incident which Sarah Harris described as 'an hour of madness'. Dr Good is believed to have been one of the first to be attacked during the horrifying incident that has shocked Australia and the world. The mother desperately passed her daughter to a stranger as her and her child were being stabbed. The man who took the infant and his brother then used used clothes from a store to try and stem the baby's bleeding. 'The baby got stabbed and, yeah, the mum got stabbed,' then man told 9News. 'The mum came over with the baby and threw it at me. 'I just helped by holding the baby ... and trying to compress the baby.' The brothers stayed with the mother and called emergency services. '(It was) very bad... a lot of the blood on the floor ... hope the baby's alright,' the other brother said. Ms Good's family said in a statement they are 'reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee' and remembered her as 'a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all round outstanding human and so much more'. 'We appreciate the well-wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed an outpouring of love for Ashlee and our baby girl,' the statement reads. 'We are so grateful for the expert care and attention of the medical team at Sydney Childrens Hospital. 'We would also like to thank the New South Wales Police for their kindness and diligence in this tragedy and emergency services for getting our baby the care she needed as quickly as possible. 'To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not - words cannot express our gratitude.' Ashlee Good (pictured) desperately passed her daughter to a stranger as her and her child were being stabbed. Cauchi (pictured during the attack) killed six shoppers and injured several more, including Ms Good's child, before being shot dead by a police officer Four other victims of the attack have since been identified: advertising heiress Dawn Singleton, 25, security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, mother-of-two and architect Jade Young, 47, and artist Pikria Darchia, 55. Daily Mail Australia understands Saturday was Mr Tahir's first week on the job, but he heroically fought to protect shoppers from Cauchi's rampage. He had immigrated to Australia last year, having fled persecution from Pakistan and is just one of many who Aussies have labeled heroes for their efforts during the incident. They include the police officer who shot and killed Cauchi, Inspector Amy Scott, a man who held off the killer with a bollard, Damien Guerot, and Lifeguard Andrew Reid who provided first aid to the injured. Co-host Hamish MacDonald added 'in that short window of time we saw the worst of what society is capable of but also the best'. Time and again, our leaders make the same mistakes. History should have taught them long ago that appeasement emboldens dictators. The only way to make ourselves secure is by arming ourselves properly and responding to aggression with dauntless courage. Iran has felt emboldened to launch this ferocious attack for one key reason: the West has spent years trying to placate its odious mullahs, rather than making it clear that their malign actions will have sharp consequences. In recent weeks, all too belatedly, President Biden has stated that Washington's commitment to Israel is 'iron-clad'. People holding Iranian flags gather in Tehran today to stage a demonstration in support of Iran's attack on Israel Thankfully it proved so in the early hours of this morning, when the US along with the UK and, vitally, Jordan shot down Iranian drones and missiles heading for Israel. But if only Biden's resolve had been as 'iron-clad' when he entered the Oval Office three years ago. Instead, he has spent his tenure pursuing a wrong-headed, dangerous and hopelessly naive approach to the bearded theocrats of Iran. If I can briefly recap what happened: in May 2018, President Donald Trump pulled America out of the nuclear deal with Iran that his predecessor Barack Obama had negotiated in 2015 (the vice-president back then, of course, being Joe Biden). Under that deal, sanctions on Tehran were lifted in the hope that the mullahs would honour their 'promise' not to pursue a nuclear-weapons programme. Obama's approach was utter folly. The mullahs' coffers were soon filling up thanks to the lifting of sanctions and just as opponents of his deal had warned Iran was once again enthusiastically funding and training its bloodthirsty proxy groups, from Hezbollah in Lebanon to Hamas in Gaza. Experts, meanwhile, warned that its supposedly 'civil' nuclear programme was in fact a weapons project in disguise. Trump rightly tore up Obama's deal, facing down hysterical objections from co-signatories Britain, France and Germany. But The Donald's approach worked. Trump's sanctions shrunk Iran's economy by 4.8 per cent in 2018 and 9.5 per cent in 2019 diminishing the wider threat to the Middle East. But after Biden was inaugurated in 2021, he resumed talks on a renewed deal. And although the sanctions have not been formally lifted, their enforcement has been weakened, sending an implicit message to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, that the US was no longer serious about imposing them. Iran has since vastly expanded its oil exports, largely to China just as it has escalated its malign behaviour in Gaza, Lebanon and now from its own soil. We need to learn some lessons here. When Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement in 1938, Hitler felt empowered to invade Poland. When Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea in 2014, the West stood back and watched galvanising him to launch an all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022. And now Israel has been attacked on its own soil once again after Biden undid Trump's good work in standing up to the mad mullahs. The world is growing too dangerous for us to keep repeating this mistake. He smoked up to 10 cigars a day and reportedly once likened enjoying the fragrant rolled tobacco to falling in love. Winston Churchill's enjoyment of a fine Havana is the stuff of legend and he was repeatedly pictures with one gripped in his pugnacious jaw. He even has a line named after him. But a senior minister has suggested the legendary wartime leader and Tory icon would have backed Rishi Sunak's plan for a smoking ban. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins used Churchill to hit back at party critics of the plan for a rolling age limit on using tobacco, amid claims that the legislation is 'unconservative'. Boris Johnson and Liz Truss have led a fightback against the law, which returns to the Commons this week, with Mr Johnson saying it is 'nuts' and asking a Canadian conference why 'the party of Winston Churchill wants to ban cigars'. But writing in the Telegraph today, the Health Secretary said: 'Is this policy Conservative, some have asked? I profoundly believe it is. In doing so I draw inspiration from the words of a brilliant former Daily Telegraph correspondent, who became our greatest prime minister. 'I am referring, of course, to Winston Churchill, who once wrote of his relief from passing from 'the tossing sea of Cause and Theory to the firm ground of Result and Fact'. She added: 'One of the foundations of the Conservative Party is that we take tough decisions to protect future generations. That applies to the burdens of debt repayments and growing the economy. It should apply to addiction too.' Winston Churchill's enjoyment of a fine Havana is the stuff of legend and he was repeatedly pictures with one gripped in his pugnacious jaw. He even has a line named after him. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins used Churchill to hit back at party critics of the plan for a rolling age limit on using tobacco, amid claims that the legislation is 'unconservative'. The ban enjoys wide public support and is expected to become law with opposition help, despite suggestions almost 100 Tory backbenchers will refuse to back it. The rebellion is over a plan to raise the minimum age for buying tobacco every year to phase out smoking. It would effectively mean that anyone currently aged 15 or younger will never be able to buy cigarettes. The Mail on Sunday understands fellow ex-PM Liz Truss will speak against the plans in this week's Commons debate. MPs are being given a free vote on the issue meaning there can be no formal revolt against the Government even though reports yesterday said at least three Cabinet ministers will vote against the plan. And one senior Tory branded the decision not to impose a three-line Whip as a 'sign of weakness by Rishi, not strength'. Ms Truss has branded Mr Sunak's bid to effectively ban young people from smoking as 'profoundly unconservative'. Mr Johnson on Wednesday evening joined the Tory anger at Mr Sunak's proposals as he criticised policies that were being carried out 'in the name of conservatism'. 'We are, on the whole, in favour of freedom and it is that single Anglo-Saxon idea of freedom that I think unites conservatives, or should unite conservatives,' he said. 'And when I look at some of the things that we are doing now, or that are being done in the name of conservatism, I think they are absolutely nuts.' Mr Johnson added: 'When the party of Winston Churchill wants to ban cigars, donnez-moi un break as they say in Quebec, it's just mad.' An eight-year-old schoolboy has died after being struck by a car on a quiet Wiltshire cul-de-sac. Emergency services were called out to the crash in Woodland View, Dilton Marsh at 4.30pm on Saturday. The incident, which saw the quiet road in the rural village closed last night, involved a vehicle and the young boy who had been walking in the area. The tragic scene saw Wiltshire Air Ambulance scramble to the road alongside other 999 responders but despite their best efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The little boy's family have been informed and is being supported by a specialist officers. Emergency services were called to a road traffic collision in Woodland View, Dilton Marsh at 4.30pm on Saturday. Pictured: Police offices at the scene The incident, which saw the quiet road in the rural village closed last night, involved a vehicle and the young boy who had been walking in the area. Pictured: Police officers at the scene in Dilton Marsh The little boy's family have been informed and is being supported by a specialist officer. Pictured: Officers on the quiet cul-de-sac A man in his 30s is being interviewed, the police said, as 'is usual in these circumstances'. Tributes have flooded social media this morning, with many paying their respects tot the boys family. One wrote: 'What an sad news... fly high little man.. sending hug and love to his family and friends at this sad occasion.' Another said: 'This is so very very sad. Sending my thoughts to his family at this most unimaginably awful time.' 'Rest in paradise beautiful boy, thoughts are with the family,' a third added, while a fourth wrote: 'My condolences to the family, this is so tragic to read.' The devastating collision happened in Dilton Marsh on the warmest day of the year so far. The quiet village has a local pub, called The Prince of Wales, a pre-school and a primary school as well as a parent and toddler group. Woodland View is a small cul-de-sac with a few new build houses backing onto a large field. It is a close walk from both the primary and prep school. Witnesses to the collision or anyone with dash cam footage are being urged to contact the serious collision investigation team 'Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time', a Wiltshire Police spokesperson said. 'A man in his 30s is being interviewed, as is usual in these circumstances,' they added. Witnesses to the collision or anyone with dash cam footage are being urged to contact the serious collision investigation team on 01225 694597 quoting log number 218 of yesterday's date (13/04). Witnesses can also contact the team directly by emailing SCIT@wiltshire.police.uk. The Iranian kamikaze drones sent in a wave of rockets towards Israel was a similar tactic to Russia's assault on Ukraine, President Zelensky has said as he branded the bombs 'tools of terror'. The 300-missile attack on Israel has been condemned by Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky, who said the Iran's actions 'threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia's actions threaten a larger conflict'. He wrote on X: 'The sound of "Shahed" drones, a tool of terror, is the same in the skies over the Middle East and Europe. 'This sound must serve as a wake-up call to the free world, demonstrating that only our unity and resoluteness can save lives and prevent the spread of terror worldwide.' Zelensky added: 'The obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world.' A drone is launched during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on October 4, 2023 Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Jerusalem April 14, 2024 An Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the Shahed-136, is being displayed at the Azadi (Freedom) Square in western Tehran, Iran, on February 11, 2024 Around a hundred drones and missiles were fired at Israel The so-called Shahed drones have a range of more than 1,600 miles and can 'loiter' above potential targets for hours before being slammed into enemy soldiers, vehicles or buildings and exploding on impact. Packed with explosives, the Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be pre-programmed with the GPS coordinates of a target. They are known as suicide drones because they nosedive and explode on impact like a missile and are destroyed in the process. READ MORE: Moment Iran began its 300-missile attack on Israel is revealed by state television as world holds its breath over WWIII fears as Rishi Sunak says RAF pilots helped avert disaster by intercepting bombs Advertisement The Shahed 136 is 11ft long with a 8.2ft wingspan in a delta, or triangular shape. The explosives are contained in the nose of the drone, as well as the technology that guides it to its targets for a precision strike. The engine is found at the rear and drives two bladed propellers. It has been compared to an engine one would find on a lawnmower or a moped. Overall, the drone weighs 440lbs, and can fly at speeds of almost 120mph. In order to overwhelm air defences, several of the drones - generally batches of five or more - are launched at once from the same rack. They can be fired in quick succession from a rocket launcher mounted on a truck. The rocket is jettisoned on take-off and the engine takes over once it is airborne. An almost horizontal launch allows the drones to fly low and slow, and so avoid radar detective more effectively. Iran is known to have controlled Shaheds via radio. They are comparatively cheap, costing in the region of 10,000-40,000 per drone. A terrifying map has revealed the route the Iranian drones took early this morning in an attempt to hit Israel. Following the bombing of one of its embassies in Syria earlier this month, Iran has launched an assault against Israel by sending drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles towards Israeli targets. The salvo of missiles and drones have begun to enter Israel airspace Drones are seen at a site at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on April 20, 2023 Drones or missiles vying for targets at undisclosed locations in northern Israel yesterday Dramatic footage shows the moment Israel fires missiles to intercept the aerial bombardment, with explosions seen lighting up the sky. The UK, among Israel's closest allies, and other nations supported Israel by sending fighter jets to shoot down the drones and missiles. US officials added that their military also intercepted drones and missiles heading to Israel. US bases in Iraq have been placed on full alert and will also attempt to shoot down missiles and drones aimed at Israel. In addition, the US has two destroyers and a Cruiser in the Red Sea that are fully armed with anti-missile weapons and they too are under orders to shoot down any Israeli bound missiles or drones. But Iran has threatened the US if it gets involved in the spat, claiming that it is a conflict between Iran and Israel alone. Israel and Iran have for years been engaged in a shadow war marked by incidents such as the Damascus strike. But Sunday's assault, which set off air raid sirens across Israel, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel has over the years established - often with the help of the United States - a multilayered air defence network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. That system, along with collaboration with US and other forces, helped thwart what could have been a far more devastating assault at a time when Israel is already bogged down in its war against Hamas in Gaza and engaged in low-level fighting on its northern border with Lebanon's Hezbollah militia. Kemi Badenough today lashed out at 'cowardice' shown by public institutions over gender ideology. The Equalities Minister launched a furious broadside at the police, NHS and universities, accusing them of failing to act impartially on the issue of trans rights and the treatment of children. The Cass Review published last week said children have been let down by a lack of research and evidence on the use of puberty blockers and hormones. The report by Dr Hilary Cass, first commissioned in 2020, concluded that gender care is currently an area of 'remarkably weak evidence' and young people have been caught up in a 'stormy social discourse'. Writing in the Sunday Times today Ms Badenough, who is seen as a frontrunner to be the next Tory leader, attacked the 'cowardice of those in positions of influence', saying it was 'worse than the ravings of the militants'. She also called for a review of how public bodies have conducted themselves. 'Over three decades, politicians of all parties have outsourced power to so-called independent institutions. They were meant to take the politics out of decision-making but have themselves become politicised, often with little to no ministerial oversight,' she wrote. 'They may be independent, but they are no longer impartial. As politicians ceded control, many institutions became captured by a minority of ideological activists.' The Equalities Minister launched a furious broadside at the police, NHS and universities, accusing them of failing to act impartially on the issue of trans rights and the treatment of children. The report by Dr Hilary Cass, first commissioned in 2020, concluded that gender care is currently an area of 'remarkably weak evidence' and young people have been caught up in a 'stormy social discourse'. She added: 'At the heart of many of the review's recommendations is a failure of institutions to self-regulate. 'Ministers have intervened time and again, but it is time for institutional leaders to step up and recover impartiality. It is also time for an in-depth review of decision-making across the public sector. How is it that senior leaders ignore the law and allow groups like Stonewall to make up what it should be?' It is the latest outburst by a senior Tory minister, after Health Secretary Victoria Atkins last week claimed Labour spent years 'trying to shut anyone up' who voiced fears over trans issues. Singling out her Opposition counterpart Wes Streeting for criticism, Ms Atkins accused his party of fuelling an 'intimidation'. She called on Mr Streeting, who worked for LGBT rights group Stonewall, to apologise over comments he endorsed in the past that 'trans women are women'. Her intervention came as the Labour frontbencher admitted a major review published this week had made him realise 'there are lots of complexities'. Hilary Cass's survey of NHS England gender identity services concluded trans children had been put on the path to irreversible change based on 'remarkably weak evidence'. The report prompted NHS England to announce a 'Cass part two' review of adult gender services. Ms Atkins said Labour had sought to downplay its rhetoric of the past decade by agreeing with Dr Cass's final recommendations. After Dr Cass's report said 'the toxicity of the debate is exceptional', it emerged six NHS adult gender services had effectively blocked the review's research. In a letter to NHS England's chief executive, Ms Atkins said there could be 'no further delay' on understanding the experience of 9,000 young patients of the now-shut gender service at the Tavistock Trust in London. The adult gender dysphoria clinics to which Tavistock patients moved refused to take part in a study on the outcomes of treatment, which Ms Atkins described as 'disgraceful'. NHS England has written to the trusts demanding the data is handed over and it has instructed an end to appointments for under-18s. This is the moment Iran began its 300 missile attack against Israel last night, as the world holds its breath over fears of World War III. Footage released by Iranian state TV shows huge clouds of smoke and blinding flashes as hundreds of missiles were fired in retaliation to a drone strike at the beginning of April in Syria that killed 12 Iranians, including two top generals. The strike marks the first time a direct military assault has been launched by Tehran on Israel despite decades enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. This morning, Israel said it 'foiled' Iran's unprecedented attack on its country and revealed 120 ballistic missiles along with 200 drones were used. Syria has said Iran exercised their 'right to self-defence' in the attack on Israel. It comes as Prime Minster Rishi Sunak confirmed RAF pilots shot down 'a number' of Iranian drones while intercepting the strike on Israel. He called for 'calm heads to prevail' and said he wanted to 'pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of our pilots flying into the face of danger to protect civilians'. Warplanes based in Iraq and Syria had been deployed to intercept airborne strikes after Tehran announced it had launched an assault yesterday. The Prime Minister is expected to join other G7 leaders on a call today amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. Speaking to journalists in Downing Street, Mr Sunak said if Iran's attack on Israel been successful 'the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate', as he confirmed RAF pilots shot down 'a number of' drones. And according to the New York Times, US President Joe Biden dissuaded Israel from giving the go-ahead on an immediate retaliation attack against Iran last night. Drones or missiles vying for targets at undisclosed locations in northern Israel yesterday Prime Minster Rishi Sunak has confirmed RAF pilots shot down 'a number' of Iranian attack drones while intercepting the attack of Israel last night This map shows sites around Israel which the IDF has issued protective warnings to residents People drive along a street in Jerusalem today after Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel People cross a street in Jerusalem today after the Israeli army said Iran's attack was 'foiled' People gather around a destroyed building targeted by Israeli air strikes on the village of Nabi Sheet in the Baablbek district in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley on April 14, 2024 Speaking to Sky News, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said they have to look at the situation in the 'right perspective'. He said: 'Israel has undertaken all the necessary steps to block this attack, which was a violent, flagrant violation of all the rules. 'I am happy we are part of an incredible coalition of nations which has been part of preventing most of these missiles and weapons and drones from coming into Israel. 'Our air defence system has proven incredibly successful. It calls for special attention by all of the key figures in the world to understand there is an empire of evil and terror. 'It's about time the world faces this and makes it clear this is not acceptable. 'We are here to protect Europe. Thank god for the Israeli military and its allies and also thanks to the British forces.' Asked about the global warnings not to escalate, he said: 'The last thing Israel is seeking in this region is to go to war. We are seeking peace, we are peace-seekers. 'Unfortunately it all started on the October 7 when Hamas led an unbelievably brutal massacre against Israeli citizens and the rest is history. We always listen to our partners and our allies, we respect their view.' Israeli war cabinet Minister Benny Gantz released a statement to say that Israel must strengthen 'strategic alliance and regional cooperation' which allowed it to withstand yesterday's attack. He said: 'Iran is a global problem, it is a regional challenge and it is also a danger to Israel, and yesterday, the world clearly stood together with Israel in the face of the danger. 'Israel against Iran, the world against Iran...this is the result. This is a strategic achievement, which we must leverage for Israel's security.' Seemingly indicating he doesn't support immediate retaliation, he continued: 'Faced with the threat of Iran, we will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran, in the way and at the time that suits us,' The Times of Israel reported. John Kirby said the U.S. has communicated to Iran 'what we would do' if American troops or facilities are targeted amid rising conflict in the Middle East. President Joe Biden's National Security Council (NSC) Spokesman reiterated that the U.S. does not plan to get involved with counter attacks against Iran on behalf of ally Israel but will continue to help defend the Jewish nation. Amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas terrorists in Gaza, some Republican lawmakers are not pleased with the Biden administration response so far with the escalating conflict and want a direct response to the attacks last night from Iran and its proxies. 'The president has made it clear: We do not seek a war with Iran. We don't seek a wider war in the region,' Kirby told NBC host Kristen Welker Sunday morning. It has been announced that the EU foreign ministers will meet on Tuesday after Iran's attack on Israel after the EUs foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for it to try and de-escalate the situation. It comes after Israel today levelled a building in east Lebanon and vowed a response to Iran's 300-missile attack - as the Middle East holds its breath amid fears of World War III. A source within Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group said Israel struck one of its buildings close to the Syrian border today, as tensions soared after Iran directly attacked Israel. Smoke billows over the area of an Israeli air strike on the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila near the border with Israel on April 14, 2024 A bus, motorcycles, and other vehicles move across a pedestrian intersection along a street in Tehran today following the attack on Israel yesterday People relax at a beach in Tel Aviv, after Iran's drone and missile attack on Israel overnight Hundreds of cruise missiles and UAVs sent by Iran overnight were mostly intercepted and destroyed by Israel's Defence System. Pictured are beachgoers in Tel Aviv, Israel, today The source told news agency AFP: 'The Israeli strike targeted an area... near Baalbek and targeted a two-storey building belonging to Hezbollah,' adding that there were no casualties reported. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency also reported that 'an enemy air strike targeted a building' in the village of Nabi Sheet and 'destroyed it'. The IDF later confirmed the strike on the 'significant weapons manufacturing site' in the Nabi Sheet area. Reports in Israel suggested RAF and US warplanes had shot down some Israel-bound Iranian drones over the Iraq-Syria border area amid the attack. But Victoria Atkins said earlier she is 'not in a position to confirm or deny' whether British jets have already shot down Iranian drones. However, Mr Sunak has now confirmed RAF pilots shot down 'a number' of Iranian attack drones. He added that 'the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate' had Iran's attack on Israel been successful'. He said of Iran's attack on Israel: 'This was a dangerous and unnecessary attack. 'It's clear that Iran is determined to sew discord' in the region 'in their own back yard', he said. The Prime Minister said he had chaired a Cobra meeting with Cabinet ministers on Friday to 'agree a plan of action' regarding the attack. A source within Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group said Israel struck a building in the village of Nabi Sheet in the Baablbek district in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley today A destroyed building targeted by Israeli air strikes on the village of Nabi Sheet in Baablbek It also came as the latest attempt to reach a ceasefire in the war in Gaza appeared to falter, with Israel accusing Hamas of rejecting a truce proposal. Last night, drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles were said to have been fired from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen in what is said to be an attempt to 'overwhelm' defences with various weapons from different directions. Israeli sources said seven of 131 ballistic missiles got through. Most seemed to have hit the Nevatim airbase in a symbolic strike - as the airbase is where the Israeli F-35s took off to hit the Damascus consulate - although Israel says the airbase only sustained minor infrastructure damage and remains operational. The Israeli Army reported that 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles were shot down before they reached Israel. Iran's foreign ministry summoned the ambassadors of the UK, France and Germany to question what it slammed as a 'irresponsible stance' regarding the strikes on Israel. It follows reports of a number of nations helping to intercept the swarm of missiles Iran fired last night.A seven-year-old girl from a Bedouin town near Arad was injured by falling shrapnel at around 2am and is in serious condition 'fighting for her life' at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, The Times of Israel reported. The medical centre confirmed she is now in the hospital's paediatric intensive care unit receiving treatment for a major head wound. Hamas has also gloated about last night's devastating attack on Israel by Iran which led to a seven-year-old girl being seriously injured - calling it a 'deserved response'. Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile defence system deployed near Jerusalem which reportedly helped intercept 99 per cent of the missiles launched An Israeli F35 fighter jet takes off from an undisclosed location in central Israel, 14 April 2024 This morning, Hamas said in a statement: 'We in Hamas regard the military operation conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran a natural right and a deserved response on the crime of targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the assassination of several leaders of the Revolutionary Guards,' The Times of Israel reports. Iran today warned Israel of a larger attack if it retaliates against the overnight drone and missile assault - adding that it has warned the US not to back Israeli military action. It said any 'reckless' Israeli move will prompt 'stronger response'. 'The matter can be deemed concluded,' Iran's mission to the United Nations said in a post on social media platform X just a few hours after the start of the operation late Saturday. 'However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe,' the Iranian mission warned. NATO has joined calls for 'restraint' - as it condemned the Iran attack as an 'escalation'. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock today said that Iran has taken the Middle East to the 'edge of a precipice' with its overnight attack on Israel. She said Tehran had 'plunged an entire region into chaos' and asked all sides to show restraint, adding that the spiralling tensions needed to end. But Israel's chief military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, called Iran's actions 'very grave', telling a televised briefing they 'push the region toward escalation', and Israel's Channel 12 TV cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying there would be a 'significant response' to the attack. Speaking to Sky News, spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner said the IDF is 'poised and prepared' and it will be decided whether Israel will retaliate in a meeting later today. He said it is 'extremely tense' and its aerial defences remain on 'high alert'. The Israeli war cabinet will meet at 1.30pm, it has been reported. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock today said that Iran has taken the Middle East to the 'edge of a precipice' with its overnight attack on Israel Head of the Israeli military, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi (L), attending a meeting at the Israeli Air Force Operations Center in Kirya in Tel Aviv with the commanding officers of the Israeli Air Force, the operations directorate and the intelligence directorate today The remains of a rocket booster that, according to Israel, critically injured a seven-year-old girl Residents transfer the remains of a rocket booster that reportedly injured a seven-year-old girl After Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, near Arad, this is the remains of a rocket booster which reportedly injured a seven-year-old child Pope Francis has today made a 'pressing appeal' against the 'spiral of violence' Italy's Prime Minister posted on X to condemn the Iranian strike against Israel The attack which began late yesterday marks a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes, and comes against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Iran's proxies and allies also carried out coordinated attacks on Israeli positions as sirens sounded in many places and with blasts heard in the skies above Jerusalem early Sunday. Iran had repeatedly threatened to retaliate against Israel for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular building, and Washington had warned in recent days that the reprisals were imminent. Late yesterday, the Israeli army said Iran had launched a 'massive swarm of over 200 killer drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles'. The army said it had scrambled dozens of fighter jets to intercept 'all aerial threats', and was working with the US and other allies to stop the launches. People in Jerusalem sought cover, while some residents stockpiled water. 'As you can see it's empty, everybody is running home,' said Eliyahu Barakat, a 49-year-old grocery shop owner in Jerusalem's Mamilla neighbourhood. Earlier today, the Israeli army said that 99 percent of the launches had been intercepted. None of the drones and cruise missiles that were launched towards Israel had entered its territory, Hagari said, and 'only a few' ballistic missiles reached Israel. 'The Iranian attack was foiled,' military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement. US President Joe Biden reiterated Washington's 'ironclad' support for Israel after an urgent meeting with his top security officials on the spiralling crisis. Leaders from the G7 will hold a video conference later today to discuss the Iranian strikes on Israel, according to Italy - which holds the rotating presidency of the group of developed nations. Today, Pope Francis made a 'pressing appeal' against a 'spiral of violence' after Iran's unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, warning of a potential regional conflagration. 'I make an urgent appeal for an end to any action which could fuel a spiral of violence that risks dragging the Middle East into an even greater conflict,' he declared following his traditional Sunday prayer in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican. Israeli warships patrol off the coast of the Israeli coastal city of Netanya, today Israeli warships patrol off the coast of Netanya today, following yesterday's strike Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant (2nd R) attends the Israel's war cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (not seen), held to discuss the drone attack United States President Joe Biden meets with members of the National Security Council regarding the unfolding missile attacks on Israel An Iranian man is holding a scale model of a cannon shell during a celebration in support of Iran's attack against Israel yesterday Read my statement on the Iranian regimes reckless attack against Israel. pic.twitter.com/xeuR3cd3kG Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 13, 2024 'The Italian presidency of the G7 has summoned G7 leaders for a video conference early this afternoon', the government said. The G7 groups the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada. Rishi Sunak is expected to join President Joe Biden on the call on Sunday amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. Mohammed, the father of the schoolgirl who was injured in the attack, told The Times of Israel how the shrapnel fell on their house while they were sleeping. He told the news site: 'It fell on us into the house at around two in the morning. She was sleeping in the house and we immediately took her to Soroka Hospital [in Beersheba].' Iran launched more missiles and drones toward Israel in the early hours of Sunday morning. The Israeli military said Iran fired more than 100 bomb-carrying drones toward Israel. Israel's airspace reopened today at 7:30 am (0430 GMT) after it was closed following Iran's attack on Israel, the Israeli airports authority said in a statement. 'As of 07:30 in the morning, Israel's airspace is reopening and Ben Gurion Airport is returning to operations', the statement said, adding that domestic airports would reopen throughout the day. The airspace had been closed since 12:30 am (2130 GMT on Saturday). Rocket trails in the sky above the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem last night Empty beaches in the Israeli coastal city of Netanya, on April 14, 2024 Pictures posted by the IDF show Israeli pilots returning to base after intercepting missiles The Israeli military said that Iran's attack using hundreds of drones and missiles had been 'foiled', with 99 percent of them intercepted overnight. Pictured are pilots returning to base Early Sunday, the Israeli army said that 99 percent of the launches had been intercepted Pilots are seen returning to base after intercepting the missiles and drones yesterday A view shows an 'Adir' fighter jet at a location given as the Nevatim Airbase, in Israel One of them 'lightly hit the Nevatim base', he added, noting that the military compound was 'still functioning'. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement: 'Together with the United States and additional partners, we managed to defend the territory of the State of Israel.' 'The campaign is not over yet - we must remain alert', Gallant added. The Iranian army has said its attack 'achieved all its objectives'. Mohammad Bagheri, the Iranian armed forces' chief of staff, told state TV: 'Operation Honest Promise was completed successfully from last night to this morning and achieved all its objectives.' Iran has said it had attacked Israel in 'self-defence' following the April 1 strike on its diplomatic mission in Damascus, which was widely blamed on Israel. The Damascus strike levelled the five-storey consular annexe of the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital and killed seven Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals. Bagheri said the retaliatory attack targeted an 'intelligence centre' and the air base from which Tehran says the Israeli F-35 jets took off to strike the Damascus consulate. 'Both these centres were significantly destroyed and put out of order,' he said, though Israel maintains that the attack only resulted in minor damage. 'We see this operation as complete, and this operation has ended in our opinion,' Bagheri said. 'There is no intention to continue this operation,' he said, calling on Israel to avoid taking further action against Iran which according to Bagheri would result in a 'much bigger' response. The army chief also warned the United States against aiding any Israeli action against Iran. Reports in Israel suggested RAF and US warplanes had shot down some Israel-bound Iranian drones over the Iraq-Syria border area amid the attack. But Victoria Atkins has said she is 'not in a position to confirm or deny' whether British jets have already shot down Iranian drones Crews work on an Israeli Air Force F-15 Eagle in a hangar, said to be following an interception mission of an Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel Israel's chief military spokesman delivered a televised address to the nation after Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israel came to an end 'We sent a message to America through the Swiss embassy that if it cooperates with Israel in their next potential actions, their bases will not be secure,' he added. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief, Hossein Salami, hailed what he called 'a limited operation' that targeted Israeli 'capabilities that were used to attack our embassy'. Salami added it was 'more successful than expected'. He reiterated warnings of a 'counterattack' if Israel targeted Iranian interests or individuals. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said via state media yesterday: 'The aerospace unit of the Revolutionary Guards has attacked targets in Israel with dozens of drones and missiles in reaction to the Zionist regime's crimes, including the attack on the consulate section of Iran's embassy in Damascus and martyring our commanders and military advisers in Syria.' Missiles which began to enter Israeli airspace were seen in video shared with MailOnline, showing them being intercepted by the Iron Dome system above Jerusalem, forcing citizens to run to shelters across the city. Iran claimed to have dealt 'heavy blows' to an airbase in Negev, though the IDF said only minor damage was caused. The IDF added that the vast majority of the missiles and drones were shot down, with one small girl being injured by falling shrapnel. Iranian media reported that while Tehran's barrage of ballistic missiles has concluded, the drones and cruise missiles are yet to enter Israeli airspace. Iran has vowed to take further 'defensive measures' if Israel chooses to respond to the salvo. Yemen-based Houthis have also claimed to have shot 'dozens' of rockets towards an IDF base in the north-east of Israel. it is not currently known if the Houthi attacks are linked to Iran's salvo. The UK, among Israel's closest allies, and other nations reportedly supported Israel by sending fighter jets to shoot down the drones and missiles. US officials added that their military also intercepted drones and missiles heading to Israel. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned 'in the strongest terms' Iran's 'reckless attack' as he pledged to 'continue to stand up for Israel's security and that of all our regional partners', while US President Joe Biden said he would convene a meeting of G7 leaders on Sunday 'to co-ordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack'. Today, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey condemned the Iranian attack but backed calls to avoid further conflict. He said it is a 'dangerous escalation' in a conflict which has caused 'far too much death and suffering' and called for an end to the 'horrifying cycle of violence'. Victoria Atkins said the 'circle of knowledge' on the conflict in the Middle East has to be 'very, very tight', when asked whether the Cabinet was consulted before RAF planes were deployed to protect Israel. Speaking to the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, the Health Secretary said: 'Of course there are relevant Cabinet ministers in that (Cobra) meeting. 'You will appreciate the circle of knowledge on this has to be very, very tight because of the sensitivities and the danger that is involved for everyone in the region.' Asked whether the Government would proscribe the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, she said: 'We keep all of these issues under constant review.' Ms Atkins said she is 'not in a position to confirm or deny' whether British jets have already shot down Iranian drones. Labour has backed the UK Government action taken overnight to help protect Israel. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'Let's be clear, we support the existing Government missions in the Middle East and continue to do so. 'That is important. We also think that it is important that action was taken overnight to prevent the Iranian strikes on Israel because we should be clear that if action hadn't been taken to prevent those strikes, we would have seen further escalation and further risk of widening conflict.' Missiles which began to enter Israeli airspace were seen in video shared with MailOnline Iran has said it had attacked Israel in 'self-defence' following the April 1 strike on its diplomatic mission in Damascus, which was widely blamed on Israel. Pictured are missiles yesterday Warplanes in Iraq and Syria have been deployed to intercept 'any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions', the Ministry of Defence said. The Times of Israel reported that Israel's chief military spokesperson said France was among the countries involved in defending against Iran's overnight attack on Israel. The news outlet added that The IDF's spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said France was 'contributing in patrolling airspace' but he didn't know if their jets had shot down any of the missiles. Israeli officials said that the United States, Britain, and Jordan also all helped intercept the massive barrage of drones Iran fired at Israel overnight, according to The Times of Israel. Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel, had readied air defences and said it intercepted flying objects that entered its airspace last night. It added that some shrapnel fell in 'multiple places' but didn't cause significant damage or injures to citizens. Iran today warned Israel of a larger attack if it retaliates against the overnight drone and missile assault - adding that it has warned the US not to back Israeli military action. The armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri told state TV their response will be 'much larger than tonight's military action if Israel retaliates', The Times of Israel reports. President Isaac Herzog wrote on X to express his gratitude to the military and to Israel's allies. He posted: 'Bless you dear soldiers and commanders of the IDF and IAF. Bless the coalition of nations led by the US and @POTUS. 'Bless my sisters and brothers, the people of Israel, for their exceptional show of resilience. Together, the forces of good will overcome the forces of evil.' Britain has sent jets to support Israel as it is attacked by Iran The US is sending a naval task force with over 2,500 marines But many of Iran's Middle East allies, including Qatar and Kuwait, are rallying around it Around a hundred drones and missiles were fired at Israel yesterday People wave Iranian and Palestinian flags during an anti-Israel rally after Iran launched drone attacks against Israel at Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran One video shared with MailOnline showed the Iron Dome intercepting a missile yesterday Iranians were seen celebrating as news of the attack broke yesterday Iranians celebrate on a street, after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran, Iran yesterday Israel's cabinet is currently meeting to discuss how to deal with the attack from Iran The IDF's spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said that the Iranian attack was 'a severe and dangerous escalation' in tensions, adding: 'Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran.' The IDF said: 'The air defence array is on high alert at the same time as the Air Force planes and Navy ships that are on a mission to protect the country's skies. The IDF is monitoring all targets. 'We ask the public to adhere to and follow the instructions of the Home Front Command and the official IDF announcements regarding the matter.' Israel's allies sent in military assets in to help Israel. US Congressional sources said the amphibious war ship Bataan is leading a US naval task force in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Bataan has two support ships and together they have about 2,500 Marines onboard. The US also has several guided missile destroyers including the Carney in the area. US bases in Iraq were placed on full alert and attempted to shoot down missiles and drones aimed at Israel. In addition, the US has two destroyers and a Cruiser in the Red Sea that are fully armed with anti-missile weapons and they too were under orders to shoot down any Israeli bound missiles or drones. But Iran has threatened the US if it gets involved in the spat, claiming that it is a conflict between Iran and Israel alone. Iran's mission to the UN wrote on X: 'Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran's military action was in response to the Zionist regime's aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. 'The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!' Iran's foreign ministry, meanwhile, said in statement to local media: 'Iran, if necessary, will not hesitate to take further defensive measures to safeguard its legitimate interests against any military aggressions and unlawful use of force while reaffirming its commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.' Israel is expected to launch a counterattack against Iran. Former IDF captain Caroline Glick told MailOnline: '[Iran's] overthrow is the key to the restoration of regional stability. Just last week, when a regime authority called for a moment of silence in memory of the Iranian terror masters Israel killed in Damascus two weeks ago, the crowd instead began calling for the overthrow of the regime.' Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel yesterday Missiles entering Israeli airspace, with images from international media revealing missiles being intercepted by the Iron Dome system above Jerusalem yesterday Iranian media reported Tehran has also launched ballistic missiles towards Israel yesterday The salvo of missiles and drones entering Israel airspace yesterday The night sky above Jerusalem was lit up by missiles yesterday Inside Iran, many were seen joyously celebrating as news of the attack broke. Iranians were seen taking to the streets of Tehran with flares and Iranian flags, whooping and cheering as the missiles and drones entered Israeli airspace. Surrounding countries appeared to prepare for an escalation in hostilities. Iraq reopened its airspace on Sunday hours after suspending all air traffic as neighbouring Iran launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel, the Iraqi aviation authority announced. Jordan, which neighbours Iraq as well as Israel, and Lebanon also reopened their respective airspace on Sunday having earlier closed them, as did Israel which said the Iranian attack had been 'foiled' with most launches intercepted overnight. The Iraqi civil aviation authority announced in a statement 'the reopening of the airspace' and resumption of flights to and from airports across the country, saying there were no longer any 'security risks to civilian aircraft'. Kurdish media in northern Iraq reported that Iranian drones had flown over the autonomous Kurdish region overnight. Israel, which had closed its airspace since 12:30 am (2130 GMT on Saturday) in anticipation of the Iranian attack, had reopened it by 7:30 am (0430 GMT), the Israeli airports authority said. However, Austrian Airlines said on Sunday it had suspended 'all flights to Tel Aviv in Israel, Arbil in Iraq and Amman in Jordan with immediate effect' due to 'recent developments in the Middle East'. 'There will be no flights to or from Tel Aviv, Arbil and Amman' until Monday, spokeswoman Sophie Matkovits said, adding that 'the safety of personnel and passengers' was the company's top priority. The airline also said a previously announced suspension of flights to Tehran in Iran would remain in effect until Thursday. Long-haul flights passing through the Middle East will also be rerouted, it said. Several international airlines have suspended or redirected flights in recent days to avoid Iranian airspace. Syria is also on high alert, setting up its ground-to-air defence systems around the capital Damascus and major bases in the event of an Israeli strike, army sources said. Sources told Reuters they expected Israel would retaliate against army bases and installations where pro-Iranian militia were based after Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said they launched dozens of drones and missiles against specific targets in Israel. Qatar and Kuwait have both issued directives against the US prohibiting the use of their airspace for any potential military action against Iran. People holding Iranian flags gather to stage a demonstration in support of Iran's attack on Israel in Tehran yesterday The IRGC has promised for increased violence if Israel responds to the attack Iranians celebrate on a street, after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran US military aircraft are stationed at the Ali Al Salem Air Base and the Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, as well as the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US airbase in the Middle East. But Egypt's foreign ministry urged both sides to exercise restraint, saying in a statement: 'Egypt expresses its deep concern about the indicators of Iranian/Israeli escalation and demands the exercise of the utmost restraint 'The Arab Republic of Egypt expresses its deep concern regarding the announced launch of Iranian offensive marches against Israel, and the indicators of dangerous escalation between the two countries during the recent period, calling for the exercise of the utmost restraint to spare the region. 'And its people are more factors for instability and tension. 'Egypt considers that the dangerous escalation that the Iranian/Israeli arena is currently witnessing is nothing but a direct result of what Egypt has repeatedly warned about, about the dangers of expanding the conflict in the region as a result of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, and the provocative military actions being practiced in the region. 'Egypt stresses that it is in constant contact with all concerned parties to try to contain the situation, stop the escalation, and spare the region the risk of sliding into a dangerous turn of instability and threat to the interests of its people.' . pic.twitter.com/rBJoVTqjo8 Nir Hasson (@nirhasson) April 13, 2024 Demonstrators wave Iran's flag and Palestinian flags as they gather at Palestine Square in Tehran on April 14, 2024 Iranians were seen celebrating as the missiles and drones began to hit Israel The rest of the world has begun to react to Iran's strikes. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement: 'I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime's reckless attack against Israel. These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. 'The UK will continue to stand up for Israel's security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. 'Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed.' The UK's Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron took to X to say: 'Iran's reckless attacks on Israel will only further inflame tensions in the Middle East. The UK calls on the Iranian regime to stop this serious escalation, which is in no one's interest.' Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the party supported all measures 'designed to restore calm' and prevent a wider regional war. In a statement, he said: 'We condemn the Iranian regime's decision to subject Israelis to these unacceptable attacks. 'The international community has been united in urging restraint and we regret that yet again Iran has chosen a different, dangerous path. 'Our thoughts are with all those in the region who want peace and security, not the fear and instability being generated by Iran. 'We continue to stand up for Israel's security and that of our other partners in the region, including Jordan and Iraq. We support all measures designed to restore calm as we must do all we can to prevent a wider regional war.' A battery of Israel's Iron Dome defense missile system, deployed to intercept rockets, sits in Ashkelon Grant Shapps, the UK's defence minister added: 'I strongly condemn the senseless airborne attack that Iran has launched on Israel. It serves no benefit other than to further undermine regional security. 'We continue to work with Israel and partners in the region to prevent further escalation. Peace and stability are in everyone's interest, and I urge Iran to immediately end all forms of destabilising behaviour. 'In response to escalation in the region and in partnership with our allies, the Prime Minister and I have authorised the deployment of additional Royal Air Force assets. 'The RAF jets and air refuelling tankers will bolster our existing Operation Shader - the UK's existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq and Syria. In addition, these jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required.' In a late-night statement on Saturday, the MoD said: 'In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks. 'We have moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region.' Tehran had been threatening to attack since an air strike, which it blamed on Israel, last week killed two Iranian generals in Syria. A spokesperson for the US' National Security Council, meanwhile, said: 'President Biden has been clear: Our support for Israel's security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defence against these threats from Iran.' US president Joe Biden said: 'I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad.' Mr Biden said the US had helped Israel to 'take down nearly all' of the drones and missiles. He said: 'I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks - sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. 'While we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people.' Former president Donald Trump took to his own social media platform, Truth Social, to say: 'ISRAEL IS UNDER ATTACK! This should never have been allowed to happen This would NEVER have happened if I were President! 'AMERICA SUPPORTS ISRAEL!' Inside Iran, many were seen joyously celebrating as news of the attack broke Iranians were seen taking to the streets of Tehran with flares and Iranian flags, whooping and cheering as the missiles and drones entered Israeli airspace yesterday Many lit up flares and sparklers in celebration of the attack yesterday France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Stephane Sejourne said via X: 'France condemns in the strongest terms the attack launched by Iran against Israel. By deciding on such an unprecedented action, Iran is taking a new step in its destabilizing actions and taking the risk of a military escalation. 'France reaffirms its attachment to Israel's security and assures it of its solidarity.' Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said on X: 'Iran has fired drones and missiles at Israel. We strongly condemn the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos. Iran and its proxies must stop this immediately. Israel offers our full solidarity at this time.' The UN has also weighed in, with secretary general Antonio Guterres condemning Iran's attack on Israel and calling for restraint and an immediate cessation of hostilities. 'I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East,' It was reported yesterday that Iran has more than 100 cruise missiles ready to be launched as part of an 'imminent' strike against Israel in retaliation for an airstrike against Iran's embassy in Damascus, Syria. Announcing increased security measures in Israel during a televised briefing, chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said dozens of combat planes were airborne as part of the state of readiness. The strict measures, which include the ban of all 'educational activities' across the country, the restriction of working in offices without 'standard protected spaces' and limits on the number of people at gatherings', were implemented from 11pm. Educational activities have been banned across the country, while restrictions on working have been put in place on areas directly next to the Gaza Strip, and other areas in the Gaza Envelope. Israelis living on the areas next to the Gaza Strip have been banned from meeting outside in groups of more than 30, and are allowed to meet up to 300 people inside buildings. Beaches in the Gaza Envelope have also been closed to the public. Hagari said in the televised address that the directive will be reassessed at 6am local time, and urged Israelis to remain vigilant and to head to bomb shelters if they hear warnings. The long-range air defence system called Arman is displayed during an unveiling ceremony in Tehran, Iran A missile is launched during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in the south of Iran, in this handout image obtained on January 19, 2024 'We are taking all steps possible to ensure your safety. 'Since the start of the war, we have faced a variety of threats sent here by Iran's proxies and adapted our defence and attack systems accordingly,' Hagari said, adding that the IDF was 'fully prepared' for Iranian attacks. 'The air force's defence and attack formations are on alert and dozens of planes are in the sky. We are conducting a situational assessment with our strategic partners, led by the USA, and we are maintaining close coordination with them,' he added. Hagari's televised message came as Israel's defence minister Yoav Gallant held a meeting with top-level defence officials, including the IDF's chief Herzi Halevi. Gallant said the IDF was 'closely monitoring a planned attack by Iran and its proxies against the State of Israel.' 'We have added new capabilities - on land, in the air, at sea, in our intelligence directorate, within the State of Israel, and together with our partners, led by the United States. 'Iran is a terrorist state - the world is seeing this now more than ever.' Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in central Israel, November 5, 2023 Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from Lebanon towards Israel over the Israeli Lebanese border, as seen from northern Israel, April 12, 2024 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a prepared televised statement: 'Our defence systems are deployed, and we are prepared for any scenario, both in defence and offence. The State of Israel is strong, the IDF is strong, the public is strong.' 'We appreciate the US for standing by Israel's side as well as the support of the UK, France and many other countries.' 'I established a clear principle whoever hurts us, we will hurt them. We will defend ourselves from any threat and we will do so calmly and with determination.' 'I know that you, the citizens of Israel, are also keeping calm. I urge you to listen to the directives of the Home Front Command.' 'Together we stand, and with God's help, together we will overcome all of our enemies.' The increased security measures were announced hours after Iranian commandos took control of an Israel-linked container ship as it travelled in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping chokepoints. Tensions between Iran and Israel have been massively escalating after the IDF killed 12 people, including two top military figures, in an airstrike against Iran's embassy in Syria's capital, Damascus, on April 1. President Joe Biden and his national security team monitored Irans aerial attack against Israel on Saturday as U.S. forces joined efforts to down explosive-laden drones launched by Tehran. With tensions at their highest since the Israel-Hamas war began six months ago, Biden pledged that American support for Israel's defense against attacks by Iran and its proxies is ironclad. U.S. forces shot down some Iran-launched attack drones flying toward Israel, according to a U.S. defense official and two other U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The defense official said the effort to intercept the attack was continuing. Biden had cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team at the White House on Saturday afternoon, returning to Washington minutes before Israeli officials confirmed that they had detected drones being launched toward their territory from Iran. He convened a principals meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room to discuss the unfolding situation, the White House said, before speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Saturday. The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, risking a wider regional conflict. For days, the U.S. and Israel had braced for an attack claimed by Iran as retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force. The Pentagon reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with his Israeli counterpart to discuss urgent regional threats ... and made clear that Israel could count on full U.S. support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies." National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washington's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a Saturday statement that Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. She added: The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran. Biden on Friday said the United States was "devoted to defending Israel and that Iran will not succeed. Asked by reporters what his message was for Iran, the presidents only reply was: Dont. He ignored a question about what would trigger a direct U.S. military response, and when asked how imminent an Iranian attack on Israel was, Biden said he did not want to get into secure information, but my expectation is sooner than later. The U.S., along with its allies, have sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalating the conflict. During the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, there have been near-daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group along the Israel-Lebanon border. U.S. officials have recorded more than 150 attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria on U.S. forces at bases in those countries since war started on Oct. 7. One attack in late January killed three U.S. service members in Jordan. In retaliation, the U.S. launched a massive air assault, hitting more than 85 targets at seven locations in Iraq and Syria. Meantime, on Saturday, commandos from Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel. Watson, the NSC spokesperson, said the U.S. strongly condemned the seizure and urged Iran to release the ship and crew immediately. We will work with our partners to hold Iran to account for its actions, she said. Also Saturday, the Israeli-occupied West Bank also saw some of the worst violence since Hamas' attack on Israel. (AP) Rishi Sunak has lashed out at the 'complete overreach' by the European Court of Human Rights after it ruled that governments have an obligation to take action on climate change. No10 lashed out at the Strasbourg court after it last week sided with Swiss women -supported by Greta Thunberg - who brought a case saying their government wasn't doing enough to protect them from climate shocks. It found in favour of the group who said their country's inaction in the face of rising temperatures puts them at risk of dying during heatwaves. But UK ministers have questioned the validity of the ruling, saying it is over-reach into national politics. After it was criticised by energy minister Claire Coutinho last week, yesterday a No10 source told the Telegraph: 'The PM's view was that this judgment is a complete overreach and an illegitimate interpretation of the ECHR text. No doubt about that.' No10 lashed out at the Strasbourg court after it last week sided with Swiss women -supported by Greta Thunberg - who brought a case saying their government wasn't doing enough to protect them from climate shocks. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judged that Switzerland's weak climate policies violate fundamental human rights its first such verdict against a state on the issue. Climate activist Greta Thunberg, who was in court for the ruling, said it was a 'call to action' and underscores 'the importance of taking our national governments to court'. The case was brought by around 2,500 Swiss women with an average age of 74, who argued they were at greater risk of death from heatwaves. The ruling opens the door to further legal challenges in countries that are members of the Council of Europe, which includes the 27 EU nations as well as Britain and Turkey. The attack on the ECHR comes amid an ongoing Tory row over the UK's membership of the transnational court. Right-wingers have advocated leaving its jurisdiction if it tries to block flights taking asylum seekers to Rwanda if, as expected, a new law is passed this week. But at least 12 Cabinet ministers would oppose leaving the treaty and the Strasbourg court, according to a new analysis. The dozen sceptics include Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Home Secretary James Cleverly, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, the Times reported. It could set the Conservative party on a self-destructive course if Mr Sunak decides to promise changes to Britain's membership of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The PM last week appeared to shift his position when he said 'border security and making sure that we can control illegal migration is more important than membership of a foreign court'. The 23-year-old Dallas TikToker, who was the victim of a hit-and-run that killed her best friend in February, miraculously came off the ventilator for the first time since the wreck. Camryn Herriage was seriously hurt in a crash that injured five people and killed her roommate and friend, Sarah House. Their vehicle was waiting at a red light when a Ford pickup driven by an extremely intoxicated woman smashed into them, causing a chain reaction crash. Until last week, Herriage had been on a ventilator for nearly two months. Herriage's mother, Shirley Campanello, said she has consistently been preparing for the worst, but her daughter has overcome the odds time and again. The 23-year-old Dallas TikToker, who was the victim of a hit-and-run that killed her best friend in February, miraculously came off the ventilator for the first time since the wreck Camryn Herriage, 23, was riding in a car alongside her college roommate and three other friends on February 11, when their vehicle was smashed into by a Ford pickup She feared the worst when she watched her daughter be wheeled into a six-hour surgery that wound up taking just 90 minutes. 'I knew she was gone. I just knew it because he (the doctor) was out to fast ... but it was good news, not bad,' she recalled, speaking with Fox 4 News. Herriage has had brain surgery, heart surgery and several operations in between since the tragic crash. The outlet reported that doctors at Methodist Dallas Medical Center haven't expected Herriage to do as well as she has throughout her harrowing experience post-crash. 'Ninety-eight percent of people wouldn't have made it, but she did,' said her mother. As Herriage continues her recovery, she has yet to be made aware that her friend didn't make it. Friends stop by and visit and her mother says she wonders why they come without Sarah. She said she 'sees the doubt in her eyes.' But the family feel 'like Sarah is pushing her along' through the intense recovery. Herriage, at present, still has a tube down her throat to help her breathe. Doctors also say they are not yet fully aware of the extent of the young woman's brain damage. She may be required to relearn even simple motions. But her family is holding on to hope that Camryn will one day make it home. 'We were told by several people this is the best we could do. They were pretty set that she would be dependent on a ventilator. It was hope. That was all we had,' said her mother. Herriage's best friend and college roommate from Texas Tech University, Sarah House, (pictured) tragically died in the hit-and-run Their vehicle was waiting at a red light on Beckley Avenue, in Dallas, when a Ford pickup truck slammed into them, causing a chain reaction car crash that left five injured and one dead Herriage, pictured here being wheeled around the hospital, has undergone several intense surgeries since the crash On Sunday, her uncle Tim Herriage said on Facebook that Camryn had been breathing on her own Camryn is expected to spend at least two more months at the hospital before she's moved to a rehab center. The suspect in the crash, 27-year-old Carmen Guerrero, remains locked up in the Dallas County Jail. Following the deadly wreck, witnesses say they saw Guerrero running from the scene. She is now facing a handful of charges, including manslaughter. She was arrested 11 days after the collision, and after detectives found her wallet in the car. The crash occurred just two blocks from the apartment Herriage shared with House in a 35-mph zone. Herriage's uncle confirmed earlier last week, that his niece was showing positive signs of development. 'Camryn has been breathing on her own for over 24 hours!' he wrote on Facebook. He added: 'A speech therapist will visit soon to assess her ability to use voice control. 'This step could potentially lead to her trying to speak, and if successful, they might plug the tracheostomy. 'Additionally, there's a hopeful outlook for Camryn to transition into a regular room within the next week or so. 'All of these developments are positive signs of Camryn's progress. Thank you for your continued support as we embrace this good news.' The woman who allegedly ran after the crash was identified by police as 27-year-old Carmen Guerrero Ahead of the devastating crash, Herriage worked as a social media management and branding company based in Lubbock, Texas Doctors are now working to determine the extent of her brain damage The crash occurred just two blocks from the apartment Herriage shared with House in a 35-mph zone House has been remembered in a GoFundMe, which has so far raised over $36,000, in commemoration of her 'bright spirit and infectious laughter'. 'Sara was known for her compassionate nature and her unwavering desire to make everyone around her happy,' her loved ones said last month. 'Her kindness and caring demeanor touched the lives of many, leaving a lasting impression on all who knew her.' WARNING DISTRESSING CONTENT A severely disabled woman was subjected to horrific abuse by three female carers who abused, humiliated and bullied her, hidden camera footage has revealed. Lee-Anne Mackey, 53, who suffers from cerebral palsy and osteoporosis, is non-verbal and uses a wheelchair, was tormented by abusive staff from NDIS provider Scope between 2019 and 2020. Footage from a camera secretly placed by her father, Rob, shows Lisa Wilson, Monika Paniczko and Anastasia Moutsos, laughing and joking as they cruelly mistreat her. Paniczko can be seen spitting in Ms Mackey's mouth and saying she wants to give her Covid-19. Another video shows Wilson put her fingers and a cylinder in the helpless woman's mouth laughing as Ms Mackey jokes and saying: 'She hasn't got a gag reflex'. Minister for the NDIS Bill Shorten said the footage was 'just evil' and warned Scope they will be placed under a microscope. Wilson put her fingers and a cylinder in the helpless woman's mouth laughing as Ms Mackey jokes and saying: 'She hasn't got a gag reflex' READ MORE: How the NDIS is spending millions of taxpayer dollars to help rapists and sexual deviants live in your neighbourhood Advertisement While Ms Mackey's disabilities impact her physically, she isn't mentally impaired, and was able to alert her parents to the abuse by communicating with her eyes. Her father installed a small camera in her room after an investigation by the non-profit dismissed the claims of abuse, which only ramped up the carers' acts. Wilson can be seen in other footage wiping Ms Mackey's crotch before rubbing it on her face and asking her 'can you smell your vagina?'. Paniczko, who spent 17 years caring for Ms Mackey, can be seen talking about healthcare workers being diagnosed with and dying from Covid-19. 'Maybe I have corona ... if I have it, I want you to have it too,' Paniczko told Ms Mackey, before leaning towards her and spitting in her mouth. 'There you go, we both have it.' Ms Mackey's parents both said she 'wasn't the same' after the carers' abuse was escalated by the investigation. 'It's a betrayal of Lee-Anne and it's actually a betrayal of the good people who work in disability,' Mr Shorten told 60 Minutes. 'I don't want to believe that there are people who will treat other people in the manner in which I saw in that video. 'These people acting with such callous indifference to Lee-Anne, it's just shocking. It's cruel.' Lee-Anne Mackey, 53, who suffers from cerebral palsy and osteoporosis, is non-verbal and uses a wheelchair, was at the mercy of abusive staff from NDIS provider Scope between 2019 and 2020 Mr Mackey sent the footage to Scope who fired Wilson and passed it onto Victorian Police who opened an investigation into the matter. However, Paniczko and another woman, Anastasia Moutsos, were only transferred to another residential house. The not-for-profit company is a large NDIS provider in New South Wales and Victoria and received over $88million from the government in 2019. They were both sacked six months later after police laid assault charges on the trio who all pleaded guilty at the Broadmeadows Magistrates' Court in Victoria in June 2022. The three disgraced workers would however go on to appeal their pleas in Victoria's County Court and may soon be able to work in disability support care again. The woman who spat in the defenceless woman's mouth, Monika Paniczko (pictured), will have her conviction dropped after apologising to Ms Mackey Wilson, considered the ringleader, was ordered to do 175 hours of community service Paniczko was able to successfully withdraw her guilty plea and the single charge against her was dropped after she was only made to acknowledge responsibility. She was also required give Ms Mackey a verbal and written apology and donate $500 to the Lort Smith Animal Hospital. Moutsos and Wilson were also both able to have their guilty pleas reversed and only required to complete unpaid community work. Wilson, considered the ringleader, was ordered to do 175 hours of community service and Moutsos only received 80. Paniczko and Moutsos were only barred from working in the NDIS for three years while Wilson was removed for five years. Ms Mackey's mother, Lorraine, said the trio got off 'lightly' for 'ruining Lee-Anne's life'. Autumn in Sydney is the best time of the year, so it's no surprise Ashlee Good was having an idyllic Saturday. Walking in the sunshine with baby daughter Harriet in her arms, she realised she was wearing the exact same outfit she'd worn nine months earlier when she was still heavily pregnant. She snapped a picture and uploaded it to Instagram alongside the picture she'd taken last July, shortly before she went into labour. '9 months in vs 9 months out,' she captioned the happy snaps. And then, because it truly was a gorgeous day, with the surf pumping down the road at Bondi beach and the smell of barbecued sausages wafting from kids' footy grounds and the clarity of light that makes all of us who live here think it's the best spot in the world, Ashlee also uploaded a cute video of adorable Harriet sitting in her car seat nibbling on a piece of bread. As the sunbeams danced on the little girl's face, the song My Girl by The Temptations played in the background. In years to come, those images proud moments captured by a loving mum will mean more than Ashlee could have ever imagined. Just hours later mother and daughter were stabbed in the horrific attack in the Westfield shopping centre in Sydney's Bondi Junction. With blood pouring from her wounds, the stricken mum's final act was to reach into the pushchair to scoop up Harriet, who had been stabbed in the stomach, and thrust her into the arms of two men. In shock, and with her life ebbing away, the only thing that mattered to the 38-year-old osteopath was that her beloved only child was safe. Ashlee Good, the 38-year-old who died while trying to protect her baby daughter Harriet As baby Harriet fights for her life after surgery, with her dad, Dan Flanagan, by her bedside, what's chilling about the stabbing rampage that killed six and left several others in a critical condition, is that it occurred in the most ordinary and relatable of settings. We all shop. We send our teenage kids off to Saturday jobs at Sephora or McDonald's or to make tea in the hair salons in these huge retail centres. We give our youngsters their first taste of independence by leaving them to wander with their friends. Or, as I did that same afternoon at another Westfield, as the stabbing frenzy was taking place on the other side of the harbour, we separate and arrange to meet half an hour later. 'Love the nail colour,' I said to my daughter, as I left her having a manicure while I returned a shirt to TK Maxx. It's inconceivable that in that simplest, most prosaic of moments, I could've been waving goodbye to her for ever. The stories emerging from Saturday are hard to process because it's a tragedy that could've happened to any of us. Those killed were not in a war zone. They weren't in an American school where random killings are the sad consequence of weak gun laws. They weren't in a skyscraper or at a concert where cowardly killers know they can wreak the most damage. Rather they happened in a shopping mall amidst scenes so ordinary they could play out anywhere in the world. A dad taking his kids shopping for gifts for their mum's birthday. A mum sending her 11-year-old son back to Woolworths to grab one supermarket item she'd forgotten. Teenagers marking the first day of the autumn school holidays by trying on Selena Gomez's new blusher range. And then into that ease, that normality, comes a scuffle, a movement out of the corner of an eye that doesn't chime with the rhythms and routines of shopping. Some see a man with a knife. They start running. Others freeze. One shopper will later say she felt a sharp pain in her back. Only later will she learn it came from a knife. And then there's the panic. Is there one attacker? What if there's more? And what if there's a bomb? It was only six years ago that this city suffered the horrific siege in the Lindt cafe where an Islamic State-inspired gunman, believed to be carrying a bomb, kept 18 hostages trapped for 17 hours. Two lost their lives. Police are continuing to investigate at the scene of the mass stabbing at Bondi Junction in Sydney, which left six dead and several others in a critical condition On Saturday most ran into shops where staff raced to slide down the aluminium roller doors to keep those inside safe. Some hid in bathrooms or stairwells. And because there are multiple levels on this flagship Westfield some grabbed their phones to record the pandemonium unfolding on the floor below. It's those videos, of the knife man charging at shoppers and being confronted on an escalator by a hero with a bollard, that bring the danger home to us like never before. Social media cops much criticism but it also tells the story, in real time, of the world we find ourselves in. It also relayed to us the astonishing bravery shown by one senior female police officer. Inspector Amy Scott was working alone that afternoon when she heard reports of a man with a knife. Footage shows her sprinting through the shopping centre, followed by a bystander who'd grabbed a chair as a potential weapon. As she came up behind the attacker, later identified as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, she shouted at him to put the knife down. He didn't. So she shot him in the chest. Westfield Bondi Junction covers 1,412,860 square feet. It boasts 331 stores over seven floors. There's gyms and cinemas and 3304 parking spaces underneath. It's a village within a village, offering Chanel to the wealthy and sushi bars for the surfers who come in barefoot from the iconic beach just over a mile away. My elder daughter lives in the area and was shopping there the day before. Her friends were in the centre on Saturday. They heard the gun shot and hid in a shop. Dawn Singleton was two years ahead of my daughter at the same high school. She's the daughter of one of Australia's best-known businessmen, John Singleton. On Saturday 25-year-old Dawn went shopping at Westfield for makeup for her upcoming wedding to childhood sweetheart Ashley Wildey. Ashley is a New South Wales police officer and had finished his shift before the attack but was recalled to duty as police scrambled to deal with the unfolding crisis. He arrived at Westfield Bondi Junction unaware that Dawn, who'd only bought her wedding dress last week, was inside. As a source told the Daily Telegraph: 'He had arrived at Westfield when officers realised his fiancee was one of the victims.' He was taken from the scene to be comforted by family and friends. With the shopping centre still a crime scene 24 hours later, neither he nor Dawn's parents had been able to formally identify the body by Sunday afternoon. Among the other victims were architect and mother of two, Jade Young, who was yesterday being remembered at the Bronte Surf Club where she was a much-loved member. Also killed was 30-year-old security guard Faraz Tahir, a Pakistani refugee who came to Australia a year ago, and 55-year-old local woman Pikria Darchia. With 3,000 cars still parked under the shopping centre on Sunday morning, the pressing question was why? Initial fears that the attacker was Jewish or Muslim were quickly allayed. Joel Cauchi was a man with a mental illness. He'd never been arrested or charged with a criminal offence but was 'street checked' by officers on the Gold Coast in December. Police believe he lived with schizophrenia and used drugs including methamphetamine and psychedelics. People, including emergency workers, have been leaving flowers opposite the scene of the crime in memory of those who lost their lives Somehow, combined with the setting, it makes the attack even more senseless. How do you protect yourself when tragedy can strike anywhere, anytime? Is it safe to shop for winter socks? A new TV? Nappies for your baby? And what do you do if something does happen? Today I've discussed with my daughters where is best to hide, whether to run, whether to help and what trauma you might experience seeing events like those that occurred on Saturday. But along with this horrible barbarism came the best of humanity. Much praise has gone to 'Bollard Man', Ukrainian Silas Despreaux, who fought off the attacker with a bollard, preventing him from accessing a play area where dozens of young children were playing. Silas, who moved to Sydney from the Ukraine three years ago, works as a tradesman. 'He's OK, just shaken,' said a friend. 'He says he is no hero, he is just an ordinary guy.' And then there's the dad who appeared to have grabbed eye masks from a store so that he could place them over his young children's eyes to shield them from the carnage as they left the shopping centre. If horror comes in the most unlikely of places, so does common sense. Psychological scars can run deep. We're grateful the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales sent messages. Camaraderie, community, Commonwealth they matter, as the family of Ashlee Good so eloquently expressed in the hours after her death. Little Harriet, with her strawberry blonde hair and big eyes, was doing well after lengthy surgery, they said. And while they were reeling from the terrible loss of 'a beautiful mother, daughter, partner, friend, all round outstanding human' they also wanted to thank the two men who held and cared for Harriet when Ashlee could not. The little girl will grow up without her mum, but as Ashlee's adoring photos attest, she was ever so deeply loved. John Kirby said the U.S. has communicated to Iran 'what we would do' if American troops or facilities are targeted amid rising conflict in the Middle East. President Joe Biden's National Security Council (NSC) Spokesman reiterated that the U.S. does not plan to get involved with counter attacks against Iran on behalf of ally Israel but will continue to help defend the Jewish nation. Amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas terrorists in Gaza, some Republican lawmakers are not pleased with the Biden administration response so far with the escalating conflict and want a direct response to the attacks last night from Iran and its proxies. 'The president has made it clear: We do not seek a war with Iran. We don't seek a wider war in the region,' Kirby told NBC host Kristen Welker Sunday morning. National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said Sunday that the U.S. has warned Iran against 'what we would do' if American troops are targeted in the Middle East amid escalating conflict in the region Iran and its proxies fired 200 drones and missiles at Israel since Saturday night most of which were intercepted outside of the nation's airspace WATCH: NSC spokesperson John Kirby says the U.S. is staying vigilant to any Iranian threats to American troops. We made it very clear to all parties, including Iran, what we would do and also how seriously we would take any potential threats to our personnel. pic.twitter.com/ROXEUhHwZ6 Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 14, 2024 When pressed by the Meet the Press host on whether Biden has ruled out a direct attack against Iran, Kirby reiterated: 'We don't seek a war with Iran.' While Kirby says there have been no attacks on U.S. troops, personnel or facilities in the region so far, he claims the White House has warned Iran against taking such action after Tehran said it would target U.S. forces if they help Israel launch counter attacks. 'We are staying vigilant to exactly that potential threat, but we have not seen any attacks on U.S. troops or personnel in the region or our facilities and nothing to report to this morning,' Kirby said. 'But we're going to obviously watch that very, very closely.' 'I would just say we made it very clear to all parties, including Iran, what we would do, and how we would continue to defend Israel, and also how seriously we would take any potential threat to our personnel and our facilities in the region,' the NSC spokesperson added. Iran launched more than 200 drones and missiles at Israel since Saturday night, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) said. The vast majority of the strikes were intercepted outside Israel's airspace. But a small number of the dozens of ground-to-ground Iranian missiles struck inside the nation, wounding a girl and causing damage to a military installation in the south, armed forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said early Sunday. President Joe Biden convened with his National Security team in the Situation Room at the White House on Saturday President Biden had to cut his weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware short to return to Washington, D.C. Iran said the attacks came in response to a drone strike at the beginning of April in Syria that left 12 Iranians dead, including two top generals. Biden and his Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin have repeatedly said the U.S. will continue to help Israel defend itself against Iranian attacks, but have said Washington will not get involved in counter attacks. It comes after Iran warned last week that if the U.S. conducts attacks, their forces will target American personnel and facilities in the region. Biden had to cut his beach weekend short at his vacation house in Rehoboth, Delaware to address the rising conflict. The president arrived at the beach on Friday but returned to Washington, D.C. just 21 hours later to gather with his national security and defense teams. Ward was employed as a substitute teacher at Burke High School in Omaha A married substitute teacher was arrested in Nebraska after she was caught undressed in the backseat of a car with a teenage boy, according to authorities. Douglas County Sheriff's deputies identified Erin Ward, 45, on Saturday after they were notified about a suspicious car parked on a dead-end road around 3am near 10200th block and North 189th Street. As they approached a gray 2015 Honda Pilot, police said that they spotted Ward and a 17-year-old boy in the backseat as she was putting her clothes back on. The boy then hopped into the driver's seat and fled the scene before he crashed the vehicle about two blocks away, and ran away. Police found him more than an hour later dressed in boxers, socks and a T-shirt. Erin Ward, 45, was arrested on Saturday morning after Douglas County Sheriff's deputies found her inside of a car with a 17-year-old boy. She later admitted she had sexual relations with him Ward was a substitute teacher at Burke High School in Omaha, Nebraska. Police said that her school ID was found in the vehicle and that the boy was a student there Ward, who remained at the scene, allegedly admitted she had sexual relations with the teenage boy, according to police. According to police, an Omaha Public School employee ID was found inside the vehicle and Ward confirmed she was a substitute teacher at Burke High School in Omaha. She also told police that the 17-year-old was a student from the school. 'The Honda Pilot was determined to be owned by Ward and her spouse,' police said. After the teen was located, he was taken to 'a safe place to receive care and be interviewed.' It is unclear how long Ward worked at the school. DailyMail.com contacted Burke High School for comment. Ward, who remained at the scene, allegedly admitted she had sexual relations with the teenage boy, according to police In November, Ward posted a picture of keys, a folder and a Burke High School lanyard on her X account and said she loved when she got to work at the school and 'be a bulldog' In November, Ward posted a picture of keys, a folder and a Burke High School lanyard on her X account. 'Every school in the metro could learn something from @OPS_Burke,' she said. 'Absolutely the best school as a guest school teacher. Favorite building to teach at...love when I get to be a bulldog.' She was charged with one count of felony sexual abuse by a school employee. In Nebraska, the charge is considered a class 2A felony and carries a maximum of 20 years in jail. Senior Tories today suggested that they have yet to find an airline to carry deported migrants to Rwanda, despite planning to begin flights within weeks. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins insisted the Home Office is 'ready to go' in implementing the scheme as a Bill aimed at saving the stalled deportation policy makes its way through Parliament. But she could not confirm in media interviews today who would operate the flights. And separately, deputy Tory Party chairwoman Rachel Maclean appeared to suggest a carrier had still not been confirmed. Ms Maclean told Times Radio: 'I'm sure that we will have a carrier in place ... and this is all part of operationalising the plan. We need this plan because we need to have the deterrent effect.' Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has repeatedly said flights to Kigali will take off by spring, but refused to name a specific date. It comes after reports suggested that Rwanda's state-owned airline turned down a UK Government proposal to transport asylum seekers because it wanted to avoid being associated with the controversial scheme. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins insisted the Home Office is 'ready to go' in implementing the scheme as a Bill aimed at saving the stalled deportation policy makes its way through Parliament. And separately, deputy Tory Party chairwoman Rachel Maclean appeared to suggest a carrier had still not been confirmed. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has repeatedly said flights to Kigali will take off by spring, but refused to name a specific date. Speaking to Sky News' Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Ms Atkins said: 'We want them to take off as quickly as possible ... We very much plan to have it within weeks'. Asked whether the Government had an air carrier ready yet, Ms Atkins said: 'The Home Office is working on this, and so believe you me, the Home Office is ready to go.' 'They haven't got one, have they?' Sir Trevor asked her. 'We have seen some real progress in the last year with the reduction in small boat crossings by a third ... but this is one part of our overall plan to cut illegal migration,' Ms Atkins replied. Mr Sunak's Safety of Rwanda Bill, which aims to protect the Government's troubled deportation scheme from further legal setbacks after the UK Supreme Court ruled against it, will return to the Commons next week. As well as compelling judges to regard the east African country as safe, the legislation would also give ministers the power to ignore emergency injunctions. But the Lords has insisted on an amendment to restore the jurisdiction of domestic courts in relation to the safety of Rwanda and enable them to intervene. The Financial Times last week quoted a Home Office insider as having said 'RwandAir said 'no' because of the potential damage to their brand'. Government sources have insisted to the PA news agency that securing planes to carry asylum seekers would not be a problem when the time came to put the scheme into action. Mr Sunak has pinned the success of the scheme on the Bill passing Parliament, telling reporters last Wednesday: 'First of all, we need to get it through Parliament where the Labour Party has been blocking it for a long time. 'Once it's up and running, I'm confident we'll be able to operationalise the scheme, get people on flights ... I'm confident that once the Bill is passed, we will be able to get the scheme up and running.' Scientists are plotting to bring extinct animals currently unknown in the natural world back to life. Researchers are looking for DNA of species that have never been discovered before, in a hunt for clues as to how animals survived in different climates and to make today's species more resilient. A team at Colossal Bisciences in Texas is delving into the distant past to shed a light on species different from anything that exists today. They already hope to reintroduce long extinct species such as the mammoth, the dodo and the Tasmanian Tiger within years. But the lab has also found a species of Arctic equid, related to the horse and donkey, that inhabited North America around 700,000 years ago, its Chief Scientific Officer Professor Beth Shapiro told the Telegraph. Scientists believe they are just years away from resurrecting extinct species such as the mammoth She compared the past to a 'different planet' which was 'ripe for discovery' of things currently undocumented in fossil records. However, while this type of discovery may be as yet unprecedented in human experience, this would not be a first for evolution, she added. Among extinct species of which experts are studying the DNA are cave hyenas, moas, sabre-toothed cats, woolly rhinoceroses, American cheetah, Columbian mammoths and the long-horned bison. The world's first company to specialise in 'de-extinction', founded by Harvard geneticist George Church and Ben Lamm, is spending almost 6million on technology that will accelerate the discovery of ancient unknown species. A picture of the now extinct dodo, a flightless bird endemic to the island of Mauritius. A lab in Texas hopes to revive species within the next decade as well as develop ways to stop current animals from becoming extinct Mr Lamm said that the first 'generation' of mammoth calves could be born as soon as 2028 through a surrogate mother, possibly via an artificial womb, and with a gestation period of 22 months. It's a project that his business partner, Professor Church, has been working toward for 10 years. He said the lab had made 'significant progress' and is now in the genetic editing phase, having analysed over 60 mammoth genomes. Within the next decade, he hopes to have resurrected two more species: the thylacine and the dodo, building sustainable populations in their natural habitats. The centre also hopes to use its findings to save threatened species from extinction, by learning from past examples of animals adapting to changing climates. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) agrees the U.S. should not yet get involved in conflict with Iran after it launched hundreds of missiles toward Israel since Saturday. The Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, however, warned President Joe Biden against waiting too long to 'step up to the plate' in the region because it could lead to larger conflict. He told NBC News host Kristen Welker on Sunday that the Biden administration needs to make it more clear to Iran that there will be grave consequences from the U.S. if they do continue to launch attacks against Israel. So far Biden and his national security and defense officials have reiterated 'ironclad' support for Israel's defense against attacks. But the administration has distanced itself from involvement in any Israeli counter attacks against Iran. 'I don't think at this point that the United States should be engaged in military action directly at Iran,' Rep. Turner said in his Meet the Press interview. House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner said Sunday he agrees the U.S. should not yet get involved with military action against Iran following its attacks against Israel over the weekend Iran and other Middle East proxies launched at least 200 missiles and drone strikes toward Israel since Saturday most of which were intercepted before making it into Israeli air space WATCH: As some Republicans call for the U.S. to strike Iran, House Intel Chair @RepMikeTurner says the U.S. shouldnt engage in military action at Iran at this point. "But I do believe if this administration fails to step up to the plate we will be in a broader conflict." pic.twitter.com/gsZitgykIr Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 14, 2024 Every day that the Biden administration does not communicate to Iran the consequences of their attacks on Israel, it is becoming more dangerous to U.S. troops and facilities in the Middle East, Turner said. President Biden's National Security Spokesman John Kirby, however, said earlier in a Meet the Press interview on Sunday that the U.S. has communicated to Iran 'what we would do' if American troops or facilities are targeted. He reiterated that the U.S. does not plan to get involved with counter attacks against Iran on behalf of ally Israel but will continue to help defend the Jewish nation. Amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas terrorists in Gaza, some Republican lawmakers are not pleased with the Biden administration response so far with the escalating conflict and want a direct response to the attacks last night from Iran and its proxies. 'The president has made it clear: We do not seek a war with Iran. We don't seek a wider war in the region,' Kirby told Welker Sunday morning. 'We are staying vigilant to exactly that potential threat, but we have not seen any attacks on U.S. troops or personnel in the region or our facilities and nothing to report to this morning,' he said. 'But we're going to obviously watch that very, very closely.' NSC Spokesman John Kirby said Sunday that the U.S. has warned Iran against 'what we would do' if American troops are targeted in the Middle East amid escalating conflict in the region 'I would just say we made it very clear to all parties, including Iran, what we would do, and how we would continue to defend Israel, and also how seriously we would take any potential threat to our personnel and our facilities in the region,' the NSC spokesperson added. Turner said on Sunday: 'I do believe if this administration fails to step up to the plate and understand that we have an escalating conflict and make it clear to Iran that there are red lines and that the United States will defend Israel and will not allow Iran to become a weapon state that we will be in a broader conflict and we will have less options.' 'Their failure to box in Iran and let them understand that there will be consequences make it more dangerous every day,' the Intelligence Committee Chairman said. Iran launched more than 200 drones and missiles at Israel since Saturday night, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) said. The vast majority of the strikes were intercepted outside Israel's airspace. But a small number of the dozens of ground-to-ground Iranian missiles struck inside the nation, wounding a girl and causing damage to a military installation in the south, armed forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said early Sunday. Turner warned President Joe Biden that 'if this administration fails to step up to the plate and understand that we have an escalating conflict... we will be in a broader conflict and we will have less options.' Pictured: Biden returns to the White House on Saturday afternoon amid escalating conflict in the Middle East President Joe Biden convened with his National Security team in the Situation Room at the White House on Saturday after returning early from his weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Iran said the attacks came in response to a drone strike at the beginning of April in Syria that left 12 Iranians dead, including two top generals. Biden and his Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin have repeatedly said the U.S. will continue to help Israel defend itself against Iranian attacks, but have said Washington will not get involved in counter attacks. It comes after Iran warned last week that if the U.S. conducts attacks, their forces will target American personnel and facilities in the region. Biden had to cut his beach weekend short at his vacation house in Rehoboth, Delaware to address the rising conflict. The president arrived at the beach on Friday but returned to Washington, D.C. just 21 hours later to gather with his national security and defense teams. A bodybuilder has died weeks after he was gunned down by his wife in the middle of an argument in front of their children. Michael Chidozie, 26, died last week after his wife Keaiirra Shavoiyae Chidozie, 28, shot him four times in their home in Houston on March 21, police said. He was rushed to Ben Taub Hospital after police found him with gunshot wounds and his wife in a panic holding their two kids, aged three and two. Chidozie lingered on life support as his family prayed for his recovery, but he suffered a devastating spinal injury and died of complications 18 days later. Michael Chidozie, 26, died last week after his wife shot him four times in their home in Houston on March 21 Keaiirra Shavoiyae Chidozie, 28, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after the shooting, and her charges have not been upgraded since his death Chidozie lingered on life support as his family prayed for his recovery, but he suffered a devastating spinal injury and died of complications 18 days later Keaiirra was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after the shooting, and her charges have not been upgraded since his death. She claimed to have shot Chidozie in self-defense as she feared for her life during the argument when he followed her into their bedroom. It's unclear what the argument was over. The argument began elsewhere in the house before she went to the bedroom, where she picked up a pistol and shot him. Chidozie was shot once in the arm, once in the chest, and twice in his torso and left to die on the bedroom floor. Police found Keaiirra with the children in a nearby parking lot after witnesses called police to say she was frantically running around asking for help. Friends said they never saw the couple be violent towards each other and were shocked that an argument escalated to something deadly Chidozie was shot once in the arm, once in the chest and twice in his torso Chidozie's family are trying to raise $70,000 to bring his body back to Nigeria for burial, as it was his dream to one day return to his homeland Friends said they never saw the couple be violent towards each other and were shocked that an argument escalated to something deadly. Chidozie's family are trying to raise $70,000 to bring his body back to Nigeria for burial, as it was his dream to one day return to his homeland. 'His passing has left a profound void in the lives of all who knew and loved him. He was a devoted father, a cherished son, and a dear friend to many,' they said. 'Chidozie's kind heart, infectious laughter, and unwavering love for his family will forever be remembered and cherished by all who were fortunate enough to know him.' Keaiirra was released on bail and is set to next face court on May 23. Their children are being cared for by other family. Booms and air raid sirens sounded across Israel early Sunday after Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East closer to a regionwide war. A military spokesman said the launches numbered more than 300 but 99 percent of them were intercepted. Calling the outcome a very significant strategic success, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Iran fired 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. Of those, several ballistic missiles reached Israeli territory, causing minor damage to an air base. Rescuers said a 7-year-old girl in a Bedouin Arab town was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a missile strike, though they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. In Washington, President Joe Biden said U.S. forces helped Israel down nearly all the drones and missiles and pledged to convene allies to develop a unified response. The Iranian attack, less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Condemnation from the United Nations chief and others was swift, with France saying Iran is risking a potential military escalation, Britain calling the attack reckless" and Germany saying Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately." Hagari said the vast majority of the intercepts came outside Israels borders, including 10 cruise missiles that were intercepted by warplanes. "A wide-scale attack by Iran is a major escalation, he said. Asked whether Israel would respond, Hagari said only that the army does and will do whatever is required to protect the security of the state of Israel. He said the incident was not over, and dozens of Israeli warplanes remained in the skies. Israels military said its Arrow system, which shoots down ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere, handled most interceptions and noted that strategic partners were involved. At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week, Biden said in a statement. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a separate statement that U.S. forces intercepted dozens of missiles and UAVs en route to Israel, launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke early Sunday, Israeli time, their governments said. Biden said in his statement that he reaffirmed Americas ironclad commitment to Israel's security a departure from his growing criticism of Israel's conduct in its war on Hamas in Gaza. Iran had vowed revenge since the April 1 airstrike in Syria , which Tehran accused Israel of being responsible for. Israel hasnt commented on it. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israels six-month war against Hamas militants in Gaza. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, began attacking Israels northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel. In a statement carried late Saturday by Irans state-run IRNA news agency, the countrys paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime. In a later statement, the Revolutionary Guard issued a direct warning to the U.S.: The terrorist U.S. government is warned any support or participation in harming Irans interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Irans armed forces." IRNA also quoted an anonymous official saying ballistic missiles were part of the attack. A ballistic missile moves on an arch trajectory, heading up into space before gravity brings the weapon down at a speed several times faster than the speed of sound. Israel has a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher. Iran has a vast arsenal of drones and missiles. Online videos shared by Iranian state television purported to show delta-wing-style drones resembling the Iranian Shahed-136s long used by Russia in its war on Ukraine. The slow-flying drones carry bombs. Ukraine has successfully used both surface-to-air missiles and ground fire to target them. Some Israelis watched the interceptions light up the night sky. Air raid sirens were reported in numerous places including northern Israel, southern Israel, the northern West Bank and the Dead Sea near the Jordanian border. Israel's army ordered residents in the Golan Heights near the Syrian and Lebanese borders as well as the southern towns of Nevatim and Dimona and the Red Sea resort of Eilat into protective spaces. Dimona is home to Israels main nuclear facility, and Nevatim has a major air base. Loud booms were heard in Jerusalem and northern and southern Israel. The armys Home Front Command canceled school Sunday and limited public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. Israel and some other countries in the region closed their airspace. Earlier, Netanyahu warned: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. In Washington, Biden convened a principals meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the attack. Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of the U.S. militarys Central Command, was in Israel over the weekend consulting with Israeli defense officials. The Central Command oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East. Irans mission to the United Nations issued a warning to both Israel and the U.S. Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe, it wrote online. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY! For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had threatened to slap Israel for the Syria strike. In Irans capital, Tehran, witnesses saw long lines at gas stations early Sunday as people appeared worried about what may come next. Dozens of hard-liners demonstrated in support of the attack at Palestine Square. Lebanons state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following Iran's launch of drones. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched dozens of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military site in the Golan Heights early Sunday. It was not immediately clear if there was any damage. Iranian missiles or drones were intercepted in the sky above the Jordanian capital, Amman. In Lebanons capital, Beirut, and elsewhere in the country, residents reported seeing missiles in the sky and hearing explosions, likely from interceptions. In Syria, explosions were heard in the capital, Damascus, and elsewhere. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Syrian air defenses tried to shoot down Israeli attempts to intercept Iranian missiles. (AP) The doll is still understood to be for sale for 4.50 inside the Preloved store A charity shop in North Yorkshire has caused a stir amongst local residents after putting a golliwog doll up for sale in its window for 4.50. The teddy, considered by many to be a racist caricature of black people, was first spotted by shoppers in the window of Preloved, in Skipton, on Wednesday. It was removed on the following Friday, as some residents labelled the display as 'disgusting' and vile'. However, it is still understood to be for sale for 4.50 inside the store, which raises money for Cancer Support Yorkshire. Resident Anne, a retired carer, said: 'I was tempted to buy it just to remove it. 'I don't think they [the shop owners] understood the concept of it. I think I might go back and buy it just to stop it being displayed.' The doll (pictured) has caused outrage amongst local residents who deemed it 'disgusting' and 'vile' Preloved charity shop raises money for Cancer Support Yorkshire (pictured) The 64-year-old said a friend went to speak to staff about the doll, but told her they would not be removing it. 'They were laughing about it and were happy for her to take photos,' Anne added. 'It's disgusting, vile, and sickening. Especially as this is a very white area - it's very strange.' When approached, a staff member said she did not wish to comment but said she didn't feel the doll was racist and had sold 'African' items before. She went on to say it was a 'collectible' item and confirmed it was still for sale in the shop, but was no longer in the window, to avoid upsetting people. In February 2023, police seized a collection of golliwog dolls from The White Hart Inn in Essex, following reports of a 'suspected hate crime'. A month later, the pub was forced to close its doors, after Heineken and Carlsberg told the owners to stop serving their beer. A maintenance firm also refused to work on site. The golly doll in the window of the charity shop Preloved in Skipton, North Yorkshire Landlords Chris (left) and Benice Ryley (right) will now be retiring and are returning to their home in Turkey. They are understood to be 'utterly gutted' by the decision to close the pub The White Hart Inn in Grays was discovered to have 'golliwog dolls' displayed inside, which Mrs Ryley claimed to have collected since childhood. She said she had 'received them as gifts' from her late aunt and various customers Owner Benice Ryley had claimed to have collected the dolls since childhood and herself and her husband Chris, had been landlords of the pub for almost 20 years. Following the controversy her collection caused, Mrs Ryley vowed to shut down the pub and move to Turkey. They were understood to have been 'utterly gutted' by the decision and claimed they 'didn't understand' the hate they had received over the dolls. The pub reportedly displayed its collection of nearly 30 dolls for 10 years after Mrs Ryley had 'received them as gifts' from her late aunt and various customers. 'I feel gutted, totally and utterly gutted. Hurt, upset,' Mrs Ryley said of the closure. 'We've had a few bits of hate, which I personally don't understand. 'The young people these days don't understand, from years ago where did the Gollys originate from, it's such a shame.' Sadiq Khan is facing fresh questions over a pay-per-mile London road charging scheme as a flagship transport strategy document cast doubt on his denials. The capital's mayor has ruled out wanting to introduce new fees for drivers depending on road use, as he attempts to win re-election next month. But critics have drawn attention to his official transport strategy plan which they say shows him 'legally committed' to looking into a pay-per-mile system - which could see drivers of older cars charged more. The concerns come after a new Conservative Party attack ad highlighted how Mr Khan told transport bosses to work on plans to charge motorists for every mile. The Tories' mayoral candidate Susan Hall is heavily trailing Mr Khan in opinion polls, with Savanta last week putting him on 50 per cent and Ms Hall on 26 per cent. London mayor Sadiq Khan has been accused of still potentially plotting a 'pay-per-mile' road charging scheme in London, despite insisting he has ruled it out The Conservatives' London mayoral candidate Susan Hall has cast doubt on Mr Khan's denials Heavy traffic is seen building up on London's North Circular route on March 28 She has now insisted: 'Sadiq Khan has been completely disingenuous in his denials, given he has refused the opportunity to remove pay-per-mile from his legally binding transport strategy. 'We can expect more of these dodgy lawyer tricks from Sadiq Khan if he gets another four years, acting innocent with Londoners while forcing TfL by law to continue pursuing pay-per-mile no matter what he says publicly.' Her comments came as attention was drawn to Mr Khan's legally-binding official transport strategy, which stipulates Transport for London would 'investigate proposals for the next generation of road user charging'. The document was first published in 2018 and updated four years later as the mayor expanded his controversial ULEZ scheme - but the 'per mile' idea remains in place and is prompting criticism, the Telegraph reports. The strategy plan states: 'The mayor, through TfL, will investigate proposals for the next generation of road-user charging systems. 'These could replace schemes such as the Congestion Charge, Low Emission Zone and Ultra Low Emission Zone. 'In doing so, the mayor will consider the appropriate technology for any future schemes, and the potential for a future scheme that reflects distance, time, emissions, road danger and other factors in an integrated way.' The document suggests 'an integrated "per mile" charge could replace pre-existing schemes' and present Londoners with 'a single, unified scheme which takes into account both congestion and emissions objectives'. A spokesman for Mr Khan said: 'This is absolute nonsense from a Tory party desperate to distract from their 14 years of failure, and is categorically untrue. 'Sadiq has definitively ruled out pay-per-mile. Pay-per-mile was first proposed in Boris Johnsons transport strategy when he was mayor.' Sadiq Khan and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer are seen on a visit in London on March 18 File photo of an information sign for London's ULEZ, a scheme expanded by Mr Khan last year Protesters against Mr Khan's ULEZ expansion have been vandalising cameras, including this one in Uxbridge, west London, which had its lens sprayed over with white paint Meanwhile, one of the independent candidates running in the mayoral race criticised both Mr Khan and Ms Hall for 'spinning' too much - while also posing for photos on his head while discussing his love of breakdancing. Businessman Brian Rose, 52, who came seventh in the London mayoral election three years ago, said: 'This is such a depressingly good example of politicians being obsessed with politics rather than people. 'There is a huge debate to be had about how we fund investment in our capitals transport infrastructure, while keeping the air clean. 'Yet Khan and Hall have become bogged down in a meaningless tit-for-tat over when and where Khan claimed he was looking at a pay-per-mile approach for London motorists. 'Meanwhile, out in the real world, drivers are being milked dry by Khan, TfL remains a case study in how not to fund transport, and Londons main roads remain jammed and polluted because of Khans obsession with Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.' The Tories have compiled a dossier of 17 occasions a possible 'pay-per-mile' scheme has been referenced by Mr Khan or senior City Hall figures during his time in office. These include the mayor writing in his book Breathe, published in May last year, of his 'plans to introduce a new, more comprehensive road-user charging system, to be implemented by the end of the decade at the latest'. Ms Hall has also pointed to how Mr Khan, shortly after his 2021 victory, said he had 'no plans' to extend the capital's Ultra Low Emission Zone to outer London. He then extended ULEZ to all the city's boroughs last August, sparking widespread protests including vigilante damage to street cameras. Earlier this month Susan Hall engaged in a social media spat with allies of Mr Khan after posting on X, formerly Twitter, a mocked-up photo of a 'pay-per-mile' sign on a London street The Tory mayoral candidate, pictured here out canvassing alongside Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has accused Mr Khan of 'treating Londoners like fools' over pay-per-mile plans Within the dossier put together by the Conservatives were also the results of a Freedom of Information request from last December. This revealed TfL had set aside up to 150million for 'Project Detroit' - work on 'a new core technology platform for existing road user charging schemes to replace the currently outsourced system as the current contract expires in 2026'. A previous FoI request to TfL revealed the platform being built under 'Project Detroit' had 'the capability to be extended'. Officials added: 'We will be looking to build the system flexibly so that other forms of charging based on distance, vehicle type, etc could be catered for if a decision was made in future to do so.' Earlier this month Ms Hall engaged in a social media spat with allies of Mr Khan after she posted on X, formerly Twitter, a mocked-up photo of a 'pay-per-mile' traffic sign on a London street. London Labour responded by posting: 'This sign does not and will never exist. Sadiq has been clear - ruling out pay per mile categorically while he is mayor. This is a photoshopped image and is a lie.' Labour have repeatedly highlighted how Mr Johnson, when he was London mayor before Mr Khan, explored plans to charge motorists for each mile in a bid to improve air quality in the capital. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was also reported to be considering 'pay per mile' proposals when he was Chancellor. The plans were mooted amid the Treasury receiving less revenue from fuel duty and vehicle excise duty revenue, as more drivers switch to electric vehicles. Sadiq Khan (pictured) has been criticised for 150million TfL spending on 'secret' technology that could enable the introduction of pay-per-mile road charging on motorists Protesters opposed to the expansion of London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone demonstrate outside BBC Broadcasting House in London on July 22 last year Independent candidate and practised breakdancer Brian Rose has criticised both Sadiq Khan and Susan Hall of 'spinning' rather than properly tackling London's transport issues Mr Rose previously stood in the 2021 mayoral election, finishing seventh New data last week suggested congestion in London has become worse than it was before the ULEZ scheme was rolled out and then expanded. Figures from location tech firm TomTom showed the 'congestion level percentage', a measure of how much longer it takes to drive around London compared to if there was no traffic, is higher in 2024 than it was in 2019. ULEZ, which requires people to pay a 12.50 daily charge for driving non-compliant vehicles, was first introduced in April five years ago. A London Labour spokesperson said in response: 'London is getting back to being as busy as we were pre-pandemic. The main difference is that now, thanks to the largest clean air zone in the world, it is doing so with cleaner cars.' A paediatrician has been struck off after waging a harassment campaign against her former partner's new girlfriend - which included rifling through her dustbin in the dead of night. Dr Adeline Salim, 38, also went to the woman's workplace wearing a bizarre 'disguise' and even accessed her medical records and those of her children without consent, a medical tribunal found. The woman said she had been left 'frightened' by Salim's behaviour, leaving her 'quite nervous'. Marco Breen, presenting officer on behalf of the General Medical Council, which brought the case, said Salim's actions were 'dishonest or disgraceful' and brought the profession into disrepute. A Medical Practitioners' Tribunal Service hearing was told the incidents dated back to 2021, according to coverage by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Paediatrician Dr Adeline Salim (pictured), 38, has been struck off after waging a harassment campaign against her former partner's new girlfriend - which included rifling through her dustbin in the dead of night The tribunal panel found Salim's conduct amounted to harassment and, on Thursday, ruled her actions meant her fitness to practice was impaired. On Friday, she was erased from the medical register. Evidence considered by the tribunal included CCTV footage which showed Salim - then a junior doctor in the paediatric team at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool - rummaging through Miss A's bins in the middle of the night. In an incident on 10 March 2021, the doctor accessed Ms A's medical records and her children without consent. Later that day, Salim turned up outside Ms A's home also the new address of her former partner - and attempted to call to the couple's cat before driving away. And five days later, Salim visited a coffee shop where Ms A was the manager and took pictures of her while she worked. The tribunal heard Salim, who qualified in 2011 with a medical degree from Liverpool University, attempted to disguise herself by wearing a hat and long, pink coloured coat. CCTV images from the shop showed a woman holding up a phone to take photographs. Ms A said earlier in the tribunal hearing that she was confident the woman who visited the shop was Salim, having been shown a picture of her online. She had even served Salim in the shop, the panel heard. Ms A told how she 'froze' and her 'fight or flight' instincts began when she saw the individual said to be the doctor. She told the hearing she felt sickened at the doctor's 'invasive' presence at her workplace. The woman in the footage had attempted to 'disguise' herself in a hat, mask and long coat, but was peering round and displaying 'odd' behaviour, the tribunal heard. Evidence considered by the tribunal included CCTV footage which showed Salim - then a junior doctor in the paediatric team at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool (pictured) - rummaging through Miss A's bins in the middle of the night The incident involving the bin happened on 1 April 2021. Footage from a CCTV camera showed an individual outside Ms A's house, with their hood up and wearing a head torch approaching the driveway at night, the tribunal was told. The person, identified as Salim, could be seen reaching into a bin, retrieving a bag and slicing it open on the driveway. Ms A said the incident 'really did frighten me', having a 'long lasting effect', and leaving her 'quite nervous' afterwards. She said the act of going through her bins was 'really spiteful, unnecessary and petty'. Salim, who lives in a 400,000 four-bedroom detached house in West Kirby, Wirral, did not participate in the week-long tribunal hearing, which was held virtually, and was unavailable for comment after being struck off. Investigators are set to quiz the woman at the centre of the Christian Horner 'sexting scandal' this week as part an appeal after her complaints against the Red Bull boss were dismissed. The woman, who was suspended from her job at the company's UK headquarters, challenged the independent report that cleared Horner of any wrongdoing after she accused him of 'coercive behaviour'. A new barrister has reportedly been appointed to grill her ahead of the appeal and is due to speak to her within days. The reinvestigation could also see Horner - who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell - questioned on the matter again. Allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour' by Horner were dropped just a day before the first practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was cleared of wrongdoing after the woman accused him of 'coercive behaviour' Horner is pictured with his wife, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, at the Saudi Grand Prix in March But just 24 hours later, his alleged misconduct was plunged back into the spotlight, after what appeared to intimate WhatsApp exchanges allegedly sent by Horner to the female colleague were leaked to a number of key F1 figures and the media. Bosses are unlikely to reveal the full investigation report into the scandal as both parties signed confidentiality clauses. Speaking ahead of the appeal an F1 source told The Sun: 'No one wants this to drag on any longer than it needs to. The woman, who has been suspended on full pay, also changed lawyers a precursor to her latest legal move. 'Red Bull has made it clear that once the appeal is over, they are willing to be fully transparent. 'They don't want to do anything that compromises the process but when it's done, the gloves are off.' The woman has lodged a separate complaint against Horner with the FIA - the sport's ruling body. The female employee, it is believed, insists she was not the source of the explosive evidence. And someone close to her says she feels 'let down' by Red Bull and she has 'behaved properly during the process.' Red Bull team principal Horner and Spice Girl Geri pose after the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo di Monza on September 7, 2014 Red Bull and Max Verstappen continue to dominate on the track despite the team's off-track dramas Jos Verstappen (right), father of world champion Max Verstappen, who is a known Horner critic, also denies leaking the information Jos Verstappen, father of world champion Max Verstappen, who is a known Horner critic, also denies leaking the information. A friend of the woman exclusively told MailOnline: 'She is so disappointed with how it's all gone, especially as she did everything by the book. 'She raised her concerns in private and did everything right, but she feels very let down by the company. 'They have suspended her when she followed the proper process diligently and correctly.' A crazed suspect randomly punched a nine-year-old girl in the face in New York City's Grand Central Terminal. Jean Carlos Zarzuela, 30, was arrested on Saturday after he punched the unidentified girl inside the terminal's dining area around 11.49am, police said. Zarzuela, a repeat offender who was recently released for a similar crime, allegedly approached the girl as she stood near her mother before he hit her in the face without warning, according to the MTA Police Department. The girl suffered pain and dizziness after the attack and was taken to NYU Langone-Tisch Hospital. She is expected to make a full recovery. 'It doesn't make any sense that this guy-- who recently was released after being charged with randomly punching someone else and breaking that victims nose-- should be back in a public space where he can attack others, especially children,' MTA Communications Director Tim Minton told amNewYork Metro. Jean Carlos Zarzuela, 30, was arrested on Saturday after he punched a nine-year-old girl in the face around 11.49am in Grand Central Terminal's dining area, police said Zarzuela is seen wandering in surveillance footage outside of a Shake Shack in the terminal's dining area The girl suffered pain and dizziness after the attack and was taken to NYU Langone-Tisch Hospital. She is expected to make a full recovery After he punched the child, Zarzuela fled the scene before he was found at the Lexington Avenue/125th Street station. Surveillance footage caught Zarzuela near a Shake Shack in the food court, wandering in the station, and running out onto the street after the attack. He was arrested by NYPD Transit Bureau officers around 10.20pm and told police that he lived at a homeless shelter nearby. He was seen in photos being escorted in handcuffs by MTA Police Detectives with multiple stains on his gray crewneck sweatshirt. He donned black pants and had a blank look on his face as the officers walked him out of Grand Central Terminal. Zarzuela was charged with aggravated assault of a victim under 11, second-degree assault, third-degree assault and attempted assault. This was not Zarzuela's first run-in with the law, as sources close to the investigation told amNew York Metro that he was arrested eight other times. After he punched the child, Zarzuela fled the scene before he was found at the Lexington Avenue/125th Street station He was arrested by NYPD Transit Bureau officers around 10.20pm and told police that he lived at a homeless shelter nearby He was seen in photos being escorted in handcuffs by MTA Police Detectives with multiple stains on his gray crewneck sweatshirt On April 4, Zarzuela assaulted a 54-year-old woman at the Grand Central Terminal near Lexington Avenue. Days later he was released from custody without bail On April 4, Zarzuela assaulted a 54-year-old woman at the Grand Central Terminal near Lexington Avenue, police said. During that encounter, the suspect allegedly punched the woman in the face in a random attack and broke her nose, MTA Police sources said. He was arrested and charged with second-degree felony assault, but his charge was later decreased to third-degree misdemeanor assault after he appeared in court, records revealed. Prosecutors first requested that he remain in jail on a $10,000 bail, which was soon downgraded to $2,500. According to court records, days after his hearing, Judge Laurie Peterson ordered he be released from custody without bail. 'The people responsible for the criminal justice system need to learn from this episode before more innocent people become victims,' Minton said. Last week, police released surveillance footage of a suspect that allegedly punched a 23-year-old woman on March 20 as she walked past a McDonald's on 6th Avenue in Chelsea around 10am This year alone, there have been 465 reported felony assaults in the Big Apple, according to crime statistics. In recent weeks, multiple women were randomly punched in the face by men, following a trend line of seemingly isolated incidents of violence in the city. Last week, police released surveillance footage of a suspect who allegedly punched a 23-year-old woman on March 20 as she walked past a McDonald's on 6th Avenue in Chelsea around 10am. She was inspected by medical professionals for a nose injury and filed a report with authorities on the same day. The suspect, a man in dark pants, a light T-shirt and what looks like a light blue overcoat or unbuttoned dress shirt, was caught on surveillance camera jogging away after the attack. Donald Trump has yet again raged about his hush money trial that is due to start tomorrow after he failed to get it delayed. The ex-president accused Judge Juan Merchan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of using the 'Fake Biden Trial' to derail his campaign. Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up his hush money payments to women he had affairs with, including prostitutes. The most notable is pornstar Stormy Daniels, whom Trump's then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid $130,000 in 2016 to deny their alleged affair happened. Trump, without evidence, posted on his 'Truth Social' site Sunday that his lawyers were not given enough time to review evidence before the trial. 'Judge Juan Merchan, perhaps the most highly conflicted Judge in New York State history, only gave us a short period of time to read and study hundreds of thousands of pages of documents that DA Alvin Bragg illegally hid, disguised, and held back from us,' Trump wrote. Donald Trump has yet again raged about his hush money trial that is due to start tomorrow after he failed to get it delayed The hush money trial centers around $130,000 paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Prosecutors allege Trump falsified business records to cover up the payment to keep her quiet 'Of course, and as the judge knows, we need far more time than that.' Trump then claimed Bragg was working in 'close coordination' with the White House on the timing of the trial in an effort to damage his campaign. 'They could have started this Fake Biden Trial many years ago, not right in the middle of my campaign for President, and time would not be a problem,' he wrote. 'This is a blatant and unprecedented attack on Crooked Joe Biden's Political Opponent (who is leading in every poll!), done in close coordination with the White House, that cannot be allowed to go forward!' Trump is not leading in every poll as numerous national and swing-state surveys have President Joe Biden ahead, though Trump is up in more of them. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is leading the case against Trump Former President Donald Trump slammed the criminal case against him in New York just days before the trial gets underway. The ex-president told the crowd it is a 'badge of honor' to be indicted The former president also vented against the hush money case against him at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, just days before he becomes the first former president in American history to stand trial on criminal charges. 'Two days from now, the entire world will witness the commencement of the very first Biden trial,' he told a rancorous crowd of supporters. 'I'm proud to do it for your. Have a good time watching, have a good time watching.' The 77-year-old ex-president was in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, outside Allentown where he rambled for roughly an hour on a wide range of topics from the border to insisting 'I'm popular!' It was his final rally before the hush money trial gets underway in New York. Jury selection begins on Monday. Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Each count has a maximum penalty of four years in prison. 'On Monday in New York City, I will be forced to sit fully gagged, I'm not allowed to talk,' Trump claimed one day after saying he would testify. Jury selection for Trumps hush money trial begins on Monday. He will be the first former president to stand trial on criminal charges, but tonight hes in Schnecksville, PA for a rally. Supporters tell me the whole thing is a witch hunt pic.twitter.com/BI44QQpmPg Sarah Ewall-Wice (@EwallWice) April 13, 2024 The ex-president went after the presiding judge as well as the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg who brought the case. 'This is by far the weakest criminal case I've ever seen in my 60 years,' Trump, 77, said. 'There is absolutely nothing here. There is no misdemeanor. There is no felony, there is no federal crime.' Trump slammed the trial coming in the middle of him running for president. It is the first of four criminal cases against Trump that could get underway this year as he mounts his third White House bid. Supporters waiting in line for hours to attend the ex-president's rally on Saturday echoed some of Trump's own statements on the case. Multiple people waiting in line told DailyMail.com the criminal case was a 'witch hunt,' orchestrated by 'corrupt' Democrats and dismissed concerns about Trump being convicted while running for president. 'I'm absolutely disgusted in our criminal justice system,' said Courtney Bracken, 46, who was at the rally with her son and also said she was at the Capitol on January 6. The line of supporters waiting outside Trump's rally in Schnecksville on April 13. Hundreds of supporters waited in line for hours ahead of the ex-president's remarks at the Schnecksville Fire Hall Supporters of Trump ahead of his campaign rally in Schnecksville, PA on April 13 'I honestly think that Democrats are making a mockery out of our criminal justice system. I think eventually after all the appeals, after everything, President Trump will be found not guilty,' she said. 'I think it's just a roadblock. They're frivilious cases,' said Michael Mann, 61, at the rally Saturday. 'I don't feel he's going to be convicted. He's going to come out of it.' Trump himself said on Friday he would testify in the hush money case. 'It's a scam. It's a scam. That's not a trial. That's not a trial,' Trump also said Friday. A new The New York Times/Siena poll on Saturday found a majority of registered voters believe that the charges Trump falsified records related to the hush money payments are very serious or somewhat serious. Only 22 percent said they were not at all serious. The charges did divide along partisan lines. 43 percent of Republicans said the charges related to hush money payments were not at all serious. 46 percent of registered voters said they think Trump should be found guilty in the case. 36 percent said he should not. 71 percent of Republicans said he should not. Trump told supporters at his rally 'have a good time watching' as he blasts the hush money case against him that gets underway in New York with jury selection on Monday While only the hush money case has a set trial start date so far, the criminal cases against Trump could take him off the campaign trail for a significant amount of time leading up to the election. Trump's campaign said it will take full advantage of off days on Wednesday and weekends, and the ex-president will also continue to deliver his message with in-person and virtual events. They argue the court appearances and indictments have proven to backfire for Democrats and Biden and expect this case to be no different. 'Joe Biden and the Democrats' entire strategy to defeat President Trump is to keep him away from campaigning by confining him to a courtroom,' said Karoline Leavitt, National Press Secretary in a statement. 'President Trump will continue to fight for truth in the courtroom and to share his winning message on the campaign trail,' she said. Trump is expected to hold in-person and virtual campaign events around the trial schedule. His campaign claims the courtroom appearances and indictments backfire on Democrats Pennsylvania is one of the biggest battlegrounds of 2024. Biden won the state by more than 80,000 votes in 2020 after Trump won the state by less than 45,000 votes in 2016. Ahead of Trump's visit, supporters lined the roads around Schnecksville waving Trump flags and holding signs. DailyMail.com observed one person holding a Biden sign on the side of the road near the rally, and another person waiting to greet the motorcade a little further away holding a 'Trump in prison 2024' sign. Ahead of the ex-president's visit, the state's Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro issued a statement on behalf of the Biden campaign about Trump's visit to the state blasting him on the issue of abortion and overturning of Roe v Wade. 'Pennsylvanians want a president who will fight for us and protect our freedom not the chaos and extremism Donald Trump wants to bring to our communities,' he said. Hundreds of survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing have launched legal action against MI5 over claims it failed to take action to stop the attack. An official inquiry held last year heard how MI5 had terrorist Salman Abedi on its radar from 2010 but regarded him as low priority. Then in the months before the attack which killed 22 people, including children MI5 received two vital pieces of intelligence on Abedi, which it failed to act upon quickly. Now legal teams representing more than 250 survivors say they have submitted a group claim to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) - an independent judicial body that people who feel they have been the victim of unlawful action by a public authority can appeal to. Director-general of MI5 Ken McCallum said in March 2023 that he was 'profundly sorry' that MI5 did not stop the bombing at the Ariana Grande concert. Hundreds of survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing have launched legal action against MI5 over claims it failed to take action to stop the attack An official inquiry held last year heard how MI5 had terrorist Salman Abedi on its radar from 2010 but regarded him as low priority Then in the months before the attack which killed 22 people, mainly children MI5 received two vital pieces of intelligence on Abedi (pictured), which it failed to act upon quickly READ MORE: Furious families of Manchester Arena bombing victims to sue MI5 after inquiry heard security service received TWO vital pieces of intelligence on terrorist Salman Abedi - just months before deadly attack that claimed 22 lives Advertisement He added: 'Gathering covert intelligence is difficult but had we managed to seize the slim chance we had, those impacted might not have experienced such appalling loss and trauma.' The action against MI5 is being led by three legal firms - Hudgell Solicitors, Slater & Gordon and Broudie Jackson Canter. In a joint statement they confirmed that they had submitted a claim to the IPT on behalf of more than 250 clients but were unable to provide any further comment at this stage. Relatives of the victims have already criticised MI5's catalogue of failures regarding the attack. Andrew Roussos, whose daughter Saffie-Rose, eight, was the youngest victim, said it could not be 'business as usual' for MI5 after the findings of the inquiry in 2023. Mr Roussos added at the time: 'I would like to sue MI5 and I know other families feel the same way. I can't see why not. If they get sued it will make sure it is not business as usual. The 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017 Saffie-Rose Roussos was the youngest person to die in the Manchester Arena bombing Her father Andrew said it could not be business as usual for MI5 after the inquirys final report was released in March 2023 The ocean of floral tributes in St Ann's square in the heart of the city centre following the terrorist bombing attack at Manchester arena Mourners lay tributes following the Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017 Caroline Curry, whose son Liam, 19, died at the concert with his girlfriend Chloe Rutherford, 17, also said she wanted to sue MI5 for negligence 'I have said from day one that I blame MI5 the country's Security Service. But now there is clear evidence that they messed up, and there has to be a price to pay. They need to feel responsible.' Caroline Curry, whose son Liam, 19, died at the concert with his girlfriend Chloe Rutherford, 17, also said she wanted to sue MI5 for negligence. She said: 'It sometimes feels MI5 are untouchable, and I feel it would make sure they do the right thing in future. Others feel the same.' Abedi, 22, blew himself up at the Manchester Arena after an Ariana Grande concert on May 22, 2017. Inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders explained that MI5 received information about Abedi on 20 occasions between 2010 and the days leading up to the attack in May 2017. It came from Abedi's contacts with known extremists. But MI5 did not investigate him closely. Crucially, Sir John said MI5 received two significant pieces of information of national security concern about Abedi in the months before his attack when he was amassing bomb material. Sir John Saunders, chairman of the Manchester Arena Inquiry, arrives at Manchester Magistrates Court After it was highly critical of MI5, its Director-General, Ken McCallum, apologised to the victims families But the two pieces of intelligence which Sir John could not reveal were not acted upon by MI5 quickly enough. Abedi was in Libya for a month and returned to Britain four days before the attack. Sir John believes it was in Libya that he was trained how to make a bomb and even brought back a detonator switch. Had MI5 acted on the two pieces of intelligence, he would have been searched on re-entering the UK, and officers would have tailed him, which would have led them to a car full of bomb-making materials. Sir John said there was a 'realistic possibility' that 'actionable intelligence' could have been obtained that might have prevented the attack, adding: 'The reasons for this significant missed opportunity included a failure by a Security Service officer to act swiftly.' Rishi Sunak joined G7 leaders to condemn Iran's bombardment of Israel after it fired a barrage of 300 missiles at the country in an 'unprecedented attack' that sparked fears of World War III. The leaders met on a virtual conference this afternoon to coordinate a diplomatic response to Iran's massive overnight air attack on Israel that saw RAF jets deployed to shoot down drones from Tehran. The UK Prime Minister condemned 'in the strongest terms' Iran's 'reckless' attack as he vowed to 'continue to stand up for Israel's security and that of all our regional partners'. 'We will continue to work to stabilise the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives,' the G7 said in a joint statement. The urgent meeting was organised by Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7, and took place at 2pm, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said. A G7 meeting took place this afternoon as leaders condemned Iran's air attack on Israel 'in the strongest terms' Sunak was not alone in his efforts as President Biden also confirmed the US military had helped Israel shoot down 'nearly all' of Iran's drones and missiles Iran has said it had attacked Israel in 'self-defence' following the April 1 strike on its diplomatic mission in Damascus, which was widely blamed on Israel. Pictured are missiles yesterday The statement added: Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack. 'We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security. 'With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. 'We will also strengthen our cooperation to end the crisis in Gaza, including by continuing to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, and deliver increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need.' Sunak was also joined by US President Joe Biden on the call amid fears of further escalation in the event of a potential Israeli counter-strike. The Iranian attack, in response to a suspected Israeli air strike on Iran's embassy compound in Damascus on April 1, raised the threat of a wider regional conflict. The UK was one of several countries, including the US, which helped counter Iran's bombardment - in its first ever direct strike on Israeli grounds. Additional RAF jets were deployed over Iraq and Syria, not Israel, the Ministry of Defence said. People gather around a destroyed building targeted by Israeli air strikes on the village of Nabi Sheet in the Baablbek district in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley on April 14, 2024 Drones or missiles vying for targets at undisclosed locations in northern Israel yesterday Speaking to reporters in Downing Street, Sunak said if Iran had been successful in their attack 'the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate'. He did not confirm how many Iranian drones were shot down by British forces. The G7 full statement 'We, the Leaders of the G7, unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Irans direct and unprecedented attack against Israel. Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack. We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security. 'With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. We will continue to work to stabilize the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives. 'We will also strengthen our cooperation to end the crisis in Gaza, including by continuing to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, and deliver increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need. Advertisement Attack drones were intercepted by the RAF jets in Syrian and Iraqi airspace - but the MoD did not clarify how many British Typhoons were airborne. However, they reassured that the RAF would repeal 'any airborne attacks within range' of its operations in the area. Sunak was not alone in his efforts as President Biden also confirmed the US military had helped Israel shoot down 'nearly all' of Iran's drones and missiles. But Tehran has already threatened a 'heavier' response if Washington co-operates with any further Israeli military action against it. Jordan also played a role in the crucial interceptions as its military shot down a number of missiles as they flew through Jordanian airspace. Sunak said it was clear Iran was 'determined to sow discontent and destabilise the region, it's own backyard'. He also vowed to continue offering support for the security of Israel. 'We'll be working with our allies to de-escalate the situation and I look forward to speaking to G7 leaders this afternoon,' he said prior to this afternoon's meeting. The G7 groups the United States, Canada, Italy, Britain, France, Germany and Japan. Its foreign ministers are scheduled to meet over April 17 to 19 on the Italian island of Capri. The urgent talks come after Iran launched hundreds of aerial drones and cruise missiles at Israel overnight on Saturday and into Sunday, in a massive retaliatory attack. Iran claimed that the fierce bombardment of Israel is a response to the April 1 airstrike on an Iranian consulate building in the Syrian capital Damascus, which killed 12 Iranians and two senior commanders. Iran has blamed Israel for the airstrike, but the country has not yet confirmed to carrying out what Iran has dubbed 'Operation True Promise'. The attack began on Saturday at around 8pm and lasted around five hours, according to US officials. During the attack, explosions were heard across cities in Israel, including Tel Aviv and were even heard in Jerusalem as air raid sirens blared in over 720 locations. Israel's chief military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, said Iran's attack involved more than 120 ballistic missiles, 170 drones, and more than 30 cruise missiles, according to reports. A seven-year-old girl was also severely injured by missile fragments, while other patients sustained minor injuries and some were treated for anxiety. The attack also came as the latest attempt to reach a ceasefire in the war in Gaza appeared to falter, with Israel accusing Hamas of rejecting a truce proposal. Earlier today, Israel showed their first signs of retaliation after levelling a building in east Lebanon and vowing a response to Iran's attack. A source within Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group said Israel struck one of its buildings close to the Syrian border today. The source told news agency AFP: 'The Israeli strike targeted an area... near Baalbek and targeted a two-storey building belonging to Hezbollah,' adding that there were no casualties reported. But speaking to media tonight, an Israeli military spokesperson warned bigger plans for both offensive and defence action has been authorised following last night's attack by Iran. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: 'Hamas and Iran want to ignite the Middle East and to escalate in the region,' adding that the IDF remains 'on high alert' and is 'assessing the situation'. He went on: 'Over the last two hours, we approved operational plans for both offensive and defensive action. 'We will continue to protect the State of Israel, and together with our partners, we will continue to build a more secure and stable future for the entire Middle East'. The YouTuber who was arrested last week after getting into a physical fight with her boyfriend on a livestream says she feels lucky to have walked away from the altercation with her life. Elisa Jordana, the former Howard Stern Show writer and personality, spoke with TMZ in the aftermath of her arrest for felony battery. Jordana - whose real name is Elisa Ann Schwartz - claims she was hit repeatedly and even suffocated by the man in the car. The man, her on-camera love interest Bahram Alipour, is the son of a wealthy Beverly Hills businessman. The two were filmed hitting each other during a livestream where Jordana accused Alipour of cheating. The live-streamer insists she is the true victim, because she feels that in slightly different circumstances, she could 'be dead right now.' In the interview with TMZ, Jordana at one point holds up two large handfuls of hair that she says she had to cut off of her hair following the fight, during which Alipour viciously yanked her hair and put her in a headlock after she hit him. Elisa Jordana, the former Howard Stern Show writer and personality, spoke with TMZ in the aftermath of her arrest for felony battery. She flashed handfuls of hair during the interview Jordana insists that it is she who is the true victim, because she feels that in slightly different circumstances, she could 'be dead right now' The streamer's hair did look visibly shorter on one side as she spoke to TMZ, saying she's relieved she was livestreaming at the time of the altercation because she fears what might've happened had the two of them been alone together. 'If I was alone, I could definitely be dead right now. That's how I feel,' she said, before adding that Alipour - who has yet to issue any sort of statement or comment about any of this - 'destroyed my life.' Jordana claims the conflict that led to the violent altercation began when she found information on Alipour's phone that suggested he had been unfaithful to her. She said she found texts to other women, as well as Venmo deposits to other women. Until last week, Jordana had been in a relationship with Alipour for at least several months. To TMZ, she said the pair had filled out a marriage license together but bailed on plans to legally tie the knot on several occasions. Jordana and her attorney, Brian Bieber, will now fight her felony charge in a Florida court, arguing that she was ultimately the victim of the violent behavior. 'When I slapped him, I didn't want to kill him, obviously. I just wanted to slap him,' she said. Jordana's stream initially went viral because of the shocking footage of her slapping Alipour hard across the face multiple times as she confronted him about his alleged affair. In a written report, police say they observed several injuries to Alipour's face, and after viewing the livestream, opted to take Jordana into custody. She previously said she doesn't think authorities watched the full livestream. The streamer's hair did look visibly shorter on one side as she spoke to TMZ, saying she's relieved she was livestreaming at the time of the altercation because she fears what might've happened had the two of them been alone together Jordana and her attorney, Brian Bieber, will now fight her felony charge in a Florida court, arguing that she was ultimately the victim of the violent behavior She previously said she doesn't think authorities watched the full livestream Jordana was booked at the Palm Beach County Jail after being arrested for felony battery Jordana briefly flashed the now-deleted Venmo account of the woman with whom claims her boyfriend was cheating on her In a statement to DailyMail.com, Schwartz vowed to reevaluate her relationships with other people The YouTuber claimed her boyfriend was cheating on her with a young woman named Sara, and accused him of paying her thousands of dollars. Jordana held up Sara Rodriguez's Venmo account to the screen. She said she could see various instances when her boyfriend sent Sara payments of a few thousand dollars. Jordana has also claimed that Alipour, who goes online by the name 'Zscorro,' has paid her throughout their relationship. It is not clear if Alipour is employed, but his father, Mohammad Alipour, is the owner of a $45million mansion in Beverly Hills, according to public records. Following her arrest on April 8, Jordana - whose legal name is Elisa Ann Schwartz - was issued a no-contact order, which prohibits her from contacting Alipour in any way. She is scheduled to appear in court next Friday. In a statement to DailyMail.com following her arrest, Jordana apologized for her behavior. 'I just want to say Im so sorry for what I portrayed on my livestream that everyone saw,' she said. 'This is not what I want to give to the world and it sucks that I got into such a sadness and anger - it was a really negative representation of who I am. 'Im going to do everything I can to have better relationships with people that are good for me, and people that Im also good for.' She deemed the controversy and subsequent arrest 'the most challenging time of my life,' adding, 'if I can get through this time I will definitely be proud.' Sen. Marco Rubio accused the Biden administration of leaking the president's call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a way of appealing to anti-Semitic supporters. An Axios report Saturday night details that Joe Biden told Netanyahu in their call that the U.S. would not participate in counter strikes against Iran. Rubio claims that this aspect of the call was intentionally leaked by the White House as a pander to 'anti-semites, anti-Israel, pro terrorist elements' of the Democratic Party. 'They know that Israel's going to respond they know that for a fact' Rubio told CNN State of the Union host Jake Tapper on Sunday. 'So, why would the White House leak it?' Sen. Marco Rubio said President Biden's team leaked details of his call with Israeli PM Netanyahu to appeal to 'anti-Semitic' Democrats who don't want the U.S. to help the Jewish state defend itself against Iran Why leak that Biden told Netanyahu not to respond to Irans massive attack against Israel? Because the Biden Administration is still catering to its anti-Israel, antisemitic base. pic.twitter.com/t6E4nqedt4 Senator Marco Rubio (@SenMarcoRubio) April 14, 2024 Rubio says the same calling for Israeli 'ceasefire' in Gaza are celebrating attacks by Iran now. Pictured: Pro-Palestine protesters convene in Herald Square, New York on April 12, 2024 'There's only one reason they leaked that,' the Republican lawmaker added. 'And that is that so when Israel does respond, the White House can say, 'We told them not to do it,' and at least somehow in some way, appease these so-called peace activists.' The Florida senator said the same people calling for an Israeli 'ceasefire' against Hamas terrorists in Gaza were the ones cheering the barrage of hundreds of missiles targeted at the Jewish state over the weekend from Iran and their proxies in the Middle East. Biden and his national security and defense team have insisted support for Israel's defense is 'ironclad' but have said U.S. forces will not engage in counter strikes against Iran after Tehran warned it would target American troops in retaliation. Since Saturday, Iran launched at least 300 missiles, drones and other strikes toward Israel, but most were intercepted and shot down before reaching the target nation's air space. If Israel does launch a counter attack, President Biden has done all he could to try and distance the U.S. from such a response including, Rubio claims, leaking his call with Netanyahu. Iran and its regional proxies sent an onsalught of at least 300 missiles, drones and other strikes toward Israel on Saturday, April 15, 2024 President Joe Biden convened with his National Security team in the Situation Room at the White House on Saturday amid escalating conflict in the Middle East 'These 'ceasefire now' people who were out yesterday cheering the launch of hundreds of rockets and drones and missiles against Israel; people that are out there cheering military attacks of this scale and scope are not peace activists these are anti-semites, anti-Israel, pro terrorist elements out there,' Rubio claimed. 'And we need to stop calling them peace activists,' he continued. 'They are not peace activists. You don't peace activists do not cheer massive attacks against other countries, which is what they were doing yesterday.' 'So, I guess this is part of the White House's effort to appease them by putting this out that proactively.' Australian police on Sunday said a 40-year-old itinerant with mental illness was behind a Sydney shopping centre stabbing rampage that killed six people, including a new mum whose nine-month-old baby is still in hospital with serious wounds. New South Wales police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said the assailant who was shot dead by a senior police officer at the scene on Saturday was Queensland man Joel Cauchi. Five women and one male security guard were killed in the attack as Cauchi roved through a packed shopping center in the city's Bondi Junction neighborhood with a large knife. Twelve more people are still in hospital. "The sound of people screaming was horrific," said eyewitness Daphi Kiselstein, who was shopping at the time of the attack and took refuge in a store with other terrified people. Cooke said there was no evidence to suggest Cauchi was "driven by any particular motivation, ideology or otherwise." "We know that the offender in the matter suffered from, suffers from, mental health," he added. Cauchi was tracked down and shot dead by solo senior police officer Amy Scott, who was instantly hailed by Australia's prime minister as a "hero" who had saved countless lives. Cauchi's parents said their son had been living in a vehicle and hostels of late, and was only in sporadic contact via text messages. Police said he was diagnosed with a mental health issue at age 17, but they had no indication about why he may have become violent. His parents issued a statement through police offering condolences to their son's victims and their families. They had also sent a message of "support" to the officer who shot him dead, "expressing their concerns for her welfare." Queensland police said Cauchi had been in contact with police several times over the last four to five years but has never been arrested or charged with any offense. He is believed to have travelled to Sydney about a month ago and hired a small storage unit in the city. It contained personal belongings, including a boogie board. 'Outstanding human' The attack has caused sorrow, outrage and shock in Sydney, where residents are relatively unaccustomed to violent crime. The shopping center is the focal point of a well frequented suburb near the famed beach, and is always filled with shoppers and families going for meals or to the cinema. Among the victims was 38-year-old mother Ashlee Good, who succumbed to her injuries after desperately passing her baby to two strangers in the hope they could save the child's life. Good's family described her as "a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all round outstanding human and so much more." "To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not words cannot express our gratitude," they said in a statement to Australian media. The baby, named Harriet, was said to be recovering well after lengthy surgery. Two of the victims are said to have no family in Australia and attempts are being made to contact relatives overseas. 'Beyond comprehension' A Facebook profile said Cauchi came from Toowoomba, near Brisbane, and had attended a local high school and university. A distinctive gray, red and yellow dragon tattoo on his right arm was used to help identify him. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australians were struggling to understand an "unspeakable" attack that is "really just beyond comprehension." "People going about their Saturday afternoon shopping should be safe, shouldn't be at risk. But tragically, we saw a loss of life, and people will be grieving for loved ones today," he said. "We also know there are many people still in hospital dealing with recovery, and our thoughts and prayers are with them." Albanese said he had received messages from U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon among others. Outside the shopping center early on Sunday, a collection of flowers started to build. Families embraced as they lay flowers. One man stood silently and wiped away tears, before moving on. Sydney resident Paul Hoolahan said he came to pay his respects to those who died at the shopping center, where he often has coffee with his grandchildren. "It is emotional," Hoolahan told AFP. "It shouldn't happen. It hit here," he said pointing to his chest. New South Wales premier Chris Minns flew back from Japan on news of the attack. He said it had been "incredible to see complete strangers jump in, run towards the danger for their own lives in harm's way to save someone that they've never met before." "We've got some wonderful people in our city," he said. (AFP) American cardinal Timothy Dolan had to run for cover as Iran launched its drone assault on Israel during his visit to Bethlehem. The Archbishop of New York is spending a week in Israel, in part to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association. He began in Jerusalem on Friday and by Saturday night was in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, when Iran's drone armada arrived. 'This Sunday in Bethlehem all does seem calm and bright. And it is for us. We feel safe and secure,' he told his followers in a video on Sunday morning. 'That wasn't true in the middle of last night when the air raid sirens went off, and we had to go down and seek security at Notre Dame Center. 'But right now things look good, and we're grateful for that.' Cardinal Timothy Dolan described how he had to run for cover as Iran launched its drone assault on Israel during his visit to Bethlehem Iran launched 170 kamikaze drones and at least 120 rockets and 30 ballistic missiles at Israel, almost all of which the Iron Shield intercepted. The Islamic dictatorship attacked in retaliation for Israel killing Iran's top soldier in Syria in a strike on the embassy in Damascus. Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi was assassinated along with other Revolutionary Guard commanders on April 1. Cardinal Dolan linked Israel's long history of defending against attacks form its neighbors to his visit to the Creche, where nuns look after abandoned babies. 'They said to me, every time they get a new baby on our doorstep... who has no one to care for him or her, we feel it's Christmas all over again,' he said. Cardinal Dolan linked Israel's long history of defending against attacks form its neighbors to his visit to the Creche, where nuns look after abandoned babies 'As another one of God's children is born we have the honor to love them so tenderly and care for them. 'Those are messages of inspiration that you get here in the Holy Land that I think have given the people the resilience and hope for which they are famous.' Cardinal Dolan began his trip in Jerusalem with a Shabbat dinner with Jewish leaders, and will stay in Israel and Palestine until Thursday. Later on Sunday, he led mass at the Beit Jala Latin Parish in Neit Jala, near Bethlehem. He then met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other members of his government in Ramallah on the West Bank. Later on Sunday, he led mass at the Beit Jala Latin Parish in Neit Jala, near Bethlehem He then met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on the West Bank Other members of Abbas' government were also at the meeting Before leaving for Bethlehem on Saturday, he led mass at Our Lady of Peace chapel of the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center Before leaving for Bethlehem on Saturday, he led mass at Our Lady of Peace chapel of the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center. He will meet other Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders and visit Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups. The Iranian strike marks the first time a direct military assault has been launched by Tehran on Israel despite decades enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. On Sunday morning, Israel said it 'foiled' Iran's unprecedented attack on its country and revealed 120 ballistic missiles along with 200 drones were used. Syria said Iran exercised its 'right to self-defense' in the attack on Israel. And according to the New York Times, US President Joe Biden dissuaded Israel from giving the go-ahead on an immediate retaliation attack against Iran last night. Smoke billows over the area of an Israeli air strike on the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila near the border with Israel on April 14 Drones or missiles vying for targets at undisclosed locations in northern Israel yesterday US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said the U.S. has communicated to Iran 'what we would do' if American troops or facilities are targeted amid rising conflict in the Middle East. President Joe Biden's National Security Council Spokesman reiterated the U.S. does not plan to get involved with counter attacks against Iran on behalf of ally Israel but will continue to help defend the Jewish nation. Amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas terrorists in Gaza, some Republican lawmakers are not pleased with the Biden administration response so far with the escalating conflict and want a direct response to the attacks last night from Iran and its proxies. 'The president has made it clear: We do not seek a war with Iran. We don't seek a wider war in the region,' Kirby told NBC host Kristen Welker Sunday morning. A seven-year-old girl who was injured in the unprecedented Iranian missile strike against Israel is fighting for her life in hospital after being struck in the head by shrapnel in her home at 2am, her family have revealed. The Israel Defences Force (IDF) said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and at least 120 ballistic missiles in an attack that has escalated the conflict in the Middle East and sparked fears of World War III. IDF spokesman Dangiel Hagari revealed that '99 per cent' of the missiles launched on Saturday were intercepted overnight - but that one girl, now named locally as Amina al-Hassouni, was 'severely injured from shrapnel'. Amina, from the Bedouin town of Al-Fur'ah in southern Israel, is now in a critical condition after she was hit by shrapnel which fell on the roof of the family home at 2am, the Times of Israel reports. The young girl's brother told Haaretz how she lost consciousness and was unresponsive. Her parents then rushed her by car to Arad, before she was taken to the Soroka Medical Centre in an ambulance. The remains of a rocket booster that, according to Israel, critically injured a seven-year-old girl Residents transfer the remains of a rocket booster that reportedly injured seven-year-old Amina The medical centre confirmed she is now in the hospital's paediatric intensive care unit receiving treatment for a major head wound. READ MORE: Moment Iran began its 300-missile attack on Israel is revealed by state television as world holds its breath over WWIII fears as Rishi Sunak says RAF pilots helped avert disaster by intercepting bombs Advertisement Soroka said eight others had been brought in with minor injuries, some also hit by shrapnel. The assault was launched in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month, which killed two Iranian generals. Syria has said Iran exercised their 'right to self-defence' in the attack on Israel. It is the first direct military attack launched by Tehran on Israel, despite long-standing enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. The latest development brought years of shadow war between the two foes out into the open as the conflict in Gaza inflames decades-old tensions in the Middle East. Britain and the US have offered staunch support for Israel, although Tehran has threatened a 'heavier' response if Washington cooperates in any further military action. After Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, near Arad, this is the remains of a rocket booster which reportedly injured Amina Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (pictured) condemned 'in the strongest terms' Iran's 'reckless attack' as he pledged to 'continue to stand up for Israel's security' Attack drones were intercepted by the RAF in Syria and Iraq, where it was already operating as part of the Operation Shader mission against the Islamic State group. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that RAF jets shot down 'a number of' Iranian drones as he condemned the strikes as 'dangerous and unnecessary'. He warned that the fallout in regional stability would have been 'hard to overstate' if Iran had been successful. Speaking to journalists in Downing Street on Sunday, Mr Sunak called for 'calm heads to prevail' in the aftermath. He said: 'I can confirm that our planes did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones. I want to pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of our pilots flying into the face of danger to protect civilians. 'If this attack had been successful, the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate, and we stand by the security of Israel and the wider region, which is of course important for our security here at home.' The PM is joining other G7 leaders for urgent talks this afternoon amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. Additional RAF aircraft were deployed this weekend to bolster the UK's presence. A destroyed building targeted by Israeli air strikes on the village of Nabi Sheet in Baablbek People gather around a destroyed building targeted by Israeli air strikes on the village of Nabi Sheet in the Baablbek district in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley on April 14, 2024 United States President Joe Biden meets with members of the National Security Council regarding the unfolding missile attacks on Israel An Iranian man is holding a scale model of a cannon shell during a celebration in support of Iran's attack against Israel yesterday Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne and German foreign minister Annlena Baerbock joined a growing chorus of western leaders urging against escalation. The US President said he would convene a meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced democracies on Sunday 'to co-ordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack'. The language indicates that the Biden administration does not want Iran's assault to spiral into a broader military conflict after Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant suggested the incident was 'not over yet.' A top US official said the US had informed Israel it did not plan on striking Iran itself. A teenage boy has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of a pensioner in Glasgow. Police were called to Victoria Road, in the Govanhill area on the city's south side, following reports of a serious assault on Friday at 11.55pm. A 70-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene and a 15-year-old was subsequently arrested. The boy was charged on Sunday and is due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday. Police Scotland confirmed the man's family have been informed and have asked for privacy at this time. A police cordon was placed around Victoria Road, Glasgow, following the death of a pensioner after reports of a serious assault in the area on Friday night A 15-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in connection with the death and is due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday Detective inspector Alan Ferguson said: 'At this time, our thoughts remain with the deceased's family and friends, as they come to terms with their tragic loss. 'I would like to thank the local community for their assistance with our enquiries.' It came under huge strain as Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday, putting the country's '90 per cent effective' rocket-intercepting Iron Dome under enormous strain. It is still unclear how many of the estimated 200 missiles were intercepted by Israel and its allies, including the UK and the United States, but casualty numbers are believed to be remarkably low given the extent of the barrage. The powerful short-range defence system was used to shoot down the incoming missiles and has previously helped to resist attacks from Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and Hamas. The Iron Dome works to detect incoming rockets, before determining its path and intercepting them, and has blasted thousands of airborne weapons since it first went into operation in 2011. The three-part, multi-billion pound air defence system, developed by Israel with US backing after the 2006 Lebanon War, has been crucial in defending Israeli cities for over a decade and is credited with preventing serious damage or casualties. MailOnline has looked into the impressive system and how it works. Israel's Iron Dome uses a sophisticated radar to detect incoming airborne objects such as a drones, rockets, and missiles Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip in January 2024 Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in central Israel, in November 2023 What is the Iron Dome? The Iron Dome is an all-weather mobile system in Israel that is made up of at least 10 missile-defence batteries strategically distributed around the country. The device is made up of three main sections: a radar detection system, a computer to calculate the incoming rocket's trajectory, and a launcher that fires interceptors if the rocket is deemed likely to hit a built-up or strategic area. It uses a sophisticated radar to detect incoming airborne objects such as a drones, rockets, and missiles, it sends the information back to a command-and-control centre. Here, the threat is tracked to assess whether it is a false alarm and the potential destination of the flying object.Each truck-towed unit then fires radar-guided missiles to blow up short-range threats like rockets, mortars and drones in mid-air. The system fires the interceptors - just 6 inches wide and 10 feet long- at the incoming threats that seem most likely to hit an inhabited area. Each Iron Dome battery consists of three to four launchers that can each carry up to 20 Tamir interceptor missiles. The batteries can neutralise threats launched from up to 43 miles away, while at the same time ignoring projectiles that are projected to strike unpopulated areas. In late 2012 Israel said that it hoped to increase the range of Iron Dome's interceptions, from a maximum of 43 to 155 miles away and make it more versatile so that it could intercept rockets coming from two directions simultaneously. Israeli Iron Dome air defense system launches to intercept missiles fired from Iran, in central Israel, Sunday, April 14, 2024 A view shows drones or missiles vying for targets at undisclosed locations in northern Israel The 10 Iron Domes placed throughout the country are able to defend up to nearly 60 square miles of land - protecting countless civilians and critical infrastructure. The system was developed by state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries and was upgraded in 2012, but the details of the changes were not made public. The United States backed the initial project with a $200,000 grant in 2006. The Iron Dome is just one of Israel's three-tiered missile defence system along with the The Arrow, and David's Sling. The Arrow system developed with the US is designed to intercept long-range missiles, including the types of ballistic missiles Iran has launched at Israel. The Arrow, which operates outside the atmosphere, has been used in the current war to intercept long-range missiles launched by Houthi militants in Yemen. David's Sling, also developed with the US, is meant to intercept medium-range missiles, such as those possessed by Hezbollah in Lebanon. How effective is the Iron Dome? Iron Dome's effectiveness has improved since it first successfully took out a hostile projective in April 2011, and has gone on to achieve a reported success rate of around 90 per cent, according to Rafael Advanced Defence Systems. In a large Iranian attack in April 2024, most of the roughly 300 missiles were intercepted by the defensive weapon before reaching Israeli territory, while others were shot down by the United States and other allies. A complete battery costs an estimated 80million to produce, while each interceptor costs up to around 40,000 to launch Israeli Iron Dome air defense system intercepts a missile launched from the Gaza Strip towards southern Israel, January 21, 2024 It has also been proven to be highly effective in recent years, with its abilities especially highlighted in 2021 after militant groups in Gaza fired at least 4,000 rockets during the 11-day May war. In the first 24 hours of the conflict 470 rockets were fired with Iron Dome system intercepting about 90% of the rockets heading to populated areas within Israel. In the US, Lt. Gen. Henry A. Obering wrote in Defence News: 'Iron Dome has stopped over 2,000 rockets fired at Israeli population centres with a remarkable success rate, an achievement that also shifted US thinking about homeland missile defence. 'Iron Dome is the most proven and affordable option against very short-range fire.' He hailed it as a 'gamechanger'. On the battlefield during Operation Pillar of Defence in November 2012, and when used in Operation Protective Edge in 2014, the system had 84 per cent and 91 per cent rates of success, respectively. But things become more complicated if the drones are flying so low that the radar can't detect them. Israel has hundreds of interceptor missiles at its disposal, but the Iron Dome has come under immense pressures as seen on October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel with a barrage of thousands of missiles. Hamas said it launched 5,000 rockets in the initial attack and Israel's military countered by saying just 2,500 rockets were fired. 'That quantity was simply too much for Iron Dome to manage,' said the Modern War Institute report. This suggests the Iron Dome has a limit to the number of rockets it is able to intercept, and if that number is exceeded, the rest of the rockets will permeate the system, according to a Forbes report from 2021. Just two days after the October 7 massacre, the Israeli government asked the US to provide more precision-guided munitions for its combat aircraft and more interceptors for its Iron Dome missile defense system, according to a US official. How much does it cost? A complete battery costs an estimated 80million to produce, while each interceptor costs up to around 40,000 to launch, according to the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank. The US has invested heavily in the system, helping with development costs and replenishing it during times of conflict. Since 1946, the US has allocated almost nine billion pounds to Israeli missile defense systems, including nearly two billion pounds for the Iron Dome, according to the Congressional Research Service. Iron Dome anti-missile defense system deployed near Jerusalem, April 14 2024 US President Joe Biden has said he will ask Congress for 11.4billion in military aid for Israel - which would help with air and missile defence systems such as the Iron Dome, according to the White House. 'We're surging additional military assistance, including ammunition and interceptors to replenish Iron Dome,' Biden said. The future of the Iron Dome Rafael says it delivered two Iron Dome batteries to the US Army in 2020 - but the US is not the only country keen to get its hands on the powerful batteries. Last year, Ukraine asked Israel for an Iron Dome system and other air defence equipment to defend against Iranian ballistic missiles and attack drones used by Russia in its ongoing invasion. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year said supports Ukraine but ruled out sending Kyiv an Iron Dome system over concerns that it could be obtained by Iran, which would greatly jeopardise Israel's security. Several other countries have also expressed interest in buying Iron Dome systems in recent years, including Germany, Romania and India. A naval version of the Iron Dome to protect ships and sea-based assets was also deployed in 2017. Israel is not seeking 'significant escalation' with Iran despite concerns of counter strikes, the White House said. After Tehran officials claimed they gave Washington, D.C. a heads up that it would conduct attacks on Israel, a senior administration official said this was not the case. 'I would not characterize it as if Iran gave us the time to prepare,' the official said during a call with reporters on Sunday. 'Their intent was clearly to be highly, highly destructive. And that is in their public rhetoric and I think it's borne out by what they tried to do last night. They said that Iran needed time to prepare for the attack and the U.S. 'used the time wisely to prepare' for defense. Iran's foreign minister said that Tehran informed the U.S. of its impending attack and gave a 72-hour warning to neighboring countries in the Middle East. Israel has told Washington it does not seek a 'significant escalation' of conflict with Iran amid concerns of a counter strike. Pictured: President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel on October 8, 2023 Iran and its proxies launched around 300 missiles and drones toward Israel since Saturday but the vast majority were intercepted and shot down before reaching Israeli air space 'We announced... to the White House in a message that our operations will be limited, minimal and will be aimed at punishing the Israeli regime,' Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Sunday. It came after more than 300 missiles, drones and other strikes were barraged into Israel but most were intercepted and shot down before reaching the nation's airspace. Before the strike, Iran warned the U.S. against getting involved with the conflict and said it would target American troops. Reported details from a call between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reveal the U.S. leader said he would not get involved in counter strikes. Amid concerns of retaliation, the U.S. official on the press call on Sunday said that Jerusalem also signaled it does not seek further conflict with Tehran. 'Israel's made clear to us, they're not looking for a significant escalation with Iran,' they said. 'That's not what they're looking for.' 'They're looking to protect themselves and defend themselves.' Biden spoke with G7 leaders after returning to the White House on Saturday a day early from his weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to address the escalating conflict. A senior Defense official said on Sunday that the discussions involved potentially revisiting sanctions that were floated earlier with Iran but hit hurdles before being implemented. While Biden and his national security team insists U.S. support for Israel's defense is 'ironclad,' the administration has repeatedly distanced itself from ideas it will get involved with taking action directly against Iran. President Joe Biden returned early from his weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to convene with his National Security team in the Situation Room at the White House on Saturday NSC Spokesman John Kirby said Sunday that the U.S. has warned Iran against 'what we would do' if American troops are targeted in the Middle East amid escalating conflict in the region National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. has communicated to Iran 'what we would do' if American troops or facilities are targeted. Amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas terrorists in Gaza, some Republican lawmakers are not pleased with the Biden administration response so far with the escalating conflict and want a direct response to the attacks last night from Iran and its proxies. 'The president has made it clear: We do not seek a war with Iran. We don't seek a wider war in the region,' Kirby told NBC host Kristen Welker Sunday morning. When pressed by the Meet the Press host on whether Biden has ruled out a direct attack against Iran, Kirby reiterated: 'We don't seek a war with Iran.' A dozen illegal immigrants brazenly arrived in the US by taking a speedboat to a beach in California, nearly hitting people in the water, and then escaping in cars. The boat missed what appeared to be a surfer in the water by a few feet as it zipped by and approached the beach at very high speed. After beaching the vessel on the sand, the migrants got out and sprinted towards the row of oceanfront houses on Saturday. Another video showed them being picked up by waiting black SUVs in Carlsbad, a beach town about 30 miles north of San Diego. The cars left in such haste that one woman almost fell out as it started moving before she had fully clambered in to the back seats. Locals who filmed the migrants claimed police were called but didn't show up. The footage is the latest in brazen attempts by migrants to cross the border illegally. While most try to sneak from Mexico into the US across the land border, others such as the boaters, are trying new methods. A dozen illegal immigrants brazenly arrived in the US by taking a speedboat to a beach in California The boat missed what appeared to be a surfer in the water by a few feet as it zipped by and approached the beach at very high speed Illegal immigrants such as those on the boat not counted in the 6,997 asylum-seekers who surrendered to San Diego border patrol in the first week of April. Migrants can seek asylum in the US by crossing the border and immediately presenting themselves to law enforcement. However, a smaller number sneak in to the country illegally with no intention of following the asylum process. The almost 7,000 migrants from 70 countries were more than other sectors usually get in an entire month. The San Diego sector, which includes most of the Southern California border with Mexico except El Centro and Calexico, got 6,000 to 8,000 immigrants in recent weeks. After beaching the vessel on the sand, the migrants got out and sprinted towards the row of oceanfront houses on Saturday Another video showed them being picked up by waiting black SUVs in Carlsbad, a beach town about 30 miles north of San Diego The cars left in such haste that one woman almost fell out as it started moving before she had fully clambered in to the back seats What makes the April 3-9 numbers so significant is that they were the highest in the nation, even beating out the top-ranked Tucson sector. The Arizona sector only had 6,600 migrant arrivals, but regularly has as many as 11,000. The Border Patrol divides the border into 'sectors' or regions with San Diego the third busiest in latest figures, but that could be changing. 'Tucson has been the number one sector for migrant arrivals since July 2023, but numbers have been dropping,' Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America said. 'While one week's data is not enough evidence to go by, it is possible that San Diego may be supplanting Tucson as the number-one sector.' With so many migrants entering the country through Southern California, migrants who are vetted by US Border Patrol are being released onto the streets. The county migrant shelter closed a few months ago, after local leaders decided they did not want to spend the $18 million a year needed to keep running it. 'It was costing us, at that point in time, about $1.5 million a month to basically be their travel agent,' San Diego County Commissioner Jim Desmond said. Without the local shelter, migrants are either being let loose at a transit station or at the airport by border patrol. 'The biggest burden here lately has been our airport. Luckily a lot of them are flying to other parts of the country, but we're a tourist community. People coming to San Diego, they see all the people sleeping there. It looks bad,' the commissioner added. 'We just can't sustain it; we can't manage the numbers that are coming here.' Migrants have been known to spend as many as five days crashing at the airport while they wait for a flight out of town, Desmond added. The weekly figures do not include migrants who entered the US legally with CBP One Appointments at the San Ysidro Port of Entry between Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego. At least 77,000 migrants have entered Southern California that way from October to February, federal statistics show. Migrants with carry-ons are apprehended at the border in El Campo on March 13 US Border Patrol took 6,997 migrants into custody on April 3-9 Migrant encounters in the San Diego sector (shown above) have been steadily rising since 2021. Last week, the region saw 6,997 in just one week, according to federal statistics Latest figures from Customs and Border Protection showed that in the month of February the agency encountered 189,922 at the southern border. In this fiscal year alone, the agency have encountered over 1.1 million people at the border - which began for the government last October. The record-high numbers of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border have made migration a top concern in this US presidential election year. 'Our immigration system... is fundamentally broken, including our asylum system that so significantly impacts the security of our borders and the processes we administer at it,' Immigration Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said last week. 'Only Congress can fix our broken and out dated system and only Congress can address our need for more border patrol agents, asylum officers and immigration judges.' The United States is expected to be grappling with more than 8 million asylum seekers and migrants who will have crossed over the southern border by September. The staggering figure represents a 167 percent surge in five years and underscores the challenges faced by what is both an underfunded and antiquated immigration system. The vast majority of the 8 million are now free to roam US streets, including 2 million 'high-priority' cases of career criminals seeking asylum. The United States is expected to be grappling with more than 8 million asylum seekers and migrants who will have crossed over the southern border by September. The staggering figure represents a 167 percent surge in five years and underscores the challenges faced by what is both an underfunded and antiquated immigration system. Migrants who cross the border may often be forced to wait several years for a decision to be made in their applications. In the meantime, they have been released to American streets. Recent data suggests the backlog has only swelled during President Joe Biden's term in part reflecting the difficulties his administration has faced in addressing the unprecedented influx of migrants, mainly from Central and South America. At the end of fiscal year 2023 on September 30, more than 6 million people were recorded on what officials term the 'non-detained docket.' Government projections, as communicated in Homeland Security documents sent to Congress, suggest the number will have risen to 8 million by October 1. The vast majority of the 8 million are now free to roam US streets, including 2 million 'high-priority' cases of career criminals seeking asylum. The heavy rainfall has also prompted the reappearance of a lake that dried up thousands of years ago This year has not shaped up to be a superbloom, with the last occurring in 2016 Hurricane Hilary and subsequent atmospheric rivers dumped inches of rain in the desert, triggering the appearance of colorful wildflowers The Death Valley floor has erupted in a sea of vibrant flowers thanks to record-setting rainfall. The valley is so named for being one of the world's most arid places, regularly seeing about two inches of rain per year. However, extreme weather events such as Hurricane Hilary have tipped the balance, with that storm system delivering 2.2 inches on August 20 alone. Months after Hilary's path of destruction, which saw mudslides, flooding and power outages across Southern California, February's atmospheric river dumped 1.5 additional inches of rain on Death Valley over a three-day span. These conditions culminated in one of the most impressive wildflower seasons since 2016, with an estimated tens of thousands of acres blossoming at once. Despite the striking display, the National Park Service has not declared a superbloom this year. Death Valley National Park has exploded with a sea of brightly colored blossoms following a period of record-setting rainfall The arid valley typically sees just two inches of rain per year. However, extreme weather events have thrown it into disarray, with Hurricane Hilary delivering 2.2 inches on August 20 alone The term originated in the 1990s, and although botanists disagree on a definition, it typically denotes large-scale blooms of annual wildflower species in dry areas that would otherwise be a rarity. The phenomenon occurs roughly once a decade in Death Valley, with the last recorded in 2016. The region experiences three bloom windows, with the latest culminating in mid-July. 'A good wildflower year depends on at least three things: Well-spaced rainfall throughout the fall, winter, and spring, sufficient warmth from the sun and lack of drying winds,' the NPS notes on its website. 'Death Valley is famous for its spectacular, spring wildflower displays, but those are the exception, not the rule. Only under perfect conditions does the desert fill with a sea of gold, purple, pink or white flowers.' The sudden deluge of rain followed by an on-and-off lack of moisture might explain why this year's superbloom didn't pan out. Another factor could be the proliferation of invasive weeds, driving competition for nutrients and space in the soil. Nevertheless, the conditions have brought Death Valley to life in a shock of cheery yellow flowers, drawing tourists to towns like Tecopa and Shoshone along the park's perimeter. According to the National Park Service, the best places to view wildflowers within the national park are near the east entrance on Dantes View Road and Panamint Valley on the west side. There are more flowers to be found along Stateline Road between Death Valley Junction and Pahrump. The destructive hurricane was followed by an atmospheric river in February that dumped another 1.5 inches of rain in the desert region over three days Despite the proliferation of blossoms, this year is not shaping up to be a superbloom thanks to periods of heavy rainfall followed by an on-and-off lack of moisture since the fall The best places to view flowers within the park are near the east entrance on Dantes View Road and Panamint Valley on the west side, according to the National Park Service Lake Manly, which dried up thousands of years ago and reappeared most recently in 2005, came back stronger than ever this year, flooding the park's Badwater Basin The eruption of swaths of flowers comes weeks after the resurrection of Lake Manly, which swelled in the parks Badwater Basin - the lowest point on the continent. Lake Manly also reappeared in 2005 after drying up thousands of years prior, but experts believe it was even larger thanks to recent rains. However, water levels have dropped since its return, with the Parks Service issuing an advisory that the lake would be closed to boating. Speaking to the Washington Post, Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director for the Center for Biological Diversity, described the events in Death Valley as 'climate chaos.' 'A lake forming in Death Valley after the wettest six months on record, followed by this bizarre bloom that is unlike anything weve observed before,' Donnelly said. 'If you want the picture of climate change, this is it.' This 'chaos' has implications for the nearly 40 million people calling California home. Climate models indicate that the state is likely to see larger and warmer storms, prompting increased rainfall and flooding. However, it is not guaranteed that the storms will bring more water overall, leading to more frequent or damaging droughts. The term 'superbloom' typically describes large-scale blooms of annual wildflower species in arid habitats Climate models indicate that the state is likely to see larger and warmer storms, triggering more rainfall and heavier flooding Death Valley sees three bloom windows, with the last wrapping up in mid-July In instances where there is more water, the state will have to find new ways to manage it amid rapidly shifting and now unpredictable conditions. 'Changes in precipitation patterns will require modifications in how we operate and manage our dams and reservoirs,' the California Department of Water Resources notes on its website. As past patterns are growing increasingly unreliable to forecast the future, the department may need to release more water from dams to prevent flooding. But if done, officials run the risk of being unable to recoup the water through spring runoff. Amid an ever-impending sense of doom, wildflowers are a much-needed distraction for climate scientists like Donnelly. 'Im going to enjoy this,' he said of the bloom. 'Because I need it. I love flowers in the desert, its the thing that makes me happiest in the world, you get addicted to it. So Ill just take it and try to drink it all up while I can.' The anguished father of a toddler who vanished more than 40 years ago will march to Downing Street and hand back his Army medals in protest over what he believes to be failures in how the case was handled. Katrice Lee was celebrating her second birthday on November 28, 1981, when she disappeared from a supermarket close to a British military base in Paderborn, West Germany. At the time, her father, Richard, was stationed there as a sergeant major in the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars of the British Army. He, his wife, Sharon, and Katrice's aunt, Wendy, drove with the youngster to the nearby Naafi (Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes) supermarket, to buy items for her birthday party. As Katrice refused to go in a trolley, her mother carried her around the supermarket, before placing her down at the checkout. Richard Lee, whose two-year-old daughter Katrice went missing more than 40 years ago, will hand back his Army service medals to Downing Street in protest over what he believes are failures by the authorities to investigate the case Katrice Lee was celebrating her second birthday on November 28, 1981, when she disappeared from a supermarket close to a British military base in Paderborn, West Germany Sharon briefly left the youngster to purchase some crisps, but when she returned the toddler was no longer there. Katrice has never been seen since, with an initial investigation drawing a complete blank. The family believe that the authorities, including the Army, Royal Military Police and successive governments, failed to investigate the case properly. More than four decades on, Mr Lee, from Hartlepool, still wants answers. He believes someone took his daughter and has called for an independent inquiry into what really happened on that fateful day. Mr Lee is now planning to march to Downing Street on 31 May, joined by other veterans, where he will return two of the medals he notched up over 34 years of distinguished service, the BBC reports. These include his Northern Ireland general service medal and another awarded for 30 years of service and good conduct. He maintains that the lack of support he and his family were provided had 'devalued' his medals. Speaking about events at the time of his daughter's disappearance, Mr Lee said: 'We were on a lifeboat cut adrift, floundering with no one to guide us and hold our hand.' In an interview with the Daily Mail in December, the family spoke about how they had wanted an independent inquiry, and for the search for Katrice to be handed to a civilian police force as would have happened had the family been in Germany on holiday. Mr Lee said: 'This has always come under the jurisdiction of the Royal Military Police, who were out of their league from the start. The family believe that the authorities, including the Army, Royal Military Police and successive governments, failed to investigate properly what happened to Katrice 'The lies and the cover-ups since have beggared belief, and all the while there is a chance that Katrice is still out there, living with another family, unaware that she is even Katrice.' Katrice's sister Natasha said: 'My dad was prepared to give his life for Queen and Country, so those medals mean everything to him. 'But Katrice, and the truth about what happened to her, means more.' The disappearance of their daughter took its toll on the Lees and the couple split up in 1989, but they remain united in their search for Katrice. Natasha said: 'Both my parents are in their 70s. I don't want them to go to their graves never knowing what happened. In the years since her disappearance, little progress has been made in the investigation. Mr Lee had been given a planned meeting with the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, but it was cancelled because of the Falklands War. Richard Lee still maintains hope that his daughter is alive: ' The lies and the cover-ups since have beggared belief, and all the while there is a chance that Katrice is still out there, living with another family, unaware that she is even Katrice' In 2012, the family received an apology from the Royal Military Police for failings in the initial investigation and reopened an inquiry under the name, Operation Bute. Then in 2017, the government agreed to review the case and an e-fit of a man seen putting a child in a car that had been created shortly after the youngster's disappearance was released. A year later, more than 100 soldiers undertook an excavation of the Alme river, close to where Katrice disappeared, in the hope of finding answers. In 2019, a man was arrested in connection with her disappearance but was subsequently released without charge. In 2022, a long-promised 'father-to-father' meeting with the then PM Boris Johnson did happen, but Richard says: 'Nothing came of it. I wrote afterwards, asking for an inquiry, and for Katrice's case to be investigated by a civilian force, as it would have been if we'd been any other family.' He never got a reply. 'Politicians move on,' he says. 'We cannot.' In a statement to MailOnline, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson: 'Our sympathies are with Richard Lee and his family as they continue to search for answers. 'The Defence Serious Crime Command and Unit, which now holds primacy for the investigation, continues to welcome any additional information that could help to determine Katrice's whereabouts.' In the slow demise of a dogma, we are seeing the unquestionable become the untenable. These are early days yet, but the momentum has shifted against gender ideology. Dr Hilary Casss review has shocked some out of their complacency and many more out of their cowardice. It pours Arctic-cold water over NHS policy and clinical practice when it comes to children confused about their identity. Not least in regards to puberty blockers, hormone suppressants that, given to adolescents, prevent their bodies from undergoing the natural chemical and biological processes of puberty. Of the 900 children referred to endocrinology (hormone treatment) between 2018 and 2022, four-fifths were placed on puberty blockers. Yet Dr Cass concludes there is no evidence that puberty blockers buy time to think and notes concern that they may change the trajectory of psychosexual and gender identity development. Her report finds that the current approach to treating gender-confused youngsters is built on shaky foundations. Damning The Cass Review only covered NHS England because health is devolved here. But the damning nature of her findings will pile pressure on the Scottish Government to take heed of her recommendations. NHS Scotland is already behind its English counterpart in still allowing routine prescription of puberty blockers. Dr Hilary Casss review has shocked some out of their complacency and many more out of their cowardice At the crux lies a simple question: should Scottish children be at greater risk than English children when they go to a doctor? That question will have to be answered but this cannot amount to nothing more than a new protocol and a few outings of lessons must be learned. Not just the NHS, not just the Scottish Government, but the great sweep of public life allowed itself to fall under the spell of an ideology. The most senior levels of government and the public sector allowed themselves to be not so much lobbied as converted by small, marginal pressure groups. At times it seemed as though fulfilling the wishes of these groups had become the end in itself. It certainly seemed that way with the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, a piece of legislation that read as though it had been written by those pressure groups. In a roundabout way, it had. One dissenting voice after another was disregarded. One safeguard after another dismissed. Too many were concerned about being on the right side of history than the right side of the evidence. Whether gender affirming healthcare, the GRR Bill, or the Hate Crime Act, Scottish Government ministers and opposition leaders like Anas Sarwar and Alex Cole-Hamilton allowed lobby organisations like Stonewall and the Equality Network to do their thinking for them. Lobbyists have their place in politics mores the pity but when you listen almost exclusively to one side, you produce the kind of laws and policies Holyrood has been turning out. You become so fixated on pandering to a familiar cast of stakeholders that you neglect to listen to the most important stakeholders of all: the voters. The voters have been kept almost as far away from the decision-making on gender policy as womens rights groups, religious objectors and worried parents. Their concerns have barely registered for a political and governing elite who regard them as ignorant, if not outright bigoted. True enough, few of them are au fait with all the underlying concepts and terminologies. They have not waded through the thickets of gender theory or the rest of the intellectual detritus pumped out by postmodernist jargon-wranglers in the humanities departments. Some of them have never even heard of Judith Butler. But this is their country. They pay the taxes that fund the permanent debacle at the foot of the Royal Mile. Their lives are governed by its laws. They ought to factor somewhere in the formation of policy. Not because ordinary people have a superior understanding of gender medicine they do not but because they are the ultimate arbiters of the mainstream. Policymakers are not enlightened despots. They are public servants encumber-ed by democracy, however much they might resent that. Leadership often involves unpopular calls and that is when persuasion, consensus-building and candour are all the more essential. There are some in Scottish political life who appear to consider it a virtue when a policy is disdained by the average person in the street. Lets not pretend there isnt an element of social snobbery at work here. The way policy is made within the Scottish Government needs to change. Ministers ought to be able to see that for themselves. The status quo is not working and is doing more to bring their agenda to grief than anything the opposition does. Policy should be made by listening to the widest range of voices, following the evidence, and designing proposals that are workable and able to command the support of the public at large. In the matter of gender policy, especially as it affects children and young people, the number one priority should be those very youngsters. Their wellbeing and safety are paramount. They are at a stage in life where questions of identity can feel overwhelming. They need adults to be taking decisions that safeguard their best interests, not putting their own ideological agendas first. Vulnerable Because what the Cass Review documents is more than poorly managed systems or good intentions run amok. It is an indictment of people in power who spurned their duties out of political correctness and fear and a weak-kneed desire for an easy life. And because they did so, some of the most vulnerable members of society were left unprotected when they needed it most. A lot of people breathed a sigh of relief when that report dropped. Not just gender critics and parents and whistleblowing clinicians, but even, I would be willing to bet, some trans rights activists. What Dr Casss investigations lay bare is just how readily a clinical pathway can be approved in the NHS despite a paucity of evidence and how otherwise rational-minded medical professionals will go along with it, no questions asked. That is a disturbing state of affairs, whatever your views on gender identity. The rapid spread through medicine of a fringe ideology, unsupported by empirical evidence, mirrors how that ideology captured government, political parties and public bodies. It is a screaming red alarm warning us our institutions lack basic guardrails to prevent them falling under the sway of untested dogma. If we dont heed that alarm, it will happen again. In Scotland, political leaders from the First Minister on down must reckon with their own role in this episode. Few were willing to speak out when that was a truly courageous act. Most went along because that was the direction everyone else was walking in. These are the people who failed in their duties and their failure will stand as an example of why things must be done differently in future. Israel reportedly 'jammed GPS signals' in Tel Aviv in the days before Iran's 300-strong missile strike in a bid to confuse its attackers, as the IDF claimed to have intercepted '99 per cent' of Tehran's projectiles. It is believed that Iran's drones and ballistic missiles were fitted with a Russian GLONASS system - a satellite navigation system - to break through the alleged jamming, according to the Mirror. While Israeli locals are no strangers to having their navigation tools jammed during security alerts, some reportedly claimed that while they were using Waze and Google Maps yesterday, their GPS switched to show them to be in Cairo or Beirut. The confusion was a deliberate attempt to throw their enemies' strikes off target, but the move meant an increased risk of them hitting other domestic areas. It comes as Israel vowed to retaliate after the barrage of airstrikes amid rising fears of a more widespread conflict. Israel reportedly 'jammed' GPS signals in the days before Iran's Saturday night's series of missile strikes in a bid to confuse Iranian enemies Iran has said it had attacked Israel in 'self-defence' following the April 1 strike on its diplomatic mission in Damascus, which was widely blamed on Israel. Pictured are missiles yesterday 'We are aware that these disruptions cause inconveniences, but it is a vital and necessary tool in our defensive capabilities,' Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised briefing on Thursday night. Disrupting the GPS signals in this way 'is a form of electronic warfare,' according to Oded Vanunu, who heads vulnerability research at Check Point Software Technologies. Iran claimed that the fierce bombardment of Israel is a response to the April 1 airstrike on an Iranian consulate building in the Syrian capital Damascus, which killed 12 Iranians and two senior commanders. Iran has blamed Israel for the airstrike, but the country has not yet confirmed to carrying out what Iran has dubbed 'Operation True Promise'. The massive air attack began on Saturday at around 8pm and lasted around five hours, according to US officials. The strike marks the first time a direct military assault has been launched by Tehran on Israel despite decades enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. In Iran's first direct attack on Israel, missiles and Shahed 'kamikaze drones' were launched from its homeland and its proxies in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. During the attack, explosions were heard across cities in Israel, including Tel Aviv and were even heard in Jerusalem as air raid sirens blared in over 720 locations. Israel's chief military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, said Iran's attack involved more than 120 ballistic missiles, 170 drones, and more than 30 cruise missiles, according to reports. But the IDF claimed they intercepted '99 per cent' of Iran's missiles through the use of their Iron Dome defence system and through help from allies including the UK and the United States. Speaking to media tonight, Hagari warned bigger plans for both offensive and defence action has been authorised following last night's attack by Iran. He said: 'Hamas and Iran want to ignite the Middle East and to escalate in the region,' adding that the IDF remains 'on high alert' and is 'assessing the situation'. He went on: 'Over the last two hours, we approved operational plans for both offensive and defensive action. Missiles which began to enter Israeli airspace were seen in video shared with MailOnline 'We will continue to protect the State of Israel, and together with our partners, we will continue to build a more secure and stable future for the entire Middle East'. Israeli President Isaac Herzog chillingly warned on Sky News: 'Every one of us should look and ask what would we do if we were attacked from the four corners of the Middle East. 'This is a declaration of war. 'We are considering our options and I am quite confident we will take steps to protect our people. 'There is an evil empire in Tehran, which has its proxies all over the region and with cells all over the world. 'They're spending billions of dollars just in undermining stability in the region.' He also said: 'Israel has undertaken all the necessary steps to block this attack, which was a violent, flagrant violation of all the rules. 'I am happy we are part of an incredible coalition of nations which has been part of preventing most of these missiles and weapons and drones from coming into Israel. 'Our air defence system has proven incredibly successful. 'We are here to protect Europe. Thank god for the Israeli military and its allies and also thanks to the British forces.' Asked about the global warnings not to escalate, he said: 'The last thing Israel is seeking in this region is to go to war. We are seeking peace, we are peace-seekers. A view shows drones or missiles vying for targets at undisclosed locations in northern Israel Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel 'Unfortunately it all started on the October 7 when Hamas led an unbelievably brutal massacre against Israeli citizens and the rest is history. We always listen to our partners and our allies, we respect their view.' He said proportionally, last night's attack would look like 3,500 drones and missiles fired if the attack was aimed at the UK. He added: 'What would the British government do in that scenario?' The UK was one of several countries, including the US, which helped counter Iran's bombardment - in its first ever direct strike on Israeli grounds. Additional RAF jets were deployed over Iraq and Syria, not Israel, the Ministry of Defence said. Speaking to reporters in Downing Street, Sunak said if Iran had been successful in their attack 'the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate'. He did not confirm how many Iranian drones were shot down by British forces. Attack drones were intercepted by the RAF jets in Syrian and Iraqi airspace - but the MoD did not clarify how many British Typhoons were airborne. However, they reassured that the RAF would repeal 'any airborne attacks within range' of its operations in the area. Israel have already displayed signs of retaliation after levelling a building in east Lebanon earlier today. A source within Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group said Israel struck one of its buildings close to the Syrian border today, as tensions soared after Iran directly attacked Israel. The source told news agency AFP: 'The Israeli strike targeted an area... near Baalbek and targeted a two-storey building belonging to Hezbollah,' adding that there were no casualties reported. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday condemned Iran's drone and missile attack on Israel, calling for efforts to prevent a further escalation in Middle East conflict. "Iran's actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia's actions threaten a larger conflict, and the obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world," he wrote on social media platform X. (Reuters) Downing Street's Eid celebrations have been threatened with a boycott over the government's support of Israel. Conservative politicians as well as business and charity leaders have threatened to snub the annual event hosted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday. Sources in Downing Street privately expressed concern at the number of people who may refuse to turn up to the reception. According to the BBC, some of the invitees are refusing to go to protest Israel's military action in Gaza. Sources in Downing Street privately expressed concern at the number of people who may refuse to turn up to the reception Baroness Warsi is planning to boycott the event along with at least two Tory MPs Israel has been bombarding Gaza following the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 last year, killing around 1,200 people Businessman and charity fundraiser Asif Ansari said: 'As a Muslim, I think it's very important for the Muslim community to have good relations with the British government. 'However, I feel very, very strongly this year with the position that the British government is taking. 'They are supporting Israel who stand accused of genocide, they stand accused of war crimes, the deprivation of water and food to women and children has left many starving and lastly, the killing of three British aid workers - after which Lord Cameron has said the UK would continue to supply arms to Israel - was an absolute red line.' Baroness Warsi is planning to boycott the event along with at least two Tory MPs. According to the BBC , some of the invitees are refusing to go to protest Israel's military action in Gaza. Rishi Sunak at last year's Eid celebrations Conservative politicians as well as business and charity leaders have threatened to snub the annual event hosted by the Prime Minister. Rishi Sunak pictured at Downing Street's 2023 Eid celebration The Baroness quit as Foreign Office Minister in 2014, claiming the government's policy over Gaza was 'morally indefensible'. A similar event during Ramadan hosted by US President Biden at the White House was also boycotted by those protesting support for Israel. Israel has been bombarding Gaza following the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 last year, killing around 1,200 people. It has been under mounting criticism and pressure because of the rising civilian casualties, which are estimated to be more than 30,000. There have been repeated calls for the UK government to halt its arms sales to Israel. President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will not support any counter-attack. Netanyahu is seen her on the phone to Biden A similar event during Ramadan hosted by US President Biden at the White House was also boycotted by those protesting support for Israel A spokesperson for Downing Street said: 'The prime minister looks forward to welcoming members of the Muslim community to the Eid reception in Downing Street later this week and celebrating their contribution to public life. 'But we share the deep concern that many British Muslims have over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and our priority has always been to prevent further escalation in the region. 'That's why we have long called for an immediate humanitarian pause with progress towards a sustainable ceasefire, and consistently urged Israel and all parties to the conflict to abide by International Humanitarian Law.' It comes after said it will take action following Iran's missile attack. At a press conference on Sunday evening, IDF Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Iran's plan had 'failed' - as he praised the response from the 'regional alliance' which helped down '99 per cent' of the missiles fired early on Sunday. Hagari accused Iran of trying to 'ignite the Middle East and escalate the region' by firing 60 tonnes of suicide drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and rockets at Israel overnight - but insisted his army was on 'high alert'. Leaders of the G7 - including UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - also held talks on Sunday in which they 'unequivocally' condemned Iran's attack on Israel and warned that the risk of an 'uncontrollable regional escalation' must be avoided. In a joint statement following an urgent call, countries including the UK and US said they 'stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives'. Despite the strong message, President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will not support any counter-attack. American officials breathed a sign of relief on Saturday night when they realized their preparations to help Israel, made over the past 10 days, had paid off and Iran had been thwarted. President Joe Biden and his team were mindful the attack from Tehran 'could have caused an uncontrollable escalation abroad regional conflict, something we have worked day and night to avoid,' a senior administration told reporters in a briefing on Sunday. Biden and his team watched - in real time in the White House Situation Room - as Iran sent over 300 aerial attacks into Israel. At one point, Tehran fired over 100 ballistic missiles at the same time, leading to a tense moment among the Americans, who said the level of force was at the 'high end' of what they expected. 'He was in the Situation Room getting real time updates, as this unfolded, including at the time of missile launches,' the official said of Biden, adding 'there was a bit of a relief, which you can imagine those tense moments,' when it was clear the attack was thwarted. Two squadrons of U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles and anti-missile defenses shot from two U.S. aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean Sea helped Israeli defenses war off the attack, which left minimal damage. 'The United States enabled Israel to spectacularly defeat this unprecedent attack,' the U.S. official said, pointing out that 'President Biden is the first American President to directly defend Israel.' President Biden, along with members of his national security team, watched the attack on Israel in real time in the White House Situation Room APRIL 1 - THE INCIDENT IN SYRIA Timeline of U.S. Preparations April 5: Preparations for an Iranian attack on Israel begin Biden administration officials engage incontinuous contact with Israelis White House also used alternative channels to speak with Iran April 10: Biden steps away from talks with Japanese Prime Minister to authorize more U.S. forces in region Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vows retribution on Israel for attack in Damascus that hit Iranian embassy April 12: Biden warns Iran 'don't' when it comes to attacking Israel April 13: Biden cuts short his beach weekend in Rehoboth to return to White House; Iran attacks that night Biden speaks with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at 9 p.m. ET. April 14: Biden speaks with G7 leaders, the King of Jordan and congressional leadership He meets with his advisers in Situation Room to review fallout from attack Advertisement A missile attack in Damascus, Syria, destroyed Iran's consulate building in the city and killed seven Revolutionary Guards, including the two generals. Tel Aviv has not taken responsibility for the attack but Israel is believed to be behind it. Israel has long targeted Iran's military installations in Syria and those of its proxies. APRIL 5 - PREPARATIONS BEGIN Biden and his team starting preparations to help its Middle East ally. Ten days ago, Biden ordered his team to 'defend Israel to the maximum extent possible,' a U.S. official said on Sunday. That included beefing up America's military presence in the Middle East and continuous conversations between U.S. and Israeli officials. APRIL 10 - IRAN VOWS RETALIATION Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in an Eid al-Fitr speech, vowed retribution in the wake of the Damascus attack, for which Tel-Aviv has yet to take responsibility. 'When they attack the consulate, it is as if they have attacked our soil,' he said. 'The evil regime made a mistake and must be punished and it shall be.' President Biden is hosting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a state visit. On the sidelines of that visit by one of America's top Asian allies, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan briefed the president on the possibility for additional U.S. military deployments, including a digital missile destroyer, which Biden immediately authorized. APRIL 12 - REPORTS OF 'IMMINENT' ATTACK Reports indicate an attack on Israel is 'imminent.' Asked how imminent an attack on Israel may be, Biden said he didn't want to get into classified information but 'my expectation is sooner than later.' H is message to Tehran was 'don't.' 'We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel and help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,' Biden said. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were hosting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko Kishida for a state visit when Biden had to step away to be briefed on the situation in Israel APRIL 13 - DAY OF ATTACK U.S. officials said they were not given a direct head's up from Iran the attack was coming but still, Biden left his beach home in Rehoboth, Delaware, on Saturday afternoon amid fears an attack was imminent. He and his team watched the attack in real time in the White House Situation Room. At 9 p.m. ET Saturday night Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Rockets fly toward Israel - U.S. squadrons helped the defense of its Middle East ally President Biden boards Marine One on Saturday as he cut short his weekend in Rehoboth to return to the White House MISSILE COUNT Despite the days of preparation, the launches from Iran on Saturday night were at the 'high end' of what was anticipated, according to the officials. 'It's fair to say scope of this attack is on a high end,' a U.S. official said. 'That is definitely on the high end, and makes it harder to defeat to defeat when you have that many missiles in the sky.' It was estimated that Tehran fired more than 300 air threats including more than 100 medium range ballistic missiles, more than 30 land attack cruise missiles and more than 150 one-way attack drones towards Israel. 'Iran's attack is completely unacceptable and reckless and risks dragging the region into broader conflict,' a senior U.S. military official said. 'These attacks also violated the airspace of neighboring countries.' Biden and his team monitored the firings and interception attempts in real time in the White House Situation Room. The officials said there was 'relief' in the room once they saw that the missile defense efforts had succeeded and they noted the overwhelming majority of the intercepts of ballistic missiles on Saturday night was by Israeli systems. The overnight attack used 'an array' of Israeli air defenses to ward off the missiles, said Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces. That included the Arrow 2 and 3 systems, he said, designed to intercept missiles flying outside Earth's atmosphere and the top level of Israel's multilayered air defense network. Most of the 120 ballistic missiles that Iran fired were also brought down, Israeli defense officials said. Ballistic missiles are usually harder to intercept due to their high speeds. U.S. fighter squadrons, like the F/A-18E Super Hornet above on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, helped Israel fight off Iranian missiles This is a look at the route Iran's strike force of 100 kamikaze drones will take to hit Israel Israel's more widely known Iron Dome system, designed to intercept shorter range missiles and rockets, was also deployed. The USS Arleigh Burke and the USS Carney, operating in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, engaged and destroyed between four and six Iranian ballistic missiles during the attack, military officials said. U.S. aircraft in the region shot down more than 70 Iranian drones; and a US Patriot battery shot down one ballistic missile in the vicinity of Erbil, Iraq. France, Britain and Jordan also mobilized forces to help Israel fend off the attack. 'This was a coalition put together to help Israel defend itself,' National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on ABC News's This Week. 'Iran is just increasingly further isolated in the region.' CALL WITH NETANYAHU Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone with President Biden Iran fired over 300 aerial object toward Israel At 9 pm ET on Saturday night, President Biden in the White House Situation Room called Netanyahu, who was with his war cabinet in War Room The president 'told the Prime Minister that Israel really came out far ahead in this exchange,' a senior administration official said. Biden also warned Netanyahu to think carefully about any escalation. 'The president was very clear that we're going to help defend Israel, and he made very clear to the prime minister last night that we do have to think carefully and strategically about, you know, risks of escalation,' the official noted. The White House repeatedly emphasized Saturday night's attack was a defeat for Iran and a win for Israel. 'Israel and coalition partners are able to defeat 99% of these munitions. There's virtually no infrastructure damage to Israel at all,' a senior administration official said. And the White House warned Netanyahu it would not support Israel if it escalated the situation with Iran. 'Our goal remains to de-escalate immediately and halt any further attacks. We do not seek conflict with Iran. But we will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defense of Israel,' the official said. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu with his Cabinet APRIL 14 - THE AFTERMATH Biden's packed agenda continued on Sunday where he had another meeting with his team in the Situation Room. That briefing included Sullivan, Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and top advisers Brett McGuirk and Jon Finer. The president also hosted a call with G7 leaders, and had a conversation with King Abdullah of Jordan. Additionally, the president spoke with the top Congressional leaders: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. President Biden also called Lieutenant Colonel Curtis - commander of the 494th fighter squadron, a united based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, and Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Murphy, commander of the 3/35 fighter squadron unit from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. Both squads helped defend Israel and had dozen of aerial take downs. 'The President expressed his thanks as their commander in chief for really their extraordinary airmanship and skill that was displayed throughout this multi hour engagement over the course of last night,' the White House said. This is the moment a car went airborne after it made a turn, flying through the air and crashing into a California home. The bizarre incident happened around 6.30am on April 4 and was captured on video by a neighbor's doorbell camera in Jurupa Valley, about 20 minutes from San Bernardino. After flying through the air, the black sedan landed on top of two white pickup trucks parked in the homeowner's driveway. The driver of the car was able to make it out of their vehicle before firefighters arrived. The driver was taken to the hospital with 'minor to moderate injuries.' A was captured on a neighbor's doorbell camera flying in the sky before it slammed into a house across the street and wrecked a garage and cars nearby Police officers and firefighters are seen assessing the aftermath from the bizarre crash as the houses structure is seen dangling and the car is stuck on its side Richard Hernandez, who took the video, said the driver was speeding as they tried to make a left turn before careening into the house. Nobody inside the house was injured, but the home suffered 'major damage', along with four other cars, the Riverside County Fire Department said. Video of the surreal incident starts with a quiet morning as birds are heard chirping in the background. A couple minutes go by before a loud car is heard in the distance as it veers off the road, hops a curb and soars into the home's garage. Car alarms are then heard going off as debris from the crash goes flying, and one of the trucks in the driveway moves from the impact of the crash. In another clip, multiple police officers and firefighters are seen evaluating the aftermath, as the car dangles on its side. Riverside County Fire Department officials said the driver 'was able to self-extricate' before they arrived at the scene. 'The driver suffered minor to moderate injuries and was transported to a local hospital via ground ambulance for further treatment,' the department said. The Riverside County Sheriff's office told DailyMail.com that the 'driver experienced a medical emergency' which caused the incident. No criminal charges were filed against the driver. Another car went airborne in the Golden State after a man drove the wrong way down a one-way street before he turned onto the Monterey wharf and plunged into the ocean. The driver, Martin Urroz, 21, of Fresno, was arrested and booked at the Monterey County Jail on multiple charges including driving under the influence of alcohol and evading a police officer. Monterey Police Department officers were walking down Alvarado Streeton April 7 when they spotted a green 1997 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck roaring around a corner, heading the wrong way on a one-way street. On April 7, another car, driven by, Martin Urroz, 21, went flying off the Monterey wharf and plunged into the ocean after he drove the wrong way down a one-way street Officers spotted the four occupants of the vehicle in the ocean and suspected they'd jumped in to evade police before realizing the Chevrolet Silverado was underwater Urroz was arrested and booked at the Monterey County Jail on multiple charges including driving under the influence of alcohol and evading a police officer As the truck turned onto Municipal Wharf II, a bustling pier teeming with restaurants, another MPD officer turned on his police cruiser's overhead lights to initiate a traffic stop. The driver, later identified as Urroz, pulled to the right of the wharf and stopped. As the officer approached the vehicle on foot, the truck resumed driving, heading towards the end of the wharf 'at a high rate of speed,' according to police. The officer called for assistance and climbed back into his patrol car. He drove to the end of the wharf, where he suspected the truck was hiding behind a building. Other officers arrived and parked their patrol cars to block the truck's exit. As they began to walk towards the end of the wharf, they heard calls for help from the ocean below. Officers spotted the four occupants of the vehicle in the ocean and suspected they'd jumped in to evade police before realizing the Chevrolet Silverado was underwater. Police tossed flotation devices into the water and instructed them to hold on as they called fire rescue. All four people were rescued from the water in a collaborative effort by MPD, the Monterey Fire Department and the United States Coast Guard. Urroz was taken to the Natividad Trauma Center for treatment, while the three passengers only sustained minor injuries, police said. Sadiq Khan has been blasted for taking millions more pounds from his policing budget to hire more pen-pushers while failing to cut violent crime. New figures show the number of back-office staff working on finance, research and local projects has almost doubled on the Labour mayor's watch. Just before he came to power in 2016, there were 113 members of staff in the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), costing taxpayers 7.8m a year. But new figures seen by the Mail reveal that by the end of March 2023, the payroll had gone up to 205 employees - at a cost of 17.5m. Yet crime has soared in the capital over the same period. Sadiq Khan has been blasted for taking millions more pounds from his policing budget to hire more pen-pushers while failing to cut violent crime Susan Hall, Conservative challenger for City Hall at next month's election said crime has soared in London Office for National Statistics figures show the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) recorded 738,501 total offences including 185,675 of violence against the person in the year to March 2016. By March last year total offences had soared by 19 per cent to reach 880,284 while violence against the person was 30 per cent higher at 240,924. Last night Susan Hall, Mr Khan's Conservative challenger for City Hall at next month's election, told the Mail: 'Crime has soared out of control under Sadiq Khan, and yet he is wasting millions of pounds that should be going into putting more bobbies on the beat. 'I am listening to Londoners and as Mayor, I will make our city safer. I will recruit 1,500 police officers, create two new bases in every borough, and bring back borough-based policing.' The best-paid employee inside MOPAC - which oversees Scotland Yard as well as commissioning local projects to cut crime and support victims - is chief executive Diana Luchford, whose salary was 159,697 in 2022-23. Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Sophie Linden was paid 135,797 while Chief Financial Officer Amana Humayun got 133,100. New figures show the number of back-office staff working on finance, research and local projects has almost doubled on the Labour mayor's watch (stock image) Julie Norgrove, Director of Audit, Risk and Assurance, was paid 123,412 while Kenny Bowie, Director of Strategy and MPS Oversight, was paid 122,900, as was Director of Commissioning and Partnerships William Balakrishnan. A staff structure diagram published by MOPAC shows that below its Senior Management Team it has 20 people working in HR, private offices and in secretariat roles; more than 30 in strategy, policy and oversight of Scotland Yard, 25 in audit, risk and assurance; plus dozens more commissioning programmes run by charities and in research and analysis roles. MOPAC's 17.5m staffing bill makes up a significant proportion of its 59m running costs, which comes out of the 4.2bn budget that also covers the Met itself. Yet while Mayor Khan has overseen an almost doubling of the MOPAC payroll, he has also faced criticism for failing to use extra Government cash to get more officers on the frontline fighting crime. He failed to meet recruitment targets and so had to give 60m back to the Home Office while leaving the Met 1,000 officers short. A spokesman for Mr Khan said: 'This Mayoral election is a close two-horse race between Sadiq investing in more police officers and youth clubs in London, or the hard-right Tory candidate who has backed 1bn cuts to the Met police in real terms since 2010, and supported 1bn of cuts to youth services across the county. 'A majority of the extra staff are involved in the new Violence Reduction Unit set up in 2019, which has done vital work supporting 150,000 young people over the last two years providing youth workers, after-school support, mentoring, sporting activity, and support for parents. 'It also funds youth workers embedded in major Trauma Centres and A&Es across the capital, supporting young people at their most vulnerable. 'Since 2018, MOPAC has also taken on vital new responsibilities delivering accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse, and improving the investigation and prosecution of rape. 'The Mayor has invested record amounts in tackling violence against women and girls.' A social media ban for under-16s is among a raft of proposals set to be unveiled by the Government within weeks, it has been reported. Ministers will also consider banning children from buying smartphones, as part of a consultation on protecting the young online. The tough stance is at odds with how many tech platforms operate their minimum age limit is 13 largely across the board. Last week, Meta faced widespread criticism after lowering the minimum age on WhatsApp from 16 to 13 in the UK. The proposals are expected to be published before the end of the month, it was reported. They are said to have been worked up by Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan. The proposals are expected to be published before the end of the month, it was reported (Stock Image) They are said to have been worked up by Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan (pictured) Rishi Sunak's deputy chief of staff, Will Tanner, is also said to be heavily involved, suggesting there is strong backing for them at the very top. The consultation will seek parents' views on when children should be allowed to access social media, with an age range provided between 13 and 16. It will also ask their views on whether extra safeguards, which would allow parents to monitor and control their access to platforms, should be installed, according to The Sunday Times. The mother of Brianna Ghey, whose daughter was killed by two- by two 15-year-olds who watched violent content online, is campaigning for social media ban for under-16s. Former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg, who is Meta's president of global affairs, will reportedly be briefed on the plans in the coming days. A Department for Science, Innovation and Technology spokesman said that they 'do not comment on speculation', before adding: 'Our commitment to making the UK the safest place for children to be online is unwavering.' Were YOU on the sleeper train? Furious passengers on a 400-a-night Caledonian Sleeper train were unable to wash or go to the toilet in their compartments after they were left without running water. Passengers on board the 8.30pm train from Inverness to London Euston on Friday evening only found out about the water supply issues as they boarded the 'luxury' train. Elderly guests were unable to shower and were forced to use communal toilets 'down a long corridor' throughout the duration of the 12-hour journey. Ian Barratt, 81, from Maldon in Essex, who paid 800 for a return ticket said he sat down for breakfast on Saturday morning 'unwashed, unshaven and dirty'. He told the Daily Record: 'Embarrassed staff, willing and helpful though they were, suggested that passengers could use the few general passenger toilets situated on the express. Were YOU on the sleeper train? Email: olivia.christie@mailonline.co.uk Ian Barratt, 81, (pictured) from Maldon in Essex, who paid 800 for a return ticket said he sat down for breakfast on Saturday morning 'unwashed, unshaven and dirty' Inside Mr Barratt's compartment - guests were given cans of spring water due to the water supply issues The 81-year-old boarding the Caledonian Sleeper train at London Euston for his three-day trip 'But for some people that required a long trek along a narrow corridor on a train which stretches several hundred yards in length. 'One passenger claimed he had suffered a similar plight on four previous trips.' According to Mr Barratt, Caledonian Sleeper said there was 'nothing they could do but hand out cans of spring water' as the only maintenance depot was in London. He added: 'A member of staff seemed surprised that I had not been given prior warning of the problem, but the first I knew was when we were about to board the train at 8.30. 'This kind of situation isn't what one expects after paying over 800 for a return ticket. I feel this was a management failing. Other passengers have previously hit out on social media about the lack of running water on board Caledonian Sleeper trains. Views from the Caledonian Sleeper train that travels from London Euston to Scotland According to Mr Barratt, Caledonian Sleeper said there was 'nothing they could do but hand out cans of spring water' as the only maintenance depot was in London. Inside one of the cabins on the Caledonian Sleeper train Mr Barratt explained that this was not the kind of treatment he expected after paying 800 for the return ticket Sharon Lewis posted on Facebook on April 2: 'We returned to the lounge for priority boarding to then be told (with a couple from neighbouring room) that both our double room facilities (toilet, shower, sink) were not functioning as there was no water in the carriage as it hadn't been tanked. 'Their offer - 33 per cent refund on our ticket !! There was no discussion with yourselves about full refund for the lack of services and still being allowed to travel which under the circumstances would of been a fair compromise. 'Both us and the neighbouring room ended up in a heated discussion where we ended up cancelling our plans and staying in London for the night at a hastily arranged hotel.' A spokesperson for Caledonian Sleeper said: 'Due to a technical issue onboard on Friday night a number of the cabins were unfortunately left without water on for their journey south from Inverness. Since maintenance for this specific issue can only take place at one of our main engineering depots Wembley or Polmadie - we were unable to rectify this issue ahead of travel. 'Wherever possible, we will move passengers to alternative unaffected cabins, however, this wasn't possible on this occasion. Instead, Mr Barratt was issued with a partial refund for his inconvenience. 'We are very sorry that Mr Barratt's journey was impacted on this occasion, however we look forward to welcoming him back onboard very soon.' Shops selling vapes must be licensed like alcohol outlets to stem the epidemic of child nicotine addiction, MPs will demand this week. It comes as research shows that more than three quarters of the public support toughening the law so the devices can't be sold at toy shops, sweet stores and other places aimed at youngsters. Even the tobacco industry, which makes much of its profit from vapes, supports stricter regulation to reframe them as legitimate stop-smoking aids rather than public nuisances. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will be debated in the Commons tomorrow, when a group of MPs will call for tighter restrictions on the brightly coloured, candy-flavoured nicotine gadgets. They are sold in many sweet shops and, in one extraordinary example, a shop in Lincolnshire called Grimsby Toys & Vape where they are sold alongside teddy bears. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will be debated in the Commons tomorrow, when a group of MPs will call for tighter restrictions on the brightly coloured, candy-flavoured nicotine gadgets. (Stock Image) Tory MP Caroline Johnson, a paediatric consultant, said: 'People are very worried about the number of children getting addicted to vapes. It currently far exceeds the number that would have started smoking. Churchill dragged into smoking row Winston Churchill would have backed Rishi Sunak's smoking ban, the Health Secretary said yesterday, as she insisted the policy was 'very Conservative'. Victoria Atkins played down the prospect of a Tory rebellion over the plans, saying the wartime prime minister and famous cigar lover, pictured, would approve. The legislation would effectively ban anyone now aged 14 or younger from ever buying tobacco, with the legal age at which people can buy cigarettes rising annually. It will be debated in the Commons tomorrow. Ms Atkins told the BBC: 'We just want to stop our children from buying them.' But Lord Soames, Sir Winston's grandson, said his ancestor 'certainly wouldn't have approved' of the ban. Pictured: Sir Winston Churchill Advertisement 'The market for selling vapes and other nicotine products needs to be tightened. If people needed a licence to sell vapes, it would make it easier to enforce the law, because they could immediately lose their licence if they sold them to children.' She said alcohol and tobacco licences should be 'tied together', so if a shop lost its licence for selling one type of product to children, it would lose its licence to sell both which could be catastrophic for a small business. 'I would also like to see a restriction on vaping in public places, to match smoking,' she added. 'People may say it's 'nanny state', but most people don't want to live in a candy floss and blueberry-scented fog.' In a nationwide poll, the Britain in Focus think-tank found that most people are concerned by the number of youngsters puffing on vapes, and shocked that shops do not need a licence to sell them. Seven in ten believe the Government has not done enough to tackle under-age vaping, and 79 per cent believe the new smoking legislation should introduce licences for selling vapes. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill seeks to ban anyone born after 2009 from buying cigarettes and stop candy-flavoured vapes from being marketed to children. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins rejected accusations that it was an example of 'nanny state' legislation. She said: 'This is about the Conservative principle of looking after future generations. 'We want to free future generations from addiction to nicotine. No one is glad they started smoking; everyone regrets it.' The number of children using vapes has tripled in the past three years, according to the Department of Health. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) said President Joe Biden continues to 'pander' to the furthest 'fringe' of the Democratic Party when it comes to support for Israel. The administration has started to distance support for Israeli counter attacks against Hamas terrorists operating out of Gaza after thousands of Palestinians and many aid workers have been caught in the cross hairs of war. Additionally, the president and his national security team have said the U.S. will not engage in counter strikes against Iran after it joined proxies in sending 300 missiles and drones toward Israel since Saturday in coordinated attack. The recent series of strikes over the weekend, Fetterman told CNN host Jake Tapper on Sunday, proves how dangerous it is for the U.S. to falter in its support for ally Israel. Sen. John Fetterman (R-Penn.) said Sunday that President Joe Biden shouldn't 'pander to the furthest fringe' of the Democratic Party when it comes to support for Israel President Joe Biden returned to the White House on Saturday early from his beach weekend in Rehoboth, Delaware amid escalating conflict in the Middle East. Fetterman says he still will support, campaign and vote for Biden depsite their differences on Israel policy He said the attack 'demonstrates how it's astonishing that we are not standing firmly with Israel and there should never be any kind of conditions on all of that.' 'When a nation can launch hundreds of drones towards Israel, and I'm not going to be talking about conditions ever,' the Pennsylvania Democrat said. He added: 'I don't agree with the president. That doesn't change anything that he's a fantastic president and I'm proud to stand with him and campaign with him and vote for him.' Many anti-Israel Democrats have launched protests in recent months against Biden's support for Israel after Hamas terrorists attacked the Jewish nation in October. This has pushed the administration to distance support and has resulted in a careful balancing act for the president up for reelection in November. 'The president is entitled to his own views and whatever he decides to do,' Fetterman said. 'But I would never capitulate to the fringe. I'll never pander to that, as well. In fact, that helps, that empowers Hamas.' He said Hamas is 'convinced they are winning the PR war' because Biden has faltered on his previously unwavering support for Israel. 'They are never going to negotiate at this point,' the senator speculated. 'They think that they're going to hold onto the very end.' Iran and its proxies unleashed 300 missiles against Israel since Saturday most of which were intercepted and shot down by Israel and the U.S. 'I don't know why there's not more of that conversation in the media. Like what about the hostages?' he questioned. Despite the barrage of strikes on Saturday night, the vast majority were intercepted and shot down before even reaching Israeli air space further exhibiting the superior technology and military abilities of the Jewish state and its hostile neighbors. Fetterman said Iran just wanted to have 'some fireworks' by attacking this weekend in retaliation for an IDF drone strike at the beginning of April in Syria that left 12 Iranians dead, including two top generals. 'Iran had to have some fireworks after Israel smoked that Iranian general and I'm here for that,' Fetterman said. 'And I think it's just a matter of theater.' The attack from Iran, he added, 'demonstrates how unstable things are and why we need to lean in and stand with Israel.' A bid to force Humza Yousaf to repeal his controversial hate crime legislation will be launched in the Scottish parliament this week. MSPs will be asked to vote on a motion proposing that the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, which came into force earlier this month, is scrapped following concerns it is unworkable and is placing too much pressure on the police. More than 1,000 allegations of hate crime have been lodged by the public per day since it came into force. Now MSPs will be put on the spot over whether they still support the Act, or will back its repeal. When the legislation passed in 2021, it was backed by most Labour and Liberal Democrat MSPs, as well as by the SNP and the Greens. Mr Yousaf forced it through as justice secretary, despite major concerns about the impact it would have on freedom of speech, including in private homes. The public were urged to start complaining and more than 1,000 allegations of hate crime have been lodged per day since the act came into force. First Minister Humza Yousaf is facing a challenge at Holyrood this week which will force a vote on whether his hate law should be ditched Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the hate law was flawed and confusing and accused the SNP of failing to deliver on the policy it promised But other concerns have been raised by the Scottish Police Federation about the failure to provide extra resources to Police Scotland to handle the influx of complaints since a 400,000 Scottish Government public information campaign urged people to report cases. Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said yesterday: Humza Yousafs hate crime law has proved to be as big a disaster as its numerous critics warned him it would be. As well as being an unacceptable attempt to curtail free speech, its a bureaucratic nightmare for our overstretched police, who simply cant cope with the deluge of complaints its led to. The Conservatives will use opposition business time on Wednesday to ask MSPs to vote on a motion which will state that the Act should be repealed. Labour and Lib Dem MSPs who previously supported the legislation will be urged by the Tories to admit they got it wrong. The Act introduced new offences for threatening or abusive behaviour which is intended to stir up hatred, which previously only applied to race and the new law can even be broken through words said within private homes. Offences are considered to be aggravated if they involve prejudice towards attributes such as a persons age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and variations in sex characteristics. Figures show that there were 7,152 online complaints made to Police Scotland in the week running from Monday, April 1 when the Hate Crime Act came into force until Sunday, April 7. Officers also dealt with 430 incidents in which a hate crime tag was added, while there were 34 calls to 101 or 999 related to a hate crime and 141 emails logged for the same purpose. A Scottish Labour source said it had originally supported the legislation on the basis that misogyny would be among the behaviours addressed and said issues around communication and implementation are where the problems really lie. Last week, party leader Anas Sarwar said: The legislation has one major flaw, in that it doesnt include sex and misogyny. That was a promise that was made by Government that was going to happen very quickly; it hasnt happened and that flaw has to be corrected. The communication of this has been woeful: ministers contradicting themselves often on the same day, never mind in the same week. A Scottish Government spokesman said: The Hate Crime Act does not prevent people expressing controversial, challenging or offensive views nor does it seek to stifle criticism or rigorous debate in any way and the right to freedom of expression is built into the Act. It does, however, help to tackle the harm caused by hatred and prejudice and provide greater protection for people in society and communities who face hatred just because of who they are. Police Scotland has been clear that demand continues to be managed within its contact centres and the impact on frontline policing has been minimal. The new rector of Glasgow University claimed the UK is part of an axis of genocide in a speech marking his appointment, the Mail can reveal. Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a British-Palestinian medic, was elected with 80 per cent of the student vote. The surgeon sparked fury after claiming last week the university colludes in the murder of innocent civilians because it has shares in arms firms that supply Israel. He also quoted immortal [IRA hunger striker] Bobby Sands. Now it has emerged Dr Abu-Sittah, 55, used the same speech, published in full online at the weekend, to condemn the UK for its role in an axis of genocide in Gaza. We can also reveal the university authorities looked at concerns about him before he was elected but found there was no reason to prevent him from standing. Glasgow University rector Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah made a series of controversial claims during his acceptance speech while quoting IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands Jewish campaigners had highlighted a video which showed him weeping over the death of Maher Al-Yamani, a co-founder of the proscribed Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which is accused of participating in the October 7 massacre in Israel. In an email to the campaigners on March 28, principal Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli said the university was bound by regulations which limited the actions it could take. Tory MSP Annie Wells said: I am deeply concerned with the language used by the new Glasgow University rector. Many people will rightfully be outraged at his glorification of convicted terrorists and eulogy of an anti-Semitic terrorist leader. In his speech, Dr Abu-Sittah said the genocidal project is like an iceberg of which Israel is only the tip. The rest of the iceberg is made up of an axis of genocide. This axis of genocide is the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Canada and France countries that have supported Israel with arms and continue to support the genocide with arms. In response to the claims against him, Dr Abu-Sittah insisted he vehemently opposes terrorism. A controversial charity is planning new court challenges to Rwanda deportations despite a minister pledging yesterday that flights would finally take off 'within weeks'. The law is finally set to pass through Parliament this week, paving the way for the first illegal migrants to be sent to Africa. But Care4Calais said it had recruited hundreds of volunteers to identify migrants who are due on the first flights and will help them make last-minute appeals. A source at the refugee support group which was reprimanded for historic misconduct and mismanagement by the Charity Commission last year told the BBC: 'Human rights still apply we are ready to go.' The law is finally set to pass through Parliament this week, paving the way for the first illegal migrants to be sent to Africa. Pictured: A Border Force boat escorting 50 migrants into Dover Former Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel (pictured) announced the Rwanda plan on a trip to the capital Kigali exactly two years ago Sunak slams ECHR ruling Rishi Sunak has hit out at the European Court of Human Rights over its landmark judgment on the environment, raising the possibility he may pledge to pull out of the pact. The Prime Minister is said to believe that the court had overstepped its powers by declaring that governments have a duty to protect people from climate change. Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho responded to the ruling saying: 'Elected politicians are best placed to make those decisions.' A No 10 source told The Sunday Telegraph: 'The PM's view was that this judgment is a complete overreach and an illegitimate interpretation of the ECHR text.' He had already said sending asylum seekers to Rwanda was more important than staying in the court. Advertisement Its chief executive Steve Smith told the i newspaper: 'If Parliament passes the Rwanda Bill next week we will leave no stone unturned to identify those at risk and signpost them to get legal support.' Last night former Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel, who announced the Rwanda plan on a trip to the capital Kigali exactly two years ago, told the Mail: 'These so-called charities continue to aid the evil people-smugglers by supporting a vast number of unmeritorious asylum claims and those who are jumping the asylum queue rather than supporting those in genuine need. 'They have chosen to prioritise political activism ahead of stopping the dangerous trade in people-smuggling and ending the tragedy of lives lost at sea.' Rebel Tories who wanted the 'emergency legislation' to be far tougher, expect the courts to consider its declaration that Rwanda is safe, contrary to the view taken by the Supreme Court last autumn. 'The Supreme Court ruled the whole scheme illegal so I think courts might want to hear individuals' cases in that context,' said one source. However Government sources insist they have taken legal challenges into account and do not expect them to delay the planned timetable of deportations. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins told Sky News yesterday the first flights to Rwanda could take off 'within weeks'. She said: 'We want them to take off as quickly as possible. Certainly within weeks, we very much plan to have it within weeks.' Police believe killer Joel Cauchi was 'targeting women' when he fatally stabbed six people in a horror rampage at Westfield Bondi Junction, the NSW Police Commissioner said. Cauchi, 40, murdered five women and one man after he entered the shopping centre wielding a 30cm knife on Saturday at about 3.20pm. The attack ended when NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, who was patrolling nearby, sprinted into Westfield and single-handedly confronted Cauchi before shooting him dead. Joel Cauchi, 40, killed six people - including five women and one man - in a stabbing spree at Bondi Junction Westfield's on Saturday His victims were: A police source told the Daily Telegraph that investigators believe Cauchi was 'definitely targeting women'. The source explained police had viewed extensive footage of Cauchi's movements throughout the shopping centre and observed him selecting his victims. 'I don't think there's any other way to look at it,' the source told the newspaper. 'You can see on the footage he walks past other people. He just keeps moving past them and then attacks a woman.' Police Commissioner Karen Webb later confirmed it was 'obvious' Cauchi was targeting women. 'It's obvious to me... The offender focused on women and avoided the men,' Commissioner Webb told the ABC on Monday. 'We don't know what was operating in the mind of the offender and that's why it's important now that detectives spend so much time interviewing those who know him, were around him, close to him. 'So we can get some insight into what he might have been thinking. We won't know necessarily but we have to take a judgement from those who know him.' Cauchi's victims include - Ashlee Good, a 38-year-old mum (left); Dawn Singleton (centre), the 25-year-old daughter of multi-millionaire advertising guru John Singleton; and mother-of-two and Architect Jade Young (right) Cauchi was known to police and had been living in Sydney sporadically over the past couple of years. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 17, and it's understood he has a history of being obsessed with knives. While living with his parents in Toowoomba, southeast Queensland, they became so worried about his fixation that they took his knives away from him. His parents, Andrew and Michele, both in their 70s, declined to speak with media after describing their son's stabbing spree as 'truly horrific'. The devastated pair recognised their son from footage on TV and made a frantic phone call to police. Cauchi's victims from left to right: Westfield security guard and Pakistani refugee, 30-year-old Faraz Tahi; Local artist and Bondi Junction woman, 55-year-old Pikria Darchia and Chinese national and student Yixuan Cheng The Cauchis said in their statement on Sunday that they have 'no issues' with Inspector Scott's actions or that of the NSW Police. 'We are absolutely devastated by the traumatic events that occurred in Sydney yesterday,' they said. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims and those still undergoing treatment at this time. 'Joel's actions were truly horrific, and we are still trying to comprehend what has happened. 'He has battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager. 'We are in contact with both the New South Wales Police Force and Queensland Police Service and have no issues with the Police Officer who shot our son as she was only doing her job to protect others and we hope she is coping alright.' Police are searching through a 'very small storage facility' in Sydney that Cauchi rented out shortly after his move from Brisbane to Sydney. He was reportedly sleeping rough and had no fixed address. A police source claims investigators believe Cauchi was 'definitely targeting women' (pictured, member of the public lays flowers as a tribute to the victims outside Oxford Street Mall) Cauchi's attack ended when NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott confronted him before shooting him dead (pictured). Cauchi's parents said they have 'no issues' with Inspector Scott's actions Just six days before the attack, Cauchi invited Sydneysiders to join him for a surf at Bondi Beach in a post shared to a Facebook group for beginner surfers. Cauchi wrote: 'Hi I am surfing Bondi this afternoon if anyone wants to meet there for a surf!' In another post, shared in December 2020 to an outdoor adventure Facebook group for Brisbane residents, Cauchi explained he wanted to meet with people who shoot guns. 'Hi I am looking for groups of people who shoot guns, including handguns, to meet up with, chat with and get to know. Please send me DM if you can help me out! I live in Brisbane by the way,' Cauchi wrote. Social media users noticed the alarming post hours after police identified Cauchi. 'Thank goodness you didn't get your hands on a gun... the devastation you have caused is horrible enough,' one person wrote. The police officer fiance of a 25-year-old woman who was killed in the stabbing rampage at Bondi Junction rushed to the shopping centre to help his colleagues, only to discover his wife-to-be was one of the victims. Dawn Singleton, the daughter of multi-millionaire advertising guru John Singleton, was due to marry her high school sweetheart, NSW Police Officer Ashley Wildey, in coming months. Ms Singleton's life was tragically cut short, along with five other shoppers, when she was stabbed at Bondi Junction Westfield by Joel Cauchi, 40, on Saturday afternoon, while shopping for her wedding. 'She'd just gone in to buy makeup at Chanel, she was only there for 15 minutes, looking at makeup for her wedding,' a friend told the Daily Telegraph. Mr Wildey, who was reportedly on call, rushed to the shopping centre to assist police colleagues with the unfolding situation. 'He had arrived at Westfield when officers realised his fiancee was one of the victims,' a source said. Mr Wildey was allowed to leave the scene to be comforted by family and friends, as is procedure. Dawn Singleton (pictured left) was shopping for her wedding. Her fiancee Ashley Wildey (pictured right) rushed to the shopping centre to help his colleagues, only to discover his wife-to-be was one of the victims John Singleton's daughter Dawn, 25, has been named among six people murdered by knife wielding attacker Joel Cauchi at Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday Dawn is the oldest of three daughters to John Singleton and his former wife Julie Martin (the couple pictured above) READ MORE: Heroic 'bollard man' who fought off knife-wielding maniac on escalator at Westfield Bondi Junction reveals what it was like to come face-to-face with the killer Damien Guerot picked up a retractable barrier and confronted killer Joel Cauchi, 40, as he advanced menacingly up an escalator (pictured) Advertisement Affectionately known as Dawnie, the 25-year-old is one of Singleton's three daughters from his marriage to Julie Martin. He has eight children in total. Last week, she bought her wedding dress and started sending out 'save the date' invitations to her loved ones and friends ahead of the special day. The tragic new details come as Australian fashion powerhouse White Fox Boutique paid tribute to Ms Singleton, who worked as the company's e-commerce assistant. 'Dawn was a sweet, kind-hearted person who had her whole life ahead of her,' the company wrote on Instagram. 'She was really amazing. We are all truly devastated by this loss. 'We send our condolences to her partner, the Singleton family and her friends. She will always be remembered as part of the White Fox family.' Ms Singleton was the second victim of the horrifying attack to be identified after it was revealed osteopath and first-time mother Ashlee Good, 38, had passed away in hospital on Saturday night. Ms Good's nine-month-old daughter was also injured in the attack and is in a serious but stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery. Double Bay architect and mother-of-two Jade Young was identified as a third victim of the attack on Sunday. Police were called to the shopping precinct at 3.20pm as Cauchi, brandishing a large hunting knife, chased after men, women and children. Footage posted online shows terrified shoppers running outside to escape or taking shelter in shops as a siren blasted through the centre, urging shoppers to evacuate. Inspector Amy Scott was patrolling nearby and was first on the scene. She entered the shopping centre by herself and bravely ran towards the offender, before shooting him dead when he lunged towards her with the knife. Eleven people including Dr Good's 9-month-old child, eight other women, and two men were treated by paramedics and taken to various Sydney hospitals. Some have since been discharged while others remain in serious conditions. Assistant Commissioner Cooke said there were also several other people who were injured in the attack who left Westfield and later presented to medical centres. Joel Cauchi from Queensland is pictured carrying a 30cm hunting knife on the escalator inside Westfield shopping centre at Bondi Junction on Saturday afternoon Addressing reporters on Sunday, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said it would take time to formally identify some of the victims of Saturday's attack as their family members reside overseas. Cauchi has since been identified as a Queensland man who moved to Sydney in recent months. He suffered from schizophrenia and had a transient lifestyle, with police treating the tragedy as a mental-health related incident. The shopping centre and surrounding streets remain closed on Sunday, while police continue to scour the crime scene for forensic evidence. Police have launched a critical incident team comprised of homicide detectives and set up Strike Force Mcauley to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. The investigation will also be subject to an independent review. As investigations continue, any witnesses, anyone with information or mobile phone vision who has not yet spoken to police, is urged to call police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. An elderly man who has delivered pizza in Chicago for 40 years was punched in the face and robbed before having his car stolen in a brazen carjacking on the city's Northwest Side. Ernie Aimone, 81, explained how the sudden attack came after he had made a delivery in the Jefferson Park neighborhood. A man approached from behind before striking Aimone in the head, causing him to fall to the ground. The assailant demanded his car keys and then punched Aimone in the face, leaving him fearing for his life. An 81-year-old pizza delivery man, Ernie Aimone, was robbed and carjacked on Chicago's Northwest Side Ernie Aimone was attacked while crossing the street after making a delivery, punched in the face, and had his car stolen. He reenacted the attack for TV cameras State police later found his car, a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe, but it had sustained significant damage after being involved in a crash Aimone, a retired Army vet Sergeant who fought in Vietnam, chose not to put up a fight and instead remained on the ground as the attackers fled in his car. 'They said, 'gimme the keys, gimme the keys,'' Aimone said to ABC7 'And they sucker punched me from behind, hit me in the face. I was afraid for my life.' Chicago Police confirmed the incident occurred around 9pm on Wednesday on North Ludlam Avenue. State police later found his car, a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe, but it had sustained significant damage after being involved in a crash. One teenage suspect has been apprehended, while the others remain at large. Aimone has been a dedicated pizza delivery driver for Joe's on Higgins for four decades and is said to be loved by both his coworkers and customers. 'They said, 'gimme the keys, gimme the keys,'' Aimone, who fought in Vietnam said to ABC7 'And they sucker punched me from behind, hit me in the face. I was afraid for my life' Aimone, a loyal employee of Joe's Pizza for 40 years, plans to return to work once he gets another car - GoFundMe has helped pay towards his new vehicle. He is pictured alongside Dan Ciolino with the Gladstone Park Chamber of Commerce, far left, Frank and Gina Demonte from the restaurant, and Aimone's daughter, Robyn The was a complete wreck and the car insurance company is refusing to pay for a new one Police found Aimone's car on the same evening of the attack but it has suffered damage Ernie Aimone, 81, has worked at Joes for four decades and is a popular member of the community 'He's like family to us,' said Frank Demonte with Joe's. 'He's seen me grow up from very young. He worked for my Dad.' 'Ernie's very special to us. Always has been,' added Frank's wife Gina. Despite the traumatic event, Aimone vows to return to work making deliveries as soon as he is able to obtain another car. 'I got a daughter and a son,' Ernie said. 'I gotta live for them.' His insurance company is refusing to pay for a new car as he was carjacked while working A GoFundMe set up in response to the incident by the Gladstone Park Chamber of Commerce has so far raised over $52,000 towards the purchase of a new vehicle, including a $1,000 donation from the pizza joint itself. 'He's like a local legend,' said Dan Ciolino with the Chamber. 'He's been loyal to Joe's for 40 years. He served our country. He deserves our support in his time of need.' The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has declared that the Middle East is 'on the brink' and that those living in the region are facing 'a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict'. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the emergency meeting, which was called after Iran's attack: 'Regional - and indeed global - peace and security are being undermined by the hour. Neither the region nor the world can afford more war.' Guterres said that acts of reprisal involving the use of force are barred under international law after Iran's attack on Israel, while the US warned the Security Council it would work to hold Tehran accountable at the UN. Iran's ambassador insisted that the attack was 'in response to the Israeli regime's military aggression', highlighting the April 1 attack on an Iranian embassy building in Damascus which killed seven IRGC officers. Amir Saeid Iravani said Iran's armed forces launched last night's attacks in 'self defence' and that they were 'necessary and proportionate, it was precise and only targeted military objectives.' Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, requested on Saturday that the council hold the meeting. He held up a video of missiles raining down over the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem as he highlighted the scale of the attack during his speech. Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres (L) delivers opening remarks during a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani attends a meeting on the situation in the Middle East Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan shows a video during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East 'This attack crossed every red line and Israel reserves the right to retaliate,' Erdan said. 'We are not a frog in boiling water, we are a nation of lions. 'Following such a massive and direct attack on Israel, the entire world, let alone Israel, cannot settle for inaction. We will defend our future.' He called for more sanctions against Iran and for recognition of it as a terrorist state, saying: 'For the world's sake, Iran must be stopped today'. He highlighted the success of Israel's Iron Dome and allied efforts to stop the 350 missiles he said were launched by Iran at Israel, with the joint response helping to down '99 per cent'. 'The Iranian attack is a serious threat to global peace and security and I expect the Council to use every means to take concrete action against Iran,' Erdan wrote in a post on X ahead of the meeting. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reminded the council tonight that acts of reprisal involving the use of force are barred under international law, adding that now is the 'the time to defuse and de-escalate' as he warned against further escalation. Drones or missiles vying for targets at undisclosed locations in northern Israel on April 14 He also called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza after more than six months of fighting, the unconditional release of all hostages and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza as it faces famine. Meanwhile the US warned the Security Council it would work to hold Tehran accountable at the UN. Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood called on the 15-member body to unequivocally condemn Iran's attack, as he said the Security Council has an obligation to not let Iran's actions go unanswered. 'In the coming days, and in consultation with other member states, the United States will explore additional measures to hold Iran accountable here at the United Nations,' he said, without specifying what action the US would take. A G7 meeting took place this afternoon as leaders condemned Iran's air attack on Israel 'in the strongest terms' 'Let me be clear: if Iran or its proxies take actions against the United States or further action against Israel, Iran will be held responsible,' he said, adding that the U.S. took note of Guterres' remarks and that Washington's actions have been defensive. Tehran, which had vowed retaliation for what it called an Israeli strike on a building next to its Damascus consulate on April 1 that killed seven of its officers, said its strike was punishment for 'Israeli crimes'. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the consulate attack. EXCLUSIVE: Author John le Carre was such a prodigious philanderer he confessed to his first wife he 'slept with every nanny they ever had', a biographer has revealed. The literary spymaster told Ann Sharp, whom he married in 1954, he kept 'a football team' of simultaneous mistresses. The serial infidelities of le Carre - real name David Cornwell - became a shocking final chapter to his life story that fans only discovered after his death in 2020, but now the full extent of his cheating has come to light. Robert Harris, who was the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy author's original authorised biographer in the 1990s, interviewed Cornwell's first wife Ann, with whom he had three sons during a 17-year marriage which ended in divorce in 1971. The UK benefits system must be reformed to tackle Britain's long-term sickness crisis after the number of claimants off due to ill health nearly doubled in a decade, a new report says. Analysis of 'Universal Credit Britain' by the Resolution Foundation think-tank argues that the current system may be discouraging people from going back to work. It points to official figures showing that while unemployment has fallen sharply, the number of benefit claimants out of work due to ill health has surged from 1.2 million when UC was introduced in 2013 to 2.3 million last year. UC was brought in to replace a series of existing benefits including jobseeker's allowance and child tax credit as well as the employment support allowance - which supports people with living costs who are unable to work. More than a third of those receiving UC are not required to seek work (stock image) Universal Credit is in the final stages of being phased in, with seven million families on track to receive the benefit by the end of the next parliament (stock image) It was designed to simplify the system and 'make work pay' but today Britain 'faces different labour market challenges', the report said. Alex Clegg, economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: 'A lot has changed since Universal Credit was first introduced back in 2013. 'Its original design did not anticipate there being over two million claimants with poor health or disabilities. 'Alongside efforts from the NHS, education, and labour market policy to address the drivers of ill health, UC will need to change to tackle Britain's new challenge of long-term sickness.' The report said that whoever wins the next election will need to build on recent changes by the government designed to encourage people with ill health to seek work. Universal Credit is in the final stages of being phased in, with seven million families on track to receive the benefit by the end of the next parliament, the report said. It will cost around 86 billion a year by 2028, 14 billion lower than if the government had stuck with the old benefits system. The changes have had winners and losers. Families who rent in the private sector are on average 1,200 a year better off while a single person with a long-term disability preventing them from working is 2,800 worse off. More than a third of those receiving UC are not required to seek work. UC was brought in to replace a series of existing benefits including jobseeker's allowance and child tax credit as well as the employment support allowance (stock image) That is a 'significant challenge for the next government and one that Universal Credit is arguably not well equipped to address in its current format', the report said. 'The increasing number of claimants with health issues is highlighting a new undesirable feature of Universal Credit: that it may be preventing people from moving out of economic inactivity,' it added. That is because of flaws in the system for assessing those with 'limited capacity' to work - who in some cases can receive an additional 5,000, the report said. The government has brought in changes to tighten the system which include the assumption that those who find it hard to get out of the house should find it easier to find employment now that many jobs are done from home. But the report said: 'It would be foolish for policymakers to expect that tweaks to Universal Credit, most of which are designed to pay out less money to sick and disabled people, on their own will solve Britain's problem of health-related labour market inactivity.' These landscapes are 'filled with flora and fauna, as well as a tapestry of geological formations' Advertisement The Earth's surface is a record of the past. Its valleys, mountains and landscapes tell a story that dates back 4.5billion years. So says Unesco director-general Audrey Azoulay in the introduction to new book The Unesco Global Geoparks, published by Gestalten. The captivating new tome is packed with photographs showcasing all of the world's Unesco Global Geoparks - areas of exceptional geological significance - of which there are almost 200 spanning 48 countries. These landscapes are 'filled with flora and fauna, as well as a tapestry of geological formations', according to Ms Azoulay, who refers to the geoparks as 'living laboratories', where geological processes take place and 'cultural connections to the land' are celebrated. Scroll down to see MailOnline Travel's handpicked selection of photographs from the book, which is written by Unesco. From stunning Scottish mountains to a French village perched on a cliff edge, and from blockbuster Irish cliffs to otherworldly Chinese valleys, these landscapes will take your breath away. YANDANGSHAN, CHINA: This picture was taken in an area 'where ancient wonders unfold'. This extraordinary canyon, pictured in the mist, shows how the Earth's surface moved dramatically more than 100million years ago, according to the tome. One tectonic plate, called the Kula-Pacific Plate, slid beneath another, the Asian Continental Plate, unleashing 'colossal' volcanic eruptions that 'sculpted the region's peaks', it explains. When to visit: March to June, September to December IZU PENINSULA, JAPAN: Nature 'gathered all her forces' at this geopark, which is characterised by the book as 'a large mountainous region with a craggy coastline shaped like a crocodile's head'. One of the park features highlighted in the book is the Omuro Volcano, described as 'an example of the region's geodiversity'. The dormant 'cinder cone volcano' is covered with velvety grass, as this picture shows, and was created during an eruption 4,000 years ago. When to visit: May, October, November SALPAUSSELKA, FINLAND: The Salpausselka Unesco geopark is a 'land of glaciers but also of more than 800 lakes', notes the tome. Pictured here is the narrow Pulkkilanharju Esker, which stretches across Finland's second-largest lake, Paijanne. An esker is a glacial ridge, which can often 'make for lovely walks and viewpoints' CAUSSES DU QUERCY, FRANCE: Home to some of the most beautiful villages in France, a starry sky like nowhere else, and thousands of years of human presence, the Causses du Quercy Unesco Global Geopark is a surprising region with much to unearth. So says the tome, adding that the area is home to mediaeval villages, including the above pictured Saint-Cirq-Lapopie - 'perched on the scarp of the Lot River and considered one of the most beautiful in France' SOBRARBE - PIRINEOS, SPAIN: This geopark, located on the southern slopes of the Pyrenees, offers 'breathtaking landscapes and 500million years of Earth's history', the book says. One highlight for visitors includes 'hiking over 1,000km (621 miles) of well-maintained trails with breathtaking views and the ever-present sound of flowing water from melting ice'. Pictured is the park's Valle de Pineta, described as 'an impressive u-shaped glacial valley'. When to visit: All year round REYKJANES, ICELAND: 'At first glance, Reykjanes' fascinating landscape seems to come straight from a science fiction movie,' Unesco writes. Located in southwest Iceland close to the capital Reykjavik, the geopark is considered 'one of the most active volcanic areas in Iceland', with hot springs, geysers and mud pools. When to visit: All year round LONGHUSHAN, CHINA: This geopark in Jiangxi Province spans almost 1,000 km sq (386 square miles), showcasing 'stunning mountainous terrain, picturesque valleys, and majestic waterfalls', according to the tome. Pictured: Kayakers on the Luxi River, which runs through the park. When to visit: May to October NORTH WEST HIGHLANDS, SCOTLAND: Behold the view towards Coigach and Assynt, 'threaded with a thousand small fresh-water lochans [lakes]'. The area boasts 'ancient rock formations 3,000million years old and some of Britain's most awe-inspiring mountain and coastal landscapes', according to the book. When to visit: May to December TROLLFJELL UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK, NORWAY: This 'extraordinary landscape' is 'dominated by water and thousands of small islands', according to the tome. And for centuries, this 'vast territory' has 'sparked the imagination of local populations', who believed that the stone mountains along the coast were 'living creatures that chased beautiful maidens'. These trolls, as they are known, 'have inspired dozens of legends'. When to visit: February to September BURREN AND CLIFFS OF MOHER, IRELAND: Above are the 'monumental' Cliffs of Moher, which star in the sixth Harry Potter film, the Half-Blood Prince, and rise more than 150 metres (492ft) from the Atlantic. The book notes that the site 'is a paradise for birdwatching with up to 30,000 pairs of birds during nesting season'. The Burren, 'a vast limestone area', lies on top of the cliffs. The geopark, adds Unesco, is on the route of the 2,500km (1,553-mile) Wild Atlantic Way coastal route. When to visit: March to October An I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! producer has expressed concerns about host Robert Irwin's decision to bring his protective mother Terri on set. Terri, 59, has accompanied her son, 20, on his trip to South Africa as he films his debut season of the popular Channel 10 program alongside co-host Julia Morris, 55. Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, an anonymous producer has admitted that Terri's presence on set every day is 'a little creepy', saying: 'It is giving 'bringing your-mum-to-school-camp vibes.' Terri, who has been in charge of Robert and his big sister Bindi's showbiz careers since the death of their father Steve in 2006, has apparently kept a close eye on everything Robert does while working on the program. 'The two have an excellent relationship and Terri couldn't be nicer but there are not many situations where employees will have their mum at work with them, just to make sure everything is above board,' the insider said. An I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! has expressed concerns about host Robert Irwin 's decision to bring his protective mother Terri on set. (Pictured: Robert and Terri) Comparing Terri to the Kardashians' famous 'momager' Kris Jenner, the producer claimed Robert Irwin's contract even included a section that allowed him to bring his family on set. 'The deal was done when Robert signed on as host late last year. He wanted his family to come with him,' they alleged, adding: 'Maybe it will be just for this series, but maybe Terri will always be standing in the wings. Who knows'. Robert previously confirmed that the entire Irwin clan would be joining him in South Africa, telling The Daily Telegraph in January: 'I've got everyone, including my little niece Grace, coming over, so the whole family are there'. Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, an anonymous producer has admitted that Terri's presence on set every day is 'a little creepy', saying: 'It is giving 'bringing your-mum-to-school-camp vibes' While Terri is said to be 'in her element' watching Robert win over audiences on the show, the producer cast some doubts about the zookeeper's protective attitude - especially when it comes to her son's dating life. Robert recently split from girlfriend Rorie Buckey after nearly two years of dating, with reports claiming Terri's opinions of the relationship may have contributed to the break-up. 'The rumour on set is that Robert has been withholding information from his mum on his dating life, which is pretty standard for most 20 year old boys,' the source spilled, claiming that 'cracks will continue to appear' if Terri continues to get involved in his love life. Comparing Terri to the Kardashians' famous 'momager' Kris Jenner, the producer claimed Robert Irwin's contract even included a section that allowed him to bring his family (pictured) on set It comes after reports surfaced claiming Bindi has urged Terri to let Robert 'live his life' following his split from Rorie in February. According to Woman's Day, Bindi has rallied around to support her brother as he navigates the break-up by himself, and is said to have 'unbreakable loyalty' towards him. Robert apparently didn't want Terri involved in his relationship or break-up with Rorie because he wanted to figure it out himself. Robert recently split from girlfriend Rorie Buckey (right) after nearly two years of dating, with reports claiming Terri's opinions of the relationship may have contributed to the break-up A source told the publication: 'Robert has very much become his own person, and while he's always been strongly supported by his mum Terri and Bindi, he was adamant from the beginning with Rorie that he wasn't going to be influenced by anyone. 'Robert didn't want Terri involved from the get-go, but not in a bad way - he wanted to work out for himself if Rorie was The One, and has shared with friends he finally feels like he is kicking huge goals when it comes to figuring life out all on his own.' They added: 'Bindi supported Robert knowing what she's been through years earlier when she was first dating Chandler and will have told her mum to let him live his life and trust that if he needs them he'll reach out, and that goes for the break-up too - he needs to deal with it in his own way.' Channel Nine presenter Deb Knight has opened up about her health, her career, and what she really thinks about new A Current Affair host Ally Langdon. The 51-year-old journalist, who currently hosts Nine radio's Money News, spoke exclusively to Daily Mail Australia this week, and had only kind words to say about Ally. 'I think she's brilliant. It's huge shoes to fill, stepping into that role after Tracy Grimshaw,' Knight said. Deb filled in for Langdon on the current affairs show last summer and was well-liked by the audience, with many viewers calling for her to become the permanent host. Despite many A Current Affair fans preferring Deb, she praised the job Ally has been doing in the wake of Grimshaw's departure. Deb Knight (pictured) opened up about her health, her career, and what she really thinks about new A Current Affair host Ally Langdon. The 51-year-old journalist, spoke exclusively to Daily Mail Australia this week, and had kind words to say about Ally 'I think she's brilliant. It's huge shoes to fill, stepping into that role after Tracy Grimshaw ,' Knight said. Pictured: Ally Langdon 'Allys been fantastic. She's resonated hugely with the audience and the show's going from strength to strength.' Deb, who has worked as both a newsreader and presenter on Nine's Today, also said she misses co-host Karl Stefanovic. 'Who wouldn't miss Karl?! I'm still mates with everyone on Today. Karl's a good friend of mine. I regularly catch up with those guys,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Deb filled in for Langdon on the current affairs show last summer and was well-liked by the audience, with many viewers calling for her to become the permanent host However, one thing she definitely doesn't miss from breakfast television is the early morning start times. 'I called the alarm time "stupid o'clock." That was my official terminology for the alarm. It had either a three or four in front of it depending on whether you were doing the early news,' she said. Deb has also been vocal about raising awareness of health issues that the public too often takes for granted. Deb, who has worked as a presenter on Nine's Today, also said she misses co-host Karl Stefanovic (pictured left): 'Who wouldn't miss Karl?! I'm still mates with everyone on Today. Karl's a good friend of mine. I regularly catch up with those guys,' she told Daily Mail Australia The news presenter also recently opened up about her experience with shingles. In early 2022, she was diagnosed with shingles, a disease which is caused by the recurrence of chicken pox. She told Daily Mail that she was floored when she got the diagnosis from her doctor. 'I presumed incorrectly that shingles was something that old people got. I'm 50, but I didn't think it was a younger persons condition. I was quite shocked by that.' The news presenter has recently opened up about being diagnosed with shingles in 2022. She told Daily Mail that she was floored when she got the diagnosis from her doctor. 'I presumed incorrectly that shingles was something that old people got' Nearly all Australians over the age of 50 carry the inactive virus (varicella zoster virus) that causes shingles from a previous chickenpox infection. 'Because I had seen my GP in time, I could get treatment in a timely manner, which was really fortunate. I was lucky. If the rash had broken out closer to my eyeI mean, it can cause blindness. It's very serious,' she said. A survey conducted by GSK Australia shows that while 62% of people perceive the impact of this disease as 'extremely negative', only 14% believe they are extremely likely to be personally at risk of shingles in their lifetime. 'Because I had seen my GP in time, I could get treatment in a timely manner, which was really fortunate. I was lucky. If the rash had broken out closer to my eyeI mean, it can cause blindness. It's very serious,' she said However, one in three people will be affected by shingles at some point in their life. Deb is also an outspoken critic of suntanning, due to its connection to the risk of melanoma. Her message for young people who want to have a tanned look is to 'get it from a bottle.' 'We should stop glorifying the bronzed look anyway,' she added, before praising Hollywood star Nicole Kidman for her 'sun smart' measures. 'Whenever she's home in Australia, she's always under big hat in the shade protecting her skin. We should be idealising someone like her rather than the people who laying out in the sun for hours on end. Deb is also an outspoken critic of suntanning, due to its connection to the risk of melanoma. Her message for young people who want to have a tanned look is to 'get it from a bottle' Drake's latest diss track has sparked controversy online over its authenticity. A new song attributed to the Canadian rapper, 37, called Drop and Give Me 50 leaked on Saturday, with such scathing lyrics against artists like Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd and more that fans questioned if it was created by artificial intelligence. The former actor reportedly first fires back at Kendrick, 36 who slammed Drake in a guest verse on the album We Dont Trust You in March as the song takes jabs at the Grammy winner's physical stature and suggests that his pop collaborations have caused him to lose his edge. 'Maroon 5 need a version, better make it witty,' the alleged Drake raps. 'Then we need a verse for the Swifties.' The Weeknd (real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye), 34 who also came for Drake on We Don't Trust You is next in line, as Drake sings, 'Cash blowin' Abel bread, out here trickin'/S*** we do for bitches he doing for n****s.' Drake's, 37, latest diss track has sparked controversy online over its authenticity; pictured 2019 A new song attributed to the Canadian rapper called Drop and Give Me 50 leaked on Saturday, with such scathing lyrics against artists like Kendrick Lamar, 36, The Weeknd, 34, and more that fans questioned if it was created by artificial intelligence; Kednrick (L) in 2022, Weeknd (R) in 2023 AI Drake's diss track against Kendrick Lamar, Future, Metro Boomin, Rick Ross, The Weeknd. If this isnt AI, all of them are cooked pic.twitter.com/wNrlk5VNFu Ramen. (@CoconutShawarma) April 13, 2024 Fans were quick to flood social media with comments regarding the credibility of Drop and Give Me 50. One follower posted the song with the caption 'AI Drake's diss track against Kendrick Lamar, Future, Metro Boomin, Rick Ross, The Weeknd. If this isnt AI, all of them are cooked.' Another chimed in 'The fact no one can tell if its real or AI says a lot about Drakes music but thats maybe for another time Yet another fan commented, 'Drake is smart, if everyone likes the diss hell claim it if they dont he gonna say its ai and get back in the studio.' Drake has been silent on whether he's behind Drop and Give Me 50, although he did post a photo to his IG about people getting close to a reaction. The photo, however, was shared before the song dropped. The Weeknd seemingly responded to the track by sharing an image of himself laughing and eating popcorn, as if to say he is simply a bystander to all the drama unfolding. The current controversy highlights a recurring concern: the use of artificial intelligence to imitate Drake's voice and style. This issue gained attention previously when the Recording Academy disqualified an AI-generated Drake song from Grammy consideration, underscoring its prevalence in the industry. The drama appeared to ignite back in March, when Kendrick dissed Drake and J. Cole on the song Like That from Future and Metro Boomin's album We Don't Trust You. Drake has been silent on whether he's behind Drop and Give Me 50, although he did post a photo to his IG about people getting close to a reaction The Weeknd seemingly responded to the track by sharing an image of himself laughing and eating popcorn, as if to say he is simply a bystander to all the drama unfolding Fans were quick to flood social media with comments regarding the credibility of Drop and Give Me 50 Lamar threw multiple lyrical jabs to both Drake and J Cole, furiously rapping the stand out line: 'Motherf**k the big three, n***a, it's just big me.' The line was seemingly a direct response to a bar Cole dropped in his collaboration with Drake called First Person Shooter. 'Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K. Dot [Kendrick]? Is it Aubrey [Drake]? Or me? / We the big three, like we started a league,' J Cole said. Lamar didn't miss the chance to take another a jab at Champagne Papi, cleverly referencing his latest album title, For all the Dogs. Fore all your dogs gettin buried/ Thats a K with all these nines, he gon see Pet Sematary. Woof!' Following the Compton rapper's tirade towards his two peers, J Cole released a response track titled Seven Minute Drill. During the song, he slammed Kendrick as attention seeking, stating the Poetic Justice rapper had fallen off 'like The Simpsons'. Branding Lamar's most recent album Mr Morale and the Big Steppers 'tragic', Cole warned his peer to lay off the insults. However it was two days later that the Apparently rapper came forward to apologize for his diss, branding it the 'lamest' and 'goofiest' song he has ever made. Praising the Good Kid Mad City's artist's catalogue, Cole asked for forgiveness when he took the stage at Dreamville Festival in North Carolina. 'I ain't gonna lie to y'all the past two days felt terrible,' he told the crowd. Although Metro has recently dispelled rumours regarding tensions between the two, fans have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to share their hilarious shock reactions to J Cole being featured on the duo's new song due to his friendship with Drake. Photoshopping Drake's face onto a disgruntled Thanos' body, one quipped: 'Drake after seeing that J Cole is on the Metro and Future album.' An image of a confused man in front of a complicated electrical cabinet was captioned: Fans have been sharing hilarious memes in response to the surprise collaboration between J Cole, Future and Metro Boomin with many confused by his latest move as he was previously friendly with Drake 'Drake tryna figure out how he gonna diss Future, Metro Boomin, Kendrick Lamar, J Cole and ASAP Rocky.' Another imagined Drake's shock at the collaboration, captioning a snap of a woman suddenly falling with: 'Drake after finding out J Cole flipped on him.' One fan took a swipe at the Canadian musician and his fans' confusion to Cole's most recent release. Alongside an image of a confused man, they wrote: 'Drake fans waking up and hearing J Cole on We Still Can't Trust You.' Dakota Fanning revealed that she got her very first cell phone from Tom Cruise when she was 11-years-old and added that the actor has sent her a birthday gift every year since. The Uptown Girls actress, 30 - who recently stated that she 'only learned to drive four years ago' - opened up about the special gift during a joint interview with her Ripley co-star Andrew Scott for Harper's Bazaar earlier this week. At one point as the two stars quizzed each other, the Irish-born star, 47, was given the question: 'Who gave Dakota her first cell phone?' After quickly pondering, Scott guessed, 'Okay, well it's gotta be some Hollywood icon... Tom Cruise?' Fanning happily confirmed that Andrew was correct, and he excitedly exclaimed, 'Yes!' Dakota Fanning, 30, revealed that she got her very first cell phone from Tom Cruise when she was 11-years-old and added that the actor still sends her a birthday gift every year since; seen earlier this month in L.A. The Uptown Girls actress opened up about the special gift during a joint interview with her Ripley co-star Andrew Scott for Harper's Bazaar earlier this week; seen in 2005 'It was a Motorola Razr,' the actress explained, with her co-star asking, 'Wow! Were you so excited?' 'Oh my God, I was so excited,' Dakota answered, but humorously added, 'I didn't have anyone to call or text at the time. You know, I was 11...But I loved having it!' When questioned if she 'still keeps in touch' with Cruise, Fanning expressed, 'Tom still sends me a birthday gift every year and has since that birthday.' Scott cut in to gush, 'How wonderful!' with The Alienist star adding that it is 'so thoughtful.' Before moving onto the next question during the interview, Andrew jokingly stated that Tom 'has never given me anything, nothing...' Both Dakota and Tom starred together in the 2005 film, War Of The Worlds, and in the past, the actress has opened up about their friendship. During a previous appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, she talked about how Cruise sends her 'beautiful gifts' on her birthday. 'It's really kind,' she explained. 'And I always think, 'Oh, when I'm 18 he'll probably stop, or 21, he'll stop." And he...every year. It's really kind.' At one point as the two stars quizzed each other, the Irish-born star, 47, was given the question: 'Who gave Dakota her first cell phone?' Fanning happily confirmed that Andrew was correct, and he excitedly exclaimed, 'Yes!' 'It was a Motorola Razr,' the actress explained, with her co-star asking, 'Wow! Were you so excited?' Both Dakota and Tom starred together in the 2005 film, War Of The Worlds, (seen above) and in the past, the actress has opened up about their friendship In regards to what kind of presents the Mission Impossible actor will give her, Fanning replied with, 'It's usually shoes.' Dakota has been keeping busy and recently took on the role of Marge Sherwood in the Netflix thriller series titled, Ripley. Other stars that have been cast in the project - which was released earlier this month on April 4 - include Andrew Scott, Johnny Flynn, Eliot Sumner and also Margherita Buy. The premise follows, 'A grifter named Ripley living in New York during the 1960s is hired by a wealthy man to bring his vagabond son home from Italy,' per an official IMDB synopsis. The show is based on the 1955 crime novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley, written by Patricia Highsmith. A movie of the same name was released in 1999 and starred Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Cate Blanchett. Upon the release, critics have claimed that Dakota's portrayal of Marge in the series, 'can't compete with Gwyneth Paltrow.' However, while recently talking to British Vogue, Fanning opened up about her own depiction of the character. 'I revisit the film because I love it, but I didn't find it helpful in terms of playing Marge or stepping into this world because the vibe of this is entirely separate,' she explained to the outlet. While promoting the Netflix series, both Andrew and Dakota also stopped by an interview for Elle earlier this month, where the actress revealed that she learned to drive only four years earlier. During a previous appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, she talked about how Cruise sends her 'beautiful gifts' on her birthday; seen in 2005 In regards to what kind of presents the Mission Impossible actor will give her, Fanning replied with, 'It's usually shoes'; seen in War Of The Worlds in 2005 'I only learned to drive four years ago,' Fanning informed Scott after asking him why he hasn't learned to drive yet. 'That makes me feel better,' the Fleabag actor expressed. 'I sort of do know a tiny little bit how to drive. But I live in Central London and it's my carbon footprint.' Dakota began her professional acting career at the age of five, with her sister Elle Fanning also following suit. However, while talking to PORTER earlier this month, the Twilight alum explained that she would 'choose having kids' over her Hollywood career. 'Having kids is probably more important to me than anything, even being an actor,' Fanning explained to the publication. While promoting the Netflix series, both Andrew and Dakota also stopped by an interview for Elle earlier this month, where the actress revealed that she learned to drive only four years earlier; seen in March in NYC 'If somebody said I had to choose, I would choose having kids. I'm one of those people who has always felt that pull.' However, she expressed, 'Being an actor is a huge part of my identity. I don't really know who I would be without it,' while adding, 'I also have a desire to set up my life and career so that I always have a choice.' 'I don't know how I'll feel when that time in my life comes and how much I'll want to work. But, because I don't have that at the moment, I'm trying to take advantage of the adventures now.' 'I'm trying to push myself to keep saying yes to things that make me uncomfortable, to keep going to places for long periods of time that maybe I'm scared to do because God willing one day, it won't be as easy.' Molly-Mae Hague and her fiance Tommy Fury have been enjoying a fun family getaway with their baby daughter Bambi to Disneyland in Paris. The former Love Island star, 24, has been documenting the magical trip on social media, just weeks after returning from a luxury ski break in France. Writing on Instagram that they've been 'making memories,' Molly-Mae has shared cute snaps and videos of Bambi seeing Disney characters at the famous castle. She went onto post a black and white snap of Tommy with their baby daughter, writing: 'The perfect day.' After being given a cuddly toy, little Bambi appeared delighted by the present as her parents Molly-Mae and Tommy watched the parade. Molly-Mae Hague and her fiance Tommy Fury have been enjoying a fun family getaway with their baby daughter Bambi to Disneyland in Paris The former Love Island star has been documenting the magical trip on social media, just weeks after returning from a luxury ski break in France Molly-Mae shared a cute image with her husband-to-be Tommy sporting a pair of Minnie Mouse ears during their trip to Disneyland Molly-Mae and Tommy then headed into the park in search of churros, and the reality star poked fun at her husband-to-be who mistakenly saw a sign reading 'curios,' that he hoped would lead them to the delicious treat. The family ended the trip by watching a stunning fireworks display from the comfort of their hotel room. The trip came just weeks after Molly-Mae returned from a luxurious ski holiday after flying 12 friends to France on a private jet. Molly-Mae organised the four-day ski trip as a surprise for her best friend Tayla to celebrate her birthday. She showed off the lavish trip on her YouTube vlog, as she revealed the personalised details of the trip and showed off their lavish private chalet. In February, Molly-Mae revealed she was travelling to Ibiza for the first time since Tommy had proposed to her. The influencer showed fans what expensive taste she has as she shared a snap of her 2,600 Bottega bag placed next to her on a private jet. Upon landing, Molly-Mae headed to her hotel where she posted a snap of her 915 Louis Vuitton wash bag and a 735 toiletry bag. Writing on Instagram that they've been 'making memories,' Molly-Mae has shared cute snaps and videos of Bambi seeing Disney characters at the famous castle Molly-Mae shared a series of adorable clips of Tommy carrying their daughter through the iconic theme park After being given a cuddly toy, little Bambi appeared delighted by the present as her parents Molly-Mae and Tommy watched the parade One sweep snap showed Molly and Tommy arm-in-arm as they took in the sights together on their latest family holiday The family ended the trip by watching a stunning fireworks display from the comfort of their hotel room The trip came just weeks after Molly-Mae returned from a luxurious ski holiday after flying 12 friends to France on a private jet Molly-Mae organised the four-day ski trip as a surprise for her best friend Tayla to celebrate her birthday She and Tommy also kicked off 2024 with a luxurious beach holiday with Bambi in The Maldives, sharing snaps of the trip on social media. Molly-Mae and Tommy were previously slammed for 'flaunting their wealth' after sharing snaps from a private jet while returning from Ibiza. Molly-Mae shared a photo of her sat on the plane with her daughter Bambi on her lap and captioned it: 'Flying home a fiance.' In reaction to the post, fans complained: 'Molly the world is literally burning, please no more private jets;' 'You went from being a lovely relatable down to earth girl to a complete show off and shoving your luxury life in people's faces with every post. Is it really necessary?' 'I cried today because I couldn't afford a 4 M&S microwave meal;' 'I think you mean flying home with a huge carbon footprint and a guilty conscience - what a way to celebrate an engagement;' 'Happy for you but private jet?! Is that really necessary? The world is burning;' Hugh Jackman and Rebel Wilson led celebrity tributes to the victims of the horrific Westfield Bondi Junction mass stabbing carried out by knifeman Joel Cauchi. The actors both took to Instagram to express their horror and sorrows over the tragedy which left six people dead and a nine-month-old baby in critical condition. The Wolverine star, 55, also paid tribute to the families of the victims before commending the 'bravery' of the people involved in saving countless others. 'My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims who lost their lives in the Bondi Junction attack,' Jackman wrote. 'To the first responders and members of the community... your extraordinary acts of bravery are truly remarkable. With love and gratitude, Hugh.' Hugh Jackman, 55, (left) and Rebel Wilson, 44, (right) led celebrity tributes to the victims of the horrific Westfield Bondi Junction mass stabbing carried out by knifeman Joel Cauchi The actors both took to Instagram to express their horror and sorrows over the tragedy which left six people dead and a nine-month-old baby in critical condition. Pictured: footage of the attack Wilson, 44, posted to Instagram as well, writing: 'My family and I have just spent a lot of time in Bondi and regularly go to Bondi Junction Westfield. 'I am horrified that such violence and tragedy can occur in such a special, amazing place where we always felt safe. This is just devastating.' Other Australian stars followed Jackman and Wilson's example as an outpouring of condolences flooded social media in the hours after news broke of the attack. Pictured: the Bondi Junction knifeman Joel Cauchi Fellow Australian actor Tammin Sursok also took to Instagram to pay her respects to the victims of the tragedy. 'I'm completely horrified and devastated hearing the news about the stabbing and killing of six people and many critically injured in Bondi Mall, Sydney,' she said. 'This is my neighbourhood and a mall we visit all the time. I'm not in Sydney right now, but my heart is broken. A child was also hurt. 'This just doesn't happen in Australia. My heart goes out to everyone and I'm just in shock.' The Wolverine star paid tribute to the families of the victims before commending the 'bravery' of the people involved in saving countless others Wilson posted to Instagram as well, writing: 'I am horrified that such violence and tragedy can occur in such a special, amazing place where we always felt safe. This is just devastating' Meanwhile, Today Extra co-host David Campbell shared the news story to his socials with the caption: 'Thinking of everyone tonight in Sydney. This is beyond words.' Today Show host Karl Stefanovic this morning said he had 'no words' for his thoughts about the incident but expressed his disgust at the number of female victims. 'I don't care what the excuses are, and I hope there's a special place in hell reserved for him, given the fact that he walked past men, and didn't do anything about it and attacked women,' he said. 'This offender, may you rot in hell. Forgive me for saying, but for what he's done, I don't care. A woman with a baby.' Fellow Australian actor Tammin Sursok also took to Instagram to pay her respects to the victims of the tragedy Meanwhile, Today Extra co-host David Campbell shared the news story to his socials with the caption: 'Thinking of everyone tonight in Sydney. This is beyond words' AFL WAG Jesinta Franklin sent 'all her love to the victims, their families, the first responders, and all who were at Westfield in Bondi yesterday afternoon'. 'Such a senseless act of violence that has had unimaginable impact on so many people. 'I have spent countless hours at that centre, and like most mumma's who live in the area countless hours there with the kids on those tough rainy days. 'It feels so close to home. Heartbroken. Hold your loved ones close, check in on those who may be struggling and always, always be kind to one another.' Former Miss Universe Australia Olivia Molly Rogers said: 'My heart is so heavy this morning reading about what unfolded at Bondi Junction yesterday. 'It's difficult to comprehend just how terrifying it would have been. I'm sending all my love to the families and loved ones of the victims.' KICPod co-host Steph Claire Smith wrote: 'No words. My heart goes out to the family and friends of those whose lives were tragically taken yesterday at Bondi Westfield. 'I couldn't fathom how terrifying that must have been for those witnessing it unfold too. Absolutely devastating.' AFL WAG Jesinta Franklin sent 'all her love to the victims, their families, the first responders, and all who were at Westfield in Bondi yesterday afternoon' Former Miss Universe Australia Olivia Molly Rogers said: 'My heart is so heavy this morning reading about what unfolded at Bondi Junction yesterday' KICPod co-host Steph Claire Smith wrote: 'No words. My heart goes out to the family and friends of those whose lives were tragically taken yesterday at Bondi Westfield' Comedian Magda Szubanski took to X with her tribute, commending NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott and an unnamed man for standing against the attacker. She tweeted: 'Absolutely devastated by the news coming out of Bondi Junction. 'My heart goes out to the victims, family, first responders and all the people traumatised by the actions of this one man. 'Such courage and care shown by so many people-especially #bollardman and the policewoman who shot the perp.' Comedian Magda Szubanski took to X with her tribute, commending NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott and an unnamed man for standing against the attacker Married At First Sight alum Olivia Frazer expressed her grief on Instagram: 'There are no words other than my deepest condolences. 'Thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by today's heinous events in Bondi.' Fellow MAFS couple Jules Robinson and Cam Merchant made a joint post revealing their terror over being in the Bondi Mall just hours before the attack. 'I think what would we have done to protect our baby and other members of the Public? The "what if" is so scary and fills me with fear,' Jules wrote. 'We left Westfield and walked through where the evil acted was played out to get back to our car only 1hr 40 mins earlier. 'To know now that I had friends hiding in change rooms with their kids and the trauma they are feeling now, it just breaks my heart.' The parents-of-one went on to express 'appreciation' for the NSW police and other 'heroes', but said they still 'feel fearful' over what occurred. Domenica Calarco wrote: 'Heavy hearts. In such shock at what has happened in our city yesterday. Sending love and prayers to all those affected.' Bronte Schofield said: 'My heart hurts so much; life can be so unfair! Sending so much love to all the victims and their families from the Bondi incident. 'No one deserves to have their family ripped from them, hugging my sister tight tonight, don't take life for granted.' Meanwhile, Alyssa Barmonde added: 'This Bondi s**t has really affected me. This world can be so, so cruel sometimes. 'Hug your loved ones closer tonight. And sending so much peace to those that have lost their loved ones - it's truly, truly unfathomable.' Married At First Sight alum Olivia Frazer expressed her grief on Instagram: 'There are no words other than my deepest condolences' Fellow MAFS couple Jules Robinson and Cam Merchant made a joint post revealing their terror over being in the Bondi Mall just hours before the attack Domenica Calarco wrote: 'Heavy hearts. In such shock at what has happened in our city yesterday. Sending love and prayers to all those affected' Bronte Schofield said: 'My heart hurts so much; life can be so unfair! Sending so much love to all the victims and their families from the Bondi incident' Meanwhile, Alyssa Barmonde added: 'This Bondi s**t has really affected me. This world can be so, so cruel sometimes' Meanwhile MAFS expert Alessandra Rampolla also paid tribute and revealed her personal connection to the Bondi area Cathy Evans, from season seven of the experiment, had some choice words for the attacker: 'Just saw a video of this piece of s**t laying dead on the floor. 'Thank God. Hell awaits. But sadly four [sic] people died because of this degenerate.' The Bachelor star Bella Varelis wrote: 'Devastated, shocked and sickened by the chaos that erupted in Bondi today. I hope everyone and their loved ones are okay. 'Sending love and healing energy to those affected by the attack. My heart goes out to everyone who experienced it and has lost someone.' Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson said: 'To the mother who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting her baby, the lone policewoman, the man with the bollard at the top of the escalator, the bystanders offering first aid and all frontline emergency services - your acts were nothing short of heroic and will be remembered on a day of unimaginable cruelty. 'We're devastated by the recent attack in Bondi that defies understanding. Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.' Cathy Evans, from season seven of the experiment, had some choice words for the attacker: 'Just saw a video of this piece of s**t laying dead on the floor. Thank God. Hell awaits' The Bachelor star Bella Varelis wrote: 'Devastated, shocked and sickened by the chaos that erupted in Bondi today. I hope everyone and their loved ones are okay' Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Eleanor Egar put on a very racy display as she headed for dinner at Maine in London's Mayfair on Saturday. The reality star, 26, who recently made her debut on the ITVBe series, went braless as she flaunted her jaw-dropping figure beneath a sheer black dress. Ellie's outfit featured a cut out at her trim waist and teased a glimpse of her skimpy underwear, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. She completed the eye-popping look with gold jewellery while strutting her stuff in a pair of strappy heels. Ellie was joined by an equally sexy pal and oozed confidence as she made her arrival at the swanky eatery. New Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Eleanor Egar, 26, put on a very racy display as she headed for dinner at Maine in London's Mayfair on Saturday The reality star (L) who recently made her debut on the ITVBe series, went braless as she flaunted her jaw-dropping figure beneath a sheer black dress (pictured arriving alongside a friend) She later took to her Instagram Stories to share with followers a glimpse of her evening as well as posing for a stunning mirror selfie. At 26, Eleanor is the youngest-ever cast member of the ITVBe reality programme, which launched in 2015. The 17th series began on Monday without her but with fellow newbie Paige Chohan, wife of businessman Amir. As well as being a full-time influencer, Eleanor is a freelance personal stylist and boasts a quarter of a million followers on Instagram. She revealed on TikTok that the Real Housewives producers slid into her DMs and when she told her real estate whizz husband Chris, he said: 'Oh my God. Ell, you have to do it.' Eleanor continued: 'I wasn't expecting him to say "no", but I don't know how I was expecting him to react. 'But he was so supportive, and I just want to reiterate: Chris is so supportive, everything I do he's like: "Do it, babe."' Stars who have appeared on Real Housewives include Atomic Kitten's Natasha Hamilton, Christine McGuinness, and Lauren Simon. Ellie's outfit featured a cut out at her trim waist and teased a glimpse of her skimpy underwear, leaving almost nothing to the imagination She later took to her Instagram Stories to share with followers a stunning mirror selfie As well as glimpse of her swanky night on the town Lauren joined the programme right at the start and recently competed on the rebooted series of Celebrity Big Brother. She was the second celebrity to be evicted from the Big Brother house, following Gary Goldsmith. The Real Housewives Of Cheshire airs Mondays on ITVBe and ITVX. Lizzo stole the spotlight in her jaw-dropping ensemble for the star-studded 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize ceremony on Saturday. The 35-year-old Truth Hurts hitmaker who recently clarified that she's not stepping away from music turned heads in a dramatic black gown as she posed on the red carpet at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Radiating the aura of a glamorous movie star, the artist dazzled in couture that featured a wing-like bodice stretching beyond her shoulders. She sported Bettie Page bangs and designer stilettos, as she showcased her natural beauty with minimal makeup, exuding effortless allure. Lizzo led a starry group of A-listers, including Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Margot Robbie and more, as they honored an 'esteemed group of the worlds most brilliant minds for their impactful scientific discoveries' at the annual gala, per the Breakthrough Prize website. Lizzo stole the spotlight in her jaw-dropping ensemble for the star-studded 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize ceremony on Saturday Lizzo turned heads in a dramatic black gown as she posed on the red carpet at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles The Grammy winner's appearance comes almost two weeks after she clarified that she has no plans to stop making music after sharing an alarming Instagram post, in which she declared she 'quit' due to nonstop criticism. After admitting that she was 'tired of getting dragged by everyone' over her looks, the 35-year-old superstar jumped on social media to clarify what she meant by saying she 'quit.' In her latest video, the four-time Grammy winner appeared on camera as she told fans that she actually meant that she 'quit giving any negative energy attention.' 'What I'm not going to quit is the joy of my life, which is making music, which is connecting to people, 'cause I know I'm not alone,' the performer (born Melissa Viviane Jefferson) assured fans. She continued: 'In no way, shape or form, am I the only person, who is experiencing that negative voice that seems to be louder than the positive.' The Truth Hurts hitmaker went on to say that if she gave even just 'one person the inspiration or motivation to stand up for themselves' against negative people or comments than she was doing 'more than' she 'could have hoped for.' 'With that being said, I'm going to keep moving forward. I'm going to keep being me. Once again, I just wanted to say thank you. The love I have received means more than you know,' she concluded. Earlier this week, she told her followers that she was 'getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet.' 'All I want is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it,' she wrote in a statement. ''But I'm starting to feel like the world doesn't want me in it.' Lizzo went on to vent that it was frustrating to 'constantly' be 'up against lies' being told about her 'for clout & views' and 'being the butt of the joke every single time because' of her appearance. Radiating the aura of a glamorous movie star, the artist dazzled in couture The gown featured a wing-like bodice stretching beyond her shoulders She sported Bettie Page bangs and designer stilettos, as she showcased her natural beauty with minimal makeup, exuding effortless allure. She showcased her natural beauty with minimal makeup, exuding effortless allure Lizzo channeled Bettie Page, the iconic pinup, with her hairstyle; Page in 1952 Katy Perry greeted Lizzo as the pair were wearing similar gowns 'My character being picked apart by people who don't know me and disrespecting my name,' she concluded. 'I didn't sign up for this s**t. I quit.' Her initial post about quitting came just one day after the lawyer for Lizzo's three ex-dancers that previously sued her for sexual harassment slammed 'shameful' President Joe Biden for letting her perform at his $25million Radio City fundraiser on Thursday. Last year in August, the music artist was notably sued by three of her ex-dancers - Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez - who accused her of sexual harassment as well as creating a hostile work environment. After the lawsuit came to light, Lizzo broke her silence on Instagram and stated the claims were both 'unbelievable' and 'outrageous. While Bradley Cooper has been making headlines for his relationship with model Gigi Hadid, the actor had a date with his 7-year-old daughter Lea. The 49-year-old actor took Lea as his date to the 10th Breakthrough Prize event at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles. Just yesterday he was seen holding his daughter's hand as they took a stroll in New York City. Cooper stepped out with a slightly-unbuttoned white dress shirt under a black suit coat, with a silver watch peeking out from his sleeve. He also rocked a pair of matching black pants and black shoes while completing the look with a scruffy beard. While Bradley Cooper has been making headlines for his relationship with model Gigi Hadid , the actor had a date with his 7-year-old daughter Lea Just yesterday he was seen holding his daughter's hand as they took a stroll in New York City His daughter Lea - who he shares with ex Irina Shayk - opted for a bright multi-colored dress under a black coat with white boots. Cooper is coming off his second directorial outing, Maestro, which was nominated for seven Oscars including Best Picture. Maestro represents the second directorial effort for Cooper after his critically-acclaimed 2018 film A Star Is Born. This project delves into the life of legendary composer Leonard Bernstein, who Cooper himself plays in the film, on top of writing and directing. The film follows the lifelong relationship Bernstein had with his muse, actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). The film debuted at the prestigous Venice Film Festival, where it was up for the Golden Lion. Maestro had a limited theatrical run to qualify for the Oscars and other awards, before debuting on the Netflix streaming service in November. The film was initially slated to be directed by Martin Scorsese, but he ultimately left to go make The Irishman. His daughter Lea - who he shares with ex Irina Shayk - opted for a bright multi-colored dress under a black coat with white boots. Bradley Cooper's seven-year-old daughter Lea hits the red carpet Cooper is coming off his second directorial outing, Maestro, which was nominated for seven Oscars including Best Picture Cooper signed on to direct in May 2018, after Spielberg - who remained on as a producer - saw an early screening of A Star Is Born While Steven Spielberg was briefly attached to direct, he wanted Cooper to play Bernstein, and after he backed out of directing, Cooper revealed he wanted a shot behind the camera. Cooper signed on to direct in May 2018, after Spielberg - who remained on as a producer - saw an early screening of A Star Is Born. Maestro was nominated for seven Academy Awards, with Cooper earning three for Best Lead Actor, Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture for his role as a producer. It will also vie for Best Cinematography, Best Hair & Makeup and Best Sound on Oscar Sunday. Cooper will next star in and direct Is This Thing On?, starring alongside Will Arnett, who co-wrote the script. Advertisement Keanu Reeves and his girlfriend Alexandra Grant stole the spotlight at the MOCA Gala 2024 on Saturday night. The John Wick actor, 59, and the accomplished visual artist, 54 who made their red carpet debut in 2019 dressed to impress for the annual gala held at The Geffen Contemporary Museum. Dressed in a chic gray suit paired with a coordinating scarf, the star exuded charm as he wrapped his arm around his striking girlfriend, who dazzled in a teal gown. Keanu and Alexandra delighted the shutterbugs with their affectionate display before sharing a tender kiss in the museum's lobby. The endearing couple led a cavalcade of stars at the soiree, including Ava DuVernay, David Alan Grier, Candy Spelling, Bling Empire's Christine Chiu and more. Keanu Reeves and his girlfriend Alexandra Grant stole the spotlight at the MOCA Gala 2024 on Saturday night The John Wick actor, 59, and the accomplished visual artist, 54 dressed to impress for the annual gala held at The Geffen Contemporary Museum. Keanu and Alexandra went public with their relationship in November 2019, when they graced the red carpet together at the LACMA Art + Film Gala. The revelation sparked significant interest, with the artist mentioning a flood of inquiries about the romance from all corners. 'I think every single person I knew called me in the first week of November, and that's fascinating,' she told British Vogue a few months later. The couple, who run a publishing house called X Artists Books together, have been close friends for decades. Alexandra's friend, actress Jennifer Tilly, revealed the couple have been dating 'for years' in February 2020. 'I remember a couple years ago, about a year and a half ago, [Alexandra] said, Keanu Reeves is my boyfriend and Im like, Wait. What? What? What?" the Chucky star told Page Six. While the exact moment of their meeting remains uncertain, the relationship traces back to at least 2011, coinciding with the publication of their book, Ode to Happiness. In September 2023, Alexandra told People Keanu helped take her art to a new level. Rocking a stylish gray suit and matching scarf, the star looked incredibly handsome as he kept his arm around his stunning girlfriend Keanu and Alexandra went public with their relationship in November 2019, when they graced the red carpet together at the LACMA Art + Film Gala The couple, who run a publishing house called X Artists Books together, have been close friends for decades Keanu and Alexandra delighted the shutterbugs with their affectionate display before sharing a tender kiss in the museum's lobby While the exact moment of their meeting remains uncertain, the relationship traces back to at least 2011, coinciding with the publication of their book, Ode to Happiness Alexandra paired a pink bedazzled clutch with her gown 'I had a studio visit a few years ago, and this very kind, very high-level person said, "I can see that your work has gotten happier,"' she recalled. 'That's real. We're all human beings. We're animals. We're expressing from where we are. I think the work is happier.' She went on to call Keanu her 'inspiration.' In March of last year, Keanu offered some insight into his relationship with Alexandra. When he was asked to name his 'last moment of bliss,' he told People: 'A couple of days ago with my honey. We were in bed. We were connected.' He added: 'We were smiling and laughing and giggling. Feeling great. It was just really nice to be together.' that her art has 'absolutely' changed since falling in love with the actor. Ava DuVernay sparkled in a black metallic dress Bling Empire's Christine Chiu left little to the imagination in her revealing ensemble St. Vincent looked every inch the fashionista Candy Spelling and Josh Flagg made quite the adorable pair on the red carpet David Alan Grier looked handsome in his all-black outfit for the gala Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon cut a cool figure Robert Russell and Lisa Edelstein were a match made in heaven Vanessa Rano and Michael Chow got silly on the red carpet Miranda July posed at the elegant affair St. Vincent took to the stage to perform Alexandra and Ava make a stylish duo The adorable couple posed with Johanna Burton Keanu is set to star in the upcoming film Good Fortune, which marks the directorial debut of Aziz Ansari. Joining Ansari in the cast are Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer. Following a delay caused by last year's writers' strike, filming for Good Fortune commenced in January 2024, taking place in LA's Koreatown neighborhood. Reeves has built a devoted following over his nearly four-decade career, notably for his memorable depiction of a hitman in the hugely popular John Wick franchise. Before John Wick, he achieved renown for his portrayal of Neo in the groundbreaking "Matrix" series, spanning releases in 1999, 2003, 2002, and a recent installment in 2021. Zoe Foster Blake has revealed the reason why she stopped posting so many photos online of the two children she shares with radio star husband Hamish. The couple, who parent Sonny, eight, and Rudy, five, once flooded their Instagram accounts with adorable pictures of their bubs, but now they are rarely seen online. While fans may be disappointed they no longer get a peak into their family life, Zoe, 43, told The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday that it's for the best. 'We're very private and we're very boring. We're just a normal family and I think our inclination to share our life has gone down a lot,' she told the publication. Despite their inclination toward privacy as the kids grow older, Zoe and Hamish still post happy snaps from family holidays, strategically hiding Sonny and Rudy's faces. Zoe Foster Blake, 43, (right) revealed to The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday the reason she stopped posting so many photos of the two children she shares with radio star husband Hamish, 42, (left) Zoe went on to say learning to raise children came with plenty of obstacles, but she and Hamish, 42, are learning to navigate them together. 'We read a lot about [parenting], we're doing the work, we want to raise our kids the best we can. We want to treat it not like a job, but as a project,' she said. With a popular comedian as their father, it seemed the author and entrepreneur risked being outnumbered by jokesters, but she insisted that was far from true. The couple, who parent Sonny, eight, and Rudy, five, once flooded their Instagram accounts with adorable pictures of their bubs, but now they are rarely seen online without their faces hidden 'Rudy is very funny, she's got very good comedic timing,' Zoe admitted, but revealed that wasn't the case for her eldest. Zoe said her young boy Sonny is 'a bit more like me' and has more of a penchant for following the rules because 'he likes doing things the right way'. It comes after Zoe broke her silence on buying back her stake in her skincare brand Go-To after beauty company BWX went into administration. 'We're very private and we're very boring. We're just a normal family and I think our inclination to share our life has gone down a lot,' Zoe said The Australian author first sold her 51.5 per cent stake of her beauty brand to the ASX listed beauty conglomerate for $89million in 2021. But just two years later, Zoe and Go-To co-founder Paul Bates bought back their controlling stake in the business for a fraction of the price at $21.8million after BWX collapsed into administration in April 2023. Reflecting on the turbulent time, Zoe admitted she felt 'deeply out of her depth' with the deal because there is no 'handbook' for finding the perfect business partner. The wife of comedian Hamish Blake said she felt 'maternal' towards Go-To and did everything she could to save the business after the BWX deal unraveled. Married At First Sight intimacy expert Alessandra Rampolla has shared a tribute to the victims of Westfield Bondi Junction massacre on Sunday. The 50-year-old from San Juan in Puerto Rico took to Instagram to express her profound connection to the area and her grief over the tragic incident. Rampolla revealed her deep ties to the Bondi area, which has served as her second home since her arrival in Australia to film the Channel Nine dating show in 2020. 'I'm so very sad! It's hard to wrap my brain around something so horrific,' she began. She also revealed Bondi held a special place in her heart, being the very first place she visited after her hotel quarantine. Married At First Sight intimacy expert Alessandra Rampolla has shared a tribute to the victims of Westfield Bondi Junction massacre on Sunday She wrote, 'It's where I've built profound friendships, amazing memories and mindful community. It's my home away from home.' Alessandra extended her heartfelt prayers to those impacted by the tragedy, and those also individuals who have been left traumatised by the events. 'Praying for all those whose lives were ruthlessly taken, those who are recovering in hospital, and all those who witnessed or were in any way traumatised by this tragedy,' she added. 'I'm so very sad! It's hard to wrap my brain around something so horrific,' she began. With Bondi holding a special place in her heart, being the very first place she visited after her hotel quarantine, the news of the violence struck particularly close to home Police were called to Westfield shopping centre in Sydney's Bondi Junction after reports a man with a knife was stabbing shoppers at 3.30pm on Saturday. Witnesses say knifeman Joel Cauchi chased and slashed at shoppers as he went on a wild rampage killing six and injuring seven, including a baby. He was ultimately shot dead by police. Police were called to Westfield shopping centre in Sydney's Bondi Junction after reports that a man with a knife was stabbing shoppers at 3.30pm on Saturday. Pictured: Joel Cauchi Among the dead is Sydney mother Ash Good, 38, who threw her injured nine-month-old infant to a bystander in a bid to save her life. The baby is undergoing surgery and it is believed the two were the first to be targeted by the attacker. A heroic police officer, NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, single-handedly confronted and shot dead Cauchi during his rampage. Australian influencer Chloe Fisher recently confirmed that she's expecting her first child with DJ Paul Fisher. And over the weekend, the 31-year-old took to Instagram to give followers an update on her pregnancy as she shared a black and white photo of her growing bump. In the snap, Chloe can be showing off her bump while dressed in a black bra and underwear. The photo was shared with her 420,000 followers including a bevy of A-listers including Paris Hilton, who commented a heart-eyed emoji. The couple previously revealed their journey to parenthood has been anything but smooth. Australian influencer Chloe Fisher took to Instagram over the weekend to share a pregnancy update photo of her growing bump with her many followers The Sydney-based model is expecting her first child with popular DJ Paul Fisher Influencer Chloe suffered four miscarriages, endured eight rounds of IVF, battled Asherman's syndrome and even underwent surgery for endometriosis before finally falling pregnant. Speaking to hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo, Chloe admitted she was scared to celebrate the pregnancy because she had become 'desensitized' after the trauma of her multiple miscarriages. Reflecting on their difficult road, DJ Fisher, whose real name is Paul, said, 'There's no words to describe that situation at all.' He continued, 'For Chloe, all she's ever wanted is to have a kid and to have a family. The photo was shared with her 420,000 followers including a bevy of A-listers including Paris Hilton, who commented a heart-eyed emoji The happy couple announced their pregnancy on Christmas Eve in a touching post to Instagram. 'The greatest gift of all. I've waited my whole life for you,' Chloe wrote alongside an image in which her husband cradled her bump. 'The most wanted and loved baby Fisher will be joining the tour in 2024, we are still pinching ourselves that we've finally been chosen to become parents,' she went on. 'WE DID IT @followthefishtv. I love you so so much!' Chloe added, saying it was 'the single most happiest moment in my life'. Chloe recently admitted that she was scared to celebrate the pregnancy because she had become 'desensitized' after the trauma of her multiple miscarriages Chloe took a moment to share her empathy for those struggling with infertility and revealed she had battled for several years to conceive via IVF. 'After 4 years of trying to convince, 1000s of needles, eight rounds of IVF, multiple surgeries, I've lived this nightmare and I know this pain and suffering all too well,' she said. 'NO ONE deserves to endure this feeling. I feel you all, I see you all and completely understand the disappointment and sadness you are all feeling. Please stay positive and manifest your healthy baby I pray you hold your miracle in your arms soon'. Influencer Chloe suffered four miscarriages, endured eight rounds of IVF, battled Asherman's syndrome and even underwent surgery for endometriosis before finally falling pregnant Chapman, a model and swimwear designer, is the founder of Australian brand Aloe Swimwear. Her husband, who goes by the stage name DJ Fisher, is a house and techno producer based in LA. In 2019, he was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Dance Recording category in 2019 for his hit Losing It, which also came in second in Triple J's Hottest 100. Victoria Beckham is looking forward with her fashion career after her designer items were caught in the fallout of the collapse of fashion group Matches. The Spice Girl is focusing on her anticipated high street collaboration with Mango, her first foray into the affordable market. Her trademark slip dresses, knitwear and tailoring have been reacreated at a more purse-friendly price point, compared to the 90 she charges for a t-shirt from her eponymous label, which was launched in 2008. While she's finally making a profit from her cash-strapped line, Victoria's pricey designer pieces have found themselves in trouble again this week. The Mail On Sunday has revealed how the star has called in 'the mother of all returns' after the collapse of fashion group Matches. Victoria Beckham is looking forward with her fashion career after her designer items were caught in the fallout of the collapse of fashion group Matches The former Spice Girl and bosses at her VB label have demanded that the online retailer gives back all the summer stock she sent to it in March, only to learn days later that the company had failed. A VB source says she has been working with Mike Ashley's Frasers Group, which bought Matches last December, to get her clothes back because she fears the firm, now in administration, may not pay her. Currently there are 68 VB lines on sale on the website. The source said: 'Matches is continuing to sell designer clothing online, and has promised to pay for it all. But some brands, like VB, have insisted on getting the stock back so they can sell it themselves. Not everyone is convinced Mike Ashley's outfit and the administrators will pay up.' Different brands have their own arrangements with Matches. In VB's case, Victoria has ordered that her whole collection must be sent back which has been agreed to, in principle. Smaller labels had to write off their stock and now face losing their business. Her April 23 launch with Mango then comes at a good time for the fashion star. Victoria revealed in an interview with WWD that she had decided to work with Mango to 'speak to a wider audience in a way that feels relevant to my brand and retains my aesthetic and DNA'. And in a new interview with Vogue this week she insisted she hasn't compromised on quality, promising that 'when you invest in one of these pieces, you won't just wear it for one season, they'll be pieces you'll keep in your wardrobe and wear time and time again.' Calling the collection 'timeless' Victoria gushed: 'I think people will be very surprised by how strong the fashion message is in every single garment.' The Spice Girl is focusing on her anticipated high street collaboration with Mango, her first foray into the affordable market (pictured at her S/S 2024 runway show in Paris) Her trademark slip dresses, knitwear and tailoring have been reacreated at a more purse-friendly price point, compared to the 90 she charges for a t-shirt from her eponymous label And industry experts agree that a move to the high street is exactly what designers like Victoria should be focusing on. Speaking to Harpers Bazaar this week Dr Bethan Alexander, Reader in Fashion Retailing & Marketing at the Fashion Business School, London College of Fashion said there are huge benfits to both the designer and the high street shops. 'A designer collaboration is a viable opportunity to increase market share while the designers maintain their market position,' she explained. 'The luxury market is facing unprecedented challenges right now, so it's especially important. Maintaining sales is difficult, but the quick, relatively easy cash injection from collaborations is appealing.' Victoria Beckham X Mango will be available to shop from 23 April at Mango.com. Bluey fans across the world tuned into the hugely anticipated series three finale on Sunday - the first 28 minute episode of the popular children's show. The Sign signals the end of series three ahead of an extended break for the Heeler family. Fans were left in shock last week, when the family put their fictional home up for sale in the episode Ghostbasket, with many worried it signalled the end of the cartoon. And The Sign, which had been billed as the episode set to 'change the popular Heeler family forever', had viewers in tears as it was revealed Bluey, her little sister Bingo and their parents Bandit and Chilli were moving away after Bandit landed a new job. Bluey fans across the world tuned into the hugely anticipated series three finale on Sunday - the first 28 minute episode of the popular children's show The episode focused on the family's last days at their Brisbane house as they hosted the wedding of Bandit's brother Rad and Chilli's best pal Frisky. But the wedding didn't go off without a hitch as Chilli, Bluey, Bingo and their cousins had to search for an upset Frisky who was having second thoughts. The emotional punch came at the close of the episode though as Chilli broke the news to Bingo that selling their home meant they had to leave. Their empty rooms were shown before the twist was revealed - their buyers had pulled out of the sale and Bandit had made the decision the family should stay put. Parents admitted they were in tears at the relatable message about choosing what's best for your family, with one tweeting: 'This was such a beautiful episode. The end had me sobbing. Absolutely brilliant. The message and the way it all played out.just perfect.' Other emotional fans posted: 'Just finished it and holy moly, best Bluey episode ever. Im in tears right now. This episode was honestly TOO relatable'; 'My 7yr old son and 13yr old daughter asked me to wake them up at 5am to watch #BlueyTheSign together before I went to the airport to head to a conference. So I did and I sat there with them snuggled up with me and watched it and wow all the emotions caused by a friggin cartoon;' 'Made my grown ass cry, the kids dont understand'. The show about the Australian animated family, which airs on BBC and Disney+ in the UK, sparked cancellation fears last week when a storyline revealed their 15 to 20 room Brisbane home was on the market for 6m Australian dollars (3m). Flooding Twitter, parents voiced their worries over what the storyline means for the show's future - with threats to 'riot' if the heartwarming programme concludes. Fans were left in shock last week, when the family put their fictional home up for sale in the episode Ghostbasket, with many worried it signalled the end of the cartoon The Sign,had viewers in tears as it was revealed Bluey, her little sister Bingo and their parents Bandit and Chilli were moving away after Bandit landed a new job The episode focused on the family's last days at their Brisbane house as they hosted the wedding of Bandit's brother Rad and Chilli's best pal Frisky The emotional punch came at the close of the episode though as Chilli broke the news to Bingo that selling their home meant they had to leave Their empty rooms were shown before the twist was revealed - their buyers had pulled out of the sale and Bandit had made the decision the family should stay put Bluey creator Joe Brumm told Australia's Daily Telegraph that the rambling heritage house situated in trendy Paddington, in Brisbane features a wraparound veranda and '15 to 20 rooms' and has been spotted on real life estate agent websites. Swarming social media, enraged fans penned: 'Bluey's house is for sale. It appears the worst might be happening. If Bluey ends we riot... I saw Bluey [and] at the end I was literally crying because Bluey sold her house!! But why? Is the show over?' News of the house's sale soon spread after the episode Ghost Basket showed the final scene depicting a For Sale sign outside the lavish home. Additionally, the animated house was also listed on an Australian real estate site, Domain, which describes the home as 'a quaint, animated family home nestled in an undisclosed Brisbane location, that could be in Red Hill or The Gap (we'll never tell)... 'With mid-century design aesthetics offset by whimsical touches. The quintessential Queenslander, radiating heritage charm, complete with upwards of 100 hidden small long dogs to be found.' Parents admitted they were in tears at the relatable message about choosing what's best for your family, with one tweeting: 'This was such a beautiful episode. The end had me sobbing A host of Twitter users continued: 'Oh no theyre totally selling the house in bluey im going to sob... just finished bluey WDYM THEYRE SELLING THE HOUSE??... WHY IS BLUEY'S HOUSE UP FOR SALE ON TIK TOK WHAT IS HAPPENING?! #Bluey... 'Bluey moving house has thrown me. Wasn't ready for this news... JUST WATCHED THE NEW BLUEY EPISODE WDYM THEYRE SELLING THE HOUSE ?!??!?!?! WHATTTTT... Bluey's house is for sale. It appears the worst might be happening... 'If Bluey ends we riot... I JUST WATCHED THE NEW BLUEY EPISODE AND ISTGGG THEY CANT SELL THE HOUSE... Why am I so sad they listed the bluey house for sale??... What do you mean the Heelers are selling their house?! #bluey... Bluey fans were urged to re-watch five core episodes of the children's cartoon before the show's 'supersized finale' on April 14, including Campsite from season one, and Onesies and Double Babysitter from season three as they have important storylines which will be resolved in the finale. Jon Richardson was seen for the first time on Sunday, two days after announcing his divorce from fellow comedian Lucy Beaumont. Jon, 41, arrived solo for a family screening event of the Bluey episode The Sign at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, London. His public appearances comes after his joint statement with Lucy, 40, on Friday, confirming the comedy couple are divorcing after nine years of marriage. Jon and Lucy insisted the separation had been 'amicable' as they detailed their priority of putting their child first. Jon Richardson was seen for the first time on Sunday, two days after announcing his divorce from fellow comedian Lucy Beaumont His public appearances comes after his joint statement with Lucy on Friday, confirming the comedy couple are divorcing after nine years of marriage The pair have starred in 'at home mockumentary' show about their relationship, Meet The Richardsons, since it it first aired in 2020. Its fifth series began on Dave just last week on April 8. In the show they play 'exaggerated versions of themselves', and make comedic jibes at each other. A statement to the PA news agency read: 'After 9 years of marriage, we would like to announce that we have separated. 'We have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to divorce and go our separate ways. 'As our only priority is managing this difficult transition for our daughter, we would ask that our privacy is respected at this sensitive time to protect her well-being. We will be making no further comment.' The couple began dating in 2013 after meeting through fellow comedian Roisin Conaty, before tying the knot in April 2015 and welcoming their daughter in September the following year. When Jon and Lucy have appeared together on TV together, they frequently made jokes about their relationship. The couple have starred in Meet The Richardsons, which began in 2019, in which they play 'exaggerated versions of themselves' and also fronted Channel 4 panel show, Jon & Lucy's Odd Couples, which featured celebrity couples last year. Jon arrived solo for a family screening event of the Bluey episode The Sign at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, London A statement to the PA news agency said: 'After 9 years of marriage, we would like to announce that we have separated. We have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision' 'At home mockumentary' Meet The Richardsons, which airs on UKTV's Dave with the fifth series starting this month, saw Lucy nominated for a BAFTA TV award in the female performance in a comedy programme category in 2023. Lucy joked about divorcing Jon one year before the couple announced their split just one year before couple announced their split. The comedian, 40, made the foreboding comment during a joint appearance on Eight Out Of Ten Cats Does Countdown last year. Speaking on the Channel 4 show, host Jimmy Carr said: 'Lucy and Jon are married. 'So I know Lucy, everyone watching at home is dying to know... What made you decide to settle?' Joking Lucy responded: 'I don't see this for life. Isn't it a song - just passing through? Is it?' Lucy and Jon are known for rowing in mockumentary Meet The Richardson's where they play exaggerated versions of themsleves (pictured 2023) 'Just passing through?' Jimmy asked. She continued: 'You meet in your life old souls, new souls... a***holes. Who knows what will happen in the future.' Cutting in, Jon asked: 'Are we breaking up now?' The couple began dating in 2013 after meeting through fellow comedian Roisin Conaty, before tying the knot in April 2015 and welcoming their daughter in September the following year. Recalling their first meeting in her book, Drinking Custard: Diary of a Confused Mum, Lucy said they 'hit it off' straight away. She explained how she had just moved to London to pursue a career in comedy when Roisin invited her to a gig at The Fighting Cocks in Kingston-upon-Thames. The couple began dating in 2013 after meeting through fellow comedian Roisin Conaty, before tying the knot in April 2015 and welcoming their daughter in September the following year 'I felt someone's presence behind me. I nearly fainted; honestly my heart was beating like the clappers as I was sure Jon knew I fancied him,' she wrote. Speaking in an interview with The Sunday Times, Lucy added: 'It was quite symbolic as we have been fighting like cocks ever since.' Two weeks after their first meeting at the gig, the duo went on to have their first date, writing in her memoir, she revealed 'something quite weird happened.' 'Jon dropped me off in his car to the train station and we swapped phone numbers,' the comedian wrote. 'Lo and behold, via Bluetooth, on his dashboard in big LED letters flashed 'MY WIFE'. I have never got out of a car so fast. 'I rang my friend Jackie and she told me very calmly that he must be a psychopath and to leave London immediately and come back and live in Hull with her again.' This video is no longer available This video is no longer available Roxy Jacenko has revealed the health scare she endured when she overdosed on Ozempic was worse than her cancer battle. The former Sweaty Betty owner, 44, used the drug in an effort to lose weight, but she had purchased it on the black market, having two pens worth delivered from Nowra, NSW to Sydney in an Uber that cost her $2500. But she took one milligram of the diabetic treatment on her first hit, which was four times the amount prescribed to her by a doctor. 'The aftermath of it was I think I'm going to die' she revealed to 7NEWS Spotlight on Sunday. 'In the morning, I was driving to work. I was sweating. I was so hot and then I just kept vomiting nonstop. Roxy Jacenko (pictured) has revealed the health scare she endured when she overdosed on Ozempic was worse than her cancer battle 'That night, I ended up in hospital. They had never seen this before. This was the first they had seen of an Ozempic overdose' Roxy explained. 'Like the shaking, my whole body was shaking, I couldn't control my legs. It's like I had no control of my body.' Roxy says she spent three days recovering from epilepsy style seizures. She added: 'Literally, I truly thought this is it. I've been sick in my time. Cancer was a walk in the park compared to how bad I felt for those three days.' Roxy had obtained the drug illegally in a desperate bid to lose 15 kilos, paying $700 for two doses. 'The aftermath of it was I think I'm going to die' she revealed to 7NEWS Spotlight on Sunday 'I was actually like a junkie. I look at it now and I was like a junkie' she said. Roxy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 and endured a six-week radiation program in August of that year, before she underwent partial removal surgery. She said she was 'desperate' to lose the 15kg she gained while treating her breast cancer with the hormone therapy Tamoxifen. 'I thought I was actually going to die. I have had cancer, radiation therapy, all of that. It doesn't even compare to how bad I felt when I took this drug,' Roxy told The Saturday Telegraph. Ozempic has been a hot topic in Hollywood with stars either admitting to using the diabetes drug for weight loss or staunchly denying it. The former Sweaty Betty owner, 44, used the drug in an effort to lose weight, but she had purchased it on the black market, having two pens worth delivered from Nowra, NSW to Sydney in an Uber that cost her $2500 Roxy obtained the drug illegally in a desperate bid to lose 15 kilos, paying $700 for two doses Semaglutide is sold under the brand names Ozempic and Rybelsus as an antidiabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is also sold under the brand name Wegovy as an anti-obesity medication for long-term weight management. The drugs act like a hormone in the brain which causes people to feel less hungry and slow the clearing of food from the stomach, which spurs weight loss. Ozempic and Wegovy have surged in popularity since becoming the first drugs proven to aid weight loss. Celebrities including Elon Musk, Remi Bader, Chelsea Handler and Amy Schumer revealed they used the drug to help trim fat. Jamie Laing celebrated his first wedding anniversary with wife Sophie Habboo on Sunday, after admitting their sex life has already gone stale. The Made In Chelsea star, 35, shared photos from their legal ceremony at Chelsea Registry Office last April - an event they followed in May with a larger wedding ceremony at a privately owned residential development in Andalusia. Paying tribute to Sophie - with whom he produces the popular NewlyWeds podcast - he wrote: 'Happy Anniversary to my Wife. Cannot believe its been a year since this day. Couldnt feel luckier.' Responding to the post, she wrote: 'Love you.' Jamie recently admitted that since becoming a married man he's become 'lazy' in the bedroom. Jamie Laing celebrated his first wedding anniversary with wife Sophie Habboo on Sunday, after admitting their sex life has already gone stale The Made In Chelsea star shared photos from their legal ceremony at Chelsea Registry Office last April - an event they followed in May with a larger wedding ceremony in Spain Speaking to The Sun On Sunday, Jamie confessed that Sophie always jokes he's 'bog standard' in the bedroom, and now they're married he 'can't be bothered' to perform anymore. He said: 'I used to start doing joined-up handwriting then I thought, 'I can't be bothered with that as it's quicker for me to not do it joined up', I'm a bit like that in the bedroom. 'I don't give up halfway but I do remember that once I rolled on top of Sophie and she said, ''Oh, get on with it''.' Jamie added that he suggested to Sophie that they attend a marriage counsellor, to help them communicate effectively. He added that they now have twice-monthly sessions, and it's made them more 'empathetic' when discussing any issues in their relationship. Jamie said: 'It opens you up and makes you more empathetic. It makes you basically not become a sociopath and it allows you to have another opinion. 'Its made me calmer, with Sophie especially, as Im generally more volatile than her.' Jamie, who co-hosts the Newlyweds podcast with Sophie, also shared that through marriage counselling he's learned how to resolve issues with his wife, and admit when he's in the wrong. Jamie also shared a sultry shot of his stunning wife and co-star, taken during a night out The TV personality claims his sex life with wife Sophie has already hit a rough patch, just a year after they tied the knot The Made In Chelsea star, who married Sophie in two ceremonies in London and Marbella last year, admitted that since becoming a married man he's become 'lazy' in the bedroom Sophie and Jamie first met while starring on Made In Chelsea together, and cemented their romance in 2019 after being friends for several years. Describing her as 'the kindest, most empathetic person he's ever met,' Jamie also shared that he wants a huge family with Sophie in the future. It comes after Sophie revealed to MailOnline that she and Jamie are planning to buy their first property together, as they look to the future as husband and wife. She said: 'We are desperately looking to move into our family home. 'We are on the hunt we are looking high and looking low. We can't find anything right now but we are actively looking, which is really exciting. 'Jamie and I are looking everywhere, we have no set place it's a tough market out there. 'I want a bit of greenery, I want it to be a bit more residential, we're in a bit of a busy, party area right now and I want to move to where there's greenery around me and it's quiet and people are walking their dogs around me. 'You do have to think about the future I am getting very excited about it, but nothing has been found yet.' Jamie added that he suggested to Sophie that they attend a marriage counsellor, to help them communicate effectively, and they now have twice-monthly sessions Sophie and Jamie tied the knot in an intimate legal ceremony at Chelsea Registry Office in April 2023 with a small group of friends and family. The couple then jetted to Spain, with their main nuptials taking place in May 2023 in Andalusia's largest privately owned residential development in Sotogrande. Sophie stunned in a lace gown by Emma Beaumont as they tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in front of a star-studded crowd. Sophie and Jamie's relationship was well-documented throughout their time on Made In Chelsea. The pair's close friendship slowly turned to romance in mid-2019, but they were both initially hesitant to start dating in case it ruined what they had. The couple were previously best friends, before their friendship turned to romance on Made In Chelsea and they started dating five years ago. Candy Kittens founder Jamie popped the question during a romantic proposal at London's Rosewood Hotel in December 2021. Last month Jamie started his new job as co-host of Radio 1's Going Home show alongside Vick Hope and Katie Thistleton. By his own admission, awards season has been bittersweet for Andrew Scott. Currently basking in a flurry of positive reviews for his starring role in a new Netflix adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley, Scott recently collected the Critics Circle Theatre award for his remarkable performance in a contemporary rendering of Chekhov masterpiece Vanya. But the occasion was tinged with sadness for the Irish star, 47, whose devoted mother Nora passed away with a 'sudden illness' in March - shortly before Mother's Day. And Scott - who dedicated the award to her memory by telling audience members she was the source of practically every joyful thing in my life - admits he felt compelled to immerse himself in work following her recent passing. 'Well, you know, you have to life goes on, you manage it day by day,' he told the Sunday Times. By his own admission, awards season has been bittersweet for Andrew Scott as he mourns the death of his devoted mother Nora Nora's death was confirmed in a statement on March 9, with family members adding that she passed away on Thursday March 7 surrounded by her family at St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin Scott with parents Jim and Nora (left) and his older sister Sarah (right) in an undated photo. Scott dedicated his Critics Circle Theatre award to Nora's memory 'Its very recent, but I certainly can say that so much of it is surprising and unique, and there is so much that I will be able to speak about at some point.' A devoted follower of fashion away from screen and stage, Scott admits his love of clothes came from his mother and her passion for the arts. 'My mother was an art teacher, she was obsessed with all sorts of design,' he recalled. 'She loved jewellery and jewellery design. 'Anything that is visual, tactile, painting, drawing, is a big passion of mine, so I have tremendous respect for the creativity of designers.' Despite the tragedy, Scott has attempted to maintain a positive attitude towards both his personal and professional life. 'I feel like, as a person, I am quite near my emotions,' he said. 'I cry easily and I laugh easily, and there is nothing more pleasurable to me than laughing.' Nora's death was confirmed in a statement on March 9, with family members adding that she passed away on Thursday March 7 surrounded by her family at St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin. An obituary read: 'It is with our deepest sorrow that we inform you of the passing of Nora Scott (nee Boyle), beloved wife of Jim, mother of Sarah, Andrew and Hannah. Scott recently collected the Critics Circle Theatre award for his remarkable performance in a contemporary rendering of Chekhov masterpiece Vanya (pictured) Scott dedicated the award to her memory by telling audience members she was the source of practically every joyful thing in my life 'Scott, Sandymount, Dublin, formerly Omagh Co. Tyrone, March 7th 2024 peacefully surrounded by her loving family and best friend Anne, in St Vincent's Hospital following a sudden illness. 'Nora will be deeply missed by her beloved husband Jim, her loving children Sarah, Andrew and Hannah.' In 2018, Nora revealed Anthony Hopkins sent her 'more than three dozen red roses,' after finding out she was ill when speaking to Scott on the set of King Lear. Hopkins, 86, starred in the BBC's Shakespeare adaptation as an English Stalin with Scott playing Edgar - who becomes Lears secret protector. She told RTEs Ryan Tubridy at the time: 'There was probably more than three dozen red roses and attached to them was a little card from Anthony saying "Be well, sending hugs", and all sorts of things.' 'I was thrilled to get such a gift and for the kind thought that promoted it. 'Now I have recovered, I can enjoy these exquisite roses that grace our hall. It was such a beautiful gift.' The actor is currently basking in a flurry of positive reviews for his starring role in a new Netflix adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley In January, Scott and his co-star Paul Mescal admitted they weren't too keen on their family members watching their new film, gay drama All Of Us Strangers In January, Scott and his co-star Paul Mescal admitted they weren't too keen on their family members watching their new film, gay drama All Of Us Strangers. The movie stars Scott as a screenwriter drawn back to his childhood home who enters into a relationship with a mysterious neighbour, played by Mescal, 27. The film features several intimate scenes between the actors which the pair discussed during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. Asked if their families had seen the flick yet, Mescal said: 'With the Irish premiere, trying to allocate tickets to all the aunties and uncles is a tricky business. 'They have seen my bum before but there is a little more going on in this movie I would say!' Scott added: 'I don't want to be there when my parents watch it!' On Sunday's episode of Lego Masters, Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli pranked the contestants with a hilarious gag. The host and comedian walked out on stage dressed in a suit after co-star Hamish Blake introduced him as a 'very special guest.' Hamish joked that Australia's 'prime minister' was on the way out, only for Wippa to emerge. The teams, who hail from Germany, the USA, France and Denmark, were none the wiser. 'I was so surprised that we met the prime minister,' laughed Ida, who is a member of Team Denmark. On Sunday's episode of Lego Masters, Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli (pictured) pranked the contestants with a hilarious gag The host and comedian walked out on stage dressed in a suit 'I was like, "When am I ever going to meet the prime minister of Australia?"' she added. Hamish said the real Prime Minister Anthony Albanese couldn't make an appearance. The teams soon cottoned on that it was a joke when they noticed that Hamish was giggling through the prank. It comes after Channel Nine's highest paid star was revealed - and Lego Masters host Hamish Blake topped the list with his eye-watering seven figure salary. Co-star Hamish Blake (pictured) introduced him as a 'very special guest' Hamish joked that Australia's 'prime minister' was on the way out, only for Wippa to emerge The teams, who hail from Germany , the USA, France and Denmark, were none the wiser The comedian, 41, is said to be earning a whopping $2million for hosting the reality show. Lego Masters has had a change in format for the top-rating competition this year. It features 'Australia' playing off against sides from the USA, Germany, Denmark and France. Season four sees international teams of two taking on an Australian duo for the prized Lego Masters trophy. Lego Masters also features judge Ryan 'The Brickman' McNaught. Brie Larson and Rebecca Ferguson both made stylish appearances at the Deadline Contenders Television 2024 event at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles on Sunday. Larson, 34 who attended the SAG Awards in February wore a gray A-line skirt with a flared hem. She added a black sweater vest, layering it over a striped red and white button-up shirt. Ferguson, 40, was also in attendance and showed off her fashion sense in a pale blue linen pantsuit. The suit jacket was long and the trousers were wide-leg with two braided tassels hanging at the front. Brie Larson made a stylish appearance in a sweater vest and gray skirt at the Deadline Contenders Television 2024 event on Sunday. Rebecca Ferguson, 40, was also in attendance at the Directors Guild of America in LA and showed off in a pale blue linen pantsuit Brie rounded out her look with a pair of pointy-toe black high heels. The beauty wore her blonde hair in a side part with the front pieces tucked behind her ears as they flowed in loose waves. Her face was tastefully made up with soft pink blush and matching glossy pink lips. She wore tiny earrings and flaunted a natural, short, nude pink manicure. Meanwhile, Ferguson layered a thin white T-shirt underneath her blazer. Her ombre blonde hair was in a side part with textured, tight waves that flowed over her chest. Jimmy Fallon was also at the event, arriving in a navy blue cardigan worn over a light-colored shirt. The late night talk show host added khaki pants with black sneakers and white soles. Jimmy Fallon was also at the event, arriving in a navy blue cardigan worn over a light-colored shirt Also making a fashion-forward appearance on Sunday was 39-year-old actress Aja Naomi King Actor Lewis Pullman, 31, was also on hand at the gathering Also making a fashion-forward appearance on Sunday was 39-year-old actress Aja Naomi King. She turned heads in a sleeveless pink dress that fit snug and fell to her ankles. The look had a high-neck design as well as sparkly, light-colored vertical stripes throughout. Her long, glossy, dark locks were arranged in a side part and soft curls. She rocked a nude-colored, pointy manicure and added dazzling rings. Her ensemble was rounded out with a pair of open-toe cream-colored high heels. Actor Lewis Pullman, 31, was also on hand at the gathering. He looked spiffy in a double-breasted gray suit, which he teamed with a forest green button-up shirt. The Lessons In Chemistry star was clean-shaven and his dark hair was slicked back behind his ears. He finished his sharp look with a pair of shiny black dress shoes. Television producer Sarah Schechter was at Deadline's event as well. She wore a blue blouse with a patterned black skirt Taylor Zakhar Perez and TV producer Sarah posed side-by-side Television producer Sarah Schechter was at Deadline's event as well. The 48-year-old industry professional wore a button-up blue shirt with white accents. She added a long black skirt and matching shiny black leather combat boots. Sarah posed with actor Taylor Zakhar Perez, 32, on the red carpet. Kristen Wiig looked great as she posed along the affair's step-and-repeat. The 50-year-old former Saturday Night Live regular looked phenomenal in a snug-fitting nude-colored turtleneck. She added a long, beige-colored maxi skirt, finishing the look with pointy-toe brown leather boots. Her short, wispy, bob haircut was styled in a side part with one side tucked behind her ear. She added statement-making, gold, geometric earrings. The actress accessorized further with gold bracelets and rings. White Lotus star Theo James, 39, was also present at the swanky gathering. Kristen Wiig looked great as she posed along the affair's step-and-repeat Wiig posed alongside 52-year-old actor Josh Lucas Fellow Travelers stars Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey commanded attention on the red carpet Bomer, 46, wore a monochrome deep blue outfit while Bailey, 35, opted for a light green look Bailey tucked his mint green button-up shirt into his matching pants Actress Ella Purnell commanded attention in high-waisted brown trousers secured with a leopard print belt White Lotus star Theo James, 39, was also present at the swanky gathering L-R Theo, Kaya Scodelario and Daniel Ings Jimmy took to the stage during the event, putting on an animated display Purnell, who stars in the series Fallout, spoke on stage during the event She wore a salmon-colored button-up shirt with her pants Rebecca's look was rounded out with huge platform heels and she carried a dark-colored Chanel bag Larson, 34 who attended the SAG Awards in February wore a gray A-line skirt with a flared hem Fallon was very excited to see his face in a cup of coffee art Aja was presented a cup of coffee with her face in it Lewis Pullman looked spiffy in a double-breasted gray suit, which he teamed with a forest green button-up shirt He looked great in a dark gray, ribbed bomber jacket and dark-colored trousers. The United Kingdom-born entertainer wore a black T-shirt underneath his outer layer. And he finished his look with brown sneakers with white soles. While there, he struck a pose alongside Kaya Scodelario and Daniel Ings. Sara Cox was awarded the Star Baker apron on The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer on Channel 4 on Sunday. The Radio 2 host, 49, impressed judges Dame Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood after acing every challenge and receiving the second Hollywood handshake of the series. Sara and fellow contestants Adam Hills, Reverent Richard Coles and Joe Locke were tasked with biscuits in the Signature category, custard slices in the Technical bake and finally a Showstopper where they created cakes depicting their famous best friends. The DJ baked a toffee cake in the shape of pal and colleague Jeremy Vine riding a penny farthing - to honour his love of bikes - which the judges branded 'absolutely delicious'. Following her win Sarah said: 'My kids won't believe it, it all feels like a weird cheese dream!'. Sara Cox was awarded the Star Baker apron on The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer on Channel 4 on Sunday The Radio 2 host, 49, impressed judges Dame Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood after acing every challenge and baking the cake in the shape of Radio 2 colleague Jeremy Vine Sara and fellow contestants Adam Hill (R) Reverent Richard Coles (L) and Joe Locke (C) were tasked with biscuits in the Signature category, custard slices in the Technical bake and finally a Showstopper where they created cakes depicting their famous best friends And declared she would never take off her winning apron. Meanwhile Prue explained: '[Sara] walked into the tent, she won the Signature, the Technical and the Showstopper. She's a good baker'. After presenting her Jeremy cake to the judges Paul said: 'You've managed to create something very professional'. Only for Sara to quip: 'First time in my career that I've created something professional. Adam, 53, decided to use the showstopper challenge to make his own memorable cake in the shape of his Last Leg co-presenter Alex Brooker's prosthetic leg. Admitting to the judges: 'Alex knows I'm making it, but what he doesn't know is that I am doing it is because he is not my famous best friend but I thought a prosthetic leg would be easier to make than a head'. Despite impressing with the dessert's decoration the judges struggled to cut it and declared the comedian had both over mixed and over baked his offering. As host Alison joked: 'It is a prothetic leg, so it's supposed to be hard'. The DJ baked the toffee cake to honour her pal's love of bikes, which the judges branded 'absolutely delicious' Following her win Sarah said: 'My kids won't believe it, it all feels like a weird cheese dream!' Jeremy Vine pictured on a Penny Farthing in 2021 Sara and Jeremy pictured together Elsehwere in the tent Heartstoppers star Joe, 20, made a Victoria Sponge in honour of friend and 'Broadway royalty' Patti LuPone. His dessert left the judges hungry for more and they gushed over it's decoration with Prue describing it as a 'prefect balance' between cream and jam. Meanwhile Paul said it was 'neat as a pin'. Reverent Richard also made a Victoria sponge but decided to bake one in the shape of artist pal Grayson Perry. Decorating it to resemble the Turner Prize winner's alter ego Claire, Richard joked: 'It may [look like] Claire at 2 o'clock in the morning in the gutter'. Prue and Paul were complimentary of the cake's look but said the texture was 'not perfect'. Earlier in the episode Adam candidly opened up about his late father's battle own with cancer. Adam, 53, decided to use the showstopper challenge to make his own unique cake in the shape of his Last Leg co-presenter Alex Brooker's prosthetic leg Admitting to the judges: 'Alex knows I'm making it, but what he doesn't know is that I am doing it is because he is not my famous best friend but I thought a prosthetic leg would be easier to make than a head' Despite impressing with the desserts decoration the judges struggled to cut it and declared the comedian had both over mixed and over baked his offering (Adam, R, pictured with Alex, L) Heartstoppers star Joe, 20, made a Victoria Sponge in honour of friend and 'Broadway royalty' Patti LuPone His dessert left the judges hungry for more and they gushed over the decorated dessert with Prue describing it as a 'prefect balance' between cream and jam Joe picked with his 'famous best friend' Broadway actress Patti LuPone Saying: 'My dad had stomach cancer when he was about 55, beat it, and then about 10 to 15 years later ended up with leukaemia,' Adam said. 'He died at the end of 2012. To do something that can actually help cancer research, I think he would be chuffed with that.' The celebrity version of the baking show sees a collection of stars compete in various baking challenges in order to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer. It comes after Sara admitted she was 'a complete mess' after discovering close friend and colleague Steve Wright had passed away while she was presenting her Radio 2 show. Wright was found dead at his 2million home on February 12 after paramedics were called to an incident at the north west London property. Reverent Richard also made a Victoria sponge but decided to bake one in the shape of artist pal Grayson Perry Decorating it to resemble the Turner Prize winner's alter ego Claire (pictured) Richard joked: 'It may [look like] Claire at 2 o'clock in the morning in the gutter' Prue and Paul were complimentary of the cake's look but said the texture was 'not perfect' And Sara who worked alongside the reclusive DJ at BBC Radio before his passing, admits the tragic news sent shockwaves across the studio floor. 'I was a complete mess,' she told Radio Times. 'We were all in complete shock. I looked out into the production area and people were hugging and crying; it really winded us as a station.' The presenter was forced to continue fronting her afternoon show, despite struggling to hold back tears, but insists she had no alternative, 'because you want to be a professional, you want to do right by Steve, you want to do right by listeners and you want to support them in a way, but at the same time to be real. 'Because although the whole nation seems to be grieving, it was his kids grief more than anyone else's.' Molly Smith and Tom Clare showed off their incredibly toned bodies as they shared loved-up snaps during their first couple's holiday to Dubai. The Love Island: All Stars winners have been enjoying their first holiday together as girlfriend and boyfriend at the five-star hotel Rixos Premium. Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the couple looked sensational as Molly rocked a blue bikini and Tom sported mint-coloured swim shorts. Molly's two-piece consisted of a ruched bra and high-waisted knickers, which were in a blue and white floral pattern. The skimpy bikini showed off her impressive abs, while Tom appeared equally chiselled. Molly Smith and Tom Clare showed off their incredibly toned bodies as they shared loved-up snaps on Instagram on Sunday during their first couple's holiday to Dubai The Love Island: All Stars winners have been enjoying their first holiday together as girlfriend and boyfriend at the five-star hotel Rixos Premium 'Happiest with you,' the post was captioned In other snaps, the pair looked cosy as they posed for selfies - one where they both had big, cheesy grins and another where Molly was pouting. 'Happiest with you,' the post was captioned. Their Love Island: All Stars co-star Joanna Chimonides commented 'Oh youuuu two,' while Hannah Elizabeth said 'U 2'. 'You guys are amazing,' said former Love Islander Lucie Donlan It comes after the pair put on a loved-up display in front of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai in photos posted to Instagram on Wednesday. The couple wrapped their arms around each other on the beach in front of the hotel which sits on an artificial island. Molly showed off her toned figure in a black bikini and Tom his washboard abs in khaki-coloured trunks. Both sported a glowing tan as they continued enjoying their first holiday together, two months on from their Love Island win. Tom captioned the joint post with Molly, reaching over two million followers: 'Making memories' and one particular fan couldn't get enough. All Stars co-star Mitch Taylor commented: 'Your kids would look like me' to which Tom replied: 'I hope so you're a god mate'. Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the couple looked sensational as Molly rocked a blue bikini and Tom sported mint-coloured swim shorts Their Love Island: All Stars co-star Joanna Chimonides commented 'Oh youuuu two,' while Hannah Elizabeth said 'U 2' Tom and Molly put on a loved-up display in front of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai in photos posted to Instagram on Wednesday The couple wrapped their arms around each other on the beach in front of the hotel which sits on an artificial island All Stars co-star Mitch Taylor commented: 'Your kids would look like me' to which Tom replied: 'I hope so you're a god mate' At the beginning of their trip, Tom surprised Molly with a hotel suite decorated with balloons and streamers. Gold letter balloons on the bed spelled out 'Molly and Tom'. Molly looked stunning in a bright-yellow lace dress with a cut-out detailing as Tom filmed her reaction to the surprise. On Instagram, one fan asked Molly whether she was now feeling better after she recently was rushed to hospital with a mystery illness. Replying that the holiday had come at the perfect time, Molly wrote: 'I'm getting there... slowly thank you for asking! 'This holiday couldn't have come at a better time, relaxation and some sun is very needed'. The Love Island star arrived back at her hotel room to the romantic set-up after enjoying their first dinner out of their getaway During the Q&A Molly also confirmed that the pair are officially boyfriend and girlfriend after Tom popped the question on March 1 The pair beamed in snaps as they settled down for the flight in their cosy tracksuits. Wearing a blue Boohoo tracksuit, Molly beamed from ear to ear as she held Tom's hand and he captioned the snap 'My one'. During the Q&A Molly also confirmed that the pair are officially boyfriend and girlfriend after Tom popped the question on March 1. Tom joked: 'She is wifed off!' The pair were also asked whether they have moved in together. Looking suspicious, Tom quietly sipped his drink as Molly teased: 'He already has'. Adam Hills opened up about his late father's battle with stomach cancer and leukaemia when he competed on The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off. The Australian comedian, 53, was one of four celebrities to compete on Sunday's episode of the Channel 4 show, alongside radio host Sara Cox, Reverend Richard Coles and Joe Locke. During the episode on Sunday, Adam, who hosts talk show The Last Leg, revealed his own personal experience with cancer and how his father had died from it. 'My dad had stomach cancer when he was about 55, beat it, and then about 10 to 15 years later ended up with leukaemia,' Adam said. 'He died at the end of 2012. To do something that can actually help cancer research, I think he would be chuffed with that.' Adam Hills opened up about his late father's battle with stomach cancer and leukaemia when he competed on The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off on Sunday The celebrity version of the baking show sees a collection of stars compete in various baking challenges in order to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer. It was Radio 2 host Sara, 49, who impressed judges Dame Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood and was awarded the Star Baker apron after acing every challenge and receiving the second Hollywood handshake of the series. Sara, Adam, Richard and Joe were tasked with biscuits in the Signature category, custard slices in the Technical bake and finally a Showstopper where they created cakes depicting their famous best friends. The DJ baked a toffee cake in the shape of colleague Jeremy Vine riding a penny farthing - to honour his love of bikes - which the judges branded 'absolutely delicious'. Following her win Sarah said: 'My kids won't believe it, it all feels like a weird cheese dream!'. She also declared she would never take off her winning apron. Meanwhile Prue explained: '[Sara] walked into the tent, she won the Signature, the Technical and the Showstopper. She's a good baker'. After presenting her Jeremy cake to the judges Paul said: 'You've managed to create something very professional'. The Australian comedian, 53, was one of four celebrities to compete on Sunday's episode of the Channel 4 show, alongside radio host Sara Cox, Reverend Richard Coles and Joe Locke During the episode on Sunday, Adam, who hosts talk show The Last Leg, revealed his own personal experience with cancer and how his father had died from it 'My dad had stomach cancer when he was about 55, beat it, and then about 10 to 15 years later ended up with leukaemia,' Adam said Sara Cox was awarded the Star Baker apron after impressing the judges Only for Sara to quip: 'First time in my career that I've created something professional. Adam decided to use the showstopper challenge to make his own unique cake in the shape of his Last Leg co-presenter Alex Brooker's prosthetic leg. Admitting to the judges: 'Alex knows I'm making it, but what he doesn't know is that I am doing it is because he is not my famous best friend but I thought a prosthetic leg would be easier to make than a head'. Despite impressing with the desserts decoration the judges struggled to cut it and declared the comedian had both over mixed and over baked his offering. Heartstopper star Joe meanwhile made a Victoria Sponge in honour of 'Broadway royalty' Patty Lupone. Following her win Sarah said: 'My kids won't believe it, it all feels like a weird cheese dream!' Adam decided to use the showstopper challenge to make his own unique cake in the shape of his Last Leg co-presenter Alex Brooker's prosthetic leg Despite impressing with the desserts decoration the judges struggled to cut it and declared the comedian had both over mixed and over baked his offering (Adam, R, pictured with Alex, L) His dessert left the judges hungry for more and they gushed over the decorated dessert with Prue describing it as a 'prefect balance' between cream and jam. Meanwhile Paul said it was 'neat as a pin'. Reverent Richard also made a Victoria sponge but decided to bake one in the shape of artist pal Grayson Perry. Decorating it to resemble Turner Prize winner's alter ego Claire Richard joked: 'It may [look like] Claire at 2 o'clock in the morning in the gutter'. Molly-Mae Hague sweetly posed with daughter Bambi during their family trip to Disneyland Paris on Sunday. The mother-of-one, 24, took to Instagram to share a slew of snaps from her luxury trip to the theme park with fiance Tommy Fury. And marking her fourth trip of the year, Molly-Mae slipped on a pair of red, white and black ears to get in the Disney spirit. She also shared a snap of their luxury hotel as Tommy relaxed in the background before heading out for another exciting day in the park. Writing on Instagram that they've been 'making memories,' Molly-Mae has shared cute snaps and videos of Bambi seeing Disney characters at the famous castle. Molly-Mae Hague, 24, sweetly posed with daughter Bambi, 15 months, during their family trip to Disneyland Paris on Sunday The mother-of-one took to Instagram to share a slew of snaps from her luxury trip to the theme park with fiance Tommy Fury, also 24 She went onto post a black and white snap of Tommy with their baby daughter, writing: 'The perfect day.' After being given a cuddly toy, little Bambi appeared delighted by the present as her parents Molly-Mae and Tommy watched the parade. Molly-Mae and Tommy then headed into the park in search of churros, and the reality star poked fun at her husband-to-be who mistakenly saw a sign reading 'curios,' that he hoped would lead them to the delicious treat. The family ended the trip by watching a stunning fireworks display from the comfort of their hotel room. The trip came just weeks after Molly-Mae returned from a luxurious ski holiday after flying 12 friends to France on a private jet. Molly-Mae organised the four-day ski trip as a surprise for her best friend Tayla to celebrate her birthday. She showed off the lavish trip on her YouTube vlog, as she revealed the personalised details of the trip and showed off their lavish private chalet. In February, Molly-Mae revealed she was travelling to Ibiza for the first time since Tommy had proposed to her. And marking her fourth trip of the year, Molly-Mae slipped on a pair of red, white and black ears to get in the Disney spirit She also shared a snap of their luxury hotel as Tommy relaxed in the background before heading out for another exciting day in the park Writing on Instagram that they've been 'making memories,' Molly-Mae has shared cute snaps and videos of Bambi seeing Disney characters at the famous castle The former Love Island star has been documenting the magical trip on social media, just weeks after returning from a luxury ski break in France Molly-Mae shared a cute image with her husband-to-be Tommy sporting a pair of Minnie Mouse ears during their trip to Disneyland Molly-Mae shared a series of adorable clips of Tommy carrying their daughter through the iconic theme park After being given a cuddly toy, little Bambi appeared delighted by the present as her parents Molly-Mae and Tommy watched the parade One sweep snap showed Molly and Tommy arm-in-arm as they took in the sights together on their latest family holiday The family ended the trip by watching a stunning fireworks display from the comfort of their hotel room The influencer showed fans what expensive taste she has as she shared a snap of her 2,600 Bottega bag placed next to her on a private jet. Upon landing, Molly-Mae headed to her hotel where she posted a snap of her 915 Louis Vuitton wash bag and a 735 toiletry bag. She and Tommy also kicked off 2024 with a luxurious beach holiday with Bambi in The Maldives, sharing snaps of the trip on social media. Molly-Mae and Tommy were previously slammed for 'flaunting their wealth' after sharing snaps from a private jet while returning from Ibiza. Molly-Mae shared a photo of her sat on the plane with her daughter Bambi on her lap and captioned it: 'Flying home a fiance.' In reaction to the post, fans complained: 'Molly the world is literally burning, please no more private jets;' 'You went from being a lovely relatable down to earth girl to a complete show off and shoving your luxury life in people's faces with every post. Is it really necessary?' The trip came just weeks after Molly-Mae returned from a luxurious ski holiday after flying 12 friends to France on a private jet Molly-Mae organised the four-day ski trip as a surprise for her best friend Tayla to celebrate her birthday 'I cried today because I couldn't afford a 4 M&S microwave meal;' 'I think you mean flying home with a huge carbon footprint and a guilty conscience - what a way to celebrate an engagement;' 'Happy for you but private jet?! Is that really necessary? The world is burning;' Emily Ratajkowski was spotted out and about on Sunday as she stepped out with her dog Colombo in New York City. The 32-year-old supermodel who was in Boston last week wore a white tube top with khaki pants. The iNAMORATA swimwear founder slipped her feet into a pair of black thong sandals by Mango. The California-bred beauty wore a stylish pair of narrow, dark sunglasses and small, chunky, silver-toned hoop earrings. Her dark hair, which she cut weeks ago, was loose and arranged in a center part as it blew in the wind. Emily Ratajkowski was spotted out and about on Sunday as she stepped out with her dog Colombo in New York City The 32-year-old supermodel wore a white tube top with khaki pants Ratajkowski appeared to show off a face of light makeup underneath her shades. Emily has had Colombo since May 2019 and even brought him on The Tonight Show and introduced him to Jimmy Fallon when he was just a puppy. 'I've been loving it. It felt like a big step,' the beauty gushed about her pet at the time, which was before she became mom to son Sylvester Apollo in 2021. The brown-and-black dog even has its own Instagram account where the runway regular occasionally posts updates. The star, who shares three-year-old son Sly with ex-husband Sebastian Bear-McClard, is regularly seen making a fashion statement as she walks Colombo around her neighborhood. Also on Sunday, she dropped in on Instagram to engage with her 30 million followers. The bombshell used the app's Stories feature to post a short clip of the sun shining on her face. Prior to that, she uploaded a selection of flawless photos taken in her NYC abode. Also on Sunday, she dropped in on Instagram to engage with her 30 million followers Last week Emily uploaded a selection of flawless photos taken in her NYC abode The stunner posed in a sheer, black, lace bra The stunner posed in a sheer, black, lace bra as she showed off her famous visage in intimate snapshots. She simply wrote in the caption: 'At home.' Emily looked typically gorgeous as she added heather gray jogger sweatpants and flashy jewelry, included her repurposed 'divorce rings.' The post has so far collected over 500,000 likes from her loyal fanbase. Sam Thompson has set the record straight on rumours that his girlfriend Zara McDermott is pregnant with their first child. His sister Louise Thompson inadvertently sparked baby speculation when she received an 'auntie' card from the couple. Sharing a snap to her Instagram Stories, Louise showed fans the card which had 'Auntie Louise' scrawled across the front, with the Made In Chelsea star writing: 'Am I missing something?' alongside a baby emoji. But Sam has now revealed that the card was from their two adorable rag doll cats, Albus and Cedric. He told MailOnline: 'In terms of the auntie card, as embarrassing as it is, that was from the cats! We did a little cat paw as a signature.' Sam Thompson has set the record straight on rumours that his girlfriend Zara McDermott is pregnant with their first child Their relationship has been going from strength to strength since they got back together in 2020 following a brief split During the exclusive interview, Sam also commented on rumours he's engaged to long-term girlfriend Zara. Their relationship has been going from strength to strength since they got back together in 2020 following a brief split. Fans were convinced an engagement announcement was imminent last month, as the reigning King of the Jungle and the former Love Island star enjoyed a sun-soaked break Dubai. Prior to their trip, an innocent social media post sparked another round of engagement rumours. Zara's right hand was held over her left - traditionally the hand upon which engagement and wedding rings are worn - while draping her arms around Sam's neck. Putting an end to the speculation, Sam said: 'We're not engaged. 'I know I want to be with her for the rest of my life, so there's no rush. If you know that someone is the one... you know, it's more so a time thing. 'Zara is as busy or more busy than I am, she's absolutely flying and she doesn't have time to plan a wedding and I don't either at the moment. I know I want to be with her and she wants to be with me so that's good enough at the moment.' Sam's sister Louise Thompson inadvertently sparked baby speculation when she received an 'auntie' card from the couple Sharing a snap to her Instagram Stories, Louise showed fans the card which had 'Auntie Louise' scrawled across the front, with the Made In Chelsea star writing: 'Am I missing something?' alongside a baby emoji Sam has now revealed that the card was from their two adorable rag doll cats, Albus and Cedric Sam added: 'A lot of people think, rightly or wrongly, that you've got to get married as soon as possible, and have kids, whatever. You know, everyone's different, everyone's on their own sort of timelines.' Zara previously said the natural next step in her relationship with Sam is to get married and she believes her boyfriend will be surprised to learn that an 'extravagant' wedding is her worst nightmare. She added: 'I don't think we'd be living together if I didn't see marriage happening in the future. 'Sam's going to listen to this and laugh because he probably won't believe me, but I actually want something that's quite small and intimate. 'I'm kind of over all the big extravagant weddings. When my friends tell me about their big weddings, it sounds like a lot of stress and a lot of planning. It seems like a day for everyone else. 'Whereas I think something really small, and just intimate and personal, where my really close family and friends can come that's what I would want to do as a wedding.' Sam and Zara pictured with their nephew Leo During the interview, Sam also commented on rumours he's engaged to long-term girlfriend Zara The pair have been dating since 2019, after the Love Island star 'slid into Sam's DMs'. Sam rose to fame on the Channel 4 show Made in Chelsea in 2013 and appeared in 163 episodes. He left the show in 2018 after admitting he found it a struggle to film alongside his ex-girlfriend Sophie Habboo and the time. Zara was devastated after her relationship with Sam briefly ended in 2020 when he discovered she cheated at the start of their romance with music boss Brahim Fouradi, who she met while appearing on X Factor: Celebrity. Sam eventually forgave Zara after the pair's emotional breakup was documented on Made In Chelsea, and she was filmed begging her boyfriend for a second chance. Costco's crackdown on a major loophole at its outdoor food courts started this week. New rules require staff to ask to see a Costco membership card for purchases at its 18 outdoor food courts across America. Until now, staff had turned a blind eye to nonmembers stopping by for its iconic $1.50 hot dog and soda combo at the outdoor food courts. Staff normally check cards as customers enter stores - meaning nonmembers cannot normally eat at indoor food courts. But servers at food courts outside in car parks almost never checked. That has changed with the new rule. Members have welcomed the move - saying it will cut some lines - but Costco fans who were not members and had been using the loophole have complained. Costco staff have been told to check if customers are members when they use the food court Costco is warning that it will crackdown on a loophole that allowed people to use its food courts even if they were not a member Gary Millerchip is the new CFO of Costco. He took over in March. It is not clear if he is behind the tighter rules on nonmembers at food courts A Costco member wrote on X: 'Lines have dropped dramatically when they reinstated the membership only for food cou Another member wrote on X: 'If you don't got a Costco membership. You no longer can get food from their food court. Started today. They got the reply: 'Good. No more long lines for pizza.' The original poster added: 'Im not mad at it for that reason. Hopefully the lines aint mad long anymore.' Another member said on X: 'Great. Maybe I can get a seat in the food court now.' But in reply a nonmember complained: 'This is incredibly dumb and I hope it backfires. Im sorry but a seat in the food court of Costco is not a big enough deal to cut access to affordable food for folks who need it. 'It will hurt those who need it more than it will help members who dont.' A Reddit user posted a sign from outside an outlet in Orlando, which read: 'Effective April 8, 2024, an active Costco membership card will be required to purchase items from our food court.' Costco's $1.50 hot dog and soda is a huge hit with members and has been the same price for decades There has always been a rule that people need a membership to enter warehouses. This means nonmembers have typically been restricted from indoor food courts. But at Costco warehouses with outside food courts or a kiosk, people without memberships have been able to avoid checks. As a result, many non members have become used to being able to buy the $1.50 combo or other favorites. It is the latest attempt to crack down on customers sharing membership cards. Staff at a warehouse in Washington - near its HQ - in January started scanning shoppers' cards before they enter. That pulls up a photo of the cardholder on a screen, which the worker at the entrance can compare with the person standing in front of them. Normally shoppers simply flash their card at that employee, who may or may not choose to scrutinize the small photo printed on it. The new system is thought to be a trial ahead of a potential broader rollout. Costco charges either $60 or $120 annually for either basic or executive membership but is widely expected to raise fees soon. Official policy is that anyone with a card can bring two guests with them on each visit. Membership fees are a key source of revenue. In a recent earnings report, it emerged they came in at $1.11 billion for the three months for the year ending February 18, up from $1.03 billion a year ago. Costco's finance chief is stepping down after 40 years - and he gave an interview last week on a topic that members are obsessed with. Pictured is the setup at the entrance of the Costco warehouse in Issaquah, Washington, that enables a store employee to view the photo associated with a membership card Costco membership fees usually account for more than half of the company's profits In a 2022 earnings call Galanti told analysts that the $1.50 price was 'sacrosanct' and would remain at that level 'forever.' But this week, he gave a less definite answer when he was interviewed by Bloomberg. This week, he was asked: 'What will happen to the $1.50 hot dog and soda combo when you are gone?' His reply was: 'It's probably safe for a while.' That is not as clear as the outlook he gave in 2022 - when he called the deal 'sacrosanct'. Costco fans will now be looking for a clearer answer from Gary Millerchip, the former Kroger exec who is taking over as CFO. He is next likely to speak at Costco's quarterly earnings expected in June. How can we bridge the distance between official memory and collective memory when institutional silence dilutes historical events that are proven and known to all into oblivion? In response to this question and for the case of Cameroon the writer Gaston Kelman offers a theatrical work, LImmortel de Boumnyebel, Dialogue doutre vie, dedicated to the great leader of the struggle for independence: Ruben Um Nyobe (1913-1958). We will first note this beyond life and not beyond the grave ??which is in question in connection with the one who, after months of peaceful struggle at first, then armed, was killed by the French colonial power near from the locality of Boumnyebel. With this subtitle, the issue of the text is announced: it will be less a question of drawing the biography of Um Nyobe than of reflecting on the mark he left among the Cameroonian population, as well as the inspiration that his activism still arouses in the current context, more than sixty-five years after his death. We will also note the idea contained in the cover graphics admittedly quite unfortunate of the work, representation of a disfigured face, like that of Um Nyobe after her body had been dragged on the ground for kilometers by his murderers, who wanted to symbolically mark the annihilation of his image. Grandiloquence By the grace of theatrical fiction, the Mpodol (spokesperson, in Bassa language) therefore returns from the dead, as a ghost character haunting the collective consciousness. It is first announced by a reciting narrator, who paints his portrait: This man, Um was his name, son of Nyobe [] / He used all peaceful recourses / He traced the trail of the stars in clandestinity / Until the approaching advent of the great evening [] / Ruben Um Nyobe, the Mpodol for his people / And for all the children of his emerging country / He will be the legend for endless centuries. With such verses with the grandiloquence of a griot, Gaston Kelman immediately attributes a heroic aura to Um Nyobe. Because the point here is to recall the bravery of the man who went from a former trade unionist loving justice and peace to the leader of a vast community of anti-colonial resistance fighters. Um Nyobe and her peers believed that after the help given to Europe to free itself from Nazi Germany, Africa could in turn claim emancipation, in other words independence. What have I asked for that is not due to us, that is not legitimate or even that is exaggerated? From the platform of the UN, in the press, in meetings, I asked for a right recognized by the UN: that of peoples to self-determination. Gaston Kelmans aim is to rehabilitate the distorted image of these maquisards designated by the colonial power as terrorists and to reestablish them in their status as heroes of a war of national liberation. During the five paintings that make up the piece, we move between the current era and that of the years of struggle. Different characters follow one another: a young journalist in dialogue with Um Nyobe, a pregnant woman whom the military forces want to push into betraying the leader, a Cameroonian prelate sent by the central power as a negotiator to make Um Nyobe give up the fight Rehabilitation It is therefore, with this piece, about building bridges between the past and the present and allowing current generations to connect with these heroes, to restore their memory, to elevate them to the rank of references while they are absent from the history books in Cameroon. In what I am going to tell you, everything will be memorial and not historical, said the Mpodol to the young journalist. More than what I will tell, you will hear what you need to hear to build this dream, this imagination which serves as the basis for any construction of identity, for any nation, for any people, for any rebirth. Ill tell it to you. It will then remain for the readers or spectators of the play to take an additional step: to find how to act in their turn in the interest of all in order to build the future. Each generation must find its mission, writes the author, repeating the words of Frantz Fanon. Known for his essays such as the famous I am black and I dont like manioc (2003) Gaston Kelman makes with this text a contribution to the need for historical rehabilitation which is increasingly expressed in Africa. By choosing to publish it in Cameroon, as close as possible to the first public concerned, it joins the literary space opened in its time by Mongo Beti (Remember Ruben, 1974) and more recently by authors and creators like Hemley Boum (Les Maquisards, 2015) or, on the musical creation side, Blick Bassy with the album 1958. Thus, from work to work, the figures of Um Nyobe and her fellow resistance fighters are reconstructed. And historical knowledge is becoming more complex for the good of all. He was just 19 when Naxalites killed his father, a former Salwa Judum leader. Defying the odds, he studied MBBS in Kyrgyzstan. Now, this man from a sleepy village in Chhattisgarhs insurgency-hit Bijapur district has entered the fray for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Meet Prakash Kumar Gota, an independent candidate from Scheduled-Tribe reserved Bastar Lok Sabha seat. Though the polls in Bastar are primarily a contest between the BJP and Congress, Gota claims he holds sway over tribal youths in the region. Talking to PTI, Gota said tribals constitute 32 per cent of the states population, yet somehow, they have not been able to reap the benefits of development works and schemes. The two leading parties have always disappointed the people of Bastar, which is why I decided to enter the poll battle to bring real change in the region, he said. The 32-year-old member of the Muria tribe hails from Farsegarh village in Bijapur and is currently staying in a rented house in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district, due to elections. His father, Chinna Ram Gota, an active leader of Salwa Judum, an anti-Maoist civil militia disbanded in 2011, was shot dead by Naxalites at his farm in Kukrel village, around 2 km away from Farsegarh in 2012. Maoists also killed his fathers older brother in a similar attack in 2013. Gota said his father had worked with late Congress leader Mahendra Karma, popularly called Bastar tiger for his tough stand against Naxalites during the Salwa Judum movement. Karma was killed in the Jhiram valley Naxalite attack during the Congresss Parivartan Yatra in 2013. I was a first-year student at a nursing college when my father was murdered. I had to quit my studies midway as my familys financial condition was not good. I have four brothers and two sisters. I am the second eldest. My mother is a housewife, Gota said. Gota worked as a sub-contractor for construction works in the area and tendu leaf collection, and this helped him fund his medical studies in Kyrgyzstan. In 2016, I went to Kyrgyzstan for MBBS. I tried unsuccessfully to avail an education loan. The struggle continued as I had to return home during the COVID-19 pandemic due to my familys financial condition, he said. Gota again worked as a subcontractor and managed to resume his medical studies in Kyrgyzstan and returned to India in June 2023 after completing his MBBS. He has, however, not appeared for the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) conducted by the National Board of Examination for eligibility to practice medicine in India. Another tragedy struck my family in August last year when Naxalites abducted my older brother Mahesh Kumar, who was the chief of the publicity wing of the BJPs Bijapur district unit, he said. Mahesh was later traced to a forest and admitted to a hospital in a critical condition. He has been in a coma ever since, he said. Asked why he did not join the BJP like his brother, Gota said he did not want to be in politics and wanted to take up a job. There is a provision for a safe settlement and a government job under a rehabilitation scheme for victims of Maoist violence, but we did not get any of this. After all this, I was disappointed with the BJP and Congress, he said. Air India has temporarily suspended its flights from Delhi to Tel Aviv amid the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran following Tehrans missile and drone attacks on Saturday night. An official said the direct flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv will be suspended for now. Israeli airlines said on Sunday that the operations were returning to normal, a day after the countrys airspace was closed following the overnight attack by Iranian drones and missiles. Flag carrier El Al, which had cancelled 15 flights to Europe, Dubai and Moscow scheduled for Sunday, said they have resumed operations. Amid the West Asia escalation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for a strong Centre given the prevailing uncertainty and tension on a global scale, particularly in areas of conflict. The BJP steadfastly takes bold and challenging decisions in the nations interest, prioritising the country over the party itself, the Prime Minister said at the partys poll manifesto release, referring to the several conflicts the world is grappling with. Modi exhorted people to give another mandate to his party to shape Indias destiny for the next 1,000 years and the need for a stable Government with full majority was necessary when the world is passing through uncertain times. India called for immediate de-escalation of the situation after Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel in a retaliatory attack. New Delhi favoured diplomacy and dialogue to defuse tension. This appeal came hours after Iran launched drones and missiles at Israel and India said it is concerned over escalating hostilities between the two sides that threaten regional peace and security. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday called for an immediate de-escalation. He also called the situation a matter of deep concern. He shared these views in an exclusive conversation with a private television channel. It is a matter of deep concern because it represents an escalation in this situation, something which worries all of us, Jaishankar said. We have for some time been concerned about the situation there starting with the October 7 attack on Israel, escalating into other dimensions and other zones which is deeply worrying. We have particular stakes in that region, he added. Right now we have advised people not to travel to Israel or Iran. We have asked those who are already there to take utmost precaution. Thats the sensible thing to do right now. We will watch what happens further and if we have to issue advisories or take steps, we will do that, Jaishankar said. Iran carried out the attack on Israel in response to a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1 in which seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards personnel, including two generals, were killed. New Delhi said its embassies in the region are in close touch with the Indian community in the region. We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy, it said. The MEA said India is closely monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. Our Embassies in the region are in close touch with Indian community, it said in a statement. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region, it added. On Saturday, the Iranian military seized a cargo ship with Israeli links near the Strait of Hormuz. The ship has 17 Indian crew members. India is in touch with Iran to secure the release of Indians onboard the Portuguese-flagged vessel MSC Aries. Following Irans attack, the Israeli military said it and its allies have intercepted the majority of more than 300 drones and missiles fired by Iran. US President Joe Biden said the American military helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles launched by Iran. Earlier today, Iran and its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq, launched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms, he said in a statement. At my direction, to support the defence of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week, Biden said. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, he said. The US president also spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and reaffirmed Washingtons ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. My team will engage with their counterparts across the region, Biden said. And we will stay in close touch with Israels leaders. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people, he said. On Saturday 13 April, Iran announced that it had launched an attack on Israel with over 300 drones and missiles. That afternoon, Joe Biden left the comfort of his beach house in Delaware and hurried back to the White House amidst a looming sense of crisis. The same night, the President met with members of the National Security team regarding the unfolding missile attacks in the White House Situation Room. He might just as well have saved himself the trouble, since his mind was already made up in advance. Bidens reaction was immediate and as predictable as a repeating groove on a worn-out old LP record: Our commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. That was for public consumption. In private, however, he was not a happy man, since even someone of his limited intelligence would dimly be aware that reprisals from Israel heighten the risk of a wider regional conflict that could directly draw in the United States, along with other countries. President Biden immediately met up with his advisors in the White House Situation Room. The outcome was already predetermined as he pledged the US' "ironclad" support for Israel / Image: public domain The scenario of the US getting dragged into a general war in the Middle East, with catastrophic effects on the world (and US) economy, would not be something that would greatly enhance his chances of winning the November election, which have already been getting slimmer by the day. Although he would certainly like to deal with Iran, and there are those in his administration who are itching to launch an attack, yet he is somewhat restrained by electoral considerations and has therefore sought to avoid an open clash with Tehran since the start of the current conflict in Gaza. The massacre of civilians in Gaza has already damaged Bidens electoral chances, eroding his support with key constituencies. His blanket support for Israel and stubborn refusal to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza has alienated Muslim voters and the youth. He now finds himself in the tenuous position of pledging firm support for Israel while also trying to prevent a new conflagration from exploding with the danger that the United States would become directly involved. Sensing his weakness, the Iranians, who have no wish to be pushed into a war with the USA, calibrated their reaction to what was a blatant provocation by Israel specifically designed to bring about precisely that result. Netanyahus agenda The Iranian attack was the long-anticipated response to the Israeli strike on 1 April on the consular section of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus that killed seven Iranians, including two veteran commanders. What was Netanyahu trying to achieve when he ordered the strike? The answer is quite clear. He has been banking all along on provoking a regional conflict, which would force the US to become directly involved on Israels side. All this is directly related to the vicious war being waged by Israel against the people of Gaza. Israels military campaign is not going as expected. Six months on, its aims have not been achieved. Hamas has not been smashed and the hostages have not been rescued. The war in Gaza has not gone as expected for Netanyahu. Hamas has not been smashed and the hostages have not been released. Now he faces renewed protests calling for elections / Image: own work As a result, Netanyahus support has collapsed. Protests in Israel are growing, with tens of thousands demanding early elections in which he would certainly be unseated and possibly face trial. His situation is desperate. He has effectively run out of military options in Gaza, since almost the entire strip has been reduced to rubble. He has even been compelled to pull out most of his forces. The last remaining target is the southern Rafah city, where 1.5 million starving and terrified people have gathered. But the plight of the people of Gaza has caused a storm of international protest that has isolated Israel and compelled the Americans to put pressure on Netanyahu to desist from an attack there. Looking around for another target, his attention was drawn ever more intensely on Iran. The Biden administration is, of course, already funding and supplying his genocidal campaign in the Gaza Strip. But that is now wholly insufficient for Netanyahus purposes. What he urgently needs is the direct involvement of the US military in a wider confrontation in the region one that would force the USA and all its allies to openly side with Israel. It was necessary to provoke Iran into attacking Israel, which would then call upon its American friends to rush to its aid. The Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus was clearly a deliberate provocation, designed to bring about that result. Images of the burning Iranian consulate building in Damascus. The Iranian regime could not afford to lose face by failing to respond to this attack / Image: Rajanews He knew that Iran would be forced to respond. Any diplomatic building is considered territory of the country it belongs to, so this had to be considered a direct attack by Israel on Iranian soil. In this way, he deliberately set in motion a deadly chain of events, which is now unfolding. Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Saturday night, as did Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his counterpart Yoav Gallant, and the two governments agreed to stay in close touch in the coming hours and days. What was said in these conversations is not known. No doubt the Americans were urging restraint. But how effective these appeals may have been remains to be seen. Netanyahu is quite capable of plunging the whole region into war just to save his skin. If that causes a few difficulties for Joe Biden, that is his problem. Tehrans manoeuvres For the last two weeks, several countries have exerted pressure on Iran to exercise restraint in the face of naked aggression. But there was no condemnation of Israels strike in Damascus: no UN resolutions, no sanctions, nothing at all. Here, once again, we see the double standards of the international community. Countries like Iran, Russia and China are constantly being accused of attempting to destroy what is habitually described as the rule-based international order. But who makes up the rules of this so-called order? The rules are made up by the USA, and every other country in the world is expected to obey them. It is as simple as that! It must be pointed out that, for a long time, Iran showed considerable restraint in the face of such provocations by Israel, including repeated murders of its military personnel as well as sixty-two scientists involved in its nuclear programme. Incidentally, there is absolutely no evidence that Iran was involved in Hamas attack last October a fact which was admitted not only by the United States, but also by Israel at the time. In the face of the genocidal attacks on the people of Gaza, Iran did not make any military response. But this time, Tehran could not afford to lose face. Again, it must be pointed out that the Iranians first raised the matter inside the relevant bodies of the United Nations. Iran did not react militarily to the genocidal attacks on the people of Gaza, but it could not fail to respond to this direct attack on its territory, which it initially attempted to do through the United Nations / Image: United Nations Photo Flickr The normal rules of international law guarantee the immunity of embassies and all such buildings. They are regarded as inviolable spaces, in fact, as an integral part of the national territories of each nation they belong to. The attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus was evidently a blatant violation of the basic principles established by the Vienna Convention of 1961. The United Nations therefore had a duty to condemn it. But when a resolution to that effect was put before the Security Council, it was vetoed by three of its members: the USA, Britain and France. Once the UN had refused to take this elementary step, the Iranian regime had no alternative but to respond in a manner that would be seen as proportional to the Israeli provocation. Despite all the noise and hysteria surrounding its missile attack incidentally, the first time that Iran has ever carried out an attack on Israeli soil, despite repeated Israeli attacks on itself that attack was indeed proportionate. Over 300 projectiles were used in this attack. That would seem to be a formidable assault. But that is only in appearance. Most seem to have been Shaheed drones a very basic model, normally used only to test the air defences of another state in preparation for a more serious bombardment. It is claimed probably correctly that the great majority of the drones and missiles were intercepted, many of them by the USA. There were hardly any casualties, and only one military base is said to have suffered a certain amount of damage. This, despite the fact that Iran is known to possess highly sophisticated rockets and missiles and indeed that the present attack covered a large extent of Israeli territory. How is this to be explained? The fact is that advanced warnings were given to both the Americans and the Israelis before the attacks were launched. This enabled the Americans to employ their air defence systems to great effect, thus minimising the damage. The attack must be seen, therefore, as Iran delivering a warning to Israel. In a message published by the Iranian mission to the UN, we read the following: Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Irans military action was in response to the Zionist regimes aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY! (emphasis added). The meaning of the message seems to be: this is all we intend to do for now, we do not want this to escalate further, the ball is in Israels court. The Iranians have also issued a strong warning to countries in the region: if you intervene to defend Israel by stopping the drones, we will consider you as legitimate targets. The Jordanian regime, one of those which is under most pressure from the masses because of its inaction in the face of the Gaza massacre, first stated that it would intercept Iranian drones, but then publicly denied the report. The air raids on the Houthis carried out by the USA and Britain have had absolutely no effect. The attacks on shipping in the area have continued and are increasing. Earlier on the day Irans Revolutionary Guards seized an Israeli linked ship travelling through the Strait of Hormuz. That was another warning. Hypocritical chorus Biden has publicly stated that he does not want an escalation of the conflict. What he really means is we will continue to support and fund Israels massacre of the Palestinians, we do not want any other countries to intervene to impede that. Biden is attempting to walk a tightrope, between support for Israel, its only really reliable ally in the region, and avoiding the devastating consequences of a regional conflagration on the world economy, and, of course, on Biden's electoral prospects / Image: U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv Wikimedia Commons But it is precisely the continuation of the genocidal campaign against Gaza that is constantly provoking all the people of the region. Bidens attempts to show sympathy with the victims of Israeli aggression (while continuing to supply arms and money to allow Netanyahu to continue the butchery) are exposed as hollow and deceitful. Biden reminds one of the walrus in Lewis Carrolls Through the Looking-Glass who invites a group of young oysters to join him for a stroll, only to end up using them for his lunch: I weep for you, the Walrus said: I deeply sympathise. With sobs and tears he sorted out Those of the largest size, Holding his pocket-handkerchief Before his streaming eyes. The same disgusting hypocrisy is displayed by Americas allies who obediently responded to the Iranian attack with a well-rehearsed chorus of condemnation. As usual, the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fell over himself to fall into line: I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime's reckless attack against Israel, which he said, [risks] inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. The UK will continue to stand up for Israels security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed. And to further the cause of world peace, Rishi Sunak immediately announced that he was sending the RAF to the region in order to bomb and strafe anyone who disagreed with him. His remarks were immediately echoed by his partner-in-crime, the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Josep Borrell added his shrill voice to the chorus: The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel. This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security. Even stranger is the fact that not one of these gentlemen had said anything about Israels attack on Damascus. How strange that none of the activities carried out by Israel represents any threat to regional security at all! All of them had shown full support for Israels right to defend herself after the 7 October attack. But for some reason, the same principle does not apply to Iran, according to them. As Alice would say: curiouser and curiouser. The end of the affair? The secretary-general, of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, issued a statement saying: I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran this evening. I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities. I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East. I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war. As stated, Irans Permanent Mission to the United Nations said the countrys military action against Israel was based on Article 51 of the UN Charter regarding the legitimate right to self-defence in response to the deadly Israeli attack against the Iranian consulate in Syria, stating further that the attack on Israel can be considered finished. But it continued, if Israel makes another mistake, the response of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be considerably more severe. The mission added that had the UN Security Council condemned the Israeli aggression against the Iranian diplomatic missions in Damascus, and subsequently tried those behind it, perhaps it was not necessary that Iran punishes Israel. Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in two separate statements that it had launched tens of missile and drones and successfully hit and destroyed important military targets belonging to the Israeli army in the occupied Palestinian territories, in response to numerous Israeli crimes. The statement by the Iranian UN mission then added that it regards the matter concluded. But this is by no means clear. Sources in the Israeli cabinet quoted by Channel 12 TV said that there would be a significant response to the Iranian attack. This is exactly what Netanyahu wanted to achieve with the Damascus attack on 1 April. According to CNN, Biden administration officials saw Irans attacks on Israel as disproportionate to Israels strikes in Damascus that prompted the retaliation. That seems to be a rather tepid response and far short of what Netanyahu expects from Washington. As explained, there are some in Washington who would love nothing more than an excuse to attack Iran directly. But that would have a massively destabilising effect in the whole region. US diplomacy will now be frantically striving to perform a balancing act to get themselves out of a mess that is entirely of their own making. On the one hand, they need to support Israel, which is now virtually their only reliable ally in the entire region, and on the other, they need to prevent a regional war that could spiral dangerously out of control. A very important element in the calculations of US imperialism is the need to prevent the growing anger of the masses in the region from reaching a point where it could lead to the overthrow of reactionary Arab regimes which are meant to be US allies. There are clear signs that at least some of those regimes are feeling nervous about the whole situation. The Gulf states, for instance, publicly declared that the US should not use its bases on their territory or their airspace for any eventual attack on Iran. Both the US and the UK have increased their military presence in the region. For its part, the IRGC has warned that any threat by the United States and Israel or from any other country would receive a reciprocal and proportionate response from Iran. The flames of war are burning brightly in the Middle East. And there are not a few people who are anxious to whip them up to the point of a general conflagration. A team of District Legal Services Authority, Ranchi today visited the Ratu gangrape victims house and assured all possible help to her and her family. Following media reports Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad, Executive Chairman of Jharkhand High Court cum Jhalsa, took cognizance of the matter and ordered the DLSA to immediately provide assistance to the rape victim and her family. In the light of the order, Judicial Commissioner-cum-Chairman District Legal Services Authority Ranchi Diwakar Pandey directed the Secretary to provide all possible help to the victim girl, who was gang-raped by five youths. DLSA Secretary Rakesh Ranjan formed a team and himself along with the team reached the victim's house in Bajra. There he met his mother and told her about legal aid and asked for all possible help. Also gave information about the compensation process. After leaving from there, the team went straight to Ratu police station and met the DSP and asked him to present the information related to the case in the court soon. The team then reached Premashray located at Sirmatoli and inquired about the condition of the victim. The team included Secretary District Legal Services Authority Ranchi Rakesh Ranjan, P.L.Vs Pushpalata Devi and Sangeeta Devi. After meeting the victim, DLSA Secretary has started the process of compensation under Jharkhand Victim Compensation Act. Also, PLB Sangeeta Devi has been appointed to support the victim. Who will assist her in the court process. Mamta Srivastava has been appointed as pro bono advocate, who will assist in the court. The victim will also be provided medical care by DLSA. While most political regimes have historically maintained standing armies, it was not uncommon for them to rely on paramilitary units such as mercenaries. The allure of the mercenary nestled primarily in the fact that there was no need to train them and their loyalty could, quite literally, be bought by the highest bidder. While soldiers of fortune supplemented the army, they still functioned by and large under the orders of the state authority in charge of warfare. In modern times, while mercenaries still exist, some states have opted to unfortunately and unwisely rely on terrorists to fulfil their political agenda. Governments rely on terror outfits mainly due to the convenience of deniability and the ability of said outfits to function outside the confines of the rules of war and classical administration. While traditional terrorism is in itself quite a significant challenge to any states machinery, state sponsored terrorism is even more complex and resilient. Terrorists and revolutionaries are almost indistinguishable and arguably even identical. However, where terrorism aims to coerce innocents, a revolution might solely be directed against the state and state agencies with the aim of bringing radical transformative change in the existing socio-political order. For instance, communism, at least ideologically, relies on revolution to bring about transformation. Consequently, when a state begins to provide impetus to terrorist militant outfits, the outcome is dangerously unpredictable and volatile. A most simple investigation into the history of the Taliban would illustrate why a state sponsored terrorist organisation is a double edged sword that is absolutely indiscriminate and wanton in its functioning. However, the tale of the Taliban would be incomplete without delving into the roles of the other players, namely Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States of America along with a few relevant others. Originally, Afghanistan was a land dominated by different tribal and ethnic groups as the region had undergone multiple conquests and had been a part of several dynasties. Most modern monarchs of Afghanistan had to deal with the errant tribes mostly because they actively chose to interfere in the way of life of the tribals. Eventually, in 1978, the monarchy was replaced by a republican set up under the Marxist-Leninist PDPA, led most notably by Babrak Karmal. The PDPA, Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan brought in radical reforms, most importantly giving women the right to vote and equality in education. The reforms were incendiary and an impudent challenge in the eyes of the conservatives. Furthermore, the PDPA was actively and passionately supported by the Soviet Union, which saw Afghanistan as a suitable candidate to add to its roster of allies to help deal with the rigours of the cold war. The secular nature of the PDPA and the U.S.S.R. eventually led to violent rebellion by the Mujahideen. The Soviet Union had to deploy troops in the region as a countermeasure to quell the Mujahideen rebellion. The Mujahideen essentially pictured themselves as crusaders, embarked on a holy war to preserve their religion from the infidels. It is worth noting that the western paranoia surrounding communism and the Cold War, led the western bloc to undertake some incredibly risky steps. The U.S.A. through the C.I.A., the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia transferred vast sums of money and resources to the rebel Mujahideen in the hopes that they would oust the Soviet influenced regime in Afghanistan. Even earlier, the British viewed Pakistan as a buffer state to stem the march of communism and protect India from being seduced by the guiles of the Soviets. In turn Pakistan viewed Afghanistan as a buffer state with respect to India and desired that Afghanistan return to its traditional islamic way of functioning. The Arab Gulf States perceived the secularism of the erstwhile Afghanistan government as a threat to Islam. The ensuing, decade long Soviet-Afghan War, which lasted from 1979 to 1989 was in essence a proxy war being fought to protect the vested interests of third party states; all at the expense of the Afghans. Eventually, the Mujahideen, backed by the U.S.A., Pakistan, U.K. and the Arab Gulf States succeeded in causing the Soviets to withdraw in 1989, thus bringing the Soviet-Afghan war to a close. The Geneva Accords, 1988, signed between Afghanistan and Pakistan were predicated on the principles of non-interference, which Pakistan failed to abide by in the following years. The Mujahideen were not invited to be part of the accords and therefore, they refused to recognise the agreements. Following the exit of the Soviets, the power dynamic shifted drastically in favour of the Mujahideen who stormed Kabul in 1992 and toppled Najibullahs government. The new socio political environment of Afghanistan was characterised by deep instability, chaos, economic and philosophical decline, rampant drug trade and terrorism. By this time the Mujahideen had gained considerable territorial dominance and refused to be pawns of the I.S.I and Pakistan. Subsequently, in 1994 the nation saw the first appearance of a powerful Taliban on the political stage. Initially founded by students, its ideology was premised in traditional islamism and a large number of its members, including leaders, were originally trained mujahideen, who had participated in the civil war. While the government of Pakistan categorically denies it, the I.S.I. was instrumental in founding and funding the Taliban since it hoped to install a political leadership in Afghanistan that was favourable to the aims of Pakistan. The Mujahideen, initially and then the Taliban were viewed by the Pakistanis as an extremely efficient force to further their own agenda. What made the Mujahideen and their successors, the Taliban, so effective was the perfect trifecta of a trained force, funding and readily available arms and ammunition. There was no need for Pakistan to deploy its own resources or even waste time in building a trained militia. While Pakistan has routinely denied it, the Taliban has continued to augment the formal Army of Pakistan in the contested areas of Kashmir. However, while the Mujahideen and Taliban proved to be handy in the short-run, their volatility came back to haunt even their allies. The terrorists have proved to be as much of issue to Pakistan as to the rest of the world. The T.T.P., Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, has long proved to be a thorn in Pakistans side. The Pakistani Taliban, stormed and killed 132 students, including children, in an Army Public School in Peshawar. The bureaucrats of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have to pay regular tributes to the terrorists in the region even though the region is an official province of Pakistan. Goods traveling from Pakistan to Afghanistan are required to pay an informal and patently illegal duty to the Taliban to ensure safe passage, while no such duty is imposed upon goods travelling in the opposite direction. The terrorists have even been so brazen as to launch an attack a mere 15 miles from a covert nuclear weapons storage facility near Masroor. Several Pakistani Army rangers and commandos were required in subduing the terrorists following an 18 hour siege of the naval aviation base at PNS Mehran. Even the Al-Qaeda and Taliban had formed a brotherhood of sorts over the years, which had severely compounded the issue into one, which plagued the world for years on end and still continues to do so; arguably to a lesser degree. It goes to show that unregulated militant outfits are never far from devolving into outright terror organisations and such organisations are never ones to shy away from biting the very hand that once fed them. The writer is a Lawyer by profession. Views expressed are personal. Labelling members of the Congress as impersonators, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated on Sunday that whereas previously the party denied the existence of Lord Ram, it has altered its position following the construction of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya after a 500-year wait and now it asserts that Ram belongs to everyone. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister made the remark while addressing the Vijay Sankalp rally at NIT Srinagar in Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency. He questioned, Congress used to say that Muslims have the first right over the countrys resources, then why was the partition done in 1947 in the first place? Why didnt anyone ask this question to the Congress? During the event, Chief Minister Yogi got engaged in an emotional conversation with the people from his birthplace. He sought public support for Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Anil Baluni. He also assured that UP was going to hand over all 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming general elections. Chief Minister Yogi expressed his pleasure over the opportunity to engage in dialogue in the Lok Sabha constituency of his birthplace. He remarked: Whenever I come to Uttarakhand, it is an opportunity for conversations, self-realisation and spiritual experiences. The essence of Lord Shiva resides in every particle here, which is why it is called Devbhoomi (Land of the Gods). The holy rivers that flow from here bring prosperity to Uttar Pradesh as well. The chief minister further said that sometimes, some people misunderstand the zero tolerance policy of the UP government, fearing that criminals might run away to Uttarakhand. He assured that he will not leave the mafia and criminals in a position to even think of crossing the border of Uttar Pradesh. Contrasting Congress rule with that of the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Yogi said that while the former spent the money from temples on religious conversions and constructing madrasas, the latter worked for the restoration and redevelopment of those temples under government protection. The ongoing projects in Badrinath and Kedarnath are examples of this, he stated. He said the new Ayodhya was showcasing the glimpse of Tretayug. He informed the gathering that one and a half to two lakh people were visiting Ayodhya every day. There is full security and facilities for the devotees. We say we wont provoke, but we wont also spare those who harass businessmen or daughters. Some people think they will commit a crime and go to jail, but we will send them to hell before they reach jail, he added. The UP chief minister said that Uttarakhand has given the country its first and second chiefs of defence staff (CDS). This is General Bipin Rawats birthplace. We are confident that under Prime Minister Modis leadership, the borders are secure. During the Congress era, 150 districts of the country were severely affected by Naxalism. Now, only three to four districts are affected, Yogi asserted. Grant Prime Minister Modi a third term, and Naxalism will be eradicated once and for all. Terrorism has ceased in Kashmir. Just four days ago, during an election rally, it was evident that people in Jammu and Kashmir also have faith in Modis assurance regarding the democratic mainstream, Yogi elaborated. Chief Minister Yogi said that he had the opportunity to be a Member of Parliament from Gorakhpur five times since 1998. It was saddening to see the 10-year tenure of Congress as MP. They didnt have any national agenda. Women, youth, the poor, and farmers were not part of their agenda. Their agenda was selfish and divisive, but in the past ten years, we have seen a changing India, Yogi said. Highlighting the improved connectivity under Prime Minister Modis leadership, Yogi said that train facility was made available from Dehradun-Rishikesh to Karnaprayag via Srinagar. Connectivity in the mountains was very difficult before. Previously, it used to take 12-12 hours to travel to Badrinath-Kedarnath. Today, one can reach Kedarnath-Badrinath by helicopter in just half an hour. Kedarnath Dham has again regained the glory it had before 2013, he said. I have spent my childhood here. I have seen that one had to go down two-three kilometres to fetch water. Today, every household has a tap connection. Congress people could not even provide kerosene. Since Uttarakhand was formed, the state has made progress through the Char Dham pilgrimage, Yogi added. Drawing a parallel with the previous government, the UP chief minister said that Congress provided only one AIIMS in 60 years, whereas during Atal jis time, six were built and during Modi jis time, 15 more were added. He said that Uttarakhand was moving in the right direction under the leadership of the double-engine government. The blessings of the deities in Devbhoomi will go to the positive energies, not to the negative ones, he added. Chief Minister Yogi said that on Sunday morning Prime Minister Modi had released BJPs Lok Sankalp Patra which aims to realise the vision of a developed India and propel the self-reliant India forward. The foundation of this vision is the youth, women, farmers, and the poor. The BJP has released its Lok Sankalp Patra to build such an India with the concept that India will establish itself as the worlds greatest power by 2047, he added. Chief Minister Yogi asked all BJP workers to read the Lok Sankalp Patra and disseminate it among the people. In the public meeting, BJPs Uttarakhand unit president Mahendra Bhatt, MP Tirath Singh Rawat, Uttarakhands minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, Subodh Uniyal, BJP candidate from Garhwal Anil Baluni, MLA Rajkumar, Bharat Chaudhary, Vinod Kandari, Renu Visht and others were present. (): Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday visited Gorakhnath cave in Srinagar, Bhaktiyana of Uttarakhand. He had darshan of Guru Gorakshanath there. Nearby, he also worshiped Lord Shiva and performed rituals. After this, the UP chief minister visited Baba Bhairavnath and wished for the prosperity and health of the state. Iran says it has launched ballistic missiles as part of its attack targeting Israel. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted an anonymous official saying ballistic missiles were part of the attack. Already, slow-moving Shahed-136 bomb-carrying drones have been seen in the skies over Iran. However, those are more easily shot down. A ballistic missile moves on an arch trajectory, heading up into space before gravity brings the weapon down at a speed several times faster than the speed of sound. Israel has missile defense systems capable of targeting ballistic missiles. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles like the campaign launched late Saturday by Iran, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher. Iran launched dozens of drones toward Israel late Saturday, Israeli and Iranian officials confirmed, on an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East ever closer to a regionwide war. Israel's military said over 100 drones had been fired but that its air defenses were prepared for the attack and it was ready to respond. The U.S., with its large troop presence in the region, said it would provide unspecified support to Israel. We are monitoring the threat, the Israeli military's spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, announced in a nationwide television address, saying it would take several hours for the drones to reach Israel. The Israeli military said it could not confirm if it had intercepted any drones or what their targets were. The attack marked the first time Iran had ever launched a full-scale military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran had vowed revenge since an April 1 airstrike in Syria killed two Iranian generals inside an Iranian consular building. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack. Israel hasn't commented on it. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel's six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, began attacking Israel's northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel. In a statement carried late Saturday by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime. The statement did not elaborate. Online videos shared by state television purported to show delta-wing-style drones resembling the Iranian Shahed-136 drones long used by Russia in its war on Ukraine. The drones are bomb-carrying and slow-flying. Ukraine has successfully used both surface-to-air missiles and ground fire to target the drones. Iran has a vast arsenal of drones and missiles. Tehran's choice of the Shahed-136 drones give Israel and its allies hours to shoot them down. It does not appear Iran used any of its ballistic missiles in the attack, which would pose a greater risk to Israel. Israel has a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. Hagari, the army spokesman, said Israel was prepared and ready with both defensive and offensive responses. But he cautioned that the air defenses are not 100% effective and urged the public to heed safety instructions. The army's Home Front Command canceled school on Sunday and limited public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. Israel closed its airspace and canceled all flights. Earlier Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. In Washington, President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House. He was set to convene a principals meeting of the National Security Council on Saturday to discuss the unfolding attack, the White House said. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of the U.S. Military's Central Command, was in Israel over the weekend consulting with Israeli defense officials about the Iranian threat. The Central Command oversees U.S. Forces in the Middle East, while Israel has a formidable arsenal that includes long-range missiles and F-35 stealth warplanes. For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had threatened to slap Israel for its Syria strike. In Iran's capital, Tehran, witnesses saw long lines at gas stations early Sunday as people appeared worried about what may come next. Dozens of hard-liners demonstrated in support of the attack at Palestine Square. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following Iran's launch of drones. Flight-tracking data late Saturday showed the airspace over Jordan empty, while few flights continued on their north-south routes over Iraq. A sole Middle East Airlines flight from Dubai to Beirut remained airborne over Syria. Lebanon was closing its airspace. Earlier Saturday, commandos from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel. Iran's state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guard's navy carried out the attack on the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime. Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC. Geneva-based MSC acknowledged the seizure and said 25 crew members were on the ship. We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their well-being, and safe return of the vessel, MSC said. Watson, the White House spokesperson, said the crew was made up of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals and urged Iran to release them and the vessel. IRNA said the Guard would take the vessel into Iranian territorial waters. A Middle East defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, provided video of the attack to The Associated Press in which Iranian commandos are seen rappelling onto a stack of containers on the vessel's deck. The video corresponded with known details of the MSC Aries. The commandos rappelled from what appeared to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, which both the Guard and the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have used before to raid ships. The Israeli military says Iran has launched a number of drones toward Israel. The army's spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said it would take several hours for the aircraft to arrive. He said Israel was prepared. He spoke Saturday evening. Israel has been on heightened alert since an airstrike last week killed two Iranian generals in Syria. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack and vowed revenge. Israel has not commented on that attack. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. The previous story is below. Commandos from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel Saturday in the latest attack between the two countries. The seizure followed a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including a senior Guard general. Iran has promised to retaliate, and U.S. President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House and monitor the situation. Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip has inflamed decade-old tensions in the Middle East, and any new attack threatens to escalate that conflict into a wider regional war. Iran's state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guard's navy carried out the attack on the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime. Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC. Geneva-based MSC acknowledged the seizure and said 25 crew members were on the ship. We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing, and safe return of the vessel, MSC said. White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the crew was made up of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals and urged Iran to release them and the vessel. IRNA said the Guard would take the vessel into Iranian territorial waters. A Middle East defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, provided video of the attack to The Associated Press in which Iranian commandos are seen rappelling onto a stack of containers on the vessel's deck. A crew member can be heard saying: Don't come out. He then tells his colleagues to go to the ship's bridge as more commandos come down. One commando can be seen kneeling above the others to provide them potential cover fire. The video corresponded with known details of the MSC Aries. The commandos rappelled from what appeared to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, which both the Guard and the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have used before to raid ships. The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations described the vessel as being seized by regional authorities in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah, without elaborating. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called on nations to list the Guard as a terrorist organization. Iran is a criminal regime that supports Hamas' crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law, Katz said. For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have threatened to slap Israel for its Syria strike. Israel has been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran and is ready for any scenario, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday. "Whoever strikes us, we will strike them. We will defend ourselves against every threat and we will do this calmly and with determination, he said. The U.S., Israel's main backer, has stood by the country despite growing concerns over Israel's war on Gaza killing more than 33,600 Palestinians and wounding over 76,200 more. Israel's war began after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage. The Pentagon said Saturday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart to discuss urgent regional threats ... And made clear that Israel could count on full U.S. Support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies." National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washington's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. In Iran, meanwhile, officials publicly denied faked text messages sent in the name of civil defense authorities that urged the public to prepare drinking water and dry food due to the emerging emergency situation. Iran since 2019 has engaged in a series of ship seizures, and attacks on vessels have been attributed to it amid ongoing tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. In previous seizures, Iran's initial explanations made it seem like the attacks had nothing to do with wider geopolitical tensions, then later acknowledged as much. In Saturday's attack, however, Iran said only that the MSC Aries had links to Israel. Iran has largely avoided directly attacking Israel, despite its targeted killings of nuclear scientists and sabotage campaigns on Iran's atomic sites. Iran has targeted Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces. Amid concerns about the increased tensions, Lufthansa Group on Saturday extended its suspension of flights between Frankfurt and Tehran through Thursday and said its planes would avoid Iranian airspace. The German carrier also said that, until at least Tuesday, flights to and from Amman will be operated as day flights so crews won't spend a night in the Jordanian capital. Dutch airline KLM said it will no longer fly over Iran or Israel but will continue flights to and from Tel Aviv. The Gulf of Oman is near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all globally traded oil passes. Fujairah, on the United Arab Emirates' eastern coast, is a main port for ships to take on new oil cargo, pick up supplies or trade out crew. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday released the BJP's Lok Sabha manifesto which has a special focus on the poor, youth, farmers and women, and asserted that the need for a stable government with full majority was necessary when the world was passing through uncertain times. The prime minister handed over the copies of the manifesto to representatives of the four broad groups -- Gareeb, Yuva, Annadata and Nari Shakti (GYAN) -- who are beneficiaries of government schemes. "In the last 10 years, BJP has implemented every aspect of its manifesto as a guarantee. BJP has restored the sanctity of the manifesto," Modi said at the release of the manifesto. "The need for a stable majority government increases at a time when the world is passing through uncertain times," the prime minister said, referring to the several conflicts the world was grappling with. Modi asserted that the BJP will work towards implementing the one nation, one election initiative, and stressed that the Uniform Civil Code was in the national interest. "BJP will start working on the promises made in the manifesto immediately after the results are declared on June 4," Modi said. "I present this Sankalp Patra of the BJP as a document of 'Modi ki Guarantee' to the people of the nation for their blessings," he said. Reaching out the Tamil Nadu, where the BJP is seeking to get a foothold, Modi announced that the BJP will work towards building Thiruvalluvar cultural centres all over the world. "We will build Thiruvalluvar cultural centres all over the world. The world's oldest Tamil language is our pride. BJP will undertake every effort to enhance the global reputation of Tamil language," Modi said. Thiruvalluvar was a noted Tamil poet and philosopher. "Our Sankalp Patra empowers the four strong pillars of Viksit Bharat -- youth power, women power, poor and farmers. Our focus is on dignity of life, quality of life and employment through investments," Modi said Earlier addressing the gathering, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the manifesto embodies the guarantees the prime minister had given to the people of the country. "Modi ki guarantee is equivalent to 24 carat gold and has emerged as the gold standard of governance," Singh said. Singh, who helmed the manifesto committee, said more than 15 lakh suggestions were received from across the country which have been incorporated into the manifesto. The manifesto talks about implementing the one nation, one poll initiatives, preparing common electoral rolls, abolishing waiting lists for train travel, expansion of 5G networks and organising Ramayan festivals world over. Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases beginning April 19. President Joe Biden has condemned Iran's unprecedented air attack on Israel and convened a meeting of the G-7 leaders on Sunday to develop a coordinated response to the brazen assault. His comments came as American forces joined efforts to down drones and missiles launched by Tehran. Israel said it and its allies have intercepted the vast majority of more than 200 drones and missiles launched by Iran. "Earlier today, Iranand its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraqlaunched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms," Biden said after his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden said at his direction, to support the defence of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, he said. I've just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel," he said. Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, he said. Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack. "My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israel's leaders. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people, Biden said. Press Release April 14, 2024 Villanueva: Enterprise-based education and training to boost gov't effort to address unemployment Reacting to the decrease in unemployment rate in February, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva stressed the need for an institutionalized enterprise-based education and training program to boost the government's effort in providing more employment opportunities for Filipinos. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported a decrease in the unemployment rate from 4.5% or 2.15 million in January 2024 to 3.5% or 1.8 million in February 2024, which is lower from the 4.8 % or 2.47 million in February of the previous year. The PSA also reported a decrease in underemployment from 13.9% in January to 12.4% in February 2024. "We are formulating a comprehensive set of labor policies targeting both the demand and supply sides of the labor market to effectively address the persistent issue of unemployment and underemployment," stated the majority leader. "Bukod po sa pagsiguro na may trabahong naghihintay sa bawat Pilipino, kailangan rin po nating siguruhin ang kakayahan ng ating mga manggagawa para tugunan ang pangangailangan ng industriya," he added. Villanueva, the prime mover of the Trabaho Para Sa Bayan or Republic Act No.11962, principally sponsored and authored the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework Act in the Senate last March 5, 2024. This legislation was highlighted as a priority measure of the Marcos administration during the last Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting. "We are grateful to the President for recognizing the significance of our proposed game-changing measure and for urging both Houses of Congress to prioritize it," expressed the majority leader. Senate Bill No. 2587 or the EBET Framework Act, aims to bridge the gap between the rapidly evolving needs of industries and the requisite skills of employees. "This measure is the key to solving the problem of unending job-skills mismatch, which is a factor in the volatility of our unemployment and underemployment rates. Institutionalizing the EBET will address the inability of education to catch up with evolving technology and digitalization of industries in the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0," Villanueva said. Enterprise-based training is seen as one of the top drivers of employment among tech-voc courses, with In-Company Training and Learnership having the highest employment rates over other forms of training ranging from 86.26% to 91.14% based on the 2020 and 2021 Studies on the Employment of Tech-voc graduates. According to the proposed measure, the EBET Framework Act will "strengthen, rationalize, and harmonize programs, such as apprenticeship, learnership, and the dual training system, under an EBET framework, which shall be competency-based and industry-driven, and with due regard to the rights and occupational safety and health of trainees, through the active participation of employers, trainees, technical-vocational institutions, and the government." "The objective is to unify all modes of enterprise-based training programs under one framework to enhance the skills of our new entrants to the labor force and to upskill those already employed, ensuring their employability and meeting the demands of the rapidly evolving world of work," Villanueva emphasized. Villanueva, the former Secretary of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), also pointed out the importance of engaging the private sector as an indispensable partner in developing modules and competency standards in carrying out EBET programs. "Let our jobseekers learn directly from industry experts. The involvement of our industry partners is crucial in ensuring that skills and competencies align with their requirements," concluded the majority leader. Villanueva: Enterprise-based education at training, magpapalakas sa pagtugon ng pamahalaan sa kawalan ng trabaho Bilang reaksyon sa pagbaba ng unemployment rate noong Pebrero, binigyang-diin ni Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva ang pangangailangan na i-institutionalize ang enterprise-based education and training program para mapalakas ang pagsusumikap ng gobyerno na makapagbigay ng marami pang trabaho para sa mga Pinoy. Iniulat ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) ang pagbaba ng unemployment rate mula 4.5% o 2.15 milyon noong Enero 2024 sa 3.5% o 1.8 milyon nitong Pebrero 2024, na mas mababa sa 4.8% o 2.47 milyon noong Pebrero ng nagdaang taon. Sabi pa ng PSA, bumaba rin ang underemployment mula sa 13.9% noong Enero sa 12.4% nitong Pebrero 2024. "We are formulating a comprehensive set of labor policies targeting both the demand and supply sides of the labor market to effectively address the persistent issue of unemployment and underemployment," sabi ng majority leader. "Bukod po sa pagsiguro na may trabahong naghihintay sa bawat Pilipino, kailangan rin po nating siguruhin ang kakayahan ng ating mga manggagawa para tugunan ang pangangailangan ng industriya," dagdag niya. Inisponsoran ni Villanueva, pangunahing nagsulong ng Trabaho Para Sa Bayan or Republic Act No.11962, ang Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework Act sa Senado noong Marso 5, 2024. Ang batas na ito ay priority measure ng Marcos administration sa huling Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting. "We are grateful to the President for recognizing the significance of our proposed game-changing measure and for urging both Houses of Congress to prioritize it," sabi ni Villanueva. Layunin ng Senate Bill No. 2587 o EBET Framework Act, na punan ang puwang sa pagitan ng mabilis na pag-unlad ng mga industriya at ang kinakailangang kasanayan o skills ng mga manggagawa. "This measure is the key to solving the problem of unending job-skills mismatch, which is a factor in the volatility of our unemployment and underemployment rates. Institutionalizing the EBET will address the inability of education to catch up with evolving technology and digitalization of industries in the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0," ayon kay Villanueva. Ang enterprise-based training ay nakikitang isa sa mga 'top driver' ng trabaho sa mga tech-voc courses, kasama ang In-Company training and Learnership na siyang may pinakamataas na employment rates sa iba pang anyo ng ng pagsasanay, mula 86.26% batay sa 2020 at 2021 Studies on the Employment of Tech-voc Graduates. Ayon sa panukala, ang EBET Framework Act "will strengthen, rationalize, and harmonize programs, such as apprenticeship, learnership, and the dual training system, under an EBET framework, which shall be competency-based and industry-driven, and with due regard to the rights and occupational safety and health of trainees, through the active participation of employers, trainees, technical-vocational institutions, and the government." "The objective is to unify all modes of enterprise-based training programs under one framework to enhance the skills of our new entrants to the labor force and to upskill those already employed, ensuring their employability and meeting the demands of the rapidly evolving world of work," ani ni Villanueva. Binigyang-diin ng dating Kalihim ng Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) ang kahalagahan ng pakikilahok ng pribadong sektor bilang malakas na kasosyo sa pagbuo ng mga module at competency standards sa pagsasagawa ng mga programa ng EBET. "Let our jobseekers learn directly from industry experts. The involvement of our industry partners is crucial in ensuring that skills and competencies align with their requirements," pagtatapos ng majority leader. 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 Here at the Daily Squib we are truly dedicated to our meracious approach to satire, but the threats of violence against our writers has taken a toll, and we may be forced to shut down in the future. The increase in levels of threats over the years mainly coming from totalitarian regimes like Russia, China and N. Korea could cause us to shut down. We are used to being cancelled, and threatened by certain unscrupulous parasitical companies from the EU, but the violent threats from Russia, especially after the Ukraine invasion, have at some times been quite scary. We will not repeat some of the horrendous threats we receive here because they are too horrific to publicise. Our plight has been picked up by the Sun Newspaper, and we are thankful to them for their reporting of the situation. Our jokey satire story about Vladimir Putin having a micro-penis was the catalyst for much of the vitriol received, which we traced back to Russia. These are sad times for satirists, especially those who specialise in Juvenalian satire like the Squib, where authoritarian and totalitarian regimes can attempt to affect our ability to continue on. Satire and comedy used to be once upon a time protected genres, but it seems now these genres are being threatened by wokism, cancel culture, and violent threats. We however do not give up easily, despite not getting any support or any help from anyone. We also do not wish to revel in some form of herostratic fame. Our only desire is to continue to write satire, and wish anyone else who thinks about delving into this literary genre to do so as well, without fear of violence and punishment. Under the current climate, there will probably be no desire to pursue the field of real satire and the old satirists will all eventually disappear under the graveolent dolorous mire, uttering a final Wilhelm scream into the cold darkness. The Daily Squib fights for Justice, Freedom and Democracy. Northern Irelands Finance Minister has been urged to review the industrial derating policy amid criticism of rates handouts for multinational corporations. People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll described the policy as obscene at a time when Stormont is under financial pressure and public services are underfunded. The Treasury has offered to write off almost 600 million of Stormont debt, conditional on the powersharing Executive raising 113 million and producing a plan to deliver sustainable finances. The stipulation is a key element of a 3.3 billion financial package drawn up by the UK Government to support the return of devolution in Northern Ireland. A Stormont budget is expected to be unveiled by the end of April. Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald told the Assembly last week that the Executive is facing a significant challenge in terms of its budgetary situation. Industrial derating includes a 70% discount in rates for manufacturing spaces, and is awarded to more than 4,000 industrial properties in Northern Ireland Figures obtained by People Before Profit have revealed a breakdown of the properties which benefit from the policy, ranging from factories, distilleries, film studios, workshops and depots. They include businesses involved in food production as well as manufacturing. The total cost comes to more than 71 million. Mr Carroll said some of the worlds top firms are availing of rates handouts. It is unacceptable for multinational corporations to avail of such obscene handouts, he said. Ordinary people have had their rates hiked year-on-year, while corporate profiteers are allowed to hold on to millions in unpaid rates. Just last month, we were told Stormont needed to raise 113 million to invest in public services. The Executive could take tens of millions off multinational corporations at the stroke of a pen if they were prepared to challenge the rich. Every penny we let these corporations keep is money lost to our public services. The Finance Minister needs to urgently review industrial derating to stop massively wealthy corporations from raking it in at public expense. The lobby group Manufacturing NI previously urged against the ending of the industrial derating policy, claiming it would be deeply damaging. Responding, a spokesperson for the Department of Finance said the minister is assessing the findings of a consultation which looked at industrial derating. Industrial derating is awarded to around 4,400 industrial properties that are eligible for the relief, they said. Industrial derating was part of the revenue raising consultation on non-domestic and domestic rating measures. The Finance Minister will be assessing the findings of the consultation, alongside a number of other strategic areas within the rating system. The leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice party has vowed to run anti-protocol candidates across every constituency in Northern Ireland. But Jim Allister refused to say whether he believes the move will risk splitting the unionist vote in the province. Last month, the TUV struck an electoral partnership with Reform UK that will see them run agreed candidates in Northern Ireland. A memorandum of understanding between the parties was announced when Reform leader Richard Tice attended the TUV conference in Co Antrim in March. The TUV is a vocal opponent of the post-Brexit trading arrangements that have created economic barriers on the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The party is a scathing critic of the DUPs decision to agree a deal with the UK Government on trade that saw it drop its two-year blockade of powersharing and return to devolved government at Stormont. Asked whether it is his intention to run anti-protocol candidates from either his party or Reform in each of the 18 constituencies at the next general election, Mr Allister said it certainly is the aspirational intention. We havent named 18 candidates but yes, I said that it was our intention to seek to do that, he told the BBCs Sunday Politics Northern Ireland show. Mr Allister said that people who are discomforted by Brexits contentious Northern Ireland Protocol are entitled to have their say. Running anti-protocol candidates in constituencies such as Lagan Valley and East Belfast could put pressure on the DUP to hold on to its seats. If the greater number of unionists reject this Donaldson deal, then its dead in the water, and thats the opportunity theyll be given, and why shouldnt they be, Mr Allister added. Democracy is about letting the people decide. The people may well decide that theres not much difference between a protocol-implementer, if they are a protocol-implementer no matter what flag they fly. Asked if he will stand in the next general election, Mr Allister said we will have to wait and see. There is a time and a place for these declarations and that time and that place will come, he added. Andrew Scott said fellow Irish actor Paul Mescal has continued to be a wonderful friend after they starred together in a romantic fantasy film. They starred in Bafta-nominated All Of Us Strangers, released in January, about an adult dealing with the grief of losing both his parents when he was a child. I adore Paul, Scott told the Sunday Times. Obviously its been a tough time recently and he just continues to be a wonderful friend. Its everything. The more I work in the industry, I realise, you make some stuff that people love and you make some stuff that people dont like, and all really that you are left with is the relationships that you make. I love him dearly. The fantasy film was critically well received and a feature of awards season. While Scott was not nominated in this years Baftas, the film also failed to win in categories including outstanding British film, Normal People star Mescal as supporting actor, Claire Foy as supporting actress or Andrew Haigh as best director. At the British Independent Film Awards (Bifa), All Of Us Strangers was named best movie and best screenplay, with Haigh winning best director and the best supporting performance for Mescal, although Fleabag star Scott was beaten to best lead performance by Mia McKenna-Bruce in How to Have Sex. Scott said filming parts of All Of Us Strangers was painful but also cathartic because of his own experiences as a young gay man. Speaking of how his character tells visions of his dead parents that he is gay during a return to his childhood home, Scott said of his experiences of coming out: Of course, so in a sense it was painful, to a degree, but it was cathartic because you are doing it with people that you absolutely love and trust. I felt that it was going to be of use to people and I was right, it has been. The reaction to the movie has been genuinely extraordinary it makes people feel and see things, and that isnt an easy thing to achieve. The Dublin-born has previously given a menacing performance as the criminal mastermind James Moriarty in BBC series Sherlock and recently starred in Netflix thriller Ripley as the title character. Scott is set to attend the Olivier Awards on Sunday at the Royal Albert Hall, where he is nominated for best actor for one-man play Vanya. The Labour Party has announced that it is to run a candidate in the Ardee Electoral Area in June's Local Elections, creating two new pieces of history for the party in the process. Ukrainian-born Kate Karpenko became the 100th candidate formally selected to run for the Labour Party in the Local Elections on Monday night in Ardee. Kate is not only the first Ukrainian-born candidate to run for the party but also the first woman to be selected by Labour in the Mid-Louth electoral area. A packed room of supporters at the Ardee Business Centre set Kate Karpenko off on her campaign to secure a seat on Louth County Council. Addressing the room, Kate told her story: I came to Ireland almost two years ago, following the outbreak of war in my home country of Ukraine. For all of those two years I have been living in Ardee. Ardee is now very much my home and I am committed to the area. Because I am involved with the local community, I know the issues they are concerned about. I know the things local people would like to see improved. The Labour Party says that Kate has a wealth of political experience behind her. She has a background in sociology and worked in politics in Ukraine before being forced to flee the war-torn country. Kate explained: The ideas of the Labour Party are close to my own and Im sure the experience I have will be useful and can benefit the local community. Moved by the support in the room for her candidacy, Kate said: First, I want to say thank you to Ireland for giving us so many opportunities. Im also grateful to the members of the Labour Party for choosing me as their candidate. A meeting with Ged Nash, changed my life. I can say a lot about Ged but I just want to thank him for believing in me. Thank you too to all the people who have motivated me on this journey, with whose support I have grown and who make me stronger. Louth Labour TD, Ged Nash attended the selection convention in Ardee and said that Kate was an inspiration. He told the new Labour candidate: You now have the opportunity to change lives and I firmly believe that you will change lives with the work you are doing with our party and in putting your name forward for this election, to represent all the people of the Mid-Louth area. He added: Once you are living here, you have an entitlement to vote here in the Local Elections and to contest the Local Elections. I think there is no stronger message of integration than to being prepared to involve yourself in the community and put your name forward to represent that community in a democratic election. In comments following the convention, Deputy Nash said: Kate is a natural advocate for people. She is always looking out for other people, always helping, always advising, always supporting. Kates story is an inspiring one, and she is an inspiring person and I know the people of this area will see that over the next few weeks, as we approach these important elections. An Bord Pleanala has granted planning permission with revised conditions, for a development at the former St. Joseph's Female Orphanage & Industrial School and St Malachy's Convent, at Seatown Place, Castle Street, Dundalk, into a new apartment complex. Louth County Council had granted conditional planning permission to Mr Laurence Tuite for a development consisting of the conservation, extension and change of use of the former orphanage in Dundalk. An appeal was lodged with An Bord Pleanala by Elaine and Thomas Gilsenan and others in December 2022 against the decision by the local authority. The original planned development comprises the complete restoration and refurbishment of the two protected structures to the front of the site; the demolition of the existing gymnasium, classroom, laundry and workshop building to the rear of the property at Castle Street; and the development of 58 apartments in two blocks, 31 apartments in one block, and 27 apartments in another. The former St Joseph's Female Orphanage & Industrial School is a protected structure, listed in the local authority's Record of Protected Structures as RPS D290, and St. Malachy's Convent is also protected structure, (RPS D292). Both are located in an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA). A number of submissions had been made against the original planning application, with reasons for objecting to the development including traffic impact and safety considerations, car parking provision and waste management. Louth County Council granted planning permission on 4 November for the development, subject to 14 conditions. An Bord Pleanala made the decision to grant planning permission for the development, with revised conditions on 5 April. Plans are underway for a new Large-scale Residential Development (LRD) of 147 homes at the Inner Relief Road in Dundalk. Jan C van Dijk has sought an LRD meeting request with Louth County Council in relation to plans for a development comprising 147 residential units at Inner Relief Road, Dublin Road(R132), Dundalk. While there are no further details available on the planned development at present, Louth County Council is required to facilitate a consultation meeting within four weeks of the date receipt of the meeting request. LRDs replace the previous Strategic Housing Development (SHD) process where applications went to An Bord Pleanala for determination. The LRD process is as follows: An LRD Meeting Request is made with the local planning authority as part of the process when seeking planning permission for an LRD. Following the receipt of LRD consultation request, the planning authority is required to facilitate a consultation meeting with the applicant within four weeks of the date receipt of such a request. Following the LRD Meeting, there is a period of four weeks for the planning authority to issue an LRD opinion on whether the proposals constitute a reasonable basis for submitting a planning application on the LRD proposals. This LRD opinion is valid for six months. A planning application must then be submitted within six months of receipt of an LRD opinion. The developer must make the application documentation available for public viewing on a dedicated website set up for this purpose. Entrepreneur Barry Kieran has officially launched his candidacy for one of Irelands newest parties, Independent Ireland, in the Dundalk South Local Electoral Area (LEA) in the forthcoming local elections. Describing himself as having a decade of experience in business and a strong commitment to community service, Kieran says he aims to bring fresh perspectives and practical solutions to local governance. "As an entrepreneur with over a decade of experience, I've firsthand seen the challenges small businesses face, driving my commitment to support them and advocate for common-sense policies," said Kieran. "My disillusionment with current government policies, especially concerning immigration, housing, and healthcare, has deepened my resolve to seek change," added Kieran. Since 2018, Kieran has been actively involved in supporting children with additional needs and says urgent reforms are needed in Ireland's public service sectors. "This passion is mirrored in my work since 2018 with children with additional needs, exposing me to the urgent reforms needed in our public service sectors," he said. "Choosing to run with Independent Ireland aligns with my belief in integrity, accountability, and practical governance," he concluded. Party Leader Michael Collins expressed support for Mr Kieran's candidacy saying: . "Barry Kieran brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to Independent Ireland. His commitment to supporting small businesses and advocating for practical governance makes him the perfect candidate for Dundalk South." Michael Fitzmaurice TD commended Kieran's dedication to community service saying, "Barry Kieran's dedication to community service and his vision for change in Ireland make him an ideal candidate for Independent Ireland. I am confident that he will be a strong voice for Dundalk South LEA and I look forward to attending Barry's official launch in the coming weeks," said Fitzmaurice. THE history of the flax industry in West Cork was discussed at a recent talk hosted by Duchas Clonakilty Heritage. Flax enthusiast Kathy Kirwan delivered the talk to what was described as a very attentive audience who came from many areas of West Cork, and included people who worked directly or had links working with flax in the past. A Duchas Clonakilty Heritage spokesperson said that while commercial flax growing died out in the late 1950s in West Cork, it was a very important cash crop during the two world wars and in previous centuries. They said that up to 10,000 people were employed in the industry in the Clonakilty area alone 200 years ago. The spokesperson said Kathy Kirwan would be delighted to be contacted by anyone with any information about flax and the related linen industry in the past. She can be reached at KathyKirwanflax@gmail.com. AN agreement to promote Ireland and the British Isles as a cruising region has been signed by representatives of Cruise Ireland and Cruise Britain. The deal will drive economic growth, job creation, and sustainable tourism, the chief commercial officer of the Port of Cork Company has said. Conor Mowlds, who is the chairman of Cruise Ireland, signed the memorandum of understanding alongside his Cruise Britain counterpart, Ian McQuade, at the worlds largest cruise trade show, the Seatrade Global Conference, this week, in Miami, Florida. The agreement will harness the pleasures of cruise tourism, but within short sailing distances. Cruise Ireland said the agreement signified a a shared commitment to promoting and developing cruise tourism through joint marketing campaigns, while emphasising sustainable and responsible tourism practices. Mr Mowlds said the memorandum of understanding represented the strong intent to foster connections across borders and seas to bolster our positioning for future tourism and economic growth. Cruise calls provide essential transient tourism: Shorter stays, an injection of economic activity to regions without putting additional pressure on the hospitality sector for the need of bed nights, Mr Mowlds said. On-shore spending averages over 80 per passenger and almost 30 per crewperson, highlighting the substantial economic benefits for the regions. The partnership between Cruise Ireland and Cruise Britain holds promise for driving economic growth, job creation, and sustainable tourism across our islands. Mr McQuade described the agreement as a real step change in the working relationship between Britain and Irelands shoreside cruise businesses. For the cruise sector, the United Kingdom and Ireland represent a key operating region within northern Europe and all partners can benefit from working together to leverage increased business and a smooth, sustainable growth trajectory, he said. BANTRY Bay Port Company has marked the beginning of the cruise season with the arrival of the Spirit of Discovery, the first of 22 cruise ships to arrive in 2024. This kickstarts a record-breaking cruise season for Bantry Bay Port Company, with 144% more ship arrivals than 2023, bringing more than 15,000 passengers and crew from all over the world to Bantry Bay, providing a major boost for tourism in the surrounding area. Operated by SAGA Cruises, the Spirit of Discovery is one of the largest liners that can be accommodated in Bantry Bay and will be anchored just off Whiddy Island for 24 hours before heading for Cobh as part of its Spring in Southern Ireland round-trip. It has a passenger and crew capacity of 1,527, which is almost half the population of Bantry, meaning it will bring a huge increase of footfall to the town and surrounding area. Michael Murphy, assistant harbour master at the Port of Bantry, said: We are delighted to welcome 22 cruise liners to Bantry Bay Port this year. We know that they will have a positive impact on local trade and tourism and hope all passengers and crew enjoy all that this part of the country has to offer. Seeing this figure jump from nine cruises in 2023 is incredible, and shows how much of a popular destination the Port has become. Conor Mowlds, chairman of Cruise Ireland and chief commercial officer at the Port of Cork Company, of which Bantry Bay Port is a subsidiary, added: We are set to welcome 125 cruise ships to Cork this year and are delighted to have 22 of those stopping off in Bantry Bay Port, allowing passengers and crew to discover even more of Cork during their stay." The funeral of the couple who died following a house fire at their home on the Lower Glanmire Road will take place this week. John and Gabrielle Gay ODonnell died in the blaze at their home on April 4 despite efforts to rescue them. Several units of Cork Fire Brigade and the other emergency services attended the scene on the night. The remains of the couple will repose at OConnors Coburg Street Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 16, from 5pm to 6pm. Their Requiem Mass will then be celebrated at St Patricks Church on the Lower Glanmire Road on Wednesday at 2pm. Their funeral will then take place afterwards at The Island Crematorium in Ringaskiddy. The couple are survived by their son Mark, and Johns sons, John and Damien, as well as grandchildren and other relatives. It is understood that on the day that the couple died, John and Gay had been celebrating the birth of a grandchild. The fire was reported at around 11.15pm and the emergency services were on the scene in minutes, according to locals. After the fire was brought under control the bodies of John and Gay ODonnell were taken from the scene. The day after the fire, which gutted the building, traumatised neighbours and friends stood on the footpath across the road from where the tragedy occurred and watched as a unit of Cork City Fire Brigade tried to make the building safe. At the scene, Fine Gael councillor for Cork citys North East ward Joe Kavanagh described the couple as real staunch decent people, pillars of the local community here. They reared a family here, their family had grown up and moved out, he said. Their loss will be deeply felt by the local residents and the residents living here in the local area are a very tight-knit residents group, he continued. Other local councillors including independent Ger Keohane and Ken OFlynn of Independent Ireland expressed their condolences in the aftermath of the tragedy. A second man has pleaded guilty to his part in a criminal operation to steal luxury cars in various parts of the country and he will be sentenced on April 17 at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. The intricately planned scam saw parties checking out cars advertised on DoneDeal, distracting the owner, switching the spare key and returning later to drive away in cars, such as a Mercedes, without paying anything. Detective Garda John Murphy outlined this modus operandi during a related sentencing hearing for one of the accused who turned up at various locations, including Killarney, Co Kerry, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, Tipperary town, Dundalk, Co Louth, and Conna, Co Cork, on different dates in March and April last year. Now at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, 47-year-old Rosmarin Serban of no fixed address has pleaded guilty to related charges and will be sentenced on April 17. He admitted deception in relation to a Ford Kuga at Carrickmacross County Monaghan on March 13/14 2023; theft of key of car at Curraglass, Ballynoe, County Cork on April 3 2023; possession of a stole Audi car key to be used in connection with a theft on April 5 2023 at Conna County Cork; possession of an Apple Air Tag with intention that it be used in connection with a theft at the same date and place; conspiring with others to commit a serious offence theft at various locations in County Cork; and finally, possession of a false instrument, namely a Spanish driving licence in another name. Jerome Lordan, who has operated Kinsale Harbour Cruises for over 20 years, is selling the Spirit of Kinsale boat and has decided to retire. His family has, for generations, lived at the Old Head of Kinsale and he has published two books about that coastal area: No Flowers on a Sailors Grave, about the shipwrecks of Kinsale and Courtmacsherry; and Peninsula People, a visual genealogy and social history. Jerome started his maritime career at the National Fisheries College in Greencastle, Co Donegal, in 1976, and fished for 28 years, in Ireland and overseas, in Australia, New Zealand, and in the UK, from Cornwall. He has owned several fishing boats. In 2003, he left that industry to look for a business based on his experience. Kinsale Harbour Cruises was the result, now an established part of harbour activities: An opportunity to combine maritime experience and my interest in heritage, culture, and wildlife, Jerome said. Im 66 now and its time to retire. Seeing Kinsale from the water is spectacular. Its history as a maritime location is massive. Jerome has recorded a lot of that history. After studying heritage management at Colaiste Stiofain Naofa, Cork, he did a BA in archaeology and Celtic civilisation at University College Cork and a masters degree in local history. That MA, in 2012, was awarded for his thesis on local place names of the Old Head. Local topography, folklore, and oral tradition are fascinating, Jerome said. The native inhabitants had different names for various places. There is the sadness of emigration and abandoned homesteads, the determination of the people, their struggles, disappointments, successes... Peninsula People has 450 photographs, one of the earliest of which shows Jeromes great grandmother in 1890. Others date from the 1920s and 1930s. It was the effort of a trio: Jerome; Padraig Begley, who was involved in the restoration of the Old Head signal tower; and Eugene Dennis, whose father came from the Old Head. Jerome Lordan They collected 600 photographs of which 450 were published. There was great support from the local community, who searched through personal belongings for glimpses into the past. After Eugenes passing in August 2018, Padraig and Jerome completed the work. It is time to sell Spirit of Kinsale, Jerome told me. Im retiring and, as boat owners know, it is a wrench selling a vessel, but it is time. Dominic Daly, whose auctioneering firm has experience in maritime sales he has previously worked with state agencies, including the admiralty marshall of the High Court, the Department of the Marine, and other institutions, on the disposal of vessels and marine assets is handling the sale of the steel vessel. Jeromes passion for the maritime sector, local history, and tradition will continue after the sale of Spirit of Kinsale. Well see what happens, he told me this week. FISHING USE IT OR LOSE IT SUGGESTION 43,000 tonnes of fish are uncaught by EU member states in Irish waters, an amount that could benefit the struggling Irish fishing industry, but it is prevented from catching the fish by the EUs common fisheries policy, which favours other nations, giving them bigger catching rights in Irish waters than our own fleet. That has been challenged by Cork MEP Billy Kelleher, who says a use it, or lose it principle should be imposed on those nations. Member states, such as France, have a habit of not catching their full quota, he says. There is 43,000 tonnes of fish, worth an estimated 177m per annum, left uncaught by other member states, which would support existing jobs and create new jobs in coastal communities in Ireland. Access to unused quota has been sought by Ireland, but rejected by the EU Commission, because member states that dont catch their quotas wouldnt permit extra catches for Ireland. EU Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius has ordered a full evaluation of the CFP, but there is suspicion on the Cork coastline. A smoke screen, says Patrick Murphy, chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation in Castletownbere. There is no intention to review the CFP or to change it, absolute rubbish, total dishonesty. Our fishermen only want a fair share of fish in our waters, but we are not getting it. For years, the Irish industry, backed by a government report, has sought a full review of the CFP. Sinkevicius rejected that and suggests an evaluation, which means the process of judging or calculating. The meaning of review is a formal assessment with the intention of instituting change. Assessing words, particularly when the user is leaving his post, can be revealing. Sinkevicius will end his commissioner role when the European elections take place. Two families have been forced to evacuate their homes in recent days near Curraghboy village in Roscommon due to serious flooding. One mother with a young baby had to leave her home due to the flooding at Lough Funshinagh. The evacuations were confirmed in a post on the Lough Funshinagh Flood Crisis Facebook Page: It is with huge regret that we inform you that last evening two homes had to be evacuated. In one instance a mother with a very young baby was asked to pack her belongings and in the other case access to the house became too dangerous, said the social media post. The post added: Eight years ago we highlighted this issue with the authorities and were completely ignored. We were told the lake was in the natural occurring range. Today the lake continues to destroy lives and livelihood and cause major disruption on our local and regional roads as well as a total destruction of a beautiful natural habitat. Our thoughts are with the families asked to leave the area. A diversion route on the N-63, R-357, R-363 has been put in place and the council warned that there may be an increased likelihood of delays on these roads as a consequence, the Roscommon Herald reports. There are now three roads locally closed due to flooding from Lough Funshinagh. In the Dail on Thursday night, Roscommons three TDs raised the issue with the Tanaiste. An emergency order can be issued by Government for a temporary measure to get the water moving which will work until a permanent solution is found. That has the backing of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice said. It has the backing of every politician around the place. I am asking the Tanaiste to do this next Tuesday or sooner if he can. Speaking in the Dail, Tanaiste Micheal Martin agreed that the situation was intolerable for those living in the area, and that emergency works should be allowed to prevent any village from being flooded. I would argue anywhere that the protection of peoples lives and homes should trump any other consideration. That is my view and I would be prepared to go into court and fight that, the Tanaiste said. I will talk to the Minister for the Environment about whether we can give support to Roscommon County Council to ensure it has a robust position to advance. That may happen in the context of a new engineering solution because that could also face legal action, he said. By Grainne Ni Aodha, PA A senior human rights academic has said we are running out of data that is comparable north and south of the border post-Brexit and now is the time to find a solution. Dr Iris Elliot, the head of policy and research at the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, was speaking at the Dublin launch of a study that compared womens pay and participation in the workforce north and south of the border. Dr Elliot said that some of the figures in the report were from as far back as 2017 as the research was cut off because of the UK leaving the EU. She said Ireland should be the first EU country to develop a data strategy on equality and it should consider adding an all-island aspect to it. Since Brexit, Northern Ireland is no longer participating in European surveys or European data work, she told the PA news agency. Theres now an absence of comparable data. This report is using data that concluded in 2017 because the data is no longer available to us. Theres an opportunity with Irelands equality data strategy to use that as a framework to have a conversation across the island about how we develop an all-island data infrastructure that will support comparable research. She said that Ireland and Northern Ireland wouldnt necessarily have to create a new survey system and instead could implement a mirroring of each others data collection. Ireland continues to use EU surveys and Northern Ireland runs the same questions at the same time with the same type of sample, she said. I would speak to the value of continuing using some of the EU survey questions because that enables Ireland also to compare ourselves with the rest of the EU. The UK Government would need to fund such an initiative in Northern Ireland. She added: Its very difficult to have a comparison about what are the experiences of the whole population, and then particular groups who are covered by equality legislation, unless we have comparable data. And that includes using the same categories, using the same questions, collecting the data at the same time, and its important on a one-off basis for that comparability, but also will enable us to compare over time. I think its a way to across any survey work we are doing to always be asking the question is there an opportunity to build in comparable data north and south?. Both Northern Ireland, the UK and Ireland have signed up to international agreements, UN and European treaties and will need to collect monitoring data to ensure they are complying with those terms. I think now is a good time to do it before more years pass and over time systems will change. At the moment were still relatively in step with each other in terms of the EU framework of legislation around equality and non discrimination and fundamental rights. So now is the time to do it. James Cox Here, we have a look at the topics that will dominate political discourse in the week to come. Taoiseach to face opposition Simon Harris has no time to settle into the Taoiseach's office, he's a man in a hurry. Testy exchanges with opposition parties, particularly Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, can be expected, despite being delayed by a week. Ms McDonald went straight for the jugular, accusing Mr Harris of dodging his duties due to the lack of Leaders' Questions this week. She subsequently posted a video outside the Dail criticising him for 'not showing' for work. However, a video from Mr Harris at the same time explained he had been at his desk since 7.50am. He missed the Dail sitting due to calls with UK prime minister Rishi Sunak, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill, and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly. Mr Harris was then in Brussels to meet other European leaders. The reaction from the opposition will give Mr Harris a taste of what is in store next week, when calls for a general election from opposition parties are likely to intensify. Delayed referendum? The referendum on the Unified Patent Court (UPC) may be pushed back from June, when it was scheduled to go ahead along with the local and European elections. I HAVE a distinct memory of when I was a five-year-old boy. Its 4pm on November 2, 1968, and Im in the back seat of our familys Triumph station-wagon in Cork city, sat for three hours while my father waited, waited, and waited to turn right onto Merchants Quay. The stench of raw sewage in the Lee combined with leaded petrol fumes meant this was no place to be stuck in a car. Anyone who grew up in Cork in the 1960s was certain of two things. We were good at hurling, and the traffic was dreadful. Huge jams were a regular occurrence, as cars, buses, lorries and cyclists jostled each other through the narrow, winding streets and over the nine bridges spanning the two channels of the River Lee. The city leaders had been wrestling with the problem of too many river channels and too few bridges for centuries. A main channel had been covered over in the 18th century to create Patrick Street. Many of the other main streets, such as South Mall, remained wharves until after 1800. As the horse and cart gave way to the motor car, new problems arose. In August, 1937, Mr D.G. McNamara proposed the Corporation consider the culverting of part of the South Channel, so as to have an area for car parking, etc: the finance to come from the Department of Public Works as a relief grant for the unemployed of Cork. Fortunately, all-powerful city manager Philip Monahan ignored his request. However, by the early 1960s, 11,000 cars were driving through the city every day and estimates suggested this would reach a staggering 54,000 by 1968. Few people wanted to be there, but they could not cross the city otherwise. In July, 1963, the Corporation advertised for a traffic consultant to survey and present plans for parking, road improvements and traffic control measures to solve the chronic problems. They appointed Patrick F. McCarthy, of B.K.S Consultative Technical Services, based in Raheny, Dublin. As a short-term measure, in 1965, B.K.S recommended a one-way system that never saw light of day. Matters finally came to a head with the permanent closure of Parnell Bridge due to metal fatigue on January 19, 1968, which led to monumental congestion, as I recall from that day as a boy. To end the gridlock, a remarkable solution was proposed. The plan On March 19, 1968, the Echo reported that B.K.S had finally submitted its traffic plan to Cork Corporation. It was dramatic, radical, and eye-wateringly expensive. To get traffic moving freely through the city, vast areas would be demolished. The plan envisaged new bridges and ring roads, widened arterial and city centre roads, and suburban one-way traffic systems. The completion date was 1986. The stand-out feature was an incredibly ambitious and landscape-changing, partly-elevated three-lane motorway, 30 metres (100ft) wide circling the city centre, which would siphon traffic in and out. Joe McHugh, former Cork City Manager, who was the driving force in dismantling the motorway plan in 1974 This two-and-a-half mile road would cost 6.65million alone, and run from a ground-level roundabout at a junction of the airport road and Boreenmanna Road, across Rutland Street, Travers Street, Barrack Street, Washington Street, North Main Street, John Redmond Street, and Wellington Road, to the original roundabout at the Boreenmanna Road junction. Huge multi-storey car parks would form a ring around the centre and new footbridges would allow pedestrians cross from these into the centre. The consultants urged that land and property acquisition begin immediately, financed by higher rates and Government grants. The cost of land acquisition for the roads was 2.1million (1million for the property alone) and 13.5million for road construction. The states entire transport budget in 1968 was 13.7million. The reaction Despite heroic work by Irish Times journalist Mary Leland - who described the plan as the sprawling octopus of an elevated highway which would wrap the city in a ring of concrete - public reaction was at first muted. There were few copies of the 153-page report in circulation. Objectors had to write to the Planning Office in City Hall to access them. Even today, the only full publicly available copy of the report is in the National Library. British architect Brian Sidnell was scathing about the elevated motorway aspect of the plan. It would destroy the character of the city, he said. It is not hard to see how he reached that conclusion. Ground-zero for destruction were the houses of The Marsh, Corks oldest neighbourhood, where more than 1,000 mostly elderly and working class people lived. The people there demanded to meet councillors and the Lord Mayor, Peter Barry, TD, in the Middle Parish Hall. At a time of great deference to authority, this was practically unheard of. At the meeting, Cllr Barry made it clear he for one was not convinced the plan was good for Cork. At a subsequent meeting in the teachers club, students and staff from UCC and the College of Art shredded it. When the city engineer was asked about those living under the road, he replied they will get used to it. The meeting ended in uproar and threats of legal action. An Foras Forbartha - the National Institute for Physical Planning and Construction Research - dealt another blow to the plan by commissioning Peter Dovell, Professor of Urban Design at Manchester University, to examine it. In June, 1971, his report was scathing of the damage it would do to the fabric of the city. Every decision to clear an area or demolish any part of the inner city needs the most critical assessment to ensure nothing is lost of significance, Prof Dovell urged. Once cleared, there is no time for second thoughts and Cork is particularly vulnerable. It is a city with a certain fragile dignity that should be respected and fought for, by all who value its heritage. In a hierarchy of cities, Cork is special. Even the most ardent supporter of the plan would have found it hard to disagree that Cork was indeed special! Mounting opposition forced councillors into a series of defensive reviews and reassessments, including an expensive, 16,500 fact-finding trip to English cities by an eight-man delegation of councillors and officials. There is no record of their findings, but the Corpo wasnt for turning. Fifty-one years ago, on March 28, 1973, the Corporation voted 15-1 to proceed with the plan. The sole dissenting voice was the blind Labour councillor Pearse Leahy - who became Lord Mayor of Cork in 1969 - and who was arguably being more far-sighted than his colleagues. Lord Mayor Sean OLeary was ecstatic, declaring: Anybody with plans to develop property in the centre of Cork city need have no more inhibitions now that the Corporation has decided on a positive, long-term traffic plan. He added that the proposal should be used to develop the city on a planned basis, at minimum cost to the ratepayers. The plan dies It took seven months for the entire financial foundations of the plan to collapse - and it took a global financial crisis In October, 1973, oil prices rocketed with the start of the Arab-Israeli war and Ireland plunged into recession. Any chance of prising money out of national government went with it. In 1974, a new city manager, Joe McHugh, brought a new emphasis on preserving and upgrading the built heritage, developing the Huguenot quarter off Patrick Street, rebuilding the North Main Street area of old Cork and - after a fire there in 1980 - fully restoring the English Market. These developments were critical as they had all been slated for demolition under the B.K.S proposal and suffered from urban blight as a result. Mr McHugh oversaw the restoration of Christ Church, and the creation of Bishop Lucey Park. Most importantly, he initiated a regional Land-Use and Transportation Study, which created a ring-road to divert traffic around the city and cross the river via the Jack Lynch Tunnel. And so, Cork, the beautiful city, was saved from the all-conquering car and the close-knit community in the heart of the city survived to live another day. ROUTE OF ELEVATED MOTORWAY The elevated motorway would have passed along Wellington Road (one side at least having to be demolished), cut across Patricks Hill, and over Leitrim Street to Shandon Hill. Turning south, it passed close behind St Marys, Popes Quay, and across the river at high level. It cut through North Main Street to Grattan Street, with demolition on the western side, and passed close to St Francis Church and the Courthouse. From here, it would cross the South Channel before turning east in front of St Finbarres and entering a cutting along Douglas Street, then turning north to reach the old Cork-Bandon Railway. Once more, it crossed the two channels of the river to re-join the Wellington Road section, with a complex multi-level interchange junction encircling both St Patricks and Trinity Presbyterian Church. Under the plans, the two rail bridges in the city - the Clontarf and Brian Boru bridges - would be replaced by 1980. The Parnell and South Gate bridges would be removed and widened to four lanes. A relief bridge at Cornmarket Street would divert through traffic around the city. Jennifer Aniston is "still excited" by fame - even though she has "learned lessons". Jennifer Aniston reflects on 30 years of worldwide fame The 55year-old actress shot to global fame in the early 1990s when she was cast as Rachel Green in 'Friends' opposite Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and the late Matthew Perry but whilst everything was "magic" in those days, she admitted that they all have a little more experience these days. She told People: "Oh, everything was the most exciting thing on the planet. It was just magic. Nothing was not exciting. And its still exciting, but weve had more experiences. Weve learned more lessons. Theres a little more behind us." Since the NBC sitcom ended its 10-season run, Jennifer has gone on to a major Hollywood career with roles in films like 'Marley and Me', and is currently starring opposite Reese Witherspoon in Apple+ hit 'The Morning Show' but admitted that all these years later, amongst the biggest lessons she has learned throughout her career is just to "be kind" and have "patience" with her co-stars. She said: "Theres so many. Patience, to be kind, to respect your fellow actors. And just tell the truth." Jennifer had been struggling to make it in Hollywood until she had a chance meeting with television executive Warren Littlefield in a gas station, who recommended her for the part in 'Friends'. But when the actress was asked what advice she would give her younger self, she admitted that she wouldn't be so focused on "making it" big as she remembered her first acting appearance in a school Nativity play at the age of 11. Discussing when she first caught the acting bug, she said: "Probably when I was onstage for the first time when I was about 11. I was in a Nativity play, and I played the archangel. From that moment on I caught the bug. "That feeling when it wasnt about making it but just workingmaintain that." Prince Edward is taking on the "distinct honour" of being Colonel of the Scots Guards. Prince Edward is the new Colonel of the Scots Guards The Duke of Edinburgh is set to take over the role from the 88-year-old Duke of Kent, who is set to retire from the position after 50 years following a final annual remembrance event on Sunday (14.04.24), and admitted he has "a degree of trepidation" about living up the standard set by his late mother's cousin. Edward said in a statement: The Duke of Kent has been an extraordinary Colonel of the Scots Guards. Quite apart from his depth of knowledge and keen understanding of the Regiment and all those who serve, past and present, he has been a tireless and passionate advocate. It is a distinct honour to be asked and entrusted by His Majesty to serve as the next Colonel. However, I accept with a degree of trepidation as I will undoubtedly be measured against the formidable record and reputation of my predecessor. I can only promise to do my best. The Duke of Kent hailed his 50 years of duty as a "true honour" which will "forever fill [him] with great joy". He said: Serving as Colonel of the Scots Guards since 1974, the longest anyone has spent in this role, has been a true honour and one which will forever fill me with great joy. Through those years, I have seen the work of the Scots Guards during peacetime and war and witnessed their bravery, selfless courage and devotion to duty. To my fellow Scots Guardsmen, I am immensely proud to have served you all. I am delighted that His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will continue to champion all that you do and work towards preserving your great legacy. The Scots Guards paid a heartfelt tribute to the former soldier - who retired from the Army in 1976 - while welcoming their new colonel. Colonel JDL Leask, Regimental Lieutenant Colonel of the Scots Guards, said of the Duke: He is the only Colonel most of us have known. He has been a constant in a rapidly changing world. His loyalty to the Regiment and selfless commitment to the country has been an example to us all. The Regiment is delighted that His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will shortly become the twenty-seventh Colonel Scots Guards. This is a seminal moment for us. It marks the end of a remarkable era and the start of a new and exciting chapter in our long and distinguished history. Last year, the Duke of Kent handed over his long-held role of President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to Princess Anne. He retains patronages with nearly 140 other organisations and will continue as Royal Colonel of the 1st Battalion, The Rifles, Honorary Air Chief Marshal of The Royal Air Force and Colonel In Chief of The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Reese Witherspoon has warned Hollywood to "get used to" AI because it is "here to stay". Reese Witherspoon believes AI is here to stay The 'Morning Show' actress doesn't believe it is artificial intelligence "coming for your job", but the people who know how to use it successfully, so urged those in the industry to learn more about the technology and how it can be used to boost creativity. Speaking at PaleyFest at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, she said: "Its here to stay, so just get used to it. And I think AI is not coming for your job; people who know how to use AI are coming for your job. So learn about it. "It should be a tool upon which we lay our own creativity, our own humanity and our own ethics. "Thats a whole conversation for women and people of colour and people who are othered sometimes in those developmental spaces really need to get in there lets not be scared of it, lets dive in. The 48-year-old star also has a hugely successful production company, Hello Sunshine, and she believes there has been a huge change with streaming services in the wake of the Hollywood strikes, which will ultimately make it "a little bit harder" to sell new shows. She said: Streaming was like the biggest thing for three to four years, and there was a never-ending constant smash for content, and like literally we could sell anything. "What Im seeing right now, I think from the buying and selling landscape side of it, is that probably part of the strike was a reset for these studios that are not profitable the streaming services and an opportunity for them to resize, rework and cut costs. "So were going to probably see less stuff, which is probably good, right? It was just chaos. It was a flea market. We can slow down a little bit. But theres going to be a more intention around it, and its gonna be a little bit harder. And Reese admitted the fact many streaming services don't release ratings will have an impact on the careers of actors because it doesn't give them substance to back up their arguments during contract negotiations. Pointing to her 'Morning Show' co-star Jennifer Aniston, she said: "Are careers like ours possible ever again? Are there opportunities for people to really emerge as a star? How do you know with no data transparency? How do we even know if something did well or didnt do right?. "[Netflix is] pretty transparent about it [with some figures] but the other people dont. "And its tough as an actor how do you negotiate? How does a producer? How do you market? If you dont know where you sit in a landscape, how do you value something? Theres real amounts of data too, theyve got a lock on it. They dont want you to have the advantage, and its tough. Sofia Vergara has declared her love for her new boyfriend. Sofia Vergara has a new boyfriend The 'Griselda' actress - who split from husband Joe Manganiello in July 2023 after seven years of marriage - praised orthopaedic surgeon Justin Saliman as she revealed he was helping to support her as she recovers from knee surgery. Sharing a photo of the doctor smiling in his scrubs, she wrote on her Instagram Story: "If u ever get a [major] knee surgery make sure u Get a handsome doctor who will sleep with u that night... ! Luv u Dr @jdsaliman (sic)" The 'America's Got Talent' judge was first romantically linked to the medic in October 2023. A source told People magazine at the time: "She is enjoying life. She seems positive and full of energy. Sofia has been handling the divorce well. It wasnt an easy decision, but she is doing great now." Earlier this year, Sofia revealed that she's open to "having fun and meeting people". Asked if she's been using any dating apps in her bid to find love, Sofia told the Daily Mail newspaper: "No, I wish! Im bad with technology, so Im sure I would click on the wrong ones. "Im open to having fun and meeting people." The 51-year-old actress doesn't feel as through she "needs" to find a new husband. But Sofia remains open to the idea of meeting someone new. She shared: "I need a husband! No, I dont need a husband, I want one. "It doesnt even have to be a husband. A partner." In 2023, Sofia and Joe announced their divorce via a joint statement. The former couple said at the time: "We have made the difficult decision to divorce. "As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect for our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives." Indias apparel exports of large garments to Singapore have noticed decline trend in terms of volume during 2023, but its total value and the average prices were higher than the previous year 2022. The quantity of large garments exported to Singapore decreased to 5.790 million units in the last year from 6.203 million units in the preceding year. According to Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro, the average price of large garments increased from $5.99 per unit to $6.48 per unit during the year 2023. While total value of large garment exports inched up to $37.542 million in the last year from $37.134 million in 2022. In 2023, India's large garment exports to Singapore fell to 5.790 million units from 6.203 million in 2022, yet their value rose slightly to $37.542 million, with average prices increasing from $5.99 to $6.48 per unit. Other types of garment exports, measured in kilogram and pair, declined in volume and value, with notable drops in average prices. India classifies and records trade of garments in units (for large garments), kilogram, and pairs (small garments) as per size and value of garment to make data more realistic. Its 80 per cent garment exports to Singapore were classified under large apparel. In terms of kilogram, Indias garment exports to Singapore were noted at 94,879 kg in 2023, which was 27.70 per cent lower than the exports of 130,646 kg in 2022. Its value also decreased to $2.262 million from $3.665 million in the same period. The average price dipped from $28.06 per kg to $23.85 per kg.Similarly, the exports of small garment traded and counted in pairs also eased to 127,027 pairs in the last year from 129,634 pairs in 2022. The value of the trade declined to $0.480 million from $0.515 million during the same period. The average price fell from $3.98 per pair to $3.78 per pair in the year 2023, as per TexPro. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor are gearing up to star in a new movie titled Mr. & Mrs. Mahi. Taking to a social media platform, Karan Johar, one of the producers of the movie, has announced its new release date. The movie, which was supposed to release on April 19, will not hit the theatres on May 31. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) In the post, Johar noted how the upcoming movie is "so much more than celluloid love." His heartfelt post also suggested that the team is currently preparing for the movie's campaign. Taking to a social media platform, Janhvi Kapoor also shared the movie's new poster that contains the release date. Love scores a century on May 31st, 2024! #MrAndMrsMahi releasing in cinemas! FINALLLLLLYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!" her caption read. Kapoor's rumoured boyfriend Shikhar Pahariya commented, "Wooooooooo." The movie will be Kapoor's first project of 2024. However, Rajkummar Rao is also promoting his upcoming movie Srikanth which is slated to release on May 10, 2024. Check out the post below: -- In recognition of 30 years of Extracorporeal Photopheresis Use for Chronic Graft vs. Host Disease (cGvHD), this year's grant is to be dedicated to research in cGvHD -- -- Investigators of ECP in cGvHD are invited to apply for 75,000 research grant -- DUBLIN, April 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt plc, a global specialty pharmacy company, today announced that submissions for its 2024 Extracorporeal Immunomodulation Award (EIA) will open on 13 April 2024 during the 50th Annual Meeting of the European Bone Marrow Transplant Meeting (EBMT), Europe's largest annual congress in blood and bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapies. In recognition of 30 years since clinicians first used ECP to successfully treat chronic GvHD,1 Mallinckrodt, provider of immunomodulatory therapy via Extracorporeal Photopheresis (ECP) and manufacturer of the world's only fully integrated, validated, ECP system, is pleased to mark this important milestone by this year dedicating the award to the study of ECP for cGvHD. All clinicians and scientists working on translational or outcomes-based research, as well as collaborative projects, in the EMEA region are invited to apply. Submissions will be assessed on a range of criteria, including scientific merit, originality, and feasibility, and the winning project will receive an educational grant of 75,000. "Mallinckrodt has pioneered ECP immunomodulation through its THERAKOSTM CELLEXTM Photopheresis System and is pleased to support continued research that further contributes to this field of medicine," said Peter Richardson, MRCP (UK), Executive Vice President & Chief Scientific Officer. Part of Mallinckrodt's ongoing commitment to the science of immunomodulation through ECP is to recognize individuals and institutions whose research contributes to the advancement of knowledge in this area of medicine. Previous winners have included a collaboration between The RIGHT institute and University Hospital Besancon, in France. The team, led by Dr Etienne Daguindau, investigated the mechanisms of cell death generated through ECP, and its direct effects on the innate cells involved in the resolution of inflammation. In 2018, the prize went to a team from the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust's Department of Haematology. Led by Dr Nick Matthews, the study evaluated the effect of ECP on monocytes in the GvHD setting. Entries to the 2024 EIA Award will close on 1 September 2024. For full details on how to enter, go to: https://therakos.eu/healthcare-professionals/research-opportunities-educational-grants/ The 2024 EIA is just part of Mallinckrodt's celebration of 30 years of ECP in GvHD. We are also collaborating with our partners to bring you two symposia at the 2024 EBMT Annual Meeting: Symposium: 30 years of ECP in GvHD: Recommendations for the treatment of cGvHD. This event will be presented by the GvHD Hub, and supported through an unrestricted educational grant from Therakos, Mallinckrodt. Speakers: Mohamad Mohty, Bipin Savani, Florent Malard, and Zinaida Peric. Location: Hall 5 Date and Time: Sunday, April 14, 4.30 p.m. - 6 p.m. British Summer Time (BST) 30 years of ECP in GvHD: Recommendations for the treatment of cGvHD. This event will be presented by the GvHD Hub, and supported through an unrestricted educational grant from Therakos, Mallinckrodt. Mohamad Mohty, Bipin Savani, Florent Malard, and Zinaida Peric. Hall 5 Sunday, April 14, 4.30 p.m. - 6 p.m. British Summer Time (BST) Nurse Symposium: 30 Years of ECP - Patient-centered therapy using Therakos ECP technology, then, now and in the future. Speakers: Michelle Kenyon, Francesca Kinsella, Laura Dalling Location: Hall 1 Date and Time: Monday, April 15, 4.30 p.m. - 6 p.m. British Summer Time (BST) The sessions will be held in person at the meeting's Glasgow venue. To register, go to the EBMT Annual Meeting website. ABOUT THERAKOS Mallinckrodt's Therakos therapeutic platforms, including the latest generation THERAKOSTM CELLEXTM Photopheresis System, are used by academic medical centers, hospitals, and treatment centers in more than 30 countries and have delivered more than 1 million treatments globally.2 For more information, please visit www.therakos.eu. Please see the Indications and Important Safety Information available at therakos.eu. ABOUT MALLINCKRODT Mallinckrodt is a global business consisting of multiple wholly owned subsidiaries that develop, manufacture, market and distribute specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. The company's Specialty Brands reportable segment's areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, hepatology, nephrology, pulmonology, ophthalmology, and oncology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; analgesics; and gastrointestinal products. Its Specialty Generics reportable segment includes specialty generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit https://www.mallinckrodt.com. CONTACT Investor Relations Derek Belz Vice President, Investor Relations 314-654-3950 derek.belz@mnk.com Mallinckrodt, the "M" brand mark and the Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals logo are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company. Other brands are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company or their respective owners. 2024 Mallinckrodt. EU-2400078 04/24 1 Owsianowski, M., Gollnick, H., Siegert, W., Schwerdtfeger, R., & Orfanos, C. E. (1994). Successful treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease with extracorporeal photopheresis. Bone marrow transplantation, 14(5), 845-848. 2 Data on File ref-05174. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2385856/mallinckrodt_standard_color_v3_01_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/mallinckrodt-announces-2024-extracorporeal-immunomodulation-award-302115816.html The actor has been undergoing intense prep for his most ambitious role till date and the film also stars Sai Pallavi and Yash read more Ranbir Kapoor is taking on the most challenging role of his career as Lord Ram in Nitesh Tiwaris Ramayana. The film also stars Sai Pallavi, Yash, and Lara Dutta in crucial roles. And a report by India Today says the Animal actor has refused any form of CGI and VFX for his role and wants to look as real and authentic as possible. Ramayana continues to grab the attention of cinema enthusiasts with several talented stars coming on board to play the distinct roles. The film is back in the news. This time comes a disappointing update for the actors fans as the film is likely to be delayed. Advertisement A source told Bollywood Hungama, The project is on. But not this year. There are too many internal issues to be resolved. The report also claimed that costumes are also another reason for the delay. The costumes are not lavish enough, the report mentioned. Nitesh and Ranbir are yet to address the claims. Also, the producer of the film Madhu Mantena has reportedly backed out of the project. The Nitesh Tiwari s directorial was being co-produced by Allu Aravind and Madhu Mantena. However, as per a report by Siasat, Mantena has stepped back from his role as a producer now. While the producers decision made headlines, the reason behind the same is yet to be confirmed. Notably, the makers are yet to officially confirm Mantenas alleged decision. In Nitesh Tiwaris Ramayana , Ranbir Kapoor will be essaying the role of Lord Ram. He will be joined by Sai Pallavi who has been roped in for the role of Goddess Sita. Notably, Sai replaced Alia Bhatt to play Goddess Sita in the film. However, she backed out due to dates-related issues. In what created the most buzz around the cast of the film, KGF star Yash is speculated to play Ravana in the movie with Sunny Deol also joining the cast to play the role of Hanuman. Additionally, Bobby Deol and Vijay Sethupathi are also reportedly in talks to play the role of Kumbhakarna and Vibhashana respectively. On Saturday night, Iran launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Israel, the first time it has targeted the Jewish nation directly from its soil. However, 99 per cent of the projectiles were intercepted owing to the Arrow aerial defence system. Heres how it works read more An Arrow missile interceptor is displayed in front of journalists at an Israeli air defence command in the Palmahim military base south of Tel Aviv. The Arrow aerial defence system shielded Israel from Iran's barrage of drones and missiles on Saturday night. File image/Reuters Late Saturday (13 April) night, air raid sirens blared out across Israel as explosions and missiles lit up the night. Iran carried out an unprecedented attack against Israel launching over 200 drones and missiles targeting commercial capital Tel Aviv, the disputed city of Jerusalem, and Dimona, the desert city home to Israels nuclear plant. Confirming the same, military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said to the media: Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel. We are working in close cooperation with the United States and our partners in the region in order to act against the launches and intercept them. Advertisement Following the airstrike, Irans Revolutionary Guards confirmed the drone and missile attack was launched against Israel in retaliation for the Damascus strike which killed seven Guards, two of them generals. The Guards said ballistic missiles were fired almost an hour after the slower moving drones. For live updates on Irans attack on Israel, read But the rain of drones and missiles havent caused much damage, with the Israelis claiming that they were able to intercept 99 per cent of them. Rear Admiral Hagari in a televised statement said: The Iranian attack was foiled. None of the drones and cruise missiles that were launched towards Israel had entered its territory, Hagari said, and only a few ballistic missiles reached Israel. One of them lightly hit the Nevatim base, he added, noting that the military compound was still functioning. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also issued a statement, saying: Together with the United States and additional partners, we managed to defend the territory of the State of Israel. Several videos have emerged showing Israels Arrow defence system, along with the Iron Dome system, intercepting aerial threats. But what is this system? How does it counter aerial attacks? We give you the answers. Arrow aerial defence system, explained The system has been developed by Israels Aerospace Industries (IAI) in collaboration with the US Missile Defence Agency. The Arrow aerial defence system is a surface-to-surface missile system forming an upper tier in Israels multi-layered air defence system. It operates outside the atmosphere and fights off all long-range missiles. Advertisement Work on the Arrow aerial defence system began back in the 1980s. In the 90s, the Arrow 1 system went through a battery of tests and was inducted into the Israeli forces. Later, in 2000, a lighter version, known as Arrow 2, was inducted into the Israeli military. With this induction, Israel was equipped to counter short and medium-range missiles with its hit-and-kill approach in the upper atmosphere. Arrows objective is to neutralise the missile before it makes its descent at the target. An Arrow 3 ballistic missile interceptor is seen during its test launch near Ashdod. File image/Reuters In 2017, Israel developed the Arrow 3 system, which can destroy long-range targets in the atmosphere. It provides hypersonic capabilities and can defend a very large area, providing comprehensive defence of strategic sites and large populated areas. It can destroy long-range threats, including those carrying weapons of mass destruction, far away from the targets. Advertisement Additionally, Arrow 3 provides high lethality against all types of theatre ballistic missiles (TBMs) and warheads. It can be integrated with the AWS battery comprising a ground-based radar, and a battle management system, launchers, and a launch control centre. This isnt the first time that the Arrow missile defence system has been used by Israel. In November 2023, it successfully intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Irans proxies in Yemen. At the time, Boaz Levy, CEO and president of IAI, had said, The Arrow system demonstrated today that Israel possesses the most advanced technology for defense against ballistic missiles at various ranges. Advertisement It was also used back in 2017 to shoot down a Syrian surface-to-air missile that had strayed into Israeli airspace after missing Israeli aircraft. According to an NDTV report, the US has funded roughly half of the annual development costs of the Arrow 2 system. By 2020, the total US financial contribution toward the Arrow Weapon System exceeded $3.7 billion (Rs 31,000 crore). Comparing Arrow to Iron Dome The Iron Dome is perhaps the most known anti-missile defence system across the world. Developed by Israel, the country has heavily relied upon it to protect military and civilian sites from frequent barrages of rockets. Advertisement A battery of Israels Iron Dome defence missile system, deployed to intercept rockets, sits in Ashkelon, southern Israel. While the Iron Dome works against smaller threats, Arrow intercepts larger attacks. File image/AP But then how does the Arrow missile defence system compare to it? The Iron Dome works against smaller threats, whereas Arrow intercepts larger attacks. Uzi Rubin, an Israeli engineer who oversaw the development of the Arrow system, told The Jerusalem Post that the AWS was developed to defend against more difficult targets than the Iron Dome can. However, Rubin also warned that Israels enemies could look to overwhelm the Arrow system, similar to how Hamas has overwhelmed the Iron Dome capabilities during the 7 October 2023 attack. Israels multi-layered defence system The Arrow is one part of Israels multi-layered defence system along with the Iron Dome. Israel also has in its arsenal the Davids Sling, the Patriot and the Iron Beam. Davids Sling, which has been co-developed with the US, is meant to intercept medium-range missiles, such as those possessed by Hezbollah in Lebanon. Also known as the Magic Wand, it fires an interceptor called the Stunner (which doesnt have a warhead) to defeat medium- to long-range rockets and missiles at a range of up to 300 km. A Davids Sling launcher system can be seen during a ceremony in which Israel declared its Davids Sling intermediate-range air defence shield fully operational, at Hatzor air base in southern Israel. File image/Reuters As Israels foreign ministry stated: Davids Sling significantly strengthens Israels aerial defence strategy and is a central factor in Israels multi-tiered defence array, providing additional protection against short and medium range threats, and complementing the capabilities of the Arrow and the Iron Dome systems. Theres also the Iron Beam, which Israel is developing. A new system, its objective is to intercept incoming threats with laser technology. Israel has said this system will be a game changer because it is much cheaper to operate than existing systems. However, it is not yet operational. Israels air defence also includes the Patriot. An American-made system, it is the oldest member of Israels missile-defence system used during the First Gulf War in 1991 to intercept Scud missiles fired by Iraqs leader at the time, Saddam Hussein. The Patriot is now used to shoot down aircraft, including drones. With inputs from agencies Israel says that 99 per cent of the 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran were intercepted. Its military allies the US, UK and France played a key role in shooting down projectiles and patrolling the airspace. Even Jordan, which has criticised Jerusalem over the Gaza war, took out some drones read more Israeli Air Force F-15 Eagle is pictured at an air base, said to be following an interception mission of an Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel, in this handout image from 14 April. Israel Defense Forces/Handout via Reuters It was an attack the world saw coming. On Saturday, Iran fired more than 300 projectiles towards Israel in the first such strike from its soil. However, the Iranian munitions caused little damage to the Jewish nation. Israel hailed its successful air defences that thwarted 99 per cent of more than 300 drones and missiles launched towards its territory. But this would have been a bigger challenge without the support of its allies and a neighbour, Jordan. Advertisement Israel is working closely with the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, adding that all three acted during the Iranian strikes. We are working closely with the US, UK and France who acted tonight. This partnership has always been close, but tonight it manifested itself in an unusual way, he said, reports CNN. A look at the role other countries played in thwarting the attack. The United States The US has been one of Israels closest allies. However, in the recent past, the two have had differences over Jerusalems non-stop onslaught on Gaza. But that did not come in the way as an Iranian attack on Israel seemed imminent over the past few days. On Saturday, it played a crucial role in Jerusalems defence. Israel has over the years established often with the help of the US a multilayered air-defence network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. That system, along with collaboration with the US and other forces, helped thwart what could have been a far more devastating assault at a time when Israel is already bogged down in its war against Hamas in Gaza and engaged in low-level fighting on its northern border with Lebanons Hezbollah militia. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran, reports The Associated Press (AP). Advertisement Also read: How Israel shielded itself from more than 300 Iranian drones, missiles US president Joe Biden said that the US built up its forces ahead of the widely anticipated attack and that had paid off. At my direction, to support the defence of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the region over the course of the past week, Biden said in a written statement. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. A police officer inspects the remains of a rocket booster that, according to Israeli authorities critically injured a 7-year-old girl, after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, near Arad, Israel. Reuters Iran launched around 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles during a five-hour attack overnight on Saturday. Advertisement US officials said that more than 70 drones and three ballistic missiles were intercepted by US navy ships and military aircraft, reports CNN. The US navy shot down at least three ballistic missiles using the Aegis missile defence system aboard two guided-missiles destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean, American officials told CNNs Oren Liebermann at the Pentagon. US warplanes also shot down Iranian ordnance, Liebermann reported. It is not clear where the US military operated from but its aircraft carriers and land-based aircraft are present in the region. US military forces, operating from undisclosed bases in the region, shot down several Iranian drones in Sweida and Deraa provinces in southern Syria near the Jordanian border, security sources told Reuters. Advertisement Earlier in the week, the Biden administration sent the head of US Central Command, Gen Erik Kurilla, to Israel to help coordinate defences against the attack. He reportedly left the country before the first drones were launched. Watch the F-35I Adir fighter jets return to Nevatim Airbase after successfully protecting Israels airspace: pic.twitter.com/ap5gPLphPD Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 14, 2024 The United Kingdom The UK also played a significant role in helping Israel defend its territory. British fighter jets shot down Iranian drones. The Royal Air Force jets and refuelling aircraft took off from their bases in Cyprus and reportedly flew over Iraq and Syria but not Israel. In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks, the UK ministry of defence said. We have moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region. These will bolster Operation Shader, which is the UKs existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq and Syria. In addition, these UK jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required, it added. Additional @RoyalAirForce jets and air refuelling tankers have deployed to the Middle East to bolster Op Shader, the UKs existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq & Syria. In addition, the jets will intercept airborne attacks within range of our existing missions. My statement: pic.twitter.com/14p2kwGxb6 Rt Hon Grant Shapps (@grantshapps) April 13, 2024 The UK defence ministry, however, did not specify how many RAF Typhoons were airborne over Syria and Iraq, reports the BBC. Also read: What is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the group believed to be behind Irans attack on Israel? On Sunday, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that UK jets shot down several Iranian attack drones. The UK participated in an international coordinated effort to intercept the missiles and drones Iran fired, he said. The RAF sent additional planes to the region. Earlier, he condemned Irans reckless attack, pledging that his country would continue to stand up for Israels security. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard, he said, adding that the strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. The British leader vowed continued support for the security of Israel and the UKs other allies in the region including Jordan and Iraq. Objects are seen in the sky above Tel Aviv after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Semyon Galperin via Reuters France The French navy was deployed to defend Israel from the incoming Iranian attacks, western and French officials, were quoted as saying by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). No further details were immediately available. The Israel military spokesperson also said that France was involved in blocking the Iranian attack. It contributed by patrolling air space. Hagari said that France was also involved in Israels defence, though he said he did not have exact details on whether French jets had shot down any of the missiles launched by Iran. France has very good technology, jets, radar and I know they were contributing in patrolling airspace, he said. A surfer waits for a wave while an Israeli military naval ship patrols the Mediterranean sea off the coast of Hadera, Israel. The country hailed its successful air defences in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran, saying it and its allies thwarted 99% of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched toward its territory. AP French president Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack and urged restraint. I condemn in the strongest terms the unprecedented attack launched by Iran against Israel, which carries the risk of destabilising the region, Macron said on X. This is an expression of my solidarity with the Israeli people and of the importance we attach to the security of Israel, of our partners and to regional stability. France is working with its partners towards de-escalation and calls for restraint, he added. I condemn in the strongest terms the unprecedented attack launched by Iran against Israel, which threatens to destabilize the region. I express my solidarity with the Israeli people and France's commitment to the security of Israel, our partners, and regional stability. Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 14, 2024 Jordan Jordan also assisted in taking out some Iranian drones, according to security sources cited by the news agency Reuters. They shot down projectiles that violated its airspace and were heading to Israel. The Iranian drones were brought down on the Jordanian side of the Jordan Valley. They were heading towards Jerusalem. Others were intercepted close to the Iraqi-Syrian border. According to a statement by the Jordanian Cabinet, the country intercepted some flying objects that entered its airspace to ensure the safety of its citizens. Some shrapnel fell in multiple places during that time without causing any significant damage or any injuries to citizens, it added. Regional security sources said the Jordanian army was on high alert and radar systems were monitoring any drone activity coming from the direction of Iraq and Syria, reports The Times of Israel. An image grab from AFPTV footage shows Jordanian onlookers and security agents standing around the debris of a missile that the Jordanian forces intercepted over Amman amid an unprecedented Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel in the early hours of April 14, 2024. AFP A security source said the countrys air force was intensifying reconnaissance flights. Jordan earlier said it had closed its airspace starting on Saturday night to all incoming, departing, and transiting aircraft, in what officials told Reuters were precautionary measures in the event of an Iranian strike across its border. The relevant authorities took the decision to close the airspace for precautionary reasons as a result of the surrounding security situation, Jordans government spokesperson Muhannad Mubaideen said. Mubaideen denied media reports that the kingdom had announced a state of emergency, adding that its citizens had no cause for concern. Jordan borders Syria and Iraq, both countries where Iranian proxy forces operate, and is next door to Israel and the West Bank. It has closely watched the Israel war against Hamas, an ally of Iran, with the fear of getting caught in the crossfire. While the US, Britain and France are military allies of Israel, Jordan has in the past heavily criticised Israels war in Gaza. With inputs from agencies The tensions in West Asia have escalated after Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles from its territory toward Israel. However, a vast majority of projectiles were intercepted outside Israels borders. Heres how the Jewish nation thwarted the attack with the help of the US read more Objects are intercepted in the sky after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel on 14 April. Reuters West Asia is on the boil. Irans attack on Israel was imminent. And it happened on Saturday. The country launched direct military strikes on Israel. Irans aggression came in retaliation to the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, which killed at least 13 people including two high-ranking officials of Irans Revolutionary Guards on 1 April. Saturdays strikes by Iran are the first time that it has directly Israel from its soil. Advertisement We take a look at how the attack unfolded and how Israel intercepted it. How Iran launched its first direct military attack against Israel Iran fired hundreds of bomb-carrying drones toward Israel, says the Israeli military. Hours later, Iran announced it had also launched much more destructive ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. Irans state-run IRNA news agency says Tehran has fired ballistic missiles at targets inside of Israel. The announcement came shortly after Iran said it fired dozens of bomb-carrying drones. Slow-moving Shahed-136 drones have been seen in the skies over Iran. However, those are more easily shot down. Booms and air raid sirens sounded across Israel early Sunday after Iran launched the attack. Around 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles were launched at Israel by Iran, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. Only a small number of ballistic missiles reached the countrys territory, he said. The remaining ballistic missiles, all cruise missiles, and all drones were intercepted before reaching Israeli territory, he added, reports CNN. Israeli Iron Dome air defence system intercepts missiles fired from Iran, in central Israel, Sunday. Iran launched its first direct military attack against Israel on Saturday. AP The ballistic missiles that did reach Israel fell on the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, Hagari said, adding that they caused only light structural damage. The base was functioning and continuing its operations following the attack, with planes continuing to use the base, according to him. Advertisement The attacks now seem to have subsided but the barrage of projectiles continued for approximately five hours. There have been no reports of injuries suffered directly through Iranian strikes, according to Israels emergency service. However, the Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service said it was called to treat a total of 31 people who suffered minor injuries while making their way to shelters and who suffered panic attacks during the drone and missile attacks. Also read: Irans attack on Israel: How capable is Tehrans military? How did Israel intercept the attack? The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement early Sunday the vast majority of missiles launched from Iran were intercepted outside of Israels borders. Israel has made missile defence a priority, with a variety of air defence systems available to shoot down incoming missile and drone fire. Advertisement Israel has missile defence systems capable of targeting ballistic missiles. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles like the campaign launched late Saturday by Iran, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher. The IDF said in a statement early Sunday that dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory and that the IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the Arrow Aerial Defence System, together with Israels strategic allies, before the launches crossed into Israeli territory." A small number of hits were identified, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure, the statement added. It said that many dozens of hostile aircraft, as well as dozens of cruise missiles from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory and intercepted. Advertisement This handout picture released by the Israeli Army shows the head of the military, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi (left), attending early on 14 April a meeting at the Israeli Air Force Operations Center in Kirya in Tel Aviv with the commanding officers of the Israeli Air Force, the operations directorate and the intelligence directorate. AFP Dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets are currently operating to intercept aerial threats approaching Israeli territory, it added. Israel said it closed its airspace to all flights after Irans missile and drone attack. Israel is working closely with the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, Hagari said, adding that all three acted tonight during the Iranian strikes. We are working closely with the US, UK and France who acted tonight. This partnership has always been close, but tonight it manifested itself in an unusual way, Hagari said, according to CNN. Advertisement What role did the US, the UK play? US officials said that American military forces downed some Iran-launched attack drones flying toward Israel. That is according to a US defence official and two US officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, reports The Associated Press (AP). The defence official said the effort to intercept the attack was continuing. US president Joe Biden said that US forces helped Israel down nearly all of the drones and missiles launched by Iran and pledged to convene allies to develop a unified response. Biden and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke early Sunday, Israeli time, their governments said. Biden said in a statement that he reaffirmed Americas ironclad commitment to Israels security a departure from his harsh criticism over the countrys handling of the war in Gaza. At my direction, to support the defence of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the region over the course of the past week, Biden said in the statement. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. In this image provided by the White House, US president Joe Biden, along with members of his national security team, receive an update on the airborne attack on Israel from Iran, as they meet in the Situation Room of the White House in Washington. From left to right, facing Biden are, Central Intelligence Agency director William Burns; Avril Haines, director of National Intelligence; US secretary of state Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Adam Schultz/The White House via AP UK defence secretary Grant Shapps said additional Royal Air Force jets and air refueling tankers have been sent to West Asia to bolster Britains existing operation against the Islamic State Group in Iraq and Syria. He said the jets will intercept airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, but did not confirm whether RAF jets had already shot down any Iranian drones. What has Iran said? Iran said that the attack was carried out in self-defence against the Israeli militarys aggression. It justified the strikes as a legitimate defensive response to the attack in Damascus. Tehran has also warned the US to stay away from the conflict. On 14 April 2024, the Islamic Republic of Irans armed forces carried out a series of military strikes on Israelis military bases in response to, and in exercise of its inherent right of self-defence as recognized under Article 51 of the Charter, against Israels recurring military aggressions, resulting in the martyrdom of the Iranian military advisors present in Syria, Irans mission to the United Nations said in its statement. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law while reiterating its determination to forcefully defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests against any unlawful use of force and aggressions, it added. The country also reiterated that it would launch more attacks if Israel does not cease their actions. The Islamic Republic of Iran would not hesitate to take further necessary defensive measures to protect its legitimate interests against any act of military aggression or unlawful use of force, Iran said. A demonstrator waves Iranian and Palestinian flags during an anti-Israeli gathering at the Felestin (Palestine) Square in Tehran, Iran, early Sunday. AP Hundreds of Iranians gathered in Tehrans Palestine Square waving Iranian and Palestinian flags to celebrate the unprecedented military action against Israel. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israels six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. What has Israel said? The Israel PM has made his first public statement after Irans attack, vowing to the countrys people that together we shall win. Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Netanyahu said, We have intercepted, we have contained. Together we shall win. How has the world reacted? The Iran attack on Israel is a major escalation of the long-running covert war between regional foes. Biden cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team and monitor the situation in West Asia. He will meet with G7 leaders Sunday to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack, according to a statement released by the White House. My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israels leaders, the statement reads. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people. The UN Security Council will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting over attack on Israel, the bodys president has said. The meeting was requested by Israel, who wrote in a letter to the councils president, Vanessa Frazier, that the attacks pose a grave threat to international peace and security, reports the BBC. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres is calling for an immediate halt to hostilities in West Asia. I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran this evening, Guterres wrote in a statement Saturday night. Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Jerusalem. Reuters Germany, France and Canada have also condemned the attack. French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne said in a statement Saturday that in taking such an unprecedented action, Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilising activities and is risking a potential military escalation. German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock wrote early Sunday on X that Germany condemns in the strongest possible terms the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos. Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately, Baerbock wrote. We offer Israel our full solidarity at this time. Likewise, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said his nation unequivocally condemns Irans airborne attacks against Israel. We stand with Israel. After supporting Hamas brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regimes latest actions will further destabilise the region and make lasting peace more difficult, Trudeau said in a statement. We support Israels right to defend itself and its people from these attacks. With inputs from agencies Following Irans attack on Israel, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that it had achieved all its objectives. Since its inception in 1979, the group has become more powerful. Today, it boasts over 190,000 members and is believed to extend help to other US-declared terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad read more Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cadets during a graduation ceremony at Imam Hussein University in Tehran. The IRGC, a parallel military body in Iran, answers directly to Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. File image/AFP When Israel reportedly struck the Iranian consulate in Syrias capital Damascus last week, it killed 13 people, including two elite Iranian generals. Following the attack, Tehran had vowed to hit back at the Jewish nation. And on Saturday night, it did exactly that when it launched an unprecedented attack first from its soil against Israel. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) then said that it had launched dozens of drones and missiles towards military sites on Israeli territory. Advertisement Catch all the live updates from Irans strike against Israel Irans military action was in response to the Zionist regimes aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus, the Iranian mission to the UN later said. In fact, after the attack on Saturday, the IRGC said that its rain of drones and missiles had achieved all its objectives. Operation Honest Promise was completed successfully from last night to this morning and achieved all its objectives, Mohammad Bagheri, the Iranian armed forces chief of staff, told state TV. With this strike, the attention is back on the IRGC. Who are they? And more importantly, what role do they play in Iran? Heres what we know. What is the IRGC? The IRGC, also known as the Sepah-e-Pasdaran, was set up shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It is not to be confused with Irans traditional armed forces it is a parallel military body. It is charged with defending the Islamic Republic against internal and external threats and answers directly to Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The force, over the years, has also become influential in domestic politics, with many senior officials having passed through its ranks. Advertisement The newly established Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps parade past the viewing stand in Tehran, Iran. File image/AP The IRGC boasts of having 190,000 active personnel with army, navy and air units. It also commands the Basij religious militia, a volunteer paramilitary force loyal to the clerical establishment that is often used to crack down on anti-government protests. In 2019, the United States designated the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. Why was the IRGC formed? The IRGC was founded in the immediate aftermath of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavis fall, as leftists and nationalists jockeyed to set the course of the revolutionary republic. At the same time, the ruling clerics formed their own ideological military arm the IRGC to defend the 1979 revolution and its achievements. The Centre for Strategic and International Studies reports that this meant that the IRGC was given both a constitutionally legitimate existence and the legal right to become involved in the political scene in order to defend the revolutionary regime and its policies. Advertisement Irans founding supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, described the IRGC as the soldiers of Islam. Wherever you be, guard yourselves against the self in you and from all the Satans around you, he told Pasdaran after the group was founded. An Iranian man holds a poster of senior Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani during a celebration after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran, Iran. Reuters How is the IRGC organised? Today, the IRGC is an integral part of Irans politics and military. It is considered as the dominant military force in Iran and is behind many of the countrys key military operations, including Saturdays attack on Israel. The IRGC also has an overseas arm known as the Quds Force, which heavily influences its allied militias across the Middle East, from Lebanon to Iraq, Yemen and Syria. Its members have fought in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syrias civil war and have backed Iraqi security forces in their battle against Islamic State militants in recent years. Advertisement Its top commander, Major-General Qassem Soleimani, was killed by the United States in a drone attack in Iraq in 2020 that raised fears of a major conflict. The IRGC also has its own navy, which is tasked with patrolling the important Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Gulf to the Indian Ocean through which 20 per cent of the worlds oil supply passes. The IRGC is responsible for the killings of 608 US troops in Iraq between 2003 and 2011. Moreover, the IRGCs Quds Force has been known to cultivate and support US-designated terrorist groups, including Lebanons Hezbollah movement and Palestinian Islamic Jihad by providing funding, training, weapons, and equipment. File image/AFP The IRGCs air force is responsible for Irans missiles, which experts regard as the largest in the West Asia region. As per a Reuters report, the Guards have used the missiles to strike Sunni Muslim militants in Syria and Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq. The United States, European powers and Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for a 2019 missile and drone attack that crippled the worlds biggest oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia, though Iran denied any involvement. Advertisement The Trump administration also blamed the IRGC for the killings of 608 US troops in Iraq between 2003 and 2011. Moreover, the IRGCs Quds Force has been known to cultivate and support US-designated terrorist groups, including Lebanons Hezbollah movement and Palestinian Islamic Jihad by providing funding, training, weapons, and equipment. What is IRGCs role in Irans politics? The IRGCs popularity and close ties with Ayatollah Khamenei, has made it a key player in Iranian politics. In fact, several former IRGC officers occupy key positions in Irans political establishments, including President Ebrahim Raisis Cabinet. The Council on Foreign Relations notes that because the IRGC marches in lockstep with the supreme leaders policy positions, its powers at times seem to outshine that of Irans president, who does not control any of the armed forces and has relatively few powers of his own. There are also reports that the IRGC intervened during the 2013 presidential elections. While Hassan Rouhani ultimately prevailed over hard-liners favoured by many guards, reports indicated that the IRGC created an atmosphere of intimidation ahead of the vote and pressured the Guardian Council, which vets candidates for their ideological suitability, to cull candidates they deemed unacceptable. Iranian Revolutionary Guard members at the Azadi, or Freedom, Square in Tehran, Iran. Declared a terrorist organisation by the US, the IRGC holds a very important position in Iranian politics. File image/AP Additionally, the IRGC also plays an important role in Irans economics. It is believed to control around a third of Irans economy through a series of subsidiaries and trusts. According to a 2020 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the IRGC has become the most powerful controller of all important economic sectors across Iran. Charged with rebuilding infrastructure destroyed in the Iran-Iraq War, the Guards since then has expanded into many other industries, including banking, shipping, manufacturing, and consumer imports. It is because of these combined factors that the IRGC, today, is considered as one of the most important groups in Iran. With inputs from agencies West Asia has been plunged into a deeper conflict. This comes after Iran launched an unprecedented attack against Israel on Saturday with more than 200 missiles and drones. What was the reason for this strike? All this and more in our weekly roundup of explainers read more Israeli Iron Dome air defence system launches to intercept missiles fired from Iran, in central Israel. Iran launched its first direct military attack against Israel on Saturday. AP A lot went by this week around the world. North America witnessed its second full solar eclipse in seven years. Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles Israel on Saturday in retaliation to the airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syrias Damascus last week. From Asia, big news also emerged. South Korea conducted a general election, which delivered a brutal blow to President Yoon Suk Yeol, who still has three years in office. And Vietnam sentenced a business tycoon to death over committing the largest fraud in the nation. Advertisement Besides these events, news emerged that oil-rich Saudi Arabia was scaling back its grand megacity plans in the desert. And Rishi Sunak, Britains prime minister, also made headlines for his choice of shoes. But if you missed all of this through the week and want a quick recap, we have you covered. 1. Tensions in West Asia have reached a boiling point. Iran launched more than 200 drones and missiles at Israel in an unprecedented attack on Saturday. Israels military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirming the same said, Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel. The attack comes after Wall Street Journal and other agencies had reported that an attack was imminent. But why has Iran attacked Israel? And what weapons does Tehran have in its arsenal? 2. On Thursday, came the shocking news of Vietnam sentencing real estate tycoon Truong My Lan to death. While Vietnam is one of the worlds leading countries in execution, a death sentence for a financial crime is rare. In our explainer, we take a closer look at who is 67-year-old Truong My Lan and what was the financial fraud she committed. Advertisement A Qatar Airways plane is seen at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar. An Australian court threw out the lawsuit brought by five women against the airline for alleged non-consensual strip-searches. File image/Reuters 3. This next piece of news could be upsetting for women. An Australian court dismissed a lawsuit brought by Australian women in which they alleged that they were strip-searched by officials of Qatar Airways. But what exactly happened? And why did they lose the case? Read here to find out more about this matter that dates back to 2020 and even led to a diplomatic fallout between the two nations. The design plan for the 500-metre tall parallel structures, known collectively as The Line, in the heart of the Red Sea megacity NEOM. The futuristic megacity in Saudi Arabia will feature two massive, mirror-encased skyscrapers that extend over 170 kilometres of desert and mountain terrain, ultimately housing nine million people, the kingdoms de facto ruler has announced. However, plans have been scaled back on this project. File image/AFP 4. In recent times, Saudi Arabia had announced a slew of infrastructural projects. One of them is The Line, a sprawling, futuristic city it plans to contain within a pair of mirror-clad skyscrapers, within NEOM project itself. However, it seems that it may be the end of The Line. The oil-rich kingdom is reportedly scaling back its plans for this futuristic city from 170 km to just 2.4 km. Moreover, the city which was originally meant to house around 1.5 million residents by the end of the decade will only now be home to 300,000. Want to know why? Click here to find out more. Advertisement British PM Rishi Sunak has been accused of ruining an eternally cool sneaker by GQ, while other British media houses rushed to offer lists of alternative trainers after the PM killed the Sambas credibility. Image Courtesy: @rishisunakmp/Instagram 5. World shoe giant Adidas Samba shoes were deemed 2024s It shoes. That was until British prime minister Rishi Sunak was seen wearing them at a recent event. Now, the shoe has lost all its cred and reputation. How did Sunaks shoe choice become such a big deal and create such a flutter? Explore our essay to find out what went wrong. 6. The past week also saw Sierra Leone declare a national emergency over the rampant drug use, especially over the use of kush. Its also because of this narcotic that people in the West African nation are increasingly turning to robbing graves. How are the two linked? Read this interesting essay to understand what is kush and how its leading dealers and addicts to dig up graves, and rob skeletons away. Advertisement And thats a wrap from us this week. If you liked what you read and you seek more explainers, bookmark this tab. PS: Meet Russ Cook, the first man to run across the length of Africa. How did he push through? This and more in our Sunday read for you. In Manama, the ancient and the modern intertwine like the threads in its vibrant souqs. Skyscrapers pierce the azure sky while narrow alleyways whisper tales of a bygone era. At the aromatic chaos of the Bab el-Bahrain Souq, spices dance with textiles and shimmering pearls hold the secrets of the deep. Then, turn a corner and you will find yourself transported to the serenity of the Al Fateh Grand Mosque. Manama is a city of contrasts, a blend of tradition and progress, waiting to be explored by the curious traveller. And the beauty lies in the fact that you can experience it in just 72 hours. Advertisement Al Fateh Grand Mosque interiors No matter how long you linger in this Middle Eastern land, a breakfast extravaganza awaits. As you step into one of the citys cherished cafes, let the intoxicating aroma of Bahraini cuisine envelop you, a prelude to a flavour-filled odyssey that will tantalize your taste buds and ignite your spirit for the day to come. Dive into the gastronomic classics by indulging in the timeless delights of Balaleet vermicelli noodles, the rustic allure of Khameer and Regag, alongside the hearty flavours of Foul Fava beans and the savoury embrace of Samboosa fried pastries. Elevate your culinary journey with falafel and shawarma, and dont forget to snag some Halwa, a quintessential Middle Eastern sweet sensation. Among the culinary havens dotting Bahrains landscape, seek refuge in esteemed establishments such as Al Ameer, renowned for its culinary finesse; Emmawash celebrated for its mastery of dried shrimp and mung beans; and Freej Bin Al Rashdan, nestled near Dohat Arad Lagoon, where the aromas of lamb machboos and Bahraini kebabs beckon the discerning palate. Conclude your epicurean odyssey at Haji Gahwa, nestled within the bustling enclave of Manama Souq, where authenticity reigns supreme and traditional Bahraini cuisine is savoured with a generous sprinkle of heritage and charm. Manama delivers all the bling youd expect from a modern Arab metropolis sleek malls and skyscrapers that wouldnt look out of place in a sci-fi movie. But amidst the shiny veneer, youll find whispers of a charming past, a reminder of Manamas days as a bustling port. Old and new coexist with playful harmony, most evident in the legendary Manama Souq, where ancient market vibes and the scents of exotic spices swirl. Before you hunt down the perfect gold bangle or spice up your culinary repertoire at the Souq, soak in the history of Bab Al Bahrain, the gateway to Manamas bustling souq. This venerable archway, erected in 1949, once held court by the waterfront but now finds itself a few kilometres inland. Today, its a colossal arch framing a roadflanked by two smaller arches for pedestrians. In the labyrinthine heart of the Manama Souq, tucked between three streets, remnants of old Bahrain emerge houses with a touch of Indian flair, built from timber that sailed in from afar. And just like that, with a single blink, India comes alive. Hindi fills the air, shopkeepers smile of ancestral journeys, and the aroma of chai hangs heavy with nostalgia. And to top it off, a serene moment of wonder awaits within the halls of the 200-year-old Shrinathji Temple. Devoted to Lord Shrinathji, a beloved form of Lord Krishna, this architectural gem, with its carvings and frescoes, holds a special place in the hearts of the Thattai Hindu community who built it after leaving Sindh before Indias partition. Advertisement In a fascinating juxtaposition, a mere 5 kilometres away from the vibrant souqa mere 20-minute jauntstands Al Fateh Mosque, a behemoth of Islamic architecture that captures the essence of Bahrainian grandeur. Within the mosques innards, be charmed by the intricate embellishments and cascading chandeliers, immersing yourself in its tranquil atmosphere. With a capacity to host up to 7,000 faithful, this architectural marvel decorated with Italian marble, Austrian glass, and Indian teak, boasts a 79-foot dome. Step back in time on your second day at the Bahrain National Museum, hailed as one of the Gulfs finest. This cultural gem established in 1988 by the late Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa is a veritable time capsule boasting 6000 years of Bahraini history. Spanning around 20,000 sqm, the aesthetics of Bahrain National Museum are just as imposing as its grand foyers drenched in natural light, and striking white travertine marble facade perched on the peninsula. Inside, the tales of Bahrain unfold across various halls from the Halls of Graves to the ones dedicated to Dilmun, Tylos, and Islam, not to mention traditional trades and crafts, and a trove of manuscripts. Advertisement Spend your afternoon at the Pearling Path in Muharraq, Bahrain, where you can take part in thrilling simulated pearl diving experiences. The country is known for its rich history and connection with pearls. Although the industrys peak has passed, the tradition remains alive. Besides, you can keep any pearls you find as a unique memento of your Bahraini adventure. About 7 km and 14 minutes away from Muharraq is the beautiful Jarada Island. You can visit Jarada Island on a boat trip to explore its beauty. Even here, you can collect oysters while searching for precious pearls in Bahrains waters or book a fishing trip. The prices vary from 25 BHD to 250 BHD for a range of exciting activities. Conclude your evening with traditional Bahraini cuisine. Manamas exciting restaurant scene spans the price spectrum, from street food to fine dining. Advertisement Bahrain skyline in the evening On the third day of your exploration, kickstart your morning with a visit to Qalat al-Bahrain, also known as the Portuguese Fort or Bahrain Fort. Situated on Bahrain islands northern seashore, this imposing structure, visible even from Saar on a clear day, stands as a sentinel, a mere 6 kilometres from Manama. The fort rests upon the largest mound in the Persian Gulf, strategically positioned near the port and reclaimed shoreline. Since 1954, this archaeological site has witnessed extensive excavations, unearthing antiquities, spanning seven stratified layers of history. Once the epicentre of the Dilmun civilization, Qalat al-Bahrain earned its UNESCO World Heritage Site designation in 2005. From 2300 BC to the 18th century, diverse civilizations left their mark on this site. As you explore, traces of past civilizationsKassites, Greeks, Portuguese, and Persiansoffer a glimpse into the rich tapestry of Bahrains storied past. Advertisement Bahrain Fort If youre interested in seeing camels, a 15-minute drive from Bahrain Fort will take you to the Royal Camel Farm on Janabiyah highway. The farm is owned by the King of Bahrain and houses more than 500 camels, including a large number of baby camels during the right season. You can even take pictures with them! Please note that male camels are chained to prevent them from fighting over the females. They are spaced equally apart so that they cannot bite each other. Female camels, however, are free to roam inside the pens. The farm is open every day from sunrise to sunset and offers free entry and washroom facilities. Journey deeper into Bahrains heritage with a visit to Aali, just 15 minutes from the Camel Farm. This small town boasts two unique treasures: ancient burial mounds of the Dilmun civilization (dating back to 3200 BC!), and a tradition of handcrafted pottery still practiced today. Among the significant artefacts is an intriguing statuette portraying a nude woman with voluptuous contours, believed to date back to 2000-1500 BC. Explore the towns 200 houses, where the Baharna people have been spinning clay and cultivating date palms for generations. Traditional handcrafted pottery can be seen and bought from different potters and boutiques in the whole town. A trip to Bahrain wouldnt be complete without a visit to the Bahrain International Circuit, inaugurated in 2004 as the Middle Easts first Formula 1 track. Hosting a plethora of motorsport events, from the adrenaline-fuelled Grand Prix to exhilarating drag racing sessions, it also features an exceptional go-karting track. Bahrainis take pride in showcasing their countrys beauty to visitors at a moments notice. This affable demeanour aligns with Bahrains laid-back lifestyle. Here, things move at a leisurely pace, and theres little need for haste; tasks will be accomplished in due time. For transportation, there are reliable bus services, although hailing a taxi can be a challenge; its advisable to arrange one through your hotel. Keep in mind the importance of modest attire, particularly when visiting mosques, and note that the workweek spans from Sunday to Thursday. With more than a decade of writing experience and a passion for exploring the world, the author is a travel journalist with a knack for captivating storytelling. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Lately, the Government of India has taken this matter at the diplomatic level, but the Ministry of External Affairs should encourage Indian outfits overseas to take up such cases as a community cause with their local political leaders and hold interactive sessions to educate them all read more Recently, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said regarding a child custody case in Germany: The girl has been given to the child services. We are dissatisfied with this. We do not want the child to be raised as per the German culture. Her parents have moved the court, and the matter is being heard, the minister said. At my level, I have raised the issue with my counterpart. Our effort is to find some solutions, he said further. Advertisement Of course, the minister was referring to a child born to Indian parents being taken away by child services in Germany, as the girls upbringing at home did not meet local norms and laws. And this is not the first time Indian and other Asian and African parents are facing the wrath of a system tuned to local conditions, which in turn hits at the core of minority rights over there and the traditional cultural values that the parents had grown up in back homeand which values they want inculcated in their childrenand which, right again, the laws of the western world purportedly guarantee, on paper, not otherwise. If it is Germany this time, it was Norway the last time round, circa 2011. It went to the courts and involved the Norwegian authorities confiscating two young children from their parents over charges that the parents, Abhirup and Sagarika Chatterjee, were unfit to look after them. After India took it up at the diplomatic level and with strong and repeated protests, the children were returned to India to be placed in the care of other family members a year later. Incidentally, the plight of the Indian couple in Norway was the story of the film Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, where yesteryear Bollywood star Rani Mukherjee played the mother. The Norwegian Embassy in Delhi dismissed it as a work of fiction and came out with long explanations, but the real-life Sagarika Chatterjee said that the film could bring out only 20 per cent of the trauma that they went through. Ready to compromise Over several decades, post-War and post-Independence, Indian professionals have been migrating to the West, starting with the US, first in droves. Individually, the migrants are too keen to run away to greener pastures, where their aim is not just to earn and return but to settle down and bring up their future generations up there. They do not want to get caught in circumstances where their green card or equivalent first and citizenship in the second stage are delayed, leave alone being denied. Advertisement These non-resident Indians (NRIs) thus remain adherents to the local laws and norms, which is the right way to do things. Over time, it becomes a second habit for them. Even otherwise, we are told, Indians are among the most well-behaved and better brought-up migrants in the West or wherever our professional and semi-skilled travel for work. Along with their education, skills, dedication, and discipline at work, their humility, civility, and adherence to civil and societal laws make them one of the most favoured migrant communities when it comes to future job recruitments in the host countries. This comes with a fall side, which they did not see first, did not want to see when the second wave of migration happened, and did not want to be held against them in the local community, clubs, and office atmosphere. This led to a situation when they were ready to compromise their cultural legacy that they had all taken with them from India in their times. This is true of other migrant communities in the West. Advertisement However, in much of Europe and all of the West, the second and third-generation migrants found their feet and also found out that their democracies provided for statutory and, at times, constitutional protection for the cultural rights of the migrants, who are often considered minorities in terms of their religion, language, gender, etc. Temple community Yet, over time, successive generations of Indians have broken away from the old mould. For decades now in some western cities and towns, and a few years elsewhere, they have Hindu temples, first a common one, now for different communities with their origins in India. You thus have the SwamiNarayan temples identified with Gujarati-Indians, Balaji temples by south Indians, mostly Tamils and Telugus, and Siva and Murugan temples by either Indian Tamils or their Sri Lankan counterparts. Over time, these temples have become the centre of cultural activities and even family functions, where others from the local temple community are invited and participate. Advertisement This is true of followers of other religious faiths, like Christians and Muslims from India. The former may or may not have their own churches, whether Catholics, Protestants (of different sub-denominations), or Pentecostals. They too sooner than later introduce what essentially are cultural practices from their Indian identity to their overseas community. Rather, to the close-knit community that they follow for themselves. The good thing about this practice is that there is established brotherhood and camaraderie among each of these close-knit communities. They stage monthly or half-yearly plays for their members to participate in, view, and cheer. For long, the more prosperous among them have been inviting litterateurs, film and theatre personalities, and concert performers for programmes that they fund in their communities. Advertisement Overseas friends A time soon came when many of these NRI communities, starting with those in the UK (owing to Indias colonial past) and the US, began identifying with socio-political ideologies, parties, leaders, and causes in India and promoting them among themand later, canvassing with their local elected representatives, at times all the way up to the very top. It began with the Overseas Friends of Congress again for historic reasons, since followed but not replaced by those of the BJP, now ruling the Centre. The same applies to various other political parties, too. For at least a couple of decades now, they have become pressure groups and voluntary lobbyists with local government officials and elected members to push the cause of India on the domestic front. Such groups were also known to have successfully lobbied with western administrations, starting with the US, for them to de-hyphenate their relations with India and Pakistan and later on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, defence, pacts, etc. Lately, they have been canvassing locally in the name of parties, especially the BJP and Modi, the PM, rather than India as a nation per se. Maybe, like many nearer home, their vision of India has narrowed or become focused, whichever way you want to see it. Yet, there is a dividing line. In nations where migrants are not entitled to citizenship, like in the Gulf, the local community organisations of Indian expatriates do take up individual cases of employer harassment of their counterparts with the local governments through the Indian Embassy. But where future citizenship is an issue, as in the West, there seems to be some inherent hesitancy on the part of individuals and community organisations that they head to get involved. Barring their passing the information to Indian diplomats, their personal initiatives and contributions to the cause are bare minimal. Worse still is the case of Indians who, after acquiring local citizenship, have risen to elected political positions in their adopted country. In the US, where it is glaring, politicians with an Indian connection are invariably more keen to prove their American identity than talk of their past nationalities. In a way, this is how it should be. In other ways, this is also where individuals like Indian parents who get caught on the wrong side of local laws and norms end up facing the pressure of it all, all by themselves. Yes, lately, the Government of India has taken it up at the diplomatic level. But can the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) encourage Indian outfits over there to take up such cases as a community cause with their local political leaders and hold interactive sessions to educate them all, at all levels, on what the joint family system and consequent family and community values mean and entail in the Indian context? And how, despite being individuals and individualistic in the country of their adoption, they tend to carry some of it in their genes and the rest of it by association from their own childhood? Maybe that is where they should begin. The writer is a Chennai-based policy analyst and political commentator. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Among the varied tasks of the military attaches, they would be expected to help achieve the target for defence exports set by the government, facilitate Indias defence procurements, secure supply chains, and mitigate causes of national security risks read more The military attaches are the vanguard of Ministry of Defences soft power in their respective countries. Image: ANI Ever since ancient times, military officers have been employed in foreign lands as part of a politico-military approach to national security to safeguard national interests. There are references to such a role in Kautilyas Arthashastra, in the history of the pre-Judean era, and in Roman history. In those times, the role of military officers was largely focused on spying. In the 17th century, when the Prussians found ambassadorial reports neither sufficiently detailed nor updated for the purpose of decision making in war, they began to employ generals in diplomatic assignments. Napoleon frequently used generals as ambassadors. By the mid-nineteenth century, most European powers were assigning military officers to foreign countries, and in 1857, these military officers were designated as military attaches and given diplomatic status. Advertisement In more recent times, defence diplomacy has emerged as one of the most important tools of military statecraft. The term defence diplomacy was perhaps first used by the United Kingdoms Ministry of Defence (MoD) to consolidate a bouquet of military activities being conducted by the MoD. Although there is no universally accepted definition of defence diplomacy, it is generally considered the nonviolent use of a states defence apparatus to advance the strategic aims of a government through cooperation with other countries. Typically, the term includes activities such as officer exchanges, ship visits, training missions, and joint military exercises. The significance of defence diplomacy dimmed for Indian decision makers post-independence, and it was in the early 1990s that Indias defence engagement began to gain momentum. C Raja Mohan, as late as 2015, lamented: Indias military diplomacy has been severely limited by the lack of adequate political support and insufficient coordination between the armed forces, the ministry of defence, and the foreign office. While the services and the MEA see the value of leveraging Indias military strengths, the MoD has neither the aptitude nor the institutional capability to meet the growing international demand for defence cooperation with India. Advertisement Fortunately, things have begun to change. The MoD and the services are proactively involved in defence diplomacy, and as of date, the Indian Army is engaging with 110 countries through defence cooperation activities. In 2023, the Indian Army participated in 39 joint exercises with foreign armies, out of which it was lead service in 28 exercises. In addition, the Indian Army and the US Army co-hosted the 13th Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPACC), the 47th Indo-Pacific Armies Management Seminar (IPAMS), and the 9th Senior Enlisted Leaders Forum (SELF). The Army has been playing a crucial role in promoting multilateralism by organising the Inaugural India-Africa Army Chiefs Conclave (IACC) and AFINDEX (2023), themed on Humanitarian Mine Action & Peace Keeping Operations. Several high-level visits were conducted in 2023 in pursuit of the objectives of defence diplomacy. Advertisement Based on the recommendations of the MoDs Study on Realignment of Defence Wings, new defence wings are being established in Algeria, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Poland by the end of 2024. Reportedly, new defence wings are also being established in Armenia, Djibouti, the Philippines, and Tanzania. These wings are being established through optimisation of the existing billets of the defence attaches in countries like Russia and the United Kingdom. Although the establishment of new defence wings is a welcome development, there are certain issues that require institutional attention. Among the varied tasks the military attaches would be undertaking, they would be expected to help achieve the target for defence exports set by the government, facilitate Indias defence procurements, secure supply chains, and mitigate causes of national security risks. Advertisement Defence exports require building a long-term relationship with the importing countries and their armed forces. Business also requires special aptitude, which goes beyond formal training and the learning of manuals and procedures. Military attaches are expected to navigate the realm of defence business, which is unlike any other. In addition, they must be prepared for adverse PR from inimical interests and business competitors. India has supplied weapon platforms and radars to Armenia. Should the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia flare up again, Indian systems would be tested under extreme conditions. It is possible there would be some failures, like those of any other equipment produced anywhere in the world. Indian military attaches must be prepared to face the barrage of adverse PR in all forms of media. Advertisement The character of warfare is changing. If the Russia-Ukraine war is indicative of the wars of the future, India must prepare for a protracted war and secure supply chains against sanctions and export control regimes. The export control measures imposed by the West on Russia are, perhaps, the most stringent applied against a single country since the Cold War. India may face a similar situation, which may include measures aimed at cutting off high-tech imports, restricting access to vital technological inputs, weakening its industrial base, and undercutting its influence on the world stage. The defence sector may be subjected to sweeping restrictions due to the denial of sensitive technology. These measures may be aimed at denying semiconductors, telecommunications, encryption security, lasers, sensors, navigation, avionics, and maritime technologies, among others. The defence establishment would be well advised to study how countries impose sanctions and export control regimes and plan mitigation strategies, which take years to mature and become implementable. Military attaches will be important cogs in the whole system to sanction-proof Indias supply chain and defence imports. The services will have to take a de novo look at the pre-deployment training of the military attaches, which will have to go beyond the pro forma briefings of the various branches and directorates at the service headquarters and focus on well-defined objectives and measures to secure Indias defence supply chains. The military attaches are the vanguard of MoDs soft power in their respective countries. They, as highlighted earlier in the article, advance the strategic aims of the Indian government through the cooperation of the host country. The attaches would be expected to mitigate the causes of national security risks rather than letting India manage the consequences later. The MoD will have to craft unique objectives, peculiarities, and strategies for each country. The MoDs objectives, say in Djibouti, would be very different from those in Armenia or Poland. Intent cannot translate into action unless it is backed by capacitiesnecessary strategies, tools, including funds, and permission. The MoD and the services need to draft country-specific strategies and resource them adequately, which includes training the attaches, well before their deployment, as serious work lies ahead. The author is a Research Fellow at MP-IDSA. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. According to an official, direct flights between Tel Aviv and Delhi would be discontinued for the time being read more There are four weekly flights by Air India connecting the Israeli city and New Delhi On April 14, Air India announced that it would be temporarily ceasing its flights to Tel Aviv due to the growing tension between Iran and Israel. According to an official, direct flights between Tel Aviv and Delhi would be discontinued for the time being. There are four weekly flights by Air India connecting the Israeli city and New Delhi. On March 3, the carrier controlled by the Tata group resumed service to Tel Aviv following a hiatus of over five months. Advertisement Following the Hamas attack on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, Air India ceased operating flights to and from the city on October 7, 2023. US forces shot down three Iran-launched attack drones that were heading towards Israel, according to a US defence official and two other US officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the topic read more In this image provided by the White House, President Joe Biden, along with members of his national security team, receive an update on an ongoing airborne attack on Israel from Iran, as they meet in the Situation Room of the White House in Washington. The White House via AP President Joe Biden and his national security staff observed Irans aerial attack on Israel on Saturday, while US forces worked together to shoot down Tehrans explosive-laden drones. With tensions reaching their greatest point since the Israel-Hamas war began six months ago, Biden promised that American backing for Israels defence against strikes by Iran and its proxies remains ironclad. US forces shot down three Iran-launched attack drones that were heading towards Israel, according to a US defence official and two other US officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the topic. Advertisement The defence official stated that the endeavour to intercept the strike was ongoing. Biden had cut short a weekend trip at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security staff at the White House on Saturday afternoon, returning to Washington only minutes before Israeli officials verified that drones were being fired from Iran against their area. According to the White House, he called a principals meeting of the National Security Council to examine the developing crisis in the crisis Room. Iran has never directly attacked Israel militarily before, raising the possibility of a larger regional confrontation. For days, the US and Israel had braced for an attack claimed by Iran as retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force. The Pentagon reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with his Israeli counterpart to discuss urgent regional threats and made clear that Israel could count on full US support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies. National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washingtons ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a Saturday statement that Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. She added: The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran. Biden on Friday said the United States was devoted to defending Israel and that Iran will not succeed. Asked by reporters what his message was for Iran, the presidents only reply was: Dont. Advertisement He ignored a question about what would trigger a direct US military response, and when asked how imminent an Iranian attack on Israel was, Biden said he did not want to get into secure information, but my expectation is sooner than later. The US, along with its allies, have sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalating the conflict. During the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, there have been near-daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group along the Israel-Lebanon border. US officials have recorded more than 150 attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria on US forces at bases in those countries since war started on Oct. 7. Advertisement One attack in late January killed three US service members in Jordan. In retaliation, the US launched a massive air assault, hitting more than 85 targets at seven locations in Iraq and Syria. Meantime, on Saturday, commandos from Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel. Watson, the NSC spokesperson, said the US strongly condemned the seizure and urged Iran to release the ship and crew immediately. We will work with our partners to hold Iran to account for its actions, she said. Also Saturday, the Israeli-occupied West Bank also saw some of the worst violence since Hamas attack on Israel. Government sources claim that throughout the night on the journey to Chongqing, the chancellor was briefed on events in the Middle East. According to the sources, the delegation has maintained regular communication with German security officials read more During his visit to China on Sunday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz denounced Iranian attacks on Israel in the strongest possible terms, according to a spokeswoman. With this irresponsible and unjustifiable attack, Iran is risking a regional conflagration, government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said after Scholzs arrival in the Chinese city of Chongqing. Germany stands closely by Israels side, Hebestreit said. We will now discuss further reactions closely with our G7 partners and allies. Iran threatened to further escalate its first-ever direct strike on Israeli land late on Saturday by firing missiles and sending a barrage of explosive drones towards Israel. Advertisement Iran had promised revenge for what it claimed was an Israeli attack on its consulate in Damascus on April 1, killing seven Revolutionary Guards officers, two of whom were senior commanders. Israel has not acknowledged or refuted being behind the attack on the embassy. Chongqing was where Scholz began his three-day journey to China. Tuesday is scheduled for talks in Beijing with the Chinese leadership. Government sources claim that throughout the night on the journey to Chongqing, the chancellor was briefed on events in the Middle East. According to the sources, the delegation has maintained regular communication with German security officials. The talks are still at a standstill after more than six months of fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, with Hamas maintaining that any deal must put an end to the conflict read more The Palestinian Islamist organisation Hamas has rejected an Israeli cease-fire plan, stating on Saturday that it has delivered its answer to mediators in Egypt and Qatar after receiving it last Monday. The talks are still at a standstill after more than six months of fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, with Hamas maintaining that any deal must put an end to the conflict. We.. reaffirm our adherence to our demands and the national demands of our people; with a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced to their areas and places of residence, intensification of the entry of relief and aid, and the start of reconstruction, the Islamist faction said. Advertisement Israel demands the release of hostages taken by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the conflict, but says it will not stop fighting until Hamas is annihilated as a military force. It also claims it intends to launch an attack on Rafah, a southern Gaza city where more than a million residents have sought safety. Hamas announced on Saturday that it was ready to finalise a prisoners-for-hostages deal with Israel, which would see the release of 133 hostages thought to be held in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. There was no official Israeli statement on Hamas reaction. The Hamas statement came a few days after Israel killed several members of the family of the groups chief Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, raising fears among the families of hostages that it would derail efforts to secure their release from Gaza. Speaking to Reuters in Qatar a day after the killing, Haniyeh said his group still sought a deal but accused Israel of procrastinating and evading a response to the groups demands. Global calls for a ceasefire have been growing as the war has entered its seventh month, but there has been little sign of progress in the talks. Hamas is demanding an end to the Israeli offensive, a withdrawal of Israeli forces, and permission for Gazas displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. Press Release April 14, 2024 Bountiful harvest means more jobs- Villar Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food chairperson Sen. Cynthia A. Villar said a bountiful harvest of agricultural products will mean lesser need to import them. Since they are locally available, Villar said, we can provide a ready market for our farmers. In her speech during the Opening of the Philippine Food and Beverage Expo 2024, Villar related that our farmers can also compete in the global market via exports. The senatoralso noted that an abundant harvest in our agriculture will generate more jobs in the countryside. She said this will promote rural development that will help the country's economic growth. "If there is assurance of income in agriculture, the young people will go back to agriculture and many OFWs will be encouraged to go home and be with their families because they can earn here," also said Villar, an advocate of OFWs. Furthermore, she said that if local products such as vegetables, fruits, livestock, poultry and dairy are readily available at affordable prices, restaurants, markets and supermarkets, manufacturers, importers and our consumers can have their supply of the raw materials for their food and beverages need. "That is food security," added the senator in the food expo which is now on its 16th year. The event held at World Trade Center in Pasay City was organized and spearheaded by the Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization(PHILFOODEX), a leading food industry association. It was attended by over 300 local growers and entrepreneurs in the Food and Beverage industry which showcased to traders, buyers, and the everyday Filipino consumer the best of Filipino produce. The EXPO run from April 12-14 . Masaganang ani,nangangahulugan ng maraming trabaho-Villar Ipinahayag ni Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food chairperson Sen. Cynthia A. Villar na mababawasan ang pangangailangan nating mag-import ng agricultural products kapag masagana ang ani. Dahil sa mayroon tayong mga ganitong produkto, sinabi ni Villar na agaran tayong makapagbibigay ng "ready market" sa ating mga magsasaka. Sa kanyang pananalita sa Philippine Food and Beverage Expo 2024, tinukoy ni Villar na maari ring makipagkumpetensiya ang ating mga magsasaka sa global market via exports. Iginiit din ng senador na magkakaroon ng maraming trabaho sa kanayunan kapag masagana ang ani sa agrikultura Aniya, isusulong nito ang rural development na malaking tulong sa paglago ng ekonomiya. "If there is assurance of income in agriculture, the young people will go back to agriculture and many OFWs will be encouraged to go home and be with their families because they can earn here," sabi pa ni Villar na isang OFW advocate. Sinabi rin niya na kapag available sa mababang presyo ang local products gaya ng gulay, prutas, livestock, poultry at dairy, may suplay para sa kanilang pagkain at inumon ang mga restaurant, merkado, supermarket, manufacturers, importers at consumers "That is food security," dagdag ng senator in the food expo na ngayo'y nasa ika16th taon. Inorganisa at pinangunahan ang event sa World Trade Center sa Pasay City ng Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization (PHILFOODEX). nangungunang food industry association. Lumahok dito ang mahigit 300 local growers at entrepreneurs sa Food and Beverage industry na nagpakita sa traders, buyers at consumer ng kanilang mga ng mga natatanging produkto . Ang Expo ay ginanap mula April 12-14. Drones attacked Zaporizhzhia, Europes largest nuclear power station, on Sunday, damaging a reactor building in the deadliest such incident since November 2022, but nuclear safety was not jeopardised, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency read more A view of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from the bank of Kakhovka Reservoir near the town of Nikopol in Ukraine. Reuters The safety of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine remains fragile, but the change to a cold shutdown of all six reactor units, accomplished on Saturday, is a good development, according to the UN nuclear watchdog director. Drones attacked Zaporizhzhia, Europes largest nuclear power station, on Sunday, damaging a reactor building in the deadliest such incident since November 2022, but nuclear safety was not jeopardised, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Advertisement According to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, with the conclusion of the winter heating season in adjacent Enerhodar, where the majority of plant personnel reside, unit 4 was transferred from hot shutdown on Saturday, putting all six reactor units to cold shutdown for the first time since late 2022. I welcome this development which has been recommended by the Agency for some time, as it enhances the overall safety of the facility, Grossis statement said. Cold shutdown allows for an additional response margin of several days before the cooling of the nuclear fuel in the reactor might be challenged, he added. The reactor would also need less cooling water than in hot shutdown, he said, an issue that grew more challenging following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in June. However Grossi said the situation at the nuclear plant remained extremely fragile, noting a team of IAEA experts had heard 16 rounds of outgoing artillery fire in less than half an hour on Saturday, and several drone strikes had targeted the facility over the past week. The cold shutdown did not address the fundamental issue of a recent sharp deterioration of the situation at the plant, he said. Without a doubt, nuclear safety and security at this major nuclear facility remains very precarious. Advertisement Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused one another of targeting the plant since Russia seized it weeks after it invaded Ukraine. Both countries requested an emergency meeting of the IAEAs Board soon after Sundays attack. Iran has fired over 200 drones and missiles towards Israel in a dramatic uptick in hostilities the strategically important West Asia region, claiming that it is acting in self-defence after the Iranian embassy in Syrias capital Damascus was hit by an Israeli airstrike read more According to the Israeli army, the majority of the missiles were stopped before they entered Israel Image Courtesy Reuters Hours after Iran conducted a drone and missile attack on Israel, the Ministry of External Affairs warned today that India is very concerned about the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran that endangers the peace and security in the West Asia region. We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. Our Embassies in the region are in close touch with Indian community. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region, the ministry has said in its statement. Advertisement Iran has fired over 200 drones and missiles towards Israel in a dramatic uptick in hostilities the strategically important West Asia region, claiming that it is acting in self-defence after the Iranian embassy in Syrias capital Damascus was hit by an Israeli airstrike. According to the Israeli army, the majority of the missiles were stopped before they entered Israel. US President Joe Biden has pledged strong support for Israel against hostile action by Iran. I just met with my national security team for an update on Irans attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad, Biden said on X. According to a defense official, US forces have begun shooting down Iranian drones that are aimed towards Israel. Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect US forces operating in the region, he stated. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, and President Biden also had a phone conversation. According to Netanyahu, Israel has been preparing for a frontal Iranian attack for years and will respond to the attack with force. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed grave concern over the escalation, highlighting the threat it poses to regional peace and security read more India has called for immediate de-escalation in the Middle East, where Iran mounted a retaliatory attack against Israel. Source: Reuters In a significant escalation of regional tensions, Iran directly targeted Israel for the first time by launching around 300 explosive drones and firing missiles late Saturday. This retaliatory strike, which Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) dubbed True Promise, was in response to an April 1 Israeli operation that targeted the Iranian consulate in Syria, killing 12 people including two IRGC senior generals. The attack initiated widespread alarms across Israel, with reports of critical injuries including a 7-year-old girl. Advertisement Indias call for calm Reacting to the burgeoning crisis, India issued a statement on Sunday urging for an immediate de-escalation and a return to diplomatic negotiations. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed grave concern over the escalation, highlighting the threat it poses to regional peace and security. We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region[]We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. Our Embassies in the region are in close touch with Indian community. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Statement on the situation in West Asia:https://t.co/kpJzqwTVWC pic.twitter.com/cSbJQrAjCC Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 14, 2024 Through its embassy in Israel, India has also advised its nationals in the area to remain vigilant and stay calm. Tensions running high in the Middle East The attack has stirred international concerns. US forces are reportedly mobilising towards the Middle East, reinforcing the American militarys already significant presence in the region. Meanwhile, Irans mission to the United Nations stated that with this attack, the issue is concluded, but issued a stern warning of a considerably more severe response if Israel were to retaliate or escalate the situation further. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that his country had anticipated such direct confrontations and was prepared to respond both defensively and offensively. Advertisement The situation remains tense, with potential implications for wider regional stability as global powers watch closely and regional actors assess their next moves. With inputs from agencies Countries around the globe have voiced their concerns and condemnation following Irans direct attack on Israeli territory. While some have criticised Tehran, others are calling for de-escalation read more World leaders have reacted strongly to Iran's retaliatory attack on Israel. Source: Reuters Irans recent launch of explosive drones and missiles at Israel marks a severe escalation in regional hostilities, prompting widespread international reactions and fears of broader conflict in West Asia. Countries around the globe have voiced their concerns and condemnation following Irans direct attack on Israeli territory, which the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) described as retaliation for an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria. The attack has been met with a chorus of international criticism, with many leaders calling for restraint and a return to diplomacy to avoid further escalation. Advertisement UNSC permanent members reactions Heres how the five permanent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) members responded: United States: President Joe Biden reaffirmed ironclad support for Israel, emphasising Americas commitment to Israels security in response to threats from Iran and its proxies. The US is reportedly preparing additional military support for Israel. Russia: The Russian foreign ministry has called for all parties to exercise restraint and warned against actions that could lead to a large-scale war in the region. China: Urging restraint from all involved, China has highlighted the necessity of a ceasefire, referencing a recent UN resolution aimed at quelling ongoing conflicts. France: French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne condemned Irans actions as an unprecedented act of destabilisation, warning of the risks of military escalation. United Kingdom: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak labelled the Iranian strikes as reckless and called it a factor in further destabilising the region, urging a diplomatic resolution to the hostilities. Reactions from EU, UN, and West Asia Several other nations have also expressed their positions: European Union: Josep Borrell, the EUs foreign affairs chief, described the strikes as a grave threat to regional security and an unprecedented escalation. United Nations: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attacks, expressing alarm over the potential for a devastating region-wide escalation and calling for concerted efforts to prevent further military confrontations. Advertisement West Asian states: Both Egypt and Saudi Arabia have expressed deep concern over the escalation, calling for maximum restraint and direct dialogue among the parties to prevent further conflict expansion. As the situation develops, the international community remains on high alert, with diplomatic channels being tested as nations seek to mediate and possibly avert a deeper crisis. With inputs from agencies Following a fatal airstrike on Israels Damascus consulate annexe on April 1, Iran has threatened and warned frequently in recent days that it would react. Washington had also issued warnings about impending retaliation read more Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Jerusalem. Reuters The Israeli army said that Iran had launched an unprecedented attack on Israel late on Saturday, using more than 200 drones and missiles. This marked a significant uptick in the long-running clandestine conflict between the rival regional powers. Early on Sunday, when sirens went off across the country and AFP journalists heard explosions in the skies over Jerusalem, Irans proxies and allies also launched synchronised strikes on Israeli positions. Following a fatal airstrike on Israels Damascus consulate annexe on April 1, Iran has threatened and warned frequently in recent days that it would react. Washington had also issued warnings about impending retaliation. Advertisement Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel, military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement. We are working in close cooperation with the United States and our partners in the region in order to act against the launches and intercept them. People in Jerusalem sought cover, while some residents stockpiled water. As you can see its empty, everybody is running home, said Eliyahu Barakat, a 49-year-old grocery shop owner in Jerusalems Mamilla neighbourhood. US President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washingtons ironclad support for Israel during a critical discussion over the escalating situation with his senior security officers. The Revolutionary Guards of Iran have revealed that they attacked Israel with drones and missiles in revenge for the Damascus strike that claimed the lives of seven Guardsmen, including two generals. Ballistic missiles were fired about an hour after the slower-moving drones, according to the Guards. Wailing Iranian and Palestinian flags, hundreds of Iranians celebrated the historic military operation against Israel in Tehrans Palestine Square. Massive swarm of over 200 killer drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles was unleashed, according to the Israeli army. Advertisement So far, weve intercepted the vast majority of incoming missiles, Hagari said. The army said it had scrambled dozens of fighter jets to intercept all aerial threats. Irans allies in the region joined the attack, with Yemens Huthi rebels also launching drones at Israel, according to security agency Ambrey. Lebanons Hezbollah movement announced it had fired rockets at Israeli positions in the annexed Golan Heights around the same time, as well as a second barrage hours later. Tehrans official IRNA news agency said the attack which comes against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip had dealt heavy blows to an air base in the Negev desert, but the Israeli army said there had only been minor damage. Advertisement Stay away The Iranian mission to the United Nations warned Washington to keep out of Irans conflict with Israel. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY! it said. It added that it hoped its action to punish the strike on its diplomatic mission would lead to no further escalation and the matter can be deemed concluded. But despite Tehrans warning not to get involved, US forces took part in shooting down drones aimed at Israel. Biden said in a later statement that the United States had helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. Advertisement Early Sunday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had spoken with Biden. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Irans reckless action and pledged his government would continue to stand up for Israels security. The UK defence ministry said it had moved several additional fighter jets to the region which stood ready to intercept any airborne attack within range. France echoed the commitment to Israels security. In deciding to take this unprecedented action, Iran has reached a new level of destabilisation, Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said. Egypt, which regularly acts as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, said it was in direct contact with all sides to the conflict to try to contain the situation. Advertisement Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, expressed concern at the escalation and called on all parties to exercise utmost restraint and spare the region and its peoples from the dangers of war. The UN Security Council was to meet at around 2000 GMT Sunday to discuss the crisis at Israels request, its current president Malta said. Biden said he would also convene his fellow leaders of the G7 group of wealthy nations on Sunday to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. Israel prepared Shortly before the launches, Netanyahu said Israel was prepared for a direct attack from Iran. Our defence systems are deployed, we are prepared for any scenario, both in defence and attack, the Israeli premier said. Irans Revolutionary Guards had already seized an Israeli-linked container vessel in the Gulf earlier on Saturday, putting the whole region on alert. Israel said it was closing schools nationwide, while Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon announced they were temporarily closing their airspace. Israel said it was closing its own airspace from 2130 GMT. The Israeli military warned Iran it would suffer the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further. The April 1 strike in Damascus, which killed 16 people, including two Iranian generals, had been widely blamed on Israel. Iran had repeatedly vowed to hit back, but had not specified how. Irans Revolutionary Guards seized a container ship related to Israel in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday as it headed towards Iranian waters, Iranian state media reported. The ships operator, the Italian-Swiss group MSC, said it was working with the relevant authorities to ensure the wellbeing of the 25 crew onboard. Indian official sources said late Saturday there were 17 Indian citizens on board the Aries, while the Philippine government said Sunday that four of its nationals were also aboard. Both Israel and the United States denounced the seizure as piracy, with Israel also demanding the Guards be declared a terrorist organisation by the European Union. Gaza truce stalemate The Gaza war began with the unprecedented October 7 attack by Hamas against Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Israels retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,686 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the territorys Hamas-run health ministry. Israels military said Saturday it had struck more than 30 Hamas targets across Gaza. In the main central city of Deir al-Balah, fire burned in the rubble of a destroyed mosque. Israels military demanded that the whole area be evacuated before it was wiped out in minutes, said Abdullah Baraka, a witness. Hamas said it had submitted its response to a Gaza truce plan presented by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators at talks in Cairo this week. The Palestinian militant group said it was sticking to its previous demands, insisting on a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip. Residents experienced the immediate impact of the crisis. There was a sudden rush of customers stocking up on essentials. People, gripped by fear, huddled up together as the attack continued read more Iran, on Sunday, launched a major drone and missile attack against Israel. This aggressive move was in retaliation for an Israeli raid on the Iranian consulate in Syria two weeks prior, marking a severe intensification in the conflict dynamics in the Middle East. The attack, described by Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as Operation True Promise, was unprecedented both in scale and scope, involving hundreds of drones and missiles fired not only from Iran but also from allied territories in Iraq and Yemen. According to the IRGC, this was a direct response to what it called the Zionist entitys crime of targeting the Iranian consulate. Advertisement Heres a look at how eyewitnesses saw the events unfold. Under the cover of darkness Several videos posted on social media suggest that the offensive began under the cover of darkness and continued into the early hours, with air raid sirens echoing through the night across Israeli cities including Tel Aviv. The sounds of explosions were a stark background as Israels air defences engaged the incoming threats. The Israeli military confirmed the attacks originated from multiple fronts. The Israeli militarys response to the crisis was swift, with spokespeople like Daniel Hagari issuing urgent advisories for citizens to seek shelter and stay prepared for more possible attacks. This state of high alert rippled through the populace. A rush for essential supplies In Jerusalem, the situation on the ground was tense. Residents, including 49-year-old Eliyahu Barakat, a local grocery shop owner, experienced the immediate impact of the crisis. Barakat noted a sudden rush of customers stocking up on essentials. AFP quoted him as saying that many people visited his shop to stock up on supplies, water, food, everything. The same scene was replicated across the city as people prepared for prolonged uncertainty. The communitys response was a blend of fear and pragmatism Normally we close at one oclock but we will stay open, Barakat said. Further north, in communities close to the Lebanese border, the fear of conflict spilling over was palpable. Summer Khalil from Majd al-Krum said, If I hear the sirens, I dont know what to do, we are near the Lebanese border[]I bought 30 bottles of water, they were almost the last bottles. There was no milk in the shop, she said. Advertisement Uncertainty prevail Michael Uzan, a 52-year-old dentist, shared how his family got together at a relatives home. No work tomorrow. Even meetings, everything is cancelled. For children, schools are closed[]everything is cancelled, he said. The events following Israels military action in Gaza, which has been marked by heavy casualties and humanitarian crises, are now intricately linked with Irans aggressive stance, setting the stage for an unpredictable and volatile future. This action by Israel comes at a time when tensions with Iran are heightened due to a retaliatory strike by Tehran read more In a significant escalation amidst already high tensions, Israel reportedly conducted an airstrike on a Hezbollah site in Lebanon on Sunday. The strike targeted a two-storey building near Baalbek in eastern Lebanon, close to the Syrian border. Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah was the target of the attack. There were no casualties in the attack, AFP cited a Hezbollah source as saying. Lebanons state-run National News Agency also confirmed that the building in the village of Nabi Sheet was completely destroyed. Advertisement An attack amid high tensions This military action by Israel comes at a time when tensions with Iran are notably heightened. Earlier in the day, Hezbollah launched rocket barrages towards the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in response to a major drone and missile attack by Iran against Israel. These aggressive moves by Iran and its allies are seen as retaliatory, following an April 1 airstrike that Israel is widely believed to have carried out. This strike had devastating effects, destroying an Iranian consulate building in Damascus and killing seven members of the Revolutionary Guards, including two generals. The larger geopolitical context The backdrop of these attacks is a complex web of geopolitical tensions. Since October 7, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, sparking a war in the Gaza Strip, there has been near-daily cross-border fire involving Israel and Hezbollah. This ongoing conflict has resulted in significant casualties and displacement. According to AFP, the violence has largely been confined to the border area but has led to at least 363 deaths in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters and at least 70 civilians. Israel reports the loss of 10 soldiers and eight civilians, with tens of thousands of civilians having fled their homes on both sides of the border. This latest strike by Israel in Lebanon, despite the escalating conflict with Iran, shows how volatile the nature of geopolitics is in the Middle East, where longstanding conflicts and alliances continually influence the strategic decisions and actions of the involved states. With inputs from agencies Air India temporarily suspends flights to Israel Air India on April 14 decided to temporarily suspend flights to Tel Aviv amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. An official said the direct flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv will be suspended for now. Air India operates four weekly flights between the national capital and Israeli city. The Tata group-owned carrier recommenced services to Tel Aviv on March 3 after a gap of nearly five months. Air India suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv, starting October 7, 2023, in the wake of the Hamas attack on the Israeli city. In retaliation for the bombing of the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus earlier this month, Iran late on Saturday launched a volley of explosive drones and missiles directly into Israeli territory read more In addition to Iran's direct strike, its allies and proxies launched concerted attacks on Israeli sites, resulting in early Sunday explosions audible above Jerusalem and sirens ringing in many locations Image Courtesy Reuters Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, declared that his nation will harm anyone who attacks them directly and that his nation has been preparing for an Iranian attack for years. Iran this evening. In retaliation for the bombing of the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus earlier this month, Iran late on Saturday launched a volley of explosive drones and missiles directly into Israeli territory. In recent times, and particularly in the last several weeks, Israel has been getting ready for an outright Iranian strike. We are prepared for every situation, both offensively and defensively, with our defensive systems in place. Israel is a powerful State. The IDF is powerful. The people are powerful said Netanyahu. Advertisement In addition to Irans direct strike, its allies and proxies launched concerted attacks on Israeli sites, resulting in early Sunday explosions audible above Jerusalem and sirens ringing in many locations. Following an airstrike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1, which resulted in the deaths of seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members, including two generals, Iran had previously threatened to retaliate against Israel. The United States has warned on several occasions that retaliation was imminent. We appreciate the US standing alongside Israel, as well as the support of Britain, France and many other countries. We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination, Netanyahus statement read. The Israeli spy service Mosaid said today that Hamas, the militant group affiliated with the Palestinian organization, had rejected the most recent offer made by international mediators to end the conflict in Gaza. Egypt, Qatar, and the United States had previously served as go-betweens in the negotiations, but no workable agreement could be reached. The mediators were trying to arrange a ceasefire before Ramadan began, but they were unable to move forward. On Friday, Netanyahu approved a new round of ceasefire talks to be held in Doha and Cairo. The Israeli PM had spoken with Mossad chief David Barnea about the talks, although it was not stated whether Mr. Barnea would be traveling to either city. When Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, they took about 250 hostages, which started the battle. Israel calculates that 130 people are still being held captive in Gaza, 33 of them are thought to be dead. The Israeli army reported that Iran had fired over 300 missiles and drones at Israel. But with assistance from the US, Jordan, Britain, and other friends, the army said that 99% of them were stopped before they entered Israel read more In the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Iron Dome has been crucial in shielding Israeli cities from periodic rocket assaults launched from Gaza and Lebanon Iran launched its first-ever attack on Israeli territory today, and Israel was able to intercept hundreds of missiles and drones fired by Iran. Iran launched an unprecedented attack in retaliation for an alleged Israeli bombing on its Damascus embassy compound on April 1 that claimed the lives of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps officers. The Israeli army reported that Iran had fired over 300 missiles and drones at Israel. But with assistance from the US, Jordan, Britain, and other friends, the army said that 99% of them were stopped before they enter Israel. Advertisement According to the Israeli military, Iran fired some 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles at Israel. Since it began to function in 2011, Israels vital Iron Dome air defense system has been intercepting rockets. In the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Iron Dome has been crucial in shielding Israeli cities from periodic rocket assaults launched from Gaza and Lebanon. Included in Israels multiple-tiered missile defense systems, it can intercept short-range rockets up to 70 kilometers away. Other missile defense systems that Israel possesses include Davids Sling, which defends against medium-range rocket or missile attacks, and Arrow, which deters ballistic missiles. Officials said that during an attack on Israel on 7 October that left 1,200 people dead, terrorists commanded by Hamas took 253 hostages. A truce in November saw the release of several captives, but attempts to broker a new agreement through mediation by Qatar and Egypt seem to have stagnated read more People hold banners and Israeli flags as they attend a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and to call for the release of hostages kidnapped in the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas from Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel. Reuters On Saturday, thousands of Israelis demonstrated against their government. Some demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu end the conflict in Gaza, which has been going on for six months, in light of the impasse in diplomatic attempts to free the hostages that Hamas is holding there. Officials said that during an attack on Israel on 7 October that left 1,200 people dead, terrorists commanded by Hamas took 253 hostages. A truce in November saw the release of several captives, but attempts to broker a new agreement through mediation by Qatar and Egypt seem to have stagnated. Advertisement The relatives and friends of the 129 hostages who are still in captivity and are unable to be reached are organising louder protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus right-wing administration as worries about their well-being grow in Israel. They have dovetailed with activists who have long called for Netanyahus ouster given his trial on graft charges - which he denies - and his attempts to overhaul the judiciary last year. Our countrys near the abyss. Weve already started to drive down and we must stop it. Im here to gather the force to tell the people that they need to come out and they need to tell our government that its time to stop, said Marva Erez, 45, who was among demonstrators in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu said he will continue with the war to dismantle Hamas, despite alarm in Washington and other Western capitals at the civilian toll in Gaza, where medical officials say more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas has said any new hostage deal must bring about an end to the Gaza war and withdrawal of all Israeli forces. There will be a (hostage) deal, Culture Minister Miki Zohar, a senior member of Netanyahus Likud party, told Channel 12 TV. But not at any price. The anti-government protest in Tel Aviv was held separately to a smaller vigil for the hostages. Many of those taking part in the latter event soon merged with the bigger demonstration. Advertisement Michael Levy, whose brother Or is among the hostages, said he was protesting because we have no time for the talks. We need actions. We need to get them home, he said. Sarabjit Singh, 49, was brutally attacked by inmates, including Tamba, inside Lahores high-security Kot Lakhpat jail. He was left in a coma for almost a week before succumbing to a heart attack in the early hours of May 2, 2013, at Jinnah Hospital in Lahore read more Tamba was attacked in the Islampura neighborhood of Lahore by attackers riding motorcycles. He was taken to a hospital in severe condition, however, according to reports, he passed away due to his injuries Unidentified shooters assassinated Amir Sarfaraz Tamba in Lahore today. Tamba was a close associate of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit founder Hafiz Sayeed and was accused of killing Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan, according to police sources. Tamba was attacked in the Islampura neighborhood of Lahore by attackers riding motorcycles. He was taken to a hospital in severe condition, however, according to reports, he passed away due to his injuries. Advertisement Sarabjit Singh, 49, was brutally attacked by inmates, including Tamba, inside Lahores high-security Kot Lakhpat jail. He was left in a coma for almost a week before succumbing to a heart attack in the early hours of May 2, 2013, at Jinnah Hospital in Lahore. Tamba was born in Lahore in 1979 and was a close associate of the LeT founder. A group of Pakistani prisoners attacked Sarabjit Singh with bricks and iron rods. He was allegedly found guilty of taking part in several bombings in Pakistans Punjab province in 1990 and was given the death penalty. (With agency inputs) Official sources on Friday said India has called on Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and Delhi, to ensure the welfare and early release of the 17 Indian crew members of the cargo ship MSC Aries read more The MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) said it is working closely with relevant authorities for the well-being of 25 crew members and return of the vessel Image Courtesy Reuters An elderly couple in this district of northern Kerala are praying for their sons safe return while they worry about his safety on board a cargo ship that has been linked to Israel that has been seized in the Gulf. Their son Shyamnath is one of the 17 Indians on board a cargo ship with ties to Israel that the Iranian military apprehended on Saturday close to the Strait of Hormuz. Recently, the ship MSC Aries was taken over. Advertisement Later in the day, they received a call from the shipping companys Mumbai office, informing them about the shocking development. We are going through tough timeswe have great concerns about the safety of our son. The company authorities said they could not contact the ship crew after the seizure, Vishwanathan told the media. Hailing from Velliparamba in this northern district, Shyamnath has been working as a second engineer in MSC Aries for the last 10 years. He last visited the hometown in September last year, parents said. Viswanathan said besides Shyamnath, two men from neighbouring Palakkad and Wayanad districts were also among the crew members. Besides Indians, nationals from the Philippines, Pakistan and Russia were among the crew as per their knowledge, he said. Though Shyamnaths mother also tried to talk to the media, she burst into tears. Amid the anxieties, the family expressed hope the interventions made by the Centre would help to bring their son and his colleagues back to safety at the earliest. Official sources on Friday said India has called on Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and Delhi, to ensure the welfare and early release of the 17 Indian crew members of the cargo ship MSC Aries. The MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) said it is working closely with relevant authorities for the well-being of 25 crew members and return of the vessel. Advertisement Vishwanathan and Shyamala, Shyamnaths parents, who are still processing the news, stated that they spoke with him on Saturday. (With agency inputs) In the lead-up to South Africas pivotal general elections, the landscape of opposition politics is marked by intense internal discord that could potentially strengthen the ruling African National Congress (ANC) read more In South Africa, the coalition formed by opposition parties is in a state of disarray ahead of the elections. Source: AI-generated image In the weeks leading up to South Africas general elections scheduled for May 29, the opposition parties are embroiled in internal conflict that threatens to dismantle their coalition, potentially strengthening the incumbent African National Congress (ANC) despite its waning popularity. A collection of 11 opposition factions, known as the Multi-Party Charter (MPC), which includes major players like the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), faces a precarious situation. The coalition, formed with the intention of unseating the ANC, is showing cracks as two of its largest members hinted at the possibility of collaborating with the ANC if no clear victor emerges. Advertisement ActionSA, another significant member of the MPC, has issued an ultimatum to both the DA and the IFP, demanding they retract statements suggesting a potential alliance with the ANC. Michael Beaumont, the national chair of ActionSA, expressed dismay in a recent interview, asserting that the coalition was never set up to be a collective bargaining chip with the ANC. The tensions come at a critical time when the ANC is projected to secure less than 50 per cent of the vote for the first time since it came to power in 1994. This diminished support presents a unique opportunity for the opposition, yet internal disagreements may undermine their effectiveness. DA leader John Steenhuisen has defended his stance, arguing that cooperation with the ANC might be necessary to prevent the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters from entering a ruling coalition, which he described as a doomsday scenario. Similarly, IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa has suggested that forming a grand coalition that includes the ANC could be essential to prevent governmental paralysis. These developments have sown confusion among voters and strained the unity of the opposition. The oppositions struggle is further complicated by the sheer number of parties participating in the elections, many of which are polling at under 2 per cent but still have the potential to play a crucial role as coalition partners due to the countrys proportional representation system. Analysts predict that a fragmented opposition could inadvertently enable the ANC to negotiate with smaller, more malleable parties, creating a potentially unstable government. This scenario could hinder efforts to address significant national issues like corruption and service delivery failures. As the election approaches, the MPC plans to select a presidential candidate and conduct lifestyle audits to boost transparency and trust among potential leaders. However, the efficacy of these measures is now in question as the coalitions future hangs in the balance. Advertisement With the opposition in disarray and the ANC poised to exploit these divisions, the coming weeks are critical for the future of South Africas political landscape. Voters are left with uncertain choices as the opposition parties grapple with their strategies and the real possibility of a fractured mandate that could lead to a complex and unstable coalition government. With inputs from agencies The attack has caused sorrow, outrage and shock in Sydney, where residents are relatively unaccustomed to violent crime. The shopping centre is the focal point of a well frequented suburb near the famed beach, and is always filled with shoppers and families going for meals or to the cinema read more A policemen stands near a roadblock located outside the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall in Sydney on April 14, 2024, the day after a 40-year-old knifeman with mental illness roamed the packed shopping centre killing six people and seriously wounding a dozen others. AFP Six people were stabbed to death at a Sydney shopping centre on Sunday, including a new mother whose nine-month-old infant is still in the hospital with critical injuries. Australian police claimed the attack was carried out by a 40-year-old itinerant with mental illness. Joel Cauchi, a resident of Queensland, was the attacker, according to Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke of the New South Wales police department. Joel was shot and killed on Saturday at the site by a senior police officer. Advertisement Cauchi attacked a crowded retail area in the citys Bondi Junction district while brandishing a huge knife, killing five ladies and one male security officer. There are still twelve hospital patients. The sound of people screaming was horrific, said eyewitness Daphi Kiselstein, who was shopping at the time of the attack and took refuge in a store with other terrified people. Cooke said there was no evidence to suggest Cauchi was driven by any particular motivation, ideology or otherwise. We know that the offender in the matter suffered from, suffers from, mental health, he added. Cauchi was tracked down and shot dead by solo senior police officer Amy Scott, who was instantly hailed by Australias prime minister as a hero who had saved countless lives. Cauchis parents said their son had been living in a vehicle and hostels of late, and was only in sporadic contact via text messages. Police said he was diagnosed with a mental health issue at age 17, but they had no indication about why he may have become violent. His parents issued a statement through police offering condolences to their sons victims and their families. Advertisement They had also sent a message of support to the officer who shot him dead, expressing their concerns for her welfare. Queensland police said Cauchi had been in contact with police several times over the last four to five years but has never been arrested or charged with any offence. He is believed to have travelled to Sydney about a month ago and hired a small storage unit in the city. It contained personal belongings, including a boogie board. Outstanding human The attack has caused sorrow, outrage and shock in Sydney, where residents are relatively unaccustomed to violent crime. The shopping centre is the focal point of a well frequented suburb near the famed beach, and is always filled with shoppers and families going for meals or to the cinema. Advertisement Among the victims was 38-year-old mother Ashlee Good, who succumbed to her injuries after desperately passing her baby to two strangers in the hope they could save the childs life. Goods family described her as a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all round outstanding human and so much more. To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not words cannot express our gratitude, they said in a statement to Australian media. The baby, named Harriet, was said to be recovering well after lengthy surgery. Two of the victims are said to have no family in Australia and attempts are being made to contact relatives overseas. Advertisement Beyond comprehension A Facebook profile said Cauchi came from Toowoomba, near Brisbane, and had attended a local high school and university. A distinctive grey, red and yellow dragon tattoo on his right arm was used to help identify him. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australians were struggling to understand an unspeakable attack that is really just beyond comprehension. People going about their Saturday afternoon shopping should be safe, shouldnt be at risk. But tragically, we saw a loss of life, and people will be grieving for loved ones today, he said. We also know there are many people still in hospital dealing with recovery, and our thoughts and prayers are with them. Advertisement Albanese said he had received messages from US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon among others. Outside the shopping centre early on Sunday, a collection of flowers started to build. Families embraced as they lay flowers. One man stood silently and wiped away tears, before moving on. Sydney resident Paul Hoolahan said he came to pay his respects to those who died at the shopping centre, where he often has coffee with his grandchildren. It is emotional, Hoolahan told AFP. It shouldnt happen. It hit here, he said pointing to his chest. New South Wales premier Chris Minns flew back from Japan on news of the attack. He said it had been incredible to see complete strangers jump in, run towards the danger for their own lives in harms way to save someone that theyve never met before. Weve got some wonderful people in our city, he said. Iran risked a significant escalation as it launched a barrage of explosive drones and fired missiles towards Israel late on Saturday, marking its first-ever direct strike on Israeli soil, even as the US promised ironclad support for Israel read more The United Nations building is pictured in New York City, US. Reuters File According to a diplomat, the UN Security Council is scheduled to convene on Sunday. Israel has asked the council to denounce Irans invasion of Israel and label the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group. Speaking under anonymity, the diplomat stated on Saturday that the proposed meeting time was 4 p.m. ET (2000 GMT). In a letter to the president of the council on Saturday, Gilad Erdan, Israels ambassador to the UN, asked that the council call an emergency meeting. Advertisement The Iranian attack is a serious threat to global peace and security and I expect the Council to use every means to take concrete action against Iran, Erdan wrote in a post on X. Iran risked a significant escalation as it launched a barrage of explosive drones and fired missiles towards Israel late on Saturday, marking its first-ever direct strike on Israeli soil, even as the US promised ironclad support for Israel. Speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late on Saturday, President Joe Biden informed him that the United States would not take part in any Israeli counter-offensive against Iran read more Senior U.S. officials informed their counterparts that the United States would not take part in an offensive response against Iran Image Courtesy Reuters In response to an alleged Israeli attack on Irans Syria consulate on April 1, the Iranian government launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday night. Speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late on Saturday, President Joe Biden informed him that the United States would not take part in any Israeli counter-offensive against Iran. CNN and the Wall Street Journal reported that senior U.S. officials informed their counterparts that the United States would not take part in an offensive response against Iran. Advertisement The chief national security spokesman for the White House, John Kirby, stated on ABCs This Week program on Sunday that while the US will continue to support Israel in defending itself, it does not want to go to war with Iran. We dont seek escalated tensions in the region. We dont seek a wider conflict, Kirby said. Long trip Florida to Northern Alberta Need some help here 2016 Ford F350 DRW 2WD. Driving up for a moose hunt in remote part of Alberta up near the North West Territories in late September-early October. I will have about 120 miles of unpaved logging roads (60 miles each way) that I will be driving on. Towing a flatbed trailer with camping gear, generator, freezer, fuel, etc. I just added Timbrens to the truck, a Westin heavy duty grille bar, 12,000 lb winch, Ill be installing Birstein 5100s all around including steering stabilizer. I have chains for the truck as the roads get really sloppy when theres rain, and the 2WD does not do well in sloppy conditions. Where I need help is in determining what spare parts or other equipment I should bring with me. AAA wont be coming out to get me, and in fact I very well may not have cell service. Im going to probably get an InReach to stay in touch with my wife and for emergencies. Ill have safety gear, camping gear, food, water, fuel, and a complete set of tools, power tools, batteries for the tools, chargers (including an emergency jump starter for the truck). What do I need to have with me for keeping the truck going? Ive got hose clamps, zip ties, duct tape. Ive installed an LED light bar, 7 LED fog lights. My tires are Continental Terrain Contact HTs which are highway tires. Ive got chains for the two outside tires, but Im thinking about getting triples that would go over the DRWs. Its going to take me 5 days each way somewhere around 3,500 miles each way. What would you bring if it were you? Mass in the square in El Rocio Quelle: Roberto Magni and Daniela Comi By ReD Magazine Anyone who wants to experience this extraordinary blend of faith and tradition is invited to join the pilgrimage of El Rocio in May 2024 and share in the joy and spirituality of this ancient rite. In this edition of the pilgrimage of El Rocio, we at Foto ReD Photographic Agency will also be present to create a fantastic reportage that captures and tells the most beautiful moments of this religious celebration. Roberto Magni and Daniela Comi will be ready to photograph you. If you are planning a trip to Andalusia, I recommend booking accommodation well in advance and exploring activities in the surroundings of El Rocio. Dennis received bachelor's degrees in communication and political science with a TAG degree in Spanish from The University of Akron in Ohio. He grew up in Ohio with two sisters and two brothers, one being his fraternal twin. He and his wife have two dogs: Bacio, and Cal. Dennis currently covers natural resource and environmental issues for The Daily Sentinel Thursday Night Partly cloudy in the evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers after midnight. Low 51F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Thursday Night Partly cloudy skies early will give way to occasional showers later during the night. Low around 50F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Under Investigation Across Europe, Pro-Kremlin Voice Of Europe Has Deep Balkan Ties By Andi Mioc, Mirjana Jevtovic and Tony Wesolowsky April 13, 2024 Dragan Stanojevic has never hidden his pro-Russian ties, support, or actions. The right-wing Serbian politician, who has been blacklisted by Kyiv, has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, cheered his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and jeered Western actions to punish Russia. Given his views, it was no surprise that Stanojevic was one of many mostly fringe figures across Europe to be featured and interviewed by Voice of Europe, a Russian disinformation operation based in Prague that was recently shut down by Czech authorities, who accused the murky operation of not only spreading fake news but funding politicians aligned with Russian goals. Prague on March 27 imposed sanctions on Viktor Medvedchuk, a former Ukrainian magnate with strong Kremlin ties, and his close associate, Artem Marchevskiy, over the funding of Voice of Europe. According to Czech officials, Voice of Europe gave a platform with its website and YouTube channel to EU lawmakers, many on the extremes of the political spectrum, in hopes of influencing the outcome of upcoming European Parliament elections in June. While the details remain vague, Czech officials said that Voice of Europe also had an unspecified number of pro-Kremlin European politicians on its payroll. Despite the website being blocked and inaccessible, RFE/RL's Balkan Service has learned that Stanojevic gave an interview to Voice of Europe, which was published in January, a month after his right-wing populist party, We -- The Voice From The People, scored surprising results in local and national elections in Serbia. Stanojevic told RFE/RL in a statement that he could not recall anything specific about the interview. "During that period, many journalists called me, and I know that this team came to Belgrade and that I spoke about the fact that Serbia would be a good hub between Brussels and Moscow," Stanojevic said. Ukraine Connection Stanojevic was linked to another Medvedchuk initiative in December 2023, when Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, reported that the pro-Russian organization Other Ukraine, founded by the Ukrainian oligarch, had been registered in Serbia and that Stanojevic would head it. According to Schemes, Stanojevic lived in Ukraine in the late 1990s and early 2000s, where he headed an organization called the Serbian Community of Ukraine and participated in other pro-Russian political parties. He also still owns businesses registered in Ukraine. For his pro-Russian activities, Ukraine placed sanctions on Stanojevic in 2021, barring him from entering the country for three years. Medvedchuk was one of Ukraine's wealthiest individuals, with a fortune estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, including energy assets in Russia. He was also widely believed to be Putin's right-hand man in Ukraine. Medvedchuk was charged with high treason and placed under house arrest in 2021, only to flee as Russia launched its full-scale invasion. He was subsequently rearrested in April 2022. In September 2022, he was handed over to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stripped Medvedchuk and three other prominent pro-Russian figures of their Ukrainian citizenship. Asked by Schemes about the goals and aims of the Serbian branch of Other Ukraine or its ties to Medvedchuk, Stanojevic only said he was not trying to assist him but rather Ukrainians. He had "never supported any aggression," Stanojevic said, but did "not support the Ukrainian government." Russia In The Balkans Stanojevic was not the only Balkan politician to be given a platform by the now-blocked Voice of Europe. Milorad Dodik, the pro-Russian Bosnian Serb separatist leader who has been put under sanctions by both Brussels and Washington, recently gave an interview to the publication -- picked up by local media -- where he spoke about the "friendship between Russia and Republika Sprska" and accused Sarajevo of "producing terrorists." Asked by RFE/RL's Balkan Service about the interview at the time it was published in January, Dodik gave a curt response. "Yeah? And? What's the problem?" The Balkans have long been a prime target for Russian disinformation operations. According to research published by the Clingendael Institute, a think tank and academy on international affairs based in The Hague, one of the Kremlin's goals was to "obstruct the Euro-Atlantic integration of the region by advocating against NATO and EU integration and by raising instabilities." Because of their historical ties with Russia, shared Slavic heritage and Orthodox faith, Russian narratives tend to resonate particularly with ethnic Serbs, amplified by politicians, state media, businesspeople, and priests. What appears to unite the politicians who appeared on Voice of Europe is their "opposition to the main liberal-democratic consensus in Europe," said Anton Shekhovtsov, director of the Vienna-based Center for Democratic Integrity and author of the books Russia And The Western Far Right and Russian Political Warfare. "Russia believes that the rise of antiestablishment forces will somehow polarize European societies, make them more isolationist," Shekhovtsov explained to RFE/RL. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Shekhovtsov, listed some of the more prominent European politicians who have spoken to Voice of Europe. One of those listed, Cyril Svoboda, a former Czech foreign minister and leader of the Czech Christian and Democratic Union, is now facing calls to step down from the party, in part, due to that interview. Anti-Western Voice Voice of Europe may have its roots in the Netherlands, the Dutch daily NRC reported. An entrepreneur linked to the site at the time "worked with" far-right leader Thierry Baudet in 2016 "to bring about the Ukraine referendum," the paper wrote, referring to a nonbinding vote in which Dutch voters opposed a political Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. Voice of Europe was registered in Prague in 2016 under the name "Dada-Mapo," and got its current name in 2023, according to Czech records. Its director is listed as Jacek January Jakubczyk, a Polish national about whom little is known from publicly accessible sources. Besides the website and YouTube channel, Voice of Europe was also active on X, Facebook, and Telegram, a popular messaging app in Russia. The Facebook page and YouTube channel went silent on March 27, the same day that Czech authorities imposed sanctions on Medvedchuk and Marchevskiy. Data analyzed by RFE/RL indicates that between December 2023 and February 2024, Voice of Europe's website registered nearly 420,000 views, with the top five countries including Germany, Poland, and the United States, with Vietnam perhaps surprisingly top. With Voice of Europe, Medvedchuk and the Kremlin were launching another phase of its ongoing information war targeting Western audiences, Shekhovtsov says. "Not a single bullet is flying against the EU. There are no bombs. At least not yet," Shekhovtsov said. "But Russia is waging a war by supporting those forces that it believes are working alone against the consensus in Europe." Written by Tony Wesolowsky based on reporting by Andi Mioc and Mirjana Jevtovic of RFE/RL's Balkan Service and data analysis by Maja Zivanovic Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-voice-of-europe-czech- information-war/32904006.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 Port Sudan, Sudan (PANA) - Sudan was plunged into an ongoing, devastating war one year ago on 15 April 2023, leaving in its wake almost 15,000 dead, eight million civilians on the run, 25 million in dire need of assistance and warnings from humanitarians about famine, aid blockades and a growing list of atrocities on all sides China urges Philippines to honor commitments and understandings, stop provocations on Ren'ai Jiao: embassy Global Times By Global Times Published: Apr 13, 2024 01:21 PM In response to the situation on the Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef), the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines said Saturday that if the Philippines truly wants to ease tensions on Ren'ai Jiao through dialogue and communication, the key is for it to honor the commitments and understandings and stop provocations. China remains committed to managing South China Sea disputes with the Philippines through dialogue and consultation, and we have made ongoing efforts in this regard, the embassy said in its statement published on Saturday. On how to deal with the current situation at Ren'ai Jiao, China's position is clear-cut, the statement added. The statement came after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday called on China to engage in dialogue to prevent more incidents like ramming vessels and the use of water cannons in the South China Sea, Voice of America reported. 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 claimed, according to media reports. On Saturday, the Chinese embassy listed three key points of China's views on handling the current situation at Ren'ai Jiao. First, by keeping a warship grounded at Ren'ai Jiao for decades running, the Philippines has been violating China's sovereignty and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), especially Article 5 which says refraining from action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands and reefs. We demand that the Philippines tow away the warship as soon as possible and restore Ren'ai Jiao's state of not hosting personnel and facilities, the statement said. Second, before the warship is towed away, if the Philippines needs to send living necessities, out of humanitarian considerations, China is willing to allow it if the Philippines informs China in advance and after on-site verification is conducted. China will monitor the whole process, according to the embassy's statement. Third, if the Philippines sends large amount of construction materials to the warship and attempts to build fixed facilities and permanent outpost, China will not accept it and will resolutely stop it in accordance with law and regulations to uphold China's sovereignty and the sanctity of the DOC. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas says responds to truce proposal, its demands remain in place IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 13, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, says it has responded to a proposal reached during the latest round of Gaza ceasefire talks in Egypt, stressing that the movement's four main demands remain in place. Hamas said in a statement on Saturday that it had presented its response to Qatari and Egyptian mediators on the proposal reached during the ceasefire negotiations launched last Sunday in the Egyptian capital Cairo, Al Mayadeen reported. The resistance movement said it is ready for a real prisoner-captive exchange agreement, but its main demands, which are also the demands of the Palestinian people, remain in place. Hamas says a permanent ceasefire should be established in Gaza, Israeli forces should completely withdraw from the besieged territory, displaced Palestinians should return to their homes and all aid needed for the people of Gaza should be allowed in. A temporary ceasefire was reached in Gaza during the last week of December, which saw the exchange of scores of Palestinian prisoners with dozens of captives Hamas took in its unprecedented Al Aqsa Storm operation on October 7. Since that temporary truce, several rounds of talks have been held with the aim of reaching a longer ceasefire and exchange more prisoners with captives. However, all those talks have failed due to the Israeli regime's refusal to accept Hamas' demands. 4194 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, UK call on Iran to release Israel-linked ship IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 13, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The US and the UK have called on Iran to release an Israel-liked ship it seized in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. Members of the Special Naval Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) seized MCS Aries container ship after carrying out a heliborne operation on the vessel's deck, directing it towards Iran's territorial waters. In a post on social media platform X, White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson "strongly condemned" the seizure and called on Iran to release the vessel "immediately". The UK reacted as well. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, on his X account, called the seizure "unacceptable" and demanded "the unconditional release" of the vessel. The British minister claimed that his country is working with "partners to prevent escalation in the Middle East". The seizure of MCS Aries, a Portuguese flagged cargo ship operated by the Zodiac Maritime Shipping Company that is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer, comes at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and Israel over the regime's attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1. Iran strongly condemned the attack as a violation of international law and conventions, and promised to take revenge. Reports from the Israeli-occupied territories show that the regime is on high alert amid a possible retaliatory attack by Iran. 4194 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gaza death toll climbs to 33,686 IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 13, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- A recent update by Palestinian Ministry of Health has put the total Palestinian deaths of Gaza war at 33,686. The ministry said on Saturday that some 52 Palestinians were martyred in Zionist attacks over the past 24 hours, with 95 others being injured. With the new fatalities, the number of Palestinian deaths mounted to 33,686 since the beginning of the Zionist aggression on October 7, 2023. The Zionist regime has prevented the humanitarian supplies and the dispatch of food to Gaza Strip which has exacerbated the human crisis in the besieged Palestinian region. 9341**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Islamic Jihad leader: Enemy retreating in Gaza, hasn't achieved goals IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 13, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement Ziad al-Nakhalah has said that the Zionist regime has not only failed to achieve its goals in Gaza but it has also been forced to retreat after nearly seven months of devastating war in the besieged Palestinian territory. "The enemy has not only reached none of its goals, but it is retreating day by day", al-Nakhalah said on Saturday during an interview with the official website of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. "The resistance front in Gaza has a strong presence both on the battlefield and in terms of politics", the Islamic Jihad leader said, adding that enemy forces have suffered huge losses by resistance fighters. He also pointed out to the resilience of resistance groups in Gaza, which he said led to the ongoing negotiations over a ceasefire following the enemy's previous threats to destroy the resistance. Al-Nakhalah noted that if the enemy refuses to accept the resistance's conditions during the negotiations, Palestinians would still be ready for fighting in the long-term and even with a better performance. US trying to save Israeli regime Al-Nakhalah, at the same time, criticized the West over its stance in the ceasefire talks, saying that it is not after a solution for Gaza but seeks a solution for Israel, adding that the US is trying to save the regime. On Israeli threats of a ground invasion of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have taken refuge, the Islamic Jihad leader said that the resistance is not afraid of the offensive and will confront the enemy. He also expressed gratitude towards Iran and Yemen, as well as the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement for their support to the Palestinians in Gaza. 4194**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Northern Gaza Strip faces 'real humanitarian catastrophe' IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 13, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Director general of the government media office in Gaza Ismail al-Thawabta has emphasized Gaza Strip faces a "real humanitarian catastrophe" by closing more hospitals and not sending any aid to the north of the Enclave. According to the Palestinian Sama news agency on Saturday, al-Thawabta described idle oxygen plants as a death penalty for patients in need of oxygen capsules. He added that the occupying Israeli regime has closed 32 out of 35 hospitals in the Gaza Strip He further noted that no aid has been sent to the northern Gaza Strip, adding, "That is why we call on the countries of the world to urgently dispatch field and mobile hospitals, especially to the northern Gaza Strip". Meanwhile, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson Tess Ingram termed the situation of children in the Gaza Strip as "painful and tragic" and warned of the long-term consequences of Israeli aggression on the physical and mental health of children in the area. Israel waged the bloody war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas launched Operation al-Aqsa Storm in the occupied territories in retaliation for the Tel Aviv regime's incessant crimes against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 33,686 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the territory. The campaign has devastated large swathes of Gaza, destroyed hospitals, and displaced half of its population of 2.4 million. Israel has also imposed a "complete siege" on the coastal sliver, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there. 3266**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah conducts fresh missile attacks on Israeli positions IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 13, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Lebanon's Hezbollah has targeted several Zionist settlements in northern occupied Palestinian territories, local media reported. Lebanon's news channel Al Mayadeen reported on Saturday that sirens sounded in a number of settlements in the Western Galilee region near the Lebanese border following Hezbollah's missile attacks. Accordingly, media sources reported that Hezbollah targeted the Hanita base with several missiles and injured some Zionists. Also, the Islamic Resistance of Lebanon announced in a statement that it had successfully launched a missile attack on the Zionist regime's Roysat al-Alam base in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kafr Shuba. Hezbollah has been engaged in operations against Israeli positions at Lebanon's border since October 8, a day after the regime unleashed its war on Gaza following the Al Aqsa Storm Operation by the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, earlier that day. 3266**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran calls on Italy to make efforts to end Israel's genocide in Gaza ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sat / 13 April 2024 / 09:42 Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has called on Italy to make efforts to end Israel's genocide and war crimes in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank to achieve comprehensive security in the region. Tehran-ISNA- Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks on Friday in a phone conversation with Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani. The top Iranian diplomat said that Tehran has always played a positive role regarding the developments in the region and incurred significant costs for regional stability and security. Amir-Abdollahian also expressed Tehran's readiness to improve relations with Rome given the historical ties between the two sides. Tajani on his part called on Iran to show restraint over the expected response to a terrorist attack by Israel on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital of Damascus earlier this month. He also requested Amir-Abdollahian "for moderation." "We cannot risk escalation at such an extremely volatile stage. All regional actors must show responsibility," the top Italian diplomat said. Iran's Foreign Ministry also issued a statement in which it quoted Tajani as saying that Italy along with the European Union condemned Israel's attack on Iran's diplomatic site in Damascus. No attack should be carried out against diplomatic sites, Tajani acknowledged. The top Italian diplomat stressed the importance of ensuring maritime security in the Red Sea and called for the continuation of Iran's positive role in resolving tensions and promoting endurable peace in the region. Tajani's appeal came amid fears that Tehran will retaliate after the Israeli missile attack on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1 killed a senior commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, and his deputy General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi along with five others. Earlier in a phone call with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, Amir- Abdollahian criticized the inaction of Britain in condemning" the attack. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US seeking to withdraw Israeli forces from Gaza after failing to achieve goals: Islamic Jihad Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 6:31 PM A senior Palestinian resistance leader says the United States is seeking to find a way to withdraw Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, as the occupying regime's genocidal war on the besieged enclave has entered the seventh month. Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement Ziyad al-Nakhaleh made the remarks on Saturday, emphasizing that the Israeli regime has failed to achieve any of its goals despite its indiscriminate bombing of Gaza over the past months. "We have entered the seventh month of the aggression of the Zionist regime, which has not achieved any of its goals, but is retreating day by day," he said, stressing that the resistance will definitely defeat Israel. Nakhaleh went on to say that all those who were threatening to suppress Gaza are now negotiating with the resistance. "If the resistance groups did not resist, no one would have asked for negotiations. The West is not looking for a solution for the Gaza Strip but for Israel. The US is negotiating to find a way to withdraw Israeli forces from Gaza," he said. The Islamic Jihad chief further noted that the resistance has prepared itself for a long-term confrontation if the Israeli regime does not accept the conditions set by the resistance for a ceasefire. Nakhaleh also stated, "Today, all fronts of the resistance axis have united," emphasizing that the resistance has taken a big step towards reaching the moment of final victory. Israel waged the genocidal war on Gaza after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out a historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. The Israeli aggression has so far killed at least 33,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children. The Tel Aviv regime has imposed a "complete siege" on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemeni naval units won't allow US military to turn Red Sea into its backyard: Houthi Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 4:00 PM A high-ranking member of the Yemeni Supreme Political Council says the country's naval units will not allow the US military to turn the Red Sea into its backyard, stressing that the forces will continue their anti-Israel maritime operations until aggression and blockade on Gaza stop. Mohammad Ali al-Houthi stated that Yemeni missile strikes against Israeli interests have terrified Americans, downplaying the joint strikes by US and British forces against targets in Yemen. Houthi told Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news channel that the Yemeni Armed Forces will press ahead with their anti-Israel strikes in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean as long as the Tel Aviv regime continues its genocidal war and all-out siege against Palestinians in Gaza. The top Yemeni official went on to highlight that Americans are concerned about Yemen's missile power, stressing that his country's naval forces will never let Washington turn the Red Sea into its backyard. Reacting to reports that American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower will be heading home, Houthi noted that other US Navy warships and frigates will soon leave the Red Sea. "Americans well know that Yemenis are a nation who do what they say they will do, irrespective of threats as well as media and political hype. Washington's propaganda cannot by any means scare the people of Yemen," Houthi said. Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine's struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity. Yemeni Armed Forces have said that they won't stop their attacks until unrelenting Israeli ground and aerial offensives in Gaza, which have killed at least 33,686 people and wounded another 76,309 individuals come to an end. Leader of the Ansarullah resistance movement Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has said it is "a great honor and blessing to be confronting America directly." The attacks have forced some of the world's biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the world's most important maritime trade routes. Tankers are instead adding thousands of miles to international shipping routes by sailing around the continent of Africa rather than going through the Suez Canal. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. Israeli settlers continue raids into West Bank, setting homes, cars ablaze Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 2:32 PM Hundreds of Israeli extremist settlers, protected by the regime's forces, have raided villages near the occupied West Bank cities of Ramallah and Nablus for the second consecutive day, hurling stones at passing vehicles and setting homes ablaze . The raids were carried out in the West Bank towns of Silwad and Turmus Ayya near Ramallah on Saturday, with Israeli forces closing the entrances to the towns. Israeli troops also attacked the West Bank village of Duma to terrorize Palestinian residents. The latest raids came a day after armed settlers set fire to homes and vehicles in the village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, killing one Palestinian and injuring dozens. Palestine's official news agency WAFA identified the victim as 25-year-old Jihad Abu Aliya who was shot dead after Israeli forces fired live ammunition at his home on Friday. The agency added that around 30 other Palestinians were also injured in the attack, with several of them being arrested by Israeli police. Marzouq Abu Naim, the Deputy Chairman of the Al-Mughayir Village Council, also said at least 1,500 settlers accompanied by the Israeli military stormed the town. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) also noted that Israeli settlers opened fire on one of its ambulances on the way to reach the wounded in the town. The PRSC went on to say that it has dealt with at least 18 cases of injuries, one of them critical, adding that eight of the injuries were due to live ammunition fired on the residents. Earlier on Friday, five Palestinians were injured in the village of Abu Falah, located northeast of Ramallah, after Israeli settlers set ablaze homes and vehicles there. Hamas condemns settler attacks Meanwhile, the Palestinians resistance movement Hamas has condemned the latest settler attacks, criticizing the international community's "inaction" to stop these ongoing crimes which take place under the direct protection of Israeli forces. The resistance movement went on to say that these attacks are part of "the occupation's frantic efforts to seize more land in the West Bank, Judaize them, and expel their owners under the weight of intimidation, killing and massacres." Hamas further noted that Israel has escalated crimes and violations in the West Bank, "in a manner world has not observed in the most heinous apartheid regimes." It also called on Palestinians to unite and resist "this fascist occupation", while urging the international community to stand by their responsibilities and urgently act to stop these crimes and violations. Israel has ramped up its aggression in the West Bank since its bombardment of Gaza began in early October last year. Since the start of Israel's bloody campaign in Gaza, over 450 Palestinians have been killed and around 5,000 others wounded by the regime in the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry says. Israel waged the genocidal war on Gaza after Hamas carried out a historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. The Israeli aggression has so far killed at least 33,634 Palestinians, mostly women and children. The Tel Aviv regime has imposed a "complete siege" on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas: Israeli offensive in central Gaza 'part of genocidal war on Palestinians' Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 1:50 PM The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has denounced the Israeli military's offensive on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, terming the attack as part of the occupying Zionist regime's "ongoing genocidal war on Palestinians." "For two consecutive days, the camp has been subjected to a vicious assault that targeted civilian facilities and residential buildings, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries," the Gaza-based group said in a statement on Friday. It underlined that the savage attack is a clear reflection of the Zionist entity's disregard for all international and judicial resolutions, which demand an end to the criminal and genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. Hamas added that the offensive is being carried out with the full support of the US administration, which continues to provide the criminal Israeli military with unflagging military and political support and protection against international prosecution. The movement called on the international community and the United Nations to take immediate actions aimed at forcing the Israeli army to stop its aggression and war crimes in Gaza. The Israeli military said on Thursday it launched a "targeted operation" against Hamas in the central Gaza Strip overnight, pushing into an area on the outskirts of the Nuseirat refugee camp. Heavy airstrikes and artillery shelling pounded parts of the camp before troops moved into the area. Palestinians said a strike on a residential building killed at least five people, and other apartment towers were also struck. Israel waged the bloody war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas launched Operation al-Aqsa Storm in the occupied territories in retaliation for the Tel Aviv regime's incessant crimes against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 33,686 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the territory. The campaign has devastated large swathes of Gaza, destroyed hospitals and displaced half of its population of 2.4 million. Israel has also imposed a "complete siege" on the coastal sliver, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Top Hamas leader: Six-month war 'will break Zionist enemy soon', final round hasn't started yet Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 9:30 AM Head of Hamas political office in the diaspora Khaled Meshaal has praised the heroic steadfastness of the Gaza Strip, saying the six-month-old Palestinian battle with Israel will "break the enemy soon." Meshaal made the remarks at an event in the Qatari capital of Doha to mourn members of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's family, who were killed in an Israeli air strike against the al-Shati refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. "This is not the final round," Meshaal said, referring to the ongoing Palestinian resistance against the Israeli onslaught. "It is an important round on the path of liberating Palestine and defeating the Zionist project." Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou said Israel has infringed upon all humanitarian principles and international law. "The occupying Zionist regime intensified the genocide of Palestinians during the Eid al-Fitr holidays. Hundreds of people got killed as civilian vehicles, crowded markets and residential houses were bombed by occupation forces without paying little heed to the religious sentiments of Muslims and respecting their rituals," Qanou told Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television. "Criminal occupiers disrespected the holy month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr festivities, and ramped up the massacre of civilians instead. They committed more crimes by violating all international and humanitarian regulations." The Hamas official called on Muslim and Arab nations as well as freedom-loving peoples worldwide to show solidarity with Palestinians by staging demonstrations and putting pressure on Israel to stop its genocidal war on Gaza. Qanou also saluted all resistance groups that have supported the steadfastness of the Palestinian nation on various fronts over the past few months, emphasizing that Palestinians reserve the right to self-defense and self-determination. Israel waged the bloody war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas launched Operation al-Aqsa Storm in the occupied territories in retaliation for the Tel Aviv regime's incessant crimes against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 33,634 people in Gaza, mostly women and children. The campaign has devastated large swathes of Gaza, destroyed hospitals and displaced half of its population of 2.4 million. Israel has also imposed a "complete siege" on the coastal sliver, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah strikes Israeli military sites with dozens of Katyusha rockets Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 6:40 AM Lebanon's Hezbollah has conducted multiple operations against Israeli military sites in the northern part of the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories in retaliation for aggression on southern Lebanon towns and villages. Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television news channel, citing a Hezbollah statement, said the group fired a salvo of artillery shells and rockets at the Israeli Malikiyah site, inflicting injuries upon the occupation forces. Hezbollah fighters also attacked the al-Marj site with a barrage of rockets, precisely striking the designated targets. The Lebanese resistance fighters struck the Ruwaisat al-Alam and al-Samaqa sites in Lebanon's occupied Kfarchouba village with barrages of artillery shells. They struck the Karantina Hill outpost with several rockets and carried out a drone strike against the Israeli base in Ramot Naftali moshav as well. Hezbollah fighters also pounded the Israeli artillery positions in al-Zaoura with dozens of Katyusha rockets, announcing that the operation came in reprisal for Israeli attacks on the southern Lebanese villages of Tayibe and Ayta ash Shab. Hezbollah reiterated that the operations were in support of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip as well as their brave resistance factions and in retaliation for the Israeli aggression on towns and villages in southern Lebanon. The Israeli regime has repeatedly attacked southern Lebanon since October 7, when it launched a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed at least 33,634 Palestinians, most of them women and children. In retaliation, Hezbollah has launched near-daily rocket attacks on Israeli positions. At least 349 people have been killed on the Lebanese border, including 68 civilians. The fighting has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands from the northern part of the occupied territories, amid rocket fire and shelling carried out by Hezbollah and allied Palestinian groups. Hezbollah has already fought off two Israeli wars against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006. The resistance forced the regime to retreat in both conflicts. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address April 12: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 6:18 AM By Press TV Website Staff Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 33,600 Palestinians so far, including nearly 16,000 children, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers. The major operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Friday, April 12, are as follows: Al-Quds Brigades' operations on April 12: (Gaza Strip) Seized an Israeli military drone in the skies of the city of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, as it was carrying out spying operations. Ambushed an Israeli military convoy consisting of three Merkava tanks and two D9 bulldozers in a minefield and used "Thaqeb" explosive devices at the Malik military site north of Nusseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on April 12: (Gaza Strip and West Bank) Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces and their military vehicles in the Qalqiliya city, occupied West Bank, from several fronts, using light weapons and explosive devices. Bombed "Kfar Azza" Israeli military site with a barrage of missiles in a joint operation with the Martyr Omar Al-Qasim Forces. Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces and their military vehicles in the Tubas camp, north of the occupied West Bank, using light weapons and explosive devices. Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces in Al-Fara'a camp in the northwestern part of occupied West Bank with a barrage of bullets and explosive devices. Martyr Omar Al-Qasim Forces' operations on April 12: (Gaza Strip) Targeted gatherings of Israeli soldiers in the Sheikh Ajlin area south of Gaza City with short-range rockets. Al-Asifah Forces' operations on April 12: (Gaza Strip) Sniped an Israeli soldier near the Al-Taqa area east of Gaza City. Hezbollah's operations on April 12: (Lebanon) Eastern sector: At around 14:30 local time, the Misgav Am site of the Israeli military was targeted with appropriate weapons. At around 16:10 local time, the Al-Marj site of the Israeli military was targeted with appropriate weapons. At around 17:05 local time, the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in Lebanon's Kfar Shuba was targeted with artillery shells. At around 17:10 local time, the Al-Samaqa site in Lebanon's Kfar Shuba was targeted with appropriate weapons. At around 20:00 local time, Israeli artillery in Al-Zaourah was targeted with dozens of Katyusha rockets. Western sector: At around 17:50 local time, Karantina Hill was targeted with artillery shells. At around 19:10 local time, a drone attack was carried out against the Ramot Naftali base. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi resistance warns US, Israel amid regional tensions Iran Press TV Friday, 12 April 2024 6:19 PM The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has vowed to respond to any "foolish" act against the Arab country or the Axis of Resistance by the US or Israel. "Replacing the names of the American occupation sometimes with 'coalition' and other times with 'sustainable security partnership' or others has no value, as long as their occupying forces are entrenched on the chest of wounded Iraq, violating its sovereignty, violating its airspace, and controlling the security decisions in it, like their dominance over joint operations and other security junctures," the Iraqi umbrella group of anti-terror groups said in a statement on Friday. The statement noted that the US has deployed more troops to Iraq, "confirming that they have no intentions on the horizon to withdraw from the country." Iraq adopted a law to expel foreign forces after Washington's assassination of top Iraqi and Iranian anti-terror commanders in 2020. General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), were martyred along with their comrades in a US drone strike authorized by then President Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport on January 3 that year. The two iconic anti-terror commanders are greatly revered for their instrumental role in fighting and decimating Daesh in the region, most notably in Iraq and neighboring Syria. In the statement, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq also slammed Washington over its unwavering support for Israel, holding it "fully responsible" for "any foolish act" by the American or the Israel forces in Iraq or the countries of the Axis of Resistance. "Our response will be direct wherever our hands are able to reach," it said. The coalition has been staging attacks on Israeli targets since the occupying regime launched a genocidal war on Gaza in October. The Iraqi resistance forces have also conducted dozens of strikes on the US-run military installations in both Iraq and Syria amid growing anti-US sentiments in the region over Washington's support for the Israeli genocidal campaign in Gaza. Israel launched its atrocious onslaught against the Gaza Strip, targeting hospitals, residences, and places of worship, since Palestinian resistance movements launched a surprise attack, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm, against the usurping regime on October 7. At least 33,634 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children. Another 76,214 individuals have sustained injuries as well. The Friday statement comes as Iran has vowed to punish Israel for the April 1 airstrike on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus. The Israeli attack killed two senior Iranian military personnel who were on an advisory mission to Syria as well as five of their accompanying officers. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, and his deputy General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi were among the seven martyrs of the terrorist attack. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Six European countries to recognize Palestine: Irish, Spanish leaders Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 12:45 AM Irish and Spanish leaders have said the time when a group of six European countries officially recognizes Palestine as a state is coming closer. New Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on Friday affirmed their commitment to "recognize Palestine as a state as soon as possible, when the conditions are appropriate." Harris and Sanchez announced during a joint press conference in Government Buildings in Dublin. Harris said the EU states agreed last month that they would move to recognize Palestine when the conditions were right. "That point is coming much closer and we would like to move together. The people of Palestine have long sought the dignity of their own country and sovereignty," he said. "When we move forward, we would like to do so with as many others as possible. And then we send a decision to the people of Israel," he added. Harris added that the people of Palestine deserved equal respect. "In a region where people of all faiths and traditions came together in peace, I know that is our shared aim." The Irish leader said both Irish and Spanish nations are "strongly committed to the vision of a two-state solution with Israel and Palestine living in peace and in security side by side." Iceland, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania are among the countries to have already given legal recognition to a Palestinian state. Sanchez said it was not possible at present to say when the countries would move to recognize the Palestinian state. "As of now, no one can discern clearly the phases or times for the process. We are in unchartered terrain," he said. The comments came hours after Norway announced during a visit by Sanchez that it too was ready to recognize a Palestinian state. The Spanish leader is currently on a European tour, which is aimed at boosting support for the move, a Spanish government spokesperson said. Harris became Ireland's prime minister this week after previous Prime Minister Leo Varadkar unexpectedly quit last month. Ireland has frequently stated to recognize a Palestinian state and its new leader appears eager to make good on the pledge. "Let me this evening say our assessment is that that point is coming much closer and we would like to move together in doing so," Harris said at the joint press conference with Sanchez. "When we move forward, we would like to do so with as many others as possible to lend weight to the decision and to send the strongest message," Harris added. "The people of Palestine have long sought the dignity of their own country and sovereignty -- a home that like Ireland and Spain can take its place amongst the nations of the earth," he added. Sanchez added that enthusiastic countries would announce their decision "when the conditions are appropriate" and that they would support the new Palestinian state becoming "a full member of the United Nations." Earlier, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said the decision would be closely coordinated with "like-minded countries." "Norway stands ready to recognize the state of Palestine," Store told a joint press conference with Sanchez. "We have not set a firm timetable," he added. Norway's parliament passed a resolution in November to be prepared to recognize an independent Palestinian state. On the sidelines of an EU leaders summit on March 22, Spain, Ireland, Malta and Slovenia issued a statement saying they were "ready to recognize Palestine" when "the circumstances are right." Sanchez said last week during a Middle East tour that he hoped it would happen by the end of June. Since October 7, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Europe in a public display of solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel's genocidal war against the people of the besieged Gaza Strip. The Western camp, not least the United States, Britain, Germany, and France, has offered "steadfast support" to Israel, instead. Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli intensified violence against Palestinians. Tel Aviv has also blocked water, food, and electricity to Gaza, plunging the coastal strip into a humanitarian crisis. Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed 33,634 Palestinians and injured nearly 76,214 others. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IDF Destroys 3 Rocket Launchers in Gaza, Strikes Hezbollah's Military Complex Sputnik News 20240413 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has destroyed three rocket launchers in the Gaza Strip that were ready to strike central Israel, and had struck Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah's military complex in Lebanon. "IDF fighter jets struck and destroyed three launchers containing 20 rockets that were ready to fire toward central Israel. The 162nd Division continues precise operations against terrorist operatives and infrastructure in the central Gaza Strip," the IDF said in a statement on Telegram. Over the past day, the Israeli forces destroyed a number of Hamas' infrastructure facilities, including a weapon storage site, and eliminated several members of the Palestinian movement, the statement said, adding that the IDF fighter jets had struck "over 30 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip." The IDF said in a separate statement that it had struck a military complex belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon. "A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck a large military complex belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization containing military compounds and a military post in the area of Rihan in Lebanon," the Israeli armed forces said. The Israeli strikes follow the latest attack by Hezbollah, which fired some 40 rockets at northern areas of Israel on Friday. The rocket fire from Lebanon caused no casualties, the IDF said later in the day. The rocket fire came amid reports that Tehran may be responding to Israel's recent airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which killed several members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah has been exchanging airstrikes with Israel regularly since October 2023, as the situation in the region deteriorated dramatically after Israel announced a military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian movement launched a surprise attack and abducted hundreds. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's blitz of Israel increases unrest in Middle East By VOA News April 13, 2024 Countries in the Middle East reacted to the news that Iranian drones have been launched toward Israel. Israel put its military on full alert and canceled all educational and youth activities. Jordan announced that, starting Saturday night, it was going to temporarily close its airspace to all incoming, departing and transit aircraft, state-owned Al Mamlaka TV news reported. Iran's state-run outlet IRNA said the Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard would take an Israeli-affiliated container ship that Guard commandos had seized into Iranian territorial waters. The escalation of conflict in the region contrasts with efforts to end Israel's war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Truce talks that started April 7 in Cairo have so far brought no breakthrough on a plan presented by U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators. Hamas said Saturday it had submitted its response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on a proposed truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip, insisting on a "permanent cease-fire." In a statement, the U.S. terror-designated group reaffirmed its demands for a mediated truce, including "a permanent cease-fire, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced to their areas and places of residence, intensification of the entry of relief and aid, and the start of reconstruction." Hamas said it was also ready "to conclude a serious and real prisoner exchange deal between the two parties." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed a permanent cease-fire and has vowed to send ground troops into Rafah, ignoring an international outcry against it, including from the United States. Netanyahu's office said Saturday "the only obstacle to obtaining the release of the abductees is Hamas and not any factor on the Israeli side." Hamas is believed to be holding roughly 100 hostages, as well as the remains of about 30 people who either died in captivity or were killed in the October 7 terror attack which triggered the war. Israeli teen found dead An Israeli teen who disappeared Friday has been found dead in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli authorities said he was killed in a "terrorist attack." "The heinous murder of the boy... is a serious crime," Netanyahu said in a statement. The body of the 14-year-old boy was spotted by a drone. He was found near the Malachei Shalom outpost near the city of Ramallah, where he had originally disappeared while herding sheep. According to Israeli media, the teen was last seen leaving the settler outpost early Friday to tend to the livestock nearby. The sheep returned to the outpost hours later without him, reports said. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the teen's death. Binyamin Achimair's disappearance sparked a wide search and intensified violence by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages. On Saturday, dozens of Israeli settlers set fire to 12 homes and several cars in a village near Achimair's murder site. The Palestinian health ministry said three people from the village were injured, one critically. Border police fired tear gas at villagers who gathered, trying to disperse them. Violence erupted Friday afternoon when Jewish settlers who were part of the original manhunt raided the village of Al-Mughayyir, around 500 meters west of Malachei Shalom, according to an AFP reporter. During the manhunt Friday, the settlers fired shots and torched numerous homes and cars in the village, while residents responded by throwing stones according to AFP reporters who were on site. Mayor Amin Abu Alyah said, "settlers raided the town with the excuse of searching for the missing Israeli boy," adding that "the army arrived to back them up." Arafat Abu Alia, a resident of Al-Mughayyir, said the Israeli army told residents to gather on the outskirts of their village. "More than 10 houses and 50 vehicles were burnt," he told AFP. At least one person was killed and 25 wounded, the Palestinian health ministry said Friday. Region still turbulent Tensions have been high in the Middle East since the beginning of the war more than six months ago, when the U.S. terror-designated group Hamas attacked south Israel on October 7, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting about 240 hostages. Israel then launched an offensive against Hamas in Gaza, killing more than 33,000 people, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. In the West Bank, more than 460 Palestinians have been killed, mostly in skirmishes caused by army raids and vigilante Israeli settlers. Expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank have turned the area into a powder keg. Israeli outposts are not authorized there, and the international community overwhelmingly considers them illegal. However, consecutive Israeli governments have allowed sprawling Israeli settlement construction in east Jerusalem and the West, which Palestinians stake as their future state. More than 700,000 Israelis now live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. The West Bank alone is home to around 490,000 Israeli settlers. The territories were seized by Israel in 1967. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Australia mulls recognition of a Palestinian state By Phil Mercer April 13, 2024 Australia could consider a highly conditional recognition of a Palestinian state, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said this week, igniting a furious political debate. The potential shift in Australian policy comes as other countries look for a two-state solution to end the war in Gaza. Wong said that the international community was discussing an independent Palestinian state "as a way of building momentum toward a two-state solution." Australia expects a cease-fire in the war in Gaza, the return of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and the exclusion of Hamas from any future Palestinian government as preconditions for recognition, she said. Wong, speaking at the Australian National University on Tuesday, said a two-state solution would promote peace. "Recognizing a Palestinian state, one that can only exist side-by-side with a secure Israel, does not just offer the Palestinian people an opportunity to realize their aspirations, it also strengthens the forces for peace, and it undermines extremism," she said. "So, I say to you, a two-state solution is the only hope of breaking the endless cycle of violence." Australia's conservative opposition has accused Wong of inflicting "irreparable damage" to Australia's relationship with Israel by raising the possibility of recognizing Palestinian statehood. Simon Birmingham, the shadow foreign affairs minister, told local media the plan was misguided. "What Penny Wong seems to be suggesting is some type of fast-tracked or preemptive recognition of Palestinian statehood, and that is completely the wrong approach to be taking at present," he said. The two-state solution has long been at the heart of efforts to resolve the decades-old conflict in the Middle East, but the process has stalled for years. Britain has said it could recognize a Palestinian state before any deal over the issue is reached with Israel without waiting for the outcome of what could be years of negotiations. Nasser Mashni of the Australia-Palestine Advocacy Network told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Australia should also endorse the plan. "It is time for us to just unilaterally do it and join 139 other like-minded countries and bestow and agree that Palestinians deserve self-determination," he said. A major obstacle to a Palestinian state is deciding on its borders and its governance. Both sides claim Jerusalem as their capital. Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly rejected the idea of an independent Palestinian state. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudan faces catastrophic crisis as world looks away, aid agencies say By Lisa Schlein April 13, 2024 United Nations and international agencies warn that the lives of millions of people in Sudan are at risk as the world looks away from the enormous humanitarian needs facing the war-torn country. Sudan has endured a year of war, which humanitarian agencies agree is causing one of the world's worst human-made disasters. The World Health Organization said, "The war has had a staggering human cost," with more than 15,000 deaths and an estimated 33,000 people injured. "The number of casualties reported is likely an underestimate," WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told journalists in Geneva Friday. "We also expect there will be more deaths across the entire population due to displacement, disease outbreaks and the inability to access care for other health issues, maternal and newborn health needs, and lack of access to food and water," Lindmeier said. According to a new report by the International Organization for Migration, 20,000 people, half of them children, are forced to flee their homes in Sudan each day. Since war erupted a year ago on April 15, the IOM said, more than 8.6 million people have been displaced about 6.6 million inside Sudan and 1.8 million as refugees in neighboring countries. Amy Pope, the IOM director-general, said, "Sudan is on a tragically fast track to becoming one of the world's biggest humanitarian crises in decades, and the conflict that has engulfed the country is creating pressure throughout the region." The World Health Organization also warned that Sudan could soon become one of the world's worst hunger crises because nearly 18 million people are suffering from acute hunger and 5 million more are on the brink of famine. And yet, WHO spokesperson Lindmeier said, "This is only the tip of the iceberg" of an increasingly desperate situation. "Time is running out. Without a stop to the fighting and unhindered access for the delivery of humanitarian aid, Sudan's crisis will dramatically worsen in the months to come and could impact the whole region," he said "Access for humanitarian actors is particularly constrained. Half of the states are not accessible from within Sudan. Darfur and Kordofan are inaccessible and cut off from humanitarian aid." Sudan's national army and the rival Rapid Support Forces militia began fighting on April 15, 2023, each seeking to control the government. The two sides have made it difficult for aid groups and relief supplies to reach civilians. "The situation in Sudan was already very fragile before the war, and it has now become catastrophic," said Ozan Agbas, Medecins Sans Frontieres Emergency Operations Manager for Sudan. In a statement issued Friday, he said "In many of the areas where MSF has started emergency activities we have not seen the return of the international humanitarian organizations that initially evacuated in April." MSF, which is also known as Doctors Without Borders, has accused the world of "turning a blind eye as the warring parties intentionally block humanitarian access and the delivery of aid," thereby putting millions of people at risk. In the runup to the first anniversary of the conflict in Sudan, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is urging the warring parties to support a cease-fire and engage in dialogue "for the sake of humanity, for the people and children who are suffering." Speaking in Mombasa, Kenya, IFRC Head of Delegation Farid Abdulkadir described the enormous toll the war has taken on the lives and livelihoods of the Sudanese people. He said that the conflict has shattered the basic fabric of everyday life across Sudan and that the country's health system has collapsed and is unable to care for the population. "Vital infrastructure is destroyed; professionals across all sectors have lost everything. While over 700,000 children are at risk of being malnourished, the humanitarian consequence of the conflict is dire," he said. "But worst of all is the people's engagement in livelihood and food production, which has both an impact now and an impact in the future," A report issued by the U.N. Development Program on Friday assesses the social and economic impacts of the armed conflict on rural communities. The UNDP study surveyed more than 4,500 rural households across Sudan, concluding that the country faces an accelerating food security crisis. It says food production and supply chains "have been disrupted by the ongoing war" and warns "that a famine in Sudan is expected in 2024," particularly in the states of Khartoum and Al-Jazirah and in the Darfur and Kordofan regions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Operation Iron Swords - Day 190 - 13 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) War Termination The Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) announced that it had delivered to the mediators in Egypt and Qatar this Saturday evening its response to the proposal it received last Monday, expressing its readiness to conclude a serious and real prisoner exchange deal between the two parties. In a press statement published on its official account on the Telegram platform, Hamas affirmed its adherence to its demands and the demands of the Palestinian people, including a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip , the return of the displaced to their areas and places of residence, intensifying the entry of relief and aid, and the start of reconstruction. Sources close to the negotiations confirmed to Al Jazeera Net that although Hamas adhered to its response presented on March 14, it decided - after consultations that included the internal leadership - to respond again to the Israeli proposals, even though they did not bring anything new. The sources indicated a growing conviction among the Hamas leadership that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deliberately disrupting the negotiations, and is continuing his media tricks to deceive the families of the prisoners and the Israeli public that he is working to release the prisoners, when in fact he does not want to reach an agreement. These sources attribute this position of Netanyahu to the fact that reaching an agreement would launch an escalating campaign within the occupation entity to hold elections that would inevitably lead to his downfall and his exposure to trials regarding corruption and failure on the seventh of last October, the date of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation carried out by the Palestinian resistance. The sources revealed that the latest occupation offer did not contain anything new regarding the return of the displaced to their places of residence in the northern Gaza Strip, and that it still requires a return that is controlled militarily and security-wise and within pre-determined numbers, which does not meet the demand for their unconditional return put forward by the movement. The Israeli proposal does not meet the withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Salah al-Din and al-Rashid axes, and does not include a pledge to withdraw the occupation forces from the Gaza Strip during the second phase in accordance with the divisions of the Paris understandings. In addition, the Netanyahu government is still presenting a limited formula for the exchange of prisoners, and insists on releasing only 100 high-sentenced prisoners, so that it specifies a number from which Hamas chooses, in exchange for 4 to 5 female soldiers held captive by the resistance, while Hamas demands a formula of 1. In exchange for 50, which will lead to the release of 250 prisoners within this category, provided that Hamas determines them in advance. Hamas also rejects the Israeli demand to release 40 prisoners during the first phase, even if the resistance no longer has this number of civilians due to the killing of some of them in Israeli raids. The occupation demands that this number be supplemented by the category of occupation soldiers, which Hamas still rejects. The Israeli offer, within the first phase, which includes the release of women, children, the elderly, and the sick, in addition to female soldiers, in various equations, will lead to the release of 900 to a thousand Palestinians from occupation prisons. Hamas had affirmed its position demanding "a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupation forces from Gaza, the return of the displaced to their places of residence, freedom of movement of people, relief and shelter for them, and a serious prisoner exchange deal," according to the statement issued by the movement on April 6. Operational Update Israel has strengthened its preparations to confront an expected Iranian response to the raid that targeted the Iranian consulate in Damascus at the beginning of this month, and led to the killing of a number of Iranian soldiers, including a prominent commander in the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard. The US President repeated in several statements that he would support Israel, anticipating an urgent Iranian attack, while Tehran warned Washington of the consequences of any interference. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also confirmed on Saturday that "Israel can rely on Washington in the face of any attacks by Iran and its regional agents," he said. This came during a call Austin made with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, to discuss regional threats, as the Pentagon put it. Iranian commandos have stormed an Israeli-operated container ship in the Persian Gulf and taken control of the vessel. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemned the pirate operation and called on the West to impose sanctions on Tehran. The MSC Aries was boarded by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy troops as it transited the Strait of Hormuz around noon on Saturday. Once under the IRGCs control, it was taken to Iranian territorial waters, Iranian state media reported. Video footage shared online showed IRGC commandos rappelling onto the deck of the ship from a helicopter. The Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries is operated by Zodiac Maritime, a shipping firm owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. At the time of the seizure, it was sailing past the Emirati port of Fujairah with its transponder switched off, the Associated Press reported. With Iran controlling the Strait of Hormuz and Yemens Houthi rebels attacking Israeli shipping interests in the Red Sea, it is standard practice for Israeli-linked vessels to disable their tracking data when sailing in the region. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemned the seizure, accusing Khameneis criminal regime of conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law. I call on the European Union and the free world to immediately declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guards corps as a terrorist organization and to sanction Iran now, he wrote on X. The White House said that Iran must release the detained ship immediately, after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced the detention of an Israeli cargo ship in an airdrop near the Strait of Hormuz . Iranian media indicated that the ship was partly owned by an Israeli businessman. The US National Security Council expressed its strong condemnation of Iran's seizure of the ship "MSC Aries" - which it said was British - in international waters. Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime, part of Israel's Eyal Ofers Zodiac Group, Operational Update - Gaza The 401st and Nahal brigade combat teams and other units under the command of Division 162 continue their activities aimed at eliminating terrorists and destroying terrorist infrastructures in the central Gaza Strip. The fighters of the Nahal Brigade combat team destroyed in the last day terrorist infrastructures of the terrorist organization Hamas in which weapons are stored, and confiscated additional military equipment of the organization. At the same time, in a targeted operation in the Beit Hanon area, IDF soldiers in command of the Northern Brigade in the Gaza Division located a number of armed terrorists operating in the area using a drone. An Air Force aircraft attacked the terrorists and eliminated them. Over the past day, in a number of targeted attack aircraft, fighter jets and aircraft of the Air Force attacked more than 30 terrorist targets throughout the Strip, including terrorist infrastructures, military buildings and anti-tank launchers. The military and strategic expert, Colonel Hatem Karim Al-Falahi, believes that the occupation will not launch a military attack on Rafah (south of the Gaza Strip ) before the possible Iranian strike against Israel in response to the attack that targeted its consulate in Damascus ends. While he pointed out the decrease in the severity of the Israeli statements regarding the attack on Rafah, Al-Falahi said that the Iranian threats cause a state of complete paralysis for the occupation army, especially since it does not know where the Iranian strike will be, and whether it will include important and vital targets? Which requires an Israeli response, and thus there will be a further escalation. On this front. In addition to the Iran issue, there is clear American pressure on Israel regarding the consequences of the attack on Rafah, given the citys population density, which requires time to evacuate people to safe areas. The military and strategic expert believes that Khan Yunis (south of the Gaza Strip) will remain an important and vital area for the occupation throughout the coming period, because it directly affects Rafah if the battle begins, stressing that the Palestinian resistance will in turn continue its operations in the region until the fate of the Israeli forces is determined, whether they withdraw or remain. Regarding the inability of the occupation forces to advance towards the Nuseirat camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip, Colonel Hatem Al-Falahi explained that the military operation he is carrying out there is limited, and his forces have penetrated the region in limited sectors, suggesting that their goal is to confront some possible operations by Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza and push them behind the Wadi Gaza. The Al-Quds Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement - announced that its fighters bombarded Israeli occupation soldiers and vehicles stationed in the vicinity of the Malik military site north of Nuseirat with mortar shells. The military and strategic expert reiterated what he said before that the occupation forces do not aim to enter the Nuseirat camp, pointing out that the Netzarim axis is very far from the Nuseirat area, and if he had intended to do so, he would have entered from the buffer zone into the Nuseirat area. He concluded that the Israeli operation is limited to Al-Zahraa and Al-Mughraqa, suggesting that the Israeli sectors will withdraw after the operation. It is noteworthy that the Israeli occupation army continues, for the third day in a row, its ground military operation in camps and cities in the central Gaza Strip, amid intense bombardment of the area with artillery, warplanes, and drones. Operational Update - Judea-Samaria The occupation army announced that it had found the body of Binyamin Achimair, the 14-year-old boy who had been missing since yesterday morning. The army stated that preliminary investigations showed that he was killed in what it described as a terrorist operation. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that the settlers must "allow the security services to search for who killed the settler." He added that acts of revenge would make it difficult for the security forces to find the saboteurs, as he put it. Groups of settlers, under the protection of the occupation forces, launched widespread attacks on many towns and villages in the West Bank, where they attacked Palestinian citizens, burned their property, and blocked a number of roads. Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that the army fears the escalation of confrontations between settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank in light of the current events. It added that the Israeli army decided to summon more of its forces and border guard units to the West Bank after security consultations. For the second day in a row, the village of Duma, south of the city of Nablus, in the north of the West Bank, is subjected to a widespread attack by settlers, just like the rest of the surrounding villages, especially the village of Al-Mughair, which the settlers have also been targeting since yesterday with storming, assaults, and shooting live bullets directly at the people, which led to the death of a young man and the injury of a young man. Others were seriously injured, and many homes and vehicles were burned. Under the pretext of searching for the 14-year-old shepherd settler who had been missing since yesterday morning, more than 1,500 settlers launched their attack on Al-Mughayir, and after he was found killed - according to what was reported by Israeli media - in the area between the villages of Al-Mughayir and Duma, the settlers coming from the surrounding settlements attacked The village of Duma again on Saturday afternoon, and opened fire on citizens and burned their homes and vehicles, after they called through their websites to attack Arab villages and burn them. Since yesterday, and immediately after the occupation announced the loss of the settler who was grazing his sheep in the area, the settlers, accompanied by the army, stormed the outskirts of the southern village, especially the Marajem area, and raided citizens homes, searched them, tampered with their contents, and assaulted the residents before confiscating the recordings of their home cameras and personal phones. The occupation forces also completely closed the entrances and exits of the village of Duma, and declared it a closed military zone. Citizens and eyewitnesses from the village told Al Jazeera Net that hundreds of settlers on alert since yesterday stormed the village this afternoon as soon as the missing settler was found, and they penetrated to advanced positions and raided the homes near my neighborhood. Al-Marj and Al-Mehwar, they burned at least 10 homes and smashed the windows of other homes with stones. They also partially and completely burned dozens of vehicles, 4 poultry and cow farms, and a vehicle washing station. The storming of the settlers, who appeared fully armed with weapons and military equipment, coincided with their heavy shooting at the citizens who tried to confront them, wounding a number of them with live bullets, while one of the settlers stabbed a citizen in the shoulder. Shortly after the settlers' attack, the occupation army stormed citizens' homes, mounted their roofs, and set up snipers who opened fire at the citizens and young men who tried to confront the settlers' attack. Citizen Obadah Dawabsha stated that the attack on the village was systematic, and that the settlers had prepared for it in advance, as they stormed the village in the form of groups and gangs, in the hundreds, and from more than one axis, and some of their leaders were observed guiding other settlers to the sites they wished to target. Dawabsha added to Al Jazeera Net that they They avoided civilian casualties after they became aware of the settlers' rapid intrusion and expelled the citizens from their homes, which the settlers had burned. The Director of Ambulance and Emergency at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Ahmed Jibril, stated that the occupation army prevented them from entering the village of Duma to treat the injured, and that they were able to do so after 3 hours. He stated that 6 citizens were injured by live bullets during the settlers attack on the village of Duma, while another citizen was injured in the neighboring village of Al-Mughayir. The occupation army had announced in a joint statement between the Shin Bet and the Israeli police published in the Hebrew press that the body of the shepherd settler Benjamin Achimeir had been found near the Malachi Shalom (Angels of Peace) settlement, located on citizens lands in Duma and Al-Mughir, and said that he was killed in a terrorist act, and that he He tried to resist his killers, he said, adding that the investigation was still ongoing. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quoted as denouncing what he described as the "serious crime" of the settler's killing, and called on the occupation army to reach the settler's killers and arrest them, threatening those who threaten the State of Israel and its security. The attack on the village of Duma coincided with another attack on the nearby village of Al-Mughayir for the second day, which did not recover from an attack launched by more than 1,500 settlers yesterday, where they killed a young man and wounded more than 50 others, in addition to burning dozens of vehicles and homes. The settlers were also wounded during the attack. Today's attack on Al-Mughir killed 3 citizens, one of whom is in critical condition. Other settlers also launched various attacks on the villages of Deir, east of Ramallah, and the town of Turmus Ayya, north of it. They closed the main streets used by Palestinians and threw stones at them. In light of the fierce settlers attack, the factional coordination committee in the city of Nablus said in a statement, received by Al Jazeera Net, that it will not allow the settlers to impose a new reality with their attack on Palestinian villages and towns, and called on the factions to mobilize publicly and declare a state of emergency to confront them, and stressed the necessity of forming and activating Guard committees in those villages, and support these committees both popularly and officially. The Governor of Nablus, Ghassan Douglas, described the settlers attack as barbaric, armed and protected by the occupation army, and said that it was evidence of the settlers preparations and preparations for this from time immemorial. He added to Al Jazeera Net that these scenarios for which the settlers were prepared aim for something greater, unless there is a pause. Seriousness from the international community. Douglas stated, "Burning homes and vehicles and shooting at citizens is reminiscent of a scene carried out by the Zionist gangs Stern, the Haganah, and others against the Palestinians in 1948, when they expelled them from their villages and towns in historic Palestine." He stated that "this difficult situation, and the increase in settler attacks by more than 208% compared to before the war on Gaza, requires citizens to confront these settlement projects," and he said that this is done by activating the popular guard and resistance committees. The governor did not hide that the settlers crimes were increasing and becoming more horrific, and he said, The opportunity is now more favorable for them in light of the declared war, the silence of the international community, the arming of the settlers, and a government of terrorism and extremism that supports them. What happened today in the village of Duma reminds its people of an attack that was no less serious in 2015, when extremist settlers burned the home of Saad Dawabshas family, burning him, his wife, and his child, Ali , while his child, Ahmed, was seriously injured. The head of the village council, Suleiman Dawabsha, confirms that all of this falls within a plan targeting the entire village to displace it, and he tells Al Jazeera Net that of about 18,500 dunums of village land (one dunum is equivalent to a thousand square metres), Israel classifies more than 95% of it as Area C. That is, it is under complete Israeli control, as the owners of the land only own 940 dunams. This remaining area constitutes the area of the structural plan that is allowed to regulate construction, and the occupation did not allow its expansion, which prompted half of the villages population of 3,500 people to build outside the structural plan, which exposed them to Israeli demolition that affected dozens of homes, and the authorities also notified more than 200 homes of demolition. Palestinian resistance factions denounced the widespread settler attacks on towns and villages in the West Bank , following the discovery of the body of a settler east of Ramallah today, Saturday, calling on the masses of people to rise up against these attacks, and for the Palestinian Authority to carry out its duty to protect citizens. The Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) said - in a statement - that the settler attacks are carried out under the direct supervision of the occupation government and with the full protection of its army, describing these attacks as described war crimes aimed at seizing the lands of the West Bank and displacing its people. The statement called on the people of the West Bank to rise up in the face of these plans, escalate the revolutionary and resistance movement, clash with the occupation and settlers, confront these attacks, and complete cohesion in the battle of the Al-Aqsa flood with the people of Gaza. Hamas added that these dangerous attacks "require the leadership of the Authority and the security services in the West Bank to be on alert and exercise their assigned role to protect our people suffering under the weight of daily incursions, raids, killings, and arrests." For its part, the Islamic Jihad movement said that the scenes of heavily armed settlers attacking the Palestinian people and committing crimes reflect the gang mentality that the entity grew up with and its efforts to plunge the West Bank into the furnace of street war. The movement added - in a statement - that "the resistance forces will perform their duty to defend the Palestinian people with all the means and tools they possess." The Islamic Jihad movement also held the Palestinian Authority responsible for what the situation has reached, after more than 30 years of security coordination policy, according to the statement. The spokesman for the Palestinian National Liberation Movement ( Fatah ), Munther Al-Hayek, said that the occupation, which is waging a war of genocide in Gaza, is continuing its war on the villages of the West Bank by instructing the criminal settlers to practice terrorism against the regions and villages, in continuation of the series of forced displacement to eliminate the national project. Al-Hayek called for "general mobilization and involvement in the popular protection committees to confront settler terrorism and defend the Palestinian presence in every place targeted by terrorists." In turn, the national and Islamic forces of Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate called for thwarting settlers attempts to terrorize Palestinian villages and towns, stressing the need to maintain a permanent and continuous state of alert and vigilance. These forces indicated - in a statement - that the necessity is urgent in the face of the horrific scenes in Al-Mughayir, Turmus Ayya, Abu Falah, Silwad and the villages east of Ramallah , in addition to the villages north of Nablus , Bitlo, Kafr Nima and the western villages, which are subjected to repeated attacks by settler gangs. To put all the capabilities available to our people in order to thwart these plans. The statement stressed the necessity of "activating the popular guard and protection committees, burning tires at the entrances to villages and towns adjacent to settlements, and bypass streets around the clock, and using mosque loudspeakers." Operational Update - Lebanon The Israeli army said that its warplanes bombed Hezbollah targets simultaneously in 4 areas of southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah announced carrying out operations against Israeli military sites and targeting others with missiles. On the other hand, the army claimed in its statement that its forces had opened fire - earlier on Saturday - in order to remove a potential threat in the Rmeish area (Bint Jbeil District), as it described it. The Israeli army concluded its statement by saying, "In addition to the warnings that were activated earlier today in the north of the country for fear of an enemy drone infiltrating, the details are being investigated, and there are no human casualties." The IDF attacked Hezbollah targets with fighter jets and artillery in the areas of Al-Khariba, Al-Wardia and Kalat Daba in response to the launch of the UAVs towards Kfar Blum and its parking earlier today. Among the targets attacked were terrorist infrastructures and military positions. Fighter jets attacked a number of Hezbollah military buildings in the areas of Tir Harfa, Alma al-Sha'ab, and Yarin in southern Lebanon. In the same context, the occupation army announced that two drones had penetrated the airspace across the border with Lebanon and exploded in Kibbutz Hanita in the Western Galilee. Later, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority announced that a member of the emergency room in Kibbutz Hanita was seriously injured as a result of the explosion of a march launched by Hezbollah. For its part, Hezbollah said that its fighters attacked with drones a building where occupation soldiers were stationed in the Hanita colony, "and we killed and wounded those inside it." Following the alerts that were activated in the Hanita area, three missiles were identified that crossed the territory of Lebanon towards Israel, and fell in open areas. In addition, two explosive drones crossed from Lebanese territory towards Israel a short time ago and exploded in a parking area. IDF forces attacked with artillery fire in southern Lebanon. Israeli Army Radio announced that sirens sounded in a number of settlements in the Upper Galilee region in northern Israel. In breaking news this Saturday evening, Israeli Channel 12 reported monitoring the launching of 4 missiles from southern Lebanon towards the Upper Galilee, without causing any casualties. Hezbollah announced carrying out operations against Israeli military sites and targeting others with missiles. Hezbollah confirmed that it carried out 7 operations against Israeli sites and bombed with dozens of Katyusha rockets Israeli artillery positions in Zaoura in the occupied Syrian Golan. The party also announced that it had targeted, with drones, the Ramot Naftali base, and bombed the sites of Karantina Hill, Al-Marj, and Misgav Am in the Upper Galilee, and the sites of Ruwaisat Al-Alam and Al-Samaqa in the occupied Kfar Shuba hills. The party added, "We targeted with missiles and artillery the Israeli enemy soldiers in Horsh Hanita and achieved a direct hit." The frequency of mutual attacks on the border between Lebanon and Israel escalated following threats from Israeli officials to expand attacks on Lebanese territory unless Hezbollah fighters withdraw away from the border with northern Israel. These military confrontations come against the backdrop of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip that has been ongoing for more than 6 months, which has led to the death and injury of tens of thousands, widespread destruction of infrastructure, and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Operational Update - Syria / Iraq Operational Update - Yemen According to the Chinese news outlet Xinhua, citing a "military official allied with Yemen's government" the Houthi group launched several drones against Israeli targets. The Houthis were one of the first groups to take action against Israel after its bombardment of Gaza began, seizing ships in the Red Sea that it says were linked or headed to Israel. 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 Allied for Democracy Much of the West's criticism of Israel has focused on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , but experts say his style of warfare has broad support. Tunisian-based independent journalist Simon Speakman Cordal noted that as the Israeli war on Gaza continues, criticism seems to be focusing on the beleaguered Israeli leader Netanyahu, the man facing multiple corruption charges, explaining that one of the manifestations of These criticisms are evident in thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets to demand his departure. However, the writer quotes analysts who say that discontent with Netanyahu and the far-right instigators in his government should not be confused with the decline in popular support for the war launched by Israel to punish Gaza for the attack led by the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) on October 7, 2023. And to secure the release of the remaining prisoners who were taken from Israel on that day. Observers say that disagreement with Netanyahu as an individual does not deny that his war aims still enjoy the support of a society that has become increasingly right-wing and religious extremist, and also believes that the Palestinians are inferior in one way or another than they actually are. We have people walking around with automatic weapons, and just saying you're afraid of a Palestinian gives you legal justification to shoot him, says Haim Bresheth of London, author of "Introducing the Holocaust: An Illustrated Guide" and professor of film studies at Britain's School of Oriental and African Studies. I think, at the moment, Israeli society is somewhere between fascism and Nazism and no one seems to have noticed, says Bersheth, who left Israel in the 1970s and whose parents were killed in Auschwitz. An opinion poll conducted by the newspaper "Israel Today" last January found that the overwhelming majority of those surveyed (81.5%) support the idea that the war in Gaza remains the best way to secure the release of prisoners. Moreover, before the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice, which ordered Israel to allow more aid into Gaza to avoid famine, a poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute showed a marked reluctance among Israelis to increase aid to Gaza. There have been two parallel trends in Israeli society over the past 20 years or so, says Merav Zonszin, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group in Tel Aviv. Israeli society, especially young people, has become more right-wing, and opinion polls indicate this. We have seen growing support for ultra-Orthodox politics and the far right, which eventually entered not only the government, but also the courts, the army and the education system, she says. The current Israeli government, which includes far-right extremist Itamar Ben Gvir , who was convicted of incitement and support for terrorism in 2007, and Bezalel Smotrich , who heads an ultra-Orthodox religious Zionist party, has a mandate that could last until 2026. Indeed, people complain about the presence of the extreme right and the ultra-Orthodox in power, especially liberals. However, it is important not to confuse these objections, which are often due to their political freedoms, with their concern about the lives of Palestinians, according to Zonszyn. v International criticism of the Israeli attack on Gaza has not succeeded in weakening domestic assumptions shaped by decades of political and media narratives about the country's regional isolation. After complaining, for many years, of falling victim to the United Nations and accusing the main UN humanitarian agency in Gaza ( UNRWA ) of being infiltrated by the Palestinian Hamas movement, Israeli ministers were quick to reject the request submitted by the Security Council late last March for a ceasefire. . Other international criticisms - such as the report of UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, which found that Israel was involved in three of the five acts of genocide specified in the 1948 convention - have been dismissed as anti-Semitic by Israel's political and media establishment, as well as by allies. Israel in the United States. Only a few analysts, perhaps, can doubt that Netanyahu did not encourage or benefit from the growth of the extreme religious right, but suggesting that the suffering in Gaza would be less without him is ludicrous, according to Zonszyn. Even before the October attack, the analyst says, Israel was confident of its position as an untouchable regional superpower, and was confident that the leading Arab countries were willing to overlook its expanding settlements and normalize relations with them. But last October 7 turned these assumptions upside down and dealt a strong blow to all of this. She adds, "October 7, 2023 affected all of Israeli society, from the soldiers who documented the war crimes they committed on TikTok to the politicians who directed them." Zonszyn added, "For years, Israeli society has viewed the Palestinians as the enemy. As for Netanyahu, he can only be reprimanded... and with regard to Gaza, he represents the consensus." The extreme right has taken over the Israeli army since approximately 2000, says Bersheth. He also asserts in his book An Army Like No Other that the army shaped and reflects the cultural and political identity of Israel. He added that right-wing recruits entered the army from the lower ranks before gradually getting promoted, and by 2008, and perhaps 2009, they essentially became the army. "Don't get me wrong," Prisheth says. "This was never a completely liberal organization. It was always a very nationalist body." He added, "Ultimately, this is the same army that oversaw the Nakba [the expulsion of about 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland in 1948], as well as the wars that followed. However, this is something new." Before the current war on Gaza, the arrival of extremist and religious nationalists had hit a wall, says Israeli analyst Nimrod Flashenberg, commenting on the nationalist fervor that Israel has discovered in this conflict. The extreme right has been strengthening its grip on the state for many years, Flaschenberg continued. Since the war, the Israeli public has politically rejected Netanyahus path, but it has also wholeheartedly accepted the policy of the right that is, the war of destruction being waged in Gaza. What might happen next in the war is the subject of very intense speculation. As leaders in the West, especially US President Joe Biden , increasingly focus their criticism on Netanyahu, it has become clear that his leadership is more about effect than cause. Journalist Alison Kaplan Sommer says in her article in Haaretz newspaper that the Israeli armys interference with the GPS system has created a state of insecurity among Israelis, explaining that it reflects the state of confusion that Netanyahu is experiencing. Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers 1,900,000 IDPs in Gaza 76,309 Gazans injured, 28% adult male 70,000 tons of explosives dropped on Gaza 70,000 housing units completely destroyed 70,000 Israeli IDPs from Lebanon border 45,000 bombs dropped in Gaza 43,000 Gazans killed, including buried under rubble 33,000 Gaza targets attacked 33,686 Gazans martyred 20,528 Palestinians in Israeli prisons [Haaretz, 20 Mar 2024] 15,140 Israelis injured [i24 TV] 15,000 rockets launched from Gaza 14,520 Gazan children martyred 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [N12] 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [IDF] 11,000 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank in 2023 10,000 Gazans missing under the rubble 9,920 Gazan women martyred 9,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons 9,000 IDF needing psychological assistance 8,365 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank since Oct.7th 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 4,700 sites targetted in Lebanon 3,484 administrative detainees 3,700 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria 3,188 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 604 Israeli officers and soldiers killed since the start of the war 456 West Bank Palestinians martyred 363 people [including fighters] killed in Lebanon 260 Israeli officers and soldiers killed in Gaza 240 Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon 126 people recovered, including 91 Israelis, 11 bodies, and 24 foreign workers 116 living hostages in Palestinian custody 70 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 Operation True Promise / Iron Shield - Iran vs Israel The magnitude of the pressure on Israel had shown that the current situation was unsustainable. It was to overcome this impasse that Israel decided to attack the Iranian consulate. The idea behind the attack was that Iran would either respond or would not. If not, then the Zionist entity would have regained the previous balance, and if Iran responded, the war would expand and Gaza would be forgotten. The Israelis could not have predicted that the Iranian response could be both successful and manage to keep the war from expanding. In the early hours of 19 April 2024, Israel struck Iran as a retaliatory measure for Iran's 13/14 April attack on Israel using hundreds of drones and missiles. An Iranian military air base near Isfahan [32.78187, 51.81718] was reported to have been hit. Iran's Fars News Agency reported that an explosion had been heard in Qahjavarestan, located 22 kilometers (13 miles) away from Isfahan. Iran's air defenses were reported to have been activated in several provinces. Iran's nuclear facility at Isfahan was not reported to have been struck. The missile strike followed repeated warnings by Iran that any Israeli atatck would trigger a severe response. Iran's President Ebrahim Raeisi had warned earlier that week that any action would trigger an "extensive and painful response". Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in New York to attend a UN Security Council meeting, had warned the previous day that "in case of any illegal use of force by the Israeli regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate a bit to assert its inherent right to give a decisive and proper response to it to make the regime regret its actions. This is an unchangeable decision". A mysterious Israeli weapon struck the defenses of the Natanz reactor without being detected by Iran. Western and Iranian officials said that the Israeli weapon that targeted Isfahan caused damage to Iranian air defenses without being detected, at a time when exclusive satellite images showed that no serious damage occurred to the Iranian air base, which was believed to be the main target behind the Israeli attack on Iran. ABC reported that three missiles were fired from an Israeli fighter aircraft outside of Iran in this mornings very limited strike. According to a senior US official quoted by ABC, the Israelis were targeting an air defense radar site near Isfahan thats part of the protection of the Natanz nuclear facility. The official said the first assessment is that the strike took out the site, but assessment hadnt been completed. John Ridge suggested that the IAF carried out a standoff attack from Syrian airspace with Sparrow, likely Blue Sparrow, air-launched ballistic missiles released from F-15Is. With a closer examination of crashed Israeli missiles found in Iraq, it has now been determined that they are Rafael ROCKS air-launched ballistic missiles. It shows that F-16I Sufa strike fighters were participants of the airstrike at Iran. Anshel Pfeffer wrote in Haaretz 19 April 2024"Israel's lackluster strike on Isfahan is at most a temporary measure, a place-holder. And it was ordered by Netanyahu, who made a career out of talking up the Iranian threat but when the moment of truth came, he had nothing to say or offer... Benjamin Netanyahu wants this all wrapped up and put away by the time we sit down for the Passover seder Monday night just some leftovers of chametz that can be put on a bonfire and rendered meaningless "as the soil of the earth." ... The far right is preparing a narrative portraying Netanyahu as a weak leader advised by a treacherous General Staff that failed on October 7 and was cowed by the "hostile" Joe Biden. The belated opening of Gaza to aid convoys, the scaling-down of the war there and the delay of a Rafah operation are all part of that narrative.... Surveys showed that a majority of Israelis were against a strike on Iran that would have led to an all-out war.... It's not just his notorious indecisiveness that has prevented him from speaking up. Finally, after decades of empty words, the moment of truth came and he had nothing to show. " Former British Intelligence Director John Sawers considered that Israel had committed a strategic miscalculation in the Middle East, and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was comfortable diverting attention from Gaza's humanitarian disasters. The former MI6 director said in an interview with CNN 21April 2024: We are in a very tense time after the Israeli strike in Damascus and the heavy Iranian response. We must not forget that the Iranian response was a failure and disappointing, as only a small part of the barrage The missiles and drones were able to arrive and did not cause any damage to Israel at all, and I think that Prime Minister Netanyahu feels very comfortable at the present time. Three weeks ago we were talking about the disasters in Gaza and the almost failure of the Israeli attack there and the bombing of the humanitarian convoy, and he has changed the subject. He continued, saying: We must understand that this shadow war between Israel and Iran has been going on for a number of years, and the last round of it was the Israeli strike in Damascus (targeting the Iranian consulate), which surprised many people, including the American administration, I think, and shocked the Iranians as well because it was an escalation. By attacking a diplomatic mission building, even if it was being used as a headquarters for the Revolutionary Guards. He added, "I think that Israel committed a strategic miscalculation. They thought that they could live next to Gaza under the administration of Hamas, and October 7 showed that they could not do that. They live next to Hezbollah, which controls Lebanon, and they live next to Syria, in which Iran has a large foothold, and now I do not think that the Israeli security leaders who I worked with from Mossad, Shin Bet, and others would be willing to endure this endlessly, and they would say, If not now, then when. But I believe that the policy indicates steps forward rather than a major escalation . Military analysts estimate that Israel chose to remain silent and not officially announce that it was behind the attack on Iran , today, Friday, to avoid any broad Iranian response deep inside Israel. The Iranian response would cause comprehensive destruction to the entire Israeli internal front, and drag the region into a regional war whose course and developments Tel Aviv does not know. Israeli analysts agree that the Middle East region is going through a turning point and is heading towards a new historical era, but it will not be for the better. A week ago, Tehran directly attacked Israel using hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, and the response came this morning when a military target was attacked near the city of Isfahan, where there are also sites for Iran's nuclear program. What is particularly important, according to estimates by Israeli military analysts, is who is responsible for the attack, as officials in the administration of US President Joe Biden explained that it was an Israeli action on Iranian territory, and the region appears to be closer than it was in the past to the danger of a large-scale regional war breaking out. In a reading of the attack attributed to Israel, Amos Harel, a military analyst in Haaretz newspaper, said that what is happening in Iran should be viewed as an attempt to shake the regional ship, after Israel fell into a strategic trap at all levels. To prevent the Middle East from being dragged into a regional war, the military analyst believes that the international community will accelerate efforts to calm things down towards Israel and Iran, whose exchange of strikes has gone beyond the form of confrontation in the past, stressing that the regional situation is still dangerous. Harel estimated that the silence in Tel Aviv and the absence of an official account of the attack, despite the persistence of threats during the past days by Benjamin Netanyahus government , comes from an awareness of Irans increasing power, and an assessment that Israel fears a comprehensive confrontation while it is involved in the battlefields in Gaza and Lebanon. The military analyst explained that Israel did not see the thwarting of the Iranian missile attack on it as the end of the final say and expected more decisive attacks deep within its territory in the event of a regional war breaking out. Therefore, the attack on Iranian sites was limited and focused on one site in Isfahan, without targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. The attack attributed to Israel appears to be a demonstration of capabilities and the transfer of messages from Tel Aviv to Tehran stating, according to Harel, We are capable of causing serious damage to you, and restoring deterrence in order not to motivate Iran to respond forcefully to the attack. In addition to the direct response to the Iranian attack, the offensive operation in Iran, for which Israel has not yet claimed official responsibility, expresses a degree of frustration about the regional strategic trap, according to Harel, who believes that Israel faces security challenges and threats without being able to resolve and restore deterrence. Since the outbreak of the Aqsa Flood battle, the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, and the fighting on the northern front with Hezbollah. He adds that Israel was unable to achieve the stated goals of undermining the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) militarily and politically and returning Israeli detainees. Under the title A deliberate attack, so that Iran does not respond, Ron Ben Yishai, a military analyst on the Ynet website affiliated with the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, wrote an article in which he reviewed the repercussions of the attack attributed to Israel on Iranian sites on the region. In reading the nature and scale of the attack, Ben Yishai says, Whoever carried it out, which included - according to reports - launching advanced weapons at targets of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards air force , did so with the aim of avoiding another round of exchange of strikes, and allowing the Iranians to contain the attack and not respond. By attacking Israel. He added, "If Israel was the one who actually carried out the attack, it was likely that it was carried out intentionally so that the destruction would not be widespread, and that it would be consistent with the damage to the Israeli air base at Nevatim. This was done to allow the Iranians to contain the event without pressure from the governors and the Revolutionary Guards on the regime." To respond to the attack attributed to Israel. According to reports, the attack, the Israeli military analyst says, was successful, noting that damage was caused to an air base belonging to the Revolutionary Guard northeast of Isfahan, while the Iranian air defense forces were able to intercept some weapons, while Israel remains silent and does not officially confirm or deny its involvement. From the point of view of the military analyst for the Walla website, Amir Boukhbout, Iran, with its public attack on Israel last week, crossed the red lines and destroyed all tools, while the attack attributed to Israel indicates that Tel Aviv is returning the fight behind the scenes to limit the exchange of blows to avoid a regional war. Over the past week, the need for an Israeli military response to the Iranian attack has emerged in the political and security arena in Tel Aviv. Boukhbout says, "But the assessments of the security establishment and consultations with the political level, in light of American pressure, were clear that Israel would seek to deliver a message, and not carry out broad action, that would drag Iran into a direct and ongoing confrontation against Israel." Therefore, in analyzing foreign reports about the secret and relatively silent operation, which included heavy drones attacking an Iranian military airport in response to an attack on an Israeli military airport in the Negev, the military analyst adds, It seems to be a simple equation, which is an eye for an eye. He pointed out that the limited Israeli action against targets in Iran aims to leave room for deniability for the Iranians and not be followed by a strong and broad reaction against Israel, in addition to pleasing the United States, and continuing to focus on the Gaza Strip as the main theater of the war. The military analyst estimated that the Israeli army was looking for a way to respond to the Iranian attack without being drawn into a direct and ongoing confrontation, saying, The attack on Iran suggests to Tehran that Israel is capable of striking it even without sending fighter planes to a distance of thousands of kilometers. Amid this silence, the source of Israeli concern, Boukhbout says, is the fact that Israeli intelligence did not properly assess the changing Iranian aggressiveness against the backdrop of the close relationship with Russia , which was a reaction to the assassination of a senior Iranian official. Another aspect of Israeli concern, according to the military analyst, is related to changing the rules of the game, which is that the Iranians decided to highlight the war between the two countries and turn it into a direct confrontation. He concluded by saying: Now, in any difficult or sudden military action against Iranian interests throughout the Middle East, the Israeli security establishment will have to take into account the direct Iranian response, and this new equation. In Israel, a new player must be introduced into the equation to deter the regime of Ayatollah Khomeini. The G7 foreign ministers said on Friday that they are working to prevent escalation between Israel and Iran , after reports of an Israeli attack on the city of Isfahan, while US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the group is determined to impose sanctions on Tehran. The G7 foreign ministers said - in a statement - after their 3-day summit on the Italian island of Capri, that they would hold Iran accountable for what they described as its malicious, destabilizing actions in the Middle East. The G7 foreign ministers urged Israel and Iran to prevent escalation. During a press conference by the US Secretary of State after the end of the G7 summit, Blinken denied his country's participation in the attack launched today on the Iranian city of Isfahan, and called on Tel Aviv and Tehran to reduce the escalation. He added that the group confirmed its intention to impose sanctions on Iran and hold it accountable for its activities, which he described as destabilizing in the region. International newspapers and websites discussed the repercussions of what they described as a limited retaliatory strike against Iran, and international support for the establishment of a Palestinian state, despite the United States use of its veto against full membership of Palestine in the United Nations. Regarding the escalation between Tehran and Tel Aviv, the Washington Post wrote that Israel launched a limited and carefully designed retaliatory strike against Iran to avoid escalation. It stated, based on expert analyses, "Israel's silence after the attack and Iran's downplaying of its importance suggest that both sides hope that the strikes exchanged so far will be sufficient to satisfy public opinion on both sides without the need for further retaliation." The New York Times published an article stating, The Israeli retaliatory strike indicates an attempt to withdraw from the danger zone - most likely - to return to the shadow war with Iran, after the latest round of exchanged strikes brought the conflict between them into the open and raised fears of the outbreak of a wide-scale war. In the region, the newspaper adds. While the Guardian newspaper saw in an article that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may benefit in the short term from what the article described as Irans calm response. The article added, "The nature of the attack cannot restore Israel to the level of deterrence it enjoyed before the attack by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)," warning that the outbreak of a multi-front war is still a strong possibility. Iran announced at dawn on Friday that explosions had occurred in the sky of the city of Isfahan, and confirmed that there had been no missile attack or damage to sensitive installations, while American media quoted officials as saying that Israel had carried out retaliatory strikes in response to the Iranian attack that targeted it last Saturday. Regarding the vote of 12 members of the UN Security Council in favor of full membership for the Palestinians in the United Nations, Le Monde newspaper wrote that the result reveals the extent of international support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, and confirms the importance of this option for achieving stability in the Middle East. The French newspaper added that the result of the vote once again shows "the contradiction of the United States, which says it supports the two-state solution but at the same time prevents the Palestinians from achieving it." In the same context, the newspaper "The Times of Israel" quoted an American official as saying that Washington initially tried to persuade the Palestinian Authority to abandon its effort to obtain full membership in the United Nations, and then, after meeting with it, turned to the members of the Security Council to convince them to oppose the draft resolution or abstain from voting. The newspaper comments that "the result of the vote showed the failure of American efforts, which is symbolic evidence of Washington's international isolation on this issue." Retired US Army Major General Mark McCarley said that the attack on Iran early Friday was a retaliatory measure and a warning message. McCarley said that Israel must maintain its vigilance if Iran decides to respond with another show of force. McCarley added that by targeting the Iranian city of Isfahan, Israel would likely be warning that it could easily bypass Iran's defenses. I think there was a very deliberate thought process on the part of the Israeli war cabinet, he said. It is noteworthy that the city of Isfahan is the largest center for nuclear research in Iran, and contains an important military base, in addition to the Isfahan Civil Airport. While Israel refused to comment on the targeting, an American official told Al Jazeera that Washington was aware of reports that Israel had launched a strike inside Iran. Discussions on Israeli media channels focused on the controversy surrounding the strikes that Iran was subjected to yesterday, Friday, and the possibilities for it to respond to them. Reserve Colonel Talia Lancry, former Vice President of the Israeli National Security Council, asked about the ambiguous situation that Israel is experiencing, saying to Channel 12, We do not know where this situation will take us, and we do not know where things will go. Will there be a response from Iran? And where will it come from? . Channel 13 military affairs correspondent Or Heller says, "The attack is a message to the Iranians. On Saturday night, when Iran launched its attack, missiles and drones were launched from there, from the same base near Isfahan." He added that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant spoke with his American counterpart, expressing his hope "that the Iranians' hints of their desire to end this event are real, and give Israel the opportunity to return to focusing on the main issue, which is the Gaza Strip, the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), and the kidnapped men and women among us." The military affairs correspondent for Channel 13 also pointed out that there is a state of silence in the army and security services in Israel regarding press reports in the United States regarding the attack that occurred yesterday at dawn on Iran. Channel 14's military affairs correspondent, Hillel Rozin-Biton, believes that the level of tension is decreasing in Iran and in Israel as well, noting that Israel's main mission is in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip , and the situation with Lebanon must also be addressed, as he said. Channel 13 referred to what Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir wrote on the X platform, where he wrote the word ridicule!, following reports of a limited Israeli strike inside Iran. Iran's supreme leader met with military commanders in a curiously cramped small room 21 April 2024 thanking them for the attack on Israel. He tellingly says, "how many missiles were launched and how many of them hit their target is not the primary question, what really matters is that Iran demonstrated its will-power during that operation." Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei admired the Iranian Armed Forces for manifesting the countrys power and determination in the international arena by conducting the recent retaliatory operation against the Israeli regime. In a meeting with top military commanders on Sunday, Ayatollah Khamenei, the commander-in-chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, appreciated the military forces efforts and their success amid the recent developments. The Leader said the armed forces displayed a good image of their capabilities and might and also an admirable image of the Iranian nation and could prove the manifestation of power of the Iranian nation in the international arena. The recent achievements of the Iranian Armed Forces created a sense of grandeur and magnificence of Iran in the eyes of the world and the international observers, the Leader stated. Ayatollah Khamenei noted that the issue of the number of missiles fired by Iran during the Operation True Promise or the percentage of the missiles having hit the targets, on which the other side has concentrated, is a secondary and peripheral subject while the main topic is the display of the Iranian nation and armed forces power in the global arena. Lauding the armed forces for exercising prudence in their measures, the Leader said, Various incidents come at a cost and have achievements. What is important is to reduce the costs with prudence and add to the achievements, and this is what the (Iranian) Armed Forces did very well in the recent developments. On 19 April 2024 satellite images published by CNN do not appear to show any extensive damage to Irans Isfahan air base, which was allegedly targeted last night by Israel. The synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite images were taken around 10:18 a.m. local time five hours after the strike. "There does not appear to be any extensive damage at an air base purportedly targeted by an Israeli military strike, according to exclusive satellite images obtained by CNN from Umbra Space. The synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite images were taken around 10:18 a.m. local time. There does not appear to be any large craters in the ground and there are no apparent destroyed buildings. Additional visual satellite imagery will be needed to check for burn scars - which cannot be seen by SAR images -- around the complex."" The Commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Brigadier General Ismail Qaani, confirmed 15 May 2024 that Operation The True Promise was carried out according to precise calculations. Brigadier General Qaani revealed: The United States and NATO harnessed all their capabilities to defend Israel and confront Operation True Promise , and 7 to 8 military ships were placed in the Black Sea alone with the aim of confronting it. He pointed out that more than 200 warplanes were flying over the area from the beginning of the night of the operation until its end. Brigadier General Qaani added: Operation The True Promise was carried out in an area considered the densest in the world in terms of air defenses. He continued: France, Germany, and Britain, who brought their planes on the night of Operation True Promise, should not think that the matter is over, stressing that the occupation entity, America, and the West as a whole are too small to stand before the resistance front, and this is not a slogan, but rather their recognition. The mutual attacks between Iran and Israel in the first two weeks of April radically changed the strategic landscape in the Middle East, according to an analysis published by the American magazine Foreign Affairs. The analysis, written by Vali Nasr, professor of international affairs and Middle Eastern studies at Johns Hopkins Universitys School of Advanced International Studies, confirms that the escalating rivalry between Iran and Israel will shape regional security and drive Middle East politics for the foreseeable future. Nasr says, Each side views the other as an arch enemy that must be defeated by military means. If the dangerous competition between them is left unchecked, it will destabilize the region and may ultimately lead to a conflict that drags the United States into a costly war. According to Foreign Affairs, it is now Washington's responsibility "to formulate a diplomatic strategy to calm the escalatory forces that precipitated a direct confrontation between Iran and Israel in April, and which could do so again." While Iran and Israel are currently intent on returning to the shadow war that has characterized their conflict for years, recent direct attacks on each others territory have increased the risk of miscalculation. According to Nasr's analysis, "Washington and its allies wanted to avoid such an escalation, as the United States and its partners across Europe and the Middle East moved quickly to prevent the crisis from escalating into war immediately after the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus." Arab and European diplomats, carrying messages from Washington, also spoke directly to Iranian officials, urging them not to respond at all, but they also stressed that if a response occurs, it must be within a limited scope, so as not to lead to further escalation, according to what This was stated in the analysis of "Foreign Affairs". After the Iranian response to Israel, Washington and its allies redirected their efforts, this time relying on Israel to mitigate its response, as diplomatic efforts succeeded in containing the crisis, according to the magazine, where the writer of the analysis says: The crisis made clear that the highest priority for the United States is to prevent war in Gaza. "From igniting a regional fire, and dragging Washington into another costly war in the Middle East." According to the analysis, "the fact that is in Washington's favor is that Iran and Israel do not want to enter into a direct conflict, despite their recent show of force." He added: "Iran realizes that Israel is a nuclear state with superior conventional capabilities, and that war with Israel will ultimately mean war with the United States. While Israel realizes that a larger conflict with Tehran would force Hezbollah to launch more missiles at Israeli cities and military installations." Not many people know about the relations between Israel and Iran, except for mutual threats and intense diplomatic exchanges. The truth is that relations between them were not always as fraught as they are today. However, Nasr wrote in his analysis: If the fragile truce between Iran and Israel is to hold, Washington must remain deeply engaged, working closely with Israel to address security concerns, and building on the diplomatic progress it has made with Iran in recent weeks. But at the same time, the possibility of another dangerous escalation in the region looms, according to a Foreign Affairs analysis, which indicates that the Israeli incursion into Rafah may precipitate another confrontation if Iran and its allies feel forced to act, as the crisis worsens. humanity there, or to prevent the annihilation of Hamas. A long-term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could also set the stage for further conflict, according to the analysis, because it would free Israel to focus on Hezbollah - which it has indicated it intends to do so - or target Iran again in Syria. The analysis stated, Iran and Israel are not ready to fight now, but if each continues to view the other as a threat that can only be confronted militarily, a future conflict becomes certain. Nasr wrote: If Washingtons goal is to avoid involvement in a regional war, it must ensure regional stability. And use its full diplomatic power to work toward ending the war in Gaza, followed by a serious and sustainable pursuit of establishing a viable Palestinian state. He continued: "This result is necessary to build a broader regional order that works to restrict the escalatory motives that are now driving the Iranian and Israeli decision-making process." The analysis indicated that "the end of the Gaza war should not be the beginning of another war in Lebanon. Israel and Hezbollah will have to restore the cold peace that they maintained since their war in 2006 until October 7th." He said, "Success on this front is coupled with steps toward a political solution to the Palestinian issue, and the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, as well as between Israel and the rest of the Arab world." The analysis in Foreign Policy magazine revealed that the recent Iranian attack on Israel demonstrated unprecedented cooperation from Arab countries in confronting the common Iranian threat, despite continuing tensions due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially with the ongoing war in Gaza. According to the analysis, The bright side of the attacks between Israel and Iran is that Washington and Tehran talked behind the scenes, as their communication was the key to avoiding disaster. As it charts its next diplomatic course, the United States should take advantage of this openness to reduce the risk of greater war, the analysis said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 13 April 2024 - Day 780 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 on 6 April 2024, Russian President Putin passed two laws to support Russian Armed Forces personnel fighting in Ukraine and their families. The first law exempted Russian service personnel fighting in Ukraine from paying interest on consumer loans and credit holidays. This follows on from an October 2022 law which exempted mobilised personnel and other participants of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from accruing penalties for late payments for housing, communal services, loans, and credit card debts. The second piece of legislation signed by Putin amended the Russian Labour Code and prohibits employers from dismissing widows of Russian service personnel for one year from the date of the husband's death. The Kremlin has likely instituted these laws in hopes of appeasing Russian service personnel, financially incentivising more recruits to join the fight in exchange for state benefits and to limit criticism from the wives of deceased service personnel. Whilst any payment holidays may cost the Russian federal government little in the short term, they are likely to have longer term implications for the Russian economic situation and outlook. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that on April 13, 60x tactical engagements were reported. Russian forces launched a total of 1x missile and 65x air strikes, 71x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Unfortunately, the Russian attacks have killed and wounded civilians. Residential apartment blocks and private houses as well as other infrastructure were destroyed or damaged. Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. No signs of the formation of Russian offensive groups were found. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains its military presence in the areas of russia bordering Ukraine. Russia continues its sabotage and reconnaissance activities, shelling Ukrainian settlements from the territory of Russia and increases the density of minefields along the state border of Ukraine. The Russian adversary launched air strikes in the vicinities of settlements of Volfyne, Pavlivka (Sumy oblast), Zahryzove, and Borova (Kharkiv oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 20x settlements, including Pavlivka, Vysoke (Chernihiv oblast), Vorozhba, and Seredyna-Buda (Sumy oblast). Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: Russian forces did not conduct any offensive (assault) operations. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Nevs'ke (Luhansk oblast), Terny, Yampolivka, and Zarichne (Donetsk oblast). Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian troops repelled 28x attacks in the vicinities of Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Spirne, Rozdolivka, Novyi, Opytne, Andriivka, Ivanivske, and Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast). With the air support, Russian forces attempted to improve their tactical position in that area. More than 10x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Hryhorivka, Kalynivka, and Chasiv Yar (Donetsk oblast). Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 7x attacks in the vicinities of Novokalynove, Novobakhmutivka, Berdychi, Pervomais'ke, and Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast). With the air support, Russian forces attempted to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions in that area. Also, Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Umans'ke and Verkhn'otorets'ke (Donetsk oblast). The invaders fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Novokalynove, Novobakhmutivka, Semenivka, and Netailove (Donetsk oblast). Novopavlivka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back Russian forces in the vicinities of Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka, and Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces made 16x attempts to breach Ukrainian defense in that area. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Staromykhailivka, Vodyane, Volodymyrivka, and Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements, including Heorhiivka, Paraskoviivka, Kostyantynivka, and Vuhledar (Donetsk oblast), were under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Orikhiv axis: with the air support, Russian forces launched 3x attacks on the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinities of Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast) and northwest of Verbove (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast) and Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Around 20x settlements, including Poltavka, Chervone, Bilohir'ya, Novodanylivka, and Shcherbaky (Zaporizhzhia oblast), came 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. On April 13, Russian forces launched 3x unsuccessful attacks on the positions of the Ukrainian troops in the vicinity of Krynky (Kherson oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Tyahynka, Ivanivka, and Ponyativka (Kherson oblast). On April 13, Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes on 11x concentrations of Russian troops, weapons and military equipment, 1x command post, 2x UAV ground control stations, and 1x anti-aircraft missile system. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Avdeyevka direction, as a result of active and self-sacrificing actions, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have liberated Pervomayskoye (Donetsk People's Republic). In addition, eight counterattacks by assault groups of 25th airborne, 59th motorised infantry, 68th jaeger, 23rd, 24th, and 115th mechanised brigades of the AFU have been repelled close to Umanskoye, Pervomayskoye, Krasnogorovka, Berdychi, and Leninskoye (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 235 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces have occupied more favourable lines and defeated manpower and hardware of 79th air assault and 46th airmobile brigades of the AFU near Krasnogorovka and Antonovka (Donetsk People's Republic). Two attacks by enemy assault groups south of Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic) have been also repelled. The AFU losses were over 500 soldiers, one tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, 23 motor vehicles, and one Strela-10 surface-to-air missile system. During counter-battery warfare, two U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzers, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer have been hit. In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces have improved the situation on the front line, defeated a formation of the 54th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU near Kupyansk (Kharkov region) and repelled three attacks by assault groups of the 12th AFU Special Forces Brigade near Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 25 soldiers, three pickup trucks, one Polish-made Krab 155-mm self-propelled artillery system, one Akatsiya 152-mm self-propelled artillery system, one D-20 152-mm howitzer, and one Nota electronic warfare station. In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces have improved the tactical position and defeated formations of the AFU 58th Motor Infantry Brigade and the 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Staromayorskoye and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were more than 110 soldiers, four pickup trucks, one Polish-made Krab 155-mm self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made M777 155-mm howitzer, and one Nota electronic warfare station. In Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have inflicted a fire defeat on manpower and hardware of 121st and 126th territorial defence brigades close to Mikhailovka and Ivanovka (Kherson region). The AFU losses were up to 65 servicemen, three motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 155-mm howitzer, one UK-made FN-70 155-mm howitzer, and one Polish-made Krab 155-mm self-propelled artillery system. Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Groups of Forces have neutralised manpower and military hardware in 112 areas. Air defence facilities have shot down 222 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, eight HIMARS and Vampire multiple-launch rocket systems projectiles, and one JDAM guided bomb. In total, 583 airplanes and 270 helicopters, 20,826 unmanned aerial vehicles, 501 air defence missile systems, 15,767 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,266 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,849 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 20,960 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 Uzbekistan Cracks Down On 'Religious Extremism' In Aftermath Of Moscow Terror Attack By Farangis Najibullah and RFE/RL's Uzbek Service April 13, 2024 TASHKENT -- Uzbekistan has intensified measures against "religious extremism" and "terrorism" recently, raiding the homes of suspected extremists, warning parents against sending children to Islamic schools abroad, and preventing imams from leaving the country. The tough actions by Uzbek officials come on the heels of the terrorist attack that killed 144 people at the Crocus music venue near Moscow on March 22 -- allegedly carried out by Tajiks and planned by the extremist Islamic State (IS) group. Some observers link the crackdown to Uzbek government anxiety from the tragic event that has led to xenophobic treatment of Central Asians in Russia, where hundreds of thousands of Uzbeks work. Security officers in the capital, Tashkent, carried out 45 raids on April 7 on the homes of people alleged to have joined "radical extremist groups," police reported. "Suspects are being arrested," authorities said in a statement accompanied by photos of security forces visiting a private home and masked officers taking several men into custody. Police also advised people to avoid following Muslim extremist groups on social media and to closely monitor their children's activities online. On April 12, the authorities warned parents against sending their children to "illegal and unregistered" schools abroad or letting them to stay abroad "unsupervised." They reminded parents that the law stipulates up to eight years in prison for parents and legal guardians who fail to obey court orders for their underage children living abroad to return home. Uzbeks have also been urged to report to the police any attempts to spread "extremist" ideas in their neighborhoods. In a separate measure this month, the state-backed Muslim Board of Uzbekistan ordered all imams to turn in their passports in a move described by some religious figures as part of the government's efforts to keep tabs on Islamic leaders in the aftermath of the attack in Russia. RFE/RL's Uzbek Service obtained a copy of an official letter sent to all mosque officials in Uzbekistan. "We are collecting the passports of the imams and deputy imams of all mosques and will hand them over to the representatives of [the Muslim Board]," it read. "District imams are responsible for collecting the passports and should start now," says the letter, which was sent via Telegram by Erghash Rustamov, assistant to Tashkent's chief imam. Rustamov and at least two officials told RFE/RL that at least two officials at the Muslim Board claimed the passports were being taken for "data registration" purposes. "We will put the information in the imams' passports into our database and then return their passports," he said. A Muslim Board official said the agency wanted to ensure all imams "have their passports ready" for potential tours abroad, such as the hajj pilgrimage and other state-organized business trips. "Our imams recently traveled to South Korea, Russia, and America," the official claimed. "Our aim is for imams to have their passports ready in case they're selected for such trips." Tashkent Anxious After Crocus Hall Attack Several Uzbek imams who spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity dismissed the officials' explanation, saying it was "devoid of any logic." They said the authorities, on the contrary, want to prevent imams from travelling abroad. One Tashkent imam said the measure is a response to the Crocus attack. "After the [attack] in Russia, it was expected that Uzbekistan will take serious measures against imams and religious people in general," he claimed. "There has been too much pressure on imams in recent days, hence the authorities fear that some imams will leave the country because of it," he told RFE/RL, without elaborating on the Uzbek government's "pressure" on religious figures. There are about 2,040 mosques in the Muslim-majority Central Asian country of 35.6 million. Each has an imam and usually one or more deputies depending on the size of the congregation. The order to hand over passports applies to all of them. Another imam in Tashkent said the government move to collect religious leaders' passports was "illegal" and the explanation "does not make sense." "Imams are not small children from whom you take away their passports under the pretext that their documents should be always ready in case they go on a business trip," he said. The imams said there was no need to "confiscate" the passports of more than 7,000 Muslim officials while "the number of Uzbek imams who go to the hajj and 'umrah' pilgrimages will not exceed 300 at the most." Dozens of Central Asians have been arrested in recent years in Russia, Turkey, the European Union, the United States, Iran, and Afghanistan for allegedly carrying out or plotting terrorist attacks. Some 6,000 Central Asians -- including at least 2,500 Uzbek citizens -- joined IS in Syria and Iraq when it seized swathes of territory there a decade ago and tried to set up a so-called caliphate. Most Central Asian governments repatriated hundreds of their citizens, mostly women and children, after the IS's defeat in 2019. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/uzbekistan-crackdown- muslims-crocus-attack/32904040.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 A33 Million of drugs seized by Royal Navy in the Middle East HMS Lancaster seizes almost A33 million worth of drugs in the Middle East. 13 April 2024 In another blow to drug smugglers, Royal Navy warship HMS Lancaster seized drugs with a street value of nearly A33m as she struck twice against traffickers in the Middle East inside 24 hours. Just weeks after HMS Trent struck a blow to Caribbean traffickers by seizing A17 million of illegal narcotics, their colleagues onboard HMS Lancaster pounced half a world away in the Indian Ocean. Heroin, hashish and crystal meth were found by Lancaster's sailors and Royal Marines - with more than two tonnes of the illegal drugs now having been destroyed. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: The fantastic achievements of the crew of HMS Lancaster and Royal Marine commandos in the Indian Ocean shows the important role our Navy plays policing the oceans. Their relentless effort and professionalism have dealt another decisive blow to criminal networks. Following HMS Trent's similar success in seizing a substantial amount of drugs on the other side of the world, the Royal Navy continue to lead the UK's commitment to disrupting drug smugglers across the globe. Operating as part of the Canadian-led Combined Task Force 150, which is dedicated to stopping criminal activity across more than million square miles of ocean in the Middle East, HMS Lancaster was on the very first day of her security patrol following a period of training when her Wildcat helicopter spotted a suspect vessel during a routine sortie. In an operation lasting eight hours, Royal Marines from 42 Commando secured the vessel, allowing Lancaster's sailors to board the vessel. Following an in-depth search, the team recovered nearly 100 packages containing heroin and crystal meth. Shortly after this success, the ship's Wildcat helicopter - from 815 Naval Air Squadron - launched a dusk patrol for another sweep of the Indian Ocean. Once again aircrew came across a suspicious vessel, with the ship tracking her throughout the night, before commandos boarded in the morning and secured the dhow before sailors joined them to conduct another search. This time, over six hours, they recovered 2.4 tonnes of hashish - bringing the total haul to 3.7 tonnes of illegal drugs seized. Collectively the tally from the two drugs hauls had a street value of just under A33m according to the National Crime Agency. Commanding Officer Commander Chris Sharp said: I am exceptionally proud of the entire team in Lancaster executing these two interdictions on the first two days of our deployment. Complex interceptions like these in such a challenging environment require true teamwork across the entire ship's company. This success is shared with our partners in CTF 150 who provided essential support to the operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China: Statement by the Spokesperson on one year of detention of Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan European External Action Service (EEAS) 13.04.2024 EEAS Press Team Exactly 1 year ago, on 13 April 2023, human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife, Xu Yan were detained on their way to a meeting at the EU Delegation in Beijing. They have not been released since. Throughout this year, the EU has repeatedly raised this case with the Chinese authorities, up to the highest levels, expressing deep concern for the wellbeing of Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan, and asking for their release. The EU also continues to call on China to respect all of Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan's human rights, ensuring that they are not subjected to torture and ill-treatment while in detention, granting medical assistance when needed, as well as regular access to lawyers of their choice and regular contacts with their families. At the last session of the UN Human Rights Council, in its statement on behalf of the EU and its 27 Member States, the EU listed the names of many human rights defenders currently imprisoned in China, including Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan, asking for their immediate and unconditional release. The EU reiterates this call today. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China refutes negative actions, statements by US, Japan, Philippines Global Times By Global Times Published: Apr 13, 2024 12:34 AM China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Defense on Friday refuted the negative statements at the US-Japan-Philippines summit and wrongful remarks made by relevant parties. China emphasized that the real challenge facing regional peace and stability is the formation of cliques by the US and Japan. China will continue to firmly defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, and will never allow the Philippine side to act willfully. Leaders of the US, Japan and the Philippines held their first trilateral summit in Washington on Thursday. They issued a joint statement afterwards, which baselessly blamed China on the East and South China Sea issue, and made unfounded remarks on the Taiwan question. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a regular press conference on Friday that China strongly opposes the practice of bloc politics by relevant countries, and any acts that stoke and drive up tensions and harm other countries' strategic security and interests. "We are seriously against forming exclusive groupings in this region. Japan and the Philippines have every right to develop normal relations with other countries, but they should not introduce bloc confrontation into this region, still less engage in trilateral cooperation at the expense of other countries' interests," she said. Regarding the Taiwan question, the spokesperson said that it is purely an internal affair for China, and the biggest threat to peace across the Taiwan Straits at present is the separatist activities of "Taiwan independence" forces and external connivance and support for them. If relevant countries truly care about the peace and stability of the Taiwan Straits, they should adhere to the one-China principle and unequivocally oppose the separatist activities. "No one should underestimate the will and capability of the Chinese people to safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity," Mao noted. Mao emphasized again that China has indisputable sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islands, as well as Nanhai Zhudao. China's activities in the East China Sea and South China Sea are lawful, justified and beyond reproach. China will never accept unfounded accusations and malicious smears from relevant countries, and will never accept or recognize so-called South China Sea arbitration or any unilateral actions based on that ruling. Mao said the current situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea is generally stable, but some countries are constantly engaging in provocative actions at sea by wooing countries outside the region, leading to a rise in tensions. China is firmly committed to defending its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and will continue to resolve bilateral maritime issues with directly involved parties through dialogue and consultation. At the same time, China firmly opposes non-regional countries meddling and sowing discords to escalate the situation, Mao said. In response to US President Joe Biden saying that the US will respond to any "attack" on the Philippines by China, Mao said that Biden's remarks deviate from the basic facts, maliciously attacking and accusing China, which China strongly opposes. "We are certainly opposed to relevant countries infringing on China's sovereignty, security and development interests under the pretext of freedom of navigation and overflight," Mao said. The US clings to a Cold War mentality, threatening other countries with its bilateral alliance treaties, seriously violating the UN Charter and undermining regional stability, the spokesperson added. The Chinese Foreign Ministry also refuted the remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in his speech to the US Congress, during which he called China "the biggest challenge" to the world. Mao noted that China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition, and has lodged solemn representations with the Japanese side. Mao added that China has always adhered to the path of peaceful development, never initiated a war, and does not pose a threat to any country. Mao further stated that the real challenge facing regional peace and stability is the US and Japan forming cliques and inciting group confrontation. Japan's militarist past, marked by devastating wars of aggression and brutal crimes against humanity, brought untold suffering on this region and beyond. Japan should seriously reflect on its history of aggression, respect the security concerns of its Asian neighbors, stop hyping up so-called security threats in the region to find pretext for making breakthroughs in its military strength, so as not to further lose the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community, Mao said. On Friday, Liu Jinsong, director-general of the department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, met with the Chief Minister of the Embassy of Japan in China Yokochi Akira to express solemn representations regarding Japan's recent negative actions toward China during the US-Japan leaders' meeting in Washington and the US-Japan-Philippines summit, conveying serious concerns and strong dissatisfaction. Liu also met with the Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz on Friday to express solemn representations regarding the negative remarks and actions toward China by the Philippines during the trilateral summit. According to media reports, during the summit of the leaders of the US, Japan and the Philippines, the US side stated that any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels or armed forces would invoke the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. In response, Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said on Friday that China upholds that defense cooperation between countries should not target any specific country or undermine regional peace and stability. China's relevant activities in the South China Sea are justified, lawful and beyond reproach. However, a certain non-regional country frequently sends military vessels and aircraft to the South China Sea to flex muscles, gathers its allies to build up "small cliques" against China, and even threatens and coerces China with a so-called mutual defense treaty. These acts are irresponsible and extremely dangerous, Wu said. Recently, the Philippine side induced external forces to interfere in the South China Sea issue and intruded into relevant islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao. It also activated its propaganda machine against China and played the victim. The Chinese side is strongly opposed to this, Wu said. "The settlement of the South China Sea issue should be based on reason, not size. China never bullies other countries. At the same time, we will never allow the Philippine side to act willfully. You can count on the Chinese military to keep our word on safeguarding national sovereignty and security," Wu noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China to promote closer strategic partnership with Suriname: Xi Global Times China-Suriname cooperation to inject fresh impetus into ties between China and LatAm By Liu Xin Published: Apr 13, 2024 12:01 AM Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the visiting President of the Republic of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi in Beijing on Friday and expressed willingness to work with Suriname to further strengthen economic and trade cooperation and promote the building of a closer strategic partnership between the two countries for the greater benefit of both peoples. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the strategic cooperative partnership between China and Suriname. Santokhi's visit to China at this significant time is poised to enhance bilateral comprehensive cooperation and will inject fresh impetus into relations between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries, analysts said. President Xi welcomed President Santokhi and said he is the first Latin American and Caribbean head of state to visit China this year, and this visit holds significant importance for deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries. China highly appreciates Suriname's friendship and its firm support for China on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns. China is willing to continue to understand and support each other with Suriname, maintain high-level exchanges, increase friendly exchanges between various departments, legislative bodies and political parties, and enhance the exchange of experience in governance, according to Xi. President Santokhi said that the history of friendly exchanges between Suriname and China is long-standing. Cooperation between the two countries in agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, and other fields has yielded fruitful results, reflecting the high level of political mutual trust and deep brotherly friendship between the two nations. This cooperation has greatly facilitated Suriname's economic development and improved people's livelihoods, serving as a model for South-South cooperation, said President Santokhi, noting that Suriname is committed to actively contributing to the development of relations between Caribbean countries and China. Santokhi is making a state visit to China from Thursday to April 17. His visit coincides with a bustling period in China's diplomacy, as leaders and senior officials from Russia, the EU, the US, and neighboring countries make visits to China. As a country in South America, Suriname is also actively engaged in interactions with China, Wang Youming, director of the Institute of Developing Countries at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, told the Global Times on Friday. Like many countries in South America, Suriname faces numerous challenges in economic development. President Santokhi has come to China seeking solutions through expanded cooperation, Wang noted. Countries of the Global South, including Suriname, have confidence in China's development and also attach importance to cooperation with Beijing. The array of agreements signed during President Santokhi's visit is expected to bolster Suriname's exports to China and stimulate its economy and promote people-to-people exchanges, said Wang. During the meeting with President Santokhi, President Xi also noted that China welcomes more high-quality and distinctive Surinamese products to enter the Chinese market, and stands ready to deepen cooperation with Suriname on joint Belt and Road construction. After the meeting, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation agreements in various areas including economy and trade, green development, digital economy, and education. In May 2018, Suriname signed a memorandum of understanding with China to jointly build the BRI. In an interview with the Xinhua News Agency on April 4, President Santokhi said the connectivity brought by the BRI has created bridges for regional economic development and cooperation, benefiting all participating countries. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the China- CELAC Forum. President Santokhi's visit will mark the beginning of a series of exchanges between China and other Latin American and Caribbean countries, said Wang, noting that these interactions will peak in the second half of the year during the China-CELAC summit. Wang said that future cooperation under the BRI between China and Suriname and between China and other regional countries may include more "small and beautiful" projects, such as urban redevelopment, road upgrades, and market construction, aimed at improving the livelihoods of local residents. While China and regional countries deepen their cooperation, the US, which has historically seen the region as its "backyard," remains watchful of China's presence and consistently amplifies the "debt trap" and other narratives, analysts said. However, there is a growing sentiment in Latin American and Caribbean countries of no longer being considered the "front" or "backyard" of the US. As US hegemony declines, Washington's influence is waning, and these countries are increasingly seeking autonomy and development based on their own interests and tend to promote cooperation with China and other countries in the Global South, said analysts. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Xi holds talks with Surinamese president People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:42, April 13, 2024 BEIJING, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with President of the Republic of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi in Beijing on Friday. Noting that the China-Suriname friendship has a long history and has stood the test of time, Xi said Suriname was one of the first Caribbean countries to establish diplomatic ties with China, establish a strategic partnership with China and sign the Belt and Road cooperation plan with China. The two countries have always respected each other and treated each other as equals, becoming a model of South-South cooperation, he said, adding that China is willing to work with Suriname to further consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen economic and trade cooperation, expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges, step up international coordination, and push for a closer China-Suriname strategic cooperative partnership to better benefit the two peoples. Xi stressed that China highly appreciates Suriname's friendship and its firm support for China on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns. He added that China also firmly supports Suriname in safeguarding its national sovereignty and independence and independently choosing a development path suited to its national conditions. China is willing to continue to understand and support each other with Suriname, maintain high-level exchanges, increase friendly exchanges between various departments, legislative bodies and political parties, and enhance the exchange of experience in governance, according to Xi. "China welcomes more high-quality and distinctive Surinamese products to enter the Chinese market, and stands ready to deepen cooperation with Suriname on joint Belt and Road construction, enhance synergy of development strategies, and expand cooperation on trade, investment, agriculture, energy, mining, infrastructure construction and digital economy to bring more tangible benefits to the two peoples," Xi said. Noting that Suriname is one of the countries with the largest number of overseas Chinese in the Caribbean and the first country in the Western Hemisphere to mark the Chinese New Year as an official holiday, Xi said the two sides should continue to encourage cultural and people-to-people exchanges, facilitate personnel exchanges, and jointly build Confucius Institutes. The two countries should strengthen sub-national cooperation and constantly enrich the content of bilateral exchanges and cooperation, he added. Xi said China is ready to work with Suriname and other developing countries to strengthen multilateral coordination, solidarity and cooperation, safeguard common interests, achieve common development and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. China attaches importance to developing relations with Caribbean countries, supports Caribbean countries in seeking prosperity and development and improving people's well-being, and stands ready to continue to provide assistance within its capacity for the economic and social development of countries in the region, Xi said. Noting that the friendly exchanges between the two countries enjoy a long history, Santokhi, for his part, complimented the important contributions made by the Chinese community in Suriname to the development of the country. He said that since the two countries established diplomatic ties 48 years ago, the Surinamese side has always firmly adhered to the one-China principle, and will continue to support China unswervingly in its endeavor to achieve national reunification. Santokhi expressed Suriname's appreciation for the assistance provided by the Chinese side to its economic and social development, saying that the fruitful cooperation between the two countries in agriculture, health, infrastructure and other fields reflects the high-level political mutual trust and brotherly friendship, improved Suriname's economy and people's livelihoods, setting a good example of South-South cooperation. Suriname supports the important initiatives proposed by China, such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, which are of great significance in upholding multilateralism and promoting world peace and sustainable development, and stands ready to advance coordination with China to jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Santokhi said. He said that Suriname expects to improve exchanges between the political parties of the two countries, expand cooperation in fields such as trade, economy and investment, green development and climate change, and advance the Suriname-China strategic cooperative partnership, and is willing to contribute to Caribbean-China relations. The two heads of state witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents on economy, trade, investment, green development, digital economy, education and other fields. The two sides also issued a joint press communique. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Blog Archive: Oct 2024 (65) Sep 2024 (149) Aug 2024 (155) Jul 2024 (155) Jun 2024 (150) May 2024 (153) Apr 2024 (149) Mar 2024 (155) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (156) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) China lodges solemn representations to Japan, Philippines over negative moves in Washington People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:57, April 13, 2024 BEIJING, April 12 (Xinhua) -- China has lodged solemn representations to Japan on Friday over its negative moves in Washington, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Liu Jinsong, director general of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, summoned Chief Minister of the Embassy of Japan in China Yokochi Akira to lodge solemn representations and express serious concerns and strong dissatisfaction over Japan's negative moves during the Japan-U.S. summit in Washington and the trilateral summit among the United States, Japan and the Philippines. China has also lodged solemn representations to the Philippines on the same day over its remarks during the trilateral summit. On April 11, the leaders of the United States, Japan and the Philippines held their first trilateral summit in Washington and issued a Joint Vision Statement after the summit. Previously, the United States claimed that this summit and the U.S.-Japan-Philippines cooperation "is not aimed at" China. However, the Statement discusses the South China Sea issue at length, blames China on the East China Sea issue and contains irresponsible comments on the Taiwan question. "China strongly opposes the practice of bloc politics by relevant countries. We firmly oppose any acts that stoke and drive up tensions, and harm other countries' strategic security and interests. We are seriously against forming exclusive groupings in this region," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks when asked to comment on a related query at a regular press briefing on Friday. She said that Japan and the Philippines have every right to develop normal relations with other countries, but they should not introduce bloc confrontation into this region, still less engaging in trilateral cooperation at the expense of other countries' interests. "To know whether the trilateral summit and cooperation is truly not aimed at China, the answer is right there in the trilateral statement. What else could it be if it's not a smear and attack against China?" Mao said. On the Taiwan question, Mao said it is purely China's internal affair, adding that resolving the Taiwan question is a matter of the Chinese own and no one can interfere in it. The biggest threat to cross-Strait peace now is the separatist activities of "Taiwan independence" forces, and external connivance and support for them. If relevant countries truly care about cross-Strait peace and stability, and want the world to be safe and prosperous, they should uphold the one-China principle, oppose "Taiwan independence" separatist activities unequivocally, and support China's reunification, she said. "This is the right way to ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. No one should underestimate the will and capability of the Chinese people to safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity," Mao said. To respond to the South China Sea issue and the East China Sea issue, Mao said that China has indisputable sovereignty over Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands and Nanhai Zhudao. "Our activities in the East China Sea and South China Sea are lawful, justified and beyond reproach," said Mao. China does not accept relevant countries' groundless accusation and deliberate smears against China on the East China Sea and South China Sea, does not accept the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea or any unilateral moves based on the award, Mao said. The situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea is generally stable, she noted, adding that certain countries keep seeking backing from non-regional countries as they infringe on China's sovereignty and rights, and make provocations at sea. What they have done has escalated the tensions. Certain country outside the region keep fueling the flame and stoking confrontation. This is flagrant, said the spokesperson. "Let me stress once again that China will firmly guard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and we remain committed to properly settling bilateral maritime issues through dialogue and consultation with countries directly concerned. And we resolutely oppose non-regional countries' meddling and sowing discords to escalate the situation," Mao said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China, North Korea to open 'new chapter' in relations Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 11:12 AM Senior officials of China and North Korea have vowed to open a "new chapter" in bilateral relations. Chinese top official Zhao Leji, who arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday for a three-day visit to the neighboring country, met with North Korean officials and announced the beginning of the "Friendship Year". His trip to Pyongyang is the highest-level Chinese visit to North Korea in nearly five years since North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un last met with Xi Jinping in 2019. The Chinese official, who is leading a high-ranking government delegation, said the designation of "friendship year" marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, highlights the importance both nations place on their traditional partnership. Earlier this week, China's foreign ministry said Zhao's visit reflected the "deep friendship" between the two countries and the "great importance China attaches to its relations" with North Korea. Chinese officials and experts also blame the US and its expanding military presence in the region, for heightened tensions between North Korea and the US and its allies. The Chinese delegation's visit to North Korea takes place amid rising tensions with the US. The US-led alliances are perceived by Beijing, Pyongyang, and Moscow as threats to peace and stability. In September, North Korea's Kim also met with his Russian counterpart during a visit to the neighboring country. Now, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to pay a reciprocal visit to Pyongyang this year as the two countries broaden relations. Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang enjoy close neighborly exchanges and have common security concerns, according to American analyst, Yun Sun, who says China, Russia and North Korea have even forged a trilateral military pact. The director of the Washington-based China program at the Stimson Center said, "If North Korea receives weapon technology from Russia, North Korea will be equipped with better technology and a better capability" to defend itself and its allies against foreign aggression. She pointed out that Beijing approves of any Moscow-Pyongyang expansion of ties as Xi is party to any moves by Kim or Putin that would result in a heightening of tension in the region. Chinese international relations professor Shi Yinhong from the Renmin University in Beijing said China was "aware of the increasingly close relationship between North Korea and Russia" as Beijing's relationship with Moscow was "even closer". However, he also noted that there are "certain complexities due to the situation in Ukraine". On Tuesday, visiting Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi reinforced calls for expanding ties, working more closely together against "hegemonism". In related news last month, the Financial Times reported North Korean vessels were making regular journeys to Russia's far east to collect oil products, ignoring UN sanctions designed to deter Pyongyang's military development programs. In March, the Russians vetoed the extension of a UN panel that monitors compliance with the UN sanctions. The Chinese have also abstained from the vote on the anti-Pyongyang sanctions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korean Leader Hosts Chinese Parliament Speaker in Pyongyang for Talks - Reports Sputnik News 20240413 BEIJING (Sputnik) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un welcomed Chinese parliament speaker Zhao Leji to Pyongyang on Saturday as the two countries mark the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, media reported. China's top legislator assured Kim of Beijing's commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, which he said had stood the test of time to become their common value, Chinese state news agency Xinhua said. "In this new situation, China stands ready to advance Chinese-Korean relations alongside North Korea," Zhao was quoted as saying. The Chinese official underscored the importance of "strategic and long-term" Chinese-Korean cooperation, saying that Beijing wanted their "bilateral, pragmatic, mutually beneficial relationship to achieve new results." Kim echoed this sentiment, according to Xinhua, saying that Pyongyang wanted to "open a new chapter" in their relationship, strengthening ties across different spheres and exchanging experience in good governance. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IAF IN OPERATION MEGHDOOT India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 13 APR 2024 2:38PM by PIB Delhi Meghdoot was launched on 13 April 1984, when the Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) advanced to the Siachen glacier to secure the heights dominating the Northern Ladakh region. The operation involved the airlifting of Indian Army soldiers by the IAF and dropping them on the glacial peaks. Although the operation began in 1984, IAF helicopters were already operating in the Siachen Glacier since 1978, flying the Chetak helicopters which was the first IAF helicopter to land in the Glacier in October 1978. By 1984, Pakistan's cartographic aggression in the uncharted territory of Ladakh, allowing foreign mountaineering expeditions in Siachen, was becoming a cause of concern. Having received intelligence inputs about an impending Pakistani military action in the area, India decided to thwart Pakistan's efforts to legitimize its claim on Siachen. The Indian Army launched Operation Meghdoot, to secure strategic heights on Siachen with the deployment of troops. Playing an irreplaceable role in this effort, IAF's tactical and strategic airlifters, An-12s, An-32s and IL-76s transported stores and troops and air-dropped supplies to high altitude airfields, from where Mi-17, Mi-8, Chetak and Cheetah helicopters ferried men and material to dizzying heights on the glacier, far above the limits set by the helicopter manufacturers. Soon, about 300-odd troops were positioned on the strategically important peaks and passes of the glacier. By the time the Pakistan army reacted by advancing its own troops, the Indian Army was occupying strategically crucial mountain peaks and passes, thereby gaining a tactical advantage. In extending valuable support to the Army's fight for maintaining military dominance on this desolate glacier since April 1984, the IAF's incredible performance at the extremes of temperature and altitude remains a continuing saga of fortitude and skill. While the initial operations involved only the use of transport and helicopter aircraft transporting men and material, the IAF gradually expanded its role and presence in the region with the deployment of fighter aircraft as well. The IAF's Hunter aircraft kick-started fighter operations from the high altitude airfield at Leh, when a detachment of Hunters from No 27 Squadron commenced operations in September 1984. In the next couple of years, the Hunters flew an impressive total of more than 700 sorties from Leh. As an increasingly large number of fighter sweeps and simulated strikes began to be carried out over the glacier itself, it served as the ultimate morale booster for Indian troops deployed on the glacier, and sent a stern message to the adversary to avoid any misadventures in the area. Later, live armament sorties were carried out at the high altitude firing range at Kar Tso, south of Leh. With the ground infrastructure becoming more conducive for fighter flying, MiG-23s and MiG-29s also started operating from Leh and Thoise. The IAF also inducted the Cheetal helicopters for operating in the glacier in 2009. The Cheetal is a Cheetah helicopter which is re-engineered with a TM 333 2M2 engine having better reliability and load carrying capability at high altitude. More recently, on 20 August 2013, in a significant show of capability, the IAF landed one of its latest acquisitions, the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules four-engine transport aircraft at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), the world's highest airstrip, near the line of actual control in Ladakh. Today, nearly all the aircraft of the IAF including Rafale, Su-30MKI, Chinook, Apache, Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk III & Mk IV, Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, C-17 , C-130 J, IL-76 and An-32 operate in support of Op Meghdoot. In the highest battlefield in the world, known for its extreme climatic conditions, IAF helicopters form the lifeline and the sole link of Indian troops with the outside world, playing a critical role in continuing the four decade old military operation; responding to emergencies, supplying essential logistics and evacuating the sick and wounded from the 78 km long glacier. Flying in such ruthless terrain, records of human endurance, flying and technical proficiency are being set by the IAF nearly every day. *** ABB/AM/SM (Release ID: 2017834) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IRGC seizes Israel-linked ship near Strait of Hormuz IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 13, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Special Naval Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has seized Israel-linked MCS Aries ship near the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC Special Naval Force seized the container ship on Saturday. Members of the force carried out a heliborne operation on the ship's deck, directing it towards Iran's territorial waters. The Portuguese flagged vessel is operated by the Zodiac Maritime Shipping Company, which is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel over the regime's attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1. The attack killed seven Iranian military advisors, including IRGC senior commander Major General Mohammad Reza Zahedi. Iran strongly condemned the attack as a violation of international law and has promised to take revenge. On Wednesday (April 10), Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said that the strike on the consulate was tantamount to an attack on Iranian soil, stressing that the Zionist regime must be and will be punished. The Israeli regime has been on high alert in recent days over a possible Iranian response. 4194**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Biden's message to Iran: Don't! ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sat / 13 April 2024 / 09:48 Washington is "devoted" to West Jerusalem, President Joe Biden has said. Tehran-ISNA- American ships and troops in the Middle East prepared for a likely Iranian attack on Israel on Friday, as US President Joe Biden urged Tehran to think twice. Iranian leaders have vowed to "punish" Israel for the April 1 airstrike on the consulate in Damascus, Syria that killed seven officers of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, including two of its generals. "Don't," Biden said on Friday, when asked what his message to Iran was. "We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help to defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed," he claimed. The Pentagon is moving additional troops and equipment to sites in the Middle East, to "bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection," an anonymous official said in a background briefing. he Defense Department did not specify the number or type of assets deployed, but according to the Wall Street Journal, two destroyers - at least one armed with the Aegis missile defense system - have been repositioned in the area. Meanwhile, the head of the US Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, has extended his stay in Israel, Axios reported, citing Israeli officials. Kurilla arrived on Thursday to coordinate defense against a potential Iranian strike. Tehran has said it has an "imperative to punish" Israel because the UN did nothing to condemn West Jerusalem's "reprehensible act of aggression on our diplomatic premises in Damascus" or bring the perpetrators to justice. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Qatar, Kuwait ban any attack from their air bases, airspace on Iran Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 5:31 PM Qatar and Kuwait have banned any use of their airspace and air bases for attacks against Iran amid heightened tensions between Iran and the Israeli regime following an Israeli attack early this month on an Iranian diplomatic mission in Syria. Reports on Saturday indicated that both Qatar and Kuwait had issued directives to the United States stressing that the US military will not be allowed to use air bases in the two countries for carrying out any potential airstrikes on Iran. Qatar and Kuwait have also indicated that their airspace will not be available for any military action against Iran. The US has military aircraft at the Ali Al Salem Air Base and Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait. The Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is also the largest US air base in the West Asia region. The directives issued by Iran's two Arab neighbors come amid reports showing that Iran is preparing to respond to an Israeli airstrike that killed two of its senior military commanders in its consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus on April 1. Washington has urged Iran to deescalate while saying that it will defend Israel in case it is attacked. Iran, which has no direct relations with the US, has called on regional Arab countries to advise the US not to interfere if Israel is attacked. Countries have been wary of a major confrontation in the region more than six months into an Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip. Reports show they have already limited the ability of the US to use their airspace and air bases for attacks on resistance groups that are allied with Iran and have been attacking Israeli and US interests in the region since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Persian Gulf states tell US would not allow bases to be used for anti-Iran strikes Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 8:43 AM The Persian Gulf countries have warned the United States that they will not allow Washington to use their soil for strikes against Iran in case of a retaliatory attack by the Islamic Republic on the Israeli-occupied territories. The UK-based news website Middle East Eye cited unnamed sources as saying that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Kuwait had called on the US not to use American military bases on their territories to strike in response to any potential Iranian attack on Israel. "The US's Persian Gulf allies are working overtime to shut down avenues that could link them to a US reprisal against Tehran ... from bases inside their kingdoms," a senior US official told MEE on condition of anonymity. The Persian Gulf countries have reportedly raised questions about the intricate details of basing agreements that permit tens of thousands of American troops to be stationed across the oil-rich peninsula. They are also moving to prevent US warplanes from flying over their airspace in the event the Washington conducts a retaliatory strike on Tehran in support of Israel following the regime's deadly attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria early in the month. The reluctance of the Persian Gulf states comes as US President Joe Biden's administration is bracing for a response to a potential Iranian attack on the illegal entity, with current and former American officials stressing that the retaliatory attack is imminent. On April 1, Israeli warplanes bombed the Iranian consulate in Damascus, located next to the embassy building in Damascus's Mezzeh district. The aggression killed two senior Iranian military personnel who were on an advisory mission to Syria as well as five of their accompanying officers. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a commander of the IRGC Quds Force, and his deputy General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi were among the seven martyrs of the terrorist attack. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has vowed that Iran will "punish" Israel and make the evil regime "regret" its crime of assassinating the country's military advisors in Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's Lavrov Condemns Israeli Strike on Iranian Consulate in Talks With Amirabdollahian Sputnik News 20240413 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Top Russian diplomat Sergey Lavrov criticized the deadly Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. "The focus was on the situation in the Middle East. Russia reiterated its strong condemnation of the April 1 Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. It emphasized that any attempt to violate the integrity of diplomatic or consular premises, which is enshrined in Vienna conventions, is absolutely unacceptable, as are politically motivated murders," the statement read. The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to continuing contacts in relation to international and regional issues and expressed interest in a stronger political, diplomatic, economic and trade cooperation between their countries. Tensions in the Middle East escalated last week after Israel struck the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, destroying the diplomatic building and killing seven members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, including two generals. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by the Prime Minister on the attacks by the Iranian regime against Israel Prime Minister of Canada - Justin Trudeau April 13, 2024 Ottawa, Ontario The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the attacks by the Iranian regime against Israel: "Canada unequivocally condemns Iran's airborne attacks against Israel. We stand with Israel. After supporting Hamas' brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime's latest actions will further destabilize the region and make lasting peace more difficult. "These attacks demonstrate yet again the Iranian regime's disregard for peace and stability in the region. We support Israel's right to defend itself and its people from these attacks. "I am receiving regular updates from the National Security and Intelligence Advisor, the Chief of the Defence Staff, and the Clerk of the Privy Council as the situation develops. We are in contact with allies, and we will continue to monitor closely." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran describes response to Israeli attack as 'legitimate defense' Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 11:21 PM Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations defends the country's retaliation against the Israeli regime's recent terrorist attack on the Islamic Republic's diplomatic premises in the Syrian capital. "Iran's military action was based on Article 51 of the United Nations Charter concerning legitimate defense in response to the Zionist regime's aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus," the mission said in a statement on Saturday. "The matter can be considered as concluded," it added. The mission, however, warned that if the Israeli regime perpetrated another mistake, Iran's subsequent response could be "remarkably more intense." The statement concluded that the conflict was one between Iran and the rogue regime, "of which the United States should stay away." Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), on Saturday night, launched "extensive" retaliatory missile and drone strikes against the occupied territories, defining the mission as "Operation True Promise." The Israeli attack had resulted in the martyrdom of Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, his deputy, General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, and five of their accompanying officers. The terrorist attack drew sharp condemnation from senior Iranian political and military leaders, who vowed "definitive revenge." On Thursday, the Iranian mission to the United Nations said the UN Security Council's condemnation of the Israeli atrocity could have prevented the need for retaliation. "Had the UN Security Council condemned the Zionist regime's reprehensible act of aggression on our diplomatic premises in Damascus and subsequently brought to justice its perpetrators, the imperative for Iran to punish this rogue regime might have been obviated," it said on the social media platform X Thursday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel in complete panic, waiting for Iran response to Syria attack: Leader's aide Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 3:12 PM A top military adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says Israel is in complete panic as it awaits Iran's response to an Israeli terrorist strike against its diplomatic premises in Syria. Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi made the remarks while speaking at a memorial service for a senior commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi. Zahedi along with his deputy General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi and five others were killed during the Israeli missile attack on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus on April 1. "It has been a week that the Zionists are in complete panic and are on alert," Rahim Safavi said. He added that Israel has suspended the ground invasion of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza because it does not know how, where and when Iran will give its retaliatory response. Israel and its supporters are terrified, the top Iranian general emphasized. "This psychological, media and political war is more terrifying for them than the war itself, because they are waiting for an attack every night and many of them have fled and gone to shelters," Rahim Safavi pointed out. He said differences have been intensified among Israeli political and military officials "because all know that a consulate is a territory of a country." During a speech in Tehran on Wednesday after leading the Eid al-Fitr prayers, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Israeli regime "must be punished and will be punished" for its deadly strike on the Iranian diplomatic premises. The Leader added, "The evil Zionist regime committed another mistake ... and that was the attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria. The consulate and diplomatic missions in any country are considered to be the territory of that country. When they attack our consulate, it means they have attacked our soil." In a post on the social media platform X on Thursday, Iran's mission to the UN said that the United Nations Security Council's condemnation of Israel's attack in Damascus could have prevented the need for retaliation. Pointing to the developments in the war-ravaged Gaza, Rahim Safavi said Israel is not committed to any UN Security Council resolution on the establishment of a ceasefire in the Strip. The hands of the US and Israel will be cut off from the West Asian region, he said, emphasizing that they will suffer a defeat in Palestine soon. The senior Iranian general noted that the resistance front and Palestinian people will achieve a definite victory in the face of Israel. Israel waged the bloody war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance front Hamas launched Operation al-Aqsa Storm in the occupied territories in retaliation for the Tel Aviv regime's incessant crimes against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 33,686 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, and injured 76,309 people, according to the health ministry in the territory. Israel has also imposed a "complete siege" on the coastal sliver, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel, Allies Intercept 'Vast Majority' Of Drones, Missiles Launched By Iran By RFE/RL April 13, 2024 Israel and its allies intercepted the "vast majority" of hundreds of drones and missiles launched by Iran in an unprecedented large-scale attack on Israel, raising concerns of a major escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Loud explosions and flashes of light could be seen in the sky above many parts of Israel in the early morning hours of April 14 as the country's air defenses tried to shoot down incoming drones and missiles that Iran launched just hours after it seized an Israeli-linked ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli authorities reported only light damage to one Israeli military installation and said a seven-year-old girl was critically injured as more than 200 drones and missiles -- including more than 10 cruise missiles -- were intercepted before impact. U.S. and British media reported their armed forces took part in shooting down the incoming projectiles, intercepting some over the Iraq-Syria border area as they made their way toward Israel. Israel and Iran have been bitter enemies for decades, but this was the first direct attack by one on the other's soil instead of through proxy forces or by targeting each other's assets operating in third countries. "So far, we've intercepted the vast majority of incoming missiles," Israel Defense Force spokesman Daniel Hagari said of the attack launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in what it said was retaliation for a deadly April 1 drone strike thought to be carried out by Israel on Iran's consulate in Damascus, Syria. The launch comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the West over the continuing war in the Gaza Strip and the strike in Syria. Iran called the attack, which Tehran named operation "Honest Response," on Israel a "response to the Zionist regime's aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus." However, Iran also appeared to be taking a cautious approach to keep the strikes from broadening conflict in the region, with its mission to the United Nations saying that "the matter can be deemed concluded." https://twitter.com/Iran_UN/status/1779269993043022053 The Iranian attack was immediately condemned by many governments around the world, while United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation." "I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war," he said while urging restraint from all parties involved. Reuters quoted a diplomatic source as saying the UN Security Council will meet later on Aprl 14 where, upon request by Israel, it will consider condemning the attack and declaring the IRGC a terrorist organization. Leaders in Tehran had warned of a retaliatory strike, while U.S. leaders, including President Joe Biden, have warned Iran against any assault on Israel, saying Washington would its support for Israel was "ironclad." Regional power Egypt urged "utmost restraint." Earlier on April 13, Iranian state media reported that IRGC forces seized a container ship near the Strait of Hormuz, claiming the vessel was "linked to Israel." Following that event, Israel said it was putting its military on high alert and canceling school activities on concerns of a possible attack. https://www.radiofarda.com/a/32903777.html It accused Iran of piracy and said Tehran will "bear the consequences" of escalating tensions in the Middle East. The MSC Aries, a Portuguese-flagged vessel that is reportedly operated by a shipping company partially owned by Israeli billionaire, was seized on April 13 and was being transferred to Iranian territorial waters, according to the IRNA state news agency. The ship's operator, the Italian-Swiss group MSC, later confirmed that Iranian authorities had boarded the vessel. MSC said the ship had 25 crew members on board and said it was working closely with "the relevant authorities to ensure their well-being and safe return of the vessel." Following the seizure of the vessel on April 13, an Israeli military spokesperson said that "Iran will bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further." Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza was sparked by a raid on Israeli territory carried out by Hamas, which rules Gaza and is designated as a terrorist group by the United States and European Union, on October 7. The raid left 1,200 people dead and hundreds of people were taken hostage. The ensuing Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip aimed at destroying Hamas has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian territory's Hamas-run Health Ministry. Since the war began, Tehran has openly supported militant groups and proxies targeting Israel that are part of Iran's "axis of resistance" against Israel and the West, leading to concerns of a broader Middle East conflict involving archenemies Iran and Israel. The security firm Ambrey said late on April 13 that Yemen's Huthi rebels had also launched multiple drones at Israel in coordination with Iran. In addition to strikes launched against Israel by Iranian proxy Lebanese Hizballah, the Iranian-backed Huthis have attacked Israeli territory as well as international and Israeli shipping in the Red Sea. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage to the Persian Gulf that borders Iran and through which a fifth of the world's oil traffic passes. Fujairah, which is on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), is a major shipping port. With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, AP, and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran- ship-raid-hormuz/32903851.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 Iran escalates conflict, attacking Israel; US forces help Israel to intercept Iranian projectiles By Michael Lipin April 13, 2024 Iran has launched an aerial attack on Israel from Iranian territory, marking a major escalation in conflict between the rival regional powers and prompting action by U.S. forces in support of Israel. Iran's top military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, issued a predawn statement Sunday, saying that it launched missiles and drones from Iranian territory toward Israel. It said the attack was in retaliation for what Iranian officials say was an Israeli strike that killed several senior Iranian military commanders in Damascus on April 1. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the April 1 strike. Israeli media quoted Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari as saying that Iran had launched more than 200 projectiles toward Israel, with most of them being intercepted by Israeli air defenses outside of Israeli airspace. Nighttime videos posted on social media showed some of the projectiles being intercepted over central and southern Israel and others hitting the ground and exploding as sirens wailed. Hagari also was quoted as saying one impact wounded a young girl in the southern Negev desert. An IDF statement posted to the X platform said several other impacts caused minor damage to infrastructure at an IDF base in southern Israel. In a message sent to VOA, Israeli reserves Brig. Gen. Jacob Nagel, a former national security adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli forces were assisted by their U.S., British, Jordanian and Saudi allies in intercepting the Iranian projectiles. A U.S. military official confirmed to VOA that U.S. forces "continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel." Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant briefed U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about Israel's defensive responses to the Iranian attacks, according to a statement from Gallant's office. It said Gallant emphasized that the Israeli defense establishment is "prepared for any further attempts to attack" the country. U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu late Saturday. The official said Biden's national security team "will continue to work with partners in the region to prevent further escalation." As the Iranian assault began, Netanyahu said in a televised message that Israel will defend itself "against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination." At around the same time, White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson issued a statement saying the United States will "stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran." "This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours. President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel's security is ironclad," Watson said. Netanyahu acknowledged that support in his own statement, saying, "We appreciate the U.S. standing alongside Israel, as well as the support of Britain, France and many other countries." In a post on the X platform, Iran's U.N. mission in New York said the aerial attack on Israel marks the conclusion of Tehran's military action. It added: "Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!" In an updated statement posted later, the IRGC warned that any U.S. participation in harming the interests of Iran will be met with a "decisive and remorseful response" by Iranian forces. Nagel, a senior fellow with the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the Iranian attack, the first of its kind in decades of hostility between Iran and Israel, likely will be a turning point in the conflict. "Probably we are going to see a regional confrontation, because it is not only Iran against Israel, but Iran against the free world," he said. VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement from NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on Attacks Against Israel April 13, 2024 Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. President Biden is being regularly updated on the situation by his national security team and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House. His team is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies. This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours. President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel's security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Morale plunges amid setbacks as Myanmar's junta looks for scapegoats Big battlefield losses and drone attacks at Naypyitaw headquarters are having a psychological effect on the junta's generals. A commentary by Zachary Abuza 2024.04.13 -- The State Administrative Council, as the junta is formally known, was shaken by the incursion of some 29 drones flown into Naypyitaw on April 4 that targeted the military headquarters, the Aye Lar airbase and leader Min Aung Hlaing's palatial residence. None did significant damage and the military claims to have brought down 13 drones. Anti-junta rebel forces claimed to have caused five casualties. While there was little physical damage, the psychological impact is more important. Naypyitaw is the impregnable fortress of the State Administrative Council, or SAC. That's why and how it was built. It's the physical manifestation of the mental bubble that the generals live in. As Kyaw Zaw, the presidential spokesman for the shadow National Unity Government, said, "With this attack on their nerve center, Naypyitaw, we want to highlight that they don't have a safe place." Immediately, the SAC announced that it was redeploying troops to Naypyitaw. But more importantly, the drone attacks are sapping the military's already depleted morale. More officers will be scapegoated for allowing the incursion. The remainder will be spending more of their time trying to get their ill gotten gains out of the country. And morale has been ebbing quickly. Around the country, the military is spread thin and continues to suffer significant setbacks. The military has been unable to retake any territory that it lost in northern Shan state since the Three Brotherhood Alliance launched its Operation 1027 offensive in October. The Border Guards Forces in Kayin state, which are formally aligned with the junta, have begun to distance themselves from the military. The Kachin Independence Army's offensive continues in the northeast, with the capture of over 60 camps, and it now controls the key border crossings and the main highways. In the country's west, the Arakan Army now controls eight of 16 townships and has driven the military out of much of northern Rakhine state. And while the fractious Chin groups don't have as much effective control, the mountainous terrain and long and windy roads have made any military counter-offensive costly. Special evacuation flights The SAC couldn't muster a dry-season offensive, exactly when conventional forces should be at their strongest, and they are now entering a rainy season that will favor guerrilla forces. The exception to this has been in the Sagaing and Magway regions, the ethnic Bamar heartland, which has been the military's priority. There they have fought with desperation and barbarity, arsoning homes, intentionally targeting civilians with air and artillery strikes, and committing egregious human rights abuses, including torture, the killing of POWs and beheadings. This week, opposition forces took control of Myawaddy, the primary border crossing with Thailand. Some 617 soldiers, civil servants and family members apparently surrendered. Even more humiliating, the SAC requested landing rights for three charter planes to evacuate its officers, bureaucrats and their families from Thailand's Mae Sot. One flight allegedly ferried the cash reserves of the banks from the thriving border town. Apparently, the humiliation of the flights, which was leaked to the media, led to the SAC scrapping the other two flights that Thailand had agreed to on humanitarian grounds. Attempts to retake Myawaddy have failed, and the regime has taken to bombings and helicopters strafing civilians. Some 200 soldiers crossed into Thailand, where they were disarmed. Unit level defections continue. Sixty soldiers fled into China from Kachin state, while attacks from a People's Defense Force militia led to the capture of 120 in Sagaing. Junta troops that have defected in recent months acknowledge having received no food, water, medicine and ammunition. It's difficult to maintain discipline and morale when logistics have broken down. The loss of 12 aircraft since the February 2021 coup, including at least three heavy-lift helicopters, has severely impacted the military's ability to resupply and reinforce units. Urban guerrilla forces have launched a series of bombings and attacks against military targets in Yangon in the past few months, including an attack on a military office in Mingaladon township. As one would expect, the SAC has been rotating generals in their search for scapegoats. A Yangon-based think tank, the Institute of Strategy and Policy, recently reported that there have been 56 personnel changes to the SAC since it was established just after the coup. The SAC has been re-organized four separate times and only 11 of 51 individuals beneath the level of prime minister and deputy prime minister have served the full term. At present, the SAC has only 18 members, as Min Aung Hlaing surrounds himself with his most loyal sycophants. Since March, the SAC has replaced four regional military commanders. In early April, the SAC fired its deputy minister of defense, Maj. Gen. Aung Lin Tun - at China's urging - for his alleged profiteering from transnational crime scam centers. With few friends, the junta has no choice but to give in to Chinese demands. Yet, now the SAC is taking away the personal revenue streams of its corrupted officer corps. Depleted ranks The arrest of senior officers has also included those in the field. Officers who negotiated the surrender of their over-run troops, on SAC orders, in northern Shan state were tried and sentenced to death for treason. The deployment of senior-level officials to engage with tactical level operations is usually a sign of a failed plan, a lack of confidence in the military leadership and desperation. The 79th annual Army Day parade was significantly scaled down. With so many troops deployed across the country, the ceremony was held under the cover of darkness to hide the depleted ranks, as Min Aung Hlaing railed against foreign interference. Regional forces were unable to participate, leaving female-staffed units - rarely seen in the machismo Myanmar military - on parade. The Air Force, which normally does flybys for the event, appeared in comical fashion, with lights silhouetting the few airframes that they could muster. At the recent graduation ceremony of the once prestigious Defense Service Academy, well under 200 newly commissioned officers were photographed in state-controlled media; half the pre-coup graduation rate. To make matters worse, on April 8, NUG forces lobbed five 107mm rockets into the Defense Service Academy grounds. Though they missed the barracks, a symbolic target was struck. Days later, they fired rockets into Naypyitaw's Aye Lar airbase. The military is so short of manpower that it has had to rely on a pre-existing but unimplemented conscription law. Originally supposed to go into effect in mid-April, the generals began enforcing it a month early, desperate to reach their 5,000 man monthly quota. People have taken to the hills to join the opposition, or have fled abroad. Military units are dragooning men at roadside checkpoints, while other units are frantically searching for those who are avoiding conscription, threatening two- to three-year prison sentences. In retaliation, the NUG has stepped up their assassination of officials in charge of implementing the conscription law. Already, 37 have been gunned down. The generals continue to be divorced from reality, but economic collapse, battlefield losses, escalating violence in the cities and drones buzzing the capital are puncturing their cocoon. The NUG and their allies are getting into the generals' headspace, which is good, because panicked people do stupid things. That might be their greatest victory yet. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Militants Block Highway In Southwest Pakistan, Kill 11 By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal April 13, 2024 Unidentified gunmen have killed 11 people in separate incidents on the same highway in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province. Noshki district police chief Ilahi Bakksh said that the nine victims in the second attack, in which laborers were abducted from a bus traveling from the provincial capital of Quetta to a town near Pakistan's border with Iran, appear to have been killed execution-style. "Militants blocked the highway leading to Taftan, bordering Iran, at midnight on April 13 in the Sultan Charai area near Noshki city," Bakksh told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal. "Their bodies were later found under a bridge 2 kilometers from the highway having been fired upon at point-blank range." Earlier, the same gunmen opened fire on a vehicle that failed to stop for the blockade, killing two people and injuring five, Bakksh said. No group immediately claimed responsibility or the attacks, and police said there was no ransom demand or known motive. Police said they were searching for the perpetrators. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attacks and expressed his "deep sorrow and regret over this shocking incident." Sharif offered his condolences to the families of the victims, according to a statement from his office, adding that "the perpetrators of this incident of terrorism and their facilitators will be punished." Balochistan is a mineral-rich province that borders both Afghanistan and Iran and is regularly targeted by Islamist militants, sectarian groups, and Baluch separatists fighting for independence. The Pakistani government has said it has quelled the insurgency in the province, but violence has persisted, often targeting police forces, the Pakistani military, or infrastructure. Abductions are rare in the restive region. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-police-balochistan- bus-killings/32903780.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 Russia successfully tests ICBM ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sat / 13 April 2024 / 09:37 The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Friday that Russia conducted a successful test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as part of the country's plans to expand and develop its arsenal of strategic missiles. Tehran -ISNA- "On April 12, 2024, a successful launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile of a mobile ground-based missile complex was carried out from the 4th State Central Interspecific site Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan region by the combat crew of the Strategic Missile Forces," the Ministry said. The test launch achieved its tasks "in full", the Ministry added and confirmed the "high reliability of Russian missiles to ensure (Russia's) strategic security," without disclosing the name of the ICBM. Russia has been extensively developing its ICBM programs in the past years as tensions with Western nations grew, particularly following the start of the war in Ukraine. In February last year, President Vladimir Putin announced the deployment of Russia's more advanced type of ICBM. The Sarmat is one of Russia's next-generation missiles that Putin has referred to as "invincible" and can carry several nuclear warheads. Additionally, Moscow launched strategic military drills just one month later, which saw the launching of the nuclear-capable Yars ICBM - a replacement to Russia's Topol system. No publicly recorded anti-air missiles that can intercept are known to be able to intercept Yars, which has a reported range of 12,000 km and travels at a speed over 20 times the speed of sound - over Mach 20 or 24,500 km/h. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Shame and disgrace': Russia rebukes Japan PM's US Congress speech Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 7:43 AM Russia has censured the Japanese prime minister for the "shame and disgrace" laid in his indignant speech at the US Congress. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addressed US lawmakers in a joint session of Congress on Thursday. In the speech, Kishida expressed concern about the "risks of another catastrophe" related to the use of nuclear weapons. In a Friday post on X, Dmitry Polyansky, First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, drew attention to the speech in the US Congress. He described such statements to US lawmakers by a senior Japanese politician about a nuclear threat as a "shame and disgrace". Kishida, in the US Congress, expressed concern about the risks of "another disaster" associated with the use of nuclear weapons. However, the head of the Japanese government avoided the fact that the United States, the only country to ever use nukes, dropped its atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The Japanese leader then assured the Americans of Tokyo's partnership and alliance with Washington and emphasized that Russia "continues to threaten the use of nuclear weapons." Kishida received US lawmakers' repeated standing ovation, drawing thunderous applause from the Americans throughout his speech. "What a shame and disgrace," Polyansky commented indignantly about Kishida's speech which lasted more than half-an-hour. Japan's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Mitsuko Shino, at a meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine, had recalled the nuking of Japan. The Japanese diplomat pointed out Tokyo's concerns about the nuclear threat allegedly emanating from Russia. She, too, avoided mentioning that the United States had dropped nukes on Japanese cities. US warplanes dropped the first atomic bomb code-named Little Boy on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, destroying the city and killing 140,000 people, mostly civilians, including many children. On Aug. 9, 1945, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing another 70,000, forcing Japan to surrender and ending World War Two. The bombs also left tens of thousands more dead in the months and years that followed, many from radiation-related illnesses. Survivors of the attacks continue to require government support and medical care to this day. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Water Levels Rise Again To Record Levels In Southern Russia, Kazakhstan By RFE/RL's Russian Service and RFE/RL's Kazakh Service April 13, 2024 The water level in the city of Orenburg continued to rise on April 13 as a deluge from heavy rains and snowmelt accelerated by unseasonably warm temperatures forced mass evacuations in southern Russia and in neighboring Kazakhstan. Some flood-hit residents in both countries continued to criticize authorities for what they perceived an unsatisfactory response to the crisis. The Ural River reached record levels in Orenburg, a city of half a million people, where the water rose to 11.71 meters on April 13 from 11.43 meters on April 12 -- more than 2 meters above the critical mark of 9.3 meters, according to regional Governor Denis Paler. "We hope that this is a plateau -- that there will be no more increases, the situation will stabilize, and then a decline will begin," he said on Telegram. Pasler, speaking during a video conference with President Vladimir Putin late on April 11, had said the previous record level of the Ural was 9.4 meters in 1942. Later on April 13, local publication Ural56 reported that the river near Orenburg had risen again, reaching 11.8 meters, although local authorities have not yet confirmed the latest figures. The governor's press service reported that 17,203 households were flooded and that 13,194 people had been evacuated as of 9 a.m. on April 13. Swollen rivers around the border areas between Russia and Kazakhstan have wreaked havoc over the past week, pushing tens of thousands of people out of their homes. Aerial photos show massive swathes of submerged residential areas. Some 100,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in neighboring Kazakhstan, authorities say, including in the northern city of Petropavlovsk following an alarm launched at 7 a.m. on April 13. Due to the disruption of the power grid, water services were cut off in the city. Videos appeared to show members of the public demanding water at shops in the city and long lines were seen in front of trucks delivering water on the streets. City authorities vowed that supplies of bottled water would be delivered to retail sites in Orenburg over the next two days. A state of emergency has been declared in several regions of both countries, but some inhabitants have been sharply critical of how the authorities have handled the crisis. At least five people have died during the floods, and on April 8 local residents picketed the local government's headquarters in Orsk -- a city in the Orenburg region -- demanding increased efforts to deal with the dramatic situation and calling for Putin to intervene. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on April 9 that Putin did not plan to visit the Orenburg region at the moment, stressing that the president "is taking care of the issue" without being at the site. In Kazakhstan, Nadezhda, a resident of the northern village of Petrovka, told RFE/RL that people know that "a lot of water" is coming toward the village but that "no anti-flood work was carried out, the mayor didn't do anything." "People here are used to flooding, but when we heard the levels were so high and had risen over the dam, people were overwhelmed and began to panic." Kuanysh Amanshiev, a resident of the district of Kobda in Kazakhstan's Aqtobe region, told RFE/RL that floodwaters had made the family home unliveable. "Last year, when my yard was flooded, [the local government] provided 20 bags of cement," he said. "After this year's flood, my house is completely unequipped. We're all empty. I'm glad [the government] provided me with a place to live.... But this is not a place to build a house -- it's an embankment. This is a question that someone should answer," he added. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-orenburg-evacuation- flooding/32903772.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 VDV for Export: What Russia Has to Gain by Helping Other Countries Build Powerful Airborne Forces Sputnik News 20240413 Ilya Tsukanov Rosoboronexport, the Russian state intermediary agency responsible for the export of defense-related equipment and services, has offered friendly countries help with the creation of powerful airborne forces. Who's eligible? What services will Russia provide? What can Russia get out of it? Sputnik asked veteran military journalist Alexei Borzenko. Rosoboronexport is offering foreign countries "its services in organizing and fully equipping airborne units." "The company is ready to assist in forming an organizational structure of airborne units, establishing the necessary ground infrastructure, equipping the units with all types of military equipment and weapons and training military personnel," the agency said in a press release this week. "Rosoboronexport's efforts will result in the emergence of a fully operational branch of the foreign customer's armed forces," the agency promises. "The experience of modern military, counter-terror and peacekeeping operations suggests that airborne units are the most trained tactical formations [able] to rapidly achieve the goals behind enemy lines and on the forward edge of the battle area," Rosoboronexport director general Alexander Mikheev was quoted as saying. "They can successfully conduct raids to defeat the enemy, capture and hold territories and critical facilities." Mikheev clarified that Rosoboronexport's offer applies to "friendly countries," and that he sees "great potential for its offer in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and Africa." Rosoboronexport's press release went on to list some of the "state-of-the-art military equipment" Russian defense companies have on offer for airborne formations, including: the BMD-4M airborne assault vehicle the unique air-droppable 2S25 125 mm Sprut anti-tank gun (sporting the same main cannon ordinarily reserves for main battle tanks, like the T-90MS) the BTR-MDM armored personnel carrier the Typhoon-K mine-resistance ambush protected vehicle the MTR technical reconnaissance vehicle an array of parachutes, including the Dalnolet, Tandem-400, Arbalet-2, Berkut-2 and Stayer-2, the D-6 and D-10 assault chutes, the APSDG-250 automated parachute system, and the heavy MK-350-12/12M and PBS series chutes - which can handle assault vehicles weighting up to 20 tons to carry all this equipment, Rosoboronexport is offering Russia's Il-76 strategic airlifter - specifically its modernized, missile defense system-equipped export variant - the Il-76MD-90A(E), which can carry up to 126 fully-equipped paratroopers, three BMD-4M or BTR-MDM vehicles or two Spruts, and is rugged enough to take off and land on unprepared and unpaved airfields. The agency says it's ready to provide partner countries training, including classroom and practical instruction, dynamic crew, gunnery and driving simulators. The Russian military's "experienced instructors will train future paratroopers in the basics of airborne warfare tactics, actions in combat situations, equipment and weapon operation [training], taking into account the realities of modern military conflicts, including the use of unmanned reconnaissance and strike systems," Rosoboronexport promises. Experienced Warriors Russia's paratrooper units have long been considered among the best trained and most experienced soldiers in the Russian military, with airborne units - known as the VDV - Russian acronym for 'Air Assault Forces', playing a central role in an array of 20th century conflicts, the Chechen wars, the 2008 conflict with Georgia, and from 2022 on, the crisis in Ukraine, where they mounted a series of successful operations to capture airports, airfields and other strategic positions near Kiev. Since then, the VDV has deployed on the ground alongside the regular Russian Army, often fighting in the most difficult and dangerous areas of the front. "It must be said that the airborne forces have always been considered the elite of armies around the world, the most trained and best units," journalist, author and documentary filmmaker Aleksei Borzenko, a veteran correspondent in military hotspots, including Chechnya and the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, told Sputnik. "Let's remember why people came to train with us in Soviet times. Firstly, it was because of the experience of the Great Patriotic War, which resulted in a very significant boost to military science in our country. The Airborne Forces, both then and today, were considered the elite," as expressed at by their "Nobody, but us!" motto, the observer noted. "The airborne troops were created by [legendary Red Army General] Vasily Margelov, and their creation saw some very unusual technical solutions, including the dropping of airborne combat vehicles with troops onboard and immediately entering the battle upon landing," Borzenko recalled. The USSR amassed "extensive experience" training military personnel from friendly countries in its academies, the journalist recalled, pointing out that tens of thousands of officers from over 50 countries came to the Soviet Union for such training. The countries that can send troops for training today are pretty much the same as they were back then, Borzenko said, excepting the countries of the socialist camp in Eastern Europe, which dissolved. "Who can send trainees today? Well, firstly, the countries of Africa - the former French colonies which have now freed themselves from units of the French Foreign Legion and begun a path of independent development without French pressure. These countries will now try to create their own armies, and most likely will send their officers to train with us," the observer said. Other potentially interested parties may include countries in the Middle East, such as Syria and Egypt, as well as in Asia and Latin America, Borzenko believes. "It must be said that any military training (and the United States also conducts such training for its friendly armies), results in countries starting to buy weapons. This is how Soviet weapons were sold during the Soviet period. And the same interest is now being shown for Russian weapons," Borzenko said, adding that the special military operation in Ukraine has been a source of considerable attention by foreign militaries, who have carefully monitored and studied the conflict and "tried to adjust their own armies in connection with the events that are taking place there." Foreign units sent to Russia will be trained on Russia's training grounds, and in the case of the airborne troops, at the Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School, and possibly in Pskov with the 76th Guards Air Assault Division, the analyst says. Theory and Practice They will receive "both theory and practice" using Russian weapons, Borzenko said, with training building on the Soviet experience, plus new developments based on advances in weapons tech. The observer doesn't rule out Russian trainers giving visiting lectures abroad as well. "Naturally, such training will contribute to the formation of a grouping, to one degree or another, of friendly countries that are well disposed toward us. We are not talking here about military blocs, but about cooperation, about the sale of weapons and other areas in which other countries can help us themselves," the veteran journalist and war correspondent said. Borzenko is glad Russia is planning to return to the Soviet-era military practice of training foreign officers on a large scale, assuring that it will serve as a "mutual exchange of experience which is beneficial for us, too." A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Ban on Russian Metals Trade Unjustified, Politicized Step - Ambassador Sputnik News 20240413 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US ban on trade in Russian aluminum, copper and nickel is another unjustified and politicized step, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said. "The announced strict bans on trade in Russian aluminum, copper and nickel are another unjustified and politicized step. Moreover, this act is not even a 'shot in the leg', but indiscriminate firing," he said. The US decision is likely based on calculations that resource prices will not skyrocket in the United States itself, the ambassador added. "However, the [US] administration easily creates imbalances in the functioning of world markets by involving its satellite states in sanctions. It paints its illegitimate steps as proof of 'leadership' in deterring Russia. And also as an attempt to hinder our successes in the special military operation," he said. Antonov's remarks come after the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said in a notice on Friday that the United States was prohibiting the imports of aluminum, copper and nickel of Russian origin. However, the new rule excludes aluminum, copper and nickel of Russian origin that was produced prior to April 13, 2024, the notice added. The US Treasury Department said in a press release Friday that the London Metal Exchange and Chicago Mercantile Exchange are prohibited from accepting aluminum, copper and nickel produced by Russia. The UK has joined US sanctions against Russia regarding metals trade, according to a statement on the UK government website. "The London Metal Exchange (LME) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) will no longer trade new aluminium, copper and nickel produced by Russia," the statement said. It said the UK and US measures will exempt the existing stock of Russian metal at the exchanges. "The Trade Licence has been amended to: prevent UK persons (and non-UK persons in the UK) from acquiring, on a global metal exchange, a warrant relating to Russian metal that was produced after 23:59 on 12 April 2024; allow UK persons (and non-UK persons in the UK) to take physical delivery, outside the UK, of metals that were under warrant on a global metal exchange at that time," the statement said. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address KMT vice chair to visit China again in late April ROC Central News Agency 04/13/2024 12:40 PM Washington, April 12 (CNA) Kuomintang (KMT) Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia (), who is currently visiting the United States, said Friday he will embark on a trip to China in late April. Speaking with reporters in Washington, Hsia said the purpose of his upcoming visit to Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, is to participate in cultural activities to honor Xia Yu, also known as Yu the Great, legendary founder of the Xia dynasty. Hsia said the organizers invited him to the annual event for the past three years, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic it could only be held remotely at that time. The vice chairman indicated he is unlikely to meet with Chinese officials during this upcoming trip. After back-to-back visits to China in February and March, Hsia emphasized that on those occasions, he was there to either attend cultural events or meet with Taiwanese business people, as there are about 150 Taiwanese trade associations in the country. When asked how China's slowing economy is impacting Taiwanese business people there, Hsia responded that he is not an economist and therefore his observations are based on personal observations and may not be entirely accurate. During the event, Hsia also spoke about sharing his observations in China and the direction of the KMT with American academics. Hsia said he told them that one of the reasons for the KMT's past failures is that people view it as an "old party," which is why KMT Chairman Eric Chu () has appointed many younger people to positions of authority in the party. This was something they did not know, he said, expressing hope that this could help the KMT appeal to more young voters in future. Regarding concerns that the KMT could cut Taiwan's defense budget due to it having most seats at the Legislature, Hsia said he made it clear to the U.S. that his party supports increasing the country's defense budget and the purchasing of new weapons. However, in addition to strengthening Taiwan's defenses, the two sides across the Taiwan Strait must also have channels for dialogue and communication, he said, citing the meeting between former President Ma Ying-jeou () and Chinese President Xi Jinping () in Beijing as a good example. The KMT has always supported promoting dialogue and communication that are conducive to cross-strait stability and peace, the party's vice chairman said, adding that Ma's visit to China is a plus for the KMT. Hsia left Taiwan for a 10-day visit to the U.S. on April 4 as part of the party's efforts to strengthen ties with Washington. (By Chung Yu-cheng and Ko Lin) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China expert emphasizes need for military exchanges between Taiwan, U.S. ROC Central News Agency 04/13/2024 09:37 PM Taipei, April 13 (CNA) China expert Miles Yu () said at a forum in Taipei on Saturday that Taiwan's military and its American counterpart could share best practices in combating China's cognitive warfare and other areas as part of their military cooperation. The U.S. and Taiwan should get a better understanding of each other's "strengths and weaknesses" and try to find ways to "overcome [their] shortcomings," Yu said of possible military cooperation between the two sides in response to Beijing's threats against Taiwan. Yu, who served as the China policy adviser to then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, made the comments in a pre-recorded video shown at the forum, which also featured speakers such as Taiwan's Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim () and former U.S. military official Tony Hu. The forum held in commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the U.S.' Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) was organized by the Formosa Republican Association, a conservative Taiwan-based civil society group dedicated to promoting Taiwan's ties with the U.S. Yu is a Chinese-born American professor who currently serves as a senior fellow and director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute, an American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. Yu said the U.S. and Taiwanese militaries can share their best practices, especially in the aspects of "psychological warfare and cognitive warfare," to achieve better teamwork. For example, Yu said, for many decades, the U.S. had not developed its military theory and command with the assumption that China could be its potential target. Neither had the U.S. military had chances to engage in confrontations with their Chinese counterpart, he added. On the other hand, Taiwan's military understands "the Chinese Communist Party's strategic culture and tactical operations," he said, noting that Taiwan was not short of experts familiar with these topics. He also advocated for U.S. arms sales to Taiwan aimed at enhancing the latter's asymmetric warfare capability and targeting China's vulnerabilities, without elaborating. Speaking of the TRA, which serves as a foundation for Washington's policy towards Taipei in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, Yu said it was "landmark" legislation but could be modified to strengthen the U.S. commitment to Taiwan. He said the legislation should expand the U.S. commitment to Taiwan proper and the Penghu archipelago to also include the country's other outlying islands, such as Kinmen and Matsu. He was referring to the text of the TRA which defines the term Taiwan as including only "the islands of Taiwan and the Pescadores" as well as the people, corporations and other entities on those islands. The TRA, promulgated in 1979 in the wake of the U.S. switching diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China (Taiwan's official name) to the People's Republic of China, mandates that Washington supply defense weapons to Taiwan. According to the TRA, it remains U.S. policy to "maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan." (By Teng Pei-ju) Enditem/cs NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. could cut ties with China if Beijing attacks Taiwan: Expert ROC Central News Agency 04/13/2024 07:08 PM Taipei, April 13 (CNA) If China invades Taiwan, the United States could break off diplomatic ties with Beijing under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), an expert said Saturday at a forum in Taipei, citing an often overlooked clause in the act. Guermantes Lailari, a visiting scholar at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, highlighted a provision under Section 2 of the TRA, which he said could have a significant impact on U.S.-China diplomatic relations if China took military actions against Taiwan. The provision states that it is the policy of the U.S. to make clear that its "decision to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China rests upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means." In other words, if China wages war on Taiwan, the U.S. and China are "done," Lailari said at the forum marking the 45th anniversary of the TRA, organized by the Formosa Republican Association. "Most people don't read that sentence. And most people ignore it because they don't like it. But it's there," the retired U.S. Air Force officer added. The TRA has served as the legal framework guiding Washington's unofficial relations with Taipei, including providing weapons for Taiwan's self-defense, since then U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed it into law on April 10, 1979. Tony Hu (), who served as the first senior country director for Taiwan at the Pentagon, said he was not sure how long Taiwan and the U.S. could continue celebrating anniversaries of the TRA, as he is worried that Chinese President Xi Jinping () might be preparing to take military actions against Taiwan. "If Xi Jinping attacks Taiwan, I believe that will be the end of the TRA because the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) will be replaced by [an] American Embassy in Taipei," Hu said. "There will be no TRA required." The TRA facilitated the establishment of the AIT, which represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties. Joshua Thomas Wenger, a postdoctoral research associate at Academia Sinica's Institute of Sociology, said there was a debate in Washington in recent years over possible enhancement of the TRA to include a clear U.S. commitment to Taiwan's defense. Wenger also noted that there is an inconsistency between Taiwanese public opinion and key arguments for maintaining the "strategic ambiguity" of the TRA. Those who argue in favor of retaining the TRA's "ambiguity" say it would deter either side of the Taiwan Strait from unilaterally changing the "status quo" and China from using force against Taiwan, Wenger pointed out. It would also prevent "free-riding" by Taiwan by investing less in self-defense and the U.S. from falling into "alliance entrapment" and consequently being dragged into a conflict with China over Taiwan's political status, he said. However, citing data compiled from the China Impact Studies by his institute, the Taiwan National Security Studies jointly conducted by Duke University and National Chengchi University, and other open sources, Wegner noted that a majority of Taiwanese are already aware of the Chinese military threat related to declaring independence. The data indicates that Taiwan is unlikely to "free-ride" if there is increased clarity in the TRA, as respondents who believe the U.S. should defend Taiwan are also more likely to support increased defense spending, Wenger said. Overall, Taiwanese need greater reassurance that the U.S. is committed to defending Taiwan, he added. (By Sean Lin) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Apr. 13, 2024 ROC Ministry of National Defense 2024/04/13 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan 1.Dateis 6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Thursday to Friday, Apr. 12-13 2.PLA activitiesis 16 PLA aircraft and 8 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 12 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Update 223 - IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine International Atomic Energy Agency 36/2024 Vienna, Austria 13 Apr 2024 All six reactor units of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) are now in cold shutdown for the first time since late 2022 after unit 4 reached this operational state early today, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. In line with the ZNPP's plans, previously reported by the IAEA, the plant started transitioning unit 4 from hot to cold shutdown on Friday morning, a process that was completed at 7:30am today. It decided to take this step after the nearby town of Enerhodar - where most plant staff live - recently ended the winter heating season. "I welcome this development which has been recommended by the Agency for some time, as it enhances the overall safety of the facility. The Agency will continue to closely follow the operational status of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant and provide technically viable alternatives in a context of rapid changes and challenges," Director General Grossi said. The ZNPP stopped generating electricity for the national grid in September 2022, but it has kept at least one of its six units in hot shutdown since October 2022 to provide district heating as well as process steam for liquid waste treatment at the site. After the plant earlier this year started operating four newly-installed diesel steam generators to produce steam for the treatment of such waste, as recommended by the IAEA, reactor unit 4 remained in hot shutdown primarily to help keep Enerhodar warm. The five other reactors were in cold shutdown, and have now been joined by unit 4. When in cold shutdown, in case the heat removal is interrupted for any reason, there is an additional response margin of several days before the cooling of the nuclear fuel in the reactor might be challenged. The reactor also needs less cooling water than in hot shutdown, an issue that became more challenging after the destruction of the downstream Kakhovka dam in mid-2023. Although the measure is positive for nuclear safety, the situation remains extremely fragile at a time when Europe's largest nuclear power plant is facing severe dangers, with several drone strikes targeting the facility over the past week. "The decision to have all six units in cold shutdown is positive in itself, as the cooling down of the reactor provides an additional buffer in case of an accident. But it doesn't address the fundamental issue of a recent sharp deterioration of the situation at the plant. Without a doubt, nuclear safety and security at this major nuclear facility remains very precarious," Director General Grossi said. The potential risks were underlined again this morning, when the team of the IAEA experts stationed at the site reported hearing sixteen rounds of outgoing artillery fire in less than half an hour - some at near distance, others further away but still clearly audible. Ukraine's national regulator, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU), has previously issued regulatory orders to limit the operation of all six units of the ZNPP to a cold shutdown state. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former Ukrainian security officer wounded in Moscow, accuses Kiev of assassination attempt People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 11:22, April 13, 2024 MOSCOW, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Former Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) employee Vasily Prozorov, who had been injured in a car explosion in the north of Moscow, accused Kiev of plotting the attack, local media reported on Friday. Kiev is behind the assassination attempt, Prozorov was quoted by Russia's TASS news agency as saying. "But it didn't work out. I am alive and well and will continue to expose the crimes of the Ukrainian authorities," he said. Prozorov was injured following the explosion of his vehicle, which occurred on Friday morning on Korovinskoye Highway. The blast did not result in a fire, but several nearby cars were also damaged. From 1999 to 2018, Prozorov was an employee of the SBU, once working in the central office of the SBU at the headquarters of the anti-terrorist center. He gained fame in March 2019 on the eve of the presidential elections in Ukraine, when he gave a press conference in Russia exposing the activities of the SBU in Ukraine in 2014-2018. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine says it started building first US-designed nuclear reactor Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 April 2024 1:52 PM Ukraine has started construction work on two US-designed reactors at a nuclear power plant in the west of the country. The reactors, which will use US technology and fuel, are aimed at reducing Ukraine's dependence on Russian nuclear technology, Ukrainian authorities said. Workers at Khmelnytskyi nuclear power station poured a symbolic cubic meter of concrete for the reactors, during a ceremony on Thursday. Addressing the ceremony, Petro Kotin, the head of Ukraine's state nuclear operator, Energoatom said, "This is our answer to the terrorists, this is our answer to the invaders." "Today we are talking about the future, we are talking about stability, we are talking about the development of nuclear energy." According to Kotin, the project is Ukraine's most significant modernization project since World War II. Khmelnytskyi power plant already has two functioning reactors. Its reactors 3 and 4 are partially built to a Soviet design. The ceremony was for unbuilt reactors 5 and 6, which will be built using Westinghouse's TAP1000 technology. The units will be "the most advanced nuclear reactor operating today in the world," according to the CEO of US nuclear energy company Westinghouse, Patrick Fragman. EnergoAtom and Westinghouse did not say exactly when the reactors will come online. According to Energoatom, the construction of one reactor unit in peacetime takes five years and the estimated cost starts from $ five billion. The US Exim Bank will partly finance the project. Ukraine's current reactors are of Soviet design, but it has shifted them to US fuel. According to the Energoatom chief, with all six reactors on stream, Khmelnytskyi will become Europe's largest plant, topping Zaporizhzhia -- the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Russian forces seized Zaporizhzhia power plant in southern Ukraine soon after Moscow launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022. Ever since, the plant has come under attack by Ukrainian forces at times, including in August 2022 when shelling blew holes in the roof of a storage unit. Russia described Kiev's shelling of the facility as "nuclear terrorism." In an overnight Ukrainian attack on a residential quarter in Zaporizhzhia region, at least 10 people -- including women and children -- were killed and more than 20 injured, Russian media reported Saturday. The attack also damaged the gas supply system, leaving nine residential buildings and 25 private houses without access to the fuel. Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned that attacks on and around the nuclear power plant "significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Many Critics, Few Enthusiasts As Ukraine Moves To Fill The Ranks For The Fight Against Russia's Invasion By Aleksander Palikot April 13, 2024 KYIV -- Dmytro Yasynok showed up at the recruitment office of the Da Vinci Wolves Battalion two days after a Russian bomb hit the center of his hometown of Bilopillya. The 27-year-old civil-law lecturer came to Kyiv from Sumy, more than 300 kilometers east, near the Russian border, to join the ranks of a popular unit that promises recruits real training and decent service conditions. His hands shook as he went through a 20-minute interview with a recruiter, held in an art-deco drama theater in the capital. He'd prefer to be a sniper, a drone operator, or a combat medic. But with no military experience, he will most likely have to serve in a basic infantry position, the recruiter, Maksym, told RFE/RL. Yasynok will soon spend a trial week at a training center, and then officially join up or head back home. As the third spring since the Russian full-scale invasion blooms, millions of Ukrainians like him struggle to find their place in a stark wartime reality that's getting harder and harder for civilians to escape. "Perhaps it's not a rational decision, but I am determined to join the army," Yasynok, who is exempt from military service as a university employee, said after the interview as he walked down a busy street. On April 11, after months of delays and heated debate, the Ukrainian parliament approved a mobilization bill seeking to replenish the country's army and address some of the burning issues. The legislation, which President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to sign, comes as the depleted Ukrainian forces suffer setbacks on the front lines amid a shortage of ammunition and a lack of new U.S. weapons supplies leaves the country increasingly vulnerable to Russian attacks. With many of the initial proposals on sanctions for draft evasion watered down and other widely expected measures excluded from the bill -- above all a framework for the demobilization of exhausted soldiers -- its many critics argue it will not fix a recruitment system that is widely regarded as broken. 'Busification' The method of recruitment offered by the Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, which unlike most other units carries out its own recruitment campaign -- the slogan: "Everyone will fight" -- bears little resemblance to the realities of the draft in Ukraine. The days when volunteers were lining up in front of the military enlistment offices after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 are long gone. A month ago, Tymofiy, 28, was working as a project manager in the IT industry in the western city of Lviv, which has been targeted in missile attacks but is far from the front. Now he lives in barracks in central Ukraine and is training for the war. He wouldn't be here if not for a trip to the Carpathian Mountains, where he was stopped by conscription officers -- most of them veterans with visible war wounds -- who bundled him onto a bus and drove him to an enlistment office. Within a few hours, he had been interviewed, photographed, and examined by a medical commission. "It's what people call 'busification,'" Tymofiy told RFE/RL -- one of the ways the military snares mobilization-age men off the streets as it struggles to fill the ranks. He said that while he was treated respectfully overall, he considers what happened "a failure to comply with the law and procedures on both sides." Like many Ukrainian men, Tymofiy did not fulfill his obligation to get a draft card and enlist on a military register. Despite the way it unfolded, he is now "at peace" with being drafted and wants to get as good training as possible. "I did not have enough courage to join the army, but I also did not actively do anything to avoid the draft," he said. "Ultimately, we are victims of Russia's military aggression." Yuriy, 34, was drafted in February during a business trip to Chernivtsi, a city about 40 kilometers from the Romanian border. He said he was approached by men in uniforms and told he needed to register at the draft office, as he was in the border area. As an employee of a pharmaceutical company working with the Health Ministry, he had a document exempting him from military service, but recruiters at the draft office said they couldn't open the file on their computer. The medical commission qualified him as fit for service despite his severe nearsightedness. Yuriy said he would not exercise his right to question the draft decision in court, partly because he believes the courts are too slow. But he also told RFE/RL he intended to join the army anyway and had made some preparations but was delaying a final decision. He keeps a high spirit although he believes that most people around him were drafted unwillingly, their morale is low, many of them have weak health, and the army organization is poor. He recently finished military training abroad. He wanted to operate a drone, but he would operate anti-tank weapons. "The mobilization cannot be carried out like this, but we are all responsible for the status quo and I am not sure we are ready to change it," he told RFE/RL on a day before the adoption of the new mobilization bill. Worth The Wait? Conscription reform had been in the works at least since last summer, when Zelenskiy reacted to a series of corruption scandals by dismissing senior military recruiters nationwide and vowing to shake up the system. But after that -- with the presidential administration, parliament, and the military seeking to hand responsibility off to one another -- the mobilization bill turned into a political hot potato. An initial draft, widely criticized, was scrapped in January. Disagreement over the reform was apparently one of the reasons for Zelenskiy's dismissal of the top military commander, General Valeriy Zaluzhniy -- a drawn-out process that exposed tensions among Ukraine's leaders as a major counteroffensive launched in June 2023 sputtered and fizzled out. Before he was ousted in February, Zaluzhniy reportedly requested 500,000 recruits to strengthen the army ranks, replace expected losses, and demobilize soldiers who have served for years. Zelenskiy dawdled, resisting the request amid concern over a public backlash. And more recently Zaluzhniy's replacement, General Oleksandr Syrskiy, said that as a result of an internal audit conducted by the Defense Ministry, the recruit number had been "significantly reduced." The bill that was passed on April 11 received 283 votes in the 450-seat Verkhovna Rada, where Zelenskiy's Servant of the People party holds a majority, with 49 lawmakers from opposition parties abstaining. Over 4,000 amendments were proposed before its final adoption. It will come into force a month after Zelenskiy signs it. Before the vote, General Yuriy Sodol, who commands the troops in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions and was one of more than a dozen commanders present in parliament for the vote, told deputies it was crucial the law be passed despite any flaws or misgivings. "We are maintaining our defenses with our last strength," he said, adding that Russian forces outnumber Ukraine's up to 10-fold on the battlefield in the east. New Draft Measures According to Fedir Venislavskiy, a lawmaker from Zelenskiy's faction in parliament, the main goal of the law is to register all conscripts and update their data so that the state clearly understands who can be mobilized, who has the right to postpone being drafted, and who can enter the reserves. In practice, within 60 days men between the ages of 18 and 60 will need to update their personal information with draft officials. Moreover, those who previously held "partially eligible" status will need to go through mandatory medical checks. The bill introduces new sanctions for avoiding the draft, such as the potential revocation of driver's licenses or, in the case of military-age men abroad, the right to consular services. It also increases fees for draft-related misdemeanors such as not carrying one's draft card. Inna Simakina, a lawyer from the human rights advocacy organization Yurydychna Sotnya, told RFE/RL that the organization had been flooded with questions from men concerned about the bill since long before its passage. "We all know how good our people are at avoiding sanctions, so we need not only transparent rules but also carefully crafted supplementary legal acts," she said. "On the other hand, I am also worried that men will find it difficult to exercise their rights in courts given the short time limits for appeals." Some key elements of the reform aimed at boosting the number of soldiers were passed in separate bills earlier this month. They included lowering the minimum draft age from 27 to 25, introducing an electronic register for conscripts, and doing away with "partially eligible" status. Moreover, the April 11 legislation replaces Soviet-style conscription with basic military training for students and Ukrainians under the age of 24. Five months in peacetime and three months in wartime of such training will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women. No Demobilization Framework The day before the Rada vote, it became clear that a provision outlining rules for the demobilization of those currently serving in the armed forces would not be included, a big blow to soldiers exhausted by months and years of warfare -- and to their families as well. "They took away the norm that is key for my comrades who went to the front as volunteers in the early days. A norm that [would have] introduced at least a little bit of certainty about the timing for the right to demobilize," said Roman Lozynskiy, a deputy from the Holos (Voice) party who served as a soldier for 15 months. He called the legislation "unjust." The original version of the bill foresaw a 36-month limit on mandatory service. But at the request of Syrskiy and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, that provision was dropped at the last minute. The issue is to be addressed in separate legislation in the coming months. But for now, only disabled soldiers and soldiers who have returned from Russian captivity will be able to discharge themselves. The bill does, however, introduce some opportunities for rest: Soldiers are to be rotated out for at least one month after three months at the front. Those credited with destroying Russian weapons or equipment will get additional days of leave. Soldiers will also receive economic benefits, such as state support for their mortgages and exemption from some interest charges and penalties for delinquency on loans. In a separate bill, the Rada approved monthly bonuses of 70,000 hryvnyas ($1,785) for soldiers serving on the first line of defense or taking part in assaults. The bill does not include long-discussed economic exemptions for individuals or employees of companies prepared to pay a levy to stay out of the army, which was widely seen as socially unjust. The government said it would come back to these ideas, though. A Workable Compromise? The initial response to the bill suggests that it's a compromise that few Ukrainians fully approve of -- and that some doubt will be workable. Maryana Bezuhla, a deputy from Servant of the People, said that the law was "as soft and confusing as possible" and that while it leaves a lot of avenues to postpone or avoid the draft "not everyone is satisfied anyway" and "months were lost" before it came to a vote. Volodymyr Vyatrovych, a deputy from the opposition European Solidarity party, said the bill was not only "bad but also belated." "[It] will not strengthen the mobilization of new [soldiers] but may well weaken the motivation of those who have been defending the country for years," he said. It's getting a lukewarm reception in the military as well. Maksym Zhorin, a deputy commander of the 3rd Assault Brigade, warned not to expect miracles on the battlefield. "For sure, it will generally bring a little more order and systemic approach to the issue of mobilization," he said on television, but he added, "Personally, I would make it much tougher and also continue to reduce the conscription age." Vladyslav Hrezyev, the CEO of Lobby X, a human resources agency that is recruiting candidates for the military in cooperation with the Defense Ministry, told RFE/RL that the "fragmentary and situational mobilization bill is not forward-looking." "We need to focus on those clusters of society that can be still motivated to join the army. The sanctions-based approach will not bring professional and effective military personnel," he said. With a population one-third the size of Russia's and unfavorable demographic trends, Ukraine must use its mobilization resources carefully. According to Dmytro Natalukha, chairman of the Economy Committee in parliament, there are 4.35 million Ukrainian men who are 25-60 years old, are not exempt from military service on family or professional grounds, are not yet serving, are not disabled, and do not live under Russian occupation or abroad. Some estimates put the number of men eligible for mobilization slightly higher, around 5 million. According to Zelenskiy, there are 880,000 soldiers in the armed forces. It is not clear how many of them are actually fighting. In February, Zelenskiy said that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since February 2022. Other estimates, including from U.S. officials citing intelligence, are much higher -- up to 70,000 killed and 120,000 wounded. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-mobilization- law-criticism-manpower/32903913.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 British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Iran's attack on Israel. The Prime Minister wrote about this on his "X" social network page. He noted that Iran once again demonstrated its intention to sow the seeds of chaos. Rishi Sunak said that he is urgently working with allied countries to stabilize the situation and prevent further escalation of tensions. "The UK will continue to defend the security of Israel and all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. Together with our allies, we are working urgently to stabilize the situation and prevent further escalation of tensions. No one wants more bloodshed," the Prime Minister said in his statement. Situation In East Has 'Deteriorated,' Ukrainian Commander Says, As Dry Conditions Aid Russia By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 13, 2024 KYIV -- Russian attacks have intensified in eastern Ukraine and conditions for Kyiv's forces have "deteriorated significantly" as dry, warmer weather is allowing the easier movement of Russian tanks and troops, according to Ukraine's top military commander. "The situation on the eastern front has deteriorated significantly in recent days," Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy said on Telegram on April 13. "The enemy is actively attacking our positions in the Lyman and Bakhmut directions with assault groups supported by armored vehicles," he said. "In the Pokrovsk direction, they are trying to break through our defenses using dozens of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles." Syrskiy said the "dry weather favors the use of armored vehicles at the front -- the weather has made most of the open areas tank-accessible." Russian President Vladimir Putin, who won a new term in a March election that critics say was held under conditions of "intense repression," has intensified attacks, especially targeting power plants and substations to cripple Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Ukrainian authorities have increasingly signaled alarm over dwindling supplies of artillery shells and air-defense missiles as a military aid package from the United States has been tied up in Congress, with a small number of Republicans stating that domestic matters should take priority over assistance to Kyiv proposed by Democratic President Joe Biden. Christopher Cavoli, the top U.S. general in Europe, on April 11 warned that further assistance to Ukraine to repel Russian aggression is crucial and that Moscow poses a "chronic threat" to the world. On April 13, Germany announced it would immediately send another Patriot air-defense system to bolster Ukraine in its fight against Russia's latest onslaught. German leader Olaf Scholz, in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, reaffirmed Berlin's solidarity with Ukraine and discussed ways to further strengthen the embattled country's air defenses, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said. Zelenskiy thanked Scholz for approving delivery of the additional Patriot missile system and for supplying further air-defense weaponry at this "critical time" for his country. A week ago, Zelenskiy said the U.S.-made Patriot systems were desperately required to provide protection for the entire country. In a Telegram post following his call with Scholz, Zelenskiy said the talks were "important" and "productive." "I am grateful to the chancellor for the decision to supply another additional Patriot system to Ukraine and missiles to the existing air-defense systems," Zelenskiy wrote. "I call on all other leaders of partner states to follow this example," Zelenskiy added. Scholz later left Germany for a China on a three-day trip in which he is scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping. Beijing is the Kremlin's most crucial ally. It has remaining outwardly neutral but hasn't condemned Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. According to AP, a U.S. assessment has detected a large rise in sales by China to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics, and other technology that is used by Moscow in the production of tanks, planes, and other weaponry for use against Ukraine. The report cited two senior officials in the U.S. administration who discussed the findings on April 12 on the condition of anonymity. On the battlefield, Yevgeny Balitsky, the Kremlin-installed head of the Zaporizhzhya region, said at least 10 people were killed when shelling hit an apartment building in the Russian-occupied town of Tokmak. "Rescuers continue to search for and extract the bodies of the dead, dismantling the structures. Rescue units have been provided with everything necessary," he wrote on Telegram, adding that 18 people had been injured in the town of some 30,000 people. Separately, Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces had captured the village of Pervomayske in Ukraine's Donetsk region, where Moscow has centered much of its attacks in recent months. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the Russian reports, and battlefield claims on both sides cannot immediately be verified due to the intense fighting in the region. With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-syrskiy-front- deteriorated/32903809.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 50,000 Russian Military Deaths, Likely Thousands More, Recorded In Ukraine War By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 13, 2024 An independent Russian media outlet has documented more than 50,000 deaths among Russian military personnel since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago, and says tens of thousands more are believed to have died. Mediazona, which tracks Russian casualties in the war with the BBC based on deaths recorded by open sources, said in its latest update that 50,471 members of the Russian military had died in the war since it began in February 2022. More than 85,000 Russian military members have died based on the number of inheritance settlements for slain soldiers that have been recorded, according to Mediazona. "We know the names of more than 3,300 officers of the army and other security forces. 390 of them hold the rank of lieutenant colonel and above," Mediazona wrote. "The real number of the dead is calculated according to the register of inheritance cases and is current as of March 15, 2024 -- about 85,000 people." The outlet also said that Russia had lost a large number of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and artillery units in recent weeks, although casualties from those losses were not included in the updated figures. Russia loses about 1,200 soldiers per week, according to Mediazona, with most casualties coming from Russia's Krasnodar and Bashkortostan regions. Ukraine's armed forces estimate that the Russian military has suffered 451,730 casualties in the war, including deaths and injuries, while the United States and British intelligence both say that Russian casualties top 300,000. Kyiv has claimed that more than 180,000 Russian servicemen have been killed. Russia rarely provides casualty figures. The last estimate, provided seven months into the war, stood at just under 6,000 people. Ukraine has said that it has lost 31,000 soldiers since the war began. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-war- ukraine-deaths/32903736.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 Ten People Killed in Ukrainian Strike on Tokmak City in Zaporozhye Region - Governor Sputnik News 20240413 SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik) - Ten people have been killed in the Ukrainian attack on the city of Tokmak in the Zaporozhye Region, while two people are missing, the region's governor, Yevgeny Balitsky, said on Saturday. On Friday, the governor said the Ukrainian armed forces had opened fire against the residential area of Tokmak, killing eight people, including two children, and injuring 13 others. Earlier on Saturday, Balitsky said five more people had been pulled from under the rubble. All were said to have injuries of varying severity. "The number of people killed as a result of the terrorist attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on Tokmak has risen to 10. Rescuers have recovered the bodies of an adult and a child from the rubble," the governor said on Telegram. Two other people remain missing, Balitsky said, adding that rescuers are continuing to search and clear the rubble. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Prompting Poland, Romania, Spain to Send Patriot Systems - Reports Sputnik News 20240413 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine is encouraging Poland, Romania and Spain to supply it with their own Patriot air defense systems, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. "They [the Ukrainian authorities] need seven [Patriot systems] ... But it's complicated," an unnamed source told the newspaper. Meanwhile, European leaders are reportedly unwilling to provide Ukraine with more Patriot batteries, as they need to maintain their own defense capabilities, the Financial Times reported. Polish President Andrzej Duda, in particular, ruled out further Patriot deliveries to Ukraine, saying that Warsaw could provide Kiev with more of its Soviet-era missiles, but without specifying any details, the report said. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had recently asked him for seven Patriot systems to deliver to Kiev. On Wednesday, Kuleba told The Washington Post that his "nice and quiet diplomacy didn't work," and now he planned to harshly demand the Patriot air defense system from Ukraine's Western allies. Last week, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Germany's reserves of air defense systems had been exhausted and that Berlin, together with its partners, was looking for opportunities to purchase these systems for Ukraine from third countries. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Forces Liberate Village of Pervomaiskoye in Avdeyevka Vicinity Sputnik News 20240413 The Russian Armed Forces have liberated the village of Pervomaiskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in the Avdeyevka area, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Saturday. "Near Avdeyevka, units of Battlegroup Tsentr liberated the settlement of Pervomaiskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic through active and selfless actions," the ministry said. Additionally, the ministry noted that eight counterattacks by assault groups of the 25th Airborne, 59th Motorized Infantry, 68th Jaeger, as well as the 23rd, 24th, and 115th Mechanized Brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (UAF) were repelled in the areas of the settlements of Umanskoye, Pervomaiskoye, Krasnogorovka, Berdychi, and Leninskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic. On the Kupyansk area, units of Battlegroup Zapad improved their position along the front line, struck a formation of Ukraine's 54th Mechanized Brigade in the area of the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkov region, and repelled three attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian 12th Special Purpose Brigade in the area of the settlement of Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People's Republic. In the Donestk region, Russian forces took more advantageous positions, repelled two attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with Ukrainian losses in the past 24 hours amounting to over 500 servicemen and one tank, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported. "Units of Battlegroup Yug took more advantageous positions, struck personnel and equipment of the 79th Airborne Assault and 46th Airmobile Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Krasnogorovka and Antonovka in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said. According to the Defense Ministry, two attacks by enemy assault groups south of the settlement of Novomikhailovka in the DPR were also repelled. "The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 500 servicemen, one tank, three armored combat vehicles, 23 cars, and a Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile system. During counter-battery combat, two US-made 155 mm M777 howitzers, a 152 mm D-20 howitzer, and a 122 mm D-30 howitzer were destroyed," the ministry reported. Units of Russia's Battlegroup Vostok struck formations of two Ukrainian brigades over the past day, with the enemy's losses exceeding 110 soldiers, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Saturday. "In the southern Donetsk region, units of Battlegroup Vostok improved their tactical position and struck formations of the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 128th Territorial Defense Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Staromayorsk and Urozhainoye in the Donetsk People's Republic," the Russian Defense Ministry said. In addition, Ukrainian forces lost four pickup trucks, a 155 mm Polish-made Krab self-propelled howitzer, a 155 mm US-made M777 howitzer, and a NOTA electronic warfare station. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Germany Will Provide Us With Another Patriot System, And We Are Working on an Additional IRIS-T System a Address of the President of Ukraine President of Ukraine 13 April 2024 - 20:47 I wish you good health, dear Ukrainians! Today we have a very good result of our international work: Germany will provide us with an additional Patriot system a Chancellor Scholz and I agreed on this today. We are also working with Germany on an additional IRIS-T system, which is also a strong air defence system, and on missiles for our existing air defence systems. Germany's leadership is truly felt, and thanks to this leadership, we will be able to save thousands of lives and give Ukraine more protection from Russian terror. Of course, today we also talked with the Chancellor about our joint international events a we are preparing for the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which will soon be held in Germany. And together we will do everything to make the Global Peace Summit - the first, inaugural summit to be held in June - a real success. This also requires the leadership of partners, and I am grateful to everyone who helps. Olaf, Mr. Chancellor, thank you again for the air defence! We will continue to work with all partners who can also help. This week alone, I have already had conversations and meetings with the presidents of Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Switzerland, and Latvia. A new bilateral security agreement was signed with Latvia. I also spoke with the prime ministers of the Netherlands, Greece, Portugal, and Ireland. Today I had a conversation with the Chancellor of Germany. We will do everything to ensure the results in the coming weeks as well. In every conversation, at every meeting, air defence and the frontline are the main subjects. We are doing everything to have more capabilities for our Defence Forces and the defence-industrial complex. Each week also brings new contracts for joint production of weapons. We are also working to finance more of our production right here in Ukraine. Ukraine's potential to produce weapons, in particular, FPVs, is quite high. And we agree with our partners on joint steps to finance this work for the sake of our common strength a the whole of Europe, and all those who are threatened by Russian terror. Today it is important to honour all our people who work for the sake of Ukrainian strength. This day is a professional holiday for the Ukrainian defence industry. Today I granted state awards to people who are actively developing this industry of ours. Most of them cannot be talked about openly now, and the reasons are clear. But this does not diminish our gratitude to them. I am proud of every enterprise that produces weapons for Ukraine. We are all rightly proud of every result of Ukrainian weapons a our drones, which can reach more and more distant targets a and we are proud of the results of our missiles. All the production of shells and artillery is fundamentally important for Ukraine. Some production facilities that we haven't had since independence are already yielding results. And despite all the difficulties, five hundred companies are currently operating in our defence industry, most of them are private initiatives. Ukrainian character, our entrepreneurs show themselves from the best side. I am grateful to everyone. I am grateful to all of our 300,000 people who create Ukrainian weapons! Thanks to everyone who helps! Today, as always, I was also in touch with the military officials, with the Minister of Defence. The situation at the frontline, in some directions, is quite difficult. And everyone who is now showing their resilience, everyone who defends our positions is doing a tremendous job. I am grateful to every soldier and commander! We are working with partners, particularly in the United States, to strengthen our actions. Glory to everyone who prevents Russian terrorists from achieving their goals. Glory to all who really protect life. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President of Ukraine Had a Phone Call with Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz President of Ukraine 13 April 2024 - 16:51 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for providing an additional Patriot system, IRIS-T and Skynex systems, as well as missiles and rounds for existing anti-aircraft missile systems. "Thank you, Olaf, for your leadership! This is a real manifestation of support for Ukraine at a critical time for us. I call on all other leaders of the partner states to follow suit," said the Head of State. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke about the current situation in the energy industry, especially in the Kharkiv region, as well as in other affected regions, and about the operational situation on the front line and the current needs of the Defence Forces. The President thanked for the support of the Czech initiative to find artillery shells for Ukraine and emphasized that its effectiveness directly depends on its timely implementation. The counterparts discussed preparations for the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which will be held in Germany in the summer, and the organization of the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. They also coordinated efforts to ensure the widest possible participation of the countries of the Global South. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thanks to You, Everyone in the World Can See the Strength of Our Country a The President Congratulated the Employees of the Defense and Industrial Complex President of Ukraine 13 April 2024 - 14:55 On the Ukraine's Defense and Industrial Complex Employee Day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated all those who work in the industry and presented them with state awards. "Today is one of those days when gratitude should prevail. Today is your professional day. It is a day to honor all those who organize, develop, and build Ukrainian strength. Everyone in the world can see this strength a the strength of our country," the Head of State said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that there are currently 500 defense industry enterprises operating in Ukraine. Almost 300,000 people are employed in this priority production. They produce domestic shells, weapons, mortars, armored vehicles, anti-tank weaponry, electronic warfare systems and much more. And that, according to the President, helps our soldiers and our country. "Other countries are already interested in our weapons and in cooperating with us. After all, without our strength there would be no full-fledged force of the EU and NATO. Ukraine will ensure security for itself and help others to maintain and preserve their security," the president said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy inspected the latest models of military equipment and weapons, and listened to a report on the volume of their production and use at the front. He also discussed with the manufacturers the issues of public procurement of the displayed samples and the possibility of increasing their production. Reference. Two years ago, on April 13, the Moskva missile cruiser, was hit and sunk by Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles, developed and manufactured by Ukrainians. In honor of this event, the President signed a decree establishing a professional holiday for employees of Ukrainian defense and industrial complex. Today, a significant part of the terrorist state's fleet was sunk and disabled by Ukrainian-made unmanned vessels. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian troops advance in eastern Ukraine By VOA News April 13, 2024 Russian troops are making significant gains in Ukraine's eastern region near the Russian-occupied industrial town of Avdiivka, Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi said Saturday on his Telegram channel. "The situation on the eastern front has deteriorated significantly in recent days," said Syrskyi, adding that the Russian army intensified its offensive along several stretches of the more 1,000 kilometer-long front line after the presidential elections in Russia last month. Warmer, drier weather also is playing a factor in Russia's surging offensive, allowing its heavy vehicles to move more quickly across the drying terrain. Russia's defense ministry announced its troops had "liberated" the village of Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region, about 11 kilometers west of the largely destroyed town of Avdiivka, which was captured by Russia in mid-February. Ukraine has not confirmed the loss of Pervomaiske, and its army asserted Friday that it had repelled attacks on the village. In a Telegram update Saturday, the Russian military said Moscow's forces also had taken Bohdanivka, another eastern village close to the city of Bakhmut a known for its bloody siege and subsequent capture by Russian forces nine months ago. Shortly afterward, Ukraine's Defense Ministry denied that Bohdanivka had been captured and said "intense fighting" there is ongoing. Ukraine has also said the situation around the eastern front-line city of Chasiv Yar, west of Bakhmut, remains "difficult and tense" with the area under "constant fire." Syrskyi acknowledged that Russian forces have been "actively attacking" Ukrainian positions in three areas of the eastern Donetsk region, near the cities of Lyman, Bakhmut and Pokrovsk. He said Ukraine was planning to "strengthen the most problematic defense areas with electronic warfare and air defense." Russia has an advantage in firepower and personnel over Ukraine, which is running low on ammunition, to increase attacks across eastern Ukraine. Additionally, Russian forces are increasingly using satellite-guided gliding bombs that allow planes to drop them from a safe distance and overwhelm Ukrainian forces. Germany to deliver Patriot system As Kyiv awaits the desperately needed U.S. aid that is stuck in Congress, Germany announced Saturday it would deliver a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, its third so far, citing "massive and ongoing Russian airstrikes." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for "a real manifestation of support for Ukraine at a critical time for us." The German chancellor said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he had discussed the "massive" Russian air attacks on civilian energy infrastructure with Zelenskyy on Saturday, and he said Berlin will "stand unbreakably by Ukraine's side." The Ukrainian military also is hampered by the lack of adequate training it requires to improve its capabilities of operating "military equipment and western weapons," Syrskyi noted. Ukraine's European allies are engaged in a training push for Kyiv's forces. French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Friday that future Ukrainian fighter pilots likely to fly American F-16 aircraft were receiving their initial training in the south of France. Other countries including the Netherlands, Denmark and Romania are helping Ukraine to train its pilots. Some Ukrainians, after receiving initial training in Britain, are now undergoing "advanced training" in an undisclosed location to learn how to fly fighter jets, according to a military source. Russian missiles batter infrastructure Russian missiles and drones Thursday struck infrastructure and power facilities across Ukraine, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without power, in what Ukraine's private energy operator DTEK called one of the most powerful attacks this year. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the strikes as retribution for Ukrainian attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure after a slew of Ukrainian drone strikes over the past few months hit oil refineries deep inside Russia. In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of killing 10 people by shelling the occupied town of Tokmak, a town captured by Russia in the beginning of the invasion. Ukrainian authorities in Zaporizhzhia said Russia had struck the region more than 400 times over the last day, including from planes. Russian casualties include tanks, says media The independent Russian media outlet Mediazona reports that an estimated 50,000 military personnel have lost their lives since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. The outlet says tens of thousands more are believed to have died, making the troop-casualty figure likely closer to 85,000. Mediazona, which tracks Russian war casualties with the BBC based on deaths recorded by open sources, said in its latest update that 50,471 members of the Russian military had died in the war since it began in February 2022. The outlet also said Russia had lost a large number of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and artillery units in recent weeks, although casualties from those losses were not included in the updated figures. RFE/RL cited Mediazona as saying that Russia loses about 1,200 soldiers weekly. 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 RADNOR, Pa., April 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee against HireRight Holdings Corporation (HireRight) (NYSE: HRT). The action charges HireRight with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the companys business, operations, and prospects. As a result of HireRights materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, HireRights investors have suffered significant losses. CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR HIRERIGHT LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/hireright-holdings-corporation?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=hrt&mktm=r LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: JUNE 3, 2024 CLASS PERIOD: PURSUANT AND/OR TRACEABLE TO HIRERIGHT'S OCTOBER 2021 IPO CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS: Jonathan Naji, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at info@ktmc.com Kessler Topaz is one of the worlds foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field as well as the firm itself which is continuously awarded for the successful results weve achieved. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent. In addition to representing investors in cases where the fraud has been revealed, Kessler Topaz also represents whistleblowers - persons who expose wrongdoing to those in positions of authority or to the public- in cases brought under federal and state qui tam statutes, and through financial fraud whistleblower programs, such as those run by the SEC, CFTC and IRS. If you have information about fraud against government programs (such as Medicare), or violations of federal securities, commodities, tax or anti-foreign bribery laws, contact Kessler Topaz at (866) 369-7779 or at wbinfo@ktmc.com or go to https://www.ktmc-whistleblower.com. DEFENDANTS ALLEGED MISCONDUCT On October 6, 2021, HireRight filed a registration statement with the SEC in connection with the IPO. On November 1, 2021, HireRight filed a prospectus with the SEC in connection with the IPO, which incorporated and formed part of the registration statement (the "prospectus" and, collectively with the registration statement, the "Offering Documents"). That same day, pursuant to the Offering Documents, HireRight's common stock began publicly trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol HRT. Pursuant to the Offering Documents, HireRight issued approximately 22 million shares of its common stock to the public at the Offering price of $19.00 per share for proceeds to the company of approximately $399 million after applicable underwriting discounts and commissions, and before expenses. The complaint alleges that the Offering Documents were negligently prepared and, as a result, contained untrue statements of material fact or omitted to state other facts necessary to make the statements made not misleading and was not prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations governing its preparation. Specifically, the complaint alleges the Offering Documents made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) HireRight was exposed to customers with significant employment and hiring risk and the company derived greater revenue growth from existing client hiring than from new client hiring; (2) as a result, HireRight's revenue growth was unsustainable to the extent that it relied on the stability of its current customers' hiring and/or the profitability of securing new customers; (3) accordingly, HireRight had overstated its post-IPO business and/or prospects; and (4) as a result, Defendants' statements about the company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. At the time of the filing of the complaint, HireRight's common stock continued to trade below the $19.00 per share IPO price. WHAT CAN I DO? HireRight investors may, no later than June 3, 2024, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of 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 HireRight investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The class action complaint against HireRight, Deutsch v. HireRight Holdings Corporation, et al., Case No. 24-cv-00371, is filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF? A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com. CONTACT: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (484) 270-1453 280 King of Prussia Road Radnor, PA 19087 info@ktmc.com VANCOUVER, March 27, 2024 - Vizsla Silver Corp. (TSXV: VZLA) (NYSE: VZLA) (Frankfurt: 0G3) ("Vizsla Silver" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has executed an arrangement agreement with Vizsla Royalties Corp. ("Vizsla Royalties"), whereby the business of the Company will be reorganized into two companies by way of a plan of arrangement (the "Arrangement") under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia). Vizsla Silver shareholders will vote on the Arrangement at a special meeting of shareholders ("Meeting") to be held on a date to be announced. To be effective, the Arrangement must be approved by a special resolution passed by at least 66?% of the votes cast by Vizsla Silver shareholders present in person or represented by proxy at the Meeting, which shareholders are entitled to one vote for each Vizsla Silver share held. The Arrangement involves, among other things, the distribution of common shares (the "Vizsla Royalties Shares") and warrants of Vizsla Royalties (the "Vizsla Royalties Warrants") to Vizsla Silver shareholders such that each shareholder as of a particular date, immediately prior to closing of the transaction (the "Record Date") will receive 1/3 of a Vizsla Royalties Share and 1/3 of a Vizsla Royalties Warrant for each common share of Vizsla Silver (the "Vizsla Silver Shares") held as of the Record Date. Vizsla Silver warrants will also be adjusted and Vizsla Silver options will be replaced pursuant to the Arrangement as described in more detail in the information circular ("Circular") that will be mailed to shareholders prior to the Meeting. After careful consideration, the Board of Directors has unanimously determined that the Arrangement is fair to shareholders and is in the best interests of the Company. A description of the various factors considered by the Board of Directors in arriving at this determination will be provided in the Circular. ATM Program The Company also announces that it has entered into an equity distribution agreement (the "Distribution Agreement") with Canaccord Genuity Corp. ("Canaccord Genuity") and filed a Prospectus Supplement (as defined below) in respect of an at-the-market equity program (the "ATM Program"). The ATM Program allows the Company to issue and sell up to C$50,000,000 of Vizsla Silver Shares from treasury to the public, from time to time, through Canaccord Genuity, at the Company's discretion and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Distribution Agreement. All Vizsla Silver Shares issued under the ATM Program will be sold in transactions that are deemed to be "at-the-market distributions" as defined in National Instrument 44-102 - Shelf Distributions, including sales made directly on the TSX Venture Exchange or on any other "marketplace" (as defined in National Instrument 21-101 - Marketplace Operation) in Canada, and/or any other method permitted by applicable law, at the prevailing market price at the time of sale and, as such, prices may vary among purchasers during the period of the ATM Program. "It is prudent for Vizsla Silver to have an ATM Program available for optionality," commented Michael Konnert, President & CEO. "The Company never utilized the ATM that it had in place from April 2021 until March 2023. The Company does not expect to use the ATM Program in the regular course of business." The ATM Program is intended to provide the Company with additional financing flexibility should it be required in the future. The volume and timing of distributions under the ATM Program, if any, will be determined in the Company's sole discretion. Distributions of the Vizsla Silver Shares under the ATM Program will be made pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Distribution Agreement. The ATM Program will be effective until the earlier of the date on which (i) the issuance and sale of all of the Vizsla Silver Shares issuable pursuant to the ATM Program have been completed, and (ii) the receipt issued for the Shelf Prospectus (as defined below) ceases to be effective, unless earlier terminated prior to such date by the Company or Canaccord Genuity in accordance with the terms of the Distribution Agreement. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the ATM Program, if any, for general corporate purposes and working capital needs. The Company will pay Canaccord Genuity a cash fee equal to 3% of the gross proceeds of Vizsla Silver Shares sold under the Distribution Agreement. The offering of Vizsla Silver Shares under the ATM Program is qualified by a prospectus supplement dated March 26, 2024 (the "Prospectus Supplement") to the short form base shelf prospectus dated March 31, 2023 (the "Shelf Prospectus"), which were each filed with the applicable securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories in Canada. The Distribution Agreement, the Prospectus Supplement and the Shelf Prospectus are available on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval + website at www.sedarplus.ca. Alternatively, Canaccord Genuity will send copies of the Distribution Agreement, the Prospectus Supplement and the Shelf Prospectus upon request by contacting Canaccord Genuity at: Canaccord Genuity Corp., Suite 2100, 40 Temperance Street, Toronto, Ontario M5H 0B4 or by email at ecm@cgf.com. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Vizsla Silver Shares, nor shall there be any sale of the Vizsla Silver Shares in any province, state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such province, state or jurisdiction. About the Panuco Project The newly consolidated Panuco silver-gold project is an emerging high-grade discovery located in southern Sinaloa, Mexico, near the city of Mazatlan. The 7,189.5-hectare, past producing district benefits from over 86 kilometres of total vein extent, 35 kilometres of underground mines, roads, power, and permits. The district contains intermediate to low sulfidation epithermal silver and gold deposits related to siliceous volcanism and crustal extension in the Oligocene and Miocene. Host rocks are mainly continental volcanic rocks correlated to the Tarahumara Formation. About Vizsla Silver Vizsla Silver is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company headquartered in Vancouver, BC, focused on advancing its flagship, 100%-owned Panuco silver-gold project located in Sinaloa, Mexico. To date, Vizsla Silver has completed over 350,000 metres of drilling at Panuco leading to the discovery of several new high-grade veins. For 2024, Vizsla Silver is focused on derisking the resource base located in the western portion of the district ahead of a development decision. Additionally, Vizsla Silver has budgeted +65,000 metres of resource/discovery-based drilling designed to upgrade and expand the Project's mineral resource, as well as test other high priority targets across the district. Qualified Person In accordance with NI 43-101, Jesus Velador, Ph.D. MMSA QP., Vice President of Exploration, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among other things, statements regarding the Arrangement, including statements regarding the Meeting and the Circular, the issuance, sale and distribution of Vizsla Silver Shares pursuant to the ATM Program, including the price, volume and timing of any distributions; the intended use of net proceeds from the ATM Program, if any; and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward?looking statements and forward?looking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of the Company, future growth potential for the Company and its business, and future exploration plans are based on management's reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of silver, gold, and other metals; no escalation in the severity of public health crises; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; the Company's ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms. These statements reflect the Company's respective current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of other assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward?looking statements or forward-looking information and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the Company's dependence on one mineral project; precious metals price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Company's mining activities in Mexico; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company's management team and outside contractors; risks regarding mineral resources and reserves; the Company's inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects, including the inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and operating costs of such projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; the ability of the communities in which the Company operates to manage and cope with the implications of public health crises; the economic and financial implications of public health crises to the Company; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company's interactions with surrounding communities and artisanal miners; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; the speculative nature of exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; litigation risk; ongoing military conflicts around the world; general economic factors; and the factors identified under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form and other public disclosure documents. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws. /This news release is not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United Shares/ SOURCE Vizsla Silver Corp. Contact and to sign-up to the mailing list, please contact: Michael Konnert, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tel: (604) 364-2215, Email: info@vizslasilver.ca, Website: www.vizslasilvercorp.ca These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. Welcome to another week's recap. Samsung announced that it's moving the Galaxy S20 series from monthly security updates over to a quarterly schedule, meaning the S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra will get patches every three months. Redmi announced the Redmi Turbo 3. It has a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, a 6.67-inch AMOLED with 2,712 x 1,220px resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, and a 50MP Sony LYT-600 main camera. The Turbo 3 runs Android 14 with Xiaomi's HyperOS, and packs a 5,000mAh battery with 90W charging. Pricing in China starts at CNY 1,999 ($276) for the 12/256GB trim, while open sales begin on April 15. HMD launched three feature phones - the Nokia 6310, the 5310, and the 230. All three have USB-C ports and bigger batteries than their Nokia-named predecessors. A major leak seemingly laid bare the iPhone 16 series batteries. The iPhone 16 is said to sport a 3,561 mAh cell, 6% larger than its predecessor's, while the iPhone 16 Plus will make do with a 4,006 mAh battery, which is 9% less than what the iPhone 15 Plus had to play with. Over on the Pro side of the fence, the iPhone 16 Pro is rumored to come with a 3,355 mAh cell, 2.5% larger than its predecessor's, while the Pro Max will allegedly have a 4,676 mAh battery, 5% larger than the iPhone 15 Pro Max's. Motorola confirmed it will unveil the Edge 50 series in full on April 16. Expect the Edge 50 Pro, the Edge 50 Ultra, and the Edge 50 Fusion. Redmi Turbo 3 announced with SD 8s Gen 3 and 90W charging The newest member in the Redmi series may launch as the Poco F6 outside of China. iPhone 16 series battery capacities leak One of them is smaller than you might expect. Motorola confirms April 16 event for Edge 50 series announcement Expect the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion, Edge 50 Pro, and Edge 50 Ultra to go official. Remember the Leica Leits Phone? You said no, right? Well, Leica unveiled the third generation with a 1-inch type main sensor, and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. The single camera on the back is a 47.2MP 1-inch type with an intriguing 19mm f/1.9 lens. There's a 12.6MP f/2.3 selfie shooter on the front. The Leitz Phone 3 will become available in Japan on April 19, and it ships with a 'lens cap' and matching case. Concerned Catholics of Guam officers on April 12, 2024 donate $10,000 to support the formation of seminarians at Saint Patricks Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California. From left, CCOG vice-president Andrew Camacho, CCOG president David Sablan, CCOG Treasurer Gerry Taitano, Archdiocese of Agana Apostolic Administrator Father Romeo D. Convocar, director of vocations Father Richard Kidd, and delegate of the apostolic administrator Father Mike Crisostomo. Four people were rescued after their 32-foot vessel capsized off the coast of San Francisco's Ocean Beach on Sunday morning, authorities said. Firefighters responded to a report of a capsized boat with four people on board just after 9:30 a.m., the fire department said on X, formerly called Twitter. The vessel was 3 miles off the coast, fire officials said. At 10:07 a.m., fire officials said on X that the four individuals were rescued and were all reported to be stable. It is not yet known what caused the boat to capsize, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Grace Patton. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Two of the victims, rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard, were taken to Horseshoe Bay to be evaluated, Patton said. The other two people were rescued by a San Francisco Police Department marine boat, Patton said. Separately on Saturday, six adults and one child were rescued in Tomales Bay after their boat overturned and they were left clinging to it in cold water. Three were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, while four others were released after being warmed up, the Marin County Fire Department wrote on X. Haiti - Politic : The President of Kenya William Ruto welcomes the creation of the Presidential Transitional Council The President of Kenya William Ruto welcomed the publication in Haiti of the decree confirming the creation of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42104-haiti-flash-the-modified-decree-creating-the-presidential-council-published-official.html responsible, among other things, for choosing the next Acting Prime Minister and a new ministerial cabinet. "This decision is evident of the collective courage and singular sacrifice of the Haitian Council of Cabinet to forge a Haiti free of violence and to entrench a new democratic administration. We look forward to the PTC moving with speed to appoint the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Ruto said on his official "X" account. For President Ruto, this is a positive step that will help restore stability and security in Haiti "I commend the leadership of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for their steadfast stewardship of the intense consultations that led to the establishment of a Presidential Transitional Council that reflects the diverse sections of Haitian society. [...] Kenya expresses confidence that the new political leadership will lay a strong foundation for the resolution of the crisis in Haiti, restoration of security, afford the Haitian people a political transition and usher in sustainable peace and development. Kenya reiterates its strong solidarity with Haiti and stands ready to make its contribution within the framework elaborated in the UN Security Council Resolution 2699 of 2023" Ruto added and concluded. Let's recall that Kenya had temporarily suspended the deployment process of the Multinational Mission in Haiti following the announcement of the resignation of Prime Minister a.i. Henry https://www.haitilibre.com/article-41872-haiti-flash-le-kenya -suspends-the-deployment-of-the-mission-in-haiti.html Korir Sing'oei, Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Kenya declared "Without a political administration in Haiti, there is no anchor on which a police deployment can rest, this is why the Government will wait for the installation of a new Government in Haiti before taking new decisions [...]" while reiterating that Kenya remained determined to "ensure leadership of the Assignment. However, following a telephone interview with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared "Blinken informed me that a new Presidential Transitional Council will be formed shortly to manage the situation in Haiti" on my side "I have assured Blinken that Kenya will take the lead in the multinational mission immediately after the installation in Haiti of the Presidential Transitional Council." https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41880-haiti-flash-kenya-promises-to-deploy-the-mission-after-the-establishment-of-the-presidential-transitional-council.html See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42106-haiti-flash-biden-releases-60-million-usd-for-the-mission-led-by-kenya.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41880-haiti-flash-kenya-promises-to-deploy-the-mission-after-the-establishment-of-the-presidential-transitional-council.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41872-haiti-flash-kenya-suspends-the-deployment-of-the-mission-in-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41864-haiti-flash-acting-prime-minister-ariel-henry-resigns-video.html SL/ HaitiLibre Farrah Abraham, who accused then-Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli of raping her in 2021, stands in front of the Sonoma County Superior Court on Saturday with three other women who have accused Foppoli of sexual assault to draw attention to their ongoing civil lawsuits. Brian L. Frank/Special to the Chronicle Two weeks after state prosecutors suspended their criminal investigation into former Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli, four of the more than a dozen women who have accused him of sexual assault stood together outside the Sonoma County Superior Courthouse in Santa Rosa, saying their fight for justice is not over. I went through some of the darkest times in my life when this happened, Farrah Abraham, who accused Foppoli of assaulting her in Florida in 2021, told a crowd of several dozen supporters. If nothing is done, a rapist will repeat their behavior. The Saturday news conference marked the first time that Foppolis accusers have appeared together publicly since first speaking out in several Chronicle investigations, a 2021 series that led to the criminal investigation and Foppolis ultimate resignation from Windsors top post. In the wake of the Chronicle reports, nine of the women filed three separate lawsuits in Sonoma County, which are all ongoing. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The California Attorney Generals Office said it was not moving forward with charges against Foppoli on March 28, nearly three years to the day since law enforcement first began investigating the allegations, which include rape, groping and other acts of sexual violence. A spokesperson for the state agency said that it was not officially closing the investigation because it could become active again if new information came to light during the civil cases or if additional accusers came forward. Dominic Foppoli attends a Halloween event in Windsor in 2020. State prosecutors said last month they had suspended their criminal investigation into sexual assault allegations made against the former Windsor mayor. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Foppoli, who has consistently denied assaulting any women, said in a lengthy statement Saturday that the accusations were politically and financially motivated. I have nothing to hide and have offered to be deposed under oath from the beginning, said Foppoli, while labeling the women false accusers who were crying wolf. In his statement, Foppoli threatened to counter-sue the women for slander and defamation. If I do I will win and then donate all net proceeds from the lawsuit to charities supporting victims of actual sexual violence, he said. Its time for the truth to come out and these women and their attorneys to apologize to my family, my friends, my town, and real victims for the harm they have caused. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Foppoli has also cast the Attorney Generals decision to suspend its criminal investigation as evidence of his innocence a conclusion that the women pushed back against on Saturday. Traci Carrillo, one of the lead civil attorneys and a former prosecutor, said the suspension of the criminal case did not mean Foppoli had been exonerated. He was not found innocent by any means, Carrillo said. We will show why the AG just lacked the courage, if you will, to move forward in the criminal justice system because again were going to forge forward and be undaunted. Traci Carrillo, one of the lead attorneys representing multiple women in a civil case against former Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli, stands with some of the women in front of the Sonoma County Superior Court during a media event on Saturday to draw attention to the ongoing litigation against Foppoli. Brian L. Frank/Special to the Chronicle Lawyers representing the women said Saturday that two of the lawsuits have been scheduled for trial in 2025. Abrahams attorney, Spencer Kuvin whose clients have included women who brought civil cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Cosby noted that Cosby was criminally charged after a deposition he gave for a civil case. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Abraham, a social media influencer and former reality television star, told police in Palm Beach, Fla. that Foppoli sexually assaulted her after a night of drinking in March 2021. The Palm Beach Police Department later suspended its investigation without interviewing Foppoli or potential witnesses, the Chronicle reported in March 2022. I cant wait to get him to sit down in a sworn deposition so that I can ask him some questions, Kuvin said of Foppoli. In addition to Abraham, several of Foppolis accusers who are also parties to the lawsuits provided statements that were played over a loudspeaker or read by Carrillo on Saturday. In these messages, the women detailed the pain they have endured, as well as the strength they said they had found in coming together as a group. Women who accused former Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli of sexual assault held a press conference on Saturday at the Santa Rosa Civil Courthouse. The event followed the California Attorney Generals recent decision not to pursue criminal charges against Foppoli. Members of the public wore blue ribbons in support of sexual assault awareness month at the press conference. Brian L. Frank/Special to the Chronicle Three of the women read a joint statement to the crowd. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We are shocked that even with the large number of women who have come forward that this is still not considered enough for a criminal conviction, they said. We are horrified at the prospect of waiting for the next victim. Abraham said she will be continuing this fight against my abuser in civil court to make him and everyone that supported his behavior accountable for his actions and damages they have caused. I will not stop until justice is served. The tragic school shooting in Vantaa was covered in an article by BBC on April 4. Here is a selection of what the international press has published about Finland in the last week: The article presents deep reflection and questions about how such an extreme act could occur, particularly involving a 12-year-old perpetrator. The 12-year-old killed one pupil and seriously injured two others. The shooters actions, including wearing a mask and noise-cancelling headphones, indicate premeditation, leaving the community shocked and struggling to comprehend the young age of the suspect. The article also delves into the issue of bullying, as the shooter reportedly indicated bullying as a motive for the attack. While bullying is a widespread issue in Finland, with studies showing a significant percentage of children affected, the extreme response of violence is rare. It also examines Finlands gun control laws, noting the countrys high rate of gun ownership but little discussion about tightening regulations following the shooting. Instead, there is a call for social intervention and support services to prevent such tragedies. Some argue for lowering the age of criminal responsibility, while others emphasize the importance of addressing underlying issues through societal discussions and preventative measures. The most important thing is preventative measures. What I would hope to see is a societal discussion on how we can provide services for children and young people in supporting their growth, Tomi Kiilakoski, youth researcher at the University of Tampere, told the BBC. Original story was published by BBC on 04.04.2024 and can be found here. Putin miscalculated on Finlands border This article about Russian President Vladimir Putins recent threat to deploy troops near Finlands border was published by Politico on April 8. The article examines the potential implications of such a move. Despite the intimidating rhetoric, the article suggests that Finlands NATO membership provides it with substantial protection, diminishing any existential concerns over Putins threats. The article highlights the logistical challenges posed by Putins threat, given the extensive length of the border between Russia and Finland. It also critiques Putins complaint about Finlands NATO accession, likening it to the behavior of a bully or an abusive partner. We generally had ideal relations with Finland. Simply perfect. We did not have a single claim against each other, especially territorial, not to mention other areas. We didnt even have troops; we removed all the troops from there, from the Russian-Finnish border, Putin complained in an interview with the RIA state news agency. Putins assertion that Russia had removed all troops from the border with Finland before Finland joined NATO overlooks Russias own belligerence, which contributed to Finlands decision to seek NATO membership. The article also delves into Russias military capabilities and constraints, stating that Russia lacks the necessary resources to fulfill Putins threat effectively, citing challenges such as stretched military forces, recruitment difficulties, and logistical limitations. They still have the 138th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade in Kamenka [near St. Petersburg], around 50 kilometers from the Finnish border. But the garrison is pretty empty, with no combat-ready troops because theyre all in Ukraine. And all the five brigades close to us were half-strength already before the war, Retired Major General Pekka Toveri said. The article asserts Finlands response to Putins threats as calmer in tone, reflecting the understanding of Russias military limitations and recruitment challenges. The author, Elisabeth Braw is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, the author of Goodbye Globalization and a regular columnist for Politico. Original story was published by Politico on 08.04.2024 and can be found here. A year of living less dangerously? Finlands first 12 months in NATO Finlands first year as a NATO member was covered in an article by Al Jazeera on April 4. The article discusses Finlands shift away from its traditional policy of neutrality and self-reliance towards embracing NATO for security. The article highlights the reasons behind Finlands decision, including concerns about Russias aggression and the perceived benefits of NATO membership in deterring potential Russian threats. The war [in Ukraine] led to a major threat evaluation caused by Russias vocal demands for sphere of influence, its appetite for risk-taking and readiness to use military force at a massive scale, as well as its nuclear coercion, Matti Pesu, a leading researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), specialising in Northern European security, told Al Jazeera. NATO membership emerged as the only viable solution to fill this perceived deterrence deficit in Finnish security. Currently, the prevailing view on Russia in Finland across the society is overwhelmingly negative, and Finland calls for hardline solutions both in EU and NATO, Pesu said. The article also examines the impact of Finlands NATO membership on its relationship with Russia, noting increased tensions and changes in economic and political engagement between the two countries. Russia tries to destabilise Finland by facilitating or at least allowing more illegal migration, Wolfgang Pusztai, a senior adviser at the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy told Al Jazeera. There is even information that Russian border authorities are actively assisting migrants without proper documents in reaching the border zone. Finnish officials consider this as a form of payback for Finlands NATO accession, he added. The article also discusses Finlands contributions to NATO, including its strategic location, military capabilities, and expertise in Arctic warfare. Original story was published by Al Jazeera on 04.04.2024 and can be found here. Is finland really the happiest country in the world? Finlands status as the happiest country in the world was covered in an article by Gript on April 4. The article questions Finlands status, contrasting it with Irelands declining happiness ranking. It highlights Finland's challenges, including high rates of intimate partner violence, workplace harassment, and mental health issues such as depression and drug-related fatalities. The methodology of the World Happiness Report has been criticized, suggesting that factors like GDP per capita do not accurately measure individual happiness. It also challenges the self-reported nature of happiness surveys, questioning their reliability. The article suggests that these metrics may not accurately capture the complexities of individual happiness and societal well-being. Furthermore, the article discusses Finlands mental health challenges, particularly concerning its youth population. High suicide rates, drug-related fatalities, and increasing rates of depression and anxiety paint a more nuanced picture of Finlands societal well-being, contrasting with its image as a happy nation. Original story was published by Gript on 04.04.2024 and can be found here. Russia Issues Nuclear Warning to New NATO Member Russias nuclear warning amid Finlands NATO membership was covered in an article by Newsweek on April 6. The article outlines how Russia perceives NATO as a hostile entity and views the expansion of the alliance, especially to countries like Finland, as a direct threat to its security interests. The warning issued by the Russian ambassador underscores Russias concerns about NATOs presence near its borders and its readiness to respond to what it sees as provocative actions, such as the deployment of nuclear weapons in Finland. The article provides context by mentioning Finlands decision to join NATO in response to Russias military aggression, particularly its invasion of Ukraine. It reflects on Finlands strategic shift towards aligning with Western security structures to deter potential Russian threats. The article also highlights the diplomatic tension between Russia and Finland, with Russian President Putin denouncing Finlands NATO membership as a senseless step. It touches upon Finlands Prime Ministers address to the European Parliament, where he emphasizes the importance of supporting Ukraine and standing up to Russias military activities in Europe. Original story was published by Newsweek on 06.04.2024 and can be found here. HT Edwards's support for Ukraine aid earns him national spotlight U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards is shown at an 11th Congressional District primary debate in this Lightning file photo. U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards' strong declaration of support for U.S. aid to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion won the freshman Republican notice in Congress and the top billing in the Washington Post's daily politics feature The Early 202 on Friday. The Post had "Seven questions for Rep. Chuck Edwards" after he returned from a bipartisan trip to Ukraine, Moldova and Poland to see firsthand the Russian-Ukraine war and meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials and Bridget Brink, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. Also on the trip were Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) and Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.), the Post reported. Edwards said because news media coverage now tilts overwhelmingly to Israel's war with Hamas Americans are not seeing how dire the situation is for Ukraine. The congressman from Flat Rock split with many in his party when he declared that Ukraine aid should not be coupled with legislation to respond to the southwest border crisis. Deputies return fire after gunman crashes van and shoots at them Henderson County sheriffs deputies exchanged gunfire Saturday night with an armed man who had been threatening people in the North Mills River Campground, the sheriff's office said. The sheriff's office received a call at 6:07 p.m. that a man with a gun was threatening people at the campground. After officers arrived, the suspect drove off and deputies gave chase. After driver crashed his van, he fired shots from the vehicle. leading to the exchange of gunfire, the sheriff's office said in a news release. Based on sheriff's office protocol for officer-involved shootings, the deputies involved were placed on administrative leave and the SBI was notified and is currently conducting an investigation. No further information was released as of Saturday night, the news release said, citing the fact that the investigation is ongoing. Sunday April 14, 2024 MV Abdullah. CREDIT / Vessel Finder Mogadishu (HOL) Early Sunday morning, the crew of the MV Abdullah, a Bangladeshi-flagged cargo ship, was freed from Somali pirates after an intense negotiation process that spanned several weeks. The ship and its 23 crew members had been held since March 12, when pirates hijacked the vessel approximately 600 nautical miles from Mogadishu, Somalia. Kabir Group, the ship's owner, and Mizanul Islam, its media adviser, confirmed that the vessel is now en route to Dubai. "The sailors are in good health and relieved to be freed," Islam stated, announcing that further details will be disclosed at a press briefing later Sunday at the company's Agrabad office. including video calls facilitated by diplomatic efforts."The crew managed to make contact with SR Shipping and their families during the ordeal, conveying threats from the pirates demanding a ransom," reported bdnews24.com. After nine days of captivity, the ship's owners initiated negotiations through a mediator, leading to the ship's release following a successful ransom agreement.The saga began in early March during the ship's voyage from Maputo, Mozambique, to the United Arab Emirates, carrying 55,000 tonnes of coal. Negotiations for the sailors' release gained momentum as Eid-ul-Fitr approached, with hopes rising for a resolution before the holiday.Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud was actively involved, highlighting the government's commitment to ensuring the crew's safety. "We have made significant progress in negotiations and remain hopeful for an imminent resolution," Mahmud stated earlier this month.The pirates initially demanded a $5 million ransom . However, the shipowner, Kabir Group, opted for negotiation over force, declining proposals from international navies and Somali security forces to storm the vessel, citing risks to crew safety and the volatile cargo.The situation escalated when pirates armed the MV Abdullah with heavy artillery , responding to the proximity of EU naval forces by firing warning shots. This development prompted heightened concerns for the crew's well-being, who faced harsh conditions on board. "The pirates have heavily armed themselves, exerting pressure. But our focus has remained on securing a peaceful resolution," stated Mizanul Islam.Throughout the ordeal, the presence of EU and Indian naval forces in the vicinity provided a subtle form of pressure on the pirates, even as direct military intervention was ruled out by both the Bangladeshi government and the ship's owners.The incident marks another significant hijacking involving a Kabir Group ship, reminiscent of the 2010 MV Jahan Moni episode, which also ended with a paid ransom after months of negotiations. SR Shipping operates a fleet of 24 vessels, with the MV Abdullah among the latest additions. Islam added that the company will evaluate its security measures to prevent future incidents.The release of MV Abdullah not only provides relief to the 23 Bangladeshi sailors and their families but also raises concerns about the long-term solutions required to secure shipping lanes in the piracy-prone Indian Ocean, a vital route for international trade. The hijackings have reignited discussions on maritime security measures and international cooperation to combat piracy. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Mysuru and Mangaluru on April 14 to campaign for Lok Sabha polls, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday asked the former to explain what he did for Karnataka. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah. Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Let him (Modi) come (to Mysuru). We dont have any objection if Modi comes and goes because he is a prime minister. Also Read - Siddaramaiah claims Op Lotus in Karnataka': BJP offered 50 crore "Let him (Modi) do it (election campaigning) but he should explain what he has done for the people of Karnataka, and to address unemployment, injustice to Karnataka in tax devolution and zero compensation given to the state to mitigate drought." Later, addressing a public gathering during a road show called Janadhwani Yatra in Mysuru, the chief minister lashed out at the prime minister and questioned about his promise of bringing back black money stashed abroad, doubling the income of farmers, creating two crore jobs per year and reducing the price of diesel, petrol, gas and fertilisers. "Indians were constantly deceived and cheated through many lies. Would you mind voting for someone who cheated you for 10 years," the chief minister asked the crowd. Highlighting the contributions made by the Congress for the development of Mysuru city, he said every intelligent person in the town knows who built the Jayadeva Hospital, women and children's hospital, schools and hostels. Siddaramaiah said the BJP also had the opportunity to do as much work as Congress did as people gave them a chance, which they missed. He asked people to vote for the Congress candidate for Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha constituency M Lakshmana who will have a direct fight with BJPs candidate and scion of Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar. "People of Mysore-Kodagu gave an opportunity to the BJP by electing MPs and MLAs but no one including prime minister and chief ministers did any work for the development of the constituency. Now they are just changing the candidate and asking for votes," Siddaramaiah alleged. He wondered how Modi would face the voters as he did nothing for Mysuru. "Modi is visiting Mysuru tomorrow. With what face will he ask for votes? Let Modi and his MPs show what they have done for Mysuru. After riding on lies for 10 years, with what face will Modi visit the state?" the chief minister asked. Karnataka is going to the polls in two phases. While 14 Lok Sabha segments in the southern parts of the state will vote on April 26, the remaining 14 constituencies in the northern parts will vote in the second phase on May 7. The people of Bengaluru will have to wait for a little longer to see showers in their scorching hot city. The rains were expected earlier after Ugadi, but there has been no relief from the unprecedented heat. Bengaluru's dry spell is likely to continue for another week: Report Also Read - Bengaluru can expect light to moderate rains after Ugadi: Report According to a report in the Deccan Herald, the rains can only be expected after April 19, and the dry spell will continue for at least another week. Speaking to the publication, a senior scientist from the Indian Meteorological Departement (IMD), A. Prasad, said, The position of the trough is not favourable to Bengaluru, and this might delay the expected rainfall in the city. The trough has to move towards the east, and Bengaluru will get rainy in that case. However, the IMD scientist said that Bengaluru will see rain in April. We are hopeful that we will see at least one rain this month. Continuous spell of rains is unlikely, added Prasad. Meanwhile, the temperatures in Bengaluru reportedly came down in the last week. Compared to 37.6 degrees Celsius on April 6, Bengaluru recorded only 34 degrees Celsius on April 13. The much-needed rains are expected to be a breather from the high temperatures, but they are also expected to recharge the borewells which went dry in the city, leading to a severe water crisis in the last two months. The Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) earlier issued a fresh heatwave advisory, stating that people should remain indoors during peak temperatures, especially between 11 am and 3 pm. A portion of Highway 1 is seen collapsed near Rocky Creek Bridge in Monterey County on April 1. The undamaged half of the roadway is expected to reopen by Memorial Day weekend, with a signal allowing traffic to alternate. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle Initial repairs to stabilize the portion of Highway 1 in Monterey County that collapsed last month are expected to be completed by Memorial Day, marking the end of convoys for travelers to cross the road, Caltrans said. After repairs are completed by May 27, residents and essential workers can expect to see a temporary signal that will allow unrestricted one-way traffic while crews begin on another phase of construction, the transit agency said Friday. We know how important Highway 1 is to the regional economy, especially during the summer, so we are working to reopen the roadway as quickly and safely as possible while at the same time making it more resilient to future extreme weather events, Caltrans director Tony Tavares said in a statement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Caltrans has led two daily convoys to help local residents and essential workers cross Highway 1 at Rocky Creek Bridge since part of the road fell into the ocean during a storm on March 30. The problem stranded about 1,600 people during Easter weekend, after many had traveled to the Big Sur area. A day after a 34-year-old woman was stabbed to death in Farsh Bazar near Shahdara, the Delhi Police on Sunday said it has apprehended a 15-year-old girl in connection with the crime. The incident happened following a fight over using a common water tap, police added. Water minister Atishi has demanded the suspension of the Delhi Jal Board CEO alleging there was a shortage of water in the area which has led to the loss of a life. (ANI) The incident has sparked a political row between the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government and the lieutenant governor wherein water minister Atishi has demanded the suspension of the Delhi Jal Board CEO alleging there was a shortage of water in the area which has led to the loss of a life. Atishi posted on X: Onset of summers has barely started and many parts of Delhi are already facing water shortages, despite repeated directions to Chief Secretary and Delhi Jal Board... This is criminal negligence by officers of DJB. I have written to LG asking him to immediately suspend the CEO... to take stringent action.... HT reached out to the LG office which did not respond to queries seeking comments. A DJB official said that Bhikam Singh Colony, an unauthorised regularised colony, gets water supply through DJB and is currently facing no supply shortage. In this colony water is being supplied from Surajmal Vihar reservoir twice a day. No water complaints have been received from the area and no tankers are being deployed. An investigator said that on Friday, the deceased woman and the suspects family fought over who would get to fill their buckets first. There was no shortage of water. They fought because the victim removed a bucket from under the tap which belonged to the suspect. This led to an argument and subsequent fight, the officer said. Atishis communication, a copy of which HT has seen, said: Being incharge of services and vigilance, swift and strong action must be taken by LG to give a message to all officers that such negligence will not be tolerated. Deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara) Surendra Choudhary said that the suspect is the daughter of the deceased womans neighbour. During the probe, it came to light that Soni and her husband Satbir Singh fought with their neighbour, his wife and daughter over the issue on Friday morning. During the fight, Soni allegedly twisted the girls arm and the girl had to visit a hospital for treatment. After returning home, the girl and her mother picked up another fight with Soni and Satbir, which is when the suspect stabbed Soni, the DCP said. Police said that Sonis autopsy was conducted on Saturday and the report is awaited. The girl was produced before the juvenile justice board, the officer said adding that further probe was underway. The AAP government has been alleging that the bureaucrats controlled by the Centre-appointed LG have starved DJB of funds which has led to the non-execution of projects like the installation of new borewells. However, DJB and officials have argued that there is no shortage of water in the city. Propelled by his image as the nemesis of the mafia and riot-mongers, an unstoppable good governance mascot and a Hindutva leader who has matured in the quest to take everyone along, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is a firm favourite on the Lok Sabha campaign trail both within and outside the state this poll season, clocking over 40 election meetings in a fortnight with many more to come. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath along with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and others during a public meeting in support of Union Minister of State for Defence and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Ajay Bhatt ahead of Lok Sabha polls, on Saturday (Pawan Kumar/ ANI) Also Read: Rioters hiding, begging for their lives, says Yogi Besides addressing numerous meetings in Uttar Pradesh, he has toured Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in a week. He will campaign in Uttarakhand constituencies again on Sunday and is set to visit Bihar early next week. Establishing a strong people-connect at every election meeting, he shuffles the issues by raising the points linked to the populace and highlighting achievements of the double-engine BJP governments led by Modi at the Centre and Yogi in the state. As Yogi builds narratives within the BJPs poll narratives, his style has worked well to the partys advantage both in the 2019 Lok Sabha and the 2022 U.P. assembly polls. Also Read: Troublemakers now shake with fear, says Yogi With the party campaigning for Teesri Baar, Modi Sarkar in 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Yogi model, being followed by BJP governments in some states, may evolve further to take the centre stage. Till 2017, as head of Gorakhnath Peeth, Mahant Yogi Adityanath cultivated the image of a hardline Hindutva leader and he is not shying away from flaunting it now. With his government known for strong action against the mafia and attracting large investment to Uttar Pradesh, he highlights such achievements outside the state too. Also Read: PM praises Yogis law and order model On Saturday, Yogi addressed a public meeting at Haldwani, instantly connecting with the people as he referred to Congress leaders with roots in the hill state who served as chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh. In his connection, he named U.Ps first chief minister Govind Ballabh Pant and leaders like Narayan Dutt Tiwari and Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, who were born in present-day Uttarakhand and gave leadership to the undivided Uttar Pradesh as the chief ministers of Congress-led governments. The issue of assets and liability between the two states was instantly resolved when Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami brought this to his notice, he said, adding that the BJP governments have been resolving the issues the same way. At Badhapur assembly segment (Bijnor) of Moradabad Lok Sabha seat, he spoke about the 1980 Moradabad riots and how the inquiry report was pushed under the carpet by previous regimes but his government tabled the same in the state legislative assembly. At Baheri (Bareilly) under the Pilibhit Lok Sabha seat, he targeted the Samajwadi Party- Congress alliance, asserting that the tenures of governments led by the two parties witnessed riots. On the other hand, the state has not witnessed any riots during the tenure of his government, he said. Earlier, addressing a public meeting in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan on April 7, he said the Congress government served biryani to the terrorists while at Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir on April 10, he said the grand old party played with the sentiments of the people with regard to the Sanatana Dharma. At Wardha in Maharashtra on April 8, he brought the killings of two saints in Palghar to the fore while targeting the then Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena government. Strict action would have been taken against the perpetrators if such an incident had taken place in Uttar Pradesh, he emphasised. Yes, Yogi Adityanath is a major factor not only in Uttar Pradesh but also outside the state. This is mainly because of his attempts to focus on awakening Hindu consciousness, his security model and his following as the leader of Nath Panth, said Professor Badri Narayan of GB Pant Social Science Institute, Prayagraj. After assuming office as chief minister, Yogi has shown maturity in politics. He has proved his mettle and the Yogi model of governance has become popular across the country, said Professor SK Dwivedi, former head of department political science, Lucknow University. A massive fire broke out in a hotel located in Charbagh on Sunday morning, said fire safety officials and hotel staff. However, hotel staff responded quickly and used extinguishers to stop it from turning worse. Ten visitors, who were staying in an upper floor and got stuck, were saved, they added. The fire started from kitchen engulfing goods kept there in no time. Firefighters took around two hours to contain it. (Sourced) The fire started from kitchen engulfing goods kept there in no time. Firefighters took around two hours to contain the blaze. The incident took place at Balaji Grand Hotel and Restaurant owned by Charbagh resident Mukesh Aggarwal and managed by Ashish from Alambagh. It has four floors a restaurant on the ground floor and nine rooms above. According to hotel manager Ashish, the fire broke out at around 9:15 am while chef Govind was cooking in the kitchen. On receiving the distress call, chief fire officer, Lucknow, Mangesh Kumar and fire station officer, Hazratganj, Ram Kumar Rawat rushed to the spot with three fire engines. However, during the probe the hotel owner could not provide the necessary fire no objection certificate (NOC), raising concerns regarding adherence to fire safety protocols. Fire station officer Ram Kumar Rawat said while fire safety equipment was present on the site, initial attempts to contain the fire were unsuccessful. Subsequently, fire and police authorities were alerted. There have been many such incidents in Charbagh and in other parts of the city in the past. A fire had broken out at Levana Suites hotel in Hazratganj in 2022 in which four people had lost their lives. Body of a 15-year-old teenage girl having injury marks on neck and back from a blunt object was found lying inside her house under Khairighat police station limits of Bahraich district late on Saturday night, said senior police officials on Sunday. Teen girl hacked to death; brother found hanging from tree (Pic for representation) They said the body of the girls elder brother was found hanging from a tree near her house while the mother of the two deceased and their eldest brother and his wife were found missing from the house. The police officials suspected that the boy, who was also in his teenage, first murdered the girl by attacking her with a spade over her alleged illicit relation with a man and thereafter hanged himself fearing police action. They said their eldest brother and his wife as well as their mother disappeared from their house to evade social embarrassment and police action. Khairighat Inspector in-charge, Sanjay Kumar Singh said the incident was reported from Thailia Baduwapur village when a village guard spotted the girls body soaked in blood lying in the verandah of her house at around 10.30 pm on Saturday night while a spade having blood stains was lying near the body. He said the girl was apparently hacked to death with the same spade. Only a few minutes later, the body of the deceased girls brother was found hanging from a tree around 200-meters from the house. However, the deceased siblings mother, their elder brother and his wife were found missing, said the inspector. Another police official confirmed the two deceased siblings had strained relations with their elder brother and his wife, so they lived separately in the village. He said the deceased girl had love affair with a man of the same village and had eloped with him nearly 10-days back. He said the girl was handed over to the family while her lover was sent to jail for eloping with a minor girl. He said the bodies of the two deceased have been sent for postmortem examination and efforts are on to trace their missing family members. He said the police are further trying to ascertain the exact reason behind the killing and the alleged suicide and mystery behind their family members disappearance. Thane: Early in the morning on Friday, Bhiwandi police received a tip-off that a Bangladeshi woman had abducted a 4-month-old baby from Dombivli and reached the state transport bus depot at Bhiwandi with the child. Around the same time, S Raj (name changed to protect identity) filed a complaint at the Manpada police station in Dombivali, saying his 4-month-old baby boy Viraj had been kidnapped by a girl who was living with his family. HT Image By Friday evening though, the narrative had changed entirely. The Bangladeshi woman, who was traced and arrested by the afternoon, was actually a 17-year-old girl from Bagerhat district in the neighbouring country who was allegedly trafficked into India with her mother and aunt and forced into prostitution by S Raj, who was from the same village as her, said police officials. The police are now in the process of booking Raj for kidnapping the minor girl with her mother and aunt and forcing her into flesh trade. According to police sources, the girl lived in Bangladesh with her mother, who worked as a farm labourer. Three months ago, they met a woman who said her brother-in-law Raj lived in Dombivli near Mumbai, where there were vacancies in a few companies for garment-related work. She asked the mother and daughter to check if other women from the village too were interested in the work. Some days later, the girl, her mother and aunt were brought into India illegally. Three or four different persons who were relatives of Raj transported them from one place to another till they reached Kalyan via train, where Raj picked them up, said a police officer. Raj allegedly took the three women to his residence in Dombivalis Manpada area. The next day, he took the girls mother and aunt to some other place saying they had to attend a job interview. While they did not return, the girl continued staying in Rajs house, and all three were allegedly forced into prostitution, said police. Raj began sending her to different elder men at two hotels near his house, as well as on two- or three-day trips with clients to Sambhaji Nagar and other districts. The girl tried resisting, but he threatened her, saying he would leak her videos in compromising position and kill her mother and aunt, said the police officer. The girl pleaded with Raj to at least allow her to meet her mother for nearly three months, but to no avail. Desperate for a way out, she decided to kidnap Rajs four-month-old baby. At around 4 am on Friday, when everyone was in deep sleep, she took the baby boy and the mobile phones of all family members and fled, said the police officer. She contacted people in her village who gave her details of a person from Bhiwandi who could help her. She then took a rickshaw and reached Bhiwandi. By that afternoon, both she and the baby boy were traced and brought to Bhiwandi crime branch by assistant police inspector Dhanraj Kedar and constables Maya Dongare and Amol Desai. The police initially faced difficulties in communicating with her as she didnt know Hindi, so a person who knew Bengali was called in to help with translation. The girl was later handed over to the Dombivli Manpada police for further investigation. VT Kadbane, senior police inspector at Manpada police station, said, It appears that both the Raj and the minor girl are from the same village, and the girl was taking care of his child. We are trying to verify all details and investigate all angles. The Bhiwandi crime branch has also written to the Manpada police to book Raj for kidnapping the minor girl, her mother and aunt and forcing them into flesh trade, said police officials. Alia Bhatt is celebrating her second wedding anniversary with Ranbir Kapoor. On Sunday, the actor took to her Instagram account to share a romantic picture with Ranbir and a special animated picture for the occasion. Alia and Ranbir got married at their Mumbai home Vastu on April 14, 2022. (Also read: Alia Bhatt thanks everyone for birthday wishes with a cute picture: It was a good day) Alia Bhatt shared a new picture with Ranbir Kapoor on their wedding anniversary. Alia's new Instagram post Alia shared a black and white picture with Ranbir which seems to have been taken on their post-wedding reception bash. On that day, Ranbir opted for a black suit while Alia wore a short silver Oscar de la Renta dress for the bling-themed bash. The new unseen picture was a closeup of Ranbir and Alia, smiling for the camera. The next picture was a cute animated one, that had an aged couple dancing on the rooftop of a building on a starry evening. This seemed like a reference to the Oscar-winning Pixar movie Up, which released in 2009. Alia's post also had the song clip from the movie titled, Married Life. In the caption, Alia wrote: happy 2. heres to us my love today & many many years from today. More details Ranbir's mother, actor Neetu Kapoor also wished the couple. She shared a picture from their pre-wedding festivities and wrote in the caption, Blessings (red heart emojis). Meawhile, Alia's mother Soni Razdan shared the official wedding picture of Alia and Ranbir and wrote, Happiest Anniversary Darlings, in the caption. Alia and Ranbir have a daughter- Raha. She was born in 2022. After hiding her face from the paparazzi and social media for over a year, the couple finally revealed it officially at the Kapoor family's annual Christmas lunch last year. Alia was last seen in Heart of Stone. The actor will be seen next in Jigra. She will subsequently reunite with Ranbir for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place. What Pooja Bhatt said She tweeted, "Horrific and condemnable. If this can happen with a police van parked outside the Khan residence for protection then it is fair to say that safety is an illusion. Need more stringent surveillance in Bandra for certain. Robberies were rife a while ago and now a shoot out? Scary." The original tweet by ANI read, "Today at around 5 am, two unidentified people opened fire outside the house of actor Salman Khan in Bandra. Police have received information about 3 rounds of firing. Mumbai Police's Crime Branch has reached the spot for investigation: Mumbai Police." After the firing incident, Mumbai Police increased security outside Salman's house. Police have so far recorded statements of more than five people in connection with the case, as per ANI. Here's what happened Two motorbike-borne unidentified persons opened fire outside Salman's house early on Sunday morning leading the police to enhance security around his residence and launch a search for the accused, an official said. The two persons fired four rounds outside Galaxy Apartments in Mumbai's Bandra area, where the actor resides, at around 5 am and fled from the spot, the police official said. Local police, crime branch personnel and a team of forensic experts reached the spot to collect evidence and started a probe into the incident. There was no official word from the police or Salman Khan's family on whether the actor was present in the house at the time of the incident. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Pooja Hegde will soon be seen opposite Shahid Kapoor in the film Deva. The actor has reportedly bought a new property worth 45 crore in Mumbai. As per the new report by ETimes, the sea-facing property is in the Bandra area of Mumbai. (Also read: Pooja is proud of Telugu industry representing at Oscars: I feel I belong) Pooja Hegde will move into her lavish sea-facing home in Mumbai.(Photo: Instagram) Pooja Hegde purchases new sea-facing home in Bandra Pooja has purchased a sea-facing property which has 4,000 square feet of living space. Her new home in Mumbai's Bandra is worth 45 crore. The report added, Pooja Hegde has relocated to a stunning sea-facing mansion, boasting a sprawling 4,000 square feet of living space. Nestled in a prime location, this opulent abode not only offers panoramic vistas of the sea but also serves as a sanctuary of comfort and elegance in the heart of Mumbai. The actor is yet to confirm the same. However, the portal claims that given her interest in aesthetics, it might be possible that she would be shifting to her new home sooner. A source closer to the actor said that the mansion is a testament to her achievements and aspirations. It is meant to showcase that dreams do come true with determination, perseverance, and unwavering dedication. Pooja Hegde's upcoming projects Pooja won the Miss India Talented 2009 title in the beauty pageant. However, she was eliminated from the first round. She later made her acting debut with the Tamil superhero movie Mugamoodi. Her first Bollywood project was Ashutosh Gowariker's Mohenjo Daro opposite Hrithik Roshan. She later starred in Akshay Kumar's Houseful 4, Ranveer Singh's Cirkus and Salman Khan's Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. She has also worked with South superstars like Allu Arjun, Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Vijay and Chiranjeevi. The actor is currently filming Shahid Kapoor's action-thriller Deva. Pooja will also be starring alongside Ahan Shetty in Sajid Nadiadwala's Sanki. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Two unidentified persons opened fire outside the residence of Salman Khan in Mumbai early Sunday morning, reported PTI quoting police. Now, as per a report by ETimes, the actor's father Salim Khan went out for a walk after the incident took place. (Also read: Watch: Visuals from outside Salman Khan residence where 2 unidentified men opened fire this morning; Supriya Sule reacts) Salman Khan greets fans on the occasion Eid festival, in Mumbai, Thursday, April 11, 2024.(PTI) What the source said The report quoted a source as saying, Salim Khan is not perturbed at all and carried out his routine as always. The family is very cautious and careful. Salman Khan is safe and sound and is with them." Salim Khan was seen standing beside Salman Khan on the day of Eid where he waved at fans and greeted them from the balcony. More details Although Salman is yet to issue a statement, his father has reacted to the gunshots that were fired outside the actor's home. Speaking with News18, the veteran screenwriter said, There is nothing to tell. They just want publicity, there is no need to worry." Mumbai police was quoted saying by ANI, Today at around 5 am, two unidentified people opened fire outside the house of actor Salman Khan in Bandra. Police have received information about 3 rounds of firing. Mumbai Police's Crime Branch has reached the spot for investigation. DCP Mumbai, Raj Tilak Roushan, told ANI, "Today at around 5 am, two unidentified people opened fire outside the house of actor Salman Khan in Bandra. Police have received information about 3 rounds of firing. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway in the case. No one was injured in the firing incident." Salman was last seen in Maneesh Sharma's Tiger 3. He will next seen in Sikandar. Directed by A R Murugadoss, the film will be released in theatres across the country on Eid 2025. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Two unidentified persons opened fire outside the house of actor Salman Khan in Mumbai's Bandra at around 5am on Sunday, police said. According to police officials, three rounds were fired. Mumbai Police's Crime Branch reached the spot for investigation soon after. Visuals from outside Salman's residence, where two unidentified men opened fire in the morning, have also surfaced online. Maharashtra politician Supriya Sule has reacted to the firing. Also read: Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan greet fans outside their homes on Eid with salutes, folded hands. Watch Salman Khan with his father Salim Khan greeted fans outside his residence on Eid on Thursday; fresh visuals from outside the apartment after Sunday's shooting. (ANI) Police and forensic team present on the spot "Today at around 5 am, two unidentified people opened fire outside the house of actor Salman Khan in Bandra. Police have received information about 3 rounds of firing. Mumbai Police's Crime Branch has reached the spot for investigation," Mumbai police was quoted as saying by ANI. The security has been beefed up outside the actor's residence at Galaxy apartments, and a forensic team is also present at the spot. We are checking the CCTV footage from the area and the surrounding locality to identify the accused, the police added. More details are awaited in connection with the incident. Reaction to firing outside Salman's home On firing outside Salman's residence in Bandra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said in a video shared by ANI, Whether it is Salman Khan or any common man, no one is feeling safe in Mumbai and Maharashtra. You have seen that recently there was a firing in Mumbai and an MLA fired in Dombivali. This morning there was a firing outside Salman Khan's house. What kind of law and order is this? Home minister, chief minister, where are you?... Criminals are roaming around fearlessly. The chief minister and home minister should take cognisance of this incident... NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule also said on Sunday, "It's extraordinarily unfortunate as the area where Salman Khan lives is a popular area and his family is clearly under pressure... It's a complete failure of the Home Ministry. We live in Pune and look what is happening here, it's a very educated place where people live in peace and harmony, but here also, the crime has gone up. It's not me making the allegations but the data given by the govt of India for Maharashtra." Salman greeted fans outside his home on Eid Salman on Thursday greeted fans gathered outside his home in Mumbai on the occasion of Eid. Keeping up with the tradition, the actor arrived on his balcony with father Salim Khan. He smiled, saluted, waved and folded his hands at the fans gathered outside. He was seen in a white outfit, while Salim wore a denim shirt and pants. Later, Salman shared a clip of his meeting with fans on Instagram. He simply wrote, Eid Mubarak. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place The San Francisco Sheriffs Office said it locked down both of its jails for the weekend after a series of incidents over the past two weeks in which seven deputies and other jail workers were injured. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle The San Francisco Sheriffs Office has locked down both of its jails for the weekend after a series of incidents over the past two weeks in which seven deputies and other jail workers were injured, officials said. The rise in attacks on deputies prompted the union representing deputy sheriffs to call for Saturday deployment of the National Guard. Some of the injuries were serious, sheriffs office spokeswoman Tara Moriarty said, but she declined Saturday to comment on whether anyone had been hospitalized. On Sunday, the sheriffs office said it was working on a comprehensive plan to address the violence in its jails. The department called the unions request for the National Guard premature, saying that is not the answer to a staffing shortage and that the sheriff is committed to recruitment and hiring. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The sheriffs office expects to lift its lockdowns on its San Francisco and San Bruno jails, which together hold more than 1,100 people, at the beginning of next week. Community and family visits are canceled for the duration of the lockdown. The lockdown went into effect for the protection of all who work or reside in, or visit our jails, and includes cancellation of visits, programs, and services, the department said in a statement issued Saturday. We are actively investigating these incidents to ascertain their root causes and any potential correlation. It is imperative that we identify and address the factors contributing to these assaults to prevent future occurrences. Attacks on deputies directly affect the safety of everyone in jail including our staff, community members who work in the jail, and the incarcerated. Normal operations should resume next week, the department said. San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs Association President Ken Lomba sent a letter to Sheriff Paul Miyamoto Saturday demanding that the city call in the California National Guard to supplement what he called severe staffing shortage at the jails and elsewhere. Their presence is crucial to provide immediate relief and enhance the safety and security of our facilities for all personnel and inmates. The California National Guard can fill positions at City Hall, Courts and Jails, Lomba wrote. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Recent incidents, including an alarming increase in prisoner fights, attacks on prisoners by other prisoners, and injuries to civilian employees and deputy sheriffs, highlight the pressing need for additional staffing and resources within the Sheriffs Office, he wrote. The association has pressed city officials to increase staffing levels at the jails, saying the facilities need more deputies to prevent violence from breaking out. There were 170 reported fights among people jailed in county facilities in 2022, growing to about 240 in 2023, the union said, adding that attacks on deputies increased from 120 to 220. The sheriffs office said Sunday that we are confident that recent safety issues and behaviors by those incarcerated will be addressed by our internal response. David Hernandez contributed to this report. Sofia Vergara showered love on her boyfriend orthopedic surgeon doctor Justin Saliman. The actor posted a picture of him on Instagram Stories and later deleted it. Sofia also revealed that she underwent knee surgery and is currently recovering. (Also read: Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello finalise divorce seven months post initial filing) Sofia Vergara was last seen in the Netflix show Griselda(Instagram/sofiavergara) Sofia's Instagram update On Sunday, Sofia took to Instagram Stories to share a picture of Justin and wrote, If you ever get a mayor [sic] knee surgery make sure you aet a handsome doctor who will sleep with you that night!!!! In the picture, Justin was seen standing near her bed while smiling at her. Sofia soon deleted the picture. The two are yet to officially announce their relationship, but reports of their romance first began in October last year. Sofia had announced her divorce from Joe Manganiello in July 2023, seven years after they tied the knot. It was finalized in February this year. As per Page Six, the couple said in a statement, We have made the difficult decision to divorce. As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives. Sofia and Joe have been growing apart for a while now and are taking some distance from each other to contemplate their future." The actor has a son, Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, with her first husband, Joe Gonzalez. More details about divorce While speaking to El Pais earlier this year in January, Sofia had opened up about her divorce and why she split. "Well, Im newly divorced from my second husband [actor Joe Manganiello], who I was with for 10 years. My marriage broke up because my husband was younger; he wanted to have kids and I didnt want to be an old mom. I feel its not fair to the baby. I respect whoever does it, but thats not for me anymore." The actor shot to fame with her role as Gloria in Modern Family, which earned her four Emmy nominations. The actor was last seen in Griselda. She played Griselda Blanco in the series, also known as the Godmother of Cocaine. The series is directed by Andres Baiz, produced by Eric Newman and Sofia Vergara herself. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Hip-hop feuds are no latest news, but one of the most recent headlines blowing up the internet has to do with Drake and Rick Ross, and it just won't quiet down. The former loyal collaborators have churned out enough songs for them to be collectively clubbed together as an entire album of music. However, the bad blood between them has severed a once-iconic longtime professional partnership. Drake and Rick Ross - longtime collaborators - are no longer on good terms with each other over their dissing wars. (Instagram ) Here's what happened and how this new inflated hip-hop beef lost all rhyme and reason: Drake-Rick Ross beef explained 1. Drake releases diss track Push Ups On Saturday, April 13, the Toronto rapper released a new tune, addressing every rivalry possible. The song samples Mike Jones' Drop & Gimme 50 and was leaked online before DJ Whoo Kid officially released it. In the nearly 4-minute-long track, Drizzy takes shots at Kendrick Lamar, Metro Boomin', Future, J Cole, Rick Ross, The Weeknd and Ja Morant. This tune seems to have come out as a follow-up response to Metro Boomin' and Future's latest album, We Still Don't Trust You, which featured all of Drake's rivals in the industry. Also read | Did The Weeknd diss Drake on All to Myself? Here's what fans think of new track from We Still Don't Trust You Kendrick Lamar especially shot back at him and J Cole in the fiery track Like That. On top of that, the 25-piece album also featured guest appearances of J Cole, A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd and others. Singling out his Rick Ross diss, Drake fired shots at him with the verse: "I might take your latest girl and cuff her like Im Ricky / Cant believe he jumpin in, this n***a turnin fifty / Every song that made it on the chart, he got from Drizzy / Spend that lil check you got and stay up out my business. 2. Rick Ross' heavy response to Drake with an ensuing diss track Champagne Moments Within hours of Drake's track surfacing online, Rick Ross' heavy-handed response followed in the shape of another diss track, Champagne Moments. Taking a dig at Drake's biracial ethnicity, Ross called Drake a White Boy in his song. He added, N***as leakin they records when we speakin directly. Ross even addressed the supposed origins of their fallout, which came into focus last month when Rick unfollowed Drake on social media. Some of Rick Ross' Instagram stories pushing for Drake's plastic surgery allegations. I unfollowed you because you sent the cease and desist to French Montana, n***a, said Ross. You sent the police, n***a, hated on my dogs project, n***a, that wasnt the same white boy I seen, n***, when we was making them early records, concluded Ross. Also read | Viral video debunked: Alleged Diddy Epstein Client List circulating online is not what you think it is Media reports suggest that their feud blew up into shape as Drake invited Ross' ex-girlfriend, Cristina Mackey, to his Miami Biggest The What tour in March. Per Drake's latest diss verse against Ross, he again focussed on these women problems. Moreover, Ross' ex-fiancee, Lira Galore, was previously romantically entangled with Meek Mill, who also shared a rivalry with Drake, only for them to resolve it later and make way for a friendship based on honesty. 3. Drake-Rick Ross indirect heated online exchange Pushing his side of the narrative into focus, Drake eventually took to Instagram to share a screenshot of a text exchange with his mother. As the heated diss war blew up on the internet, Drake's mother picked up the alleged claims (made by Rick on his track) that Drake had gotten a nose job. While responding to his mother, he laughed off these allegations and addressed the person responsible for fuelling these claims. Reminding her of the guy [he] did songs with, Drake even labelled Rick a racist. Instead of letting the beef die down, Ross also hopped on his socials. In his recent Instagram story, the Champagne Moments rapper branded Drake BBL Drizzy and scoffed at him for having called his mommy on [him]. Again referring to the Hotline Bling hitmaker as White Boy, Ross condescendingly tells him that his mama can't get him out of these troubles. It's suffice to say that fans who dearly loved the duo's history of hard-hitting collaborations may now bid goodbye to any hopes of their new shared projects. The Malayalam film industry was in for a rude shock recently when multiplex giant PVR INOX pulled out Malayalam films from screens nationwide. Even film industries like Telugu, who bought dubbing rights to Malayalam films incurred losses when the films were suddenly pulled out. The Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) was in no mood to give in but it looks like a resolution has been reached. (Also Read: PVR INOX's feud with Mollywood explained. Here's why releases of Malayalam films have been stalled across country) Stills of latest Malayalam releases Aadujeevitham and Varshangalkku Shesham. PVR INOX says issue resolved A statement re-tweeted by Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of PVR Pictures Limited, on Saturday evening states that the multiplex chain is ready to screen Malayalam films from Vishu (April 14), after stopping screening of films in the language on Eid (April 11). The statement shared by industry tracker Sreedhar Pillai reads, #PVRINOX vs Kerala Film Producers Association issue over #VPF resolved! #PVRINOX Will start advance booking in all their properties for new and earlier released #Malayalam films with immediate effect. Probably from late tonight or tomorrow- #Vishu day! FEFKA takes a stand and demands compensation FEFKA took a stand earlier on Saturday, stating at a press meet that no Malayalam film will be given to any PVR INOX-owned screen till producers are compensated for the loss suffered in the last few days. Unnikrishnan B, general secretary of FEFKA announced this at a press conference where Aadujeevitham director Blessy and Varshangalkku Shesham director Vineeth Sreenivasan were also present, according to PTI. Unnikrishnan claimed that the dispute between PVR INOX and the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA) arose regarding the virtual print fee (VPF) charged by the multiplex. The KFPA recently launched their own service called Producers Digital Content (PDC), unhappy with the steep cost charged by QUBE and UFO. A few days ago in a statement, Kamal shared that it was illegal for the KFPA to ask them to stream movies through PDC alone, which made them take a stand. As a countermeasure, PVR, with a cartel-like strategy, decided not to show any Malayalam film on any of the theatres or screens owned by them across India. This has caused a significant financial loss as well as mental pressure to producers, including Blessy, said Unnikrishnan. He also claimed that the multiplex chain doesnt have the courage to take a stand in other south Indian states and was taking unfair advantage of them. It is not just a question of the problems of the film producers, it is also a question of the pride of Malayalam cinema and Malayalees as a whole. Therefore, we have decided that unless the producers are compensated for the loss they have suffered for the number of days their films were not shown, no Malayalam cinema would be given to any PVR theatre or screen anywhere. The producers' association have also assured us of their support," Unnikrishnan said. Vineeth said that this issue affects all artists working in the Malayalam film industry, not just the producers. Mollywood is on a streak Mollywood has been doing particularly well this year, with recent releases all being received well. Films like Nalsen and Mamitha Baijus Premalu, Mammoottys Bramayugam, Soubin Shahir and Sreenath Bhasis Manjummel Boys and Prithviraj Sukumarans Aadujeevitham - The Goat Life released in close succession and received good reviews not just in Kerala but other states also. Fahadh Faasils Aavesham, Vineeths Varshangalkku Shesham and Unni Mukundans Jai Ganesh were released this week. With inputs from PTI Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Richa Chadha is glowing as she steps out for a special shoot with HT City- after all, she is set to expand her family with husband, actor Ali Fazal soon. Its her first interview after they made the announcement, I go with the flow. Whatever Ali and I do, we do with a lot of fluid movement, its all organic. We are both excited for this new phase. I am not very American about this. I have seen my mom have a second child, my younger brother, and go back to working in 40 days. I have seen all women in my family just give birth and go back to living their lives as they would. I dont want to stress about it too. Actor Richa Chadha poses for HT City.(Raju Shinde) Currently promoting her upcoming show Heeramandi, how has it been, juggling her pregnancy with the promotions? Chadha replies, I think I have been doing well. When we went to the Sundance Film Festival in January this year, only Ali and I knew about the pregnancy, no one else. It was more challenging because of sub zero temperatures, a lot of uphill walking. Now with the star cast of my show knowing, they have been sweet and accommodating, they keep asking if I need anything. Its got easier since people got to know. I worked hard for the show and wanted to be there to promote it. And like it happens with any expecting mother, the tips from people have started coming in thick and fast. She laughs as she shares, When you are pregnant and it starts to show, its like an invitation for unsolicited advice from everywhere, everyone has experienced this in some way, or they have had it happen in the family. Everyone has an experience in this regard which they want to share. Is Ali a calm to-be dad, or is he freaking out, getting finicky about small things, we enquire. Chadha gushes that he has always been caring, I am blessed to have a partner like him. Whenever anyone says anything good about Ali, no one is ever surprised because he is that person. He is a man of character, as involved in the house as I am. Now that he will have a family of his own, he is very excited. I think he will make an incredible father. These doggos and cattos are on the lookout for pawfect parents in Delhi-NCR. Fill your summer with some furry love by bringing home a companion for lifetime. Adopt, dont shop for pets! Meet these animals in Delhi-NCR, who are searching for forever homes this week. Chhutki is a playful little girl who loves trotting along with her human and canine companions. Chhutki is a 1.5-month-old indie pup who was found abandoned at a tea stall in Pitampura, with a broken leg and huge gash, probably due to a road accident. After rescue, she was placed in medical boarding before being sent to a shelter where she loves trotting around her human as well as canine companions. Her fracture is healing well and she is currently on supplements and multivitamins for her bones. A friendly and playful mate, she is also good when children are around. Her first round of vaccines have been administered and she is dewormed. To adopt, WhatsApp: +918961359348. Leo is a laidback dog who can easily charm anyone into becoming his BFF. Leo is an 11-month-old mix-breed indie whose humans are not able to take care of his needs due to their hectic and demanding work life. They are hoping to find him a loving home where he will be showered with the affection and attention that he deserves. A laidback and easy puppy, this champ can charm anyone and gets along well with people easily. He has no fuss about food and will happily chomp on whatever is given, but has a fondness for treats. He is completely healthy and vaccinated. To adopt, WhatsApp: +919560629347. Jerry is a low-maintenance and easy to train fur baby who can adapt to any kind of household. Jerry is a 10-month-old indie who was born on the streets and is being taken care of by an animal lover. The rest of his litter has been adopted and hes the last man standing. Young and easily trainable, he will make a friendly companion to the humans who decide to give him a forever home. Low maintenance and easy going, he gets along with other dogs. His vaccinations have begun but he will need to be neutered when he reaches the appropriate age. To adopt, WhatsApp: +919891971856. Jack was abandoned by his humans but he is still on the lookout for his forever home to protect and cherish. Jack is a six-year-old German Shepherd who was abandoned by his owners as they were not equipped to handle a large breed dog. Living at a shelter now, hes still recovering from the emotional trauma, he will require a patient and experienced family that can be committed to providing him with stability, love, and attention. Since hes a large breed dog, he will need enough space for exercise. Though hurt in the past, he is still filled with love and is on the look out for humans who will protect and adore him. He is neutered and fully vaccinated. To adopt, WhatsApp: +919810553737. Apricot and Raisin are inseparable brothers who are up for adoption together. Apricot and Raisin are 10-week-old indie kitties rescued from a low-income household that couldnt meet their needs due to financial constraints. Available for adoption as a pair, the duo is super playful with a healthy fondness for naps, cuddles, and little kitty kisses. They can adapt to any household and will do extremely well with children or other furry companions as well. They are litter-trained and dewormed. Their first round of vaccinations have just started. To adopt, WhatsApp: +918860316406. Inform us if you know of a pet who needs a home, write to: htcity.pets@gmail.com For more, follow @htcity.delhijunction Two unidentified persons opened fire outside the residence of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in Mumbai early Sunday morning, reported PTI quoting police. According to the report, the persons fired four rounds outside the Galaxy Apartments in Bandra area, where the actor lives. Bollywood actor Salman Khan with father Salim Khan greets fans on the occasion Eid festival, in Mumbai, Thursday, April 11, 2024.(PTI) The local police and the crime branch have started a probe into the incident, he said. A team of forensic science experts also reached the site, the police said. Joint Commissioner of Police Satyanarayan Chaudhary (Law and Order) said, "The incident occurred and police are working on it to identify and trace the accused". A team of forensic experts also reached the site, they have been gathering evidence. Police said one bullet hit the building's wall. According to a crime branch official who was at the scene the two persons wearing helmets came on a bike from the Bandstand side and fired four to five rounds towards the building and in the air. The CCTV footage quality is very poor and it was dark, so the bike's registration number was not clear. The rider and pillion both were wearing helmets. We are taking help of technical experts to clear the CCTV footage and get a few leads in the matter, added the crime branch official. Several police teams have been formed by Bandra police station and crime branch and they are working on multiple aspects to find out the bikers. The CCTV of the vicinity are being scrutinitised to get lead from where the biker came and on which directions they fled, said a police officer. The Bandra police have been conducting Panchanama of the spot and recording statement of the person who heard the gun sound. The FIR is in the process to register against two unidentified bikers, said officials. Since November 2022, Salman Khans security cover has been beefed up to Y-Plus following threats from gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar. The actor has also been granted a licence to carry a personal weapon. He has also purchased a new bulletproof vehicle. (With inputs from Manish K Pathak in Mumbai) Iran attacked Israel in the wee hours of Sunday, converting one of West Asias most ferocious shadow rivalries into an open military conflagration that has the potential to lead to a wider regional war. An Israeli Air Force fighter aircraft reportedly after a mission to intercept incoming airborne threats. (AFP) Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to vote for strengthening India amid world crises and hit out at the opposition INDIA bloc saying that weak, selfish and greedy leaders cant do work of strengthening the country. Prime Minister Narendra addresses a public meeting ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradeshs Narmadapuram district on Sunday. (PTI) Addressing a rally at Pipariya in Madhya Pradeshs Narmadapuram, Modi urged people to vote for the BJP to make India powerful and prosperous. He said, We are watching the situation of the world. There is a war, ignorance, a situation of uncertainty, and an atmosphere of fear all around. For such a world, a strong and powerful India is very necessary. That is why the BJP is engaged in serving the nation. India should become powerful. He added, Can INDIA bloc of weak, selfish and greedy leaders do the work of strengthening? Its your one vote that can make it (India) strong. Modi said the Congress is also trying to make a fearful environment as they are jealous. He said, The Congress had imposed emergency in the country. The Congress toppled democratic governments across the country at will, like a castle of cards; Twisted history as per their wish to glorify themselves. If THE Congress is to be believed, democracy was going well then. But as soon as the son of a poor family became the Prime Minister, the Congress started spreading rumors that if Modi has come to power again for third time, the Constitution and democracy will be in danger. Modi further said, Now the royal family of the Congress is threatening that if Modi becomes Prime Minister for the third time, the country will be on fire. It is not the country, but it is their hearts which are burning. This jealousy is so intense in their heart and mind that it is burning inside. This jealousy is also not because of Modi. This jealousy is due to the love of 140 crore countrymen for Modi. They are not able to bear even this love. He added, These people have been out of power for the past 10 years. If this continues to be their method, this burning will burn them so much that they will never be given a chance by people of India in future, he added. Hailing the BJPs poll manifesto released on Sunday, Modi took a jibe on the promises made by the INDIA bloc. The INDIA bloc leaders dont know that a manifesto is a responsibility and a commitment. They are not able to decide what they will do and how to do it. How will they take the country forward. There are many dangerous promises in their manifesto. Their manifesto will take the country towards bankruptcy, he said. Highlighting the promise made by CPI, he said, The manifesto of one of their comrades says that they will eliminate nuclear weapons from the country. In this uncertainty, can anyone think of eliminating nuclear weapons. Who are they working for by making such promises. As dangerous as their thinking is, their manifesto is equally dangerous. He took a jibe on Rahul Gandhis statement of eliminating poverty immediately after coming to power. The prince of the Congress has announced that he will remove poverty from the country in one stroke. After all, where had this royal magician hidden for so many years? About 50 years ago his grandmother had announced removing poverty from the country but nothing happened. Before 2014, he ran the government remotely for 10 years. Now they have got a one shock spell, so they are making such claims and becoming a laughing stock, he added. Modi promised to take the country and people of India forward in his third term. Meanwhile, we are working expeditiously for the welfare of the country and to take it forward. We increased the number of Eklavya Model Schools to 750. The work is already underway on 24,000 crore PM Janman Yojana for backward tribes. This will also be completed in Modis third term. Modis guarantee starts from where hope from others ends. Modi said Ayushman Bharat scheme, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, PM Housing Scheme, free ration and other schemes will be continued for the next five years. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s manifesto or Sankalp Patra is an assurance of continuing and expanding the partys welfare politics, envisaging economic and social empowerment of the poor and the marginalsied and policies to fuel economy and create jobs while nurturing ideological causes such as the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and development of religious centres. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the release of the BJPs Lok Sabha poll manifesto at the partys headquarters in Delhi on Sunday. (Photo by Ajay Aggarwal/ Hindustan Times) It also counters the oppositions promises and freebies with its own set of assurances termed as Modi Ki Guarantee. Released on Sunday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the manifesto lists guarantees for 10 social groups including women, poor, youth and farmers; and 14 sectors, including internal and external security, education, healthcare, industry and rural economy. Under each head, Modi has assured policy intervention, implementation on the ground and saturation of schemes to ensure the BJPs guiding mantra of Antyodaya or service to the last person in the queue is met. Also Read | BJP manifesto aligned with Modis vision of developed India: Yogi The party, which is seeking a third term in power with a bigger mandate than before, over 400 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, says the document is intended to improve the quality of life for millions who are on the fringes of the economic and social order. The focus is on the middle class and poor families, there is a sentiment that this is a document that talks of taking care of families. There is something for every section, and it talks about complete welfare, said a party functionary, who was part of the manifesto drafting exercise. The party, which has managed to build a strong vote bank of the ideologically aligned as well as those who have benefitted from its welfare policies, says it wants to meet the aspirations of the middle class and the neo-middle class, a section that it claims has been pulled out of poverty in the last decade. Our focus will be on the aspirations of the middle class that wants its own house...on the neo middle class families that will need support and protection. So, in a well thought-through way, the focus will be on healthcare, education, food and providing them with their own house, the functionary said. Also Read | Lok Sabha elections: Opposition's 'Jumla Patra' jibe at BJP's manifesto Aspiration is a recurring theme in the 69-page document. As is the promise of delivery. In the next five years, we will take our nation into the top 3 economies of the world, launch a final and decisive assault against poverty, open up newer avenues of growth in various sectors, further intensify our battle against corruption, unveil the next generation of reforms, and take a number of pro-people decisions and actions, Modi said. In his message he described the Sankalp Patra as more than just a collection of promises. This Sankalp Patra outlines the collective aspirations and goals of our nation, by our nation and for our nation. As you have seen in the last ten years it is Modis Guarantee that every promise made is fulfilled, he said. Eliciting support for a third term, he said, It is Modis Guarantee that we will work 24 X 7 for 2047. For the poor it promises free ration for the next five years, subsidised healthcare, housing amenities, and zero electricity bill through interventions such as the solar power generation scheme. For the middle class, there is the promise of creating high value jobs in Tier 2 and 3 cities, ease of living, sustainable cities in addition to quality healthcare and education. The focus on jobs is expected to assuage concerns about the shrinking avenues for work, and well- paying jobs. Assurance of financial independence, well-being, security and enhanced participation in the workforce has been made to woo women, a vote bank that has helped the party steal victory in the last general election as well as a clutch of state polls. With an eye on the youth, the manifesto promises to address contemporary challenges such as paper leaks that have made the young restive. The party promises to ensure a transparent mechanism for conducting public examinations; expanding the start-up ecosystem, funding and skilling initiatives to promote entrepreneurship. Employment for this segment, having become the Achilles Heel of the sector, the government has refrained from specifying numbers for job creation. It has underlined efforts such as the performance linked incentives and establishment of global centres as avenues for work opportunities. Employment linked incentive is already there. In fact, the Congress has copied the concept from us. Thanks to PLI, 22 lakh new opportunities have been created. 1.5 lakh people work in the Apple factory alone, the functionary quoted above said in response to the oppositions claims and criticism of the government. The functionary said the government has taken a 360-degree view of the funding required for new initiatives, including the announcement of extending Ayushman Bharat benefits to senior citizens above 70. Every suggestion and proposal was studied for budgetary demands. And we worked out the details of what administrative support including help from state governments will be required, the functionary said. While there was speculation of a hike in the reimbursement for small and marginal farmers under the PM Kisan Nidhi from the existing 6,000 a year, the manifesto does not mention any hike. It does, however, promise strengthening the scheme, revising Minimum Support Price from time to time and creating avenues for better markets and production. The focus on farmers is particularly important, given the impact that distress in the agri sector can have on electoral outcome. Although the government has rolled back the farm laws that saw a year-long protest in 2020; the demand for legal sanction to MSP has been a bone of contention between the farmers and the government. The manifesto also promises review of national floor wages, social security for gig workers, drivers and vendors. There is a concerted effort to reach out to the migrant workforce, through promises of special trains, loans and saturation of existing schemes. The governments handling of the migrant workers during the lockdown imposed at the beginning of the Covid pandemic had drawn sharp criticism from the opposition and civil society. Disturbing images of men, women and children walking over distances in the absence of transport gave the opposition a chance to train its guns at the government. Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs continue to remain at the centre of the governments outreach. The manifesto talks about protecting their heritage and culture and improving their socio-economic status and expanding livelihood opportunities for them. On the foreign policy front, the manifesto makes a mention of how India has emerged as the voice of the global south by using PMs vision of samman, samvad, shayog shanti and Samriddhi. The party that takes pride in adopting a muscular foreign policy has talked about continuing to push for consensus on fighting terror, developing strategic partnerships for mineral security, following the policy of neighbourhood first. To enhance internal security, the manifesto promises enhanced infrastructure along the borders, implementation of the CAA, robust cyber security and a national forensic mission. New Delhi: Releasing BJP's Lok Sabha elections manifesto, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday promised that the party's government will launch three new bullet train projects. He said the government will also divide the Vande Bharat trains into three wider categories. Prime Minister Narendra Modi being greeted by BJP National President JP Nadda on his arrival for the release of party's election manifesto.(PTI) BJP will expand Vande Bharat trains to every corner of the country. Three models of Vande Bharat will run in the country - Vande Bharat Sleeper, Vande Bharata Chair Car and Vande Bharat Metro, PM Modi in the national capital. He said three bullet train projects will be launched soon. "Today the work of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train is going on in full swing and is almost reaching completion. In the same way, one bullet train will run in North India, one bullet train in south India and one bullet train in eastern India. Survey work for this will also be started soon," he said. In the election manifesto, the party also promised the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code and One Nation, One Election. "Article 44 of the Constitution lists the Uniform Civil Code as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy. BJP believes that there cannot be gender equality till such time Bharat adopts a Uniform Civil Code, that protects the rights of all women, and the BJP reiterates its stand to draw a Uniform Civil Code, drawing upon the best traditions and harmonising them with modern times," the BJP said in its manifesto. PM Modi also said that the free ration scheme will be extended for the next five years. Also read: Lok Sabha elections: Top 20 promises made by BJP in manifesto The BJP has also promised to give citizenship to eligible people under the Citizenship Amendment Act. CAA, passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019, met with protests all across the country. Its rules were notified last month. Bullet trains in India The Indian Railways is targeting to complete the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project by June-July 2026. It will be India's first bullet train. In January 2024, the overall progress of the project stood at 40 percent. According to reports, the 508-km-long Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor will have a limited number of stops. With inputs from ANI Making all Muni riders tap the card reader on buses and trains could curtail fare evasion. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle 2019 Regarding Muni fare evasion has nearly doubled since 2019. Heres the plan to reverse it (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, April 12): The addition of Muni inspectors to address fare evasion misses the point. I ride Muni often and observe many passengers boarding without using the card reader. Many are not required to use the reader due to Munis many different fare programs, but it may seem like rampant fare evasion. The solution to the problem is simple. All riders should be required to use the card reader (no additional charges) to eliminate the perception of Munis poor management of fare evasion. This would also make evaders totally obvious and likely discourage people from not paying. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Tom Clothier, San Francisco Keep debate civil Regarding Disruption at UC Berkeley deans home is latest campus flashpoint over Gaza (Politics, SFChronicle.com, April 10): The conduct of Hamas and the government of Israel is disgusting. That offers no excuse or justification for law students to enter the house of UC Berkeley School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and his wife, law professor Catherine Fisk, during a private dinner and disrupt the event for personal political purposes. It is no more proper to characterize Chemerinsky and Fisk as arms of the brutal Israeli government than it would be for me to attack the disruptive students as operatives of the murderous Hamas terrorists. Advertisement Article continues below this ad There is no right to speech in a persons private residence, especially when it involves taking over a social dinner for extreme terrorist political assaults. For goodness sake try to be good to others and yourselves and stop this uncivilized assault on civility and decency. Thomas D. Clark, Piedmont Stop river diversions Regarding Two dams are coming down on Californias Eel River. Will it threaten water supplies? (California, SFChronicle.com, March 30): It is true that Potter Valley must make adjustments if water is no longer diverted out of the Eel River watershed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad However, the story didnt fully describe the great damage that has been done to the Eel River, the fish, the indigenous tribes and small communities whose lives were upended and whose economy was depressed by the loss of a vibrant, healthy wild river. 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 The river was the lifeblood of local tribes and provided economic opportunities for many. When the colder headwaters were diverted, the vineyards and farms to the south prospered while the salmon lost their spawning grounds, and the tribes and small communities lost a healthy river. Diversions of water such as what happened on the Eel River should be stopped. It is damaging to the ecology and to the lives of people who are robbed of their natural resources. New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has promised that it will implement the Uniform Civil Code across the country after forming a government at the Centre. Releasing BJP's manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the party's 'Sankalp Patra' will empower the four strong pillars of developed India -- youth, women, poor and farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi displays a copy of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) election manifesto for the general election. (Reuters) "The entire country waits for the BJP's 'Sankalp Patra'. There is a big reason behind it as in the last 10 years, the BJP has implemented every point of its manifesto as a guarantee on the ground. This 'Sankalp Patra' empowers all the 4 strong pillars of developed India- Youth, women, poor and farmers," he said at the event. Also read: Lok Sabha elections: Top 20 promises made by BJP in manifesto Earlier this year, the BJP government in Uttarakhand enacted the Uniform Civil Code, which replaced religious personal laws that governed marriages, divorces, inheritance and other civil issues. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been promising that he will ban polygamy in the state and implement UCC. Here's what PM Modi said at the BJP's manifesto event: PM Modi promised all people above 75 will be brought within the purview of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. "The biggest concern of the elderly is how they will afford treatment of their ailments. This concern is even more serious for the middle class. BJP has now taken the 'sankalp' that every individual above 75 years of age will be brought within the purview of Ayushman Bharat Yojana," he said. PM Modi said it is his guarantee that the free ration scheme will continue for the next five years. He said the BJP will increase the limit of loans under MUDRA Yojana to 20 lakh from 10 lakh. "I am confident that this will be used as a new strength towards building the kind of ecosystem that is required for the era of Industry 4.0," he said. PM Modi said BJP will work towards reducing the electricity bills of crores of families to zero. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised that 3 more bullet trains will start in the country. He also announced that three types of Vande Bharat train will be introduced. "BJP will also expand Vande Bharat trains to every corner of the country. 3 models of Vande Bharat will run in the country Vande Bharat Sleeper, Vande Bharat Chaircar and Vande Bharat Metro. Today the work of the Ahmedabad Mumbai bullet train is going on in full swing and is almost reaching completion. In the same way, one bullet train will run in north India, one Bullet train in south India and one bullet Train in eastern India. Survey work for this will also be started soon," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also touched upon simultaneous elections. "We will move forward with a resolve to realise the idea of One Nation, One Election. BJP also considers the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) equally necessary in the interest of the country," he said. PM Modi said the party will focus on enhancing India's infrastructure. "BJP is going to strengthen the foundation of India of the 21st century through three kinds of infrastructure - 1) social infrastructure, 2) digital infrastructure, 3) physical infrastructure. We are opening new educational institutions for social infrastructure...Under physical infrastructure, we are modernising highways, railways, airways, and waterways across the country. Under digital infrastructure, we are expanding the 5G network, working on 6G and keeping Industry 4.0 in mind we are building the digital infrastructure," he said. BJP will also encourage research on tribal heritage. "Digital Janjatiya Kala Academy will be established," he added. The PM informed the media that the BJP has decided to bring transgender community also under the ambit of Ayushman Bharat scheme. With inputs from ANI Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party will never allow the reservations to end, and will not allow the Congress to do so. Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses a public meeting ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, in Rajnandgaon on Sunday. (X/Amit Shah) I want to make it clear that till BJP is in politics, we will not let anything happen to reservations. We will not allow Congress to end it either. They (Congress) have been doing the business of lies, Shah was quoted by PTI as saying. Addressing a rally in Khairagarh in Chhattisgarh, Shah said,"Keep the anger of Mahadev betting app in mind and press the lotus (BJP symbol) button with such force that the tremors are felt till Italy." Khairagarh is a part of the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat, where BJP's Santosh Pandey is pitted against former chief minister and Congress heavyweight Bhupesh Baghel. ALSO READ: Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel named as accused in FIR on Mahadev bets scam Invoking the multi-crore Mahadev betting app scam that rocked Chhattisgarh, the home minister said,"The 2G scam, Commonwealth games scam, submarine scam and many more scams were committed by Congress but none of these had names related to god. Baghel did not spare the name of Mahadev and committed a scam of 508 crore." Continuing his attack on the ex-chief minister, Shah said, Baghel is not tired of committing coal scam, liquor scam, PSC scam, cow dung scam, DMF scam, Gothan scam (during previous Congress rule in Chhattisgarh). Hence, he has come to you again in Rajnandgaon. ALSO READ: Amid world crises, India needs a govt that will strengthen country: PM Modi One Nation, One Election and Uniform Civil Code will when Modi becomes PM again: Shah During the rally, Shah said that when Narendra Modi becomes the prime minister for the third time, Uniform Civil Code will be implemented and 'One Nation One Election' will be introduced. "Today is the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar. The entire nation is remembering him for his work towards upliftment of Dalits, Adivasis, backwards and the poor. On this day, people work to take the spirit of the Constitution drafted by him to the grassroots but even on such a day the Congress is busy spreading lies," Shah said. ALSO READ: China couldnt encroach an inch of Indian land under Modi govt: Amit Shah "During the previous Congress government under Bhupesh Baghel, the fight against Naxalism slowed down in Chhattisgarh. After the BJP came to power, (in the 2023 state assembly polls), Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma (who also holds the Home portfolio) intensified the fight against the menace," he said. "More than 54 Naxalites have been neutralised, more than 150 have been arrested and more than 250 have surrendered (after the formation of Sai government). Within 10 years, PM Modi ended Naxalism from the entire country. However, only its tail is left in Chhattisgarh. Give Modi ji a third term and I assure you we will end Naxalism in three years," he added. (With PTI inputs) The investigation by Telangana police into the alleged snooping on the some political leaders by the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi government have revealed that the special intelligence bureau (SIB) had also seized cash pertaining to other political parties and illegally transported money belonging to the BRS in police vehicles, a remand report submitted by the Hyderabad police before the Nampally criminal courts has claimed. Three police officers, who had worked in the Telangana state intelligence bureau SIB, have given statements to Hyderabad police probing the telephone tapping case. (Representational image) Also Read | Speaking like an unbridled bull: Revanth Reddy reacts to KTR's 'phone-tapping' remark Three police officers, who had worked in the SIB, have given statements to Hyderabad police probing the telephone tapping case. They allegedly admitted during interrogation that they carried out unauthorised surveillance on political leaders, seized of cash pertaining to other political parties and transported cash in government vehicles before the November 30 assembly elections, people familiar with the development said, seeking anonymity. The three officers inspector Gundu Venkat Rao who earlier worked in the SIB, inspector of task force Kanumarla Srikanth and sub-inspector of task force Sara Sai Kiran in their separate statements allegedly confessed that they had acted at the directions of former SIB chief T Prabhakar Rao, who is absconding; retired deputy commissioner of police and officer on special duty, task force, P Radha Kishan Rao' and the then deputy superintendent of police in SIB, D Praneeth Kumar. The last two officers were arrested in March and are now in judicial custody. Also Read | Suspended Hyderabad DSP held in phone-tapping case The statements of three police officers were part of the remand report submitted by Hyderabad police before the Nampally criminal court on March 29. The fresh contents of the remand report came to light on Friday. In the second week of October, Srikanth and his team seized 3.35 crore from two persons Hanumanth Reddy and Prabhakar, associates of a realtor Mahesh Reddy of AMR Infra at Banjara Hills, as per instructions of Prabhakar Rao and Kumar, who obtained specific inputs through tapping phones. In a similar manner, Srikanth and team seized 22 lakh from G Raj Kumar of Tarnaka, 15 lakh from Gadapa Naresh, 49 lakh from Kazil Maliq at Himayatnagar and 1 crore from Mustafa Khan at Bhavani Nagar based on the inputs given by Prabhakar Rao and Kumar. The teams were run by Radha Kishan Rao, who was then OSD of the task force. The remand report also said Radha Kishan Rao had deputed his teams to transport cash in vehicles allotted to the task force to help the BRS during the electioneering. Sub-inspector Sai Kiran, who was then in Hyderabad central zone task force, escorted 2 crore in cash in a government-owned Mahindra Bolero from various locations and handed it to Divya Charan Rao, a retired police officer working at Yashoda Hospital in Secunderabad on two occasions one from Ranigunj and another from Afzalgunj. Sai Kiran also admitted to have escorted cash belonging to former Indian Administrative Service officer and current BRS legislative council member P Venkat Ram Reddy, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Medak parliamentary constituency. Reddy and his brothers are promoters of Rajapushpa Constructions, a real estate firm in Hyderabad. Sai Kiran said he transported 3 crore on three different occasions and handed the money to Shiva Charan Reddy alias Charan, a neighbour of the BRS MLC, at the instruction of Radha Kishan Rao, who provided him with a new iPhone to handle the clandestine cash transaction. A day after the BRS lost the elections on December 3, Radha Kishan Rao submitted his resignation, and as part of the conspiracy, he reformatted his two mobile phones to wipe out evidence about the clandestine operations, the remand report said. Police arrested Radha Kishan Rao on March 29, and seized his two cellphones. Venkat Ram Reddy on Saturday rejected the charges made against him in the remand report. The state government is leaking the remand reports to the media only to malign my image, as the Congress cannot take on me politically, he told reporters. Stating that he had not contested the last assembly elections, the former bureaucrat said he was in no way connected with the telephone tapping. The ruling Congress is deliberately seeking to tarnish my image as I am contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Medak and going to win the seat, he said. The previous team of officials in the SIB led by Prabhakar Rao set up multiple war rooms at different locations in Nalgonda, Ranga Reddy, Khammam, Mahabubnagar and Hyderabad to tap the telephones of several opposition leaders during the BRS regime, a police officer familiar with the investigation said. These tapping centres were used to track the movement of the opposition leaders and snoop on their telephone conversations during the election time, he said, hinting that more arrests could be made in this regard. The state government should seek a high-level inquiry, if required by the Central Bureau of Investigation, into the alleged phone tapping by the previous BRS government, Bharatiya Janata Party state president G Kishan Reddy demanded. There are allegations that the SIB authorities during the BRS regime had tapped phones of big industrialists, traders and even celebrities and extorted big money from some of them, he said, requesting governor C P Radhakrishnanintervene in the matter and get an inquiry done into the case. BJP leaders are also suspecting that the BRS government had come out with the allegations of poaching of its four MLAs by the saffron outfit in October 2022 only after tapping their phones. There are suspicions that the BRS government had tapped the phones of even top BJP leaders like B L Santosh. It requires a comprehensive probe by the CBI, BJP leader K Laxman said. Meanwhile, Hyderabad-based lawyer U V Suresh Kumar has filed a petition with the Enforcement Directorate, seeking a probe into the telephone tapping case, as it involved money laundering on a big scale. The SIB authorities during the previous BRS regime indulged in extortion of money from various real estate firms, infrastructure companies and individuals by tapping their phones, Kumar said. The ED should probe into that angle.Senior Congress legislator and government whip Adi Srinivas said the SIB authorities during the previous BRS government had tapped telephones of not only the opposition leaders, but also private individuals and businessmen. They even tapped my phone and I gave a complaint to this effect much before the assembly elections. We are ready for any lie-detector test. Are the BRS leaders ready? Srinivas asked. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a dig at the Congress party, calling it a "sultan of tukde tukde gang", and accused the party of intending to "divide, break and weaken" the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi While addressing an election rally in Karnataka's Mysuru, he said, "Congress party has become the sultan of tukde tukde gang. Their hate towards the country has crossed the limit. Congress wants to weaken the country. The Congress party's dangerous intentions are still the same. They have not changed. They are playing with fire to assume power." He further claimed that Congress always supports those who believe in dividing the country and forms alliance with those involved in terrorist activities/ "Congress forms alliance with an organization involved in terrorist activities which is banned. Congress asks for proof of surgical attack from Army. They refuse to accept Kashmir as our own. They disrespected Lord Ram. People of INDI alliance want to end Sanatan. They want to destroy Hindu religion. As long as Modi is there, no one's plans will be fulfilled, this is Modi's guarantee," he said. He further launched an apparent attack on party leader DK Suresh saying that the Congress rewards those who talk against the country. "People of Karnataka are witness that those who speak against India, Congress as a reward gives them an election ticket. Recently you might have seen at a Congress election rally a person made people shout 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogan, but before doing it, he had to seek the permission of leaders sitting on the stage," he said. In February this year, the Congress MP made a controversial remark while speaking about the budget saying, "It will be enough if they give us the money they (the Centre) owe us. Today, our request is that taxes collected as GST, customs and direct taxes must reach us. We are seeing a lot of wrong being done to South India." This was the first rally by PM Modi ahead of polling for the Lok Sabha elections. Former prime minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda was among those present at the rally. Earlier in the day, the BJP released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. It made several key promises, from the continuation of the free ration scheme for another five years to the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Elections 2024 The elections for the 543 parliamentary constituencies will be held in seven phases, starting on April 19 and culminating on June 1. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. The phase 1 polling will be held on April 19, the second phase on April 26, third phase on May 7, fourth phase on May 13, 5th phase on May 20, 6th phase on May 25 and the last and the 7th phase on June 1. Karnataka will vote in two phases on April 26 and May 7. (With inputs from agencies) Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Adbul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, who are accused in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, was on Saturday remanded to the custody of the National Investigation Agency for 10 days after they were produced before a special court in Bengaluru. The two accused were tracked down in the early hours on Friday and arrested by the agency under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (PTI) The duo were brought to the state capital from Kolkata on transit remand for their alleged role in the March 1 blast at Rameshwaram Cafe. Shazib placed the crude bomb in the cafe, while Taahaa was the mastermind, the federal agency said. The bomb explosion injured nine people. Taahaa (30) and Shazib (30) were tracked down in the early hours on Friday and arrested by the agency under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA. Both are alleged to be associated with the Shivamogga module of the Islamic State, a terrorist organisation, and have been on the agencys radar since 2020, said an official at the federal agency who didnt want to be named. Last month, the NIA announced a reward of 10 lakh each for those providing information leading to the arrest of these two accused. They are arrested after a 42 day cross-country, multi-agency manhunt. In the course of the manhunt, the federal agency on March 29 released photographs of the two after scanning footage from hundreds of CCTVs in Bengaluru, Chennai and other cities. A cap left by Shazib at the cafe took them to a Chennai mall from where it was bought, investigators said. Besides releasing their pictures, the NIA carried out searches at 18 locations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh last month, and questioned several of their acquaintances and friends from their college and school days. In a significant development, the absconders in Rameswaram Cafe blast case, Adbul Matheen Taahaa and Mussavir Hussain Shazib, were traced out to their hideout near Kolkata and were apprehended by the NIA team, an NIA spokesperson said in a statement on Friday. Shazib is the accused who placed the IED (improvised explosive device) at the cafe and Taahaa is the mastermind behind the planning, execution of blast and subsequent evasion from the clutches of law. One of their associates, Muzammil Shareef, a resident of Chikkamagaluru, was arrested on March 27 for allegedly providing logistics support such as cellphones, fake SIM cards, etc., used to plan and execute the attack. Another member of the Shivamogga module, Maaz Muneer Ahmed, was taken into custody by the NIA from Bengaluru central prison in the second week of March and was interrogated in relation to the case. Ahmed (25) was indoctrinated by another accused, Arafath Ali, on the instructions of Taahaa and Shabiz. Ahmed wrote graffiti in support of terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba at two places in Mangaluru in November 2020. The same module was allegedly behind the November 19, 2022, pressure cooker blast in an auto-rickshaw. The bomb was meant for the Kadri Manjunatha temple in Mangaluru but the bomber in that case, Mohammad Shariq, was injured in the blast as the IED accidentally exploded on the way. Shariq was taken into custody. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday spoke to Bollywood actor Salman Khan and assured him of tight security and vigil after two persons opened fire several rounds of shots outside his residence at Bandra's Galaxy apartments in Mumbai. Actor Salman Khan with Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde(ANI/ File) Read here: Salman Khan's family very cautious after firing outside his Mumbai home While briefing the media over the incident, Shinde said, "This is an unfortunate incident. Police are investigating it. The accused will be caught, and stringent action will be taken against them. Those who take the law into their own hands won't be spared." He further said that he has spoken to the Mumbai police commissioner to increase the security of the Khan family. He also assured Salman Khan that the government is with him and he need not worry. "Mumbai Police Commissioner has been informed to assess the security of Salman Khan and his entire family & increase the security. I have also spoken with Salman Khan too. I have told him that the Government is with him and he need not worry..." he added. The metropolitan police has registered an FIR against two unidentified persons under section 307 (Attempt to murder) of the IPC and Arms Act based on the statement of Salman Khan's security guard, ANI reported. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the police are probing the matter and the relevant details would be shared once they are received. Read here: Bike-borne assailants open fire outside Salman Khans Bandra apartment: Police Earlier on Sunday, at around 5am, two unidentified persons opened fire outside the house of Salman Khan. Though no one was injured in the shooting. DCP Mumbai, Raj Tilak Roushan, told ANI, "Today at around 5 am, two unidentified people opened fire outside the house of actor Salman Khan in Bandra. Police have received information about 3 rounds of firing." However, the opposition has slammed Mahayuti government over the law and order situation in the state. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, while addressing the reporters said that where the state's home minister was, adding that "he is in election mode 24 hours". "Law and order is in danger in the state. Where is the Home Minister? He is in election mode 24 hours, sometimes in Delhi, in an election campaign meeting, sometimes sitting in a conspiracy to eliminate his opponent. Who will look after law and order by the BJP?" he said. The shooting incident came after the Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar gangs issued several threats to the Bollywood actor. Since November 2022, Salman Khan's security level has been elevated to Y-Plus. The actor has also been authorised to carry a personal firearm and has acquired a new armored vehicle for added protection. (With inputs from agencies) The Union health ministry is likely to incorporate HPV (human papillomavirus) testing into the National Cancer Control Programme to screen women for cervical cancer, people familiar with the matter said. In India, the numbers are far higher, with cervical cancer being the second most form of cancer among women after breast cancer (Shutterstock) As part of the programme, the government is stepping up efforts to test and validate indigenously developed, low-cost and point of care HPV tests to detect the cancer causing HPV genotypes in the Indian population, the people cited above said. Globally, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, claiming a life every two minutes, according to Indian government estimates. In India, the numbers are far higher, with cervical cancer being the second most form of cancer among women after breast cancer. It contributes to one-fifth of the global burden. According to GLOBOCAN 2022, on online database of global cancer statistics, an estimated 663,301 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and about 348,874 women died from the disease in 2022. Low-middle income countries (LMIC), like India, contributed to nearly 80% of the disease burden, the estimates show. In India, there are approximately 127,526 new cases every year, with 79,906 deaths. As part of the governments efforts to scale up testing, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) are launching a validation study of indigenous HPV tests at three specialized centres, a statement said. To achieve the 2030 targets and incorporate HPV testing into the National Program, there is an urgent need to develop and validate low-cost, point of care indigenous HPV tests, which can detect the major cancer-causing HPV genotypes in the Indian population, automated, not requiring too much technical expertise or elaborate infrastructure. The evaluation of tests with fewer HPV types is a novel aspect of this study that will improve the accuracy of the test and make it more cost-effective for the programme, the statement from AIIMS said. India, in 2020, joined the World Health Organisations Call For Elimination of Cervical Cancer as one of the signatories with a vision for a cervical cancer free world. Under the initiative, India has set a target of screening 70% of women by 2030 and vaccinating 90% of the girls. The government is also planning to introduce vaccination against HPV under the national immunisation programme. It is still under consideration. Persistent infection with high-risk human papilloma virus has been found to be the necessary cause of cervical cancer, and WHO recommends HPV testing at the age of 35-45 years as part of the elimination strategy. With this vision, we are launching a multi-centre study with the support of DBT-BIRAC Grand Challenges India in collaboration with WHOs International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC). The testing will be performed at AIIMS, New Delhi, NICPR Noida and NIRRCH Mumbai, the AIIMS statement said. There are several HPV tests that are now being manufactured in India, but we have taken three indigenous point of care tests for validation. The result of these tests can be expected in 1-1.5hrs, said Dr Neerja Bhatla, head of obstetrics and gynaecology department, AIIMS. Experts say that cervical cancer is preventable, and can be treated if detected in pre-cancerous or early stages. A 2021 paper Cervical Cancer Prevention Efforts in India said, Cervical cancer has a long pre-invasive phase that lasts for 1015 years. This provides a window of opportunity to detect and treat the neoplasia in pre-invasive stages by simple outpatient treatment modalities, as well as early detection of cancers. This landmark project will allow validation of Make in India HPV tests for cervical cancer screening by international quality standards and will benefit millions of women in India and other low and middle income countries to get rid of the scourge of cervical cancer, read the statement from AIIMS. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Lok Sabha election manifesto, saying that the PM could not do anything for the poor in the last 10 years. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. (HT PHOTO) According to the Congress leader, PM Modi had promised to double the farmers' income, increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP), and give a legal guarantee - all of which the farmers across the country have been demanding. Massive protests were also held earlier this year with the farmers demanding the central government to fulfill their promises. The youth is looking for jobs. Inflation is risingHe is not worried about these issues. He did not do any such work in his tenure that would benefit all the people of the countryIt proves that he has nothing to offer people," Kharge told the media. The Congress leader further asserted that the BJP manifesto must not be trusted. The BJP released its manifesto Sankalp Patra with the tagline Modi ki Guarantee for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The manifesto was released on Sunday morning in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president JP Nadda, and other senior leaders at the party headquarters in New Delhi. Releasing the manifesto, PM Modi said, This is a very holy day. Several states in the country are celebrating the 'nav varsh'Today, on the 6th day of Navaratri we pray to Maa Katyayani. She holds the lotus in both her hands. This coincidence is a huge blessing. Even better, it is Ambedkar Jayanti too. He added, In the last 10 years, BJP has implemented every aspect of its manifesto as a guarantee. BJP has restored the sanctity of the manifesto. BJP's key promises in its Lok Sabha election manifesto India on Sunday expressed serious concern about the rise in hostilities in West Asia and called for immediate de-escalation after Iran carried out its first ever direct attack on Israel by launching hundreds of drones and missiles. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India is seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region. (File) The attack was retaliation for an Israeli air strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in the Syrian capital of Damascus on April 1 that killed seven people, including a senior general of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). A special unit of the IRGC seized a cargo vessel with 17 Indian crew members in the Gulf of Hormuz on Saturday. The Indian side has watched the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, especially after the start of the Israel-Hamas war last October, with growing concern since West Asia is home to nine million Indian expatriates, with almost two-thirds based in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). India also has close strategic ties with key Arab states and Israel. Also read: Iran threatens to attack US bases if it backs Israel's retaliation: 10 points We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region, the external affairs ministry said in a statement. We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy, the statement said. India is closely monitoring the evolving situation and Indian embassies in the region are in close touch with the Indian community, the statement said. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region, it added. On Saturday, external affairs minister S Jaishankar spoke to his British counterpart David Cameron and discussed the emerging situation in West Asia and bilateral ties, according to a post on X. On Friday, India issued an advisory urging its citizens not to travel to Iran or Israel because of the rise in tensions between the two sides. It also asked all Indian nationals living in the two countries to observe utmost precautions. Irans widely anticipated attack on Israel was perceived as a major escalation between the two countries, though the Iranian side has targeted Israeli interests in the past by using its proxy forces and Israel has retaliated by striking Iranian interests in the region, such as the air strike on the diplomatic compound in Syria. The IRGC said it launched missiles at specific targets in Israel as part of Operation True Promise, and commercial hub Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Dimona, home to Israels nuclear plant, were among the apparent targets. The Israeli military said dozens of missiles and drones were intercepted, most of them outside Israeli airspace. President Joe Biden said the US helped Israel take down nearly all of the drones and missiles. Irans state-run media reported the attack caused heavy blows to an Israeli military base while Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the Iranian strikes caused only minor damage. Hagari said in a statement: Only a few missiles fell in the territory of the state of Israel with slight damage to a military base in the south, with only slight damage to the infrastructure. An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said about 200 projectiles were launched from Iran and there were reports of a child being injured. Biden, who curtailed a weekend break at his Delaware beach house to return to the White House for a meeting with his national security team, said Iran was aided by its proxy forces in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. He acknowledged the US military helped bring down the drones and missiles fired by Iran and said he had convened a meeting of G7 leaders on Sunday. World leaders such as UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Irans attack and Arab states such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt called for restraint. Sunak said in a statement that Britain will continue to stand up for Israels security, and added: These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed alarm about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation and urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint. Iran-Israel conflict: The Indian Embassy in Tehran on Sunday issued additional helpline numbers for Indian citizens amid the rising conflict between Iran and Israel. Iran-Israel conflict: Demonstrators wave Iran's flag and a Palestinian flag as they gather at Palestine Square in Tehran on April 14, 2024.(AFP) (The) Embassy of India in Tehran has activated additional helpline numbers. For any assistance, please contact the Embassy at: +989128109115; +989128109109; +98993179567; +989932179359; +98-21-88755103-5; cons.tehran@mea.gov.in, the Indian Mission posted on X. Follow LIVE updates of Israel-Iran conflict here. In an unprecedented attack, Iran and its proxies launched 330 missiles and drones on Israel on Saturday in retaliation to an alleged attack by Israel on a diplomatic installation of the Islamic country in Damascus in which several people were killed, including two top commanders. The United States, France, Britain and Jordan are said to have helped intercept the projectiles fired by Iran. US President Joe Biden said he would convene a meeting of the Group of Seven advanced democracies on Sunday to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack". It is the first time that the Islamic Republic has launched an attack on the Jewish State from its own soil, according to PTI. Earlier today, India's ministry of external affairs said New Delhi was seriously concerned over escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran, and called for immediate de-escalation of the situation. "We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region," the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said in a statement. "We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy," it added in the statement. India has already advised its citizens to refrain from travelling to Iran or Israel until further notice. All those who are currently residing in Iran or Israel are requested to get in touch with Indian Embassies there and register themselves. They are also requested to observe utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum, the ministry said on April 12. If Donald Trump wins the presidency, he could direct the Justice Department to enforce the Comstock Acts provisions against mailing drugs for medical abortions. Paul Sancya/Associated Press During Supreme Court oral arguments on March 26 in a case concerning the availability of mifepristone, a drug that induces abortion, two conservative justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito several times referred to the Comstock Act, an obscure statute from 1873 adopted to prohibit the shipment of obscene materials through the mail. It passed after anti-vice crusader Anthony Comstock successfully lobbied Congress to enact expansive laws to prevent the mails from being used to corrupt the public morals. The act also prohibited the shipment of any article or thing designed or intended for the prevention of conception or procuring of abortion. Since its passage more than 150 years ago, the Comstock Act and how courts interpret it have changed. The current version prohibits the mailing of every article or thing designed, adapted, or intended for producing abortion. It also forbids any express company or other common carrier from providing for carriage of such items in interstate or foreign commerce. The act provides for a prison sentence of up to five years for the first offense and 10 years for the second offense plus a fine. For over a century, courts gave narrow leeway to the Comstock Act and it has not been used. The Department of Justice said in a December 2022 opinion memorandum that the Comstock Act had been interpreted to apply only to the intentional unlawful shipping of articles intended to produce abortions. The opinion concluded: Because there are manifold ways in which recipients in every state may lawfully use such drugs, including to produce an abortion, the mere mailing of such drugs to a particular jurisdiction is an insufficient basis for concluding that the sender intends them to be used unlawfully. Advertisement Article continues below this ad However, the Justice Departments opinion is not binding on any court or a future presidential administration. The Comstock Act poses a real threat to abortion in the United States. President Joe Biden and the Democrats in Congress should begin an aggressive campaign for the repeal of the anti-abortion Comstock Act. Even if they fail, it will be a stark and essential reminder that the election of Donald Trump could lead to the end of most abortions in the United States even in states where abortion is legal, such as California. A Trump administration Justice Department could criminally prosecute the shipping drugs or anything else that can produce an abortion. This would effectively end abortions by medication, which are now 63% of all abortions, no matter what the Supreme Court rules in the mifepristone case now before it. Anti-abortion activists and conservative groups are already working on a strategy to enforce the Comstock Act if Trump is elected. Jonathan Mitchell, a law clerk of former Justice Antonin Scalia and activist right-wing attorney who represented Trump in the Supreme Court in February, told the New York Times, We dont need a federal ban (on abortion) when we have Comstock on the books. He also said, I hope he (Trump) doesnt know about the existence of Comstock, because I just dont want him to shoot off his mouth. I think the pro-life groups should keep their mouths shut as much as possible until the election. Other right-wing groups arent even bothering to keep their mouths shut. The Heritage Foundations Project 2025, advocating policies for a Trump presidency, puts enforcement of the Comstock Act front and center. The right-wing National Review writes that now that Roe has been overruled, surely the Department of Justice will enforce these provisions, right? ... anyone who violates these provisions is vulnerable to prosecution in the next administration for violations that occur during this administration. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Doctors and pharmacists and even friends and relatives of patients who send abortion medications while Biden is president could face prosecution and potential five-year prison sentences if Trump wins because the actions would be within the statute of limitations under the federal law. That is why President Biden and congressional Democrats should push now for repealing the Comstock Act. Perhaps a few House Republicans in close purple states would join Democrats in doing this, and maybe Senate Republicans would not filibuster in an election year out of fear of voter reaction. 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 But even if the effort fails in Congress, there is political benefit for the Democrats in raising this issue now. Recent elections have shown that abortion is a crucial issue with voters and a significant majority favor abortion rights, especially early in pregnancy when medically induced abortions occur. Pushing for the repeal of the Comstock Act, including campaign ads, is a powerful way to show voters that the threat to abortion rights is real everywhere in the country if Trump is elected. In what is expected to be a close election in many swing states, the abortion issue could prove decisive in determining whether Biden or Trump is president and whether Democrats or Republicans control Congress. For 49 years, from 1973 to 2022, under Roe v. Wade, the Comstock Act was irrelevant because there was a constitutional right to abortion. Now that Roe has been overruled, the law is a serious threat to abortion rights and must be repealed. External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that he spoke to his Iranian counterpart H Amirabdollahian regarding the release of 17 Indian crew members who are among the 25-member crew of a cargo ship seized by Iranian troops. External Affairs S Jaishankar at the 3rd Summit for Democracy.(PTI) Spoke to Iranian FM Amirabdolahian this evening. Took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of MSC Aries, Jaishankar shared on X. Discussed the current situation in the region. Stressed the importance of avoiding escalation, exercising restraint and returning to diplomacy. The finance minister said that both sides agreed to remain in touch. The Iranian military on Saturday seized the cargo ship MSC Aries with alleged Israeli links near the Strait of Hormuz. The ship has 17 Indian crew members. A special forces unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) carried out the operation to take control of MSC Aries in the Gulf of Hormuz, about 80 km off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Also Read | Kerala couple await return of son following cargo ship seizure by Iran Hours after the incident, India said that is in touch with Iranian authorities to ensure the security and early release of 17 Indian nationals. We are aware that the cargo ship MSC Aries has been taken control of by Iran. We have learnt that there are 17 Indian nationals on board, people familiar with the matter said. The Italian-Swiss shipping group MSC said in a statement that there were 25 crew members on board the container ship. It said MSC Aries has been boarded by Iranian authorities via helicopter as she passed the Strait of Hormuz at approximately 0243 UTC this morning. Also Read | A new and dangerous turn in West Asia MSC said it is working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing, and safe return of the vessel. The 17 Indians on board the Portuguese-flagged and Israel-affiliated cargo vessel include the master. The crew also includes four Filipinos, two Pakistanis, one Russian and one Estonian. The ship is associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime, which is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofers Zodiac Group. An elderly couple in Kerala's Kozhikode district are contemplating the safety of their son, who is currently on board an Israel-linked cargo ship seized in the Gulf region. Shyamnath is among the 17 Indians onboard the Israeli-linked cargo ship seized by the Iranian military near the Strait of Hormuz, PTI reported. This image shows a helicopter raid targeting vessel near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.(AP) Shyamnath's parents, Vishwanathan and Shyamala, who are yet to come to terms with the news, said that they spoke to their son on Saturday before the seizure of the ship, 'MSC Aries'. Later in the day, they received a call from the shipping company's office in Mumbai informing them about the ship's seizure. READ | Iran-Israel conflict: Indian Embassy in Tehran issues additional helpline numbers We are going through tough times...we have great concerns about the safety of our son, said Vishwanathan. "The company authorities said they could not contact the ship crew after the seizure," he added. Shyamnath's family also expressed hope that the Centre's interventions would help bring their son back. READ | US helps Israel thwart Iran's missiles, drones attack, India reacts to conflict: 10 points Shyamnath has been working as a second engineer in 'MSC Aries' for the past 10 years. He visited his hometown in Kozhikode's Velliparamba in September last year. According to Viswanathan, two more men from neighbouring Palakkad and Wayanad districts were also part of the MSC Aries crew. Besides Indians, nationals from the Philippines, Pakistan and Russia were also part of the crew, he said. India has called on Iranian authorities in Tehran and Delhi to ensure the welfare and early release of the 17 Indian crew members onboard the 'MSC Aries'. The MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) said it is working closely with the authorities to ensure the crew's well-being. READ | Iran attack: Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel ready defensively, offensively The 17 Indians on board the Portuguese-flagged and Israel-affiliated cargo vessel include the master. The crew includes four Filipinos, two Pakistanis, one Russian and one Estonian. The ship is associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime, part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofers Zodiac Group. (With inputs from PTI) Lok Sabha Election 2024 Highlights: Poll campaigns are being held across India by various political parties in view of the Lok Sabha election 2024. The first phase of the seven-phase election will take place on April 19. BJP released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha election 2024, in the presence of PM Modi on Sunday. Later in the day, PM Modi will address public meetings in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. The Prime Minister will hold a roadshow in Karnataka's Mangaluru in the evening....Read More In the Lok Sabha election 2024, voting will be held for electing representatives to the 543-member Lower House of the Indian Parliament. The results will be announced on June 4. Support of at least 272 MPs in the Lok Sabha is required to form the government at the Centre. All eyes are on two major political alliances namely, the INDIA bloc and the NDA- the major competitors in the Lok Sabha Election 2024. While the INDIA bloc comprises of political parties like the Congress, the AAP, the TMC etc. NDA has the BJP, the PMK, the JDU etc. as its member parties. Ruling NDA government is aiming to secure the mandate to form the government for a third consecutive term. The alliance is targeting to win more than 400 seats in the Lok Sabha. Lok Sabha Election 2024: Phase-wise schedule Phase 1- April 19 Phase 2- April 26 Phase 3- May 7 Phase 4 - May 13 Phase 5 - May 20 Phase 6 - May 25 Phase 7 - June 1 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his promise to remove poverty with a single stroke as a part of the grand old party's Lok Sabha election manifesto, saying that even the Congress leaders are not able to understand their own manifesto. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at Rahul Gandhi over his eradicate poverty remark Referring to Rahul Gandhi as Congress ke shehzade (prince of the Congress), Modi said the entire country was surprised when he announced that he would eradicate poverty with one stroke. You will laugh after reading itThe country is also asking where this shahi jaadugar (royal magician) was hiding for so many years. Wouldn't you feel like laughing? Will anyone trust someone like this? Modi said while addressing an election rally in Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad. Slamming the Congress, the PM added, Before 2014, they ran the government with a remote and now he is saying that they got a jhatke wala mantra (quick spell)Isn't this an insult to the poor? What is he even saying? Earlier this week, Rahul Gandhi made a poll promise while addressing a public rally in Rajasthan, saying that his party will eradicate poverty with a single stroke from the country. Highlighting the grand old party's manifesto, the Congress leader also promised to transfer one lakh to the account of one woman from every poor household in the country if they win the upcoming elections. Some of the key promises of Congress in its manifesto include - filling nearly 30 lakh vacancies in sanctioned posts at various levels in central government, guaranteeing a national minimum wage at 400 per day, legal guarantees to MSPs announced by the government every year as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, conducting a nationwide socio-economic and caste Census, and abolishing application fees for government examinations and government posts. Saharanpur/Muzaffarnagar , Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Sunday said her party will take "concrete steps" to make western Uttar Pradesh a separate state if voted to power at the Centre. HT Image Launching her party's poll campaign in western Uttar Pradesh, the BSP chief also asked the Muslim community not to split their votes. "If the Muslim community splits its votes, and votes for the Congress, then the BJP will get the benefit," she said at a rally in Saharanpur. Addressing another rally in Muzaffarnagar, where she campaigned for party candidate Dara Singh Prajapati, she referred to the long-standing demand for statehood for western Uttar Pradesh. "There has been a long-standing demand for statehood by the people of western Uttar Pradesh. For this, concrete steps will be taken if our government comes to power at the Centre," Mayawati told the gathering. The BSP is fighting this Lok Sabha election alone and is not part of the opposition INDIA bloc. Twenty-five years ago, Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh as a separate state. The BSP chief also claimed that if free and fair elections are held and voting machines are not tampered with, the BJP will not return to power this time. "Most of the BJP's time was spent on making wealthy businessmen wealthier and protecting them... The BJP and other parties run their organisations and contest elections with the support of these businesses. Electoral bond data revealed this," she added. At the Saharanpur rally earlier in the day, Mayawati asked Muslims not to split their votes. "To the Muslims, I would like to say that you should not allow your votes to be split. If you want to defeat the BJP candidate, I would ask the Muslim community not to allow your votes to get split," she said. Sharpening her attack on the Congress, the BSP chief said, "Whenever the BSP has fielded a Muslim candidate, the Congress and other parties have also given tickets to Muslim candidates." "The Congress knows that its candidate will not win the polls. The BSP has a huge chunk of Dalit votes along with Muslims. From the Kairana Lok Sabha seat, we have given the ticket to a 'Kshatriya'. Our candidate will get the 'Kshatriya' votes in Saharanpur as well," she added. She further claimed that it would not be easy for the BJP to return to power because of the difference in its words and actions. "The BJP and its allies have been in power at the Centre and in most states. Owing to their casteist, capitalist, narrow and vindictive policies and style of working, and due to the significant difference in their words and actions, it now seems that it would not be easy for them to return to power at the Centre," the BSP chief said. People are not going to fall for the "rhetoric" served by the political parties ahead of the polls anymore, she said and accused the BJP of "politicising" probe agencies. She said her party is contesting the Lok Sabha election on its own instead of forging an alliance with any party and has given "appropriate share to all sections of society" in ticket distribution. Mayawati also hit out at rival political parties, saying their wrong policies have adversely impacted the economy. Apart from this, the country's borders are not completely safe, she claimed. Asking the voters to remain alert, Mayawati said other political parties use the media, opinion polls and surveys to create a favourable atmosphere. "The BSP does not release its manifesto. Our party believes in speaking less and working more. Our government in Uttar Pradesh did historic work which is now being copied by governments of most parties," she said. Hitting out at the free ration scheme Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, Mayawati said, "Food materials given to extremely poor families is not going to benefit them. This problem can be addressed by giving them work and our party will pay attention to this." Earlier in the day, Mayawati accused other mainstream parties of giving an "ostensible" respect to Dr BR Ambedkar and ignoring his followers. "For narrow electoral interests, the ostensible respect given to Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, and ignoring his followers, exemplifies the proverb 'mooh mein ram, bagal mein chhuri', she said in a statement. In a post in Hindi on X, Mayawati paid tributes to Ambedkar on his birth anniversary and called him "a messiah of millions of poor, exploited, deprived and neglected people in the country". Eight parliamentary constituencies of Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Nagina , Moradabad, Rampur, and Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh will vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 19. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with his family, reportedly moved to US billionaire Simon Falic's missile-proof residence over the weekend amid growing concerns over a potential retaliatory strike from Iran, which eventually launched drones and missiles against its arch-enemy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.(Reuters) At the beginning of Israel's war against Hamas following the October 7 attack, the Netanyahu family shifted to Falic's house located in the Talpiot neighbourhood of Jerusalem. They had been alternating between the Talpiot house and their private home in Caesarea. However, in recent months, Netanyahu's family had returned to their home on Gaza Street in Jerusalem. But the Israeli PM spent the night at Falic's fortified house, which reportedly has a bunker, after fears of an Iranian attack grew strong, reported local news outlet Walla. A Haaretz journalist was the first to report that the Netanyahu couple had returned to stay at the villa in Talpiot. Simon Falic is a businessman and one of the three brothers who run the Falic Group, a privately held duty-free retail company. The Falic Group is based in Miami, Florida, and operates duty-free stores in airports and other travel-related locations around the world. The company is known for selling luxury goods such as perfumes, cosmetics, and fashion accessories. Iran launched explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first direct attack on Israeli territory, throwing the war-torn region into a deeper crisis. U.S. President Joe Biden, who spoke with Netanyahu over the telephone, said he would convene a meeting of leaders of the Group of Seven major economies on Sunday to coordinate a diplomatic response to what he called Iran's brazen attack. The U.N. Security Council is set to meet at 4 p.m. ET (2000 GMT) on Sunday after Israel requested it condemn Iran's attack and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. Israel's Channel 12 TV cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying there would be a "significant response" to the attack. Tehran said its strike was punishment for Israeli crimes, referring to the strike at its consulate in Damascus that killed senior Iranian commanders. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the consulate attack. "Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe," the Iranian mission to the United Nations said, warning the U.S. to "stay away". However, it also said Iran now "deemed the matter concluded". Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hit out at the Congress for always insulting Dr Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, adding that his BJP-led central government has always honoured him. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Raj K Raj/HT Photo) Addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad district, the PM also said that the grand old party never recognised the contribution of the tribal community. The Congress always insulted Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, we have honoured himBecause of the Constitution given by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, a tribal woman became the President of India, PM Modi on the birth anniversary of Ambedkar, as quoted by news agency PTI. Targeting the opposition party, PM Modi added, The Congress is saying that if I become prime minister for the third time, the country will be in flamesThe (opposition) INDI alliance is unable to decide in which direction the country should move. PM Modi's tribute to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar On the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti, PM Modi on Sunday paid tributes to the architect of the Indian Constitution, saying that he is an inspiration for various backward-class people. Tributes to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on his Jayanti. Jai Bhim! Babasaheb Ambedkar made us realise that to achieve anything, it's not necessary to be born into a wealthy family. Instead, in India people born into poor families can also dream and work hard to fulfill their vision, the PM said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. He added, There were times when people tried to stop him and strove that a poor man belonging to a backward class would not move forward. However, the image of the new India is completely different. This India belongs to Babasaheb Ambedkar, to the poor, to the backward class. Dr Ambedkar, also known as the Father of the Indian Constitution', headed the committee which drafted the Constitution of India. Born on April 14, 1891, he was an economist, lawyer, and professor. He was also marked by his political activities and his role during India's independence. BR Ambedkar was conferred the Bharat Ratna - the country's highest civilian award in 1990 - 30 years after his demise. He breathed his last on December 6, 1956. Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the safe return of the retired Navy veterans who were released by Qatar after being handed death sentence on charges of espionage. Our retired Navy veterans who were working in some companies in Qatar were sentenced to death...PM Modi had a talk with Qatar's President and within 2-3 days their punishment was reversed and the retired Navy veterans were back in India. This is India's power, Singh said at a rally in Bihar's Banka, which will go to polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19. In February, Qatar released eight former Navy personnel who were employed by the Dahra Global company. They were arrested by the Qatar authorities in October 2022 after being accused of allegedly spying on a submarine programme. They were deemed guilty of espionage by the Qatari court, and were sentenced to death. Defence minister Rajnath Singh said PM Modi had a talk with Qatar's President and within 2-3 days the punishment of Navy veterans was reversed(Sakib Ali/HT Photo) The death sentenced for the retired Navy personnel was commuted to an extended prison term following diplomatic talks between Qatar and India. The jail term was also shortened after various kin of the jailed Indians approached the MEA, which in turn assured the use of all diplomatic channels to bring them back. HT learnt that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal relationship with the Emir of Qatar and the behind-the-scenes diplomacy by national security advisor Ajit Doval had ensured the release of the Navy veterans. ALSO READ: Qatar frees Indian Navy veterans: What happened on Sunday night? External affairs minister S Jaishankar had led the diplomatic front while Doval conducted the delicate negotiations at the advice of the prime minister. The NSA had made a number of quiet trips to Doha with the conviction that the Qatari leadership would understand the Indian point of view. Bihar will vote in all the phases of the Lok Sabha elections that begin on April 19. The counting of votes will take place on June 4. Iran-Israel conflict news: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the need for a stable majority government increases at a time when the world is passing through uncertain times. PM Modi's statement, at the release of the Bharatiya Janata Party's poll manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 in New Delhi, comes on a day Iran's proxies and allies carried out coordinated attacks on Israeli positions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the release of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) manifesto ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 at the party headquarters in New Delhi on April 14.(AFP) The Iranian attack, which comes less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Without referring to any country, Modi said, The cloud of uncertainty is hovering over the world today. There is a situation of war. The world is tense. In such times of crisis, the security of Indians living in these regions is our priority. When such tensions prevail across the world, it becomes all the more necessary to have a strong and stable government with a full majority - such a government that makes the country economically prosperous, that takes the country towards 'Viksit Bharat' swiftly and the BJP is determined for this. BJP's manifesto gives a guarantee for once such government. Watch the video: The Israeli military said on Sunday said Iran's unprecedented overnight attack has been "foiled", with hundreds of missiles and drones intercepted with the help of the United States and allies. The attack which began late Saturday marks a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes, and comes against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Modi was one of the first world leaders to condemn the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and also came out in strong support of the country. With the subsequent war stretching on for months, India has appeared to recalibrate its approach keeping in mind its historical stand on Palestine and a two-state solution, as well as its other relationships in the Middle East. India seriously concerned over hostilities between Israel, Iran On Sunday, India said it was seriously concerned over escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran, and called for immediate de-escalation of the situation. "We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region," the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said in a statement. "We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy," it added in the statement. The MEA also said India was closely monitoring the evolving situation. "Our embassies in the region are in close touch with Indian community. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region," it said. (With inputs from agencies) There were several human rights violations in the troubled Sandeshkhali area of West Bengal, including forced migration, denial of the democratic right to vote, sexual exploitation of women and land grabbing, the National Human Rights Commission has said in its spot enquiry report. Central Bureau of Investigation officials take suspended Trinamool Congress strongman and Sandeshkhali incident accused Shahjahan Sheikh to Basirhat Court, in Kolkata (ANI) The spot report of team, approved by the NHRC was sent to West Bengal police and chief secretary and CBI on Friday. HT has reviewed a copy of the report. Also Read: CBI creates dedicated e-mail id for land grab victims in Bengal's Sandeshkhali After interacting with the villagers, especially women in the area of Sandeshkhali, the NHRC team observed that the atmosphere of intimidation, and terror created due to the atrocities by the alleged accused persons rendered the victims silent and reluctant to seek justice, said the report. The villagers/victims faced assault, threat, sexual exploitation, land grabbing, and forced unpaid labour, and under the given circumstances, they were compelled to seek livelihood outside the Sandeshkhali region or state, the report added. An investigation team of the NHRC led by Vijaya Bharathi Sayani visited Sandeshkhali on February 23-25 and interacted with area residents, including women, police officers and doctors, among others. Also Read: Cop attacked inside police camp in Bengal's Sandeshkhali; TMC leaders detained It found that whenever local residents went with a complaint to the police, they were allegedly advised to approach the accused people, including suspended Trinamool Congress party leader Sheikh Shahjahan, and seek a compromise. Based on these interactions, the human rights body on Friday asked West Bengal chief secretary Bhagwati Prasad Gopalika and director general of police Rajeev Kumar to submit an action taken report in the matter within eight weeks while making several recommendations to restore law and order. The people who hold portfolios in the NHRC and other such bodies, are usually BJP leaders. They prepare reports favouring the BJP. This has been proved time and again. The same thing has happened this time. It is just a repetition, said Santanu Sen, TMC MP. Also Read: BJP candidate and Sandeshkhali survivor Rekha Patra moves NCW against TMC leader. What triggered complaint? No bureaucrats in West Bengal government were willing to comment on the issue. The riverine island of Sandeshkhali has been in the eye of the storm since January 5, when Enforcement Directorate officers arrived to search the home of Shahjahan, a close aide of former minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, who was arrested in October last year in connection with an alleged ration distribution scam. The ED team came under attack from an angry mob, leaving three officers injured. On February 7, other violent protests began erupting in Sandeshkhali and nearby villages, with groups of residents, led mostly by women, alleging exploitation, land grabbing and sexual harassment at the hands of local TMC leaders, including Shahjahan, his brother Sirajuddin and associates Uttam Sardar and Shibaprasad Hazra. Other villages said Shahjahan and his associates also allegedly indulged in grabbing land. Shahjahan, a former TMC zila parishad leader, was arrested by state police on the orders of the Calcutta high court on February 29 after 55 days on the run. Although state criminal investigation department took over the probe, Shahjahan was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation under the high courts orders on March 6. The Calcutta high court on April 10 asked CBI to investigate all allegations of Sandeshkhali residents since February. As per villagers, a significant number of men from the Sandeshkhali area have chosen to seek livelihood in distant places, leaving behind the women, children, and elderly, who continue to reside in the villages, said the report. The decision to migrate is often driven by the pursuit of better economic opportunities and also staying in their home town could potentially expose them to working for the alleged accused or political parties without wages. This is a kind of forced migration, the commission said. The villagers in Sandeshkhali said that they are denied democratic right to vote, the report said. They alleged that during elections, they are prohibited from casting their votes, as supporters of miscreants allegedly cast vote on their behalf, it added. The report also highlighted alleged instances of land grabbing, disruption of natural habitats leading to environmental concerns, and safety of witnesses, among other concerns. The commission said every victim told its team that the police do not respond to their complaints against Hazra, Sardar and their associates. Shockingly, they were advised to approach the alleged accused or their alleged patron Sheikh Shahjahan, and seek a compromise instead of receiving the support they sought from the police, the report said. The common people have lost faith in the local police. Between January 1, 2023, and February 25, 2024, three minor girls and 37 adult women were untraced in the area, according to data from Sandeshkhali police station that was shared with the NHRC team. Local police, after the violence in February, registered 25 cases, out of which seven are related to sexual offences against Shahjahan, Sardar and Hazra, according to the report. Police have arrested 24 people so far in these cases. The alleged offences committed in Sandeshkhali are among the top poll issues in the eastern state that sends 42 members to the Lok Sabha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah have repeatedly referred to the allegations to attack the TMC, especially on the issue of womens safety. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has said the state government took swift action against the perpetrators and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of vendetta politics. The people have seen what has happened in Sandeshkhali. The high court ordered a CBI probe. This corroborates the NHRC report. It is immaterial what political parties say, said BJP spokesman Samik Bhattacharya. The second batch of Indian military personnel manning a helicopter gifted by India to the Maldives has left the island nation, its president Mohamed Muizzu said on Saturday. Maldives' President Mohamed Muizzu speaks during the World Government Summit in Dubai on February 13, 2024.(AFP) Muizzu, a pro-China leader, announced the withdrawal of the second Indian military contingent from the Maldives during a campaign event for the ruling People's National Congress party candidates ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for April 21. "The first team has already gone. Now, on April 9, the soldiers on the second platform have also been withdrawn," Muizzu said, according to PTI, which cited the local media. In his address, Muizzu also said that foreign ambassadors in Male would not wield any authority over him and emphasised that ultimate power rests with the citizens. Also Read | Maldives to hold road shows in India to woo tourists back Earlier this month, Muizzu had said that the second batch of Indian military personnel responsible for operating the aviation platform in the Maldives will be withdrawn within April and the process of drawing down all such personnel will be completed by May 10. His remarks came weeks after India had replaced military personnel operating the helicopter with technical personnel in March. He had earlier given an ultimatum for withdrawing some 80 Indian military personnel responsible for operating and maintaining two helicopters and an aircraft. The Indian military personnel were stationed in the Maldives to operate two Advanced Light Helicopters and a Dornier aircraft provided by India that are mainly used for humanitarian assistance operations and medical evacuations. However, during Saturday's remarks, the Maldivian President did not provide details of the number of the second batch of Indian military personnel who have left the Maldives. He also did not clarify whether the soldiers had been replaced by trained Indian civilians, according to PTI. The Maldives Defence Ministry nor India have commented on the latest withdrawal yet. Muizzu has sought to move the Maldives away from dependence on India in crucial sectors such as food security and defence following his victory in last years presidential election. Lucknow, The Uttar Pradesh government has tightened security in and around Ayodhya as lakhs of devotees are expected to flock to the city for Ram Navami celebrations, the first since the consecration ceremony at Ram Temple in January. HT Image The festival will be celebrated in the city on a grand level and the state government has made elaborate arrangements for it, officials said. The police administration has stepped up efforts to put all necessary security measures in place in view of the large influx of devotees, ensuring the smooth execution of this significant festival, they said. In addition to securing the incoming devotees, the police have devised plans for crowd management and darshan and have estimated devotee numbers, they said. Ram Navami Mela commenced in Ayodhya Dham on April 9 and will continue until Ram Navami to be held on April 17, attracting about 25 lakh devotees. Many police personnel have been deployed at the mela. The mela grounds have been divided into seven zones and 39 sectors, while traffic management has been organised into two zones and 11 clusters, an official statement issued here said. To oversee devotees' security throughout the event, there will be 11 additional superintendents of police, 26 deputy superintendents of police, 150 inspectors, 400 sub inspectors, 25 women sub inspectors, 1305 chief constables/constables, 270 women chief constables/constables, and 15 Company PACs, it said. Additionally, two companies for flood relief, a team from SDRF and ATS, have been assigned duties. An additional superintendent of police will supervise each zone, and each sector will have a designated deputy superintendent of police or inspector, it said. To ensure safe darshan experiences, 15 drop-down barriers and 13 holding areas will be established along Ram Path. Continuous surveillance will be conducted via 111 CCTV cameras from the Control Room. Water police will oversee security along the Saryu River and Ram ki Pauri, while police and PAC forces will be stationed at various temples and Mela grounds. The movement of vehicles and devotees will be monitored using 24 cameras installed at key locations throughout Ayodhya Dham. Additionally, the inflow and outflow of vehicles and devotees will be analysed via cameras at the Gonda border, it said. CCTV cameras installed in Ayodhya Dham will assess crowd levels and determine necessary traffic diversions at different locations. Five hundred sixty cameras will be installed in various control rooms across Ayodhya Dham to monitor devotees' movement. Furthermore, real-time analysis of roads, streets, and parking areas will be conducted using two tethered and eight aerial drones. There will be ambulance and rescue teams stationed at key locations. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Supreme Court judges Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan on Saturday paid rich tributes to the late eminent jurist and former top court judge, justice VR Krishna Iyer, during an event marked by reverence for justice Iyers legacy and his jurisprudential brilliance. Justice Iyer, a former legislator who also served as a minister in the Kerala government, was elevated as a judge in the Supreme Court in 1973 and retired after a tenure of seven years (HT) While justice Kant shared how the late judges philosophy on the expansive interpretation of Article 21 of the India Constitution consistently influenced his decision-making in courts, justice Viswanathan called justice Iyer a one-man pressure group with exceptional progressive views and judicial activism. Attorney general R Venkataramani delivered a lecture on the theme In Search of Being Right: Citizens, Governance & Courts, emphasising the invaluable contributions to the Indian judiciary by justice Iyer. Speaking at the event organised by OP Jindal Global University and Jindal Global Law School, justice Kant, who is in line to become the Chief Justice of India in November 2025, called justice Iyer a messiah of masses, adding the principles evolved by the late judge through his verdicts have become an indelible and inseparable part of the constitutional mortality. Justice Kant recalled some of justice Iyers outstanding verdicts on the right to life and liberty under Article 21 and highlighted the latters endeavours to strengthen the victims rights in India and the compulsory recoupment by the wrong doer of the damaged. I feel Indian jurisprudence will continue to grow under the guidance and by following the principles of liberty, human rights and constitutional and morality that justice Krisha Iyer promoted throughout his tenure, emphasised justice Kant. Sharing his reflections on the contributions of the late judge, justice Viswanathan said that justice Iyer through his pronouncements laid down the pathway to legislative changes in the form of various enactments including the Environment Protection Act, 1986, Copyright Amendment Act, 2012 and amendment in the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) that granted rights to a victim to file an appeal against an order of acquitting the accused. Justice Iyer has always been far ahead of his time. Justice Iyer has been a torchbearer, a pioneer, a driver for legislative and social change, a one-man pressure group to give direction for policy change, said justice Viswanathan, who is slated to take over as the CJI in August 2030. The judges underlined that justice Iyers much-quoted remark - Bail is the rule, jail is an exception in a 1977 judgment remains the edifice on which the criminal justice system should stand, while adding that his judgments dealing with the issues of fundamental rights, plight of undertrial prisoners and commitment to social justice exalted the status of the Indian Supreme Court. Attorney general Venkataramanis lecture delved into the intricate relationship between citizens, governance and the judiciary. With a focus on the pursuit of justice, he explored the evolving role of courts in safeguarding the rights of citizens and ensuring good governance as he highlighted justice Iyers brilliance as a judge and as a person and his commitment to social justice. The A-G also reflected on justice Iyers principles and ideals, emphasising the enduring relevance of his vision in contemporary legal discourse and the ongoing quest for justice. He underscored the profound impact of the visionary jurist on Indias judicial system and the imperative of upholding justice in society. Supreme Court judge CT Ravikumar also offered his thoughts on justice Iyers bail jurisprudence tenets. Justice Iyer, a former legislator who also served as a minister in the Kerala government, was elevated as a judge in the Supreme Court in 1973 and retired after a tenure of seven years. He passed away in 2014 at the age of 99. Fragile peace maintained over the past month-and-a-half in strife-torn Manipur was rattled with the death of two people on Saturday as a bloody gunfight erupted between two armed groups in a village bordering Kangpokpi and Imphal East districts, marking the first death in clashes in the northeastern state in at least 46 days. Manipur has been in the throes of a violent conflict since May last year. (ANI) Also Read | Manipur car blast: NIA files charge sheet against 2, including main conspirator Since Thursday night, the state now has reported at least three separate incidents of violence. On Friday, two men were injured in a gunfight with militants at Tengnoupal. Later in the evening, militants disrupted and dispersed a gathering of people in Bishnupur district who had assembled to meet Congress Lok Sabha candidate for inner Manipur, Bimol Akoijam. The violence came just six days before general elections begin in the restive state. Saturday mornings gunbattle took place at around 9am as militants from the two sides engaged in an exchange of heavy gunfire in a border region between Kuki and Meitei villages. Also Read | Amit Shah likely to visit Manipur on April 15 People aware of the matter said that the gunfight had started in the area of Kamu Saichang village. The villages in Kangpokpi are close to the Meitei villages such as Moirangpur in Imphal East. Meities live in the valley districts such as Imphal East, while Kukis live in the hill districts such as Kangpokpi. Security forces did not comment on which group started the gunfight, but confirmed the gunbattle in the morning and that the situation was now under control. The area where the gunfight happened is the border between Kuki and Meitei villages of the two districts. It has happened in the jungle area of the abandoned village on both sides. Security forces rushed to the hills where the gunfight happened. Currently the situation is under control, an official aware of the matter said. Also Read | PM Modi says marked improvement in situation in violence-hit Manipur Lenin Haokip, chief of Kuki-inhabited L Chajang village in Kangpokpi, said the two men who died were Kamminlal Lupheng (23) and Kamlengsat Lunkim (22), according to other defence volunteers. Originally residents of Nongdam Kuki and Bongjang village next to Kamu Saichang, the two were working as village defence volunteers. Their families live in relief camps in the Kangpokpi town area. Kuki village volunteers were guarding the abandoned village from hill top near Kamu Saichang after reports of militants mining sand from Kamu Saichang village. This morning, militants dressed as security forces arrived in the village. This is when village defence volunteers walked down the hills in the jungle to check if they were indeed security forces or militants. The gunfight started at around 8.30am. The militants came with heavy gunfire and fired mortars. Two men died in the gunfight, Haokip said. Senior Manipur police officials from Imphal East district which is probing the matter said they are yet to collect the bodies because the incident happened in the hills above the buffer zone. We could not retrieve the bodies because of two reasons, one was the sporadic gunfire and presence of militants in the area. The second is because the gunfight happened in the hills above the buffer zone. Also Read | AFSPA extended for another 6 months in Manipur Manipur police officials are yet to officially issue a statement on the case. A police official, who asked not to be named, said that the gunfight lasted till around 3pm in the afternoon. There were some rounds of gunshots fired between the armed village defence volunteers of both sides on Thursday night also. The Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), a Kangpokpi-based Kuki civil society, ordered a complete shutdown of Kangpokpi for 24 hours. COTU in a statement said that illegal quarry and pilferage of villages was the precursor towards the incident on Saturday. The killing also eroded the tenuous peace established in the state by security forces and highlighted that ethnic tensions especially between the Kukis and the Meiteis continues to run high. It also pushed the death toll in the state to 221. Over the last two days, there were two separate incidents of violence reported in other parts of Manipur. Two Meitei people sustained injuries in firing between militant groups in the Tengnoupal district on Friday. The two men were rushed to Raj Medicity hospital in Imphal, where their condition is stable. The gunfight had started at the Pelyang village on Thursday night and continued till Friday evening. At around the same time when security forces had controlled the situation in Pelyang village and militants from both groups fled to the jungle, there were reports that militants disrupted and dispersed a gathering of people who had assembled to meet Congress Lok Sabha candidate Bimol Akoijam. Akoijams legal team on Saturday filed a complaint with the Manipur chief electoral officer in which they said that on Friday, a crowd of around 400-500 people had gathered at Phairenbam Mandop in Moirang for a public interaction with Akoijam. Suddenly 5-6 gunshots were fired upon the gathering crowd by unknown persons and the crowd started running away to save their lives. The unidentified gunmen also threatened the organisers and the crowd not to convene the meeting and disperse immediately. The crowd had to disperse and the meeting was completely disrupted, the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committees legal team said in the complaint, seeking action against the gunmen. The party also demanded security and more personnel in the valley areas of Inner Manipur constituency. Manipur is set to go to vote for the two Manipur Lok Sabha constituencies in two phases on April 19 and 26. A senior security force officer, who asked not to be named, said, It is unclear why the violence has suddenly started again. Even in the last one month, there were cases of militants from both sides firing in the air to make their presence felt. But the groups were not directly clashing with each other for a while. It is true that around 5,000 security forces personnel have been removed from Manipur to go to another state for election duty. People here are aware of it. But it will be too early to say why violence has started again. Manipur has been in the throes of a violent conflict since May last year. What began as an ethnic conflict between the majority Meiteis who reside in the Imphal valley and the tribal Kukis, has grown into seemingly irreconcilable cleavages within Manipuri society, with 221 people killed and an estimated 50,000 left people displaced, armed militia prowling the streets, police forces divided on community lines, and lives being led in enclaves of fear. An accused in the brutal murder of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan in 2013 was shot by unidentified assailants in Lahore on Sunday, PTI reported. Sarabjit Singh was a resident of Bhikhiwind in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab. Amir Sarfaraz Tamba, a close associate of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, was shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Lahore's Islampura area. He was rushed in critical condition to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Singh, 49, died in 2013 after being comatose for nearly a week following a brutal assault by inmates including Tamba, inside the high-security Kot Lakhpat jail. Who was Sarabjit Singh? What was the case against him? New York's prestigious Metropolitan Museum of Art wants to offer its millions of visitors a less Western-centered view of the world, a shift that will highlight works from Africa and the continent's 3,000 years of cultural history. That shift in perspective will also help the world's fourth most-visited museum -- behind the Louvre, the British Museum and the museums of the Vatican -- attract more African American and diaspora visitors, Met CEO and executive director Max Hollein told AFP in an interview. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, one of the world's largest museums, wants to offer its millions of visitors an approach to art that is less "Western-centric" and more focused on Africa and its 3,000 years of cultural history.(Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) The iconic museum, situated on Fifth Avenue across from Central Park since 1870, thus hopes to shine a brighter light on its 4,000 African works, produced by more than 200 cultures from what today are nearly 40 sub-Saharan African countries. After spending tens of millions on renovations, the Met in spring 2025 will reopen its Michael C. Rockefeller wing, which houses not just African art but also works from the South Pacific and the early Americas. "We wanted to have a completely new architecture and scenography in showing this work of art, and especially African art," said Hollein, a 54-year-old Austrian art historian and the first European to lead the Met. He took the Met's reins in July 2023 as it was recovering from a collapse in visitorship during the pandemic. It drew 5.4 million visitors last year, a figure actually 10 percent higher than the pre-Covid 2019 number. Hollein said the Rockefeller wing, which opened in 1982, already represented a major shift to a "much broader perspective" for the museum, founded and financed by wealthy art lovers, businessmen and collectors of works from Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as from ancient Greece and Rome. A less Eurocentric view But once the renovated and reimagined African galleries open in 2025, they will mark another milestone. The museum wants "to make sure that we don't have just a Western-centric or Eurocentric perspective," Hollein said. The Met has also extended its reach by negotiating agreements with African counterparts, such as a 2023 accord with Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments to help it with the digitization and cataloging of its holdings. Working with African countries, the Met in 2020 organized an ambitious exhibit on the arts of the Sahelian empires of the Middle Ages (Ghana, Mali, Songhai and Segu) and a smaller one, which ended last month, on 1,000 years of influence by the Byzantine empire on the art of the Christians of Egypt, Tunisia, Ethiopia and Sudan. Hollein said it is time to step back from a Eurocentric view -- to stop "just looking at these objects because they've influenced European modernism so much" or studying Maori sculptures only because "they fascinated French artists of the early 20th century." African art, American heritage To deepen his connection to African art and better understand its works in their local context, Hollein traveled in late March to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Tanzania, meeting with museum curators, art historians and contemporary artists. He also visited some rare archeological sites: Great Zimbabwe, the ruins of a medieval city in that country's south, and the Tanzanian island of Kilwa Kisiwani, where the remains of another medieval city are now recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Videos with updated information on the sites will be shown in the Met's Rockefeller wing. Eager, like other American and European museums, to appeal to a younger and more diverse public, the Met has turned its attention to the multicultural mosaic that is New York City -- and in particular its population descended from enslaved peoples, as well as more recent arrivals from Africa and the Caribbean. "It's the art of Africa, but it is basically also the cultural heritage of African Americans in the United States," Hollein said. Diljit Dosanjh performed live in a concert in Mumbai on April 13. Fans and Bollywood stars attended the Amar Singh Chamkila actor's performance. Kriti Sanon, Tamannaah Bhatia, Vijay Varma, Varun Dhawan, Neha Dhupia, Angad Bedi, Sachin Tendulkar's daughter Sara Tendulkar, Taapsee Pannu, Karan Kundrra, Tejasswi Prakash, Arpitac Khan, and several other stars stepped out in stylish concert fits for the occasion. Check out what the celebs wore to the event inside. (Also Read | Malaika Arora in flirty white maxi dress brings her summer fashion A-game to an event: Watch) Kriti Sanon, Tamannaah Bhatia, Vijay Varma, Sara Tendulkar and Varun Dhawan attend Diljit Dosanjh's concert in Mumbai. Diljit Dosanjh's concert: Who wore what to the musical event Kriti Sanon Kriti Sanon arrived at Diljit Dosanjh's concert in Mumbai in an all-black concert-ready ensemble and stole the show with her funky style. Kriti wore a black printed top with black shorts and calf-length cowboy-style boots. Her sleeveless top Kriti wore features a striking gold pattern on the front, a distressed design on the shoulders and hem, and a baggy silhouette. Lastly, she chose side-parted wavy loose locks, bracelets, gold hoop earrings, shimmery eye shadow, highlighter on the contours, pink lip shade, mascara on the lashes, and feathered brows to style her concert look. Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varma Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varma attended Diljit Dosanjh's concert together. The paparazzi clicked the couple outside the concert venue, dressed in stylish ensembles. While Tamannaah donned a denim long short, a red tasselled skirt, white embellished sneakers, gold hoop earrings, a dainty gold chain, loose locks, and dewy blushed makeup, Vijay complemented her in a black full-sleeved printed jumper, baggy denim jeans, sneakers, a silver chain, and tinted sunglasses. Sara Tendulkar Sara Tendulkar arrived at Diljit Dosanjh's concert with her gang. for the occasion, she chose a black fitted tank top, a black-white printed open-front relaxed-fit shirt, and skinny-fitted denim jeans. She accessorised the ensemble with a Louis Vuitton over-the-shoulder bag, embellished sandals, dangling earrings, and dainty bracelets. Lastly, loose wavy open locks, a nude lip shade, blushed cheeks, and feathered brows rounded off the concert look. Varun Dhawan Varun Dhawan arrived at Diljit Dosanjh's concert dressed in an uber-stylish ensemble. The actor wore a white crew-neck top with a printed blue shirt featuring a collared neckline, an open front, and half-length sleeves. He completed the look with distressed denim jeans, white high-top sneakers, a clean shave look, and a backswept hairdo. Tejasswi Prakash and Karan Kundrra The paparazzi clicked Tejasswi Prakash and Karan Kundrra at the concert. While Tejasswi chose a coord set for the musical event, Karan complemented her in a black printed button-down shirt, grey cargo pants, and tan sneakers. Tejasswi wore a mauve-coloured crop top and matching flared pants. She styled the ensemble with block heels, coral pink lip shade, a dainty chain, open locks, and a bracelet. Karisma Kapoor has never failed to delight her fans with her sartorial choices. From couture ensembles to designer sarees, breezy cotton suit sets, stunning dresses and more, Karisma's wardrobe houses outfits worth stealing. Recently, the actor enjoyed a weekend getaway in Suryagarh, Jaisalmer for an event hosted by Estee Lauder. She posted pictures from the occasion on Instagram with the caption, "Such a special weekend with @esteelauderin celebrating #ReNutriv #SkinLongevity." The post features Karisma dressed in two gorgeous dresses that are the refreshing summer staples you need in your wardrobe. Scroll through to see what she wore. Karisma Kapoor wears two chic dresses for a 'special weekend' getaway. (Instagram) Karisma Kapoor in two gorgeous dresses spends a weekend in Suryagarh Karisma Kapoor's post features several pictures from her weekend getaway, including the actor posing in her stunning outfits, a click of her sitting on a cot in a white kurta-pyjama set, a few photos of the Estee Lauder products, an image of the menu she was served at the event, and another of her sitting with other guests. The first dress Karisma wore was a printed cape look from AK-OK by Anamika Khanna. She also wore a black midi dress from Saaksha and Kinni. Karisma Kapoor poses in an AK-OK dress during an event. (Instagram) The AK-OK cape look features an asymmetrical floor-length gown and a coordinated cape. While the sleeveless dress has a round neckline and a relaxed fit, the long cape jacket features an open front, full-length sleeves, a breezy silhouette, and a floor-length hem. The abstract yellow and black print on the white backdrop adds character to the ensemble and makes it a perfect sartorial pick for summer. Karisma styled the dress with stacked bracelets, rings, hoops, sunglasses, open locks, mauve lip shade, and minimal glam pics. Karisma Kapoor wears a black midi dress by Saaksha and Kinni. (Instagram) Meanwhile, the second dress from Saaksha and Kinni has a square neckline, quarter-length bell sleeves, a cinched detail on the bodice, a pleated flowy skirt, mirror work, and a floral thread design. Karisma styled the chic evening look with green pumps, rings, hoop earrings, kohl-lined eyes, winged eyeliner, mascara on the lashes, darkened brows, pink lip shade, on-fleek brows, rouge on the cheeks and centre-parted open wavy locks. It's water festival time in Thailand where many are marking the country's traditional New Year, splashing each other with colourful water guns and buckets in an often raucous celebration that draws thousands of people, even as this year the Southeast Asian nation marks record-high temperatures causing concern. (Also Read | Iran, Thailand allow visa-free entry to Indian passport holders; list of places to travel without visa in holiday season) People play with water as they celebrate the Songkran holiday which marks the Thai New Year in Bangkok, Thailand. (Reuters ) The festival, known as Songkran in Thailand, is a three-day shindig that started Saturday and informally extends for a whole week, allowing people to travel for family celebrations. The holiday is also celebrated under different names in neighbouring Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, which like Thailand have populations that are predominantly Theravada Buddhist. Songkran is immensely popular predicted this year to attract more than 500,000 foreign tourists and generate more than 24 billion baht ($655 million) in revenue, according to the state tourism agency. Past Thai governments have been reluctant to call for dialling down the fun even during crises such as droughts and the pandemic Though the festival originated as a way to pray for a rainy season that helped crops and included activities such as cleansing images of the Buddha and washing the hands and feet of elders, Songkran these days is now often associated with public drunkenness, sexual assault in the guise of merrymaking, and a spike in traffic fatalities, noticeable to the point that the extended holiday has been dubbed the seven dangerous days. The festival usually falls at the hottest time of the year when temperatures can creep above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). But this year, the unusual heat wave, with expected record temperatures for the next few months, has triggered apprehension. The United Nations Childrens Fund warned Thursday the sweltering weather could put millions of children's lives at risk, asking caregivers to take extra precautions. The UNICEF statement said in the Asia-Pacific region, around 243 million children are exposed to hotter and longer heatwaves, putting them at risk of a multitude of heat-related illnesses, and even death. Heat waves can be lethal as they affect the ability to breathe, making the old and young particularly vulnerable. Benjamin Horton, director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore where natural phenomena such as climate change are studied, said three factors determine heat waves; El Nino, a natural, temporary and occasional warming of part of the Pacific, an increase in global temperatures and human-induced climate change. The poor are particularly vulnerable to heat waves, exacerbated in many Southeast Asian cities where concrete buildings make the weather more stifling and few trees provide shade, he said. Horton added that the past year saw record-high global average temperatures and the heat waves in Southeast Asia were mirroring that trend, adding that it is only going to get worse. The entirety of the Mekong Delta, which includes Vietnam as well as Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, saw extreme heat, with parts of Laos and Thailand seeing temperatures that were 5-7 degrees Celsius (41-44.6 degrees Fahrenheit) more than the average between April 3-9, according to the Mekong Dam Monitor program of the Stimson Center in Washington D.C. This extreme heat also means less water for hydropower dams to produce energy. Heat waves put a significant strain on power systems, from surging energy demand to compromising grid capacity. Hydropower generation is particularly impacted when heat results in drought over multiple years, according to Dimitri Pescia, director for Southeast Asia at the German-based thinktank Agora Energiewende. The cumulative effects, amplified by climate change, cause great distress to society and ecosystems, he said. Singapore's Horton said earth-warming carbon emissions needed a drastic cutting down as people learned to adapt to the new climate which included learning the dangers of overly hot weather and for authorities to create an emergency response to warn people about high temperatures beforehand and provide them with areas to cool down when needed. Last week, the Philippines suspended classes in more than 5,800 public schools and shifted to home-based and online learning to protect millions of students from the scorching heat. Schools in several cities, including the congested capital Manila, shifted classes to early morning to avoid sweltering noontime and afternoon temperatures. Also, tens of thousands of students in grade and high schools were allowed to alternate between going to school and online classes every other day, officials said. Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan, a medical doctor, said they have limited outdoor activities especially if the heat index rises to an extreme level. If people dont have urgent tasks outside, the best precaution really is to stay indoors. Indias Supreme Court has, for the first time, weighed in on climate change, ruling that citizens have a right to lead a life safe from its adverse effects. Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg talks with Rosmarie Wydler-Walti, of the Swiss elderly women group Senior Women for Climate Protection(REUTERS) The apex court was hearing a petition filed by wildlife activist M.K. Ranjitsinh to protect the critically-endangered Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican. Due to the death of these birds after colliding with overhead transmission wires attached to solar panels, the Supreme Court had in April 2021 ordered that the wires be placed underground over an area of 80,000 sq km in Rajasthan and Gujarat where these birds are found. The government had appealed against that decision saying it wasnt feasible to do so. Moreover, it argued, the installation of solar panels was in keeping with Indias commitment to reduce carbon footprint. The Supreme Court was hearing that appeal. Over 6,200 km away in Strasbourg, France, Europes top human rights court ruled on Tuesday that humans have a right to safety from climate catastrophes. It was hearing a case brought by more than 2,000 Swiss women, the youngest in this group is 64-years-old, who had sued their government for violating their human rights by failing to protect them from climate change. The court agreed with the women: The Swiss government had failed to comply with its own targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and had failed to set a national carbon budget. Known as KlimaSeniorinnen, the Swiss womens group said government inaction has put them at risk of dying during heatwaves. They argued that age and gender makes them particularly vulnerable to climate change impact. [I wrote about the case in an earlier newsletter here] The two cases are unrelated but share a common concern about climate change. Both seek to fix responsibility. And both courts lay it at the governments door. The Supreme Court judgement was pronounced on March 21 but uploaded on the website just days ago. Growing trend of climate litigation The verdict by the European court against the Swiss government, writes Politco Europe, establishes a potent precedent that people living in 46 nations under the jurisdiction of the court could potentially use to sue their own governments. The verdict cannot be appealed. If Switzerland does not update its policies, it will make itself liable to further litigation, including financial penalties. A growing trend of climate activism in the courts will have an impact throughout the world. From Australia to Peru, courts are hearing climate cases premised on the violation of human rights. This litigation includes a lawsuit against the Norwegian government that accuses it of violating human rights by continuing to issue licenses for oil exploration in the Barents Sea. In the Netherlands, the Supreme Court upheld an earlier district court ruling asking the government to further cut down the emission of greenhouse gases (State of the Netherlands v Urgenda Foundation). The Dutch Supreme Court reaffirmed the right to life in compelling the state to adopt more ambitious policies. In Argentina, 16 children of different nationalities wrote jointly to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) saying the failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to curb carbon pollution amounted to a violation of their rights under UN conventions (Sacchi et al v Argentina). CRC said the letter was inadmissible but affirmed that governments must bear responsibility for failing to curb harmful emissions. While conceding to the Swiss womens group, the Strasbourg court, however, dismissed another case brought by Portuguese youngsters saying that they had not yet exhausted legal avenues within their own countrys jurisdictions. Disproportionate burden Everybody is impacted by climate change, but everybody is not impacted equally. Women, particularly marginalised women, pay an additional cost, whether it is walking further in search of water or being unable to afford treatment for ailments caused by toxic air. Women make up the bulk of agricultural labour and, so, extreme weather events whether drought or excessive rain; heat or cold, impacts their labour directly. Nearly 80% of people being displaced by climate change are women and girls. A UN Women report warns that climate change could push another 158 million women and girls into poverty. The Supreme Court verdict makes a reference to the rights of vulnerable groups, including indigineous people, local communities and migrants. The three-judge bench headed by chief justice D.Y. Chandrachud and including justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra also expressed concern that despite government policy, there is no single or umbrella legislation in India which relates to climate change and the attendant concern. The following article is an excerpt from this week's HT Mind the Gap. Israel's airspace will be closed for international and domestic flights from 00:30 to 07:00 on April 14 due to Iran's attack, Azernews reports, citing foreign media sources. The Israeli army has so far identified more than 100 drones launched from Iran into Israel. The Israeli Air Force is monitoring the drones and preparing for additional waves of attacks, which could include missiles, the army said. The currently tracked drones are expected to arrive in the country within hours, but the Israeli military will try to neutralize them at an earlier stage. According to the army, dozens of fighter jets are currently in the sky and ready to strike where needed. "Kan" reports citing sources that drones were launched not only from Iran, but also from other countries, including Yemen. Adrienne Watson, head of the press service of the White House's National Security Council, said that the attack against Israel is likely to last for several hours. "This attack will probably last for several hours. President Joe Biden has made it clear that our support for Israel's security is unwavering. The United States will stand by the people of Israel and support their security in response to these threats from Iran," he said in his statement. "Al Arabiya" TV channel reported that drones launched from Iran towards Israel crossed the airspace of Jordan. The media reports that Iran attacked Israel with "Shahed" kamikaze drones. WhatsApp and Instagram's parent firm, Meta, is said to have started limited testing of Meta artificial intelligence (AI) features on the messaging app across different countries. Users can engage with Meta AI directly through the search boxes available on both the apps. Meta AI launched for Instagram and WhatsApp users of some countries. (REUTERS) With the help of this feature, which offers recommendations and prompts directly within the search interface, users can interact with Meta AI more efficiently. (Also Read: Meta tests more than 20 ways to make generative AI improve user experience. Details) Here's how to use Meta AI on WhatsApp: 1. First, open WhatsApp and locate the Meta AI icon, which is at the bottom right corner. 2. Then click on the icon to access the Meta AI chatbox. 3. Now, you can ask the AI various questions, generate images and even discuss your interests with it. Here's how to use Meta AI on Instagram: 1. Update the app from PlayStore or AppStore, and then open it. 2. Then, look at the bottom of the screen and tap the search button. 3. When you get access, you will see a 'Blue Ring' on the search bar. Finally, you can type your questions or ask using the microphone. (Also Read: Google releases Gemma: Laptop-friendly open source AI after Meta| Explained) More about Meta AI: According to the Financial Times , this chatbot will be a "fun product" for users to play with, and it will offer recommendations and a new search feature. From a business perspective, researchers warn that chatbots, in general, could gather enormous volumes of new data about users' preferences. In Meta's instance, they could make it easier for it to connect with its target audience by displaying relevant material and advertisements. Ben Newton joined Deloitte 12 years ago through the company's apprenticeship scheme, which is called Brightstart. Last year, he became a partner in the firm at the age of 30 and makes 1 million or more annually. This also made him the first partner from Deloitte Brightstart's apprentice scheme for school leavers, as per reports. Ben Newton, who is a partner at Deloitte. (LinkedIn) Newton told The Sunday Times, "I grew up in Dorset. My dad left school at 16 and was a soldier in the army. My mum worked in a pub and then as a travel agent. It was an upbringing far from London and the world of finance." Newton was the first in his family to receive an acceptance letter from the University of Warwick to study maths. However, he declined it and ultimately joined Deloitte's program. He is now qualified as an accountant and works as an auditor, reported The Sunday Times. (Also Read: 'Dark side of trading': Ex-JP Morgan consultant shares how friend lost over 1.4 crore on 1.7 crore capital) Deloitte began its Brightstart scheme as a way to increase its hiring pool and offer people more opportunities directly in the workforce rather than through universities. According to The Sun, apprenticeships are typically associated with training to become a tradesman, such as a plumber or electrician. However, there are over 600 different kinds of apprenticeships, including 'earn while you learn' opportunities in digital technology, healthcare, management consulting, accounting, and law. An apprenticeship is a legitimate employment that pays well and allows you to learn and build experience. (Also Read: KPMG, Deloitte affiliates hit with US penalties for exam cheating) You ought to graduate from an apprenticeship with the abilities and know-how required for your desired field. Every apprenticeship has a level, with Level 2 being the same as GCSEs, Level 3 being the same as A levels, and Level 7 being the same as a master's degree. Depending on the type of apprenticeship you select, its level, and your prior experience, it may take one to six years to finish. At least 19 people have been found dead and two more are missing after a landslide in central Indonesia, local authorities said on Sunday. Floods and landslides killed at least 26 people on Indonesia's Sumatra island last month(AP/ File) The dead and two survivors were evacuated from two landslide-hit villages in Tana Toraja regency, South Sulawesi province on Saturday evening, said local disaster agency head Sulaiman Malia. "There have been 19 fatalities, with 4 deaths in South Makale and 15 others in Makale villages," Malia told AFP on Sunday. "Currently, we are still searching for other victims," he said, adding that there are still two individuals reported missing, presumably buried under the landslide debris. Tana Toraja and its surrounding areas have been "continuously hit by heavy rainfall, especially over the past week, with hardly any stop", Malia added. The heavy rainfall eroded the soil of residential areas located on mountain slopes, leading to landslides that buried residents' homes, he said. Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season and the problem has been aggravated in some places by deforestation, with prolonged torrential rain causing flooding in some areas of the archipelago nation. Last month flash floods and landslides on Sumatra island killed at least 30 people with scores still missing. A landslide and flooding swept away dozens of houses and destroyed a hotel near Lake Toba on Sumatra in December, killing at least two people. Toronto: Tens of thousands participated in the historic Vancouver Vaisakhi Parade on Saturday, as leading Canadian politicians including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre extended their greetings. Nearly two lakh devotees thronged the Vancouver Vaisakhi Parade, in Canada on Saturday. (Consulate General of India, Vancouver) The nagar kirtan in Vancouver, as the parade is also called, is the oldest in Canada, dating back to 1979. The parade is organised by the Khalsa Diwan Society, which was established in 1906, and also operates the historic Ross Street Gurdwara in Vancouver. Over an estimated 200,000 people joined the nagar kirtan. Vaisakhi marked the establishment of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 along with the celebration of the beginning of the spring harvest. In a message on Vaisakhi, Trudeau extended his greetings to the Sikh community in Canada and abroad. Vaisakhi commemorates the creation of the Khalsa and is also a celebration of the spring harvest festival. It is a time of reflection, gratitude, and renewal, symbolising unity and community. Today, Sikhs will gather at their local Gurdwaras, participate in vibrant and colourful parades known as Nagar Kirtans, and celebrate their rich diversity and heritage, he said. Happy Vaisakhi to Sikhs in Canada and around the world celebrating the founding of the Khalsa, Poilievre posted on X. In a message on the event, Indias High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma said, The celebration demonstrated human values embedded in Sikhism and represented the rich cultural diversity of India in Canada. Indias consul-general in Vancouver Manish was at the gurdwara on Saturday and extended greetings on the occasion and highlighted the role played by it in serving the communitys social, religious & cultural needs. Earlier, the city of Vancouver declared April as Sikh Heritage Month. In a post, the citys Mayor Ken Sim said, Today, for the first time ever, we proclaimed April as Sikh Heritage Month in the City of Vancouver. Vancouver is proud and lucky to have a vibrant Sikh community. Among those who joined the parade in Vancouver was David Eby, premier of the province of British Columbia, where Vancouver in located. He posted, This day is also a time to recognise and honour the values at the heart of Sikhism, such as equality, community and Seva selfless service to others. Panaji, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar on Sunday said the vessel with a foreign flag and 17 Indians on board was headed for one of the Indian ports after clearing the Strait of Hormuz when troops came in helicopters and boarded it. HT Image Speaking to reporters at INS Hansa at Vasco in Goa, Admiral Kumar said it was a foreign-flagged flag. Notably, the Israeli-linked cargo ship MSC Aries with 17 Indians on board was seized by the Iranian military near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday amid increasing tensions between Iran and Israel. "We don't have any update now. The vessel was coming out of the Strait of Hormuz and heading for one of the Indian ports. It is a vessel with a foreign flag with 17 Indians on board," the Naval chief said when queried on any update on the seized ship. "They had cleared the Strait of Hormuz and coming south when those helicopters came with troops and boarded it. What we understood is that it is a foreign flag company. We don't have any more information," Admiral Kumar said. He visited the INS Hansa Naval base to present gallantry and distinguished service medals during the Naval Investiture ceremony held on behalf of the President. Responding to a query of reporters, the Admiral described as "fragile" the situation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and said the Indian Navy has kept the area under surveillance. "Indian Navy is operating between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden where more than 90 attacks have taken place in that region. We have been trying to help out mariners who are in that region. We are watching the situation, we have units deployed," the Naval chief said. He said the Indian Navy is closely monitoring the situation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and keeping the region under surveillance. When asked about the crisis between Israel and Iran, Admiral Kumar said it is the job of the Indian Navy to operate in any situation. "The situation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden is fragile. We saw the drone attack on a merchant ship and when that sort of disturbance started, we saw the resurfacing of piracy," the Chief of Naval Staff said. Admiral Kumar also said piracy has "died down quite a bit". "The lesson to be kept in mind is that whenever there is a disorder that is happening in one part, people are waiting for an opportunity to create more disturbance and benefit from it," he added. Admiral Kumar further said the stand of the Bharatiya Nausena is very clear. "The Indian Ocean is our area and we will take whatever action is required to keep it safe and secured." "The job of any Navy is to ensure that merchant vessels and trade unhindered. We are committed to doing our job," he said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. The UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting today over Iran's unprecedented attack after Israel requested an urgent convening of the council and demanded that the council unequivocally condemn Iran's attack on Israel and declare the Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organisation. A spokesperson for Malta, which holds the rotating presidency this month, told the press that the Security Council was aiming for the meeting to be held at 4:00 pm (2000 GMT). Israeli Iron Dome air defense system launches to intercept missiles fired from Iran, in central Israel, Sunday, April 14, 2024.(AP) Follow LIVE updates on Iran-Israel conflict US President Joe Biden, meanwhile, met his national security team to monitor Irans aerial attack against Israel as U.S. forces joined efforts to down explosive-laden drones launched by Tehran. The Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel has prompted swift and widespread reactions from leaders and officials around the world, reflecting the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for diplomatic efforts to mitigate tensions in the region. Here are some of the notable responses to the escalation: Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored Israel's readiness to defend itself against threats and expressed appreciation for the support of the United States, Britain, France, and other countries. In recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran. Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong. Iran's Mission to the United Nations Iran defended its actions as a response to perceived aggression by the Israeli regime, warning of more severe consequences should Israel continue its alleged provocations. ... Irans military action was in response to the Zionist regimes aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY! Joe Biden US President Joe Biden reaffirmed the United States' unwavering commitment to Israel's security in the face of threats from Iran and its proxies. "I just met with my national security team for an update on Irans attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad." U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Secretary-General Guterres condemned the escalation frpm Iran's attack on Israel, urging an immediate cessation of hostilities. He expressed deep alarm over the potential for further escalation and called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to prevent a broader military confrontation in the Middle East. "I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war." European leaders Leaders across Europe condemned Iran's attack on Israel, with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak terming Tehran's actions as reckless and destabilising, while French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne labelled the attack as unprecedented and risking military escalation. European Council President Charles Michel and other European officials echoed these sentiments, calling for efforts to prevent further bloodshed and maintain regional stability. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard, said Sunak. Colombian President Gustavo Petro Gustavo Petro has issued a stark warning in the wake of Iran's recent attack on Israel, expressing grave concerns over the potential for wider conflict and its catastrophic consequences for global peace and stability. Petro painted a sobering picture of the ongoing tensions and cautioned against the dangers of what he described as the "prelude to World War III." "It was predictable; we're now in the prelude to World War III precisely when humanity should rebuild its economy towards the rapid goal of decarbonization. The support of the U.S., in practice, for a genocide, has ignited the world. Everyone knows how wars start, no one knows how they end. If only the people of Israel were high enough, like their ancestors, to stop the madness of their ruler. The United Nations must meet urgently and must immediately commit to peace." Other Latin American leaders: Leaders from Latin America expressed solidarity with Israel and concern over the escalating tensions. Presidents from Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile reiterated their support for Israel's right to defend itself against aggression. Somali pirates released a hijacked ship, MV Abdullah, early on Sunday after a $5 million ransom was paid, according to two pirates. The hijacking happened about 600 nautical miles east of Somalia's capital Mogadishu.(ANI) "The money was brought to us two nights ago as usual... we checked whether the money was fake or not. Then we divided the money into groups and left, avoiding the government forces," Abdirashiid Yusuf, one of the pirates, told Reuters. Somalia government officials did not respond to a request for comment. The MV Abdullah, a Bangladesh-flagged bulk carrier - a type of merchant ship used to transport large amounts of cargo - was hijacked in March as it was heading from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates. The hijacking happened about 600 nautical miles east of Somalia's capital Mogadishu. Somali pirates caused chaos in the waters off the country's long coastline from about 2008 to 2018. They had been dormant until late last year when pirate activity started to pick up again. Maritime sources say pirates may be encouraged by a relaxation of security or may be taking advantage of the chaos caused by attacks on shipping by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group while war rages in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Speaker Mike Johnson said the House will vote this week on aid for Israel in the wake of Irans attack, and he indicated Ukraine funds could be part of the package. HT Image The House Republicans and the Republican party understand the necessity of standing with Israel, Johnson said on Fox Newss Sunday Morning Futures. The details of that package are being put together now. The House failed to pass a standalone $17.6 billion Israel aid package in February when most Democrats along with a handful of conservatives voted against the measure. Democrats have argued against funding Israel alone for fear doing so could allow Republicans to allow Ukraine aid to languish. The speaker has been working to put together an alternative to the Senate-passed $95 billion package that has funds for Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific. He had been eyeing a vote on that alternative this week and theres added impetus following Irans attack on Israel. Johnson said former President Donald Trump is supportive of supplying Ukraine with loans instead of grants and using Russian assets to pay for new aid. Those elements could be part of the package, he said. These are ideas that I think can get consensus, Johnson said. Read more: Middle East in Dangerous New Phase After Irans Attack on Israel Johnson faces an ouster threat from Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene if he allows a vote on Ukraine aid before new restrictions on migration across the US-Mexico border are put in place. Johnson on Friday received crucial backing from Trump who spoke against any effort to oust Johnson. The speaker said on Fox News that he continues to urge President Joe Biden to take executive action to secure the border, indicating he would not try to attach border provisions to the foreign aid measure this week. Biden in recent days has said he is weighing such a move. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, has urged Johnson to simply pass the Ukraine-Israel package approved in the Senate. The national security supplemental that has waited months for action will provide critical resources to Israel and our own military forces in the region, he said in a statement Saturday. We cannot hope to deter conflict without demonstrating resolve and investing seriously in American strength. Those comments echoed a push by Democrats to have Johnson take up the bill. I think the most important deterrent action that Congress can take ... is for Speaker Johnson to not take days or weeks to come up with some package but to pass the supplemental tomorrow, Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday. House Intelligence Committee chair Mike Turner said he expects a vote on aid to Ukraine.And I think were going to see overwhelming support for that in the House this week, he said on NBCs Meet the Press. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy linked Russias invasion of his country with Irans attack on Israel and called on Congress to make the necessary decisions to strengthen Americas allies at this critical time. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski urged Johnson to please let the House vote on foreign aid to Israel and Ukraine. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. The Indian embassy in Israel on Sunday urged its citizens living there to stay calm and adhere to the safety protocols issued by the local authorities as Iran launched explosive drones and missiles in its first direct attack on Israeli territory. The embassy said it was closely monitoring the situation and was in touch with both the authorities and the diaspora members to ensure the safety of Indian citizens. A panoramic view of Jerusalem's Old City is pictured at dawn of April 14, 2024, after Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel.(AFP) In light of recent events in the region, all Indian nationals in Israel are advised to stay calm and adhere to the safety protocols issued by the local authorities, the advisory stated. Embassy is closely monitoring the situation and is in touch with the Israeli authorities and Indian community members to ensure the safety of all our nationals, it added. The embasssy also provided its 24*7 emergency helpline and requested Indian citizens to register with the embassy who are yet to do so. The registration form asks for the passport number, name, email ID, mobile number, profession, and place of residence in Israel among other details. Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel days after its consulate in Syria was hit with missiles. Tehran said its strike was punishment for "Israeli crimes". Israel neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack which killed senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday his country would achieve victory after the military said it shot down almost all the drones and missiles launched by Iran. "We intercepted, we repelled, together we shall win," Netanyahu posted on X. The U.N. Security Council was set to meet at 4 p.m. ET (2000 GMT) on Sunday after Israel requested it condemn Iran's attack and designate the Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organisation. The Indian government has expressed sorrow over the death of a 24-year-old from India who was murdered late on Friday night. Indian student Chirag Antil had arrived in Canada in 2022. He had pursued an MBA course at the private University of Canada West and after completing it was on a work permit The incident occurred in the city of Vancouver in British Columbia, where the deceased Chirag Antil lived and worked. In a release on Saturday, the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) said they were investigating an overnight homicide in the citys Sunset neighbourhood. ALSO READ: Indian-American teen student found after going missing in US Officers were called to East 55th Avenue and Main Street around 11 pm on Friday, April 12 after residents heard the sound of gunshots. Chirag Antil, 24, was found deceased inside a vehicle in the area, the release added. No arrests have been made and the case is being investigated by the VPD. On Saturday evening, Indias Consulate in Vancouver posted on X that It has learnt with great sorrow the shooting and killing of an Indian national, Mr Chirag Antil, living in Vancouver. The post added that the Consulate has approached the concerned Canadian authorities for more information in this regard. An online fundraiser was created for the costs associated with the repatriation of the remains to India. The fundraiser, created by Anurag Dahiya, based in Winnipeg in the province of Manitoba, said that the young victim had arrived in Canada in 2022. He had pursued an MBA course at the private University of Canada West and after completing it was on a work permit. Chirag Antil, an international student from Haryana, India, who arrived in Vancouver in 2022 for his studies, tragically lost his life due to a recent murder in the city. We urgently need assistance to raise funds for sending his body back to India, the appeal stated. Meanwhile, Varun Choudhary, the National Students Union of India or NSUIs national president, sought urgent attention with regard to the murder. We urge the Ministry of External Affairs to closely monitor the progress of the investigation and ensure that justice is swiftly served. Additionally, we request the Ministry to extend all necessary support and assistance to the family of the deceased during this difficult time, he added. Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said his country had been preparing for a direct attack by Iran for years. Reacting to Tehran's drone and missile strike, he said the country was ready to respond -- both "defensively and offensively". Benjamin Netanyahu (C) during a War Cabinet meeting at the Kirya in Tel Aviv.(AFP) Iran rained over 200 projectiles on Israel, many of whom were intercepted by the latter's defense systems. The US and UK airplanes also shot down drones, whereas Jordan shot down drones that violated its airspace. "In recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran. Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively," Netanyahu said. "The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong," he added. Commending the United States for supporting Israel, he said that whoever harms Israel, "we will harm them". Also read: Iran attacks Israel with drones, missiles, warns US to 'stay away': Top Updates "We have demanded a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level headedly and with determination. Citizens of Israel, I know that you are also level headed. I call on you to follow the directives of IDF Home Front Command. Together we will stand and with God's help, together we will overcome all of our enemies," he said. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the country's strike was in response to Israel's alleged strike on a consular compound in Damascus in which several IRGC members were killed, including two generals. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the Damascus attack. Iran has vowed retaliation for what it called an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April crimes". It also said that Iran "deemed the matter concluded". "Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe," it said. Iran also warned the United States to stay away from the conflict. Meanwhile, Netanyahu spoke to US President Joe Biden after he concluded the war cabinet meeting. The US has reaffirmed its "ironclad" commitment to support Israel's security. It vowed to help Israel bolster its defense against Iran. Israel's military spokesperson has said that Iran launched dozens of ground-to-ground missiles, most of which were intercepted outside Israel's borders. In total, 200 drones and missiles, including 10 cruise missiles, were fired at Israel, he added. Israel's Channel 12 TV cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying there would be a "significant response" to the attack. With inputs from Reuters, AFP, ANI Tensions in the Middle East have flared dramatically after Iran launched a direct military attack on Israel. World leaders and the United Nations have jointly condemned Iran's strikes on Israel, late Saturday, warning that the attack could further destabilise the entire region. Colombian President, on the other hand, has squarely blamed US policies for fueling the tension. This bold accusation has prompted reactions from leaders around the globe, each weighing in on the implications of this attack. Here are some of the main reactions so far: Demonstrators wave Iran's flag and Palestinian flags as they gather in front of the British Embassy in Tehran on April 14, 2024, after Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel. Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed early April 14, 2024 that a drone and missile attack was under way against Israel in retaliation for a deadly April 1 drone strike on its Damascus consulate. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP Iran attack on Israel: World leaders react Israel seeks US support In his earlier statement issued right after Iran launched multiple-front attacks via suicide drones and missiles, Netanyahu said that in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran. He further stressed that the country is ready to fight in any situation, whether offensive or defensive. Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong. Also read: Iranians celebrate across streets after multi-front attack on Israel using suicide drones and missiles Appreciating the support from its allies, Netanyahu further said, We appreciate the U.S. standing alongside Israel, as well as the support of Britain, France and many other countries. We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination. conflict between Iran and Israel and US must stay away Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said the attack targeted "certain targets". Irans military action was in response to the Zionist regimes aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded. warning the US to stay away, it added, However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY! US President Joe Biden reacts on Iran-Israel conflict US President Joe Biden, who cut short his weekend beach getaway to return to the White House following news of the attack, promised "ironclad" support for Israel after holding an urgent meeting with top security officials. The President reportedly spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Also read: US helps Israel thwart Iran's missiles, drones attack, India reacts to conflict: 10 points "I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," Biden official X handle updated the information. European Union on Iran launching attack on Israel The European Union's foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, described the strikes as "an unparalleled escalation and a serious threat to regional security" in a statement on X. Colombia's President Gustavo Petro blames US The Colombian President raised concern about escalating tensions and the potential for broader conflict, criticising U.S. support seen as contributing to global instability. It was predictable; we're now in the prelude to World War III precisely when humanity should rebuild its economy towards the rapid goal of decarbonization. The support of the U.S., in practice, for a genocide, has ignited the world. Everyone knows how wars start, no one knows how they end. If only the people of Israel were high enough, like their ancestors, to stop the madness of their ruler. The United Nations must meet urgently and must immediately commit to peace. Argentina's President Javier Milei President Javier Milei expressed solidarity and unwavering commitment to the State of Israel after attacks by Iran. The Republic of Argentina recognizes the right of State-Nations to defend themselves and strongly supports the State of Israel in the defense of its sovereignty, in particular against regimes that promote terror and seek the destruction of western civilization." Iran on Sunday launched its first ever direct attack on Israel, days after an airstrike on its embassy in Damascus. The country launched a barrage of drones and missiles towards Israel, risking a major crisis in the middle-east region, which is already under strain due to the war in Gaza. The United States, meanwhile, has reaffirmed its "ironclad" support for Israel's security, vowing to help the country's defense against threats from Iran. US President Joe Biden said the United States helped Israel thwart Iran's attack. US president Joe Biden (C) in a meeting with his national security team in Washington, DC, after Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel.(AFP) "At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week, Biden said in a statement. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. Meanwhile, India has reacted to the conflict. We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region. We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy, said the Ministry of External Affairs. Also read: Will harm whoever: After Iran attack, Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel ready defensively, offensively Here are top updates on Israel-Iran conflict: Israel army's spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Iran launched over 200 drones, ballistic and cruise missiles. He said Israel's defense system intercepted most of the projectiles. A girl has sustained injuries in the attack. A military base has also been damaged. Iran said the strike was a punishment for "Israeli crimes". It was referring to the Damascus consulate attack on April 1, which killed its seven elite officers, including generals. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the attack. "Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe," the Iranian mission to the United Nations said, warning the US to stay away. It said the matter should be deemed concluded. According to reports, US and British warplanes shot down Israel-bound drones over the Iraq-Syria border. Jordan shot drones that violated its airspace. Israel's military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari has called the attack a serious escalation. "This is a severe and dangerous escalation. Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran," he said. Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the war cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv. He later spoke with US president Joe Biden. Israel PM Netanyahu said his country had been preparing for a direct attack by Iran and they were ready for any scenario. "In recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran. Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong," he said. Netanyahu vowed to harm "whoever harms us". "We appreciate the U.S. standing alongside Israel, as well as the support of Britain, France and many other countries. We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination," he added. The United States has vowed to help Israel defend against Iran's attack. President Biden has been clear: Our support for Israels security is ironclad, White House spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have confirmed that a drone and missile attack was underway against Israel. "In response to the numerous crimes committed by the Zionist regime, including the attack on the consular section... The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired dozens of missiles and drones at specific targets inside the occupied territories (Israel)," state television quoted a Guards statement as saying. Iran's defence minister has warned that any country that opens its airspace or territory for attacks on Iran by Israel will receive "Tehran's firm response". British prime minister Rishi Sunak has condemned Iran. "I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regimes reckless attack against Israel. These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. The UK will continue to stand up for Israels security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed," he said. Germany, France and the European Union have also condemned Iran's attack. "The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel. This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security," said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Meanwhile, Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, said the world can't afford another war. "I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by Iran. I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities. Neither the region nor the world can afford another war," he wrote on X. With inputs from AFP, Reuters Iran has warned the United States that it will target its bases if Washington backs Israel's retaliation. Tehran sent the message to the US administration via Switzerland. Explosions lighting up Jerusalem sky during Iranian attack on Israel.(AFP) US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said his country didn't want a conflict with Iran, but it will not hesitate to act in support of Israel's defence. Iran on Sunday fired a volley of over 300 drones and missiles on Israel. Most of the projectiles were intercepted. The attack was in retaliation for Israel's alleged airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Also read: US helps Israel thwart Iran's missiles, drones attack, India reacts to conflict: 10 points Here are top 10 updates on Israel-Iran conflict: The US said its forces in the middle-east intercepted dozens of missiles and UAVs, which were directed at Israel from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Austin promised the US forces will provide further support Israel for its defence and regional stability. "We condemn these reckless and unprecedented attacks by Iran and its proxies, and we call on Iran to immediately halt any further attacks, including from its proxy forces, and to de-escalate tensions," he said. Earlier today, US president Joe Biden condemned Iran's attack on Israeli soil and said he will convene the meeting of G7 leaders over a diplomatic response tomorrow.. "Earlier today, Iran--and its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq--launched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms...I've just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks - sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel," he said. Meanwhile, Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the country repelled the attack. "We intercepted, we repelled, together we shall win," Netanyahu posted on X. Israel's Channel 12 TV cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying there would be a "significant response" to the attack. Israel's military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari described Iran's actions as very grave. He said Iran pushed the region towards escalation. He said Iran launched 10 cruise missiles among other projectiles, which were neutralised outside the country's borders. Earlier, Iran said the strikes were a punishment for "Israeli crimes". It said Tehran will respond more seriously if Israel makes "another mistake". It said Iran deemed the matter "concluded". The European Union, Britain, Japan, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Mexico, the Netherlands and Norway condemned Iran's attack. Hagari said Iran launched 300 "threats" and 99 percent were intercepted. He called it a "success' '. Replying to a query on Israeli response, he said it would do everything to protect its citizens. Israel defence minister Yoav Gallant thanked the US for support. He, however, said the campaign wasn't over. This campaign is not over yet. We need to remain vigilant and to prepare for any scenario...At the same time, we blocked the first wave (of attacks), and we did it with great success," he said. A 7-year-old girl was seriously wounded in southern Israel and an airbase received minor damages, said Hagari. Iran's Revolutionary Guard has warned the US of military action. "The terrorist U.S. government is warned any support or participation in harming Irans interests will be followed by a decisive and regretting response by Irans armed forces," the statement said. Meanwhile, India has expressed concerns over the developments. "We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region. We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and returning to the path of diplomacy, said the Ministry of External Affairs. With inputs from AFP, Reuters Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi warned Sunday Israel and its allies against any "reckless" actions after Tehran's drone and missile attack in retaliation for a deadly strike on its Damascus consulate. An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel (REUTERS) "If the Zionist regime (Israel) or its supporters demonstrate reckless behavior, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response," Raisi said in a statement. Iranians have flooded the streets in large numbers to celebrate Iran's attack on Israel. Numerous videos and posts circulating online depict a large gathering and rally of Iranian citizens at Palestine Square in Tehran, marking the move with jubilation. The attack, launched by Iran and its proxies, involved hundreds of suicide drones, ballistic missiles, and rockets targeting the Jewish state from all sides. Iranians celebrate on a street, after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran, Iran, April 14, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY(via REUTERS) Iran launches attack on Israel After warning Iran of the possible consequences, the Israeli Air Force announced on Saturday that Iranian UAVs had been launched against Israel. This is the first time Iran has directly attacked Israel. According to US authorities, Iran is likely to launch about 500 drones and missiles from its own borders and from proxies in neighbouring countries such as Syria, Yemen, and Iraq as per ABC news. Iranians celebrate the attack on Israel On Saturday night, pictures and videos of Iranians celebrating in Teheran went viral. Video clips reportedly showing Palestinians celebrating in the al-Aqsa mosque in response to reports of Iran's rocket and drone attack also surfaced online. This large-scale attack highlights the huge population gap between the two long-time rivals. Israel has a population of less than 8 million people, while Iran has an estimated population of more than 89 million people, more than 10 times the size of Israel. UN condemns Iran's attack on Israel UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned Iran's drone attacks targeting Israel. In a statement he said, I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran. "I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East." He added Also read: In response to numerous crimes: Iran launches drone attack on Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the nation Shortly after the attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation and said that the officials already saw this coming. Citizens of Israel, in recent years, and even more so in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran. Stressing that the Israeli force is ready for any situation whether defence or offence, he added, Our defence systems are deployed, and we are prepared for any scenario, both in defence and offence. The State of Israel is strong, the IDF is strong, the public is strong. President Joe Biden rushed back to the White House Biden, who had been on vacation in Delaware over the weekend, returned to the White House as soon as he heard the news. A spokesman, Adrienne Watson, said Biden was being kept up to date on the strike and would meet with his National Security Council team shortly. President Joe Biden is being regularly updated on the situation by his national security team (NSC) and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House. Also read: Civil War: why Alex Garland's film is turning stomachs with its controversial US political divide plot Welcome to our live coverage of the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, which threaten to plunge the region into a deeper crisis. The situation has taken a dramatic turn as Iran launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel, marking a significant escalation in the long-running covert war between the two regional foes....Read More As reports of air raid sirens emerge from various locations, including northern and southern Israel, the northern West Bank, and the Dead Sea near the Jordanian border, the extent of the damage remains unclear. The Israeli military said it working with the United States and other partners in the region in order to act against the launches and intercept them. U.S. forces reportedly downed some of the Iran-launched drones flying toward Israel. Global outcry over Iran's attack on Israel sparks diplomatic frenzy. Who said what With tensions already at a boiling point, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards confirmed their role in the retaliatory strikes, employing both drones and ballistic missiles in their assault on Israeli targets. This latest exchange of hostilities follows Iran's repeated threats of retaliation for an April 1 airstrike on its Damascus consular annex, an attack that claimed the lives of several Iranian Guards, including high-ranking officers. In this live blog, we aim to provide you with minute-by-minute updates on the evolving situation, offering detailed analysis, expert commentary, and insights into the geopolitical dynamics at play. Washington: Irans attack against Israel was unprecedented and intended to cause significant damage and death, but Israels success in repelling the attack in coordination with allies was spectacular and extraordinary, a senior US administration official has said, suggesting that Israel came out very much on the top. Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Jerusalem on Sunday. (REUTERS) The official added that the incident showed that US commitment to Israels security was ironclad, with American forces and assets helping Israel by intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles drones. At the same time, President Joe Biden had also discussed with PM Benjamin Netanyahu to think through the next steps carefully and strategically and underlined the need to prevent a wider escalation of the conflict into a regional war, an outcome that Hamas has wanted ever since its terror strikes of October 7. Briefing a limited set of reporters on late Sunday morning, senior administration, military and defence officials reconstructed the sequence of events that led up to the Iranian strikes and Israeli response, the American preparations for the attack over the past ten days, its military role during the strikes and how US envisaged the next steps. HT was present on the call. Offering context, the senior administration official quoted above said that on Saturday evening, Biden returned from his private residence in Delaware to Washington DC as soon as reports of Iranian strikes came in. In the meantime, Israels ambassador to US had already reached White House and briefed NSA Jake Sullivan about the developments on the ground. Biden headed to the White House situation room, where he was joined by Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, secretary of defence Lloyd J Austin and the leaders of the intelligence community. The American leadership was in the room when strikes were ongoing and got realtime information on the scale of Irans attacks, while the results of the defences were not clear. As the results of the defences came in, there was relief, the senior administration official said. At around 9 pm on Saturday (eastern time), Biden, still in the situation room in Washington DC, spoke to Netanyahu, who was with his war cabinet, in Tel Aviv. After ten days of preparing for the Iranian strikes, coordinating with Israel, placing military assets on the ground, refining its force posture, the American leadership felt good at what Israel had achieved, with Biden telling Netanyahu that Israel had come out on the top. Virtually no infrastructure in Israel faced damage and casualties have been minimal. Meanwhile, Iran, through Switzerland, a diplomatic channel that the two countries use to communicate, sent a message to the US even while the strikes were on that for Tehran, this would bring an end to this chapter of confrontation. American officials rejected the contention that Tehran had deliberately telegraphed its intention to attack Israel to prevent damage in the past few weeks, and said that Tehran had not offered any specific warning, nor given a sense of targets. It needed the time to prepare for strikes and aimed to cause destruction and damage, US officials said, but added that the Israel, along with the US, Britain and France, used the time to step up defences and thus foil Irans plans in an extraordinary display of military prowess and coordination. A senior defence official added, Irans action was unacceptable and reckless. Iran intended to cause significant damage. It failed in its mission. This is a testament to Israels military superiority in coordination with alliesOur goal is to de-escalate and halt future attacks. We dont seek conflict but we wont hesitate to protect our forces and interests and defend Israel. Asked again about the US message to Israel, the senior administration official refused to categorically say that the US had asked Israel not to respond, suggesting that this was a decision for Israel to take. But he added again that the conversation between Biden and Netanyahu had happened in the wake of an intense period during and after the strikes and emotions were heightened. Biden, in this backdrop, had underlined the need to think carefully and strategically about the risk of escalation. American officials said that they will shift back their attention to the situation in Gaza, where the US has stepped up both public and private pressure on Israel not to attack Rafah, take steps to protect civilians and enable more humanitarian aid. They added that the US may have differences with Israel on humanitarian issues, but its support for Israeli security would remain ironclad. Iran on Saturday night launched an attack with missiles and drones on Israel in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month which killed two Iranian generals. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. The latest attack on Israel involved the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).(Reuters File Photo) Iran claimed that Israel was responsible for the killing of a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' overseas Quds Force and other officials in the airstrike on its consulate building in Damascus on April 1. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had vowed to take revenge. Khamenei had said Israel "must be punished and shall be" for an operation he said was equivalent to an attack on Iranian soil. ALSO READ| PM Modi's world is tense statement after Iran launches missile, drone attack on Israel The attack on Israel involved Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 10 things to know about Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC was established after Irans 1979 revolution to protect the new Islamic regime. Its role is to protect Iran against internal and external threats. IRGC runs parallel to Irans regular armed forces. More than 190,000 troops are reportedly under its command. It is one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East. As per reports, IRGC has supported militant groups in Lebanon, Gaza, Syria, Yemen, Iraq etc. IRGC was designated a terrorist organization in 2019 by the United States. It controls large parts of the Iranian economy to help it fund its activities. The force also holds sway in the country's politics and helped suppress anti-government protesters in the country. As per some reports, IRGC may have played a role in the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas. Reports also say that IRGC supplied drones to Russia in its war against Ukraine. IRGC is believed to be involved in oil smuggling and other black market activities to bolster its finances amid sanctions. IRGC also helps Iran by doing rescue operations during natural disasters in the country. Meanwhile, Iran has concluded the attack on Israel and urged it not to retaliate or escalate the situation."The matter can be deemed concluded," Iran's mission to the United Nations said in a post on social media platform X. "However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe," the Iranian mission warned. Israel on Sunday said 99% of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched toward its territory by Iran were thwarted with the help of its allies, hailing its successful air defences in the face of an unprecedented attack by Tehran. While Iran and Israel have been engaged in a shadow war for years through its proxies, Sundays attack marked the first time Tehran has launched a direct military assault on its arch-foe in the Middle East. Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from Lebanon towards Israel over the Israeli Lebanese border, as seen from northern Israel, April 12, 2024.(Reuters) Iran launched more than 300 threats and 99% were intercepted, said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman. That is a success. Asked if Israel would respond, Hagari said the country would do what was needed to protect its citizens. Read: Indian embassy in Israel issues advisory as Iran's attack raises threat of wider conflict Over the years, Israel has established a multilayered air defence network to counter a spectrum of threats ranging from short-range rockets to long-range ballistic missiles. This intricate network comprises several advanced systems developed in collaboration with the United States. Let's delve into the key elements of Israel's formidable defence shield: 1. Arrow System: Developed in collaboration with the United States, the Arrow system represents the pinnacle of Israel's defence against long-range ballistic missiles. Operating beyond the Earth's atmosphere, Arrow is engineered to intercept incoming threats, including the ballistic missiles Iran claimed to have launched. Its successful deployment in intercepting long-range missiles from Houthi militants in Yemen underscores its effectiveness and reliability. 2. Davids Sling: Davids Sling, also developed in collaboration with the U.S., serves as a crucial component of Israel's air-defence architecture, primarily targeting medium-range threats. Specifically tailored to counter missiles possessed by groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Davids Sling enhances Israel's ability to neutralise aerial threats before they reach critical targets. 3. Patriot System: A cornerstone of Israels air defence legacy, the Patriot system has been in service since the First Gulf War in 1991. Initially deployed to intercept Scud missiles from Iraq, the Patriot system has evolved to address diverse threats, including aircraft and drones. While its primary function has shifted over the years, the Patriot remains a vital asset in Israels defence arsenal. 4. Iron Dome: Iron Dome, which specialises in shooting down short-range rockets, boasts an impressive track record, intercepting thousands of projectiles with a remarkable success rate exceeding 90%. Its pivotal role in defending against attacks from Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon underscores its importance in safeguarding Israeli lives and infrastructure. 5. Iron Beam: Positioned as the next frontier in Israel's air-defence capabilities, Iron Beam harnesses cutting-edge laser technology to intercept incoming threats. Though still under development, Iron Beam promises to revolutionize Israel's defence strategy with its cost-effective and precise countermeasure capabilities. Pope Francis on Sunday made a "pressing appeal" against a "spiral of violence" after Iran's unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, warning of a potential regional conflagration. Pope Francis (via REUTERS) "I make a pressing appeal for an end to any action which could fuel a spiral of violence that risks dragging the Middle East into an even greater conflict," the Argentinian pontiff declared following his traditional Sunday prayer in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican. "I am praying and following with concern, but also pain, the news that has come in recent hours about the worsening situation in Israel due to Iran's intervention," the pope told worshippers. "No one should threaten the existence of others. All countries must, however, side with peace and help Israelis and Palestinians to live in two states, side by side and in security," he said. "That is their right," Francis insisted as he once again repeated earlier calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and "negotiation." world and urged the "immediate release of the hostages kidnapped months ago" by Hamas, setting in train the latest chapter of violence in the region. Amir Sarfaraz Tamba, accused in the brutal murder of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Lahore in 2013, was gunned down by unidentified assailants in the Pakistani city on Sunday, PTI reported. A file photo of Sarabjit Singh's funeral procession at his native village Bhikhiwind near Amritsar in 2013.(PTI file) Tamba, a close associate of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, was shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Lahore's Islampura area. He was rushed in a critical condition to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The killing took place six years after Tamba and Mudassar were acquitted by a Pakistani court due to lack of evidence, after all the witnesses had turned hostile. Sarabjit Singh, a resident of Bhikhiwind in Punjab, mistakenly crossed over to Pakistan in an inebriated state. He was sentenced to death for his alleged role in bomb blasts in Pakistan's Punjab province in 1990, a charge repeatedly denied by the Indian government. Lodged in Lahore's high-security Kot Lakhpat Jail, Singh was brutally attacked by fellow inmates with bricks and rods. He died of cardiac arrest in Jinnah Hospital Lahore in the wee hours of May 2, 2013, after being comatose for nearly a week following the brutal assault. During Sarabjit Singh's two-decade long stint in the Pakistan jail, his sister Dalbir Kaur fought against the system to release her brother. She always insisted that her brother, Singh was innocent and had strayed into Pakistan by mistake when he was arrested. Kaur also went to Pakistan to see her brother. Dalbir Kaur passed away in June 26, 2022 and was cremated at Bhikhiwind. Johannesburg, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the members of the Muslim community, many of them of Indian origin, to join active politics like their forebears to make the country a place of equality, shared prosperity and true freedom. HT Image Ramaphosa was speaking at a huge Eid gathering in the Indian township of Laudium, near the capital Pretoria. It is regrettable that over the years one of our once vibrant and politically active communities has retreated into the background of our national life," he said on Thursday. "Much of our politics has come to be defined by internal squabbles and regrettably by racial and other forms of chauvinism. This has led to some of these communities questioning their place in South Africa today, Ramaphosa said ahead of next month's general elections. He was indirectly referring to increasing concerns among minority communities such as the 1.6 million South Africans of Indian origin, who have increasingly been concerned about laws and policies on issues such as employment equality and quotas at educational institutions sidelining them in favour of the Black majority population. Ramaphosa highlighted the role that the Muslim community had played in the freedom struggle. We salute the many great leaders that the Muslim community has produced Yusuf Dadoo, Rehana Moosa, Ahmed Timol, Cissy Gool, Imam Haroon, Ahmed Kathrada, Don Mattera, Chief Justice Ismail Mahomed, Dullah Omar, the parents and sons and daughters of the Cachalia and Pahad families and many others, he said as he made an impassioned plea to the gathering. Your country needs you. Your country looks upon you. Join us in rebuilding South Africa, the president said. He said South Africa was built through the actions of patriotic men and women of different races, classes and political affiliations. "They were united by a common goal and it is this spirit of unity we must channel today," the President said. "So let us join hands to make South Africa a place of equality, shared prosperity and true freedom for all, Ramaphosa concluded. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday condemned Tehran's strikes on Israel and urged a united global response to "terror" attacks by Russia and Iran. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky(HT_PRINT) "Iran's actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia's actions threaten a larger conflict," Zelensky wrote on X, saying "the obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world". A family gathering in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood turned tragic on Saturday night when gunfire erupted, leaving one child dead and seven others injured, including three children. 7-year-old girl, who was shot in the head died in shooting in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. on 52nd Street near Damen Avenue. According to Deputy Chief Don Jerome of the Chicago Police Department, two shooters approached the family, who were standing outside the home, and opened fire. Among the victims were a 7-year-old girl, who was shot in the head later died, a 1-year-old boy, and a 7-year-old boy. All three children were critically injured and transported to area hospitals along with five adults, aged between 19 and 40. The victims have been identified as Hispanics living in the area. Upon arriving at the scene, police administered first aid, applying tourniquets and chest seals to the victims. Eighteen bullet casings were recovered at the scene, supporting witness accounts of two shooters on foot. This was not a random act of violence. It was likely gang-related, Jerome stated. Regardless of the motivation, three innocent children were struck tonight, and one tragically succumbed to her wounds. The offenders' actions are horrific and unacceptable in our city. The suspects remain at large, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Chicago Police Department or CPD's Area One detectives. A day ahead of his appearance in Manhattan courtroom, former US President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on Judge Juan Merachan who is overseeing the Stormy Daniels hush-money criminal trial against him. Speaking at a rally on Saturday in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump called the upcoming hush money trial a communist show trial. (AP) Earlier, Merachan issued a gag order preventing Trump from speaking about attorneys, witnesses, jurors and court staff. Trump's lawyers requested a postponement of the trial over his alleged payments of hush money to former adult film star Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential elections. Also Read: 'I'll tell the truth': Donald Trump vows to testify in Stormy Daniels hush money trial as he just found Trump slams fake Biden trial as blatant attack on him After realising that the judge was not persuaded by his demands for additional time or the dismissal of all charges, Trump complained on his Truth Social platform that he and his legal team still have not had enough time to prepare for the case, which Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed more than a year ago. Taking to his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday, Trump stressed that his trial cannot be allowed to go forward and called Judge Juan Merchan the the most highly conflicted Judge in New York State history. He further mentioned that Merchan only gave us a short period of time to read and study hundreds of thousands of pages of documents that D.A. Alvin Bragg illegally hid, disguised, and held back from us. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee went on to call the case against him a fake Biden trial and claimed that it is an unprecedented attack on him as he is leading in every poll against Biden ahead of the presidential elections. Also Read: 'No spine, no morale code: Chris Sununu takes U-turn, admits support for Trump despite past criticism Of course, and as the Judge knows, we need far more time than that. They could have started this Fake Biden Trial many years ago, not right in the middle of my campaign for President, and time would not be a problem. This is a blatant and unprecedented attack on Crooked Joe Bidens Political Opponent (who is leading in every poll!), done in close coordination with the White House, that cannot be allowed to go forward! he wrote. Trump calls his indictment a badge of honor Speaking at a rally on Saturday in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, Trump called the upcoming hush money trial a communist show trial. He then portrayed himself as a martyr for his followers and called his indictment a badge of honor. Im proud to do it for you, Trump remarked, claiming that he "will be forced to sit, fully gagged on Monday. Trump is accused with 34 felonies of manipulating business documents in relation to a $130,000 payment that he allegedly made to Daniels in 2016 to stay mum about an alleged affair. As the Middle East continues to witness widespread instability and violence, an overwhelming majority of Americans wants President Joe Biden to start taking a tougher stance on Israel and call for a ceasefire amidst its ongoing war with Hamas, as per a recent poll. According to a Politico-Morning Consult poll, 34% of respondents thought Biden was "not tough enough" in regards to Israel.(AP) According to a Politico-Morning Consult survey, 34% of respondents thought Biden was "not tough enough" in regards to Israel, 17% believed he was too tough, 26% felt he was managing it just right, and 24% weren't sure. The poll, conducted prior to Iran's first-ever military attack on Israel on Saturday, also highlights the complex internal politics that Biden is facing over Israel. Also Read: US issues grave warning to Iran after retaliatory attack on Israel, hints at what we would do if The survey surprisingly reveals that Democrats were more likely than Republicans and Independents to believe that Biden should be more assertive on Israel, with 33% of Democrats stating that he is "not tough enough on Israel" as compared to 19% of Independents and 12% of Republicans. While 42% of Democrats felt that Biden handled the matter "just right", roughly 8% thought that the US President was "too tough". Meanwhile, 47% of the general public strongly favor the US' call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, 15% of them strongly oppose the call, and 17% remain unclear. Earlier this month, Biden put pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in return for captives. The US President has been insisting on a ceasefire in order to deliver vital aid to Gaza. Nevertheless, poll shows that most of the Americans support the Israelis in the conflict, despite disagreements over Biden's level of support for Israel. Are Americans sympathetic towards Israel or Palestine? In response to a question with whom they feel greater sympathy, 29% of respondents named Israel and 14% said Palestine. While 37% of respondents expressed sympathy towards the both sides, 20% indicated they were unsure. When it comes to Democrats, 22% showed support for Palestine, 16% for the Israelis, and 44% for both. Republicans, on the other hand, supported Israel over the Palestinians by a margin of 45% to 7%, while Independents held a 25% to 13% stance. Also Read: Survey: Biden almost caught up with Trump's early polling popularity Regarding a query if the US should stop providing aid to Israel, 41% of Democrats were in favor of it while 33% were against it. At least 1,200 people, primarily civilians, were killed in the Hamas unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Following this, Israel launched a war against the terrorist organisation, killing over 33,000 Palestinians, including women and children. Iran launched armed drones and missiles against Israel, marking a new and more volatile phase of the Middle East conflict. The attack, in retaliation for a strike in Syria that killed top Iranian military officers, was the first time Iran has struck Israel from its soil. HT Image Most of the more than 200 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and attack drones fired by Iran were intercepted with the help of Israels allies before landing, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said early Sunday. He said the only impacts were a 10-year-old girl who was badly injured and minor damage to an army base. Hagari earlier called the attack from Iran a severe and dangerous escalation. US President Joe Biden returned to the White House from his private residence in Delaware. I just met with my national security team for an update on Irans attacks against Israel, Biden said in a posting on X, formerly Twitter. Our commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Irans mission to the United Nations said the action was a legitimate defensive response to the strike in Damascus whic h Israel hasnt acknowledged carrying out and suggested it was a warning. It also warned the US to stay away from the conflict. The matter can be deemed concluded, the Iranian mission said in a social media post. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe. Multiple alarms sounded in various locations in Israel: Jerusalem, Beer Sheva and Dimona in the south, and the Jewish settlement Ariel in the West Bank. Residents of Jerusalem reported hearing blasts. Alarms also sounded in Israels north. The Israel Defense Forces said it cut off GPS services in some areas to help counter the attack. A US defense official confirmed that its forces in the region shot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel. The UK Defense Ministry said it deployed Royal Air Force jets to intercept Iranian drones headed for Israel if necessary. Israel has upgraded its air defenses considerably over the past decade and a half, adding new systems for interceptions of ballistic missiles fired from as far away as 2,400 kilometers That range includes Yemen, Syria and Iraq, where militant groups allied with Iran are based, as well as Iran. Read more: Iran Attack Tests Limits of US-Backed Israeli Air Defenses Israels most active and well-known air defense is Iron Dome, which has intercepted thousands of rockets fired by Palestinian militants in Gaza since 2011. But Iron Dome is designed for missiles and drones with a short range, and is just one of the advanced missile-defense systems in place. Israel also has a medium-to-long-range interceptor known as Davids Sling and the Arrow defense system. Attack Condemned UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was among the first leaders to respond to Irans attack. The UK will continue to stand up for Israels security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq, Sunak said in a statement. France, Germany and the European Union also condemned Irans action. So did United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called for an immediate halt to the hostilities, citing the risk of a devastating region-wide escalation. Israel asked for an emergency session of the UN Security Council. The assault escalates a Middle East conflict that began on Oct. 7 when thousands of Hamas operatives broke into Israel from Gaza, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 250. A direct clash between Iran and Israel would likely draw in the Lebanon-based group Hezbollah, which like Hamas is backed by Iran, and heighten the possibility of a regional war. Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has repeatedly warned Israel will be punished for the deadly strike in Damascus on April 1, which destroyed the Islamic Republics consulate building and killed at least 13 people, including seven Iranian military personnel. Israel hasnt claimed responsibility for the attack, in keeping with its usual response to accusations of targeting Iran. Recent history suggests any assault will be measured against what might come next from Irans adversaries. When the US killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General Qassem Soleimani in 2020, for example, Iran opted for nonlethal attacks on military bases. Israeli officials have said that if their country were hit, Irans leaders should expect a counterattack, although Israel may weigh what it portrayed as the failure of the Iranian assault in choosing its response. As Iran Threatens Attack, These Are Israels Defenses: QuickTake Iran has tried to be circumspect on its role in hostile acts by allied militant groups beyond its borders. That policy became more difficult after Hamas attacked Israel, touching off an extended war in Gaza. Houthi rebels in Yemen used that as a pretext for missile attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, while Hezbollah has exchanged fire across the border with Israel almost daily since the incursion. With assistance from Ethan Bronner, Augusta Saraiva, Galit Altstein, Alex Wickham and Justin Sink. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Former US President Donald Trump marched to his social media platform, Truth Social, after Iran's Saturday Israel attack to spell out how he felt about the menacing situation. Instead of wording a fresh message, he resorted to reposting an all-caps tweet from 2018, in which he laid down a direct threat to the then-President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani. Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Schnecksville Fire Hall in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, US, on Saturday, April 13, 2024. Trump on Friday offered support for embattled House Speaker Mike Johnson who is fighting to keep his job under pressure from ultraconservative lawmakers, seeking to tamp down on divisions in the Republican caucus. Photographer: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg(Bloomberg) His old tweet reads: To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS! Trump's original tweet was a response to the former Iranian president's warning that the US' escalating tensions with them would churn out the mother of all wars. The 77-year-old 45th US President's alarming words are a testament to his compulsive habit of jumping into rash methods of intimidation. During his presidential run, he infamously built his identity around similar hasty enactments of his foreign policy, which was correlated with his direction of maintaining close ties with figures like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. Internet users have once again perceived his latest online move as representative of his customary ways of undermining the powers and foundation of Western administration. Many have viewed his act of intercepting other American figures in power in his attempts to supersede the authority of present-day President Joe Biden as a violation of the Logan Act. Along with resharing his old tweet on social media, Trump addressed Iran's attack on Israel at a Saturday Pennsylvania rally as well. While mentioning that the US was in full support of Israel and praying for the country, he also added: "The weakness that we've shown is unbelievable, and it would not have happened if we were in office. You know that. They know that, and everybody knows that." Also read | US issues grave warning to Iran after retaliatory attack on Israel, hints at what we would do if Other GOP politicians also followed suit in highlighting Biden's lacking resolve in the situation. House Speaker Mike Johnson's tweet read: "The Biden Administrations undermining of Israel and appeasement of Iran have contributed to these terrible developments." Rick Scott, a US Senator from Florida, also reposted Trump's 2018 tweet and extolled it in a new tweet: This is the strength that we need back in the White House. While Trump resourcefully used the forbidding matter at hand to his advantage to gain the public's favour so he could win a second term on this year's Election Day, not all netizens warmed up to his Truth Social update. Has Trump violated the Logan Act with his threat to Iran: Netizens react Seth Abramson, New York Times-bestselling journalist and lawyer who wrote the book Proof of Conspiracy: How Trump's International Collusion Is Threatening American Democracy. His 2019 book alleged a pre-election geopolitical conspiracy involving Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Russia that sought to put Trump in the White House. What is the Logan Act? The very old (18th century) and rarely invoked federal statute prohibits unauthorised private diplomacy with foreign nations. It states: Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both. Also read | Survey: Biden almost caught up with Trump's early polling popularity Abramson dove into a lengthy explanation of why that is the case, entitling his tweet: MAJOR BREAKING NEWS: In Criminal Violation of Logan Act, Former President Donald Trump Attempts to Supercede Authority of U.S. President Joe Biden and Threaten Irans President Directly. In his long thread of accusations spread out over several tweets, he directly appealed to the FBI to star investigating right now," labelling Trump's acts as federal crimes that could lead America into a *hot war*. An army of netizens flocked in agreement and called for the issue to be investigated. Comments like "EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET "LOGAN ACT" trending. Trumpy may have literally committed treason against the United States for acting as the president, which is absolutely not. @FBI arrest him!" and We have one president at a time. And speaking on behalf of America in a post on a social network is not only unbecoming of a presidential candidate, it undermines the effort of this president and could start a war. If this is against the law, I hope the DOJ moves swiftly! followed. On the contrary, others reminded Abramson that Rouhani was no longer the president of Iran. Similar messages poured in, highlighting that those words were extracted from an old tweet, so Trump couldn't be charged on the basis of the Logan Act. Nope. Reminding people of a previous threat he'd made is not the same as making a fresh threat. In any event, he could probably challenge the application of the Logan Act in multiple ways, including under the First Amendment, the act is old and has rarely been enforced, wrote an X user. ABC host George Stephanopoulos on Sunday grilled New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R) over his support for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump after targeting him during the primaries. Earlier, Sununu, who was supporting Nikki Haley for GOP Presidential candidate, had asserted that former US President Donald Trump should drop out if convicted.(Getty Images via AFP) Sununu appeared for an interview on ABC's This Week program ahead of Trump's Hush money trial Manhattan on Monday. During the show, Stephanopoulos asked him if he would back Trump even if he is convicted in a criminal trial. Sununu insisted that 51 percent of Americans are now supporting Trump for president since they did not view his multiple indictments or his conduct on January 6, 2021, as disqualifying. Earlier, Sununu, who was supporting Nikki Haley for GOP Presidential candidate, had asserted that the former US President should drop out if convicted. "Yeah, look, this trial is not going to have major political ramifications that a lot of people I think think it may have," the New Hampshire Governor scoffed. When it comes to these issues, people see it more as reality TV at this point. Republican governor supporting the Republican president, says Sununu When pressed if he is comfortable with supporting someone who's convicted of a federal crime as president, Sununu responded, saying: Look, nobody should be shocked that the Republican governor supporting the Republican president. Stephanopoulos repeatedly returned to the point that why is Sununu now comfortable with Trump, despite his harsh criticism of the former president for January 6 riot. The ABC host recalled Sununu's statement when he said Trump's rhetoric and actions contributed to the insurrection. To this, Sununu admitted that Trump's actions surely contributed to that, adding that there's no question about that. I hate the election denialism of 2020. Nobody wants to be talking about that in 2024. I think all of that was absolutely terrible, the Governor stated. The explanation didn't sit well with Stephanopoulos who noted: You're saying he would be the president. And you've said he's someone who's contributed to an insurrection. I understand it doesn't make sense to you, George, but look at the polls. What you're telling me is you don't understand why 51% of this country is supporting Donald Trump, Sununu responded. In the end, the ABC host asked Sununu to clarify if he would support Trump for president even if hes convicted in the hush money case. To this, the New Hampshire Governor reacted enthusiastically: Yeah, me and 51 percent of America. Sununu faces flak for taking U-turn Not just Stephanopoulos, even social media users were shocked with Sununu's new stance on Trump, with one X user commenting, no spine, no morale code. After lying to his constituents in New Hampshire for years, he now says he supports Trump. Sununus political ambitions on a national level are over. He might be able to lie to the citizens of New Hampshire, but the American people at large arent buying it, another added. What hypocrite he is. All the stuff he said about Trump!!! He is a big mouth traitor, a third user wrote. According to a recent poll by the New York Times and Siena College, 46% of registered voters across the US support Donald Trump and 45% back Joe Biden in a close race for the presidency. US not seeking conflict with Iran, will support Defence of Israel Washington, April 14 (UNI) The United States will take all the necessary measures to protect its forces in the Middle East, as well as Israel, noting, however, that Washington is not seeking conflict with Iran, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said. "We condemn these reckless and unprecedented attacks by Iran and its proxies, and we call on Iran to immediately halt any further attacks, including from its proxy forces, and to deescalate tensions. We do not seek conflict with Iran, but we will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defense of Israel," Austin said in a statement. He added that the US forces shot down "dozens of missiles and UAVs en route to Israel, launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen." President Joe Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the U.S. will not take part in a counter-offensive against Iran if Israel decides to retaliate for a mass drone and missile attack on Israeli territory overnight, a White House official said. U.S. media reported earlier on Sunday that Biden had informed Netanyahu he would not participate in retaliatory action in a phone call overnight. The remarks were confirmed by a White House official.(AP) The threat of open warfare erupting between the arch Middle East foes and dragging in the United States has put the region on edge, triggering calls for restraint from global powers and Arab nations to avoid further escalation. U.S. media reported earlier on Sunday that Biden had informed Netanyahu he would not participate in retaliatory action in a phone call overnight. The remarks were confirmed to Reuters by a White House official. The U.S. will continue to help Israel defend itself, but does not want war, John Kirby, the White House's top national security spokesperson, told ABC's "This Week" program on Sunday. Also Read: Trump, GOP leaders blame Biden's great weakness for Iranian attack on Israel: Every time he says dont Iran launched the attack over a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders and followed months of clashes between Israel and Iran's regional allies, triggered by the war in Gaza. However, the attack from more than 300 missiles and drones, mostly launched from inside Iran, caused only modest damage in Israel as most were shot down with the help of the U.S., Britain and Jordan. An Air Force base in southern Israel was hit, but continued to operate as normal and a 7-year old child was seriously hurt by shrapnel. There were no other reports of serious damage. Two senior Israeli ministers signalled on Sunday that retaliation by Israel is not imminent and it would not act alone. "We will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us," centrist minister Benny Gantz said ahead of a war cabinet meeting. Also Read: Joe Biden vows 'ironclad' support to Israel. Who said what on Iran's attack Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also said Israel had an opportunity to form a strategic alliance against "against this grave threat by Iran which is threatening to mount nuclear explosives on these missiles, which could be an extremely grave threat," he said. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons. Iranian army chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri warned on television that "our response will be much larger than tonight's military action if Israel retaliates against Iran" and told Washington its bases could also be attacked if it helped Israel retaliate. Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian said Tehran had informed the United States its attack on Israel would be "limited" and for self defence and that regional neighbours had also been informed of its planned strikes 72-hours in advance. A Turkish diplomatic source said Iran had informed Turkey in advance of what would happen. Iran said the attack was aimed at punishing "Israeli crimes" but it now "deemed the matter concluded." Russia, China, France and Germany as well as Arab states Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates urged restraint and the U.N. Security Council was set to meet at 4 p.m. ET (2000 GMT) on Sunday. "We will do everything to stop a further escalation," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on a visit to China. "We can only warn everyone, especially Iran, against continuing this way." Turkey also warned Iran it did not want further tension in the region. ESCALATION Analysts debated how far Iran's attack was calibrated to cause genuine devastation in Israel, or to save face at home after vows of revenge while avoiding a major new war. "I think the Iranians took into consideration the fact that Israel has a very, very strong multi-layer anti-missile system and they probably took into consideration that there will not be too many casualties," said Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. But if Iran was hoping for a muted response, like with its missile attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq after the killing of Guards commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020, she warned "I don't think Israel sees it this way". On Saturday Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized an Israel-linked cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy shipping routes, underscoring the risks to the world economy of a wider conflict. Some flights were suspended in countries across the region and share prices fell in stock markets in Israel and Gulf states. The war in Gaza, which Israel invaded after an attack by Iran-backed Hamas on Oct. 7, has spread to fronts with Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq. Iran's most powerful ally in the region, the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah fired rockets at an Israeli base overnight. Israel said it struck a Hezbollah site deep inside Lebanon on Sunday morning. Yemen's Houthis, who have been firing missiles at ships in the Red Sea in what they say is support for the Palestinians, called Iran's attack legitimate. The Oct. 7 attack in which Israel says 1,200 were killed and 253 taken hostage, along with internal discontent with the government and international pressure over the war in Gaza, form the backdrop to Netanyahu's decisions over a response. At least 33,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its military offensive, according to authorities in the enclave. The Israeli prime minister has for years advocated a tough military line against Iran, pushing the United States for harder action over Tehran's nuclear programme and its backing for Hezbollah, Hamas and other groups in the region. In Israel, although there was alarm at the first direct attack from another country in more than three decades, the mood was in contrast to the trauma after the Hamas-led attack on Oct.7. "I think we've been given license to respond now. I mean it was a major attack from Iran... I imagine Israel will respond and may be over quickly and get back to normal life," said Jeremy Smith, 60. In Iran, state television showed small gatherings in several cities celebrating the attack, but in private some Iranians were worried about Israel's response. "Iran gave Netanyahu a golden opportunity to attack our country. But we, the people of Iran, will bear the brunt of this conflict," said Shima, a 29-year-old nurse, from Tehran. Ahead of the November elections, former US President Donald Trump addressed his supporters in a key swing state on Saturday and made reference to the "beautiful" Battle of Gettysburg, prompting several social media users pondering what his long-winded "rant" was about. Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Schnecksville Fire Hall in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, US, on Saturday, April 13, 2024.(Bloomberg) Addressing a rally at Pennsylvania's Schnecksville, which is situated two hours away from the location of the historic Civil War battle, Trump discussed the significance of Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg. What an unbelievable thing that was, Trump stated while sporting a Make America Great hat. It was so much, and so interesting, and so vicious and horrible, and so beautiful in so many different ways, he continued, adding that the battle represented a huge portion of the success of the United States. The Battle of Gettysburg, which continued for three days between July 1 and 3, 1863, was the deadliest of the Civil war. Over 50,000 people were killed in the battle. While the civil war lasted for almost two years in official terms, the Battle of Gettysburg is largely regarded as the pivotal event that led to the Union's eventual victory. Quoting Robert E. Lee, who was the Confederate general during the American Civil War, Trump said: And the statement of Robert E. Lee, who's no longer in favordid you ever notice it? He's no longer in favor. 'Never fight uphill, me boys, never fight uphill.' They were fighting uphill, he said, 'Wow, that was a big mistake,' he lost his big general. 'Never fight uphill, me boys,' but it was too late. Also Read: Trump, GOP leaders blame Biden's great weakness for Iranian attack on Israel: Every time he says dont Trump faces heat over mention of Battle of Gettysburg; Here's what went wrong Social media users took notice of Trump's comments regarding the Battle of Gettysburg, with many expressing that he lacks in-depth knowledge and shouldn't even attempt to be a historian. "Donald Trump doesn't know the first thing about The Battle of Gettysburg. He shouldn't even try being a historian. His lack of in-depth knowledge quickly reveals itself," wrote an X user. Taking a dig at the GOP leader, another X user said Trump's mention of the battle was like "when there's an essay question on the test you didn't study for." Also Read: 'I'll tell the truth': Donald Trump vows to testify in Stormy Daniels hush money trial as he just found Paul Farhi even pointed out that Robert E. Lee said and wrote many eloquent things, but Never fight uphill, me boys that Trump mentioned in his speech is not among them. Many social users blasted Trump, questioning how the war that killed over 50,000 people could be deemed "beautiful." This wasn't the first time that Trump spoke about the Civil War during his 2024 campaign rally. Addressing a rally in Iowa in January, he claimed that the battle "could have been negotiated" and thereby averted. He even suggested that the conflict was "so horrible, but so fascinating." Former US President Donald Trump blasted incumbent Joe Biden in the wake of Iran's retaliatory attack against Israel, saying that his address to the nation on the unprecedented strike was "taped". Addressing a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump said that Israel is under attack because the United States has shown "great weakness" that "is unbelievable".(AP) Addressing a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump said that Israel is under attack because the United States has shown "great weakness" that "is unbelievable". Also Read: Joe Biden vows 'ironclad' support to Israel. Who said what on Iran's attack He further stressed that America always stands by Israel, and that the attack wouldn't have happened under his administration. "I want to say God Bless the people of Israel. Theyre under attack right now and it would not have happened if we were in office," Trump stated. Meanwhile, the GOP leader took to his social media handle Truth Social and targetted Biden over his address to the United States on the Iranian attack, claiming it was "taped". "Biden, on Israel, didn't do his "Address to the People" LIVE. He taped it. This is no time for taped speeches!!! DJT," he wrote. Following the Iranian attack, Biden asserted the US' support for Israels security is ironclad, stressing that Washington will stand with the Jewish nation and "support their defence against these threats from Iran". As Biden cut short his weekend trip and flown to Washington DC from Delaware just few hours before the attack, Trump said: "Due to universal outrage, and my TRUTH, Crooked Joe Biden has been forced to go back to the White House tonight, instead of tomorrow. Good!" GOP leaders join Trump, raise concerns over Biden administration and Iran's attack on Israel Taking to X, House Speaker Mike Johnson blamed the unprecedented attack on the Biden administration's appeasement of Iran and undermining of Israel. Calling on the world leaders to extend their support to Israel, he wrote: "I will continue to engage with the White House to insist upon a proper response." Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said the attack shows that "Biden's approach with Iran and the Middle East is backwards." "Now as we risk entering WWIII, the US must stand by Israel's commitment to democracy. The president must stand firm, and stop coddling Iran immediately." Also Read: Survey: Biden almost caught up with Trump's early polling popularity The Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Republican senator from Wyoming, Sen. John Barrasso, claimed that President Biden is giving Iran and its terrorist network the benefit of the doubt by not standing firmly with Israel. According to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the attacks would have never happened under Trump's watch. "So much for President Biden telling bad guys 'don' actually being an effective deterrent. Every time he says 'dont,' they do," Graham wrote on X. I hope the American people are closely following just how dangerous the world has become in the last three years. Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., stated that Iran's direct attack against Israel shows that Biden administration's Middle East policies "have failed to achieve deterrence and instead enabled and emboldened Iran." Iran on Saturday launched a first direct military attack against Israel, sending barrage of missiles and drones toward Israel. The attack comes days after Iran pledged to take revenge for an airstrike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1 that claimed the lives of several people, including two top Iranian generals. Responding to the strikes, the Israel Defense Forces asserted that it intercepted the "vast majority" of missiles and drones that were fired. Donald Trump is poised to become the first former US president to face a criminal trial, a watershed moment for American democracy as the Republican nominee fights a divisive battle to retake the White House. HT Image The New York trial starting Monday over the alleged falsification of business records to conceal a sex scandal during Trumps 2016 campaign is one of four criminal cases against the former president, but its the only one set to go to trial before his November rematch against President Joe Biden. The trial marks an extraordinary moment even for Trump, raising the prospect that he could become a convicted felon before a single vote is cast. It also risks further inflaming tensions between Americans who see Trump as a serial offender and those who agree with his assertion that hes a victim of a Democratic witch hunt. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs case is focused on hush-money payments to a porn star Stormy Daniels to keep voters in the dark about the alleged affairs before the 2016 election. It is widely seen as the least consequential of Trumps the four criminal prosecutions, but a guilty verdict would nevertheless put his freedom at risk and raise doubts about his ability to lead the nation. The 77-year-old former president has pleaded not guilty to the charges and faces as many as four years behind bars. The charges dont bar him from running for or becoming president. Yet the prospect that he could be convicted and sentenced to jail could trigger a political crisis. A conviction would also force the US legal system to wrestle with unprecedented questions, including whether Trump could be sentenced to jail while hes campaigning, and, if he wins, when exactly hed serve his time. A spokesperson for Trumps campaign said the trial represents a failing election interference strategy by Democrats to try and keep President Trump away from campaigning by confining him to a courtroom. Campaigning in Court Trump is required by law to attend the trial each day in a Lower Manhattan state court. The scenario will create split-screen moments, in which Trump will be in the spotlight as both a presidential candidate and a criminal defendant. The proceeding is expected to last for six to eight weeks. Jury selection alone, which kicks off Monday, could take days, if not weeks. In trial by day, Trump will be free to campaign when the court is dark: nights, Wednesdays and weekends. But the courthouse also offers Trump a powerful platform from which to communicate with his base. The hallway outside the courtroom will be home to television cameras and reporters for weeks, giving the media savvy, former reality television star free air time to publicly defend himself while spreading his campaign message. Judge Juan Merchans has issued a gag order barring the former president from commenting on jurors, prosecutors and potential witnesses, citing threats to their safety. The order puts Trump at risk of fines and even jailing if he violates it. Trump has a history of flouting court orders. Read More: Trump Fined $10,000 by Judge Over Second Gag Order Violation The hush-money trial will revisit Trumps 2016 bid for the White House. The indictment includes 34 counts of falsifying business records, which is normally a misdemeanor. But Bragg argues the hush-money payments amounted to campaign-finance violations, elevating the charges to felonies. White House Run Braggs decision to charge Trump last April supercharged his White House campaign. Trump consolidated voter support and surpassed his Republican primary rivals in the polls, clinching the GOP presidential nomination in March. Yet a conviction could deliver a blow to Trump in the general election. More than half of swing-state voters said they wouldnt vote for the former president if he is found guilty of a crime, according to a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll taken in January. But Trump, who repeatedly broke conventions as president, still has a strong base of support. Four in ten voters in swing states said they would still be willing to vote for Trump if a jury finds him guilty, while an additional 7% were undecided. Three More Cases Trump faces three other criminal cases: Special Counsel Jack Smiths charged Trump with multiple crimes stemming from his effort to overturn the 2020 election and the resulting attack on the US Capitol. He has brought another case in Florida accusing Trump of taking sensitive government documents from the White House after leaving office and refusing to give them back. Trump also faces a state case in Georgia for allegedly leading a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election. All the cases have been delayed by pre-trial proceedings including the Supreme Courts decision to take up the question of whether or not former presidents are immune from prosecution narrowing the window for these cases to go to trial before the fall. Read More: Keeping Up With Trump and His Trials: A Timeline of Court Dates The Bragg trial will refocus the publics attention on Trumps conduct with women, after he was found liable for sexually assaulting the writer E. Jean Carroll, and reveal the extent to which he allegedly sought to bury salacious news about himself before the 2016 vote. Trumps alleged affair with Daniels is expected to resurface in tawdry detail. Testimony from witnesses, and likely from Daniels herself, will offer an insiders view of what happened. That includes insight into how she received payments from Trumps former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, the governments star witness, and how Trump reimbursed him. If Trump is found guilty, he could potentially be given a prison term before the summer. Sentencing hearings normally happen within weeks of a verdict. Michael Zeldin, a former federal prosecutor, said the judge will have great leeway to decide when to sentence Trump and for how long. Trump didnt leave a trail of victims in the hush-money case and doesnt have a history of convictions, which might sway the judge to issue a shorter sentence or probation. The likelihood that hell ever be in a jail cell is remote, Zeldin said. I continue to think that if Trump is convicted in New York, he will remain free pending appeal. With assistance from Jordan Fabian and Shelby Knowles. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. While US President Joe Biden has made it clear that the US doesn't seek a war with Iran, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said that the United States has issued a stern warning to the Islamic State in wake of the attack on Israel. John Kirby remarks comes after Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a call last night that the United States will continue to support the Jewish nation's right to self-defence.(AP file photo) Appearing in an interview with NBC host Kristen Welker on Sunday, Kirby said the US has no plans to support Israel if it plans counter attacks against Iran, but will continue to extend 'ironclad' support to the Jewish nation. He further mentioned that the US has informed Iran of "what we would do" if American troops or facilities are targeted amidst escalating conflict in the Middle East. When "Meet the Press" host insisted Kirby on if the US President has ruled out any attack against Iran, he said, The president has made it clear: We do not seek a war with Iran. We don't seek a wider war in the region. Kirby confirmed there haven't been any attacks on American troops or facilities in the region so far, he asserted that the White House warned the Islamic State against taking such action after Iran threatened to target the US military in case of any involvement in launching counterattacks by Israel. Also Read: Trump, GOP leaders blame Biden's great weakness for Iranian attack on Israel: Every time he says dont Kirby explains how US would continue to defend Israel The NSC spokesperson, however, stated that the US is "going to obviously watch that very, very closely. I would just say we made it very clear to all parties, including Iran, what we would do, and how we would continue to defend Israel, and also how seriously we would take any potential threat to our personnel and our facilities in the region, he added. Kirby remarks comes after Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a last night phone call that the United States will continue to support the Jewish nation's right to self-defence. Also Read: Setback for Israel? Biden tells Netanyahu US won't take part in retaliatory action against Iran Israel intercepts Iranian drones and missiles On Saturday night, Iran fired over 200 drones and missiles toward Israel, according to the Israel Defense Force (IDF). The IDF intercepted a vast number of drones and missiles outside Israel's airspace. However, dozens of Iranian ground-to-ground missiles that struck inside Israel damaged a military base in the south and injured a girl, according to a statement by IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. Iran's attack on Israel came in wake of a drone strike on its consulate in Syria on April 1 that killed 12 Iranians, including two top generals. Last week, Iran warned that its forces would strike American personnel and installations in the region if the United States carries out strikes. Iran launched a missile and drones attack at Israel late on Saturday. "The regime in Iran sent a massive swarm of over 200 killer drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles," Israel's Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement. US, UK and Jordan forces have shot down Iranian drones. US President Joe Biden has promised "ironclad" support for Israel against attacks by Iran. An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel (REUTERS) "I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," Joe Biden said on X (formerly Twitter). ALSO READ| Will harm whoever: After Iran attack, Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel ready 'defensively, offensively' Why Iran has attacked Israel Tension had been simmering between Iran and Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war. Iran has been engaging in proxy warfare by supporting Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon who launched strikes into Israel on many occasions. Now, Iran has launched a direct attack after it claimed that Israel recently killed its officials in the Damascus embassy. Several officials including a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' overseas Quds Force were killed in an airstrike on April 1 while they were attending a meeting in the Damascus embassy compound. Blaming Israel for killing an Iranian official, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had vowed to take revenge. Khamenei had said Israel "must be punished and shall be" for an operation he said was equivalent to an attack on Iranian soil. Israel neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the attack. Iran today said the strike was a punishment for "Israeli crimes". "Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe," the Iranian mission to the United Nations said, warning the US to stay away. It said the matter should be deemed concluded. UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting Meanwhile, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Sunday over Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel. Several countries have condemned Iran's attack on Israel. Countries like Britain and France have pledged support to Israel's security. Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following Iran's recent attack on Israel, parallels are being drawn to the prophetic musings of Nostradamus. On April 13, Iran launched a suicide drone, missiles and rocket attack on the Jewish country startling the whole world. With air raid sirens sounding across multiple regions, spanning from northern and southern Israel to the northern West Bank and even the Dead Sea, Nostradamus's references to naval warfare and geopolitical strife have resurfaced. Nostradamus World War 3 trends on Twitter As Iran launches a multifront attack using suicide drones, missiles, and rockets, directly challenging Israel, internet users are concerned about the possibility of a third world war. Many users believe that if World War 3 breaks out, there would be two sides: one with NATO, the United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom, and the other with Russia, China, Iran, Yemen, and North Korea. A user wrote, Fears Iran and Israel's rivalry 'could spark World War III' with Vladimir Putin 'rubbing his hands. Germany joining forces with the United States, Great Britain, France, and Poland during World War III. Wrote another. Also read: Iran attack on Israel a prelude to World War 3', Columbian President blames US: See world leaders reaction What is Nostradamus's eerie 2024 prediction? Are you familiar with the famous 16th-century French astrologer, Nostradamus? He's known as the prophet of doom, and his predictions have often sent shivers down people's spines. In his book 'Les Prophecies' (The Prophecies), Nostradamus made some terrifying predictions for the year 2024, and some of them have already come true while others are in progress. For instance, he predicted a terrible naval war that the world will witness in 2024. It's quite eerie, isn't it? Nostradamus 2024 predictions: Echoes of war and looming famine, will Dragon rise as global power? One of the translated verses reads, "Red adversary will become pale with fear, putting the great Ocean in dread". There are some opinions that the particular statement is related to the tensions between China and Taiwan, but recent attacks by the Houthis on ships in the Red Sea looks more relevant. The series of attacks in the nearby regions have seriously hampered international trade, especially in the Red Sea-dependent oil industry. Additionally, Iran's attack on Israel has added another layer of complexity further destabilising the condition of the Middle East. Also read: Iranians celebrate across streets after multi-front attack on Israel using suicide drones and missiles Israel, which was already engaged in a conflict with Palestine, experienced consecutive attacks on April 13, when Iran used its allies Syria, Yemen, and Iraq's land to launch a drone directed towards Israel. The attack comes on the heels of an air strike in Damascus that destroyed the Iranian consulate, in which 12 people were killed, including two high-ranking Iranian generals, and after Tehran threatened to invade Tel Aviv. Earlier missile strikes by the US and UK against Iranian-backed rebels in western Yemen have resulted in threats of retaliation from the Shia group. This conflict has persisted for several years, with Saudi Arabia, backed by the US and its allies, being involved on the Sunni side. Google began removing California news websites from some of its search results in response to a proposal that would force the tech giant and others to pay media companies for linking to their stories. In a Friday blog post, Google called its decision a "short-term test " and said it was "also pausing further investments in the California news ecosystem." The moves came in response to the California Journalism Preservation Act, which would require companies including Google, Facebook and Microsoft to give news organizations a share of their ad revenue that opponents call a "link tax," according to the Associated Press. The amounts would be decided through arbitration involving a three-judge panel, AP said. California's state Assembly passed the bill last year with bipartisan support and it needs to pass the state Senate later this year and be signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to become law. In the blog post, Jaffer Zaidi, vice president of Google's global news partnerships, said the company's search engine helped "publishers of all sizes grow their audiences at no cost to them." "CJPA would up-end that model," Zaidi wrote. "It would favor media conglomerates and hedge funds - who've been lobbying for this bill -a nd could use funds from CJPA to continue to buy up local California newspapers, strip them of journalists, and create more ghost papers that operate with a skeleton crew to produce only low-cost, and often low-quality, content." Zaidi added: "CJPA would also put small publishers at a disadvantage and limit consumers' access to a diverse local media ecosystem." California State Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire, a co-author of the bill, called Google's actions a "dangerous threat" and "abuse of power" that put public safety at risk. "Let me be crystal clear: The legislative process will not be blunted by this bullying. This is a breach of public trust and we call on Google Executives to answer for this stunt," McGuire wrote Friday evening on X, formerly Twitter. The bill's author, Democratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, told AP that California had lost more than 100 news organizations in the past decade. "This is a bill about basic fairness - it's about ensuring that platforms pay for the content they repurpose," Wicks said. "We are committed to continuing negotiations with Google and all other stakeholders to secure a brighter future for California journalists and ensure that the lights of democracy stay on." Nationwide, more than 2,500 newspapers have closed since 2005, AP said, citing information from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Meanwhile, Google's corporate parent, Alphabet, reported more than $307 billion in revenues last year, mostly from advertising, according to NPR. Israel leveled a building in Lebanon on Sunday after Iran's massive drone and missile attack, but it was unclear if the events were connected or had been planned ahead of time. Israel's attack targeted a building near the Syrian border used by Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group, according to the AFP news agency. The group said that there were no casualties. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the building in the village of Nabi Sheet was destroyed in the attack. "Fighter jets struck a significant Hezbollah weapons manufacturing site," the Israeli Army said in a statement. Hezbollah said it launched rockets towards the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights during the Iranian attack on Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel will be victorious after Iran's unprecedented attack on the Jewish State, and in warnings just before the barrage. A former NATO commander is urging U.S. officials to continue providing aid to Ukraine to fight Russia. Retired Adm. James Stavridis made the statement in an interview with John Catsimatidis on "The Cats Roundtable" podcast. He said a $60 billion aid package will basically match what Europe has sent to Ukraine. While it might sound like a large number is "not a huge amount" of the U.S. military budget, Stavridis said. "If we don't do it, Putin has a reasonable shot of taking more territory," he said. Stavridis said Russian President Vladimir Putin will "not stop" unless Ukraine can get the upper hand in fighting. "We have to stop him in Ukraine before he threatens other nations including NATO allies in Western Europe," he warned. A U.S. aid package for Kyiv is stuck in Congress. The Republican-led House of Representatives has been a roadblock to passing the package by trying to tie it to funding for the U.S. southern border. President Joe Biden praised the American forces that helped Israel intercept Iranian drones in a statement issued Sunday. "At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week," Biden's statement noted. "Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles," he added. Biden, however, has emphasized to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. will not participate in any offensive action against Iran, American officials told CNN. Iran launched dozens of drones at Israel overnight in retaliation for airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Syria. Iran blamed Israel for the attack and promised retribution for "the Zionist regime's crime." Iran and Israel have long been at odds, and tensions have been inflamed by the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip. Iran praised Hamas in the aftermath of last year's deadly October 7 attacks on Israel, which it claimed were "victories of the anti-Zionist resistance." Iran has also provided aid to the Houthis a Yemeni rebel group that fired ballistic missiles at the Israeli coast. The nation is also allied with Syria an important source of weapons for Hamas fighters. Israel claimed that the strike on Iran's Syrian embassy was necessary to take out an Iranian general who is crucial to the weapons supply chain. In his statement on Sunday Biden condemned Iran's retaliatory attacks "in the strongest possible terms." He said on Monday he'll "convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack." While "we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people," Biden noted. The president reiterated the U.S.'s support of Israel and confirmed that he had spoken to Netanyahu by phone. Tensions between the two leaders have been exacerbated in recent weeks, in part due to the killings of seven aid workers including one American citizen who were distributing food inside Gaza. "I told [Netanyahu] that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks," Biden wrote. "Sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel." An eight-year-old girl was killed by a gunshot wound to the head during a massive Saturday night Chicago shooting that law enforcement officials believe was related to gang activity. Two young boys, aged one and seven were also shot multiple times and taken in critical condition to a nearby hospital. A nine-year-old boy was grazed by a bullet and was in good condition, according to WFLD. "Innocent children were struck tonight and one of them tragically succumbed to her wounds," Chicago Deputy Police Chief Don Jerome said at a press conference at the scene of the incident in the city's South Side. "The offenders' actions, make no mistake, are horrific and unnaceptable in our city." Witnesses say that the incident began when a black sedan pulled up outside a family gathering shortly after 9 p.m. Multiple shots were fired from the vehicle into a crowd of people before the suspects fled the scene, WFLD reported. Seven adults, between the ages of 19 and 40, were also wounded by gunfire. Law enforcement provided emergency medical aid on the scene before the victims were transported to nearby hospitals, the Associated Press reported. "This was not a random act of violence. It was likely gang related," Jerome said. Other witnesses reportedly saw at least two possible suspects flee the scene on foot. Law enforcement officer found 18 bullets littering the crime scene, according to WFLD. The investigation is still in preliminary stages and the police have not named any people of interest. Four people have been arrested on murder charges in connection with the disappearance of two mothers in rural Oklahoma, including the mother-in-law of one of the victims. Veronica Butler, 27, and 39-year-old Jillian Kelley, a preacher's wife, disappeared while they were traveling across state lines to pick up their children. Their vehicle was found abandoned near Highway 95 in Texas County, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said there was evidence to indicate foul play. On Saturday, Tifany Machel Adams, 54, Tad Bert Cullum, 43, Cole Earl Twombly, 50, and Cora Twombly, 44, were arrested in Texas and Cimarron Counties in connection with the case, according to authorities. Adams was Bulter's mother-in-law, according to the Daily Mail, and the children were living with her. Cullum is Adams' boyfriend, according to the report. All four were booked into the Texas County Jail on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree. Police located the bodies believed to be of the two victims on Sunday. Court documents reviewed by the Christian Post showed that Butler, the father of her children, as well as his family were involved in a bitter custody dispute. In a motion reportedly filed last November, Adams opposed any adjustment in the supervised visitation arrangement Butler had with the children. She allegedly claimed that the children had been exposed to sexual abuse while under her care. Kelley is the wife of a pastor at Hugoton First Christian Church in Kansas. Her husband, Heath Kelley, recently agreed to serve as the new pastor of Willow Christian Church in Nebraska. Former President Donald Trump's hush money case will go to trial in Manhattan on Monday. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleges that Trump helped falsify business records to cover up payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claims that she had sex with the former president. Prosecutors say that Trump concealed his reimbursement of the payments by his one-time ally and lawyer Michael Cohen and committed 34 felonies in the process while trying to keep Daniels out of the public eye ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The former president has pleaded not guilty and has repeatedly denied having an affair. The first step in the historic criminal trial the first ever of a former president will be selecting a jury. The selection could take days. Here is what goes into the process: Where do the jurors come from? Potential jurors are randomly selected from lists of registered voters, holders of driver's licenses or IDs issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles, New York State income tax filers, recipients of unemployment insurance or family assistance, and from volunteers. All of the potential jurors will be Manhattan residents. The pool of potential jurors is chosen at random. How will Trump's jury be selected? Judge Juan M. Merchan will bring a large group of potential jurors into the courtroom and then briefly outline the case, according to the Associated Press. He will then be asked if they will be able to serve and be impartial. Any who indicate they cannot be fair will be dismissed. Those who remain will be called in groups into the jury box, where they will be asked a set of questions. Some of those questions are expected to include: "Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for Donald Trump?" and "Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked or volunteered for any anti-Trump group or organization?" Depending on the answers, lawyers can argue that a particular juror should be excluded for a reason, but the final determination will be up to the judge. In addition, lawyers for both sides will be able to reject a limited number of potential jurors without giving a reason. The jury will end up with 12 jurors, and six alternates who will attend the trial but will only take part in the jury if another juror is dismissed during the trial. The judge has ordered that the jurors' names be kept secret because of concerns they may be harassed or threatened. How much do Trump jurors earn? The jury fee is $40 per day. If service extends beyond 30 days the court may authorize an additional $6 per day per juror. Just as a top Israeli official ominously vowed that Israel would "exact a price" for Iran's weekend air assault, President Biden doesn't "believe" the conflict "needs" to escalate into a wider war, said an aide. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby outlined Biden's position in a Sunday appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." Biden "doesn't believe that it needs to move in that direction whatsoever," Kirby told host Kristen Welker. "The president's been clear: We don't want to see this escalate. We're not looking for a wider war with Iran," said Kirby, addding: "I think the coming hours and days will tell us a lot." NEW: Fears of escalation in the Middle East grow after Irans retaliatory attack on Israel. NSC spox John Kirby: The presidents been clear: We dont want to see this escalate. Were not looking for a wider war with Iran. I think the coming hours and days will tell us a lot. pic.twitter.com/9Q9rpF5RRQ Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 14, 2024 The U.S. helped Israel as it intercepted almost all of the 300 drones and missile launched by Iran. But Biden emphasized to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call that the U.S. will not participate in any offensive action against Iran, American officials told CNN. Kirby, however, refused when pressed to "get into hypotheticals" about whether the U.S. would, at some point, back an Israeli counterattack against Iran. "Israel hasn't made any decisions that I'm aware of about what the next step is," he said. Pressed again about whether the Biden administration has a "red line" for getting directly involved in a conflict against Iran, Kirby again refused to provide an answer. While Israel has revealed no details of a possible response to the air barrage, Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz vowed in a videotaped statement on Sunday to "exact a price" from Iran in response to its attack. "In the face of the Iranian threat, we will build a regional coalition, and we will exact a price from Iran in the way and at the time that is right for us," Gantz said. While Biden is opposed to an escalation of the Mideast conflict, he has reiterated his strong support for Israel and praised the U.S. forces who helped Israel intercept Iran's aerial barrage. "At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week," Biden said in a statement Sunday. "Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles," he added. Kirby called the response an "incredible military achievement by Israel" and "quite frankly [by] the United States and other partners that helped Israel defend itself ... I mean, it's just an extraordinary example of military superiority." Abortion is shaping up to be a major challenge in former President Donald Trump's quest for the White House with nearly 40% of suburban women in swing states citing it as the single most important issue for them, according to a recent Wall Street Journal poll. The issue is causing trouble for Republicans even though killing Roe v. Wade was a key goal of the party. Since the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe in 2022, leaving abortion access up to voters almost always results in strong support for abortion rights even in Republican-dominated states like Kentucky, Kansas and Montana. While Trump has said he would not sign a national abortion ban if he wins the White House, he has also preened that he's responsible for the "miracle" of the death of Roe v Wade. Nearly three-quarters of the women in seven battleground states surveyed in the Journal poll said the procedure should be legal all or most of the time and 57% said that Trump's abortion policies were too restrictive. Only 20% said that President Joe Biden's didn't go far enough. Roughly half of all the suburban women polled said they believed that Biden's position on abortion was just right. Biden, a devout Catholic, has made it clear that while he wrestles with abortion on a personal level, he believes that access to reproductive medical care should remain legal and safe for American women to choose. After abortion, the second-most important issue for suburban women in the WSJ poll was immigration with 16% citing it as their chief concern followed by the economy at 7%. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) claims the U.S. is "not standing firmly with Israel" in the wake of a huge missile and drone attack by Iran. "There should never be any kinds of conditions on all that. When a nation can launch hundreds of drones towards Israel I'm not going to be talking about conditions ever," Fetterman told CNN Sunday. President Biden on Sunday praised U.S. forces who helped Israel at "his direction," he noted intercept some 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran Saturday night. But he also told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call that America would not participate in offensive action against Iran, U.S. officials told CNN. "Iran had to have some fireworks after Israel smoked that Iranian general and I am here for that. And I think it's just a matter of theater, part of it as well, too. And finally, it demonstrates how unstable things are and why we need to lean in and stand with Israel," he added. Fetterman was referring to Iranian retaliation for a suspected Israeli bombing attack on an Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, two weeks ago that killed 13 people, including a top general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a number of military advisers. When asked what Israel should do in response to the attack, Fetterman said he would leave that up to the Israelis. "I'm not going to suggest what Israel should or shouldn't do on that," he said. "Iran certainly can't take on Israel, and certainly not us. So I think they would just like to keep things as they go. And then after they made a point ... I think they could go pretty quiet," he added. Fetterman disagreed with the Biden administration advising that Israel should not look to respond militarily. "I just think we should follow and have Israel's back in this situation," he noted. As for former President Donald Trump claiming the attack on Israel would have never happened if he was in charged in the White House, Fetterman said: "He should be focusing on his time in court tomorrow." Somali pirates claim they were paid $5 million in ransom to release a hijacked cargo ship and its 23 crew members, according to a report Sunday. "The money was brought to us two nights ago as usual ... we checked whether the money was fake or not," one of the pirates, Abdirashiid Yusuf, told Reuters. "Then we divided the money into groups and left, avoiding the government forces." The vessel's owner, the KSRM Group, confirmed that it "struck a deal with the pirates," according to the BBC, which cited the AFP news agency. "We cannot say more about the money," said Mizanul Islam of SR Shipping, KSRM's maritime arm. "All the crew are safe and secure." The Bangladesh-flagged MV Abdullah was escorted by two warships after being released, the BBC said. The ship was reportedly carrying a load of coal from Mozambique to the United Emirates when it was hijacked in March about 600 nautical miles east of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. Somali pirates wreaked havoc on international shipping between 2005 and 2012, hijacking 149 vessels and reaping as much as $385 million in ransom payments, according to a 2013 report by the World Bank. The incidents included the 2009 hijacking of the American freighter Maersk Alabama, which inspired the acclaimed 2013 Tom Hanks movie "Captain Phillips." U.S. Navy SEALs killed three pirates during a rescue mission, with the lone surviving pirate, 5-foot-2 Abduwali Muse, sentenced to nearly 34 years in federal prison in 2011. Muse led the armed hijacking and at one point played a one-sided game of Russian roulette with Capt. Richard Phillips, according to prosecutors. Somali piracy plunged after more than 40 countries launched anti-piracy efforts in waters off the Horn of Africa but surged recently, with the BBC reporting more than a dozen incidents since late November. Security experts blamed the situation on foreign navies shifting their attention to the Red Sea, where Yemen's Houthi rebel group has been attacking ships. What is the best way for guests to get from Manama Bahrain Intl Airport to Elite Crystal Hotel? Getting from Manama Bahrain Intl Airport to Elite Crystal Hotel can be as easy as renting a car at the airports rental desk for, on average, $50/day in Manama. Luckily, Elite Crystal Hotel has parking on site for guests who choose this method of transportation. Taking a taxi or rideshare service from the nearest airport, Manama Bahrain Intl Airport, to your hotel is often the most cost effective transportation solution. What is the best way for guests to get from Manama Bahrain Intl Airport to Monroe Hotel? For the most freedom while visiting Manama, consider renting a car for about $50/day and parking it at Monroe Hotel where they offer parking spaces to hotel guests. One of the more popular options today is to take a taxi or ridesharing service directly from Manama Bahrain Intl Airport to the hotel. This option is often cost effective, but guests must keep a lookout for peak time rates. With a fascinating history as a trade hub for the Arabian Gulf, Manama is now a glistening modern capital. Cutting-edge skyscrapers tower over ancient forts and traditional souks, with the desert landscapes of Bahrain stretching to the south. Things to do in Manama Gain better understanding of local history and culture at the impressive Bahrain National Museum, which has exhibits spanning more than 5,000 years of history. There are ancient archaeological artefacts from Dilmun to displays on Bahrains pre-industrial past, as well as an exhibit detailing the Babylonian-era Durand Stone. Bahrain Fort boasts a commanding position overlooking Manama, having been built in the 14th century on an ancient Dilmun settlement. Excavations at the UNESCO World Heritage Site have unearthed antiquities from Kassite, Greek, Portuguese and Persian occupants over the forts storied past. Visit Al-Fateh Mosque, named after the founder of Bahrain, which boasts the worlds largest fibreglass dome that weighs more than 60,000 kilograms. It has the capacity for more than 7,000 worshippers to pray within its elaborate interior and also holds a library with valuable hadith writings. A short drive south of Manama takes you to the mysterious Tree of Life, a 400-year-old tree that stands in the middle of the Arabian Desert. Without any visible water source, no one is certain how this tree has managed to survive, with some believing it extracts moisture from breezes that blow from the Persian Gulf. Getting around Manama Bahrain International Airport is the primary gateway to the country and located 15 minutes drive north-east of Manama. Buses and taxis are the main means of getting around the city, which can also be walked in certain areas. The city is trying to be proactive in preventing the spread of zebra mussels. Pittsfield ConCom OKs Zebra Mussel Treatment PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Conservation Commission has OKed a zebra mussel pesticide treatment in Onota Lake if the invasive species are confirmed. On Thursday, the panel approved a notice of intent application for the use of EarthTec QZ within a specified treatment area of the lake. "We're not entirely 100 percent sure that there is an infestation of zebra mussels at Onota Lake. Last September, a water sample was taken and the DNA of zebra mussel was detected in that water sample. This was a water sample taken near the boat ramp at Burbank Park. Subsequent water samples were taken later in the fall and very early this spring, there were still non-detects in those water samples for DNA showing the presence of zebra mussels," Park, Open Space and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath said. "We continue to, most recently as this Tuesday, we are sampling for zebra mussel EDNA and we should know the results of those samples certainly by early next week." McGrath addressed the commission with a sense of urgency, as the lake is currently around 52 degrees Fahrenheit and the zebra mussels begin to activate around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. He described it as "an opportunity to take what could be a potential massively serious ecological issue at Onota Lake and nip it in the bud." "What we're proposing here is a collaborative approach where there are many stakeholders involved," he said. "This is not Jim McGrath proposing the use of EarthTec QZ at the lake. This is something we have been very deliberative about." The application was continued from the previous meeting so that it could be filed as a state Ecological Restoration Limited Project. "Really what it means is that it's eligible, which I think this project meets the eligibility requirements, it affords the right to not have to comply with general performance standards for the resource area that's being impacted," Conservation Agent Robert Van Der Kar said. "In this case, it's land under waterbody. It also means that they don't need to perform wildlife habitat evaluations, the idea being that it's improving the resource area and habitat." Zebra mussel mitigation efforts began in 2009 when the invasive species was found in Laurel Lake in Lee. From then to last fall, the city was in prevention of invasion mode, and after the detection, it is in rapid response mode with the intent of eradicating any pioneer infestation. If that doesn't succeed, the city will go into maintenance with the intent to limit the abundance, which has little expectation of eradication. This means that the whole lake could potentially be impacted if nothing is done, McGrath said. Water near the boat ramp where the detection was found is the focus but it is understood that other parts of the lake could need treatment and the city would return to the commission for additional permitting if necessary. "There is some uncertainty about what the boundaries of this might look like because we don't have the data yet. The water temperatures are still a little low but they're going to be increasing rapidly," he explained. "We need to be ready as soon as the water temperatures are agreeable and if we find that we have a pioneer infestation, we will determine the margins of what that is and we will be ready to go with a treatment plan that's been approved by your commission, additional data that's been reviewed by your commission, and we're going to be ready to go here," "My only interest is protecting Onota Lake from a massive zebra mussel infestation, which of course, the consideration at this commission is ecological but I must remind you all how important economically Onota Lake is to this community." 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 Holdens representatives have addressed her absence from last nights episode of Saturday Night Takeaway (13 April). ITV viewers were left confused when Holden was listed as a special guest in the closing credits, but didnt make an appearance on the programme. Holdens name was shown alongside Davina McCall, Simon Cowell and Ashley Roberts, all of whom appeared on Saturday nights show. This led viewers to speculate that Holden had pulled out following a public disagreement with Sharon Osbourne that had emerged on Saturday morning when the former X Factor judge issued a scathing tweet to a recent interview Holden gave. One viewer noticed Holdens absence from Saturday Night Takeaway and wrote: Can we talk about @itvtakeaway where was @AmandaHolden??? Where is Amanda Holden may I ask? wrote one viewer, as one joked in reply: Drafting a response to Sharon. Another viewer wrote: Amanda Holden going AWOL and not turning up for Saturday Night Takeaway. Sharon Osbourne rattled her. However, a representative for Holden has said that her absence was due to scheduling changes. open image in gallery Sharon Osbourne publicly addressed Amanda Holden for an interview she gave to The Daily Mail ( Getty Images ) Amanda was to be a guest on SNT for the airing of her prank on Dec. Due to scheduling changes this was shown last week. Therefore Amanda was not required on the show this evening, they told The Independent. A representative for ITV added: Holly [Willoughby], Gino [DCampo], Amanda, and Olly [Murs] couldnt make it into the studio tonight due to prior commitments. 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 Disagreement between Holden and Osbourne became apparent when Britains Got Talent judge Holden criticised Osbourne and her former X Factor co-judge Louis Walsh for the way they spoke about Simon Cowell during their joint stint on Celebrity Big Brother earlier this year, calling them bitter and pathetic. In an interview with The Daily Mail published on Friday, Holden, 53, said: I hated seeing certain people in a reality show dissing Simon hes the person whos given them all the chances, given them a lot of money and a lifestyle they probably wouldnt have had. open image in gallery Holden said watching Celebrity Big Brother was like watching pantomime ( Getty Images ) Its bitter and pathetic. It was like Cinderella with her two sisters in the background - just stabby, stabby, stabby. She continued: I thought, Oh my God, its like watching a pantomime. I just think they look so nasty and awful. Osbourne then responded to the interview by posting a long message on X/Twitter addressed to Holden, in which she told the Heart radio host that they would never be in the same league. The truth is, you dont know me, Amanda, began Osbourne. You know nothing about my history in the music industry, my achievements, the artists I have worked with, the shows that Ive produced, and my global celebrity. Unlike you, the brand of Sharon Osbourne is known worldwide. open image in gallery Osbourne told Holden that they will never be in the same league ( Celebrity Big Brother/ITV ) There are many countries that I could work in if I choose to however, I dont have the ambition or time to do so, and unlike you, I dont work in radio or pantomime. She continued: I have been blessed with an amazing lifestyle throughout my entire life. Before you were born, I was living in a mansion in Beverly Hills and continue to do so today and continue to have my country estate in England as well. Osbourne claimed her money and success were not a result of appearing in Cowells talent shows, but came from her reality show The Osbournes, as well as her music career prior to X Factor. Amanda, I think youre missing the point here. No disrespect to Simon Cowell but he NEEDED ME for musical credibility on X Factor and I delivered for him and together all of us made a great team. The Independent has contacted both Holden and Cowells representatives for comment. 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 }} Watch again as the Israeli Government holds a press conference on Sunday (14 April) after an Iran missile attack. Iran launched explosive drones and fired ballistic and cruise missiles at Israel late Saturday night in its first direct attack on Israeli territory, a retaliatory strike that raised fears of a wider regional war. The attack came amid rising tensions following an attack on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus. Israels military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said 99 per cent of more than 300 drones and missiles fired by Iran were intercepted by Israel and its allies. He said Iran fired 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. Several ballistic missiles reached Israeli territory, causing minor damage to an air base. Israel reopened its airspace as of 7.30am, said countrys airports authority, with flight schedules from Tel Aviv expected to be affected. 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 family of a seven-year-old boy who died as a result of the contaminated blood scandal has shared his last heartbreaking words 34 years on. Colin Smith contracted Aids after receiving contaminated blood at just ten months old while being treated for haemophilia. The young boy was infected with HIV and hepatitis C in August 1983 after being given blood products imported from the US. He died in 1990, aged seven. Speaking to the BBC, his family shared his final words: I cant see daddy. His family are speaking out upon a new BBC investigation which found the doctor who infected his blood, Prof Arthur Bloom, broke his own rules to do so. Colin Smith died at the age of seven in 1990 after being given blood products infected with Aids ( BBC/Infected Blood Inquiry ) Just three months before Colin was infected, Prof Blooms department had written internal NHS guidelines discouraging the use of imported blood treatments on children due to infection risks. This wasnt an accident, Colins father told the broadcaster. It could have been avoided. Between 1970 and the early 1990s, an estimated 30,000 people in the UK were given blood transfusions infected with hepatitis C or HIV. At least 2,400 people died as a result, while more than 4,000 survivors continue to suffer the effects of the catastrophic error. In 2022 the Infected Blood Inquiry was established to investigate how the transfusions were allowed to take place. At the same time, the government announced that victims would receive 100,000 in compensation. However, Rishi Sunak has since been criticised for the speed of the governments response and delays in payments. Campaigners have called on the Government to compensate people affected by the infected blood scandal (PA) ( PA Wire ) ITV is to follow the success of Mr Bates Vs The Post Office with a drama exploring the contaminated blood scandal widely recognised as among the darkest episodes in NHS history. The show will examine what doctors, politicians and pharmaceutical companies knew about the risk, and the scandal that has endured for more than 50 years. Speaking about his sons infection, Colins father, also called Colin, told the BBC: They were playing Russian roulette with peoples lives, and they miscalculated and killed thousands. Colins mother, Janet, described how the family were told about his diagnosis while standing in a busy hospital corridor. Colin was lying in bed, not well at all, and Prof Bloom stops in the corridor and just said hes HIV, she said. We were never taken to a room, we were told in the middle of the corridor, parents running after their kids, little kiddies running past us, and I can remember getting really upset but I dont know why because it was never explained that it was a death sentence. ( AFP via Getty Images ) The family described how they were ostracised by their local community following their sons diagnosis. We were known as the Aids family, Janet told the BBC. Wed have phone calls 12, one oclock in the morning. How can you let him sleep with his brothers? He should be locked up, he should be put on an island... he was three. It got out of hand, said Colin senior. One day we got up and Aids dead was written right across the side of the house [in] black paint. The bereaved parents believed their son was given new heat-treated blood product Factor VIII which, it was hoped, would kill viruses like HIV and hepatitis. He just happened to be diagnosed with haemophilia at the same time these trials were starting up - the next thing you know hes got HIV, Janet said. The NHS blood services began routinely screening donations for HIV in 1985 and screening for hepatitis C in 1991. The infected blood inquiry is expected to publish its report on 20 May. 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 }} Homeless women in the UK are being forced to use sponges, old clothes and used menstrual products during their periods, according to first-of-its-kind research. A study by the University of Southampton, which looked into the experiences of homeless women during their periods, also found women were routinely refused entry to both public and customer bathrooms. Researchers found some women resorted to using cut-up T-shirts, sponges, old clothes, toilet paper, and already used disposable menstrual items during their periods, while others used cheap herbal remedies rather than pricier treatments to alleviate infections. Women sleeping rough were forced to depend on charities and council services for period products, but provision is patchy and inadequate, the study found, meaning women can be forced to shoplift period products or go without food to afford them. Dr Polly Hardy-Johnson, one of the reports lead authors, said: Even as paying customers, women were subject to stigma around assumed drug use, limiting their access to bathrooms. Being able to pass as not homeless was more difficult when women were unable to maintain menstrual health. Limited access to facilities led to infections and increased the need for costly laundry services, due to leakages and blood-stained clothing. There is a need for private, safe and clean locations for managing menstruation, as well as access to laundry facilities. Female rough sleepers also warned of services rationing their free period products resulting in them being forced to request items from staff, who were sometimes men, many times in a given day. The study, published in Women and Health, looked at nine relevant pieces of research carried out in the UK, the US, Canada and Nepal finding the issues prevalent in all countries. Dr Stephanie Baker, another lead report author, said: So-called period poverty is a global concern. Our findings highlight the need to stop gatekeeping and limiting access to menstrual health products. This is both a public health issue and a human rights one. Researchers found homeless women often struggled to find a clean and private area to change period products with public toilets said to be dirty. Women also voiced feelings of embarrassment and shame about their periods, saying they concealed the fact that they were menstruating. 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 }} London has overtaken the West Midlands with the largest number of measles cases, raising concerns that the capital could become a hotspot for the disease. Over the last six months, a dramatic increase has been reported in the number of infections, with 62 of the 195 cases being based in the capital since 11 March. This is in comparison to just 11 cases in the whole of March last year. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned that England is seeing the highest number of infections in a decade, with vaccination rates among children consistently falling. To prevent a major outbreak, a minimum of 95 per cent of the population needs to be vaccinated with the MMR jabs, yet millions of children under the age of 16 are not fully protected. Measles can be prevented with two doses of the MMR vaccine ( AP ) Measles is highly contagious and usually starts with cold-like symptoms, such as a high temperature before a rash forms a few days later. It can lead to meningitis and blindness and is particularly dangerous among pregnant women. Dr Mary Ramsay, the UKHSA head of immunisation, said: We are now seeing the highest case numbers in this country for a decade, with over 1,000 cases being reported since October. Last year, UKHSA warned of the risk of a major measles outbreak in the capital if uptake of the MMR vaccine didnt improve. NHS and local areas have been working tirelessly on improving access and working with us to encourage people to get their children vaccinated. The UKHSA has warned families travelling overseas for their summer holidays to ensure their childrens vaccinations are up to date, with particular concerns around the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the Hajj, which occurs in June. All regions of England have reported cases of measles in recent weeks ( PA Wire ) There are growing concerns that unvaccinated travellers could bring the disease back to the UK, with vaccination rates as low as 54 per cent in parts of London. Greg Fell, the president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, said: Measles is a very transmissible virus and London is one of the most densely populated parts of Europe with pockets of large numbers of susceptible people. Thats perfect conditions for an outbreak to occur. Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA consultant epidemiologist, said: We are continuing to see measles cases in all regions of England, with cases particularly high in the West Midlands and London, so it is vital that people are fully protected by two doses of the MMR vaccine. It only takes one case to get into a community with low vaccination rates for measles to spread rapidly, especially in schools and nurseries. We know that hundreds of thousands of children around the country, particularly in some inner-city areas are still not fully vaccinated and are at risk of serious illness or life-long complications, but measles is completely preventable with vaccination. 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 }} The row over Angela Rayners previous living arrangements has deepened as her former aide reportedly wrote to police contradicting her claims. Former staff member Matt Finnegan, who made an employment tribunal claim against Ms Rayner in 2018, said there was no doubt in my mind that this was Ms Rayners family home when he visited her at what she says was her husbands address in 2014. Police are investigating whether Labours deputy leader broke electoral law after Tory allegations that she may have given false information about her main residence a decade ago. She was registered at a former council house she bought in Stockport, but it is understood Conservative Party deputy chair James Daly has suggested neighbours say she lived with her husband at a separate property. Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has denied any wrongdoing over the row about her previous living arrangements ( PA Wire ) Greater Manchester Police initially said it would not be investigating the allegations, but following a complaint from the Bury North MP, the force confirmed it had reassessed information and launched a probe. The Sunday Times reported that Mr Finnegan told the police he vividly remembers her home was elsewhere. He visited her around the time she became a parliamentary candidate at an address in Lowndes Lane, Stockport, in the summer of 2014, according to the paper. There was no doubt in my mind that this was Ms Rayners family home, where she lived with her then-husband, Mark, his letter states. I remember it quite vividly because Ms Rayner was not at home at first and I had to wait for some time in my car before she eventually arrived. It was also memorable in that it was the first and only time I visited her home during the course of my voluntary work for her. Mr Finnegan previously left Ms Rayners employment with a 20,000 payout and non-disclosure agreement after accusing her of disability discrimination and unfair dismissal. He had published a thriller about an ambitious MP known to her staff as the Diva, which contained lurid details that bore striking similarities to the deputy leader of the party. Mr Finnegan has insisted the novel Betrayal was complete fiction. Ms Rayner has promised to resign if she is found to have committed a crime, but said she followed the rules at all times. Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed the police investigation into Ms Rayners living arrangements and said he had full confidence in her. Shadow minister Jim McMahon dismissed the allegations earlier on Saturday as a storm in a teacup after defence secretary Grant Shapps accused Ms Rayner of double standards. Ms Rayner previously suggested that former prime minister Boris Johnson should resign while Scotland Yard probed claims of Covid rule-breaking in Downing Street, prompting calls for her to step down while the police investigation continues. Keir Starmer says he has full confidence in his deputy ( Danny Lawson/PA Wire ) However, Scott Wortley, a law lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, pointed out that any potential prosecution should have been launched within a year of the suspected crime. Providing false information is an offence under Section 13D of the Representation of the People Act 1983, but the legislation imposes a time limit of a year for bringing any charge. As the allegations surrounding Ms Rayner relate to pre-2015, this suggests it is unlikely that she could be prosecuted. Magistrates may extend that deadline in certain circumstances, but only by another year, according to the act. Mr Wortley described the police probe as completely pointless, saying: Why waste money on investigating something absolutely time-barred? They would not do it for (Road Traffic Act) matters nearly a decade after it could be prosecuted. It is not the role of the police to investigate something that could never be charged. Journalist Michael Crick has also pointed out that former prime minister John Major had been registered in 1968 at a house that he had allegedly never lived at, according to BBCs Newsnight. Mr Crick added that: Again, there was a big fuss, but no action was taken. A Labour spokesperson said: Angela has always made clear she also spent time at her husbands property when they had children and got married, as he did at hers. The house she owned remained her main home. Angela looks forward to sitting down with the appropriate authorities, including the police and HMRC, to set out the facts and draw a line under this matter. Yvette Cooper told the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that Ms Rayner is very keen to set out facts to the appropriate authorities. She said: It allows her to set out all the facts not the sort of gossip, not the different allegations that weve had from Conservative MPs. We understand this is the run-up to local elections, weve seen this before with the Durham case as well. This is obviously about her family arrangements, her personal finances, and thats really how it should be dealt with instead. 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 }} The health secretary has said that flights carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda will take off within weeks despite being unable to disclose whether the government had found a carrier. Victoria Atkins maintained she wants flights to take off as quickly as possible, adding that itll be certainly within weeks. But when quizzed on Sky News about which airline would be carrying out the return flights, Ms Atkins was unable to answer. She said: The Home Office is working on this... believe you me the Home Office is ready to go. Health secretary Victoria Atkins said flights to Rwanda will take off within weeks ( PA ) She added: We have seen some real progress in the last year with the reduction in small boat crossings by a third, which is contrary actually to the trend we've seen across the European continent. She said the Rwanda scheme is just one part of our overall plan to cut illegal migration. Her comments come as the governments plan to deport migrants to Rwanda was thrown into turmoil after it was reported that Rwandas state airline turned down a proposal to transport UK asylum seekers to Kigali under Rishi Sunaks offshore deportation scheme. Reports last week suggested that RwandAir declined the governments request late last year after being approached about running the removal flights. The Financial Times quoted a Home Office insider, who claimed it was because of the potential damage to their brand. Rishi Sunak has previously maintained that flights to Rwanda would take off in the spring and that controlling immigration is a major priority for his government. Rishi Sunak has threatened to override the European Convention on Human Rights if it interferes with his Rwanda plan ( PA ) Mr Sunak has even threatened to override the UKs obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in order to ensure his Rwanda plan goes ahead. In an interview, the prime minister defended his approach to tackling small boats crossing the Channel, but indicated he would be willing to leave the ECHR if it blocked his Rwanda policy. He told The Sun: I believe that all plans are compliant with all of our international obligations including the ECHR, but I do believe that border security and making sure that we can control illegal migration is more important than membership of a foreign court because its fundamental to our sovereignty as a country. The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, which is set to return to parliament next week, includes provisions that would allow ministers to ignore orders from the court. But members of the more moderate One Nation Group of Tory MPs have warned against leaving the convention, while others have said such a move would breach the Good Friday Agreement which includes a requirement to incorporate the ECHR into Northern Irish law. When Stephen Marche began writing a book that imagined a future civil war in the United States of America, he repeatedly found himself having to throw out large chunks of text because the very things he conjured on the page suddenly started happening in real life: sheriffs across the country refusing to obey federal law; white power groups getting their hands on nuclear material. Marche soon realised that the civil war he was predicting had, in a way, already begun. There is something in the air, in the streets, and now on our screens in the form of Alex Garlands new film Civil War, which imagines a dystopian future the American presidency has become a dictatorship and rebels descend on the White House. Marche says that when the first civil war happened in the 1860s, very few people in America saw it coming even when the first battle began, at Fort Sumter, near Charleston, South Carolina. There is a quote near the beginning of his book, The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future, from a retired army colonel who says that a new American civil war would not be like the first one, with armies manoeuvring on the battlefield. I think it would very much be a free-for-all, he said, neighbour on neighbour, based on beliefs and skin colours and religion. And it would be horrific. Marche, who is Canadian and lives with his wife and children in Toronto, says that if you look at the US today, its really not too hard to imagine. There are more guns than people. One out of every 11 presidents has been assassinated. (In his book, Marche writes that its not surprising the US Secret Service spends a million dollars a day on keeping the president alive.) He details the unrest around the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-government extremist boogaloo boys arming themselves to the teeth, and small communities in the Pacific northwest sealing themselves off in communes, claiming they dont recognise the law. He describes states like Texas fighting the federal government over laws governing Americas southwestern border, and so-called lone wolf terrorists like Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. Fighting talk: Has the US passed the point of no return? ( Getty ) Thats what chaos looks like, Marche says. And so, a new civil war is the sort of thing weve already seen, only much, much more continuous and much more unstoppable. It doesnt seem that far-fetched, Marche says, especially when you consider that a majority of Republicans believe that the 2020 election was stolen. Thats not a fringe minority. There is already a constitutional legitimacy crisis in the United States. Despite the obvious assumption that the touchpaper that ignited all this was the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol building when Trumps supporters sought to keep him in power by preventing Congress from formalising Joe Bidens election victory Marche says the malaise had been brewing for years. When I talked to legal and political experts, the date that kept coming up was 2008, he says, because the housing crisis that year was where you started to fundamentally see the real death of the middle class, and the end of the notion that every generation was going to do better than the generation that came before it. Trump supporters battle with police and security forces during the 6 January riot ( Getty ) You had things like the surge in Iraq, and the end of this moment where America could pretend to be this beneficent policeman of the world. Trump is very much a symptom, not a cause, Marche continues. The underlying problems in the United States are huge: inequality; a massive decline of trust in the legal system; a hyper-partisan duopoly between the two political parties, which creates election victories rather than plans for the future. And also a decrepit and dysfunctional constitution that is nonetheless worshipped as a religious document, even though it doesnt really apply to the 21st century. You have to understand that American politics is so driven by money. They need the hatred in order to raise that money. And they need hatred in order to drive their base to the polls Stephen Marche The good news is that Marche believes there are ways to stop this decline into total chaos and untethered unrest. The US could, for example, assemble a constitutional convention to update its founding documents. Separation the aim of the confederate states during the US civil war is, Marche says, highly unlikely, but it would offer a way out. The most realistic scenario, he believes, is to begin having open primaries. Primaries are the mechanism by which voters choose their preferred candidate for each political party to nominate in the general election. Currently, American primaries are partisan affairs in which only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote in their respective elections. As a result, according to Marche, the only people who vote in them are the extremists; the most dedicated fans of a party. Open primaries, on the other hand, would lead to much more reasonable human beings being in government, he says. They inevitably get more centrist people elected because the lunatics honestly do not represent the will of the American people. White nationalists and neo-Nazis clash with counterprotesters during the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia ( Getty ) In the immediate future, at least, that doesnt look likely because, as Marche points out, its not in the interests of either Democrats or Republicans to have open primaries. You have to understand that American politics is so driven by money. They need the hatred in order to raise that money. And they need hatred in order to drive their base to the polls ... People vote [because of] their loathing for the other. If you were to ask the question Are you better off now than you were four years ago?, Biden should win by a cakewalk because theres virtually no one who would not answer yes. When you look at the numbers, [Biden] has delivered an enormous amount for his country. But America has entered a post-policy phase. People arent thinking in terms of policies at all. Theyre thinking, My God, I hate Donald Trump, or Biden is a piece of sh**. Its perhaps ironic that the date Marche identifies as the beginning of this dystopian nightmare is 2008, the same year Barack Obama was elected president a man who campaigned on a message of hope and change; a rose-tinted vision of a future United States with no divisions. Kirsten Dunst stars in Alex Garlands film Civil War ( Miller Avenue Productions LLC ) But as Marche notes, hope still sells. Almost as a postscript to The Next Civil War, he writes: None of the crises described in this book are beyond the capacity of Americans to solve. Perhaps that offers some small balm to those who think America is doomed; that its too late to unite such a divided nation. Marche recalls that the nation was united in sorrow following the assassination of JFK, and that the Civil Rights Act was supported by both parties a couple of years later. Its hard to see that kind of unity emerging any time soon. But if it could happen then, it can happen in the future. Its just a question of when. The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future by Stephen Marche is published by Simon & Schuster 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 }} President Joe Biden and his national security team monitored Irans aerial attack against Israel on Saturday as U.S. forces joined efforts to down explosive-laden drones launched by Tehran. With tensions at their highest since the Israel-Hamas war began six months ago, Biden pledged that American support for Israel's defense against attacks by Iran and its proxies is ironclad. U.S. forces shot down some Iran-launched attack drones flying toward Israel, according to a U.S. defense official and two other U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The defense official said the effort to intercept the attack was continuing. Biden had cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team at the White House on Saturday afternoon, returning to Washington minutes before Israeli officials confirmed that they had detected drones being launched toward their territory from Iran. He convened a principals meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room to discuss the unfolding situation, the White House said, before speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Saturday. The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, risking a wider regional conflict. For days, the U.S. and Israel had braced for an attack claimed by Iran as retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force. The Pentagon reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with his Israeli counterpart to discuss urgent regional threats ... and made clear that Israel could count on full U.S. support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies." National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washington's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a Saturday statement that Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. She added: The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran. Biden on Friday said the United States was "devoted to defending Israel and that Iran will not succeed. Asked by reporters what his message was for Iran, the presidents only reply was: Dont. He ignored a question about what would trigger a direct U.S. military response, and when asked how imminent an Iranian attack on Israel was, Biden said he did not want to get into secure information, but my expectation is sooner than later. The U.S., along with its allies, have sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalating the conflict. During the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, there have been near-daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group along the Israel-Lebanon border. U.S. officials have recorded more than 150 attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria on U.S. forces at bases in those countries since war started on Oct. 7. One attack in late January killed three U.S. service members in Jordan. In retaliation, the U.S. launched a massive air assault, hitting more than 85 targets at seven locations in Iraq and Syria. Meantime, on Saturday, commandos from Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel. Watson, the NSC spokesperson, said the U.S. strongly condemned the seizure and urged Iran to release the ship and crew immediately. We will work with our partners to hold Iran to account for its actions, she said. Also Saturday, the Israeli-occupied West Bank also saw some of the worst violence since Hamas' attack on Israel. ___ Price reported from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and Mike Balsamo in New York contributed to this report. 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 weighed in on Irans airstrike against Israel on Saturday evening. ISRAEL IS UNDER ATTACK, the former president said on his social media platform, Truth Social. This should never have been allowed to happen - This would NEVER have happened if I were President! Mr Trumps comments come after the Israeli Defense Forces announced Iran had launched dozens of drones against Israel, set to arrive Saturday evening. President Joe Biden has since pledged his support for Israel. Donald Trump, pictured on 2 April, said President Joe Biden is to blame for Irans attack on Israel ( REUTERS ) President Biden has been clear: our support for Israels security is ironclad, National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said on Saturday. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran. The former presidents proposed policy on Israels offensive in Gaza, meanwhile, has been hazy at best,The Independents Richard Hall previously reported. In the days after Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 200 people hostage, Mr Trump offered his enthusiastic backing for Israels retaliatory offensive in Gaza. However, more recent comments from Mr Trump, coming after more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, could be interpreted as a sign that his unyielding support for Israel is not guaranteed. Youve got to get it over with, and you have to get back to normalcy, Mr Trump said in an interview with The Hugh Hewitt Show that aired earlier this month. The former president added that he wanted Israel to get back to peace and stop killing people. On Truth Social, Mr Trump also inexplicably attacked Mr Biden for using a taped speech to address the people. However, Mr Biden has not addressed the nation since Iran launched their attack, and he is not expected to make any remarks on Saturday evening. AFTER READING MY TRUTH, BIDENS HANDLERS CONVINCED HIM NOT TO RELEASE HIS TAPED SPEECH ON ISRAEL, Mr Trump wrote. HELL NOW ATTEMPT TO DO IT LIVE, PROBABLY TOMORROW. HE DOESNT WANT TO LEAVE HIS HOUSE, WITH THE CORVETTE, IN DELAWARE!!! Mr Biden had already left Delaware his home state, where he was slated to spend the weekend as of Saturday evening, cutting his trip short to handle the Iran crisis. The president is now in the White House, where an administration spokesperson said he would meet with his national security team. President Joe Biden, pictured arriving at the White House on 13 April 2024, cut his trip to Delaware short ( AFP via Getty Images ) Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson a staunch ally to Mr Trump has also attempted to pin Irans attacks on Mr Biden. The Biden Administrations undermining of Israel and appeasement of Iran have contributed to these terrible developments, Mr Johnson said in a statement on Saturday evening. Tensions between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Biden have been on the rise in recent weeks. This week, the president called for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians. However, he still appears poised to make an $18bn sale of fighter jets to Israel a deal which the administration says has been in the making for years. The Independent also exclusively reported this week that eight internal dissent memos were sent by US State Department staff during the first two months of the Gaza war, highlighting the widespread opposition within the department to the Biden administrations support for Israels war in Gaza. The former president is expected to speak at a campaign event in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania on Saturday evening, where he may comment further on the Iranian attacks. 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 United States condemned the overnight attacks against Israel by Iran and Tehrans allied proxy groups across the Middle East overnight Saturday into Sunday morning, but stated firmly that the Biden administration remains committed to avoiding a regional war. Nearly 300 drones and missiles were reported over the skies of Israel Saturday evening as Iran and its allies launched what has been reported to be the largest single drone attack in history. Israeli air defences intercepted the vast majority of the incoming fire, according to initial reports, and no deaths have been reported. The Israeli Iron Dome air defence system was launched to intercept missiles fired from Iran on Saturday night ( Tomer Neuberg/AP ) President Joe Biden released a statement shortly before 11pm local time, calling the drone strikes that were largely intercepted by Israeli air defences a brazen attack against a US ally. He added that he had reaffirmed his support for Israels defence in a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, said the president. He added that he told Mr Netanyahu that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. As Washington woke up to the news, however, the White House clarified the presidents words to underscore that the US would not be drawn into direct conflict with Iran. John Kirby, spokesman for the national security council, told NBCs Meet The Press that the administration was not looking for escalation after the attack and was asked by moderator Kristin Welker about reporting indicating that Mr Biden had told Mr Netanyahu in their conversation Saturday night that his administration would not support an Israeli counterattack. You got a win. Take the win, Mr Biden reportedly told the Israeli prime minister. Mr Kirby responded that the US president had stated his support for Israels self-defence, while not elaborating further: I won't go into more detail. Again, I just go back to what the president has said time and time again: We don't seek an escalation. We don't seek a wider war in the region. Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu ( via REUTERS ) Later on Sunday, the leaders of the G-7 (including the US) released a joint statement on the attack. We, the Leaders of the G7, unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Irans direct and unprecedented attack against Israel. Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack, it read. We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security. The leaders statement continued: With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. We will continue to work to stabilize the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives. We will also strengthen our cooperation to end the crisis in Gaza, including by continuing to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, and deliver increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need, the statement concluded. The Iranian strike comes at a time of deteriorating relations between the Biden administration and Mr Netanyahus government; the US president has been reported to be increasingly frustrated with the scope and scale of Israels assault on Gaza, while unwilling to leverage US military aid in a meaningful manner in an effort to change Mr Netanyahus policies. At the same time, the Biden administration is showing more willingness to criticise Israels actions, including the killings of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers. In his interview, Mr Kirby seemingly confirmed that some level of backchannel communications were occurring between the US and Iran amid the rise in hostilities across the Middle East. Such communications, if they are transpiring, are a positive sign for those in the White House seeking to avoid that broader potential conflict. He added that in the administrations dealings with Iran, the US would continue to make clear what we would do, and how we would continue to defend Israel, and also how seriously we would take any potential threat to our personnel and our facilities in the region. Talk among conservatives, meanwhile, veered sharply towards calling for retaliatory strikes against Iran conducted by US forces. Washingtons hawkish right has long argued that strikes by Iranian forces and their proxies, even those that do not not inflict meaningful damage, should be met with overwhelming force. Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton warned on CNN that unless Iran sees a powerful response, that risk [of another attack] will continue. Mr Bolton, long known for his advocacy of US force against Iran, went on to call President Joe Biden an embarrassment for his de-escalatory rhetoric in the CNN interview; he also suggested Israel look at Saturday nights attack as an opportunity to strike Irans nuclear programme. Senator Marsha Blackburn, another longtime Iran hawk, added on Twitter: we must move quickly and launch aggressive retaliatory strikes on Iran. 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 }} An Australian police officer has been hailed as a hero after she single-handedly tracked down a knifeman and shot him dead to save lives. Inspector Amy Scott had been carrying out routine duties near Westfield Bondi Junction and was the first on the scene after reports emerged that a number of people had been stabbed at the Sydney shopping mall. After being guided by distraught members of the public, she confronted the lone knifeman, who has since been identified as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, before firing her gun. Her actions have been praised as heroic, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese telling reporters: There is no doubt that she saved lives. Terrified shoppers after the evacuation of Westfield Bondi Junction ( AP ) Describing the moment Cauchi was killed, a witness said: He just started floating towards us and all I heard was put it down and then she shot him. But we were in no doubt, if she didnt shoot him, he would have kept going. He was on the rampage. Then she walked over and gave him CPR. He had a big blade on him she chucked the knife away. He looked like he was on a killing spree. In a statement following his death, Cauchis family said he had suffered with mental health issues since he was a teenager, and described his actions as truly horrific. They added that they had no issues with Insp Scott as she was only doing her job to protect others, and we hope she is coping alright. Brave shopper fights off Sydney mall knifeman in terrifying Westfield attack. ( X ) During his rampage on Saturday afternoon, Cauchi stabbed six people to death, while another eight were taken to hospital to undergo treatment. Emergency services were contacted at around 3.30pm to the popular shopping area, with a major incident declared and hundreds evacuated from the centre. Among those killed is 38-year-old mother Ashlee Good, who died while protecting her nine-month-old baby who was also stabbed during the incident. Since being rushed to hospital, her young child has undergone surgery and is currently making good progress. Other victims include architect Jade Young, 48, and Dawn Singleton, 25, who is understood to be the daughter of Australian businessman John Singleton. Security guard Faraz Tahir was also killed, with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia describing him as a cherished member of our community. Ashlee Good was killed by Cauchi, her baby survived and is in hospital ( X ) In a press conference shortly after the incident, Anthony Cooke, assistant commissioner of New South Wales Police, said that Insp Scott had fired her weapon after Cauchi lunged towards her with his knife. Very clearly, a range of reports were made on the incident. Police attended promptly a single unit officer, inspector of police, was nearby, attended, and went into the centre directed by a range of people, he said. She confronted the offender who had moved, by this stage, to level five. As she continued to walk quickly behind to catch up with him, he turned to face her, raised a knife, she discharged a firearm and that person is now deceased. The head of the states police force, Karen Webb, commended her enormous courage and said she was now doing well under the circumstances. Close Emergency services respond after multiple people stabbed at Sydney shopping centre 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 baby girl injured in a stabbing attack at the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre has been moved out of the intensive care. The nine-month-old child was in a serious but stable condition, a health official said. Her mother, Ashlee Good, was among the six people killed in the carnage on Saturday. Meanwhile, police in Sydney declared the attack on a bishop at a church as an act of terrorism, as authorities call for calm in the wake of disturbance following the incident. At least four people were injured in the attack, including Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, during a service at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in the suburb of Wakeley in the west of the city. A 16-year-old boy was arrested during the event, which triggered a riot outside the church. Two officers were injured with one suffering a broken jaw after he was hit with a brick and fence palings. Ten police cars were destroyed. Prime minister Anthony Albanese urged the public not to take the law into their own hands. It is not acceptable to impede police and injure police doing their duty or to damage police vehicles in a way that we saw last night, he added. 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 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 }} US and UK forces helped Israel intercept more than 99 percent of over 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran towards its territory Saturday night. Royal Air Force jets were deployed in Iraq and Syria to intercept any airborne attacks within range while US forces, according to president Joe Biden, helped Israel down nearly all the incoming drones and missiles. US and Israel had been bracing for an attack for days after Iran said it would retaliate for a suspected Israeli strike early this month on an Iranian consulate in Syria that killed 12 people, including two senior generals in the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles, many of which were shot down by RAF and US warplanes over Iraq and Syria. "At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week," US president Joe Biden said in a statement on Sunday. "Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles." Speaking about the strategic aid provided to Israel, the UKs Ministry of Defence said they moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region. These will bolster Operation Shader, which is the UKs existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq and Syria. In addition, these UK jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required. As tensions escalated in the wake of the attack and Israels war on Gaza, now in its seventh month, threatened to spill over into a wider regional conflict, Mr Biden pledged that American support for Israel was "ironclad. Jerusalems Old City is pictured at dawn on 14 April 2024 after Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel ( AFP via Getty Images ) Iran and Israel have been engaged in a shadow war, marked by incidents such as the Damascus strike, for years. But Sundays assault, which set off air raid sirens across Israel, marked the first time Iran had launched a direct assault on Israel. Israeli and US officials lauded the response to the attack. "Iran launched more than 300 threats and 99 per cent were intercepted," said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesperson. "That is a success." He said none of the drones reached Israel, 25 cruise missiles were shot down by the Israeli Air Force and none entered Israels airspace. Most of the Iranian drones flying over Syria were downed by Israeli and US jets before reaching their targets in Israel, two Western intelligence sources said on Sunday. They told Reuters the aerial interceptors shot down dozens of missiles and drones fired by Iran that flew above Deraa in southern Syria, the Syrian Golan Heights and several locations in eastern Syria near the Iraq border. "We intercepted. We blocked. Together, we will win, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X. His defence minister, Yoav Gallant, thanked America and other allies for their assistance, but warned that the incident was ongoing. "This campaign is not over yet. We need to remain vigilant ... and to prepare for any scenario," he said in a video statement. "At the same time, we blocked the first wave, and we did it with great success." Additional reporting by agencies Close Iranian state television reports explosions 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 has called for the preservation of evidence of mass graves in the Gaza Strip after 390 bodies were found at two different burial sites outside the Nasser and al-Shifa hospitals. The Israeli army said any suggestion of its responsibility was baseless and unfounded and the graves were dug by Gazans a few months ago. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said its important that all forensic evidence be well preserved. Earlier, the US demanded answers from Israel after mass graves were found outside two hospitals in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, at least five people have been killed following Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Palestinian hospital officials have said. More than half of the territorys population of 2.3 million have sought refuge in Rafah, where Israel has conducted near-daily raids as it prepares for an offensive in the city. In central Gaza, four people were killed in Israeli tank shelling. 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 }} Irans retaliation against Israel was spectacular, but militarily largely ineffective, with reports that 99 per cent of the 330 attack drones, ballistic and cruise missiles sent being shot down. It will, however, have significant consequences. The Nevatim airbase in the Negev was hit, causing minor damage according to the Israelis. The only reported casualty was a 10-year-old Bedouin child who suffered minor injuries. What happens next will decide whether the matter ends with some more, limited military action, or whether a wider war breaks out in the Middle East, sending repercussions reverberating far beyond the region. In this fraught and uncertain period we are in the geopolitics Donald Rumsfeld, who in 2002 while serving as George W Bushs defence secretary, spoke about known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns. It was known that Iran would have to retaliate for the killing of an Iranian commander and senior officers in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) at its consulate in Damascus by Israel, and that, in the form of Operation Honest Promise has now taken place. The known unknown is whether Israel will now carry out strikes inside Iran. What is unknown at this stage is whether such an escalation in an area which is already a tinderbox of heavily-armed presences, will lead to a conflagration. An Israeli air force F-15 Eagle at an airbase in the early hours of Sunday ( Reuters ) The Israeli government has told the US and states in the Middle East that it will respond forcefully to the Iranian assault. Irans president, Ebrahim Raisi, has threatened an even stronger response to any reckless Israeli move. The Israeli response will be decided by a specially formulated three-member war cabinet of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and Benny Gantz, the former head of the Israeli military who joined the government after the Hamas massacre on 7 October. Joe Biden is said to have reiterated that Israel will have full US support in a 25-minute telephone call with Mr Netanyahu. However, according to American media reports, the president has privately expressed concern that the Israeli prime minister is trying to drag the US more deeply into a broader conflict. There is little doubt that Israel would like to use this opportunity to fulfil its long-held ambition to try and destroy Irans nuclear installations. It has not done so yet because it would be extremely difficult to achieve without US military support. Tehran is well aware of this. After launching its attacks overnight, Iran's mission to the United Nations declared that retaliation for the attack on the Damascus diplomatic compound is over. However, it added: Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY! Benjamin Netanyahus war room after Iran launched drone strikes on Israel ( Supplied ) Iran has, ever since the killings of the IRGC officers, been assuring Washington that avenging the deaths would not involve any Western targets. The warning by Tehran that it may launch attacks on Israel meant the US was able to carry out preparations which enabled US, British and Jordanian airplanes to shoot down Iranian drones. The fact that this coordinated international action was effective was pointed out to Mr Netanyahu by Mr Biden in the telephone call, according to US officials. The remarkable defensive capacity, the president stressed was a clear message to its foes they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. This, by itself, is unlikely to stop Israel from carrying out counterstrikes. The question is what form they will take. Iranian allies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shia militias in Syria and Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen could be in the firing line. There may be attacks in Iran. After all, Israel has carried out regular assassinations of scientists involved in the nuclear programme inside the country. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to curb escalation continue, with a meeting of the UN Security Council later on Sunday. Iranian officials who had been counselling caution to their own government, claim that a swift condemnation of the consulate killings by the Security Council may have limited Irans response. They point out that an Iranian land assault in Afghanistan in 1998, when the Taliban killed Iranian diplomats in a consulate, was called off after a strong stricture by the UN. The US, UK and France, they complain, prevented a similar message being sent after the Damascus strike. The attack on Israel can be considered as a completed response to the attack of the Iranian diplomatic facilities in Syria by the authorities of this country. Azernews informs referring to the Permanent Mission of Iran to the UN as mentioned on official "X" page as such: "The matter can be deemed concluded." The Permanent Mission noted that the release of drones to Israel is a response to this country's attack on Iran's diplomatic facilities in Damascus. At the same time, it was emphasized that if the Israeli authorities make "another mistake", Tehran's response will be "harder". Earlier, it was reported that dozens of Iranian drones flew over the southern provinces of Iraq towards the territory of Israel. Drones with warheads launched from Iran were also observed over Jordanian territory. 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 Middle East is on a precipice of a conflict that would be devastating for the region and the rest of the world, the United Nations has warned. The UN was referring to the increased hostility between Israel and Iran as world leaders urged restraint following Tehrans unprecedented attack last weekend. But in the early hours of Friday morning explosions were heard at a major military airbase and nuclear site at Isfahan, located around 250 miles south of the Iranian capital Tehran. Follow our live blog on the attack here Israeli drones are believed to have launched from over 1,200 miles away, intended to target Irans military and nuclear infrastructure. It is the latest development in a long and complex history between the two nations. With tensions rising across the region, The Independent explores the history of the conflict below and explains why Israel and Iran are attacking each other. Decades of shadow warfare Irans Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been the countrys second supreme leader since 1989 ( AP ) Israel and Iran have been engaged in shadow warfare for decades, with a long history of clandestine attacks by land, sea, air and cyberspace, which Tehran conducts via its various proxies and allies in the region. The two nations had formerly been allies until Irans pro-Western leader Mohammed Reza Shah was swept from power in the Islamic Revolution in 1979, which installed a new theocratic regime whose opposition to Israel was an ideological imperative. Over the following years, with Israel invading Lebanon in 1982, Irans new regime would work with fellow Shiite Muslims there to establish Hezbollah, the group Israel would eventually come to regard as the most dangerous adversary on its borders. Over the intervening decades, Israel has been unable to suppress Hezbollah even following a month-long war in 2006 as it warily eyed Tehrans moves to develop its own faltering nuclear programme. Tehrans efforts to enrich uranium, first revealed as far back as 2002, quickly set alarm bells ringing in Israel, with Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei having repeatedly described Israel as a cancerous tumour which will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed over his now decades-long rule. Black smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab, a Lebanese border village, on 4 November ( AP ) Israel has continued to trade fire with Iran through the guise of the latters proxies and allies, with Iran notably funding and arming Hamas, the militant group with whom Israel is now waging a devastating war in Gaza. The outbreak of that brutal conflict had heightened fears of an escalation in the region, with Hezbollah and Israel trading constant fire since it broke out in October. How have tensions flared up since 7 October? On 7 October, the militant group Hamas launched a bloody attack on Israel when they stormed the Israel-Gaza border and killed over 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages. Since then, Israel has invaded Gaza on the premise of destroying Hamas - which it compares to ISIS and is funded by Iran - to ensure a similar attack would never happen again. Up to 33,970 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to Gazas health ministry. At the same time, the Israeli military has exchanged fire with Hezbollah - another group armed and funded by Iran, in southern Lebanon. Explosions were heard near a major military airbase and nuclear site at Isfahan, Iran, on Friday morning ( IRGC ) Why are Israel and Iran attacking each other now? Israeli leaders often talk about cutting off the octopuss head instead of fighting its tentacles - a metaphor for Iran and its proxy militias across the Middle East. On 1 April, Israel attacked Irans embassy compound in Damascus, Syria, which killed several of Tehrans senior military commanders. The strike marked one of the most significant attacks yet on Iranian interests in Syria, where Israel has stepped up a long-running military campaign against Iran and groups it proxies. Irans Uranium Conversion Facility, just outside the city of Isfahan, in 2005 ( AP ) Iran vowed revenge and two weeks later launched a barrage of over 300 missiles and drones at Israel - which the Israeli military claim over 99 per cent were intercepted. Soon after, Tehrans mission to the UN said it considered the matter concluded and that it was acting in self defence. After western allies urged restraint, Israel said it would respond to the attack. On Friday morning, Iran was forced to activate its air defence system across several provinces, with three Israeli drones destroyed over the southern city. There have not been any reports of damage or casualties and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there was no impact on nuclear facilities - but called for extreme restraint. What could happen next? All eyes remain on Iran to see how it will choose to respond to the Friday attack, as western leaders called for restraint while reaffirming their commitment to Israels security. However, there are a myriad of factors that could impact how the conflict could play out over the coming months and years. With increasing calls for Benajmin Netanyahu to resign from within his own country, a less hawkish Israeli leader might cool tensions between the two nations. But he also faces calls to be more aggressive. After Fridays attack, far-right security minister Itamar Ben Gvir - who has called for the execution of Palestinian prisoners to deal with overcrowding - called it lame. And with US elections on the horizon, a Trump administration could bring a different playbook to Biden on Middle Eastern diplomacy. During his term in office, Trump controversially recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and has claimed conflicts like this would not happen with him back in office. There is also the question of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas. More than six months after the Hamas attack 130 hostages remain, and about a quarter of those are believed dead. 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 }} Iran fired more than 300 drones and ballistic missiles at Israel on Sunday night, sparking concerns that wider regional war could break out. It marks the first time a direct military assault has been launched by Tehran on Israel despite decades of tension in the region which have been magnified in recent months by Israels devastating war on Gaza. Irans attack came amid rising tensions following an attack on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus. Tehran had vowed retaliation for the strike earlier this month which killed several of its senior military leaders even as the US and its allies made intense diplomatic efforts to try and contain the fallout. Iran warned Israel of a larger attack on its territory should it retaliate against the attack on Sunday, adding that Washington has been warned not to back Israeli military action. According to the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Iran is armed with the largest number of ballistic missiles in the region. As tensions rise in the Middle East, heres what we know about Irans drone and missile capabilities: In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Ebrahim Raisi, center, attends a ceremony to deliver the domestically built missiles to the armed forces as his Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani, left, Iran, on Aug. 22, 2023. The semi-official Iranian news outlet ISNA published a graphic this week showing nine Iranian missiles it said could reach Israel. These included the Sejil, capable of flying at more than 10,500 miles per hour and with a range of 1,550 miles, the Kheibar with a range of 1,240 miles, and the Haj Qasem, which has a range of 870 miles and is named after Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad four years ago. Iran, a major producer of drones, said in August it had built an advanced drone named Mohajer-10 with an operational range of 1,240 miles and capable of flying for up to 24 hours with a payload of up to 300 kg. Iran says its ballistic missiles are an important deterrent and retaliatory force against the United States, Israel and other potential regional targets. It denies seeking nuclear weapons. An anti-missile system operates in Israel during Irans attack ( REUTERS ) The Arms Control Association, a Washington-based think tank, said Irans missile programme is largely based on North Korean and Russian designs and has benefited from Chinese assistance. The Arms Control Association says Irans short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles include Shahab-1, with an estimated range of 190 miles, the Zolfaghar, with 435 miles; Shahab-3, with 500 to 620 miles, Emad-1, a missile under development with up to 1,240 miles and Sejil, under development, with 930 to 1,550 miles. Iran also has cruise missiles such as Kh-55, an air-launched nuclear-capable weapon with a range of up to 1,860 miles, and the advanced anti-ship missile the Khalid Farzh, with about 186 miles, capable of carrying a 1.1-ton warhead. 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 }} Israel has warned it will exact a price for Irans mass drone and missile attack at the weekend which tipped the Middle East one step closer to a major conflict. Iran launched a wave of 330 drones, cruise and ballistic missiles overnight on Saturday in retaliation for an alleged Israeli airstrike on its consulate in Damascus that killed two generals from Irans Revolutionary Guard. Almost all of the Iranian drones and missiles were shot down by Israel and its allies including the UK, the US, and the air forces of other countries raising the spectre of a conflict spreading across the region and beyond. But in an attempt to lower tensions, US president Joe Biden warned Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu the US would not join a further counteroffensive, while senior White House officials said they dont seek a wider war in the region or one with Iran. Ahead of a meeting of the Israeli war cabinet on Sunday, minister Benny Gantz, the former head of the military, vowed that the campaign is not over and added that Iran would build a regional coalition to counter the threat from Iran when the time is right. Iran is a global problem, it is a regional challenge and it is also a danger to Israel, and yesterday, the world clearly stood together with Israel in the face of the danger, he said. Faced with the threat of Iran we will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the way and at the time that suits us. An Iron Dome battery in the Negev desert on Sunday ( AFP ) Defensive missiles are fired in central Israel on Saturday ( AP ) His words were echoed by Israels defence minister Yoav Gallant who also spoke of establishing a strategic alliance against this grave threat by Iran. Israeli president Isaac Herzog called Tehran an empire of evil which has its proxies, led all over the region and [with] all cells all over the world. We were attacked last night from four corners of the Middle East with proxies shooting at us, firing missiles and ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles, he told Sky News. This is like a real war. I mean, this is a declaration of war. The Israeli military meanwhile said it remains on high alert and is still assessing the situation. Over the last few hours we approved operational plans for both offensive and defensive action, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson, said in a televised statement. Overnight on Saturday the skies above Israel, the occupied West Bank, Jordan and even parts of Iraq and Syria lit up with explosions as Israeli, American, British and even reportedly Jordanian jets scrambled to intercept the massive salvo. The Israeli military said in total Iran and its proxies fired at least 170 drones, 120 ballistic missiles and more than 30 cruise missiles towards Israel, but 99 per cent of the projectiles were intercepted. Some ballistic missiles did reach inside Israeli territory, causing minor damage to an airbase and injuring a 10-year-old girl. Benjamin Netanyahus war room after Iran launched drone strikes on Israel ( Supplied ) Rishi Sunak said that RAF jets shot down a number of attack drones and warned that had Iran s attack on Israel been successful the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate. Fearing a regional conflict, Russia, China, France and Germany as well as Arab states Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates urged restraint, as the UN Security Council met on Sunday evening to discuss the events. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres called for maximum restraint. The Middle East is on the brink. The people of the region are confronting the real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict. Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate," he told the Security Council. President Biden also convened the G7 on Sunday. There, G7 leaders said they stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives following Irans unprecedented attack but warned further regional escalation must be avoided. In a statement after the attacks, President Biden told Mr Netanyahu that Israel had demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks. But a White House official revealed that he said the US would not participate in any Israeli counteroffensive. John Kirby, the White Houses top national security spokesperson, said the US will continue to help Israel defend itself, but does not want war with Iran. We dont seek a wider war in the region. We dont seek a war with Iran. And I think I will leave it at that, Mr Kirby added. Explosions light up Amman sky as Iran launches dozens of missiles and drones at Israel ( AP ) Tensions have boiled in the Middle East after Israel launched its heaviest-ever bombardment of Gaza, in retaliation for Hamass 7 October attack on southern Israel during which around 1,100 people died and 250 were taken hostage. Since then Israels bombardment has killed more than 33,000 people in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry and pushed the besieged strip to the brink of famine. It has also triggered cross-border fighting with Iran-backed groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon. That front threatened to widen after Israel bombed the Iranian consulate in Damascus on 1 April. Iran presented its drone and missile attack as retaliation for Israeli crimes, but was quick to say it now deemed the matter concluded unless there were further attacks. Iranian foreign minister Amir Abdollahian said Tehran had even informed the US its attack would be limited and for self-defence. He also said that regional neighbours had also been informed of its planned strikes 72 hours in advance. A Turkish diplomatic source said Iran had informed Turkey in advance. Joe Biden, pictured in the situation room, has pledged US support for Israel is ironclad ( AP ) The concern is Israels response. Iranian army chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri told state television that our response will be much larger if Israel retaliates against Iran including possibly attacking American bases in the region. Israeli diplomats and security officials believe a forceful response is inevitable, although it has not been decided yet whether it will be on Iran itself, or its proxies Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shia militias in Syria and Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. The indication from DC is that the US will not join an operation directly against Iran. But apart from that they are certainly not telling us what to do, said a former Mossad officer who is temporarily back at the Interior Ministry since the Gaza war started. The priority is to ensure that we dont face such an assault again from Iran, and also deter its proxies like Hezbollah which have been regularly attacking Israel. I think the war cabinet will want to keep all options open to try and deal with the multiple threats we are facing. An Israeli air force F-15 Eagle at an undisclosed airbase on Saturday following deployment ( Getty ) Israeli defence experts said amid the mounting pressure from the US, Israel wouldnt dare go for full escalation. They might do something symbolic like a specific attack on one designated target, said Amos Harel, a non-resident senior fellow at Brookings. Iran, meanwhile, assumes the US does not want a regional escalation that could lead to an all out war, said Holly Dagres, Iran expert and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. But while there is an assumption that cooler heads will prevail, Israel can and will act on its own, she told The Independent. It is not clear what the level of Israeli response will be. Mr Netanyahu is in a political fight for his life Ms Dagres said, adding to the confusion. His popularity has tanked since 7 October, he is facing questions about how Hamas attack was able to happen and is standing three trials on corruption and graft charges, that he denies. 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 The shortest route on the surface of the planet between Perth in Western Australia and London Heathrow airport begins with thousands of miles of Indian Ocean before making landfall over Sri Lanka. The track clips a southwestern corner of, successively, India and Pakistan, before transiting Iran from end to end eventually entering Turkey at its eastern frontier. The straightest route then crosses the Black Sea, slicing across Russian-occupied Crimea before reaching Romania and all the usual European suspects en route to the UKs busiest airport. The path taken by the daily Qantas nonstop flight from Australia to the UK, QF9, has never followed exactly this track. The weather informs the pilots about the best course to follow. Geopolitics has an increasing say in their choice: Ukraine is off-limits, of course. open image in gallery Qantas has suspended its QF9 nonstop flight from Australia to the UK due to the situation in parts of the Middle East ( Qantas ) In the early hours of Friday morning, the flight crew took a very different route. Over northern Pakistan, the Boeing 787 headed north to keep clear of Afghanistan then flew due east to find a way through the narrow gap between northern-most Iran and southern-most Russia. The plane landed safely, about 45 minutes behind schedule. But so demanding is the route in terms of fuel that any significant diversion from the usual track can jeopardise the chances of reaching Heathrow without a pit stop for fuel. Qantas has now suspended QF9 modifying the flight number to QF209, and adding a stop in Singapore. (QF10, from London to Perth, can still make the nonstop home, due to the prevailing winds.) The Australian airline says ending the westbound nonstop is a temporary adjustment due to the situation in parts of the Middle East. But the decision has increased alarm among passengers who are likely to be flying to or through the region. open image in gallery Long and winding: Path of Qantas flight QF9 from Perth to London Heathrow on 11-12 April ( Flightradar24 ) Zoe contacted me a few hours before her Emirates flight to Dubai, expressing strong concerns about safety. Would the airline re-route over Egypt and Saudi Arabia, giving a wide berth to everywhere from Israel to Iran? I dont know but I do know that Emirates, like every other airline, has a serious group of people looking at safety at all times. They are wearily accustomed to avoiding patches of airspace where conflict might flare up. A nervous flyer can point to two tragedies, both involving Ukraine, that between them killed hundreds of passengers and crew. Three months from now, the loved ones of the 298 passengers and crew aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 will mark 10 years since a heinous act of mass murder. On 17 July 2014, the Boeing 777 departed from Amsterdam on a routine flight to Kuala Lumpur on a routine flightpath over Ukraine. A Buk missile belonging to the Russian army was fired at the jet from rebel-held territory in the east of the country. Four years ago, the Iranian military shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane departing normally from Tehran to Kyiv after a chain of errors. All 176 passengers and crew aboard the Boeing 737 died. Tension in the region had risen sharply immediately before the crash, with Iran firing missiles at bases with US troops in Iraq. With tension rising once again, should travellers in 2024 be fearful? All I can say is that I entrust my safety to the men and women flying the plane and the smart, informed people who are watching the world on their behalf. Aviation is astonishingly safe, and an obsession with risk management has made it so. A Cabinet minister has said the Governments troubled Rwanda deportation scheme should be running within weeks. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins told Sky Newss Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: We want them to take off as quickly as possible We very much plan to have it within weeks. Asked whether the Government has a carrier yet, Ms Atkins said: The Home Office is working on this, and so believe you me, the Home Office is ready to go. They havent got one, have they? Sir Trevor asked her. Finance Minister Michael McGrath said he hoped the investment would created highly skilled jobs in the regions ISIF director Nick Ashmore said the investment was significant and promoted the 'responsible extraction of key minerals' Aerial Drone Shot Of Construction Site With Excavators On Sunny Day: Diverse Team of Real Estate Developers Discussing Project. Civil Engineer, Architect, Inspector Talking And Using Tablet Computer. The fund will invest into the Irish Minerals Fund, which is sponsored by mining-focused private equity firm Lionhead Resources. Photo: Thinkstock The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) has announced a 30m investment into an Irish fund focused on investing in mining. The fund ISIF will be investing into is the Irish Minerals Fund, which is sponsored by mining-focused private equity firm Lionhead Resources. It will seek minority investments in environmentally responsible mining investments in the Republic. The Irish Minerals Fund will focus its investment strategy on projects with proven mineral deposits. These include those with zinc as the primary product. Nick Ashmore, the director of ISIF, said the investment was significant and promoted the responsible extraction of key minerals. It supports indigenous business in a sector where Ireland has a natural advantage. An added benefit of this investment is the ability to support regional development through high-value, skilled jobs in rural locations. Its an investment that combines benefits for the economy with climate action benefits and we expect ISIFs capital will make a real difference. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen criticised the swathes of cheap Chinese EVs 'flooding' EU markets. Photo: PA Finance Minister Michael McGrath also commented on the investment, saying it would help boost the mineral extraction sector. He noted Ireland had a long history in the sector, with the investment set to create highly skilled jobs in the regions. Lionhead Resources is a mining-focused investment manager with bases in London and South Africa. It invests in mines that deliver future minerals essential for transitioning to a low-carbon, greener economy and developing a rapidly urbanised global population. The investment comes as the EU Council gave final approval last month to its Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) as it looks to diversify away from Chinese supply-chain dominance. Final approval is the last stage in the process to formally implement the act. The EU is looking to move away from Chinese market dominance in the mining of critical minerals and the production of energy transition technologies, particularly electric vehicles (EVs) and renewables such as solar power. ISIF director Nick Ashmore said the investment was significant and promoted the 'responsible extraction of key minerals' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen criticised the swathes of cheap Chinese EVs flooding EU markets, saying their prices are kept artificially low by subsidies. Last week, the FT reported that European ports were being turned into car parks after industry executives pointed to a pile-up of Chinese electric cars. Von Der Leyen also announced that the Commission would launch an anti-subsidy investigation into EVs manufactured in China. The final text of the CRMA identifies two lists of materials 34 critical and 17 strategic that are crucial for the green and digital transitions, as well as the defence and space industries. The act will also establish three benchmarks for the supply and processing of critical minerals used in the bloc. It stipulates that 10pc of supply should come from local extraction, with 40pc to be processed in the EU and 25pc to come from recycled materials. Food Hilton Foods, the London-listed meat processing group, is planning to invest in its Drogheda facility after it secured a new deal to supply Irish supermarket Dunnes. The proposed investment in Drogheda comes around two years after Hilton Foods announced it was going to cut a quarter of its workforce at the plant. At the time, it had decided to cut 77 jobs from its 317-person staff. Hilton Foods plan to invest in Ireland was revealed during a call with analysts who were discussing the companys latest results. The company also announced it was now supplying Dunnes in addition to its other Irish customer, Tesco. In response to a question on capital expenditure, Matt Osborne, Hilton Foods' chief financial officer, said the company had the opportunity to expand the capacity of its facility in Ireland. Osborne later added the potential investment it is looking at would be to build capacity to help it support the volume required by two customers in Ireland, Tesco and Dunnes. In response to Osborne, Hilton Foods chief executive Steve Murrells described having Tesco and Dunnes onboard as exciting in the context of their growth. Growing the facility in the south allows us to serve both the south and the North As Matt says, that's where we're going to lay some investment down this year to capitalise on the growth, he said. And, of course, growing the facility in the south allows us to serve both the south and the North. On the Dunnes deal, Murrells said Tesco could see the opportunity of bringing Dunnes in and the efficiency that that would bring overall. And so they were encouraging of us to go and attract them into Drogheda, the facility we have in the south. And equally, Dunnes were highly complimentary of what we were producing for Tesco. "So it's been a win-win. It's a business that we've not traded with in the past. We like the family. We like their stores. They are trading very well in the south. And as I say, it complements the capability that we've got, and it works for both retail partners. Hilton Foods posted a pre-tax profit of 66m (77m) for 2023, up 19pc. latest | Gardai raid home of suspected ringleader of gang who beat Croatian man to death One of attack suspects has links to far right as investigation continues into killing of Josip Strok (31) Josip Strok was attacked by four men as he walked through Clondalkin Robin Schiller Sun 14 Apr 2024 at 18:25 The home of the suspected ringleader of a gang who beat a Croatian man to death was searched and a mobile phone seized within days of the murder, it can be revealed. I hope Lyras killer is haunted every night by what he did sister of journalist speaks five years on from fatal shooting Young journalists grieving family live daily with their painful wait for justice Sister of Lyra McKee speaks ahead of the fifth anniversary of her death Ali Bracken Sun 14 Apr 2024 at 03:30 A nine-year-old girl was standing close to journalist Lyra McKee when she was shot dead while observing a riot in Derry five years ago. Josip Strok was attacked by four men as he walked through Clondalkin A man with suspected links to the far right is the chief suspect for the fatal assault of a Croatian man in Dublin last month. Josip Strok (31) and his friend were attacked by four men as they walked through Clondalkin, in the west of the city, shortly after 10pm on Saturday, March 30. He died in hospital from head injuries on April 3 The officer has already initiated legal proceedings against the force. Stock image A garda detective who accidentally shot himself in the leg while on duty is expected to face disciplinary sanctions following an investigation into the incident. The officer, who is a member of the Special Detective Unit (SDU), was treated in hospital after he shot himself in the thigh with his official firearm in June 2020. The circumstances of the shooting were referred to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc), in line with protocol. It is understood the garda watchdog has essentially completed its investigation, and made recommendations to garda headquarters. Sources say it is expected that disciplinary proceedings will now be initiated against the detective but he has yet to be officially notified. When contacted, a spokesman for Gsoc said its investigation was at an advanced stage but declined to comment further. Sean Costello, the solicitor representing the detective, also declined to comment when contacted. The officer has already initiated legal proceedings against the force in connection with the incident. The accidental shooting happened at the official residence of the Israeli ambassador It is understood his legal team is seeking to establish whether his holster was not of the required standard, which might have led to the discharge of the firearm. The Irish Independent previously reported that a whistleblower had made a series of allegations about the procurement and standard of holsters for garda-issued personal firearms. The accidental shooting happened at the official residence of the Israeli ambassador to Ireland in Ballsbridge, Dublin. SDU officers were providing armed protection at the residence because of threats from terrorists. Last November, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris confirmed a new safety gun holster was introduced following the capital murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan in 2020. He told the Oireachtas Justice Committee this was done to make it more difficult to remove a firearm from the previously used thumb break holster. Det Gda Horkans killer, Stephen Silver, managed to disarm him. Six days before he was murdered, the Israeli embassy incident occurred. Both Det Gda Horkan and the embassy protection officer were carrying their pistols in the same type of garda-issue leather holsters, which have now been withdrawn. At the beginning of last year, the garda watchdog outlined a number of concerns over the holsters in the wake of the incident outside the embassy. It is also understood that a report from the Garda Technical Bureau found that because of degeneration in the quality of the leather holster, the officers pistol could be dislodged and accidentally discharged. A protected disclosure was submitted to the Comptroller and Auditor General in late 2022, alleging hundreds of sub-standard holsters had been bought by the Firearms Unit at garda headquarters. The disclosure, understood to run to more than 80 pages, made a series of allegations concerning the previous procurement of holsters for SIG Sauer pistols, as well as claims that the specialist unit failed to store weapons correctly. It is alleged that a senior garda had an inappropriate relationship with a vendor who was hired to procure the holsters. This company no longer provides the force with holsters for SIG Sauer pistols. Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern meets and shakes hands with current Fianna Fail leader and Tanaiste Micheal Martin as he arrives at the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis, at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. Photo: Damien Storan/PA Wire Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has appealed to Iran to "step back from an escalation", after it pledged to retaliate against Israel over the attack on its consulate in Damascus. The Tanaiste said there have been "very worrying" developments between Iran and Israel in recent days. Iran has vowed to retaliate after two of its top generals were killed in an air strike on its consulate in Syria earlier this month, which the US military believes was carried out by Israel. Mr Martin used his keynote address to Fianna Fail's conference to appeal for calm. Speaking in Dublin on Saturday, Mr Martin said: "This weekend there are very worrying developments in tensions between Iran and Israel. "We join with others in appealing to Iran to step back from an escalation which threatens millions more people in the region with conflict. "And events internationally remind us again of the urgency of working for lasting peace and reconciliation on this island." Turning to events in Gaza, he said that "tireless work" has been carried out over the past six months to try to bring an end to the war. "Let there be no doubt, the brutal savagery of Hamas on October 7th should be condemned by anyone with basic decency. Nothing could ever justify their objectives and actions," Mr Martin added. "They should release all hostages and stop their activities, which have brought great misery to the Palestinian people. "But as I have said repeatedly, including in direct discussions with the Israeli government, its war in Gaza is causing a shocking humanitarian catastrophe and cannot be justified. "The evidence shows that war crimes have been committed and the bombardment of the population must be utterly condemned." He called for a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and a mass humanitarian relief. "The only possible route to peace is for a stable, democratic state for the Palestinian people," Mr Martin added. "I will soon bring to Government a formal proposal, in coordination with other governments we have worked with throughout this conflict to recognise a Palestinian state." He also pledged to clamp down on social media companies, who fail to comply with safety regulations. Mr Martin said that every school in Ireland will receive funding to support the banning of smartphones during school time. "Wherever I go in the country I meet parents who are worried about what is becoming the new public health crisis of our time - the impact on children of social media and being constantly online," he added. "And to the social media companies our message is clear. Take concrete steps to get underage children off your apps or we will impose those steps on you. "Online safety getting children off their screens and back talking to each other these are objectives we should all share." He said there is also a need to tackle the rising cost of living, which he said is being experienced by every family. The Fianna Fail leader said that Ireland's largest reserve funds will "guarantee investments". "Called the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, they will mean that the needs of our citizens are provided for, today and well into the future," he added. He said the Infrastructure Fund will see that new school buildings, new hospitals facilities, roads and public transport will have secured funding. Mr Martin also used the speech to address climate issues, saying the extreme weather changes are the direct impact of climate change. "No community is being hit harder by climate change than our farmers and the wider agri-food industry," he said. "They are not only our largest indigenous industry, they are also custodians of our nature and our food security. "We need our farming community. We need sustainable food production. "Fianna Fail understands that reconciling both food security and action on climate change is a defining challenge of our time - and we have to support farmers in this. "We are putting in place urgent assistance, but more importantly we will deliver longer-term support. "New technologies, direct aid to farmers and real partnership for change this is Fianna Fail's commitment to secure the future for Irish farming and food production." He also said that childcare fees will reduce by 50pc from September, pledging to increase funding to create "affordable" childcare places nationwide. "And when it comes to changes in personal taxes the priority must be families on low and average incomes who are feeling the most pressure from rising prices," he added. "That's what we've done this year, and this is our priority for future budgets. "Every cost adds up, and that's why we are also cutting charges for many public services. "Free schoolbooks have been introduced up to the Junior Certificate and will be expanded to all remaining years - permanently lifting a major cost from parents." On housing, Mr Martin said the Government is reforming planning laws to stop delays of housing projects. He added: "In the last four years more houses have been built than in the previous nine years combined. There is more to be done, but that is real momentum. "Last year alone saw the delivery of 12,000 social homes. And we will go much further. Thousands more are already in the pipeline." He said the Government will also increase and expand the 750 euro tax credit for renters. "At a time of real crisis for renters, an unacceptable number of homes have been diverted to short-term letting and lie idle through much of the year," he added. "This year we are going to take much stronger action to return homes to the rental market. "And we'll fund a major expansion in dedicated student housing." Stephen Termini (57) suffered serious injuries after an incident off Talbot Street last summer. Photo: Mark Condren A US tourist left with life-threatening injuries following an attack in Dublin city has been readmitted to hospital in America after suffering medical complications connected to his assault last summer. Stephen Termini (57) was hospitalised and suffered five life-threatening injuries following an incident on the corner of Store Street and Talbot Street in the north inner city on the night of July 19 last. Three boys, now aged 15, 16 and 17, who cannot be named because they are minors, are accused of violent disorder and causing serious harm to Mr Termini, who is from Buffalo, New York. The artist and musician later returned to the US but has been outspoken about wanting to gain citizenship and relocate to Ireland permanently. Mr Termini suffered a health scare last week and spent five nights in hospital. Speaking to the Sunday Independent, he explained that he suffered a back seizure while in his car about to leave for work in a galvanising plant. He was rushed to hospital and underwent major surgery. The issue with his back is directly linked to injuries he sustained in the attack in Dublin, he said. Today's News in 90 seconds - 15th April 2024 Im back at home now in a wheelchair, with serious pain in my back but I at least get to the bathroom and bed, he said. It doesnt change my mind about Ireland or the people. I changed my name to Stephen Wilson Donnelly after my great-grandmother from Newport. I still plan to come back as soon as possible, he added. He said his priority was to be able to stand up and work again so he can continue to save up and return to Ireland. He said there is absolutely nothing else on my mind but returning and he intends to petition to get citizenship. I want to be home where I belong in Ireland for the rest of my life. Greatest people in the world, he said. Last week, two of the three teenagers accused of attacking the American tourist were readmitted to bail. At a March 26 preliminary hearing in Dublin Childrens Court, Judge Paul Kelly held that they should be sent to the circuit court, which has greater sentencing powers. The two younger boys also had bail revoked and they were remanded in custody after the judge was given lists of dates when they broke conditions imposed by the court, particularly their curfews. After being held in the Oberstown Children Detention Campus for two weeks they appeared again before Judge Kelly, who granted bail. He noted there were no garda objections and warned the pair, who were accompanied to court by family members, that they must obey the bail terms or risk going back into custody. He ordered them to appear again in May when they and their co-accused will be served with books of evidence and returned for trial to the higher court. The phone kept cutting out. It was difficult to get a feel of the house Moving from Brooklyn to Belfast via virtual viewings American Allie Boyle took some time getting used to her Irish husband Bens accent, however, she fell in love with their period home in Belfast the minute Ben showed it to her on his phone Ben and Allie Boyle outside their redbrick, bay windowed period home. The H & W on the yellow planter stands for Harland & Wolff, the Belfast shipbuilding company. Photo: Tony Gavin Mary O'Sullivan Sun 14 Apr 2024 at 03:30 Though the pandemic is thankfully becoming a hazy memory, many of us, on reflection, did have strange experiences. Allie Renwick, now Boyle, was not only separated from her future husband Ben with each on different continents for many months, not knowing when theyd be together again but he bought their family home in Belfast without Allie actually setting foot in it, though she did agree to its purchase. Cheaper Chinese EVs pose a challenge for EU and American carmakers but as the BYD Dolphin proves, its good news for consumers China, the worlds largest producer of electric vehicles (EVs), has set its sights on Europe and it is expected that as many as 10 new Chinese brands will launch in Ireland by the end of the decade. However, the global Chinese onslaught is not being viewed by all as a positive development. In the US, Donald Trump has promised if he wins the election in November, to impose a 100pc tariff on cars made outside the US and has warned that otherwise it would be a bloodbath for the US car industry. Is the domination of the platform formerly known as Twitter coming to an end? X (formerly Twitter) CEO Elon Musk attends a symposium on "Antisemitism Online" during the European Jewish Association conference in Krakow, on January 22, 2024. (Photo by Bartosz SIEDLIK / AFP) (Photo by BARTOSZ SIEDLIK/AFP via Getty Images) On my Big Tech Show podcast last week, a former minister of state, Ciaran Cannon, spoke about how the personal abuse and invective politicians receive is deeply wounding. It hurts, especially when its directed at your family, he said. Its the incessant nature of it, the chipping away, the drip-drip effect. It is one of the main reasons why so many of my female colleagues have decided to leave politics and not to run again in the upcoming election. A huge chunk of this happens on X the Elon Musk-owned social media platform where pushing invective to the extreme is hailed as a virtue, a signal of free speech. But there are signs that its dominance on breaking news is coming to an end. X used to be Twitter, a place that became the worlds news-breaking platform. It could be combative and challenging and mean. But there were rules. You couldnt be an overt racist, or advocate for others to be killed. Extreme hate was generally frowned upon. There have always been people who are angry at whoever it is whos in power Today, its different. Just 18 months after Teslas main shareholder took over, it has lurched toward extreme content, with Musk himself leading some of it. A frequent critic of racial diversity and anti-white media stories, one day after the Dublin riots Musk accused Leo Varadkar of being someone who hates the Irish people. He also continually pushes to his 180m followers the great replacement conspiracy theory a notion that US and European governments are trying to import as many non-white immigrants as they can to replace indigenous populations. He looks likely, eventually, to get into trouble for exercising these maximalist free speech positions, whether its in Brazil (where he is currently deriding a supreme court judge as a dictator and someone who should be jailed) or the European Commission, which is currently investigating X for hate speech. But in the meantime, his powerful position has a wider effect, not just among his 180m followers on X, but in informing the tone of online discourse on social media in general. Social media users now routinely excoriate their targets through a mixture of personal put-downs, malicious insinuations and generally bad-faith behaviour. I see women from all [political] parties who are doing their level best to be public servants, putting up the most innocuous of tweets or Facebook posts about the work theyre doing or something from their own personal life, said Cannon on the Big Tech Show podcast. People just see that as an opportunity to pile on about their appearance, about their performance. And it descends into a level of abuse that is just completely unacceptable, but somehow has within 21st century society become acceptable. There have always been people who are angry at whoever it is whos in power. But it was generally the exception rather than an accepted norm for discourse. In recent years, that has shifted a bit, with a cutting attitude or assumed knowledge of a targets motivations pre-loaded into antagonistic commentary. In Xs case, the extreme nature of the invective has pushed many of the social networks mainstream users away, as well as most of its advertisers (Musk has been forced in recent weeks to ask remaining users to share tweets so that theyll get more visibility). Theres a tipping point away from Xs domination on the here-and-now Independent industry data shows X as the only major social media platform to drastically decline in usage since November 2022 when Musk bought it. The figures, collected methodically from peoples phones by the analyst firm Sensor Tower, show a 15pc fall in daily usage compared to rises for Snapchat (9pc), Instagram (5pc), Facebook (2pc) and TikTok (1pc). Almost all metrics also show that Xs ad income on which it overwhelmingly relies to survive has slumped between 50pc and 70pc during the same period, while its buy-a-blue-tick scheme has fallen flat on its face, with a take-up estimated at under 1pc of users. One winner seems to be Threads, the Twitter clone started by Instagram. It looks and feels a lot like the old Twitter, but tries to de-escalate the atmosphere by not allowing extreme content or accusations to fly around. It has an estimated 14m daily users, about a tenth of Xs 140m. But thats from nothing, in under a year. I now regularly post to both it and X concurrently. Last week was the first time when the reach from the same posts on my Threads account (2,400 followers) exceeded that of my X account (51,000 followers). For my own social media usage, thats a tipping point away from Xs domination on the here-and-now. But Im starting to think that it could also contribute to a calming effect on public discourse, if even in the mildest way. Reduction in number of bishops reflects wider passing of a richer way of life Amazingly, a story about the biggest restructuring the Irish Catholic Church has undergone in nearly a thousand years was easily the most read item on the independent.ie website on the day it broke last week. It amazed me anyway. I thought most people had lost interest in the church by now, unless maybe it involves one of the scandals. Arriving via the USA, the woman spent two months in her bid to make it to the other side of the world. A British woman spent nearly $10,000 and two months travelling to New Zealand all without taking a single flight. Bethany Hearn was told she wouldnt be able to fly due to a health condition after surgery in 2022 but didnt want that to hold her back from getting across the globe. The determined 23-year-old yoga instructor was set on another visit to New Zealand, having previously travelled there, and ended up on a nearly two-month-long expedition to reach it. It started off as a joke with my friends, Bethany told What's The Jam. The 23-year-old Brit arrived in New Zealand without ever catching a flight. Source: Jam Press I was saying how I really wanted to get back to New Zealand because I love surfing and stuff, [but] then my surgeon said that I couldnt fly. So I just said Ill get a boat then." At 14, Bethany was diagnosed with a rare ear condition called cholesteatoma an abnormal collection of skin cells. That same year, she travelled by train with her dad on a family holiday to Greece, rather than fly with the condition. When her condition developed in her early 20s, she had a surgery called a mastoidectomy but found she suffered pain when she later flew. After medical checks, her surgeon advised that she no longer fly. Me being me, I never wanted my diagnosis to hold me back," she said. I just thought why not? Ill get a boat people used to in the olden days. Bethany had surgery in her early 20s to try and fix her problems. Source: Jam Press Lengthy trip to New Zealand broken down Bethanys trip started in Southampton on England's south coast in September 2022, where she got a ship to New York, taking eight days. Next, she took a three-day train from New York to Los Angeles, before spending a week waiting in LA for her next boat. Finally, she spent 25 days onboard a ship travelling from LA to New Zealand, passing through Hawaii, French Polynesia and Fiji. All in all, it cost her just shy of $10,000. It was cheaper than I think most people anticipate because I booked really last minute, so I got all the late deals," she said. I would definitely recommend it to anyone if they can afford it. It was such an incredible experience." My biggest struggle was being quite young in comparison with some of the other travellers, but it was really empowering doing it by myself and not being held back by my diagnosis and it was really fun. Bethany has remained in New Zealand ever since, though she hopes to return home soon. Because I cant fly, I just got a one-way ticket with no idea when Id come home," she said. My best friend has just got engaged so Im hoping to get back to the UK in the next couple of months but Im still to sort all the admin! - Jam Press Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. UK report into puberty blockers offers a warning to Irish policymakers The HSE has pledged to take the findings of the Cass Review in the UK into account when deciding on a new policy for Irish patients who question their gender. At first glance, that sounds reasonable but it really doesnt convey the gravity of the reports findings. One of the first effects of Simon Harris becoming Taoiseach last Tuesday was traffic chaos across most of Dublin. Some people reported traffic barely moved in parts of the city centre for hours. Harris didnt order this, but the effect of some streets being closed to accommodate promised (alas, unfulfilled) protests at his appointment showed the fragility of Dublins transport system. Motorists might have felt even more unloved when the (newish) CEO of Dublin City Council Richard Shakespeare told The Irish Times last week: If you really want a future for your children and your grandchildren, you need to start taking action sooner rather than later. If I can facilitate that by making it a little more difficult for motorists well then thats exactly what Ill do. Timmy Mallett is cycling around the North in honour of his brother who died in 2018 On Thursday, CEO of Failte Ireland Paul Kelly told RTEs Mary Wilson that creating the Wild Atlantic Way 10 years ago was a fabulous piece of branding by former chief Shaun Quinn, adding that 35,000 extra jobs have been created as a result. Still, with all its success, as Wilson pointed out, it is difficult to spread tourism throughout the year. The difference is that the now former taoiseach came into office one year after the 2016 election, with four years still ahead to prove himself. Simon Harris has taken on the job with less than one year left until the next election. He doesnt have time to settle in. He must hit the ground running and do so, whats more, in a period when war in Europe and the threat this weekend of a wider conflict breaking out in the Middle East between Israel and its Arab neighbours are presenting huge global challenges. In that respect, the new Taoiseach could argue that he was justified in missing his first Leaders Questions in the Dail to make phone calls to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as the Norths First and Deputy First Ministers. Sinn Feins Mary Lou McDonald called that decision an absolute disgrace, but Leaders Questions is truthfully of more interest to the opposition, who relish the chance to make prepared speeches and try to wrong-foot government leaders, than it is to the voting public who are generally at work when it happens anyway. Optics do matter, however. A strong international profile never helped the leader of a poorly performing party at home. Photo opportunities with the Spanish prime minister in support of Gaza will pick up no final seats in constituencies that Fine Gael must win if Simon Harriss tenure is not to be the shortest of any taoiseach. People need to see this Government focused in its final months on domestic issues. For the past few weeks, there has been something of a carnival atmosphere in Fine Gael. Electing a new leader has been a welcome distraction from the polls. The hard work has to start now. That the details behind the Taoiseachs ard fheis promise to build 250,000 houses between 2025 and 2030 will not now be published until the autumn is concerning. Taxpayers are entitled to ask how he intends to achieve this ambitious target, just as the Government is to ask similarly hard questions of opposition parties when they make extravagant pledges with the same lack of detail. Junior Housing Minister Malcolm Noonan insists that the plan needs to be underpinned with evidence-based research, taking into account population growth, migration trends and other factors. It most certainly does. But they must have always known that would be needed; and whilst Simon Harris clearly had a plan for his own leadership well in place, moving quickly to knock out his rivals, its not a good look if he didnt have a correspondingly decisive plan ready to go for what may turn out to be his most critical promise now he has the throne. Labour leader Ivana Bacik accused the Government on Friday of showing a lack of ambition and urgency. It may be worse than that. It could be what it really shows is that the Coalition is out of ideas as to how the target can be met. Next week comes another EU summit. More photo ops await. Meanwhile, the Dail is set to go into recess on July 11. Thats a mere 88 days away. It wont be back until the middle of September, by which point the next election will be within touching distance. Little normally gets done in the last months of any government. The new Taoiseach has no time to waste. The golden anniversary of the local community council will be celebrated over two days Kilbrin Community Council is planning a special weekend of celebrations which will bring everyone in the community, young and old, together to mark 50 years since its founding. Paulina, who is Kilbrin Community Councils PRO, told The Corkman that the celebratory weekend will likely be held on the first or second weekend of September, with the first day dedicated to those who have previously served on the committee. The PRO said that past members of the board and the family members of those who served and have since passed away will be brought together at the local community hall for photographs, finger food and live music. 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 Interviews will also be carried out with the past members so that the major developments which the council was behind in previous decades can be highlighted and the community can understand how it has got to where it is today. There has been a huge commitment that goes into the voluntary work in Kilbrin, Paulina said. The next day of celebrations, a Sunday, will be a family day on which there will likely be face painting, a barbecue, ice cream and live music. With the weather likely to be decent, the younger members of the community will be able to expend their energy on the AstroTurf and playground by the local hall, which the PRO said stands as a testament to the huge work that the local council has done in Kilbrin over the years. With stages, nice panelling, an extension, a new roof and superb lighting, Paulina said the facility is the subject of much admiration from visitors hailing from other areas and regularly plays host to the meetings and pursuits of local groups. Courtesy of its well fitted-out members bar, the hall also holds functions like weddings and attracts crowds from the locality for big games on television, helping the facility and the community council to gather vital funds to carry on making more amenities available to the residents of Kilbrin. The poster for one of Marcus Howard's lectures in Boston Louth historian and film-maker Marcus Howard has been invited to the United States to give a series of talks on how Irish-Americans played a critical role in Ireland's fight against British rule. Marcus, who has carved out a reputation for his research into the events leading up to the 1916 Easter Rising and the War of Independence is looking forward to travelling to America to speak to American audiences for the first time. The Dundalk-native says that the invite came after he gave a talk in London on Liam Maguire and Sam McCarthy and the GAA. This is Louth Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Louth newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details "I have a social media page, Easter Rising Stories, and an Irish American who saw a post about that talk got in touch and said he would love me to give a talk in Boston. I said I would if my expenses were covered so Im going over in June. He will be giving his talk on Liam Maguire and Sam McCarthy, after whom two of the GAAs most famous trophies are named in the Irish Cultural Centre, Boston on June 20 and the following event, he will talk about How America Helped Irelands Fight For Freedom in the Irish Pastoral Centre, Boston. He is delighted to have been invited to tell American audiences about the important role which Irish emigrants living in the United States played in inspiring and supporting those back home in their fight for freedom. Marcus will look at how Irish emigrants supported the fight for Irish freedom as the send home funds and exerted political pressure During the talk, he will take audiences back to a pivotal era over 100 years ago when America became a beacon of hope for Ireland's quest for freedom. In the years leading up to the stirring 1916 Easter Rising to the fierce fighting of the 1919-21 War of Independence, discover how Irish-Americans played a critical role in Ireland's fight against British rule. Marcus traces his passion for history back to his history teacher Patsy McGeough in The Marist. "He was a brilliant teacher and gave me my love for history. It was back in 2015, in the run-up to the 1916 Easter Rising centenary celebrations, that Marcus began documenting the stories of locals who were involved in the fight for Irish freedom during the tumultuous years in the early 20th century. I have a 1916 relative from Dundalk who had been kind of forgotten about and was in an unmarked grave. I thought it would be nice to remember his story and that everyone who had been involved. He set about telling the story his great great granduncle Arthur Greene from Mary Street North who had been a Sergeant Major in the Irish Volunteers, This led to him telling the stories of others who had been involved in the Easter Rising, the War of Independence and Civil War. "I interviewed people from all sides and a lot of the people I recorded are now dead so its nice for the families to be able to have those videos in a virtual library on YouTube. Marcus also told the stories of those prominent figures in the fight for independence, making documentaries on Michael Collins, Eamonn De Valera, Harry Boland, Padraig Pearse, Countess Markievicz and others. "I did the last ever interview with 104-year-old Fr Joseph Mallin who was a son of Michael Mallin on the 1916 leaders who was executed in May 1916. "Fr Joseph was living in Hong Kong. We sent him the questions, he answered them and sent the videos back and I edited them. The poster for one of Marcus Howard's lectures in Boston Though his research and film making, Marcus has met with the relatives of many of the Irish heroes who helped the country gain her freedom. He has also met with the President, Government and opposition leaders, and other historians. He is looking forward to the American talks as they will allow him to cover a wide sweep of history. "When youre in Ireland, people are usually only interested in what happened in their own county, where when you look at the big picture of American involvement in the fight for Irish freedom, its massive. During his Boston talk, Marcus will be detailing the heroes who made it their mission to aid Ireland, from the tireless fundraising of Clan na Gael to the Irish who visited American soil to raise awareness for their cause, and how the support of the American people became a powerful force in the Irish struggle for sovereignty. As a lecturer in social media and marketing at OFiaich College, he says that the invitation to give the talks shows the benefits of social media. He also hopes to return to the United States later in the year to give talks in New York. All Marcus documentaries are available to view for free on his Easter Rising Stories channel on YouTube which has over 6,700 subscribers. The South Kilkenny Historical Society lecture delivered by John Dorney, in late March dealt with the army mutiny of 1924 during a fevered time in European politics. Mr Dorney began by highlighting the international situation post World War I when nationalist movements in Poland and Turkey had ended in military rule headed by charismatic figures, Pilsudski and Ataturk; counter revolution in Hungary and Finland had led to military rule post 1918 under military figures Horthy and Mannerheim; and Kapp Putsch in Germany, former military in right wing Frei Korps attempting to overthrow Weimar Republic in 1920. Follow Independent Kilkenny on Facebook He then went on to outline the situation in Ireland following the Civil War and the precarious financial situation which the Free State found itself in. This financial situation necessitated the rapid demobilisation of the army. However, the demobilisation of the army was not a simple task, as security needed to be maintained; the IRA, while defeated, had not disappeared or surrendered; there was the possibility of a destabilising effect of dumping thousands of troops on the labour market; and the decision of who to demobilise first. This is Wexford Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wexford newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details In the autumn of 1923 a decision was made to reduce the strength of the army and to reorganise it for peacetime. This entailed a reduction of 30,000, to 17,000 personnel and eventually to 8,000, with ancillary organisations such as the Railway Protection Corps and the Special Infantry Corps to be disbanded first. A small group of officers, led mainly by former members of Collinss intelligence unit, attempted to resist the efforts to demobilise and it evolved into what has been called the Army Mutiny of March 1924. This demobilisation led to serious discipline breaches, such as bank and post office robberies, the hanging of William Downes and a number of sexual assault cases in Kenmare and Mayo. The crisis within the army was solved but the government was divided, with Richard Mulcahy resigning as Minister for Defence and Kevin OHiggins emerging victorious. Today the mutiny is often dismissed as a mere farce. However it was led by very dangerous men, most of whom served in the IRA Squad and Intelligence Department during the War of Independence and John Dorney concluded by stating that the importance of the Army Mutiny of 1924 was not in what actually happened but that when it was resolved the supremacy of democratic control was established over the Defence Forces. An interesting and informative Q&A followed the lecture and the organisers were very pleased with the turnout, the quality of the lecture and the interest shown by the attendance. The next South Kilkenny Historical Society lecture takes place on Friday, April 26, at 8 p.m. in Mullinavat Parish Hall (opposite St. Beacons Church). The title of this lecture is Kilkennys Titanic Survivor and it will be delivered by MaryAnn Vaughan. Local Election candidate for Fine Gael, Harry Twomey, had two motions at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis adopted after a vote by delegates. Both motions will now move on to the next stage of being incorporated into Fine Gael policy. My first motion was to 'increase funding to upgrade our waste water treatment systems in our rural towns and villages, said Harry, adding that one of the key obstacles faced in building new homes in villages like Fethard-on-Sea, Campile, Ballycullane and other areas around the district is the capacity of our waste water treatment systems in these villages. This is Wexford Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wexford newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details "By prioritizing these upgrades we not only address our immediate issue of sustainable housing developments but also protecting our environment. I was delighted the motion received unanimous support from delegates, said Harry. Harry's second motion 'reversing government decision on holding leaving certificate oral examinations during the Easter holiday period' also received the unanimous support of Delegates. "It's very unfair that students are being asked to give up the first week of their Easter break to concentrate solely on their oral exams. There are some students who take two, maybe three languages meaning they could possibly have three oral examinations during that period. Adding to this, Harry said: "Teachers give up their holidays in order to support their students during the oral exams. In a time where wellbeing is critical and students are constantly being told of its importance, the holding of leaving oral examinations during the Easter holidays is only damaging both student and teacher wellbeing." Thankfully, overplucking seems to be a thing of the past and we now appreciate how impactful eyebrows can function as scaffolding for the face. No one understands this better than eyebrow artist Kim OSullivan and the next best thing to an appointment at her Dublin Make-Up Academy is her range of Brow Aid products. The Masterstroke Brow Trio has a pen to fill, a waterproof pencil to shape and a brush to blend and comb. SC 32, Brown Thomas, selected pharmacies, or see browaid.com Spring in your scent Perfumers Cloon Keen and Celine Guivarch have joined forces to create the Galway-based ateliers new scent, Bainin, named for the soft white wool homespun for traditional fishermens geansais. The creators who previously collaborated on Cloon Keens Enbarr fragrance promise evocations of sea air and gorse, dew on leaves and delicate rain on warm earth. There is something primrose-yellow about the scent, with mandarin, lemon, peppermint, two types of jasmine and a grounding base of sandalwood and cedars, among other notes. SC 130, Cloon Keen shops, Galway and Dublin 2, or see cloonkeen.com Bainin, 130, Cloon Keen shops, Galway and Dublin 2, or see cloonkeen.com Artist trio An exhibition of over 40 paintings by three artists, Fiona Concannon, Martina Furlong and Marja van Kampen has just opened at The Kenny Gallery in Galway. Nature is the common theme of the works on display. Trio runs at The Kenny Gallery, Liosban Retail Park, Galway and online at thekennygallery.ie from April 5 to May 4. The paintings are for sale and admission is free. LH Island Girl by Marja van Kampen, see thekennygallery.ie Designers boutique Irish designer Helen McAlinden recently opened a new flagship womenswear store on Dublins Drury Street, where the brands design studio and a personal shopping space will also be based. As well as their tailoring collection, and more casual separates, the store will also stock gloves by George Horne and millinery by Anna Victoria Mulcahy. The hats will be designed to work with McAlindens collection. LH See helenmcalinden.com Vanessa Borage blue pants, 215, see helenmcalinden.com Stripey knits The spring/summer 24 JW Anderson collection has now arrived at Brown Thomas Dublin. We love this nautical cropped knit. LH Jumper, 490, brownthomas.ie JW Anderson jumper, nautical cropped knit, 490, brownthomas.ie Ladybird gems Newbridge Silverwares new spring collection of accessories comprises this sweet Lady Bug Ring in enamel and cubic zirconia stone settings. The 14kt gold-plated adjustable ring makes it a good fit for everyone, including small hands making their Communion or Confirmation this season. SC 40, see newbridgesilverware.com Lady Bug Ring in enamel and cubic zirconia stone settings, 40, see newbridge silverware.com Rituals for a better rest Sleep Well by hypnotherapist Fiona Brennan who also wrote bestselling The Positive Habit sets its focus on a subject that seems to preoccupy many more of us since the pandemic. Wonderfully practical in its approach, the book lays out eight rules to a better nights rest and includes free hypnotherapy audios for use while you slumber. And slumber you will, she promises. SC 16.99, published by Gill Books Sleep Well by Fiona Brennan, 16.99, published by Gill Books Afternoon delight The Shelbourne 200th Birthday Afternoon Tea launched this month, inspired by the kind of sweets that the legendary hotels first guests of 1824 enjoyed. It includes the classics, sandwiches and scones, as well as new elements, from 68, or 88 with a glass of Champagne. LH See theshelbourne.com Squatters have taken over a Gordon Ramsay-owned pub in London, which is currently up for sale with a guide price of 13m (15m). A group made of at least six squatters locked themselves inside the grade II listed York & Albany hotel and gastropub situated just outside Regents Park, boarding up the windows and putting up a legal warning defending their takeover. A mixture of ominous, eerie and seemingly serene social media posts have emerged from the man behind the horrific stabbing rampage at Bondi Junction. NSW Police have conceded an "obvious" line of inquiry into the motivation of Bondi Junction knifeman Joel Cauchi is whether the 40-year-old Queensland man set out with the intention to target women. The man, previously known to police, killed five women and one man during the horrific shopping centre rampage on Saturday. Speaking to the media in Bondi on Sunday, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said she had received reports the man was motivated by a desire to attack women and it was "an obvious line of inquiry" for the investigation. "Many people have looked at the video footage that has come out over the past day and are wondering, do you believe this man was targeting women?" a reporter asked. "That's been reported to me as well. And obviously that will be an obvious line of inquiry and that's concerning, but that will form part of the investigation," she said. NSW Premier Chris Minns (right) and Police Commissioner Karen Webb (left) speaks to the media at the scene of yesterdays mass stabbing on Sunday. Source: AAP Commissioner Webb added that anyone who has watched a series of harrowing videos of the incident online "can see for themselves" that it appeared women were targeted more than men. "Do you believe it's possible for somebody to be ideologically motivated against women and therefore would you call this an act of terrorism if that is the case?" the reporter pushed. "I think that's stretching it in terms of a definition. And it's really too early to say," Commissioner Webb replied. FOLLOW LIVE: Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing live blog Earlier on Sunday, Today host Karl Stefanovic expressed his disgust at the potential motivations of the killer. I dont care what the excuses are, and I hope theres a special place in hell reserved for [knifeman Joel Cauchi], given the fact that he walked past men, and didnt do anything about it and attacked women, he said. Eerie posts of Bondi knifeman emerge As the history and past behaviour of Joel Cauchi begins to be picked over, a mixture of ominous, eerie and seemingly serene social media posts have emerged, painting a picture of a man happy to be enjoying the city after moving to Sydney. Just days before his rampage, he posted about surfing at the iconic beach just 2kms away from the shopping centre where his "carnage" unfolded. Photos of Joel Cauchi from his social media page. Source: Facebook Hi I am surfing Bondi this afternoon if anyone wants to meet there for a surf! he wrote in a Sydney Beginner Surfing and Adventuring Facebook group, which has more than 6,000 members. On April 3, the man also shared a post on a Language Exchange Facebook group, asking someone to help tutor him in Swedish. Hi I am looking for a fluent Swedish speaker for a language exchange! I am a fluent English speaker and can teach that in exchange for being taught Swedish if you are interested, he wrote. More alarmingly, an older post from back in December 2020 when it's believed he lived in Brisbane, seen by The Courier Mail, indicated an interest in firearms. "Hi I am looking for groups of people who shoot guns, including handguns, to meet up with, chat with and get to know," he wrote. Attacker struggled with mental health Cauchis social media profile suggests he grew up in Toowoomba in the Darling Downs region of southern Queensland, and police believe he lived in Brisbane before recently moving to Sydney. In the wake of yesterday's tragedy, Facebook users have commented on his page, expressing their horror at the incident he carried out. "Thank goodness you didn't get your hands on a gun ... the devastation you have caused is horrible enough," one person wrote, according to screenshots shared online. Initial investigations by police suggest the horrific attack was related to Cauchis mental health. "We know that the offender in the matter suffered from mental health, we are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender," Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told media on Sunday morning. Commissioner Webb on Sunday said police had previously interacted with Cauchi. "He's not known criminally, but he has come to the notice of law enforcement, in this state and Queensland for mental health related issues," she said. According to The Courier Mail, it's believed Joel Cauchi had schizophrenia and had been off his medication. If you're struggling, know that help is available 24/7. Lifeline: Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online. Kids Helpline: Call 1800 55 1800 or chat online. Beyond Blue: Call 1300 22 4636 or chat online. 1800RESPECT: Call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or chat online. with NCA Newswire Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Biden to convene a meeting of the Group of 7 nations today "to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack"Netanyahu vowed his country would achieve victory, posting on X: "We intercepted. We blocked. Together, we will win."The UN Security Council set to meet at 8pm (GMT) after Israel requested it condemn Iran's attackTaoiseach Simon Harris condemns reckless attack, warning against any escalationTrump says Iran attack would never have happened if I were presidentGlobal powers Russia, China and France, as well as Arab states Egypt, Qatar and the UAE urge restraint Israel remains on high alert after Iran's mass drone and missile attack, its chief military spokesperson said on Sunday. "We are still on high alert and assessing the situation. Over the last few hours we approved operational plans for both offensive and defensive action," Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement. Leaders of the G7 nations condemned Iran's attack on Israel and said on Sunday they would work to try to prevent an "uncontrollable regional escalation" in the Middle East. Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7, had called a meeting of G7 heads after U.S. President Joe Biden pledged a coordinated diplomatic response to the unprecedented drone and missile attack launched overnight by Iran. "With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided," a statement issued by Italy said. The G7 leaders, who spoke for just under an hour on a video conference, called for Iran to exercise restraint. "In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives," it said. President Biden has warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the U.S. will not take part in a counter-offensive against Iran if Israel decides to retaliate. Iran launched the attack in response to a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders and followed months of clashes between Israel and Iran's regional allies, triggered by the war in Gaza. The G7 statement also pledged to work "towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire" in Gaza after more than six months of fighting. The G7 groups the United States, Canada, Italy, Britain, France, Germany and Japan, as well as the European Union. Its foreign ministers are scheduled to meet over April 17-19 on the Italian island of Capri. Taoiseach Simon Harris has condemned Irans drone and missile attack on Israel. Iran launched the unprecedented assault on Saturday night in response to an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria earlier this month. Iran had vowed to retaliate after two of its top generals were killed in the air strike on Damascus on April 1. I strongly condemn Irans reckless and large-scale attack on Israel, Mr Harris said in a statement. I urge all sides to show restraint now and to avoid any escalation in military action and the devastation that would cause. Tanaiste Micheal Martin has also condemned the attack. He said the response by Iran to the Israeli attack on an Iranian consulate on April 1 was "dangerous", but the attack that killed Iranian generals was also wrong. "It is an extremely flagrant abuse of international law, and a very, very dangerous response to the attack by Israel on the consulate in Damascus, which in my view was wrong also," the Tanaiste said on RTE's This Week programme. "Iran has been a malign actor in the Middle East for quite some time. It has been supporting Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis in Yemen, and that perhaps hasn't been called out to the degree that it should have been," he added. The Tanaiste said it was those living in the region who suffer from the conflict but that a war could also have implications beyond the Middle East. "The last thing the world needs is a regional conflict involving Israel and Iran, which would have horrendous consequences for lives and livelihoods in the region, but also for the wider world," Mr Martin said. There is now an urgent need for regional de-escalation. Further escalation is in nobodys interest. I urge all actors to intensify efforts to restore stability. Ireland will work closely with our EU partners in responding to this crisis. Meanwhile, Iran warned Israel and the United States on Sunday of a much larger response if there is any retaliation for its mass drone and missile attack on Israeli territory overnight, as Israel said "the campaign is not over yet". The threat of open warfare erupting between the arch Middle East foes and dragging in the United States has put the region on edge as Washington said America did not seek conflict with Iran but would not hesitate to protect its forces and Israel. Iran launched the attack over a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders and followed months of clashes between Israel and Iran's regional allies, triggered by the war in Gaza. However, the attack from hundreds of missiles and drones, mostly launched from inside Iran, caused only modest damage in Israel as most were shot down with the help of the US, Britain and Jordan. An Air Force base in southern Israel was hit, but continued to operate as normal and a 7-year old child was seriously hurt by shrapnel. There were no other reports of serious damage. Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel (REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun) Ahead of a war cabinet meeting in Israel, cabinet minister Benny Gantz warned Israel will retaliate when the time is right. "We will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us," Gantz said in a statement. White House spokesman John Kirby said on NBC's Meet the Press that repelling the mass drone attack had been a "incredible military achievement" by Israel and its partners and had shown how Israel is not isolated on the world stage. "Now, whether and how the Israelis will respond, that's going to be up to them. We understand that and respect that. But the president's been very clear: we don't seek a war with Iran." The Islamic Republic's mission to the United Nations said its actions were aimed at punishing "Israeli crimes", but that it now "deemed the matter concluded". Iranian army chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri warned on television that "our response will be much larger than tonight's military action if Israel retaliates against Iran" and told Washington its bases could also be attacked if it helped Israel retaliate. Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian said Tehran had informed the United States its attack on Israel would be "limited" and for self defence and that regional neighbours had also been informed of its planned strikes 72-hours in advance. Global powers Russia, China, France and Germany as well as Arab states Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates urged restraint. "We will do everything to stop a further escalation," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on a visit to China. "We can only warn everyone, especially Iran, against continuing this way." Turkey also warned Iran it did not want further tension in the region. The U.N. Security Council was set to meet at 4 p.m. ET (2000 GMT) on Sunday. Joe Biden meets with members of the National Security team regarding the unfolding missile attacks on Israel from Iran, Saturday, April 13, 2024, in the White House Situation Room in Washington. (Adam Schultz/The White House via AP) Analysts debated how far Iran's attack was calibrated to cause genuine devastation in Israel, or to save face at home after vows of revenge while avoiding a major new war. "I think the Iranians took into consideration the fact that Israel has a very, very strong multi-layer anti-missile system and they probably took into consideration that there will not be too many casualties," said Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. But if Iran was hoping for a muted response, like with its missile attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq after the killing of Guards commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020, she warned "I don't think Israel sees it this way". On Saturday Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized an Israel-linked cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy shipping routes, underscoring the risks to the world economy of a wider conflict. Some flights were suspended in countries across the region and share prices fell in stock markets in Israel and Gulf states. The war in Gaza, which Israel invaded after an attack by Iran-backed Hamas on Oct. 7, has spread to fronts with Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq. Iran's most powerful ally in the region, the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah fired rockets at an Israeli base overnight. Israel said it struck a Hezbollah site deep inside Lebanon on Sunday morning. Yemen's Houthis, who have been firing missiles at ships in the Red Sea in what they say is support for the Palestinians, called Iran's attack legitimate. The Oct. 7 attack in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 253 taken hostage, along with internal discontent with the government and international pressure over the war in Gaza, form the backdrop to Netanyahu's decisions over a response. The Israeli prime minister has for years advocated a tough military line against Iran, pushing the United States for harder action over Tehran's nuclear programme and its backing for Hezbollah, Hamas and other groups in the region. In Israel, although there was alarm at the first direct attack from another country in more than three decades, the mood was in contrast to the trauma after the Hamas-led attack on Oct.7. "I think we've been given license to respond now. I mean it was a major attack from Iran... I imagine Israel will respond and may be over quickly and get back to normal life," said Jeremy Smith, 60. In Iran, state television showed small gatherings in several cities celebrating the attack, but in private some Iranians were worried about Israel's response. "Iran gave Netanyahu a golden opportunity to attack our country. But we, the people of Iran, will bear the brunt of this conflict," said Shima, a 29-year-old nurse, from Tehran. Mumbai: Vodafone Idea has announced its follow-on public offer (FPO) worth Rs 18,000 crore which will be open for subscription starting April 18. The floor price is set at Rs 10 per share and a cap at Rs 11. The FPO will conclude on April 22, with anchor bids to be approved on April 16, as stated in the company's filing to the exchange. The company, burdened with debt, has appointed Jefferies, SBI Caps, and Axis Capital as lead managers for this substantial offering, marking it as one of the largest in India. Investors can participate with a minimum bid lot of 1,298 equity shares, with the minimum application amount set at Rs 14,278 for one lot of shares at the upper end of the price band. Subsequent bids can be made in multiples of 1,298 equity shares. The FPO follows the approval by the company's board on February 27 to raise up to Rs 20,000 crore through equity. Recently, the company raised Rs 2,075 crore through the issuance of preferential shares to one of its promoter entities, Oriana Investments Pte Ltd, affiliated with the Aditya Birla Group. These shares were priced at Rs 14.87 each, marking a 40 percent increase from the FPO floor price. In addition to the planned equity raise of Rs 20,000 crore, the telecom operator is reportedly in discussions with banks to secure debt funding, aiming for a total capital infusion of Rs 45,000 crore through a combination of equity and debt. According to a recent report by brokerage CLSA, Vodafone Idea's shares could decline to Rs 5, following a loss of 17 million subscribers over the past year. Beyond its capital expenditure and 5G deployment, the company may encounter financial pressure in fiscal year 2026, when annual spectrum and AGR payments totaling up to $4 billion become due, unless the government converts debt principal into equity at the end of the moratorium. CLSA has reiterated its "sell" rating on the stock, reported Moneycontrol. Although Vodafone Idea's shares have doubled over the past year, they have dropped by 30 percent from their recent peak. As of the April 12 session, the stock is under F&O ban, meaning no new positions can be initiated, reported Moneycontrol Photo courtesy: meil.in New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an FIR against Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd in an alleged bribery case, media reports said. Megha Engineering, which was the second-largest buyer of electoral bonds amounting to Rs 966 crore, is under investigation, reported Hindustan Times. The firm's name also appeared in the Income Tax Department's probe into unaccounted income acquired by Congress during the assessment periods from 2014-15 to 2020-21. The Delhi High Court's ruling on March 22 suggested that these transactions seemed to be "unreported transfers" made by Hyderabad-based MEIL during three of these years, the report said. On March 18, a deputy superintendent of police at the CBI's Chhattisgarh office communicated with higher authorities regarding the preliminary enquiry, which turned out to be a precursor to the FIR, initiated in August of the previous year, said the report As stated in the FIR disclosed on Saturday, officials from NMDC and MECON allegedly received bribes exceeding Rs 78 lakh for the payment of over Rs 174 crore against 73 invoices until December 2018. These transactions were linked to work associated with the Jagdalpur integrated steel plant. The company in question was awarded the project pertaining to the construction of the intake well, pump house, and cross-country pipeline at the integrated steel plant in Jagdalpur, the HT report said. Those named in the FIR include MEIL, its general manager Subhash Chandra Sangras and public servants - Prasant Dash (former executive director of NMDC Ltd, now retired), Dilip Kumar Mohanty (director production at NMDC Iron and Steel Plant or NISP), Pradeep Kumar Bhuyan (DGM NISP), Naresh Babu (deputy manager, Survey NISP), Suvro Banerjee (senior manager NISP), L Krishna Mohan (chief general manager, finance, NMDC, now retired), K Rajshekhar (general manager, finance NMDC), Somnath Ghosh (manager finance, NMDC), Sanjeev Sahay (AGM Contracts, MECON Ltd), and K Illavars (DGM Contracts, MECON Ltd, now retired), according to the report. As per the FIR reviewed by HT, it alleges that the contract for constructing the intake well, pump house, DWTP (Domestic Water Treatment Plant), and cross-country pipeline, along with a 5-year operation and maintenance contract for NMDC Iron and Steel Plant (NISP Ltd), was granted to Megha Engineering. This contract, in consortium with another company, Koya and Company Ltd (KCCL) of Hyderabad, was awarded on January 23, 2015, for the construction of a 3.0 MTPA integrated steel plant in Nagarnar, Jagdalpur, at a value of Rs 314.57 crore. MECON Ltd was engaged by NMDC to provide consultant services for project management and construction supervision (PMC). Photo courtesy: Video grab New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid respects to Dr BR Ambedkar on his 134th birthday by laying floral wreaths at his statue. "On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution and one of the most eminent nation builders, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens," President Murmu said, in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "President Droupadi Murmu paid floral tributes to Babasaheb Dr B.R. Ambedkar on his birth anniversary at Parliament House Lawns, New Delhi," Presidents office posted on X. President Droupadi Murmu paid floral tributes to Babasaheb Dr B.R. Ambedkar on his birth anniversary at Parliament House Lawns, New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/8bOMU4ZBHx President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) April 14, 2024 Lok Sabha Speaker OM Birla paid floral tributes to Dr BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary at the Parliament. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud also offered floral respects at the Supreme Court, marking the occasion. "Jai Bhim!" Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X and shared a video higlighting Dr. Ambedkar's birth anniversary celebrations and his contributions to the nation. Tributes to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on his Jayanti. Jai Bhim! pic.twitter.com/Ir4NkDvqUg Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 14, 2024 Paying tributes to BR Ambedkar, Vice President Dhankhar underscored his pivotal role in leading social change towards the creation of a more equal India. He highlighted Dr Ambedkar's crucial contribution through a constitutional framework that champions the principles of rule of law, civil liberties, gender parity, and the empowerment of marginalised groups. Hon'ble Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar paid floral tributes to Babasaheb Dr. BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary at Parliament House today. #BRAmbedkar #AmbedkarJayanti2024 pic.twitter.com/3lmeMAUQQU Vice President of India (@VPIndia) April 14, 2024 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also paid respects to BR Ambedkar. In a tweet posted on X, he wrote "Respectful tributes to the architect of the Indian Constitution and warrior of social justice, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar ji on his birth anniversary. His courage, his knowledge, and his contribution in strengthening democracy are his legacy that will continue to inspire us in every struggle for the country." . , pic.twitter.com/ql7PRGjP05 Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 14, 2024 Who was Dr. BR Ambedkar? Dr. BR Ambedkar, reverently known as Babasaheb, was born on April 14, 1891, in Mhow, which is now part of Madhya Pradesh. He was the 14th and youngest child of Ramji Maloji Sakpal. Coming from a Dalit background and a humble family, Babasaheb experienced firsthand the injustices and prejudices faced by his community. Despite the challenges, he pursued education and obtained degrees in political science and economics. His career began with the Baroda State Government, and at the age of 22, he was granted a scholarship to study at Columbia University, where he became the first Indian to pursue a doctorate in Economics abroad. Throughout his life, Bhimrao Ambedkar advocated for the rights of Dalits. He played a pivotal role in the signing of the Poona Pact in 1932, which allowed for Dalit representation in legislatures. Chinese EV giant BYD has overtaken Tesla globally, and could well do so in Australia. Move over Tesla, there's a new electric vehicle in town that you may well have seen on our roads. And while Elon Musk's empire has more than half of Australia's market share, BYD, or Build Your Dreams to go by its English slogan, is coming in fast. The Chinese electric car manufacturer grew its sales sixfold in 2023 in Australia and now has 14 per cent of the Australian market. On a global scale, it now sells more vehicles than Tesla, which is no mean feat. So why are they becoming so popular? Well like most things imported from China, they're extremely cheap. Their cheapest car starts at just under $40,000, while its immensely popular SUV, Atto 3, starts at $48,000 a significant saving on the more upmarket Tesla models. BYD's new service centre in Sydney's Mascot. Source: Yahoo News Australia That value is what is now converting Australians into the EV market, according to Bernhard Conoplia at Evie, one of the country's leading charging companies. "Electric vehicles are now approaching price parity and for many drivers they're already at price parity meaning no-one is going to be left behind," he told Yahoo News Australia. A sign of BYD's ambition is the recent announcement of its plans to have up to 100 dealerships and service centres in Australia by 2025. The head of EVDirect Luke Todd, who is in charge of BYD's Australian distribution, says just five years later, he wants BYD as the country's top selling car brand overall. The widely-popular Atto 3 seen on Australian roads. Source: AP BYD's founder Wang Chuanfu is as equally confident and saw the potential for his company early on. In 2008, he reportedly said BYD would be the biggest car manufacturer in the world by 2025 a meteoric rise for the Shenzhen company that began by making mobile phone batteries. BYD's electric vehicle growth in Australia 'substantial' EVDirect's new CEO David Smitherman told Reuters that "the opportunity is very clear" in Australia. Todd added BYD's growth in less than two years in the Australian market has been "substantial". BYD is demonstrating to be a leader of the EV transition in Australia," the company proudly stated after launching its Service and Support Centre in Sydney's Mascot late last year. Australians will undoubtedly love BYD's soon-to-arrive ute. Source: BYD via Car Expert Such ambition may well have influenced Tesla's decision to walk away from an entry-level, cheaper Tesla model as three sources informed Reuters Tesla will instead shift its focus elsewhere amid a competitive market segment. It's a remarkable turn of events after Musk once laughed at BYD's emergence, before later conceding their cars are "highly competitive these days". General manager of BYD Asia-Pacific, Liu Xueliang, recently told media during a visit to Melbourne that its expansion in Australia was "just the beginning". And in true Aussie fashion, the company is set to launch its first ute this year, a plug-in hybrid model. According to automotive journalist Jordan Mulach, that will be followed by a fully electrical version at a later date. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Videograb of Iran's missile attack on Israel/ courtesy: X Iran has launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel after warning of retaliation for a strike on its consular building in Syria. Iran launched over 200 drones and missiles at Israel as its proxies and allies also carried out coordinated attacks on Israeli positions, media reports said. "The regime in Iran sent a massive swarm of over 200 killer drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles," an Israeli army spokesperson told the media. Iran insisted it acted in "self-defence" after the targeting of its diplomatic mission in Damascus. The country said it hoped its action would prompt no further escalation and "the matter can be deemed concluded." US President Joe Biden condemned the attack and promised "ironclad" support for Israel, after holding an urgent meeting with his top security officials over the spiraling crisis in the Middle East. "I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," Biden said on X - earlier known as Twitter. I condemn Iran's attacks in the strongest possible terms and reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. My full statement on Irans attacks against Israel: pic.twitter.com/EuPJZoGw6w President Biden (@POTUS) April 14, 2024 US forces have been shooting down drones launched by Iran towards Israel, a defence official said. "Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect US forces operating in the region," he said. President Biden also spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone. Netanyahu, meanwhile, has vowed to respond defensively and offensively, saying that Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran for years. Benjamin Netanyahu & Iran's missile attacks on Israel/ courtesy: Videograb from X Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday said that his country has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran for years and will "harm" anyone who harms them. His reponse came as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday in retaliation against a strike on its consular building in Syria. "In recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran. Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong," Netanyahu said. Israel claimed to have intercepted all the ballistic missiles and drones launched by Iran in an unprecedented attack late Saturday and failed to meet their mark. Most of the more than 300 Iranian munitions, the majority of which are believed to have been launched from inside of Irans territory during a five-hour attack, were intercepted before they got to Israel, more than 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) from their launch points. Israels military said Sunday that 99% of projectiles fired by Iran were intercepted by Israel and its partners, with only a small number of ballistic missiles reaching Israel. According to reports, 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles were launched at Israel by Iran overnight Saturday, the Israeli military said. US response: US President Joe Biden condemned the attack and promised "ironclad" support for Israel, after holding an urgent meeting with his top security officials over the spiraling crisis in the Middle East. "I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," Biden said on X. I condemn Iran's attacks in the strongest possible terms and reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. My full statement on Irans attacks against Israel: pic.twitter.com/EuPJZoGw6w President Biden (@POTUS) April 14, 2024 Biden said in a statement that he would convene his fellow leaders of the G7 group of wealthy nations on Sunday to coordinate a "united diplomatic response" to Iran's "brazen" attack. "Iran -- and its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq -- launched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms," Biden said. US forces have been shooting down drones launched by Iran towards Israel, a defence official said. "Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect US forces operating in the region," he said. President Biden also spoke to Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone. This photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows flares from explosions in the sky over Jerusalem as Israels Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts missiles and drones from Iran.. Photo courstesy: Xinhua/UNI Escalating tension further, Iran on Saturday (April 13, 2024) launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel after warning of retaliation for a strike on its consular building in Syria with Israel Defence Forces revealing the way the situation was tackled. Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles at Israel as its proxies and allies also carried out coordinated attacks on Israeli positions, media reports said. Iran insisted it acted in "self-defence" after the targeting of its diplomatic mission in Damascus. The country said it hoped its action would prompt no further escalation and "the matter can be deemed concluded." IDF reacts In an X post, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said: "Dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory. The IDF Aerial Defence Array successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the Arrow Aerial Defence System, together with Israel's strategic allies, before the launches crossed into Israeli territory. A small number of hits were identified, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure." "Many dozens of hostile aircraft, as well as dozens of cruise missiles, were identified approaching Israeli territory from Iran and intercepted over the past few hours. Dozens of IAF fighter jets are currently operating to intercept all aerial threats approaching Israeli territory," the post said. The IDF said it is prepared and continuing to defend Israeli territory. How Israel intercepted aerial threats? IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari was quoted as saying by The Time of Israel that Iran launched more than 300 projectiles at Israel, comprising 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles, and that 99% of them had been intercepted by air defences. Iran's wide-scale coordinated attack demonstrates it poses not only a regional threat but an international one. Together with a defense coalition of international partners, we achieved a successful interception of 99% of aerial threats launched by Iran. We stand strong Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 14, 2024 This is a very significant strategic achievement, he said in a morning press statement as quoted by the newspaper. The Iranian threat met the aerial and technological superiority of the IDF, combined with a strong fighting coalition, which together intercepted the vast majority of the threats, Hagari said. All 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles were downed outside of the countrys borders by the Israeli Air Force and its allies, he said. He said none of the missiles or drones could cross the enter Israeli airspace. PM says Israel preparing for direct attack by Iran Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday said that his country has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran for years and will "harm" anyone who harms them. His reponse came as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday in retaliation against a strike on its consular building in Syria. "In recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran. Our defencive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong," Netanyahu said. US response US President Joe Biden condemned the attack and promised "ironclad" support for Israel, after holding an urgent meeting with his top security officials over the spiralling crisis in the Middle East. "I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," Biden said on X. I condemn Iran's attacks in the strongest possible terms and reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. My full statement on Irans attacks against Israel: pic.twitter.com/EuPJZoGw6w President Biden (@POTUS) April 14, 2024 Meanwhile, the United Nations has called for an emergency meeting over the fresh escalation of tension between Iran and Israel. Image credit: Olaf Scholz Facebook In a joint letter to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) urged him to raise the issue of the human rights situation and atrocities in Tibet, East Turkestan, Hong Kong, Southern Mongolia and China itself during his upcoming trip to China. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled to go to China on a four-day visit this month. In the letter, the WUC has asked the German Chancellor to address issues that concern the situation in Tibet, East Turkestan, Hong Kong, southern Mongolia and China itself. "On the occasion of your upcoming trip to the People's Republic of China, we as a coalition of human rights organizations are asking you to forcefully stand up for the rights of people living in Germany who have fled the repression of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and who are committed to the rights of Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hongkongers and Chinese," WUC wrote to the chancellor in the letter. It said the federal government's China strategy, adopted in July 2023, has this goal set to better represent our values and interests in the complex relationship with China." The letter said the serious human rights violations of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, about whom the United Nations also reports, the situation in Tibet, the situation in Hong Kong, the situation of ethnic and religious communities as well as the clearly worsening situation of human rights defenders should be taken up. The WUC has asked the chancellor to take up with the Chinese government the persecution of religious minorities in China and the repressive policies of the Chinese Communist Party. The WUC, regarding the situation in Tibet, demanded an end to the Chinese government's Sinicization policy towards the language, religion and culture of the Tibetans, in particular an immediate closure of the forced boarding schools for Tibetan children and an end to the forced resettlement of nomads and rural population. It also demanded the preservation of the freedom of religion and belief of Tibetan Buddhists, in particular the sole right of the Dalai Lama , without state intervention, over his reincarnation or that of Buddhist dignitaries and the release of the kidnapped Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. The organization's demands include an end to torture and ill-treatment, systematic violations of freedom of expression and assembly, in particular the release of peaceful protesters such as those in the eastern Tibetan region of Derge, as well as the release of Tibetan human rights and environmental defenders such as Anya Sengdra, Dorjee Daktal, Kelsang Choklang, Dhongye, Rinchen Namdol, Tsultrim Gonpo, Jangchup Ngodup, Sogru Abhu and Namesy. It also demanded the resumption of the Sino-Tibetan dialogue. Regarding East Turkestan (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region), the WUC demanded an immediate end to the genocide or crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs, as already expressed in the special report of the UN Human Rights Commissioner, the Research Service of the German Bundestag, in resolutions of the European Parliament and in decisions of eleven other parliaments. It demanded an immediate release of all Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in internment camps, all human rights defenders and all persons unlawfully detained for peacefully expressing their opinions, practicing their religion or defending their culture. "We demand an immediate end to the cruel assimilation policy against the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples, in particular the cultural identity, language and traditions of the Uyghurs must be respected and protected in order to preserve their rights and freedoms as a people," the letter read. "Our demands include the consistent implementation of the 'Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights' and the immediate end to all forms of Uighur forced labor and modern slavery in China," it added. While writing about its demands regarding Hong Kong, the WUC said, "We demand the withdrawal of the Regulation on Safeguarding National Security under Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Law on Safeguarding National Security passed by the National People's Congress in 2020." It demanded the release of all political prisoners, including Joshua Wong and Chow Hang-tung, a fair trial for media mogul Jimmy Lai, charged under the national security law, and to respect the principle of one country, two systems. Regarding Southern Mongolia (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), it demanded the withdrawal of regulations on the suppression of the Mongolian language in kindergartens and schools, and the release of political prisoners like the Mongol Alamusha who are tortured in custody. The organization also demanded the release of human rights defenders such as Xu Zhiyong, Ding Jiaxi, Yu Wensheng and his wife Xu Yan, as well as human rights defender Xu Qin, who advocated on behalf of the latter two, as their cases are exemplary for many others. It demanded an end to the systematic use of torture to extract confessions, and the systematic use of so-called residential surveillance at a designated location as a means of intimidation and coercion of confessions. Regarding transnational repression, the World Uyghur Congress demanded the end of intimidation and threats to people in Germany or their families in China, in particular no searches by security authorities of relatives in Tibet, East Turkestan, Hong Kong, southern Mongolia and China as well as no harassment of people in Germany through telephone calls, stalking, physical attacks or doxing. "The 'turning point' you announced in February 2022 in view of the full invasion of Ukraine by Russia must not only be limited to Russia, but should also be consistently implemented towards all autocracies in the world," the letter read. "This is particularly true of the sole ruling Chinese Communist Party, which has become even more repressive under Xi Jinping and now has open totalitarian traits," it added. "Immediately after Xi Jinping was appointed General Secretary of the Communist Party and Head of State of the People's Republic of China, it was clear that the party sees itself as opposed to universal human rights, pluralism and democracy and, as a consequence, wants to undermine our liberal democracy in Germany." Photo Courtesy: Xinhua/UNI Tehran has assured Ankara that it will not carry out new strikes on Israel if there is no response from the Jewish state, a Turkish diplomatic source told Sputnik. Earlier in the day, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian, during which the former voiced concern over a possible further escalation in the Middle East, the source said. "Iranian Foreign Ministry head Hossein Amirabdollahian has said that the retaliatory operation against Israel has been completed; Iran will not take any further action if it is not subjected to new attacks. He said that in case a new attack takes place, Tehrans response will be more intense," the source said. (With UNI Inputs) Photo Courtesy: Unsplash Unknown gunmen on Sunday (April 14, 2024) shot dead underworld don and alleged killer of Indian national Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan's Lahore city, media reports said. Amir Sarfaraz, alias Tamba, one of Pakistan's wanted underworld dons, was attacked by motorcycle-borne assailants in the Islampura area of Lahore, India Today reported. He was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Amir Sarfaraz was born in Lahore in 1979 and was a close associate of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Sayeed, the Indian news channel reported. A case was filed against him and others for attacking Sarabjit Singh in a Pakistani prison. According to reports, Sarfaraz was later acquitted by a Pakistani court due to 'lack of evidence'. Who was Sarabjit Singh? Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan Sarabjit Singh, 49, died of a heart attack in Lahore's Jinnah Hospital on May 2, 2013, after remaining in a coma for nearly a week following a brutal assault on him by inmates. Image credit: File photo He was reportedly attacked by inmates with bricks and iron rods. Singh was awarded a death sentence for spying charges and killing at least 14 Pakistani citizens in bomb blasts in the South Asian country's Punjab province in 1990. Singh's family members and Indian authorities denied the claims. Singh's family claimed he crossed the Indian border to reach Pakistan while farming by mistake. During the entire tenure, Singh's sister Dalbir Singh pleaded tirelessly to secure his release from prison. Singh's life also inspired filmmaker Omung Kumar to create the movie titled 'Sarabjit'. Released in 2016, the movie featured Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Randeep Hooda in the lead roles. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash A lone mugger did not even spare mosque goers in Pakistan's Karachi city and robbed them, adding one more episode of troubles faced by people in the region which is witnessing an uptick in criminal activities in recent times. According to a muezzin of Faizan-e-Attar Masjid, a lone armed robber entered the mosque on Friday night and snatched mobile phones and Rs10,000 cash from three worshippers present inside the mosque, reported Geo News. The mosque administration did not register a first information report of the incident so far. Police said Azizabad police are collecting CCTV footage of the incident from the places. It is pertinent to mention here that at least 19 citizens in Karachi fell victim to shootouts by robbers this Ramadan, reported Geo News. Indian national Chirag Antil shot dead in Canada. Photo Courtesy: Varun Choudhary X page An Indian student has been shot dead inside his car in the Vancouver region of Canada, police said on Saturday (April 13, 2024). The deceased Indian national was identified as 24-year-old Chirag Antil. Giving details about the case, Vancouver Police said: "Officers were called to East 55th Avenue and Main Street around 11 p.m. on April 12 after residents heard the sound of gun shots. Chirag Antil, 24, was found deceased inside a vehicle in the area." No arrests have been made so far. Police said the investigation of the case is currently ongoing. The Indian Consulate in Vancouver reacted to the development and posted on X: "@cgivancouver has learnt with great sorrow about the shooting & killing of an Indian national, Mr Chirag Antil, living in #Vancouver. We have approached the concerned Canadian authorities for more information in this regard. @HCI_Ottawa @MEAIndia@DrSJaishankar." @cgivancouver has learnt with great sorrow about the shooting & killing of an Indian national, Mr Chirag Antil, living in #Vancouver. We have approached the concerned Canadian authorities for more information in this regard. @HCI_Ottawa @MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar India in Vancouver (@cgivancouver) April 13, 2024 The deceased person's family members are trying to collect funds to repatriate his remains to India A fundraiser page created for Antil said: "Chirag Antil, an international student from Haryana, India, who arrived in Vancouver in 2022 for his studies, tragically lost his life due to a recent murder in the city. We urgently need assistance to raise funds for sending his body back to India." Romit Antil, the victims brother from Haryana, Sonipat in India tells CityNews that Chirag was a kind-hearted person. My brother and I had a great relationship, we used to talk every day, day and night. I spoke to him last before the accident happened. He was kind of happy, he never had any issues or fights with anyone, ever. He was an extremely polite person, Romit told the news portal. As the day draws to a close, there's something magical about watching the sun dip below the horizon, casting a golden glow across the sky. Pinterest Best sunset spots in India In India, a land of diverse landscapes and rich cultural heritage, there are countless breathtaking spots to witness this natural spectacle. Here are five unforgettable sunset spots that will leave you in awe of India's beauty. 1) Taj Mahal, Agra Freepik The iconic Taj Mahal, a symbol of eternal love, is even more enchanting at sunset. As the sun sets behind this magnificent marble monument, it bathes the white domes and minarets in a warm, golden light, creating a scene straight out of a fairytale. Situated on the banks of the Yamuna River, the Taj Mahal offers a picturesque setting for a romantic sunset experience. 2) Marine Drive, Mumbai BCCL Affectionately known as the "Queen's Necklace," Marine Drive in Mumbai is a popular waterfront promenade that offers stunning views of the Arabian Sea. As the sun sets over the sea, the curved coastline lights up with a radiant glow, resembling a string of pearls. Locals and tourists alike gather along Marine Drive to witness this spectacular sight and soak in the beauty of Mumbai's skyline against the backdrop of the setting sun. 3) Arambol Beach, Goa Arambol beach Goa is renowned for its breathtaking beaches, and Arambol Beach is no exception. Nestled amidst rugged cliffs and swaying palm trees, Arambol Beach is a haven for beach lovers and sunset enthusiasts. As the sun dips below the horizon, the sky is painted in hues of orange, pink, and purple, casting a mesmerizing reflection on the shimmering waters of the Arabian Sea. With its laid-back vibe and natural beauty, Arambol Beach is the perfect spot to unwind and witness nature's grandeur. 4) Varanasi Ghats, Uttar Pradesh BCCL Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in the world, is renowned for its spiritual significance and sacred ghats along the banks of the Ganges River. At sunset, the ghats come alive with a mystical ambiance as devotees gather to perform evening rituals and witness the Ganga Aarti ceremony. As the flames flicker and prayers fill the air, the setting sun casts a golden glow over the river, creating a truly magical atmosphere that captivates the soul. 5) Jaipur, Rajasthan Jaipur Sehri and Iftar Timings Calendar Known as the "Pink City," Jaipur is famous for its stunning architecture, vibrant culture, and majestic forts. One of the best places to witness a spectacular sunset in Jaipur is from the hilltops surrounding the city, particularly Nahargarh Fort and Jaigarh Fort. As the sun sets behind the rugged Aravalli Hills, the sky is set ablaze with fiery hues, casting a dramatic silhouette against the backdrop of Jaipur's majestic palaces and bustling streets. India is blessed with an abundance of breathtaking sunset spots that showcase the country's natural beauty and cultural heritage and witnessing a sunset in India is an unforgettable experience that will leave you awestruck and inspired. For more on lifestyle, astrology and health from around the world please visit Indiatimes Lifestyle. On April 7th, a team from the district election office in Churu, Rajasthan, visited the home of Bhanwar Lal in Sarothiya village. Their visit was in preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha Election 2024, aiming to facilitate home voting for the family. However, this particular visit was exceptional, and for a rather unique reason. Entire family inflicted with rare genetic disorder Bhanwar Lal has seven childrenfive sons and three daughtersall of whom suffer from a genetic disorder. This condition prompted them to utilise the Election Commission's home voting system, marking a rare occurrence where an entire family availed of this facility. BCCL Babulal, a block social security official, explained, "The current generation of the family is suffering from a genetic disorder and all the brothers and sisters, aged between 35 and 22 years, have a disability of over 40%. We could not trace the family while preparing the list of home voters during Dec 2023 assembly election. But this time, we included the entire family in home voters list." Sarothiya village falls under the Sujangarh assembly segment of Churu Lok Sabha constituency. Babulal further added, "The family has a small plot of agricultural land. They eke out their livings from farming and the disability pensions of the five brothers." Vote from home in Lok Sabha Elections 2024 The upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections in India has introduced a new feature: vote from home. This marks the first time such an option is being offered in Lok Sabha elections. The 'vote from home' facility is specifically designed for individuals aged 85 and above, as well as persons with disabilities (PwD). BCCL With the 'vote from home' feature, eligible voters can conveniently cast their ballots for their chosen candidates through postal ballots, all from the comfort of their own homes, ensuring the confidentiality of their vote. To utilise this option, individuals must apply to the returning officer of their respective constituency using Form 12-D. This application must be submitted within five days of the election notification. This initiative aims to benefit approximately 1.8 crore senior citizens aged 80 and above, with 98 lakh falling within the 80 to 85 age range, and 82 lakh being over 85 years old. Customers have accused the supermarket of using an underhand tactic to encourage buying a more expensive product after the sign was incorrectly placed. Woolworths has been accused of using a shonky tactic to mislead customers into buying a more expensive product after an unrelated price drop sign was spotted over a huge display of potatoes. A photo, taken at a Woolies in Ipswich, Queensland, showed a vegetable aisle stacked with 4kg bags of brushed potatoes with an eye-catching sign directly above stating, Prices Dropped for Autumn, coupled with the words, Was $7, now $4.50. However, the advert carried an image of a different product, which was partially obscured by sacks of spuds, and instead referred to a smaller 1.5kg pack of mashing potatoes located 1.5m further down the aisle. These potatoes were on sale for $4.50, while the ones in front of the sign were still $7. Legit complaint, a female customer shared online this week. Have people noticed that Woolworths has a practice of displaying a price for an item that is irrelevant to the item it sits above? Another way Woolworths takes advantage of customers. I see this advertising all the time. Poor form Woolworths," she added. On closer inspection, the $4.50 'price drop' sign refers to a different product, while the 4kg bags of brushed potatoes were $7. Source: Facebook When contacted by Yahoo News Australia, Woolies declined to comment. Aussie supermarkets accused of 'price gouging' Sales tactics, marketing strategies and the escalating price of groceries have been hot topics in recent times, as Aussies struggle to absorb increased costs at the checkout. Woolworths and Coles have both been accused of price gouging claims they strongly deny while Australias consumer watchdog, the ACCC, has announced it will undertake a year-long inquiry into the alleged practice. Next week, outgoing Woolies boss Brad Banducci and Coles CEO Leah Weckert will face a Senate inquiry over claims the supermarket giants benefited from billion-dollar profits during a cost of living crisis. On social media, reaction to the post was mixed with several customers taking aim at the retailer. This Woolies in Brisbane shows clear signage of the $4.50 'price drop' on 1.5kg bags of mashing potatoes. Source: Supplied If its intentional then its clearly deceptive, one said of the Woolies display, while another added, "I think they bank on people being in a rush and not reading the sales ticket properly, another shonky tactic. A third described the $7 price tag as a "rip off". Phillip Portman, from Compare the Market, told Yahoo it had undertaken research that found the average household was spending $193 on their weekly grocery shop, while higher prices were due to several issues including recent weather events and different transportation and labour costs. The comparison website advises shoppers to avoid aisle deals which are often aimed at getting them to buy things they dont need, while cheaper items can be found by looking at the top and bottom shelves. Top tips to reduce your grocery bill Use the smaller trolleys: Youll be less tempted to dump extra things in there. Go straight to the essentials: Buy the milk, bread, eggs, fruit and veg before anything else. Shop alone: Youre less likely to be pressured into buying stuff, especially if shopping with kids. Dont get meal ideas at the supermarket: Ideally, know what your meals are beforehand, as supermarkets tend to place items that can go together near each other. Be disloyal to loyalty programs: They can be more rewarding if you dont use them for a while, as youre more likely to get big bonus points deal for coming back. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. G. Nirmala, hailing from Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, clinched the first position in the 1st Year Intermediate exam conducted by the Andhra Pradesh Intermediate Board. Her accomplishment is all the more remarkable because she has had to face numerous challenges in life, including child marriage. Who is G. Nirmala? G. Nirmala comes from Pedda Harivanam, situated in the Adoni mandal of Kurnool district. G. Nirmala Despite facing financial hardships and parental pressure, as her three sisters were already married off, Nirmala remained determined to pursue her education. Even when her parents wanted to halt her schooling due to financial limitations and the absence of a nearby junior college, Nirmala reached out for assistance during a community engagement program conducted by local legislator Y Saiprasad Reddy. Her persistence in education eventually bore fruit. Rescued from child marriage, now aiming to be IPS officer Moved by her situation, Reddy brought Nirmala's plight to the attention of District Collector G Srujana, leading to her rescue from the impending child marriage. Thanks to the timely intervention of the district administration, she was enrolled in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) at Aspari, marking the beginning of her remarkable journey of transformation. Representative image/ iStock KGBV, Kurnool, is a residential girls' school established by the Ministry of Education to cater to the educational needs of disadvantaged sections in India. From that pivotal moment onward, Nirmala's dedication and perseverance knew no bounds. Despite the numerous challenges she encountered, she excelled in her studies, ultimately topping the intermediate exams this year with an impressive score of 421 out of 440. Congratulations to Ms. G. Nirmala from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), Kurnool, a residential girls school run by the Ministry of Education for the disadvantaged sections in India, for securing the top spot in the 1st Year Intermediate exam of Andhra Pradesh pic.twitter.com/OVqEX0frQL Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) April 13, 2024 Nirmala's ambitions extend far beyond personal success; she harbors a noble aspiration of becoming an IPS officer, with the aim of combating the issue of child marriages and empowering girls like herself to pursue their dreams. For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. The Indian Railways sparked online buzz when a snapshot of the Hatia-Ernakulam Express board, translating "Hatia" as "Kolapathakam" (murderer) in Malayalam, went viral. Hatia, a location in Ranchi, hosts the weekly route between the two cities. Social media users couldn't resist commenting on the mishap. "Shhhh, nobody tell them," quipped one, while another blamed Google Translate for the gaffe. Railway authorities swiftly rectified the error, covering the Malayalam term with yellow paint after the image gained traction online. An India Today report revealed the translation mistake stemmed from confusion with the Hindi word "Hatya," meaning "murder," according to a Railways official. Acknowledging the error, the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of the Ranchi Division assured corrective action, ensuring the nameplate was promptly rectified upon notification. Viganella, a quaint village nestled in an Italian valley near the Swiss border, grapples with a unique challenge: prolonged darkness for three months each year, from November to February. Amusing Planet Faced with a dwindling population due to the lack of sunlight, Mayor Franco Midali proposed an innovative solution in 1999: a colossal mirror to reflect sunlight into the town square. Architect Giacomo Bonzani, alongside engineer Gianni Ferrari, crafted an eight-meter-wide, five-meter-tall mirror, which was installed in 2006. Programmed to track the sun's trajectory, the mirror beams sunlight into the square for six hours daily during the winter months. Though not as intense as direct sunlight, the reflected light offers warmth and illumination to homes and the town square. Amusing Planet This groundbreaking project, aimed at fostering socialization during the dark winter months, has garnered international acclaim. Artists like Silvia Camporesi have even documented the mirror's impact, emphasizing its human-centric approach. Viganella's success has reverberated globally, inspiring similar initiatives such as the installation of a mirror in Rjukan, Norway, in 2013. This mirror, inspired by Viganella's ingenuity, stands as a testament to the power of innovative solutions to address unique challenges. Google Cloud HQ: No Tech for Genocide Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2024 Time: 11:00 AM - 11:00 AM Event Type: Protest Organizer/Author: Free Palestine! Location Details: Google Cloud HQ, 1175 Borregas Ave, Sunnyvale Yesterday morning Time Magazine confirmed that Google lied to its own workers, consumers & the press for years, is in fact providing direct cloud computing services to the Israeli Ministry of Defense & the Israeli Occupation Forces, and has ACTIVELY DEEPENED its partnership with Israeli military during the genocide in Gaza, signing a new $1M agreement as recently as THREE WEEKS AGO. THAT IS WHY Google workers will lead URGENT #NoTechForGen0c1de rallies in NYC, Seattle, Sunnyvale on April 16 to demand Google to stop profiting from the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. ACTION ALERT: On April 16 Google workers and community organizations in South Bay will rally to demand that the company stop powering the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Join us at Google Cloud HQ 1175 Borregas Ave, Sunnyvale, CA @ 11 AM PST. Google Cloud HQ is 0.5 miles from the Borregas VTA Station. PLEASE wear a mask for public health and to protect each other from state surveillance. NoTechForApartheid.com/dayofaction Egypt has issued a plea for utmost restraint from Iran and Israel amidst escalating tensions following Irans confirmation of a drone attack on Israeli territory. This appeal aims to prevent further instability and tension in a region already embedded with conflict. Advertisement The call for calm came shortly after the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of Iran declared on Saturday night that it had launched several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) towards Israel. READ ALSO: Infrastructure: Tinubus Renewed Hope Agenda Shouldnt End In Urban Areas Wike Reacting via X, Egypts foreign ministry said, Egypt considers that the dangerous escalation that the Iranian and Israeli arena is currently witnessing is nothing but a direct result of what Egypt has repeatedly warned about. Egypt stresses that it is in constant contact with all concerned parties to try and contain the situation, stop the escalation and spare the region the risk of sliding into a dangerous turn of instability and threat to the interests of its people. Egypt was the first Arab country to make peace with Israel in 1979. Saudi Arabia has weighed in on the military escalations and their potential severe repercussions following Iranian drone and missile attacks directed at Israel. Recall that Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation as the United States pledged backing for Israel. Advertisement A statement by Saudis Ministry of Foreign Affairs via X on Sunday, read, The Ministry reaffirms the Kingdoms position that stresses the need for the (UN) Security Council to take responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, especially in this highly sensitive region for global peace and security. READ ALSO: Two Die, 13 Injured In Ijebu Ode-Benin Expressway Crash The Ministry however stressed the importance of preventing any further exacerbation of the crisis, warning of dire consequences should the situation worsen. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council is set to meet on Sunday after Israel requested that the council condemn Irans attack and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization The meeting will take place at 4 p.m. ET (2000 GMT), according to a schedule released late on Saturday. Israels ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, requested the council hold an emergency meeting in a letter on Saturday to the councils president. The Iranian attack is a serious threat to global peace and security and I expect the Council to use every means to take concrete action against Iran, Erdan wrote in a post on X. Ugezu Ugezu, a veteran actor and filmmaker, has responded to the number of deaths hitting Nigerias film industry. Some fans believe Nollywood is under siege after over five performers, including Mr Ibu, Amaechi Muonagor, Sisi Quadri, Adejumoke Aderounmu, and the most recent Junior Pope, died in the first quarter of 2024. Reacting on his Instagram page, Ugezu stated that it is not a Nollywood calamity, as many have suggested, and that individuals in other professions die every week. Advertisement He stated that the death of movie stars is widely reported, and that the countrys death rate is the result of systematic destruction of the health sector. READ MORE: Sue Everyone Who Questioned Liams Paternity If DNA Comes Out Positive Tolanibaj Advises Mohbads Wife Ugezu wrote, If only you knew how many bankers who kpai every weekif only you knew how many police officers who kpai every monthif only you knew how many pastors/priests who kpai every monthif only we have a clear data on citizens that kpai monthly, we may settle down and understand the systematic destruction of the health sector. Entertainers are domiciled publicly and theirs go viral always. Time has come to expunge spiritualism from clear system failure. It is not just a Nollywood disaster like many allude. It is a general system disaster. Umo Eno, Governor of Akwa Ibom, paid a visit to the family of Abigael Frederick, a Nollywood make-up artist who perished in a boat accident recently. Frederick was one of five filmmakers killed after their boat overturned in the Niger River on Wednesday, along with Junior Pope. Ekerete Udoh, the Governors Chief Press Secretary, confirmed this in a statement and posted images from the governors visit to the state governments official Facebook page on Saturday. Advertisement The statement partly read, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, on arrival from an official engagement in Abuja, this afternoon drove straight to the family compound of the late Nollywood make-up artist, Abigail Edith Frederick, in Ikot Udoma, Eket Local Government Area, where he consoled the bereaved family. Showing deep emotions, Governor Eno sat with the grieving family members and told them he feels their pain. According to the statement, Eno praised Fredericks pursuit of her passion as a young entrepreneur and mourned her premature death. He said, This is deeply unfortunate, a young girl, 24 years old, who finished her youth service just last year and decided to pursue her passion. This is a reflection of our arise spirit. It shows that our young people are willing to go out there, not begging, not waiting for handouts, but to pursue their passions. It is sad and unfortunate that her life ended the way it did. Eno also declared that the deceaseds older sister would automatically be hired into the civil service and directed the renovation of the family house. He also promised to help her two younger sisters, who are undergraduate students at the University of Uyo. READ MORE: Refrain From Discussing Me Or My Personality James Brown Issues Warning To General Public The statement added, The governor thereafter gave an automatic employment in the state civil service to the surviving elder sister of the deceased, and directed the SSA on Humanitarian Services, Umo Ekpo, to renovate the family house and bring it to modern standards. The governor also assured them of the governments assistance to the two sisters of the bereaved who are undergraduates at the University of Uyo, said to be sponsored by the late Nollywood make-up artist. Obi Aguocha, member of the House of Representatives representing Ikwuano, Umuahia North, and Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia State, has appealed for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). In Saturday statement, Aguoacha appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assist in securing the freedom of the Biafra agitator, emphasizing that Kanus release would signify a commitment to promoting peace and progress in the South East region and the welfare of the Igbo people. Advertisement According to him, Kanu, Omoyele Sowore, Sunday Igboho, and Godwin Emefiele are Nigerian citizens facing various allegations by the government, yet, Sowore and Igboho have been granted freedom due to the judiciarys commitment to safeguarding citizens rights. . READ ALSO: Police Nab 20 Suspects Over Invasion Of Oyo Govt Secretariat These four are citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria accused by the government of various alleged offences. Sowore and Igboho are free men by reason of the determination of the judiciary in protecting the rights of these citizens, and I must add, rightly so. Is Nnamdi Kanu not a citizen? Does Nnamdi Kanu not have a concomitant constitutional right to be granted bail? Shouldnt Nnamdi Kanu at this point be released unconditionally? Is there one set rule for other Nigerians from different zones and another for Igbos within the South East zone? he queried. I hereby appeal to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, HE Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, to use his exalted good offices in ensuring the unconditional and immediate release of citizen Nnamdi Kanu as a demonstration of good faith in supporting the peaceful development of the South East and the wellbeing of Ndi Igbo, the statement added. Sunday Odukoya, the Executive Assistant to the Oyo State Governor on Security, on Saturday, dared Yoruba Nation agitators who invaded the Government Secretariat at Agodi in Ibadan, to gun him down rather than attack the police officers who came around to disperse them. Recall that scores of members of the group stormed the secretariat to hoist their flag in the area before they were demobilised by the combined team of security operatives. Advertisement Odukoya, sighted in a video confronting the agitators, said Shoot me, dont shoot police officers because I was the one that called them. So, you dont need to confront them. They came here to do their official duties, just shoot me. You invaded this place. Who did you take permission from? I was talking to you, and you are talking to another person. This is Governors Office. You dont have the right to just come in without any invitation. Can you just come to the Governors Office without an invitation? It is not done!: Consequently, 20 suspected Yoruba nation agitators were arrested by security personnel for their alleged role in the invasion. Meanwhile, leading activists such as Sunday Igboho and Banji Akintoye, have distanced themselves from the invasion of the Oyo State Government Secretariat. READ ALSO: Police Nab 20 Suspects Over Invasion Of Oyo Govt Secretariat Reacting to the incident, Igboho, speaking through his media aide, Olayemi Koiki, in a Facebook Live said, he was not aware and not part of it. I know nothing about it and I dont know those behind it. If we want to organise a rally or any Yoruba Nation activity, we usually make an announcement beforehand, he said. Any person that said he is agitating for Yoruba Nation and is going to attack government facilities, that person or group is on his own; I dont know anything about it, he added. Akintoye, the former leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, alleged that another separatist leader, Abiola Onitiri, was behind the incident in Oyo state. I have spoken to Sunday Igboho. Some people sent them to make sure that they disrupt the Yoruba self-determination struggle. I was informed a few minutes ago that some people who said they are followers of Onitiri have come to take over the government of Yorubaland, and that they have arrived in Ibadan. We in this struggle dont act in that manner, he said. Woolworths stores in New Zealand have been under the spotlight regarding their hygiene standards. A disturbing sight inside a Woolworths store has sent one customer into a flap, and has once again raised questions over the state of the supermarket's New Zealand stores. The customer revealed to the New Zealand Herald bird poo was seen dripping along an overhead aisle sign at Woolworths' Three Kings Auckland store. The shopper said the sign was directly above food items. I have been shopping there for two years and have only just noticed them. I actually had to stop doing my shop and leave the store," they told the publication. I know what diseases birds and their poo can carry. The bird poo was seen dripping down the sign. Source: New Zealand Herald A spokesperson for Woolworths said birds in stores were "an unfortunately common issue", the signs were cleaned once staff were made aware of the issue. It is understood the supermarket uses several preventative measures to deter birds, including netting and flaps over doors. Some shoppers sympathised with the supermarket online, saying birds were part and parcel of supermarket life. Rodent infestation plagues Woolworths Earlier this year a Woolworths-owned store in Dunedin was forced to shut down after two rats were pictured peering out of a shelf in the chilled foods section. Days earlier, a mouse was spotted scurrying over potato salad in the deli section of a separate store in the city of Christchurch, prompting New Zealand Food Safety to launch an independent review of Woolworths' pest management process across its New Zealand stores. Local media reported up to 19 rats were caught in the Dunedin store. Across the Tasman Sea, Woolworths launched an investigation earlier this year after black mould was discovered spread across a milk fridge at a Sydney store. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Operatives of the Lagos state police command have apprehended eight members of a gang involved in luring and raping men. It was gathered that the suspects specialize in subjecting their victims to several hours of anal sex after dispossessing them of their properties and cash. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the gang was arrested in the some areas of Lekki, Ajah and Ikoyi, on Saturday. Advertisement According to a Police sources who spoke to Vanguard on Saturday, said that the men usually rent living apartments in the highbrow areas of the city after which they embark on a search for their victims. He added that the gang place notices in strategic areas of the city, advertising job vacancies and acting as estate agents. The source said: As soon as they are in possession of those personal facts, they swing into action by proceeding to his house or banks to empty his money and other valuables. READ MORE: Lagos Police Rescue Suspected Thieves From Mob Attack The second round of their operation is to subject their victim to hours of anal sex which they take turns to have their fill. They usually record their exploits on video and later relax to view it while enjoying their loot. They reportedly shocked detectives when they confessed that they had been operating for over three years and that they choose highbrow areas where they could easily track well-nourished and endowed men. They were boasting to us about how many healthy-looking men they have abused through the anus. They said they reject men who are not looking healthy, stating emphatically that they have no business with women. After their arrest, we confined them in separate cells so that they would not descend on our male suspects inside the cell. However, a few days later, one of them raised an alarm that the oldest member of the gang, who claimed to be a lawyer, was having an affair with another member of the gang. When we accosted him, he said the relationship had been going on since they had been operating as a gang. Our greatest problem now is that some members of the devilish gang have escaped and we strongly suspect that they must be carrying on with their devilish criminal acts wherever they are. Phil Faragalli, owner of Faragalli's Bakery in South Philadelphia, said he may have to close his bakery for good after his wood-fired oven was damaged during a water department project. Read more For generations, Faragallis Bakery in South Philadelphia has been known for two things: distinctive, old-world bread, and the colossal oven that bakes it. The corner bakery is thought to be the only wood-fired hearth production bakery in the city. The family baked their unvarnished, rustic loaves with flames kindled by South Philly scrap wood. Since 1945, three generations of Faragallis have toiled in the maw of the bakerys ancient oven. In all those years, the only times its scorching stones have cooled are when Phil Faragalli, 72, has crawled inside the cavernous space the hearth is the size of a well-apportioned rowhouse living room to clean and make repairs. Advertisement But now, the old oven may bake no more, and the venerable bakery is closed perhaps for good after portions of their century-old firebrick oven collapsed in December. The oven, which was built in a Washington Avenue factory before World War I, was showing its age in recent years, Faragalli said. But the family says it baked fine before the water department drilled into the street just outside the bakery with a backhoe. The whole building shook, says Phil Faragalli Jr., who works the bakery with his father and was there when everything started to rumble. I hollered, Yo guys! It felt like the studs in the basement were shaking. Faragalli got back inside the oven to inspect the damage. He cleared out dozens of heavy bricks and stuffed holes with fire insulation. Faragalli says debris damaged the ovens damper, which ventilates smoke. In recent months, the Faragallis struggled to keep their business going, even as their oven, which could normally turn out hundreds of loaves a day, lost heat and belched heavy smoke. Earlier this month, after having to bake their Easter orders in the oven of another South Philly bakery, Phil Faragalli closed the family business. It just got to the point where I said, Enough is enough, he said. It would be pointless to keep going. Yet to find someone to fix the oven and unsure of the costs Phil Faragalli doesnt know if hell ever reopen. For the tiny bakery, which has preserved a timeless style of breadmaking in South Philly, the damage is about much more than the cost of a piece of equipment. Its the cost of their familys heritage. Its killing us, Phil Faragalli said. The Water Department While he fears his bakery could be ruined, Faragalli has yet to file a report with the Philadelphia Water Department about his oven. But said he plans to. City-contracted crews have been digging up streets in Passyunk Square for months, installing new pipes that carry water to homes and businesses. The project, which has left many neighbors frustrated over street closures and traffic delays, is expected to last through summer, said Brian Rademaekers, a Water Department spokesperson. The Water Department has not received any reports of damage to homes or businesses, he said. The city has a process for individuals and businesses to file a claim, he said, adding that if business owners believe their property was damaged during construction, they should file a claim with their insurance or the contractors insurance. According to city policy, the Faragallis have six months from when they say the damage occurred to file a claim with the Office of Risk Management. We cant help someone if we dont know something happened, Rademaekers said. The History Originally coal-fired, the oven came with the corner shop newlyweds Anthony and Marie Faragalli bought at 13th and Reed in 1945. Anthony Faragalli, who had learned to bake bread as an army cook during World War II, and his wife, who everyone called Maemoe, raised seven children in the rooms above the bakery. There was always a warm feeling and the smell of baking bread, Phil Faragalli said about growing up above the shop. He joined his father, who died in 1980, and older brother, Anthony Jr., at the oven after high school. He remembers that fateful day in the late 1970s, when the bakerys coal delivery never showed. With bread to bake, Anthony Faragalli told his son to go get his sisters wooden desk, adding, And dont listen to your mother. Still without coal the next day, he told his son to get the third floor doors. From that point on, we were burning wood, Phil Faragalli said. Neighborhood contractors and builders, who would otherwise have to pay the dump, knew to haul their wood to Faragallis, who would take it free of charge. Baking with South Philly scrap, Faragallis made bread the old way. No preservatives, with only flour, water, yeast, and a little salt. Dense and chewy, and each bite containing a whiff of the campfire, their bread landed on tables of Italian restaurants across the city. The bread that came out of Faragallis oven just tasted different. Theres something special about that oven, Phil Faragalli said. The oven He would know. Only the bread has been in it more than him. Hed let the oven cool for days when he had to climb inside, like when he installed steel plates along the oven roof. Someone would spray him with a hose to keep him cool, then pull him out of the oven door. Its like another world, he said of being in the oven. The smoke from the damaged oven just became too much, he said. I worried it would hurt my family, he said. Hes searching for someone who could fix it, but said not everyone is eager to crawl into an oven that wouldnt have looked out of place in Pompeii. Nobody wants to go in there, he said. Contractors dont want to mess with that. On a recent afternoon, the father and son bakers stood by the oven they had worked their whole lives, and now dont expect to light anytime soon. This was my future and my fathers retirement, Phil Faragalli Jr. said. I cant imagine going on without our bread. Angel Ballesteros, commercial corridor manager for Association for Mexican Business Owners, stabs holes into a new sign for wind to pass through it before hanging the banner at Ninth Street in South Philadelphia on a blustery Saturday. Read more For as long as 11-year-old Xavi Ortiz can remember, he wondered why there were no signs to mark the presence of the Mexican community south of the Italian Market area. That changed on Saturday with the hanging of a banner across the 1100 block of South Ninth Street: Bienvenidos a la Calle 9. Rising above spectators, the colorful banner danced on the wind to the rhythm of mariachi music, officially greeting Philadelphians in Spanish (Welcome to Ninth Street) to the Mexican side of the market corridor, considered Washington Avenue south to Federal Street. Advertisement It makes me feel at home, proclaimed Xavi when the banner went up over Ninth at about Ernst Street, just outside Amigos Bakery. The sentiment was echoed by Juan Carlos Romero, president of the Mexican Business Association. Its a way to say We are here, said Romero. We bring value to Philly and this corridor is the destination to be for Mexican culture and food. Since the mid-2000s, conversation about the Italian Market area becoming more diversified has been the focus of articles and Reddit threads, from whether or not the areas name should be changed to controversial Speak English signs. According to the association, the banner is not meant to take away from the Italian Market, but rather to add to Philadelphias diversity. In fact, the sign is multilingual, greeting visitors with Welcome and Benvenuti, in addition to Spanish. We didnt want anyone not to feel included, said Eva Hernandez, vice president of the Mexican Business Association. They purposely came up with a design that encompassed Spanish, English, and Italian to reflect all cultures coexisting harmoniously. For Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose district includes this stretch of Ninth Street, maintaining a diverse business presence there is a chance to keep the corridor alive, as generational businesses start to fall off. Its important to have all the heritage here, said Squilla. There are Mexican food, Italian food, and Asian markets here, everybody is welcome. The Department of Justice said deportations in Ireland were highly litigious, with one asylum seeker having to be flown back to Dublin after injunction proceedings began while they were airborne. A briefing for Minister Helen McEntee said that as a rule of thumb, only one out of every four cases selected for deportation was likely to be successful. It said charter flights, which the State is planning to resume, were financially burdensome, with a high risk the aircraft would depart Ireland with a much lower passenger contingent than desired, due to legal challenges. The briefing for Ms McEntee, ahead of a meeting of the EUs Justice and Home Affairs Council last autumn, said each charter flight was likely to cost in the region of 350,000 for a long-haul trip. It said: Actual deportations are carried out as a measure of last resort when the persons concerned have not removed themselves from the State or engaged with the International Office for Migration [IOM] to avail of assisted voluntary return measures. The briefing said Ireland was not a member of Frontex, the EU agency for border management, and therefore its charter aircraft would not land in Dublin. It said Ireland could fly failed applicants for international protection to a city in Europe where a Frontex flight was leaving, but that realistically Ireland required its own means for larger-scale deportation operations. The information paper also spoke of how the deportation process was highly litigious and legal challenges could and were being made right up until the point the person departs the State. In one case this year, an individual secured injunction proceedings as his plane departed and the state was required to fly him back. The briefing also said there were also difficulties in getting cooperation from receiving states that is the country to which a deportee was being returned. It cited a long list of nations where there were such problems, including Nigeria, Russia, Pakistan, Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt. Unwillingness to co-operate The briefing said: Reasons vary, including pandemic-related issues, dysfunctional administrative capacities, and outright unwillingness to co-operate. Ms McEntee was told this was forcing a rethink at EU level on whether the deportation process was an adequate solution to returning individuals to their country of origin. The main difficulty Ireland experiences is in securing travel documents so that individuals can be permitted on flights and removed. It is the case that some embassies can be slow to cooperate. The document said so-called voluntary return seemed to be a more straightforward alternative and that assistance and resettlement grants were offered as an enticement to engage with the process. The briefing also provided figures on how deportation had been ramped up following covid-19. With a moratorium in place due to the pandemic, there were just 33 deportation orders signed and 38 carried out in 2021. By 2022, that rose to 528 signed and 118 actual removals, while in the first 10 months of last year, there were 713 orders signed off and 57 deportations carried out. Now the party must find distinctive policies It must have been tough being a Fianna Failer in the last few weeks. Sure, the mature thing to do is applaud Leo Varadkar off the field and welcome Simon Harris as Taoiseach, but its not what you want to be doing. You want to be out front and centre, being Fianna Fail. In that regard, its probably handy that the partys ard fheis came at the end of a three-week spotlight being on Fine Gael following Mr Varadkars departure and Mr Harriss ascension. Irish Examiner Political Reporter Paul Hosford talking with Finance Minister Michael McGrath at the Irish Examiner stand during the Fianna Fail ard fheis. Photo: Gareth Chaney But at a second ard fheis in six months, there wasnt a massive amount of chip-on-shoulder defiance from the Soldiers of Destiny, with a sense that the party has a task on its hands to put clear blue water between itself and Fine Gael ahead of both the local and European elections in June and, most crucially, the general election next year. Fianna Fails clarion call at events like this is delivery it is the party that knows how to get things done. What those things are may shift, but only Fianna Fail knows how to manipulate the levers of government sufficiently to see them come to fruition. Claire Taylor with a babygro bearing the legend Future Taoiseach Fianna Fail at the merchandise stand during the ard fheis. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews But delivery is a hard sell when youre in a three-party coalition and credit must be shared equally with partners of equal esteem. Beyond that, the mood in the Dublin Royal Convention Centre on Saturday was one of spoiling for a fight, of sharpening elbows. Many at the convention wanted to see one thing in the coming weeks Fianna Fail reassert itself as a senior player in the coalition. Fianna Fail members including former taoiseach Bertie Ahern watching proceedings of the party's 82nd ard fheis at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre on Saturday. Picture: Damien Storan/PA Or, as one delegate put it, take the spotlight off that Harris fella. While ministers argue otherwise, the party faithful know that allowing Fine Gael a free run at the headlines isnt a winning strategy just 55 days before a pair of crucial elections. It is time, they feel, to lay out what Fianna Fail does that Fine Gael doesnt. The problem with that is that with such little time left in this Government, the scope for movement is limited, and getting Fine Gael and Green Party agreement on major departures from the Programme For Government is unlikely at this stage. Former RTE presenter and barrister Cynthia Ni Mhurchu who has joined sitting MEP Billy Kelleher on Fianna Fails Ireland South European Parliament ticket. Picture: Gareth Chaney What that means is that the announcements that are made were hardly red meat to the membership. Housing Minister Darragh OBrien tried his best, telling delegates that the First Home Scheme would continue for five more years (if Fianna Fail is in government being the unsaid part) and confirming a plan to scrap development levies and water connection charges for all homes including rural houses to the end of this year. Disabilities Minister Anne Rabbitte announced a pilot programme which will see special schools given a grant to hire therapists, and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said having banned the sale of vapes to under-18s, he was now examining controls on colours and flavours, and banning disposable vapes. Finance Minister Michael McGrath, a perennially popular man at these events, gave little in the way of specifics but said we will again have a substantial income tax package in the autumn budget. In his speech, Tanaiste Micheal Martin heavily indicated another round of cost-of-living measures is forthcoming but, again, this came without any major specifics. After weeks of wall-to-wall TikTok Taoiseach, Fianna Fails pitch was that it is less about social media and more about social issues. But while thats a noble aim, it is also one that isnt as catchy. If Fianna Fails pitch is to be that it is the adult in the room, the policy specialists, they may need to find some of its own standout policies. Can genocide be unintentional? According to international law it cant be. In fact, the very notion of an unintentional genocide is an oxymoron. According to the Genocide Convention, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, genocide is defined in Art.2 as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. Intentionality is at the very heart of this definition, therefore, to prove genocide requires having empirical evidence of the intention to commit genocide. The emphasis on specific intent is one of the things that distinguishes genocide from other war crimes, such as crimes against humanity. When it comes to establishing genocide, the bar is set very high, understandably so, although it sometimes feels impossibly high. So high, in fact, there was opposition to using that word even during the Nuremberg Trials of 1945-46. The concept of genocide was only sporadically used by some attorneys to accuse those responsible for the Nazi Holocaust. Picture: PA The brainchild of Polish jurist Rafael Lemkin, the concept of genocide was only sporadically used by some attorneys to accuse those responsible for the Nazi Holocaust, and there was no mention of genocide in the final judgment delivered by the judges in the Nuremberg Trials against Nazi perpetrators. They were instead charged with crimes against humanity. Intentionality is an important concept, in law and moral philosophy, forming the necessary link between agency and action. Intentionality implies reason. To say that an agent acted intentionally is to say an agent performed a given action because the agent had a reason for doing it. To have an intention is roughly equivalent to having a purpose, aim or end one wants to fulfil through ones action. Intentionality is essential when it comes to establishing responsibility for ones actions, nevertheless defining genocide in terms of intentionality has serious drawbacks. One of the problems with intentionality is that this speaks to a state of mind, which is difficult to establish. Furthermore, in relation to acts of violence, the emphasis on intentionality means that the violence is defined from the point of view of the perpetrator, not the survivor or the victim. From a legal perspective, this may be necessary since the law is concerned with establishing culpability, but from the point of view of the survivors or victims of violence, issues of intentionality become less urgent. Benjamin Netanyahus statement in the aftermath of the murder of seven people working for the aid charity World Central Kitchen was: 'Our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants in the Gaza Strip. This happens in war.' In other words: sorry, it was an accident, get over it. Picture: AP Abdel Kareem Hana In fact, the problem with emphasising the intentionality of violence is that a great deal of murderous violence risks becoming merely accidental, and therefore potentially blameless. This seems to be the gist of Benjamin Netanyahus statement in the aftermath of the murder of seven people working for the aid charity World Central Kitchen: Our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants in the Gaza Strip. This happens in war. In other words: sorry, it was an accident, get over it. What else happens in war? This is what happens: children are killed; people starve or suffer from malnutrition; injured civilians have their limbs amputated without anaesthetics; people are displaced and lose everything. And yet we are told that all those things are accidents of war, never intended. This doesnt make any sense, not for the victims or survivors of this violence. Instead of intentionality, we should set the bar of genocide on a different level, determined by another concept: foreseeability. Something is foreseeable if a person knows, or ought reasonably to have known, that their actions would have certain consequences. If I light a fire in my living room by burning turf, my intention is to enjoy the warmth emanating from the fireplace, but I also know the foreseeable, unintended consequence of my action is to contribute to global warming and air pollution due to the carbon being released into the atmosphere. The declared intentions of Netanyahu is to stop Hamas from carrying out terrorist actions like the ones on October 7, 2023. But the foreseeable, unintended consequences of bombing crowded civilian areas and hospitals, of blocking humanitarian aid operations for Gaza, of killing scores of journalists and charity workers, is that many thousands of people will die. If Israel carries out a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, as Netanyahu has repeatedly pledged, the inevitable carnage that will result from it is also predictably foreseeable, even if unintentional, perhaps. Picture: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters And, many thousands more will suffer famine-like conditions, and many thousands of babies will die after being born, and many thousands of children, women and men will suffer amputations, and many thousands will mourn the death of a loved one, and many thousands will be traumatised for the rest of their lives. All these things may not have been intended, strictly speaking, but were entirely foreseeable. If Israel carries out a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, as Netanyahu has repeatedly pledged, the inevitable carnage that will result from it is also predictably foreseeable, even if unintentional, perhaps. There is one more thing that is also unintended but foreseeable: the maiming of bodies and the killing of innocent people as a consequence of giving military aid to Israel, in the current climate. The war between Israel and Hamas is now entering its seventh month. In recent times, many have accused Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Some have even accused Israel of genocide. The question is not whether genocide was intended, but whether it was foreseeable. Booms and air raid sirens sounded across Israel early Sunday after Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East closer to a regionwide war. A military spokesman said the launches numbered more than 300 but 99% of them were intercepted. Calling the outcome a very significant strategic success, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Iran fired 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. Of those, several ballistic missiles reached Israeli territory, causing minor damage to an air base. Rescuers said a 7-year-old girl in a Bedouin Arab town was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a missile strike, though they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. In Washington, President Joe Biden said US forces helped Israel down nearly all the drones and missiles and pledged to convene allies to develop a unified response. The Iranian attack, less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Responding to the attack on Israel, Taoiseach Simon Harris said: "I strongly condemn Irans reckless and large-scale attack on Israel. "I urge all sides to show restraint now and to avoid any escalation in military action and the devastation that would cause." Tanaiste Micheal Martin said the scale and intensity of Iran's attack was a flagrant threat to international peace and security. "It does nothing to help the cause of the Palestinian people or bring us closer to an end to the suffering in Gaza," the Minister for Foreign Affairs said. "There is now an urgent need for regional de-escalation. Further escalation is in nobodys interest. I urge all actors to intensify efforts to restore stability. Ireland will work closely with our EU partners in responding to this crisis." President Joe Biden said US forces helped Israel down nearly all the drones and missiles. Picture: AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File Condemnation from the United Nations chief and others was swift, with France saying Iran is risking a potential military escalation, Britain calling the attack reckless and Germany saying Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately. Hagari said the vast majority of the intercepts came outside Israels borders, including 10 cruise missiles that were intercepted by warplanes. A wide-scale attack by Iran is a major escalation, he said. Asked whether Israel would respond, Hagari said only that the army does and will do whatever is required to protect the security of the state of Israel. He said the incident was not over, and dozens of Israeli warplanes remained in the skies. Israels military said its Arrow system, which shoots down ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere, handled most interceptions and noted that strategic partners were involved. At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week, Biden said in a statement. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a separate statement that US forces intercepted dozens of missiles and UAVs en route to Israel, launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke early Sunday, Israeli time, their governments said. Biden said in his statement that he reaffirmed Americas ironclad commitment to Israels security a departure from his growing criticism of Israels conduct in its war on Hamas in Gaza. IDF warns residents to stay near protective spaces until further notice Iran had vowed revenge since the April 1 airstrike in Syria, which Tehran accused Israel of being responsible for. Israel hasnt commented on it. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israels six-month war against Hamas militants in Gaza. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on October 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, began attacking Israels northern border. Smoke fills the sky after Israeli settlers set fire to the properties of Palestinian villagers in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyir. Picture: AP Photo/Nasser Nasser The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel. In a statement carried late Saturday by Irans state-run IRNA news agency, the countrys paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime. In a later statement, the Revolutionary Guard issued a direct warning to the US: The terrorist US government is warned any support or participation in harming Irans interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Irans armed forces. IRNA also quoted an anonymous official saying ballistic missiles were part of the attack. A ballistic missile moves on an arch trajectory, heading up into space before gravity brings the weapon down at a speed several times faster than the speed of sound. Israel has a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher. Iran has a vast arsenal of drones and missiles. Online videos shared by Iranian state television purported to show delta-wing-style drones resembling the Iranian Shahed-136s long used by Russia in its war on Ukraine. The slow-flying drones carry bombs. Ukraine has successfully used both surface-to-air missiles and ground fire to target them. Some Israelis watched the interceptions light up the night sky. Air raid sirens were reported in numerous places including northern Israel, southern Israel, the northern West Bank and the Dead Sea near the Jordanian border. Israels army ordered residents in the Golan Heights near the Syrian and Lebanese borders as well as the southern towns of Nevatim and Dimona and the Red Sea resort of Eilat into protective spaces. Dimona is home to Israels main nuclear facility, and Nevatim has a major air base. Loud booms were heard in Jerusalem and northern and southern Israel. The armys Home Front Command canceled school Sunday and limited public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. Israel and some other countries in the region closed their airspace. Netanyahu warned: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. Picture: AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool, File Earlier, Netanyahu warned: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. In Washington, Biden convened a principals meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the attack. Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of the US militarys Central Command, was in Israel over the weekend consulting with Israeli defense officials. The Central Command oversees US forces in the Middle East. Irans mission to the United Nations issued a warning to both Israel and the US. Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe, it wrote online. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY! For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had threatened to slap Israel for the Syria strike. In Irans capital, Tehran, witnesses saw long lines at gas stations early Sunday as people appeared worried about what may come next. Dozens of hard-liners demonstrated in support of the attack at Palestine Square. Lebanons state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following Irans launch of drones. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched dozens of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military site in the Golan Heights early Sunday. It was not immediately clear if there was any damage. Iranian missiles or drones were intercepted in the sky above the Jordanian capital, Amman. In Lebanons capital, Beirut, and elsewhere in the country, residents reported seeing missiles in the sky and hearing explosions, likely from interceptions. In Syria, explosions were heard in the capital, Damascus, and elsewhere. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Syrian air defenses tried to shoot down Israeli attempts to intercept Iranian missiles. G7 leaders are to hold urgent talks after Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that saw RAF jets deployed to shoot down drones from Tehran. British prime minister Rishi Sunak is expected to join US President Joe Biden on the call on Sunday amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles early on Sunday. It marks the first time a direct military assault has been launched by Tehran on Israel despite decades enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. The development threatens to become a major regional escalation after years of shadow wars fought between the two foes as the war in Gaza inflames decades-old tensions in the Middle East. Britain and the US have offered staunch support for Israel, with the British Ministry of Defence saying RAF warplanes in Iraq and Syria had been deployed to intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions. (PA Graphics) Israeli military spokesman rear admiral Daniel Hagari said 99% of more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles had been shot down outside the countrys borders, with aircraft intercepting more than 10 cruise missiles. Rescuers said a seven-year-old girl was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a strike, although they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. Mr Sunak condemned in the strongest terms Irans reckless attack as he pledged to continue to stand up for Israels security and that of all our regional partners. The G7 leaders will hold a call on Sunday with updates coming throughout the day, she confirmed. Mr Biden said he would convene the G7 talks to co-ordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. Tehran had been threatening to attack since an air strike, which it blamed on Israel, killed two Iranian generals in Syria on April 1. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken to Mr Biden, who said he had reaffirmed Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. Mr Biden said the US had helped Israel to take down nearly all of the drones and missiles. (PA Graphics) Mr Netanyahu posted on X, formerly Twitter, declaring: We intercepted. We repelled. Together we will win. Tehran has largely avoided directly attacking Israel, despite its targeted killings of nuclear scientists and sabotage campaigns on Irans atomic sites, instead targeting Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces. But it vowed retaliation for what it said was an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne and German foreign minister Annlena Baerbock joined a growing chorus of western leaders urging against escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East, Mr Guterres wrote in a statement. I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war. Iran has warned Israel and the United States of a much larger response if there is any retaliation for its mass drone and missile attack on Israeli territory overnight, as Israel said "the campaign is not over yet". The threat of open warfare erupting between the arch Middle East foes and dragging in the US has put the region on edge as Washington said America did not seek conflict with Iran but would not hesitate to protect its forces and Israel. Iran launched the attack over a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders and followed months of clashes between Israel and Iran's regional allies, triggered by the war in Gaza. However, the attack from hundreds of missiles and drones, mostly launched from inside Iran, caused only modest damage in Israel as most were shot down with the help of the US, Britain and Jordan. An Air Force base in southern Israel was hit, but continued to operate as normal and a 7-year old child was seriously hurt by shrapnel. There were no other reports of serious damage. "We intercepted, we repelled, together we shall win," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media ahead of a planned 1230 GMT meeting of the war cabinet to discuss a response to the attack. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said despite thwarting the attack, the military campaign was not over and "we must be prepared for every scenario". Israel's Channel 12 TV cited an unnamed Israeli official overnight as saying there would be a "significant response" to the attack. Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian said Tehran had informed the United States its attack on Israel would be "limited" and for self-defence. He said Israel's neighbours had also been informed of its planned strikes 72-hours in advance. An Israeli military air force unmanned drone flies over Israel. Picture: AP Photo/Ariel Schalit Global powers Russia, China, France and Germany, as well as Arab states Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, urged restraint. "We will do everything to stop a further escalation," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters during a visit to China. "We can only warn everyone, especially Iran, against continuing this way." Turkey also warned Iran it did not want further tension in the region. The Islamic Republic's mission to the United Nations said its actions were aimed at punishing "Israeli crimes", but that it now "deemed the matter concluded". Iranian army chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri warned on television that "our response will be much larger than tonight's military action if Israel retaliates against Iran" and told Washington its bases could also be attacked if it helped Israel retaliate. US President Joe Biden has pledged "ironclad" support for Israel against Iran, but did not announce any military response on Saturday night, saying instead he would coordinate a diplomatic response with other Western leaders. Analysts debated how far Iran's attack was calibrated to cause genuine devastation in Israel, or to save face at home after vows of revenge while avoiding a major new war. "I think the Iranians took into consideration the fact that Israel has a very, very strong multi-layer anti-missile system and they probably took into consideration that there will not be too many casualties," said Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. Iranian demonstrators chant slogans during an anti-Israeli gathering in front of the British Embassy in Tehran, Iran. Picture: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi But if Iran was hoping for a muted response, like with its missile attacks on US forces in Iraq after the killing of Guards commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020, she warned "I don't think Israel sees it this way". On Saturday Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized an Israel-linked cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy shipping routes, underscoring the risks to the world economy of a wider conflict. Some flights were suspended in countries across the region and share prices fell in stock markets in Israel and Gulf states. The war in Gaza, which Israel invaded after an attack by Iran-backed Hamas on October 7, has spread to fronts with Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq. Iran's most powerful ally in the region, the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah fired rockets at an Israeli base overnight. Israel said it struck a Hezbollah site deep inside Lebanon on Sunday morning. Yemen's Houthis, who have been firing missiles at ships in the Red Sea in what they say is support for the Palestinians, called Iran's attack legitimate. The October 7 attack in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 253 taken hostage, along with internal discontent with the government and international pressure over the war in Gaza, form the backdrop to Netanyahu's decisions over a response. The Israeli prime minister has for years advocated a tough military line against Iran, pushing the United States for harder action over Tehran's nuclear programme and its backing for Hezbollah, Hamas and other groups in the region. In Jerusalem on Sunday, Israelis described their fear during the attack, when sirens wailed and the night sky was shaken by blasts, but differed on how the country should respond. "I think we've been given license to respond now. I mean it was a major attack from Iran... I imagine Israel will respond and may be over quickly and get back to normal life," said Jeremy Smith, 60. In Iran, state television showed small gatherings in several cities celebrating the attack, but in private some Iranians were worried about Israel's response. "Iran gave Netanyahu a golden opportunity to attack our country. But we, the people of Iran, will bear the brunt of this conflict," said Shima, a 29-year-old nurse, from Tehran. More civilians died across Ukraine on Sunday as analysts warned that delays in US military assistance would see Kyiv struggle to fight off Russian offensives. One man was killed when a Russian drone hit the truck he was driving in the Sumy region, the local prosecutors office said. Officials in the Kharkiv region also said they had retrieved the bodies of a 61-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man killed by a Russian strike the previous day. Ten Russian Shahed-type drones were shot down over the Kharkiv region overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Sunday. Meanwhile, shelling in the Russian-occupied Kherson region killed two civilians on Sunday, said Moscow-installed leader Vladimir Saldo. Ukrainian drones were also reported in Russias Krasnodar and Belgorod regions and over the Black Sea, the Russian Defence Ministry said. The news came as Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warned that delays in Western military assistance would increasingly hamper Ukraines ability to fight back against Russian advances. With the war in Ukraine entering its third year and a vital US aid package for Kyiv stuck in Congress, Russia has used its edge in firepower and personnel to step up attacks across eastern Ukraine. It has increasingly used satellite-guided gliding bombs dropped from planes from a safe distance to pummel Ukrainian forces beset by a shortage of troops and ammunition. In its report, the ISW said that Russian forces were prioritising grinding, tactical gains with operational-level efforts focusing on the cities of Lyman, Chasiv Yar, and Pokrovsk. The Russian military command likely assesses that Ukrainian forces will be unable to defend against current and future Russian offensive operations due to delays in or the permanent end of US military assistance, the think tank said. Ukraines military chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Saturday that Ukraines battlefield situation in the industrial east had significantly worsened in recent days, as warming weather allowed Russian forces to launch a fresh push along several stretches of the more than 1,000-kilometre (620-mile)-long front line. In an update on the Telegram messaging app, Gen Syrskyi said Russian forces had been actively attacking Ukrainian positions near the cities of Lyman, Bakhmut and Pokrovsk, and beginning to launch tank assaults as drier, warmer spring weather made it easier for heavy vehicles to move across previously muddy terrain. TOPEKA, Kan.Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, announced that she will not sign age verification legislation that was recently passed through the state legislature. Instead, she will let the bill, Senate Bill (SB) 394, automatically become law by letting it enter force on April 25. The bill levies age verification requirements on websites with users from Kansas IP addresses to check their identities through government identification or transactional data. SB 394 empowers Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican who is supported by white nationalists and the Donald Trump political camp, to enforce the law. While well-meaning in its efforts to protect children from content the legislature considers harmful to minors, this bill is vague in its application and may end up infringing on constitutional rights, which is an issue being litigated in other jurisdictions over similar bills," Gov. Kelly said in a statement. "For that reason, I will allow this bill to become law without my signature," Kelly added. She could have vetoed the bill, but the Republican-held state legislature would have the necessary votes to overturn her veto. SB 394 has been a point of controversy, receiving strong pushback from Democrats in the House of Representatives. One of the controversies is that the age verification proposal is overly broad and could restrict access to otherwise protected speech, including content like LGBTQ+ material on the internet and legal pornography. A far-right socially conservative organization, Kansas Family Voice (KFV), condemned Gov. Kelly for not taking action on SB 394. Brittany Jones, KFV's director of policy and engagement, said, "[S]he showed her cowardice by refusing to take action on the Protecting Kids Online Act. No matter your ideology, you should be able to support protecting children from pornography." In the same statement, Jones referenced other legislation that Kelly vetoed that was intended to significantly drawback abortion and reproductive justice rights in Kansas. Kansas is one of the several states after the overturning of Roe v. Wade to allow voters to vote on and adopt abortion rights. Civil liberties groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, have expressed concerns over how SB 394 could be used to as a mechanism to enable state censorship. We understand the concern that this legislation, like many, could be weaponized to target LGBTQ+ content broadly, said Micah Kubic, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, in a statement to this journalist via a column published by The Pitch, an alt-news weekly in Kansas City. This is yet another reminder of how unfortunate it is that extremist politicians in our state have so frequently targeted the LGBTQ+ community and misused the legislative process." It is worth noting that the national ACLU just announced that it is representing adult industy trade organization the Free Speech Coalition and the parent companies of some of the largest adult platforms on the internet in a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court. The petition to the high court stems from ongoing litigation in the state of Texas, which adopted age verification legislation and so-called public health labeling laws. Greenfield, Mass. (Special to Informed Comment) In June 2023 Amanda Jones, an African American who had recently given birth to her second daughter Miranda, died from pregnancy-related causes. Her state, Georgia, ranks among the least safe states in the country for women to give birth; and the vast majority of women who die during and after pregnancy are poor and disproportionately African American. Though Amanda and her partner worked, they did not have health insurance and she was only eligible for Medicaid coverage for up to 12 months after the birth of her child, none for prenatal care and none after 12 months. The majority of the nearly 26 million uninsured people are low-income families with at least one worker, with no health care coverage through their job and who cannot afford the high cost of private insurance. Further, millions of Americans are losing Medicaid coverage as some states restrict eligibility that was expanded during the Covid pandemic. All the while, corporate healthcare capitalists are raking in record profits the largest gaining $41 billion in profits in 2022. I want my taxes to help fund universal health care for everyone in our country. All but 43 countries offer free healthcare or access to health care for at least 90% of their citizens. Why cannot we, the worlds wealthiest nation for over 60 years, divorce ourselves from corporate capitalist healthcare? What of other social and economic issues as we near Tax Day? Take poverty: 140 million people 40% of US people are poor or near poor, defined as one emergency away from economic ruin, according to the Poor Peoples Campaign. The 140 million are people of every race, ethnicity, age, faith, sex and sexual orientation, while poverty is highest among Black, Latino and Indigenous peoples due to systemic racism. More women than men are poor due to systemic sexism. The pay gap between women and men 21.8% on average has persisted for 30 years, an injustice that deteriorates our democracy. I want my federal and state taxes to lift people out of poverty and end inequality in income. It can be done. Cities are leading the way in raising minimum wage; and they outpace the best states, while the federal minimum wage languishes at a despicable $7.25 per hour These 10 Cities have the Highest Minimum Wage in the U.S. Tukwila, Washington: $20.29. Seattle, Washington: $19.97. SeaTac, Washington: $19.71. West Hollywood, California: $19.08. Mountain View, California: $18.75. Emeryville, California: $18.67. Sunnyvale, California: $18.55. Denver, Colorado: $18.29. Today, the highest minimum wages, by state and Washington, D.C., are in D.C., ($17), Washington ($16.28), California ($16), Connecticut ($15.69) and New Jersey ($15.13). New York has raised its minimum hourly wage in New York City and its suburbs to $16. But we need to do better: A livable wage in Connecticut, that is, an hourly wage that enables a single adult to pay for necessities, including housing, food, utilities, transportation and health care, would be $24.13. Overall, most single Americans need to earn at least $20/hour to pay their bills, given cost of living where they live. More than 1/3 fall short. I want my federal and state tax money used to raise minimum wage to a livable wage in the name of economic justice for everyone. PBS NewsHour Video: Families slip back into poverty after pandemic-era child tax credit expires In 2023, the Department of Defense (aka the Department of War) was allocated $816.7 billion dollars in our national budget, while failing to pass its sixth straight audit. US war spending in 2023 dwarfs that of other countries, totaling more than the next ten highest military budgets combined. Since October 7, the gunboat-diplomacy Biden administration has approved over 100 weapons sales to the government of Israel, an average of 1 every 36 hours. I want my tax money to beat swords into plowshares by supplanting masculinist militarism with intelligent, committed, unrelenting diplomacy that lifts our country above our abject ranking of 131 least peaceful country out of 163 countries on the Global Peace Index. Our arduous path back from flawed to healthy democracy will only be through engaged citizens, activist organizations and unions in cities and some states not shackled in the stranglehold of anti-abortion, anti-immigrant, Trumpian, and extreme religious right politics, nor held hostage by their weapons manufacturers. Voters inCalifornia, Vermont and Michigan in November 2023 adopted amendments to enshrine abortion protections into their respective state constitutions. More states are expected to advance similar measures, because constitutional protections are considered the most ironclad and are very difficult to amend. In February 2024 the city of Flint Michigan recently approved a universal cash program for babies, called Rx Kids, that provides new mothers $1,500 and $500 monthly for their childs first year. The same month, Detroit became the largest U.S. city so far to pass a Move the Money resolution, following the lead of neighboring city Hamtramck, Michigan. The measure, approved unanimously by the City Council, calls on the U.S. Congress and the president to shift public money away from the military to fund social services. In June 2023 the US Conference of Mayors unanimously passed a resolution Calling for Urgent Action to Avoid Nuclear War, Resolve the Ukraine Conflict, Lower Tensions with China, and Redirect Military Spending to Meet Human Needs. In March 2024 the New York State Appellate Court ruled unanimously to affirm Kingston, New Yorks Rent Guidelines Board mandating 15% rent reduction, given the scarcity of rental units and tenant organizing for housing justice. More than 100 US cities, including Chicago and Seattle, have passed resolutions on the genocidal Israel-Gaza war with most calling for a permanent ceasefire, exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian political prisoners and free flow of aid to the Gazan people. Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) Despite all the hype about Irans largely symbolic barrage of over 200 drones and cruise and ballistic missiles, unleashed on the thinly populated Negev Desert (where it was mainly Palestinian Bedouins who were put in danger), the military significance of this action was minimal. An Israeli base was hit at Dimona, which houses the countrys nuclear warheads, but the government said that the damage was negligible. Almost all of the projectiles were shot down, by the Jordanian and Israeli and American Air Forces, or by anti-missile missiles. The only casualty appears to be a 7-year-old Palestinian Bedouin girl, who was seriously injured by a falling missile. Iran struck because Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on April 1 had the consular annex of the Iranian embassy in Damascus bombed, killing high-ranking Iranian officials, including Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and seven other officers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Those officials were there at the invitation of the Syrian government, and embassies are protected from military attack by the Vienna Convention. Iran cited Article 51 of the United Nations Charter for its counter-strike on Israel, which guarantees states the right of self-defense. Embassies are considered national soil. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans clerical Leader, had said Wednesday at his Eid al-Fitr sermon: The consulate and embassy institutions in any country are the soil of that country. The evil regime made a mistake and must be punished and will be punished. He added, The events in Gaza showed the evil nature of Western civilization to the world. They killed thirty-odd thousand defenseless people; arent these human? Do they not have rights? He also said, They showed what kind of civilization this is. A child is killed, in the mothers arms. The patient dies in the hospital. Their power cannot touch the men of the resistance; so they target the lives of family members, the lives of children and the oppressed, the lives of old men. Al Jazeera English Video: Israels war on Gaza live: Blasts, sirens as Iranian missiles intercepted Irans permanent mission to the United Nations in New York wrote on X, Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Irans military action was in response to the Zionist regimes aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY! Tehran is saying that with this exchange, the matter can be deemed concluded. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not looking for an all-out war. It was not only the strike on the Iranian embassy that set the stage for Irans barrage, but also the six months of intensive Israeli bombing of the Palestinians of Gaza, in which the vast majority of those killed were innocent noncombatants, with 70% being women and children and many others noncombatant men. The death toll now stands at 33,686 Palestinians. Only a small clique of militants committed the horrific October 7 attack on Israel, without telling anyone else what they were planning. There is no military or other justification for using an artificial intelligence program to identify all members of Hamass paramilitary (some of which is the equivalent of a neighborhood watch for local security) and to murder them from the skies along with their spouses, children, extended families, and neighbors. Iran is pledged to defend the Palestinians and has been made to look ineffectual and foolish by the ongoing Israeli atrocities, which have set the blood of the publics in the Middle East to boiling and much raised the esteem in which they hold Iran. The embassy strike was the last straw. If Iran did not reply to it at least symbolically, its credibility, and any deterrence it was perceived to have, became a joke. Netanyahu for his part was attempting to provoke Iran, in the hope that Tehran would take the bait. He knew that even Washington had come to see Israel as the aggressor in Gaza, and that he was losing support in Congress. He knew that if the issue became an Iranian attack on Israel, the Western capitals would all rally around him and forgive him at least for a while for having brought the Israeli equivalent of Neo-Nazis into his cabinet and then gone Amalek on tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians. In the end, Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guards let their devotion to the late Gen. Zahedi sway their emotions and they fell for Netanyahus trick. Earlier on Saturday the naval section of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps boarded and confiscated a container ship in the Gulf of Oman that belongs to the company of one of Netanyahus billionaire backers. While this action violated the law of the sea and cant be condoned, it was a wiser way of replying to the embassy attack than sending missiles against Israel. It hit Netanyahu where it hurts and no one would have cared about it in the outside world. Now, we have to suffer with Netanyahu proclaiming his victimhood (he started it) and suffering through statements of solidarity with his fascist government in the face of the ayatollahs, with the ongoing genocide in Gaza cast into the shade. As many observers are pointing out, this very dangerous situation was caused by President Joe Bidens mishandling of the Gaza crisis. He should have cut Netanyahu off at the knees by January 1, once it became clear that the Israelis were implementing their notorious Amalek imperative, which implied genocide. By vetoing 3 United Nations Security Council resolutions demanding a ceasefire and by undercutting the only one he allowed to pass by branding it nonbinding, Biden let the butchery continue apace. It continued the past week, during which Israel continued to bomb the bejesus out of Gaza, to kill hundreds of innocents, and to starve them (despite phony pledges to let more aid in, on which Netanyahu did not follow through.) Biden, UK PM Rishi Sunak and other leaders could also have defused the deliberate provocation of Iran by Netanyahu by simply condemning the embassy attack of April 1 and defending the Vienna convention. Again, the Iranian mission to the UN said this plainly: Had the UN Security Council condemned the Zionist regimes reprehensible act of aggression on our diplomatic premises in Damascus and subsequently brought to justice its perpetrators, the imperative for Iran to punish this rogue regime might have been obviated. Instead, Biden and his allies declined to condemn Netanyahus action, continuing the North Atlantic insouciance toward Israeli war crimes and continuing the implementation of their double standard whereby International Humanitarian Law applies only to white people. That is, there is not as much difference between Trumpian white nationalism and Bidens foreign policy as it might seem on the surface, though Trump is of course far worse.* *earlier syntax problem fixed. Jeon Jong Seo never fails to impress the public with her fashion choices. Whether it's for a K-drama role or a brand event, the actress will surely make heads turn with her amazing physique and style. While some prefer a slender body, the "Money Heist: Korea" star is often spotted flaunting her curves. In case you have the same body type as the actress, here are some fashion inspos from the brilliant star. Bodycon Dresses There's no denying that Jeon Jong Seo knows how to work her S-line curves. In fact, she doesn't shy away from showing it off in modestly manner. It seems like Jeon Jong Seo has mastered modest dressing. Just recently, she opted for a body-hugging turtleneck dress during the Hublot brand event. Netizens were stunned by the actress' hourglass figure as she took center stage for photo ops. She paired the bodycon dress with knee-high leather boots and stockings for an edgy look. Mastering Athleisure Jeon Jong Seo's fashion look once again went viral after the actress graced the Major League World Tour Seoul Series 2024 to be the first pitcher during the special match between the Kiwoom Heroes and the LA Dodgers. The South Korean star stole hearts with her amazing physique as she slayed in moss green leggings, paired with a crop top of the LA Dodgers uniform. Interestingly, her outfit went viral and landed on various videos of different content creators, lauding the "leggings pitch" look. A TikTok post, which currently has 2.1 million views and counting, defended the actress from netizens who criticized her look, saying that it was "too provocative" for a sporting event. On the other hand, because of her incredible physique and charm, Jeon Jong Seo also represented the Italian active outdoor brand Hydrogen, making her one of their global ambassadors. Anything Oversized Another staple in Jeon Jong Seo's fashion look is oversized items. From tops to outerwear and bottoms, the actress definitely knows how to rock oversized clothing. As seen on her Instagram, she also showcases her inner tomboy, wearing large hoodies and shirts. Going for Basic Of course, every girl's wardrobe will not be complete without the basics! As for Jeon Jong Seo, she likes to keep her basics as minimal as possible. For instance, she opted for a moss green sleeveless top paired with gray pants for a casual look. However, she decided to spice up the outfit by wearing Prada combat boots for extra height, attitude, and style. For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Flores As fans are already excited for the "Queen of Tears" special broadcast, the drama's production announced that Kim Soo Hyun, Kim Ji Won, and more will film the episodes separately. 'Queen of Tears' Special Broadcast: Cast To Film Individually Ahead of "Queen of Tears" finale, tvN announced that the production will release a two-part special broadcast due to its skyrocketing popularity. It is also their gift to fans and viewers for their unwavering love and support. It has been said that the additional episodes will be approximately 60 minutes long. This news immediately brought delight to the public as they are already looking forward to seeing the lead stars Kim Soo Hyun, Kim Ji Won, Park Sung Hoon, Kwak Dong Yeon, and Lee Ju Bin again in one frame. "Queen of Tears" special broadcast was prepared to soothe the disappointment of the drama's finale. Rather than a simple highlight broadcast, the actors will directly explain the scenes. The cast members are planning to tell various stories related to filming the drama through pre-production. Kim Soo Hyun, Kim Ji Won, More Will NOT Film 'Queen of Tears' Special Episodes Together However, as reported by a media outlet on April 13, Kim Soo Hyun, Kim Ji Won, Park Sung Hoon, and Kwak Dong Yeon will not be able to gather in one place to film the special broadcast. It may be disappointing for viewers hoping for their reunion. It has been reported that it is difficult for the cast to get together as filming has already concluded and the actors are already working on their individual schedules. According to the news, some have already been filmed, and some will be filmed later. Additionally, it was mentioned in the previous report that the fans and viewers can participate in the special broadcast by sending their questions to the team and the actors will directly answer them. Jang Yoon Ju, Kim Do Hyun To Join Special Episode Broadcast Jang Yoon Ju, who plays as Baek Hyun Woo's sister, and Kim Do Hyun will appear in the "Queen of Tears" special and are in charge of commentary. It is expected that the two will explain and highlight scenes from the drama that evoke empathy from viewers. Furthermore, the "Queen of Tears" special broadcast is scheduled to be released on May 4 and 5 at 9:10 p.m. (KST). For now, catch the remaining two weeks for "Queen of Tears" every Saturday and Sunday. 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. A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has been briefed on the evolving situation in the Middle East after Israel announced it was closing its airspace. Trudeau reads a document presented to him by counsel at the Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, Wednesday, April 3, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Photo Credit: ESPN The Professional Fighters League hosted their second event of the 2024 Regular Season on Friday night. And while the night was overall a fun event filled with some high-action fights, it was somewhat overshadowed when a hot mic from PFL announcer Sean OConnell made a joke about a fighters steroid use. One of the biggest moments of the event came when former PFL Light Heavyweight champion Rob Wilkinson came up with a first-round knockout victory over Tom Breese just over a minute into the fight. The win for Wilkinson continues what would be a six-fight winning streak in the promotion. Except for the fact that his last fight was overturned to a no-contest after Wilkinson tested positive for anabolic steroids. He was subsequently suspended for nine months and issued a fine by the promotion. OConnell made light of this accidentally immediately after Wilkinsons knockout victory on Friday night after he was caught on a hot mic asking whether or not he should bring up the steroid use during his post-fight interview in the cage. Can I ask him Can I ask him about his steroids? Where he got them? "Can I ask him about his steroids?" Someone didn't know his mic was on. (H/T @MMACASUALS1, @Boogerbeard1) pic.twitter.com/5dqlA7kqhW Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 13, 2024 It seemed like he was joking based on the fact that he mentioned bringing up where Wilkinson got them. But regardless, the moment pretty clearly took away from Wilkinsons big moment in his return to the promotion. On Saturday, OConnell took to social media to issue an apology to Wilkinson, saying that needs to be better considering the impressive performance Wilkinson had just put on. Apologies to Rob Wilkinson and team about the wisecrack on hot mic. Gotta be better. Never want to be a lame distraction from a great performance. Apologies to Rob Wilkinson and team about the wisecrack on hot mic. @FactoryXMTMMA Gotta be better. Never want to be a lame distraction from a great performance. Sean O'Connell (@realOCsports) April 13, 2024 To be fair to OConnell, he pretty clearly didnt realize that he could be heard. And when you are found guilty of steroid use like Wilkinson was, you open yourself up to this kind of criticism. Still, it clearly wasnt the time for OConnell to bring this up. And he seems to realize that, which is at least a good sign in terms of his broadcasting career moving forward. [Sean OConnell on Twitter/X] Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers remarks on recent developments in Israel in Ottawa on Saturday, April 13, 2024. U.S. President Joe Biden said he would convene the meeting of the Group of Seven advanced democracies to co-ordinate a united diplomatic response to an attack he described as brazen. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby Sunday, April 14, 2024 - Reverend Ruth Wamuyus husband, Bishop Theuri Maina, has been preying on his female congregants. According to a source, he has impregnated several ladies in his church. Last year, a lady came to his church with a baby, accusing him of being a deadbeat dad but she was denied entry. It is also emerging Sabina Mutheu, the trending lady he was accused of impregnating was threatened to record a video and deny the allegations. His wife Ruth Wamuyu has been contemplating divorce due to his cheating behaviours. Here is an expose on the rogue preacher via Cyprian Nyakundi. Expose this crook who is a bishop (of Victors Assembly Church Kikuyu) on Sundays and a fraud on weekdays. His name is Theuri Maina, husband to renowned Kikuyu gospel artist and reverend at the same church, Ruth Wamuyu. There was a recent expose of him where he impregnated a young lady from his church, but later they made her record a video denying those allegations; I'm sure she must have been threatened to do that. The fact is he is well known to prey on young congregants in his church. Last year, a lady came to his church with a kid claiming that he was a deadbeat, but he had her prevented from entering the church. He later forced her to come confess in church that she was being used to tarnish his name. He has impregnated several, it's not just these two, but they end up being threatened whenever they try to speak out. He openly says during his sermons that he is untouchable and nothing can be done to him because he is well connected to the 'who's who' in the country, and truth to it, he has most of Kikuyu town politicians in his pockets and top UDA politicians as he played a pivotal role in their victories. He was recently appointed the chairman of the Kenya National Library Service Board, among other appointments. They don't live together with the wife, and they have been separated for a while, each leading a separate church branch. They were last seen together in 2019, and the recent photos he's using in his posters are not really recent. There were rumors that she has been seeking divorce, and it was to happen in March this year, but he has been doing all he can to prevent it from happening. He is one of the crooks that hide behind Christianity. He has survived so many attempts of assassination, and it's well known in Kikuyu town. Recently in the streets of Kilimani, he was attacked and robbed of more than half a million Kenya shillings. It was rumored that it was a plan by his Kilimani female escorts. He now has some boys from his church that guard him and work like his security team, but he does not pay them despite the risk he puts them in. In his church, if you don't worship him or don't have money, he doesn't recognize you. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Sunday, April 14, 2024 - In an escalating confrontation between the Catholic Church and the Kenya Kwanza government, the Church has accused President William Ruto of scheming to take over Catholic-sponsored schools. In a press conference, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB highlighted the proposed Basic Education Bill 2024 and Universities (Amendment) Bill 2024 as critical areas where the government appears to be encroaching on the autonomy traditionally enjoyed by religious organizations in managing educational institutions. Archbishop Maurice Muhatia of Kisumu, the newly elected KCCB chairperson, articulated the church's apprehensions. There appears to be a deliberate intent by the government to diminish and undermine the role of the Catholic Church, and indeed all faiths, as custodians of morality in our society, he stated. The Catholic Church operates a vast network of educational establishments, including 5,821 primary schools, 1,756 secondary schools, 2,513 early childhood development institutions, 220 vocational institutions, and 21 teacher training colleges. "Collectively, these institutions account for a significant portion of the national educational framework. The proposed legislation marks a profound shift in the government's approach towards church-sponsored schools, Muhatia explained. According to the Basic Education Bill, the role of 'sponsors' in education will be redefined, granting the Cabinet Secretary sweeping powers to influence decisions affecting private and church-sponsored schools. This is a stark departure from the historical agreements between the Church and the State regarding the administration of church-founded educational institutions, Muhatia added, emphasizing the breach of trust and tradition this represents. Moreover, the Bill specifies that the chairperson of the Board of Management for public schools sponsored by faith-based organizations will be appointed by the County Education Board in consultation with the sponsors, a move that the Church sees as a further erosion of its influence. It is perplexing that the government chooses to focus on the control of private and faith-based universities at a time when public universities are facing severe challenges, remarked Muhatia. We advocate for standards and guidelines set by the Ministry of Education, but insist on thorough and respectful consultations with all parties involved in matters that impact our institutions, he added. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, April 14, 2024 - Anti-narcotics detectives in Mombasa have arrested a notorious drug dealer, who has been using school-going girls to distribute drugs. The drug dealer, popularly known as Mwinyi Marebe, was found in possession of one kilogram of heroin, assorted packaging materials, a weighing scale, and Sh 1,780,480 in cash. Police believe the money is the proceeds of drugs. Detectives caught him flat-footed during the dawn raid at the Magogoni area in Kisauni. He has been operating the illegal drug business at the home of his second wife, Fatuma Hamisi. The suspect is alleged to be a seasoned drug trafficker in the Coast region. He has mastered the art of using school-going girls to distribute the drugs. Marebe's arrest comes a few days after Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu revealed that some students and school staff were trafficking drugs in schools and urged administrators to deal with such cases. See photos. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Sunday, April 14, 2024 - Government spokesman, Isaac Mwaura has told Kenyans to expect a major announcement on the reduction of fuel prices. A major announcement on the reduction of fuel prices shall be made today at 3:00 pm by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Agency (EPRA), Mwaura said on X (formerly Twitter) Mwaura noted that the expected reduction in fuel prices will have a ripple effect on the high cost of living which Kenyans have been decrying. This will go a long way in reducing the cost of living in the country for hustlers and Kenyans at large, Mwaura said. Truly, Kenya Kwanza led by President William Ruto is delivering on its promises. Stay tuned! The last review of fuel prices by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) was in mid-March. Epra reviewed fuel prices leading to a reduction of petrol pump price by Sh7.21 per litre. In the Mach review, the Authority also reduced prices per litre of diesel by Sh5.09 and that of kerosene by Sh4.49. In Nairobi, the price of petrol retailed at Sh199.15, diesel retailed at Sh190.38, and Kerosene at Sh188.74. Super petrol retailed at Sh195.97, diesel at Sh187.21, and kerosene at Sh185.58 in Mombasa. In Nakuru super petrol retailed at Sh198.21, diesel at Sh189.82, and kerosene at Sh188.21. Super petrol retailed at Sh198.98, diesel at Sh190.59, and kerosene at Sh188.98 in Eldoret. In Kisumu, the price of petrol retailed at Sh198.97, diesel retailed at Sh190.59, and Kerosene at Sh188.96. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, April 14, 2024 - President William Ruto held a meeting with the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) at State House in Nairobi on Friday to iron out their differences. This is after the Catholic Bishops raised serious issues about the Kenya Kwanza government that needed the presidents urgent attention. During the meeting, the head of state acknowledged and lauded the clergy for its support in the governments development agenda, categorically in the health and education sectors. Ruto vowed to collaborate with the religious leaders in a bid to strengthen the countrys governance. The church is a valuable partner in our development agenda. We appreciate their input in the health and education sectors and look forward to working together to strengthen our countrys governance, the head of state pronounced. The Bishops had raised concerns on various issues with the clergy calling on quick action by the government. Among the issues raised by the KCCB included the unwarranted hike in the permit charge fee for missionaries, which was allegedly raised to Ksh150,000 from Ksh15,000. In a presser held in Karen, Nairobi, the bishops urged the government to reconsider its take on the levy and scrap it off. The bishops also called for an immediate resolution to the ongoing doctors strike. KCCB, in its statement, urged the striking doctors to put patients first. Other issues that were raised by the clergy include the repayment of the Ksh2 billion debt the govt owed to the Catholic-led hospitals. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, April 14, 2024 - Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome has urged police not to allow striking doctors to demonstrate in the streets. According to the IG, the medics have been disrupting the free flow of vehicles and movement of people during their demonstrations. Koome further said that the medics have engaged in the demonstrations without notifying police officers, which is contrary to the laws of Kenya. The medics have become a public nuisance, blowing whistles and vuvuzelas during the demonstrations thus causing discomfort to patients in hospitals and the general public, a statement from the IG on Sunday detailed. He further stated that non-medics, who have intentions of causing havoc to the public, intend to join the ongoing demonstrations. Therefore, the medics have been urged to conduct the demonstrations with caution, as any act of infringing the rights of the general public will not be tolerated. In the interest of national security, therefore, all respective Police Commanders have been instructed to deal with such situations firmly and decisively per the law. We wish to caution all doctors to refrain from infringing on the rights of others while demonstrating, and that their efforts to disrupt smooth operations of hospitals will not be tolerated, Koome added. The Kenyan DAILY POST A scientific meeting called "Shusha Summit of Cardiovascular Surgeons" was held in the city of Shusha, organized by the Society of Cardiovascular Surgery of Azerbaijan, with the support of the Ministry of Health, TABIB and the State Agency for Compulsory Medical Insurance. This event is the first scientific meeting held in our territories freed from occupation after the restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Azernews reports, citing Azertag that at the opening ceremony, the National Anthem of Azerbaijan was played and the memory of the martyrs was commemorated at the meeting attended by the representatives of relevant state institutions, doctors working in the field of cardiovascular surgery and cardiology in our country. Speaking at the event, Honorary Chairman of Azerbaijan Heart and Vascular Surgery, Professor Kamran Musayev emphasized the importance of the scientific medical meeting held for the first time in our cultural capital Shusha. He said that cardiovascular surgeons are proud, like every citizen of Azerbaijan, thanks to the great Victory won under the leadership of the President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Muzaffar Ilham Aliyev. Emil Iskanderov, head of the Department of Continuing Medical Education of the Department of Medical Education and Innovations of TABIB, said in his speech that the scientific meeting of cardiovascular surgeons will make an important contribution to doctors discussing scientific innovations and exchanging experience. Ramil Aliyev, chairman of the Azerbaijan Heart and Vascular Surgery Society, pointed out that the program of the meeting includes the speeches of cardiovascular surgeons and cardiologists, and that both the speeches and discussions will be useful for the participants to update their knowledge and exchange experience. The meeting continued with panel discussions. Speakers "Minimally invasive techniques in the surgical treatment of congenital heart defects", "LAA closure in atrial fibrillation: for whom and when?", "Surgical approach to gunshot injury of the aortic arch", "Asymptomatic lower extremity peripheral arterial disease and intermittent claudication: 2024 year clinical practice guidelines", "Minimally Invasive valvular surgery: for whom and when?", "Diagnosis and drug treatment in functional mitral regurgitation", "Modern approach in the treatment of deep venous thrombosis" and "ECMO after open heart surgery: timing and tactics" made presentations and discussed the topics. Saturday, April 13, 2024 Roberto Cavalli, the Italian fashion designer known for his glamorous designs and colourful prints, has died in Florence at the age of 83. "It is with great sadness that today we say our final goodbyes to our founder Roberto Cavalli," his brand announced in a statement on Instagram Friday, April 12. "From humble beginnings in Florence, Roberto succeeded in becoming a globally recognised name loved and respected by all. Naturally talented and creative, Roberto believed that everyone can discover and nurture the artist within themselves. "Roberto Cavallis legacy will live on via his creativity, his love of nature and via his family who he cherished." Cavallis cause of death was not immediately shared. He was known for his rich aesthetic, which featured flamboyant prints inspired by the worlds of exotic flora and fauna, high hemlines and even lower waistlines. His lifestyle was equally lavish, with his main residence a 13-hectare (32-acre) Tuscan estate featureing a vineyard, tanning machine, racehorses, Ferraris and a menagerie of animals including parrots, iguanas, a Persian cat, a monkey and tiger. His estate also included a personal helicopter and a superyacht called Freedom. Its design was inspired by the movie Batman. Cavalli launched his eponymous label in 1970 and made a name for himself when he patented a new way of printing on leather. Sunday, April 14, 2024 - Succession politics in Azimio la Umoja has taken a new twist after former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, through his Spokesman Professor Makau Mutua, revealed intrigues behind the agreement that was signed between coalition members before the 2022 elections. In a statement, Mutua detailed that the agreement provided for the position of deputy party leader, however, no one was chosen to fill it. He added that no provision dictates that Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua will take over from Raila should he be elected as the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson. "The Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Deed of Agreement provides for a deputy party leader, but one was never chosen, or designated. The position is vacant. "Nor is there any provision that Azimios running mate in the 2022 elections would be deputy party leader," he stated. Mutua made the remarks in response to Karua's interview on Thursday, where she asserted that she was never in line should Raila move to Addis Ababa. During the interview, the Narc Kenya party leader also hit out at Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, maintaining that she was more suitable to take over the mantle of the opposition coalition party. If Im the deputy, is that a question? Even in small organisations like a school, when the headmaster goes to a meeting in Nairobi, who acts? It is the deputy, If we are unable to follow simple basic rules, then something is very wrong with us," she stated during the interview. Notably, in recent days, Kalonzo and Karua have taken a swipe at each other over their strategies to succeed Raila. In particular, Kalonzo has criticised Karua for being part of a Kamwene outfit that focuses on issues facing the Mt Kenya region. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, April 14, 2024- A 17-year-old Form Three student who went missing after killing his cousin, a 12-year-old Grade Seven pupil, on Friday night at Kagio in Kirinyaga County, has been arrested. Kirinyaga Police Commander Andrew Naibei confirmed the arrest and said the teenager, a student at Gathuthiini Secondary School, was apprehended at his uncles residence in Ruaka, Kiambu County, on Saturday morning. After arriving in Ruaka, he reportedly confessed quietly to his uncle about the heinous act, admitting to killing his cousin and then intending to harm his grandmother. He sold his bicycle to fund his journey to his uncles place. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, as the boy was left alone with his cousin, who was studying, while the girls mother went to the market. The victims mother, Pauline Wairimu, expressed deep regret over inviting the boy to stay with them, given the tragic outcome. Naibei stated that the suspect would be transferred from Kiambu to Kirinyaga, where he would be held at Kiamaciri Police Station pending his court appearance to face murder charges. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Sunday, April 14, 2024 Celebrated City Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi has warned President William Ruto to fire Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi, or else, things will never be the same again for him. Linturi has been dragged into the saga of a fake fertiliser brand supplied to Kenyan farmers. The CS has been dominating headlines and news pages over his approach to the scandal. While appearing on the agriculture departmental committees both in the National Assembly and Senate, Linturi renounced the reports that the government was supplying fake inputs under its subsidy programme, clarifying that the fertiliser in question was only short of the requisite elements. But, according to Ahmednasir, Linturi could dent Ruto's legacy if he still keeps him around. He noted that showing Linturi the door is the current bare minimum for the president. "President William Ruto will be excused and even forgiven for overlooking the palpable incompetence of Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi. "But he will not be forgiven for not acting decisively in chopping off Linturi's head in light of the treasonous fertiliser scandal in the ministry," the lawyer said. Meanwhile, Linturi directed the immediate shutdown of KEL chemical company pending investigations of fake fertilizer supplied to farmers. In a statement on Friday, CS Linturi also ordered the manufacturing license issued to the company to be revoked immediately. The Agriculture CS issued the directive after he visited the companys manufacturing plant in Thika town, Kiambu County. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, April 14, 2024 It appears Kenyans dont want anything to do with President William Rutos foreign jobs, no matter how well they are paying. This is after they refused to apply for jobs in Saudi Arabia after Rutos deal with the Middle Eastern country. Labour Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore revealed low applications for 2,500 jobs that were secured by Ruto in Saudi Arabia. She revealed this when she appeared before the National Assembly's Diaspora and Migrant Committee. According to the CS, they only received 1,765 applications. The CS also noted that there were more male applicants than female applicants for the jobs targeting nurses. However, Bore attributed the low applications to the low perception among Kenyans of the salary scale that was being offered. The shortfall in applications for the vacancies has been attributed to the low perception of the salary offer amongst applicants and the requirements for a 90-day bonding period for the Private Recruitment Agency facilitating the process, she explained. Notably out of the 1,765 applications, only 586 candidates met the qualifications and are set to undertake their interviews in the coming days. Nonetheless, she reiterated that those who had already qualified for the jobs had already secured the required travel documents. Bore added that her ministry was keen to implement measures aimed at enhancing the efficiency of travel for Kenyans who had secured jobs facilitated by the government. The Saudi nursing jobs were advertised in January this year with the positions attracting salaries of up to Ksh146,000. The Kenyan DAILY POST Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The first in a series of talks will be presented at The Cave Bar on Tuesday, April 16 at 8pm by Donie Butler, Kilkenny railway enthusiast. The principle focus in this first lecture will be the railway station at Corbetstown. Corbetstown is located just to the side of the N78 before the Cave Bar on the Kilkenny to Castlecomer main road. Corbetstown station was located on the Dunmore West Junction to Castlecomer railway branch line. The line opened in 1919 with the first passenger service commencing from Castlecomer to Kilkenny on 21st February 1921. Corbetstown was sometimes described as a halt rather than a station. The catalyst for the opening of this branch line off the main Kilkenny to Maryborough (Portlaoise) line was the coal mines at Deer Park Colliery and the Leinster Coalfield in general. Captain RH Prior-Wandesforde of Castlecomer House was the main promoter of the building of the railway line as he had been lobbying the government for the line for over 25-year period. WT Cosgrave, MP for North Kilkenny played a pivotal role in enabling the funding of the line through securing a British War Office grant. British engineering was in dire need of fuel to aid its industry to support the War effort and rebuild the country following World War I. The 1901 Census tells us that there was just 14 families resident in the townland. It also had an RIC Police Barracks with three Constables and a Sergeant based there. The Muldowney family had the licensed premises over several generations with Elizabeth Muldowney the publican in 1901 and her son George Muldowney the publican in 1911. There was a level crossing just beyond the Station and before the Cave Bar. Matt and Biddy ODwyer were the last to have operated the level crossing gates until the line closed on January 1, 1963. There was a total of eight level crossings on the line between Dunmore West and Deer Park. Much of the heritage of the line will be highlighted during the talk. Donie Butler will talk you through the specific route listing all the level crossings, known gate keepers, heritage landmarks still surviving along the way. Some rare or possibly even unseen before photographs will be included in the presentation. The contents of the 1901 and 1911 Census containing details of those people who lived at Corbetstown will be touched on too. So, go along on Tuesday, April 16 at 8pm and see for yourself. Admission is free. Joe Maher at the Cave Bar will have a warm welcome and greeting for you on arrival. The lecture delivered by John Dorney on March 22 to the South Kilkenny Historical Society dealt with the army mutiny of 1924. Mr Dorney began by highlighting the international situation post-World War, when nationalist movements in Poland and Turkey had ended in military rule headed by charismatic figures, Pilsudski and Ataturk; counter revolution in Hungary and Finland had led to military rule post-1918 under military figures Horthy and Mannerheim; and Kapp Putsch in Germany, former military in right wing Frei Korps attempting to overthrow Weimar Republic in 1920. He then went on to outline the situation in Ireland following the Civil War and the precarious financial situation in which the Free State found itself. This financial situation necessitated the rapid demobilisation of the army. However, the demobilisation of the army was not a simple task, as security needed to be maintained; the IRA, while defeated, had not disappeared or surrendered; there was the possibility of a destabilising effect of dumping thousands of troops on the labour market; and the implications of a decision as to who to demobilise first. In the autumn of 1923 a decision was made to reduce the strength of the army and to reorganise it for peacetime. This entailed a reduction of 30,000, to 17,000 personnel and eventually to 8,000, with ancillary organisations such as the Railway Protection Corps and the Special Infantry Corps to be disbanded first. A small group of officers, led mainly by former members of Collins intelligence unit, attempted to resist the efforts to demobilise and it evolved into what has been called the Army Mutiny of March 1924. This demobilisation led to serious discipline breaches, such as bank and post office robberies, the hanging of William Downes and a number of sexual assault cases in Kenmare and Mayo. The crisis within the army was solved but the government was divided, with Richard Mulcahy resigning as Minister for Defence and Kevin OHiggins emerging victorious. Today, the mutiny is often dismissed as a mere farce. However, it was led by very dangerous men, most of whom served in the IRA Squad and Intelligence Department during the War of Independence. John Dorney concluded by stating that the importance of the Army Mutiny of 1924 was not in what actually happened but that when it was resolved the supremacy of democratic control was established over the Defence Forces. An interesting and informative question and answer session followed the lecture and the organisers were very pleased with the turnout, the quality of the lecture and the interest shown by the attendance. The next South Kilkenny Historical Society lecture takes place at 8pm on Friday, April 26 in Mullinavat Parish Hall (opposite St Beacons Church). This lecture, Kilkennys Titanic Survivor will be delivered by MaryAnn Vaughan. This photo taken on April 12, 2024 shows the opening ceremony of the water-splashing festival in Mangshi City, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The water-splashing festival is regarded as one of the most important festivals observed by the Dai and the De'ang people in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. People splash water on one another during the festival, wishing happiness and good fortune. This year's festival kicked off here on Friday and will last to April 13. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao) Tourists and local people celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Mangshi City, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 12, 2024. The water-splashing festival is regarded as one of the most important festivals observed by the Dai and the De'ang people in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. People splash water on one another during the festival, wishing happiness and good fortune. Tourists and local people celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Mangshi City, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 12, 2024. The water-splashing festival is regarded as one of the most important festivals observed by the Dai and the De'ang people in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. People splash water on one another during the festival, wishing happiness and good fortune. Performers perform during the opening ceremony of the water-splashing festival in Mangshi City, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 12, 2024. The water-splashing festival is regarded as one of the most important festivals observed by the Dai and the De'ang people in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. People splash water on one another during the festival, wishing happiness and good fortune. Performers perform during the opening ceremony of the water-splashing festival in Mangshi City, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 12, 2024. The water-splashing festival is regarded as one of the most important festivals observed by the Dai and the De'ang people in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. People splash water on one another during the festival, wishing happiness and good fortune. Opposition party sweeps constituencies that border Seoul By Jung Da-hyun The ruling People Power Party's (PPP) drive to incorporate Gimpo and several cities adjacent to Seoul into the capital is feared to be falling apart in the wake of its general election defeat in many of the electoral districts that border Seoul. In the April 10 elections, candidates of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) took all National Assembly seats representing Gimpo, Goyang, Uiwang, Guri and Gwacheon, all of which showed interest in the mega-city initiative, first proposed by then-People Power Party Chairman Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon in November last year. At the time, the DPK strongly opposed the idea, denouncing it as an ill-advised populist plan to curry favor with voters before the elections. The ruling party is now losing momentum in continuing with its proposed plan. Kim Ju-young, an electee in the Gimpo-A constituency, emphasized that incorporation is not an immediate priority. He stressed the need for proper infrastructure development in Gimpo before considering such a plan. Similarly, Rep. Park Sang-hyuk, who successfully defended his parliamentary seat representing the Gimpo-B constituency, stressed the necessity of conducting a thorough review of the reorganization of administrative districts, pointing out the lack of a thorough assessment regarding Gimpo's incorporation into Seoul. Critics argue that this pledge failed to gain sufficient support based on the consensus of the voters. In February, before the general elections, Han Dong-hoon, former interim leader of the PPP, announced plans to propose a bill to add Gimpo into Seoul and divide Gyeonggi Province into north and south divisions. According to political observers, discussions for the mega city plan are likely to fade away and, in the lead-up to the local elections in 2026, may resurface even though the issue is not expected to draw as much attention as it did before. Meanwhile, Gimpo Mayor Kim Byung-soo, from the PPP, said he is determined to continue advocating for the mega city plan during a New Year's press conference in February. He shared he intends to reintroduce the incorporation bill in the 22nd National Assembly, even if it couldn't be addressed in the 21st National Assembly. The special act proposed by the PPP in the 21st National Assembly for Gimpo's incorporation into Seoul is currently being scrapped without a referendum before the general elections. China's emergence as a great economic power has induced an epochal shift in patterns of world trade. Simultaneously, it has challenged much of the received empirical wisdom about how labor markets adjust to trade shocks. Alongside the heralded consumer benefits of expanded trade are substantial adjustment costs and distributional consequences. These impacts are most visible in the local labor markets in which the industries exposed to foreign competition are concentrated. Adjustment in local labor markets is remarkably slow, with wages and labor-force participation rates remaining depressed and unemployment rates remaining elevated for at least a full decade after the China trade shock commences. Exposed workers experience greater job churning and reduced lifetime income. At the national level, employment has fallen in the US industries more exposed to import competition, as expected, but offsetting employment gains in other industries have yet to materialize. Better understanding when and where trade is costly, and how and why it may be beneficial, is a key item on the research agenda for trade and labor economists. This review discusses findings from the rapidly growing literature on China's rise that have enriched our understanding of the impact of trade shocks on developed countries. We begin by discussing why China's long-awaited reemergence is helpful for studying the impacts of trade on labor-market outcomes. We then offer a simple theoretical framework that guides inquiry on measuring and interpreting these impacts. Next, we present evidence on how trade shocks originating in China have affected industries and plants, local labor markets housing those plants, and individual workers employed (or formerly employed) in those industries and local markets. We suggest how these results should cause us to rethink the short- and medium-run gains from trade. Finally, we argue that having failed to anticipate how significant the dislocations from trade might be, it is incumbent on the literature to more convincingly estimate the gains from trade, such that the case for free trade is not based on the sway of theory alone, but on a foundation of evidence that illuminates who gains, who loses, by how much, and under what conditions. China's rise has provided a rare opportunity for studying the impact of a large trade shock on labor markets in developed economies. An emerging literature on this topic offers a wealth of evidence and surprises that should catalyze and discipline research for many years to come. We believe that this evidence calls into question the consensus of the early 2000s and makes clear that, after the early Bretton Woods era aberration, the distributional consequences of trade are alive and well. Although these results do not at all suggest that international trade is in the aggregate harmful to nationsindeed, China's unprecedented rise from widespread poverty bears testimony to trade's transformative economic powerthey make clear that trade not only has benefits but also significant costs. These include distributional costs, which theory has long recognized, and adjustment costs, which the literature has tended to downplay. Better understanding when and where trade is costly, and how and why it may be beneficial, is a key item on the research agenda for trade and labor economists. Developing effective tools for managing and mitigating the costs of trade adjustment should be high on the agenda for policymakers and applied economists. Just as the economics profession was reaching consensus on the consequences of trade for wages and employment, an epochal shift in patterns of world trade was gaining momentum. China, for centuries an economic laggard, was finally emerging as a great power and toppling established patterns of trade accordingly. The advance of China, as we argue below, has also toppled much of the received empirical wisdom about the impact of trade on labor markets. The consensus that trade could be strongly redistributive in theory but was relatively benign in practice has not stood up well to these new developments. Nor has the belief that trade adjustment is relatively frictionless, with impacts that diffuse over large skill categories rather than being concentrated among groups of workers in trade-competing industries or locations. In quantifying these impacts and adjustment frictions, recent evidence further suggests that the short- and medium-run adjustment costs demanded by large trade shocks are sizable entries in the accounting of gains from trade. A corollary of these observations is that trade should affect prevailing wage levels nationally but not employment rates locally or regionally. Moreover, given the presumed fluidity of US labor markets, even in the short- or medium run, the aggregate gains from trade in the United States should be positive. 4 Third, contrary to the predictions of textbook trade models, manufacturing industries in developed countries appeared to be substituting toward high-skill workers despite rising skill prices, suggesting that these industries were experiencing a skill-biased demand shift that emanated logically from the adoption of new technology ( Berman et al. 1998 ). Although trade in the form of offshoring may produce such demand shifts, its modest scale in the 1980s and early 1990s meant that its estimated impacts were far smaller than those of investments in high-tech capital and equipment ( Feenstra & Hanson 1999 ). 2 Finally, simple factor-content calibration exerciseswhich rescaled traded-good imports into embodied labor importsfound that rising trade integration could account for only a small part of the fall in relative wages of low-skill workers in the United States ( Borjas et al. 1997 , Krugman 2000 ). 3 When Richard Freeman asked in 1995 if US wages were being set in Beijing, his answer was an emphatic no ( Freeman 1995 ). Several pieces of evidence favored these conclusions. First, the share of US employment in manufacturing had been in decline since the end of World War II, peaking at 39.0% of US nonfarm employment in January of 1944 and then falling decade after decade to a low of 8.6% in June 2015 ( Figure 1 ). The disappearance of manufacturing jobs was nothing new. Second, the steep rise in wage inequality and fall in real wages of low-education workers in the United States and many other developed countries did not coincide closely with rising trade openness. As Feenstra (1998) and Leamer (2000) note, the ratio of merchandise trade to GDP in the developed world rose steeply during the 1970s but stabilized thereafter, which greatly weakened the case for trade, having caused rising wage inequality and falling low-skill wages during the 1980s and early 1990s. Views on how trade affects wages and employment turned less sanguine in the 1990s. As wage inequality rose, low-skill wages and employment fell, and manufacturing employment contracted in the United States, globalization was seen initially as a prime suspect. After vigorous inquiry, concern about the labor-market consequences of trade receded. Economists did not find trade to have had substantial adverse distributional effects in developed economies, either for low-skill workers specifically or for import-competing factors and sectors more generally. 1 The broad sentiment that emerged in the literature was that labor-market developments were primarily attributable to technological changes that complemented high-skill workers and reduced labor demand in manufacturing. The impact of international trade on these outcomes seemed to be modest, at best. Of course, introductory trade theory also teaches us that international trade is not generally Pareto improving. In their undergraduate textbook, Krugman & Obstfeld (2008 , p. 64) write, Owners of a country's abundant factors gain from trade, but owners of a country's scarce factors lose [C]ompared with the rest of the world the United States is abundantly endowed with highly skilled labor and () low-skilled labor is correspondingly scarce. This means that international trade tends to make low-skilled workers in the United States worse offnot just temporarily, but on a sustained basis. For the first three or four decades of the Bretton Woods era, however, there was little occasion to scrutinize the benefits of trade. Most goods flows were NorthNorthbetween nations with relatively similar average incomeswhich helped subdue distributional impacts. Mainstream economists have long argued that international trade improves welfare. Although trade may redistribute income, theory assures us that under standard conditions the gains to winners are more than sufficient to offset any losses incurred by those suffering adverse effects from foreign competition. Belief in the Pareto-improving nature of trade made economists front-line advocates for the broad-based liberalization of commerce that was embedded in the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) and other institutions built to manage the global economy after World War II ( Bhagwati 1989 ). Paul Krugman states this view vividly in his 1997 Journal of Economic Literature article: If economists ruled the world, there would be no need for a World Trade Organization (WTO). The economist's case for free trade is essentially a unilateral case: a country serves its own interests by pursuing free trade regardless of what other countries may do ( Krugman 1997 , p. 113). Trade imbalances complicate matters by introducing a temporal dimension into sectoral employment adjustment (see Crino & Epifani 2014 on how changes in trade balances affect labor-market outcomes in a NorthSouth trade model). Suppose that policy distortions in Chinasuch as the excess absorption of credit by state-owned enterprises ( Song et al. 2011 )induce the country to run a trade surplus and the US to run a trade deficit. Growth in China's manufacturing sector due to enhanced productivity arising from its market transition would cause employment in US traded industries to contract, pushing workers either into nontraded jobs or out of work entirely. In effect, China would be loaning the US the funds that it needs to enjoy positive net imports today. 12 As Figure 4 shows, few US industries saw an increase in net exports to China between 1991 and 2007. At some point in the future, Chinese savings would be expected to fall and consumption to rise, as China's net exports turned negative and US net exports turned positive. US traded output and employment would expand, and the United States would begin to repay China for its earlier borrowing. In this long-run scenario, China's rising comparative advantage would generate long-run employment losses in the US traded industries in which China enjoyed a long-run comparative advantage, whereas trade imbalances cause additional short-run US employment losses in traded industries pushed temporarily into contraction. Why has China become such a large net creditor to the rest of the world? The literature attributes current account surpluses in China to government interventions that have kept national savings at artificially high levels. One hypothesized distortion is the government's continued support for large state-owned enterprises. 13 These companies have first call on loans from state-run banks, leaving private businesses to finance investment out of retained earnings, thereby elevating the corporate savings rate ( Song et al. 2011 ). Another, and perhaps less obviously relevant, distortion is China's one-child policy (recently relaxed), which increased male-female birth ratios and intensified competition in the marriage market ( Wei & Zhang 2011 ). Those with sons could potentially increase their savings rate to finance real estate purchases as a means of improving their child's marriage prospects. A third distortionadvanced by think tanks and politicians in Washington, DC (see, e.g., Cline 2010 )is that China has consciously undervalued its nominal exchange rate so as to promote its exports. 14 In trade theory, it is standard to assume that trade is balanced and to analyze the impact of trade shocks on the long-run global equilibrium. Why should trade imbalances matter for the labor-market consequences of China's growth? With balanced trade, growth in China's exports is matched by growth in its imports. Although the United States sees greater import competition in some industries, it also sees expanded exports elsewhere in manufacturing and in other traded sectors. China's rise may cause US workers to reallocate from one traded industry to another but it would not necessarily cause them to exit the traded sector altogether. The impact of China's recent growth on the global economy is not just about the country's long-run comparative advantage. The near-term labor-market consequences of its trade expansion included China's trade surplus widening substantially. Figure 5 shows the current account balance as a share of GDP for China and the United States from 1985 to 2012. China's average current account surplus rose from 1.7% of GDP in the 1990s to 4.8% in the 2000s. In mirror-like fashion, the average US current account deficit rose from 1.6% of GDP in the 1990s to 4.4% in the 2000s. In a world economy with many countries, there is no reason why the trade balance for any one country would be related systematically to that for any other country. However, because the US dollar functions as a global reserve currency, China's massive net capital outflows have been associated with net foreign purchases of dollar-denominated assets. One such mechanism is privatization. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, China idled many state-owned manufacturing enterprises, moving toward compliance with WTO provisions that sanction state subsidies for domestic industries. Capital and labor were then reallocated from smaller, less productive state-owned companies to privately owned manufacturing plants, raising productivity and output in the sector ( Hsieh & Song 2015 ). Joining the WTO also forced China to phase out requirements that had obligated many private establishments to export through state intermediaries. Such restrictions constitute barriers to export, which the WTO forbids expressly. Bai et al. (2015) estimate that had private firms not been granted direct trading rights, China's manufacturing exports in the 2000s would have been one-third smaller. Along with greater ease in exporting, WTO membership gave Chinese manufacturers greater access to imported intermediate inputs ( Brandt & Morrow 2014 ), which were an added boon to productivity ( Manova & Zhang 2012 ). A further consequence of China's WTO entry regards the insecurity of its earlier MFN access to the US market. Prior to 2001, China's MFN status in the United States was subject to annual reauthorization by Congress. Pierce & Schott (2016) and Handley & Limao (2014) argue that the lurking prospect of a return to non-MFN tariffs, which averaged 37.0% in 1999 as compared to average MFN tariffs of only 3.4% in that year, dissuaded Chinese firms from investing in exporting to the United States. WTO accession removed this uncertainty and encouraged ChinaUS trade. China's export surge in manufacturing accelerated after 2001, the year in which the country entered the WTO ( Figure 2 ). On first consideration, one wonders why WTO accession mattered much for China's trade. Europe and the United States had granted China most-favored nation (MFN) status as far back as the 1980s. WTO membership would seem to have done little more than formalize trade relations that were already two decades old. Still, something happened to deepen China's manufacturing prowess: Between 1998 and 2007, productivity in the sector grew at the astounding rate of 8% per year ( Brandt et al. 2012 ). Although the literature has yet to provide a full accounting of China's recent export growth, it has uncovered several mechanisms through which reform strengthened its manufacturing industries. The cross-industry variation in Chinese export growth evident in Figure 4 is far from unusual. The distribution of comparative advantage across industries for a country tends to be fat-tailed, such that for most countries relatively few products dominate exports ( Hanson et al. 2015 ). Because of this skewness, US industriesand the regions in which they locatevary widely in their exposure to import competition from China. As we discuss in Section 4, this variation is useful for identifying the labor-market consequences of trade shocks. The dominant pattern in Figure 4 is that industries within a sector tend to occupy a relatively narrow range on the horizontal axisindicating similar within-sector labor intensitybut a wide range on the vertical axisindicating highly varying within-sector changes in import penetration. 10 Apparel, leather, and textiles stand out in Figure 4 as the most labor-intensive activity, with an average initial share of production workers in industry employment of 0.85. Still, the industries within this sector diverge sharply in their changes in import penetration. In some (e.g., women's nonathletic footwear, waterproof outerwear), the increase in penetration approaches or even exceeds 100%, which indicates that the 1991 to 2007 growth in imports from China is nearly equal to or greater than initial domestic spending on goods produced by the industry. Other industries in the sector (e.g., coated fabrics, automotive and apparel trimmings) show near-zero increase in import penetration. Similar patterns of dispersion hold for sectors with comparably high labor intensity, such as furniture and wood products (average initial production worker share of 0.82) and toys and miscellaneous products (average initial production worker share of 0.72). 11 China's manufacturing performance reflects a comparative advantage in the sector that remained latent during the Maoist era. Today, China's net exports in manufacturing are strongly positive and its net exports of raw materials are strongly negative ( Figure 3a ). Its true strength in the sector emerged only in the 1990s. Figure 3b plots revealed comparative advantage (RCA: a country's share of global exports in an industry divided by its share of aggregate global exports) for China in two broad sectors, manufacturing and primary commodities, where the latter group comprises foods, fuels, ores and metals. 8 It was not until 1992 that China moved from disadvantage to advantage in manufacturing, as indicated by positive log RCA values, and from advantage to disadvantage in primary commodities, as indicated by negative log RCA values. The strength of China in manufacturing surely reflects its abundant supply of labor relative to the rest of the world ( Amiti & Freund 2010 ). The massive increase in China's industrial labor forceresulting from the decollectivization of agriculture, the closing of inefficient state-owned enterprises, and the migration of 250 million workers from farms to citieshas made China the default location for all types of labor-intensive production ( Li et al. 2012 ). However, factor abundance cannot be the whole story behind the country's specialization. Its advantage is far from uniform across labor-intensive industries ( Autor et al. 2014 ). Figure 4 plots the change in net import penetration from China between 1991 and 2007 against the share of production workers in total employment in 1991 for 397 four-digit US manufacturing industries. 9 We group industries into 10 sectoral aggregates, which share a common marker in the figure. That few points in Figure 4 show a negative change in net import penetration over the period reveals how US imports from China grew by more than exportsoften substantially by morein nearly every industry. A final key feature of China's risewhich we explore in more detail belowis its distinctive comparative advantage. Manufacturing is at the heart of the country's economic turnaround. Between 1991 and 2012, China's share of world manufacturing value added increased by a factor of six, from 4.1% to 24.0% ( Figure 2 ). Whereas many large emerging economies specialize in primary commoditiesBrazil in iron ore, Indonesia in rubber, and Russia in oil and gasChina's advantage is overwhelmingly in industrial goods. Over the period 1990 to 2013, the manufacturing sector averaged 88% of China's merchandise exports, compared to 50% for Brazil, 46% for Indonesia, and 20% for Russia. 7 This trade concentration means that China's growth has represented a large positive net global supply shock for manufacturing and a large positive net global demand shock for raw materials. The impacts of China's rise are consequently likely to vary across regional and national economies according to their initial patterns of industry specialization. Second is the degree of China's isolation under Mao, which created abundant opportunities for later catch up ( Zhu 2012 , Brandt et al. 2014 ). The distortions of the Maoist era kept China far inside its production frontier. Between 1952 and 1978from three years after the Communist Party's rise to power until Deng's rehabilitation following Mao's deathChina's GDP per capita sank from 59th in the world to 134th out of 167 Penn World Table countries. 5 By 1991, China's income ranking had nudged up modestly from 134th to 126th in the world. Convergence did not begin in earnest until the rapid globalization of the ensuing two decades. By 2001, China's income ranking had risen to 101st and by 2011 it had reached 77th. Once China's economy took off, it ignited a phase of transitional growth that was governed largely by the country's accumulated productivity gap with the developed world ( Song et al. 2011 ). 6 Three features of China's experience help to overcome these challenges in identifying the causal effects of trade shocks. The first is the unexpected nature of China's export growth, which caught many observersincluding those at the Wall Street Journalby surprise. Even after the launching of reform in the 1980s, few anticipated how important China would become for the world economy. Between 1984 and 1990, China's share of world manufacturing exports ticked up only modestly, from 1.2% to 1.9%. Its trade expansion did not begin in earnest until the 1990s, 15 years after Mao's death. China's post-Tiananmen crackdown made it difficult to foresee the confluence of events that would allow it to unleash its potential. After all, the Chinese economy had underperformed relative to Western Europe during every epoch since the 1500s ( Zhu 2012 ). The interest of trade economists in China is driven both by its large quantitative importance as an exporter of manufactured goods and by the paucity of natural experiments in international trade. Among the most challenging issues for empirical analysis is that changes in trade policy in one country are often dictated by changes in the behavior of its trading partners. Consider the North American Free Trade Agreement, enacted in 1994. After investing heavily in Mexico in the 1980s and early 1990s, multinational companies lobbied hard for the US Congress to approve the pact ( Mills 1993 ). The treaty's passage, which contributed to a further expansion in foreign direct investment, was arguably induced at least in part by the earlier foreign direct investment. In the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) case, as in similar episodes of economic opening, identifying trade's impact on labor markets is complicated by the joint determination of trade barriers and trade and investment flows (see McLaren & Hakobyan 2016 on the local labor-market effects of NAFTA in the United States). To provide context for China's reintegration into the world economy, we highlight key aspects of its recent performance that inform the analysis of attendant labor-market outcomes in developed countries. One is the idiosyncratic nature of China's transition from central planning to market orientation. The momentum of this transitionwhich has propelled China's tradeowes much more to dismal conditions in China at the time of Mao's death than to China's subsequent responses to contemporaneous shocks in high-income economies. Also important is the nature of China's postreform manufacturing surge. When and how China became the global factory are important for defining the scope and intensity of the China trade shock. Finally, there is the structure of global trade balances. China's penchant for running large current account surpluses has shaped the temporal distribution of trade gains and losses arising from its growth. China's one-quarter century of dizzying export growth began once the reformist camp reaffirmed its authority over economic policy in the early 1990s. Deng, in one of the final political gambits of his career, launched his famous southern tour in 1992 to focus national attention on the successes of earlier policy experiments in a handful of locations on China's east coast ( Vogel 2011 ). These efforts had included the creation of special economic zones (SEZs), which allowed foreign companies to set up factories that imported inputs and exported final outputs, relatively free from the interference of government minders ( Yu & Tian 2012 , Alder et al. 2013 ). As reformers retook the helm, China embraced global markets more fully, pushing the number of SEZs from 20 in 1991 to 150 in 2010. According to the World Bank, inflows of foreign direct investment, which had averaged only 0.7% of GDP during the 1980s, surged to 4.2% of GDP during the 1990s and 2000s. Production for foreign markets began a spectacular ascent, with China's share of world manufacturing exports growing from 2.3% in 1991 to 18.8% in 2013 ( Figure 2 ; see also Storesletten & Zilibotti 2014 on the factors that have shaped China's development process). The Wall Street Journal's predictions reveal just how uncertain China's future appeared in the late 1980s. After a decade of reform and opening under Deng Xiaoping, hardliners had reestablished control over economic policy. Their resurgence, fueled on the economic side by rising inflation and on the political side by the events at Tiananmen Square, caused reform to stall and cast doubt on China's market transition ( Naughton 2007 ). Seen in this context, skepticism about China's future, although far off the mark from today's vantage point, would then have been entirely warranted. On June 23, 1989, the Wall Street Journal marked the publication of its centennial edition by predicting what the global economy would look like 25 years hence. It selected the countries that it thought would be growth leaders and those it saw as future growth laggards. On the former list were Bangladesh, Thailand, and Zimbabwe. On the latter list was China, which, as the newspaper prognosticated, would fail to shake off the stultifying bureaucracy of hard-line communism ( Anders 2014 ). To summarize this discussion, identifying the impact of trade with China on US local labor-market outcomes requires a valid instrumental variableor, more broadly, a source of plausibly exogenous variationfor regional exposure to import competition, controls for regional exposure to technological change, and recognition that the estimated reduced-form impact may be attenuated by labor migration between regions. An alternative approach to identification is to utilize changes in imports that result from changes in trade policy. Topalova (2010) , Kovak (2013) , and McLaren & Hakobyan (2016) estimate the change in local incomes or employment due to greater import competition that arises from tariff reductions mandated by trade reforms in India, Brazil, and North America, respectively. Tariff reductions are a less obvious source of the increase in imports from China by developed economies. By the early 1990s, most developed nations, including the United States, already provided China with MFN access to their markets, implying an average import tariff of less than 4%. Trade barriers in these countries did decline in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as a result of the Uruguay Round of the GATT, but the average decline was less than two percentage points, except in apparel and textiles ( Bloom et al. 2016 ). Hence, changes in applied tariffs would seem to predict no more than modest growth in China's shipments to the United States. We discuss below how the observed reduction in US MFN tariffs may not capture the full impact of changes in US trade barriers on imports from China ( Pierce & Schott 2016 ). The specification in Equation 2 does not comprise an input-output structure. The presence of intermediate inputs may affect the transmission of trade shocks within the United States. Consider the case of tire production. If rising imports of Chinese tires cause US tire producers to reduce their output, demand for US-made synthetic rubber and steel fiber, which are used as inputs in domestic tire production, may decline as well. The trade shock, which began in the US tire industry, would also affect domestic demand in the industries that supply inputs to US synthetic rubber and steel fiber producers, as the shock works its way up the production chain. A full accounting of the impact of trade shocks thus requires incorporating input-output linkages between domestic industries ( Pierce & Schott 2016 , Acemoglu et al. 2016 ). A related possibility is that US synthetic rubber and steel fiber producers may benefit from access to lower-cost inputs from China. Recent literature allows for both channels of transmission, from US final goods producers to their domestic input suppliers and from Chinese input suppliers to US input buyers. Finally, the fourth term in Equation 2 , , captures changes in production capabilities in other supplying countries. These changes may be in part a response to changes in supply conditions in China. If we exclude this term from the estimation, we model changes in supply capabilities in other countries implicitly as a reduced-form function of changes in industry productivity in China. 21 The third term on the right-hand side of Equation 2 , , captures exposure of region i to changes in national industry productivity. Another consequence of regions varying in their specialization patterns is that they will differ in their exposure to sector-biased technological progress. Are regions that are more subject to technology shocks also ones that tend to face greater import competition? It appears not. There is near-zero correlation between exposure to technological change and exposure to trade with China across US local labor markets ( Autor et al. 2013b , 2015 ). 20 A related issue, to which we return in Section 4, is whether exposure to trade with low-wage countries induces firms to step up innovation, making technology endogenous to trade. In the second term on the right of Equation 2 , is the endogenous change in wages in US region i resulting from external product-market shocks. Most empirical analyses exclude wages as an independent variable. Estimating Equation 2 without wages on the right-hand side captures the reduced-form impact of trade exposure on economic activity in region i that works either directly through changes in industry output or indirectly through feedback effects from changes in local wages (see Kovak 2013 on the impact of trade shocks on wages in Brazil based on a specific factors model). Alternatively, estimating a version of Equation 2 that makes either the change in regional wages or the change in regional labor supply the dependent variable provides a test of the geographic mobility of labor in response to trade-induced labor demand shocks. A possible threat to this supply-based explanation for Chinese export patterns is that product demand shocks are correlated across high-income countries, in which case using cross-industry variation in China's penetration of other high-income markets as an instrument for US penetration could confound import growth with unobserved components of demand. Autor et al. (2013a , b) also utilize a gravity-based strategy that replaces the growth in US imports from China with the inferred change in China's comparative advantage and market access vis-a-vis the United States. This gravity approach differences out import demand in the purchasing country, thereby retaining supply and trade-cost-driven changes in China's export performance. The residuals from this regression approximate the percentage growth in imports from China due to changes in China's productivity and trade costs relative to the United States. Gravity and IV estimates are similar, which suggests that correlated import demand shocks are not overly important for the estimation. Table 1 documents the operation of the Autor-Dorn-Hanson instrumental-variables strategy. The first column of the table shows that annual US imports from China increased by 304 billion dollars between 1991 and 2007, whereas imports from China grew by 235 billion dollars across the eight other high-income countries, offering comparable trade data for the full sample period. Both the United States and the other high-income countries experienced rising imports in almost all of the 397 harmonized four-digit manufacturing industries, and the pattern of import growth across industries is highly correlated between the United States and the other countries (correlation coefficient of 0.92). The remaining columns of the table show the same information separately for each of the eight other high-income countries. Remarkably, each of the comparison countries witnessed import growth in at least 343 of the 397 manufacturing industries, and industry patterns of imports are strongly correlated with the United States, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.55 (Switzerland) to 0.96 (Australia). That China made comparable gains in penetration by detailed sectors across numerous countries in the same time interval suggests that China's falling prices, rising quality, and diminishing trade and tariff costs in these surging sectors are a root cause. The first term on the right of Equation 2 , , is regional exposure to US industry demand shocks. Because observed changes in import penetration from China will be affected by both the first and last terms in Equation 2 , they will embody changes in both US product demand and China's supply conditions. Any reduced-form regression of changes in regional outcomes on regional trade exposure may thus be contaminated by US product demand shocks. Autor et al. (2013a , b ) propose using Chinese import growth in other high-income markets as an instrument for the growth in US imports from China to isolate the foreign-supply-driven component of changes in US import penetration. Specifically, they instrument the observed change in US industry-level import penetration from China with a non-US exposure variable that is constructed using data on contemporaneous industry-level growth of Chinese exports to other high-income markets (Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, and Switzerland). To estimate the impact of the trade shock in Equation 3 on regional labor-market outcomes, it is necessary to control for the confounding factors that also affect these outcomes. These confounds are summarized in the first four terms on the right of Equation 2 . Anticipating the estimation approaches that we describe in Section 4, we discuss each of these components in turn. which is the weighted average exposure of region i to changes in US industry import penetration that is mandated by changes in China's production capabilities. During the 1990s and 2000s, advances in Chinese manufacturing were driven by the country's market transition, which gave its firms access to foreign capital, technology, and inputs; allowed capital to move from the public to the private sector; permitted rural-to-urban migration; and ended restrictions on direct exporting by private enterprises. The ?ik weights in Equation 3 the share of each industry in region i's total sales on the US marketsummarize differences in industry specialization patterns across US regions and thus capture variation in regional exposure to China's supply-driven export growth. Equation 2 provides a reduced-form specification for estimating the impact of trade shocks emanating from China on regional economic activity in the United States or other countries. Most empirical analyses of the China trade shock base estimation on a specification similar to Equation 2 or its industry-level counterpart (see, e.g., Autor et al. 2013a , b and Pierce & Schott 2016 ). Of primary interest is the rightmost term of Equation 2 , which captures the impact of growth in China's productive capacity on traded output by US region i. It can be rewritten as where ? ik Xik /Xi is the share of industry k in region i's total sales on the US market, ik Xik /Ek is the share of region i in total US purchases in industry k, and subscript c indexes China. For simplicity, we assume that and that trade costs remained unchanged. 19 Consider the impact on traded output in region i of changes in production capabilities in the regions that supply the United States. Totally differentiating Equation 1 , and using , we obtain the following equilibrium condition for the log change in region i's output: where Xi is the total sales by region i in the aggregate US market; Aik is the production capability of region i in industry k; ik is the average iceberg transport cost for region i in shipping goods in industry k to the aggregate US market; 17 is the trade cost elasticity; Ek is US aggregate expenditure on goods in industry k, and k is the competitiveness of the aggregate US market in industry k, defined as 18 We begin by describing how changes in China's export supply affect US industry product demand and are subsequently transmitted to changes in traded sector output at the US regional level. If trade has a gravity structure, we can write total demand by the US aggregate economy for traded output produced in US region i as In our model sketch, we make the extreme assumption of complete geographic labor immobility. In the Eaton & Kortum (2002) framework, one can relax this assumption by allowing for worker heterogeneity in moving costs between regions ( Caliendo et al. 2015 ) or for a Roy-type structure with worker heterogeneity in industry productivity ( Galle et al. 2015 ). Either setting creates an upward sloping regional labor supply curve, whose slope may be steeper in the short- or medium run than in the long run. Variation in regional exposure to foreign competition arises from differences in regional industry specialization patterns. In the Eaton & Kortum framework, these specialization patterns reflect exogenous regional differences in industry productivity. Empirical work does not take a stand on the origin of industry specialization, treating it as predetermined in some period well before the China trade shock materializes. The sketch of a theoretical framework that we provide in this section follows the recent trend of working with trade models that have a gravity structure ( Arkolakis et al. 2015 ). These models do not lend themselves easily to studying the impact of trade on earnings inequality. They do, however, make it tractable to allow for varying degrees of labor mobility between regions or industries ( Redding 2012 ). The presence of frictions in worker mobility creates an abundant set of margins along which we can observe how labor markets respond to trade shocks. 15 The task of empirical research then becomes to clarify which margins of adjustment are operational, to estimate the magnitude of adjustment along each margin at different time horizons, and to determine how long it takes for full adjustment to occur. Frustration with HO turned out to be a boon to research on trade and labor markets. Early approaches ( Feenstra & Hanson 1997 , 1999 ; Grossman & Rossi-Hansberg 2008 ) flipped the framework on its head by focusing on changes in the set of goodsor, more precisely, the set of intermediate inputsthat a country produces. Allowing for changes in specialization patterns creates a new adjustment margin between the production tasks a country performs at home and the others it offshores. Recent work has wedded HO and modern trade theories that incorporate heterogeneous firms. Burstein & Vogel (2012) embed a Melitz (2003) -style model, in which firms differ according to their productivity, into an otherwise standard HO setting. Calibrating the model and allowing for more productive firms to be more intensive in the use of high-skill labor reveal that freer trade affects the wage premium for high-skill labor more through the Melitz mechanism of within-industry shifts in employment toward more productive firms than through the HO mechanism of between-industry shifts in labor demand. In many analyses of the impact of productivity growth in China on global welfare, the literature dispenses with HO entirely, relying on either a Melitz-type setting ( Hsieh & Ossa 2011 ) or the Eaton & Kortum (2002) model of Ricardian comparative advantage ( Di Giovanni et al. 2014 ). Gone from current literature is the sole concern of estimating the impact of trade on the wage gap between high-skill and low-skill labor, which preoccupied inquiry in the 1990s. In its place is interest in a wider array of margins through which economies adjust to trade shocks. Much first-generation research on trade and wages worked under the canonical version of the Heckscher-Ohlin (HO) model (e.g., Lawrence & Slaughter 1993 , Borjas et al. 1997 ). The attraction of the HO framework, and in particular of the Stolper-Samuelson theorem, for analyzing labor-market impacts of trade is its elegant connection between industry-level shocks (manifested as externally given changes in product prices) and national factor-market outcomes (changes in wages). The simplicity of this mapping perhaps explains why economists relied on the model for so long, despite its dependence on assumptions that range from the counterfactualcountries have to remain within their initial cone of diversificationto the arcanethe number of final goods a country produces has to equal the number of primary factors. If we suppose that the growth in US manufacturing imports from China was triggered by a combination of productivity growth and improving foreign market access for Chinese firms, the shock that originated across the Pacific would first manifest itself in the United States in terms of more intense competition in product markets. Next, the shock would be transmitted to the regions in which competing manufacturing industries are concentrated, to the US sectors that supply these industries with inputs, and to the workers employed in manufacturing and its supplier industries. In this section, we empirically trace out the impacts of the China trade shock by examining consequences at each of these levels. 4.3. National Impacts Versus Regional Impacts The localized impacts of import competition measure the relative effect of the China trade shock on more versus less trade-exposed regional labor markets. Should we take these results to mean that trade-impacted locations suffered employment declines in absolute terms, or simply that they benefited less relative to trade-insulated locations? This distinction between relative and absolute effects matters. The former encompasses the distributional effects of trade, whereas the latter bears on the magnitude of the net gains from trade. Using an expanded version of Equation 4, Acemoglu et al. (2016) assess whether the seemingly adverse industry- and region-level impacts are offset by employment responses elsewhere in the economy. Looking across US manufacturing industries whose outputs compete with Chinese import goods, they estimate that had import penetration from China not grown after 1999, there would have been 560,000 fewer manufacturing jobs lost through the year 2011. Actual US manufacturing employment declined by 5.8 million workers from 1999 to 2011, making the counterfactual job loss from direct import competition amount to 10% of the realized job decline. As these results are based on the reduced-form specification of Equation 2, they may not, however, capture the full general equilibrium consequences of trade. Negative shocks to one industry are transmitted to other industries via economic linkages between sectors. One source of such linkages is buyer-supplier relationships (Acemoglu et al. 2012). Rising import competition in apparel and furnituretwo sectors in which China is strongwill cause these downstream industries to reduce purchases from the upstream sectors that supply them with fabric, lumber, and textile and woodworking machinery. Because buyers and suppliers often locate near one another, much of the impact of increased trade exposure in downstream industries is likely to transmit to suppliers in the same regional or national market. Acemoglu et al. (2016) use US input-output data to construct upstream import exposure shocks for both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries. Estimates from this exercise indicate negative employment effects in industries that sell outputs to directly trade-exposed industries, from which trade exposure propagates upstream in the supply chain. 32 Applying the direct plus the indirect input-output measure of exposure increases estimates of trade-induced job losses for 1999 to 2011 to 985,000 workers in manufacturing, and to 2.0 million workers in the entire economy. Interindustry linkages thus magnify the employment effects of trade shocks, almost doubling the size of the impact within manufacturing and producing an equally large employment effect outside of manufacturing. 33 Two additional sources of linkages between sectors operate through changes in aggregate demand and the broader reallocation of labor. When manufacturing contracts, workers who have lost their jobs or suffered declines in their earnings reduce their spending on goods and services. The contraction in demand is multiplied throughout the economy, depressing consumption and investment. Helping offset these negative aggregate demand effects, workers who exit manufacturing may take up jobs in the service sector or elsewhere in the economy, replacing some of the earnings lost in trade-exposed industries. Because aggregate demand and reallocation effects work in opposing directions, we can only detect their net impact on aggregate employment. To adjudicate among these mechanisms, Acemoglu et al. (2016) supplement their analysis of US industries with an analysis of US CZs that adds an input-output structure to Autor et al. (2013a,b). If the reallocation mechanism is operative, then when a local industry contracts as a result of Chinese competition, some other industry in the same CZs should expand. Aggregate demand effects should also operate within local labor markets, as shown by Mian & Sufi (2014) in the context of the recent US housing bust. If increased trade exposure lowers aggregate employment in a location, reduced earnings will decrease spending on nontraded local goods and services, thus magnifying the local impact. Estimates of the net impact of aggregate demand and reallocation effects imply that import growth from China between 1999 and 2011 led to an employment reduction of 2.4 million workers. Although the employment losses are concentrated in industries that are either directly exposed to import competition or indirectly via input-output linkages, there is little evidence for substantial offsetting employment gains in local industries that are not exposed to the trade shock. The estimated employment decline is larger than the 2.0 million job loss estimate obtained for national industries, which only captures direct and input-output effects. It may still not capture the full consequences of the China shock on US employment, however, as neither the analysis for CZs nor that for national industries fully incorporates all of the adjustment channels encompassed by the other. The national industry estimates exclude reallocation and aggregate demand effects, whereas the CZ estimates exclude the national component of these two effects, as well as nonlocal input-output linkages. Are there positive employment effects from US trade with China that the literature may be missing? One mechanism may work through the supply of imported inputs. The expanded ability of US firms to offshore production to China may raise productivity for workers in the United States (Grossman & Rossi-Hansberg 2008), lower the relative price of intermediates (Auer et al. 2013), or extend the range of final goods that firms are capable of producing (Goldberg et al. 2010). Although such benefits are plausible in theory and have been found in other national contexts, neither Pierce & Schott (2016) nor Autor et al. (2013a,b) detect evidence of positive US industry or regional employment responses to increased imported input supply. A second mechanism may be that increased competition in final goods markets alters investments in innovation. Bloom et al. (2016) show that European apparel and textile firms that faced greater competition from China following the elimination of quotas under the Multi-Fiber Arrangement produced more patents, had higher productivity growth, and boosted purchases of new technology. Although intensified product-market competition may raise the incentive for innovation, it can just as easily work in the opposite direction. The aggregate impact of Chinese competition on US innovation remains unknown. 34 The reduced-form analysis suggests that the reallocation of labor across US industries and regions in response to increased competition from China does not produce an offsetting increase in employment by other US traded-good industries, as the simple logic of neoclassical trade theory would have predicted. Other indirect gains from trade with China are, in principle, still possible. One explanation for the extremely modest offsetting employment increase in nonexposed sectors in the United States may be related to the rapid contemporaneous rise in the US aggregate trade deficit, a substantial part of which reflects a growing trade imbalance with China. When faced with greater import competition, an open economy normally reallocates resources out of some tradable industries into others, at least under balanced trade. If, however, the trade shock is accompanied by a rise in the trade deficit, then the reallocation from exposed tradables into tradables not exposed to China may be delayed, shifting employment into nontradables instead. Although this reasoning still predicts a long-run employment reallocation toward nonexposed tradables, the large and growing US trade deficit during the period under study may have significantly slowed such a reallocation. 4.4. Wage and Transfer Impacts Employment is not the only margin of labor-market response to trade shocks. Column 6 of Table 4 shows that more trade-exposed CZs experience larger reductions in average weekly wages. Extending the analysis in Autor et al. (2013a,b) using quantile regression, Chetverikov et al. (2016) document that these wage impacts of CZ-level trade exposure are concentrated among workers in the bottom four wage deciles. The reduction in wages is not limited to manufacturing, but indeed is concentrated outside that sector. Although the shock to manufacturing industries seems to affect local wages more broadly, the presence of differential wage impacts of trade across CZs suggests that these labor markets are indeed local, as spatial mobility is not sufficiently large to equilibrate wages at the national level. 35 The estimates of Table 4 allow a simple calculation of the relative importance of employment and wage adjustments for the overall decline in earnings in trade-exposed CZs. Given average annual earnings of approximately $40,000 per worker, a reduction of employment by 0.78 percentage points (sum of columns 1 and 2) per $1,000 dollars of imports per worker lowers earnings per adult by approximately $312 per year (0.007840,000). The same shock reduces the average weekly wage by 0.76 log points among the approximately 70% of working-age adults who are employed, which implies an additional earnings loss per adult of $213 per year (0.00760.740, 000). Although trade theory has typically emphasized the impact of trade shocks on wages, these results suggest that adjustments at the employment margin might have an even larger quantitative impact on workers' earnings. 36 A direct consequence of reduced employment and wages in trade-exposed local labor markets is an increase in transfer benefits. Perhaps unsurprisingly, more trade-exposed CZs see larger increases in per capita payouts of Unemployment Insurance and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) ( Figure 7 ; see also Autor et al. 2013a,b), both of which are designed to assist laid-off workers. However, the impacts of trade shocks on transfer payments extend far beyond those tied to temporary downturns. Because trade-induced declines in local employment and wages appear persistent, a larger fraction of households in a CZ is likely to qualify for means-tested entitlements. As Figure 7 documents, more trade-exposed CZs experience larger per capita growth in publicly provided medical care, consistent with more households qualifying for income-based health benefits, and in government income assistance, consistent with more households meeting the threshold for welfare payouts. Trade exposure also contributes to an increase in disability benefits, whose take-up is typically associated with permanent exit from the labor force (Autor & Duggan 2003). Retirement benefits rise in more trade-exposed CZs, suggesting that adverse labor-market shocks induce more workers to retire earlier (see Kondo 2013 for a general equilibrium analysis of the welfare consequences of trade-related employment losses, and Feler & Senses 2015 for results on the impact of the China trade shock on the provision of public services across local jurisdictions). Figure 7 Effect of a $1,000-per-worker increase in imports from China on dollar change of annual government transfer receipts per capita in commuting zones (19902007). Abbreviations: SSA, US Social Security Administration; TAA, Trade Adjustment Assistance. Click to view Download as PowerPoint What is striking about the impact of trade shocks on benefit take-up is not just the size of these effectsfor every extra $100 in local import exposure per worker transfer receipts rise by approximately $6 per capitabut also their relative magnitudes across categories. TAA, the primary federal government program intended to help workers who lose their jobs as a result of foreign competition (Baicker & Rehavi 2004), is effectively inconsequential in local adjustment to trade shocks. Workers eligible for TAA receive extended unemployment benefits of up to 18 months, as long as they remain enrolled in a training program, and may obtain allowances toward relocation, job search, and healthcare. 37 Trade-exposed CZs certainly experience sharp relative growth in per capita receipts of TAA benefits. However, although TAA reacts elastically to trade exposure, it is far from the transfer category that responds most strongly in terms of dollar expenditure; the total volume of TAA spending is negligible relative to many other transfer programs. A more trade-exposed CZ (defined to be one at the 75th percentile of change in imports per worker over the period 19912007) would see an increased per capita take-up of TAA of only $0.23 when compared to a less trade-exposed CZ (defined to be one at the 25th percentile of change in importers per worker); spending grows by more than $15 per capita for each of three categories: medical benefits, federal income assistance, and Social Security retirement and disability benefits ( Figure 7 ). Despite the responsiveness of local transfer payments to local import exposure, on the whole there appears to be limited regional redistribution of trade gains from winners to losers. Comparing again the residents of CZs at the 75th and 25th percentile of import exposure, those in the more exposed location experience a reduction in annual household wage and salary income per adult of $549, whereas per capita transfer income rises by approximately $58, thereby offsetting just a small portion of the earnings loss (see columns 7 and 8 of Table 4 ). 38 New Delhi, April 14: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence in the national capital on Sunday and discussed the INDIA bloc's Common Minimum Programme (CMP) in the Lok Sabha polls. The meeting also touched upon the development of a common manifesto, with Singh expressing optimism about reaching a decision soon. This was his first meeting with Kharge after being released from prison. INDIA Bloc Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Manifesto: AAP Leader Sanjay Singh, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Meet; Discuss Common Manifesto for Opposition Alliance (See Pics) On his meeting with Kharge, Singh said, "He (Kharge) encourages us in the House. He is our leader of the opposition. After being released from jail, I had to meet him and take his blessings for the upcoming fight." "We also kept the proposal of issuing an INDIA bloc's Common Minimum Programme (CMP), in order to tell about key issues we will put forward before people after the formation of the INDIA bloc government," the AAP's Rajya Sabha MP said. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Sacks Sudhir Sharma From AICC Secretary Post Sanjay Singh Meets Mallikarjun Kharge AAP MP Sanjay Singh met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/O4eVvBN6cI ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2024 AAP MP Sanjay Singh met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/O4eVvBN6cI ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2024 Speaking about other issues discussed during the meeting, the AAP MP said, "We also spoke about how democracy and the Constitution are being throttled, how Opposition leaders are being arrested and put in jails, how the ED, CBI are being misused, and how Arvind Kejirwal's basic rights are being denied." Kejriwal is lodged in Tihar Jail after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate(ED) in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam in Delhi. Delhi will go to the polls on May 25. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won all seven seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The counting of votes will be done on June 4. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Borsola (Assam) [India], April 14 (ANI): Festive fever is on in Assam, with the state's main festival Bihu being celebrated by the people, and it has found its feet in Lok Sabha campaigns with political parties dancing to the tune of Bihu songs as part of their outreach and also to celebrate the festival of democracy. Like many other political leaders from all sides of the spectrum, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also engaged the voters' dovetailing culture with the election campaign. In every election rally in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election, Assam BJP's theme song is being played and the chief minister himself and other leaders on the podium match their dancing steps with the public. Also Read | Indian National Killed in Canada: 24-Year-Old Student Chirag Antil Shot Dead in Vancouver. Today, at a rally in Borsola in Sonitpur district, he was seen tapping his feet on the BJP theme song. Cultural troupes from various communities, including Assamese, Bodos, and Gorkhas, in their respective traditional attire, participated in the same rally. Cultural troupes performing election campaigns are not new in Assam, and it has happening for decades. The other day, on the campaign trail for Topon Kumar Gogoi, the BJP candidate for the Jorhat parliamentary constituency, CM Sarma enthusiastically clapped and danced to a popular Jhumur song. Also Read | UP Shocker: Man Hangs Self After Killing Teen Sister With Shovel in Bahraich. Today is the second day of Rongali Bihu. Rongali Bihu, also known as Bohag Bihu, is one of the most important festivals celebrated in the state of Assam, particularly by the Assamese people. It marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year and usually falls in mid-April. The festival signifies the onset of the agricultural season and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor. The week-long Bihu celebrations in Assam started on Saturday with Goru Bihu, the day of Sankranti dedicated to livestock, particularly cows. Coming to Assam CM's election speeches this election, most of them delved into development activities which both his government and Narendra Modi-led government are doing for the people of the state. Also, he talks about how the state has come out of decades-long insurgency-related issues and now becoming a state at par with well-to-do states across the country with fresh investments and public infrastructure coming up. The Lok Sabha polls for 14 seats in Assam will be held in three phases starting on April 19. In this Lok Sabha election in Assam, the BJP is contesting in 11 out of 14 seats, while its ally parties, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), are contesting in two seats (Barpeta and Dhubri) and UPPL in one seat (Kokrajhar), respectively. In the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 7 of the 14 seats in Assam. Both the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) claimed three seats each. During the 2019 elections, the BJP increased its seat count to 9, while the Congress maintained its three seats, and the AIUDF won a single 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) Kolkata, Apr 14 (PTI) As Lok Sabha elections draw near, the political merchandise market, both offline and online, in West Bengal has started booming, with tee shirts sporting slogans such as 'Khela Hobe', 'Nation with NaMo' and 'NaMo again' selling like hot cakes. Market analysts said that while merchandise extending support to the Trinamool Congress is a hit in the wholesale markets of Burrabazar and Canning Street in Kolkata, those of the BJP top the charts on e-commerce platforms. Also Read | Firing Outside Salman Khans Residence in Mumbai: Two People Open Fire Outside Actors Galaxy Apartment House in Bandra, Probe Underway (Watch Videos). The northern part of West Bengal, which will go to polls in the first few phases, is particularly witnessing a surge in demand for the political merchandise, they said. In the wholesale markets of the eastern metropolis, hundreds of shops have been adorned with a vibrant array of political merchandise, ranging from flags to key chains, caps, umbrellas, and sunglasses bearing political symbols. Also Read | Who is Bhavesh Bhai Bhandari? Meet Businessman From Gujarat Who Donated His Lifetime Earning of Rs 200 Crore to Become Monk. However, the quality and price of goods available in wholesale markets differ substantially from those available on e-commerce platforms. "In the wholesale markets, there has been a steady increase in demand for these goods, with TMC merchandise leading the sales, followed by those of the CPI(M) and Congress. However, there has been lesser demand for BJP merchandise," Sanjay Chandrana of Shivam Textiles told PTI. Debashish Palodhy of Taramaa Enterprises anticipates a further spike in sales following Poila Boisakh, the Bengali New Year, which is on Sunday. Other merchants also echoed his sentiments. Manufacturer and supplier Shivam Pagarh of Gourisut Textiles in Gujarat's Surat said he has been receiving consistent inquiries about political merchandise, which shows a surge in its demand. He predicted that the demand will grow after the festive season. He said textile manufacturers are prepared to increase their production capacity to meet the demand. Sayantani Saha of Noise Tee said that polyester tee shirts with political slogans are in demand. "There is more demand for TMC merchandise, while there is not much demand for those of BJP and other parties. We are ready to increase our capacity if demand increases further," she said. Online e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Meesho and Flipkart are also tapping into people's enthusiasm for the Lok Sabha elections, which are the largest democratic exercise in the world, by offering a diverse range of political merchandise, ranging from trendy and premium apparel to mass-priced key chains and home decor items. A seller on one of the leading e-commerce platforms said that BJP's merchandise is selling more as compared to other parties. However, reactions from Amazon and Flipkart on the sale of political merchandise on their platforms were not available. The major differences between merchandise offered in wholesale markets and online platforms, however, are quality and pricing. While bulk tee shirts in Burrabazar are priced between Rs 50 and Rs 70 each and are made of polyester, online offerings are typically single-piece retail products and crafted from cotton, with significantly higher prices. A polyester saree with political images costs between Rs 150 and Rs 300 in wholesale markets, whereas it costs upwards of Rs 500 per piece online. Political parties have welcomed the enthusiasm among the public regarding the elections, and said these merchandise increase the visibility of parties. BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said that colourful political merchandise such as tee shirts and sarees increases a party's visibility, but voting patterns depend on political understanding and the nature of the election, whether it is national or local. Trinamool Congress spokesperson Santanu Sen said that visual impression through logos and photographs has a lot of impact on voters. "There will always be innovation in campaigning," he added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) By Shalini Bhardwaj New Delhi [India], April 14 (ANI): After the medical journal Lancet's claim on the lack of accuracy and transparency in sharing data on health raised concerns, government sources asserted that India has a robust system of documenting births and deaths under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through the Civil Registration System (CRS). Also Read | Pune Shocker: Teen Beaten, Stripped Naked and Filmed, Video Circulated on Social Media; Case Registered. "India has a robust system of documenting births and deaths under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through the Civil Registration System. It provides a unified process of continuous, permanent, compulsory, independent and universal recording of births and deaths. Under the CRS, deaths are reported to the registrar of births and deaths in the concerned area for registration through around three lakh registration units nationwide," according to a government source. "Although births and deaths are to be reported within 21 days of the occurrence of the event, the Act provides for late registrations as well," the sources said. Also Read | Ahmedabad Shocker: Man Assaults Wife As She Seeks Explanation From Him After Finding His Girlfriend's ATM Card in Scooter, Accused Booked. The Lancet raised questions about India's continuing claim that only 0.48 million people died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that WHO and other estimates are six to eight times larger (including excess deaths, most of which will be due to COVID-19). "Every state generates a report within one year after the index calendar year. This leeway is given to accommodate late reporting and to collate data," a source explained, rubbishing the claims by Lancet. The government sources further said that more than 90 per cent of births and deaths are registered online on the state or national portals. "Over the years, the civil registration system has matured, and with rising awareness and ownership, the registration of births and deaths has become more inclusive. Today, more than 90 per cent of births and deaths are registered online on the state or national portals," they added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Police run public awareness campaign to reach out to voters in Gadchiroli (Image/ANI) Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) [India], April 14 (ANI): To encourage voting among the people, police launched a public awareness campaign in the naxal-hit Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The campaign started by police aims to raise public awareness about voting and conduct 100 per cent voting in the area. Also Read | BJP Manifesto for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Released With Modi Ki Guarantee Tagline; From One Nation, One Election to Law Against Paper Leaks, Check Key Highlights. To maintain peaceful elections in the area, a huge force has been deployed to conduct peaceful elections. The police also urged people living in the Naxal-affected villages to cast their vote. Also Read | BJP Manifesto for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Released in Presence of PM Narendra Modi; No Difference Between What We Say and What We Do, Says Rajnath Singh (Watch Videos). Speaking to ANI, Sub Inspector Govind Khating said, "The objective of this awareness campaign is to encourage the voters to fulfil their duty to keep our democracy alive. The voting which is going to take place on April 19 in the upcoming polls will be a victory for democracy. We have deployed a huge force in the area so that voting can be conducted in a safe and smooth manner." Elucidating the fear in the minds of the people in the Naxal stronghold, the SI said, "There is only one fear in the minds of the people that the Naxalites may launch blasts or attacks on them if they go for voting." "The naxals target people who are close to the administration, that's why police forces have been deployed to protect them and facilitate the procedure of casting votes," said the official. The official further said, "Under the initiative, we are also trying to provide home-voting facility to elderly citizens and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). We are receiving a huge response from the people and they are cooperating and supporting us in our initiative." Meanwhile, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police, Neelotpal, said, "For the past 15 days, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been requesting everyone in Gadchiroli to come out and vote in large numbers without any fear. The Gadchiroli police are spreading awareness on the significance of voting and appealing everyone to come out and vote." 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 the undivided Shiv Sena. 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 undivided NCP, part of the opposition alliance, contested 19 seats and won four. Following the split in 2022, the Shiv Sena, which had earlier formed a coalition government with the Congress and NCP, saw Eknath Shinde break away from the party with his loyalists and align with the BJP. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 23 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 18 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) Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 14 (ANI): Four police officials were suspended with immediate effects following the suspicious death of a jail inmate lodged in Meerut District Jail, said a police statement on Sunday. According to the police statement, a convicted prisoner identified as Rohit (29), a resident of Gangol village under the Partapur police station of the district, died under suspicious circumstances inside the jail hospital on Saturday. Also Read | Forex Trading Fraud in Navi Mumbai: 45-Year-Old Man Loses Rs 1.22 Crore in Foreign Exchange Trading Fraud. As per sources, it is being speculated that the inmate died of strangulation. Following the incident, four of the jail officials identified as Head Jail Warder Harishankar Tripathi, Ravindra Singh, Jail Warder Sanjay Singh and Jail Sanoj have been suspended with immediate effect. Also Read | Uttarakhand Road Accident: Four Killed as Car Falls into River in Bageshwar. Later, SP City Meerut also visited the site where the inmate died. Director General Jail, Lucknow instructed that the case would be investigated by Deputy Inspector General, Jail, Meerut Zone, Subhash Chandra Shakya, added the police statement. A correspondence has also been made from the prison level for a judicial inquiry into the matter. The FIR has also been lodged in the incident and further investigation is underway. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bhubaneswar, Apr 14 (PTI) Criticising the BJP's manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, senior BJD leader and former Odisha minister Padmanabha Behera said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's guarantees are more impactful in the state than that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier in the day, PM Modi released the BJP's Lok Sabha poll manifesto, outlining his vision for Viksit Bharat' as he exhorted people to give another mandate to his party to shape India's 'destiny' for the next 1,000 years. Also Read | Stones Hurled at Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan: Day After Attack on Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy, Similar Attempts Made on TDP Chief in Vizag, Jana Sena Party Supremo in Guntur (Watch Video). Describing the party's Sankalp Patra' as a document of his guarantee, Modi highlighted the achievements of 10 years of his government at the Centre and said the BJP has delivered on every promise it made so far. Here, only Naveen's guarantees will work and no other guarantees will work in Odisha. The BJD will win more seats than the last assembly elections, Behera told media persons on Sunday. Also Read | Odisha Assembly Elections 2024: Congress Releases List of 75 Candidates for Upcoming State Polls, Rama Chandra Gochhayat To Contest From Cuttack. The Lok Sabha and assembly polls are held simultaneously in Odisha. Of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the BJD won 12, the BJP got eight and the Congress secured one in the 2019 elections. The BJD won 113 assembly seats, the BJP bagged 23, the Congress got nine, and the CPI (M) and Independent secured one each in the last state polls. The BJD government has never tolerated corruption and took strong measures against wrongdoers, Behera said, adding that even state vigilance is taking action against corrupt people every day. People support the BJD and the chief minister for his welfare schemes, he said. Discussion is now going on. The BJD will come up with its election manifesto in which the CM will put forth his promises, the BJD leader said. Similarly, senior Congress leader and party's manifesto committee chairman Panchanan Kanungo said people are "not ready to listen to Modi's guarantees as the Prime Minister has failed to fulfil the promises he has made before the public". Ten years ago, the people were ready to listen to him (PM) and his promises. But, now, they will not believe him. He cannot make people fool this time, Kanungo said. BJP state president Manmohan Samal termed the party's poll manifesto as a roadmap to make India a developed nation by 2047. (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 14 (PTI) One of the two men seen in a CCTV footage opening fire outside Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's house in Mumbai is suspected to be from Gurugram, sources in the Delhi Police said on Sunday. Two men fired four rounds outside Bandra's Galaxy Apartments, where the actor resides, around 5 am and fled. According to a Bandra police official, an FIR has been registered against "unidentified persons" under IPC section 307 (attempt to murder) and the Arms Act. Also Read | Rajasthan Road Accident: Seven, Including Two Children Charred to Death As Car Catches Fire After Hitting Truck on Churu Highway (Watch Videos). An official source in the Delhi Police said one of the two is suspected to be a criminal from Gurugram who was involved in multiple killings and robberies in Haryana and is wanted in the murder of Gurugram-based businessman Sachin Munjal in March. Gangster Rohit Godara, who is based abroad, had in a purported social media post claimed responsibility for Munjal's murder. He is a close associate of gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, his brother Anmol and Goldy Brar. Also Read | Kota Fire: Students Jump From Fourth Floor After Blaze Erupts in Hostel, Building Sealed Over Ignoring Safety Norms (Watch Video). Hours after the firing outside Salman Khan's house on Sunday, Anmol Bishnoi, in a purported online post, took responsibility for the incident and issued a warning to the Bollywood actor, saying it was a "trailer", police sources said. In March last year, an e-mail threatening Khan was received at his office following which the Mumbai Police registered an FIR against Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar and another person under IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 506-II (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention). The FIR was based on a complaint lodged with the Bandra police by one Prashant Gunjalkar, who according to police frequently visited the Bandra-based residence of Khan and ran an artist management company. The e-mail stated that Khan must have seen an interview given to a news channel by Lawrence Bishnoi, and if not, he should see it. Addressing Gunjalkar, it said if Khan wants to close the matter, he should talk face-to-face with "Goldy bhai", adding there is still time but agli bar, jhatka dekhne ko milega (you'll see something shocking next time), Mumbai police earlier said. In June 2022, an unidentified person threatened Khan via a handwritten note, they said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 14 (ANI): Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Jammu, Jugal Kishore Sharma, voiced support for the party's election manifesto and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, citing that "Modi ji jo bolte hai, vo karte hai, isliye log unhe chunte hai." (PM Modi does what he says. That is why people elect him.) "This time, we will definitely cross the 400 mark. The reason is that people have given the slogan that this time it will be beyond 400. Because in the last 10 years, people have scrutinised and observed Modi ji's work, and after that, the way he has worked, his efficiency, dedication, and devotion towards serving the nation, the steps he has taken, and considering all these things, people have said that no one can stand against Modi ji. That's why people have said this time it will be beyond 400," Sharma said. Also Read | Salman Khan Death Threat: Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Claims Responsibility for Firing Outside Bollywood Actors Residence, Says First and Final Warning in Facebook Post. When asked about the 2019 party's election manifesto, which included promises regarding the construction of the Ram Mandir and the abrogation of Article 370, both of which have been fulfilled, it seems that people's trust has increased due to these actions. He said, "Modi ji jo bolte hai, vo karte hai. Isliye log unhe chunte hai." "People have gained confidence that whatever Modi ji says under the BJP's leadership, they do. They have fulfilled all the promises made in the previous manifesto. It's a simple fact that whatever Modi ji says, he does, and that's why people choose him. People have gained confidence that Modi ji can take the country forward and enhance its dignity and respect," Sharma said. Also Read | Sarabjit Singh's Killer Shot Dead in Pakistan: Bike-Borne Assailants in Lahore Kill Amir Sarfaraz Tamba Involved in Murder of Indian Death Row Prisoner in Pakistani Jail. The party released its "Sankalp Patra" on Sunday at its headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in its election manifesto, has promised a time-to-time hike in the MSP if elected to power for the third term. The BJP unveiled its election manifesto with a slew of promises for farmers, such as strengthening PM KISAN, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, and news clusters for vegetable production and storage, among others. Speaking on PM Modi's dedication to serving villages, the poor, and farmers, Sharma praised the government's initiatives aimed at welfare and development. "Since the first day when Prime Minister Narendra bhai Modi took the oath, he said on the very first day that his government will be dedicated to serving villages, the poor, and farmers. And you have seen that working for service, governance, and welfare of the poor is BJP's commitment. Under the leadership of the country's Prime Minister, work has been done for villages, the poor, and farmers, along with every section of society. And the development of all, with everyone, has also been proven to be effective, which is why the BJP party is progressing," Sharma said. Sharma highlighted the effectiveness of PM Modi's schemes and their impact on citizens, noting, "The benefits of the schemes initiated by Modi ji are being received by the citizens of the country, and they are benefiting greatly." "And the schemes that should have been implemented 70 years ago, which the previous governments did not do, are now being provided by the Prime Minister to the citizens of the country. That is why the affection towards PM Modi is increasing among the citizens of the country," Sharma added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Hyderabad, Apr 14 (PTI) Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Sunday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy saying that they had no moral right to talk about BJP's manifesto. Addressing a press conference here, Reddy, also Telangana BJP president, said unlike other parties, the party (BJP) delivers what it promises, with a strong resolve. Also Read | Salman Khan Death Threat: Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Claims Responsibility for Firing Outside Bollywood Actors Residence, Says First and Final Warning in Facebook Post. "I am asking Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy whether they have any moral right to talk about the Sakalp patra released by the BJP. Before criticising BJP, they will have to review what "guarantees" they promised during the Assembly polls and the status of their implementation in 100 days," Reddy attacked. Dubbing the BJP's manifesto as a "post-dated cheque drawn on a failing bank," Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Sunday said the people will reject the saffron party while Congress -led by Rahul Gandhi will end people's misery. Also Read | UPSC Civil Services Result 2023: CSE Final Result Expected to Be Out Soon, Know Steps to Check Score at upsc.gov.in. Listing out the points in the manifesto, the Minister said the BJP had earlier promised to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya and abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and accordingly they were implemented. Narrating the NDA Government's achievement, Reddy said it promised to encourage startups and as result India became the third largest country in the world in terms of startup ecosystem. The BJP will undertake a 'Ryot deeksha' on Monday demanding the state government to fulfill the promises made to farmers in Telangana. Replying to a query, he said the Centre had on three occasions reduced the prices of petrol earlier and also requested the state governments to consider reduction of local taxes for the benefit of consumers. The BJP on Sunday released its manifesto, prioritising development and welfare while shunning populist measures and contentious issues like the NRC. (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 14 (PTI) India on Sunday said it is seriously concerned over escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran, and called for immediate de-escalation of the situation. Iran has launched a missile attack on Israel as part of its retaliation to a suspected Israeli air strike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1. Also Read | Iran-Israel War: India Calls for Immediate De-escalation, Exercise of Restraint After Iranian Forces Launch Drone and Missile Attacks on Israel. "We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. "We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy," it said in a statement. Also Read | Fake Journalists Arrested in Uttar Pradesh: Police in Varanasi Bust Gang Impersonating as Media Persons to Extort Money by Threatening People With Sting Operation, Nine Arrested. The MEA said India is closely monitoring the evolving situation. "Our embassies in the region are in close touch with Indian community. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region," it 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 14 (PTI) A worker and a labour contractor were killed and another person was injured after a wall collapsed during repairs to a house in Maharashtra's Thane district on Sunday, an official said. The incident took place at Bhayander East, on the outskirts of Mumbai, around 11 am, the official said. Also Read | Indian National Killed in Canada: 24-Year-Old Student Chirag Antil Shot Dead in Vancouver. A house was being repaired when one of its walls collapsed on two workers and a labour contractor. While worker Makhanlal Yadav (25) and labour contractor Hariram Chouhan (49) were killed, the second worker suffered injuries, the official said. Also Read | UP Shocker: Man Hangs Self After Killing Teen Sister With Shovel in Bahraich. After being alerted, the local firemen reached the spot, cleared the rubble and rushed the injured worker to a government hospital. A police officer from the Navghar police station in the area said a first information report (FIR) was being registered for negligence under the Indian Penal Code. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Rupnagar, Apr 14 (PTI) A local Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader was shot dead by two unidentified bike-borne men at his shop in Nangal town here, police said on Sunday. The deceased, Vikas Bagga, was the president of the Nangal unit of the VHP, they said. Also Read | Salman Khan Death Threat: Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Claims Responsibility for Firing Outside Bollywood Actors Residence, Says First and Final Warning in Facebook Post. The incident took place on Saturday evening when the two assailants entered Bagga's shop located near the Rupnagar railway station and opened fire at him before fleeing immediately, the police said. Anandpur Sahib Deputy Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh said the police were examining the CCTV footage of nearby areas to find the accused. Also Read | Sarabjit Singh's Killer Shot Dead in Pakistan: Bike-Borne Assailants in Lahore Kill Amir Sarfaraz Tamba Involved in Murder of Indian Death Row Prisoner in Pakistani Jail. Meanwhile, VHP supporters and BJP workers on Sunday held a protest on the Una-Chandigarh highway to protest the murder of Bagga. They demanded the arrest of the murderers. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar also expressed grief with the victim's family. He slammed the AAP-led Punjab government over the law and order situation and alleged that the murder of Bagga was a "targeted killing". "The government is sleeping," he said. He demanded that the assailants and conspirators should be held as soon as possible. Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, who is a local MLA, called the murder an unfortunate incident and said whosoever is behind it will not be spared. "Whosoever is guilty and the mastermind of this incident will not be spared. They will face consequences," said Bains, adding that nobody will be allowed to disturb peace. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jammu, Apr 14 (PTI) Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday hit back at the Congress and National Conference for accusing him of being close to the BJP, saying that many politicians fear losing elections upon seeing his one-and-a-half-year-old party's "massive popularity". The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister urged people to remain vigilant against parties exploiting them for political gains. Also Read | Ambedkar Jayanti 2024: Ten Fascinating and Lesser-Known Facts About Babasaheb Ambedkar, the Father of the Indian Constitution, on His 133rd Birth Anniversary. "It is the National Conference and the Congress who are splitting secular votes in the Chenab Valley," Azad said at an election rally in support of party candidate and former minister G M Saroori at Kishtwar. He said the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) announced the candidature of G M Saroori for the Udhampur-Jammu Lok Sabha constituency immediately after the BJP renominated Union Minister Jitendra Singh for a third consecutive term. Also Read | Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti 2024 Date: Know the History and Significance of the Day That Marks the 134th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. "The Congress announced a candidate (Choudhary Lal Singh) whose track record shows that he is communal. Yet, the National Conference (being a partner of the INDIA bloc) is campaigning for him, solely to manipulate and deceive the people," Azad alleged. "These leaders come to the Chenab Valley as tourists, aiding the BJP and fracturing our votes. What have they truly done for the people here? How many schools, roads, or colleges did they construct during their tenure? said Azad, who left Congress to form his own party in September 2022. He accused the NC and Congress of exploiting and deceiving the populace of the Chenab Valley, comprising the Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts, and said, "I will not permit this to recur." Azad pointed out the shortcomings of Congress leadership and attributed the BJP's electoral victories to these failures. "Instead of addressing the people's concerns, leaders of such parties are engrossed in abusive politics. If the Congress is losing today, it is because of their failed leadership. They only abuse the opponents, even those who demand leadership change. There is no democracy in the Congress now," he said. Azad accused the NC leadership and other regional parties of abandoning the self-rule and autonomy" agenda. He questioned the sincerity behind their previous slogans, accusing them of exploiting people's sentiments for years. "What happened to self-rule and autonomy? Today, you forget both these slogans after exploiting people over these slogans for years," he said. Azad reiterated his party's unwavering focus on development and peace. He affirmed that his party's mission is centred on serving the community and fostering progress. Azad emphasized that voting should be based on the candidate's performance, rather than on religious or caste considerations. He underscored the secular nature of the people of Chenab Valley and urged them to unite for the development of the entire region by voting for DPAP. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, April 14: The Delhi Police on Sunday apprehended a 15-year-old girl for allegedly stabbing a neighbour to death in a fight over water from a common tap in the Delhi's Farsh Bazar area, an officer said. The victim was a 34-year-old woman, who received several cuts in her left hand and a stab wound in the stomach, they said. According to the police, on Friday at 10.59 pm, a PCR call was received with the caller saying that his wife had been stabbed in the stomach and needed an ambulance. "Acting on the call, the police team reached the spot which was Gali no 2, Bhikam Singh Colony and found injured Soni in her room. She was having two-three cut marks on her left hand and a small wound on her stomach," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Surendra Choudhary said. Delhi Shocker: 35-Year-Old Man Shot in Head at Close Range by Unidentified Assailant in Seelampur, Investigation Underway. Soni was immediately taken to Hedgewar Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival by doctors. During the probe, it was revealed that Soni and her husband Satbir had a fight with their neighbours. At about 7.30 pm, Soni had a confrontation with her neighbour's wife and daughter over water from a common tap on the first floor of their house, the officer said. "During the verbal spat, Soni twisted the girl's hand, prompting the girl to seek treatment at Hedgewar Hospital. Delhi Shocker: Man Stabbed to Death Over Personal Enmity in Badarpur, Three Juveniles Among Five Arrested. The girl was treated as a non-Medico Legal Case (MLC) patient, and an X-ray of her hand was conducted. "Subsequently, the girl and her mother returned to their home and engaged in another altercation with Soni and her husband Satbir. During this second altercation, Soni was stabbed by the girl," said the DCP. The officer said girl has been apprehended and will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board. New Delhi [India], April 14 (ANI): Following Iran's attack on Israel with over 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night, Israeli Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, highlighted that a seven-year-old girl was hit by a shrapnel, adding that she has now been treated but is still in severe condition. Iran on Saturday attacked Israel by striking it with over hundrends of drones and missiles, in retaliation for Israel's attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria earlier this month. Also Read | Israel-Iran Tensions: Indian Embassy Issue Safety Advisory, Helpline Numbers for Its Nationals Amid Rising Threat From Tehran's Attack. The Israeli envoy further told ANI that Iran is the financier, trainer and equipper of Hamas and Hezbollah, and all of them are fighting with Israel. "Iran is the financer, trainer and equipper of Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon...in Iraq and Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, all of them are fighting with us. And what happened yesterday is that Iran turned it from a war by proxy to a direct attack on Israel," he said. Also Read | Mark Zuckerberg-Run Meta Has 40,000 People Working on Safeguarding Global Elections in 2024. "From the Iranian country to Israel, they fired 331 rockets, different kinds of rockets, cruise missiles, and UAVs," Gilon added. Moreover, he stressed that the Israel Defence Forces were able to intercept 99 per cent of the incoming rockets. "With the help of some of our friends in the region, but mostly by the capabilities of the Israeli defense forces and air force, we were able to intercept 99% of the incoming rockets," he told ANI. "There was, unfortunately one casualty, a seven year old child, who was hit by shrapnel from, probably from one of the interceptors. We don't know exactly. Unfortunately, she was wounded and she's treated, but in severe conditions still," Israeli envoy Gilon said. Israel, in a move to protect its citizens, has announced to close all schools and other educational systems, effective Sunday, as the country's defence forces remain on high alert following Iran hitting Israel with over 200 projectiles, the Jerusalem Post reported. Moreover, it further urged the Israeli civilians to be vigilant, to head to shelters upon hearing a warning siren, and to remain there for 10 minutes. Israel, in a move to protect its citizens, has announced to close all schools and other educational systems, effective Sunday, as the country's defence forces remain on high alert following Iran hitting Israel with over 200 projectiles, the Jerusalem Post reported. The Israeli civilians were asked to stay vigilant, and to head to shelters upon hearing a warning siren, and to remain there for 10 minutes. (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 [US], April 14 (ANI/WAM): Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh ends her tenure as Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN with her final meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in that capacity and will be succeeded by Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab, who has been appointed by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and will present his credentials on Monday. Ambassador Nusseibeh, who has returned to Abu Dhabi and will continue to serve as UAE Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, thanked the Secretary-General for his steadfast partnership and for supporting the UAE's efforts to champion priority issues, including on Gaza and Afghanistan, as well as promoting tolerance, peace, and co-existence, advancing the role of women and girls worldwide, and driving climate action. Also Read | Songkran 2024 Date, History and Significance: All You Need To Know About the Thai New Year. Ambassador Nusseibeh also held a farewell meeting with Ambassador Dennis Francis, President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly. Ambassador Nusseibeh has served as Permanent Representative since September 2013. During the UAE's 2022-2023 term on the UN Security Council, she drove the adoption of several landmark Council resolutions co-penned by the UAE, including resolution 2686, which acknowledged for the first time that hate speech, racism, gender discrimination, and disinformation contributes to the outbreak, escalation, and recurrence of conflict; resolution 2681, which condemned the Taliban's decision to ban Afghan women from working for the UN in Afghanistan; and resolution 2720, which laid the groundwork for the establishment of a UN mechanism to scale-up and streamline the flow of desperately needed humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Also Read | Baisakhi and Puthandu 2024: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Extends Vaisakhi and Tamil New Year Greetings to People, Says 'Better, Fairer, and More Inclusive Country for Everyone'. "It has been the honour of a lifetime to serve the UAE for over a decade at the United Nations. The international order based on the rule of law and respect for each other keeps all of us safe and able to thrive," said Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh. "Against a backdrop of critical global challenges and ever sharper polarization, preserving this system, and adapting it to ensure its equity, is more important than at any time in recent history. The UAE Permanent Mission will continue to pursue this objective in our work at the UN under the able leadership of Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab and a committed team of dedicated multilateralists who I have been proud to work alongside these past years." During the UAE's Council term, Ambassador Nusseibeh sought to find common ground among UNSC Member States during extremely challenging times for international peace and security. Before the Security Council, she also served as Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform from 2017-2019. In this role, Ambassador Nusseibeh led and guided discussions on reform of the Security Council. In 2017, she served as President of the UN Women Executive Board and Vice President of the UN General Assembly. In 2016-17, Ambassador Nusseibeh co-chaired the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly. During her co-chairmanship, she oversaw a procedural change to the selection mechanism for a new UN Secretary-General, leading to a more participatory and transparent process. From 2015, Ambassador Nusseibeh co-chaired the Friends of the Future of the UN with the United Kingdom, an unofficial forum for frank exchange on the most pressing issues affecting the UN's future. Throughout her tenure at the UAE Mission to the UN, Ambassador Nusseibeh has been a principled and pragmatic voice for UAE foreign policy on the world stage, built cross regional and multilateral partnerships, and found innovative ways to address global challenges. Moving forward, the UAE Mission will continue to be a committed partner to the UN, in New York and around the world.(ANI/WAM) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Uthal [Pakistan], April 14 (ANI): Baloch rights activist and the media coordinator of the Baloch National Movement, Jamal Baloch, has once again raised the issue of enforced disappearances in Pakistan's Balochistan. Jamal reported this issue to Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, and demanded severe action from the United Nations to stop such actions. Also Read | Landslide in Indonesia: At Least 14 Dead, Three Missing As Landslides Triggered by Rains Hit Sulawesi Island. "Dear @MaryLawlorhrds, Pakistan continues to forcibly disappear youth from #Balochistan. Today, 3 more young men were taken out of a bus by Pakistani military personnel and taken away. This is Uthal Zero Point, a Pakistani outpost. @UN has to do much more to stop this inhumane act," Jamal said in a post on X on Saturday. https://twitter.com/Jam__Baloch/status/1779097523732337131 Also Read | Indian Student Killed in Canada: 24-Year-Old Chirag Antil Shot Dead Inside Audi Car in South Vancouver, Probe On. Jamal has been a major voice against the incidents of enforced disappearances on platforms across the world. Previously, while participating in a press conference at the Club Suisse de la Presse in Geneva, Switzerland, the activist highlighted the suffering of the people of Balochistan and the enforced disappearances. "Balochistan has been suffering from such issues for more than four decades, with no information being available even today about people who disappeared as long ago as 40 years. On average, around three people go missing every day in Balochistan at the hands of Pakistani forces. Very few of them get released from Pakistani custody. And the family members of the forcibly disappeared are threatened not to open their mouths, so even if you want to file a case you are threatened and no case is filed. As police deny registering your case, and then you are threatened that other members of your family can also disappear," he said. Further, he also said, "Since Balochistan is a conflict region, it is difficult to gather data, but our department has been working for over two years and other institutions have been working longer than us. The number of forcibly disappeared people is around 47,000 in Balochistan. Just in two years, 2019 cases of forcibly disappearing have been reported to us by our sources and our party members," Baloch said. Another Baloch rights organisation, Baloch Yakjehti Committee, also demanded support for another victim of enforced disappearance, Naeem Rehmat. Rehmat, a student enrolled in the BS Education programme at the University of Turbat, was in his second semester when he forcibly disappeared on March 17, 2022. It has been over two years, and his whereabouts remain unknown, disrupting his education and causing deep distress to his family. https://twitter.com/BalochYakjehtiC/status/1779194022990414137 The same post also mentioned that hundreds of such students have fallen victim to enforced disappearance and the protests that are organised by their families for their safe return are given empty promises. Further, the BYC post also claimed that the Deputy Commissioner of Turbat assured the family that Naeem would be released within five days. However, the family has declined to end the sit-in (Dharna) and has vowed to continue until his safe release. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Tel Aviv [Israel], April 14 (ANI): Hamas on Saturday submitted its response to Israel's hostage deal negotiations and ceasefire and rejected the latter's proposal, sticking to its original demands, Xinhua reported. The terror group said it was sticking to its original demands for a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the entirety of Gaza, the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and other areas, a surge in humanitarian aid and the start of the Strip's reconstruction. Also Read | Songkran 2024 Date, History and Significance: All You Need To Know About the Thai New Year. According to Xinhua, Hamas, in its statement, emphasised its readiness to conclude a "serious and genuine" prisoner-hostage exchange deal with Israel that the faction had received on April 8. Later, the Israeli Prime Minister's office said it rejected the 'unfounded demands' of Hamas for an end to the Gaza war and a complete withdrawal of its troops from the enclave. Also Read | Baisakhi and Puthandu 2024: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Extends Vaisakhi and Tamil New Year Greetings to People, Says 'Better, Fairer, and More Inclusive Country for Everyone'. In an immediate response to Hamas' remarks, the office noted that the Israeli cabinet and the security forces were united in their opposition to these demands, Xinhua reported. The office said political instruction given to negotiations focuses on "achieving the release of our hostages and maintaining Israel's security". It argued that the only obstacle to obtaining the release of the Israeli hostages is Hamas and "not any factor on the Israeli side," and that Hamas "has refused any deal and any compromise proposal." On Monday, Cairo hosted a new round of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, in a new attempt to reach agreements leading to a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange. Palestinian sources told Xinhua that the mediators presented a new proposal in the Cairo talks, including a three-stage ceasefire, without specifying a complete withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip. The first stage enables the return of 'non-armed' displaced civilians to the northern Gaza Strip, without specifying their numbers, the opening of the Rashid and Salah al-Din streets with Israel's forces stationed 500 metres away. It also includes entering 500 aid trucks daily into all areas of Gaza and releasing 900 Palestinian prisoners, including 100 with life sentences. The proposed second stage initiates the release of all Israeli prisoners and the conclusion of negotiations for a sustainable calm. Qatari and Egyptian mediators, in addition to the US, seek to reach a deal for a prisoner exchange and a second truce between Israel and Hamas, following the first one that lasted a week until the beginning of December, last year. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Paramount, you got some splainin to do! 'I Love Lucy: The Complete Series' Blu-ray Box Set Coming November 5th! Nigeriens demonstrate to protest against the U.S. military presence in Niamey (Photo/Reuters) Niamey [Niger], April 14 (ANI): Hundreds of people erupted in protest on the streets of the Niger capital, demanding the withdrawal of US troops after the military rulers further shifted their strategy by ending a defence accord with the US and welcoming Russian military instructors, Al Jazeera reported on Saturday. Marching arm in arm through central Niamey on Saturday, the crowd waved Nigerien flags in a demonstration that recalled anti-French protests that spurred the withdrawal of France's forces from Niger last year after the army seized power in a coup. Also Read | Songkran 2024 Date, History and Significance: All You Need To Know About the Thai New Year. According to the report, one handwritten sign in English read "USA rush out of Niger", in a show of support for the military government and its decision in mid-March to revoke an accord that had allowed around 1,000 US military personnel to operate on its territory out of two bases. The crowd was also heard chanting "Down with American imperialism" and "The people's liberation is on the march." Also Read | Baisakhi and Puthandu 2024: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Extends Vaisakhi and Tamil New Year Greetings to People, Says 'Better, Fairer, and More Inclusive Country for Everyone'. Until the coup, Niger had remained a key security partner of France and the US, which used it as a base as part of international efforts to curb a decade-old rebellion in West Africa's Sahel region. In March, the country suspended its military agreement with the US. The US military had some 650 personnel working in Niger in December, according to a White House report to the Congress. The US military operates a major airbase in the Niger city of Agadez, some 920km (572 miles) from Niamey, using it for manned and unmanned surveillance flights and other operations. A drone base known as Air Base 201 near Agadez was also built at a cost of more than USD 100 million. Since 2018, the base has been used to target ISIL (ISIS) fighters and Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, in the Sahel region. Last October, Washington officially designated the military takeover as a coup. But in December, the top US envoy for Africa, Phee, said the US was willing to restore aid and security ties if Niger met certain conditions. The military said the delegation had accused Niger of partnering with Russia and Iran on 'secret' deals, which the government has denied. Officials added the US had 'threatened' action against Niger if the Niamey fails to cut ties with both countries. The military government "forcefully denounces the condescending attitude accompanied by the threat of retaliation from the head of the American delegation towards the Nigerien government and people", spokesman Abdramane added. Niger has been under military rule since July 2023, when an elite guard force led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani detained President Mohamed Bazoum and declared Tchiani the ruler. Like the military rulers in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger has also kicked out French and other European forces. Both Mali and Burkina Faso have turned to Russia for support. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kathmandu, Apr 14 (PTI) India on Sunday donated 35 ambulances and 66 school buses to various organisations across Nepal, enhancing the local infrastructure in the health and education sectors. Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava handed over the vehicles to the Nepalese officials in the presence of Finance Minister Barshaman Pun at a ceremony. Also Read | Supercar Blondie Aka 'Alexandra Mary Darvall' Launches 'SBX Cars' Online Auction House To Sell Rare Cars, Hypercars, Other Expensive Items to Wealthy Buyers. Out of 101 vehicles, two ambulances were handed over on location in the earthquake-affected Jajarkot and West Rukum districts by the representative of the Embassy of India in the presence of district officials and local residents, a statement from the Indian Embassy here said. This donation, part of a longstanding initiative coinciding with India's national celebrations, underscores the deep-rooted partnership between India and Nepal, aimed at fostering development and strengthening bilateral relations through improved access to essential services, the statement said. Also Read | Indian National Killed in Canada: 24-Year-Old Student Chirag Antil Shot Dead in Vancouver. Finance Minister Pun, in his remarks, appreciated India's various ongoing developmental projects in Nepal and expressed that these will strengthen people-to-people connectivity and bilateral relations between the two countries. Since 1994, India has gifted 1,009 ambulances and 300 school buses across Nepal, including those gifted on Sunday. The ambulances and school buses are gifted on the occasion of Independence Day and Republic Day. It is part of the government of India's continued support for the efforts of Nepal to strengthen its health and education facilities and to facilitate easy physical access to these services, the statement added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) By Ashoke Raj New Delhi, [India], April 14 (ANI): Indian airline companies are likely to announce the suspension of flight operations to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel. Also Read | Mark Zuckerberg-Run Meta Has 40,000 People Working on Safeguarding Global Elections in 2024. Iran and its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq launched more than 200 projectiles at Israel on Saturday night, including dozens of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. According to the sources, "Flight operations to and from Israel are likely to be suspended, an official announcement will follow." Also Read | Sea Drone: HD Hyundai, AI Firm Palantir Partner To Co-Develop Unmanned Surfaced Vessel for Maritime Surveillance. An Air India flight safely landed in Tel Aviv yesterday at Tel Aviv International Airport and is scheduled to operate from Tel Aviv to India. Two major airlines, El Al and Air India, are operating commercial flights between Israel and India. India's two major airlines - Air India and Vistara, have announced the avoidance of Iranian airspace and are taking longer flight paths for their Europe and US operations to ensure the safety of passengers and crew. Indian airlines are altering flight paths for Europe and the Middle East due to escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. Air India and Vistara, two major carriers, have opted to avoid Iranian airspace following the Indian government's advisory urging citizens to steer clear of travel to Iran. As a result, they are now taking longer routes to ensure passenger safety and operational stability. Vistara Air issued a statement regarding the change in flight path due to ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel. In the statement, Vistara Airlines said, "Due to the current situation affecting parts of the Middle East, we are making changes to flight-paths of some of our flights. Contingency routes, which are kept available to ensure operational continuity during such eventualities, are being used instead." Vistara Airlines has acknowledged that it will be taking longer routes as a precautionary measure, resulting in increased travel time to reach destinations. "This may result in longer flight times on certain routes and associated delays. The situation is being monitored closely and further changes will be made if required," a Vistara spokesperson said. Air India, the largest Indian airline with extensive operations in Europe, the US, and the Middle East, has said that they are monitoring the developing situation in the Middle East. Air India said in a statement, "We are closely monitoring the developing situation in the Middle East. Presently, our aircraft will operate on alternate flight paths to and from India, according to the top priority of the safety of our passengers and crew." On April 12, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a travel advisory to Indian citizens and asked them to refrain from travelling to both countries until further notice. The ministry further asked people who are currently in Iran or Israel to contact Indian embassies and register themselves. In an official release, the MEA said, "In view of the prevailing situation in the region, all Indians are advised not to travel to Iran or Israel till further notice. All those who are currently residing in Iran or Israel are requested to get in touch with Indian Embassies there and register themselves. They are also requested to observe utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum." Tensions escalated between Iran and Israel amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Reportedly, Tehran vowed revenge after Israel launched airstrikes on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus, killing at least seven officials. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lahore/New Delhi, Apr 14 (PTI) Amir Sarfaraz Tamba, an accused in the murder of Sarabjit Singh, the Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan, and a close associate of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit founder Hafiz Sayeed, was killed by unidentified gunmen in Lahore on Sunday. Tamba was attacked by motorcycle-borne assailants at his residence in Sanant Nagar, a thickly populated area of old Lahore in the afternoon. He was rushed in critical condition to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Also Read | Sarabjit Singh's Killer Shot Dead in Pakistan: Bike-Borne Assailants in Lahore Kill Amir Sarfaraz Tamba Involved in Murder of Indian Death Row Prisoner in Pakistani Jail. Police have registered an FIR against two unidentified assailants on the complaint of Tamba's younger brother Junaid Sarfraz. According to reports, Tamba's body bore four bullet wounds, two each in the chest and legs. Singh, 49, died of cardiac arrest in Jinnah Hospital Lahore in the wee hours of May 2, 2013, after being comatose for nearly a week following a brutal assault by inmates including Tamba, inside the high-security Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore. Also Read | Supercar Blondie Aka 'Alexandra Mary Darvall' Launches 'SBX Cars' Online Auction House To Sell Rare Cars, Hypercars, Other Expensive Items to Wealthy Buyers. Singh had been allegedly found guilty of taking part in several bombings in Pakistan's Punjab province in 1990 and was given the death penalty. However, Singh's family in India maintained he was a victim of mistaken identity and had inadvertently strayed across the border. His sister Dalbir Kaur had fought a long battle to secure his release from the neighbouring nation, but failed. Dr Usman Anwar, Inspector General Police of Pakistan's Punjab province, said that police are investigating the murder of Tamba from all aspects. However, it will be premature to pinpoint involvement of anti-State elements at this stage, he said. According to the FIR, Junaid Sarfraz said he and his elder brother Amir Sarfraz Tamba were present at home in Sanant Nagar when the incident took place. I was present at the ground floor while Tamba was at upper portion. The main gate of the house of was open. Two unidentified motorcyclists -- one wearing helmet and other a facemask -- entered the house at 12.40 pm Sunday and moved towards the upper portion. They aimed three gunshots at Tamba and fled from the scene. I rushed to the upper floor and found Tamba in a pool of blood. He was shifted to hospital where he succumbed to his wounds, Juniad said in his complaint. Tamba, son of Sarfaraz Javed, was born in Lahore in 1979 and was a close associate of the LeT founder, who felicitated him for killing Singh, official sources in India said. In Lahore, police officer Sajjad Hussain told PTI that it appears to be a targeted attack. Hussain said the younger brother of Tamba told police that the family had no enmity with anyone. He said police are also investigating Tamba's killing regarding his role in the alleged murder case or Sarbajit Singh. Notorious as Lahore ka asli don', Tamba was part of the Truckwalla gang' and was engaged in the property trade and drug trafficking, the sources said, adding, he was involved in a clash recently with one of the gang members Ameer Balaj Tipu, who was later killed during a marriage reception in Lahore. Tamba and his accomplice Mudassar -- two Pakistani death row prisoners -- had attacked Singh in in 2013 resulting in his death. A Pakistani court in 2018 had acquitted them both in Singh's murder case citing lack of evidence against them after all the witnesses turned hostile. Singh died before recording his statement before the doctors. A one-man judicial commission of Justice Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi of Lahore High Court had initially investigated Singh's murder case before the trial kicked off in the Sessions court. Judge Naqvi recorded the statements of some 40 witnesses in the case and submitted its report to the government which is yet to make its findings public. The one-man commission had also issued notices to Singh's relatives through the Foreign Ministry to record their statements and produce any evidence they had regarding his death. However, Singh's family did not record their statements. Tamba and Mudassar, in their statements to the commission, had confessed to the crime and said they killed Singh as they wanted to avenge the killing of people in Lahore and Faisalabad in bomb blasts allegedly carried out by the Indian national. Tamba was enjoying all facilities, including a mobile phone, inside the jail during his imprisonment, the sources said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ottawa, Apr 14 (PTI) A 24-year-old Indian man who went to Canada in 2022 to pursue higher education was shot dead in his car in Vancouver city, police said on Sunday. The Vancouver Police Department in a press release said officers were called to the scene around 11 pm on April 12 after residents heard the sound of gunshots. Also Read | Sarabjit Singh's Killer Shot Dead in Pakistan: Bike-Borne Assailants in Lahore Kill Amir Sarfaraz Tamba Involved in Murder of Indian Death Row Prisoner in Pakistani Jail. Chirag Antil was found deceased inside a vehicle in the area, police said. No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing, it said. The incident happened within a block of the route for Saturday's Vaisakhi parade and festival, police said. Also Read | Supercar Blondie Aka 'Alexandra Mary Darvall' Launches 'SBX Cars' Online Auction House To Sell Rare Cars, Hypercars, Other Expensive Items to Wealthy Buyers. The body was found in a vehicle in the area around 11 pm Friday, according to police spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin, CBC News reported. Visintin did not say if the killing was connected to gang activity. Chirag Antil's family has set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe with a goal of Canadian dollars 40,000 to repatriate his body to India. Hi, my name is Anurag Dahiya, and I'm seeking help or donations for my younger brother, the fundraiser says. Chirag Antil, an international student from Haryana, India, who arrived in Vancouver in 2022 for his studies, tragically lost his life due to a recent murder in the city, it said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Jerusalem (Photo/Reuters) Tel Aviv [Israel], April 14 (ANI): Israel, in a move to protect its citizens, has announced to close all schools and other educational systems, effective Sunday, as the country's defence forces remain on high alert following Iran hitting Israel with over 200 projectiles, the Jerusalem Post reported. Moreover, it further urged the Israeli civilians to be vigilant, to head to shelters upon hearing a warning siren, and to remain there for 10 minutes. Also Read | Tesla Considering Layoffs? Employees Fear Job Cuts at Austin Gigafactory and Fremont Factory. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been on high alert for an attack from Iran, with dozens of planes in the sky prepared to defend the country. IDF Spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari, in a video statement, said, "Starting tomorrow morning and during the next few days, none of the educational systems, camp programs, or planned trips will take place." Also Read | Sex With Student in US: Jersey Shore High School Teacher Arrested for Engaging in Sexual Activity With 16-Year-Old Student Inside His Car in Wildlife Refuge. No public events with more than 1,000 people can be held, the Home Front Command stated, reported the Jerusalem Post. The statement also highlighted the growing sense of emergency due to the threats from Tehran following Israel's attack in Damascus on April 1, killing seven Iranian generals, according to the Jerusalem Post. "We are taking all steps possible to ensure your safety," Hagari told the Israeli public. Hagari reassued the Israeli citizens and said, "Since the start of the war, we have faced a variety of threats sent here by Iran's proxies and adapted our defense and attack systems accordingly," adding that the IDF was "fully prepared." "The air force's defense and attack formations are on alert and dozens of planes are in the sky. We are conducting a situational assessment with our strategic partners, led by the USA, and we are maintaining close coordination with them," he stated. Hagari spoke as Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a situational assessment with IDF Chief-of-Staff Herzl Halevi and other senior defense officials and the security. Gallant said the IDF was "closely monitoring a planned attack by Iran and its proxies against the State of Israel." "We have added new capabilities - on land, in the air, at sea, in our intelligence directorate, within the State of Israel, and together with our partners, led by the United States," he said. Iran, on late Saturday, attacked Israel with more than 200 projectiles, including dozens of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jerusalem, Apr 14 (AP) Iran launched drones toward Israel late Saturday, the Israeli military announced, and Iran's state-run media reported that dozens had been fired. The Israeli army's spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said it would take several hours for the aircraft to arrive and that the country was prepared. Iran had been threatening to attack Israel since an airstrike last week killed two Iranian generals in Syria. Israel has not commented on that attack, but Iran accused it of being behind it. Also Read | Songkran 2024 Date, History and Significance: All You Need To Know About the Thai New Year. Israeli aviation authorities said they were closing the country's airspace to all flights as of 12:30 a.m. local time (5:30 p.m. EDT). The drone attack late Saturday marked the first time Iran had ever launched a full-scale military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Also Read | Baisakhi and Puthandu 2024: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Extends Vaisakhi and Tamil New Year Greetings to People, Says 'Better, Fairer, and More Inclusive Country for Everyone'. In a statement carried by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime. The statement did not elaborate. The White House said it would provide unspecified support for Israel's defense against the ongoing attack. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. President Joe Biden was set to convene a principals meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the unfolding attack, the White House said. Biden had cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House and monitor the situation. Earlier Saturday, the Israeli military said it was canceling school and limiting public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people as a precaution. Hagari said Israel is prepared and ready with defensive and offensive actions. He also said there was tight cooperation with the U.S. and other partners in the region. The head of the U.S. Central Command, Gen. Erik Kurilla, has been in Israel in recent days to coordinate with Israel about the Iranian threats. Israel has a number of layers of air defense capable of intercepting everything from long-range missiles to UAV's and short-range rockets. Hagari said Israel has an excellent air defense system but stressed it is not 100% effective and urged the public to listen to safety announcements. For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have threatened to slap Israel for its Syria strike. Iran has largely avoided directly attacking Israel, despite its targeted killings of nuclear scientists and sabotage campaigns on Iran's atomic sites. Iran has targeted Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces. Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip has inflamed decade-old tensions in the Middle East, and any new attack threatens to escalate that conflict into a wider regional war. Flight-tracking data showed the airspace over Jordan empty, while few flights continued on their north-south routes over Iraq. A sole Middle East Airlines flight from Dubai to Beirut remained airborne over Syria. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following the launch of drones from Iran. The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has been clashing with Israeli forces in the border area for more than six months. Earlier Saturday, commandos from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel. Iran's state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guard's navy carried out the attack on the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime. Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC. Geneva-based MSC acknowledged the seizure and said 25 crew members were on the ship. We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing, and safe return of the vessel, MSC said. White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the crew was made up of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals and urged Iran to release them and the vessel. IRNA said the Guard would take the vessel into Iranian territorial waters. A Middle East defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, provided video of the attack to The Associated Press in which Iranian commandos are seen rappelling onto a stack of containers on the vessel's deck. The video corresponded with known details of the MSC Aries. The commandos rappelled from what appeared to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, which both the Guard and the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have used before to raid ships. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called on nations to list the Guard as a terrorist organization. Iran is a criminal regime that supports Hamas' crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law, Katz said. The U.S., Israel's main backer, has stood by the country despite growing concerns over Israel's war on Gaza killing more than 33,600 Palestinians and wounding over 76,200 more. Israel's war began after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage. The Pentagon said Saturday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart to discuss urgent regional threats ... and made clear that Israel could count on full U.S. support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies. National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washington's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Tel Aviv [Israel], April 14 (ANI): The Israel Defense Forces said its fighter jets were "still intercepting cruise missiles outside the country's borders" in the early hours of Sunday morning as Iran fired drones and missiles in its first direct attack on Israel. According to the IDF, more than 200 missiles and drones had been launched. Also Read | Indian Student Killed in Canada: 24-Year-Old Chirag Antil Shot Dead Inside Audi Car in South Vancouver, Probe On. US military forces intercepted many drones, but did not specify locations, numbers or methods. Jordan, which closed its airspace, also shot down several drones. Only one person was injured in the barrage, a 10-year-old girl who was injured by falling shrapnel from a missile near the Negev town of Arad. The IDF said that a military base in southern Israel also sustained minor damage. Also Read | Israel-Iran Tensions: Indian Embassy Issue Safety Advisory, Helpline Numbers for Its Nationals Amid Rising Threat From Tehran's Attack. Sirens sounded in Jerusalem, northern Israel and the Negev, sending Israelis to shelter in safe rooms. Because ballistic missiles are intercepted at higher altitudes, shrapnel can fall over a wider area, the IDF said, explaining the widespread sirens. The IDF said dozens of ballistic missiles were intercepted by the Arrow 3 air defense system. The Arrow-3 system, which is capable of intercepting missiles in space, made its first interception when it shot down a Houthi ballistic missile in October. It may have been the first time a missile was shot down outside Earth's atmosphere, but Israel has not confirmed that. Before the widely expected attack, Israel authorities announced that schools would be closed on Sunday, as was Ben-Gurion International Airport. Palestinians in Gaza were seen cheering the missiles. Meanwhile, Iran warned the US not to join Israel in any counter-attack and threatened a harsh response to any country "opens its airspace or territory for attacks on Iran by Israel," according to Iran's state-controlled Mehr news agency. Iran has vowed to avenge an airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1. Killed in the strike was Quds Force commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and seven other IRGC officers. The attack was widely attributed to Israel, though Jerusalem never confirmed this. (ANI/TPS) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Tel Aviv [Israel], April 14 (ANI/TPS): Israeli soldiers built a pair of tank bridges over the Wadi Gaza to enable forces to attack Hamas targets south of the stream, the Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday. The bridges have been used by soldiers from Israel's 401st Armored Brigade. Also Read | Sarabjit Singh's Killer Shot Dead in Pakistan: Bike-Borne Assailants in Lahore Kill Amir Sarfaraz Tamba Involved in Murder of Indian Death Row Prisoner in Pakistani Jail. Wadi Gaza is a seasonal stream that divides northern and southern Gaza. Its major tributary is Nahal Besor, another seasonal stream which originates in the western Negev. The IDF added that other soldiers operating near the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza discovered and destroyed several rocket launchers which were primed to fire at Israel. Several Hamas gunmen were killed near the camp. Also Read | Supercar Blondie Aka 'Alexandra Mary Darvall' Launches 'SBX Cars' Online Auction House To Sell Rare Cars, Hypercars, Other Expensive Items to Wealthy Buyers. At least 1,200 people were killed and 240 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the remaining 134 hostages, Israel recently declared 31 of them dead. (ANI/TPS) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lahore [Pakistan], April 14 (ANI): One of the accused in the brutal killing of Indian national Sarabjit Singh in Kot Lakhpat jail in 2013 was gunned down by two unidentified men in Lahore's Islampura area, Pakistan-based Samaa TV reported on Sunday. Aamir Sarfaraz alias Tamba succumbed to his injuries after two suspects on a motorcycle entered his residence in Lahore's Islampura area and fired four bullets at him on Sunday morning. Also Read | Sarabjit Singh's Killer Shot Dead in Pakistan: Bike-Borne Assailants in Lahore Kill Amir Sarfaraz Tamba Involved in Murder of Indian Death Row Prisoner in Pakistani Jail. Sarfaraz has died due to excessive bleeding at a hospital, Samaa TV reported, citing hospital sources. The family claimed that he had been receiving threats for some time. According to the family, two unidentified motorcyclists entered the house and opened fire on him. Also Read | Supercar Blondie Aka 'Alexandra Mary Darvall' Launches 'SBX Cars' Online Auction House To Sell Rare Cars, Hypercars, Other Expensive Items to Wealthy Buyers. Police sources said that Sarfaraz was shot twice in the chest and twice in the legs. The law enforcement agencies have taken the body into custody and launched an investigation, Samaa TV reported. According to police, he was gunned down in Islampura's Ganga Street area after two suspects on a motorcycle entered Tamba's residence and opened fire on him. Police said he was taken to the hospital for treatment as forces reached the site of the incident. The area was cordoned off to conduct the search for the attackers whose identity is still not known. A case of the attack on Tamba has been lodged under murder provisions in Islampura police station on the complaint filed by his brother Junaid Sarfaraz, according to police. The case was registered under the murder provisions. In the FIR, Tamba's brother said, "One attacker was wearing a helmet and the other was wearing a mask." He said that Tamba was taken to a hospital in an ambulance after the attack, according to Samaa TV report. Sarabjit Singh was a farmer from Bhikhiwind town in Punjab, who used to live near the India-Pakistan border, and who mistakenly crossed the border while he was drunk. However, he was sentenced to death by a Pakistani court in 1991. Singh was kept in the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore for 22 years and after that, he was beaten up by his inmates and was taken to hospital. Singh was declared dead by doctors at Lahore's Jinnah Hospital after being comatose for five days due to severe injuries in the head after an attack on him on the jail premises in 2013. In December 2018, the Lahore District and Sessions Court had acquitted Tamba and co-accused Mudassar of all charges in the case of the killing of Sarabjit Singh in captivity, Samaa TV reported. The court had cited a lack of evidence as the reason for the acquittal. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Tel Aviv, April 14: Following a barrage of drone strikes fired by Iran on Saturday towards Israel, a New York Times report states that Israel decided to carry out a retailtory attack on Tehran on Sunday morning, however it was cancelled after a phone call took place between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the situation. After Israel successfully intercepted Iranian missiles and drones, the Biden administration cautioned Tel Aviv to avoid escalation in the Middle East, The Jerusalem Post reported citing NYT. More than 300 drones and missiles were intercepted by Israel, which US officials called a major strategic win while advising that further retailition is not required. Israel's war cabinet is set to convene later on Sunday to evaluate a response to Iran's attack. Notably, Netanyahu spoke with Biden, following meetings with the Security Cabinet and the War Cabinet, after Iran launched drones towards Israel on Saturday night in response to the air strike on its embassy in Syria. Israel-Iran Tensions: Israeli Government Seeks Terror Tag for Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps The authorities , however, did not disclose the exchange between Biden and Netanyahu. According to Jerusalem Post, Biden's conversation with Netanyahu reiterated the US' commitment to Israel's security, which following the attacks, Biden called "ironclad." In his subsequent public statement, President Biden hinted at a preference for restraint and the need for careful consideration of the situation before any steps taken further. Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, meanwhile said on Sunday that the confrontation between Iran and Israel is "not over yet." His remarks came after Iran launched an attack on Israel the previous night. Gallant said that Israel was attacked with missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles and Israel Defence Forces (IDF) thwarted the attack. He urged Israelis to remain "alert and attentive" to the instructions issued by the IDF and Homefront Command, according to CNN report. He said, "The State of Israel was attacked with hundreds of missiles and [unmanned aerial vehicles], and the [Israel Defense Forces] thwarted this attack in an impressive manner." He emphasised that Israel "must be prepared for every scenario." Gallant said, "Together with the United States and additional partners, we managed to defend the territory of the State of Israel." He added, "Very little damage was caused - this is the result of the IDF's impressive operations." Israel-Iran Tensions: Indian Embassy Issue Safety Advisory, Helpline Numbers for Its Nationals Amid Rising Threat From Tehrans Attack Gallant is one of three members of Israel's war cabinet, alongside Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz. Iran launched its first direct attack on Israel on Saturday night, launching a barrage of 300 attack drones and missiles from its territory towards the Jewish state, triggering air raid sirens throughout Israel on Sunday morning as the military tried to intercept the Iranian projectiles, the Times of Israel reported. The onset of the assault was confirmed by IDF spokesman Hagari at 11 pm. Alongside missile launches, Hagari noted that Iran also fired missiles at Israel, with "numerous" Israeli fighter jets swiftly mobilising to counter the attacks. Air raid sirens blared across Israel early Sunday, starting at 1:42 am in southern Israeli communities and soon spreading throughout the country and many towns in the West Bank. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jerusalem, Apr 14 (AP) Iran launched its first direct military attack against Israel on Saturday. The Israeli military says Iran fired more than 100 bomb-carrying drones toward Israel. Hours later, Iran announced it had also launch much more destructive ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. Iran had been threatening to attack Israel after an airstrike earlier this week widely blamed on Israel destroyed Iran's consulate in Syria, killing 12 people, including two elite Iranian generals. Also Read | Israel Calls for Emergency UNSC Meet as Iran Strikes Its Territory, Demands Terrorist Tag for Its Revolutionary Guards Corps. The Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement early Sunday the vast majority of missiles launched from Iran were intercepted outside of Israel's borders. Israel has made missile defense a priority, with a variety of air-defense systems available to shoot down incoming missile and drone fire. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel's six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. Also Read | Eight Including Three Children Shot During Gunfire in Chicago: Live News Updates Today. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Currently: President Joe Biden cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team and monitor the situation in the Middle East as Iran launched an attack against Israel. Israel has a multilayered air-defense system. It faces a big test with Iranian drone strike. Here is the latest: BIDEN SAYS US HELPED ISRAEL DOWN NEARLY ALL' IRANIAN DRONES AND MISSILES Washington: President Joe Biden says US forces helped Israel down nearly all of the drones and missiles launched by Iran and pledged to convene allies to develop a unified response. Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke early Sunday, Israeli time, their governments said. Biden said in a statement that he reaffirmed America's ironclad commitment to Israel's security a departure from his harsh criticism over Israel's handling of the war in Gaza. At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week, Biden said in the statement. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. The Iranian attack, less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building, marked the first time it has launched a direct military assault on Israel ISRAEL SAYS MOST MISSILES LAUNCHED FROM IRAN WERE INTERCEPTED Jerusalem: Israel's military says the vast majority of missiles launched from Iran were intercepted outside of Israel's borders. The Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement early Sunday that dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory and that the IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the Arrow' Aerial Defense System, together with Israel's strategic allies, before the launches crossed into Israeli territory." A small number of hits were identified, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure, the statement added. It said many dozens of hostile aircraft, as well as dozens of cruise missiles, from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory and intercepted. Dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets are currently operating to intercept aerial threats approaching Israeli territory, it added. UN CHIEF CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling for an immediate halt to hostilities in the Middle East. I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran this evening, Guterres wrote in a statement Saturday night. I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East, Guterres wrote. I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war. GERMANY, FRANCE, CANADA CONDEMN IRANIAN ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAEL The French government forcefully condemned the Iranian air attack on Israel. French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne said in a statement Saturday that in taking such an unprecedented action, Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilizing activities and is risking a potential military escalation. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote early Sunday on X that Germany condemns in the strongest possible terms the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos. Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately, Baerbock wrote. "We offer Israel our full solidarity at this time. Likewise, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his nation unequivocally condemns Iran's airborne attacks against Israel. "We stand with Israel. After supporting Hamas' brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime's latest actions will further destabilize the region and make lasting peace more difficult, Trudeau said in a statement. "We support Israel's right to defend itself and its people from these attacks. BRITAIN AND ARGENTINA RESPOND TO IRANIAN ATTACK ON ISRAEL UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said additional Royal Air Force jets and air refueling tankers have been sent to the Middle East to bolster Britain's existing operation against the Islamic State Group in Iraq and Syria. He said the jets will intercept airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, but did not confirm whether RAF jets had already shot down any Iranian drones. Meanwhile, the spokesperson of Argentine President Javier Milei says the leader will cancel a trip to Denmark and return to Buenos Aires due to Iran's attack on Israel. A statement from presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni said Milei was flying home to form a crisis committee in light of the latest events in Israel, to take charge of the situation and coordinate actions with the presidents of the Western world. US FORCES DOWN ATTACK DRONES HEADED TO ISRAEL US officials say American military forces have downed some Iran-launched attack drones flying toward Israel. That is according to a US defense official and two US officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The defense official said the effort to intercept the attack was continuing. Since Iran announced its attack Saturday against Israel, air raid sirens have gone off in Jerusalem, in northern and southern Israel, in the Negev region, in the Shomron area and in the Dead Sea region. ISRAEL ORDERS RESIDENTS IN SOME AREAS TO MOVE CLOSE TO PROTECTED SPACES The Israeli army has ordered residents of the Golan Heights in the north and Nevatim, Dimona and Eilat in the south to stay close to a protected space such as a shelter, stairwell or inner room until further notice. Residents must be able to reach the protected spaces as soon as air raid sirens are activated, the statement said. We ask the public to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command regarding the situation and wait for additional instructions, the statement said. IRAN SAYS IT HAS FIRED BALLISTIC MISSILES AT ISRAEL Iran's state-run IRNA news agency says Tehran has fired ballistic missiles at targets inside of Israel. The announcement came shortly after Iran said it fired dozens of bomb-carrying drones. Slow-moving Shahed-136 drones have been seen in the skies over Iran. However, those are more easily shot down. Israel has missile defense systems capable of targeting ballistic missiles. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles like the campaign launched late Saturday by Iran, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher. ISRAELI ARMY SAYS IT IS DETERMINED TO DEFEND THE COUNTRY The Israel Defense Forces says that it is prepared to defend itself against a massive drone attack launched by Iran. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the army's spokesperson, said the country is closely monitoring the drones that are headed to Israel. Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness, he said. Together with our partners, the Israel Defense Forces is operating at full-force to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel. US PLEDGES UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AMID IRANIAN ATTACK National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said Saturday that the United States "will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran. The Pentagon reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with his Israeli counterpart and made clear that Israel could count on full U.S. support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies. National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washington's ironclad commitment" to Israel's security. ISRAEL CLOSES ITS AIRSPACE AS IT ANTICIPATES DRONE ATTACK Israel says it has closed its airspace after Iran launched dozens of drones against it late Saturday. Israeli aviation authorities said they were closing the country's airspace to all flights as of 12:30 a.m. local time (5:30 p.m. EDT). ATTACK REPRESENTS FIRST DIRECT MILITARY ASSAULT ON ISRAEL BY IRAN The attack late Saturday marked the first time Iran had ever launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran has a vast arsenal of drones and missiles. Tehran's choice of the Shahed-136 drones both give Israel and its allies hours to shoot down the bomb-carrying drones. For the time being, it does not appear Iran has used any of its ballistic missiles in the attack, which would pose a greater risk to Israel. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jerusalem, Apr 14 (AP) Israel praised the success of its defences in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran involving hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles while tensions ran high over a possible Israeli counter-strike. An Israeli military spokesman said Sunday the launches numbered more than 300, but 99 per cent of them were intercepted. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Iran fired 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. Several ballistic missiles reached Israeli territory, causing minor damage to an air base. Also Read | Landslide in Indonesia: 14 Dead, Another Missing After Torrential Rains Trigger Landslides in Sulawesi Island. The Iranian attack on Saturday, less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel's six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on October 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. Also Read | Sarabjit Singh's Killer Shot Dead in Pakistan: Bike-Borne Assailants in Lahore Kill Amir Sarfaraz Tamba Involved in Murder of Indian Death Row Prisoner in Pakistani Jail. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Currently: Iran's attack on Israel raised fears of a wider war, but all sides in the conflict also scored gains. US helps Israel shoot down nearly all' Iran-launched attack drones as Biden vows support. President Joe Biden cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team and monitor the situation in the Middle East as Iran launched an attack against Israel. Here is the latest: ISRAEL ACTIVATING TWO RESERVE BRIGADES FOR OPERATIONS IN GAZA JERUSALEM The Israeli military says it is activating two reserve brigades for operational activities in Gaza. Sunday's announcement comes as Israel prepares for a ground invasion of Rafah the southern Gaza city that Israel says is Hamas' last major stronghold. Israel last week withdrew most of its remaining ground forces from Gaza after six months of war, leaving its troop levels in the territory at the lowest level in months. The Rafah invasion faces stiff international opposition, in large part because over 1 million people, roughly half of Gaza's population, are now crowded into the city after fleeing fighting elsewhere in the territory. They say they have nowhere else to go. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is determined to complete the Gaza operation. He says Israel has even set a date for the operation and claimed that Israel has a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah. G7 COUNTRIES CONDEMN IRAN'S ATTACK ON ISRAEL ROME Leaders of the G7 the informal gathering of industrialized countries that includes the United States, United Kingdom and France issued a statement on Sunday unequivocally condemning in the strongest terms Iran's direct and unprecedented attack against Israel. The statement came after the leaders met in a video conference hosted by the Italian presidency. Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack, the statement reads. We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security. The group also stressed that Iran with its actions, has further stepped toward the destabilisation of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. The G7 leaders said that scenario must be avoided. We will continue to work to stabilize the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives, they said. HEZBOLLAH PRAISES IRAN ATTACK ON ISRAEL, CALLS IT A NEW PHASE' IN CONFLICT WITH ISRAEL BEIRUT The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Sunday hailed Iran for its early attack on southern Israel, saying it's the beginning of a new phase of the conflict with Israel and the Palestinian cause. The Iranian attack came less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building. It marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. The operation precisely achieved its limited military objectives, despite the involvement of the United States, its allies, and its regional tools in responding to the stunning attack, the Lebanese group said in a statement. The long-term political and strategic objectives for this major development will be successfully apparent over time. ISRAELI WAR CABINET MEMBER GANTZ PRAISES INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO THWART IRAN ATTACK JERUSALEM Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's war cabinet, praised regional and international efforts that helped thwart the Iranian missile and drone attack on Sunday. The US and Britain have confirmed that they helped intercept some of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched toward Israel early Sunday. This event is not over the strategic alliance and regional cooperation system that we built and stood its significant test needs to be strengthened right now, Gantz said. Jordan, which sits between Israel and Iran, also indicated its military may have come to Israel's defence, despite being at odds with its neighbour over its war against Hamas in Gaza. Jordan briefly closed its airspace and announced that some of the flying objects that entered our airspace last night were dealt with and confronted. AFGHAN TALIBAN SAYS IRANIAN ATTACK WAS LEGITIMATE SELF-DEFENCE KABUL The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is part of the Taliban government, issued a statement in support of Iran Saturday, saying Israel acted in continuation of its crimes and in contravention of all diplomatic norms and international laws by the attack on April 2 on the Iranian consulate in Syria, in which 12 people were killed. In response to which the Islamic Republic of Iran exercised its legitimate right to self-defense last night, the statement said. It accused Israel of trying to divert world attention away from the genocide of over 33,000 civilians in Gaza by violating the airspace of sovereign states and provocations aimed at broadening regional insecurity. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan calls on all influential world and regional states to expedite their efforts of halting the crimes of the Zionist regime in order to prevent further escalation of the crisis, the statement concluded. IRAN SAYS IT NOTIFIED THE US BEFORE ATTACKING ISRAEL TEHRAN Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, in a press conference said his country notified the United States before launching the strike against Israel. Early Sunday in a message to the White House we announced that our operation would be limited and minimalistic and aimed at legitimate defence and punishing the Israeli regime," Amirabdollahian said. Tehran's top diplomat also said the limited Iranian attacks would not target civilians or economic areas: In our response, we defined no response against civilian targets. Our armed forces targeted no economic or populated areas. Amirabdollahian said the strike's goal was to punish the Israeli regime and it was a legitimate act of defence by Iranian forces: Our goal in this legitimate act of defence is simply punishing the Israeli regime. We are not after American individuals or bases in the region, Amirabdollahian said. YEMEN'S HOUTHI REBELS SAY THE IRANIAN ATTACK WAS LEGITIMATE CAIRO The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Sunday said Iran's unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel was a legitimate act that came in response to an airstrike on Iran's consulate in Syria that was widely blamed on Israel. Writing on the messaging app Telegram, Mohamed Abdel Salam, spokesman for the Houthis, said Israel won't be able to escape its crimes without punishment. The Houthis, who control the Yemeni capital and much of the country's north, have repeatedly launched attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war. They also fired missiles and explosives-laden drones towards Israel. CYPRUS PRESIDENT SAYS HIS NATION WASN'T INVOLVED IN ANY MILITARY ACTION NICOSIA Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides says the east Mediterranean island nation wasn't in anyway involved in any military action to thwart Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack against Israel. Christodoulides told reporters Sunday that aircraft had arrived in Cyprus from neighbouring countries late Saturday. He said they would depart Sunday. Asked if the UK had informed the Cypriot government ahead of time that any of its warplanes from a British air base on the island would be involved in intercepting the Iranian attack, Christodoulides said there was no forewarning. The UK's two military bases on Cyprus including the larger air base RAF Akrotiri - are British sovereign territory and don't require the Cypriot government's permission to launch any military action. But normally, the UK does brief the Cypriot government of any impending action as a courtesy. The Cypriot president said his foreign minister spoke with his British counterpart only after the fact. He added that he's hoping there's no further escalation because his government doesn't believe that any problems are solved through such aggressive acts. LUFTHANSA SUSPENDS SOME MIDEAST FLIGHTS THROUGH MONDAY German airline Lufthansa said on Sunday that it had suspended regular flights to and from Tel Aviv, Amman and Erbil through Monday. It said it plans to serve those destinations again starting Tuesday, but that flights to Beirut and Tehran will remain suspended until at least Thursday. Lufthansa said it was monitoring and assessing the security situation in the Middle East and was in close contact with authorities. The safety of our passengers and crews always has top priority, it said in an emailed statement. Lufthansa, Europe's biggest airline group, announced on Friday that its planes were avoiding Iranian airspace. UK MOVES ADDITIONAL WARPLANES TO THE MIDEAST NICOSIA The British government says it has moved several additional fighter jets and refuelling tankers to the region, following Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel. In a statement on Sunday, the British government said the air assets will bolster the UK's existing operation against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq as well as intercepting any airborne attacks within the range of our existing missions, as required. Asked by The Associated Press whether the additional jets have been transferred to the UK's air base in Cyprus, a spokesperson said a number of aircraft have been temporarily moved from Romania to bolster our existing footprint in the region. The official didn't disclose the exact location for reasons of operational security. Israel said Sunday that 99 per cent of more than 300 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles Iran had launched were intercepted. ZELENSKYY CONDEMNS IRAN'S ATTACK KYIV Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Iran's attack on Israel, drawing parallels to the war ravaging his own country where Russia has also used Iran-made drones. We in Ukraine know very well the horror of similar attacks by Russia, which uses the same Shahed drones and Russian missiles, the same tactics of mass air strikes," he said. Every effort must be made to prevent a further escalation in the Middle East. Iran's actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia's actions threaten a larger conflict, and the obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world, he said in a post on X. It is critical that the United States Congress make the necessary decisions to strengthen America's allies at this critical time, Zelenskyy said. SUNAK SAYS UK SHOT DOWN A NUMBER OF IRANIAN DRONES LONDON British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed that UK military jets shot down a number of Iranian attack drones" during an attack on Israel. Sunak says the Royal Air Force sent additional planes to the Middle East to help intercept airborne strikes after Tehran announced it had launched an assault on Saturday. It's clear that Iran is determined to sow discontent and destabilize the region, its own backyard, Sunak told the BBC on Sunday. If this attack had been successful, the fallout for regional security would be hard to overstate. Sunak is expected to hold an urgent call with US President Joe Biden and other Group of Seven leaders later Sunday. UK Defence Minister Grant Shapps also posted on X that British warplanes intercepted and destroyed multiple one-way attack drones and that all aircraft involved "returned safely to base. GERMANY SAYS IRANIAN ATTACK BRINGS THE REGION TO THE BRINK BERLIN German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says the Iranian attack on Israel had brought the region to the edge of the abyss. With its aggressive behaviour, with which it wants to destabilize a whole region, Iran is isolated. And Israel's capabilities have shown that Israel is strong, Israel can defend itself, Baerbock said in Berlin. I call on all actors in the region to act prudently. The escalatory spiral must be broken. We must together find a way to end the violence, Baerbock said. She said Germany and its allies were discussing consequences following the Iranian attack, without elaborating. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking to reporters during a trip to China, said he would take part in a meeting of G7 leaders later Sunday. We will do everything to prevent a further escalation, Scholz said. We can only warn everyone, especially Iran, against continuing in this way. Scholz is due to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday. IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER REITERATES OPERATION IS OVER TEHRAN Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said his country has no intention of continuing the military operation against Israel. At this juncture, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no intention of continuing defensive operations, he posted on X, and added: "But if necessary, it will not hesitate to protect its legitimate interests against any new aggression. Amirabdollahian called the attack exercising the right of legitimate defence and said it shows Iran's responsible approach to regional and international peace and security. POPE FRANCIS APPEALS TO IRAN AND ISRAEL TO AVOID A SPIRAL OF VIOLENCE VATICAN CITY Pope Francis urged Iran and Israel in his Sunday's prayer to avoid new actions that could spark a spiral of violence and drag the Middle East deeper into conflict. I follow in prayer and with concern, even pain, the news that came in the last few hours about the aggravation of the situation in Israel, due to the intervention by Iran, Francis said, addressing pilgrims from the window overlooking St. Peter's Square. The pontiff made another heartfelt appeal to immediately stop any action that could further intensify the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. No one should threaten the existence of others. Instead, all nations should side with peace and help Israelis and Palestinians to live in two States side by side, in safety, he added. Enough war, enough attacks, enough violence. Yes to dialogue, yes to peace." The pope has often called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking conflicting parties to follow the path of negotiations. IRAN SUMMONS 3 EUROPEAN AMBASSADORS OVER CONDEMNATION OF ATTACK ON ISRAEL TEHRAN Iran's Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned the ambassadors of the UK, Germany and France after the three European nations condemned an Iranian attack on Israel. The ministry said on its website that the ambassadors were called in over their governments' irresponsible stances on the Iranian operation against Israel, which was in retaliation for a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month that killed two Iranian generals. RUSSIA EXPRESSES CONCERN FOLLOWING IRAN'S ATTACK ON ISRAEL Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its utmost concern on Sunday following Iranian strikes on Israel. It said it hoped that Middle Eastern governments would resolve their problems through political and diplomatic means. It also said that Western states had stopped the UN Security Council from adequately responding to the April 1 strike on Iran's consulate building in Syria. We have repeatedly warned that unresolved crises throughout the Middle East primarily in the area of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are often being fuelled by irresponsible and provocative actions and will lead to increased tensions in the area, the ministry said in a statement. IRAN WARNS US AGAINST COOPERATION WITH ISRAEL IN ANY NEW ATTACK TEHRAN Iran has sent a message to the US warning Washington against cooperation with Israel in any military operation again Tehran following its unprecedented attack on Israel. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, as saying that Tehran had communicated its message to the US through the Swiss Embassy, which handles US interests in Iran in the absence of diplomatic relations. President Ebrahim Raisi sent a message praising Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard for launching the attack, saying it had taught a lesson to the Zionist regime. He also warned that any new adventure against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran. State TV meanwhile broadcast interviews with people on the street who praised the Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel and thanked the Iranian military. HAMAS DEMANDS WRITTEN COMMITMENT THAT ISRAEL WILL WITHDRAW FROM GAZA CAIRO Hamas has demanded a clear written commitment that Israel will withdraw from the Gaza Strip during the second of a three-phase cease-fire deal, a senior Egyptian official and a Hamas official said on Sunday. The Palestinian militant group said on Saturday it submitted its response to a six-week cease-fire proposal to Egyptian and Qatari mediators. It said it's still committed to its demands for a permanent cease-fire, Israeli army withdrawal from all parts of Gaza, the return of displaced people to their homes, intensifying the flow of aid and the start of reconstruction. Israel said earlier Sunday that Hamas had rejected the latest proposal for a deal submitted last week. We confirm our readiness to reach a deal regarding a serious exchange of prisoners between the two sides, Hamas said. The proposal presented to both sides calls for a six-week cease-fire in Gaza, during which Hamas would release 40 of the more than 100 hostages the group is holding in the enclave in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, including 100 serving long sentences for serious crimes. The Egyptian official said Hamas wants a comprehensive, phased deal that included ending the war, Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and an agreement of all hostages in return for a large number of Palestinian prisoners. Israel says it wants to destroy Hamas' military and governing capabilities. The officials said the response also included an increase in the number of Palestinian prisoners Hamas wants released from Israel. The officials from Egypt and Hamas spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to disclose details from the sensitive negotiations. They said that Hamas' response included the unrestricted return of displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza through the two main south-north thoroughfares. The Egyptian official said mediators will carefully review the response before calling for another round of talks. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, April 14: President Joe Biden has condemned Iran's unprecedented air attack on Israel and convened a meeting of the G-7 leaders on Sunday to develop a coordinated response to the brazen assault. His comments came as American forces joined efforts to down drones and missiles launched by Tehran. Israel said it and its allies have intercepted the vast majority of more than 200 drones and missiles launched by Iran. "Earlier today, Iranand its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraqlaunched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms," Biden said after his call with Netanyahu. Biden said at his direction, to support the defence of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, he said. Iran-Israel War: US Shoots Down Iran-Launched Attack Drones as Joe Biden Team Pledges 'Support' for Israel Against Tehran I've just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel," he said. Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, he said. Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack. Benjamin Netanyahu Speaks With Joe Biden: Israel Prime Minister Dials US President After Iran's Unprecedented Attack Joe Biden Condemns Iran's Attack on Israel I condemn Iran's attacks in the strongest possible terms and reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. My full statement on Irans attacks against Israel: pic.twitter.com/EuPJZoGw6w President Biden (@POTUS) April 14, 2024 "My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israel's leaders. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people, Biden said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, Apr 14 (PTI) The US, Canada and the UN have condemned the Iranian air attack on Israel, with President Joe Biden reaffirming America's "ironclad commitment" to the Jewish nation and vowing to convene a meeting of the G-7 leaders on Sunday to develop a coordinated response to the brazen assault. The Israeli military said on Sunday that 99 per cent of more than 300 Iranian drones and missiles were intercepted by Israel and its allies. Also Read | Indian National Killed in Canada: 24-Year-Old Student Chirag Antil Shot Dead in Vancouver. Biden said "We helped Israel take down nearly all" of them. His comments came as American forces joined efforts to down drones and missiles launched by Tehran. Also Read | Landslide in Indonesia: At Least 14 Dead, Three Missing As Landslides Triggered by Rains Hit Sulawesi Island. "Earlier today, Iranand its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraqlaunched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms," Biden said after his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said the attack was aimed at "specific targets". Iran had vowed to retaliate for a strike on its consulate in Syria on 1 April which killed seven IRGC officers, including a top commander. It accused Israel of carrying out that attack, but Israel neither confirmed nor denied it. Netanyahu called a war cabinet meeting after the start of the Iranian attack, and later spoke to President Biden, who said he had reaffirmed "America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel". Biden said at his direction, to support the defence of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, he said. I've just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel," he said. Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, he said. Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G-7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack. "My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israel's leaders. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people, Biden said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said the United States condemns Iran's attack on Israel in the strongest terms. "While we do not seek escalation, we will continue to support Israel's defence, and as the President made clear, we will defend US personnel. I will be consulting with allies and partners in the region and around the world in the hours and days ahead," he said. In New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement condemned the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by Iran. I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities, he said. I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East, he said. UN General Assembly Dennis Francis expressed deep concerns about the unfolding situation in the Middle East, involving the launch by Iran of drones and missiles against Israel. The Iranians have explained their action in the context of article 51 of the UN Charter, following the recent Israeli attack on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus. The Iranian response compounds the already tense and delicate peace and security situation in the Middle East, he said and called upon all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid further escalation of tension in the region. This is a moment that calls for wise and prudent judgement, in which the risks and extended risks are very carefully considered, he said. I expect that the Iranian authorities will honour their word that by their action today, the matter can be deemed concluded. A vicious cycle of attack and counter-attack will lead to nowhere, but inevitably, to more death, suffering and misery. Dialogue and diplomacy are the only way to resolve any differences through peaceful means, Francis said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unequivocally condemned Iran's airborne attacks against Israel. We stand with Israel. After supporting Hamas' brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime's latest actions will further destabilise the region and make lasting peace more difficult, he said. These attacks demonstrate yet again the Iranian regime's disregard for peace and stability in the region. We support Israel's right to defend itself and its people from these attacks, Trudeau said. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said that American forces remain postured to protect its troops and partners in the region, provide further support for Israel's defence, and enhance regional stability. We condemn these reckless and unprecedented attacks by Iran and its proxies, and we call on Iran to immediately halt any further attacks, including from its proxy forces, and to de-escalate tensions. We do not seek conflict with Iran, but we will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defence of Israel, he said. Austin said he will continue to monitor the situation closely and to consult with US allies and partners. He also spoke with Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant to discuss urgent regional threats and reiterated unwavering US support for Israel's defence. During the call, Austin made clear that Israel could count on full US support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies, his spokesperson said on Saturday. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, DC [US], April 14 (ANI): US Assistant State Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel J. Kritenbrink is set to begin his visit to China today (Sunday) to meet Chinese officials as part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the two countries. The US official, Kritenbrink, will be on his visit to China from April 14 to 16. Also Read | Mark Zuckerberg-Run Meta Has 40,000 People Working on Safeguarding Global Elections in 2024. "Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel J. Kritenbrink will travel to the People's Republic of China on April 14-16," the US State Department said in an official release. Kritenbrink will be joined by National Security Council Senior Director for China and Taiwan Affairs Sarah Beran, and the two will meet with the Chinese officials. Also Read | Sea Drone: HD Hyundai, AI Firm Palantir Partner To Co-Develop Unmanned Surfaced Vessel for Maritime Surveillance. "Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink will be joined by National Security Council Senior Director for China and Taiwan Affairs Sarah Beran. The two will meet with PRC officials as part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and to responsibly manage competition," the statement added. As reported on Saturday, amid growing tensions in the South China Sea between Beijing and Manila, the presidents of the United States, Japan, and the Philippines formed an unprecedented level of collaboration to counter China, according to Al Jazeera. While US President Joe Biden and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have stressed the security aspects of their cooperation, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has highlighted its potential economic rewards, touting the partnership with promised investments of some USD 100bn as a friendship with benefits. Last week, US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held a telephonic conversation, the White House confirmed. This comes amid increasing tensions between the two countries on a range of thorny issues, from trade to tech to investment. According to the White House statement, the two leaders held a candid and constructive discussion on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including areas of cooperation and areas of difference. President Biden further emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the rule of law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Poila Baisakh is the annual celebration marked on the first day of the Bengali calendar, which is also Bangladesh's official calendar. Poila Baisakh 2024, or Subho Noboborsho 1431, will be marked on April 15 in India and is an important observance celebrated by Bengalis across India and Bangladesh (it will be observed on April 14). Many people consider Pohela Boishakhi to be the Bengali New Year. To mark this day, people often share Shubho Noboborsho 2024 wishes in Bengali, Happy Poila Baisakh messages, Poila Baisakh 2024 greetings, Bengali New Year 2024 images and Subho Noboborsho 1431 greetings, wallpapers, Happy Pohela Boishakh WhatsApp stickers and Poila Baisakh 2024 Facebook status pictures with family and friends. Poila Baisakh 2024 Wishes and Greetings: Bengali New Year Images, Wallpapers, Messages and Quotes for Loved Ones. The celebration of Poila Baisakh falls around the same time as the Hindu New Year celebrations in various parts of the country and the Baisakhi commemoration in North India. The roots of this annual commemoration can be traced to the traditions of Old Dhaka's Muslim community during Mughal rule and the proclamation of Akbar's tax collection reforms. Poila Baisakh (Pohela Boishakh) 2024 Date in West Bengal: Know Timings, Rituals and Celebrations Related to Noboborsho or Bengali New Year. The celebrations of Poila Baisakh are filled with various pompous events and culturally significant functions, and the Bengali community worldwide commemorates them with great fervour and enthusiasm. In fact, Bangladesh organises the festive Mangal Shobhajatra every year on this day. In 2016, UNESCO declared this festivity, organized by the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka, as a cultural heritage of humanity. As we prepare to celebrate Pohela Boishakh 2024, here are some Shubho Noboborsho 2024 wishes, Happy Poila Baisakh messages, Poila Baisakh 2024 greetings in Bengali, Bengali New Year 2024 images and wallpapers, Happy Pohela Boishakh WhatsApp stickers and Poila Baisakh 2024 Facebook status pictures that you can share with family and friends. Poila Baisakh Wishes (File Image) WhatsApp Message Reads: Happy Pohela Boishakh! Let's begin this New Year with open hearts and minds, embracing the opportunities it brings. Poila Baisakh Wishes (File Image) WhatsApp Message Reads: May happiness, prosperity, peace, joy, and laughter replace all worries in your life. May today mark the start of a joyous journey. Happy Poila Baisakh! Poila Baisakh Wishes (File Image) WhatsApp Message Reads: On this joyous occasion of Poila Boishakh, let's pray for blessings of good health, wealth, peace, and prosperity. Subho Nobo Borsho. Poila Baisakh Wishes (File Image) WhatsApp Message Reads: As we step into this Nobo Borsho, let's hope for a future filled with brightness, peace, and well-being. Happy Bengali New Year! Poila Baisakh Wishes (File Image) WhatsApp Message Reads: Warm greetings of Poila Baisakh to you and your loved ones. May your New Year be as delightful and sweet as roshogullas, filled with smiles. Happy Poila Baisakh! We hope that the celebration of Pohela Boishakh brings with it the prosperity, good luck and happiness that you and your family deserve. We wish you all a very Happy Poila Baisakh 2024! (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 14, 2024 10:24 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Five youths have been arrested for the forcible conversion and gang-rape of a minor girl in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich. Four people, including two brothers, were killed when their car fell into a river in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar district in the early hours of Sunday. Nationalist Congress Party (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Sunday said there was no difference between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin while accusing the former of slowly destroying democracy in the country. Salman Khan and his family encountered a distressing situation on April 14 when unidentified assailants fired five rounds outside their Bandra apartment during the early hours. Authorities are actively investigating the incident, with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi emerging as a significant suspect. Bishnoi's name resurfaced due to his prior statement expressing a desire to harm Khan, stemming from the blackbuck poaching incident. In 2023, Bishnoi stated in an interview that his life's goal was to kill Khan, demanding an apology for what he perceived as humiliation to his community. Gunshots Fired by Two Persons Outside Salman Khan's Mumbai Residence, Investigation Underway. Lawrence Bishnoi's Past Comment On Salman Khan View this post on Instagram A post shared by Varinder Chawla (@varindertchawla) (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) Tara Toraja, Apr 14: Torrential rains triggered landslides on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, killing at least 14 people and leaving three others missing, officials said Sunday. Mud fell from surrounding hills onto four houses just before midnight Saturday in the Tana Toraja district of South Sulawesi province, said local police chief Gunardi Mundu. He said a family gathering was being held in one of the affected houses. Dozens of soldiers, police and volunteers joined the search in the villages of Makale and South Makale, in a remote, hilly area, Mundu said. Rescuers early Sunday managed to pull out two injured people, including an 8-year-old girl, and rushed them to a nearby hospital. Landslide in Jammu and Kashmir: Mudslide near Khooni Nala Blocks Highway (Watch Video). Rescuers by Sunday afternoon had recovered at least 11 bodies in Makale village and three bodies in South Makale, and were still searching for three others, including a 3-year-old girl, said National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari. Downed communications lines, bad weather and unstable soil were hampering the rescue efforts, Muhari said. Ghatkopar Landslide: Nearly 10 Huts Vacated, Search Operation Underway; No Injuries Reported. Tana Toraja has many popular tourist attractions, including a site with traditional houses and wooden statues of bodies buried in the caves, known as tau-tau. Seasonal downpours cause frequent landslides and floods in Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or in fertile flood plains. (AP) Stewards of the Delaware and Lehigh canal towpaths want to answer your questions during their third annual State of the D&L Trail virtual meeting set for Tuesday, April 16. The public update comes amid some lingering closures of the trail that runs along the Delaware River and Canal through Bucks and Northampton counties, then parallels the Lehigh River and Canal through Northampton, Lehigh and Carbon counties into Luzerne County. Well share what you can expect on the trail this year, how to navigate into nearby towns, and all the best businesses to check out while youre there, the Easton-based Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor said ahead of the meeting. The period for questions has closed, but registration for the meeting remained open through delawareandlehigh.org. Tuesdays virtual meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. via Zoom. The D&L spans 165 miles of American history, following the routes dating to the 19th century that brought supplies upstream and commodities like coal back down. There are trail gaps the National Heritage Corridor and its partners are working to close between Allentown and Northampton. The trail map at delawareandlehigh.org showed obstructions on much of the Delaware Canal portion. That includes the stretch south of Easton through Delaware Canal State Park that closed Sept. 6 for repairs. Looks like we are looking at early May if things go according to plan, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources spokesman Wesley Robinson told lehighvalleylive.com about the timetable for reopening the state park trail. The slope repairs are done and the staff is working on the towpath repairs in the very near future. The weather is now what we need to cooperate. Another significant closure affects the popular stretch through Carbon County between Weissport and Jim Thorpe. Repairs to two canal overflows forced closures of the trail starting Feb. 5. An update last month from the Lehigh Canal Park of Carbon Co. Facebook page indicated the work has required closing the entire stretch between the two communities, with the reopening not expected until late April or early May at the earliest. The National Heritage Corridor had no further update last week on that closure. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. The Leitrim Design House is set to host the Mindfulness for the Creative Sector event at The Dock on April 23. In partnership with LEO Leitrim, the event aims to promote networking between fellow Leitrim makers to engage with the Co-Create collaboration bursary project, focused on art, craft and design businesses in Leitrim. This bursary aims to bring together creative minds to create a special piece by encouraging the exploration of new methodologies and processes and the development of new work. Mindfulness for the Creative Sector will be facilitated by Fran Best, who brings his interactive session providing a space to network during our facilitated network sessions, open discussion, idea and knowledge sharing in terms of income generation and marketing for the creative sector, breathwork mindfulness, introduce mindful practices for times when business is challenging, stretch the body, empowering session with facilitated networking and support building event. Marketing expert Barry Murphy will be training in Marketing in an Artificial World and answer your open questions on actions that you can take to drive your business forward, along with The Leitrim Design House team to discuss support. The Leitrim Design House is a not-for-profit organisation that brings together the best of Irelands unique craft and design traditions. It promotes quality Irish craft and design to global and Irish audiences. It is a social enterprise and membership organisation that supports and promotes small creative businesses in Leitrim and nationally. For further information, visit www.leitrimdesignhouse.ie. North West Mothers for Social Justice presents Gaza followed by a Q&A with Irish director Garry Keane and Palestinian translator Fadl Mustapha at The Model, Sligo, at 8pm, April 20 a fundraiser for the Amjaad Charity. For six months, the world has watched in horror as the people of Gaza have been bombed, displaced and starved by the Israeli army. North West Mothers for Social Justice is a group of women and our allies who came together in response to these atrocities. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, campaigning for an end to the genocide, the occupation and the apartheid regime. On Saturday, April 20, The Model is delighted to present the award-winning documentary Gaza in The Model, Sligo. Filmed in 2015, a time of relative peace between conflicts, the film follows a cast of characters from all walks of life as they face the relentless struggles of living in the worlds largest open-air prison. Naturally, the student, taxi driver, barber, mother, fisher, paramedic, and others face untold hardships. However, more than anything, this intimate portrayal of Gazas inhabitants spotlights their resilience, humanity, and strength of spirit, finding moments for joy and connection in the daily grind. Garry Keane, the films director, and Fadl Mustapha, who assisted with translation, are joining The Model, an opportunity for the audience to ask questions about the reality of living in Palestine, then and now. 100% of all proceeds raised during the event will be donated to Amjaad, a grassroots organisation founded in Gaza seven years ago. Garry has close personal connections to the charity through the films on-location manager. Still operational, despite the current impossible conditions, Amjaad typically provides help to at least 2,000 families every year, although that number has increased exponentially since October. Garry Keane describes Gaza as a home to a people who are oppressed and dehumanised, but who are also resilient and strong, and who want nothing more than to live normal lives. Isnt that what all of us want, to be able to live our lives. Donations are encouraged at the door. Seats should be booked in advance via https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/gaza-film-sligo-tickets-876044301087. Doors open at 7:00pm. The programme runs from 8:00pm to 11:00pm. There will be an interval. Gardai have launched an investigation into a suspected incident of criminal damage following a fire at a former HSE site earmarked for asylum seeker accommodation. Emergency services attended the scene at Trudder House in Newtownmountkennedy, county Wicklow, when the fire broke out in the early hours of Saturday morning, April 13. A technical examination of the scene has been conducted and gardai have said that investigations are ongoing. The site had been offered to the Department of Integration by the HSE to use the vacant building and its grounds to accommodate asylum seekers. Plans to locate up to 20 eight-person tents to house asylum seekers on the site were 'not yet finalised' by Department of Integration. Locals had expressed concern over a lack of consultation regarding such plans, and protests had been taking place at the site prior to the fire. This is the fifth suspected arson attack in 2024 at a site earmarked for accommodating asylum seekers. Incidents have also taken place in Sandyford and Brittas in Dublin, Lanesborough, county Longford and Leixslip, county Kildare. "Pierrot and Skeletons" (1905) by James Ensor, oil on canvas. VERZAMELING/COLLECTION KBC BANK NV, BRUSSELS Albert Einstein, during a visit to Ostend, Belgium, once asked James Ensor what he painted. "Nothing," he replied. Yet it's this "nothing" that Belgium or should we say Flanders as it is footing the bill is celebrating during 2024, which will be entirely devoted to this singular artist who is fascinating for some, definitively hard to grasp for others. Ensor is best described as an "artist." Though the tortured soul is first and foremost, for many, the "painter of masks," given how much he populated his canvases with these strange, grimacing accessories, he was also a prolific creator of manuscripts, engravings, works on paper and musical compositions. Celebrating this multifaceted work, 15 exhibitions have been, or will be, organized to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the death of the artist, who was born in Ostend in 1860 and died in 1949 in the same city, which he described as the "queen of capricious seas, soft sands and skies laden with gold and opal." So it was in this singular city, often idealized by Ensor, that the celebration logically began, though it will find its apotheosis in Antwerp, where the Royal Museum of Fine Arts will be showing his major works beginning on September 28. They will be compared with the work of artists who inspired the painter and whom, not without a touch of megalomania, he intended to confront: Francisco Goya, Hieronymus Bosch, Edvard Munch, Claude Monet, Edouard Manet and others. Crucified by critics "Why have I been a quarter of a century ahead of modern research in every sense?" Ensor asked, identifying himself with the figure of Christ, whom this agnostic considered "an ideal archetype" endowed with "inescapable meaning." Ensor undoubtedly saw himself as a Christ long crucified by critics, whom he was to reduce in one of his paintings to skulls fighting over a herring art, Ensor? "Rose, Rose, Rose, a mes yeux! James Ensor and Still Life in Belgium from 1830 to 1930," which closes on April 14 at Mu.ZEE, the museum of contemporary art in Ostend, was devoted to still lifes, which account for almost a quarter of Ensor's 850 paintings. It was a genre that this opponent of the established order would gradually revolutionize, incorporating macabre objects, unreal colors and strong carnal undertones. At James Ensor's House, the residence-turned-museum in Ostend, where the painter lived for 32 years, visitors can discover another major aspect of his work: his self-portraits, an exercise he was particularly fond of. Like Rembrandt, he questioned the dilemma of representation, and he alluded to Rubens in his Self-Portrait with Flowered Hat (1883), unabashedly asserting his affiliation with the greatest Flemish masters. In revolt against the bourgeois order, Ensor long felt despised, and it was only when his talent was finally recognized at the beginning of the 20th century that his creativity declined. You have 53.36% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. Defense Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov paid an official visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry Within the framework of the visit, Colonel-General Z. Hasanov met with Major-General Yusif Ahmed Al-Hnaiti, Chairman of the Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces. First, an official welcoming ceremony was held. After passing in front of the honor guard, in accordance with the protocol, Colonel-General Z. Hasanov signed the visitor's book. Cooperation in the military and military-technical fields, as well as other issues of mutual interest, were discussed at the meeting. At the end of the meeting, an Agreement on cooperation in the field of defense was signed. Families from the self-governed neighborhood of Christiania dig up the cobblestones of 'Pusher Street' to prevent drug dealers from gaining access, in Copenhagen, on April 6, 2024. RITZAU SCANPIX/ABACA "Pusher Street" is no more. On April 6, in a festive atmosphere and glorious sunshine, residents of Copenhagen's self-governed Christiania neighborhood dug up the cobblestones of one of Denmark's most famous streets. After a new wave of violence, which claimed three lives in less than three years, the "Christianites" decided to destroy the hundred-meter-long alley once and for all, and to expel the "pushers" or "dealers" in English by removing their stalls, made from sheet metal and wooden pallets, which had made the area a tourist attraction. Nearly 770 adults and 220 children live in the enclave. Families turned out to the event, described as "historic," bustling about to the sound of Another Brick in the Wall (Pink Floyd) over the loudspeakers. They passed the cobblestones from one hand to another and piled them up in a courtyard. Some kept one as a souvenir. Others filmed the scene on their phones, for the first time defying the signs painted on the walls by the drug dealers, who have banned taking pictures in Pusher Street. Wearing a fluorescent orange Lycra T-shirt and black jogging pants, Klaus Danzer fought back tears. Originally from Germany, the 59-year-old carpenter has lived in the neighborhood for about 30 years. Two years ago, he became the face of the Nok er Nok "enough is enough" movement. It was created after a 22-year-old Christianite was killed on Pusher Street on July 3, 2021, "probably by mistake," according to Danzer, who had known the victim since she was a child. Read more Subscribers only 'Drug trafficking is a war that must be addressed in the political debate' A collective decision In October 2022, a 23-year-old man was shot twice in the head not far from the alley. Then, on August 26, 2023, a shootout broke out. It was around 7:30 pm, and the neighborhood was packed. A man with gang connections was killed. Four bystanders were wounded, including two foreign tourists. The next day, residents gathered at Den Gra Hal, a concert hall where Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, and Metallica have all performed. They decided to close Pusher Street. It isn't the first time locals have tried to get rid of drug dealers. "This time it's different because the decision didn't come from the top, and we have the support of the state and the city," said architect Mette Prag, one of the neighborhood's spokeswomen. Copenhagen Mayor Sophie Hstorp Andersen and Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard Thomsen came to have breakfast with the residents on April 6, before each leaving with a cobblestone. The government has promised to invest 14.3 million kroner (almost 2 million) in renovating the district and building 15,000 square meters of low-cost housing. It marks a small revolution for Christiania, whose residents have always opposed state intervention, seen as an attempt at normalization. You have 46.46% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. A 24-YEAR-OLD Limerick woman has raised thousands for charity after she and a friend reached the summit of the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. Rachael Sleath, from Corbally, has raised over 10,000 in funding alongside her Tipperary-born friend, Niamh Curtin, in aid of The Nasio Trust Foundation. The Nasio Trust is a Kenyan NGO which supports orphaned and vulnerable children and supports communities in Kakamega County, Kenya. Ms Sleath and Ms Curtin reached the summit of the mountain on March 8, International Womens Day, alongside an all-female expedition team. Ms Sleath has been living in London for the past number of years, where she works for Enterprise Ireland. Kilimanjaro was always on my bucket list - but due to Covid and everything, it got pushed off. But through this charity, I had another chance, said Ms Sleath. The Corbally native, who is a former student at the University of Limerick, described the climb as both challenging and rewarding. We started in the forest and there were monkeys around and that. It was stunning, then after a while we were in a desert area before we got to a base camp on day four. You have to go slowly because of altitude sickness. But after a few days of climbing you hit the base camp. Here, we had dinner and slept for an hour or two. We left base camp at around 11pm and we summited at around 6.05am. Ms Sleath described this as the hardest part of the journey with subzero temperatures, strong winds and little cover - however, the best part of the trip was yet to come. As we got to the top, the sun came up and we forgot everything. It was like heaven. It was just euphoric, she added. Ms Sleath received a lot of support from her native Limerick, including her local pub, O'Driscolls Bar, Athlunkard Rowing Club and a sponsorship from M&L Auto Repairs in Caherdavin. READ MORE: Council to look at positive messages on riverside seats The money raised will now go to transforming the lives of disadvantaged children in Kenya. The Nasio Trust's mission involves initiatives such as providing access to education, healthcare, clean water, and other essential resources, as well as supporting community development projects. Both Ms Sleath and Ms Curtin self funded the entire costs of their trip and climb, including the flights, gear needed for the climb and all required vaccinations. For those who still wish to make donations to the fundraiser, they can do so at www.justgiving.com/page/ rachael-sleath A SENIOR Fine Gael councillor has called for data centres to be considered for former industrial sites along the Shannon Estuary. With the demise of Tarbert Power Station, and the move from coal to oil at Moneypoint, there have already been significant changes in the area. In 2026, Nestle is winding down its operation in Askeaton with the loss of more than 500 jobs. This, councillor John Sheahan says has left a number of unused brownfield sites. Now, the Glin man wants these lands to be shovel ready for if and when new industries come in. Recently data centres have been put into (other) brownfield sites. There is one in north Yorkshire (in England) where they decommissioned a power station and it became a data centre. The same is happening in Spain. But there is no mention of what is going to happen here, or what will happen with Wyeth when Nestle finishes up, he said. If Wyeth is not taken over, then we could have another brownfield industrial site on the Shannon Estuary. We need to focus on that, he added. Cllr Sheahan also pointed to an unused 220-acre landbank near Askeaton, owned by Shannon Properties, which needs to be ready for development. Fine Gaels council leader saw a motion passed at the last local authority meeting seeking a joint approach to get the Shannon Estuary economic taskforce report prioritised. The ambitious report contains an outline of how up to 50,000 jobs could be created in the area by developing one of the worlds largest renewable energy hubs. Cllr Sheahan said since the report was unveiled last summer, things have travelled at a snails pace and hes concerned that it could end up being just another report on a shelf. His council motion sought his own local authority to join with Clare and Kerry County Councils in coming up with a joint approach to apply pressure on government to ensure the Shannon Estuary is prioritised and the recommendations of the report be implemented. One thing which is holding things up is the fact that areas of water have not been designated for various development. It means, as things stand, if any investor came in, it would not be possible to show them which parts of the sea in Irelands jurisdiction can see development. Cllr Sheahan said: Its been held up for some reason by the Department of the Environment under the stewardship of Minister Eamon Ryan. At cabinet, prior to Christmas, Simon Coveney, who was Enterprise Minister acknowledged this needs to be expedited. Now they are coming up saying they will review it by the end of 2024. The Glin-based councillor says its frustrating to see this delay. READ MORE: Discount retailers plan for Limerick store is challenged in High Court He said: A large extension is needed at Foynes Port in the order of 500m to manage all of what has been proposed. We need to know is this project is going ahead. Elsewhere, Shannon LNG has confirmed that it has begun pre-application consultation with An Bord Pleanala regarding the development of a liquefied natural gas terminal and power station in north Kerry, near Ballylongford - but only to be used in emergencies. Permission was refused for a development at the 600-acre site last year, with the planning authority saying the decision was based on government policy around fracked gas. Upon its entry into government in 2020, a red-line issue for the Green Party was the development of Shannon LNG. Mumbai: Vedanta Ltd is set to raise 3,900-4,000 crore from Power Finance Corp. Ltd to boost its power generation capacity, signalling the group may be winning back the trust of large domestic lenders. The Anil Agarwal-led company has secured a rupee term loan facility from the state-run lender for at least 3,918 crore, which can go up to 4,000 crore, two people aware of the development said. The 11-year loan is part of the group's renewed focus on growing its energy portfolio in India, amid competition from large domestic rivals. "This financial closure will enable Vedanta to expedite the completion of its power projects," one of the two people cited above said, adding that Vedanta will use the funds primarily to expand capacity at its two power plants in Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. The London-headquartered mining and energy group plans to increase the operating capacity of its power business in India to 4.8GW by FY27, from the existing 2.58 GW. Towards this, Vedanta has acquired two plantsMeenakshi Energy Ltd in Andhra Pradesh with a capacity of 1GW, and Athena Power in Chhattisgarh with a capacity of 1.2GW. PFC is India's largest power-sector lender and typically extends financing to companies that own promising power projects and manufacture power-sector equipment. Vedanta has regularly raised capital from international banks (two of its largest lenders are Barclays and JPMorgan) or by selling equity in group firms. Due to concerns over its ability to repay parent-level (Vedanta Resources) debts over the past year, its credit ratings on long-term loans have been revised, and it has been struggling to raise fresh capital. Vedanta groups borrowings rose by 22% year-on-year to 75,227 crore at the end of December 2023. Last week, it said it would raise 2,500 crore by issuing non-convertible debentures (NCDs) through private placements. The company's cash and cash equivalents in the third quarter was down to 12,734 crore from 23,474 crore in a year ago. Vedanta has sharply increased its focus on energy generation over the past two years. Last month, Serentica Renewables, a renewable power company promoted by Agarwals Sterlite Power, said it would invest 25,000 crore to expand its projects portfolio to about 4 GW by June 2025. Sterlite will first commission 600 MW of renewable energy projects and add 500 MW of capacity in each subsequent quarter. In September, Serentica received 2,600 crore from PFC for its hybrid renewable energy projects in Karnataka, which are being built to meet captive energy needs of Vedanta group companies. The latest financing follows Vedanta group's takeover of Meenakshi Energy on 28 December via an NCLT-driven insolvency process. Meenakshi Energy has a coal-based power plant at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, which Vedanta will use to supply power to merchants. In August 2022, the London-headquartered mining giant acquired Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd for 565 crore to meet its captive power requirements. Athena Chhattisgarh currently has a 1.2GW coal-based power plant at Jhanjgir-Champa district. The acquisition will fulfil the power requirement of Vedanta's aluminium business, and through vertical integration, may result in a cost advantage in terms of power consumption. Athena's plant, built close to Mahanadi river, is about 80 km from the Balco aluminium factory, and about 180 km from the industrial hub of Jharsuguda, and is connected by national highways and railway stations. Vedanta's power strategy is in focus amid the group's ongoing demerger. While the demerger proposal awaits creditors' approval, the company's shares have jumped over 33% in the past three months, hitting 52-week highs in a few sessions this month. "The development demonstrates Vedanta's capital-raising ability from diverse sources to fuel the growth of its portfolio and to build world-class assets. [The stock] has seen buying activity from domestic and international funds," said the person mentioned earlier. The company recently announced the commissioning of a new 1.5 metric tonnes per annum expansion at its alumina refinery in Lanjigarh, Odisha. This additional capacity will take the overall nameplate capacity at the Lanjigarh refinery from 2 mtpa to 5 mtpa. Vedanta Sesa Goa also commenced mining operations at the Bicholim mineral block, adding to its growth plans. In September, Vedanta announced the demerger of its metals, power, aluminium, and oil and gas businesses to unlock value. The exercise will create six independent verticalsVedanta Aluminium, Vedanta Oil & Gas, Vedanta Power, Vedanta Steel and Ferrous Materials, Vedanta Base Metals and Vedanta Ltd. The two people said the demerger was on track and that the demerged entities would be allocated debt in proportion to their assets. PFC, Indias largest pure-power play lender, had a loan book of 4.32 trillion as of March 2023, of which 3.2 trillion was lent to state power companies and 73,000 crore to private ones. Of the total disbursals, 78% was for the conventional sector and almost 10% for renewables. In October, PFC announced it had sanctioned 15,000 crore in loans for various projects and would start funding airport projects. Last July, it said it had struck loan agreements worth over 2.37 trillion with 20 companies to fund their energy transition. These firms included Adani Group, Greenco, ReNew Power, Continuum, Avaada, JBM Auto, Rajasthan Renewable Energy, and Megha Engineering and Infrastructure. BENGALURU : Sachin Bansals latest big bet that could propel his fintech startup Navi Technologies Ltd bears some heavy-hitting buzzwordslarge language model, generative artificial intelligencebut this second-time entrepreneur has opted for the tougher path. Bansal, who previously co-founded e-commerce giant Flipkart and was the original posterboy of Indias startup ecosystem, is building most of the technology stack for Navi in-house. These include LLM apps, chatbots, a lending management system, and an app platform to speedily launch new products and services. While this can be challenging and "slightly slows down" the development of new technology, "the flexibility we get is unmatched", Bansal said in an interview with Mint. After Bansal exited Flipkart in May 2018 following Walmart Inc.s acquisition of the company, he pocketed a little over $1 billion from the sale of his shares. Over the last five years, the computer engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi has funnelled a significant portion of that wealth into building Navi, which Bansal plans to take public shortly (he had dropped plans for an IPO two years ago). Of Navis 2,000-odd employees, about 500 are part of the companys technology team, which comprises more than 350 engineers and about 70 data scientists. "We hire the best computer science grads from IITs and pay them well," said Bansal. The executive chairman and CEO of Navi started the company with an ambitious goalto make finance accessible to the masses and small businesses". And he believes that while financial services such as lending, insurance, mutual funds, and banking have improved in the country in recent years, there remains much scope for enhancing these. "Banks are also not the most customer-friendly institutions, and they have high cost of transactions," said Bansal, insisting that Navi can reduce costs using technology, "opening up completely new ways of doing things". Building key components of the technology in-house is helping Navi speed up the feedback loop, Bansal said. It's an "iterative approach" and "we have introduced a consumer-internet way of building products in finance for the first time", he said. For instance, Navi has built an in-house communication and marketing platform, a co-lending and direct assignment platform called Navi Lending Cloud, and is building its own data platform, too. "Whatever we do needs to be scalablefor a few millions and not for a few thousands," Bansal explained. Navi also leverages GenAI tools but has opted for "fine-tuning the best-available LLMs to solve customer problems" and not reinvent the wheel, Bansal explained. Fine-tuning an LLM involves using a pre-trained model (such as GPT-4, LLaMA-2, Claude-3, or any proprietary or open-source LLM) and training it further on a domain-specific dataset. Navi, for instance, uses LLMs for customer chatbots, "where they naturally lend themselves". It is also fine-tuning LLMs for use in collections. "When it comes to customer follow-ups, the first point of contact when paying EMIs (equated monthly instalments) is the LLM chatbot. A human steps in only if the chatbot fails in the task. This has driven huge efficiencies in the system, and resulted in enhanced customer experience too," Bansal said. According to him, customers like the fact that the bot can communicate in Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Bhojpuri and Marathi. Navi also uses LLMs for data annotation "to extract patterns from text and images too". Data annotation is the process of tagging or labelling data to help machine learning algorithms understand and classify the information they process. The next step, said Bansal, is "to drive sales through the bot", and "the vision is to help anyone take a loan without even using the appjust using Whatsapp". Bansal is hoping these moves will boost Navi's revenue, most of which currently comes from lending. Going forward, he expects most of the growth in terms of consumers to come from the unified payments interface (UPI)a space now led by Walmart-owned PhonePe with a 46% market share, followed by Google Pay (36%), and Paytm (13%). "We have about 6 crore (60 million) Navi app downloads, about 1 crore (10 million) monthly active users, more than 20 lakh (2 million) active loan seekers, and close to 10 million people registered with us for UPI," Bansal said. The Indian fintech sector is growing at a fast clip. The industrys market size, which was $50 billion in 2021, is pegged to touch about $150 billion by 2025, according to Invest India. However, while the market opportunity is big, funding has not kept pace. India, which is ranked third globally in terms of fintech startup funding, saw just $2 billion investment in 2023, according to data intelligence platform Tracxn, compared with the $5.4 billion it raised in 2022 and $8.4 billion in 2021. The trend is continuing, according to Tracxn, with domestic fintech companies witnessing a 57% drop in funding in the January to March quarter of 2024they raised a total of $551 million as compared with $1.3 billion investment in the same period in 2023. Navi Finserv group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Navi Technologies with a non-banking financial corporation (NBFC) licence, raised about 495 crore in FY23 and 481 crore in FY24 through secured, rated, listed, and redeemable non-convertible debentures. Last month, the company raised another 525 crore by way of NCDs. Bansal, who owns a little over 97% equity stake in the company, is also reportedly in talks to raise $200-400 million for Navi Technologies at a valuation of $2 billion. However, he declined to comment on any such move. In September 2022, Navi Technologies received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India for an initial public offering of shares to raise 3,350 crore. As per the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) that Navi filed in March 2022, 2,370 crore of the IPO proceeds was to be invested in Navi Finserv Pvt. Ltd and another 150 core in Navi General Insurance Ltd, with the rest of the amount allocated to "general corporate purposes". But the IPO is yet to see the light of day. "At that time, we were a purely lending company. Now we have a lot more to talk about. Our lending business, too, is more mature. And we have built a digital and physical story," says Bansal, who did not commit to a time frame for the IPO but hinted it could be in the "next quarter or so". Navi has also grown inorganically, having acquired five companies till date, according to Bansal. One was a tech acquisition, while the rest were for banking, NBFC, and mutual fund licenses. But these werent without hurdles. Bansal bought Chaitanya India's parent company Chaitanya Rural Intermediation Development Services for about 739 crore in 2019. But in May 2022, the Reserve bank of India rejected Chaitanya India Fin Credit's application for a banking licence, following which Bansal sold the company to Ananya Birlas Svatantra Microfin for 1,479 crore in August 2023. "We have parked the idea of applying for a banking licence for now," said Bansal. "RBI took some time to understand the strengths and weaknesses in the fintech sector. As their understanding deepens, RBI has seen and given us feedback. Just as RBI took a while to regulate the microfinance sector, which now has fewer grey areas to work with, we believe the fintech industry will go through a similar uncertain period before it settles down," he added. Bansal did not disclose the companys revenue but according to its latest filings, Navi Finserv reported a net profit of 172 crore for FY23, swinging from a loss of 67 crore in the preceding financial year. The unit had posted a net profit of 97.5 crore in FY21. Operating revenue in FY23 jumped to 1,283 crore from 457.1 crore in the year prior. Bansal insists Navi is now in very good shape. It's a year of consolidation because of the uncertainty around digital finance that is facing the sectorso there's a bit of a slowdown. We, and the whole industry, are likely to get back on the growth path soon." The lack of jobs for the country's young, educated population might not be a major election issue, but clearly, India has not been able to make the most of its demographic profile. Thousands of educated young men and women are unable to find jobs that match their skills and education, and are unable to contribute to the economic growth of the country meaningfully. Most of the jobs created are those that require unskilled and low-skilled workers, concluded a recently published report on youth employment by the Institute of Human Development in collaboration with the International Labour Organization. It is a problem that the next government needs to consider as India looks to become a $5 trillion economy by 2027. The ILO suggests that the policy agenda should involve making production and growth more employment-intensive, improving the quality of jobs, and making skills-training and active labour market policies more effective. In the past, the governments advisers have spoken about the need to focus on labour-intensive export-oriented manufacturing such as apparel and footwear to create jobs. That remains an unfinished agenda. Mint explains how deep is the job crisis for the vast number of young people who join the labour force every year. What is the situation for youth employment in the country? India experienced mostly jobless growth in the first 19 years of the current century, a period when India had seen stable governments under three different prime ministers. At the national level, employment grew at an annual rate of 1.6% between 2000 and 2012 and then stagnated with a 0.01% rise till 2019, even as the economy grew at 6-7% on average during those years. Growth in job creation picked up after the pandemic, and that can be attributed to a rise in employment in agriculture. However, that surge in agriculture jobs was due to a lack of opportunities outside the farm sector. What is the contribution of manufacturing sector in employment generation? The manufacturing sector, which can absorb a lot of skilled and educated workers, lagged in employment creation even though the output of the sector as measured by gross-value added rose. China with its mega production lines provided millions of jobs, and when manufacturing moved to lower-cost centres such as Vietnam, those countries experienced growth in factory jobs. However, in India, employment in the manufacturing sector rose just 1.7% even as its gross value added grew 7.5% per year in 2009-19. Manufacturing sector job growth gained pace only following the reopening of the economy after a harsh lockdown enforced to contain the spread of the covid-19 pandemic. Yet, job growth at 3% lagged the relatively muted gross value-added growth of 3.5%. Is services sector better? Job growth in the services sector, which despite absorbing millions including the young and educated, too lagged the growth in gross value-added, according to the IHD-ILO report. But it certainly performed better than the manufacturing sector. Against a rise of 7.5% in gross value-added per year in 2000-19, employment in the services sector grew by 2.9%. Between 2019 and 2022, when gross value-added growth slowed to 2%, mostly due to a slowdown in software services, employment grew 1.1%. Construction was the only sector that consistently created employment, though most of it was low-paid informal jobs. How severe is the level of unemployment among educated youth? An estimated 7-8 million youths are added to the labour force every year. That is equivalent to the population of a state such as Himachal Pradesh. Given the profile of Indias demography, similar numbers will continue to join the labour force for some more years. About 27% of Indias 2021 population of 1.36 billion were in the age group of 15-29 years, that is about 367.2 million people. By 2036, the share of youth in Indias projected population of 1.52 billion is expected to decline to 23%, but their numbers will still be very large at 349.6 million. While most of the younger ones would be in education, those who cannot find appropriate work will be forced to sit out or take up jobs that wont make use of their qualifications. Youth unemployment continues to be in double digits, even though it has declined from 17.5% in 2019 to 12.1% in 2022. The IHD-ILO report notes that the incidence of unemployment was much higher among young people in urban areas than in rural areas and among younger youth than older youth. Since 2000, the youth unemployment rate has risen by more than four percentage points with an increase in the level of education. The unemployment rate in 2022 among youths with a graduate degree was 28.7% compared to 3.2% for those with less than a primary education. This indicates a problem of unemployment for highly educated youths, who accounted for nearly half of the total unemployed non-student youths in 2022," the report stated. Underemployment is another problem, and that was seen to be higher among less-educated and poor youths. What is scene youth with technical education and vocational training? Technical education and vocational training also did not ensure employment for the young workers. Analysis by the IHD-ILO team found that in 2022 the unemployment rate among youths with a graduate diploma was 31.1% and those with technical training degree at 29.4%. What is the state of unemployment among women? Overall, young women are not only less likely to be employed, but they also have lower participation rates in education and training. In 2022, over 48% of young women, equivalent to 84.9 million, were not engaged in employment, education or training against 9.8%, or 18.5 million, young men. Encouragingly, that proportion for women fell below 50% for the first time since 2000. The overall unemployment rate for young women is more or less similar to that for young men in most of the recent years, even though fewer females sought work. However, the unemployment rate for educated women tended to be higher at 21.4% compared to 17.5% for men, and even higher at 34.5% for female graduates compared to 26.4% for men with similar qualifications. Unperturbed by the firing incident, Salim Khan father of Bollywood actor Salman Khan carried out his routine as always and went out for a walk, reported ETimes on Sunday. Reacting to the firing incident the veteran screenwriter told News18, There is nothing to tell. They just want publicity, there is no need to worry." Earlier in the morning, two motorbike-borne unidentified persons opened fire outside the Bollywood actor's house in Bandra early today morning leading the Mumbai police to enhance security and launch a search for the accused. Also Read | Mumbai police find bike after unknown men opened fire outside Salman Khans home Based on preliminary investigation, Mumbai police have said that the firing incident was meticulously planned and the accused who were riding a bike were wearing helmets to conceal their identities. The Mumbai police further said they are analysing the CCTV footage of nearby areas and efforts are on to find out the route taken by the attackers to reach the Blooywood actor's house. How politicians reacted Reacting to the incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the firing incident was very unfortunate. He also spoke to the Bollywood dabbang actor assured support saying his government would not allow anybody to take the law into their own hands. "I spoke with the Mumbai police commissioner and actor Salman Khan and offered him our support. The firing incident is very unfortunate. I assure people that this government will not tolerate anybody trying to take the law into their hands," the chief minister said. Also Read | From China to Maldives BJP Vs Congress manifesto on foreign policy: Explained Meanwhile, reacting to the incident of firing outside the residence of Salman Khan in Mumbai, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in Nagpur that Police is investigating the matter. When the required information is received it will be told... After the incident, former Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Baba Siddique visited Khans residence at Galaxy apartment in Bandra. Supercooled gas has quickly become one of the worlds most important energy sourcesand a flashpoint between Russia and the U.S. Nowhere is that contest more apparent than in Russias Arctic north. An enormous new coastal facility is being built there to produce liquefied natural gas, a key project for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The U.S. is using a barrage of sanctions to cripple the initiative, known as Arctic LNG 2. These have stopped Russia from taking delivery of specialized, colossal tankers that it needs to transport the gas, and made it hard to build alternative vessels domestically. Our role is to ensure Arctic LNG 2 is dead in the water," Geoffrey Pyatt, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for energy resources, told a conference in Switzerland on Monday. Globally, LNG is ascendant. Demand is buoyant as governments ditch dirtier coal and the uptake of power-hungry artificial intelligence accelerates. Supply is surging too, and players such as industry heavyweight Qatar have major expansion plans. View Full Image Graphic: WSJ The Arctic tussle comes at a delicate time for energy policy in the U.S., which last year became the biggest LNG exporter. The Biden administration has paused approval of new LNG exports due to environmental concerns. The move has angered business groups and customers in allied, energy-poor countries such as Japan and Germany, and some think it will handicap U.S. efforts to limit Russias profits from sales of natural gas. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) is pushing to reverse the pause, possibly linking it to a vote on Ukraine aid in the chamber. Johnsons home district in Louisiana is home to a proposed LNG export terminal affected by the halt. For Russias part, Putin aims to more than triple LNG exports in the coming years. His goal: Bring in more money to fund the war in Ukraine and offset a decline in Russias traditional business of exporting gas via pipelines. Gas exports have crashed since the invasion, with Europe weaning itself off piped Russian gas and China now Moscows main customer. While Russia has found new markets for its oil, transported by ship, replacing lost volumes that used to flow through fixed gas pipelines has proved harder. That is where LNG comes in. Russias experiment with liquefied gas so far is comparatively small, but it wants to expand fast. About 32 million metric tons a year of capacity are under construction, according to Rystad Energy, a consulting firm, on top of an existing 29 million tons. Geopolitical considerations also matter, said Tatiana Mitrova, a research fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy. Its about expanding presence with LNG, especially with China and in the global south," she said. View Full Image Graphic: WSJ Gas has always been an important tool of influence for Russia," Mitrova said. The Kremlin has long used energy exports as leverage. In 1990, for instance, the Soviet Union cut oil supplies to Baltic states to hobble independence movements. And even before Russia invaded Ukraine, Moscow reduced gas supplies to Europe, causing prices to spike. In December last year, the first of three liquefaction plants, known in the industry as trains, was completed at Arctic LNG 2, and the facility began producing LNG. The milestone, despite U.S. sanctions, was lauded as a win for Moscow by analysts and Russian officials. A few months later, however, victory looks less certain. Exports were supposed to begin in the first quarter, according to Russias energy minister. But the custom-built ships that Novatek, the Russian energy giant behind the project, needs to break through frozen parts of the Arctic Ocean havent been delivered. Hanwha Ocean, a South Korean shipbuilder, said it has canceled plans to build three vessels for Arctic LNG 2 for sanctions-related reasons. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, a Japanese shipping company, has said it also wont provide vessels to Arctic LNG 2 despite having planned to charter three carriers. Without ships, Novatek cant export any gas. As a result, LNG output has ground to a halt, and the facility is mostly recirculating already-produced gas, according to people familiar with the plant. Novatek didnt respond to a request for comment. Russia is trying to build its own carriers at a shipyard on the Pacific coast. But while it has built hulls, it has struggled to source membranes to line storage units. These membranes are made largely by France-based Gaztransport & Technigaz, which has stopped working in Russia. Frances TotalEnergies, which holds 10% of Arctic LNG 2, declared a force majeure earlier this year, indicating it cant supply customers due to circumstances beyond its control. Total said it was complying with sanctions and doesnt plan to deliver gas from the project this year. In total, the U.S. has hit Russias fledgling LNG industry with four waves of sanctions since September. It has targeted operating companies for the Arctic LNG 2 project, storage vessels, shipping companies it suspected were seeking to buy specialized carriers for the project, and companies working on a second facility near the Baltic Sea. Were very focused on ensuring that Russia is not able to develop new projects in order to re-destine the gas that they previously sent to Europe," Pyatt, the U.S. official, said. As the G-7, we are collectively committed to doing everything we can to thwart Russias future energy revenue." The U.S. could dial up pressure because Russia isnt a dominant player in LNG, meaning the blockades were less risky than in oil markets, said Maria Shagina, a sanctions researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Finishing Arctic LNG 2s second and third trains will be challenging. Novatek could finalize the first because it was mostly built before the Ukraine invasion, according to Rystad. The consulting firm expects significant delays to the second and third trains. Maintaining the first train, with limited access to some spare parts, could also prove difficult. Russia had ambitious plans and then blew them all up with the invasion of Ukraine," said Jason Feer of Poten & Partners, a shipping and brokerage firm. Russia will be handicapped in terms of what it can do in LNG and peoples willingness to sign contracts, lend the money and provide technology." Lindsay Wise contributed to this article. Write to Anna Hirtenstein at anna.hirtenstein@wsj.com and Georgi Kantchev at georgi.kantchev@wsj.com US President Joe Biden informed that he met with his national security team at the White House to receive an update on Irans attacks against Israel amid brawling tensions between the two countries. The latest, Iran-launched drone attack against Israel marks the first wave of direct military assault, raising alarms for a wider regional conflict. Also read: Israel Under Attack by Iran as Mideast in Perilous New Phase In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) the US President said, I just met with my national security team for an update on Irans attacks against Israel. He added, Our commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. US forces joined hands with Israel to bring down explosive-laden drones launched by Iran with tensions at their highest during the seventh month of the Israel-Hamas war. Militant group Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 marked the onset of a dramatic war that has taken an atypical shape over time. On Saturday, April 13, US President Joe Biden and his national security team monitored Irans aerial attack against Israel and the US President pledged to support Israel against attacks by Iran and its proxies. US defense official informed AP that the effort to intercept the Iran-launched attack was continuing as US forces shot down some drones flying toward Israel. Meanwhile, the US along with its allies has warned Iran against escalating the conflict further. The US President convened a principals meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room to discuss the unfolding situation, AP quoted the White House statement. Also read: Israel-Iran Tensions: Jaishankar discusses West Asia situation with UK Foreign Secretary Cameron Iran claimed that this attack was in retaliation to the suspected Israeli strike this month that killed 12 people. Iran further claimed that this attack on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force was a result of joint efforts by US and Israeli forces. Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel, AP quoted National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson's statement. She added, The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defence against these threats from Iran. Delhi minister Atishi requested Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Sunday to immediately suspend the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) within 24 hours over "criminal negligence". In a letter dates April 14, Atishi urged Saxena to take action against officers "who are responsible for the water shortage that has led to the loss of life of a woman in East Delhi". The Delhi minister said a shocking" and violent incident happened in the Farsh Bazar/ Bhikam Singh Colony area of East Delhi. She said a women died after a fight started due to shortage of water supply in the areas. The minister held the CEO of the Delhi Jal Board responsible for the incident. Her letter read, For the last six months, the undersigned gave repeated directions (enclosed) to the CEO of Delhi Jal Board and the Chief Secretary to ensure augmentation of water supply, so that there is no shortage of water when the onset of summer happens. However, despite repeated directions, no action has been taken to prevent this water crisis in Delhi. Atishi said that when she had asked for an action-taken-report on the steps being taken by DJB, the CEO sent her a note stating that she would not be given any information regarding the water supply situation in Delhi because the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha Elections is in force. It is a consequence of this callous inaction of the officers of Delhi Jal Board that today a woman has lost her life in violence due to water shortage. This inaction is tantamount to criminal negligence and cannot be ignored; immediate and exemplary action must be taken against highest level of officers of DJB, Atishi wrote in the letter. Conspiracy to stop funds of Delhi Jal Board Atishi also mentioned that a "concerted conspiracy to stop the funds of Delhi Jal Board in the FY 2023-24". "Non-release of funds by Finance Department, has brought DJB to a standstill for the last 8-10 months. Installation of borewells had been requisitioned in many parts of Delhi; however due to shortage of funds almost none of these borewells was installed. So the crisis that is being faced by people of Delhi, has been artificially created by senior officers of GNCTD [Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi]," Atishi said. In this regard, she said actions of these officers need to be "investigated and strongest possible action taken against them". 'Action needs to be taken by L-G because...' In the letter, Atishi further mentioned the order dates August 21, 2023 that stated "that all matters related to Services and Vigilance are in the 'sole discretion' of the Hon'ble LG." "Whenever the undersigned has written to the Chief Secretary to initiate action against any officer, the Chief Secretary has said that "Services' is outside the purview of the elected government and therefore Minister Incharge cannot given instructions on the same," Atishi said. So it is clear that whatever action has to be taken, needs to be taken by the Hon'ble LG. Therefore, it is incumbent on the Hon'ble LG to take immediate action against officers who are responsible for the water shortage that has led to the loss of life of a woman in East Delhi, she said. What has Atishi requested? Atishi requested L-G Saxena to: 1. Immediately suspend CEO of Delhi Jal Board within 24 hours as this criminal negligence has taken place under his watch. 2. Institute an independent enquiry into the acts of omission and commission of Chief Secretary, as well as officers of Finance Department, Urban Development Department and DJB that have led to DJB being starved of funds in FY 2023-24, and therefore unable to execute essential works like installation of borewells. Indian ambassador to Cambodia donned a traditional attire of Khmer Apsara to extend wishes of the Cambodian New Year in a special way. In the photos shared on social media by the Indian Embasy in Cambodia, the India's diplomat can be seen dressed in a traditional attire. According to the Indian Embassy in Cambodia's post on X, the diplomat has a deep understanding and administration for Khmer culture and tradition, dressed up 'elegantly' to mark the country's New Year. "Ambassador Devyani Khobragade has a deep admiration for Khmer culture and tradition. Embracing the spirit of Khmer New Year, she elegantly dressed as a Khmer Apsara, embodying the rich bond of our civilizations. Wishing all our Cambodia friends a joyous Khmer New Year celebration," read the post on the official X handle of the Indian Embassy in Cambodia. Who is Devyani Khobrogade? -Devyani Khobragade is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1999 batch. -She has served as an Indian ambassador in several countries including Berlin, New York, Islamabad and Rome. Devyani Khobrogade's controversy that marred India-US diplomatic ties -The IFS officer attracted the media spotlight after she was charged in a visa fraud case by US authorities nearly a decade ago. At that time, she was arrested on charges of visa fraud and giving 'false' statements in the matter. She was charged by the US attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) on December 12, 2013. -In another controversy, she was accused of paying her domestic help below the minimum wage limit in the US. However, Khobrogade rejected all these claims calling them baseless and false. Later, she was relieved from all these charges after she was dismissed by a US court because of diplomatic immunity. -The controversy led to tense situations between India and the US in the matter, after New Delhi reacted sharply after Washington's justice department chose to obtain a second indictment against Khobrogade. -At that time, India turned down the US's request to waive her diplomatic immunity at the time, after which Khobragade flew back to India. The Ministry of External Affairs has in a statement on April 14 expressed concern regarding the situation between Israel and Iran in the Middle East. Track LIVE Updates here We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region. We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy, the statement said as per ANI. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. Our Embassies in the region are in close touch with the Indian community. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region, it added. Indian authorities are also in touch with Tehran after it was learned that the cargo ship seized by Iran on April 13, had 17 Indians onboard. The captured MSC Aries is linked to Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. Iranian state media said the ship identified as the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries had now been "directed towards the territorial waters" of Tehran. The crew comprised Indian, Pakistani, Russian, Estonian, and Filipino nationals. Zodiac Maritime Shipping Company, which is partially controlled by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer, operates the Portuguese-flagged vessel, according to Iranian newswire IRNA. India is also in talks with UK Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron to discuss the emerging situation in West Asia. Israel-Iran Tensions Mount Iran launched a drone strike on April 13 targeting Israel, blaming the latter for an attack on its embassy in Damascus, Syria. This event marks the first direct military assault in the ongoing tensions between the two nations, sparking concerns of a wider regional conflict. United States President Joe Biden convened with his national security team at the White House to receive updates on Iran's attacks against Israel, amidst escalating tensions, he informed in a post on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed wishes for the quick recovery of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy following the stone-pelting incident targeting him last evening. PM Modi, through his official X (formerly known as Twitter) handle, conveyed his wishes for the speedy recovery and good health of the politician. "I pray for the speedy recovery and good health of Andhra Pradesh CM @ysjagan Garu," he wrote. Attack During 'Memantha Siddham' Bus Yatra The incident occurred on the evening of April 13 during the 'Memantha Siddham' bus yatra in Vijayawada. Reddy sustained a deep cut under his eyebrow due to a stone-pelting attack by an unidentified individual, ANI reported citing sources from the ruling YSR Congress. Following the attack, Reddy received immediate first aid on the bus and continued his journey thereafter. "The stone struck the CM while he was acknowledging the crowds as part of his bus tour at Vivekananda School Centre in Singh Nagar, Vijayawada," the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a statement. Reddy embarked on a 21-day Lok Sabha election 2024 campaign bus tour from Idupulupaya in Kadapa district to Icchapuram in Srikakulam district. Protest Led by YSRCP Leader KK Raju YSRCP leader KK Raju, who is also the party's candidate for the upcoming assembly polls from the North constituency, led a protest against the attack. Alongside hundreds of party supporters, Raju staged a sit-in, condemning the incident and alleging involvement of opposition parties. Raju accused the principal opposition party, TDP, along with its allies BJP and Jana Sena Party, of orchestrating the attack. He claimed that they targeted CM Jagan's convoy during the incident. "The TDP and its allies (BJP and JSP) were behind this attack. They pelted stones at Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's convoy," Raju told reporters. State IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath also condemned the attack on Reddy during the 'Memantha Siddham' roadshow. "YSRCP activists all over the state and the supporters of Jaganmohan Reddy all across the world have come out condemning this attack on our CM. If you (TDP) think that Jagan is scared of Chandrababu (party chief and former CM N Chandrababu Naidu) and the old-fashioned attacks orchestrated by him and his allies, you are mistaken. The TDP, which was responsible for the murder of Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga in the same Vijayawada area, orchestrated the stone pelting at CM Jagan today," Amarnath alleged. General Elections India The incident comes amidst preparations for the upcoming general elections and assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh. Scheduled for May 13, with vote counting set for June 4, these elections will determine the political landscape in the state. In Andhra Pradesh, a party needs to secure at least 88 out of the 175 assembly seats to form the government independently. Two individuals lost their lives in a clash between two armed groups in Manipur's Imphal East district on Saturday, as per police. The exchange of gunfire occurred near the border of Kangpokpi district, PTI reported citing a police official. Additional state and central forces have been rushed in to contain the situation, he said. Also Read: Meitei and Kuki groups in Manipur demand government intervention amid escalating violence It is to be further noted that the violence occurred just six days before the commencement of the Lok Sabha elections in Manipur, adding to the concerns about stability and security in the region. In Manipur, general elections will be conducted in two phases on 19 April and 26 April. The north-eastern state has two Lok Sabha seats - Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur. According to a report by Hindustan Times, the gunbattle on Saturday morning erupted around 9 am as militants from opposing sides exchanged heavy gunfire in a border area between Kuki and Meitei villages. HT reported citing sources that the conflict began in the vicinity of Kamu Saichang village. It's worth noting that villages in Kangpokpi, where the clash took place, are in proximity to Meitei villages like Moirangpur in Imphal East. Meiteis predominantly inhabit valley districts such as Imphal East, while Kukis primarily reside in hill districts like Kangpokpi. The area where the gunfight happened is the border between Kuki and Meitei villages of the two districts. It has happened in the jungle area of the abandoned village on both sides. Security forces rushed to the hills where the gunfight happened. Currently, the situation is under control, an official aware of the matter told HT. The context of ethnic tensions in Manipur is crucial to understanding the underlying issues. Last year, on May 3, ethnic clashes erupted, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 219 lives. These clashes were triggered by a 'Tribal Solidarity March' organized in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. In Manipur, the Meiteis make up approximately 53% of the population and primarily reside in the Imphal Valley, while Nagas and Kukis, collectively referred to as Tribals, constitute a little over 40% of the population and primarily inhabit the hill districts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday slammed former Congress president Rahul Gandhi for making such announcements which they themselves are not understanding. Calling the Wayanad MP a 'shahi jadugaar', the prime minister said the Shehzaade of Congress has just announced something that will make you laugh. The Congress Shehzaade has announced he will eradicate poverty from the country in one stroke. This statement has surprised the entire nation. The country is wondering where this " shahi jadugaar " had been hiding all these years that can eradicate poverty ek jhatke mein. Here are top 10 quotes from PM Modi's speech: Slamming former Congress president Rahul Gandhi at Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Modi said, He announced that he would eliminate poverty from the country in one stroke. After all, where was this royal magician hiding for so many years? It has been 50 years since his grandmother announced to remove poverty from the country. Prime Minister Modi said, "Before 2014, they ran the government through remote for 10 years and are saying that they have got 'jhatke vala' mantra, where did they get this 'jhatke vala' mantra from? Tell me, is this not a mockery of the poor? Is this not an insult to the poor? They make such claims and because of this they become laughing stock and the country does not take them seriously..." For many decades after independence, one family of Congress has run the government directly or through remote control. This family had imposed an Emergency in the country. The Congress used to demolish democratic governments across the country whenever they wanted, like a castle of cards. Slamming Congress for insulting Baba Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Prime Minister Modi said, that today he is the PM of the country due to the Constitution framed by BR Ambedkar. "Because of the Constitution created by Babasaheb, today Modi, son of a poor mother, is seeking your blessings to serve for the third time." The prime minister alleged that the grand old party is threatening that the country will be on fire if he becomes Prime Minister for the third time. Now the royal family of Congress is threatening that if Modi becomes Prime Minister for the third time, the country will be on fire. They also said it in 2014, 19, did something like this happen?... Aag desh mein nahi lagi, aag, jalan unke dilon mein lagi hai... the prime minister said. Amir Sarfaraz alias Tamba, an accused in the brutal killing of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Kot Lakhpat jail in 2013, was killed by unidentified gunmen in Lahore on Sunday, news agency PTI reported, The report said Tamba, a close associate of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit founder Hafiz Sayeed, was attacked by motorcycle-borne assailants in the capital city of Pakistan Punjab. Tamba was rushed in critical condition to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, PTI reported citing sources. Tamba was born in Lahore in 1979 and was a close associate of the LeT founder. Also Read | Telcos may report flattish revenues in Jan-Mar; tariff hikes, VI fundraise eyed It is important to note that Tamba was killed six years after he and his ally Mudassir Munir were acquitted by a Pakistani court due to lack of evidence, in the brutal killing of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh, 49, in Kot Lakhpat jail in 2013. Singh was killed in captivity by attacking him with bricks and iron rods in 2013. At the time of the incident, both were in jail after their conviction in another criminal case. Later, he died of cardiac arrest in Jinnah Hospital Lahore in the wee hours of May 2, 2013, after being comatose for nearly a week following a brutal assault inside the high-security Kot Lakhpat jail. Also Read | Top news of the day: Israel-Iran G7 leaders meet, BJP poll manifesto, and more Sarabjit Singh was a farmer from Bhikhiwind town in Punjab, who used to live near the India-Pakistan border, and who mistakenly crossed the border while he was drunk. Sarabjit was imprisoned in Pakistan jail on charges of espionage and was sentenced to death by a Pakistani court in 1991. Tensions between Iran and Israel heightened after the Islamic State launched hundreds of missiles at the Jewish nation. However, 99% of the missiles were successfully intercepted which helped in minimising casualties. The matter will be discussed by G7 leaders in the meeting called by Italy on Sunday. In India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched its poll manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Whereas, Here are the top events that made headlines today. Israel-Iran crisis Several nations came out in support of Israel after Iran launched a missile attack on the Jewish state. To address the heightened tension in the Middle East, G7 leaders will hold a meeting via video conference on Sunday. The G7 groups the United States, Canada, Italy, Britain, France, Germany and Japan. The Iranian attack in response to a suspected Israeli air strike on Iran's embassy compound in Damascus on April 1 has raised the threat of a wider regional conflict. (Read full story) Indonesia landslide At least 19 people lost their lives and several others were missing after a massive landslide destroyed several areas of central Indonesia on Sunday. The rescue operation in the country is still underway. (Read full story) MI vs CSK IPL 2024 Mumbai Indians are competing against Chennai Super Kings in Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. The match began at 7:30 pm today. So far MI have won 2 out of 5 matches, and are at number 7 at the moment. On the other hand, CSK have lost 2 of their 5 matches and are sitting at number 3. (Read full story) BJP Manifesto 2024 Wider implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Uniform Civil Code (UCC), and One Nation, One Election were the top highlights of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Sankalp Patra released on Sunday. In its Lok Sabha elections 2024 manifesto, the saffron party also promised the public robust development of infrastructure on Indo-China, Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Myanmar borders and the strengthening of institutes like IITs, IIMs and AIIMS (Read full story). The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rainfall, snowfall, and thunderstorm activities over Northern India and Central India till Monday. According to the official release, Fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall/snowfall with a thunderstorm, lightning & gusty winds (30-40 kmph) over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand during till 15th April, 2024. IMD further predicted scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds very likely over Madhya Pradesh on Sunday and over West Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi and Rajasthan on Sunday. The weather forecast for New Delhi suggests cloudy conditions with light rain and thundershowers on Sunday, along with gusty winds reaching speeds of 35-45 kmph. Monday is expected to have a generally cloudy sky with very light drizzle and gusty winds ranging from 30-40 kph. The effects of the western disturbance will be felt until April 18-19. The temperature will not reach 40 degrees Celsius until then. After April 18, the temperature will begin to increase day by day, he said. The IMD has forecast generally cloudy skies for Sunday in Delhi, with light showers expected along with winds reaching speeds of 35 to 40 kmph. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 33 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature may drop to about 20 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the IMD has issued an advisory for thunderstorms and lightning in the Delhi-NCR region, advising people to stay indoors. They also recommended closing windows and doors and avoiding unnecessary travel during this period to ensure safety. It's essential for residents to heed these warnings and take appropriate precautions to stay safe during adverse weather conditions. Heatwave prediction Hot and humid weather is very likely to prevail over Kerala & Mahe, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry& Karaikal during the 13th-17th; over, Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam on Sunday; Gujarat State and Coastal Karnataka on the 15th-17th and Gangetic West Bengal on the 16th & 17th April, 2024. A Native American-led nonprofit has announced that it purchased nearly 40 acres (16.2 hectares) of land in the Black Hills of South Dakota amid a growing movement that seeks to return land to Indigenous people. The Cheyenne River Youth Project announced in an April 11 statement that it purchased the tract of land adjacent to Bear Butte State Park in western South Dakota. One of the most sacred places for the Lakota Nation is Mato Paha, now part of Bear Butte State Park," the statement said. Access to Bear Butte was severed in the late 19th century, when the U.S. government seized the Black Hills and broke up the Great Sioux Reservation into several smaller reservations. Julie Garreau, executive director of the project, said in the statement that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that the U.S. had illegally taken the Black Hills. The court awarded the Lakota people $105 million, but they have refused to accept the money because the Black Hills were never for sale, the statement said. Garreau said opportunities to re-establish access to sacred places are being lost rapidly as metro areas grow and land values skyrocket, which contributed to the organization's decision to buy the land. Our people have deep roots in this region, yet we have to drive five hours round trip to be here, and summertime lodging prices are astronomical, she said. The distance and the cost prevent access. The statement did not say how much the organization paid to purchase the land. Emily Doring is no stranger to perinatal grief. Having suffered two miscarriages in the past, she knows how difficult it can be. Theres no right way to grieve. Theres no wrong way to grieve, she said. I was so encompassed with that grief that, really, I was going through the motions of functioning, but I really wasnt functioning. Doring, director of the Western New York Perinatal Bereavement Network, is attuned to the physical and emotional impact a reproductive loss can have on families. That includes going back to work early in the grieving process. A New York State Senate bill would mandate paid family leave for those grieving such a loss. We are working aggressively through this budget process to include benefits and relief for women and families that suffer the loss of a stillborn child or neonatal loss, said State Sen. Tim Kennedy of Buffalo, who sponsored the legislation in the upper chamber with fellow Democratic Sens. Jeremy A. Cooney of Rochester and Rachel May of the Syracuse region. Gov. Hochul seeks to improve infant, maternal mortality rates in New York Hochul said she will propose in Tuesday's State of the State address a half-dozen initiatives intended to improve infant and maternal mortality rates in the state. The legislation seeks to amend workers compensation law by allowing families suffering any reproductive loss to qualify for paid family leave in the wake of any pregnancy outcome or reproductive loss. One in four pregnancies ends in loss, including one in every 160 births to stillbirth. There were 21,000 stillbirths in the United States in 2020, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year, the regional bereavement network assisted 173 new families, along with others they continue to support, Doring said. The bill passed the Senate unanimously in 2022, Kennedy said. It had overwhelming support in the Assembly, but didnt come up for a floor vote, he said, which is why this bill remains a priority for me, whether thats through the passage of this bill or in this budget. The state budget is two weeks overdue. State legislative leaders indicated late in the weekend that they were close to finalizing a new 2024-25 spending plan. California created a new leave of absence effective Jan. 1 that requires private and public employers with five or more workers to grant up to five days of related leave. Its something that New York State should look to emulate, Kennedy said. Any prenatal loss is worthy of consideration of relief, given the fact that today, there is there is no support under state law. An Indian student aged 24 years was shot dead inside a car in South Vancouver in Canada, said a report by NDTV citing the local police. Chirag Antil, 24, was found dead inside a vehicle in the area after neighbours reported hearing gunshots, said the Vancouver Police, as per the report. The incident occurred late on Friday night in the city of Vancouver in British Columbia, where the deceased lived and worked. No arrest has been made yet in the matter. Officers were called to East 55th Avenue and Main Street around 11 pm on April 12 after residents heard the sound of gunshots. Chirag Antil, 24, was found deceased inside a vehicle in the area. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing, the report quoted the Vancouver Police. In a post on social media platform X, the Congress students wing National Students Union of India (NSUI) chief Varun Choudhary requested the ministry of external affairs for assistance to the students family. Urgent attention regarding the murder of Chirag Antil, an Indian student in Vancouver, Canada. We urge the Ministry of External Affairs to closely monitor the progress of the investigation and ensure that justice is swiftly served, Mr Choudhary said. Additionally, we request the ministry to extend all necessary support and assistance to the family of the deceased during this difficult time, he added. Chirag Antil, a resident of Haryana had came to Vancouver in September 2022. He had just completed his MBA (Master of Business Administration) at University Canada West in Vancouver and recently got his work permit. According to local media reports, Chirag Antils family is raising money through the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe to repatriate his body to India. Romit Antil, Chirags brother has told CityNews that he was a kind-hearted person. A day after the MSC Aries-cargo ship with 17 Indian citizens on board was seized by Iran because of its link to Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took up the matter with his Iranian counterpart H Amirabdollahian on Sunday. EAM S Jaishankar said that the two leaders talked about the release of the Indians and discussed the current situation in the region. Took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of MSC Aries. Discussed the current situation in the region. Stressed the importance of avoiding escalation, exercising restraint and returning to diplomacy. Agreed to remain in touch, he said in his post on X. Tensions further escalated after the Islamic Republic launched hundreds of missiles and drones on the Jewish state early morning. MSC areas seized by Iran The ship was seized by Iran officials amid growing concerns about a wider Middle East war. After the seizure of MSC Aries, India began its efforts to contact Iranian officials for the immediate release of the Indians. We are aware that a cargo ship MSC Aries has been taken control of by Iran. We have learnt that there are 17 Indian nationals onboard. We are in touch with the Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and in Delhi, to ensure the security, welfare and early release of Indian nationals," reported ANI citing sources. The ship, identified as the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries- was directed towards the territorial waters of Tehran, reported ANI referring to Iranian state media. India calls for immediate de-escalation in Iran-Israel conflict Earlier in the day, New Delhi called for an immediate de-escalation of the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. Apart from India, several other nations including the US, UK, France, etc reacted sharply to Iran's attack on Israel. The unprecedented aerial attack by Iran against Israel was thwarted by a collective effort of the international community including the US, the UK, France and Jordan. All these nations came to the rescue of the Jewish state after Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones on Saturday. Earlier in the day, the US and the UK officially confirmed their role in helping Israel thwart Iran's attack on civilians. Israel-Iran Live Updates UK PM Rishi Sunak confirms British fighter jets shot down Iranian drones On Sunday, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticised Iran's attack on Israel and called it a dangerous and unnecessary escalation. In his video message shared on social media, the UK PM also confirmed Britain's role in thwarting Iran's attack and said, Iran's attack last night was a dangerous and unnecessary escalation. I want to pay tribute to the professionalism and bravery of the Royal Air Force and our allies in protecting civilians. He also said that the RAF had sent additional aircraft to the region as part of ongoing operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. "The RAF sent additional planes to the region as part of our existing operations to counter Daesh in Iraq and Syria. I can confirm that our planes did shoot down several Iranian attack drones. I want to pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of our pilots flying into the face of danger to protect civilians," Sunak added. US confirms role in rescuing Israel during Iran attack The US shot down and destroyed nearly 90-100 drones and cruise missiles during the Iranian air attack on Israel. An American aircraft shot down more than 70 drones and cruise missiles, while U.S. destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean Sea downed between four and six ballistic missiles, and an American Patriot missile battery in Iraq shot down one more, reported AP referring to a senior US official. US President Joe Biden and other senior officials were closely monitoring the firings and interception attempts in real-time in the White House Situation Room. At my direction, to support the defence of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the region over the past week, Biden said in a statement late Saturday. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. Jordan and France also intercepted and shot down Iranian drones, missiles In addition to the US and the UK, Jordan and France also played a key role in intercepting the missile attack by Iran. Jordan's air defences downed dozens of Iranian weapons that entered Israeli airspace, reported the Guardian citing a Reuters report. Several nations have come in support of Israel after Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones on the Jewish State. Meanwhile, Iran summoned the French, British and German ambassadors to Tehran over reactions to the attack on Israel. Israel-Iran tensions LIVE Updates The British, French and German ambassadors to Tehran were summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the irresponsible positions of certain officials of these countries regarding Iran's response to the actions of the Zionist regime (Israel) against the nationals and interests of our country, Reuters quoted the official IRNA news agency. Britain, France, and Germany reacted sharply to Iran's missile attack against Israel, which was made in response to its bombing of Iran's consulate in Syria. The three European countries condemned Iran's drone and missile attack against Israel. The attack went through Saturday night into Sunday and was in retaliation for Israel's bombing of its consulate in Syria on April 1. Iran calls out European nations for double standards The three nations were accused by the director for Western Europe at Iran's foreign ministry of "double standards". The statement also mentioned the objection of these three nations to a Russian-drafted U.N. Security Council statement that would have condemned Israel's attack on Iran's embassy compound in Syria. "Iran's military action against the Zionist regime's (Israel) bases is well within the framework of the right to legitimate defence stipulated in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and it is in response to a series of crimes, including the recent attack on the embassy compound in Syria," the official added. UK PM Rishi Sunak condemns Iran attack UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the "reckless" strikes, which he said "risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its backyard." France President Emmanuel Macron's response to the Iran attack "I condemn in the strongest terms the unprecedented attack launched by Iran against Israel, which carries the risk of destabilising the region," Macron said on X. "This is an expression of my solidarity with the Israeli people and of the importance we attach to the security of Israel, of our partners and regional stability," he said. "France is working with its partners towards de-escalation and calls for restraint." German Chancellor: Germany stands by Israel's side German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the Iranian attack as "irresponsible and unjustifiable," saying "Iran risks a regional conflagration," his spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said. "In these difficult times, Germany stands by Israel's side," added Hebestreit. Ukrainian President Zelensky condemns Iran strikes on Israel Condemning Iran's attack on Israel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, Iran's actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia's actions threaten a larger conflict. The internet is flooded with "World War 3" posts, referring to the latest drone and missile attack launched by the Iranian army against Israel. Many on social media also wondered if "the prophecies of Nostradamus are coming true". "Iran attacks Israel, could this be the beginning of WWWIII or The Prophecies of Nostradamus coming true," a user posted on X on Sunday. Nostradamus was a 16th-century French astrologer, physician, and seer. He is known for his book Les Propheties (The Prophecies), which is a collection of 942 poetic quatrains that allegedly predict future events. Because of their cryptic style and content, the prophecies created much controversy in the past, and are still well known today. One such prophesy of Nostradamus is under the spotlight amid Iran's attack on Israel in the Middle East. "Irans attack on Israel brings back Nostradamus's eerie 2024 prediction of naval war. World War 3," said one social media user. Another added, "As predicted by Nostradamus, the 3rd world war will be triggered from ASIA and with this Iran nuking of Israel, it could well be the start of it by the time countries start taking sides. What had Nostradamus predicted? According to the Hindustan Times, a translated verse from Nostradamus's book reads, "Red adversary will become pale with fear, putting the great Ocean in dread". It's now speculated that this statement is related to the tensions between China and Taiwan, but recent attacks by the Houthis on ships in the Red Sea look more relevant. This is not the first time that a prophecy by Nostradamus is going viral. Earlier in March, when Kate Middleton, Britain's Princess of Wales, had annoounced that she was having treatment for cancer. According to reports, the prophet had correctly predicted the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the bombing of Hiroshima and the rise of Napoleon. 'World War 3' Many on social media wondered if Iran's attack on Israel is "a sign of World War III". A post read, "If World War 3 breaks and there are two sides: 1. Russia, China, Iran, Yemen, North Korea; 2. NATO, United States, Israel, and the UK". The Iranian army said its drone and missile attack on Israel, in retaliation for a deadly strike on Iran's Damascus consulate, "was completed successfully from last night [April 13] to this morning. (Bloomberg) -- Metal traders are bracing for dramatic moves after the London Metal Exchange responded to new US and UK sanctions by banning deliveries of any Russian supplies produced after midnight on Friday. Most of the two dozen market participants interviewed by Bloomberg expect prices of aluminum, copper and nickel to jump when LME trading reopens at 1 a.m. London time on Monday morning. But there are disagreements about the broader impact of the move: Some argue that removing one of the largest producers from the market will drive prices higher, while others are focusing on the prospect of a flood of old Russian metal getting dumped onto the LME. Many of the dealers and brokers have spent the weekend at work gaming out the market implications of the sanctions. The timing of the news, just ahead of the global copper industrys annual CESCO Week gathering in Chile, has also made for lively conversations in business class cabins and passport queues as the industry descends on Santiago. In London, the home of the LME, traders are preparing for a wild Sunday night glued to their screens. The scenes will be familiar ones metals traders are hardened to wild swings and long weekends after a period marked by a nickel short squeeze that almost destroyed the LME in March 2022, and sanctions on United Co Rusal International PJSC that caused havoc in 2018. But traders and executives said that the new restrictions were unlikely to have as dramatic an impact as those two events. Russias two metal giants, Rusal and MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC, are much less entangled in the western financial system than they were before the war, and the industry has spent the past two years preparing for the prospect of sanctions. Still, Russia remains an important producer, accounting for 6% of global nickel supply, 5% of aluminum and 4% of copper. And its role on the LME is even more significant in nickel for example, Nornickel has long been the largest supplier of refined metal, which is the only form deliverable to the LME. As a result, traders expected prices to rise on Monday morning, though predictions for the increase varied from a few percent to as much as 10%. Since the nickel squeeze, the LME has put daily limits in place that prevent copper and aluminum prices from rising more than 12% in a day, while nickel has a 15% limit. The escalation of hostilities in the Middle East could also stoke volatility. Price-wise, the natural predilection will be higher, said Alastair Munro, a broker at Marex Group based in London. But against that, it will be interesting to see if any funds or traders have to reduce positioning because of the increasing volatility. Divided Market By targeting supplies of Russian metal produced from April 13 onwards, the sanctions divide the market into three categories: new Russian metal, which is now blocked from delivery to the LME; old Russian metal, produced before April 13; and non-Russian metal. The LME on Saturday confirmed that old Russian metal can continue to be delivered, though the exchange said it would require evidence that the metal was not in breach of sanctions and would approve deliveries on a case-by-case basis. The LMEs approach is effectively just enforcing the restrictions imposed by the US and UK on Friday. But it is likely to reignite a debate over whether Russian metal should be banned altogether to protect the exchanges role as the home of global benchmark prices by continuing to allow Russian supplies, the likelihood is that the LMEs prices increasingly become the price of old Russian metal. Russian metal already accounted for 91% of LME aluminum stocks at the end of March, 62% of copper and 36% of nickel. Traders are now expecting a wave of deliveries of Russian material that was being held outside the LME system, which could now be dumped onto the exchange as its owners worry about the prospect of future restrictions. In the aluminum market, estimates of the amount of Russian metal being held outside of the LME system range from a couple of hundred thousand tons to as much as one million tons. In its notice on Saturday, the LME acknowledged the possibility that the uncertainty caused by the sanctions means a relatively large supply of Russian metal could flood onto the exchange. Limited Pool A wave of Russian supply would be likely to push spot prices down relative to forward contracts a situation known as contango, that is generally indicative of a well-supplied market. Contangos for copper, aluminum and nickel are already at historically wide levels, in part as a result of the growing share of Russian metal on the exchange that only a limited pool of consumers, traders, and brokers are willing to touch. For its part, the LME considered banning Russian metal in 2022 and decided against it, arguing that it was still being consumed in the physical market and it wasnt the exchanges place to act over and above the requirements of sanctions. On Saturday, it said it would keep this position under review, but highlighted that traders had continued to take delivery of Russian aluminum from LME warehouses in January, February and March. The new rules announced Friday also include a provision that will make it easier for traders to take delivery of old Russian metal. While an earlier package of metal sanctions announced by the UK in December originally barred UK persons from requesting delivery of Russian metal from the LME, the government has now removed that restriction as long as the metal was already in the exchanges system before April 13. When markets open in a few hours time, traders say they expect copper, aluminum and nickel to react in distinct ways. The price reaction is likely to be most extreme in nickel, said Colin Hamilton, managing director for commodities research at BMO Capital Markets. Theres definitely going to be a degree of panic in the initial reaction, and nickel is probably the metal where well see that most clearly, he said. Nevertheless, markets tend to adapt to these kinds of shocks pretty quickly. --With assistance from Jessica Zhou. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com At the end of the last month, I got the opportunity to revisit Turkiyean election campaign adding colour to the affectionate environment there. Be it at the Taksim Square or Princess Island, the ablution fountain of Hagia Sophia, or the modernity of a mall, people were talking about the election. The streets were lined with candidates banners and glowing signboards. Speeches were being delivered at street corner meetings, and election enthusiasm was prevalent across the media. This was a mayoral election. What if it were the general elections? We in India are currently headed for the general elections, but there is no visible excitement in the atmosphere. Is this dullness the result of actions taken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to prevent buying of votes? Can it contain money power? Before answering these questions, let me take you to the 1960s, to a time when Ram Manohar Lohia chose a new path to overcome the ruling partys financial power. He came up with the One note; one vote" campaign to raise funds to contest elections. Under the campaign, workers of his party would collect 1 each from persons attending the partys public gatherings. Similar campaigns have been run by leaders such as Kanshi Ram and Arvind Kejriwal. It is an irony, though, that Kanshi Rams successor, Mayawati, faced allegations of corruption after coming to power. And Kejriwal is currently behind bars facing allegations in the liquor policy scam. Money and the rich have begun to exert direct influence on our democracy. This is why money and muscle power gained influence in politics during the 1970s and 1980s. Political bigwigs across parties began enjoying the company of criminals. These criminals were euphemistically named bahubali. A number of such bahubalis began to climb the power ladder from Gram Panchayats, to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Data analyzed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) showed that about 29% of members of the 17th Lok Sabha were charged with very serious offences, while 18% of Rajya Sabha members faced such charges. Another analysis by ADR in June 2023 showed that in the legislatures of 28 states and two Union territories, almost 28% of legislators had a criminal past. Politicians have also grown wealthier. The ADR analysis showed that 12% of Rajya Sabha members currently have assets worth more than 100 crore, whereas about 48% Lok Sabha members elected five years ago had assets worth more than 5 crore. Notably, our countrys per capita daily income remains stuck at 464. The connotation is clear: The common Indian has now been limited to being a voter. For many of them, the temptation of money, combined with caste, religion, region, and sect, serves as a lifeline. It is hardly surprising that the amount of money and liquor seized by the election commission has increased dramatically over the last decade. ECI seized 190 crore in the 2009 general elections; in 2019, it seized more than 841 crore, a record high. Similarly, in 2019, 18.6 million litres of liquor were seized, compared with 16 million litres in 2014. In our country, where one election or the other is held every few months, politicians and parties are pushed to spend money in a variety of ways. A top leader told me that during elections, a candidate needs at least two vehicles and a corresponding number of personnel to campaign in one block. In a Lok Sabha election, at least 50 cars must be deployed directly and indirectly. Besides, each block has an office where workers rest and food has to be arranged for them. On the night before the polls, lakhs of rupees are spent providing meals and drinks" to people from village to village. Lakhs of rupees are spent at ones own or any other major leaders election meeting. Another worthy stated that formerly, the task was done solely through booklets, banners and posters. Posters and banners have been banned now, but people must be deployed to remain active on social media for the entire five-year period, not only to glorify their leader but also to keep attacking rivals. In light of this, an election expenditure cap is ineffective. Politics is an expensive business. This raises a couple of questions: Why would big traders or business houses that make election donations not expect any profit in return? What causes the worlds largest democracy to seem frightened when confronted with this issue? Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its manifesto on Sunday, April 14 for the Lok Sabha election 2024 at its headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Among other promises, the party pledged to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across the country after forming a government at the Centre. While releasing BJP's manifesto at the event, PM Modi said the party's 'Sankalp Patra' will empower the four strong pillars of developed India namely youth, women, poor and farmers. The entire country waits for the BJP's 'Sankalp Patra'. There is a big reason behind it as in the last 10 years, the BJP has implemented every point of its manifesto as a guarantee on the ground, the Prime Minister said. The UCC is described to be a common set of laws for citizens replacing religious personal laws governing personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption (irrespective of religion), sex, gender or caste and other civil issues. The ruling party claimed that Article 44 of the Constitution lists the Uniform Civil Code as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy. The BJP said in its manifesto said the party "reiterates its stand to draw a Uniform Civil Code, drawing upon the best traditions and harmonising them with the modern times." The Uniform Civil Code is perhaps the only major promise of the BJP in past manifestoes that has not been fulfilled yet, even as some states have already started the process. The other major promises of the BJP in the past include the construction of the Ram Mandir, abrogation of Article 370 and criminalisation of instant triple talaq. State with Uniform Civil Code In Uttarakhand, the BJP government enacted the Uniform Civil Code earlier this year. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, an ardent supporter of BJP vowed that he will implement UCC and ban polygamy in the state. If implemented, UCC will thus replace codified laws such as the Hindu Marriage Act, the Hindu Succession Act, the Christian Marriage Act, and the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act. UCC has found a place in the party's manifesto repeatedly and has been a long-standing promise of the party to win elections. The call for UCC gained prominence after the Shah Bano case of 1985. in this particular case, the Supreme Court had ruled that the Muslim woman was entitled to receive alimony. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have released their manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Both the national political parties extensively talked about their idea of foreign policies and national security in their manifesto. While the BJP hopes to conduct policies to further India's ' interests "with the spirit of Vishwa Bandhu" (kinsman of the universe), the Congress promised to "pay greater attention to our immediate neighbours". Their manifestos addressed issues ranging from China border dispute to "engagement with Pakistan" to end cross-border terrorism. Notably, the BJP mentioned India as Bharat at most of the places throughout its manifesto. Here's what the BJP's and the Congress's manifesto say about the party's foreign policy: 1. China What's the problem to be addressed: According to reports, China has significantly expanded its engagements in the Indian Ocean region over the past three decades. This has eventually raised fears among the US and Indian strategists that China's growing naval presence, together with its use of so-called debt-trap diplomacy, might provide it with meaningful military advantages far from its shores, the research by think tank Brookings Institution said. BJP promises: The party promised to accelerate the development of robust infrastructure along the Indo-China border. It will also ensure "freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Indian Ocean". "We will expand Bharats defence footprint across strategic locations and partner with friendly countries to protect Bharats and the Indian Ocean Regions security interests. Congress promises: The Congress' manifesto makes no mention of the "Indian Ocean Regions security", it, however, promises to work to restore the status quo ante on India's borders with China. The Congress also promised that it would ensure that areas, where both armies patrolled in the past, are "again accessible to our soldiers". "We will take the necessary steps to adjust our policy towards China until this is achieved," it added. 2. Pakistan and cross-border terrorism What's the problem to be addressed: Indian has accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists and supporting terrorism. BJP promises: The party aims to accelerate the development of robust infrastructure along the Indo-Pakistan borders too. On combatting terrorism, it said, "We will continue our efforts to create a consensus among all members of the United Nations on the Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism and other such efforts to combat terrorism." "We will build upon the success of the No Money for Terror conference to develop better coordination on countering terrorism financing," the BJP's manifesto added. Congress promises: The manifesto mentioned that "engagement with Pakistan depends fundamentally on its willingness and ability to end cross-border terrorism". "Congress is implacably opposed to terrorism anywhere in the world. We will work with other countries to eliminate terrorist groups, terrorist acts and cross-border terrorism," the party's manifesto added. BJP promises: The party's manifesto makes no mention of the diplomatic row with the Maldives. It, however, aims to tourism within the country, along with providing new employment opportunities in the tourism sector. PM Modi's political party hopes to build sustainable ecotourism in select under-explored regions spread across Bharat. "We will expand Bharat's top-tier startup ecosystem to tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Further, we will transform Bharat into a global centre for high-quality services including tourism to generate high value and diverse employment opportunities nationwide," the party said. Amid other promises are the ones to promote "riverine tourism along all major river ecosystems of Bharat; Island tourism hubs in Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands; Adventure Tourism in the North East and other Hill States." Congress promises: "We will repair relations with the Maldives," the party's manifesto read. It hardly mentions reforms in the tourism sector of the country. 4. Myanmar What's the problem to be addressed: According to reports, over 31,000 people from Myanmar, mostly from the Chin state, have taken refuge in Mizoram following the military coup in the neighbouring country in February 2021. BJP promises: The party said it will develop infrastructure along Indo-Myanmar borders and also promised to "introduce technological solutions on fenced portions to make fencing smarter." Congress promises: The party said it will work with Myanmar to protect the political and human rights of the people of Myanmar. 5. Global south What's the matter to be addressed: The phrase Global South refers broadly to the regions of Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. "It is one of a family of terms, including Third World and Periphery, that denote regions outside Europe and North America, mostly (though not all) low-income and often politically or culturally marginalised," a report said. BJP promises: The BJP aims to make India the "voice of the Global South". The party said that in its third term, it "will further consolidate Bharats position as a Voice of the Global South by using the Prime Ministers visionary 5S approach of Samman, Samvad, Sahyog, Shanti and Samriddhi." "We aim to significantly increase the value of the Space Economy, positioning Bharat as a leading space power and extending support to Global South countries in utilising space and space technology services," the BJP added. Congress promises: "We will work to strengthen Indias role in multilateral institutions, co-ordinate positions with other countries of the Global South on vital issues, and continue to work for reform and empowerment of international organisations to deal with the major challenges that transcend borders," the manifesto said. 6. Foreign trade BJP promises: The BJP promised to facilitate the international movement of trade and services through India by boosting connectivity to Europe via the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor. Congress promises: It said the party will will make every effort to conclude long-pending trade negotiations with other countries in the interests of Indian producers and consumers. 7. India's international image BJP promises: The BJP said it will expand the network of India's missions and diplomats to pursue the global interests that have been secured by Bharats unprecedented rise in the global order. Congress promises: It promised to repair Indias international image that, it said, "has been damaged by the present governments intolerance of dissent and suppression of human rights." The party pledged to restore Indias global reputation as a voice of peace and moderation in world affairs. Other key promises by BJP and Congress The Congress party has many organisational problems, said Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen while noting that the Opposition in India has lost much of its power due to disunity. He stated that the INDIA bloc has failed to gain much traction as its important allies JD(U) and RLD have walked out. He asserted that India needs greater empowerment for the underprivileged through better education, healthcare, and gender equity. A cast census might be an exercise to consider. There is a need to work harder to enhance the nation's democratic nature, Sen told PTI. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said that the party will conduct a countrywide caste census if voted to power. The Mahagathbandhan government, of which JD(U), RJD and Congress and Left parties were a part, implemented a caste census in Bihar last year. "The Opposition in India lost a lot of its power due to its disunity. Unity would have given it much more strength. Congress has many organisational problems that need remedying. The party's great past should inspire it," he said. He was also critical of the BJP-led NDA government over its economic policies, claiming that widespread illiteracy and extraordinary gender inequality make it difficult for the poor in India to progress. "India's ruling classes tend to look after the interests of the rich. Widespread illiteracy, commonly shared ill health, and extraordinary gender inequality make it difficult for the Indian poor to progress," he said. Speaking about the Opposition's claim that the BJP might change the Indian Constitution if it returns to power, Sen said changing the country's Constitution would not serve any purpose except aligning it with the government's "single-religion focus". "Changing the Indian Constitution may align it more with the government's class priority and its single-religion focus, but it will not benefit the common people of India," he said as quoted by PTI. "India is a secular country with a secular Constitution, but while focusing only on Hindu identity may be easy for a majority of Hindus, this betrays India's secular roots and multicultural nature," he added. Defence Minister and BJP leader Rajanath Singh asked on Sunday who has the nerve to put Prime Minister Narendra Modi in jail. Singh was speaking during a campaign rally in Bihar's Banka. He said this while hitting out Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Lalu Yadav's daughter Misa Bharti's statement on April 7. Reacting to her statement, Rajnath Singh said in Banka on Sunday, Kisne maa ka dudh piya hai ki Modiji ko jail me dalega [who has the nerve to put PM Modi in jail]?...Those who are either in jail or on bail, they will arrest [PM Modi]?. The Defence Minister called RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav his "friend". He said during another rally in Jamui, Bihar, "Laluji is my friend, but what his family is saying...that if their government is formed, they will put PM Modi in jail?" Singh said the people of India have self-respect and would never accept if PM Modi is sent to jail. The BJP also hit out at former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav for posting a video of him eating fish. ".the festival of Navratri is here and he is showing big fried fishes, eating them. What message do you want to send? You eat whatever you want, fish, elephant or horse. What do you have to show it to the world?," Rajnath Singh asked. "Who has given you rights to hurt the sentiments of the people...no one else shows...you have such courage to this...you have arrogance to this extent?" Singh said while speaking during a rally in Bihar's Banka. WASHINGTONSen. Maria Cantwell said she wants to end Chinas control of TikTok. She also wants such legislation to hold up in court. But what that bill looks like, and how quickly it could get to President Bidens desk, remain in play, the powerful Democrat said in an interview. The House overwhelmingly passed a measure last month that would force the short-video app to find a new owner that isnt a foreign adversary within six months or be banned in the U.S. That put the bill in the lap of Cantwell, the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, who has a deep experience with technology issues but has also sparked frustration among colleagues for how she handled past efforts regarding user privacy and social media. Now, TikToks allies and critics alike see Cantwell as critical to the apps fate. The 65-year-old, four-term senator from Washington state is known for deliberate, time-consuming work, and she and other leaders have kept their plans close to the vest. Cantwell faces pressure to move relatively quickly on any changes to the bill, amid worries that the legislation that sailed through the House could get bogged down in the Senate. In an interview in her Senate office, Cantwell laid out the questions facing her. Do we want a tool by which the United States can stop bad actors from broadcasting, if you will, into the United States with nefarious messages? And the answer is yes, we want that tool to exist," she said. And so now the question is: Is the House tool good enough, or do we need to make some changes to it?" Asked on timing for a vote, Cantwell said she wanted to see it sooner as opposed to later, because I dont think its going to go away." The bill must get to Bidens desk this year, or it will expire, but proponents want quicker action. Theres some avenues by which we could get this done in a short period of time," Cantwell said. TikTok has said it considers the House bill as tantamount to a ban, as Chinese-controlled parent Bytedance has said it wont sell and the Chinese government has signaled it wouldnt allow a sale. TikTok also says it has never been asked to provide U.S. user data to the Chinese government and wouldnt if asked, and has also said it doesnt tailor content based on political motives. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) has backed the House bill, as have prominent Democrats such as Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D., Va.). But other lawmakers have been more cautious. Cantwell said senators have been examining the text of the House measure to determine whether it is constitutional and can withstand expected court challenges. The committee where stuff goes to die? Some critics of TikTok expressed concerns about Cantwells panel and worries that prolonged Senate rumination could sink the bill. Historically, the Commerce Committee is where this stuff goes to die," said Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.), who has called for a TikTok ban. Im frustrated with the committee, in that we dont seem to be getting these huge issues resolved," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R., W.Va.), who serves on the committee. Theres a lot on the plate that doesnt get moved," she said, citing efforts on data privacy and TikTok. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) expressed confidence in Cantwell, whom he said he plans to meet with this week to discuss the bill. I have a great deal of faith, because shes had such a great record in the past," Schumer said, citing her key role in the Chips act, the 2022 law intended to revitalize the U.S. semiconductor industry. Schumer hasnt said when he wants to bring TikTok legislation to the floor. One approach could be attaching a TikTok bill to the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration, which faces a May 10 deadline. Such must-pass bills often become vehicles for other legislation to move forward. A senior Democratic aide said that the Senate was looking at the House bill as a base for its bill, rather than reviving previous TikTok-related measures that had been introduced in the Senate. The same aide said that mentioning TikTok by name in the billwhich raised legal questionswould likely survive court challenges, as it served a forward looking purpose" designed to stop potential spying on Americans. More time for TikTok to find a buyer One element of the House bill that Cantwell is open to changing is the six-month period for TikTok to divest to avoid a shutdown. Critics of the House bill, such as Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) have said such a short timeline would create a fire sale, unfairly hurting investors. Some U.S. figures including former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have expressed interest in forming an investor group. Lengthening the time could give you the ability to actually do a transaction and maybe have a little bit more, not stability, but find the right divestiture," Cantwell said. She said she didnt believe the House TikTok bill violates First Amendment speech protections, another concern some lawmakers have raised. Cantwell sees the TikTok legislation as one of several tech-focused bills that could advance this year. Earlier this month, she released a draft of a comprehensive data-privacy bill with Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who is also from Washington state. Efforts to pass such legislation have failed for years, including in 2022 when Rodgers had a bipartisan bill that passed her committee and had support from Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, but faced opposition from Cantwell over how victims could pursue legal action. Democratic lawmakers and aides pointed to Cantwell as a reason why they didnt get close to a vote. She said legislating takes time and points to the new privacy bill, which she hopes to introduce next week. She both supports tech but also wants to rein tech in," said David Vladeck, a former director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection of the Federal Trade Commission, who has advised Cantwell. Shes been at odds with some of the platforms, including some in her own state." Many of Cantwells top donors are individuals at tech companies with headquarters or facilities in Washington, including T-Mobile, Microsoft and Amazon, according to OpenSecrets. She doesnt take corporate PAC money. Early fights on tech privacy Cantwell has a long history in politics and technology. She grew up in Indianapolis and moved to Seattle to work on Democrat Alan Cranstons 1984 presidential campaign. He lost, but she stayed. She was elected to the state legislature and then won a U.S. House seat in 1992. There, she encountered her first big fight: successfully working to ban the so-called Clipper Chip, a Clinton administration plan to build surveillance capabilities into personal computers. After a Republican wave in Washington in 1994 sent her home, she went into the private sector, working as vice president of marketing for RealNetworks, a pioneer in online audio and video services. Cantwell helped RealNetworks manage one of the first tech privacy crises in the late 90swhen it was discovered that the company could access users personal information and what they were listening to. In 2000, she was recruited to run for Senate and spent more than $1 million of her own money on the primary campaign, in which data privacy played a central role. In her office, which features photos of her home state, she also keeps a picture of her with the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. The liberal Democrat, who played a central role in legislation including the Americans With Disabilities Act, took her under his wing. He would invite her to his office where he would bring in experts to talk about policy. When I get frustrated, I look at that picture," she said, holding it up. It reminds me, yes, legislating is hard, it takes time, you have to keep at it." Write to Natalie Andrews at natalie.andrews@wsj.com Hailing the success of its air-defence system against an unprecedented attack by Iran involving hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, Israel on Sunday said its air-defence system involving exo-atmospheric interceptors destroyed 99% of missiles fired by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Tel Aviv claimed that Iran fired 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and over 120 ballistic missiles against the Jewish country. OSINTdefender, an open source intelligence monitor, has also shared the interception of an Iranian ballistic missile, most likely by Israelis Arrow 3 Hypersonic Surface-to-Air Missile System, outside the Earths atmosphere. Also Read | TCS Q4 Results: IT major stock to open in green tomorrow over robust earnings Crazy Footage from tonight showing what appears to be an Exo-Atmospheric Interception, an Interception which occurs Outside the Earths Atmosphere, of an Iranian Ballistic Missile over Israel; the Intercept was likely conducted by the Israeli Arrow 3 Hypersonic Surface-to-Air Missile System or a U.S. Navy Ship off the Coast utilizing an SM-3, OSINTdefender posted on microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter). What are exo-atmospheric interceptors? How do they work? Exoatmospheric missiles, also known as anti-ballistic missiles (ABMs), are surface-to-air missiles designed to counter incoming ballistic missiles. They are designed to intercept and destroy any type of ballistic threat during the mid-course or terminal phase of their trajectory. However, they are specifically designed to counter intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The anti-ballistic missiles operate beyond the Earth's atmosphere. Also Read | IPO this week: Vodafone FPO, 2 SME issues to hit Dalal Street this week The exo-atmospheric interceptors or anti-ballistic missiles are equipped with advanced technology including infrared sensors and radar systems so that they can detect and track incoming ballistic missiles and terminate them. The anti-ballistic missiles travel at a hypersonic speed advanced and sophisticated guidance missile systems to accurately manoeuvre and intercept targets travelling at very high speeds. These missiles are guided by an inertial navigation system that is updated during flight using contour maps stored in the system's computerized memory. A two-decade bet on a biotechnology company turned into a roughly $8 billion windfall for investors in a New York hedge fund earlier this year. Baker Bros. Advisors, a hedge-fund firm run by brothers Felix and Julian Baker, had in 2003 invested in Seagen, a developer of next-generation cancer treatments. Pfizer bought the company for $43 billion last year. The firm held a nearly 25% stake in Seagen and reaped about $10 billion in proceeds when the acquisition closed in December. It gave back most of that to its investors earlier this year, people familiar with the matter said, in what was one of the industrys largest ever returns of capital. Big-ticket takeovers and scientific advances like gene-editing helped make biotech investing a hot hedge-fund strategy last year. A healthcare stock-picking index gained 13.3% in 2023, according to hedge-fund research firm PivotalPath, outpacing the 7.6% rise in a broader industry index. Baker Bros.s flagship fund gained roughly 19% in 2023, some of the people said. The Bakers, known for being intensely private, are a throwback to a leaner, freewheeling style of hedge-fund investing. While todays most sought-after hedge funds divvy money up across battalions of traders, Baker Bros. employed around 18 investment professionals to manage about $22 billion in assets at the end of 2023, regulatory filings show. Other hedge-fund chiefs minimize risk by avoiding concentrated bets. At Baker Bros., Seagen accounted for about half of the value of its publicly disclosed stockholdings at the end of September. That approach often comes with volatility, especially in a boom-or-bust sector like biotech. Baker Bros.s flagship fund was down about 19% in 2022 and down about 25% in 2021, the people said. The share price of Kodiak Sciences, a maker of eye drugs in which the Bakers have a sizable stake, went from $10 at its 2018 IPO to a record high of $164 in 2021. It has recently been trading under $5. A 20-year bet Felix and Julian Baker, both in their mid-50s, are the sons of two professors. Early in their careers, Felix briefly attended medical school and earned a Ph.D. in immunology, while Julian made private-equity investments at Credit Suisse. They teamed up in 1994 to make biotech investments for members of the Tisch family and launched Baker Bros. in 2000. Today, their firms Manhattan headquarters abuts the High Line aerial park. Many employees relocate to a satellite office in the Hamptons during the summer. Each of the Baker brothers are estimated to have net worths of $2.8 billion, according to Forbes. Felix, who is on Stanfords board of trustees, purchased a $45 million building in Manhattans West Village from a childrens nonprofit in 2014 and renovated it into a single-family home. Seagen, previously known as Seattle Genetics, went public a year after Baker Bros.s founding. The company pioneered a kind of next-generation chemotherapy called antibody drug conjugates, or ADCs. Chemotherapy patients usually endure brutal side effects because the drug kills both cancer and healthy cells. ADCs promised a more targeted attack. In 2003, Baker Bros. bought around $16 million of Seagen preferred stock, which helped fund clinical trials. That stock was convertible into 10 times as many common shares at a price of $2.50 apiece. Felix joined the companys board. The firm loaded up on Seagen stock in the ensuing years, at one point owning almost one-third of the company. Baker Bros. stuck with Seagen as it worked out the ADC technology kinks. It also stuck around in 2022 when prosecutors investigated Seagen co-founder Clay Siegall for domestic violence, allegations which he denied. (Prosecutors declined to charge him.) Felix assumed the role of board chairman upon Siegalls resignation. By then, ADCs were becoming one of the hottest new categories in the cancer-drugs market. The drugs will account for $31 billion of the $375 billion market in 2028, pharmaceutical-market research firm Evaluate has estimated. Felix was soon leading negotiations to sell Seagen, a person familiar with the matter said. Discussions with Merck about a sale in 2022 broke down. Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla sent Felix a note asking to talk after the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in January 2023. A few months later, the companies unveiled their $43 billion deal. Investors including Baker Bros. received $229 in cash for each Seagen share. The firm gave most of its haul back to investors because it didnt see enough opportunities to deploy all that money at once, a person familiar with its thinking said. It is rare for a hedge fund that isnt winding down to volunteer to shrink itself so much, said Jon Caplis, PivotalPaths CEO. Other recent examples come from much larger firms: Citadel distributed about $8.5 billion to investors after a record 2022, and Viking Global Investors gave back $8 billion in 2017. Baker Bros.s investors have included college endowments like those of Yale and Princeton and pension funds like the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. At a gathering after the deal closed, Felix joked with Bourla about receiving a call from an Ivy League university president who thanked him for identifying and investing in Seagen, a person familiar with the matter said. Glad to be of help," Bourla said. Global industry revolutions are imminent thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), and the advertising industry seems to be the front-runner in this race. Google and Meta signaled the forefront of AI innovation in April 2024 with major announcements this week about their AI capabilities. In order to accomplish their goals, Meta and Google each introduced a new processor that competes with Nvidias technology and uses vertical integration techniques. These advancements demonstrate how crucial AI is to improving the user experience and generating cash for IT corporations through advertising. Better video recommendations and more individualized advertisements are two ways that Meta hopes to employ AI to boost user engagement and improve ad performance. Justin Post of Bank of America highlighted how Metas AI innovations could boost ad spending and income. Companies like Google and Meta which draw top personnel and make significant investments in R&D have emerged as the centers of technological innovation in the highly competitive Big Tech market. AI-driven efforts are altering sectors and economies due to the concentration of talent resulting from the draw of Big Techs high profits and reputation. But the widespread use of AI in advertising has sparked concerns about both its ethical implications and wider societal consequences. Tech companies are still pushing the limits of AI innovation in spite of these worries; Mark Zuckerberg the CEO of Meta, is famous for saying, We run ads. The fact that Microsoft has partnered with OpenAI and that Google is venturing into the cloud are more examples of the diverse uses of AI outside of advertising. Investors need to think about the short- and long-term effects of AI on different industries as tech businesses navigate the rapidly changing AI landscape. The intricate dynamics of technological disruption are succinctly summed up by Bank of America analyst Alkesh Shah, who points out that investors frequently overestimate the short-term benefits of AI while underestimating its long-term implications. As a matter of fact, the AI revolution holds the potential to gradually alter industries, starting with a small number of key sectors and working its way up to the entire economy. In this changing corporate environment, organizations such as ETT-Knightsbridge are essential in helping firms in Asia use AI. By providing customized AI solutions and consultancy services, ETT-Knightsbridge helps companies integrate AI technologies, opening doors for expansion and promoting innovation in the area. As the AI revolution unfolds, investors and businesses alike must stay attuned to the latest developments and seize opportunities to capitalize on the transformative power of AI in the digital age. Company Ticker Focus Area Google GOOG AI Chips, Cloud Computing Meta META Personalized Advertising, AI Chips Nvidia NVDA AI Technology Microsoft MSFT Cloud Computing, AI Alliance Shayne Heffernan Chinas central bank on Friday said all financial transactions involving cryptocurrencies are illegal, sounding the death knell for the digital trade in China after a crackdown on the volatile currencies. The global values of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin have massively fluctuated over the past year partly due to Chinese regulations, which have sought to prevent speculation and money laundering. Virtual currency-related business activities are illegal financial activities, the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) said in an online statement Friday, adding that offenders would be investigated for criminal liability in accordance with the law. The notice bans all related financial activities involving cryptocurrencies, such as trading crypto, selling tokens, transactions involving virtual currency derivatives and illegal fundraising. Bitcoin fell as much as 5.5 percent following the announcement, hitting $42,232 around 1000 GMT before stabilising. Around 1030 GMT it was trading down 5.0 percent at $42,464. The central bank said that in recent years trading of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies had become widespread, disrupting economic and financial order, giving rise to money laundering, illegal fund-raising, fraud, pyramid schemes and other illegal and criminal activities. This was seriously endangering the safety of peoples assets, the PBOC said. While crypto creation and trading have been illegal in China since 2019, further crackdowns this year by Beijing warned banks to halt related transactions and closed much of the countrys vast network of bitcoin miners. Thursdays statement by the central bank sent the strongest yet signal that China is closed to crypto. Control Bitcoin, the worlds largest digital currency, and other cryptos cannot be traced by a countrys central bank, making them difficult to regulate. Analysts say China fears the proliferation of illicit investments and fundraising from cryptocurrency in the worlds second biggest economy, which also has strict rules around the outflow of capital. The crypto crackdown also opens the gates for China to introduce its own digital currency, already in the pipeline, allowing the central government to monitor transactions. In June, Chinese officials said more than 1,000 people had been arrested for using the profits from crime to buy cryptocurrencies. Several key Chinese provinces banned the operation of cryptocurrency mines since the start of this year, with one region accounting for eight percent of the computing power needed to run the global blockchain a set of online ledgers to record bitcoin transactions. Bitcoin values tumbled in May on the back of a warning by Beijing to investors against speculative trading in cryptocurrencies. The Congress of El Salvador has approved a law that will classify Bitcoin as legal tender in the Central American country, its president said, making it the worlds first nation to adopt a cryptocurrency. The #BitcoinLaw has just been approved by a qualified majority in the legislative assembly, President Nayib Bukele tweeted after the vote late Tuesday. History! the president added. He said a majority of 62 out of 84 lawmakers approved the bill, which he proposed last week. The law passed with the support of Bukeles allies despite minority opposition parties who had criticised the speed of the vote refusing to back it. Before the vote, Bukele said adopting the cryptocurrency would bring financial inclusion, investment, tourism, innovation and economic development to the country. The Salvadoran leader has hailed bitcoin as the fastest growing way to transfer billions of dollars in remittances and to prevent millions from being lost to intermediaries. Remittances from Salvadorans working overseas represent a major chunk of the economy equivalent to roughly 22 percent of Gross Domestic Product. In 2020, remittances to the country totaled $5.9 billion, according to official reports. This is a law that will put El Salvador on the worlds radar, we will be more attractive for foreign investment, Romeo Auerbach, deputy of the Grand Alliance for National Unity party, an ally of Bukele, said. The cryptocurrency market grew to more than $2.5 trillion in mid-May 2020, according to the Coinmarketcap page, driven by interest from increasingly serious investors from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. But the volatility of bitcoin currently priced at $33,814 and its murky legal status has raised questions about whether it could ever replace traditional currency in day-to-day transactions. Huobi, a Singapore-based exchange, said Thursday that Justin Sun, the creator and CEO of Tron and one of the affluent persons in crypto, is not only a member of the Global Advisory Board but also the exchanges CEO. Under the leadership of Justin Sun, it can be said that Huobi has embarked on the path to rebirth, provided by the blogpost. Justin joined the Global Advisory Board in October, soon after Hong Kong-based investment firm, About Capital Management, acquired a controlling share in Huobi. Although it had not been previously established that Sun was in command of the exchange. The timing has spurred industry speculation that Sun is a shadow investor in About Capital, although Sun spokespeople have assured CoinDesk that he is not an owner of the firm. However, Sun has admitted to owning tens of millions of Huobis HT tokens. Huobi has recently been under fire on multiple fronts, including how it managed its 1,600 layoffs in January. What is Rat Trading? According to Masscation, rat trading mostly refers to a public fund that is first operated by a few individuals, often investment directors, fund managers, and so on. These individuals utilize personal funds to purchase a stock at a low price, then use public funds to boost the stock price, and then sell it at a high price for a personal account to benefit. Several accounts that were frozen for their abnormal behavior are characterized by their lack of trade at normal times, according to the statement. However, these accounts have been trading Huobis new tokens and ecology tokens frequently, while transferring assets in and out quickly. As investigations have shown, these accounts have made abnormal levels of profits many times, and the profits were quickly withdrawn. These are clearly the traits of rat trading. Huobi said it has zero tolerance for rat trading. Under the new management, Huobi will continue to conduct in-depth audits, hold responsible people accountable and publicize information in due time, according to the statement. A resolute and consistent crackdown on rat trading demonstrates Huobis commitment to protecting the interest of its employees and users. Lorna Marsh, 76, of Lewiston, passed away Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at her home. She was born Lorna Hart to Lorena June Kipp and Frederick Jack Hart at her great-grandmothers home in Kooskia, April 24, 1947. Her midwife was Ruth Jackson. Her childhood was spent with her great-grandmother, Mabel Blackeagle and her great-great-grandmother, Lizzie Pablo. Lizzie went to school with Rev. Spalding and she taught Lorna her English, ABCs and the states of the union. Her favorite person in the world was her great-grandmother, Mabel, who raised her for the first years of her life. She was her teacher and protector. It was with these two women and her mother she learned a traditional way of life. Lorna got her Indian name from her great-great-grandmother, Lizzie Pablo, which was Ay ya toe ton my. She attended Kooskia Grade School for the first six years. Her mother was killed in a car accident when she was 10 and her father married her second mother, Ethel Jackson Seubert. They moved to Walla Walla where she went to school and later back to Grangeville. As a teenager she went to school in Oklahoma and attended Chilocco Indian School where she graduated in 1965. She attended Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston for a short time, then to Riverside University and graduated with an accounting degree from Portland State University in 1974. She was the first Native student to receive a scholarship from the Internal Revenue Service to attend PSU. She, in return, worked as an IRS agent after graduation. She also worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Portland while attending college. In 1975, Lorna married Doug Marsh at First Church in Kamiah. The Marshes moved home to Idaho from Portland in 1978 to the home Lornas father and mother built at her grandmothers home in Kooskia. In 1979, they bought Marshs Trading Post in Kamiah. In 1982, Lorna opened Lornas Antiques on Main Street in Lewiston. In 1985, the Marshes sold Marshs Trading Post in Kamiah and moved it to the present location in Lewiston where she remained employed until retirement. If the Idaho Legislature had stuck to Gov. Brad Littles agenda, voters might be singing their praises. Little asked for and secured a $2 billion package including $1.5 billion in new money over 10 years to begin addressing the states backlog of school construction and maintenance needs. What ended up on Littles desk was a bit of a Frankensteins monster. A $50 million tax cut geared to wealthy families and corporations was grafted here. An August election date that offered schools a last chance to obtain supplemental levy dollars before fall classes began was amputated there. And somewhere in the middle was lawmakers meddling with the appointment of a State Board of Education executive director. Still, for the first time, lawmakers have acknowledged their duty under Idahos Constitution, to provide every student with an adequate school building. Little also secured what may prove to be his legacy, the Idaho Launch program. After barely clinging to life by a one-vote margin last year, the package won a $71 million appropriation, offering almost 9,000 high school graduates $8,000 grants to continue their education. That reverses an almost four-decade slide in the legislative commitment toward the higher education of Idahos young people. And Little never had to make good on this implication from his State of the State address: I will continue to support a fair, responsible, transparent and accountable approach to expanding school choice in Idaho one that does not draw resources away from our public schools. That was far from certain, given the outcome of the 2022 elections that ousted centrists such as Sens. Carl Crabtree, R-Grangeville, and Jim Woodward, R-Sagle. Those elections buoyed the prospects of a school voucher package draining scarce dollars from public schools in ever increasing amounts over time to cover private school tuition for wealthier Idaho families located in largely urban centers. Last year, the House Education Committee blocked the idea. This year, a one-vote margin on the House Revenue and Taxation Committee did the same thing. There were other steps forward. Lawmakers restored at least in part a maternal mortality review process and embedded it within the Idaho Board of Medicine, ending the states pariah status. They also expanded Medicaid-provided postpartum care to 12 months. More than a third of births in Idaho are covered by Medicaid. And lawmakers finally provided Idaho women with the option to obtain six months of contraceptives under their health insurance coverage. Gardai in Clondalkin are appealing for witnesses to a number of serious incidents, including a carjacking, that occurred on the R136 Grange Castle Road this Saturday night. Shortly after 9 pm on Saturday, April 13, gardai received reports of a man attempting to hijack a car unsuccessfully. He subsequently approached a second car, removed the owner, and drove away from the scene. Following a managed containment operation involving local garda units attached to the Clondalkin District and Armed Support Unit (ASU), the car was intercepted on the Katherine Tynan Road in Tallaght a short time later. A male in his 30s was arrested and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda station in West Dublin. Investigations are ongoing. Gardai appeal to anyone who was in the Grange Castle Road area of Clondalkin at approximately 9 pm on Saturday, April 13, 2024, and who may have witnessed these incidents to come forward. Additionally, they are appealing for those with camera footage, including dash cam footage, from the location at the time to contact Clondalkin Garda Station on 01-6667600, the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station. Opinion / Columnist I quote from Byo24: Former ANC MP and Abantu Batho Congress Councilor in eThekwini, Makhosi Khoza, says South African natives have been shortchanged. Close quote. This is a statement that could cause loss of Zimbabwean lives in South Africa, volatile and insinuating. This utterance by a politician who knows best how to use the vehicle of language to attract a violent hunt down of Zimbabweans in densely populated townships and marketplaces across SA is very disturbing.Ms. Makhosi Khoza is blowing the whistle so that the violent Operation Dudula is back in the streets of SA chasing Zimbabweans like rats and mice. Ms. Makhosi Khoza is incensed that a higher position is held by a Zimbabwean, Barbara Mghutshini, a professional who serves as a Deputy Director General in the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) in KwaZulu Natal. Makhosi Khoza's reckless political statement, riding on xenophobic emotions, is making Ms. Barbara Mghutshini a target.While it would make sense to an average African to tell him/her that Africans are very kind people, their philosophy of Ubuntu embraces all that is African and all those living in Africa. It is difficult to imagine that Africans are enemies of themselves, their prejudices on Africans are shocking. Africa is perceived as socialist minded peoples who for centuries lived above narrow confines of race and tribal affiliations: never to see the othering on economics, race, creed, religion terms, but humanity first and foremost: Ubuntu. Ms. Khoza has insinuated a statement that rides over xenophobic emotions, can easily excite operation Dudula to hunt down Mghutshini, capture her, tie together her hands and feet, pour benzine over her body, set her alight to burn to death: or was it her intentions?Looking back at the history of time, before South Africa became independent, Zambia and Tanzania were frontline states that assisted South Africans financially, educationally, and militarily and otherwise. Proper tribute and appreciation of their sterling contributions have never been paid due enough to Nigeria by the African continent: the invaluable assistance it gave to South African refugees during dark days of apartheid white South Africa must give special recognition and be remembered. Back then, Nigeria had enough resources to share with refugees from South Africa who needed Nigeria's assistance most. Talk about South African students in Nigerian universities back then: They were allowed to live in students' hostels because they had nowhere to go, while all Nigerian students were forced out of the Hall of Residents during semester holidays.The mere mention of Nigerians, just like Zimbabweans are synonymous to criminals, thieves: according to black South Africans: citizens from these two countries are viewed as lesser humans. The post-apartheid traumatic experiences must have blocked important historical details about how committed most African countries were in freeing South Africa, including Somalian under President Siad Barre. I was a student in Zambia then, listened to the late President Siad Barre made a speech at the Organization of African Union in 1973, regarding apartheid regime of South Africa. Press fast forward: Which black South African recognizes a Somalian citizen eking a living in Johannesburg townships with respect and dignity due to a human being today?Xenophobia takes place in the streets of South Africa, black Africans chasing black Africans calling them rats and lice. Xenophobia in South Africa is violence and lethal, insinuated partly by the highest institutions. "Let's deal with lice and rats in our midst once and for all!" said the late King Zwelithini. The mob in Durban, Johannesburg areas and some other parts of South Africa took to the streets and murdered dozens black foreigners, inflicted fear on thousands of them, an unforgettable experience. African foreigners who left their countries of origin for several reasons known to them; why they would rather they lived rough in South Africa than their country of origin. Emanuel Sithole from Mozambique died the most painful death at the glare of the social media and onlookers: Benzine was thrown on him, was set alight and he burnt to death. His brutal and violent death must put all Africans to shame.The framing of foreigners as MA kwerekwere says it all. "You do not belong here." If it was possible, South Africans would have wanted to say South Africa does not belong to the African continent, "we are a first world country after all, what do black Africans north of us want here?" Only Black South Africans and the global white population belong to South Africa and can come and settle in South Africa and not lice and ticks from "the North of us", (Sub-Sahara) of African origin.") Do South Africans lack history lesson about how SA got its independence? What makes South Africans insensitive and unkind to the "othering" just to put it mildly?South African refugees, black and white alike were all over the planet.Black and white South Africans alike, found themselves as refugees all over the world. There was a South African at every country and continents of this Earth, one would also say with equal truth; every country of this earth was a South African refugee who could not return to South Africa because of Apartheid policies back then. All South Africans refugees, black and white were given special treatment wherever they lived. However, the independence South Africa, the second last colony to gain independence in the African continent have their values and principles regarding humanness and Ubuntu found wanting. Both, black and white South Africans' hatred for Africans north of them is skin deep, hated and intolerant towards them.It has escaped the memories of most South Africans that they received global assistance to get independence. When Nelson Mandela died, President Kaunda was merely invited to the funeral without much diplomatic details. He had to beg to speak he insisted to give a speech at Nelson Mandela funeral committee: This a president, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda who played a pivotal role in the struggle for southern African countries under colonial yoke. Kaunda was no longer relevant in the larger scheme of things. He wanted to pay tribute to his friend Nelson; Kaunda was not in the agenda of speakers in that global funeral whose speech would have been wholly befitting.The pattern of South Africa's development is not different from the rest of Africa.Independent South Africa belongs to Africa; the patterns of developments replicate shortfalls and serious mismanagement policies like the rest of us, independent countries north of them. There is corruption at every arm of the government starting with the former President Zuma who amassed public funds of a staggering 20 million rands to refurbish his multi-women Nkandla private residence. Recently, a SA former Minister of Defense; Masipa Nqakula is accused of gross corruption scandals rocking the government. Again, criminality is worst in South Africa, Johannesburg is one of the most dangerous places and the most unequal places in the world; a rich South African is very rich and a poor South African is very poor: talk about the comparison between Congo and California, said Naomi Klein.The former President Zuma was quick to say the root problems of Syrian war and its refugee crisis emanate from Europe. But the Arab Spring started in the African soil; lest we forget; the former President Jacob Zuma was signatory to a resolution 1973 that permitted Western countries to bomb Libya and the subsequent death of Colonel Marmor Gadhafi; a sustained criticism of Zuma's foreign policy. The absence of the rule of law in Libya since the death of Gadhafi has led to thousands of migrants drowning in the Mediterranean Sea, most of them from the African continent, fleeing chronic political, and economic conflicts of decades that have led to poverty, destitution, and famine.What has the African Union said and done about the magnitude of migration of Africans perishing in the Sahara Desert and in the Mediterranean Sea? European countries are talking being invaded by Africans in Lampedusa. An insurrection, an invasion! they said. Desperate young Africans are fleeing their place of birth, seeking some opportunities not available in their countries. Painfully still, they are treated much worse off in South Africa than in Lampedusa: They were not hunted down and burnt to death because they entered the EU. "It is unprecedented for a fellow African state to be signatory of resolution 1973 to pass, so that western nations could bomb Libya. To this day, Libya has not recovered since the death of Gadhafi. This is how South Africans shamefully treats its brothers and sisters north of it.Pornography of violenceIn one highly publicized incident in April 2022, a 43-year-old Zimbabwean national and father of four was killed in Diepsloot by groups going door-to-door demanding to see visa permits from foreign nationals. The attackers drove the victim out of a place where he hid the violent crowd, beat him and set him on fire. The violence has continued unabated; it is alleged that the burning of the Yeoville Market in Johannesburg on 20 June 2022 was carried out by persons targeting migrant shopkeepers". In these brutal murders, resident South Africans assemble in numbers to watch people being tied their hands, poured benzine on then and set them alight to burn. This is what we mean when we say brutal violence in South Africa is unimagined by common; it is watching a pornographic movie that has become addictive. Acts of killings by burning while taking videos for the purpose of media and on-line distribution; to spread raw violence: violence has been internalized and normalized in most highly dense societies across South Africa. Jean-Pierre Misago, a researcher at the African Center for Migration and Society in Johannesburg, estimates that at least 350 foreigners have been killed in brutal and barbaric xenophobic violence since 2008.Ms. Makhosi Khoza should know that without the contribution of African states, we would not be speaking about Uhuru in South Africa today. Politics is a dirty trade. However, for Makhosi Khoza to use a vehicle of words with a narrow anti-African instinct with xenophobic intents at the precise moment of elections to attract the critical mass, is an ecstatic mistake; this is how cheap politics can go; a classic stupidity in stealth's. Spain has overtaken Britain as the country in Europe where the major hotel chains want to invest, a state of affairs which is clearly evident in Mallorca. A recent survey said that Spain had toppled Britain from the hot spot and Mallorca is enjoying major investment from the big hotel chains. Top of the list is the Four Seasons Mallorca Resort in Formentor (formely the Hotel Formentor) which has been extensively refurbished and is due to open this summer by the Canadian group, in which Microsoft founder Bill Gates is one of the major shareholders. The Virgin Group of Sir Richard Branson opened a hotel in Banyalbufar last summer and has since announced plans to add a new hotel on the same property. The also British owned Mandarian Oriental Hotel Group is transforming the Hotel Punta Negra in Bendinat into a luxury resort and and is due to open next year. Travelodge, the British discount hotel chain has announced plans to open a city centre hotel in Palma. Two years ago the London based IHG Grouped opened the Hotel Kimpton in Santa Ponsa. A number of City of London based investment funds are also being used to buy Mallorca based hotels. A sizeable number of the top hotels in Mallorca are now in foreign hands. Mallorca is considered to be a safe investment area by international hotel chains, a trend which looks set to continue. Despite what New Yorkers say, Boston may have a decent slice of pizza. Using data from Yelp, the newswire service Stacker compiled a list of the 23 highest-ranked pizza restaurants in Boston. The top-ranked joints were selected using Yelps ranking system, with the data collected as recently as late March. Only restaurants with at least 25 reviews were considered, according to Stacker. It may seem like a lot of meticulous details, but given that Americans could eat up to 180 slices of pizza in a year, it only makes sense that all of these details are considered when choosing a go-to local spot, the wire service wrote. In Boston, fans of Regina Pizzeria in the North End will be sad to learn the shop is not ranked first. Instead, Union Park Pizza on Newbury Street scored the top spot on Yelps list. Founded by a young married couple with a passion for pizza and local and organic food, Union Park Pizza opened in 2018 following some serious elbow grease and help from the founders family and friends, according to the restaurants website. We make our dough and our sauce in house daily. Our dough is made with an imported Italian organic flour and our sauce is slow steeped and stirred in-house, the website says. It combines the flavors of local herbs and vegetables with the best organic tomatoes and wine imported from Italy. The following are the top 10 rated pizza joints in Boston, according to Yelp data: Dr. Ellana Stinson took a job at Carney Hospital in Dorchester full of passion and pride in what she did: treating a diverse patient population at their most vulnerable medical moments. But over seven years as an emergency medicine physician at the facility run by financially troubled Steward Health Care, her sense of fulfillment gave way to one of disillusionment. Now an emergency medicine physician at Boston Medical Center, Stinson said her time working at Carney Hospital and two other facilities in the Steward Health Care system came to be marked by dwindling resources, cuts to specialty services, and patients left in the lurch. When I could no longer provide for my patients the way I would want my loved ones, I had to make a decision to stay or go, she told a U.S. Senate subcommittee on April 3. The Steward system has come under harsh scrutiny in recent months, including in Massachusetts, where it operates nine hospitals in mostly lower-income communities. According to public officials and numerous media reports, the for-profit healthcare giant is financially strapped and facing massive debts, endangering the more than 30 hospitals it owns across eight states. Carney Hospital, a Steward Health Care facility in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood.Will Katcher/MassLive Accounts emerge of understaffed Steward emergency rooms and company vendors cutting off deliveries over missed payments. In interviews, some patients said they feared the closure of longtime community medical centers and the loss of affordable and readily accessible healthcare. Thats a realistic fear, Dr. John Freedman, the president of the health policy consulting firm Freedman HealthCare, told MassLive. I hope it proves to be unfounded. Public officials, from U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to Gov. Maura Healey on down, have accused Stewards leadership of financial malpractice, bolstered by reports that executives lived lavishly as the healthcare system crumbled. In February, Democrat Healey demanded Steward provide financial records showing where the company has focused its resources. The governors office said the filings, which other healthcare systems have been required to submit, would signal whether the company chose to put profits over patient care. In response, Steward released some, but not all, of the documents Healey sought. Gov. Maura Healey takes reporters questions about the state budget on Feb. 7 at the Statehouse. (SAM DORAN / STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE)State House News Service The state is in a very difficult position, Freedman assessed. It can bail out the hospitals at taxpayer expense. It can force or allow a merger that would further consolidate our already consolidated healthcare system. Or it can allow the facilities to close, with all the pain that brings. None of these are good choices, he continued. Its very difficult to work with an organization that seems to not work in the best interest of its patients. Steward Health Care did not respond to MassLives requests for comment. Some patients at Steward hospitals and doctors offices are peripherally aware of their medical providers shaky financial position, while others anxiously await developments on the companys future. Several patients leaving Steward-owned Carney Hospital in Dorchester on a recent afternoon spoke glowingly of their doctors and nurses and the care they received. But many also said they worried about finding alternatives if the medical center closed after decades in Bostons largest and most diverse neighborhood. Guild Medical Center, an outpatient facility in Norwood operated by Steward Health Care.Will Katcher/MassLive Toshiba Loren, of Dorchester, told MassLive shed been coming to Carney for 50 years. She praised the hospital staff, some of whom she knew by name, and said she was often seen with minimal wait. Loren called the hospital a neighborhood institution. Asked where she would seek medical care if Carney closed, Loren responded bluntly: Hell if I know. Steward bought Quincy Medical Center in 2011 and closed nearly all its operations in 2014, keeping only the emergency department open under pressure from the state attorney generals office, according to reports in the Patriot Ledger. When the company closed the facility for good in late 2020, it left Quincy population 100,000 as the states largest city without an emergency room. St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, a Steward Health Care facility in Boston' Brighton neighborhood.Will Katcher/MassLive While working at the Quincy hospital, Stinson recalled shortages of blood bags and other essential emergency products, and some periods when vital specialty services, such as respiratory therapy, were unavailable. The emergency rooms closure was devastating for that community, Stinson said. They didnt have that easy access to care. In Massachusetts, Steward also owns hospitals in Brighton, Fall River, Brockton, Methuen, Haverhill, Taunton, Norwood and Ayer. The system collectively employs thousands of people. About 70% of patients are covered by Medicaid or Medicare, the company told WBUR. On another recent weekday, patients filtered in and out of Guild Medical Center in Norwood, a Steward outpatient facility across the street from the half-built shell of Norwood Hospital, which Steward also owns. Catastrophic flooding forced the closure of the 215-bed community hospital in 2020. When Steward announced plans to rebuild the facility, the company promised it would be the areas first newly constructed hospital in a generation. Today, Norwood Hospital is a skeletal building frame on a quiet, fenced-off construction site. Norwood Hospital, a Steward Health Care facility in Norwood, is being rebuilt after catastrophic flooding damaged the building in 2020. Construction is now paused after contractors said Steward did not pay them. Pictured April 10, 2024.Will Katcher/MassLive Contractors have stopped work on the project, complaining they havent been paid, Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, whose 8th Congressional District includes Norwood, told the Boston Globe in February after touring the worksite. Norwood Hospital was my main hospital, Jim Doherty, of Mansfield, said as he left an appointment at Guild Medical Center on Wednesday. Now I have to go to Boston or Brockton. Boston, now were talking 30 miles. Like those at Carney, many patients who spoke with MassLive outside Guild Medical Center also praised their doctors. Among them was Alejandra Vega, of Norwood, who said she had no clue where she would go for medical care if the Norwood facility shuttered. I just turned 67. Its a struggle for me to travel, she said. Guild Medical Center, an outpatient facility in Norwood operated by Steward Health Care.Will Katcher/MassLive Tales from Steward facilities across the country paint a grim picture of the companys ability to safely provide for patients. A Wall Street Journal investigation published last month described an infestation of some 3,000 bats at a Steward hospital in Florida. Steward is now battling the pest-control company that dealt with the bats over $1.6 million in allegedly unpaid bills. Other vendors stopped delivering surgical supplies to Steward facilities, delaying procedures, after claiming the company was delinquent on its payments, the Journal reported. Part of the companys debt load can be traced back to a 2016 deal in which Medical Properties Trust, reportedly the nations largest hospital real estate owner, bought Stewards hospital properties and leased them back to the healthcare company. MPT says Steward is now $50 million behind on rent payments. In a March letter to Stewards CEO, Dr. Ralph de la Torre, Warren and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said the company appears to be hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. As she and her husband left Carney Hospital on a recent weekday, a woman who identified herself as Valerie told MassLive she was familiar with Stewards financial struggles, and worried about what might happen if Carney suddenly closed. I live in Dorchester. Its very convenient, Valerie told MassLive. We need it to stay open. We dont want it to close. Guild Medical Center, an outpatient facility in Norwood operated by Steward Health Care.Will Katcher/MassLive Like other hospital patrons who spoke to MassLive, Valerie and her husband Alvin were satisfied with the quality of service theyd received from the hospital. Theyre very efficient, Valerie said. Alvin was also highly critical of the hospital systems leadership, particularly de la Torre, who has been sharply criticized for maintaining a luxurious lifestyle in contrast to the struggles of the community hospitals he manages. According to the Boston Globe, de la Torre owns two boats a 190-foot superyacht to go along with the most sophisticated sportfish boat ever built and travels on two company-owned private jets. It doesnt look good, Alvin said. In a letter to de la Torre in February, Healey said the hospital system must ensure that it is appropriately supplied and staffed. If it could not, she promised the state would take all actions necessary in consultation with hospital leadership to protect patients, including freezing admissions, closing beds, canceling procedures, and transferring patients to other hospitals. Healey also called on Steward to release financial reports she said every other healthcare system in the state had disclosed, key to providing a window into the companys financial outlook. Steward is challenging a court order to release the information. You have kept your hospitals financial condition in a black box, and you have kept us in the dark as well, defying state law and a court order in the process, Healey told de la Torre. She said the time [had] come for Steward to transfer its hospitals to new owners. Its going to be a challenge for whoever takes over these hospitals to make them viable, Freedman said. He pointed to the half-finished Norwood Hospital as one unfortunate example. Whos going to pony up the many millions of dollars to finish the construction? Freedman asked. Steward reached a deal last month to sell its nationwide physician network to a subsidiary of UnitedHealth, the nations largest healthcare conglomerate. Norwood Hospital, a Steward Health Care facility in Norwood, is being rebuilt after catastrophic flooding damaged the building in 2020. Construction is now paused after contractors said Steward did not pay them. Pictured April 10, 2024.Will Katcher/MassLive In a joint letter last week to the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice, Massachusetts 11-member congressional delegation said they worried the deal would further cement UnitedHealths stranglehold on the healthcare market, driving patient costs higher. As she left Carney Hospital after an appointment earlier this week, Genie Morehouse, of Dorchester, worried about finding new doctors and securing timely appointments at other facilities if her neighborhood hospital closed. She had knee surgery at Carney last year. It went well, though some hospital facilities and equipment seemed outdated and needed repair. Its not a bad place, really, Morehouse said. But it sucks that its happening. The company that produces baked goods for brands including Arnold bread, Entenmanns and others has closed 28 outlet stores in the Northeast. Bimbo Bakeries USA said in a press release that its products still will be found on grocery store shelves. The companys brands also include Boboli, Lenders Bagels, Sara Lee and Thomas. The closed stores included outlets in New York, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire. The New Hampshire locations Concord, Hooksett, Keene and Lebanon were called Freihofers Bakery Outlets. A woman died Sunday morning in Holyoke from apparent stab wounds, according to the Hampden County District Attorneys Office. The woman was not identified by authorities in a statement Sunday afternoon, but police arrested Jason Chapdelaine, 52, of Springfield, on a murder charge, according to James Leydon, a spokesperson for the district attorney. Police responded to a 911 call at about 1:30 a.m. to the 200 block of South Water Street due to a report of suspicious activity, Leydon said. The woman was found with apparent stab wounds and Chapdelaine unresponsive due to self-inflicted harm, Leydon said. Officers rendered aid to both, Leydon said, but the woman died from the injuries. Chapdelaine was taken into custody and charged with murder, Leydon said. He is expected to be arranged in Holyoke District Court on Tuesday. The Holyoke Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and Hampden County District Attorney continue investigating the incident. The owner of a Quincy temp agency has been found guilty of charges related to a payroll tax avoidance scheme through which she evaded paying $800,000 in taxes over the course of four years, according to the Massachusetts U.S. Attorneys Office. On Wednesday, 56-year-old Randolph resident Lilian Giang was convicted of four counts of failing to collect and pay over taxes and one count of mail fraud after a three-day jury trial in federal court, the U.S. Attorneys office said in a press release. Between 2015 and 2019, Giang owned and operated Able Temp Agency, which provided temporary workers for clients throughout Massachusetts, the U.S. Attorneys office said. The clients deposited the workers pay in a bank account controlled by Giang, and she paid the workers through checks and cash, allowing her to hide over $3.2 million in payroll. Through this scheme, Giang avoided paying more than $800,000 in payroll taxes, the U.S. Attorneys office said. She also used false payroll numbers to obtain workers compensation insurance at lower rates. Giang operated her business under the guise of helping the vulnerable Vietnamese immigrant community, but was actually exploiting the community by paying her temp workers less than minimum wage and evading taxes, FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Harry Chavis Jr. said in the release. Every honest taxpayer is a victim of this type of crime. This defendant made hundreds of thousands of dollars after she decided that the rules we all live by dont apply to her. Now shes a convicted felon, Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said in the release. This should send a clear message that if you engage in tax fraud, the consequences are very serious. Giang was indicted on charges related to the scheme in March 2023, the U.S. Attorneys office said. Her sentencing has been set for July 2024. A charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss whichever is greater, restitution and forfeiture, the U.S. Attorneys office said. A charge of failure to collect or pay over taxes provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $10,000 and restitution. A Cape Cod man is facing multiple charges after police found two people dead, explosive materials and dozens of grams of fentanyl in a Chatham home earlier this week, authorities said. Andreas Miller, 43, of Chatham, was arrested after police responded to a home Wednesday to find a man dead from an apparent suicide, a woman dead from an overdose, materials consistent with homemade explosives and around 75 grams of fentanyl, according to a statement from the office of Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert J. Galibois. Police were called to a Chatham address around 10:30 a.m. Monday, where officers found a 55-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman dead, the statement said. A preliminary investigation suggested the man died from shooting himself and the woman died from an overdose, according to the district attorneys office. Investigators with the Massachusetts State Police and Chatham Police Department learned that Miller lived in the home where the man and woman were found dead, the district attorneys office said. After obtaining a search warrant for the home, investigators found materials used as precursor powders and materials consistent with making homemade explosives, approximately 75 grams of pressed fentanyl pills, white powder of suspected fentanyl and approximately $50,000 cash, according to the district attorneys office. Miller was arraigned Tuesday in Orleans District Court on weapons and drug trafficking charges. He pleaded not guilty. MassLive reached out to Millers defense attorney Saturday afternoon for a comment but did not immediately receive a response. On Wednesday, a district court judge approved prosecutors request to hold Miller without bail for up to 120 days, ruling he posed a potential danger to the community, court records show. No further details about the case were released to the public by the district attorneys office. BOSTON Triston Casas belted a 429-foot home run to right field in the Red Sox 7-2 win over the Angels on Saturday, then had something to say about the lone red seat. The red seat in the right field bleachers marks the longest homer ever hit at Fenway Park. Ted Williams famous 1946 home run is said to have traveled 502 feet (33 rows up). Thats my best ball for sure, Casas said about his home run Saturday. I had one hit harder, exit velo-wise, last year. But that Ted Williams seat is starting to feel more and more like a myth. Casas comment quickly became the talk of Red Sox Twitter last night. Some fans werent pleased that he called it a possible myth. Fanatics Sportsbook 10X$100 BONUS BET BET MATCH BONUS CLAIM OFFER Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, KY ,MD, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV); (888) 789-7777 or ccpg.org (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelpline.org (MA), mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1800gambler.net (WV) Manager Alex Cora was asked before Sundays game his thoughts. Does he believe Williams actually hit one that far? It was probably a very windy day when he hit it, Cora said, smiling. I dont know the conditions that day. But its a long ways. Thats a long ways. Triston was telling me that they were crushing Triston on social media, Cora added. He was giving the guy a compliment to be honest with you. But its a long ways. Red Sox legend David Ortiz also had his strong doubts, telling The Boston Globe in 2015, The red seat? Cough bull cough. See. Nobody got on David, Cora said, laughing. That said, some fans apparently also criticized Ortiz for his opinion. Former Red Sox left-handed slugger Mo Vaughn wondered if Williams hit one that far as well. BOSTON Triston Casas got all of a Griffin Canning changeup in the first inning Saturday, hitting it about as well as he could have. But the two-run homer, much to Casas chagrin, fell well short of the red seat in the right-field bleachers that signifies Ted Williams famous 1946 home run that is the longest in Fenway Park history. Williams blast nearly eight decades ago is said to have traveled 502 feet. Casas two-run shot Saturday, which helped the Red Sox take a big early lead in an eventual 7-2 win over the Angels, was measured by Statcast at 429 feet. Casas doesnt think he could possibly hit a ball better than when he crushed the pitch with an exit velocity of 111.9 mph. In that vein, hes starting to doubt that Williams actually hit one 33 rows into the stands. Fanatics Sportsbook 10X$100 BONUS BET BET MATCH BONUS CLAIM OFFER Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, KY ,MD, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV); (888) 789-7777 or ccpg.org (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelpline.org (MA), mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1800gambler.net (WV) Thats my best ball for sure, Casas said. I had one hit harder, exit velo-wise, last year. But that Ted Williams seat is starting to feel more and more like a myth. Casas isnt alone in his take that its impossible to hit a ball three-quarters of the way up the bleachers. Another left-handed Red Sox slugger, David Ortiz, made his feelings on the impossibility of the feat abundantly clear during his 14 years with the club. On Saturday, Casas thought he had a chance to come close to the iconic seat only to realize how short he had fallen. Its looking more and more out of reach as I hit balls better toward that direction, Casas said. I think that was literally lined up in that row. I took a peek right before it landed. It felt good initially, but I was kind of demoralized when I saw where it landed compared to where I thought it was going to. After a shutout loss during which the Red Sox only had three hits Friday night, the offense started out hot against Canning, who Boston also beat last Friday in Anaheim. Wilyer Abreu doubled and Masataka Yoshida singled to plate the games first run before Casas made it 3-0. Ceddanne Rafaelas RBI single gave fill-in starter Cooper Criswell a 4-0 lead and the Red Sox tacked on two more runs in the second. The last couple days, weve been falling behind pretty early, so it was really big to get those first-inning runs, Casas said. In his first full season as a major leaguer in 2023, Casas needed 22 games to hit three homers; this year, he has accomplished the feat in just 15. He has now homered twice in the past four games and is second to only Tyler ONeill (6) on the team. I live for that feeling, he said. I literally wake up in the morning, come to the field, work out, stretch, ice bath, do everything for the feeling of hitting a home run. It feels awesome. I wish it counted for more. They should put like, If it goes over 420 (feet), it counts for two. You need to hit it that well to hit it out to right field here because the bullpen is so far away. It does feel really great. With Trevor Story out for the season and Rafael Devers out of the lineup for the third straight day due to shoulder soreness, Casas is the featured member of Bostons offense. On Saturday, he didnt disappoint. It was a good swing, said manager Alex Cora. The other day, he put a good swing against him too. He got a changeup in the zone, was on time and did a good job. He prepares, he knows what he wants to do in the batters box. That was a big swing for us. SPRINGFIELD While the Armenian diaspora has dispersed across the world, a little brick church in Indian Orchard remains a constant beacon for many. On Sunday, St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church will celebrate its 90th anniversary as the center of Armenian faith and community in Western Massachusetts. Amherst Regional Middle Schools interim principal Talib Sadiq is stepping down from the position starting April 22, according to an email obtained by MassLive from interim superintendent Douglas Slaughter. Sadiq will continue to serve as a full-time high school principal, according to the email. MC Pan Asia Alliance (IMCPAA) unveiled a historic rebrand as (TPC) Tsao Pao Chee Group Pte Ltd at the AT ONE International Festival in Suzhou, China . This significant milestone, under the helm of fourth-generation steward and Chavalit Frederick Tsao, Chairman, TPC (Tsao Pao Chee) Group propels the company into an exciting new era laser-focused on impactful investments and fostering a well-being economy. The TPC brand honours the companys original tradename, Tsao Pao Chee, which dates back about 120 years during the Qing Dynasty. It signals its evolved commitment to creating value through stewardship, collaboration, and entrepreneurship in service of lifes flourishing. This rebrand echoes Chavalits clarion vision: transforming family businesses into catalysts for positive change across societies. This is more than just turning the page. We need to go back to finding our own roots, our own culture, our own morality, and ethical traditions. Therefore, I decided to return to our roots and bring back the original trade name of the family business used by my great grandfather because that has always been our true brand, Chavalit said. The rebranding is more than just a new name and logo. It symbolises the dedication to aligning business success with the betterment of lives and communities. Under the TPC banner, the company is poised to leverage its history of innovation and strategic partnerships to drive sustainable growth. Strategic business verticals like IMC Industrial and OCTAVE will reorient toward adding value to co-create the well-being economy. TPCs investment arms have already redirected USD 320 million to invest in the impact and well-being sectors. TPC is also transforming its approach to corporate philanthropy by incorporating it into its business culture. Three non-profit units have been established to achieve this: OCTAVE Institute, No.17 Foundation, and Restore Nature Foundation, which focuses on restoring human relationships, collaboration, and nature, respectively. Mr Tsao Wa-Chang founded TPC in the late 1800s. Over four generations, for nearly 120 years, the company evolved from a traditional shipping company into a multinational business. Today, TPC is transforming into a purpose-driven profit business with a mission to serve human well-being and create wealth at the same time. Under Chavalits stewardship, OCTAVE, which fused wisdom from Eastern practices with modern science, is created to foster individual and collective growth. Chavalits founding of OCTAVE and involvement in various philanthropic endeavours speak to his commitment to stewarding the business as a purpose-led profit institution. The brands new logo melds English and Chinese characters into one holistic emblem, and the colour Awakening Red represents new materialism. TPCs corporate colour, emerald green, reflects TPCs deep reverence for nature as the source of life, while its crisp, flowing geometry symbolises constant evolution and the open exchange of ideas. TPC calls on entrepreneurs, investors, economists and socially conscious leaders across the globe to join them in co-creating an economy where purpose and profit flourish in tandem. Through innovation, courage, and the radical embrace of interconnectedness, TPC is committed to driving progress where it matters most the flourishing of all life. The Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail Walking Festival, a one-day event, will take place on Saturday, April 27, and the proceeds from the event will go to Croi, the heart and stroke charity. The walk will be guided, with a registration fee of just 25. This will cover bus transport from Murrisk to the starting point at Aghagower Community Centre, where refreshments will be provided, lunch in Brackloon, and further evening refreshments upon returning to Murrisk. The route stretches 20km from its beginnings at Aghagower to Murrisk. The trail has some of the finest landscape Ireland has to offer, especially as you approach Croagh Patrick and look down over the many islands of Clew Bay. The beautiful Atlantic Oaks of the magical Brackloon Wood are also something to behold. Walkers can also enjoy the historic Deerpark, which was built by the Normans to house the Fallow Deer that they brought to Ireland, and the 6000-year-old rock art engravings of the Boheh Stone. The entire Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail is a 60km stretch, which usually takes three days to walk, and it runs from Balla to the foot of Croagh Patrick. This year, however, the festival is only taking on the final stretch of the walk, although that may change next year to include the entire 60km. People are advised to book on the Croi website at www.croi.ie/croaghpatrick/ although it will be possible to pay with cash in person on the day of the festival. For more information on the trail visit www.cpht.ie/trail/ or email The Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail at info@cpht.ie. Gardai in Dublin have seized almost 500,000 in cash and arrested one woman, dealing a "significant blow to an organised criminal group As part of ongoing intelligence-led investigations targeting serious and organised crime in the Dublin Region, officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) arrested a woman in her 40s in the Dublin 2 area for an alleged offence, contrary to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006, this Friday, April 12. During the operation, approximately half a million euros in cash, along with a vacuum packing machine and documentation, were recovered. The woman is currently detained at a Garda Station in the Dublin Region, pursuant to the provisions of Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007, allowing for a maximum detention period of seven days. Following the operation, Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, head of Serious & Organised Crime, stated: 'This seizure of approximately half a million euros in cash is a significant blow to an organised criminal group." "I commend the hard work and dedication of all the Gardai involved in this operation. Such work demonstrates An Garda Siochana's commitment to disrupting criminal networks and preventing money laundering. "The seizure of substantial quantities of cash is a priority for the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Unit (GNDOCB), as cash often underpins and enables the activities of criminal organisations," Commissioner Kelly continued. Investigations are ongoing. Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has suggested a general election would take place in June if the decision were up to him. If it was my decision, the election would be in mid-June when it is warm and it is bright till half ten at night. But that is not going to happen, he said, speaking to reporters at the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre this Saturday afternoon. People will need to have a warm pair of gloves as he believes it will be the last Thursday or Friday in February, Mr Ahern said. However he reaffirmed that he believes "this government will now run the full-term". The former Taoiseach said he has been canvassing with party candidates ahead of the local and European elections. Every election is a challenge, he said, adding that there is six weeks of hard work ahead, but that the reception on the doorsteps has been good. He also wished newly elected Taoiseach Simon Harris well. "He has a lot of experiences. He was in health, which is a hard ministry for four years. He was higher level education," Mr Ahern said. "Hes been in in finance. So he was chairman of Wicklow County Council, so hes a lot of experience. He might be 37, but he still has put in a lot of years. So I wish him well." by Ray Schultz , April 14, 2024 Google has started blocking links to news sites for some California users in response to a state bill that would require media giants to pay publishers for linking to their content. The action in response to the California Journalism Protection Act (CJPA) now being considered has drawn quick condemnation from Danielle Coffey, CEO of the New/Media Alliance. Googles move to withhold access to critical content is antithetical to their advocacy around open access and their mission to help people find the information they are looking for, Coffey says. This is incredibly disappointing and undemocratic. However, Google is defending its stance. To prepare for possible CJPA implications, we are beginning a short-term test for a small percentage of California users, writes Jaffer Zaidi, vice president, global news partnerships for Google, in a post. The testing process involves removing links to California news websites, potentially covered by CJPA, to measure the impact of the legislation on our product experience. advertisement advertisement Zaidi adds, Until theres clarity on Californias regulatory environment, were also pausing further investments in the California news ecosystem, including new partnerships through Google News Showcase, our product and licensing program for news organizations, and planned expansions of the Google News Initiative. " The bills author, Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), argues that the legislation is designed to support our free press and the democracy sustained by it, to make sure publications get paid what they are owed, and to hold our nations largest and wealthiest tech companies accountable for repurposing content thats not theirs. And, Coffey argues that Googles action demonstrates the real problem, one company has too much power, which the California Journalism Preservation Act, solves in part so that journalists can get paid. It is not clear if Google is bluffing. Last year, the company agreed to pay Canadian publishers $100 million per year for use of its news content on the Google search platform. In contrast, Meta simply start blocking news content in Canada when Canada passed its own journalism bill. Meta also threatens to remove news links in Illinois if a similar bill is passed there. If faced with legislation that requires us to pay for news content that publishers voluntarily post on our platforms and is not the reason most people come to Facebook and Instagram, we will be forced to make the same business decision that we made in Canada to end the availability of news in Illinois, Meta spokesperson Jamie Radice said, according to mystateline.com. Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Gerapetritis, will meet tomorrow, Monday, April 15, at 12:00 pm with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. Following the expanded talks between the delegations, the two ministers will deliver statements to the press at 1:20 pm. A working lunch will follow. Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Gerapetritis, will meet tomorrow, Monday, April 15, at 10 a.m., with the Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, Vera Jourova. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukraine's military chief on Saturday warned that the battlefield situation in the industrial east has significantly worsened in recent days, as warming weather allowed Russian forces to launch a fresh push along several stretches of the more 1,000 km-long (620-mile) front line. In an update on the Telegram messaging app, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyy said that Moscow had significantly ramped up its assaults since President Vladimir Putin extended his nearly quarter-century rule in a preordained election last month that saw anti-war candidates barred from the ballot and independent voices silenced in a Kremlin-backed media blockade. According to Syrskyy, Russian forces have been actively attacking Ukrainian positions in three areas of the eastern Donetsk region, near the cities of Lyman, Bakhmut and Pokrovsk, and beginning to launch tank assaults as drier, warmer spring weather has made it easier for heavy vehicles to move across previously muddy terrain. Despite significant losses, the enemy is intensifying its efforts by using new units (equipped with) armored vehicles, thanks to which it periodically achieves tactical success, Syrskyy said. A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman on Saturday confirmed the capture of a village that had been the site of fierce fighting for close to eighteen months. Analysts from Ukraines non-governmental Deep State group, which tracks frontline developments, had reported on Russias takeover of Pervomaiske, some 45 kilometers (28 miles) southeast of Pokrovsk, in the early hours of Thursday. On Saturday, the group said in a Telegram update that Moscows forces had also taken Bohdanivka, another eastern village close to the city of Bakhmut, where the wars bloodiest battle raged for nine months until it fell to Russia last May. Ukraines Defense Ministry shortly afterwards denied that Bohdanivka had been captured, and said intense fighting continued there. With the war in Ukraine entering its third year and a vital U.S. aid package for Kyiv stuck in Congress, Russian troops are ramping up pressure on exhausted Ukrainian forces on the front line to prepare to grab more land this spring and summer. Russia has relied on its edge in firepower and personnel to step up attacks across eastern Ukraine. It has increasingly used satellite-guided gliding bombs which allow planes to drop them from a safe distance to pummel Ukrainian forces beset by a shortage of troops and ammunition. Also on Saturday, Germany announced that it will deliver an additional Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, days after Russian missiles and drones on Thursday struck infrastructure and power facilities across several regions, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without power, in what private energy operator DTEK described as one of the most powerful attacks this year. The German Defense Ministry said it would begin the handover of the Patriot system immediately, without providing a precise timeline. In an update on X, formerly known as Twitter, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he had discussed the massive Russian air attacks on civilian energy infrastructure with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday, and declared that Berlin will stand unbreakably by Ukraines side. Putin described the strikes as retribution for Ukrainian attacks on Russias energy infrastructure, after a slew of Ukrainian drone strikes over the past few months hit oil refineries deep inside Russia. Starting last month, Moscow renewed its assault on Ukrainian energy facilities. On Thursday it completely knocked out a plant that was the biggest energy supplier for the region around Kyiv, as well as the nearby Cherkasy and Zhytomyr provinces. At least 10 of the strikes damaged energy infrastructure in Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said more than 200,000 people in the region were without power and Russia is trying to destroy Kharkivs infrastructure and leave the city in darkness. Energy facilities were also hit in the Zaporizhzhia and Lviv regions. The volume and accuracy of recent attacks have alarmed the countrys defenders, who say Kremlin forces now have better intelligence and fresh tactics in their campaign to annihilate Ukraines electrical grid and bring its economy to a halt. In the winter of 2022-2023, Russia took aim at Ukraines power grid in an effort to deny civilians light and heating and chip away at the countrys appetite for war. In Ukraine's Russian-occupied south, a local Kremlin-installed official blamed Kyiv for a shelling attack that killed 10 people, including children, in a town in the southern Zaporizhzhia region the previous day. The Tokmak municipal administration reported on Telegram that the shelling struck three apartment blocks Friday evening. Five people were pulled alive from the rubble and 13 people were hospitalized, according to the Kremlin-installed regional head Yevhen Balitsky. It was not immediately possible to verify his claims. Ukrainian officials did not immediately acknowledge or comment on the attack. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, a Russian drone on Saturday dropped explosives on an ambulance that had been called out to a village near the frontline city of Kupiansk, wounding its 58-year-old driver, local Gov. Oleh Syniehubov reported. His claim could not be independently verified. TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Israel on Sunday hailed its successful air defenses in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran, saying it and its allies thwarted 99% of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched toward its territory. But regional tensions remain high, amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. U.S. President Joe Biden said he would convene a meeting of the Group of Seven advanced democracies on Sunday to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. The language indicated that the Biden administration does not want to spiral into a broader military conflict. A top U.S. official said the U.S. had informed Israel it does not plan on striking Iran itself. Iran launched the attack in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month which killed two Iranian generals. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. By Sunday morning, Iran said the attack was over and Israel reopened its air space. The two foes have for years been engaged in a shadow war marked by incidents like the Damascus strike. But Sundays assault, which set off air raid sirens across Israel, was the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel has over the years established often with the help of the United States a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. That system, along with collaboration with the U.S. and other forces, helped thwart what could have been a far more devastating assault at a time when Israel is already bogged down in its war against Hamas in Gaza and engaged in low-level fighting on its northern border with Lebanon's Hezbollah militia. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran. Israeli and U.S. officials lauded the response to the aerial assault. Iran launched more than 300 threats and 99% were intercepted, said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman. That is a success. Asked if Israel would respond, Hagari said the country would do what was needed to protect its citizens. Hagari said that none of the drones and cruise missiles reached Israel and that only a few of the ballistic missiles got through. He said that of the cruise missiles, 25 were shot down by the Israeli air force. Hagari said minor damage was caused to an Israeli airbase, but he said it was still functioning. Rescuers said a 7-year-old girl was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a missile strike, though they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a short message on X, formerly Twitter: We intercepted. We blocked. Together, we will win. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also celebrated the results, thanking the U.S. and other countries for their assistance. Israel announced it reopened its airspace, loosening one restriction it had imposed ahead of the strike, although schools remained closed around the country and traffic on the first day of the Israeli workweek was lighter than usual as many people stayed home or recovered from the long night. Neighboring Jordan also reopened its airspace. Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, said the operation was over, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. We have no intention of continuing the operation against Israel, he was quoted as saying. Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi, claimed Iran had taught Israel a lesson and warned that "any new adventures against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Israel may be particularly proud of the success of its defense because it stands in sharp contrast to the failures it endured during Hamas attack on Oct. 7. Facing a far less powerful enemy in Hamas, Israels border defenses collapsed and the military took days to repel the marauding militants an embarrassing defeat for the Middle Easts strongest and best-equipped army. While thwarting the Iranian onslaught could help restore Israels image, what it does next will be closely watched both in the region and in Western capitals. In Washington, Biden said U.S. forces helped Israel down nearly all the drones and missiles and pledged to convene allies to develop a unified response. Biden, who had cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team at the White House on Saturday afternoon, spoke with Netanyahu later in the day. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, Biden said. During the call, Biden encouraged Israel to proclaim the interceptions a success against Iran and made clear the U.S. would not participate in any offensive action against Iran, according to a senior administration official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a private conversation between the leaders. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. does not seek escalation, and would hold talks with its allies in the coming days. The U.S., along with its allies, has sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalating the conflict. Leaders from the G7 will hold a video conference on Sunday early afternoon to discuss the Iranian strikes against Israel, according to Italy, which holds the presidency of the group of developed countries, which includes the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, and Canada. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard issued a new threat against the U.S. "The terrorist U.S. government is warned any support or participation in harming Irans interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Irans armed forces," said a statement carried by IRNA. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israels six-month war against Hamas militants in Gaza, triggered by the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. On that day, militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, also backed by Iran, killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Negotiations underway, meant to bring about a cease-fire in exchange for the release of the hostages, appeared to hit a setback Sunday. Netanyahus office said that Hamas rejected the latest proposal for a deal, which had been presented to Hamas a week ago by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States. A Hamas official said the group wants a clear written commitment that Israel will withdraw from the Gaza Strip during the second of a three-phase cease-fire deal. The deal presented to the sides calls for a six-week cease-fire in Gaza, during which Hamas would release 40 of the more than 100 hostages the group is holding in the enclave in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners from Israels jails, including 100 serving long sentences for serious crimes. Hamas welcomed Iran's attack, saying it was a natural right and a deserved response to the strike in Syria and urged the Iran-backed groups in the region to continue to support Hamas in the war against Israel. Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah began attacking Israels northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel. ___ Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington, Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Omar Akour in Amman, Jordan and Giada Zampano in Rome contributed to this report. BEIRUT (AP) Irans unprecedented attack on Israel early Sunday marked a change in approach for Tehran, which had relied on proxies across the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October. All eyes are now on whether Israel chooses to take further military action, while Washington seeks diplomatic measures instead to ease regional tensions. Iran says the attack was in response to an airstrike widely blamed on Israel that destroyed what Iran says were consular offices in Syria and killed two generals with its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard earlier this month. Israel said almost all the over 300 drones and missiles launched overnight by Iran were shot down by its anti-missile defense system, backed by the U.S. and Britain. The sole reported casualty was a wounded girl in southern Israel, and a missile struck an Israeli airbase, causing light damage. Still, the chief of Irans Revolutionary Guard called the operation successful. Iran has managed to strike a balance between retaliating publicly for the strike in Damascus and avoiding provoking further Israeli military action leading to a much wider conflict, said Mona Yacoubian, vice president of the Middle East and North Africa center at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Both (Iran and Israel) are able at this point to claim victory and step down off the precipice, particularly since there were no Israeli civilians killed, Yacoubian said. The world was still waiting, however, for the result of an Israeli War Cabinet meeting on Sunday. Israeli hard-liners have pushed for a response, but others have suggested restraint, saying Israel should focus on strengthening budding ties with Arab partners. We will build a regional coalition and collect the price from Iran, in the way and at the time that suits us, said Benny Gantz, a member of the War Cabinet. Analysts say Iran sent a message that it would be willing to escalate and change its rules of engagement in its shadow war with Israel. Its a warning shot, saying that if Israel breaks the rules, there are consequences, said Magnus Ranstorp, strategic adviser at the Swedish Defense University. Irans attack has further stoked fears of the war in Gaza causing regional havoc. But Iran maintains that it does not seek all-out war across the region. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that Iran has no intention of continuing defensive operations at this point unless it is attacked. Iran stressed that it targeted Israeli facilities involved in the Damascus attack, not civilians or economic areas. After Israel began its offensive in Gaza against Hamas, Iran-backed groups were involved militarily while Tehran sat on the sidelines. Lebanons Hezbollah group fired rockets into northern Israel. Yemens Houthi rebels attacked Western ships on the Red Sea. An umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militias attacked U.S. military positions in Iraq and Syria. Now, Tehran is willing to up the ante without relying on proxies, said the director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, Maha Yahya. Still, Iran only went so far. They gave enough warning that this was coming, and I think they knew that they (the drones and missiles) would be brought down before they reached Israeli territory, Yahya said. She also noted that the recent mounting pressure on Israel over its conduct in Gaza has now shifted to deescalating regional tensions instead. Israel taking further military action does not seem popular among its allies including the United States, said Eldad Shavit, who heads the Israel-U.S. Research Program at Israeli think tank the Institute for National Security Studies. White House national security spokesman John Kirby told NBC that President Joe Biden does not want an escalation in the regional conflict or a wider war with Iran, and is working on the diplomatic side of this personally. Urgent meetings of the G7 the informal gathering of industrialized countries that includes the United States, United Kingdom, and France and the U.N. Security Council were being held Sunday. G7 meeting participants in a statement unanimously condemned Iran's attack, saying we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives. ___ Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Abby Sewell in Beirut, Amir Vahdat in Tehran and Thomas Adamson in Paris contributed to this report. NOVI, MI - Its one of the top 100 grossing movies in film history and one of its big stars is coming to Michigan to host a screening of it. Actress Helen Hunt, who played Dr. Jo Harding in the 1996 movie, Twister, will hold a question and answer session at a screening of the movie on Saturday, May 18th at 8:00 p.m. at the Emagine Novi. Hunt will also meet with fans for pictures and autograph signings at Motor City Comic Con earlier in the day. Ticket packages, which can be purchased here, are as follows: Standard Package ($40): Includes Exclusive Movie Poster, Pre-Movie Q&A Panel and Free Admission to see a special showing of Twister at Emagine Novi. Silver Package ($115): Includes One (1) Autograph (redeemed during convention show hours on Saturday, May 18 at the Suburban Collection Showplace), Exclusive Movie Poster, Pre-Movie Q&A Panel and Free Admission to see a special showing of Twister at Emagine Novi. Gold Package ($220): Includes One (1) Autograph and One (1) Professional Photo Opportunity (redeemed during convention show hours on Saturday, May 18, at Suburban Collection Showplace), Exclusive Movie Poster, Pre-Movie Q&A Panel and Free Admission to see a special showing of Twister at Emagine Novi. Kristina Steele Friske says her lot rent climbed $500 a 50% increase over six years. That included three separate increases totaling $100 during her last year living at Independence Woods Mobile Home Community in Oakland County: $40 one month, $40 another and $20 again. By JOSEF FEDERMAN and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press JERUSALEM Booms and air raid sirens sounded across Israel early Sunday after Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East closer to a regionwide war. The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Condemnation from the United Nations chief and others was swift, with France saying Iran is risking a potential military escalation, Britain calling the attack reckless and Germany saying Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately. The Israeli militarys spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Iran fired scores of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles with the vast majority intercepted outside Israels borders. He said warplanes intercepted over 10 cruise missiles alone, also outside Israeli airspace. Hagari said a handful of missiles landed in Israel. Rescuers said a 7-year-old girl in a Bedouin Arab town was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a missile strike, though they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. Hagari said a missile struck an army base, causing light damage but no injuries. A wide-scale attack by Iran is a major escalation, he said. Asked whether Israel would respond, Hagari said only that the army does and will do whatever is required to protect the security of the state of Israel. He said the incident was not over, and dozens of Israeli warplanes remained in the skies. U.S. forces downed some of the Iran-launched drones flying toward Israel, according to a U.S. defense official and two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. Israels military said its Arrow system, which shoots down ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere, handled most interceptions and noted that strategic partners were involved. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said he was speaking to U.S. President Joe Biden early Sunday. No details on their conversation were immediately made public. But Biden has said his commitment to Israels security is ironclad in the face of Iranian threats a departure from his harsh criticism over Israels handling of the war in Gaza. Iran had vowed revenge since an April 1 airstrike in Syria killed two Iranian generals inside an Iranian consular building. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack. Israel hasnt commented on it. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israels six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, began attacking Israels northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel. In a statement carried late Saturday by Irans state-run IRNA news agency, the countrys paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime. In a later statement, the Revolutionary Guard issued a direct warning to the U.S.: The terrorist U.S. government is warned any support or participation in harming Irans interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Irans armed forces. IRNA also quoted an anonymous official saying ballistic missiles were part of the attack. A ballistic missile moves on an arch trajectory, heading up into space before gravity brings the weapon down at a speed several times faster than the speed of sound. Israel has a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher. Iran has a vast arsenal of drones and missiles. Online videos shared by Iranian state television purported to show delta-wing-style drones resembling the Iranian Shahed-136s long used by Russia in its war on Ukraine. The slow-flying drones carry bombs. Ukraine has successfully used both surface-to-air missiles and ground fire to target them. Some Israelis watched the interceptions light up the night sky. Air raid sirens were reported in numerous places including northern Israel, southern Israel, the northern West Bank and the Dead Sea near the Jordanian border. Israels army ordered residents in the Golan Heights near the Syrian and Lebanese borders as well as the southern towns of Nevatim and Dimona and the Red Sea resort of Eilat into protective spaces. Dimona is home to Israels main nuclear facility, and Nevatim has a major air base. Loud booms were heard in Jerusalem and northern and southern Israel. The armys Home Front Command canceled school Sunday and limited public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. Israel and some other countries in the region closed their airspace. Earlier, Netanyahu warned: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. In Washington, Biden convened a principals meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the attack. Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of the U.S. militarys Central Command, was in Israel over the weekend consulting with Israeli defense officials. The Central Command oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East. Irans mission to the United Nations issued a warning to both Israel and the U.S. Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe, it wrote online. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY! For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had threatened to slap Israel for the Syria strike. In Irans capital, Tehran, witnesses saw long lines at gas stations early Sunday as people appeared worried about what may come next. Dozens of hard-liners demonstrated in support of the attack at Palestine Square. Lebanons state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following Irans launch of drones. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched dozens of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military site in the Golan Heights early Sunday. It was not immediately clear if there was any damage. Iranian missiles or drones were intercepted in the sky above the Jordanian capital, Amman. In Lebanons capital, Beirut, and elsewhere in the country, residents reported seeing missiles in the sky and hearing explosions, likely from interceptions. In Syria, explosions were heard in the capital, Damascus, and elsewhere. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Syrian air defenses tried to shoot down Israeli attempts to intercept Iranian missiles. ___ Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. AP correspondents Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, Michael Balsamo in New York, Krutika Pathi in New Delhi, Stephen Graham in Berlin, Thomas Adamson in Paris, and Zeke Miller and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. DAVISON TWP, MI - A Michigan manufacturing company has implemented a program to help those on the autism spectrum gain employment. Fernco Inc., a leading plumbing manufacturer in Davison Township, has launched the SPARK program, an initiative designed to provide employment opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum. HOLLAND, MI -- A man was shot on the 300 block of West 19th Street in Holland at 2:12 p.m. on Saturday. After the shooting, a male suspect ran into a nearby house to hide, Holland Department of Public Safety Captain Robert Buursma said. While in police custody, the suspect claimed there was a bomb in the house. Federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents determined there were no explosives in the home, but the crime scene remains open. With the threat cleared, crime scene technicians have begun processing evidence, Buursma said. This process may take several hours. Some residents who evacuated due to the bomb threat have been allowed to return to their homes, though those immediately around the crime scene still do not have access. The victim was taken to a Holland hospital before being transferred to a hospital in Grand Rapids. His current condition is unknown. ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI Police are investigating a shooting that left one man injured, St. Joseph County sheriffs deputies reported. No arrests have been made as police believe the suspect fled the scene. Sheriffs deputies responded to a 2:57 p.m. report of a shooting on Saturday, April 13, in the 3000 block of Longnecker Road in Leonidas Township. There, police found a man with a gunshot wound to his shoulder. The man was taken by helicopter to an area hospital for treatment. Police do not believe the shooting was random. However, there is no ongoing risk to the public. The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information on the incident is encouraged to contact the St. Joseph County Sheriffs Department at 269-467-9045. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has paid an official visit to Jordan, Trend reports referring to the Defense Ministry. During his visit, Hasanov met with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Jordanian Armed Forces Major General Yousef Huneiti. Cooperation in the military, and military-technical sphere, as well as other issues of mutual interest, were discussed at the enlarged meeting. At the end of the meeting, an agreement was signed on cooperation in defense. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has visited the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center (KASOTC) during his official visit to Jordan, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. Hasanov was provided with detailed information about the main directions of the Center's activity and conditions created here. Then the Azerbaijani defense minister arrived at the command of the Royal Jordanian Air Force. Here, Colonel General Hasanov met with Commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force Brigadier General Pilot Mohamed Fathi Hyasat. The prospects of development of the armed forces, military education, and military-technical cooperation were discussed at the meeting. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. On April 14, 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov made a working visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports. During the visit, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov will take part as an honorary guest in the second ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the countries of Central Asia, and will also hold a number of bilateral meetings. Chirag Daruwalla is an astrologer with more than 18 years of experience advising clients on career, health, finance, business, money, and love marriage related queries, and on all kinds of life and work problems. Visit chiragdaruwalla.com, call/Whatsapp +91 8141566266 or email info@chiragdaruwalla.com Rajan Mahan is a journalist who headed NDTV and Star News in Rajasthan. He was also a Professor of Journalism at the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user. OK Follow us on: BJP Manifesto 2024: Party releases Sankalp Patra for Lok Sabha polls with focus on women, youth, poor and farmers OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Congress is still banking on divisive, appeasement politics: Piyush Goyal Follow us on: Eye on China, BJP vows to 'protect Indian Ocean Region's interests' in manifesto for LS polls OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Kairana Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Kairana transitions beyond the 'exodus campaign BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is interested in the reconstruction of Azerbaijans Karabakh region, a source in the company told Trend. "The long-term development policy of the government of Azerbaijan clearly states a vision for competitive economic development based on the innovation of sophisticated technologies and human resource development. Japans assistance can play a significant role in Azerbaijan during its transition period. As part of the global development trend, the main challenges for Azerbaijan are: economic diversification, elimination of dependency on hydrocarbon exportation, rapid growth of the non-oil sector, and the increase of efficiency and comparative advantage in the production processes through new technologies," said JICA. The source went on to add that among areas for future collaboration and partnership, JICA considers support for strengthening the logistics functions of the Caspian Sea route in Central Asia and the Caucasus region and Green Energy Development. "As for future challenges, JICA is interested in the reconstruction and development of Karabakh, and plans to discuss with the Japanese government on areas and projects in which JICA can cooperate, while also looking at the bilateral peace agreement and efforts to resume economic activities," noted the source. JICA is the biggest bilateral development aid organization in the world, with an annual operating budget of over $15 billion. Not only for Azerbaijan, JICA has also contributed a lot to world development. JICA plays a significant role as Official Development Assistance for Japan. JICA serves as Japan's ODA's "one-stop shop," offering a variety of services such as grants, financing and investment, volunteers, technical cooperation, and private sector partnerships. As one of the world's largest bilateral aid agencies, JICA operates in more than 150 countries and regions and has approximately 90 overseas offices. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn Swati Das is an independent journalist covering Tamil Nadu politics, and is based in Chennai. OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Communal rhetoric escalates as western Uttar Pradesh gears up for polls OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Firing at Salman Khan's home, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde talks to the actor Politician Rahul Kanal meets Salman Khan at his residence in Bandra after firing incident, says, 'Bhai is all good' OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Gunshots at Salman Khan's home: Unidentified men fire gunshots at Salman Khan residence Galaxy apartments, police team reaches the spot Follow us on: Airfare likely to flare up as tensions intensify between Iran and Israel Follow us on: WTicabs plans to induct 1,000 EVs in its fleet this fiscal OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All 24-year-old student from Haryana shot dead inside his car in Canada BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. The Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan plans, within the framework of the OPEC+ agreement, to compensate for the overproduction of oil that occurred in March, Trend reports. According to secondary sources, Kazakhstan produced 131,000 barrels per day above its quota in March due to weather conditions and heating requirements. However, Kazakhstan will continue to make every effort to fulfill its obligations and compensate for overproduction in the first quarter, said the ministry. OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All FIR registered after firing outside actor Salman Khan's home in Mumbai; bike recovered Follow us on: Iran-Israel conflict: How India's bilateral ties will shape up as Middle East tensions simmer OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Stone pelting attack on YS Jagan Mohan Reddy investigated as murder attempt: Police official DP Srivastava is a Former Ambassador to Iran and ex-Director, Gail. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. Follow us on: BJP has a come a long way since 'historic' Palampur resolution, says BJP President JP Nadda OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All BJP's sankalp patra is a direction towards creating a 'Viksit Bharat', says PM Modi BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov has held a meeting with his counterpart from Kuwait Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Trend reports. According to Uzbek minister, during the meeting issues related to the strengthening of the legal foundation of the bilateral partnership, expansion of the investment ties, facilitation of exchanges in all areas were discussed. "There is big room to develop comprehensive ties between our two nations. Also signed the Cooperation Program between Foreign Ministries of Uzbekistan and Kuwait for 2024-2026", Saidov said. Follow us on: Marathas may contest Maharashtra assembly polls if quota demand not met by June 6: Jarange Follow us on: 'Weapon drop boxes' put in Manipur as guns looted during unrest cause concern during polls Follow us on: Ex-Google recruiter shares salary negotiation tips for job seekers: 'If you dont ask, the answer is always... Follow us on: Millionaire entrepreneur Scott Galloway reveals the no.1 skill professionals need to thrive in the AI era Follow us on: Poila Baisakh 2024: Wishes, greetings, messages to share with loved ones on Bengali New Year Follow us on: A Pearl Harbour moment for our nation: Alex Gandler on Iran's offensive on Israel OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Middle East in Turmoil: Iran attacks Israel with drones, missiles in unprecedented revenge mission BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan Laziz Kudratov has held a meeting with General Manager of the Kuwaiti Marafie Group Abdulhakim Marafi, the ministry says, Trend reports. The Kuwaiti side appreciated the reforms being carried out in Uzbekistan and expressed its readiness to take part in the implementation of major project initiatives in the field of agriculture. Abdulhakim Marafi also emphasized the potential for cooperation in the areas of construction, banking, tourism and services, confirming the company's interest in jointly developing new investment projects. The Marafie Group specializes in the fields of trade, construction, production and design, includes 30 companies and owns more than 300 brands in such fields as trade, construction, production and design. Follow us on: US shoots down Iran-launched attack drones as Biden team pledges ''support'' for Israel against Tehran Follow us on: World cannot afford another war: UN chief Guterres on Iran's attack on Israel BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. Uzbekistan Airways has canceled the Tashkent - Tel Aviv - Tashkent flight scheduled for April 15, the airline said, Trend reports. According to the information, the decision was made in connection with the closure of airspace over part of the countries of the Middle East, as well as in accordance with the decision of the aviation authorities of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the need to ensure flight safety. It is noted that passengers of this flight have the opportunity to rebook tickets or receive a refund without additional penalties. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close On Sunday, April 14, 2024, CNMI Governor Arnold I. Palacios, Tinian Mayor Edwin Aldan and Sen. Jude Hofschneider joined Guam Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio, Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman, Google Network Infrastructure Regional Network Lead Yan Tang (not in photo), Citadel CEO Jim Beighley, and Special Assistant for Broadband Policy Development Glen Hunter onboard SubComs CS Dependable vessel, which is involved in the laying of subsea fiber cables through the Marianas. In the photo, SubCom Captain Yann Durieux, left, talks about the project. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) successfully hit military targets in Israel with missiles and UAVs, the IRGC said in a statement. The statement said Iran destroyed the targets using strategic intelligence in the attack. The statement noted that more than 10 days after the attack on the consular building of the Israeli embassy in Damascus, Iran took steps due to the silence of international organizations, especially the UN Security Council, in the face of this attack and negligence in taking measures to condemn this attack. "Iran warns US that supporting or participating in an attack on Iranian interests will face a strong response from the Iranian military. Stressing the importance of the good neighbor policy with neighboring countries and countries in the region, Iran states that if the US and Israel threaten Iran from any country, it will lead to an appropriate and reciprocal response from Iran," IRGC said. Our site is down for scheduled maintenance. We are working to update our network to better provide the page you requested. We understand the inconvenience this may cause, but rest assured, we are doing everything we can to bring the site back online after our necessary updates. African roots musician and sculptor-cum-businessman Bryn Taurai Mteki has approached Chimurenga musician Thomas Mukanya Mapfumo to reconsider businessman Wicknell Chivayos pledge. Last month Chivayo offered Mukanya a gift comprising a $200 000 luxury car and a $300 000 residence if he apologised for siding with the opposition. Chivayo has been on a spending spree, gifting Zanu PF-affiliated musicians and influences with top-of-the range vehicles from Exquisite Car Dealership. However, Mapfumo turned down the offer saying he was better off without the lavish donation from Chivayo. There are people, including artists that are being spoiled by Chivayo, Mukanya said. We are watching them. Its not his (Chivayos) money, thats Zanu PF money. He is being used to splash money on cars to the party loyalists by a force working in the background. People should not adore him and think that he is wealthy and a hard worker because its not his money. Mapfumo said he could have been part of the elite class within the ruling party. I was arrested for supporting these people (Zanu PF) during the war of liberation, he said. I was incarcerated by the Rhodesian government for singing protest music. If I continued supporting these people, today I could be part of the rich elites. You could be calling me mbinga with farms, properties and money at the expense of the poor taxpayers. However, I chose to stand with the people. We are in these positions to protect people and to represent the rights of citizens. Pre-independence, Mapfumo was imprisoned without charges under the white-dominated Rhodesian regime. However, Mteki believes otherwise and approached Mukanya to reconsider his decision. I just think Mudhara Mukanya should rethink his choice and get the offer from Chivayo, Mteki told Standard Style. I reached out to him and told him that Chivayo was only rewarding him for his talent outside politics. He is a known critic of corruption and accepting the offer will not stop him from addressing issues around corruption. Popularly known as Sekuru Tau, Mteki who surprised all and sundry when he threw his hat into the ring for the July 31, 2018 presidential election as an Independent candidate, said he got such similar benevolence from Phillip Chiyangwa. At some point of my career I was rewarded by Mudhara Chiyangwa, but I never turned him down, I accepted the offer knowing that he was only rewarding my talent, Mteki said. I have vast tracts of land here in Harare that I got from Mudhara Chiyangwa and there was no way I could turn him down because of his links to a certain political party. Similarly, Mukanya should just accept Chivayos offer and move on with life. Chivayo never said Mukanya was poor, but it was something that he has longed for, to support Mukanya who happens to be one of his favourite musicians. Mteki said Mukanya should even request for land to build his own arts centre just like what Tuku did with his Pakare Paye Arts Centre project. Mapfumo, who could not be reached on Friday, claims returning to Zimbabwe will put his life in danger. Zimbabwe Independent. Breaking News via Email Related Zimbabwe Latest News A 35-year-old Zimbabwean man was on Wednesday sentenced to three life sentences by the Modimolle Regional Court in South Africas Limpopo province for raping three minors. Tinos Chimedze was convicted of the offences that he committed in May 2022. His victims were aged between 10 and 11 and his sentences will run concurrently. Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malasela Ledwaba confirmed the sentence on Friday. The court heard that on 31 May 2022, the accused, Tinos Chimedze (35), who is originally from Zimbabwe, raped the three victims aged between 10 and 11 years and thereafter sent them to a local victim-empowerment facility to request food, at Modimolle Extension 13 Jasper informal settlement, he said. The founder of the victim-empowerment facility who was present got suspicious when the accused left the victims. She interviewed them and they opened up to her and informed her about the rape incidents. Col Ledwaba said Chimedze was positively linked to the three cases of rape and arrested. The development comes a few weeks after another Zimbabwean man was jailed for three life sentences and an additional 226 years by the Pretoria High Court for crimes including murder, robbery, rape, illegal migration, kidnapping, housebreaking, escaping from custody and unlawful possession of ammunition. Breaking News via Email Related Zimbabwe Latest News Research team discovers more than 50 potentially new deep-sea species in one of the most unexplored areas of the planet Phys.org Tiny black holes left over from the Big Bang may be prime dark matter suspects Space.com Thousands of Meteorites in Antarctica Are Destined to Be Lost Forever Science Alert Many Stone Age people were murdered with the same method used by the Italian Mafia and it was all part of a ritualistic sacrifice ZME Science Chartbook 274 From Bauhaus to Buchenwald .. to mid-century cool. Adam Tooze Climate/Environment Pandemics One-Year Recovery Among Survivors of Prolonged Severe COVID-19: A National Multicenter Cohort Critical Care Medicine. Conclusion: Nearly two-thirds of survivors of among the most prolonged severe COVID-19 illness had persistent impairments at 1 year that resembled post-intensive care syndrome after critical illness plus debility from hospital-acquired complications. *** Wise to assume bird flu pandemic will cause more severe disease in humans than COVID-19 Down to Earth Niger China? Syraqistan Iran launches dozens of drones on Israel amid escalation Anadolu Agency The moment when #Irans missile directly hit Negev in the occupied territories pic.twitter.com/Lw2S5d4fXx IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) April 13, 2024 #Israel Nevatim Airbase in the Negev, home of F-16 and F-35, was hit by #Iran ballistic missiles and on fire. Elijah J. Magnier (@ejmalrai) April 13, 2024 BREAKING: NBC News reports that President Joe Biden has privately expressed concern that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to drag the U.S. more deeply into a broader conflict The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) April 14, 2024 Gulf states warn US not to launch strikes on Iran from their territory or airspace Middle East Eye Israel got lots of help tonight from the US, Britain, Jordan, France, Saudi Arabia & possibly other partners. Their pilots & other forces engaged in early detection & interception to defend Israel from the Iranian assault. via @N12News Israel Radar (@IsraelRadar_com) April 14, 2024 End Times preachers are going to have a field day pic.twitter.com/9ao8XGCZNv Michael Tracey (@mtracey) April 14, 2024 European Disunion New Not-So-Cold War The Caucasus Old Blighty Imperial Collapse Watch Spook Country 2024 Democrats bank on abortion in 2024 as Arizona and Florida push stakes higher Guardian GOP Clown Car House GOP vows Israel vote after Iran attack amid bipartisan pressure on aid package POLITICO Commentary: Theyre likely going to use this to push through the National Security Supplemental bill, including Ukraine funding, particularly after Trump declared his support for Ukraine aid yesterday. It will be cast as urgently necessary to replenish Israels air defense https://t.co/tecHabKdJK Michael Tracey (@mtracey) April 14, 2024 Realignment and Legitimacy Immigration American Corporations Help Fuel Mass Migration Lee Fang Boeing AI Police State Watch The Slow Death of a Prison Profiteer: How Activism Brought Securus to the Brink The Appeal Supply Chain US drug shortages reach record high with 323 meds now in short supply Ars Technica Guillotine Watch The Bezzle Class Warfare Amid standoff at Capitol over Uber and Lyft driver pay, Minneapolis council delays its ordinance Minnesota Reformer Antidote du jour (via): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. Russia is highly concerned about another dangerous escalation in the Middle East, Trend reports, referring to the foreign ministry's statement. "We are highly concerned over yet another dangerous escalation in the region. We have repeatedly warned that the unresolved nature of numerous crises in the Middle East, primarily in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which are often fueled by irresponsible provocative actions, will lead to an increase in tension," the ministry said. The ministry noted that Iran's attack on Israel was taken as part of the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter in response to attacks on Iranian targets in the region. On April 14, Iran confirmed that it had launched an operation against Israel and fired dozens of drones and missiles at Israel. On April 1, an Israeli airstrike in the Mezze district of Damascus killed 13 people, including the commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Syria and Lebanon, General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy, Mohammad Haji Rahimi. Since then, tensions between Iran and Israel have increased. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel By Justin Podur, a Toronto-based writer and an Independent Media Institute writing fellow. You can find him on his website at podur.org and on Twitter @justinpodur. He teaches at York University in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change. Produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute. If there is a single false claim to nonviolent struggle that has most powerfully captured the imagination of the world, it is the claim that India, under Gandhis leadership, defeated the mighty British Empire and won her independence through the nonviolent method. Indias independence struggle was a process replete with violence. The nonviolent myth was imposed afterward. It is time to get back to reality. Using recent works on the role of violence in the Indian freedom struggle, its possible to compile a chronology of the independence movement in which armed struggle played a decisive role. Some of these sources: Palagummi Sainaths The Last Heroes, Kama Macleans A Revolutionary History of Interwar India, Durba Ghoshs Gentlemanly Terrorists, Pramod Kapoors 1946 Royal Indian Navy Mutiny: Last War of Independence, Vijay Prashads edited book, The 1921 Uprising in Malabar, and Anita Anands The Patient Assassin. Nonviolence could never defeat a colonial power that had conquered the subcontinent through nearly unimaginable levels of violence. India was conquered step by step by the British East India Company in a series of wars. While the British East India Company had incorporated in 1599, the tide turned against Indias independence in 1757 at the battle of Plassey. A century of encroaching Company rule followedcovered in William Dalrymples book The Anarchywith Company policy and enforced famines murdering tens of millions of people. In 1857, Indian soldiers working for the Company rose up with some of the few remaining independent Indian rulers who had not yet been dispossessedto try to oust the British. In response, the British murdered an estimated (by Amaresh Mishra, in the book War of Civilisations) 10 million people. The British government took over from the Company and proceeded to rule India directly for another 90 years. From 1757 to 1947, in addition to the ten million killed in the 1857 war alone, another 30-plus million were killed in enforced famines, per figures presented by Indian politician Shashi Tharoor in the 2016 book Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India. A 2022 study estimated another 100 million excess deaths in India due to British imperialism from 1880 to 1920 alone. Doctors like Mubin Syed believe that these famines were so great and over such a long period of time that they exerted selective pressure on the genes of South Asian populations, increasing their risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases that arise when abundant calories are available because South Asian bodies have become famine-adapted. By the end, the independence struggle against the British included all of the methods characteristic of armed struggle: clandestine organization, punishment of collaborators, assassinations, sabotage, attacks on police stations, military mutinies, and even the development of autonomous zones and a parallel government apparatus. A Chronology of Indias Violent Independence Struggle In his 2006 article, India, Armed Struggle in the Independence Movement, scholar Kunal Chattopadhyay broke the struggle down into a series of phases: 1905-1911: Revolutionary Terrorism. A period of revolutionary terrorism started with the assassination of a British official of the Bombay presidency in 1897 by Damodar and Balkrishna Chapekar, who were both hanged. From 1905 to 1907, independence fighters (deemed terrorists by the British) attacked railway ticket offices, post offices, and banks, and threw bombs, all to fight the partition of Bengal in 1905. In 1908, Khudiram Bose was executed by the imperialists for terrorism. These terrorists of Bengal were a source of great worry to the British. In 1911, the British repealed the partition of Bengal, removing the main grievance of the terrorists. They also passed the Criminal Tribes Act, combining their anxieties over their continued rule with their ever-present racial anxieties. The Home Secretary of the Government of India is quoted in Durba Ghoshs book Gentlemanly Terrorists: There is a serious risk, unless the movement in Bengal is checked, that political dacoits and professional dacoits in other provinces may join hands and that the bad example set by these men in an unwarlike province like Bengal may, if it continues, lead to imitation in provinces inhabited by ghting races where the results would be even more disastrous. Ghosh outlines some more of these cases: In Bengal, the Alipore Conspiracy Case, Midnapore Conspiracy Case, the Howrah Gang Case, and other conspiracy trials enabled the government to detain those involved with secret and underground political groups. Relying on a century-old piece of security legislation that included the Regulation III of 1818, the government also passed the Indian Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1908 and the Defence of India Act in 1915 to bring political violence against the state under control. But, as Ghosh argues, the imperialist response wasnt solely to pass draconian laws. On the contrary, they made concessionsgrowing concessionstoward independence and other demands by the terrorists, and tried to disproportionately reward their nonviolent interlocutors from the Congress. Bengal was reunited; the British moved their capital from Calcutta to Delhi to get away from the terrorist movement in that province. Revolutionary Struggles 1914-1918: With the end of the Swadeshi movement of 1905 to 1907 began what was called, simply, the Terrorist Movement from 1907 to 1917. The terrorists opened with an attack on Bengal Lieutenant Governor Andrew Fraser in Midnapore in 1907. During WWI, the Ghadar movement tried to overthrow British rule multiple timesa (foiled) rebellion in February 1915 led by Rash Behari Bose and another (foiled) raid in Calcutta planned for Christmas Day 1915. Revolutionaries in Bengal raided arms depots, obtained military assistance from Germany, fought a pitched battle against the British in September of 1915 at Chasakhand, and even operated internationally in places like the U.S. and Japan. Revolutionary leaders Chittapriya Ray Chaudhuri and Jatindranath Mukherjee both died in this battle. The response by the British to the terrorist movements in their colonial possessions was to pass wartime laws: the Defence of the Realm Act in Ireland, and the Defence of India Act. But also to make concessions. Turning point in 1919: The Amritsar massacre of 1919 was a massacre of hundreds of protesters dissenting from Britains desire to extend wartime measures indefinitely through the 1919 Rowlatt Act. After the slaughter, the British engaged in an orgy of racial violence and ritual humiliation, making Indians crawl on their knees down streets, for example. After 1919, Gandhi also led a nonviolent campaign, the non-cooperation movement. What is less known, documented by Durba Ghosh, is that the terrorist movement was in constant contact with Gandhi and the Nehrus (both Motilal and Jawaharlal) throughout this period. The British passed the repressive 1919 Rowlatt Act, but also passed the first Government of India Act and the Montagu Chelmsford Reforms, promising self-government in some distant future. Also, recall that in 1919 the British also fought an unsuccessful war with Afghanistan and unsuccessfully invaded the new Soviet Union. These violent, military conflicts set the context for the changes the imperialists were forced to make in India. Interwar Revolutionary Struggle In the history of the 1920s, the most visible face of the Indian struggle was Gandhis non-cooperation movement. But there was an uprising in South India as well, in Malabar in 1921, which the British tried to steer in a communal direction and ended up crushing by force. The 1920s and 1930s were a time of constant acts of armed struggle. In the 1920s, the Hindustan Republican Association engaged in patriotic robberies like one in Kakori, after which four of the leaders were hanged and three others sentenced to life in prison. In 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeswar Dutt threw a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly. In 1925 and 1930, the British passed two Bengal Criminal Law Amendment Acts. The 1930 amendment was put in force on March 25. On April 18, the Indian Republican Army with Surya Sen and 60 terrorists led a raid on the Chittagong Armory: The raid was an elaborately planned attack in which revolutionaries managed to occupy major colonial sites, including the European club, police armoury, and the telephone and telegraph ofce. The raiders cut off all communications with ofcials in other parts of India, gathered arms, and hoped to terrorize the British while they enjoyed a Friday evening at their club. Also in 1930, Odisha saw a tribal uprising against the British in which villagers battled policeSainath talked to some of the veterans of this uprising in Last Heroes, chapter 2. In 1931, the British hanged Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar. They murdered Chandra Sekhar Azad in a park in Allahabad. They passed the Bengal Suppression of Terrorist Outrages Act in 1932, but terrorism continued. In 1935, the British made a major concession, another Government of India Act, which expanded the franchise and promised the Congress leaders that they would eventually become the rulers (on the British imperialist timeline). The quid pro quo was that these Indian leaders would suppress the terrorists. Among the British weapons was nonviolence, including the Civil Disobedience movement. The Congress leaders knew, however, that without some terrorism, their leverage with the British would be zero. So they played their own game, quietly supporting the terrorists at times, publicly denouncing them at others, while conducting civil disobedience within a framework of rules that involved jail time for nonviolent actors and British assassination and hanging for terrorists who wouldnt play the civil disobedience game. Violent struggle was the price paid by the terrorists so that the nonviolent could sit at the table to negotiate with the imperialists. In Chapter 4 of Lost Heroes, Sainath spoke to bomb-maker Shobharam Gaharwar, active in Rajasthan and elsewhere in the 1930s and 1940s, who confirmed the ubiquity of bomb-making activity during the independence struggle: We were in great demand at that time! I have been to Karnataka. To Mysore, Bengaluru, all sorts of places. See, Ajmer was a prominent centre for the Quit India movement, for the struggle. So was Benares [Varanasi]. There were other places like Baroda in Gujarat and Damoh in Madhya Pradesh. People looked up to Ajmer, saying the movement is strong in this town and that they would follow the footsteps of the freedom fighters here. Of course, there were many others, too. Quit India 1942 and Disillusionment: For Lost Heroes, Sainath spoke to veterans of the armed struggle in Punjab as well as in the south in the Telangana Peoples Struggle, led by Sundarayya. Known as the Telangana Uprising of 1946, it was a multiyear struggle over an immense area, and in addition to battles with feudal landlords, police, and hired goondas, he reports: At its height, the Veera Telangana Porattam spread across almost 5,000 villages. It touched over three million lives across some 25,000 square kilometres. In the villages under their control, this peoples movement set up a parallel government. That included the creation of gram swaraj committees or village communes. Close to one million acres of land were redistributed amongst the poor. Most official histories date the Communist-led uprising as occurring from 1946-51. But great agitations and revolts were already underway there from late 1943. Another southern state, Tamil Nadu, was the site of an immense anti-feudal struggle at the same time as the Quit India movement of 1942. Sainath spoke to veteran R. Nallakannu: Wed fight them at night, throw stonesthose were the weapons we hadand chase them away. Sometimes, there would be pitched battles. This happened several times during the protests that came in the 1940s. We were still boys, but we fought. Day and night, with our kind of weapons! In one village in Odisha in August 1942, activists took over and declared themselves magistrates, beginning to administer justice. They were quickly arrested, but once locked up they immediately began organizing the prisoners, as they told Sainath: They sent us to a prison for criminals. We made the most of it In those days, the British were trying to recruit soldiers to die in their war against Germany. So they held out promises to those who were serving long sentences as criminals. They promised that anyone who signed up for the war would be given 100 rupees. Each of their families would get 500 rupees. And they would be free after the war. We campaigned with the criminal prisoners. Is it worth dying for Rs 500 for these people and their wars? You will surely be amongst the first to die, we told them. You are not important for them. Why should you be their cannon fodder? After a while, they began to listen to us. They used to call us Gandhi, or simply, Congress. Many of them dropped out of the scheme. They rebelled and refused to go. In West Bengal, Bhabani Mahato organized logistics for underground fighters in the Quit India struggle. Activist Partha Sarati Mahato told Sainath how it went: Only a few better-off families in the village were to prepare meals for however many activists in hiding there [in the forest] were on a given day. And the women doing this were asked to leave the cooked food in their kitchen. They did not know who it was who came and picked up the food. Nor did they know who the individuals were that they were cooking for. The resistance never used people from the village to do the transportation. The British had spies and informants in the village. So did the feudal zamindars who were their collaborators. These informants would recognize locals carrying loads to the forest. That would endanger both the women and the underground. Nor could they have anyone identifying the people they sent inprobably by nightfallto collect the food. The women never saw who it was lifting the meals. That way, both were shielded from exposure. But the women knew what was going on. Most village women would gather each morning at the ponds and streams, tanksand those involved exchanged notes and experiences. They knew why and what they were doing it forbut never specifically for whom. The Toofan Sena In 1943, the Toofan Sena, the armed wing of the prati sarkar (or provisional government) of Satara, declared independence from British rule in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Sainath describes the reach of this autonomous zone: With its headquarters in Kundal, the prati sarkaran amalgam of peasants and workersactually functioned as a government in the nearly 600 villages under its control, where it effectively overthrew British rule. Hausabais father, the legendary Nana Patil, headed the prati sarkar. Both sarkar and sena had sprung up as disillusioned offshoots of the Quit India movement of 1942. Nana Patil, as well as other leaders, including Captain Bhau, led a bold train robbery on June 7, 1943. It is unfair to say we looted the train, the captain told Sainath. It was money stolen by the British rulers from the Indian people that we took back. Captain Bhau also objected to the notion that the prati sarkar was an underground movement. What do you mean underground government? growls Captain Bhau, annoyed by my use of the term. We were the government here. The Raj could not enter. Even the police were scared of the Toofan Sena. It organized the supply and distribution of [food grain], set up a coherent market structure, and ran a judicial system. It also penalized moneylenders, pawnbrokers, and landlord collaborators of the Raj. Another Toofan Sena member reported to Sainath how they went about punishing informers: When we discovered one of these police agents, we encircled his home at night. We would take the informer and an associate of his outside the village. We would tie up the ankles of the informer after placing a wooden stick between them. He was then held upside down and beaten on the soles of his feet with sticks. We touched no other part of his body. Just the soles. No visible marks were there on the body from the feet up. But he couldnt walk normally for many days. A powerful disincentive. And so came the name patri sarkar [note: in Marati, the word patri means wooden stick]. After that we would load him on the back of his associate who would carry him home. The Indian National Army In 1938, the Indian National Congress saw Subhas Chandra Bose become president. He was immensely popular, with an independent power base. While respectful of Gandhi, he was not committed to nonviolence. He was ousted from the party in 1939. In 1941, during World War II, Bose formed the Indian National Army, backed by Imperial Japan, whose goal was to liberate India by force. The same year, Nehru was transferred to Lucknow Jail where he spent time with many imprisoned terrorists. When Gandhis Quit India movement was crushed in 1942 within months, Bose and the INA fought on, and Bose was killed in 1945. Imprisoned for journalism, Bengaluru-based H.S. Doreswamy described his encounter with Indian National Army prisoners whose massacre he witnessed in 1943: Once, when we were in prison in Bengaluru (1942-43), it was midnight, and a group of captives was brought in. They came in shouting slogans, and we thought they were more of our people. But they werent. They were Indian military personnel. We were told they were officers but didnt know for sure. We didnt know their ranks. There were fourteen of themfrom different states. They had decided to leave the British Indian military and join Netaji Boses Indian National Army (INA). They tried to leave the country. And were on their way to Burma [now Myanmar] when they were arrested. All fourteen of them. They were brought to Bengaluru and court-martialled. And sentenced to death by hanging. We interacted with them. They wrote down, with their blood, a letter to all of us. It said, We are so happy that you are 500 here. This country, this Bharat Mata, requires the blood of so many people. We are also a part and parcel of that effort. We have also pledged to give our lives to this countrys cause. That is what they wrote We heard that all of them were lined up in a row and shot deadall of themat one time They knew it. That they were going to their death. But they were very cheerful. Thats why they gave us that letter written in blood addressed to all of us. When the British tried to execute INA officers for treason at the symbolic Red Fort in Delhi, they ended up with an uprising. In 1946, a Naval Mutiny centered in Mumbai was suppressed at huge cost to the British: Their Indian Empire had unraveled. In his book on the naval mutiny, Pramod Kapoor notes that while Quit India was called in 1942, Independence followed very quickly after the 1946 Naval Mutiny. A look at the chronology suggests that the mutiny was more decisive than the nonviolent campaign in bringing about Independence. The British quickly partitioned the subcontinent, poisoned the chalice, and handed it over to their chosen Indian Congress interlocutors. As H.S. Doreswamy put it: When the Britishers left the country, they did so with three formulae. One, to form Pakistan and Hindustan. Two, to keep the people in both countries divided on communal lines. And three: those 562 princely statesthey were free to join or stay out of this Indian Union. The princely state plot was foiled by the post-independence government, but the communal plot and the partition plot both succeeded. So did the sponsorship of the myth that Indian independence sprung from a series of nonviolent campaigns, and not the same processes of armed national liberation struggle that occurred in India as everywhere else in the world that faced a similar situation. The Harm Caused by the Nonviolence Myth The nonviolence myth helped preserve feudalism. Like slavery and segregation in the U.S., colonialism in India was overthrown by violence. But also like the U.S., the myth of nonviolence has done real damage to Indias polity. Gandhis spiritual successor, Vinoba Bhave, traveled the country trying to convince landowners to conduct a voluntary land reform (contrast this with the violent land reforms enacted in neighboring China, described in Fanshen by William Hinton). Vinoba Bhaves was a nonviolent campaign of land reform which kept feudalism largely intact in India. Ironically, Vinoba Bhave was known to have threatened the landowners with violenceexplicitly stating that by voluntarily giving up some land, the landowners could save themselves from future violent revolution. Again, we see nonviolent leaders putting the poor in the position of the supplicant, asking for crumbs from the rich based on some distant possibility of revolution instead of working to organize the poor for that revolution. The nonviolence myth does not produce nonviolent societies. One of the central arguments for nonviolence dating at least back to Gandhi is that nonviolent means lead to better ends. Noam Chomsky put it this way in the 1967 debate with Hannah Arendt: It seems to me, from the little we know about such matters, that a new society rises out of the actions that are taken to form it, and the institutions and the ideology it develops are not independent of those actions; in fact, theyre heavily colored by them, theyre shaped by them in many ways. And one can expect that actions that are cynical and vicious, whatever their intent, will inevitably condition and deface the quality of the ends that are achieved. Now, again, in part this is just a matter of faith. But I think theres at least some evidence that better results follow from better means. Since Gandhis nonviolence argument was based on the notion that means and ends are inseparable and that the choice of violent means would lead to violent ends, it should follow that the central importance of nonviolence in the Indian freedom struggle led to India being a particularly nonviolent country after independence. Italian communist author Domenico Losurdo, in his book Nonviolence: A History Beyond the Myth, answers that one: [F]ar from being the embodiment of the ideal of non-violence, India today is one of the most violent countries on earth. Armed clashes between the different religious and ethnic groups are widespread; in particular, massacres of Muslims and Christians are recurrent. The inseparability of means and ends is an argument against nonviolence. Nonviolence is a means that involves begging the powerful for concessions and inviting them to do violence without consequences for themselves: it leads to a society with an elite that feels complete impunity to do horrific violence while facing opponents that will try, at worst, to melt their hearts through an example of suffering. It turns oppressors into worse people, drunk on power and feeling no consequences. Decolonization Is a Violent Process, and India Was No Exception As Losurdo tells it in his book, nonviolence is an ideal that was developed in the UK and U.S. to ensure that resistance to slavery would be ineffectivefor keeping resistance to one of the most vile institutions ever invented within controllable bounds. Christian pacifists and Quakers developed it because they did not want to participate in the violence of slavery. Very few of them were moved to fight slavery violently. Gandhis Indian enemies have argued that it is these Christian, Anglo-American roots from which Gandhian nonviolence springs, and not from Hindu notions of ahimsa or satyagraha. In the end, Indian people did not behave like otherworldly sages. They did what all colonized people do: they fought an armed struggle for independence. Shorn of the myth of nonviolence, what are the lessons of the real Indian independence struggle and how do they fit into our understanding of social change? It is clear that some strugglesfor improved wages or working conditions, better municipal services, or other struggles for equality within a communitycan be kept on the nonviolent plane. Colonialism, based on racial oppression and dehumanization, cannot be, and India is not an exception. Like colonialism itself, the absence of a nonviolent solution to colonialism is tragic, but the sooner the reality is recognized by advocates of social change, the better. Brazil just days away from collapsing into a North Korea-style police state A near-repeat of what happened right here in the United States with the stolen 2020 election, Brazil is in the throes of a globalist takeover, this after the Brazilian people elected a populist candidate similar to Donald Trump by the name of Jair Bolsonaro. According to reports, Brazil is well on its way in a matter of days to becoming much like North Korea as the new globalist government cracks down on free speech with a serious vengeance. The saga really took a turn for the worse when Brazil's new government launched a war against Elon Musk and his X social media platform. Musk was told that he has to follow new censorship rules or else be fined, and his response is defiance and a warning that he is about to drop another truth bomb, this time about corruption in the Brazilian government. (Related: Be sure to check out our earlier report about the fight between Brazil's new globalist government and X owner Elon Musk.) Brazilian Attorney General Jorge Messias declared, following Musk's defiance, that "we cannot tolerate a society where billionaires residing abroad wield control over social networks, flout legal orders, and intimidate our authorities." "It's imperative to regulate social networks," Messias continued. Brazil v. Musk Using the excuse of prolific "hate speech" on the platform, Brazil's Supreme Court wants Musk to crack down on accounts that spread "misinformation" or really anything in opposition to the new ruling government. Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered a full investigation into Musk, after which X's Global Government Affairs account confirmed that "certain popular accounts in Brazil" have been blocked from the platform, per the government's orders. 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. X is thus far restricted from revealing which accounts have been blocked, and the platform has confirmed that even it does not know why the posts were removed or what laws were supposedly violated by their content. On Saturday, Musk defied the Brazilian government's orders by announcing that all censored accounts would be fully reinstated because to keep them censored is unconstitutional, in his view. De Moraes, after Musk ordered him to resign or face impeachment, accused Musk of launching a "disinformation campaign," "instigating the disobedience and obstruction of justice," and "declaring that the platform will terminate compliance with the orders issued by the Brazilian Court related to blocking profiles, criminals and who spread fraudulent news." X will be fined $20,000 per day, per account, for each account reactivation, according to the Brazilian government. "The Brazilian left hated him until he took on the role of chief censor and began censoring, apparently, almost everybody who the Brazilian left regarded as their enemy," commented independent journalist Glenn Greenwald, who was once charged with committing "cybercrime" in Brazil, about de Moraes. "Especially, Bolsanaro supporters. Including ordering members of Congress arrested and journalists having their homes searched and seized, and now he's a hero to the Brazilian left." Greenwald notes that anyone who questions the judge "will be called a defender of fascism even though what this judge is most known for is this very extreme censorship regime that was even a bridge too far for The New York Times." At least five people were jailed by de Moraes for posting things on social media that were deemed to be an attack on Brazilian institutions. De Moraes did not even order these people to remove the offending posts, nor did he censor them he simply proceeded to jail them without a trial. "The only time in my entire career as a journalist that I have ever wondered if I should really be questioning, challenging, or critiquing a political official is this person, who has gone so far as to order people to be imprisoned without a trial for criticizing him," Greenwald says. More related news coverage can be found at Tyranny.news. Sources for this article include: Revolver.news NaturalNews.com Christian pastor in Israel tells Tucker Carlson brutal Israeli occupation of Palestine must end Unless Christian Americans step up and start demanding a peaceful solution to Israel's conflict with its Palestinian neighbors, Arab Christians who live in Israeli-occupied areas like Gaza and the West Bank are toast, says Reverend Munther Isaac , an Evangelical Lutheran pastor who ministers to Christians in the Bethlehem area of the Holy Land. Describing Israel's ongoing occupation as "brutal" for the Palestinian people, Isaac begged American Christians in a recent interview with Tucker Carlson to "exercise political advocacy for peace." "We've always had a problem with American foreign policy when it comes to Palestine, Israel and the Middle East in general," Isaac told Tucker on his X program watch the episode below. "We continue to be horrified by what we hear from (the U.S.) Congress." Ep. 91 How does the government of Israel treat Christians? In the West, Christian leaders dont seem interested in knowing the answer. They should be. Heres the view of a pastor from Bethlehem. pic.twitter.com/Gvo116ojnf Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) April 9, 2024 (Related: Last year, the far-right Israeli Knesset introduced legislation to outlaw the preaching of Jesus Christ everywhere in the Jewish state violators would be thrown in prison!) True Christians love their neighbors and enemies Back in December, Isaac traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza, where upwards of 30,000-plus innocent Palestinians, most of them women and children, have died at the hands of Israel Defense Forces (IDF). What he discovered was a shocking level of ignorance "about the reality on the ground." 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. "Their knowledge of the situation here seems to be very, very shallow," Isaac noted about how deeply Zionist propaganda has taken root in many Americans' minds. "Yet they hold very strong opinions, and oftentimes these opinions are shaped by political parties" and not on "knowing the facts." According to Isaac, "the so-called religious right" is offering "no sympathy whatsoever" towards the people of Gaza, who just like everyone else are made in the image of God. Also, many of the Palestinians being slaughtered are Christians. "Sometimes we just plead to be heard and to have our perspective taken seriously," Isaac explained, noting that the political left shows far more empathy towards the Palestinians than the political right. Many American pastors, Isaac explained, have "openly called, for example, to turn Gaza into a parking lot," even though the Jesus Christ they claim to believe in and preach never would have approved of such things among his true followers. "The many, many innocent people" living in Gaza have no value in the eyes of many Western Christians who have been brainwashed into thinking that the Palestinian people are second-class citizens who are worthy of death because Israel is "the apple of God's eye." "These are our siblings in Christ," Isaac says about many of the Palestinian believers who are being persecuted and murdered by Israel, many of them "innocent children." "We have relatives and friends in Gaza and here we have a pastor with influence calling for the total destruction of Gaza," Isaac added about the Zionist hatred that has infested Western religion, particularly in the United States. "This obsession with war and violence," Isaac continued, is "the antithesis of everything that Jesus taught." He wonders if any of the so-called Christian Zionist pastors realize just "how damaging that (rhetoric) is for us Christians living not just in Palestine but in the Middle East damaging in the sense of real impact on our lives." U.S. tax dollars continue to flow to not just the Israeli military but also to the construction of illegal Israeli settlements "on land confiscated (stolen) from Palestinians and in many cases from Palestinian Christian families," Isaac told Carlson. The modern nation-state of Israel does not bear the markings of true Israel as described in the Bible. Find out more at Antichrist.news. Sources for this article include: LifeSiteNews.com NaturalNews.com COVID-19 was a test run to introduce multiple waves of genetic weaponry and biological experiments onto the population Dr. Masayasu Inoue, a world-renowned Japanese professor, recently spoke at a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland and issued a dire warning to the world Dr. Inoue, an emeritus professor from Osaka City University Medical School, warned that the COVID-19 global pandemic was a man-made hoax that was orchestrated by a network of globalists organizations that include the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum. The professor accuses these globalist organizations of committing an extreme violation of human rights. The facade of a global pandemic Every infection practically vanished during the so-called pandemic, as COVID-19 PCR tests and non-specific symptom diagnostics were forcefully used to misdiagnose patients and override the real issues that people faced - underlying chronic diseases. This allowed hospitals to reap financial incentives for every COVID-19 misdiagnosis, every false positive and every mis-attributed cause of death. These instruments of medical fraud (COVID-19 test kits) were also used to cover up medical errors and facilitate deadly and inhumane protocols, while protecting hospitals from liability, unlawfully detaining people and creating the illusion of a case count and a deadly pandemic. This medical fraud and financial racketeering, coupled with bio-terror pandemic messaging and extreme, inhumane lockdowns, were all weaponized to drive vaccination into the bodies of billions of people. These vaccinations werent really vaccinations by the traditional definition, either. 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. Dr. Inoue warns that the vaccines were really experimental gene therapies that had debilitating and deadly consequences. Indeed, these injections were a genetic experiment rooted in the arrogance of transhumanism. To the surprise of tens of millions of people, these injections did not improve human immunity to respiratory infections, and they did not stop people from testing positive for COVID-19. Instead, these injections were a genetic weapon that caused further harm to populations worldwide. In the U.S., excess mortality for the most vaccinated group (65 and over) appeared after the COVID-19 vaccine experiment was unleashed, driving an appalling 1.07 million excess deaths from 2021 to 2024. Lock-downs and pandemic messaging ushered in a predatory new industry After manipulating, coercing and terrorizing people to take part in this experiment, a new predatory industry was brought into the marketplace. These transhuman experiments exploit the natural protein synthesis of the cell, replacing it with an mRNA program that replicates foreign toxins that can accumulate in the body and cause cardiovascular damage, among other harms. Dr. Inoue warned that this global vaccination agenda, fraudulently used an experimental gene therapy and inhumanely pushed it into healthy people. Dr. Inoue warns that a new wave of genetic vaccines is coming down the pike and must be avoided at all costs. Traditional vaccines and existing therapeutics will be replaced with this mRNA technology, with no regard to its consequences on human DNA, its subversion of natural protein synthesis of human cells, among other toxic consequences caused by lipid nanoparticles, autoimmunity and the proliferation of cardio-toxins in the blood. The mRNA vaccine experiment, brought into existence through the U.S. Department of Defense Operation Warp Speed, was a test run to unleash a new wave of mRNA experiments onto human cells. Future pandemic messaging campaigns and aggressive pharmaceutical advertising will manipulate millions more people to succumb to these ongoing experiments, and the suffering will only continue. The doctor warns that this bio-terror complex and the planned rollout of mRNA technology has only led to the induction of the terrible drug-induced injury that has never [been] seen in human history. He warns that mRNA factories are being built around the world, and one has already opened, in February of 2023, in his home country of Japan. He said, Do not receive them into your body no matter what new 'pandemic' comes our way. Sources include: Leohohman.substack.com NicoVideo.jp NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com FiercePharma.com DOMAIN KILL SWITCH WARNING: EU DisinfoLab wants ICANN to seize website domains linked to disinformation A nonprofit organization with heavy sway among policymakers across the European Union (EU) is pushing for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to wage "war on disinformation." Known as the EU DisinfoLab, the nonprofit, which claims to be independent, says ICANN needs to expand its control over domain registration limitations to include "disinformation" policing in addition to phishing and malware. In other words, the group wants ICANN to police who is allowed to register websites based on their adherence to official narratives. It is disingenuous, just for the record, for the EU DisinfoLab to claim independence when a large percentage of its funding comes from none other than the Open Society Foundations, which are a project of billionaire agitator George Soros. The Open Society Foundations is already testing the waters concerning the "repurposing" of ICANN to become a tool for targeting "disinformation sites." Natural News, presumably, would be included in that repurposed targeting, as would many other independent media sites. "Attempting to directly enlist ICANN would be highly controversial, to put it mildly, at least at this stage," writes Didi Rankovic for Reclaim the Net about the news. "Given its importance in the internet infrastructure ICANN manages domain names globally and the fact content control is not among its tasks (DisinfoLab says ICANN 'refuses' to do it) this would represent a huge departure from the organization's role as we understand it today." (Related: When the war in Ukraine first began, Ukraine asked ICANN to disconnect all Russian websites and DNS.) 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. Internet 2.0 a censorship nightmare Utilizing "the structure already created by ICANN," The EU DisinfoLab is urging ICANN to basically police the entire internet in search of anything the powers the be (TPTB) consider as "disinformation." Doing this, the group argues, would require a "minimal amount of diligence and cooperation" from registries. The purpose of all this would be to have ICANN determine which websites are unacceptable, meaning their domain names would be revoked. The entire internet worldwide would be affected by such a change. The cover story TPTB are using to try to justify such a drastic change is that "disinformation doppelganger" sites, which are sites that try to mimic "trusted news sites" with similar names or formatting, are getting too out of hand and must be stopped. Since ICANN is the top authority for both website domain names and DNS registration, the group would be allowed, under the new scheme, to revoke entire websites that are deemed to be spreading some kind of "misinformation." Truth be told, ICANN was already doing something similar during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "pandemic." Domain names containing the word "covid," along with other related terms, were probed to see if they were trying to use such keywords to mask phishing or malware proliferation operations. In other words, it was not yet about trying to "moderate" any content related to COVID. What is being proposed now, conversely, is a type of moderation format in which ICANN would have the authority to strike entire website domains found guilty of spreading disinformation. The EU DisinfoLab wants ICANN to use a system called DNSTICR to report "genuinely open-and-shut (disinformation) cases" to registrars for removal. The question is: Who gets to decide what an "open-and-shut disinformation case" actually is? One possibility is that registries or registrars could "grant media trade associations 'trusted notifier' status, though this, too, would be arbitrarily decided in that there is no established framework for deciding who gets "trusted notifier" status. What this all amounts to is everything George Orwell warned the world about many decades ago: a ministry of truth control grid that expands the entire world, regulating everything people say and do in this case online. More related news can be found at Tyranny.news. Sources for this article include: ReclaimTheNet.org NaturalNews.com Iran strikes Israel as region plunges into escalation cycle that could end in NUCLEAR WAR The following are important highlights about the current escalation in the Middle East. This is actually the outline I wrote for my emergency podcast, which will be published at the HR Report channel on Brighteon.com . (It is now available at this link on Brighteon.com .) The sources for this information include both western news publishers (Reuters) as well as Al Jazeera, RT and Middle East Eye. Here's my current assessment of where we are: - Iran launched an estimated 300+ drones and missiles at mostly rural military targets in Israel, deliberately avoiding civilian targets. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) releases a statement: In response to the crime of the Zionist regime in the attack on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, the IRGC air force hit certain targets in the territories of the Zionist regime with dozens of drones and missiles. - Panic buying of food and supplies across Israel, including Tel Aviv. - Iran says this is the conclusion of its response to Israels April 1 attack on Irans consulate building in Damascus. - Iran has a right to respond to Israels violent April 1 attack, under UN Charter, Article 51: (https://legal.un.org/repertory/art51.shtml) Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of collective or individual self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations... - Israel provoked Iran with its illegal missile strike against Irans consulate building in Damascus, Syria, on April 1, killing several high-ranking Iranian military leaders. This was an act of war by Israel. 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 U.S. and UN utterly failed to condemn Israels illegal and highly destabilizing April 1 attack on Damascus, confirming that western nations will never hold Israel accountable to any rule of law, any conventions, treaties or UN demands. Had western nations condemned Israel, Iran says it would not have deemed its response necessary. - When the west claims Iran is escalating war in the region, this is a dishonest assessment. Israel escalated the war by provoking Iran in the first place. Iran responded with a very measured, limited response, not an escalatory wave. - Israels claim of intercepting 99% of Irans incoming drones and missiles is, of course, complete propaganda. The first wave accomplished exactly what Iran had planned: Forcing Israel to use up its anti-air defense munitions, knowing the U.S. cant replace them in a timely manner. - Iran now claims to have disabled some portion of Israels Iron Dome defense systems through cyber hacking (unverified). - Israel now says it plans to retaliate against Iran for Irans retaliation against Israels April 1 attack. This means Israel is now escalating the conflict even further, which is exactly what Israel hoped to achieve. - Israel has already begun to launch missile attacks on Tehran, with several explosions reported. - In provoking Iran, Israel hopes to sweep the United States into a war with Iran so that U.S. soldiers will die for Israel and Iran will be weakened by U.S. military attacks. - Irans first wave of attacks was very limited, but if pushed by another escalation from Israel, Iran may increase the firepower of its attacks and begin targeting key Israeli infrastructure. - If the U.S. gets involved in attacking Iran, Russia says it cannot stand by and do nothing, and will have to come to the aid of Iran in terms of military defense. - Russian fighter jets are now running Combat Air Patrol missions in Iraq, in order to intercept any U.S. fighters or bombers that might enter the area to attack Iran. - If this escalation continues, given the sociopathic leaders of Israel, there is a very real risk that Israel could attempt to unleash nuclear weapons. If this occurs, Iran is the likely target, as well as Damascus, Syria. Should Israel unleash nuclear weapons, Russia is almost certain to begin retaliating against Israel with its own nuclear weapons which are delivered via hypersonic missiles for which there is no western defense. - The U.S. Navy is highly vulnerable to Russias nuclear weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles which are nuclear capable. Just one nuclear strike could sink multiple U.S. Navy vessels and end U.S. Navy dominance in the region. - It is rumored that Iran already possesses nuclear weapons and may be prepared to use them against Israel if Iran believes it is facing an existential threat. - Pakistan also has nuclear weapons and could deliver those weapons to Turkey, if Turkey were to be brought into the conflict. - A date has been announced for the red heifer sacrifice in Jerusalem. It is April 22nd. Should this sacrifice occur, it will set off a region-wide revolt among Muslims who see Zionists as trying to pursue biblical acceleration of their apocalypse that zionists believe will see God save Israel from Russia and the Muslims. (Basically all the worst parts of the End Times described in the Bible.) - Iran is capable of blocking the Straight of Hormuz and effectively cutting of much of the worlds oil supply. - Gold will skyrocket. Oil will skyrocket. - Take this opportunity to get prepared with all the obvious supplies: Food, iodine, emergency comms systems (sat phones, radio, etc.). - Our emergency backup comms channel is Brightion.io, described here: This week we announced the launch of the revolutionary Brighteon.io. Why revolutionary? Because it is a decentralized, peer-to-peer (P2P), uncensorable, non-confiscatable social media content platform with no hosting servers at all. The entire platform, which is based on the open source code of Bastyon.com, runs across hundreds of traffic nodes located around the world, relying on traffic to be shared by 1+ million users all over the globe. The entire platform is uncensorable. It cannot be taken down by any government or law enforcement entity. And when you run the P2P app (available at this link), your traffic no longer needs domain name resolution, meaning even if global DNS is taken down (the "internet kill switch"), Brighteon.io will continue to function through the free apps. (Windows, Android APK and Linux available now, Mac and iPhone coming later.) Because of its incredible resilience and decentralized structure, Brighteon.io is our emergency comms channel. If you want to be able to keep in touch when the internet kill switch is activated, this is the way to do it. Follow me there at https://brighteon.io/healthranger Listen to the full podcast here: Brighteon: Brighteon.com/d4292959-7444-44fd-9dbb-4f8bfaf67cfc Rumble: Rumble.com/v4peuiz-bbn-apr-14-2023-emergency-alert-iran-strikes-israel-as-region-plunges-into-.html Bitchute: Bitchute.com/video/BaHfqflJRMo6/ Banned.Video: Banned.video/watch?id=661bdb5d71a5850a31cc3d67 iTunes podcast: Healthrangerreport.com/brighteon-broadcast-news-apr-14-2023-emergency-alert-iran-strikes-israel-as-region-plunges-into-escalation-cycle-that-could-end-in-nuclear-war War on Gaza: Israeli commander behind aid worker killings had demanded siege of Gaza The Israeli commander responsible for an attack on foreign aid workers in Gaza had advocated for a total blockade on aid entering the besieged Palestinian territory, according to a report by a British media outlet. (Article republished from MiddleEastEye.net) An article by the Telegraph said Nochi Mandel, the chief of staff of the Nahal Infantry Brigade, was a signatory to an open letter published in January, which called on Israels government to deprive Gaza of all aid. Mandel, who lives in an illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank, was one of 130 officers who signed the letter, the newspaper reported. On 1 April, the Israeli army launched a series of drone strikes on a convoy of cars belonging to World Central Kitchen (WCK), an aid group working with western backers to feed Gazas besieged population. The attack killed seven people, including a Palestinian and citizens from Poland, Australia, and the United Kingdom, as well as a dual Canadian-American national. The killings sparked widespread international condemnation and several of Israels western allies faced calls to restrict or stop arms sales to the state. Mandel was one of two Israeli officers later dismissed from their roles over the attack, which Israel claims was a mistake. The most senior IDF commander responsible for the Israeli drone strike, which killed seven aid workers in Gaza, had previously urged Israeli military leaders to stop all humanitarian supplies to Gaza Colonel (Res) Nochi Mandel, the chief of staff of the Nahal Infantry Brigade, pic.twitter.com/rWi0ZT6m5Q Peter Cronau (@PeterCronau) April 12, 2024 The Telegraph report cites British legal expert and barrister Michael Mansfield, who said that Mandels inclusion in the letter must be taken into consideration in any investigation into the killings. He said the letter was not indicating that the target of the Israeli army is primarily Hamas but Gaza as a whole by weaponising aid under siege conditions". Car by car Shortly after the attack, the founder of WCK, Jose Andres, told the Reuters news agency that the Israeli assault had systematically targeted the aid workers car by car". Andres said that WCK maintained transparent communication with the Israeli military, adding that the army was informed about the movements of his staff. This was not a "bad luck situation where, 'oops,' we dropped the bomb in the wrong place," Andres said. "Even if we were not in coordination with the [Israel army], no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians." Since Israel began its campaign in Gaza, restricting food supplies to the territory has been one of its primary military strategies. A total siege was forced upon Gaza early in the conflict but later limited amounts of aid were allowed in after pressure from Israels western backers. As of early April, Human Rights Watch reported that at least 32 people, including 27 children, had died of starvation in Gaza. In total Israel has killed more than 33,600 Palestinians in Gaza since 7 October. US officials say 25,000 of those killed were women. Read more at: MiddleEastEye.net HYPOCRITE: As Macron threatens to send troops to Ukraine, France purchases 600 million euros worth of Russian gas In the first three months of 2024, France purchased 600 million euros ($639 million) worth of Russian natural gas even as President Emmanuel Macron repeatedly threatened Russia with the prospect of deploying French troops in Ukraine. This is according to data analyzed by the Finnish think tank, the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, which found that Russian liquefied natural gas deliveries to France grew more than to any other country in the European Union in the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period last year. (Related: Russia claims France is readying deployment of 2,000 troops to Ukraine.) CREA's report found that Paris paid over 600 million euros to the Kremlin for gas supplies at the same time Macron loudly positioned himself as one of Ukraine's staunchest defenders in Europe, even going so far as to lobby other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for support for his plan to send troops to Ukraine. In one of his latest statements made late last month, Macron repeated his assertion that France would not rule out sending troops to Ukraine. He even called on fellow NATO members to not be "cowards." Nine other EU nations guilty of increasing their purchases of Russian gas France's renewed interest in Russian natural gas has led to calls for the country to clamp down on its rising purchases. "It cannot be that France, on the one hand, says that we have to be harsh with Russia and on the other hand, is paying them off with big money," said one diplomat from an EU nation who spoke with Politico on condition of anonymity. 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 French government has insisted that its gas purchases are necessary to keep supplies flowing to households across the country and that it is locked into long-term agreements with Russia that are far too legally complex for Paris to escape. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire further argued that ending France's reliance on Russian gas should be done "gradually to avoid a too-brutal impact on the market" and price spikes. Critics counter-argue that France could do so much more to reduce the bloc's purchases, arguing that its inaction is partly due to its unwillingness to combat the highly influential Big Oil company TotalEnergies. "This isn't an easy topic," said one official within the French energy ministry. "If we continue to pay for gas we do not import, there is no point," they added, referring to the long-term contracts that TotalEnergies has signed which force it to buy gas from Russia. France is not the only European nation guilty of increasing its gas purchases from Moscow, highlighting the EU's flagging efforts to stamp out Russia's fossil fuel revenues, which account for nearly half of the Kremlin's budget. At least nine other EU nations have either maintained their level of Russian LNG purchases or have increased it. They are, in order of how much LNG they imported in quarter one of 2024, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Italy and Portugal. France leads the pack with around 1.54 million tons of Russian LNG purchased, followed closely by Belgium with 1.53 million tons and Spain with 1.17 million tons purchased. Watch this clip of Russian State Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy warning that the Russian Armed Forces will deal with any and all French soldiers who appear on Ukrainian soil. This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Macron's suggestion of NATO deploying troops to Ukraine receives little support. Spanish newspaper claims NATO troops are ACTIVE in Ukraine. Macron, who already has no credibility, warns a Russian victory "will reduce Europe's credibility to ZERO." Macron doubles down on possibility of deploying NATO troops to Ukraine. Slovakia's PM reveals NATO, EU states still considering sending troops to Ukraine. Sources include: RMX.com Politico.eu Brighteon.com Dr. Mercola brands Google as a surveillance agency and shares some tips on how to DE-GOOGLE According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, Google is a "surveillance agency" thus, he also shared how people can "de-Google" their lives. The osteopathic physician argued that the "powers" of the Mountain View, California-based technology company "pose several threats to society." He continued: "First of all, its a surveillance agency with significant yet hidden surveillance powers. It's also a censoring agency with the ability to restrict or block access to websites across the internet, thus deciding what people can and cannot see in order to manipulate public opinion." According to Mercola, "Google also has the power to manipulate public opinion through search rankings and other means." The resulting "shifts in thinking" produced by this manipulation are "both rapid and enormous." To bolster his point, the natural medicine advocate cited two instances of how the search engine giant used its influence against him. Back in September 2017, Mercola discussed Google's partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). According to him, the depression assessment quiz by Google and NAMI was a drug promotion scam sponsored by drug manufacturer Eli Lilly. "No matter how you answered the questions, you were a candidate for antidepressants," Mercola revealed. In the summer of 2019, Google removed his website Mercola.com from coming up in any keyword search unless the doctor's name was also typed into the query. This led to Mercola himself pushing back against the tech giant. (Related: Dr. Mercola reveals how Google and Wikipedia tag team to censor natural health websites while promoting Big Pharma and processed junk food.) 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. In 2020, Mercola.com became one of the first websites to purposely block Google from indexing its articles and breaking news blog posts. Prior to this, the website stopped using Google Analytics in 2018. Mercola also took the opportunity to urge other sites to follow suit. "Nearly every non-major website is using Google's 'free' analytics program as well as its advertising platforms. Alas, those services are not actually free. Ultimately, you pay for them with your personal data as that is the product Google sells," he said. "Collectively, all of these sites are stealing an enormous amount of your private information. We can be successful without surveillance monopolies, and businesses and individuals need to unite to do everything we can to stop their dangerous privacy theft and data mining." Mercola shares ways on how to DE-GOOGLE "Most of you are well aware that I've had concerns about the surveillance capitalists, spearheaded by Google, for a number of years," said Mercola. "The influence of Google is so vast yet so hidden that most people simply have no idea just how controlled they actually are." Despite this pessimism, the natural health advocate said it is possible to break free from the clutches of evil Google. He shared several ways to do so: Ditch your Android mobile phone "I strongly encourage you to ditch all Android phones and use an iPhone that has better privacy policies," Mercola explained. "I strongly encourage you to ditch all Android phones and use an iPhone that has better privacy policies," Mercola explained. Swap out your browser Mercola suggested using the Brave or Opera browsers, instead of Google Chrome. Mercola suggested using the Brave or Opera browsers, instead of Google Chrome. Switch your search engine He exhorted the public to stop using Google Search, Bing or Yahoo Search (the latter two draw their results from Google). Instead, those that offer privacy such as Presearch, Startpage, DuckDuckGo, Qwant and many others are far better choices. He exhorted the public to stop using Google Search, Bing or Yahoo Search (the latter two draw their results from Google). Instead, those that offer privacy such as Presearch, Startpage, DuckDuckGo, Qwant and many others are far better choices. Use a secure email and document-sharing service Americans should close their Gmail accounts in favor of a more secure email service like ProtonMail. Google Docs isn't the only document-sharing service around, as better options are available like ZohoOffice, OnlyOffice or Nuclino. Americans should close their Gmail accounts in favor of a more secure email service like ProtonMail. Google Docs isn't the only document-sharing service around, as better options are available like ZohoOffice, OnlyOffice or Nuclino. Avoid websites that use Google Analytics According to Mercola, websites are required to disclose if they use a third-party surveillance tool. If a site uses Google Analytics, the public should ask it to switch. According to Mercola, websites are required to disclose if they use a third-party surveillance tool. If a site uses Google Analytics, the public should ask it to switch. Delete all Google apps from your phone and purge Google hardware the tech giant can access cameras and other functions on mobile phones without the need to ask users' permission, Mercola revealed. the tech giant can access cameras and other functions on mobile phones without the need to ask users' permission, Mercola revealed. Don't use Google Home and Fitbit devices Using Google Home devices allows the Big Tech firm to access and take over your home. This prohibition also extends to Fitbit, which Google acquired in January 2021, as it allows the company to obtain important health data. Visit EvilGoogle.news for more news about Google. Watch Clayton and Natali Morris discuss Google admitting to censoring elections below. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Google already RIGGING 2024 election by making Republican candidates, RFK Jr. INVISIBLE in search results. Google Cloud launches AI-powered anti-money laundering tool for banks, paving the way for Orwellian financial surveillance. Google plans to develop AI systems specifically for CENSORSHIP enforcement. Sources include: Expose-News.com Brighteon.com More than 13,000 people are missing in Gaza as bodies pile up beneath the rubble The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor reports that more than 13,000 Palestinians have gone missing since Israeli forces entered the Gaza Strip last October. Some of the people who are unaccounted for are believed to be trapped beneath the rubble of the many buildings that Israeli airstrikes have destroyed. There are also numerous unmarked mass graves in the enclave filling up with bodies. However, it is challenging to determine the real number of missing people as Israeli forces continue to attack Gaza. Although some people may have turned up after their loved ones filed reports, many more go missing each day, and countless Palestinians are unable to file reports amid the ongoing turmoil. The International Committee of the Red Cross, for example, has recorded more than 7,000 missing person cases since the conflict broke out in Gaza. Euro-Med is calling for urgent international action to provide specialized teams and equipment to remove the rubble of homes and buildings bombed by Israeli army forces, rescue people trapped under its rubble who may still be alive, and recover thousands of bodies of others who died underneath since the start of the military attack on October 7. Some of the missing people in Gaza have likely been detained by Israeli forces, giving their loved ones some hope that they could still be alive. A lawyer for the NGO Adammeer said they believe there could be 1,000 people imprisoned without being charged or their families being notified. More than 33,000 have been killed so far in Gaza, many of whom were women and children. However, widespread airstrikes and artillery bombardments have left full blocks of apartments flattened, burying people in the process whose deaths are therefore unrecorded. In some cases, people have no choice but to place the bodies of strangers in makeshift graves without any way of identifying them and informing their families. 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. Numerous families have been separated One man told The Guardian how he got separated from his wife and 2-year-old daughter in January. 36-year-old Raji Kamal Kaleel explained: When the bombardment intensified on our neighbourhood, we decided to flee to a UN shelter, but on the way there was a big airstrike, and the whole area was filled with black smoke. We couldnt see each other so all of us ran in different directions. Although he managed to find his older son, daughter, and mother, he hasnt seen his wife and toddler since then. I lost my closest friend and the mother of my children. Nothing will ever compare. My life cant continue without her. And I also lost my little daughter, a part of my heart. People tell me their bodies were vaporised or buried under the ruins, but I still have hope, he added. The forcible displacement of Palestinians by Israeli forces has separated numerous families. The situation has been especially unfavorable for the elderly and those with disabilities; some people fear that loved ones with poor vision or hearing may have been unable to get out of harms way or even killed by Israeli forces for failing to follow commands. Following the withdrawal of Israeli troops last weekend from parts of the Strip, some displaced families went back to their homes in places like Khan Yunis, only to discover that their houses have been decimated. There are reports of dozens of bodies trapped beneath the rubble, and some are concerned that there could be people who are still alive and need to be rescued. On April 9, hundreds of bodies were recovered near Al-Shifa Medical Complex following a relentless two-week attack that left much of the hospital's facilities destroyed. Many of them were decomposed, which will make identifying all of them nearly impossible and could cause diseases to spread. Sources for this article include: TheCradle.co TheGuardian.com Source: Mina Naguib http://mina.naguib.ca/blog/2012/10/22/the-little-ssh-that-sometimes-couldnt.html Preface This is a technical article chronicling one of the most interesting bug hunts Ive had the pleasure of chasing down. At AdGear Technologies Inc. where I work, ssh is king. We use it for management, monitoring, deployments, log file harvesting, even real-time event streaming. Its solid, reliable, has all the predictability of a native unix tool, and just works. Until one day, random cron emails started flowing about it not working. The timeout The machines in our London data center were randomly failing to send their log files to our data machines in our Montreal data center. This job is initiated periodically from cron, and the failure manifested itself as: cron emails stating that the ssh was unsuccessful Sometimes hangs Sometimes exits with a timeout error nagios warnings down the line for in-house sanity checks detecting the missing data in Montreal We logged into the London machines, manually run the push command, and it worked successfully. We brushed it off as temporary network partitions. The timeouts But the failures kept popping up randomly. Once a day, a couple of times a day, then one Friday morning, several times an hour. It was clear somethings getting worse. We kept up with manually pushing the files until we figure out what the problem was. There were 17 hops between London and Montreal. We built a profile of latency and packet loss for them, and found that a couple were losing 1-3% of packets. We filed a ticket with our London DC ops to route away from them. While London DC ops were verifying the packet loss, we started seeing random timeouts from London to our SECOND data center in Montreal, and hops to that data center did not share the same routes we observed the packet loss at. We concluded packet loss is not the main problem around the same time London DC ops replied saying theyre not able to replicate the packet loss or timeouts and that everything looked healthy on their end. The revelation While manually keeping up with failed cron uploads, we noticed an interesting pattern. A file transfer either succeeded at a high speed, or didnt succeed at all and hung/timed out. There were no instances of a file uploading slowly and finishing successfully. Removing the large volume of data from the equation, we were able to recreate the scenario via simple vanilla ssh. On a London machine an ssh mtl-machine would either work immediately, or hang and never establish a connection. Eyebrows started going up. Where the wild packets are We triple-checked the ssh server configs and health in Montreal: DNS servers were responding fast DNS reverse lookup was not enabled Maximum client connections was high enough We were not under attack Bandwidth usage was nowhere near saturation Besides, even if something was off, we were observing the hangs talking to 2 completely distinct data centers in Montreal. Furthermore, our other data centers (non-London) were talking happily to Montreal. Something about London was off. We fired up tcpdump and started looking at the packets, both in summary and in captured pcaps loaded into wireshark. We saw telltale signs of packet loss and retransmission, but it was minimal and not particularly worrisome. We then captured full connections from cases where ssh established successfully, and full connections from cases where the ssh connection hung. Heres what we logically saw when a connection from London to Montreal hung: Normal TCP handshake Bunch of ssh-specific back and forth, with normal TCP ack packets where they should be A particular packet sent from London and received in Montreal The same packet re-sent (and re-sent, several times) from London and received in Montreal Montreals just not responding to it! It didnt make sense why Montreal was not responding (hence London re-transmitting it). The connection was stalled at this point, as the layer 4 protocol was at a stalemate. More infuriatingly, if you kill the ssh attempt in London and re-launched it immediately, odds are it worked successfully. When it did, tcpdump showed Montreal receiving the packet but responding to it, and things moved on. We enabled verbose debugging (-vvv) on the ssh client in London, and the hang occurred after it logged: debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0 debug2: mac_setup: found hmac-md5 debug1: kex: server->client aes128-ctr hmac-md5 none debug2: mac_setup: found hmac-md5 debug1: kex: client->server aes128-ctr hmac-md5 none debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REQUEST(1024<1024<8192) sent debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_GROUP Googling ssh hang SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_GROUP has many results from bad WiFi, to windows TCP bugs, to buggy routers discarding TCP fragments. One solution for LANs was to figure out the paths MSS and set that as the MTU on both ends. I kept decrementing the MTU on a London server down from 1500 it didnt help until I hit the magic value 576. At that point, I was no longer able to get the ssh hanging behavior replicated. I had an ssh loop script running, and it was on-demand that I could cause timeouts by bringing the MTU back up to 1500, or make them disappear by setting it to 576. Unfortunately these are public ad servers and globally setting the MTU to 1500 wont cut it, but the above did suggest that perhaps packet fragmentation or reassembly is broken somewhere. Going back to check the received packets with tcpdump, there was no evidence of fragmentation. The received packet size matched exactly the packet size sent. If something did fragment the packet at byte 576+, something else reassembled it successfully. Twinkle twinkle little mis-shapen star Digging in some more, I was now looking at full packet dumps (tcpdump -s 0 -X) instead of just the headers. Comparing that magic packet in instances of ssh success vs ssh hang showed very little difference aside from TCP/IP header variations. It was however clear that this is the first packet in the TCP connection that had enough data to bypass the 576-byte mark all previous packets were much smaller. Comparing the same packet, during a hanging instance, as it left London, and as captured in Montreal, something caught my eye. Something very subtle, and I brushed it off as fatigue (it was late Friday at this point), but sure enough after a few refreshes and comparisons, I wasnt imagining things. Heres the packet as it left London (minus the first few bytes identifying the IP addresses): 0x0040: 0b7c aecc 1774 b770 ad92 0000 00b7 6563 .|...t.p......ec 0x0050: 6468 2d73 6861 322d 6e69 7374 7032 3536 dh-sha2-nistp256 0x0060: 2c65 6364 682d 7368 6132 2d6e 6973 7470 ,ecdh-sha2-nistp 0x0070: 3338 342c 6563 6468 2d73 6861 322d 6e69 384,ecdh-sha2-ni 0x0080: 7374 7035 3231 2c64 6966 6669 652d 6865 stp521,diffie-he 0x0090: 6c6c 6d61 6e2d 6772 6f75 702d 6578 6368 llman-group-exch 0x00a0: 616e 6765 2d73 6861 3235 362c 6469 6666 ange-sha256,diff 0x00b0: 6965 2d68 656c 6c6d 616e 2d67 726f 7570 ie-hellman-group 0x00c0: 2d65 7863 6861 6e67 652d 7368 6131 2c64 -exchange-sha1,d 0x00d0: 6966 6669 652d 6865 6c6c 6d61 6e2d 6772 iffie-hellman-gr 0x00e0: 6f75 7031 342d 7368 6131 2c64 6966 6669 oup14-sha1,diffi 0x00f0: 652d 6865 6c6c 6d61 6e2d 6772 6f75 7031 e-hellman-group1 0x0100: 2d73 6861 3100 0000 2373 7368 2d72 7361 -sha1...#ssh-rsa 0x0110: 2c73 7368 2d64 7373 2c65 6364 7361 2d73 ,ssh-dss,ecdsa-s 0x0120: 6861 322d 6e69 7374 7032 3536 0000 009d ha2-nistp256.... 0x0130: 6165 7331 3238 2d63 7472 2c61 6573 3139 aes128-ctr,aes19 0x0140: 322d 6374 722c 6165 7332 3536 2d63 7472 2-ctr,aes256-ctr 0x0150: 2c61 7263 666f 7572 3235 362c 6172 6366 ,arcfour256,arcf 0x0160: 6f75 7231 3238 2c61 6573 3132 382d 6362 our128,aes128-cb 0x0170: 632c 3364 6573 2d63 6263 2c62 6c6f 7766 c,3des-cbc,blowf 0x0180: 6973 682d 6362 632c 6361 7374 3132 382d ish-cbc,cast128- 0x0190: 6362 632c 6165 7331 3932 2d63 6263 2c61 cbc,aes192-cbc,a 0x01a0: 6573 3235 362d 6362 632c 6172 6366 6f75 es256-cbc,arcfou 0x01b0: 722c 7269 6a6e 6461 656c 2d63 6263 406c r,rijndael-cbc@l 0x01c0: 7973 6174 6f72 2e6c 6975 2e73 6500 0000 ysator.liu.se... 0x01d0: 9d61 6573 3132 382d 6374 722c 6165 7331 .aes128-ctr,aes1 0x01e0: 3932 2d63 7472 2c61 6573 3235 362d 6374 92-ctr,aes256-ct 0x01f0: 722c 6172 6366 6f75 7232 3536 2c61 7263 r,arcfour256,arc 0x0200: 666f 7572 3132 382c 6165 7331 3238 2d63 four128,aes128-c 0x0210: 6263 2c33 6465 732d 6362 632c 626c 6f77 bc,3des-cbc,blow 0x0220: 6669 7368 2d63 6263 2c63 6173 7431 3238 fish-cbc,cast128 0x0230: 2d63 6263 2c61 6573 3139 322d 6362 632c -cbc,aes192-cbc, 0x0240: 6165 7332 3536 2d63 6263 2c61 7263 666f aes256-cbc,arcfo 0x0250: 7572 2c72 696a 6e64 6165 6c2d 6362 6340 ur,rijndael-cbc@ 0x0260: 6c79 7361 746f 722e 6c69 752e 7365 0000 lysator.liu.se.. 0x0270: 00a7 686d 6163 2d6d 6435 2c68 6d61 632d ..hmac-md5,hmac- 0x0280: 7368 6131 2c75 6d61 632d 3634 406f 7065 sha1,umac-64@ope 0x0290: 6e73 7368 2e63 6f6d 2c68 6d61 632d 7368 nssh.com,hmac-sh 0x02a0: 6132 2d32 3536 2c68 6d61 632d 7368 6132 a2-256,hmac-sha2 0x02b0: 2d32 3536 2d39 362c 686d 6163 2d73 6861 -256-96,hmac-sha 0x02c0: 322d 3531 322c 686d 6163 2d73 6861 322d 2-512,hmac-sha2- 0x02d0: 3531 322d 3936 2c68 6d61 632d 7269 7065 512-96,hmac-ripe 0x02e0: 6d64 3136 302c 686d 6163 2d72 6970 656d md160,hmac-ripem 0x02f0: 6431 3630 406f 7065 6e73 7368 2e63 6f6d d160@openssh.com 0x0300: 2c68 6d61 632d 7368 6131 2d39 362c 686d ,hmac-sha1-96,hm 0x0310: 6163 2d6d 6435 2d39 3600 0000 a768 6d61 ac-md5-96....hma 0x0320: 632d 6d64 352c 686d 6163 2d73 6861 312c c-md5,hmac-sha1, 0x0330: 756d 6163 2d36 3440 6f70 656e 7373 682e umac-64@openssh. 0x0340: 636f 6d2c 686d 6163 2d73 6861 322d 3235 com,hmac-sha2-25 0x0350: 362c 686d 6163 2d73 6861 322d 3235 362d 6,hmac-sha2-256- 0x0360: 3936 2c68 6d61 632d 7368 6132 2d35 3132 96,hmac-sha2-512 0x0370: 2c68 6d61 632d 7368 6132 2d35 3132 2d39 ,hmac-sha2-512-9 0x0380: 362c 686d 6163 2d72 6970 656d 6431 3630 6,hmac-ripemd160 0x0390: 2c68 6d61 632d 7269 7065 6d64 3136 3040 ,hmac-ripemd160@ 0x03a0: 6f70 656e 7373 682e 636f 6d2c 686d 6163 openssh.com,hmac 0x03b0: 2d73 6861 312d 3936 2c68 6d61 632d 6d64 -sha1-96,hmac-md 0x03c0: 352d 3936 0000 0015 6e6f 6e65 2c7a 6c69 5-96....none,zli 0x03d0: 6240 6f70 656e 7373 682e 636f 6d00 0000 b@openssh.com... 0x03e0: 156e 6f6e 652c 7a6c 6962 406f 7065 6e73 .none,zlib@opens 0x03f0: 7368 2e63 6f6d 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 sh.com.......... 0x0400: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 ............ And heres the same packet as it arrived in Montreal: 0x0040: 0b7c aecc 1774 b770 ad92 0000 00b7 6563 .|...t.p......ec 0x0050: 6468 2d73 6861 322d 6e69 7374 7032 3536 dh-sha2-nistp256 0x0060: 2c65 6364 682d 7368 6132 2d6e 6973 7470 ,ecdh-sha2-nistp 0x0070: 3338 342c 6563 6468 2d73 6861 322d 6e69 384,ecdh-sha2-ni 0x0080: 7374 7035 3231 2c64 6966 6669 652d 6865 stp521,diffie-he 0x0090: 6c6c 6d61 6e2d 6772 6f75 702d 6578 6368 llman-group-exch 0x00a0: 616e 6765 2d73 6861 3235 362c 6469 6666 ange-sha256,diff 0x00b0: 6965 2d68 656c 6c6d 616e 2d67 726f 7570 ie-hellman-group 0x00c0: 2d65 7863 6861 6e67 652d 7368 6131 2c64 -exchange-sha1,d 0x00d0: 6966 6669 652d 6865 6c6c 6d61 6e2d 6772 iffie-hellman-gr 0x00e0: 6f75 7031 342d 7368 6131 2c64 6966 6669 oup14-sha1,diffi 0x00f0: 652d 6865 6c6c 6d61 6e2d 6772 6f75 7031 e-hellman-group1 0x0100: 2d73 6861 3100 0000 2373 7368 2d72 7361 -sha1...#ssh-rsa 0x0110: 2c73 7368 2d64 7373 2c65 6364 7361 2d73 ,ssh-dss,ecdsa-s 0x0120: 6861 322d 6e69 7374 7032 3536 0000 009d ha2-nistp256.... 0x0130: 6165 7331 3238 2d63 7472 2c61 6573 3139 aes128-ctr,aes19 0x0140: 322d 6374 722c 6165 7332 3536 2d63 7472 2-ctr,aes256-ctr 0x0150: 2c61 7263 666f 7572 3235 362c 6172 6366 ,arcfour256,arcf 0x0160: 6f75 7231 3238 2c61 6573 3132 382d 6362 our128,aes128-cb 0x0170: 632c 3364 6573 2d63 6263 2c62 6c6f 7766 c,3des-cbc,blowf 0x0180: 6973 682d 6362 632c 6361 7374 3132 382d ish-cbc,cast128- 0x0190: 6362 632c 6165 7331 3932 2d63 6263 2c61 cbc,aes192-cbc,a 0x01a0: 6573 3235 362d 6362 632c 6172 6366 6f75 es256-cbc,arcfou 0x01b0: 722c 7269 6a6e 6461 656c 2d63 6263 406c r,rijndael-cbc@l 0x01c0: 7973 6174 6f72 2e6c 6975 2e73 6500 0000 ysator.liu.se... 0x01d0: 9d61 6573 3132 382d 6374 722c 6165 7331 .aes128-ctr,aes1 0x01e0: 3932 2d63 7472 2c61 6573 3235 362d 6374 92-ctr,aes256-ct 0x01f0: 722c 6172 6366 6f75 7232 3536 2c61 7263 r,arcfour256,arc 0x0200: 666f 7572 3132 382c 6165 7331 3238 2d63 four128,aes128-c 0x0210: 6263 2c33 6465 732d 6362 632c 626c 6f77 bc,3des-cbc,blow 0x0220: 6669 7368 2d63 6263 2c63 6173 7431 3238 fish-cbc,cast128 0x0230: 2d63 6263 2c61 6573 3139 322d 6362 632c -cbc,aes192-cbc, 0x0240: 6165 7332 3536 2d63 6263 2c61 7263 666f aes256-cbc,arcfo 0x0250: 7572 2c72 696a 6e64 6165 6c2d 6362 7340 ur,rijndael-cbs@ 0x0260: 6c79 7361 746f 722e 6c69 752e 7365 1000 lysator.liu.se.. 0x0270: 00a7 686d 6163 2d6d 6435 2c68 6d61 732d ..hmac-md5,hmas- 0x0280: 7368 6131 2c75 6d61 632d 3634 406f 7065 sha1,umac-64@ope 0x0290: 6e73 7368 2e63 6f6d 2c68 6d61 632d 7368 nssh.com,hmac-sh 0x02a0: 6132 2d32 3536 2c68 6d61 632d 7368 7132 a2-256,hmac-shq2 0x02b0: 2d32 3536 2d39 362c 686d 6163 2d73 7861 -256-96,hmac-sxa 0x02c0: 322d 3531 322c 686d 6163 2d73 6861 322d 2-512,hmac-sha2- 0x02d0: 3531 322d 3936 2c68 6d61 632d 7269 7065 512-96,hmac-ripe 0x02e0: 6d64 3136 302c 686d 6163 2d72 6970 756d md160,hmac-ripum 0x02f0: 6431 3630 406f 7065 6e73 7368 2e63 7f6d d160@openssh.c.m 0x0300: 2c68 6d61 632d 7368 6131 2d39 362c 786d ,hmac-sha1-96,xm 0x0310: 6163 2d6d 6435 2d39 3600 0000 a768 7d61 ac-md5-96....h}a 0x0320: 632d 6d64 352c 686d 6163 2d73 6861 312c c-md5,hmac-sha1, 0x0330: 756d 6163 2d36 3440 6f70 656e 7373 782e umac-64@openssx. 0x0340: 636f 6d2c 686d 6163 2d73 6861 322d 3235 com,hmac-sha2-25 0x0350: 362c 686d 6163 2d73 6861 322d 3235 362d 6,hmac-sha2-256- 0x0360: 3936 2c68 6d61 632d 7368 6132 2d35 3132 96,hmac-sha2-512 0x0370: 2c68 6d61 632d 7368 6132 2d35 3132 3d39 ,hmac-sha2-512=9 0x0380: 362c 686d 6163 2d72 6970 656d 6431 3630 6,hmac-ripemd160 0x0390: 2c68 6d61 632d 7269 7065 6d64 3136 3040 ,hmac-ripemd160@ 0x03a0: 6f70 656e 7373 682e 636f 6d2c 686d 7163 openssh.com,hmqc 0x03b0: 2d73 6861 312d 3936 2c68 6d61 632d 7d64 -sha1-96,hmac-}d 0x03c0: 352d 3936 0000 0015 6e6f 6e65 2c7a 7c69 5-96....none,z|i 0x03d0: 6240 6f70 656e 7373 682e 636f 6d00 0000 b@openssh.com... 0x03e0: 156e 6f6e 652c 7a6c 6962 406f 7065 6e73 .none,zlib@opens 0x03f0: 7368 2e63 6f6d 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 sh.com.......... 0x0400: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 ............ Did something there catch your eye ? If not, I dont blame you. Feel free to copy each into a text editor and rapidly switch back-and-forth to see some characters dance. Well well well. Its not packet loss, its packet corruption! Very subtle, very predictable packet corruption. Some interesting notes: The lower part of the packet (<576 bytes) is unaffected The affected portion is predictably corrupted on the 15th byte of every 16 The corruption is predictable. All instances of h become x, all instances of c become s Some readers might have already checked ASCII charts and reached the conclusion: Theres a single bit statically stuck at 1 somewhere. Flipping the 4th bit in a byte to 1 would reliably corrupt the above letters on the left side to the value on the right side. The obvious culprits within our control (NIC cards, receiving machines) are not suspect due to the pattern of failure observed (several London machines Several Montreal data centers and machines). Its got to be something upstream and close to London. Going back to validate, things started to make sense. I also noticed a little hint in tcpdump verbose mode (tcp cksum bad) which was missed before. A Montreal machine receiving this packet discarded it at the kernel level after realizing its corrupt, never passing it to the userland ssh daemon. London then re-transmitted it, going through the same corruption, getting the same silent treatment. From ssh and sshds perspective, the connection was at a stalemate. From tcpdumps perspective, there was no loss, and Montreal machines appeared to be just ignoring data. We sent these findings to our London DC ops, and within a few minutes they changed outbound routes dramatically. The first router hop, and most hops afterwards, were different. The hanging problem disappeared. Late Friday night fixes are nice because you can relax and not carry problems and support staff into the weekend :) Wheres Waldo Happy that we were no longer suffering from this problem and that our systems are caught up with the backlog, I decided Id try my hand at actually finding the device causing the corruption. Having the London routes updated to not go through the old path meant that I couldnt reproduce the problem easily. I asked around until I found a friend with a FreeBSD box in Montreal I could use, which was still accessed through the old routes from London. Next, I wanted to make sure that the corruption is predictable even without ssh involvement. This was trivially proven with a few pipes. In Montreal: nc -l -p 4000 > /dev/null Then in London: cat /dev/zero | nc mtl 4000 Again, accounting for the randomness factor and settings things up in a retry loop, I got a few packets which remove any doubt about the previous conclusions. Heres part of one remember that were sending just a stream of nulls: 0x0210 ..... 0x0220 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 ................ 0x0230 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 ................ 0x0240 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 ................ 0x0250 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0260 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0270 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0280 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0290 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x02a0 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x02b0 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x02c0 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x02d0 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x02e0 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x02f0 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0300 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0310 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0320 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0330 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0340 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0350 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0360 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0370 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0380 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x0390 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x03a0 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x03b0 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x03c0 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 ................ 0x03d0 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 ................ 0x03e0 ..... With the bug replicated, I needed to find a way to isolate which of the 17 hops along that path cause the corruption. There was simply no way to call up the provider of each cluster to ask them to check their systems. I decided pinging each router, incrementally, might be the way to go. I crafted special ICMP packets that are large enough to go over the 576 safety margin, and filled entirely with NULLs. Then pinged the Montreal machine with them from London. They came back perfectly normal. There was no corruption. I tried all variations of speed, padding, size to no avail. I simply could not observe corruption in the returned ICMP ping packets. I replaced the netcat pipes with UDP instead of TCP. Again there was no corruption. The corruption needed TCP to be reproducible and TCP needs 2 cooperating endpoints. I tried in vain to see if all the routers had an open TCP port I can talk to directly, to no avail. It seemed there was no easy way an external party can pinpoint the bad apple. Or was there ? Mirror mirror on the wall To detect whether corruption occurred or not, we need one of these scenarios: Control over the TCP peer were talking to inspect the packet at the destination Not just in userland, where the packet would not get delivered if the TCP checksum failed, but root + tcpdump to inspect it as it arrives A TCP peer that acts as an echo server to mirror back the data it received, so we get inspect it at the sending node and detect corruption there It suddenly occurred to me that the second data point is available to us. Not per-se, but consider this: In our very first taste of the problem, we observed ssh clients hanging when talking to ssh servers over the corrupting hop. This is a good passive signal that we can use instead of the active echo signal. and there are lots of open ssh servers out there on the internet to help us out. We dont need actual accounts on these servers we just need to kickstart the ssh connection and see if the cipher exchange phase succeeds or hangs (with a reasonable number of retries to account for corruption randomness). So this plan was hatched: Use the wonderful nmap tool specifically its random IP mode to make a list of geographically distributed open ssh servers tool specifically its random IP mode to make a list of geographically distributed open ssh servers Test each server to determine whether it is: Unresponsive/unpredictable/firewalled Ignore it Negotiates successfully after being retried N times mark as good Negotiates with hangs at the telltale phase after being retried N times mark as bad For both good and bad servers, remember the traceroute to them The idea was this: All servers marked as bad will share a few hops in their traceroute. We can then take that set of suspect hops, and subtract from it any that appear in the traceroutes of the good servers. Hopefully whats left is only one or two. After spending an hour manually doing the above exercise, I stopped to inspect the data. I had classified 16 servers as BAD and 25 servers as GOOD. The first exercise was to find the list of hops that appear in all the traceroutes of the BAD servers. As I cleaned and trimmed the list, I realized I wont even need to get to the GOOD list to remove false positives. Within the BAD lists alone, there remained only 1 that was common to all of them. For what its worth, it was 2 providers away: London N hops upstream1 Y hops upstream2 It was the first in Y hops of upstream2 right at the edge between upstream1 and upstream2, corrupting random TCP packets, causing many retries, and, depending on the protocols logical back-and-forth, hangs, or reduced transmission rates. I followed up with our London DC ops with the single hops IP address. Hopefully with their direct relationship with upstream1 they can escalate through there and get it fixed. Update Through upstream1, I got confirmation that the hop I pointed out (first in upstream2) had an internal management module failure which affected BGP and routing between two internal networks. Its still down (theyve routed around it) until they receive a replacement for the faulty module. More such crazy stories BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the situation in the Middle East by telephone with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Trend reports citing Russian Foreign Ministry. The focus was on the situation in the Middle East. The head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry informed his Russian counterpart about the measures taken by Tehran in response to the April 1 Israeli airstrike on the consular section of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, which resulted in the death of Iranian officials. As noted, additional escalation of the situation in the region and new dangerous provocative actions could lead to increased tension in the Middle East. Preventing such scenarios and eliminating their root causes should be the subject of special priority attention of the UN Security Council, the diplomatic department said. U.S. senate working to CRIMINALIZE any criticism of Israels genocide with ADL-backed law that will make it illegal to tell the truth As Israel continues to carry out its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, criticism of the Jewish state is growing louder, and many Americans are unhappy that their tax dollars are being used to support Israels efforts. However, lawmakers dont seem to care about the will of the people when it comes to this topic. Instead, they are trying to pass a bill that will prevent Americans from criticizing the war in Gaza. The new bill, known as the Countering Antisemitism Act, would set up a National Coordinator to Counter Antisemitism. This individual would be the presidents main advisor on steps that can be taken to counter antisemitism. It would also create an Interagency Task Force to Counter Antisemitism that would carry out the federal strategies chosen to achieve this aim. The FBI, National Counterterrorism Center, and Department of Homeland Security would have to carry out yearly threat assessments of antisemitic violent extremism. However, one of the most controversial parts of this questionable bill is the analysis it calls for of online antisemitic content, which will include denying or distorting the Holocaust, along with issuing recommendations to Congress on how the spread of antisemitism online can be countered. Some of the other provisions include requiring the Department of Education to task an official with overseeing efforts to counter antisemitic discrimination in the nation's universities and a potential overhaul of Holocaust education in public grade schools. This bill is intended to work in conjunction with Bidens National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. This 2023 initiative commanded all online platforms to ban what it deems extremist websites and hate speech and enact zero tolerance policies in order to protect Jewish people from antisemitism. It is easy to see how this could be applied using a broad definition of antisemitic speech and expanded to cover criticism of the Jewish state's actions in Gaza right now. 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. Follow the money The bill was introduced by Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma and Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada. Not surprisingly, the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) was one of the top contributors to Rosen's campaign, while Lankfords top campaign contributor from 2017 to 2022 was the Pro-Israel America PAC. The Anti-Defamation League is backing the bill and praised it online, with ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt writing on X: "The Countering Antisemitism Act is the most far-reaching antisemitism initiative to be introduced in Congress. It offers a smart, bipartisan, whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to combating this hatred and protecting Jews around the country." Supporters of the bill are pointing to a rise in antisemitic attacks to justify this need to patrol peoples speech. For example, Senator Lankford said: In America, we have the right to have a faith and to live that faith. No American should live in fear that they will be attacked simply because of their religious views. As the number of acts of antisemitism continues to rise, Jewish communities across the US deserve action to protect this basic freedom. A survey by Pew Research found that the percentage of American adults who believe there is a lot of discrimination against Jewish people has doubled in the last three years from 20% to 40%, while nine out of ten Jewish Americans report noting an increase in discrimination. Its very telling that the Biden administration thinks that taking away free speech is the only way to stop people from criticizing Israel. While there is undoubtedly a wider motivation at play related to censoring peoples speech in general, Americans might view Israel differently if they werent trying to wipe Palestinians off the planet with backing from the U.S. Sources for this article include: InformationLiberation.com NBCNews.com Simulation shows NUCLEAR HELL would be unleashed in apocalyptic Iran vs. Israel war Should the war of all wars between Israel and Iran truly go hot, it will unleash an apocalyptic hell upon the world, sparking World War III, a new simulation depicts. Described in one media report as bringing the world to the "gates of hell," an Israel versus Iran war would quickly go nuclear, leading to mass death and destruction at an exponential rate. The destruction of both nations is certain, the simulation shows. And many other surrounding nations, and eventually the rest of the world, would also feel its effects to an unprecedented degree. The entire Middle East would be reduced to rubble. Then, as the conflict spirals outward from there, entire nations would collapse. It would start with tit-for-tat missile strikes between the two nations. Then Israel would wage war on Iranian proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Houthis would then fire at ships in the Red Sea, prompting Israel to conduct a nuclear strike. Iran would then respond in kind, igniting full-scale nuclear war. (Related: Bill Gates is fully on board with unleashing hell upon the world in the form of a "Pandemic 2" where his human slaves will be required to get "vaccinated" from "a little patch.") Israel to fight Iran alone The simulation was created by both military and security experts who say they know how the conflict would unfold. It contains a step-by-step breakdown of what would transpire and how quickly the whole thing would escalate. One noteworthy aspect of the war is that Israel would no longer receive help from the United States, having already robbed the nation blind and left it for dead. This leaves Israel to stand alone in a fight against Iran. 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. In an attempt to make Iran surrender, Israel would attempt a non-lethal nuclear detonation. When that fails, Israel would then launch 50 nuclear weapons towards Iran, which responds by nuking an air base full of U.S. troops. It is at this point where the war game simulation ends, with Syria, Lebanon, and even Yemen left in radioactive ruin. In the event that Iran and Israel find themselves in a nuclear stalemate, the West would likely enter the conflict, to its own demise as well. U.S. intelligence is already warning Israel that such an outcome is possible after the Zionist state killed several top Iranian commanders in a bombing of an Iranian embassy in Syria. Iran has since vowed to "punish" Israel for the bombing, though this has not yet happened as of this writing. Should Iran unleash its nukes at Israel in retaliation, Israel would then proceed to launch U.S. long-range missiles at Iranian nuclear and missile sites. Hezbollah, Houthi and Hamas would then unleash a wave of devastating strikes on Israel. Israel's response to this would be to attack proxy hotbeds, prompting Iran to then strike Israeli nuclear and government defense sites in Tel Aviv, Israel's capital. At this time, Israel would withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, officially shifting from conventional to nuclear war. Tehran has confirmed that it now has missiles in its arsenal that are capable of striking Israel. These include Sejjil, Khaibar, Emad, Shahab-3, Ghadr, Paveh, Fattah-2, Kheibar and Haj Qasem missiles. "Israel at this point turns to the U.S., telling them that conventional strikes on Iranian nuclear sites have done little to hamper their weapons store," The Sun explains about the next steps in the hypothetical conflict. "The U.S. doesn't approve a joint raid on Iran and tells Israel to dial back the fighting for fear of nuclear escalation. Israel's prime minister, out in the cold without their biggest ally, decides nuclear weapons are the only option." The latest news about the world's rapid descent into another world war can be found at WWIII.news. Sources for this article include: TheSun.co.uk NaturalNews.com Ukraine claims to be developing unstoppable AI-controlled drones that can attack targets on the battlefield Ukraine says it is assembling a high-tech army of drones powered by artificial intelligence to get an edge in the ongoing conflict with Russia. The AI-powered "superdrones" are being designed to efficiently attack targets on their own. Additionally, the "unstoppable" kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can allegedly avoid Russian interception or jamming. The drones use image recognition to attack targets. Ukraine claims the new autonomous systems being built into these drones will make them less vulnerable. When the UAVs are one mile away from the target, a state-of-the-art AI system will take over to help the drone dodge electronic blockers and air defense systems to avoid jamming. The superdrone will then hone in on the target by itself using image recognition and strike. Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense for Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalization Kateryna Chernohorenko explained that the new autonomous system would make the drones far less vulnerable to being downed by Russia. Chernohorenko, who heads Kyivs negotiations on drones, added that the hardest challenge for drones is "the last mile of engagement" because of Moscow's wide array of electronic warfare systems. To address this, Ukraine's new AI-powered system will be "based on visual navigation." The drones will use "last-mile targeting" to home in on targets according to the image. And since the operator isn't required for that last mile, pilots can safely be stationed further from the frontline. The new drones are being developed as part of a "joint venture" with the United Kingdom. It is expected to cost a total of 1.2 billion British pounds ($1.49 billion). Around 200 million pounds ($249.14 million) is subsidized by Ukraine's Western allies. 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. New Ukraine drones use AI "machine vision" Noah Sylvia, a research analyst at the British defense think tank the Royal United Services Institute, called the AI system "machine vision." The system is trained "to identify geography and the target it is navigating to." This allows drones to identify targets upon deployment, added Sylvia. He added that since the AI system doesn't require communication with satellites, it is "completely autonomous." Ukraine has pursued new technologies that could be applied to the battlefield cheaply and in large groups. This has turned Ukraine into an emerging world leader in drone production. Now, Ukraine is working on a line of efficient marine drones, including the renowned "Sea Baby," and killer kamikaze drones that provide operators with a first-person-view of what the drones are targeting. (Related: Ukraines experimental DRONE BOATS strike two Russian Navy ships in Crimea.) In the past, Kyiv has used comparatively inexpensive homemade drones to destroy target Russian tanks on the battlefield or warships in the Black Sea, with each attack captured on camera. Thanks to the success of its drone development, Ukraine is finally gaining a much-needed advantage over Russia with more precise weapons to destroy high-value targets hundreds of miles into enemy territory. Maj. Gen. Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, warned that Ukraine will continue to work "while the gas station country [Russia] continues to burn." Earlier this April, footage showed the impressive moment a Ukrainian drone blitzed a Russian military facility located about 660 miles behind enemy lines. The Ukrainian kamikaze UAV burst into a fireball after crashing into the plant in Yelabuga, Tatarstan, where relatively inexpensive Iranian-designed drones are allegedly manufactured for use in Ukraine. Panicked workers were also seen fleeing the site. Days before the drone strike on Yelabuga, Ukraine used a barrage of drones and missiles to destroy one of Russia's largest mechanized charges since the start of the war. The attack allegedly destroyed 12 tanks in one day. The footage showed a column of 48 Russian tanks and fighting vehicles on the move while they were targeted by Ukraine's drone operators and ground forces. Ukraine has also unveiled a new line of miniature suicide land drones that can allegedly navigate any terrain a jeep can. Kyiv released footage of the Ratel S, named the "Honey Badger," blowing up a bridge to stop Russian troops from advancing. The unmanned ground vehicle is equipped with anti-tank mines and other explosive devices. It is used as a mobile warhead to obliterate enemy tanks, trenches or infrastructure. Go to DroneWatchNews.com for more stories about drones used for warfare. Watch the video below to find out why President Joe Biden allowing Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would be a mistake. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Israeli drone strike assassinates Hamas deputy leader in Beirut. Emergency alerts issued on NATO territory following Russian drone attacks. Drone attack that killed 3 U.S. soldiers and wounded dozens more marks dramatic escalation of tensions in the Middle East. Israeli drone strike assassinates Hamas deputy leader in Beirut. Sources include: The-Sun.com 1 Telegraph.co.uk The-Sun.com 2 Brighteon.com Richa Chadha reminisces about her schoolgirl gang 'Saste Qatil': 'Best years of my life' S oon-to-be mother Richa Chadha reminisced about her school days on Sunday, sharing a throwback picture of her best girl gang named Saste Qatil. Richa took to Instagram stories and reshared a picture posted by a fan page named Richa Chadha _merizindagi. The blurred picture shows the Madam Chief Minister actress wearing a white shirt and a black bandana on her head. She gives an intense look, posing alongside her two girl besties. Richa did her schooling from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, New Delhi. The post is captioned: LOL! This photo is from school days, when we made up a gang (to kinda combat one stupid boy gang that was kinda toxic). We ironically named this girl gang Saste Qatil. Don't miss the bandana and the attitude. Pic was taken in the Barista at Janpath, next to People Tree... Delhi peeps would know! Best years of my life. Best girl gang ever! Richa is married to actor Ali Fazal, and they are expecting their first child together. They tied the knot under the Special Marriage Act in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, on the work front, Ali was last seen in the spy thriller film Khufiya and is gearing up for the release of the new season of Mirzapur. Richa's last appearance was in Fukrey 3. Richa Chadha reminisces about her schoolgirl gang 'Saste Qatil': 'Best years of my life' Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Rupali Ganguly joins 'Gulabi Sadi' bandwagon, grooves to its music, points to the 'Marathi in me' ' Anupamaa' star Rupali Ganguly on Sunday joined the latest social media trend by dancing to the Marathi song Gulabi Sadi. Instagram users are currently creating numerous videos on the track Gulabi Sadi sung by Sanju Rathod. Joining the bandwagon, Rupali shared a Reel video wearing a pink saree and graciously dancing to the viral song. The post is captioned: Jumping on to the trend bandwagon in my Gulaabi Saadia The Marathi in me had to do this one #sunday. The video has garnered 440K views. One fan commented: This trend was definitely incomplete without you doing it. Another user said: Wow super se bhi upar. On the professional front, Rupali is currently seen as the lead in the show Anupamaa. The show is based on the Bengali series Sreemoyee. It also stars Sudhanshu Pandey as Vanraj, Madalsa Sharma and Gaurav Khanna. Produced by Rajan Shahi and Deepa Shahi under the banner of Director's Kut Productions, it airs on Star Plus at 10 p.m.. Rupali Ganguly joins 'Gulabi Sadi' bandwagon, grooves to its music, points to the 'Marathi in me' Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. In light of Iran's attack on Israel, the UK has decided to deploy more Royal Air Force fighter jets to the Middle East to be ready to intercept missiles and drones, the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom says, Trend reports. The statement noted that additional Royal Air Force aircraft and refueling aircraft were deployed as part of Operation Shader, aimed at combating the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. It is indicated that these British aircraft are ready to intercept any air attacks within their mission area if necessary. Champaign, IL (61820) Today A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. High 71F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 44F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Women are at higher risk of death when undergoing heart bypass surgery than men. Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have determined that this disparity is mediated, to a large extent, by intraoperative anemia-;the loss of red blood cells during surgery. The study, published on March 5, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests that strategies for minimizing anemia that occurs during this procedure could lead to better outcomes for women with cardiovascular disease. This study set out to discover why women are less likely to survive coronary artery bypass grafting, a surgical procedure for restoring blood flow to the heart. The team, led by senior author Dr. Mario Gaudino, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Professor in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, analyzed information obtained from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database on more than one million patients. Dr. Lamia Harik, fellow in Cardiothoracic Surgery Research at Weill Cornell Medicine, was first author on the paper. They examined patient demographics (such as age and ethnicity), risk factors (including disease severity, previous heart attacks and the co-occurrence of other health conditions) and surgical data (including the time spent on the bypass machine and the volume of the components of blood, such as red blood cells). Crunching the numbers, Dr. Gaudino and his team previously confirmed that women had a higher mortality associated with the procedure than men: 2.8 percent versus 1.7 percent, a nearly 50 percent difference. Now, using sophisticated statistical analyses to assess all the possible variables, the researchers found that a substantial portion of this enhanced risk-;38 percent-;could be attributed to severe intraoperative anemia. This depletion of red blood cells is an inevitable side effect of using blood-diluting fluids to prime the heart-lung bypass machine that takes over the job of pumping blood throughout the body during surgery. Women may be even more susceptible to the effects of intraoperative anemia because they tend to arrive in surgery with lower red blood cell counts and have smaller body size compared to their male counterparts. The study does not establish that intraoperative anemia is causing greater female mortality, but the two factors are associated. It suggests that clinicians and researchers should consider interventions to prevent or minimize severe intraoperative anemia, which can lead to dangerously reduced oxygen delivery to the body's tissues, including the heart. Using heart-lung bypass machines with shorter circuits, for example, would limit the volume of blood-diluting solution needed to run the pump. Randomized trials to assess whether methods for curtailing anemia could improve outcomes for women undergoing heart bypass surgery are "urgently needed," wrote Dr. Gaudino, who is also a cardiovascular surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. This research was supported in part by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant T32 HL160520-01A1, the National Institutes of Health, the Canadian Health and Research Institutes, and the Starr Foundation. Re-perfusing the lungs of an organ donor after the heart has irreversibly stopped beating with a technique called normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP) could potentially increase the number of patients receiving lung transplants, according to researchers at the Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) in Prague. TA-NRP uses a machine to pass blood through a donor's abdomen and chest after the heart has irreversibly stopped beating (called donation after circulatory death, or DCD). Thirty to forty minutes of perfusing blood to these areas reanimates the heart and ventilates the lungs. Pedro Catarino, MD, director of Aortic Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said techniques like TA-NRP will help get more of the available donor lungs to patients on the waiting list. Worldwide, the overall utilization of available donor lungs is only 20 percent. The utilization of donor lungs is generally quite poor. For every five organ donors, we only use one set of lungs. It's even worse for DCD donors, only four to six percent in the US. The great majority of DCD donors are not giving their lungs." Pedro Catarino, MD, Director of Aortic Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Dr. Catarino presented data showing that the retrieval rate for DCD lungs has increased to about 15 percent with the utilization of TA-NRP. However, some lung experts harbor concerns that lungs are injured during the in situ perfusion process. "TA-NRP is technically possible, and some surgeons have successfully used it to retrieve both the heart and lungs from DCD donors," said Shaf Keshavjee, MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS, director of the Toronto Lung Transplant Program. "However, when TA-NRP was introduced in the US, the incidence of lung retrieval decreased. "I think NRP could save more hearts, kidneys, livers, and lungs," said Dr. Keshavjee. "But we need to standardize our technique because there are too many examples of good donor lungs damaged by TA-NRP." TA-NRP is currently only being used in the US and Spain. In Canada, DCD donor lungs are removed from the body and perfused outside the body (ex vivo) in a machine. Machine perfusion, which gives the surgical team control over the fluids used to perfuse the lungs, has been highly successful for the Toronto Lung Transplant Program. "We have the largest lung transplant program in the world," said Dr. Keshavjee. "We use 40 percent of DCD lungs, whereas the US uses only four percent." Unlike machine perfusion, which is not readily available worldwide, Dr. Catarino said that TA-NRP is a technique that anyone can use. "Using TA-NRP, we're also to measure the oxygen transfer in the lungs, which is a very good indicator of the quality of the donor's lungs," he said. "Being able to perform this functional assessment is one of its great benefits." Dr. Catarino said there is data that suggests outcomes following TA-NRP for DCD lungs are very good. "TA-NRP is a way to get more lungs to patients who need them," he said. "DCD was 32 percent of overall organ donors in the US in 2022, and the trajectory is going upward." The ISHLT has launched a task force to produce a statement that summarizes the best available evidence and practice for NRP, including outlining issues, concerns, and areas for future research. Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are a class of drug that can be used to treat type 2 diabetes by reversing insulin resistance, one of the main hallmarks of the disease. While TZDs were extremely popular in the 1990's and early 2000's, they have fallen out of use among physicians in recent decades because they were discovered to cause unwanted side effects, including weight gain and excess fluid accumulation in body tissues. Now, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine are exploring how to isolate the positive effects of these drugs, which could help yield new treatments that don't come with the old side effects. In a new study published in Nature Metabolism, the researchers discovered how one of the most well-known TZD drugs works at the molecular level and were able to replicate its positive effects in mice without giving them the drug itself. For decades, TZDs have been the only drugs we have that can reverse insulin resistance, but we seldom use them anymore because of their side effects profile. Impaired insulin sensitivity is the root cause of type 2 diabetes, so any treatment we can develop to safely restore this would be a major step forward for patients." Jerrold Olefsky, M.D., professor of medicine and assistant vice chancellor for integrative research at UC San Diego Health Sciences The main driver of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes is obesity, which currently affects more than 40 percent of Americans and in 2021 bore an annual medical cost of nearly $173 billion. In addition to causing adipose tissue (fat) to expand, obesity also causes low levels of inflammation. This inflammation causes immune cells, called macrophages, to accumulate in adipose tissue, where they can comprise up to 40 percent of the total number of cells in the tissue. When adipose tissue is inflamed, these macrophages release tiny nanoparticles containing instructions for surrounding cells in the form of microRNAs, small fragments of genetic material that help regulate gene expression. These microRNA-containing capsules, called exosomes, are released into the circulation and can travel through the bloodstream to be absorbed by other tissues, such as the liver and muscles. This can then lead to the varied metabolic changes associated with obesity, including insulin resistance. For the current study, the researchers wanted to understand how TZD drugs, which restore insulin resistance, affect this exosome system. The researchers treated a group of obese mice with rosiglitazone, a type of TZD drug. Those mice became more sensitive to insulin, but they also gained weight and retained excess fluid, known side effects of rosiglitazone. However, by isolating exosomes from the adipose tissue macrophages of the mice who had received the drug and injecting them into another group of obese mice that had not received it, the researchers were able to deliver the positive effects of rosiglitazone without transferring the negative effects. "The exosomes were just as effective in reversing insulin resistance as the drug itself but without the same side effects," said Olefsky. "This indicates that exosomes can ultimately link obesity-related inflammation and insulin resistance to diabetes. It also tells us that we may be able to leverage this system to boost insulin sensitivity." The researchers were also able to identify the specific microRNA within the exosomes that was responsible for the beneficial metabolic effects of rosiglitazone. This molecule, called miR-690, could eventually be leveraged into new therapies for type 2 diabetes. "It's likely not practical to develop exosomes themselves as a treatment because it would be difficult to produce and administer them, but learning what drives the beneficial effects of exosomes at the molecular level makes it possible to develop drugs that can mimic these effects," said Olefsky. "There's also plenty of precedent for using microRNAs themselves as drugs, so that's the possibility we're most excited about exploring for miR-690 going forward." BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. The leadership of the EU countries will discuss the situation in the Middle East during the extraordinary EU summit, which will take place on April 17-18, President of the European Council Charles Michel wrote on his X page, Trend reports. "The situation in the Middle East, including Lebanon, will be discussed at the European Council next week," he said. Michel made this statement after a video conference of G7 leaders organized by Italy, which presides over the G7, in connection with Iran's strikes on Israel. He said that the meeting participants "unanimously condemned Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel." All parties must show restraint. We will continue all our efforts to de-escalate, the head of the European Council emphasized. Inside the brains of people with psychosis, two key systems are malfunctioning: a "filter" that directs attention toward important external events and internal thoughts, and a "predictor" composed of pathways that anticipate rewards. Dysfunction of these systems makes it difficult to know what's real, manifesting as hallucinations and delusions. The findings come from a Stanford Medicine-led study, publishing April 11 in Molecular Psychiatry, that used brain scan data from children, teens and young adults with psychosis. The results confirm an existing theory of how breaks with reality occur. This work provides a good model for understanding the development and progression of schizophrenia, which is a challenging problem." Kaustubh Supekar, PhD, lead author, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences The findings, observed in individuals with a rare genetic disease called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome who experience psychosis as well as in those with psychosis of unknown origin, advance scientists' understanding of the underlying brain mechanisms and theoretical frameworks related to psychosis. During psychosis, patients experience hallucinations, such as hearing voices, and hold delusional beliefs, such as thinking that people who are not real exist. Psychosis can occur on its own and is a hallmark of certain serious mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is also characterized by social withdrawal, disorganized thinking and speech, and a reduction in energy and motivation. It is challenging to study how schizophrenia begins in the brain. The condition usually emerges in teens or young adults, most of whom soon begin taking antipsychotic medications to ease their symptoms. When researchers analyze brain scans from people with established schizophrenia, they cannot distinguish the effects of the disease from the effects of the medications. They also do not know how schizophrenia changes the brain as the disease progresses. To get an early view of the disease process, the Stanford Medicine team studied young people aged 6 to 39 with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a genetic condition with a 30% risk for psychosis, schizophrenia or both. Brain function in 22q11.2 patients who have psychosis is similar to that in people with psychosis of unknown origin, they found. And these brain patterns matched what the researchers had previously theorized was generating psychosis symptoms. "The brain patterns we identified support our theoretical models of how cognitive control systems malfunction in psychosis," said senior study author Vinod Menon, PhD, the Rachael L. and Walter F. Nichols, MD, Professor; a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; and director of the Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory. Thoughts that are not linked to reality can capture the brain's cognitive control networks, he said. "This process derails the normal functioning of cognitive control, allowing intrusive thoughts to dominate, culminating in symptoms we recognize as psychosis." Cerebral sorting Normally, the brain's cognitive filtering system -; aka the salience network -; works behind the scenes to selectively direct our attention to important internal thoughts and external events. With its help, we can dismiss irrational thoughts and unimportant events and focus on what's real and meaningful to us, such as paying attention to traffic so we avoid a collision. The ventral striatum, a small brain region, and associated brain pathways driven by dopamine, play an important role in predicting what will be rewarding or important. For the study, the researchers assembled as much functional MRI brain-scan data as possible from young people with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, totaling 101 individuals scanned at three different universities. (The study also included brain scans from several comparison groups without 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: 120 people with early idiopathic psychosis, 101 people with autism, 123 with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and 411 healthy controls.) The genetic condition, characterized by deletion of part of the 22nd chromosome, affects 1 in every 2,000 to 4,000 people. In addition to the 30% risk of schizophrenia or psychosis, people with the syndrome can also have autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which is why these conditions were included in the comparison groups. The researchers used a type of machine learning algorithm called a spatiotemporal deep neural network to characterize patterns of brain function in all patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome compared with healthy subjects. With a cohort of patients whose brains were scanned at the University of California, Los Angeles, they developed an algorithmic model that distinguished brain scans from people with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome versus those without it. The model predicted the syndrome with greater than 94% accuracy. They validated the model in additional groups of people with or without the genetic syndrome who had received brain scans at UC Davis and Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, showing that in these independent groups, the model sorted brain scans with 84% to 90% accuracy. The researchers then used the model to investigate which brain features play the biggest role in psychosis. Prior studies of psychosis had not given consistent results, likely because their sample sizes were too small. Comparing brain scans from 22q11.2 deletion syndrome patients who had and did not have psychosis, the researchers showed that the brain areas contributing most to psychosis are the anterior insula (a key part of the salience network or "filter") and the ventral striatum (the "reward predictor"); this was true for different cohorts of patients. In comparing the brain features of people with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and psychosis against people with psychosis of unknown origin, the model found significant overlap, indicating that these brain features are characteristic of psychosis in general. A second mathematical model, trained to distinguish all subjects with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and psychosis from those who have the genetic syndrome but without psychosis, selected brain scans from people with idiopathic psychosis with 77.5% accuracy, again supporting the idea that the brain's filtering and predicting centers are key to psychosis. Furthermore, this model was specific to psychosis: It could not classify people with idiopathic autism or ADHD. "It was quite exciting to trace our steps back to our initial question -; 'What are the dysfunctional brain systems in schizophrenia?' -; and to discover similar patterns in this context," Menon said. "At the neural level, the characteristics differentiating individuals with psychosis in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome are mirroring the pathways we've pinpointed in schizophrenia. This parallel reinforces our understanding of psychosis as a condition with identifiable and consistent brain signatures." However, these brain signatures were not seen in people with the genetic syndrome but no psychosis, holding clues to future directions for research, he added. Applications for treatment or prevention In addition to supporting the scientists' theory about how psychosis occurs, the findings have implications for understanding the condition -; and possibly preventing it. "One of my goals is to prevent or delay development of schizophrenia," Supekar said. The fact that the new findings are consistent with the team's prior research on which brain centers contribute most to schizophrenia in adults suggests there may be a way to prevent it, he said. "In schizophrenia, by the time of diagnosis, a lot of damage has already occurred in the brain, and it can be very difficult to change the course of the disease." "What we saw is that, early on, functional interactions among brain regions within the same brain systems are abnormal," he added. "The abnormalities do not start when you are in your 20s; they are evident even when you are 7 or 8." The researchers plan to use existing treatments, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation or focused ultrasound, targeted at these brain centers in young people at risk of psychosis, such as those with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome or with two parents who have schizophrenia, to see if they prevent or delay the onset of the condition or lessen symptoms once they appear. The results also suggest that using functional MRI to monitor brain activity at the key centers could help scientists investigate how existing antipsychotic medications are working. Although it's still puzzling why someone becomes untethered from reality -; given how risky it seems for one's well-being -; the "how" is now understandable, Supekar said. "From a mechanistic point of view, it makes sense," he said. "Our discoveries underscore the importance of approaching people with psychosis with compassion," Menon said, adding that his team hopes their work not only advances scientific understanding but also inspires a cultural shift toward empathy and support for those experiencing psychosis. "I recently had the privilege of engaging with individuals from our department's early psychosis treatment group," he said. "Their message was a clear and powerful: 'We share more similarities than differences. Like anyone, we experience our own highs and lows.' Their words were a heartfelt appeal for greater empathy and understanding toward those living with this condition. It was a call to view psychosis through a lens of empathy and solidarity." Researchers contributed to the study from UCLA, Clinica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, the University of Oxford and UC Davis. The study was funded by the Stanford Maternal and Child Health Research Institute's Uytengsu-Hamilton 22q11 Neuropsychiatry Research Program, FONDEYCT (the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development of the government of Chile), ANID-Chile (the Chilean National Agency for Research and Development) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (grants AG072114, MH121069, MH085953 and MH101779). With the Middle East tensions flaring up, Air India has temporarily suspended its Tel Aviv flights and airlines have charted alternative flight paths to avoid the Iranian airspace. Longer flight paths will result in increased operational costs for the carriers, and the situation could also push airfares higher. Air India, Vistara, IndiGo and some international airlines are avoiding Iranian airspace and have opted for alternative paths for their flights to the West. A senior wide-body aircraft pilot at an Indian carrier told . Air India operates four weekly flights between the national capital and Israeli city. The Tata group-owned carrier recommenced services to Tel Aviv on March 3 after a gap of nearly five months. Air India suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv, starting October 7, 2023, in the wake of the Hamas attack on the Israeli city The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has initiated the application process for the recruitment of executive trainees. Candidates can apply through the official website at npcilcareers.co.in. Candidates will be shortlisted based on their GATE scores from 2022, 2023, or 2024 followed by a personal interview. The NPCIL recruitment drive aims to fill a total of 400 posts of executive trainees across various disciplines in mechanical, chemical, electrical, electronics, instrumentation, and civil. NPCIL Executive Trainee Recruitment 2024: Eligibility Criteria Heres a detailed version of the eligibility criteria for the candidates applying for the NPCIL recruitment exam 2024. Age limit: Candidates from general categories must not exceed 26 years old as of April 30, 2024. Age relaxation criteria are applicable for reserved category candidates with 3 years for OBC, 5 years for ST, and 10 years for PWD candidates. Education qualification: Candidates should hold a Bachelor of Engineering (BE), Bachelor of Technology (B Tech), Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSc) and a 5-year integrated course of Master of Technology (M.Tech) with a minimum of 60 per cent aggregate marks from an institute recognised by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) or the University Grants Commission (UGC). Candidates who are awaiting their final results and/or are appearing for the final year/semester examination during 2024, but are otherwise eligible, may also apply. NPCIL Executive Trainee Recruitment 2024: How To Apply? Step 1: Visit the NPCIL official website npcilcareers.co.in. Step 2: Navigate to the Career section. Step 3: Register using the email ID and mobile number. Step 4: Log in using the registration number and password. Step 5: Fill in the application form. Upload all the required documents. Step 6: After providing all the details in the application form, click on Submit. Step 7: Download the application form and take a print out for future reference. NPCIL Executive Trainee Recruitment 2024: Application Fee Regarding the application fee, male candidates from unreserved (UR), economically weaker section (EWS) and other backward classes (OBC) categories are required to pay an application fee of Rs 500 to register. Candidates belonging to scheduled caste (SC), scheduled tribe (ST), persons with disability (PWD), and female candidates are exempted from the application fee, as stated in the official notice. A degree or a set of grades is often seen in Indias educational system as proof of ones ability and hard work, as well as a ticket to success. However, beneath the surface of legality is a world of fraud where fake diplomas and marksheets are traded like commodities. The number of cases involving fake marksheets and degrees in India has increased over the years, exposing a baffling side to the nations educational system. The latest Bollywood movie Patna Shukla, starring Raveena Tandon, uncovers such unethical practices, in which student grades are swapped for the benefit of individuals in positions of authority. However, the truth is more nuanced than what cinema can convey and several students have fallen prey to such degree frauds. Understanding the Scope of Counterfeit Degree Frauds Degree and marksheet frauds in India encompass a wide array of deceptive practices, ranging from forging academic credentials to manipulating exam results. The prevalence of fake degrees in India is alarming and the forgery of documents in particular is a growing problem and demands the utmost attention. The fraudulent reproduction of certificates has increased significantly, becoming a menace for stakeholders in the realm of education and employment. One of the key reasons for this increase in degree fraud is Indias fierce competition for educational and career prospects. With limited spots available at prestigious universities and intense competition in the job market, the pressure to achieve success has led some people to resort to unethical methods. Individuals tend to turn to buying fake degrees or fabricating their academic records in an attempt to get entry to universities or to obtain lucrative jobs. Overview of Counterfeit Degree Rackets from The Past Years Over the past decade, numerous cases have come to light, exposing elaborate rackets involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit educational credentials. This week, there came news of a similar fake degree fraud to the one in the movie Patna Shukla. Parminder Singh Sandhu, the district youth wing president of the AAP, was accused of using a forged Class 12 certificate to obtain a law degree. According to a recent Hindustan Times report, Sandhu filed a case against advocate Deepak Prajapati in 2022, stating that Prajapati provided him with a fraudulent advocate licence. Investigations found that Sandhu failed his Class 12 test in 2008. Following the revelation, the Ludhiana commissioner of police was asked by the Punjab Bar Council and the Haryana High Court to verify the qualifications of 63 attorneys, including Sandhu, who had received their LLB degrees from Prajapatis centre. In October 2023, authorities made a significant breakthrough when they apprehended three individuals allegedly engaged in the production and sale of forged degree certificates and marksheets. The operation, which spanned multiple states, was centred around an office in the Anupshahr area of Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr. The accused also ran a website called Shreebalajiinstitute.org, where they displayed forged results in hopes of deceiving their victims and charged between Rs 25,000 and 50,000 for each fake degree. Shortly after, in December 2023, the entrustment document fraud (EDF) wing of the central crime branch uncovered a similar fake certificate racket operating in Chennai for over three years, as per a Times of India report. The bust led to the arrest of four suspects, two from Andhra Pradesh and two from Villivakkam in Chennai. The seizure of 400 fake certificates, along with seals and computer accessories, shed light on the extent of the operation. In August 2023, it was revealed that a Nepali Congress MP named Sunil Kumar Sharma had reportedly purchased a higher secondary academic degree from Bihar and utilised it to seek higher education in China. Sharma, the owner of several medical and private institutions, was detained by a squad from Nepal Polices Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), reported Hindustan Times. Among the repercussions of such fraudulent activities was the case of a government school teacher in Greater Noida, who found himself embroiled in legal trouble after it was revealed that he had secured his position using a counterfeit marksheet. According to India Today, the education department in May 2023 took swift action, ordering the recovery of the entire salary paid to him during his nearly 26-year tenure. Another notable instance that was brought to light by the Times of India last year was that of Dal Chandra Mehraulia, a purported consultant who found a loophole around the governments Digital India project. Mehraulia founded MH Eduversity -Digital School of India in Delhis Pitampura, where he used tele-callers to reportedly provide students authentic BTech, BPharma, MA, and LLB degrees without actually enrolling at Indian or foreign universities. Since 2020, the syndicate is said to have sold well over 2,000 fake degrees. The criminal branch confiscated forged marksheets, certificates, computers, printers, mobile phones, false stamps, holograms, and blank papers used to produce the bogus documents. The fake documents were manufactured in an editing laboratory, where care was taken to reproduce the intricacies of holograms on the degrees. Earlier, in May 2017, authorities uncovered another fake degree racket in Bengaluru, which had distributed approximately 1.6 lakh counterfeit mark sheets and degree certificates across various disciplines, including engineering, arts, science, and medical courses. The accused as quoted by The Scroll charged students hefty sums ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 for this service. Among those detained, Sandesh Agarwal was identified as the one who employed associates and gave them the title of education consultants at his business. His operatives went up to potential clients and persuaded them to purchase the forged documents. Can Professionals Lose Licenses/Jobs if Caught Holding Counterfeit Degrees? For professionals in regulated fields like law, education and medicine, the consequences of being discovered in possession of forged degrees or transcripts might be severe. The use of fake degrees and licenses is a criminal offence in India, punishable under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and specific laws related to education and professional regulations. Notably, Section 468 Forgery for the purpose of cheating is the law that tackles Individuals who forge or create fake degrees, certificates, or licenses with the intention of deceiving others can be charged under this section. Licensing authorities and professional bodies have high standards of integrity and competence, and any proof of fake credentials can result in disciplinary action, including licence cancellation and termination of employment. The verification of medical degrees and certifications, for example, is subject to strict rules set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). Doctors who are found guilty of possessing or utilising bogus degrees face the loss of their medical licences as well as legal sanctions, including imprisonment. Similarly, attorneys practising in India are supervised by the Bar Council of India (BCI), which has the right to suspend or disbar advocates found guilty of misconduct, which includes the submission of forged documents. Countermeasures Against Degree Fraud: Verification Mechanisms To validate academic qualifications, institutions and companies must put in place comprehensive verification methods. This involves reviewing documentation directly from the issuing agencies and doing rigorous background inquiries. To verify degrees and certificates awarded by Indian institutions, visit the official websites of the University Grant Commission (UGC) and the National Academic Depository (NAD). For international universities, one can confirm the legitimacy of the degree on the college or university website with the website of the countrys Department of Education. Examining Design of Certificates Ensuring the authenticity of certificates begins with a meticulous examination of their design. Legitimate degrees and certificates, issued by reputable educational institutions, are typically printed on distinctive, high-quality paper. Any deviation from this norm, such as printing on regular paper, may signal the presence of counterfeit credentials. Moreover, authentic certificates often feature intricate design elements similar to those found on banknotes. Additionally, scrutinising the language and layout of the certificate is essential as spelling errors are often the most evident signs of forgery. Anti-counterfeiting security features Educational institutions employ various physical authentication features on degree certificates to deter tampering or replication. These features encompass micro-text lines, UV invisible ink, watermarks, security holograms, anti-scanning ink, and more. Among these, the security hologram, anti-scanning ink, and void features play pivotal roles in thwarting attempts at duplication. For instance, the void feature triggers the appearance of the word COPY when someone tries to duplicate the degree, serving as an unmistakable indicator of authenticity. Campaigns for Public Awareness Its imperative to inform the public about the repercussions of degree and marksheet forgery. Awareness-raising efforts have the power to inform people about the moral ramifications of using dishonest tactics and encourage individuals to maintain integrity in their academic endeavours. Academic fraud is a significant issue, underscoring the need for a joint effort among all stakeholders to tackle it. Education officials must prioritise developing effective measures to prevent degree and marksheet fraud, while simultaneously emphasising the moral consequences of academic misconduct. The headmaster of a primary school here has been booked for allegedly molesting female teachers, police said on Saturday. On Friday, teachers of the government school located in Krishna Nagar Colony under the Bilaspur Kotwali police station limits, staged a protest accusing the headmaster of molestation and mental harassment, they said. The protest outside the school also saw participation from the families of a few female teachers, they added. Based on the complaints of the victims, a case was lodged against the headmaster at the Bilaspur police station under Sections 354 (assaulting a woman with an intention to outrage her modesty) and 323 ( voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code, SHO Balwan Singh said. According to the police, the complainants alleged that the school headmaster Hariram Diwakar has been molesting a few female teachers and mentally harassing them for a long time. They also said Diwakar abused them when they opposed him. Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) of the district Sanjeev Kumar said the matter has come to his notice. Kumar said assistant teachers of Krishna Nagar, Bilaspur have accused the headmaster of indecent acts. An FIR has been registered in this matter and a committee is being formed for preliminary investigation at the departmental level. The Uttar Pradesh Board of Secondary Education has recently released the academic calendar for the 202425 school year, bringing clarity to the upcoming schedule for students. According to the new calendar, the practical exams for Classes 10 and 12, conducted by the UPMSP, are set to take place from January 21 to February 5, 2025. UP board exams are expected to be held in February or March. The academic calendar also reveals the dates for pre-board tests. Students can access the detailed UP Board academic calendar for 2024-25 on the official website, upmsp.edu.in. Students can refer to the following table to understand the key dates and events in the UP Board academic calendar for 20242025: Monthly test with objective questions: Third week of May Monthly test based on detailed questions: Last week of July Half-yearly exam practical: End of September Half-yearly written exam: Second, third week of October Result of half-yearly exam: First week of November Monthly test based on objective questions: Last week of November Monthly test based on detailed questions: Last week of December Completion date of the course: First week of January 2025 Class 12 board pre-practical: Second week of January 2025 Class 10, 12 pre-board written exam: Third week of January 2025 ALSO READ | UP Board Exams 2024: UPMSP Expected to Announce Class 10, 12 Results by April End, Check Latest Updates Over 27,000 UP Board schools have received their academic calendars for 202425. As part of the academic calendar, every month will feature two periods dedicated to career counseling on the second and fourth Saturdays after lunch, aimed at guiding students toward informed career choices. Additionally, before lunch, four periods will be allocated for discussions on various topics such as awareness campaigns, yoga, contests, cleaning drives, and the rights of women and children. These activities will be overseen by the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), ensuring a holistic and enriching educational experience for students across UP Board schools. Two of the main highlights in the Bharatiya Janata Partys 2024 Lok Sabha election manifesto talk about landing an astronaut on the Moon and seeking Indias permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. ALSO READ | Lok Sabha Election 2024: BJPs Poll Manifesto Out; Big Focus On UCC Implementation, One Nation One Poll BHARAT AS LEADING SPACE POWER Releasing the election manifesto of the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that a key focus is on landing an astronaut on the Moon. We will launch Gaganyaan, Bharats first human spaceflight mission, and land an astronaut on the Moon, a sign of Bharats progress and prosperity in Amrit Kaal, the manifesto read. In position India as a leading space power, the BJP has also talked about establishing Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS). It has said that a second launch pad will also be operationalised for the nation. We aim to significantly increase the value of the Space Economy, positioning Bharat as a leading space power and extending support to Global South countries in utilising space and space technology services, the manifesto said. PM Modi said that immediately after the June 4 results, work on BJPs Sankalp Patra will begin. The government has already started working on the 100-day action plan, he said. The ambition of the people of the country is Modis mission. We saw the success of Chandrayaan. Now we will experience the pride of Gaganyaan, PM Modi said. INDIAS PERMANENT SEAT AT UNSC Becoming a permanent member in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is another commitment that the BJP has made in its election manifesto. We are committed to seeking permanent membership in the UN Security Council to elevate Bharats position in global decision making, the manifesto read. Not just this, the party said that efforts will continue to create a consensus among all members of the United Nations on the Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism and other such efforts to combat the phenomenon. We will build upon the success of the No Money for Terror conference to develop better coordination on countering terrorism financing, it read. The BJP has consistently reinforced the nations zero tolerance policy against terrorism. In recent times, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had told News18 that the government will give a befitting reply to any terrorist who tries to disturb peace in the nation. If he [terrorist] flees to Pakistan, we will follow him and take him down on Pakistani soil. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken the truth India has the capability and Pakistan has also started understanding that, Singh had said when he was asked about the UK newspaper, The Guardians report that Indian government ordered assassinations in Pakistan as part of a wider strategy to eliminate terrorists on foreign soil. ALSO READ: Opinion | Zero Tolerance: Rajnath Singh Affirms Indias Stance Against Terrorism Indias character is maintaining cordial relations with its neighbour. We, as a nation have never attacked or occupied even an inch of any other country, the Defence Minister said. However, if someone tries intimidating India by fomenting terror on our soil, they will not be spared, he added. A few days back, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also reiterated Indias commitment to respond against any act of terrorism perpetrated from across the borders, saying that there cannot be any rules in a countrys answer to terrorists. Terrorists should not think; we are this side of the line, so no could touch us. Terrorists do not play by any rules. The answer to terrorists cannot have any rules, Jaishankar said. Indias Preamble to the Constitution calls it a sovereign, socialist, secular nation. The BJPs manifesto, or Sankalp Patra, released on Sunday for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections looks like a balance between two Indias a socialist India, which needs hand-holding, and an India thats aspiring to be the next global power. The manifesto talks about empowering lakhpati didis and giving free ration to the poor while aspiring to be the next superpower that will call the shots. Modi ki guarantee While BJP national president JP Nadda spoke about how Indias abject poverty has almost been diminished, the saffron party also acknowledges that the country largely has poor and lower middle classes that need basic survival and housing. So, the first promise in the BJP manifesto, which is marketed as Modi ki guarantee is free ration for the next five years under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana. The central government has already fed 80 crore Indians since 2020. This mega promise will be continued for the next five years. The inclusion of free and quality medical treatment under Ayushman Bharat, slum redevelopment and free electricity to poor households under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana reflects a socialist outlook. The manifesto also targets lower middle classes with the promise of housing for all economically weaker sections by expanding the PM Awas Yojana, which has already delivered 4 crore homes. It promises to make three crore rural women lakhpati didi. The economy alone has not been a metric this time but age and sex as well. The BJP has decided to bring the transgender community under the ambit of the Ayushman Bharat scheme. It has resolved that elderly persons above the age of 70 years will be brought under the ambit of the health scheme, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stressing that even those belonging to the upper middle classes will reap the benefit. The Vishwaguru promise The manifesto also reflects the BJPs aspirations for Indias foreseeable future, where the country becomes a superpower, or in his language, Vishwaguru. High on a successful G20 presidency last year, India wants to host the worlds biggest sporting event the Olympics in 2036. After the massive success of Chandrayaan-3, the BJP has promised to land an astronaut on the moon in the Amrit Kaal in the next 25 years. The prime minister has also given the guarantee of establishing a space station (Bharatiya Antariksha Station) and would also operationalise a second launch complex for the country. We are constructing the first bullet train corridor in the country, the manifesto reads, while adding that feasibility studies will be launched for similar corridors in the north, south and west to expand the project. With 6G, expansion of water metro or energy independence by 2047, all the ingredients of an India that is up for the big league finds a mention in the manifesto. Be it making India the largest hub of lab-grown diamonds or a global leader in electric vehicles, it talks about being a superpower. The manifesto has also promised to make India one of the global majors in chip manufacturing while also talking about India becoming a global hub of rail and aviation manufacturing, flexing its economic muscle to become a $3 trillion economy. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in its manifesto , Sankalp Patra, for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections unveiled on Sunday, outlined a series of initiatives to transform India into a global manufacturing hub. Over the past decade, the party said significant strides were made in the manufacturing sector through flagship initiatives such as Make in India, Production Linked Incentives (PLI), and streamlined compliance procedures. Leveraging these foundations, the BJP pledged to further harness the potential of manufacturing to generate employment opportunities and spur economic growth. ALSO READ | Modi Guarantees Ease of Travel in BJP Poll Manifesto: Gram Sadaks, International Airports, Water Metros & More Under the Make in India programme, India has witnessed remarkable success across diverse sectors, including electronics, defence, mobile and automobiles. The BJP vowed to capitalize on these achievements, steering the country towards global manufacturing leadership while bolstering employment prospects in key industries. Recognizing Indias prowess in engineering and design services, the manifesto emphasized on the integration of design capabilities with manufacturing to establish the country as a major product nation. Additionally, the party committed to development of industrial cities along strategic corridors, fostering balanced regional development and promoting industrialization in underdeveloped regions. The manifesto noted that in the past 10 years, the country has established over $100-billion electronics manufacturing industry. We have already become the second largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world. Our policies have resulted in generating huge employment opportunities in this industry, it noted. We will consolidate our efforts and expand electronics manufacturing three times to become a major player in the global value chain. We will leverage our design capabilities to develop indigenous brands, the manifesto added. Furthermore, the manifesto spoke about the emerging chip industry in India, stating: Building on our success of electronics industry, will deepen our component ecosystem and take semiconductor design and manufacturing to a new level to become one of the global majors in chip manufacturing. In the automotive industry, the BJP pledged support for transition to electric vehicles (EVs), along with investments in nationwide EV charging infrastructure. The party aimed to capitalize on Indias position as a major automobile manufacturer, fostering growth in EV production while promoting sustainable transportation solutions. The BJP is committed to strengthening technology and innovation for ensuring unparalleled transformation!#ModiKiGuarantee To download the BJP Sankalp Patra 2024, click here https://t.co/yUQOkV3aXi pic.twitter.com/m5ex5fOv5Y BJP (@BJP4India) April 14, 2024 INDUSTRIAL AND DIGITAL GROWTH In line with the principles of PM-Gatishakti, the BJP has envisioned the establishment of industrial cities and corridors to drive industrialization and regional development. The party also underscored its commitment to promoting technology and sustainability transitions in key industries such as steel, cement, metals, and engineering goods, with a focus on greener manufacturing processes. Furthermore, the BJP pledged to significantly expand domestic defense manufacturing and exports, accelerate indigenisation in defense equipment platforms, and position India as a leading global railway manufacturing hub. The manifesto has outlined a multifaceted approach to bolstering various sectors critical to Indias economic growth. It envisions the establishment of a commercial aircraft manufacturing ecosystem, formulation of aerospace manufacturing policies and development of indigenous passenger aircraft. Additionally, the party has emphasized the expansion of the civil aviation ecosystem, including Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) activities, aircraft financing, and leasing programmes. The manifesto underscored the BJPs commitment to fostering a vibrant startup ecosystem, expanding employment opportunities, and addressing the diverse needs of different segments of society. It outlined plans to expand existing schemes such as the Startup India Seed Fund and Startup Credit Guarantee Scheme, along with initiatives to support youth entrepreneurship and provide enhanced credit facilities for MSMEs. ALSO READ | Bullet Train Corridors for North, South and East, Shorter Waiting Lists, Metros & RRTS on BJPs Sankalp Patra Additionally, in terms of digital growth, it said: We will expand the 5G networks and take the lead in the development of 6G technology We will develop a comprehensive ecosystem under the IndiaAI mission, driving AI innovation through collaborative strategic programs and partnerships to position Bharat as a global leader in AI innovation and build domestic capacities to ensure tech sovereignty. The role of Digital Public Infrastructure in revolutionising public service delivery is appreciated all over the world. We will work towards sharing this technology with partner countries, the manifesto noted. Jabalpur Lok Sabha constituency, one of the 29 parliamentary constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, falls under the General category. It includes the entire district of Jabalpur. It comprises eight Legislative Assembly segments Patan, Bargi, Jabalpur Purba (SC), Jabalpur Uttar, Jabalpur Cantonment, Jabalpur Paschim, Panagar, and Sihora (ST), all within Jabalpur district. It will vote in phase one on April 19. Current MP: Rakesh Singh of the BJP, who has retained the seat since 2004 Candidates: Ashish Dubey (BJP) and Dinesh Yadav (Congress). VOTING FACTORS Located on the banks of the Narmada River and surrounded by the Vindhya Mountains, Jabalpur is the cultural capital of Madhya Pradesh. As one of the states four metropolitan cities, it hosts the main seat of the states High Court. The citys marble hills and the misty waterfalls of the Narmada are renowned both nationally and internationally. Being the largest city in the Mahakaushal region, Jabalpur has played a major role in the politics of Madhya Pradesh. It has been a stronghold of the Congress since independence, but since 1996, it has consistently favoured the lotus symbol. Its a straight contest between the BJP and the Congress. In the 2023 Assembly Elections, the BJP performed well in the seat, bagging seven out of the eight assembly segments, while the Congress won one in Jabalpur Purba. BJP Bastion: Even as the Assembly seats in the districts have swung between the BJP and Congress, the Jabalpur Lok Sabha constituency has been a BJP bastion since 1996. The party has not lost even one Lok Sabha election here for the past 28 years. Rakesh Singh has been holding the seat since 2004 and his victory margin doubled following the Modi wave in 2014. In 2019, the BJPs vote share was up to 65% from 45% in 2014. The vote margin was also massive, at almost 4.55 lakh votes more compared to Congress candidate, Vivek Tankha, who won over 3.71 lakh votes. The BJP appears to maintain its grip, and there is no visible trend against it. Rakesh Singh Factor: Rakesh Singh, an OBC leader, has been serving as the MP for Jabalpur for the last 20 years. He is a leader known for his efforts to usher in development and implementation of government welfare schemes. Under his watch, Jabalpur got a grand upgraded airport, greater rail and highway connectivity. He is well-connected with the masses. However, he will not be contesting the 2024 election. It is said that winning an assembly seat is a bigger challenge than winning the Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh. With the BJP using all its might to retain the state, Singh was fielded from Jabalpur (Paschim) Assembly seat in the 2023 assembly elections and won, following which he was appointed as the Minister of Public Works Department in the state cabinet. Singh had been at odds with former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and is backed strongly by the central command of the BJP. He was appointed as the chief of the BJP state unit against the wishes of the former CM, who was in favour of keeping Nand Kumar Chouhan in the position. Singh has proved instrumental in winning the state assembly election last year and is campaigning for the new BJP candidate in Jabalpur without any resentment. New Candidate Ashish Dubey: Ashish Dubey, 52, is known to have close ties with Union Minister Amit Shah and BJP State President BD Sharma. Dubeys candidacy marks a significant moment. This is the first election of Dubeys political career, who has so far been serving as an organisational leader. Active in politics for more than three decades, he has a non-controversial image. The BJP has surprised cadre with this active karyakarta being made an electoral candidate. Dubey has handled various significant roles within the party. His late father, Ambikeshwar Dubey, was also a prominent leader in the party, holding numerous key positions. PM Modi and other top leaders have signalled their full-backing for Dubey. Interestingly, his sister-in-law has also secured a ticket from the Korba district of Chhattisgarh. Opposition to Dubey: Some protests were reported in the party following the announcement of Dubeys candidature. BJP MLA from Patan, Ajay Vishnoi, tacitly voiced his dissent, accusing Dubey of working against the party. Taking to his social media platform, Vishnoi expressed: BJP has made Ashish Dubey ji the Lok Sabha candidate. The partys decision is welcome. We have to forget that Ashish ji had worked against the party in our elections. Our aim will be to make BJP win. Earlier, Dubey, also from Patan, had sought a ticket from Patan in the 2023 assembly elections, which caused a rift between him and Vishnoi. However, reports from the ground say that the party stands united in its campaign. Vishnois grouse was defused through internal efforts, and reporters observe that the partys cadre is conditioned for surprises of this kind and respect the will of the high command. Campaign So Far: The BJP leadership has mobilised in unison and the party is far ahead of the Congress in its campaign strategy and public outreach in and around this seat. Modis rally on April 7 was a major event. Through this rally, the PM reached out to nearby constituencies of Mandla and Shahdol. In fact, Jabalpur holds key to the entire Mahakoshal region. Recently, BJP National Chief JP Nadda undertook a two-day visit to the central state. During his visit, he addressed party workers and the public at the Prabuddhajan Sammelan held at Manas Bhawan in Jabalpur. Additionally, he visited the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain to seek blessings for the upcoming polls. Modi Factor and Hindutva: In this largely Hindu seat, caste takes a backseat in both urban and rural areas, especially in the Lok Sabha elections. The public is receptive towards national issues such as national security and Hindutva, the Ram Mandir inauguration, movement to reclaim other temples on sites like the Gyanvapi Masjid, the Citizenship Amendment Act and so on. The PMs image as a Hindu leader is widely appreciated in this seat where people tend to also be highly religious. The politics of Vikas has also reaped electoral benefits as Jabalpur has witnessed accelerated infrastructure development in the past 10 years, especially in terms of rail, air and highway connectivity. Welfare schemes, from both the state BJP government and the centre, have also penetrated deeply, maintaining the prime ministers popularity and his image as a sincere leader. The latest scheme, Shivraj Singh Chauhans Ladli Behna Yojana, was launched from Jabalpur and is a massive hit in the state. Both SC and ST communities do not explicitly vote on the basis of caste loyalties and their support mostly lies with the BJP. The Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP), which many tribals in the state associate with, has not aggressively attacked the BJP and even tacitly endorses its work. Welfare schemes for the poor and tribals have been received positively by ST communities in Jabalpur. Congresss Decline: Post independence, the Congress enjoyed considerable control in the district, but that turned on its head with the emergence of the BJP in the 1990s. The Congress has been losing this seat repeatedly since 1996. While it made inroads in the assembly segments, it has remained significantly weak in the general elections. While the Congress announced its candidate relatively late, it has also failed to hit the ground running, and workers are still looking for direction from the party leadership which appears to lack strategy. Lack of national leadership has also slowed their pace. In fact, observers say the party has already thrown in the towel and does not expect any saving grace. Dinesh Yadav: Adv Dinesh Yadav, the Congresss candidate, is a relatively fresh face as opposed to Vivek Krishna Tankha who contested from the seat twice since 2014. Yadav finds himself lonely in the campaign as there is no aggressive campaign strategy visible on ground, and national leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have avoided visits. Dinesh Yadav is a local businessman, although not profusely wealthy according to reports. He has been campaigning door-to-door with a unique strategy wherein he asks not only for votes, but also notes a small sum between Rs 10 and Rs 100. He says that as all bank accounts of the party have been frozen, he needs financial support to sustain his campaign. This campaign has received lukewarm public response at best and has not been particularly successful. Muslim Factor: The Congress does not have any particular vote base in the region, except among Muslim voters who only comprise 7.4% of the total voter population in Jabalpur. VOTER DEMOGRAPHICS (2011 CENSUS) Total voters (2019): 17,87,309 Rural voters: 7,31,009 (40.9%) Urban voters: 10,56,300 (59.1%) Literacy rate: 71.31% Social Demographics SC voters: 14.4% ST voters: 15% Religious Demographics Hindu: 90% Muslim: 7.4% Jain: 1.37% Sikh: 0.54% KEY CONSTITUENCY ISSUES Farmers issues: Farmers in the state continue to face issues. Higher MSPs are a longstanding demand. Despite the regions rice, wheat, peas and other produce being internationally sought, the revenues for farmers are not as gratifying. Agriculture is highly dependent on the monsoon, which adds to the farmers woes. Electricity is also an issue as farmers receive only a few hours of electricity between six-eight hours for farmland irrigation and unannounced cuts exacerbate their struggles. Religion: Jabalpur is also called sanskaar-dhaani. Lying beside the Narmada, a holy river in Hinduism, Jabalpur constitutes a highly religious electorate which tends to be receptive towards national Hindutva issues such as Ram Mandir. The Ram temple inauguration was widely celebrated across Jabalpur with pujas and screenings held on the streets and Ghats. Muslim voters are also religious and tend to vote against such issues. Pollution in Narmada: The Narmada is considered a holy river in Hindu culture and locals are emotional about the state that the river is in owing to large-scale drainage of sewage and industrial waste. While Ghats have been developed and beautified, the issue of pollution in the Narmada river comes up during every election. Unemployment: Apart from ordnance factories and other defence-related manufacturing, marble production, the city serves as a military hub, housing key facilities such as the central gun-carriage factory, an ordnance factory and an ammunition depot. Its principal industries encompass food processing, sawmilling and a diverse range of manufacturing activities. However, this has not been enough to curb lack of employment and exodus of the youth from Jabalpur. The city is home to a few corporate offices, which leaves only government jobs as an employment avenue for the educated youth. Sewage Management: Sewage management is a prevalent issue in the city. A project for a major sewer line has been delayed for the past 16 years. Parts of the internal road network lay disrupted for its snail-paced construction. Health Infrastructure: Despite being a major city in eastern Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur lacks state-of-the-art health infrastructure. In fact, professional competence and lack of machinery are major issues in hospitals here and people are often left with the option of travelling outside the state to seek proper treatment. In March this year, the health department in Jabalpur cancelled the registration of five nursing homes for not following fire safety norms. Tourism Potential: As a cultural epicentre, Jabalpur has tremendous potential for religious tourism. It is also home to various natural sites, including forests, hills and waterfalls which can be an attraction for tourism if developed well. The Dumna Nature Reserve Park is one the largest natural reserves in the country. However, it remains under-developed and its potential as a tourist attraction remains untapped. INFRASTRUCTURE In the past 10 years, Jabalpur has witnessed a significant pace of development. The Modi government has focused on road, rail and air connectivity to boost the economic potential of the region. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. Israeli authorities opened the country's airspace, which was closed due to the threat of attack from Iran, the Israel Airports Authority said, Trend reports. In accordance with the instructions of the security services, as of 07:30 am, the airspace of Israel was opened, Ben Gurion Airport resumed operations, the Israel Airports Authority said in a statement. With its main focus on upliftment of women, youth, farmers and the poor, the Bharatiya Janata Party released its election manifesto Sankalp Patra for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls on Sunday. The party has said that it will implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and focus on One Nation, One Poll. Along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman and S Jaishankar were also present at the event. ONE NATION, ONE POLL One Nation, One Poll or One Nation, One Election is one of major highlights in the BJPs 2024 election manifesto. The idea of ONOP refers to holding simultaneous elections across the country, which means, polls for Lok Sabha and state assemblies will be held together. The High Level Committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind submitted its 18,626 page-long report on One Nation, One Poll to President Droupadi Murmu last month. The report revealed that of the 21,558 public responses received by the committee, more than 80 per cent (17,342) support the idea of holding simultaneous polls in India. Only 4,216 responses opposed the idea. We will create the necessary infrastructure and ecosystem for strengthening good governance, digital governance and data governance in the country, said PM Modi. We will move ahead with the resolve of One Nation, One Election, he added. UNIFORM CIVIL CODE Another high point of the saffron camps manifesto stood out to be the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) implementation. With its focus on good governance, the BJP, like ONOP, considers implementing the Uniform Civil Code significant for the country, PM Modi said. UCC, in the simplest terms, means one law which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, maintenance etc. India has a uniform or one set of criminal code for all its citizens but doesnt have uniform civil law. Article 44 of the Indian constitution which is part of the directive principles of the state policy reads, The state shall endeavour to secure for citizens a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) throughout the territory of India. Earlier this month at CNN-News18s Rising Bharat Summit, Home Minister Amit Shah had said, This (UCC) has been the issue for the BJP (Jan Sangh) since 1950s. We truly believe there should be one law for all in a secular country like India. Shah also explained that the BJP accepted the UCC as the guiding principle, which BR Ambedkar, Sardar Patel, Jawahar Lal Nehru and Rajendra Prasad too believed in. They decided that the UCC should be implemented in the country during the right time, and the BJP government in Uttarakhand did it. Uttarakhand, in February, became the first state in India to implement the UCC. PM MODI SAYS SANKALP PATRA FOR BUILDING VIKSIT BHARAT Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the election manifesto committee for the extensive work put into the preparation of this exceptional Sankalp Patra. He said that the reason behind the entire nation eagerly waiting for the partys manifesto is that in 10 years, BJP has implemented every point of its manifesto as a guarantee. This resolution letter empowers the four strong pillars of developed India youth power, women power, poor and farmers, PM Modi said, adding that our focus is on dignity of life, quality of lives and jobs through investment. He said, Our focus is on Nivesh se Naukri, our manifesto is the reflection of Indias Youth. In the last ten years, around 25 crore people of Bharat have moved out of multidimensional poverty. This stands as a testament to the Bharatiya Janata Partys strong commitment to a result-oriented approach to work, he added. It is Modis Guarantee that free ration scheme will continue to be operational for the next five years. We will ensure that the poor persons food plate is nutritious, satisfying, and affordable, the PM said. Every senior citizen over the age of 70 years will be covered under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, the prime minister said, adding that they could belong to any economic background. He said that in the work for the poor, we will move forward with the manifesto of building three crore more houses, PM Modi said. The Mudra Yojana Loan ceiling limit that was Rs 10 lakh earlier, it will now be increased to Rs 20 lakh, the PM Modi noted as he spoke on the release of the BJPs election manifesto. He added that the PM Swanidhi Yojanas limit will also be increased to Rs 50,000, adding that it will be applicable to tier two and tier three cities as well. The last 10 years have been dedicated to womens dignity and new opportunities for women, he said, the coming five years will be of new participation of women power. In the last ten years, around 10 crore women have associated with self-help groups. We have decided to train the women involved in these SHGs in the fields of IT, education, health, retail and tourism, the prime minister said, Modi guarantees that 3 crore women will become Lakhpati Didis! The prime minister said, In 10 years, we have provided many facilities for the disabled. Disabled people will now be given priority in the PM Housing Scheme, special efforts will be made to ensure that they get housing as per their special needs, he added. He said that the BJP will bring the National Cooperative Policy, adding that the number of dairy and cooperative societies will also be increased to a great extent across the country. He said that more than 2 crore small farmers, who produce Shri Anna, will receive special benefit. He said that a lot of emphasis will be placed on Shri Anna to make India a Global Nutrition Hub. We promised and implemented the Citizenship Amendment Act, now will be implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the prime minister said on one of the big promises of the BJPs election manifesto. PM Modi said that immediately after the June 4 results, work on BJPs Sankalp Patra will begin. The government has already started working on the 100-day action plan, he said. KEY FOCUS IN BJPS 2024 ELECTION MANIFESTO The saffron camp focuses on the bringing forward more Lakhpati Didis. It promises to make electricity bills zero with the PM Surya Ghar Yojana. The party said that 2025 will be Janjaatiya Year. One of the major focuses in the BJP election manifesto is One Nation, One Election and single electoral roll. The party aims to make the nation the third largest economy in the world. The BJP manifesto set the goal of making India a global manufacturing hub. The manifesto talks about Virasat Se Vikas and for the Ramayan Utsav to be celebrated across the world, promising more development in Ayodhya. The manifesto also talks about bringing laws against paper leak, education policy and hosting the Olympics in 2036. The manifesto guarantees to make three crore more Lakhpati Didis. It aims to bring more awareness on cervical cancer, increased number of washrooms for women and the implementation of the Mahila Shakti Vandan Act. The BJP, in its manifesto, has said that it will implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Migrant labourers and people under similar category will be linked to the e-Shram portal and they will be able to validate facilities provided under it. The BJP has also noted its focus on achieving a permanent seat for India t the United Nations Security Council. The problem of waiting list will be dealt with, the manifesto says. It has said that Bullet train will be brought in the North East. The manifesto looks at the expansion of 5G and the development of 6G. Every citizen above the age of 70 years will be provided free health treatment under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Transgender community will be given recognition and will be included in the Ayushman Yojana. The loan ceiling under the Mudra Yojana will be increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. Jan Jatiya Gaurav Diwas will be celebrated On Bhagwan Birsa Mundas 105th birth anniversary. In the space world, the manifesto has said that India will send man on moon, make Bharatiya Antariksh Station. WHAT JP NADDA SAID BJP president JP Nadda said that it is important to remember that the party is an ideology-based party, adding that BJP and initially from the Jansangh era, we are all involved in the journey of ideological foundation by continuously taking those ideas forward. Every time elections come, we all have worked to carry forward the same ideological journey, he said. Saying that the BJP has delivered on everything that it has promised, Nadda said the prime minister simplified the vision for the common man to understand and called it Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas. 10 years are proof that Modis guarantee is a guarantee that the guarantee will be fulfilled, the BJP national president said. The Lok Sabha constituency of Aurangabad, which has undergone a name change, will see a repeat of the fight witnessed in 2019 when the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) caused a big upset in Maharashtra by dislodging the undivided Shiv Sena from its citadel. Though the district has been rechristened Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar by the state government, in records of the Election Commission (EC), the prestigious Lok Sabha constituency in the Marathwada region is still known by its old name of Aurangabad. Aurangabad had been won by the undivided Shiv Sena six times since 1989, but five years ago the Bal Thackeray-founded party suffered a setback when its veteran leader Chandrakant Khaire faced an unexpected defeat at the hands of AIMIM candidate Imtiaz Jaleel by a narrow margin of less than 4,500 votes. The central Maharashtra constituency, which goes to polls in the fourth phase on May 13, will see Khaire, now the candidate of the Shiv Sena (UBT) post-split in the party, and Jaleel, re-nominated by the AIMIM, locking horns again for electoral supremacy. However, much has changed in Maharashtra politics between 2019 and 2024. The Shiv Sena suffered a split in June 2022 and the faction headed by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has acquired a new identity and got a new poll symbol. Khaire is with the group led by Thackeray. It remains to be seen if the Hyderabad-based outfit led by Asaduddin Owaisi retains hold over the constituency or if the Shiv Sena (UBT), facing its first Lok Sabha polls post-split, stages a comeback. Aurangabad, an industrial hub, is the biggest city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. This constituency consists of the rural assembly segments of Kannad, Gangapur, and Vaijapur and the urban seats of Aurangabad Central, West and East. The Lok Sabha constituency comprises 30,52,724 voters, including 16,00,169 men, 14,52,415 women and 140 third-gender persons. Aurangabad was initially a Congress stronghold with the grand old party winning the seat multiple times in elections post-independence. It acquired a saffron hue in the late 1980s and 90s when the Shiv Sena made inroads and established itself as a prominent political player. The seat became one of the bastions of the undivided Shiv Sena after Mumbai and Thane. As a result, all six assembly segments of the Lok Sabha constituency were bagged by the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in the October 2019 polls. Suresh Chandra of the Indian National Congress (INC) was the first Lok Sabha MP from Aurangabad (1952 to 1957). Later, freedom fighter and prominent leader of the Hyderabad freedom struggle Swami Ramanand Teerth, also a Congressman, became the second MP from Aurangabad. The seat remained with the Congress till 1971. However, the tide turned in 1977 when Bapusaheb Kaldate of the Janata Party defeated the Congress candidate with a margin of 57,089 votes. Sahebrao Dongaonkar of the Indian Congress (Socialist) won the seat in 1984. Shiv Sena corporator and then-Mayor Moreshwar Save bagged the Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat in 1989 and retained it in 1991. Save, a Hindutva leader, was associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. After 1991, the seat remained with the Shiv Sena till 2019 barring in 1998 when Ramkrushna Baba Patil of the Congress won it in mid-term polls. Then-Shiv Sena MLA Khaire emerged as a formidable figure and won Lok Sabha polls four straight times from the seat in 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014. In the interim, Jaleel, a journalist-turned-politician, joined the AIMIM and started cultivating a voter base in the Aurangabad district, which has a significant presence of Muslim electors. Jaleels efforts paid off in 2014 when he won the Aurangabad Central assembly seat by defeating Shiv Sena candidate Pradeep Jaiswal. In 2019, the journalist-turned-politician was rewarded by the AIMIM with a Lok Sabha poll ticket and he did not disappoint his party as he emerged victorious by defeating Khaire by a margin of 4,492 votes. That was first time the AIMIM won a Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra, which sends 48 MPs to the Lower House of Parliament, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh (80). In 2024, Aurangabad will see a different battle following the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena, whose voter base is now divided between the two rival factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. After the split, three out of the four Shiv Sena MLAs from the district, representing Aurangabad (Central), Aurangabad (West) and Vaijapur, joined the Shinde camp. The fourth MLA, Udaysingh Rajput (Kannad), is with the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT). The ruling BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance (Mahayuti) is yet to announce its nominee, but the main fight is likely to be between Jaleel and Khaire. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Ambadas Danve, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the legislative council, wanted to contest Lok Sabha polls from Aurangabad, but the party once again reposed faith in Khaire to wrest the seat from the AIMIM. Water shortage remains one of the key issues in the city whose residents get a supply once every eight days. A water pipeline is being laid from the Jayakwadi dam, located 55km south of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, to meet the water shortage. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is an industrial hub and houses breweries, pharma, automobile, seed and steel units. It is listed among the top 30 exporting cities in the country. The district is also home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites Ajanta and Ellora Caves which are popular tourist destinations. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday said her party will take concrete steps to make western Uttar Pradesh a separate state if voted to power at the Centre. Addressing a rally here in support of the BSPs candidate from the Muzaffarnagar Lok Sabha seat Dara Singh Prajapati, Mayawati also said the BJP has a very slim chance of coming to power again. You want western Uttar Pradesh to become a separate state. For this, concrete steps will be taken if our government comes to power at the Centre, Mayawati told the gathering. The BSP chief said if free and fair elections are held and voting machines are not tampered with, the BJP will not return to power this time. Most of the BJPs time was spent on making wealthy businessmen wealthier and protecting them The BJP and other parties run their organisations and contest elections with the support of these businesses. This was revealed by electoral bond data, she added. The former chief minister hit out at the BJP government for not recruiting people for vacant posts reserved for backward communities and making reservations in promotion redundant. In the last few years, with the BJP in power at the Centre and in most states, the progress of Muslims has stopped to a great extent. Violence in the name of religion has increased here, Mayawati said, adding that poor people of the general category have also not received any benefits under the BJPs rule. Prajapati is pitted against Sanjeev Kumar Balyan of the BJP and Harendra Singh Malik of the Samajwadi Party (SP). Before her rally here, Mayawati also addressed a public meeting in Saharanpur district. The eight parliamentary constituencies of Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Nagina (SC), Moradabad, Rampur and Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh will vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 19. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. The BS fought the 2019 Lok Sabha election in alliance with the SP and managed to secure victory on 10 seats. The party has decided to go solo this time. The SP, Congress and the All India Trinamool Congress are contesting as part of the INDIA bloc and the BJP, Apna Dal (S), NISHAD party and the SBSP are part of the NDA alliance. Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha seats, the highest for any state in the country. Caste and cash was the highlight of the Congress manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not taken that route in its manifesto, steering clear of any cash freebies and focusing on Modi Ki Guarantee. From its cover page to various chapters, Modi Ki Guarantee finds prominent mention, making it clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his credibility is the BJPs biggest calling card in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJPs manifesto carries a full record of 10 years of Good Governance and Vikas and essentially reinforces the point that the party had fulfilled its major promises made five years ago the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. ALSO READ | Ayushman Cover for 70+, UCC to One Nation, One Poll & Man on Moon: BJPs Poll Manifesto Highlights The BJP has cited this to say that in the next term, it will fulfill the two unfinished agendas which it had mentioned in 2019 One Nation, One Election come 2029, and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The contentious National Register of Citizens (NRC) does not find mention in this BJP manifesto, after the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has come into effect. In 2019, the BJP had said it would implement the NRC in a phased manner. This matter, however, has not been highlighted. The Congress had promised a caste census and Rs 1 lakh a year to poor family in the country. The BJP, however, sent out a message that its welfare schemes have reached all castes and religions a subtle message was sent as various common beneficiaries were chosen by the BJP to receive first copies of the manifesto from the Prime Minister on the stage. The Prime Minister also said that the governments Lakhpati Didi Yojana will be extended from one crore to three crore beneficiaries. The focus on women continued as the PM said affordable piped gas would be taken to households, similar to the subsidised LPG cylinders in the past 10 years under the Ujjwala scheme. A major outreach to senior citizens by the BJP has caught the eye too with PM saying every person above 70 years in the country will be covered by free medical insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. There are projected to be nearly five crore such senior citizens in India. While the Congress has focussed on unemployment and promised thousands of jobs, the BJP has focussed on investment in infrastructure for employment growth and making India a global manufacturing hub. An important pitch for promoting the entrepreneurial spirit" also been made by the BJP through its promise of doubling the loan amount under Mudra Yojana from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, after the scheme has seen a good uptake in the past five years among the youth. The BJP has also not fallen prey to the oppositions favourite freebie of free electricity for domestic consumers in various states such as Delhi, and has taken a rather more pragmatic approach towards the same goal through promoting the PM Surya Ghar Bijli Yojana. Modi said that by installing solar rooftops under the scheme, not only will people be able to produce their own electricity, but even sell the surplus to the government, and also contribute to renewable energy goals of the country. ALSO READ | Modi Guarantees Ease of Travel in BJP Poll Manifesto: Gram Sadaks, International Airports, Water Metros & More In the end, the BJP manifesto essentially boils down to Narendra Modis popularity and credibility on the lines of jo kaha who kiya and aage bhi jo kaha hai, woh karenge. The loudest cheer at BJP headquarters went out when the PM mentioned the partys commitment to the UCC. This could be the biggest story post 2024 if Modi comes to power again, as one state has made a start. The Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala was formed after the delimitation exercise in 2008. It has seven assembly constituencies from three districts: Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta assembly constituencies in Wayanad district; Eranad, Nilambur and Wandoor in Malappuram district; Thiruvambady seat in Kozhikode district. Mananthavady and Sulthan Bathery are Scheduled Tribe (ST) constituencies while Wandoor is a Scheduled Caste (SC) constituency. Rahul Gandhi, who is seeking re-election in the Lok Sabha poll from Wayanad, is expected to visit the constituency on April 15-16. He will attend election campaigns at Sulthan Bathery, Mananthavady, and Kalpetta Assembly constituencies. He will also attend a farmers meeting at Pulpally and a workers meeting here. Gandhi will attend the UDF rally on the Kozhikode beach on the day. He will lead campaigns and roadshows in the Thiruvambady Assembly constituency in Kozhikode and Eranad, Nilambur and Wandoor Assembly constituencies in Malappuram district on April 16. The Congress and the Communist Party of India (CPI), which are part of the Oppositions INDIA bloc, will be contesting against each other for the key Wayanad seat. Sitting MP Rahul Gandhi is being pitted against CPI-Ms senior leader Annie Raja wife of CPI general secretary D Raja and also the general secretary in the partys National Federation of Indian Women. BJPs Kerala unit chief, K Surendran, is also in the contest. Let us look at the constituency more closely. Wayanad district also called Keralas hill district was carved out of Kannur and Kozhikode as a separate district on November 1, 1980. With 40% of forest land and 31% of Keralas tribal population, Wayanads population as per Census 2011 is 8,17,420. The ST communities form 18% of district population while SC is around 4%. In terms of religion, Wayanad district is dominated by the Hindu community, which forms 49% of the total population. Muslims and Christian constitute 29% and 21%, respectively. While the Wayanad parliamentary seat, with the inclusion of three assembly constituencies falling in the Malappuram district, is dominated by the minority population with Muslims being the largest single population group. Malappuram has 70% Muslim community share in its overall population mix, as per Census 2011 data. Kozhikode district, with one Wayanad assembly constituency, has 56% Hindus and 39% Muslims. High proportion of Muslim population share in the four assembly constituencies outside Wayanad district changes the nature of the parliamentary constituency to be a minority dominated one as per the estimates drawn from the Census 2011 data. Wayanad has three municipalities, Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta. Census 2011 defines Mananthavady and Sulthan Bathery as Wayanads sub-districts. Here, the religious population share of the areas within a district have been taken from the numbers belonging to the particular assembly constituency falling in that area, as noted by the Census 2011. Mananthavady has 46% Hindus, 29% Muslims and 24% Christians. Religious population share in Sulthan Bathery is up to 58% Hindus, 17% Muslims and 25% Christians. Wayanad districts headquarters are in the Kalpetta municipality which is part of the Vythiri taluk. As per Census 2011 figures, the Vythiri sub-district has 43% Hindus, followed by 41% Muslims and 15% Christians. Thiruvambady assembly constituency of the Kozhikode district falls in the Kozhikode sub-district area. Census 2011 figures reveal this sub-district has 51% Hindus followed by 43% Muslims and 6% Christians. Eranad sub-district, where the Eranad assembly constituency falls in Malappuram, has 72% Muslims and 26% Hindus. Nilambur and Wandoor fall in the Nilambur Taluk or Tehsil as per the official website of the Malappuram district. As per the Census 2011 figures, the Nilambur sub-district, with Nilambur and Wandoor assembly constituencies, has 58% Muslims followed by 33% Hindus and 8% Christians. The average of the population base of Hindu, Muslim and Christians in all the seven assembly constituencies of Wayanad makes it a minority dominated Lok Sabha constituency. The Muslim community has a population share of 45.5% while Christians are estimated to be 12.5%. Together, they form 58% of Wayanad population with Hindus constituting 41.5%. Defending alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly, former Karnataka chief minister and Janata Dal Secular (JDS) leader H D Kumaraswamy, in an exclusive interview to News18, called Congresss Rahul Gandhi an outsider in Wayanad. Kumaraswamys comment came as News18 asked BJPs Tumkur Lok Sabha candidate V Somanna how he has been handling the outsider jibes from his opponents and party men. As part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of the BJP and JDS in Karnataka, Somanna has been given the Tumkur LS ticket and JDS leaders, including Kumaraswamy, have been actively campaigning for him. Somanna, who hails from Bengaluru, has been a five-time MLA and was recently defeated from both the assembly seats he contested Varuna against Siddaramaiah and Chamarajanagara against Congresss C Puttarangashetty. Who is Rahul Gandhi? Is he not an outsider in Wayanad? Why is he contesting from Kerala? Was he born there? How can they question Somanna and say he is an outsider, asked Kumaraswamy. The BJP has been experiencing rebellion from senior leader and former minister J C Madhuswamy, who was hoping to secure a ticket for the Lok Sabha seat. The announcement of Somannas name has angered the leader and he has since been actively staying clear of participating in election campaign programmes of the BJP-JDS alliance in Tumkur. NO REBELLION Tumkurs Lok Sabha constituency has eight assembly seats, of which the JDS won two, Chikkanayakanhalli and Turuvekere, while the BJP won Tumkur city and Tumkur rural in the 2023 assembly elections. Somanna tried to clear the air, saying there was no rebellion by Madhuswamy and that the leader had extended his support to him. Madhuswamy has been campaigning for me to help me win, Somanna told News18. However, when Somanna campaigned extensively in Chikkanayakanhalli, the seat won by Madhuswamy in 2018, the BJP leaders absence was conspicuous. Madhuswamy, Karnatakas former law minister, faced defeat at the hands of G S Basavaraju of the JDS in 2023. The BJP and JDS were not in an alliance during the Karnataka assembly polls. Kumaraswamys statement echoes Union minister Smriti Iranis jibe against Gandhi an outsider in Amethi as part of her election campaign. MODI OUR SANJEEVANI This is also the seat where BJP rival G S Basavaraju defeated former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by a margin of over 13,000 votes. Gowda, the joint candidate of then ruling Congress-JDS coalition, vacated his Hassan LS seat to allow his grandson Prajwal Revanna to contest and chose Tumkur for his contest. Kumaraswamy said that the BJP and JDS workers are working unitedly, not just in Tumkur, but across the state to ensure the alliance wins all 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. Currently, the BJP holds 25 seats, while the Congress and JDS hold one seat each. Additionally, one seat was won by Sumalatha Ambareesh, who contested as an Independent from Mandya. Karnataka BJP state chief B Y Vijayendra, who has also been campaigning across the state with all 28 candidates, was present in Tumkur seeking peoples support for Somanna. When asked how the party was handling the rebellion, including by leaders like K S Eswarappa who is contesting as an Independent against senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappas son and three-time Shimoga MP B Y Raghavendra, he said: There is some rebellion in one or two seats, but we will sort it out. It will not affect our results. Modi is our sanjeevani, the booster for the entire country. We will win this election together, Vijayendra told News18. He added that Raghavendra will win the Shimoga seat comfortably with a margin of over 2 lakh votes. Eswarappa had announced his decision to stand as an Independent in Shimoga, not against the BJP, but BSYs pariwaarvaad politics. Vijayendra refused to comment on whether Eswarappa will withdraw his nomination at the last minute. The BJP central leadership had communicated to the leader to back down, but the former deputy CM has dug his heels in and refused to budge. Iran launched hundreds of drones as well as cruise missiles towards Israel in its first direct attack on the Jewish state in response to the strike in Iranian diplomatic building in Syrian capital of Damascus on April 1, which killed a senior member of the Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards, and eight other officers. The strikes have caused minor damage" to the Nevatim airbase in the south of Israel, army spokesperson Daniel Hagari has said. Only a few missiles fell in the territory of the state of Israel with slight damage to a military base in the south, with only slight damage to the infrastructure," Hagari said in a statement, as quoted by The Guardian. Israels military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said Iran launched dozens of ground-to-ground missiles at Israel, most of them intercepted outside Israeli borders. They included more than 10 cruise missiles, he said. US President Joe Biden said Iran was helped by proxy forces in Yemen, Syria and Iraq. He would cut short his weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to return to White House, and convene a meeting of G-7 leaders on Sunday. The war is Gaza, which Israel invade after an attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, has flared up tensions within the Middle East, opening confrontation fronts with Syria and Lebanon, and drawing long-range fire at Israeli targets from as far away as Yemen and Iraq. Drones were also reportedly launched against Israel by Yemens Iran-aligned Houthi group, British maritime security company Ambrey said in a statement. Israel-Iran Bitter Rivalry Iran blames Israel for the April 1 airstrike on Irans consulate in Damascus that killed members of its IRS. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied being behind the attack. When Iran was ruled by the Pahlavi dynasty for more than half a century, Iranian-Israeli bilateral relations were far from hostile. In fact, Iran was the first Muslim country to recognise the new state of Israel. Palestinians called the international acceptance to the creation of Israel in 1948 as a catastrophe" that forced dispossession and displacement of more than 70,000 Palestinians. Israel was quick to establish ties with non-Arab states, including military cooperation with Iran. The relations between the two countries soured during the 1979 Islamic Revolution when Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was ousted, and the new supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, adopted a policy of standing up to arrogant" world powers. During his regime, the US became known in Iran as the Great Satan," and Israel as the Little Satan". But a hostile rivalry ensued after Iran built up and funded proxy militias and other groups in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. The Iranian nuclear programme, which has been a primary focus of Israel, was attacked by US Struxnet computer virus in 2000s to target centrifuges enriching uranium as claimed by Iran. Sabotage attacks continued into the 2020s, as Israel sought to damage Iranian nuclear facilities. Nuclear scientists were also targeted. US President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement in 2018 was seen as a blow to Tehran and a victory for Israel. Proxy Wars Iran has supported the outfits and groups that attack Israel and the US. Hezbollah in Lebanon, formed in the 1980s to fight Israels occupation in southern Lebanon, has the backing of Iran. Hezbollah has been sending rockets into northern Israel since the beginning of the Gaza war. Iran also supports Hamas, the armed Palestinian group that led the October 7 attack on southern Israel. The current war has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, over the past six months, according to Gaza health authorities. Iran has also provided support to Houthi rebels in Yemen, who fired ballistic missiles at Israeli resort town on the Red Sea. Iran also backs the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad, and Israel says Tehran uses Syrian territory to ship missiles and other weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes in Syria to stop that flow of weapons, and said the Iranian general killed in the consulate strike in Damascus was a key figure in that logistical chain. What Does the Future Look Like? Despite having the bitter relations with Israel over the past years, Iran never attacked the country directly. But after the Sundays attack, it depends on Israel how it chooses to carry out retaliation over the strike. Iran has warned of bigger strikes against Israel and US. Our response will be much larger than tonights military action if Israel retaliates against Iran," armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri told state TV, adding that Tehran warned Washington via Switzerland that any backing of Israeli retaliation against Iran would result in U.S. regional bases being targeted. The fact that none of the governments involved want to provoke an escalation does not necessarily protect against a full-scale crisis breaking out, David Khalfa, Middle East specialist at the French think tank Jean-Jaures Foundation, had told AFP. Miscalculations are entirely possible. Deterrence has an eminently psychological aspect," he said. The belligerents are at the mercy of any mistake or slip-up that could cause a cascading series of consequences." It has been almost a year now but the spot on the premises of Prayagrajs Motilal Nehru Divisional Hospital in Uttar Pradesh where don-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead from a point-blank range while being taken for the medical check-up on the night of April 15 is frequented by many locals. News18 puts spotlight on the Atiq-Ashraf death, one of the most sensational on-camera killings. The UP Police said the 2,056-page charge sheet against the three assailants, accused of killing the don duo in full public view, has been submitted, the matter is sub judice while the accused are currently lodged in Pratapgarh Jail, waiting for the trials to begin. April 15, 2023 was a regular day. Senior police personnel said Atiq and his brother Ashraf were taken to Motilal Nehru Divisional Hospital or Colvin Hospital for the routine medical check-up. It was at around 10:36 pm, when the duo escorted by the armed policemen were addressing the media, three shooters, posing as journalists, opened fire on Atiq and Ashraf from a point-blank range. One of the shooters removed Atiqs turban and shot Ahmed in the head. The shooters fired 20 bullets at Atiq and Ashraf, killing them on the spot, before being overpowered by the police. Atiq was shot on the day when his son Asad was killed in an encounter by the UP Police in Jhansi. Asad was the main accused in the Umesh Pals murder case. The three shooters were identified as Lavlesh Tiwari (22), who hailed from UPs Banda district, Mohit alias Sunny (23) from UPs Hamirpur and Arun Maurya (18) of UPs Kasganj district. Atiq Ahmed, a former five-term MLA and Lok Sabha MP from the Samajwadi Party, was involved in over 100 criminal cases, including murder and kidnapping, spanning a 44-year timeline. He rose to prominence amidst Uttar Pradeshs political turmoil in the 90s and 2000s. Regarded as the head of an extortion and land-grabbing syndicate in Prayagraj and eastern UP, Ahmeds criminal record reflects a dark undercurrent in the states political landscape, highlighting challenges in governance and law enforcement. Atiqs Political Aspirations Atiq Ahmeds political journey, marked by victories and controversies, reflects a complex intersection of power and criminality. Winning initially as an independent and later under SP and Apna Dal banners, he clinched the Allahabad West Constituency in 1989. Transitioning to the national stage, he secured the Phulpur seat in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. However, his political ascent was marred by allegations; he was implicated as the main suspect in the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal in 2005, followed by accusations of kidnapping a key witness in the case, Umesh Pal, in 2006. Despite these legal entanglements, Atiq continued his political pursuits, only to face expulsion from the Samajwadi Party in 2008 after surrendering to UP police. His subsequent electoral defeats in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls signalled a decline in his political fortunes. Yet, his legal troubles persisted, with numerous FIRs and trials, exacerbated by witness intimidation and judicial recusals. Atiqs alleged criminal empire, with a reported 144-member gang and assets valued at Rs 11,000 crore, underscored the challenges of confronting entrenched criminal networks within the political system. His arrest in a 2017 assault case and subsequent transfer to Sabarmati prison in 2019 on the Supreme Court orders further highlighted the gravity of his alleged offenses. The saga of Atiq Ahmed illuminates the intricate nexus between politics, crime, and the judiciary, exposing systemic vulnerabilities and the struggle for justice in Indias democratic framework. Atiq Wanted in Umesh Pal Murder Case Atiq Ahmeds entanglement in the murder case of Umesh Pal, a crucial witness in the former BSP MLAs assassination, deepened when Pal himself was fatally shot outside his Prayagraj home on February 24, 2023. Umesh Pals prior police complaint against Atiq and others implicated them in the murder plot. The FIR, lodged by Pals wife, Jaya, accused Atiq, his brother Ashraf, wife Shaista Parveen, their two sons, as well as associates Guddu Muslim and Ghulam, along with nine others, of orchestrating the assassination. Allegations included a conspiracy devised by Atiq, Ashraf, and Parveen to eliminate both Umesh Pal and his security guard Sandeep Nishad, with the actual attack allegedly executed by Atiqs sons and aides. But Why Did They Kill Atiq and Ashraf? Hatya karne ke uddesh ke bare mein poochane par teeno abhyukton ne bataya ki hum log Atiq aur Ashraf gang ka safaya karke pradesh mein apne naam ki pehchan banana chahte thhey jiska labh bhavishya mein nischit roop se milta (On being asked about the reason for the killing, all three accused said we wanted to finish the gang of Atiq and Ashraf and become famous because this would benefit us in the future for sure), the FIR stated. Similarities between the three assailants were that they all were below 23 years of age, jobless, drug addicts, runaways and of criminal background. Here are brief details about the three assailants who killed Atiq and Ashraf: Lavlesh Tiwari from Banda: Those who know Lavleshs family from the close quarters called him a drug addict, and said he was into crime since the very beginning. While two of his brothers are priests in a local temple, the one is still studying in school. He belonged to a simple family, earlier Tiwari had gone to jail in an eve teasing case. Due to his criminal nature and his dream to earn a big name in the world of crime, his family distanced itself from Lavlesh. In a statement, Lavleshs mother said he was a religious person and used to visit the temples regularly but didnt know what happened to him and how he landed in the world of crime. Sunny from Hamirpur district: Sunnys brother Pintu said he does not have any idea how Sunny became a criminal. The family distanced themselves from Sunny after getting to know his criminal record. He was also into drugs and other illegal activities. Sunny has three siblings out of which one brother died, the eldest brother works in a private firm while Sunny, who is the youngest of all, is named in around 17 cases. Sunny had left home 10 years ago. Arun Maurya: The third accused in the murder of Atiq and Ashraf hails from Kasganj. Those who knew Arun said he lost his parents at an early age while two brothers are into scrap business in Delhi and Arun has a long criminal history. People said it was almost 10 years ago when Arun was last seen in the village. The UP Police has charged the three men with murder and attempted murder, as well as under the Arms Act. At least two firearms were recovered from the site of the shooting. According to the FIR, the accused told the police they wanted to make a name for themselves and establish their identity in the state by eliminating Atiq Ahmads gang. The UP government had set up a three-member judicial committee to probe Atiq Ahmads killing. The panel headed by retired Allahabad high court judge Arvind Kumar Tripathi, included retired judge BK Soni and ex-DGP Subesh Kumar Singh. Current Status of Atiq-Ashraf Murder Case The district government counsel Gulab Chandra Agrahari told News18 that on July 13, 2023 the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had submitted a 2,056-page charge sheet against Lavlesh Tiwari, 22, Mohit Singh alias Shani, 23, and Arun Maurya, 18, who are lodged in the Pratapgarh district jail. Thereafter, CJM Dinesh Kumar Gautam had taken cognizance of the charge sheet and also instructed to provide the copy to the accused. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stressed the need for a strong and stable government in India amid an increasingly volatile world marked by several conflicts and wars. During the release of BJPs election manifesto here, Modi also vowed to prioritise the safety of Indian nationals living abroad. Delivering an address at the BJP headquarters in the national capital ahead of general elections, Modi said, As the world reels under the clouds of uncertainty in the wake of global tensions and wars, the security of Indians living abroad during these difficult times is our priority. The need for a strong, stable, and a majority government (in India) increases manifold during such tough times, he added. The BJPs Sankalp Patra provides a comprehensive overview of the NDA Governments achievements and charts the vision for building a Viksit Bharat by 2047.https://t.co/RwlzXLoxIj Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 14, 2024 Bharat First Foreign Policy This remark comes as BJP today released Sankalp Patra, which provides a comprehensive overview of the NDA Governments achievements and charts the vision for building a Viksit Bharat by 2047. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who attended the launch of the party manifesto, said, In the foreign policy domain, we reaffirm our commitment to following a Bharat First Foreign Policy. #ModiKiGuarantee for #VishwaBandhuBharat will keep delivering. Privileged to attend the @BJP4India Sankalp Patra release programme this morning at BJP Headquarters.The achievements of the previous decade of transformation is a report card of BJPs commitment to the nation. And the Sankalp Patra, a reflection of the partys plan of action pic.twitter.com/B5KZE5FhOo Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) April 14, 2024 Sankalp Patra The party manifesto also highlighted that the BJP government has successfully brought Bharat from a fragile 5 to the top 5 economies despite the global turmoil and once-in-a-century event Covid pandemic. We have strengthened our financial system, maintained fiscal prudence, and increased our foreign exchange reserves We have successfully shielded our citizens from global price shocks and created a conducive environment for economic growth. Our policies have resulted in Bharat becoming the 5th largest economy. We will build upon this foundation in the next five years to launch our country on the path to Viksit Bharat by 2047, it read. Becoming a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is another commitment that BJP has made in its election manifesto. We are committed to seeking permanent membership in the UN Security Council to elevate Bharats position in global decision-making, the manifesto read. Not just this, the party said that efforts will continue to create a consensus among all members of the United Nations on the Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism and other such efforts to combat the phenomenon. We will build upon the success of the No Money for Terror conference to develop better coordination on countering terrorism financing, it read. India has gifted 35 ambulances and 66 school buses to various organisations across Nepal in a sign of deepening partnership with the neighbouring nation. At the handover ceremony, held at the Embassy of India in Kathmandu, Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava presented the keys to these essential vehicles in presence of Finance Minister of Nepal Barsha Man Pun. Srivastava said these gifts symbolise Indias steadfast support for Nepals development journey, particularly in enhancing healthcare and education accessibility. The Nepalese Finance Minister expressed gratitude for Indias ongoing development projects, recognising their pivotal role in fostering bilateral relations and enhancing people-to-people connectivity, said a press statement from the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. Of the total 101 vehicles gifted, two ambulances were handed over on location in the earthquake-affected Jajarkot and West Rukum districts by the representative of the Embassy of India in the presence of district officials and local residents. The ceremony underscored Indias tradition of extending assistance to Nepal, reflecting the deep-rooted friendship between the two nations. India regularly provides substantial financial and technical assistance to Nepal for implementation of large development and infrastructure and connectivity projects in key areas of education, health, irrigation and rural infrastructure. A series of cross-border connectivity projects such as rail links, roads, Integrated Check Posts are also under implementation with Indian grant assistance. India has consistently extended a helping hand to its Himalayan neighbour. Since 1994, India has gifted a total of 1,009 ambulances and 300 school buses across Nepal, including those gifted today. The Indian Ambassador said that these donations are long-standing initiatives of the India under the Nepal-India Development Partnership to bolster the efforts of the Nepalese government to strengthen its infrastructure in health and education sectors. Historically, India has played a pivotal role in Nepals socio-economic progress, extending assistance across various sectors ranging from infrastructure development to capacity building. The close ties between the two countries are deeply rooted in shared history, culture, and geographical proximity, forming the cornerstone of their bilateral relations. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. Israel has successfully repelled the bulk of the Iranian attack, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said following an operational meeting with the military leadership, Trend reports. He stressed that the campaign is not yet over and urged Israelis to remain vigilant. "Through joint efforts with the US and other allies, we have been able to defend Israeli territory. Despite the minor damage that was caused, this is the result of the impressive actions of the Israel Defense Forces. However, the campaign is not over yet and we must remain vigilant, strictly following the Israel Defense Forces' instructions. We must be prepared for all possible scenarios. Nevertheless, we prevented the most significant wave of attack and did so successfully," the minister said. On April 14, Iran confirmed that it had launched an operation against Israel and fired dozens of drones and missiles at Israel. On April 1, an Israeli airstrike in the Mezze district of Damascus killed 13 people, including the commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Syria and Lebanon, General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy, Mohammad Haji Rahimi. Since then, tensions between Iran and Israel have increased. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday spoke to his Israeli and Iranian counterparts amid high tensions between the two countries. Jaishankar said that he had also spoken to his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, regarding the release of 17 Indian crew members on an Israeli-affiliated container ship seized by Irans Revolutionary Guards. In a social media post on X, the External Affairs Minister further stated that he had discussed the current ongoing tension between Iran and Israel. He stressed the importance of avoiding escalation during his conversation with Amir-Abdollahian. Spoke to Iranian FM @Amirabdolahian this evening. Took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of MSC Aries. Discussed the current situation in the region. Stressed the importance of avoiding escalation, exercising restraint and returning to diplomacy. Agreed to remain in touch, Jaishankar wrote. Spoke to Iranian FM @Amirabdolahian this evening.Took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of MSC Aries. Discussed the current situation in the region. Stressed the importance of avoiding escalation, exercising restraint and returning to diplomacy. Agreed to remain Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) April 14, 2024 Jaishankar also spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and discussed the situation. Spoke to Iranian FM @Amirabdolahian this evening.Took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of MSC Aries. Discussed the current situation in the region. Stressed the importance of avoiding escalation, exercising restraint and returning to diplomacy. Agreed to remain Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) April 14, 2024 On Saturday, Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards seized the MSC Aries when it was sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Israeli-affiliated container ship had 17 Indian crew members. The ship, MSC Aries, was en route to the port of Nhava Sheva in Mumbai. Earlier today, Jaishankar advocated for an immediate de-escalation of the situation after Iran fired missiles and drones towards Israel, calling it a matter of deep concern. His remarks came after Iran launched its first direct military attack against Israel on Saturday, firing more than 100 bomb-carrying drones. Follow Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE News It is a matter of deep concern because it represents an escalation in this situation, something which worries all of us, the EAM told India Today. We have for some time been concerned about the situation there starting with the October 7 attack on Israel, escalating into other dimensions and other zones which is deeply worrying. We have particular stakes in that region, he added. Jaishankar further said India is constantly monitoring the situation in the region and has advised its citizens to exercise caution. Right now we have advised people not to travel to Israel or Iran. We have asked those who are already there to take utmost precaution. Thats the sensible thing to do right now. We will watch what happens further and if we have to issue advisories or take steps, we will do that, Jaishankar was quoted by India Today as saying. Later in the day, during an exclusive conversation with News18, EAM Jaishankar shed light on how Indias foreign policy has changed under Prime Minister Narendra Modis regime over the last ten years. We are getting more globalised. Our opportunities, contributions, and challenges vis-a-vis the world are growing. The world is coming to India, Jaishankar said. On being asked if India should be worried over the escalating situation between Iran and Israel, the EAM said we should be concerned, adding that we have to be prepared given so many conflicts going on in the world, so much polarisation, challenges on our border. People of India are taking interest in Indias foreign policy, India needs a strong government led by strong PM says S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs @Zakka_Jacob speaks to @DrSJaishankar#BJPManifesto2024 #SJaishankar #LokSabaElection2024 pic.twitter.com/g83axv9jb3 News18 (@CNNnews18) April 14, 2024 This is an uncertain, unpredictable, turbulent world. You need a safe and experienced set of hands on the tiller of the ship that is India. Thats how we will sail, he said. Gangster Lawrence Bishnois gang is behind the firing outside Bollywood actor Salman Khans House in Mumbai on Sunday, top Mumbai Police sources said. As per sources, the attack was carried out by Rohit Godara, who operates Bishnois gang in Rajasthan. One of the accused has been identified as Vishal aka Kalu, who works for Rohit Godara, a gangster from Rajasthan who runs the Bishnois Gang in Rajasthan. Sources said that both the accused have fled from Mumbai. An FIR was filed earlier today and later the case was transferred to crime branch. Meanwhile, CCTV footage of two bike-borne men firing gunshots outside Salman Khans house has surfaced. Gunshots were fired outside Khans house in Mumbai in the early hours of Sunday at around 4:55 am. Two individuals came on a motorcycle and fired three shots in the air outside the actors house. ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE! Salim Khan BREAKS Silence on Firing Outside Salman Khans House: No Need To Worry In the CCTV video, one of the attackers could be seen riding the bike and the other fired three rounds with the weapon aimed towards the actors house. The accused riding the bike slowed his vehicle, giving the pillion rider just enough time to carry out the attack before fleeing from the scene. Heavy police force was deployed outside the actors residence, Galaxy Apartments following the incident. Mumbai Police are examining CCTV footage to nab the culprits. The incident was reported at the Bandra Police Station and an FIR was filed. Salman Khan was present in his home at the time of the incident, Mumbai Police said. After the firing, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde spoke to Salman Khan over a phone call and also held discussions with the Mumbai Police Commissioner. This is an unfortunate incident. Police are investigating it. The accused will be caught and stringent action will be taken against them, Shinde said. The Maharashtra CM also said that those who take the law into their own hands wont be spared. Commissioner has been informed to assess the security of Salman Khan and his entire family & increase the security. I have also spoken with Salman Khan too. I have told him that the Government is with him and he need not worry, the Chief Minister added. Amir Sarfaraz Tamba, an accused in the murder of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan and a close associate of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan Punjabs Lahore on Sunday. According to reports, Tamba was attacked by assailants on motorcycles in the Islampura area. He was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, but declared brought dead. While CNN-News18 cannot independently verify this news, even the police have not yet confirmed it. But, it was reported by other news agencies like PTI citing official sources. A PTI report said Tambas family members said two men came on a motorcycle to their house and shot him in the upper storey. His body bore four bullet wounds, two each in the chest and legs, the report said, adding while one of the gunmen was wearing a helmet, another had put up a mask on his face and both of them fled the scene after firing at him. Tamba was enjoying all facilities, including a mobile phone inside the jail, during his imprisonment for his criminal activities, the sources said. Tamba was released from prison two years and was living in a well-protected area with multiple CCTVs in the locality. Punjab police officials familiar with the developments said Tamba had rivals in jail who got him killed. An FIR has been lodged in Lahores Islampura Police Station. The report further said Tamba was born in Lahore in 1979 and was a close aide of Saeed, who felicitated him for killing Sarabjit Singh. Notorious as Lahore ka asli don, Tamba was part of the Truckenwalla gang and was engaged in the property trade and drug trafficking. He was recently involved in a clash with one of the gang members, Ameer Balaj Tipu, who was later killed during a marriage reception in Lahore. Sarabjit Singh died of cardiac arrest in Jinnah Hospital Lahore in the early hours of May 2, 2013, after being in a coma for nearly a week following a brutal assault by inmates inside the high-security Central Jail Lahore. He was attacked with bricks and iron rods. He was convicted of participating in several bombings in Pakistans Punjab province in 1990 and was sentenced to death. Singhs family, however, has maintained that he was a victim of mistaken identity and had inadvertently strayed across the border. His sister Dalbir Kaur had fought a long battle to secure his release from the neighbouring country, but failed. She died in 2022 in Amritsar. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested the two accused in the Bengaluru cafe blast case Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Taaha from West Bengal on Friday. And top intelligence sources have told CNN-News18 that the men were using crypto money traders available on digital platforms for their finances. These traders are available on Telegram channels and work for a commission, they added. These crypto traders are not criminals or involved in any terror activity, said the sources. Right now we have not been able to pinpoint the person giving money to these people, said an intelligence official. The blast at Bengalurus Rameshwaram Cafe on March 1 injured at least nine people. Investigators believe Shazib planted the explosive device, placed inside a backpack, at the popular eatery, while Taahaa was responsible for planning the attack and for their disappearance. Agencies got their first breakthrough after CCTV footage from the site and evidence like a cap and glasses were found. Initial attempts to identify the attackers proved difficult. But after Shazibs cap was found at a Bengaluru mosque, investigators scanned its details, located the seller in Chennai, and examined the CCTV footage to zero in on the duo. In this Chennai shop, we learnt that Taahaa was also involved in the attack, said an official. Security camera footage from Bengaluru had already shown Shazib in several places and on buses. By the time agencies reached their first hideout, the duo had left and switched off their cellphones and other electronic equipment, said sources. At the hideout, we came to know about the Aadhaar cards and mobile numbers they were using, an official said. They were using different identities and bank accounts linked to them were also found. It was a complete network, which arranged everything for them including mobile numbers and fake SIM cards. We received bus data from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, etc, and watched their movements. Investigators also examined their online purchase patterns. Meanwhile, one of their associates, Muzamil, was caught by authorities. He allegedly supplied them the fake SIM cards and he shared more details with officials. After Muzamils arrest, Shazib and Taahaa fled to Kolkata, sources said. Investigators found that after December 2023, the duo had been staying at cheap guesthouses in different places so they would be seen as tourists and not asked too many questions. After agencies tracked down some phone numbers, they learnt that the two men were in Bengals Purba Medinipur district. Their first phone we found was in Chennai, which was important for investigations, said an official. They received Rs 15 lakh from their handler through Lashkar-e-Taiba or an associated group. The Lashkar link is important because some disgruntled elements who ran away have used ISIS and LeT support to carry out blasts in India. These groups abroad also use these absconding people or those who come out of jail for their tasks. In a bizarre incident, an argument over a mere Rs 50 allegedly led to a man biting off a shopkeepers finger when he refused to sell a frock at his desired price. The case was reported in Uttar Pradeshs Banda. According to an India Today report, the altercation unfolded when the shopkeeper, Shivchandra Karwaria, who runs a clothing store, sold a frock to a customer. The next day, the customer returned to the shopkeeper, claiming that the frock was too small and demanded a larger size. However, things went south when the shopkeeper told him that he would have to pay another Rs 50 for a larger frock. The man refused to pay an additional amount and began to argue with the shopkeeper. Soon, the refusal turned into an intense altercation and the man then allegedly bit off the top finger of Karwarias left hand. He also injured his son by biting him as well, the publication reported. After the clash, the accused threw the shopkeepers clothes onto the road and threatened him before fleeing the scene. The shopkeeper, who had sustained injuries, subsequently went to the nearby police station and filed a complaint against the accused. The Station House Officer (SHO) at Kotwali Naraini, Suresh Saini, informed the publication that a case had been registered based on the shopkeepers complaint. The SHO stated that the police were currently searching for the accused and legal action would be taken against him once he was apprehended. In a similar incident, a man allegedly bit off his wifes finger during a domestic dispute after accusing her of having an affair in Gujarats Ahmedabad. Bleeding severely, she rushed out of her house screaming for help while the husband stayed put in the house. In her complaint, the woman said her husband often beat her over trivial issues and always suspected her of having an affair. A charred body of a 30-year-old woman was found on a roadside near Pattambi here on Sunday morning, police said. It is suspected that the woman was stabbed before being set ablaze. The perpetrator was identified as Thrithala resident Santhosh (42), the victims former employer, who took his own life shortly after. We were alerted by the locals. We reached the spot and found her scooter lying nearby. We identified the body using the scooter. Further investigation is on, police told PTI. Praviya was a store assistant at a nearby hospital. Santhosh, owner of the shop, where she was earlier working, hanged himself this morning shortly after the incident. It seems like they were close. But we are yet to ascertain the reason behind the incident. More details will be out after the forensic investigation, they added. Ambedkar Jayanti, also known as Bhim Jayanti, is celebrated on April 14. The day honours the great initiatives and vision of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar. Dr. Ambedkar was born in 1891 and is known as Father of Indian Constitution. He was not only the principal architect of the Indian Constitution, but the first Law Minister of Independent India, a jurist, economist, writer and a social reformer. Baba Saheb was a strong advocate of uplifting the poor and marginalised sections of society. The day is commemorated across India, recognising Dr Ambedkars efforts towards uplifting society and his enduring legacy in promoting equality and social justice. This year, Ambedkar Jayanti marks the 134th birth anniversary of Baba Saheb. Here are some inspiring quotes to share on his birth anniversary. 10 Inspiring Quotes By Dr BR Ambedkar 1. If you believe in living a respectable life, you believe in self-help which is the best help. 2. We must stand on our own feet and fight as best as we can for our rights. So carry on your agitation and organise your forces. Power and prestige will come to you through struggle. 3. The history of India is nothing but a history of a mortal conflict between Buddhism and Brahminism. 4. I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved. 5. Men are mortal. So are ideas. An idea needs propagation as much as a plant needs watering. Otherwise, both will wither and die. 6. Every man who repeats the dogma of Mill that one country is not fit to rule another country must admit that one class is not fit to rule another class. 7. The relationship between husband and wife should be one of closest friends. 8. Political tyranny is nothing compared to social tyranny and a reformer who defies society is a more courageous man than a politician who defies Government. 9. A great man is different from an eminent one in that he is ready to be the servant of society. 10. Law and order are the medicine of the body politic and when the body politic gets sick, medicine must be administered. Vishu is a vibrant Hindu festival that celebrates the Malayali New Year in Kerala, Tulu Nadu, and Mahe regions of India. It falls on the first day of the Medam month in the Malayalam calendar, which usually corresponds to mid-April in the Gregorian calendar. In 2024, Vishu falls on Sunday, April 14. Its a time for families and communities to come together and celebrate new beginnings, prosperity, and the harvest season. On this auspicious occasion, here are some Happy Vishu 2024 wishes, messages, WhatsApp statuses, and Facebook statuses to share with your family and friends. HAPPY VISHU 2024 WISHES May this Vishu bring you joy, prosperity, and abundance. Happy Vishu! Wishing you and your family a blessed Vishu filled with happiness and good fortune. May the New Year bring you new hope, new aspirations, and new beginnings. Happy Vishu 2024! On this auspicious day of Vishu, may you be blessed with peace, love, and prosperity. Happy Vishu to you and your loved ones! As you celebrate Vishu, may your heart be filled with joy, your home with happiness, and your life with success. Happy Vishu 2024! HAPPY VISHU 2024 MESSAGES Lets welcome the New Year with a heart full of gratitude and a spirit of positivity. Happy Vishu to you and your family! May the light of Vishu illuminate your life with happiness and prosperity. Have a wonderful Vishu! As the auspicious day of Vishu dawns, may it bring you new hope and opportunities for growth. Wishing you a Happy Vishu! On this Vishu, may you be blessed with good health, peace of mind, and success in all your endeavours. Happy Vishu 2024! May this Vishu bring you closer to your loved ones and fill your life with love and laughter. Happy Vishu! HAPPY VISHU 2024 WHATSAPP STATUS Wishing everyone a joyous Vishu filled with love and laughter! May the blessings of Vishu bring prosperity and success into your life. Embracing the spirit of Vishu with gratitude and positivity. As we welcome the New Year with Vishu, may it bring happiness and fulfillment to all our lives. Lets cherish the traditions and values of Vishu as we celebrate the beauty of life. HAPPY VISHU 2024 FACEBOOK STATUS Wishing everyone a Happy Vishu filled with love, prosperity, and blessings! May the divine blessings of Vishu bring peace and happiness to your life. Lets embrace the joy of Vishu and spread love and positivity wherever we go. On this auspicious occasion of Vishu, may your heart be filled with joy and your home with laughter. As we celebrate Vishu, lets cherish the rich cultural heritage and traditions that make our lives beautiful. VISHU FAQS What is Vishu? Vishu is a Hindu festival celebrated in the state of Kerala, India, and by the Malayali diaspora around the world. It marks the New Year in the Malayalam calendar and is celebrated with traditional rituals and customs. When is Vishu celebrated? Vishu is typically celebrated in the month of Medam in the Malayalam calendar, which corresponds to April in the Gregorian calendar. It usually falls on or around April 14th. What are some traditional customs associated with Vishu? Some traditional customs associated with Vishu include Vishukkani, the first sight on Vishu morning, which consists of auspicious items such as rice, fruits, vegetables, flowers, gold, and coins, arranged in a vessel. Another custom is Vishukkaineetam, where elders give money to younger members of the family as a symbol of prosperity. What is the significance of Vishu? Vishu signifies the beginning of a new year and is considered an auspicious day for starting new ventures, seeking blessings for prosperity, and fostering family bonds. How is Vishu celebrated? Vishu is celebrated with fervor and enthusiasm, with families coming together to perform traditional rituals, visit temples, exchange gifts, and enjoy feasts. It is a time for reflection, gratitude, and renewal of hopes and aspirations for the coming year. Filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee didnt hold back when discussing the state of the Hindi film industry. He believes its falling behind its South Indian counterparts. According to him, Bollywood is losing touch with its roots and relies on remaking low-budget Marathi films just to make money. During an interview on the Honestly Saying Podcast, Dibakar, known for movies like Khosla Ka Ghosla, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, and Shanghai, was asked if the South Indian film industry has influenced Bollywoods filmmaking in recent years. The director said, Yes. It is not a four-year issue, it has been 10-15 years, we have just been slow to read the signs. Over the last decade, decade and a half, they have come up with new interpretation of old superstars, they have invested in stories, invested in subversion in the superstar genre In addition to that, the independent film industry, lets say, the Kerala film industry, has kept the vibe because they have kept theatrical alive. They have not let their budgets get bogged down by astronomical star fees. They have also been intelligent about trying to increase the number of theatres. The director mentioned that the South Indian film industry also focuses on local stories and pointed out how disconnected Hindi filmmakers are from their surroundings. He explained that influential people in Bollywood tend to read English novels and bestselling books, overlooking Hindi, Bengali, or Gujarati literature and stories from their own culture. Powerful people in Bollywood like us read English novels, Crossword bestsellers, we dont know how to read Hindi, Bengali, are unaware of Gujarati stories and stories of our roots. A Marathi filmmaker mounts a film on a low budget, and then we remake that and make money. Our ability to jump into our own stories is reducing, so South is definitely ahead of us, he said. Dibakar Banerjee is currently awaiting the release of his film, Love Sex Aur Dhoka 2. A team of Mumbai police officials, including Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), Lakhmi Gautam and encounter specialist Daya Nayak, arrived outside Bollywood actor Salman Khans house, where unidentified persons fired gunshots early Sunday. In the wee hours of Sunday, two motorbike-borne unidentified persons opened fire outside Khans house leading the police to enhance security around his residence and launch a search operation for the accused. In a video released by news agency ANI, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), Lakhmi Gautam and encounter specialist Daya Nayak were seen outside Salman Khans house as they began an investigation into the case. #WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: Two unidentified people opened fire outside the house of actor Salman Khan in Bandra.Joint commissioner of police, crime branch, Lakhmi Gautam present at the spot. pic.twitter.com/mJAqu2wrO5 ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2024 Security outside Khans residence was stepped up and the police officials were also seen collecting footage of the CCTV cameras installed near his house to identify the persons. 15 teams have been formed to catch the accused. As per the Mumbai Police, Salman Khan was present in his house when the firing took place. On Cam | Bike-Borne Shooters Flee From Spot After Firing Outside Salman Khans House The two persons fired at least four rounds outside the Galaxy Apartments in Mumbais Bandra area, where the actor resides, at around 5 am and fled from the spot, the police said after the preliminary probe. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had a telephone conversation with Salman Khan after the incident. In March last year, the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor received a threat e-mail from Canada-based fugitive gangster Goldy Brar, who openly declared that the Bollywood superstar was on his gangs hit list. Following the threat, Mumbai Police registered an FIR against gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar and another person under Indian Penal Code sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 506-II (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention). The FIR was based on a complaint lodged with Bandra Police by one Prashant Gunjalkar, who according to police frequently visited the Bandra-based residence of Khan and ran an artist management company. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to take retaliatory measures against Iran, Trend reports. According to information, Netanyahu made this decision after a telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden. Two senior Israeli officials reportedly said members of the military-political cabinet had called for a retaliatory strike, but Netanyahu abandoned the idea after speaking with Biden by phone. The Malayalam film industry faced a sudden setback when major multiplex chains like PVR and INOX withdrew Malayalam films from screens across the country. This move also affected industries like Telugu, which had acquired dubbing rights to Malayalam films and suffered losses due to the sudden removal of these films. Despite resistance from the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), it looks like a resolution has now been reached. Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of PVR Pictures Limited, retweeted a statement on Saturday evening suggesting that the multiplex chain will resume screening Malayalam films from Vishu (April 14), following the stopping of screenings on Eid (April 11). The statement shared by industry tracker Sreedhar Pillai reads, #PVRINOX vs Kerala Film Producers Association issue over #VPF resolved! #PVRINOX Will start advance booking in all their properties for new and earlier released #Malayalam films with immediate effect. Probably from late tonight or tomorrow- #Vishu day! Just in : #PVRINOX vs Kerala Film Producers Association issue over #VPF resolved!#PVRINOX Will start advance booking in all their properties for new and earlier released #Malayalam films with immediate effect. Probably from late tonight or tomorrow- #Vishu day! Sreedhar Pillai (@sri50) April 13, 2024 Earlier on Saturday, FEFKA announced that no Malayalam films would be shown in PVR INOX theaters until producers were compensated for recent losses. Unnikrishnan B, FEFKAs general secretary, made this announcement during a press conference attended by directors Blessy and Vineeth Sreenivasan, according to PTI. Unnikrishnan explained that the dispute between PVR INOX and the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA) was about the virtual print fee (VPF) charged by the multiplex. Upset with the high costs, the KFPA launched its own service called Producers Digital Content (PDC). Kamal had previously argued that it was illegal for the KFPA to require exclusive use of PDC for streaming films, leading PVR INOX to take a stand. In the early hours of April 14, gunfire was reported outside Salman Khans residence in Mumbai. The incident occurred around 4.55 am, as per initial reports by CNN-News18, with two individuals spotted on a motorcycle and fired three shots in the air. Heavy police deployment is currently seen outside the superstars residence, Galaxy Apartments. Mumbai Police have initiated efforts to nab the culprits by examining CCTV footage. The incident has been reported at the Bandra Police Station and the process of filing an FIR is underway. Last year, Salman Khan found himself targeted by a death threat from Canada-based fugitive gangster Goldy Brar, who openly declared that the Bollywood superstar was on his gangs hit list. Earlier in the year, Mumbai Police had filed an FIR against gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar, along with another individual, following an email threatening Salman Khan at his Mumbai residence. #BreakingNews: Firing incident reported outside #Bollywood actor #SalmanKhan's house in the morning, 2 people came on a motorcycle as per initial reports News18's @sompura_preeti shares more with @SakshiLitoriya_ pic.twitter.com/vH7kxUVo2p News18 (@CNNnews18) April 14, 2024 According to police sources, three rounds were fired during the incident, which occurred around 4.55 am in the morning. The forensic team is expected to arrive at the scene soon to gather evidence. Its being reported that the Mumbai Police Crime Branch will take over the case. Investigations are underway to determine those involved in the incident. #WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: Visuals from outside actor Salman Khan's residence in Bandra where two unidentified men opened fire this morning.Police and forensic team present on the spot. pic.twitter.com/fVXgHzEW0J ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2024 Salman Khan travels with an elaborate security team, especially since he was subjected to death threats earlier this year. He was granted Y+ security after he reportedly received a death threat from the Bishnoi Gang. Back in April, when he received the threat, Salman said on Aap Ki Adalat, I am going everywhere with full security. I know whatever is going to happen will happen no matter what you do. I believe that (refers to God) that he is there. It is not that I will start roaming freely, it is not like that. Now there are so many Sheras around me, so many guns are going around with me that I am myself scared these days. Kareena Kapoor Khan is a fitness freak and loves to share her love for yoga. Well, today also she shared a photo that instantly went viral. The Crew actress shared her Sunday plans but what grabbed everyones attention was the boy in the picture. It stirred curiosity among fans, sparking a flurry of questions about the identity of a mysterious guitarist in the background. Taking to her Instagram handle, Kareena shared a photo in which she is performing Chakrasan. She looks gorgeous in cool athleisure while a young boy is seen playing guitar. Soon, fans asked her the same in the comment section. Many wrote, Who is the one playing the guitar behind? Kareena wrote in the caption, Yoga for me Crew for you #ChakrasanaSeries @anshukayoga. Take a look here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) Kareena Kapoor Khan, Tabu and Kriti Sanon starrer Crew opened to a warm response from the masses upon its release on March 29. The film, over its first weekend, performed significantly well and concluded its first weekend in India with a collection of Rs 32.60 crore. However, on its first Monday, the film witnessed a 60 per cent drop in its collection, and the downward trend persisted with its earnings further decreasing from Tuesday to Thursday. As per Sacnilk.com, the film minted a total of Rs 3 crore on Day 7 of its release. As reported Kareena Kapoor Khan is all set to star in Toxic co starring Yash. It has now been claimed that Kareena will play the role of Yashs sister. It is also claimed that she has a powerful role in the film. If the report is true, this will mark Kareenas first Kannada film. A source told Times Now, It is basically a brother-sister story with Yash and Kareena playing inseparable siblings. The director was keen to have Kareena on board in Toxic from the inception of the project. Negotiations were on. Everyone presumed Kareena was being brought into the project as Yashs leading lady when in fact Kareena was offered a far more powerful role. She has never been seen like this before. Meanwhile, it is also rumoured that Shruti Haasan could play the lead role. Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal are expecting their first child together. The Heeramandi actress recently opened up about her pregnancy and said that Ali will make an incredible father. She said that she is doing well and is excited for this new phase in her life. Talking to the Hindustan Times about Ali Fazal, Richa said, I am blessed to have a partner like him. Whenever anyone says anything good about Ali, no one is ever surprised because he is that person. He is a man of character, as involved in the house as I am. Now that he will have a family of his own, he is very excited. I think he will make an incredible father. I go with the flow. Whatever Ali and I do, we do with a lot of fluid movement, its all organic. We are both excited for this new phase. I am not very American about this. I have seen my mom have a second child, my younger brother, and go back to working in 40 days. I have seen all women in my family just give birth and go back to living their lives as they would. I dont want to stress about it too, she added. Speaking about the advice she has been receiving, she said, When you are pregnant and it starts to show, its like an invitation for unsolicited advice from everywhere, everyone has experienced this in some way, or they have had it happen in the family. Everyone has an experience in this regard which they want to share. Richa also spoke about promoting her upcoming projects amid her pregnancy and said, I think I have been doing well. When we went to the Sundance Film Festival in January this year, only Ali and I knew about the pregnancy, no one else. It was more challenging because of sub-zero temperatures, a lot of uphill walking. Now with the star cast of my show knowing, they have been sweet and accommodating, they keep asking if I need anything. Its got easier since people got to know. I worked hard for the show and wanted to be there to promote it. Richa will soon be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Heeramandi with Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Shekhar Suman and Fardeen Khan among others. Gunshots were fired outside actor Salman Khans house in Mumbai in the early hours of Sunday at around 4:55 am. A CCTV video of the unidentified shooters reportedly fleeing on a motorcycle following the shooting has surfaced. As per initial reports by CNN-News18, two individuals came on a motorcycle and fired three shots in the air outside the actors house. Today at around 5 am, two unidentified people opened fire outside the house of actor Salman Khan in Bandra. Police have received information about 3 rounds of firing. Mumbai Polices Crime Branch has reached the spot for investigation, Mumbai police was quoted by ANI as saying. Heavy police force was deployed outside the actors residence, Galaxy Apartments following the incident. Mumbai Police are examining CCTV footage to nab the culprits. The incident has been reported at the Bandra Police Station and the process of filing an FIR is underway. The security has been beefed up outside the actors residence at Galaxy apartments, and a forensic team is also present at the spot. We are checking the CCTV footage from the area and the surrounding locality to identify the accused, the police added. It is being reported that the Mumbai Police Crime Branch will take over the case. Investigations are underway to determine those involved in the incident. Last year, Salman Khan received a death threat from Canada-based fugitive gangster Goldy Brar, who openly declared that the Bollywood superstar was on his gangs hit list. Earlier in the year, Mumbai Police had filed an FIR against gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar, along with another individual, following an email threatening Salman Khan at his Mumbai residence. The Bollywood superstar was granted Y+ security after he reportedly received a death threat from the Bishnoi Gang. Pooja Bhatt has condemned the firing outside Salman Khans Bandra home today. Taking to social media, Pooja said that there is a need for more stringent security measures in the area and called safety an illusion. Pooja took to her official handle on X, previously known as Twitter, and wrote, Horrific and condemnable. If this can happen with a police van parked outside the Khan residence for protection then it is fair to say that safety is an illusion. Need more stringent surveillance in Bandra for certain. Robberies were rife a while ago and now a shoot out? Scary. Look at her post here: Horrific and condemnable. If this can happen with a police van parked outside the Khan residence for protection then it is fair to say that safety is an illusion. Need more stringent surveillance in Bandra for certain. Robberies were rife a while ago and now a shoot out? Scary. https://t.co/rGaq7c9FkV Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) April 14, 2024 For the unversed, in the early hours of April 14, gunfire was reported outside Salman Khans residence in Mumbai. The incident occurred around 4.55 am, as per initial reports by CNN-News18, with two individuals being spotted on a motorcycle and firing three shots in the air. Heavy police deployment is currently seen outside the superstars residence, Galaxy Apartments. Mumbai Police have initiated efforts to nab the culprits by examining CCTV footage. The incident has been reported at the Bandra Police Station and the process of filing an FIR is underway. According to police sources, three rounds were fired during the incident, which occurred around 4.55 am. The forensic team later arrived at the scene to gather evidence. Its being reported that the Mumbai Police Crime Branch will take over the case. Investigations are underway to determine those involved in the incident. Salman Khan and his family members are safe and none of them have been injured or harmed. Two unidentified motorbike-borne persons opened fire outside Bollywood actor Salman Khans residence in Mumbais Bandra in the early morning hours of Sunday, prompting police to enhance security in the area. No one was harmed in the incident but one bullet was found inside the actors home gallery. The attackers have been identified and booked by Mumbai Police for attempt to murder and arms act. The police have also seized the bike used by attackers. The case has been transferred to the Crime Branch. The two persons fired four rounds outside the Galaxy Apartments in Bandra area, where the actor resides, at around 5 am and fled from the spot, the police official said. Salman Khan was present in his home at the time of the incident, Mumbai Police said, adding that the bullets were fired in the air. Raj Tilak Roushan, DCP Mumbai, told news agency ANI, Today at around 5 am, two unidentified people opened fire outside the house of actor Salman Khan in Bandra. Police have received information about 3 rounds of firing. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway in the case. No one was injured in the firing incident. CM Shinde Dials Salman After Firing After the firing, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde spoke to Salman Khan over a phone call. Shinde also held discussions with the Mumbai Police Commissioner and suggested increasing Salman Khans security. Top police sources said that appropriate security review is being done in view of the firing incident. This is an unfortunate incident. Police are investigating it. The accused will be caught and stringent action will be taken against them, Shinde said. The Maharashtra CM also said that those who take the law into their own hands wont be spared. Commissioner has been informed to assess the security of Salman Khan and his entire family & increase the security. I have also spoken with Salman Khan too. I have told him that the Government is with him and he need not worry, Shinde added. The Bajrangi Bhaijaan actors father, Salim Khan, spoke to CNN-News18 and said that there is nothing to tell. They just want publicity, there is no need to worry, he added. SHOOTERS FROM OUTSIDE MAHARASHTRA: POLICE A case has been registered against the unknown persons in connection to the firing outside Salman Khans residence. The FIR was registered under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code and 3(25) section of the Arms Act. Police sources noted that a 7.62 weapon was used in the firing. From the Galaxy apartments, the bikers went towards the Western Express Highway, sources said, adding that there is a possibility that the men would have moved outside Mumbai. Additionally, police sources have said that the shooters are from outside Maharashtra. As many as 15 police teams have been formed to track down and nab the accused, sources said. Mumbai top cops, including Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Lakhmi Gautam and encounter specialist Daya Nayak arrive outside the actors home as they began their investigation. Notably, the actor had not received any threats prior to the firing incident. Lawrence Bishnois Brother Claims Responsibility Gangster Lawrence Bishnois brother, Anmol, has claimed responsibility for the firing incident in a social media post. However, News18 could not independently verify this post. Mumbai Police are probing this matter and checking Anmol Bishnois social media handle. 5 Times When Salman Khan Faced Death Threats, Long-Term Feud with Lawrence Bishnoi Explained Salman Got Threat From Goldy Brar In 2023 Last year, Salman Khan had received a threat e-mail from Canada-based fugitive gangster Goldy Brar, who had openly declared that Khan was on his gangs hit-list. Following the e-mail threat, Mumbai Police had registered an FIR against gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar and another person under IPC Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 506-II (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention). The Bollywood superstar was granted Y+ security after he reportedly received a death threat from the Bishnoi Gang. In the early hours of April 14, gunfire was reported outside Salman Khans residence in Mumbai. The incident occurred around 4.55 am, as per initial reports by CNN-News18, with two individuals spotted on a motorcycle and fired three shots in the air. Heavy police deployment is currently seen outside the superstars residence, Galaxy Apartments. Mumbai Police have initiated a probe to nab the culprits by examining CCTV footage. The incident has been reported at the Bandra Police Station. In the aftermath of the gunfire outside Salman Khans residence in Mumbai on April 14, we reached out to industry figures, including actors, directors, producers and other industry colleagues of the superstar. The incident has sent shockwaves in the industry. Many are still coming to terms with what has happened. However, they declined to comment on the matter, stating reasons ranging from lack of sufficient information to having just learned of the incident. Many individuals opted to refrain from offering remarks altogether. An industry colleague said, I just woke up and saw on social media that such an event happened. But I dont have complete information on this and I would like to keep myself from commenting on the same. Last year, Salman Khan found himself targeted by a death threat from Canada-based fugitive gangster Goldy Brar, who openly declared that the Bollywood superstar was on his gangs hit list. Earlier in the year, Mumbai Police had filed an FIR against gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar, along with another individual, following an email threatening Salman Khan at his Mumbai residence. According to police sources, three rounds were fired during the incident, which occurred around 4.55 am in the morning. The forensic team is expected to arrive at the scene soon to gather evidence. Its being reported that the Mumbai Police Crime Branch will take over the case. Investigations are underway to determine those involved in the incident. Salman Khan is in the headlines after gunshots were fired outside his residence at Galaxy Apartments in Mumbai today. The incident, which occurred in the early morning hours, sparked concerns about Salmans safety among his fans. Security has been already beefed up outside his residence and an investigation is also underway. Well, as soon as the news spread, fans were seen expressing their concern on social media. The hashtag #WeStandWithSalmanKhan has been trending on social media. Messages of prayers for the actors safety flooded online platforms. One of the fans wrote on X handle, aap good ho bhaijaan to hum Salmanics very good hain, love you Bhai, #SalmanKhan. WE STAND WITH SALMAN KHAN. Another wrote, The one who is unbeatable , salman aura and his charm is different from other celebrities, your fan is with you bhai. WE STAND WITH SALMAN KHAN. Many wrote, We Stand With Salman Khan. Take a look here: WE STAND WITH SALMAN KHAN Upoher (@SRKsUpoher) April 14, 2024 The one who is unbeatable , salman aura and his charm is different from other celebrities, your fan is with you bhai.WE STAND WITH SALMAN KHAN pic.twitter.com/jjo1NkwnER Berlin (@realwitcher_) April 14, 2024 Sohail Khan, Arbaaz Khan with wife Sshura Khan, politicians has dropped in to meet the actor. Maharashtra CM also talk to Salman Khan on phone and ensure the culprits will be arrested. Speaking with CNN News18, Salman Khans father Salim Khan said there is nothing to worry. There is nothing to tell. They just want publicity, there is no need to worry, he said. Salman Khan is yet to address fans about the firing. For the unversed, in the wee hours of Sunday, April 14, gunfire was reported outside Salmans house, Galaxy Apartments, in Mumbai. CNN News18 had reported that two people riding a bike fired gun shots outside his apartment on Sunday morning. It was reported that three shots were fired in the air. Following the incident, the security around Salmans house has tightened. A case has been registered against the unknown individuals in connection to the firing. Police sources said a 7.62 weapon was used in the firing. The bikers headed to the Western Express Highway, sources said, adding that there is a possibility that the men would have moved outside Mumbai. Police sources added that the shooters are from outside Maharashtra. Mumbai Police have initiated efforts to nab the culprits by examining CCTV footage. Last year, Salman Khan found himself targeted by a death threat from Canada-based fugitive gangster Goldy Brar, who openly declared that the Bollywood superstar was on his gangs hit list. Earlier in the year, Mumbai Police had filed an FIR against gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar, along with another individual, following an email threatening Salman Khan at his Mumbai residence. 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. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the latter wished him a speedy recovery following an attack on his convoy during an election campaign in Vijayawada on Saturday. VIDEO | Stones were reportedly thrown at Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddys convoy during his poll campaigning in Vijayawada. More details awaited.(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/5XTX2Q5SSJ Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 13, 2024 Stones were hurled at Jagan Mohan Reddys bus during the rally which led him and another person to sustain injuries. The attack injured Reddy on his left eyebrow. The chief minister was administered first aid inside the bus immediately by a doctor. After the reports of an attack on the Andhra CM hit the headlines, politicians reacted to the incident and wished Reddy a speedy recovery. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to his X account and wished for the Chief Ministers speedy recovery and good health. I pray for the speedy recovery and good health of Andhra Pradesh CM @ysjagan Garu, PM Modi wrote in his X post. Jagan Mohan Reddy commented on the prime ministers post thanking him for his wishes. Thank you @narendramodi garu, Reddy wrote. TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu also condemned the attack on the chief minister. I strongly condemn the attack on @ysjagan. I request the @ECISVEEP to initiate an impartial and unbiased inquiry into the incident and punish the responsible officials, he wrote in an X post. YSRCP leaders have alleged that the TDP was behind this attack. YSRCP leader Hafeez Khan spoke on the attack on CM and said that TDP is behind this cowardly act because they cannot bear to see the massive response that CM Jagan is receiving during his Memantha Siddham Yatra in their so-called bastions (Vijayawada). Actor Kangana Ranauts entry into Himachal Pradesh politics has threatened the future prospects of the state BJP leaders, her opponent, Public Works Minister and Congress candidate from Mandi Lok Sabha seat, Vikramaditya Singh, said on Sunday. The BJP has named Kangana as its candidate from the Mandi Parliament seat. This is the first time that a celebrity is contesting an election in Himachal Pradesh. Vikramaditya Singh, the titular king of the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr, is the son of six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh. His mother Pratibha Singh is the sitting MP from Mandi and the Congress state unit president. He is a two-time MLA from Shimla (Rural) assembly constituency. The speech made by Kangana in Manali on Thursday overshadowed the BJP state leaderships Hamirpur rally, with which the party launched its election campaign, Vikramaditya Singh told PTI. The state BJP leaders are feeling threatened by Kangana who has overshadowed the BJP leaders by her controversial outburst, he said. Kangana in her rally had taken a dig at the dynastic and family-centric Bollywood, which, she said, undermined her career in the industry. She also launched a blistering attack on certain political families, including that of former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, and dubbed Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Vikramaditya Singh as Bada Pappu and Chhota Pappu. Vikramaditya Singh said the actor may be hogging limelight with her controversial remarks, diverting the focus away from senior party leaders, but It is your work and service to people that gets you support and not the celebrity tag. I have always risen above the political lines in matters of development, and as a Public Works Minister I was successful in getting Rs 3,000 crore from the Centre for my department. I will continue to work for the development of the state, he said. I have a successful track record and would replicate the model in time to come but Kangana has to answer where she was when the worst-ever monsoon disaster hit the state, what has been her contribution to the welfare of Mandi, and how, being a celebrity, she would do justice to the constituency, the minister added. Both Vikramaditya Singh and Kangana have come up with derisive monikers for each other in the run-up to elections. Singh termed her the Queen of Controversy and Kangana called him the Chota Pappu who is banking on his dynastic legacy. Polling in the state will take place on June 1. Karnataka Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar slammed former BJP MLA Sanjay Patil for his comment suggesting that she should take a sleeping pill or an extra peg to sleep well at night. Patil made the controversial remark at a party gathering in Karnatakas Belagavi on Saturday. Lakshmi Hebbalkars son, Mrinal, is the Congress candidate for the Belagavi Lok Sabha seat. Hebbalkar will not get good sleep looking at the rising support of women for the BJP in Belagavi. It will also be difficult for her to see Ramesh Jarkiholi campaigning there. She has to have a sleeping pill or an extra peg to get a good nights sleep, Patil remarked at the meeting. Responding to Patils remark, Hebbalkar in a video statement, said that his comments reflect the respect the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has towards women, NDTV reported. This shows the respect BJP has towards women. This is the hidden agenda of BJP. Its not enough if you chant Ram, beti pachao, beti padhao; you must respect women, rebuked Hebbalkar, adding, Its our Hindu culture. The remark of Sanjay Patil, who gives speeches about Hindu culture, is a disrespect not just to me but to all the women of the state and the nation. In March 2021, BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi faced a huge scandal after local news channels aired sexual content from a CD allegedly involving him. Following the incident, the ruling BJP in Karnataka removed him from the cabinet. A 24-year-old Indian student was shot dead in Canada while seated inside a car in South Vancouver, according to local authorities. Chirag Antils dead body was discovered within a vehicle after nearby residents reported gunfire late on April 12, the Vancouver Police Department said. So far, no arrests have been made in connection with the incident. Vancouver Police are investigating an overnight homicide in the citys Sunset neighbourhood. Officers were called to East 55th Avenue and Main Street around 11 p.m. on April 12 after residents heard the sound of gun shots. Chirag Antil, 24, was found deceased inside a vehicle in the area. No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing, the Vancouver said in a statement. #VPDNews: Vancouver Police are investigating an overnight homicide near E 55th Ave and Main Street that took the life of a 24-year-old man. Anyone with information is asked to call 604-717-2500.News release: https://t.co/KUdPcPcaS5 pic.twitter.com/XvHN3IEQ2Z Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) April 13, 2024 From Haryana, India Chirag Antil, an international student from Haryana, India, who arrived in Vancouver in 2022 for his studies, tragically lost his life due to a recent murder in the city. We urgently need assistance to raise funds for sending his body back to India, read a GoFundMe page started by his brother. If you are in Vancouver and able to offer any support or help, please reach out to us. Your help in this matter would be deeply appreciated by Chirags family and friends, as we work towards bringing closure and peace during this heartbreaking time. Thank you for any help you can provide, the fundraiser read. This report comes in the wake of increasing deaths of Indian students in nebogbouring United States. On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India has stepped up its outreach to students in the United States. Addressing a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted the recent death of Indian students, saying the embassy and consulates have reached out and have extended all possible help. Since January there are some ten-odd students who have passed away, Jaiswal said during a press conference. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Turkey Calls For End of Escalation After Iran Attack on Israel Turkey on Sunday called on all parties to refrain from further escalation that could spiral into a regional war, after Irans unprecedented attack on Israel sent Middle East tensions soaring. Today we are sending our message calling for an end to the escalation, to Iranian officials and to Western countries that have influence over Israel, Turkeys foreign ministry said in a statement. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: US Does Not Want to See Middle East Crisis 'Escalate' The United States does not want to see an escalation of the crisis in the Middle East, a top White House official said Sunday after Israel repelled a massive missile and drone attack from Iran. We dont want to see this escalate, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on NBCs Meet the Press. Were not looking for a wider war with Iran. Israel was on high alert Sunday after Irans unprecedented attack sparked fears of a broader conflict. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Syria Says Iran Exercised 'Right to Self-defence' in Attack on Israel Syria on Sunday said ally Iran acted in self-defence with a massive overnight attack on Israel that Tehran said was in retaliation for a deadly Israeli strike on Irans consulate in Damascus. Irans response is a legitimate right to self-defence against Israel, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian by phone, according to a report carried by state news agency SANA. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: EU Ministers to Discuss Iran's Attack on Israel on Tuesday, Says Borrell The European Union foreign ministers will meet on Tuesday to discuss the escalation in tensions in the Middle East following Irans strike on Israel, the blocs foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Sunday. Following the Iranian attacks against Israel, I have called an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers on Tuesday, Borrell wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Our objective is to contribute to de-escalation and security of the region. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Jaishankar Calls Iran-Israel Tensions 'Matter of Deep Concern', Says Steps Will be Taken if Need Arises External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Sunday advocated for an immediate de-escalation of the situation after Iran fired missiles and drones towards Israel, calling it a matter of deep concern. Jaishankars remarks came after Iran launched its first direct military attack against Israel on Saturday, firing more than 100 bomb-carrying drones. It is a matter of deep concern because it represents an escalation in this situation, something which worries all of us, the EAM said. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: US Does Not Want to See Middle East Crisis 'Escalate' The United States does not want to see an escalation of the crisis in the Middle East, a top White House official said Sunday after Israel repelled a massive missile and drone attack from Iran. We dont want to see this escalate, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on NBCs Meet the Press. Were not looking for a wider war with Iran. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Dutch Govt Advises Against Travel to Israel The Dutch government on Sunday advised against all travel to Israel due to the uncertain security situation following overnight air strikes by Iran. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Iran Says 'Concluded' Retaliation Against Israel, Summons Western Envoys Iran on Sunday urged Israel not to retaliate militarily to an unprecedented attack overnight, which Tehran presented as a justified response to a deadly strike on its consulate building in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded, Irans mission to the United Nations said in a post on social media platform X just a few hours after the start of the operation late Saturday. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Air India Temporarily Suspends Flights to Tel Aviv Air India has temporarily suspended flights to Tel Aviv, as per officials. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Iraq President Warns Against 'Spread' of Conflict in Middle East Iraqs President Abdel Latif Rashid on Sunday called for a reduction of tensions in the Middle East after an unprecedented Iranian attack on Israel, warning against the spread of conflict. In light of the latest developments in the region and their repercussions, Rashid emphasised in a statement the need to stop the aggression against the Gaza Strip and to find a solution to the Palestinian question, given this is a fundamental element to the stability of the region. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Israel on Alert as Iran Warns Against Responding to Attack Israel was on high alert Sunday after Irans unprecedented missile and drone attack drew an international chorus of condemnation and sparked fears of a broader conflict. Iran launched its first-ever direct assault on Israeli territory late Saturday in retaliation for a deadly Damascus strike, marking a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Israel Strikes Hezbollah Site in East Lebanon Israel Sunday struck a Hezbollah site in Lebanons east near the Syrian border, the Israeli army and a source from the Iran-backed group said, as tensions soared after Iran directly attacked Israel. The Hezbollah source told AFP that the Israeli strike targeted an area near Baalbek and targeted a two-storey building belonging to Hezbollah, adding there were no casualties. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Iran Warns of 'Stronger Response' if Israel Retaliates to Attack Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned on Sunday against any reckless Israeli retaliation to Tehrans unprecedented missile and drone attack, as world leaders urged restraint. Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, marking a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes and sparking fears of a broader conflict, as fighting between Israel and Hamas militants rages on in the Gaza Strip. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Sunak Says UK Had Shot Down 'a Number' of Iranian Attack Drones UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Sunday that British fighter jets had shot down Iranian attack drones during Tehrans unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel. I can confirm that our planes did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones, Sunak said, confirming reports that Britain had helped Israel and other allies repel the strikes. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Pope Warns Against 'Spiral of Violence' After Iran Attack Pope Francis on Sunday made a pressing appeal against a spiral of violence after Irans unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, warning of a potential regional conflagration. I make a pressing appeal for an end to any action which could fuel a spiral of violence that risks dragging the Middle East into an even greater conflict, the Argentinian pontiff declared following his traditional Sunday prayer in Saint Peters Square at the Vatican. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: If Necessary, Iran Will Not Hesitate to Protect its Interests Against New Aggression, Says Iran FM Amidst the ongoing tensions, Irans Foreign Minister H.Amirabdollahian took to X and said, Exercising the right to self-defense shows Irans responsible approach to regional and international peace and security. At this point, Iran has no intention to continue defensive operations, but if necessary, it will not hesitate to protect its legitimate interests against any new aggression. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: German FM Says Iran Has Taken Middle East to 'Edge of Precipice' Iran has taken the Middle East to the edge of a precipice with its overnight attack on Israel, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Sunday. She said Tehran had plunged an entire region into chaos and asked all sides to show restraint, adding that the spiralling tensions needed to end. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Lufthansa Airlines Suspend Flights to Amman, Beirut, Erbil, Tel Aviv Till Monday Following the latest turmoil in the Middle East, German airline group Lufthansa said on Sunday that it was suspending flights to Amman, Beirut, Erbil, and Tel Aviv at least until Monday. NATO Condemns Iran Attack As 'Escalation,' Urges Restraint NATO on Sunday condemned Irans overnight attack on Israel as escalation of regional unrest and urged restraint on all sides. We condemn Irans overnight escalation, call for restraint, and are monitoring developments closely. It is vital that the conflict in the Middle East does not spiral out of control, spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah said. Israels defence system swiftly responded to an unprecedented Iranian attack, showcasing the countrys readiness in the face of a massive attack, which included hundreds of missiles and drones. The Israeli army on Sunday said that Irans attack on Israel using hundreds of drones and missiles had been foiled, with 99 percent of them intercepted. The Iranian attack was foiled, Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement. Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Iran Fired 300 Missiles, Drones Overnight, 99 Percent Were Intercepted, Says Israel Saturday night was tense in Israel as Iran launched a large wave of attack drones and missiles from its territory toward Israel. The Jewish state found itself under direct assault by the Islamic Republic for the first time in history. As air raid sirens blared across the country, Israels military sprang into action. Watch the F-35I Adir fighter jets return to Nevatim Airbase after successfully protecting Israels airspace: pic.twitter.com/ap5gPLphPD Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 14, 2024 IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari was quick to confirm the Iranian attack on Saturday night, which had been anticipated for days. Irans aggressive move prompted a coordinated response from Israels defence forces. As missiles rained down and drones swarmed the skies, the IDF scrambled to intercept the Iranian projectiles. The sophisticated Arrow air defence system proved pivotal in Israels defence strategy. Deployed to intercept ballistic missiles, Arrow effectively neutralised the majority of the incoming threats. Fighter jets also took to the skies, engaging with cruise missiles and drones to mitigate the danger posed by Irans assault. Dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory. The IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the Arrow Aerial Defense System, together with Israels strategic allies, before the pic.twitter.com/06GdLuJM6k Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 14, 2024 Israels defence forces The response was relentless, with Israels defence forces remaining vigilant against the evolving threat in the region in the wake of Israels war against Hamas in Gaza. As the night wore on, Israels defence system continued to operate at full capacity. The military remained on high alert, closely monitoring the situation and preparing for any further incursions. With tensions running high and the threat of further attacks looming, the nation braced itself for the challenges ahead. US forces, operating from undisclosed bases in the region, provided critical support in intercepting Iranian drones headed towards Israel. Jordanian jets joined the effort, downing dozens of drones flying across northern and central Jordan towards Jerusalem. Surreal footage of the Iranian attack over Jerusalems Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif pic.twitter.com/NuSvF25HLX Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 13, 2024 A clear message President Joe Biden said US forces helped Israel shoot down nearly all the drones and missiles fired by Iran but appeared to guide the key US ally away from retaliating against Tehran by saying Israel had now shown its strength. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, he said. He said he had ordered US military aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the Middle East in recent days, as the likely threat following a presumed Israeli strike on Iranians in Damascus became clear. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, Biden said. Iran achieved all of its objectives from the operation against Israel, said the chief of the countrys paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Sunday, after it conducted a massive attack on the Jewish state days after a deadly strike on its Damascus consulate. The Iranian attack on Saturday, less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of rivalry. Read More: Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates In an interview with state TV, Gen. Hossein Salami said they were still collecting information but that the part of the hits that we have detailed and documented reports from the field show that this operation was more successful. He also said the Iranian forces had carried out a limited operation that matched the evil that the Zionist enemy had done. Iranian Major General Bagheri:The operation was successfully completed We see this operation as a complete result and there is no intention to continue the operation. pic.twitter.com/qJSyhlx4Vo Ragp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) April 14, 2024 Our Response Will Be Salami described the Israeli air defence system as complex, multi-layered and advanced and said passing through this system was a very difficult task. It means designing an operation that can pass drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles through this space and destroy them (targets) on the ground with extremely high accuracy, he said even as Israel hailed the success of its defences in the face of an unprecedented attack. Our response will be much larger than tonights military action if Israel retaliates against Iran, armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri told state TV, adding that Tehran warned Washington via Switzerland that any backing of Israeli retaliation against Iran would result in U.S. regional bases being targeted. Our operations are over and we have no intention to continue them, Bagheri said, before claiming that Irans attack had successfully targeted two Israeli military bases. The commander of the IRGC also warned Tehran would retaliate against any Israeli attack on its interests, officials or citizens. US Opposes Counterattack US President Joe Biden reportedly told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US would not aid any Israeli counterattack on Iran. US media reports said that that message was passed during a phone call between the pair. Biden told Netanyahu the US would oppose any Israeli counterattack. An Israeli military spokesman said Sunday the launches numbered more than 300, but 99% of them were intercepted. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Iran fired 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. Several ballistic missiles reached Israeli territory, causing minor damage to an air base. This latest attack comes as Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israels six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. READ MORE: Irans Retaliatory Strikes on Israel Raise Global Concern: A Look At How The World Reacted How World Reacted The UN Security Council has called an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss Irans recent attack on Israel. Israel has requested an urgent convening of the council and has demanded that the council unequivocally condemn Irans attack and declare the Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organisation. India on Sunday called for immediate de-escalation after Iran launched its first direct military attack against Israel. Indias embassy in Israel also issued an advisory, urging its nationals to stay calm. We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement posted on social media platform X. READ MORE: India Voices Serious Concern Amid Israel-Iran Tensions; Advisory Says Embassy Closely Monitoring Situation The MEA called for call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence, and return to the path of diplomacy We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. Our Embassies in the region are in close touch with the Indian community. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region, it added. Along with India, and the UN, American President Biden was among the first to comment on the situation in the Middle East. He condemned Irans unprecedented air attack on Israel and convened a meeting of the G-7 leaders on Sunday to develop a coordinated response to the brazen assault. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Irans reckless attack on Israel, stating it showed Irans intent on sowing chaos in its backyard. European Union, China, and Saudi Arabia also expressed concern about the escalation situation. (With agency inputs) The Group of Seven leaders on Sunday offered their full support for Israel following an unprecedented attack by Iran, stating they were ready to take further measures in response to further destabilizing initiatives. The G7, which comprises the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, and Canada, stated, We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security. Earlier today, Iran had warned that it will strike again with even more force if Israel or the United States retaliate for the Iranian attack on Israel with over 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night. This marked the first direct assault by the Islamic Republic on Israeli territory, significantly escalating the ongoing conflict between the two regional adversaries. This action has heightened concerns of a wider conflict, particularly amid the ongoing clashes between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Iranian media said the attack was in retaliation for an Israeli strike on April 1 targetting an Iranian consular building in Damascus, Syria, which killed members of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including senior commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Brig. Gen. Mohammad Hadi Haj Rahimi. While Tehran accused Israel of the strike, Israel has not officially commented on the incident. Here are the latest updates on the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict: US President Joe Biden convened the Group of Seven advanced democracies to coordinate a rebuke to Iran for its unprecedented and largely unsuccessful aerial attack on Israel and to prevent a wider regional escalation. After their videoconference, the leaders issued a joint statement unequivocally condemning in the strongest terms the direct attack by Iran, while expressing our full solidarity and support to Israel and reaffirming our commitment towards its security. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi cautioned Israel and its allies against any reckless actions following Tehrans drone and missile attack. If the Zionist regime (Israel) or its supporters demonstrate reckless behaviour, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response, Raisi said in a statement. Irans foreign ministry stated that the attack on Israel was a defensive measure, demonstrating its responsible approach towards regional and international peace and security. At this point, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no intention of continuing defensive operations, but if necessary, it will not hesitate to protect its legitimate interests against any new aggression, it added. Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated that 99 percent of the launches had been intercepted, declaring that the Iranian attack was foiled. He further said that some projectiles landed inside Israeli territory, with one causing damage to a military base in the countrys south. Additionally, he mentioned that a young girl was seriously injured in the attack. US President Joe Biden, in a statement, said that the US military assisted Israel in neutralising nearly all of the drones and missiles, adding he would convene G7 leaders on Sunday to coordinate a united diplomatic response. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said British fighter jets shot down Iranian attack drones during Tehrans unprecedented on Israel. I can confirm that our planes did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones, Sunak said, confirming reports that Britain had helped Israel and other allies in stopping the attacks. Pope Francis has made a pressing appeal to halt the spiral of violence following Irans unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, cautioning against the risk of a wider regional conflict. I make a pressing appeal for an end to any action which could fuel a spiral of violence that risks dragging the Middle East into an even greater conflict, Pope said following his traditional Sunday prayer in Saint Peters Square at the Vatican. Russia urged all sides to show restraint following Irans attack on Israel. It reiterated its previous warnings that the lack of resolution to numerous crises in the Middle East, particularly in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, would result in increased instability. We are counting on the regional states to solve the existing problems with political and diplomatic means, the countrys foreign ministry said in a statement. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) also condemned Irans overnight attack on Israel, calling it as an escalation of regional unrest, and called for restraint from all sides. We condemn Irans overnight escalation, call for restraint, and are monitoring developments closely. It is vital that the conflict in the Middle East does not spiral out of control, said NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah. The Indian mission in Israel issued a fresh important advisory for its nationals following Irans attacks on the Jewish State. The advisory advises them to remain calm and follow safety protocols. The Embassy is closely monitoring the situation and it is in touch with the Israeli authorities and Indian community members to ensure the safety of all our nationals, it added. (With inputs from agencies) In an unprecedented revenge attack that is expected to push the Middle East ever closer to a regionwide war, Iran on late Saturday launched dozens of drones and ballistic missiles toward Israel. Air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem as a series of explosions were heard in the skies. More than 200 threats including missiles and drones were launched toward Israel on Saturday night, according to Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Daniel Hagari. He also said many were intercepted by Israels aerial defence systems, including fighter jets. Ahead of the attack, Israeli aviation authorities said they were closing the countrys airspace to all flights as it braced for a drone attack. Meanwhile, the US stated its allegiance and said it stands with the people of Israel and supports their defence against this threat from Iran, National Security Councils spokesperson at the White House Adrienne Watson said. In a statement issued on Saturday, Watson also said this attack is likely to unfold over several hours. Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel and President Joe Bidens team is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies, the spokesperson said. Biden Conevenes Meeting of G-7 Leaders US President Joe Biden condemned Irans unprecedented air attack on Israel and convened a meeting of the G-7 leaders on Sunday to develop a coordinated response to the brazen assault. His comments came as American forces joined efforts to down drones and missiles launched by Tehran. Israel said it and its allies have intercepted the vast majority of more than 200 drones and missiles launched by Iran Earlier, he met his national security team over the situation in the region, according to the statement. On his return, he was briefed about the developments by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer. UN Security Council Convenes Emergency Meeting The UN Security Council has called an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss Irans recent attack on Israel. Israel has requested an urgent convening of the council and has demanded that the council unequivocally condemn Irans attack and declare the Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organisation. A spokesperson for Malta, which currently holds the rotating presidency, stated that the Security Council intends to hold the meeting at 4:00 pm (2000 GMT). Israels PM on Iran Attack Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasised Israels preparedness to defend itself against threats and expressed gratitude for the support of the United States, Britain, France, and other nations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Reacts The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, condemned the recent escalation of violence following Irans attack on Israel and urged for an immediate cessation of hostilities and expressed deep concern about the possibility of further escalation. Guterres also called on all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint to prevent a broader military confrontation in the Middle East. He emphasised that another war in the region would be catastrophic, not only for the region but for the entire world. British PM Sunak on Israel Drone Strikes British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Irans reckless attack on Israel, stating it showed Irans intent on sowing chaos in its backyard. These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard, Sunak said in a statement. Justin Trudeau on Iran Airstrikes Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his strong condemnation of Irans airborne attacks against Israel. In a statement, he made it clear that his nation unequivocally stands with Israel. He added that the Iranian regimes latest actions will only further destabilise the region and make it more difficult to achieve lasting peace. Trudeau also affirmed his support for Israels right to defend itself and its people from such attacks. Underlining concern over the escalation of hostilities in West Asia, India on Sunday called for immediate de-escalation after Iran launched its first direct military attack against Israel. Indias embassy in Israel also issued an advisory, urging its nationals to stay calm. Iran launched more than 200 drones and missiles on Israel in an unprecedented attack late Saturday, the Israeli army announced, in a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes. We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement posted on social media platform X. Read More: Israel-Iran Tensions LIVE Updates: Iran Fired 300 Missiles, Drones Overnight, 99 Percent Were Intercepted, Says Israel *IMPORTANT ADVISORY FOR INDIAN NATIONALS IN ISRAEL*Link : https://t.co/OEsz3oUtBJ pic.twitter.com/ZJJeu7hOug India in Israel (@indemtel) April 14, 2024 Statement on the situation in West Asia:https://t.co/kpJzqwTVWC pic.twitter.com/cSbJQrAjCC Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 14, 2024 Dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory. The IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the Arrow Aerial Defense System, together with Israels strategic allies, before the pic.twitter.com/06GdLuJM6k Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 14, 2024 Immediate de-escalation The MEA called for call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. Our Embassies in the region are in close touch with Indian community. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region, it added. Iran had repeatedly threatened to strike Israel in retaliation for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular annex and Washington had warned repeatedly in recent days that the reprisals were imminent. Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement. We are working in close cooperation with the United States and our partners in the region in order to act against the launches and intercept them, Rear Admiral Hagari said. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israels six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. (With agency inputs) BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. Turkish Airlines and Pegasus have canceled several flights to Iran, Uzbekistan and Jordan, the online display boards of the two international airports in Istanbul from where these planes depart says, Trend reports. According to the information, five flights were cancelled. These are two night flights to the capital of Jordan Amman, two to Uzbekistan (Samarkand and Bukhara) and one to Tehran. It is reported that the cancellation of the last flight is due to the fact that the international airport of the Iranian capital is temporarily not accepting civil aircraft. The famous UK sperm donor, who has fathered 180 children, opened up about the personal toll his commitment has taken on his love life and ability to maintain a full-time job, stating it can be quite lonely. I have given up my own love life to help others in this selfless way, and even on those rare occasions where there is brief intercourse, I dont even get a kiss or a cuddle!, he shared in an interview. According to UK tabloid Metro, Joe who has earned the moniker Britains most prolific dad shared that he has faced cruel comments over the years, with some suggesting that he is only involved for sex. Im sure many who read about me will think my life is a big self-licking ice cream I especially feel hurt when my critics say I only donate as a way to have sex. You would think that, as a natural donor, I would be in the saddle a lot, Joe expressed. Joe Donor who doesnt want to reveal his surname has been donating baby batter for 13 years. The 52-year-old does this using several methods, which include natural insemination (sex), partial insemination (getting himself close to ejaculation via masturbation, before ejaculating in the recipient) and artificial insemination. But I have always said if you want a lot of sexy time, you should get a girlfriend or get married, because I only meet women once or twice a month typically. Because my baby batter is extremely effective, if I am lucky, I will only meet the lovely lady once or twice and then she falls pregnant and I may not see her again for a year or two, when she wants a second child, he explained. Joe, who resides in Newcastle, described his critics as keyboard warriors and mentioned that the internet has a way of dehumanising people. Its very easy for people to make hurtful comments online, because I dont seem like a real person to them, which they would not say if they met me face to face.. When someone sits behind a computer screen and reads about someone else who appears to be getting ahead, its completely normal to want to punish them, and to fire off a salvo against them, he stated. An explosion caused by an alleged drone attack at Europes largest nuclear plant in Ukraine on Tuesday posed no direct threat to its safety but underscored the extremely serious situation at the facility that repeatedly has been caught in the war s crossfire, the U.N.s atomic watchdog agency said. The International Atomic Energy Agency said its team was aware of an explosion at a training center next to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. It said it was informed the blast was from a drone attack but gave no further details. The agencys information presumably came from Russians who have occupied and run the plant since the wars early stages. The Zaporizhzhia facility is one of the 10 biggest nuclear plants in the world. Fighting in the southern part of Ukraine where it is located has raised the specter of a potential nuclear disaster like the one at Chernobyl in 1986, where a reactor exploded and blew deadly radiation across a vast area. Neither Russia nor Ukraine in recent months has been able to make significant advances along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line crossing eastern and southern Ukraine. Drones, artillery and missiles have featured heavily in what has become a war of attrition. Russia and Ukraine have frequently traded accusations over the Zaporizhzhia plant. On Monday, Moscow alleged Ukraine was behind drone attacks on the facility a day before, and Kyiv accused Russia of disinformation tactics. The IAEA reported Sunday that its inspectors had confirmed the physical impact of drone detonations and watched as Russian troops engaged what appeared to be an approaching drone. Energoatom, the Ukrainian nuclear plant operator, blasted Russias latest allegations in a statement Tuesday. It accused Moscow of publishing propaganda and false statements to manipulate public opinion against Ukraine. Energoatom noted that Russia has deployed troops and landmines at the site, which is one of four atomic power plants in Ukraine. The other three remain in Ukrainian hands. The dangerous game of the (Russian) occupiers at the (Zaporizhzhia) nuclear facility must be stopped, it said. The most recent strikes did not compromise the facility, which is designed to withstand a commercial airliner crashing into it, the IAEA said. But the watchdog has repeatedly expressed alarm about the plant amid fears of a nuclear catastrophe. 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. Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Kyiv-based Energy Industry Research Center, said it made no sense for Ukrainian forces to strike the Zaporizhzhia plant because the country will need the energy it produces. Russian forces recently renewed their efforts to pound the Ukrainian power grid, using improved intelligence and tactics, Ukraine says. The main point for the Ukrainian side right now, especially in the situation where we are right now, is to save Zaporizhzhia nuclear station, because for our energy systems, this station is a critical game-changer, Kharchenko said. According to Ukrainian emergency services, a nuclear disaster would compel the evacuation of some 300,000 people. Also Tuesday, Ukraines intelligence agency claimed it struck an aviation training center in southwestern Russia with a drone and said a fire on board a Russian navy corvette on the Baltic coast was not accidental. The claims could not be independently verified or corroborated. Russia made no comment on them. At least seven people were shot, and one was killed in a weekend marred by gun violence in the US city of Chicago, police said. The incident in the citys Logan Square neighborhood on the Northwest Side early Saturday morning happened in the 2600 block of North Sawyer Avenue at approximately 6:30 a.m. A 29-year-old man was fatally shot and pronounced dead at the scene. Details regarding the circumstances leading up to the shooting remain unclear, and no suspects have been apprehended. The police are actively investigating the incident, local media outlet ABC 7 Chicago reported. BREAKING: Emergency responders have arrived at the scene following a mass shooting involving both children and adults who have been shot in Chicago, IL.Chicago Police Department reports that a total of eight individuals, including five three children have been shot and pic.twitter.com/zC7FECciBt I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) April 14, 2024 Later on Saturday, another shooting incident unfolded in the citys Old Town neighborhood on the North Side. At around 10:30 am, a 35-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound to the leg in the 1400 block of North Orleans Street. According to police, the victim was shot by an individual inside a vehicle. He was transported to Northwestern Hospital, where he is reported to be in stable condition. As with the earlier incident, no suspects have been arrested, and the investigation is ongoing. Chicago police are looking into separate shootings involving two teenagers on the citys North Side. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has held a phone talk with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Trend reports. The current situation in the region after Irans attack on Israel was discussed during the conversation. Hakan Fidan expressed concern about the possibility of the crisis expanding and spreading in the region. He noted that since the outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Turkiye has repeatedly stated that it carries the risk of escalating into a regional conflict, and said that this clash lies at the core of the problem. Hakan Fidan stressed the need for an urgent declaration of a ceasefire and the continuous delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. He recalled that otherwise the conflict could escalate. The Wall Street Journal dives into the sticky topic of home insurance companies utilizing fly-by footage from drones, planes, and high-altitude balloons to assess properties. They report that the industry-funded Geospatial Insurance Consortium has aerial footage of 99% of properties in the US, and insurers are using it to make final decisions on whom to carry. "We've seen a dramatic increase across the country in reports from consumers who've been dropped by their insurers on the basis of an aerial image," Amy Bach of the consumer group United Policyholders tells the newspaper. Twenty years ago this month, photos of abused prisoners and smiling US soldiers guarding them at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison were released, shocking the world. Now, three survivors of Abu Ghraib will finally get their day in US court against the military contractor they hold responsible for their mistreatment, per the AP . The trial is scheduled to begin Monday in US District Court in Alexandria, and will be the first time that Abu Ghraib survivors are able to bring their claims of torture to a US jury, said Baher Azmy, a lawyer with the Center for Constitutional Rights, which is representing the plaintiffs. The defendant in the civil suit, CACI, supplied the interrogators who worked at the prison. The Virginia-based contractor denies any wrongdoing, and has emphasized throughout 16 years of litigation that its employees are not alleged to have inflicted any abuse on any of the plaintiffs in the case. The plaintiffs, though, seek to hold CACI responsible for setting the conditions that resulted in the torture they endured, citing evidence in government investigations that CACI contractors instructed military police to "soften up" detainees for their interrogations. One will testify in person, the other two by video. Retired Army Gen. Antonio Taguba, who led an investigation into the Abu Ghraib scandal, is among those expected to testify. His inquiry concluded that at least one CACI interrogator should be held accountable for instructing military police to set conditions that amounted to physical abuse. There is little dispute that the abuse was horrific. The photos released in 2004 showed naked prisoners stacked into pyramids or dragged by leashes. Some photos had a soldier smiling and giving a thumbs up while posing next to a corpse, or detainees being threatened with dogs, or hooded and attached to electrical wires. story continues below The US government may present a wild card in the trial, which is scheduled to last two weeks. Both the plaintiffs and CACI have complained that their cases have been hampered by government assertions that some evidence, if made public, would divulge state secrets that would harm national security. Government lawyers will be at the trial ready to object if witnesses stray into territory they deem to be a state secret, they said at a pretrial hearing on April 5. (More Abu Ghraib stories.) President Biden has improved his standing in a major presidential campaign poll, essentially evening the race with Donald Trump. The New York Times-Siena College poll has Trump up 46% to 45%, well within the margin of error of 3.3%, after having a 48%-43% lead in late February. It seems to be largely Democratic voters who have bolstered the president, including those who backed him in 2020, per the Times . A Democrat in Los Angeles County said Biden has seemed charged up in the past few months. "He did a really great job at the State of the Union," Russell Wood said, "and since then it's like he's been a different Joe Biden." In February, 85% of Biden's 2020 voters said they would vote for him in 2024, a share that climbed 4 percentage points this time. Trump lost a slice of his 2020 supporters in the new poll, slipping from 97% to 94%; his consolidation of his base has been one of the former president's advantages, per Politico. Biden campaign officials had argued that as the election neared, the prospect of another Trump term would prompt historically Democratic voters to return to base. There are signs of that happening, but many Democrats remain concerned about the economy, Biden's age, and the direction of the country. Overall, 64% say the nation is headed in the wrong direction, nearly 80% consider the economy to be fair or poor, and 69% think Biden is too old for the job, per the Times. Just 41% say Trump is too old, but most voters believe he has committed serious federal crimes. "Just blah," a Connecticut voter said of the choice between Biden and Trump. Beth Prevost said she leans toward voting to reelect Biden. "You can recover from bad policies, but you can't recover from a bad heart," she said. The latest poll was conducted last Sunday through Thursday. Full results are posted here. (More Election 2024 stories.) Police in Australia on Sunday identified the assailant who fatally stabbed six people at a busy Sydney shopping center before a police officer fatally shot him. New South Wales Police said that Joel Cauchi, 40, was responsible for the Saturday afternoon attack at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction, in the city's eastern suburbs and not far from the world-famous Bondi Beach, per the AP. NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters that Cauchi suffered from unspecified mental health issues and that police investigators weren't treating the attack as terrorism-related. The RSA's District President for Wairarapa, Hawke's Bay and East Coast Peter Jackson said the local community is "upset by the damage". He believes it won't be possible to repair the damage ahead of ANZAC Day. "It's just unbelievable that anyone could have so little respect for this memorial, for those from this community who served and gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars." Jackson said the bronze plaque on the front of the memorial has been struck several times and is now "severely damaged". "As soon as we learned of the damage, we contacted Alex Walker, the Mayor of Central Hawke's Bay," Jackson explained. "We've put in place a plan to repair the damage, but with ANZAC Day in less than two weeks there's not enough time to have the repairs completed before then." BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. The US President Joe Biden has held a meeting with the national security team, following the recent escalation between Iran and Israel, Trend reports. I just met with my national security team for an update on Irans attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad, Biden wrote on his page on X. 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 A joint project between Bahrain and the UK has received a major funding boost to track greenhouse gas emissions across the Gulf region using a small spacecraft. A total of 13 million (BD6,105,088) was announced at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs to fund eleven international space projects, fostering collaboration and innovation across the sector. This includes a 1.4 million (BD657,471) investment for the Bahrain-UK project, which involves the University of Leicester and Geospatial Insight Ltd. from the UK alongside Bahrains National Space Science Agency. This initiative is one of eleven receiving additional funding from the UK Space Agency, showcasing the best of UK space expertise on the international stage, said Dr. Paul Bate, head of the UK Space Agency. Through collaboration, we can break new ground, improve our understanding of the universe, and leverage space for the benefit of Earth. This project will pioneer the use of small spacecraft to monitor greenhouse gas emissions in the Gulf, and the technology will represent a significant advancement in compact and targeted emission monitoring techniques. The UK has some of the most brilliant minds in space science, aerospace engineering, and a thriving commercial space industry, said UK Space Minister Andrew Griffith. Its no wonder the world seeks collaboration with Britain in space exploration. Im excited to support these new collaborations with partners from the US, Australia, Canada, India, and Singapore. Beyond the Gulf emission monitoring project, the funding supports diverse initiatives like developing safe nuclear fission in space and a space-based agriculture project for low-gravity plant growth. Former US ambassador who spied for Cuba sentenced to 15 years Former US ambassador who spied for Cuba sentenced to 15 years AFP | Miami, United States The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com A former US ambassador who pleaded guilty to spying for Cuba for over four decades was sentenced in federal court on Friday to 15 years in prison. Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested in December for what US officials called "one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent." Rocha pleaded not guilty in February to charges of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government but later accepted a plea deal with federal prosecutors. Judge Beth Bloom, after a three-and-a-half hour hearing in Miami on Friday, told Rocha she would give him "the maximum penalty permitted by law." In addition to the 15-year sentence, Rocha was given a $500,000 fine. Rocha, a naturalized US citizen originally from Colombia, allegedly began aiding Havana as a covert agent of Cuba's General Directorate of Intelligence (DGI) in 1981, and his espionage activities continued until his arrest, according to US authorities. Attorney General Merrick Garland, announcing Rocha's arrest in December, said he had "repeatedly referred to the United States as 'the enemy'" and "repeatedly bragged about the significance of his efforts." Rocha joined the State Department in 1981 and rose through the ranks as a career diplomat, serving in posts in Havana, Buenos Aires, Mexico City and Washington. Rocha served on the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995 in the administration of president Bill Clinton, and was the ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002 under Clinton and George W. Bush. He also served as an advisor to the US military command responsible for Cuba. The criminal complaint against Rocha details how, over multiple meetings with an undercover FBI agent beginning in November 2022, he "behaved as a Cuban agent," praising the communist-ruled island's late leader Fidel Castro and "using the term 'we' to describe himself and Cuba." "Despite swearing an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States, Rocha betrayed the US by secretly working as a Cuban agent for decades," said Larissa Knapp, executive assistant director of the FBI's National Security Branch. "After years of lying and endangering national security and US citizens, he finally accepted responsibility for his actions and received the maximum prison sentence." Numerous espionage cases have marred relations between the two countries, which have been enemies since Cuba's Communist revolution in 1959, at the height of the Cold War. Rocha's arrest and conviction come around 15 years after the indictment of Walter Kendall Myers and Gwendolyn Myers, an American couple who spied for Cuba for nearly 30 years. Kendall Myers was sentenced to life imprisonment, while his wife was sentenced to over five years. And in 2001, military intelligence analyst Ana Montes was arrested on espionage charges, later admitting that she had been gathering intelligence for Cuba for almost a decade. 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 Parmigiani Fleurier strives for total design purity with the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date that is deliberately devoid of visual complications Since Guido Terreni became CEO of Parmigiani Fleurier four years ago, the independent brand has been on an upward trajectory, finding its place again in the hearts and minds and on the wrists of many a watch collector. A big part of the brands reinvigoration is down to the consummate refresh of its Tonda PF collection across which Terreni the former head of Bulgari Horlogerie and one of the brains behind the Octo Finissimo has instilled a coherent contemporary-yet-sober design language. While the Tonda PF line-up has grown to include GMT, chronograph, annual calendar and perpetual calendar complications in addition to flying tourbillons and skeleton dials many associate the success of the Tonda PF with the time-and-date Tonda PF Micro-Rotor that kickstarted Parmigianis revival when it was launched in 2021. Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date Parmigiani Fleurier A Function Too Far? With its steel and platinum case with integrated bracelet, and barleycorn guilloche dial featuring new brand logo, short gold hour appliques, skeletonised gold alpha hands and recessed minute track, the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor helped to set the pure, pared-down tone of the collection. It seems, though, that its discreet date window at 6 oclock was a function too far for certain connoisseurs. Indeed, some collectors commented that given that the Tonda PF Micro-Rotors dial is so pure, it seems a pity to clutter it if you can call it that with a date display. Why not simply have nothing there instead? Fuelling collectors imaginations further was the launch of the Tonda PF Automatic 36mm in 2022: Winner of the Ladies watch prize at the Grand Prix dHorlogerie that year, this piece has pretty much the same look of the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor but in a downsized format that eschews a date display. And so, sensing the watch communitys wishes, Parmigiani Fleurier has, for Watches & Wonders 2024, brought out the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date, with just central hours and minutes displayed above a spectacular Golden Siena-coloured guilloche dial. It is the epitome of watchmaking purity. Golden Siena Dial If removing the Tonda PF Micro-Rotors date has its merits, then how do you make its dial sans date sing? One way, naturally, is to continue to apply the brands signature barleycorn or grain dorge guilloche, and Parmigiani Fleurier has duly done that. A further way to elevate the dateless dial is by endowing it with a tone to die for. And that is precisely what the watchmaker has done, debuting a gorgeous sand-coloured dial hue dubbed Golden Siena. Its biscotti shade is rich and warm, and its lightness helps bring out the fine detail of the engraved dial pattern. Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date Parmigiani Fleurier Terreni, a native of Milan (not Siena!) says of the dial and the watchs target audience: In the creation of the new Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date, we endeavoured to offer to the purist of the purists an object that embodies absolute clarity. He continues: Every element of this timepiece reflects our vision of discreet and timeless refinement. From the deliberate absence of visual complications to the meticulous selection of Golden Siena dial nuances, each choice is guided by an unwavering commitment to aesthetic purity. Winning Ingredients While the date display may be absent, we still find all the other ingredients that made the original Tonda PF Micro-Rotor such a winner among enthusiasts. That starts with the PF703 automatic manufacture movement with barleycorn-decorated platinum micro-rotor and 48-hour power reserve. One of the advantages of the micro-rotor is that it doesnt cover up the rest of the movement, allowing the Geneva wave and perlage-adorned plates and bridges to be fully visible through the transparent display back. Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date Parmigiani Fleurier It is a thin calibre too 30.6mm by 3.07mm meaning the case housing it can also boast refined dimensions: 40mm by 7.8mm. While most of the case is in stainless-steel, the knurled bezel is in 950 platinum and it is stepped to sit perfectly on the caseband. The latters brushed and polished waterdrop lugs blend seamlessly with the integrated, textured steel bracelet. Meanwhile, a screw-in crown helps provide a solid 100 metres of water resistance. To find out more about the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date, please visit the Parmigiani Fleurier website. Vasylisa Stepanenko, the producer of the Oscar-winning documentary about Russian crimes, 20 Days in Mariupol, told us how the team managed to get the footage out of the long-suffering city. In order not to lose the priceless footage, including the testimony of paramedic Yulia "Tayra" Payevska, the women hid everything in the car that might seem suspicious to the Russians. ADVERTISIMENT They expected that men would be searched especially carefully at the checkpoint, so they took on the mission of disguising the data carriers. Vasylisa Stepanenko spoke about this in an interview with Marichka Padalko. Volodymyr, a Mariupol policeman who was on his way to escape with his family, agreed to take the documentary team out. They all got into a shot-up car and invented a legend for the occupiers. "Our legend was that I was Volodymyr's relative and had come to visit them for the holidays. And the guys allegedly gave money to be taken away. We didn't know each other at all. Fortunately, we didn't have to use it," the producer recalled. ADVERTISIMENT The data carriers were small, but they had to be well hidden in case of a search. "When we were traveling, we tried to hide all these cards. I hid the cards in my pockets, in my clothes. Even Volodymyr's daughter hid them in her clothes. We thought that women would not be checked as much as men. At that time, I had a card of a paramedic called "Tyra". I hid it in a tampon. I didn't know what was on this card, but I realized that it was extremely important and that it had to be taken out. It was a small card, it just fit in a tampon," said Vasylisa Stepanenko. The next day, Tyra was captured by the Russians. The documentary filmmaker recounted all these events with sadness in her eyes and recalled that she was already preparing for death. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that a woman in labor from Mariupol, who sided with the Russian Federation, called the Oscar-winning film "fake news" and immediately denied it. This happened live on Russian TV. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Seven people were injured Thursday when their NJ Transit bus crashed into a street light behind a South Jersey department store, police said. Six of those people, including the bus driver, were taken to area hospitals for their injuries, according to police in Egg Harbor Township, where the wreck happened off Black Horse Pike about 10 p.m. Police said the driver, 40, was cited for careless driving. Dulce Maria Alvarez loved fairytales. She enjoyed dressing up as Elsa from her favorite Disney film, Frozen, and running around the familys house in Bridgeton singing the theme song, her mother, Noema Alavez Perez, previously recalled. Dulces family still clings to those memories 4 1/2 years after the little girl disappeared from a park in Cumberland County during a family outing on Sept. 16, 2019. She was only 5 years old and her disappearance sparked a massive search that has yielded no answers about what happened to her. This month marks another milestone in the mystery. Dulces 10th birthday is April 25. MORE: Where is Dulce Alavez? Family frozen in time 3 years into one of N.J.s biggest mysteries As they have in years past, family, friends and supporters will return to Bridgeton City Park and gather around Dulces Tree, a spot dedicated to keeping the childs story alive. They will mark her birthday and pray for her return. This years event will be held Sunday, April 21, at 2 p.m. Details about the event are on the groups Facebook page. Our purpose is to keep her name out in the public eye, said family advocate Brenda Trinidad. Family advocate Brenda Trinidad speaks as Noema Alavez Perez stands with her children during a Christmas gathering in honor of her missing daughter Dulce Maria Alavez in Bridgeton City Park in Bridgeton on Saturday, December 16, 2023. Jim Lowney | For NJ Advance Media For Dulces family, the missing childs birthday is always a difficult time, Trinidad said. The emptiness they feel when her birthday comes around is unreal, she said. That day was filled with love and joy. Unfortunately, they have not celebrated her birthday for 5 years. Thats 5 years they have not seen her grow into the princess she always stated she was. Dulce was a big fan of Disney princesses and the theme for this years birthday event is Disneys Tangled, which tells the classic tale of Rapunzel, a princess abducted as a baby and locked away in a tower. Rapunzel is ultimately reunited with her parents in the story, and they all live happily ever after. Dulces family hopes for a similar conclusion to her story. Noema was the one that picked out the Tangled theme birthday, Trinidad said. Although this is a fairy tale, we all hope and pray that Dulce would return to her family with the help of others so she can have her fairytale ending. Early on, police released witness descriptions and a sketch of a person of interest in Dulces disappearance, but no suspects have been publicly identified. An unclaimed reward stands at $75,000. Detectives continue to pursue leads, according to authorities, and a Florida-based non-profit investigation group called the Anti-Predator Project joined the search last year at the request of supporters helping Dulces family. As the years passed, officials released age-progression images of how Dulce may appear today. Noema Alavez Perez kisses her daughter during a vigil marking the 4th anniversary of the disappearance of her older daughter, Dulce Maria Alavez, held in Bridgeton City Park last year. Alavez was 5 years old when she vanished fin 2019.Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media Anyone with information about Dulces disappearance is asked to contact authorities via one of these options: Bridgeton Police: 856-451-0033 Cumberland County Prosecutors Office: 856-453-0486 New Jersey State Police: 609-882-2000, ext. 2554 Anonymous tips may be sent to Bridgeton Police at bpdops.com/tips or to the prosecutors office at njccpo.gov/tips Information may also be submitted to the Anti-Predator Project, by calling 305-796-4859 or emailing info@antipredatorproject.org The family of Dulce Maria Alavez paid for hundreds of yard signs distributed around South Jersey. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Gray may be reached at mailto:mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. A circa-1977 motel in Hollygrove and violent crime hotspot was shuttered under New Orleans' "padlock" ordinance on Sunday, according to the NOPD. Situated at 9301 Airline Highway, a strip notorious for sex trafficking, The London Lodge saw a homicide in 2023 and frequent drug and firearm sales. Russian filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov, who is allegedly considered an oppositionist, is going to the Cannes Film Festival again. There, he will present a biographical film about the famous Russian imperialist, odious writer and politician Eduard Limonov, who became persona non grata in Ukraine during the presidency of Leonid Kuchma due to his anti-Ukrainian statements. ADVERTISIMENT And although the festival organizers continue to claim that they are condemning the Russian aggression, Serebrennikov will be presenting his film at this international platform for the second time since the full-scale war began-he is, after all, an "oppositionist." And this time, his film will also tell the story of one of Russia's most famous Ukrainophobes. The program of the Cannes Film Festival was published by Variety. Thus, Serebrennikov's film is titled "Limonov. The Ballad". This is the first international English-language film in which the notorious Soviet writer and politician is played by the British Ben Whishaw. The biopic is based on the book by Emmanuel Carrera. ADVERTISIMENT They shot the movie in Russia. They spent 10.5 million dollars on its production. This is the most expensive film in Serebrennikov's arsenal. Who is Eduard Limonov? To all of the above, we can also add that Limonov was a member of the "opposition" movement Other Russia. He is known for his Ukrainophobic, chauvinistic and xenophobic statements. And the most absurd thing in all of this is that Limonov is a Ukrainian by birth. He had a negative attitude towards Ukraine's independence. In 1999, according to a resolution of the Security Service of Ukraine, he was declared persona non grata in connection with calls for the violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. In particular, he called for a review of the status of Sevastopol and its transfer to Russia, and in 2018, the writer called for the division of Ukraine and Kazakhstan. ADVERTISIMENT Here is one of his statements: "I would take into Russia those regions that will surely take root in Russia: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa, and maybe I would think about whether or not to take Dnipropetrovs'k. The point is that we need to hurry and take everything we can before Ukraine joins NATO. And Ukraine will definitely join NATO. After joining, in order to reunite the Ukrainian regions with Russia, we will have to fight with NATO specifically. Therefore, we need to hurry now." Limonov died on March 17, 2020. As a reminder, in 2022, Serebrennikov presented his film The Wife of Tchaikovsky at the Cannes Film Festival. As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Putinists recently announced that the propaganda film "Brother 3" would be shown at this year's Marche du Film, which will be held in Cannes simultaneously with the Cannes Film Festival. The main role in the film is played by rapper Ptaha, who has been openly supporting Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territories since 2014. However, representatives of the film market reacted to this statement and revealed that the Russians lied. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! This year, despite the problems with the screenwriters and actors' strikes, film companies managed to please fans of quality films with new feature-length projects. The Ukrainians did a particularly good job, releasing a number of excellent films during the full-scale war, one of which can be seen in theaters this weekend. ADVERTISIMENT Viewers will be able to choose between light fiction, intense drama, biopic and other genres. OBOZ.UA decided to tell you about 5 films worth watching. Felix and Me by Iryna Tsilyk The drama Felix and Me was released in theaters, marking the creative debut of director Iryna Tsilyk. The plot tells the story of a boy named Tymofiii growing up in the 90s. The audience will see the protagonist's complicated relationships with his family, friends, first love, and with Felix, a former counterintelligence officer who served during the war in Afghanistan. Damaged by Terry McDonough Fans of the crime and detective genres will be delighted with the new story of a tangled investigation, Damaged. A Chicago police detective will have to solve the case of a serial killer who looks suspiciously like the one who killed his beloved many years ago and was never found. ADVERTISIMENT Civil War by Alex Garland The plot will cover events in the near future. The United States is shaken by a civil war that erupted because several southern states want to secede. A group of journalists, including a well-known reporter (Kirsten Dunst), are heading towards Washington. It becomes obvious that the country's leadership has turned into a dictatorship, and rebel groups are committing war crimes everywhere. Back to Black by Sam Taylor-Johnson ADVERTISIMENT The story of British legend Amy Winehouse is the basis for a new biopic. Watch the movie to find out what her successful career cost her, how music influenced her personal life, and what lies behind the phenomenon of one of the greatest performers of all time. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire by Gil Kenan The continuation of the fantastic adventures of a group of ghost-hunting heroes will give the audience a little less drama but will envelop them with positive emotions. The unification of the old and new generations of otherworldly hunters will be the key to saving the world from the second Ice Age. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Kyle Peterson and Kelley Holdren Kyle Peterson, left, was honored with the Kelley Holdren Excellence in Transport Nursing Award named after Dyer resident Holdren, who died fro CHICAGO As a flight nurse with University of Chicago's Aeromedical Network, Kyle Peterson's work days are heavy and hectic. But he loves it. A "normal" day includes trips to Northwest Indiana, Michigan and anywhere else within an approximately 30 to 35 minute radius to transport to patients in the most serious situations: car crashes, neurological episodes and strokes, neonatal emergenciesyou name it. Peterson flies in the footsteps of former UCAN chief flight nurse and program director Kelley Holdren, a Dyer resident who he looked up to as a mentor. Recently, he was commended with the Kelley Holdren Excellence in Transport Nursing Award, established in her honor by the Air and Surfaces Transport Association, a national group of which Holdren served as president until her death from cancer in November. "She was inspiring," Peterson said. "She was a mentor to so many people. As far as leaders go, she was the best." The award was presented Tuesday morning at the Critical Care Transport Medicine Conference in Alabama, he said. Although he could not be there in person to accept the award, he said being recognized for a job he loves in the name of someone he deeply admires is a huge honor. "To have some sort of recognition I'm making an impact, you know, it feels good," Peterson said. "And to also layer it on with a person who, in my eyes, is so above and beyond in where I see myself in the industry." "It's surreal. I'm convinced they emailed the wrong Kyle Peterson," he said jokingly. Multiple peers recommended Peterson for the award including Dyer Fire Chief Joe Martin. Martin first met Peterson at a landing zone training that Peterson conducted for the department. "He knows how to speak our language, he knows how to communicate with us appropriately," Martin said. "UCAN is very fortunate to have him. Our area is very fortunate to have him." When he saw the award was named in Holdren's honor, he said nominating Peterson for it was a "no-brainer." "The award being named in her honor is fitting," Martin said. "It shows her legacy and a guy like Kyle is writing his legacy as we speak. I know he gives his best on every call." UCAN Chief Flight Nurse Candice Schaper said she sees a lot of Holdren's qualities in Peterson. Holdren was committed to community outreach and partnerships with EMS and fire professionals, and Peterson has taken on the role of community outreach coordinator to offer these resources to other partners. ""He's just an incredible human being," Schaper said. "He's such a team player, he's always willing to help. He's very focused on giving great care to our patients and learning more so he can continue to improve upon the care he's giving." Schaper said he also has a great sense of humor, as did Holdren. "He's always making us laugh," she said. "I'm so excited he was chosen to receive this award." Peterson said he began his career as a damage controlman in the United States Navy. Similar to a first responder, he was in charge of handling emergencies such as fires, flooding and other crises to keep ship and its crew out of harm's way. "Through that, I got exposure to EMS and got licensed," Peterson said. "That set me up to volunteer with the local fire department." He worked as a paramedic while attending nursing school, he said. The Navy and his EMS job helped prepare him for the conditions he'd see once he became a nurse. Peterson said began his nursing career 12 years ago in an emergency room at Rush University before he moved to the pediatric intensive care unit. Once he began his job with the University of Chicago, he realigned his personal goals and decided he "wanted to fly." "Flight has always been appealing," Peterson said. "It's always been my goal when I found it as an avenue for nursing." After he completed additional training required for the job, he started his role as a flight nurse in March 2020. Peterson's team has 20 members, he said. Approximately four of them work at a time in pairs of two on separate helicopters for 24-hours shifts. When they're in flight on a call, there are only four people on the plane: the two nurses, a pilot and whoever they are transporting. Peterson said flight nurses provide care as needed for critically ill, injured patients at high risk of needed more advanced interventions. The U of C's hospital is the closest trauma center to the Region, which means they have the most specialized doctors who provide high levels of care. The care the flight nurses provide is out of the scope of what a nurse would normally do because most often, a patient would need a doctor to provide that level of care. But in a crisis, sometimes there is no time to wait. "We bring the in hospital world and the pre-hospital world into one place," Peterson said. Holdren was a large part of bringing these two worlds to the public. She helped increase the availability of the UCAN service to areas beyond Chicago, Peterson said, where they are often greatly needed. The helicopter will travel up to a radius of 200 miles if necessary. "Many of us [at work] talk about how we wouldn't be in the position if it weren't for her," Peterson said, "and her commitment to the program and her passion for trying to push the availability of this resource out to so many people." PHOTOS: Vet Tony Craven to take Honor Flight Uploaded Photos Region vets taking Honor Flight to D.C.: All it cost me was a couple years of my life They never intended to win that war. And to think how many men died there, and all the ones who came home to die in some way, its just horri Uploaded Photos Region vets taking Honor Flight to D.C.: All it cost me was a couple years of my life Raymond "Tony" Craven will be taking an Honor Flight from Lafayette to DC on April 16. Uploaded Photos Region vets taking Honor Flight to D.C.: All it cost me was a couple years of my life Im not ashamed of anything that me and those other soldiers did in Vietnam. Im NOT, Raymond Craven said with conviction. But I still don Uploaded Photos Vet Tony Craven to take Honor Flight Raymond "Tony" Craven will be taking an Honor Flight from Lafayette to DC on April 16. Uploaded Photos Vet Tony Craven to take Honor Flight Raymond "Tony" Craven will be taking an Honor Flight from Lafayette to DC on April 16. Uploaded Photos Region vets taking Honor Flight to D.C.: All it cost me was a couple years of my life Raymond "Tony" Craven will be taking an Honor Flight from Lafayette to DC on April 16. Craven has never been to D.C. to view any of the memori Uploaded Photos Vet Tony Craven to take Honor Flight Raymond "Tony" Craven will be taking an Honor Flight from Lafayette to DC on April 16. Local News Region vet to take Honor Flight to DC: All it cost me was a couple years of my life Jerry Davich Metro columnist Follow Jerry Davich 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 Raymond Tony Craven was told by the U.S. Army to not wear his uniform when he returned to the U.S. from Vietnam in 1968. There was good reason for that at the time, he said. People werent very nice although no one had a right to call me names or spit on me or anything. That just shouldnt have happened. It still bothers me all these years later. Many U.S. soldiers returning from that controversial war were not welcomed with escorts, cheers and gratitude, but instead with curse words, anger or apathy. Craven, who was raised in Schererville, never received any kind of a heros homecoming that is more common for todays soldiers serving overseas. I just went home straight from the airport with my family, Craven said. "No cheering. No welcome home signs. No nothing." Drafted at 19, he served nearly one year in Vietnam as a combat engineer, trained to build bridges, clear air strips and sweep for land mines and booby-traps. He risked his life for the blood-stained tenets of freedom and for a government that wasnt honest about that war, Craven said. They never intended to win that war. And to think how many men died there, and all the ones who came home to die in some way, its just horrible, said Craven, who has a war-related disability. Even vets who served in World War II told us that they fought in a real war, but not Vietnam vets," Craven said. I never understood it. He paused for a few seconds to ponder his words while sitting at his dining room table. Im not ashamed of anything that me and those other soldiers did in Vietnam. Im NOT, he said with conviction. But I still dont talk about it much. Craven turned 21 on the day he returned to the U.S. in 1968. That was a good day in my life, Craven recalled. Born in Kentucky, Craven moved to Northwest Indiana as a young boy with his family. At 19, he left his job at the Ford plant in Chicago Heights to serve in the military. It was waiting for him when he returned, along with his family. Craven resumed his life and met his wife, Jane. Married now for 50 years, they live in rural Valparaiso with a towering American flag in the driveway waving to passerby. Do you see this Vietnam hat Im wearing. I didnt wear it for a long time, he said, pulling off the cap to show a tiny cross on it. I was in Vietnam so I wear this hat. Other guys were there too so they should be on the hat as well. You have to earn the right to wear it. Craven also has earned the right to fly on the esteemed Honor Flight to Washington D.C. this Tuesday from Purdue University Airport in West Lafayette. It didnt cost me nothing but a couple years of my life, Craven said with a laugh. He will join 84 other veterans, including two World War II vets, to view war memorials in D.C. and be treated like royalty for the entire day. His son, Matt Craven, will chaperone him. Many of these heroes never received a homecoming when they returned home decades ago, said Kevin Bol, a board member for Honor Flight of Greater Lafayette. The Honor Flight Network was founded in 2005 using six small planes to transport 27 WWII veterans to D.C. Today there are 124 Honor Flight hubs around the country, including four in Indiana, with more than 250,000 veterans making the trip. Many years ago, I attended the emotional Honor Flight homecoming for a Region vet at a Chicago airport. (Read in on my Facebook page.) Another Region veteran will be on Tuesdays Honor Flight from Lafayette to D.C. Keith Friedlund, a Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Navy, returned to his Merrillville home in 1969. He was 22. His parents were the only ones who greeted him at OHare International Airport when his plane landed at 4 a.m. They were all I needed to see, Friedlund recalled. At 77, Friedlund still gets uncomfortable when strangers commend him publicly for serving in the military. I didnt do what I did to be told thank you for serving, Friedlund said. I did it because it was the law and I wanted to serve my country. On Tuesday hes looking forward to meeting other Vietnam vets on the Honor Flight. This whole trip will add another chapter of history to our family, said Friedlund, who has military veterans on both sides of his family. Its going to be an amazing experience. His chaperone will be his 47-year-old daughter, Morgan, who recently completed breast cancer treatments. We dont get to spend a lot of time together, so this will be special to share it with her, Friedlund said. A few years ago, his wife, Charlotte, encouraged him to apply to be chosen for an Honor Flight. His well-deserved day has finally come, she said. Craven has never been to D.C. to view any of the memorial walls. Ill be honored to do it for all those guys who didnt make it back home alive, he said. PHOTOS: Vet Tony Craven to take Honor Flight Uploaded Photos Region vets taking Honor Flight to D.C.: All it cost me was a couple years of my life They never intended to win that war. And to think how many men died there, and all the ones who came home to die in some way, its just horri Uploaded Photos Region vets taking Honor Flight to D.C.: All it cost me was a couple years of my life Raymond "Tony" Craven will be taking an Honor Flight from Lafayette to DC on April 16. Uploaded Photos Region vets taking Honor Flight to D.C.: All it cost me was a couple years of my life Im not ashamed of anything that me and those other soldiers did in Vietnam. Im NOT, Raymond Craven said with conviction. But I still don Uploaded Photos Vet Tony Craven to take Honor Flight Raymond "Tony" Craven will be taking an Honor Flight from Lafayette to DC on April 16. Uploaded Photos Vet Tony Craven to take Honor Flight Raymond "Tony" Craven will be taking an Honor Flight from Lafayette to DC on April 16. Uploaded Photos Region vets taking Honor Flight to D.C.: All it cost me was a couple years of my life Raymond "Tony" Craven will be taking an Honor Flight from Lafayette to DC on April 16. Craven has never been to D.C. to view any of the memori Uploaded Photos Vet Tony Craven to take Honor Flight Raymond "Tony" Craven will be taking an Honor Flight from Lafayette to DC on April 16. Local News Region vet to take Honor Flight to DC: All it cost me was a couple years of my life When Senator Robert Menendez was charged last year with corruption after investigators found $486,000 in cash stashed around his house in New Jersey, he offered a simple, old-fashioned explanation: It had been his custom to withdraw cash from a personal savings account to keep at home, a habit he learned from his Cuban immigrant parents. But federal prosecutors, in papers filed late Friday, presented fresh details that they suggested undercut Mr. Menendezs claim. Some of the cash was wrapped in bands showing it had been withdrawn, at least $10,000 at a time, from a bank where Mr. Menendez and his wife had no known depository account. This, prosecutors said, indicated that the money had been provided to them by another person. The disappearance and death of an Israeli teenager, whose body was found on Saturday in the West Bank, spurred deadly rioting by Israeli settlers in Palestinian villages, ratcheting up tensions even further in the occupied territory. Settlers unleashed a wave of mob violence in a Palestinian village near Ramallah on Friday and carried out mob assaults in at least two villages on Saturday, after the Israeli authorities announced that the teenager, Binyamin Achimair, had been found dead. The Israeli police said Binyamin, 14, had left a farming settlement in the West Bank to herd sheep on Friday morning but never returned. Israeli forces found his body on Saturday near the settlement, Malachei HaShalom, in the central West Bank. The second day of unrest erupted in the village near Ramallah, Al Mughayir, and another Palestinian village, Duma, an Israeli security official said. Israeli settlers, some of them armed, entered the villages, the official added. There were reports that the settlers had opened fire. The terrorist country Russia shelled the energy infrastructure in the Kharkiv region. As a result, electricity production from renewable energy sources was limited. ADVERTISIMENT Yesterday, due to network restrictions on the transmission system operator's lines, outage schedules were applied in the Kharkiv region, and the restrictions are still in effect today. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine on April 14. Due to the sunny weather and, accordingly, the active generation of electricity by SPPs, the transmission system operator limited the production of electricity from renewable energy sources. Ukraine's power system is stable and balanced. The enemy shelled the energy infrastructure in the Kharkiv region. Equipment was cut off. A high-voltage overhead line in Dnipropetrovsk region was damaged due to hostilities. As a result of shelling, overhead lines in the Chernihiv region were damaged, and a settlement was partially de-energized. As a result of hostilities, gas distribution networks in the Kharkiv region were damaged. Gas supply to 340 households was cut off. ADVERTISIMENT Equipment caught fire at a high-voltage substation in the Odesa region. The fires were extinguished by the State Emergency Service. As a result, household consumers in 4 settlements lost power. "The situation at ZNPP. The water level in the cooling pond is 15.48 meters. This is enough to meet the needs of the plant," the statement said. As previously reported, Russia is trying to destroy the Ukrainian energy sector in waves and is currently making significant progress. The "security buffer" - electricity supplies from Europe and an extensive network of autonomous energy supply systems - saves our country from complete immersion in darkness. You can find only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The U.S. military said that it had shot down dozens of the drones and missiles that Iran fired at Israel on Saturday, a strong demonstration that despite recent criticism of Israels conduct of the war in Gaza, Washington was firmly committed to protecting a key ally from Iran, a mutual adversary. President Biden said that the United States had helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, in part thanks to aircraft and military ships the Pentagon had moved to the region in the past week. While Mr. Biden has grown increasingly vocal in his frustration with Israels military offensive in Gaza calling its bombardment there indiscriminate and saying that Israel has not done enough to protect Palestinian civilians he has maintained that when it comes to Iran, the United States commitment to Israel is ironclad. We will support Israel and help defend Israel, he said, and Iran will not succeed. The United States has consistently affirmed Israels right to defend itself, and it has also directly intervened militarily against attacks from Irans proxy forces, including the Houthi militia based in Yemen. Irans missile attack on Israel has ended, for now, and virtually none of the missiles reached their targets. Iran last night launched more than 300 drones and missiles in retaliation for an apparent Israeli strike on an Iranian embassy two weeks ago. Irans attacks caused minor damage at one military base, and shrapnel seriously injured a 7-year-old girl from an Arab Bedouin community in southern Israel. But Israel intercepted most of the drones and missiles. The U.S. and Jordan also shot some down. The big question this morning is whether the conflict between the two countries will now return to its previous situation a long-running shadow war or enter a more dangerous new stage. Last night did represent something new: Experts believe it was the first time Iran attacked Israel from Iranian territory. But Iran telegraphed the attack days in advance, and it did not cause extensive casualties which increases the likelihood that both countries will be willing to de-escalate. A group of major news organizations including The Associated Press and the five big broadcast and cable networks issued an unusual joint statement on Sunday urging President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump to commit to participating in televised debates before Election Day. General election debates have a rich tradition in our American democracy, the group wrote. There is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation. Media organizations rarely weigh in so explicitly on the campaign plans of presidential candidates. The statement underscores just how much uncertainty surrounds whether this years debates will occur. Mr. Biden has declined to commit to the three debates scheduled for September and October. His allies have expressed concerns about the Commission on Presidential Debates, the nonpartisan group that has organized the events since 1988, and its ability to enforce its rules when Mr. Trump participates. There are a lot of reasons to visit Matsumoto, a city at the foot of the Japanese Alps in the central prefecture of Nagano. Most visitors head there to see the 16th-century castle, one of the oldest in the country, or to bathe in the natural hot springs. But few, even within Japans large community of watch fans, know that Matsumoto also is home to the Timepiece Museum, a three-level bright and airy exhibition space that displays about 120 of its 800 clocks at any given time. According to the website of the Japan Clock and Watch Association, the museum has one of Japans richest collections of antique clocks in motion so that visitors can enjoy the movement of pendulums and the sound of bells. (And you should hear the racket when the clocks chime the hour.) Indeed, what sets the museum apart is that many of its clocks work. Its quite rare for clock museums around the world, said Shun Kobayashi, the museums curator. Entering the atelier of the watchmaker Julien Tixier in Switzerlands Vallee de Joux, one must navigate carefully past high benches filled to the brim with equipment such as decades-old lathes, drilling machines, grinders, cutters and high-tech devices, plus spaces dedicated to heat treatment, galvanization, decoration and assembly. Despite being only about 270 square feet, this miniature factory is where Mr. Tixier transformed bars of raw steel into components for the prototype of the Monday, a $87,730, 40.8-millimeter, three-hand watch that is the first from the new brand Renaud Tixier. Sixty-two of the watches are to be made and over the next 20 years another six models are planned, named after the other days of the week. The crowded space has an air of a crazy inventors playground, appropriate perhaps for a man who knew that he wanted to be a watchmaker since he was 7 years old growing up on the west coast of France. Mr. Tixier is now 31, and his long dark hair, goatee, skinny jeans and well-worn black fedora add to the picture of a free-spirited artist. It would not be possible for me to work in industrial watchmaking, he said. I would prefer to change my job. The first criminal trial of Donald J. Trump will begin on Monday, and the 45th president thinks he can win no matter what the jury decides. Mr. Trump will aim to spin any outcome to his benefit and, if convicted, to become the first felon to win the White House. Manhattan prosecutors, who have accused Mr. Trump of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal, hold advantages that include a list of insider witnesses and a jury pool drawn from one of the countrys most liberal counties. Mr. Trump and some aides and lawyers privately concede that a jury is unlikely to outright acquit him, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. So Mr. Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee, is seeking to write his own reality, telling a story that he believes could pave his return to the White House. He has framed his failed efforts to delay the case as evidence he cannot receive a fair trial, casting himself as a political martyr under attack from the prosecution and the judge. To pull off an acquittal, he is considering testifying to personally persuade jurors of his innocence. It would be easy to be dazzled by the way Israeli, American and other allied militaries shot down virtually every Iranian drone, cruise missile and ballistic missile launched at Israel on Saturday and conclude that Iran had made its point retaliating for Israels allegedly killing a top Iranian commander operating against Israel from Syria and now we can call it a day. That would be a dangerous misreading of what just happened and a huge geopolitical mistake by the West and the world at large. There now needs to be a massive, sustained, global initiative to isolate Iran not only to deter it from trying such an adventure again but also to give reason to Israel not to automatically retaliate militarily. That would be a grievous error, too. Iran has a regional network, and Israel needs a regional alliance, along with the U.S., to deter it over the long run. So there must be major diplomatic and economic consequences for Iran, with countries like China finally stepping up: When Tehran fired all those drones and missiles, it could not know that virtually all of them would be intercepted. Some were shot down over Jerusalem. A missile could have hit al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islams holiest shrines. (You can see pictures online of Iranian rockets being intercepted in the skies right over the mosque.) Another could have hit the Israeli Parliament or a high-rise apartment house, causing massive casualties. Sometimes I lie awake at night wondering whether Donald Trump is afraid. Does he think hell go to jail? Lose his fortune? Does he sleep easier after ranting in ALL CAPS on Truth Social? Surely Im not the only one losing sleep over the threat this man poses to the country. But lately, as I perversely scroll through the news on my phone, Ive had a comforting thought: Mr. Trump is probably obsessing, too. His Truth Social account indicated as much last week. Mr. Trump posted a picture of a statement by Stormy Daniels, the erotic film star and a central figure in his hush money trial that is set to begin on Monday. In the statement, dated 2018, Ms. Daniels denies that the two ever had an affair (a statement she has since recanted). Mr. Trump, in his Truth Social post, writes: LOOK WHAT WAS JUST FOUND! WILL THE FAKE NEWS REPORT IT? (To be clear, Mr. Trump, the 2018 statement was widely reported at the time.) Mr. Trump may be running for president of the United States, but its not American voters who are on his mind. Watching and listening to him for years now, reading him on social media and, more recently, observing his behavior in the face of criminal charges and civil lawsuits, I come away with the surreal yet frankly inspiring conclusion that this very powerful man has become consumed with the nasty women who are at long last holding him to account. For tens of millions of years, Australia has been a playground for evolution, and the land Down Under lays claim to some of the most remarkable creatures on Earth. It is the birthplace of songbirds, the land of egg-laying mammals and the world capital of pouch-bearing marsupials, a group that encompasses far more than just koalas and kangaroos. (Behold the bilby and the bettong!) Nearly half of the continents birds and roughly 90 percent of its mammals, reptiles and frogs are found nowhere else on the planet. Australia has also become a case study in what happens when people push biodiversity to the brink. Habitat degradation, invasive species, infectious diseases and climate change have put many native animals in jeopardy and given Australia one of the worst rates of species loss in the world. In some cases, scientists say, the threats are so intractable that the only way to protect Australias unique animals is to change them. Using a variety of techniques, including crossbreeding and gene editing, scientists are altering the genomes of vulnerable animals, hoping to arm them with the traits they need to survive. Mary Moriarty, a former public defender, became Minneapoliss top prosecutor last year after persuading voters shaken by the murder of George Floyd that she could improve public safety by reining in police misconduct and making the criminal justice system less punitive. Turbulence quickly followed. The attorney general of Minnesota, Keith Ellison, a fellow Democrat who had endorsed Ms. Moriarty as she campaigned to be Hennepin County attorney, took over a murder case from her office last spring after concluding that it had offered an overly lenient plea deal to a juvenile defendant. By fall, two judges took the unusual step of rejecting plea deals offered by Ms. Moriartys office, deeming them too permissive for violent crimes. After Ms. Moriarty this year charged a state trooper with murder in the shooting of a motorist who drove away during a traffic stop, criticism mounted. The large number of UAVs in Ukraine operating on both sides of the zero line has turned the "gray zone" into a "death zone" where anyone who dares to move, day or night, is a target for attacks. Initially, the use of drones gave Ukrainian troops an advantage on the battlefield, but the Russians quickly realized their effectiveness and began mass-producing their own drones as well. ADVERTISIMENT Combined with the vast minefields, lack of ammunition and soldiers, drones have become a key factor in making it "virtually impossible" for the Ukrainian army to regain territory. The Washington Post writes about this. There areapproximately 100 drones within a 10-kilometer radius of the battlefield, and it is very difficult to determine who exactly owns them. Andrew Cote, chief of staff of BRINC Drones, a company that supplies equipment to Ukraine, noted that drones in Ukraine are changing the situation as much as tanks did during World War I. "What we are witnessing now is a blitzkrieg of unmanned warfare. It's a pretty dead-end situation, because if you are out in the open, you will be hunted," Cote said. The saturation of unmanned aerial vehicles, many of which are equipped with thermal imaging cameras for nighttime operation, has significantly narrowed the safe zone for troops as they have become easy to spot. This has resulted in significant casualties and has made it much more difficult for either side to make a major breakthrough in recent months. ADVERTISIMENT These circumstances, along with widespread minefields and a shortage of ammunition and troops, make it virtually impossible for Ukraine to regain control of the territories as it did in 2022. As Russia has begun mass production of drones, Ukraine plans to produce more than a million units this year to prevent a further Russian offensive. This task is becoming even more urgent as Kyiv's stockpile of ammunition for artillery and air defense is rapidly dwindling. The current severe shortage of 155mm shells means that even if reconnaissance drones detect dozens of targets, only a few of them may be attacked. "If we don't get enough ammunition, we will lose this war," said Denys, 31, a drone commander in Ukraine's 45th Brigade. Earlier it was reported that the lack of weapons suffered by the Ukrainian army could lead to dire consequences. If Western partners do not step up their support, the Defense Forces may eventually be forced to retreat as far as the Dnipro River this summer, when Russia plans a new offensive. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on the West to urgently provide assistance to Ukraine. He is convinced that the West should do this immediately. After all, if Ukraine falls, it will be a catastrophic turning point in history and a complete humiliation of the West. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! Follow live updates for the Supreme Courts decision in the Jan. 6 obstruction case. At first blush, the case the Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday seems technical, requiring the justices to parse a decades-old statute mainly concerned with the destruction of business records. But the case has the potential to knock out half of the federal charges against former President Donald J. Trump for plotting to subvert the 2020 election, entangle hundreds of Jan. 6 prosecutions and help adjudicate the very meaning of the attack on the Capitol. The immediate question for the justices is whether a federal law aimed primarily at white-collar crime, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, can be used to prosecute members of the mob who stormed the Capitol, including the defendant in the case, Joseph W. Fischer, a former Pennsylvania police officer. More than 300 people have been prosecuted under the law, which makes it a crime to obstruct an official proceeding. The immediate purpose of the law, enacted in the wake of the collapse of Enron, fits uneasily with the prosecutions arising from the violent riot that forced a halt to the constitutionally required congressional count of electoral ballots. But its language is broad, and prosecutors say its plain terms cover Mr. Fischers conduct. Saratu Dauda had been kidnapped. It was 2014, she was 16, and she was in a truck packed with her classmates heading into the bush in northeastern Nigeria, a member of the terrorist group Boko Haram at the wheel. The girls boarding school in Chibok, miles behind them, had been set on fire. Then she noticed that some girls were jumping off the back of the truck, she said, some alone, others in pairs, holding hands. They ran and hid in the scrub as the truck trundled on. But before Ms. Dauda could jump, she said, one girl raised the alarm, shouting that others were dropping and running. Their abductors stopped, secured the truck and continued toward what, for Ms. Dauda, would prove a life-changing nine years in captivity. If she hadnt shouted that, we would have all escaped, Ms. Dauda said in a series of interviews this past week in the city of Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Harams violent insurgency. Iran fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday evening, an attack that marks a sharp escalation in a long-simmering conflict that could tip the region into a full-blown war. A spokesman for the Israeli military, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said that a handful of missiles had landed in central and southern Israel, but that most of them had been intercepted. Iran last attacked Israel in April, in retaliation for the killings of its senior generals in Damascus, Syria. Israel, with help from the United States, Jordan and others, intercepted almost all of the more than 300 drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles fired at its territory at that time. To intercept aerial attacks, Israel uses a multilayered air defense system. Two of the main weapons are the Iron Dome and the Arrow 3. In the April attacks, the Iron Dome and the Arrow 3 shot down most of the missiles and drones, while others were shot down by the United States and other allies. Iran has retaliated directly against Israel for the killings of its senior generals in Damascus, Syria, with an onslaught of more than 300 drones and missiles aimed at restoring its credibility and deterrence, officials and analysts say. That represents a moment of great risk, with key questions still to answer, they say. Has Irans attack been enough to satisfy its calls for revenge? Or given the relatively paltry results almost all of the drones and missiles were intercepted by Israel and the United States will it feel obligated to strike again? And will Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, see the strong performance by his countrys air defenses as a sufficient response? Or will he choose to escalate further with an attack on Iran itself? Now that Iran has attacked Israel as it promised to do, it will want to avoid a broader war, the officials and analysts say, noting that the Iranians targeted only military sites in an apparent effort to avoid civilian casualties and advertised their attack well in advance. Irans government appears to have concluded that the Damascus strike was a strategic inflection point, where failure to retaliate would carry more downsides than benefits, said Ali Vaez, the Iran director of the International Crisis Group. But in doing so, the shadow war it has been waging with Israel for years now threatens to turn into a very real and very damaging conflict, one that could drag in the United States, he said. The hospital waiting room was quiet on Sunday: There was no crowd of relatives, no flood of patients. Israels air defenses had just fended off a large-scale Iranian attack, with only one serious casualty recorded. But there was no sense that a crisis had been averted outside the pediatric intensive care unit at Soroka Medical Center in southern Israels city of Beersheba. Instead, tension filled the air until the doors to the ward swung open and a gasping mother stumbled out, her face contorted. Then raw emotion quickly took its place as she crumbled into a chair, crying. While Israel suffered little in the way of significant damage overnight, this one family was dealt a devastating blow. Amina al-Hasoni, 7, was clinging to life the sole serious casualty of the Iranian barrage. And were it not for systemic inequities in Israel, her relatives said, maybe she, too, could have been spared. There are roughly 300,000 Arab Bedouins in the Negev desert. About a quarter of them live in villages that are not recognized by Israeli officials. Without state recognition, those communities have long suffered from a lack of planning and basic services like running water, sewers and electricity. And few have access to bomb shelters, despite repeated requests to the state. The Hasoni family lives in one such community, sharing a hilltop in the Negev village of al-Furah with a plot of disconnected houses. When rocket warning sirens went off on Saturday night, Aminas uncle Ismail said he felt stuck there was nowhere to go. Booms overhead signaled air defenses intercepting missiles before there was a big explosion. Then he heard a woman screaming his sister and I started running, he said. President Biden and his team, hoping to avoid further escalation leading to a wider war in the Middle East, are advising Israel that its successful defense against Iranian airstrikes constituted a major strategic victory that might not require another round of retaliation, U.S. officials said on Sunday. The interception of nearly all of the more than 300 drones and missiles fired against Israel on Saturday night demonstrated that Israel had come out ahead in its confrontation with Iran and proved to enemies its ability to protect itself along with its American allies, meaning it did not necessarily need to fire back, the officials said. Whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and his government will agree to leave it at that was not yet clear as the countrys war cabinet met for several hours on Sunday to make decisions about its next steps. The leaders of the Group of 7 major industrial democracies echoed Mr. Bidens message on Sunday morning, condemning Iran for the attack and warning that it could provoke what they called an uncontrollable regional escalation in the Middle East. Follow live updates on Israeli military strikes in Iran. For decades, Israel and Iran have fought a shadow war across the Middle East, trading attacks by land, sea, air and in cyberspace. The barrage of drones and missiles Iran launched at Israel on Saturday though nearly all were shot down or intercepted represented a watershed in the conflict. It was the first time that Iran directly attacked Israel from its own territory, according to Ahron Bregman, a political scientist and expert in Middle East security issues at Kings College in London, who called it a historic event. Iran has largely used foreign proxies such as Lebanons Hezbollah militia to strike Israeli interests, while targeted assassinations of Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists have been a key part of Israels strategy. Here is a recent history of the conflict: August 2019: An Israeli airstrike killed two Iranian-trained militants in Syria, a drone set off a blast near a Hezbollah office in Lebanon and an airstrike in Qaim, Iraq, killed a commander of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia. Israel accused Iran at the time of trying to establish an overland arms-supply line through Iraq and northern Syria to Lebanon, and analysts said the strikes were aimed at stopping Iran and signaling to its proxies that Israel would not tolerate a fleet of smart missiles on its borders. January 2020: Israel greeted with satisfaction the assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the commander of the foreign-facing arm of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, in an American drone strike in Baghdad. World leaders are urging Israel to act with restraint after Iran launched a large aerial attack over the weekend, firing at least 300 drones and missiles. Israels war cabinet has not yet said how it will respond to the first such direct assault launched from Iranian territory after decades of shadow warfare between the two countries. Heres a look at what we know about the Iranian attack and its implications: Why did Iran attack Israel? Iran and Israel have long engaged in clandestine warfare, attacking each others interests on land, sea, air and in cyberspace. Iran provides support for militant groups that have targeted Israel, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Palestinian territories and the Houthis in Yemen. Israel has launched a series of attacks including killing Irans top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, in 2021, and assassinating an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander, Col. Sayad Khodayee, in 2022. The conflict escalated on April 1, when warplanes struck a building in Damascus that is part of the Iranian Embassy complex, according to Iranian and Syrian officials. At least three senior commanders and four officers overseeing Irans covert operations in the Middle East were killed. Israel did not publicly claim responsibility for the strikes, but Iran vowed to retaliate. Late Saturday, Iran began firing hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, including weapons that experts say are more sophisticated than anything Israel had encountered until now in six months of fighting with Hamas and its allies in the region. Previously, Israel had faced aerial attacks from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, whose rocket arsenal includes short-range (12 to 25 miles) and somewhat inaccurate 122-milimeter rockets of the Grad family, as well as Syrian-made M-302 rockets with a range of about 100 miles. Hamas also has Fajr-5 rockets from Iran and a similar, locally made version of the Fajr-5, both with a range of about 50 miles. The weapons Iran used on Saturday can travel much farther, and some of them can travel much faster. Still, Israel said that nearly all of the missiles and drones that Iran fired were intercepted, many with help from U.S. forces. In the attack, 185 drones, 36 cruise missiles and 110 surface-to-surface missiles were fired toward Israel, according to Israeli military officials. Most of the launches were from Iran, though a small portion came from Iraq and Yemen, the officials said. Fabian Hinz, an expert on Irans military at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Berlin, said in a post on X that Iran was probably using a cruise missile developed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the Paveh 351. It has a range of more than 1,200 miles plenty to reach Israel from Iran. According to his post, different versions of that missile have also been provided to the Houthis in Yemen and to the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces. And Jeffrey Lewis, a member of the International Security Advisory Board at the U.S. State Department, said in a post on X that Iran was using land-attack cruise missiles that could carry around a ton of explosives. He also noted that much of Irans ballistic missile arsenal has a long enough range to reach Israel. And though Irans drones carry much smaller explosive payloads than missiles, they have the advantage of being able to hover and shift targets. In recent decades, Iran has largely been focused on deterrence, long-range missiles, drones and air defenses. It has one of the largest ballistic missile and drone arsenals across the Middle East, according to weapons experts, and is also becoming a major arms exporter globally. Last year, after the attack by Hamas in October, Israel asked the United States for more precision-guided munitions for its combat aircraft and more interceptors for its Iron Dome missile defense system. Israels weapons arsenal includes Vietnam-era missiles, some of which have a failure rate as high as 15 percent. Irans unprecedented strikes on Israel this weekend have shaken Israels assumptions about its foe, undermining its long-held calculation that Iran would be best deterred by greater Israeli aggression. For years, Israeli officials have argued, both in public and in private, that the harder Iran is hit, the warier it will be about fighting back. Irans barrage of more than 300 drones and missiles on Saturday the first direct attack by Iran on Israel has overturned that logic. The attack was a response to Israels strike earlier this month in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officials there. Analysts said it showed that leaders in Tehran are no longer content with battling Israel through their various proxies, like Hezbollah in Lebanon or the Houthis in Yemen, but instead are prepared to take on Israel directly. I think we miscalculated, said Sima Shine, a former head of research for the Mossad, Israels foreign intelligence agency. Against the backdrop of Iran's massive air attack on Israel, Poland has called on the U.S. Congress to pass a bill providing support for Ukraine. Israel's brilliant results in repelling Iranian drones and missiles with the help of its allies are an incentive to strengthen the country's anti-missile capabilities. ADVERTISIMENT Likewise, the Iranian attack should encourage U.S. congressmen to help Ukraine obtain similar protection from Russia's brutal drone and missile attacks. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski is convinced of this, and he made an appeal to House Speaker Mike Johnson on the X network. The head of Polish diplomacy is convinced that Iran's night attack and 99% of the air targets that were shot down by Israeli and allied air defenses are the best argument in favor of the importance of strengthening air defense over Ukraine. "Bravo, Israel, for repelling a major Iranian air attack from multiple directions. Israel's anti-missile capabilities should be strengthened and Ukraine should be equipped with similar systems. Speaker Johnson, please let the U.S. House of Representatives vote for a bill to support Ukraine and Israel," Sikorsky wrote. ADVERTISIMENT Following Iran's attack on Israel, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky also called for decisive action to our partners. He noted that the world has all the means necessary to fight Russian terror - and Western countries can stop enemy missiles and drones, thus saving the lives of Ukrainians who are killed by Russia every day. Zelensky added that the world needs solutions that can bring back true and reliable security. With certain means, Ukraine will be able to stop Russian terror, protect its life, the lives of all of Europe and other regions of the world. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT The response by Israel and other nations to Irans aerial attack kept the majority of its drones and missiles from landing in Israel, ensuring they caused only light damage and a handful of injuries, Israeli officials said. An unexpected and for some, unwelcome actor played a role in Israels defense: Jordan, the Arab kingdom next door. Jordan fought four wars with Israel between 1948 and 1973 before signing a peace treaty in 1994. Its population is heavily made up of Palestinians, and their descendants, who were barred from returning to their homes by Israel after the 1948 war that followed the establishment of the Jewish state. Jordans involvement was welcomed by older Israelis who remembered when Jordan would shell Israel. But Palestinians and their supporters denounced Jordans role, accusing the kingdom of siding with Israel at a time when its military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to health officials there. Amir Tibon, a journalist for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, celebrated the role played by Israels allies, including Jordan. He called it an important lesson for us Israelis. Science, technology and alliances with the world: These are the things that hold Israel together, he wrote. On Sunday, Jordans government issued a statement describing its military action as an act of self-defense, not done for the benefit of Israel. It said the drones and missiles that entered our airspace last night were dealt with and confronted preventively without endangering the safety of our citizens and residential and populated areas. It military will continue to defend Jordan against any future incursions by any party in defense of the nation, its citizens, and its airspace and territory, the Jordanian government added. That official explanation did not mollify critics of Jordans involvement on Sunday. Large pro-Palestinian demonstrations have taken place in Jordan since the war began in October, and the authorities have often responded harshly. This year, Amnesty International criticized the kingdom for arresting more than 1,000 protesters and others. Social media users shared a meme of Jordans ruler, King Abdullah II, wearing an Israeli military uniform. In a post on X, Dima Khatib, the managing director of AJ+, a digital news organization owned by the pan-Arab network Al Jazeera, called Jordans actions shocking. Friendly countries are responding, not to the attack of Israeli planes, drones and missiles on Palestine, but to an attack on Israel, she wrote. There are Arab citizens who pull the trigger to protect Israel and watch when the Palestinians are bombed. Manchester United legend Eric Cantona stunned punters in a Dublin pub with strong Offaly connections by popping in to mingle with them on Tuesday night. He made the impromptu appearance at The Celt Bar on Talbot Street, owned by Coolderry man Noel Tynan, ahead of his show in Dublin. The former French and Manchester Utd striker is in Dublin as part of his 'Cantona Sings Eric' tour and performs at Liberty Hall in the city on Wednesday evening. Noel Tynan is a former recipient of the Offaly person of the Year award, and is a proud supporter of Offaly and his native Coolderry club. The pub is popular haunt of Offaly supporters ahead of games in Croke Park. 'Eric Cantona legend from Manchester United in The Celt!' the pub proudly shared on social media. The mercurial French player recently said of his new musical career: "Music has always been a part of my life. Ive always had music playing. Why start today, so many years later? Simply because I had lacked the time before". As a player, Cantona was never far from headlines, particularly when he Kung Fu kicked a fan in 1995 after being sent off against Crystal Palace, which resulted in a lengthy ban. He famously had a cryptic quote about seagulls following trawlers for sardines at a subsequent press conference. Fans with Eric Cantona in The Celt The highly decorated player won four Premier League titles and two FA Cups with Manchester United, including a memorable volleyed winner in the 1996 FA Cup final against Liverpool. He was affectionately referred to as 'King Eric' by Manchester United fans. He signed from their bitter rivals Leeds, whom he had won a Division 1 league title with, prior to the rebranding of the league into a new format. The Russian occupation army is conducting operations at least in three areas that do not have a common strategic goal. This gives the enemy the opportunity to achieve tactical success in one of the sectors of their choice. ADVERTISIMENT This is according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). At the same time, the defense forces will have to make even more efforts to defend against these Russian attacks if the United States delays providing military assistance. Experts believe that Russia's efforts in the Chasiv Yar area and in the Lyman and Pokrovsk directions are aimed at achieving important operational goals. However, these operations are not as coordinated as it might seem. Analysts argue that the occupiers alternate their emphasis between different directions rather than focusing on all three simultaneously. Currently, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are facing a shortage of artillery shells and air defense equipment, which the occupiers are also aware of. However, the occupiers themselves lack the capabilities to conduct more than one effective large-scale operation at a time, as they used to. ADVERTISIMENT According to analysts, Russian troops are resorting to several offensive actions to limit Ukraine's defense capabilities in the face of a shortage of weapons. The enemy is forcing Ukrainian forces to redistribute their defense resources on the battlefield, creating vulnerabilities that can be exploited. The occupiers have become more active near Chasiv Yar Russian troops have intensified their efforts to capture Chasiv Yar and seem to be using their most capable units in this direction. However, the occupiers' tactical successes east of Chasiv Yar did not lead to the encirclement of the settlement. ISW experts believe that the units of Russian troops currently concentrated northeast and southeast of Chasiv Yar are less combat-ready and will have difficulty achieving successes similar to those achieved east of Chasiv Yar in the confrontation with Ukrainian defenders. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, Russia's tactical achievements east of Chasiv Yar did not lead to the encirclement of the settlement. The Institute for the Study of War believes that Russian troops will likely need to make significant tactical gains southeast and northwest of Chasiv Yar before they can continue to encircle the settlement. This may require additional and more capable units. Imagery available to ISW indicates that Ukrainian forces have established significant ring-shaped defenses in the Chasiv Yar area, and it is likely that Russian forces will have difficulty breaking through these defenses quickly at their current rate of advance in the area while Ukrainian forces have sufficient ammunition to resist. Russian troops may have to break through the town itself or perform a narrow tactical maneuver that would force them to face Chasiv Yar fortifications, armed Ukrainian positions, and the obstacles of the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas Canal. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, it was reported that on Saturday, April 13, strong explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Luhansk. It turned out that during this attack, Ukrainian defenders successfully hit the control center of the enemy's military grouping. Earlier, it was reported that Ukrainian UAVs reached Mordovia (Russia) for the first time, attacking a military unit in Kovylkino, which is equipped with the 29B6 Container horizon radar station. The target detection range of this radar is about 3000 km and the altitude is over 100 km. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Russia's top military leadership has set a task for its troops to capture Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region by May 9. In order to respond to the enemy's actions and strengthen the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in this area, the Ukrainian command has taken measures to significantly reinforce the brigades with ammunition, drones and electronic warfare equipment. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi. According to him, the occupants are also concentrating their efforts to break through the Ukrainian defense to the west of Bakhmut, gain access to the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas Canal and create conditions for further advancement to the Kramatorsk agglomeration. "The enemy's plans are being hampered by the heroic defense of our brigades, who have literally dug themselves into the ground, holding off daily attacks. Using their numerical superiority and various motivational factors, including executions, some enemy infantry groups reached the Novyi neighborhood but were destroyed by FPV-drone strikes and artillery fire," the chief noted. ADVERTISIMENT He clarified that he had been working in an important and dangerous area of the frontline for two days. The Defense Forces are currently working to improve the quality of training, including the moral and psychological component of the troops. The command is focused on increasing the number of high-tech unmanned systems for various purposes with trained operators, improving the quality of asymmetric actions to reduce the combat potential of the Russian army. Syrskyi added that the Armed Forces continue to carry out organizational measures with a focus on improving management efficiency, eliminating duplication, and directing the released resources to support combat units. ADVERTISIMENT "The main task of these measures is to increase the combat capability of our troops, save the lives of our soldiers, disrupt the enemy's plans, and ensure the training of reserves. The fight is ongoing! Glory to Ukraine!" the Colonel-General emphasized. As reported, former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko expressed his belief that Russia's immediate plan is to attack Chasiv Yar and Pokrovsk. Then, according to him, the enemy may try to attack in the direction of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region. Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT You get an email ! You get an email ! No, it's not Oprah. It's the Biden-Harris administration! Many Americans will receive emails from the Biden-Harris administration informing them of a change in the status of their student loans. And that change: Their student loans are history! Just in the month of March 2024, six billion dollars' worth of student debt was wiped off the books for some 7700 borrowers, according to CBS Moneywatch. "For too long our nation's teachers, nurses, social workers, fire fighters, and other public servants," the US Secretary of Education, Miquel Cardova, declares, "faced logistical trouble and trapdoors when they tried to access the debt relief they were entitled to under the law." After the conservative Supreme Court blocked President Biden's attempt to forgive student loans across the board, the administration got to work devising another plan. Plan B, to be exact. According to Vox, Plan B will eliminate student loan debt for those who "now owe more money on their loans than they originally borrowed". In addition, those who "took out loans to enroll in 'low value' academic programs" will receive help. Those who "have owned on loans for at least 20 years", and those who "would qualify for preexisting loan forgiveness programs but aren't enrolled in one right now" will receive emails from the government. Finally, those who are "experiencing financial hardships" will receive relief. Plan B will allow some 4 million Americans to have "their entire debt canceled". Another "ten million Americans will see at least $5000 of relief". Others will have "their interest accrued". But, of course, this kind of compassion doesn't sit well with fascists who see no reason for lazy people to receive help from the government. The government for fascists is there to send money up to the corporate warmongers. Better to enhance a weapons defense program with more drones and jet fighters than to assist Americans struggling with student debt. So the fascists are screaming bloody murder, shaking their fists, apologizing to their friends in the corporate world and assuring them that the US will get back on track, back to a cruelty-wins-all society! I graduated with a BA in English in 1977, a semester later than anticipated. I had a heart catheter after my first semester to determine what beta blocker would allow me to pursue a degree without running out of energy between classes. I had to learn to stay silent about this heart condition. Or else. Preexisting condition would keep me out the job market. Or, at least, away from writing in a newsroom or teaching in a classroom. I also graduated with a loan. In my first years, I had a scholarship; however, in my last year, I had nothing. Young siblings were back at home, attending Catholic schools. My mother was working "under the table" to pay on their tuition. I was the first to attend college, and I was determined not to become a college drop out. My first job was with the Chicago Sun-Times, where I worked as a copy clerk. However, I didn't last long. I suffered a tachycardia episode right in the newsroom. I called home, and my mother came and took me to the hospital where I stayed for a day or two. Blue Cross/Blue Shield, more than a little suspicious, removed me as an insurance holder, and warned that I was never again to apply for insurance with them. A young 22-year-old hospitalized and seeing a cardiologist--something was amiss. I wasn't at the newspaper long enough to establish any payment plan. Besides, the pay wasn't enough to rent a small one-bedroom. I headed for California. Every silly telemarketing job and every file clerk position I applied for and received minimum wages. I ate candy bars. Sometimes I took two beta blockers per day when I should have taken three. Sometimes, one a day. Sometimes no beta blockers until pay day--a week or two later. It was hard to set an appointment to see the cardiologist when I couldn't afford one. But Walgreens insisted, and I made arrangements to pay on my cardiologist's bill rather than the loan that was now no longer with the bank. The interests was mounting and collection agents began calling campaign. If I did land a part-time position at the City College of Chicago (CCC), teaching Adult Continuing Education, the income wasn't enough to pay rent and eat. Yet, the collection agents called and called. They would always find my address and send those "Perhaps you forgot" letters. I remember one collector informing me that I wouldn't have a place to live if I didn't come up with a payment plan. We are the federal government! I continued to work at the City Colleges as a part time instructor while I paid for one course per semester at the University of Illinois Chicago, in pursuit of a MA. A two-year program was finally completed in five years while I worked as a Director of Student Activities at Harold Washington College, lost my mother to cancer, and underwent a myomectomy, earlier in the year I graduated with my MA in English. By 1990, I was advised to file for a bankruptcy if I wanted to pursue a doctorate program. By the following year, the bankruptcy came through, and I was able to accept a fellowship at Loyola University Chicago. I had some breathing room for the first four years while completing the classroom segment of the doctorate. Tuition was paid, and I received a stipend of $733 a month. Most of that money went to paying rent. However, after I completed my comps, I secured a $8,000 loan to work on the dissertation. At this juncture, I didn't want to be ABD, that is, All-But-Dissertation! I also worked as an instructor for the City Colleges and Loyola University Chicago, when allowed to do so by the dean. Otherwise, fellows weren't allowed to teach or procure another source of income without notifying the graduate dean. And the racism never stopped. As long as I was teaching English Composition, by the book, that is, using a prescribed textbook that still recognized "American Literature" as that written by the likes of William Byrd, Fenimore Cooper, and Hawthorne, then I was barely visible. When I added Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, James Baldwin, and Toni Morrison to the American narrative, I suddenly became a person of interest, as they say. Someone to be watched. And the phone, when I had one, would ring: Collection agents, abrupt, impatient, and threatening, reminded me that I had next to no power against them and what they wanted from me! They called me a "troublemaker" at the University of Wisconsin Parkside where I accepted a 2-year Visiting Professorship, even when I had fears about entering the state of Wisconsin. I kept thinking well, it's not far from Illinois. Not far... Almost immediately, the bursar's office called my office: Hey, there's a loan you owe. Garnishment or a payment plan. You choose! This "you choose" business had gone, off and on, for years before. Right up to the myomectomy and beyond and right up to the heart surgery at Iowa's Heart Center. I used up my 401K and whatever pension I had accumulated from the City Colleges, Chicago State University, Northeastern University Chicago, Roosevelt University Chicago, Loyola. I needed money for expenses, to move, to pay rent. I needed money to participate in activist activities. The very activities that predominantly white institutions considered "troublesome". By 2013, I decided to apply for disabilities since the University of Wisconsin Madison, and before them, campuses in Philadelphia, made sure I didn't have any classes to teach. I started to experience a few symptoms of something that didn't seem related to the heart condition. I had headaches, dizziness, blurry vision. My right foot was stiff. I underwent three CT scans and an MRI before the University of Wisconsin Madison medical system informed me that I needed to see a psychologist. It was now December 2013. See a psychologist! You're delusional. Earlier that year, 2013, I was advised to speak with a social security ombudsman. I think over a $100 dollars was taken out of my social security benefits check each month. I was barely paying rent and eating, and yet, I was teaching. I didn't see any way of escaping this trapdoor. I really didn't expect much from the ombudsman. The collection agency for my loan, however, was threatening to take away everything and to do everything. You won't have anything ! Watch and see ! I think it was over in one day. An ombudsman called me and asked if I had time: He read the information I supplied him and he needed to call the collection agency. He dialed and I listened on the other end to the collection agent, speaking with the upmost respect, to this young ombudsman. Was that fear I detected in this agent who had no problem calling and threatening me. The ombudsman reminded the agent that I was a senior. Did he read that? Did he know he was removing money from my social security? Did he know that I had paid the original loan and had been paying interest, forever? What part of this narrative didn't he understand? It was a small check. My first job was in 1969, when I applied for my social security card. I was a teenager, but given that those years working on my undergrad with income that barely made a dent with social security, and latter, when I couldn't work, for the most part, during those six or seven years while working on the doctorate, I was between a rock and a hard place. Trapdoors everywhere! The end of 2013, I was relieved to have a little more of more social security check, but I stayed clear away from the University of Wisconsin Madison clinics. I need to see a psychologist! I can only imagine what would have happened to me, a black woman alone--besides being discredited for life. On June 3, 2014, I suffered a seizure less than 10 minutes after returning home from running errands that morning. It was midday, but so very dark for me. I felt sick to my stomach. When I bent over, I nearly fell. My head was throbbing, and somehow I did end up on the floor of my living room. I could barely see to call 911. A tumor. A meningioma tumor. Benign, but, on the right side, just above my ear, it had been pushing my brain toward the left. The doctors thought I might lose eyesight in my left eye. Instead, I lost a little peripheral vision. Ten years in the making. And the cancer? The multiple myeloma? It was there too! In the blood work! But I'm not told this until I moved back to Kenosha to recover from the surgery to remove the tumor. I became a pariah for my subject matter: the violence of white supremacy in American literature, between 1900-1945. Alone, I had confronted racists white chairs and deans, mainly white men with slaveholder grins on their faces. White women too rarely gave me a break. If I was a matter of their positions and protesting the way I was treated as usually the only black in English then they looked to their little white children back at home. Their children were in need of financial security. No trapdoors for them! It's like those who sat on their balconies, eating in luxury, while others walked through the ruins of what once was their homes. Others inhaled the smoke from a newly established concentration camp. Others, too, attended "picnics" that featured the torture and burning of a black American during Jim Crow. It's like Haiti. Or Gaza now. We are still waiting to end shipment of weapons to Israel! Fascists are the hardhearted. They will not give up! Those who will or have received those emails can come out from the shadows now. They can hold their head up high and not feel ashamed. Not remain silent. But they must remain vigilant. We all must be vigilant. Education should be free. Should be a right for all Americans. But we can't continue to allow the 1% to wage war on humanity and think we are free. Ukraine plans to destroy the Kerch Bridge in the temporarily occupied Crimea by mid-July. A hellish bombardment of the structure with Storm Shadow missiles, naval drones and F-16s can finally destroy the only land bridge from Russia to Crimea. ADVERTISIMENT This is reported by The Sun. Ukrainian officials have set themselves a target of approximately 100 days to implement their plan and destroy the bridge, which is the number one target for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Brian Clarke, an expert on naval operations and electronic warfare, predicts that Storm Shadow missiles will be used to strike the bridge structure, while attack drones will explode near its base. A successful attack would require at least 20-40 missiles, and after the upper parts of the bridge are damaged by the missiles, the base would be attacked. "For Ukraine, the bridge is the number one target - a grotesque demonstration of 10 years of Russian occupation. Its destruction would be an important step towards victory in the Black Sea war, cutting off the main route of Russian military supplies and strangling Putin's war machine," the newspaper writes. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier it was reported that the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the illegally built Crimean bridge by Russia. The third attempt, which is expected to lead to the final destruction of the structure, will be made during the first half of 2024. As a reminder, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that the destruction of the Kerch Bridge could happen this year. In his opinion, Ukraine not only has all the legal and moral rights to destroy the so-called Crimean bridge, but will definitely use these rights. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT Jamie Gardner was on her fourth round of bingo at an American Legion post in Vancouver when a commotion erupted behind her around 11:30 a.m. Saturday. She turned to see a man coming out of a restroom, a police dog loping in his direction, and Clark County Sheriffs deputies shouting. Then the shots rang out, and I put two and two together and just dropped to the floor, said Gardner, 61. She hid under the table, tipping chairs over to form a barricade. What happened in those chaotic moments remain unclear Sunday. The Clark County Sheriffs Office, in a series of press releases Saturday, said that deputies had followed a man they suspected in a carjacking and an attempted carjacking into the American Legion post in the Salmon Creek area before noon. The Sheriffs Office said an officer-involved shooting took place, and the carjacking suspect died. The office refused to confirm on Saturday whether the deputies had shot the suspect. They have not responded to requests for comment on Sunday. A spokesperson for the Vancouver Police Department, which is leading the investigation into the shooting, said the investigation is ongoing and the department expects to release more information this week. Gardner estimates about 30 people had gathered at Saturdays bingo session, which is open to the public. The games draw an older crowd, she said, including people who use wheelchairs and walkers. I could hear some old people saying I cant get under the table! she said on Sunday. It was awful. Four deputies are on leave after the shooting. Deputies also arrested a woman on Saturday who they believe was an accomplice in the carjacking and carjacking attempt. Officers have not released the names of either suspect. Around 10:38 a.m. on Saturday, deputies responded to a reported carjacking in the Hazel Dell neighborhood, when a victim said his van had been stolen by a woman and a man with a handgun. Fifteen minutes later, deputies were called to a different Vancouver location, where witnesses said a man and a woman matching the suspects descriptions had attempted to steal another vehicle with a person inside. Deputies found the stolen van behind the American Legion at 14011 N.E. 20th Ave., they said on Saturday, and saw the male suspect enter the building. Gardner said Saturdays commotion happened too fast for her to see whether the man had a weapon. But later on Saturday, a member of the kitchen staff told her that the man had pointed a gun at workers as he entered the building through the kitchen, and said something to the effect of get inside, I dont want to hurt anybody. After the shooting, the bingo players were asked to leave their personal belongings including phones, wallets and keys inside. Some people were stranded without their personal items, Gardner said. She caught a bus on Sunday morning to go retrieve her car. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Tanner Todd contributed to this report. Sami Edge covers higher education and politics for The Oregonian. You can reach her at sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430. Thanks to an unusual confluence of events, the three statewide offices on the ballot this year are wide open races, with none of the incumbents looking to repeat. After three terms serving as Oregons top lawyer, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has opted not to run for a fourth. Twice-elected treasurer Tobias Read is term-limited out of that office and is running instead for secretary of state. And former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan isnt running for anything after blowing up her political career last year with an ethically-questionable moonlighting gig. Her appointed replacement, Lavonne Griffin-Valade, is not seeking to stay on. Yet, as open as the races are, clear frontrunners have emerged in most of the contested primaries. Below, youll find links to our endorsements for the candidates we believe have the experience, vision and record to best serve voters and should advance to the November general election. These decisions were made by the four-member editorial board and are separate from any news coverage of the races. In addition to previous reporting, our decisions were informed by candidates responses to our questionnaires and/or interviews we conducted over the past month. Viewers can watch our endorsement interviews by going to the editorial board playlist on the Oregonian/OregonLives YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/oregonian. For all our endorsements, click here. We are not issuing an endorsement in the Republican primary for treasurer, which is uncontested. We also are not offering a voting recommendation for the Republican primary for secretary of state, in which we did not see a suitable candidate to recommend. Over the next two weeks, we will release our endorsements in other races, including congressional and Multnomah County contests, as well as four local ballot measures. Statewide races: Attorney General, Democratic primary: Dan Rayfield Attorney General, Republican primary: Will Lathrop Treasurer, Democratic primary: Jeff Gudman Secretary of State, Democratic primary: Tobias Read Sign up for our free Oregon Opinion newsletter. Email: Attorney General Democrats: Dan Rayfield In his nine years in the state Legislature representing Corvallis, Rayfield, 45, has built a reputation among legislators of both parties for his willingness to deal fairly and openly, even as he pushed his partys agenda. His no-surprises philosophy helped keep the Oregon House working last year, even as relations in the Senate broke down with Republicans six-week boycott. And theres perhaps no better example of his ability to broker compromise than his role helping craft and pass House Bill 4002 during the short legislative session earlier this year. The bill walked a tightrope of recriminalizing drug possession while emphasizing opportunities for addiction treatment as an alternative to jail and criminal penalties and passed with broad bipartisan support. But Rayfields detailed plans for what he would do as attorney general cement the case for why Democrats should choose him. In our interview, he not only named specific priorities, but how he would clear the structural, financial and managerial barriers standing in the way. For example, he envisions working more closely with the Bureau of Labor and Industries to maximize resources to better pursue wage violations and safeguard civil rights protections. He pointed to the fees charged by the Department of Justice to other state agencies for legal advice, questioning whether restructuring those could encourage agencies to seek help earlier and avoid costly litigation later. He emphasized the need to partner with local law enforcement, with the justice department potentially providing investigative resources that smaller communities cant afford or by sharing modern policing strategies that more effectively support safety. His opponent in the Democratic primary, Portland attorney and Race Talks executive director Shaina Maxey Pomerantz, brings a mix of political, community and professional experience that make her a compelling voice. She recently won a $425,000 settlement from the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries over race discrimination claims, giving her first-hand experience in how state agency failures can lead to costly outcomes. If elected, she would focus on safeguarding equal rights and justice for all Oregonians regardless of race or income, push for community collaboration with law enforcement in boosting public safety, and ensuring that the attorney general balances its enforcer role with its responsibility to advise agencies and advocate for the rights of all Oregonians. But Pomerantz, 48, doesnt bring the same level of analysis that Rayfield does in examining both the barriers to progress and opportunities for change that exist at the attorney generals office. Voters best choice in this race is Rayfield. Republicans: Will Lathrop Lathrop, an attorney who spent the last several years with an anti-human trafficking nonprofit in Africa, offers Republicans their most credible attorney general candidate in more than a decade. A former Yamhill and Marion County prosecutor who grew up in eastern Oregon, Lathrop is focusing his message on restoring public safety in Oregon and drawing on his extensive experience to show he can lead that effort. Lathrop, 46, returned to Oregon after several years with the faith-based International Justice Mission specifically to run for attorney general, he said. His regular visits to see family in Oregon left him increasingly frustrated with the direction of the state and the toll that drug trafficking and addiction has taken. Lathrop would seek to refocus the role of the attorney general as the states top cop and aims to bring protection and safety back to Oregon. Among his objectives would be to connect state law enforcement with national and international strategies in curtailing fentanyl supplies into the state. He points to his experience prosecuting child sex abusers in Oregon and his work in Africa with International Justice Mission supporting local efforts to fight human trafficking in preparing him to lead that effort in Oregon. Similarly, he wants to ensure protection of victims rights, which he says have been increasingly ignored or unsupported under Democrats control. And while crime and related issues are central to his campaign, he notes that the attorney generals office should be stepping up its efforts on consumer protection, particularly the unglamorous cases that may not get much media attention but matter to those Oregonians who are defrauded. His opponent, Michael Cross of Salem, does not have a law degree and his goals for the position are vague. Cross, 57, has gained recognition among Republicans for launching a failed effort to mount a recall election for former Gov. Kate Brown and was the sole Republican running for attorney general in the 2020 election, but his conspiratorial claims and lack of relevant experience make him a poor choice for this position. Republicans should go with the candidate with the legal, prosecutorial and executive background and vote for Lathrop as their nominee. -The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board To read additional endorsements, click here. Sign up for our free Oregon Opinion newsletter. Email: On Saturday, April 13, strong explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Luhansk. It turned out that during this attack, Ukrainian defenders successfully hit the "Center" control facility of the enemy's military group. ADVERTISIMENT It was an important object for the enemy, the StratCom of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Telegram channel reported. The next morning, it was confirmed that the work was carried out by Air Force pilots. "The Ukrainian Defense Forces have successfully hit the "Center" control facility of the enemy's group of troops in the temporarily occupied Luhansk," the message reads. On the morning of April 14, after a pause, the Commander of the Air Force of Ukraine Mykola Oleshchuk thanked the pilots of the Ukrainian Air Force for a successful and, most importantly, effective strike on an enemy object in the Luhansk region. "The Ukrainian pilots did a great job and safely returned to the base. There will be more such strikes on the enemy's rear when Ukraine receives MORE missiles from our Western partners. Together to victory!" the lieutenant general noted. ADVERTISIMENT It is worth noting that the explosions were hear in the area of the machine-building plant in particular, after which a column of smoke was visible over the city. Subsequently, there were reports of a strike on the occupiers' repair base and a possible hit on the invaders' location. Meanwhile, Russian propagandists announced a "missile strike by the Armed Forces of Ukraine" on a bus station and a company, saying that Luhansk was "hit" with German Taurus missiles, which Berlin stubbornly refuses to hand over to Ukraine, too quickly. The network also showed a missile that hit facilities in the occupied city. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, it was reported that Ukrainian UAVs reached Mordovia (Russia) for the first time, attacking a military unit in Kovylkino, which is armed with the 29B6 "Container" horizon radar station. This radar has a target detection range of about 3000 km and an altitude of over 100 km. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The recent Sydney shopping center tragedy has left communities in shock as a stabbing rampage killed six people, including a mother and baby as victims. During a news conference, New South Wales Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke revealed details of the shocking incident at Westfield Bondi Junction mall. According to Cooke, the assailant entered the mall around 3:20 p.m. local time and proceeded to harm approximately nine individuals by stabbing them with a weapon he carried, likely a knife. Bondi Junction Stabbing Authorities identified a 40-year-old man as the suspect behind the Saturday afternoon attack at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction. Despite withholding the name pending formal identification, police clarified that they did not view the incident as terrorism-related. The confrontation culminated in the suspect's fatal shooting by a police inspector after he brandished a knife. Describing the swift sequence of events, Cooke emphasized the rapid response of an officer who, acting alone, located the offender, guided by witnesses within the mall. This decisive action, as Cooke highlighted, played a crucial role in saving multiple lives amidst the chaos. Eyewitnesses recounted the scene's intensity, with one individual describing the attacker's calm demeanor as reminiscent of a leisurely stroll in a park before the escalator ascent and the subsequent gunshots, marking the tragic outcome for six victims, including five women, a man, and the suspect. Immediate medical aid, including CPR from the officer, was rendered until paramedics arrived to assist. Mother and 9-Month-Old Baby Stabbed According to a representative from New South Wales Ambulance, a 9-month-old infant was taken to Sydney Children's Hospital due to a pediatric stab wound. During the harrowing incident at a Sydney shopping mall on Saturday, a brave mother, later identified as 38-year-old Ash Good, valiantly shielded her 9-month-old baby from an assailant wielding a knife. In her courageous effort to protect her child, she handed the wounded infant to a stranger amidst the chaos of the attack. Tragically, Ash Good succumbed to her injuries, becoming the sixth victim of the assault, as confirmed by authorities. The infant, named Harriet, received immediate medical attention and underwent emergency surgery at a nearby hospital for her wounds. One eyewitness recounted the frantic scene, sharing how the mother, who injured herself, entrusted her baby to them for safety. Harriet, who sustained injuries to her stomach from the attack, remained in critical condition as of late Saturday. Global Mourning and Shock The New South Wales Police Commissioner also disclosed that a police inspector, guided by bystanders, located the offender and subsequently shot him as he turned towards her. Cooke praised the officer's swift response, stating that her actions undoubtedly saved numerous lives amidst the chaos. The motives of the offender remain unclear, with authorities emphasizing that he acted alone and that there is no ongoing threat to public safety. NSW Ambulance Assistant Commissioner Brent Armitage reported that two other individuals were transported to hospitals in Sydney, although their current conditions are unknown. Surveillance footage captured the assailant running through the mall brandishing a long knife, prompting scenes of panic as shoppers either fled or attempted to intervene. Some stores reportedly closed their shutters, safeguarding the occupants inside. Furthermore, King Charles III and Queen Camilla expressed shock and horror at the tragedy in Bondi, conveying sympathies to the victims' families and gratitude to emergency responders. Prince William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, also expressed sorrow over the events, extending thoughts to those affected and praising the bravery of emergency responders. Westfield Bondi Junction commended its staff and law enforcement for their swift and courageous response to the incident. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack as a heinous act of violence that targeted innocent civilians. He extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and expressed solidarity with the injured. Albanese hailed the police officer who neutralized the attacker as a hero, acknowledging her decisive actions that undoubtedly saved lives. After her previous wife left, a German man's revenge plot included inflicting pain through a mercury injection on their infant child. In a recent verdict, a 30-year-old father received 13 years imprisonment as a sentence for the grievous act of injecting mercury into his 1-year-old daughter's foot, an act deemed attempted murder by the court. Alongside him, his girlfriend, aged 34, was also sentenced to 12 years in prison for her involvement in the crime. German Father Poisons Baby Daughter with Mercury Injection As per reports from a German news agency, the man hails from Springe, a small town near Hannover, and harbored feelings of vengeance towards the child's mother, who departed shortly after their daughter's birth. The legal documents indicate that both the father and his new partner were aware that the toxin wouldn't result in an immediate fatality but aimed to cause severe agony to the toddler. Following the injection, the child developed a serious foot infection and a widespread rash across her body. The presence of mercury was fortuitously discovered during a subsequent surgical procedure linked to the poisoning. Initially, both the father and his 34-year-old partner refuted the allegations in court but later confessed to jointly administering the mercury into the child's foot and ankle in July of the previous year. The source of the liquid mercury remains undisclosed. The defendants possess the right to contest the verdict, and the identities of those involved, in adherence to German privacy protocols, have not been divulged. As reported by The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the father and his co-defendant initially denied charges of attempted murder but were ultimately convicted on April 10 by a Hannover court. Their admission to injecting mercury into the child's foot and ankle came later during legal proceedings. As cited by the Associated Press from dpa, the motive behind this act was the father's desire for retribution against his ex-partner following their separation after their child's birth. Harmful Side Effects of Lead Poisoning The attorney representing the child highlighted the potential long-term repercussions of mercury exposure, including paralysis, speech difficulties, and cognitive impairments. The lawyer criticized the father's apology as insincere, referring to it as "empty words" that fail to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. Expressing profound concern for the innocent lives affected, the attorney emphasized the severity of the incident, denouncing it as sheer contempt for a vulnerable individual. As a result of the mercury injection, the child suffered a severe rash and developed an infection, with medical professionals discovering the poison during subsequent surgeries. In a broader context, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlight the dangers of lead exposure, noting that lead, whether in paint, soil, air, water, food, cosmetics, medications, toys, or consumer goods, is imperceptible and lacks a distinct odor. Exposure to lead poses significant risks to children's health, including damage to the brain and nervous system, hindered growth and development, learning difficulties, behavioral issues, and potential hearing and speech impairments. When children experience severe lead poisoning, doctors may recommend a treatment called chelation to help remove the lead from their bloodstream. This process involves using medication designed to extract lead from the blood. The type and frequency of chelation treatment depend on two things: how much lead is in the child's body and how well they respond to the medication. This entry was newly posted today on the blog of the Interpreter Foundation: Hearing the Voice of the Lord in the Mind: Additional Testimonies (Part Seven of a Series Compiled by Dennis B. Horne): See the Introductory blog (#1) for explanation about this series on hearing the voice of the Lord in the mind. The below are additional accounts shared by those who have experienced this spiritual gift and have thereby been able to bless and enlighten others. Most of these are self-explanatory, but if desired readers wishing further context can (in most cases) go to the original source: A new film about missionaries daring WWII escape is comingread 3 miracles behind the movie Actually, the movie isnt coming any more. Its arrived. And with some friends, my wife and I plan to see it on Monday evening. This seems to me a fairly balanced discussion: Mormonism is still growing, but slowly: Theres something for everyone to cheer or boo in the most recent data on the LDS church. Were not imploding, contrary to the fevered fantasies of some folks online, and were not fading away. On the other hand, were in no position to be self-satisfied and complacent. As I write, news is coming in of a knife attack in the Westfield Bondi Junction Shopping Centre, near Sydney and just inland from the famous Bondi Beach, that has left seven dead including the wielder of the knife. He was apparently shot by a policewoman whom he was threatening to stab. With members of our tour group, my wife and I were there walking along Bondi Beach just a few weeks ago. I dont think that we saw the mall, but we cant have been very far from it. That fact brings the news oddly home, just a bit. And one of those murdered in the shopping mall was the daughter of a very famous and very wealthy Australian entrepreneur which goes to show, among other things, that nobody is ever altogether safe from the evils and vicissitudes of the world in which we live. Also in the news, as I write: Scores of Iranian drones have been launched at Israel. They seem to have done little damage, but not from want of ambition. According to a spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces, the vast majority of them were apparently destroyed before they managed to land. The Iranian attack has been expected for days, although what precise form it would take was unknown. It comes in response to an apparent Israeli airstrike Israel hasnt claimed responsibility for it on the Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus, Syria. The apparent Israeli attack killed at least seven officials (including Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a top commander in Irans elite Revolutionary Guards [IRGC], and senior commander Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi) as well as at least six Syrian civilians. And attacks on diplomatic buildings violate not only international law but age-old international custom. Of course, Mr. Zahedi and Mr. Rahimi probably werent in Damascus merely on vacation. They were very likely planning mischief. And, in other heartwarming news, a fourteen-year-old Israeli boy who has been missing has now been found dead, and Israeli settlers have attacked the villages of Duma, Beitin, Deir Dibwan, and al-Mughayyir in retaliation. Meanwhile, the pleasantries in Gaza continue. Ive found myself humming the Merry Minuet off and on all day. My brother had a vinyl album of the Kingston Trio, live at San Franciscos Hungry I, and the Merry Minuet was one of the tracks on that album. It was love at first hearing. In fact, years later, when I was teaching at BYUs Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies and the academic year was drawing to its close, the students put on a talent show. My family and I performed the Merry Minuet as our contribution: Theyre rioting in Africa. Theyre starving in Spain. Theres hurricanes in Florida and Texas needs rain. The whole world is festering with unhappy souls. The French hate the Germans. The Germans hate the Poles. Italians hate Yugoslavs. South Africans hate the Dutch. And I dont like anybody very much! But we can be tranquil and thankful and proud For mans been endowed with a mushroom shaped cloud. And we know for certain that, some lovely day. Someone will set the spark off and we will all be blown away. Theyre rioting in Africa. Theres strife in Iran. What nature doesnt do to us will be done by our fellow man. Given such news, its impossible not to think of the spirit that seeks to reign with blood and horror on this earth. Its also very difficult not to be reminded of G. K. Chestertons famous quip, in his classic book Orthodoxy, that that the doctrine of original sin is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved. But I dont want to be a Pollyanna, or to pretend that the world is best seen through rose-colored glasses. There are actual evils in this life, too, as illustrated (for example) in this quartet of chilling reports that have been drawn from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File: In a properly run state, of course say, for example, in the late Enver Hoxhas Peoples Republic of Albania such evils would never be permitted. A witness in the ongoing legal tussle between Lighthouse Chapel International and investigative Journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni and three others has said the defendants have no evidence to support their defamatory publications against Lighthouse Chapel International and its founder. The witness, Marcel Aboagye in a cross examination session at the High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Joseph Adu Owusu Agyemang testified that, Manasseh Azure Awuni, the Media Foundation for West Africa, its Director, Sulemana Briamah and Edwin Appiah (Co editor) had failed to present any evidence to the court in support of several defamatory allegations made against the church and its founder in their published article tiled "Darkness in a Lighthouse" Marcel Aboagye told the court that the defendants falsely published in the articles that, Larry Odonkor, Edward Laryea, Seth Duncan and Faith Fiakojo who are former Pastors were exploited by the church to build worship centres and schools in Wa, Kade, Paga and Fumbisi with their resources after which the church took over those buildings. He referred to a mail from 2008 that announced the policy and indicated that, the mail said as part of the Policy, Lighthouse Chapel would continue to buy and build church buildings. He further stated that, defendants exhibits provided no evidence to substantiate the allegations that, the facilities depicted in the publications were built with the personal resources of those Pastors. According to him, Lighthouse Chapel built those structures with its own resources. He further noted that, contrary to claims that, the Wa buildings were put up by Larry Odonkor, one of its former Pastors with his own resources, those structures were constructed by the church long after Larry Odonkor had left the Wa mission. The witness in his testimony also denied the allegation that Lighthouse Chapel International owed several former Pastors over 42 years of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions. While pointing to a SSNIT investigative report dated August 20, 2021, the witness stated that , SSNIT cleared the church of those allegations. According to him, the allegations were false and the defendants presented no evidence that Lighthouse Chapel owed the former Pastors SSNIT contributions. The witness further stated that, it is also not true that, a former Pastor, Seth Duncan attempted suicide three times due to maltreatment by the church. He explained that, Lighthouse never maltreated the said Pastor. According to him if the suicide attempts indeed happened they were not connected to the church and there is no evidence presented by the defendants to connect the church to it. The witness added that the defendants in publishing the articles also maliciously omitted the date of the publication of a Handbook which forms the basis of the claims of the former pastors, since the defendants knew that the date of publication nullifies the claims being made by the former pastors. He also infomed the court that, the defendants formed an "unholy alliance" with the former Pastors and published those pieces out of malice. The case has been adjourned to May 13, 2024. Source: Philipa Atanga/Court Reporter/Despite Media 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 Special Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, has censured the Akufo-Addo-led government's newly launched Performance Tracker, dismissing it as a misplaced priority. Bawah Mogtari argued that the tracker failed to address the increasing corruption within the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration, which has negatively impacted public finances. She insisted that the tracker is a waste of limited state resources, as it does not provide transparency regarding the government's alleged extravagant spending. Posting on her X platform on Thursday, April 11, the former Deputy Transport Minister highlights that 80% of government projects and contracts are single-sourced, alleging that the government favours nepotism by handpicking individuals and companies for lucrative contracts. She emphasised that Ghanaians anticipated revelations about government performance from the tracker, specifically regarding nepotism and questionable contracts. She said, "To my utter surprise and disappointment, the misleading GoG Performance Tracker failed to track the performance of Akufo Addo/Bawumias performance on corruption." "What a waste of precious resources! Tell us how you and your boys and girls have perfected the art of corruption." She added, "We are told that 80% of government projects and contracts are single-sourced, and individuals and companies are handpicked by this nepotistic government and awarded juicy contracts." She further urged the government to prioritize policies aimed at improving the lives of struggling Ghanaians and to halt unnecessary expenditure of state funds. "That is what this NPP government should be tracking down and paying back to the now miserably empty public purse," she added. Her comment coincides with the government's launch of the Performance Tracker at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra on Wednesday, April 10. The platform's objective is to enhance transparency and accountability in the implementation of government infrastructure projects nationwide according to the government. 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 Member of Parliament for Buem in the Oti region, Hon Kofi Adams, has said that whether or not the government is performing well will be decided by the living conditions of Ghanaians, especially based on the weight they feel in their pockets. According to the lawmaker, the launching of the performance tracker has no direct or indirect bearing on the living conditions of Ghanaians as far as job creations and general economic wellbeing is concerned. Speaking further, he said that the Performance that the New Patriotic Party have been priding themselves with contains unpardonable errors and inaccurate information. According to him, the tracker stated that work at the St Augustine House, House 1 at the Bishop Herman College in Kpando, Volta Region, is 100 percent complete. However, he said a recent visit to the school showed that this information is false. Speaking on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 on Wednesday, April 10, he said To come to my own school, Bishop Herman College where I attended, they are reporting that St Augustines House, House 1 that works in that house is 100 percent complete but I was in the school just on Tuesday 26 March 2024, nothing has happened to it. For the government to spend our money to report that in Bishop Herman College, St Augustines House, House 1 has been completed 100 percent is another lie. The best way to measure our performance will be in our pockets. We will not spend money to go and follow a tracker or a performance tracker that is deceptive or will mention things that do not exist. The Performance Tracker was launched in Accra on Wednesday, April 10 by the government to enhance accountability and transparency. However, the tracker has seen some fall shorts with some projects it describes as completed being nowhere near completion. With over 13,000 projects across 261 districts, 28 ministries, and 16 regions, this Performance tracker platform monitors government performance nationwide. 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 Director of Legal Directorate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, has raised concerns over what he perceives as the Akufo Addo Bawumia administration's attempt to rename the Ameri Power Plant as Kumasi 1 Power Plant. This move, according to Mr Tameklo, is seen as a tactic to mislead the people of the Ashanti Region. According to him, the Ameri Power Plant, initially procured by former President John Dramani Mahama, was intended to address the country's enduring power challenges, boasting a capacity to generate 25 megawatts of electricity. Mr Tameklo asserted that the renaming of the power plant is a deliberate ploy to deceive Ghanaians, particularly those residing in the Ashanti Region, where the plant is located. He emphasised Mr Mahama's role in acquiring the power plant as part of efforts to alleviate the country's power crisis during his tenure. Taking to Facebook on Saturday, April 13, Mr Tameklo urged vigilance among Ghanaians, urging them not to fall for what he views as a misleading tactic by the current administration. BAWUMIA and Akufo Addo out of shame have decided to repackage and rename the AMERI plants as Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Plant. This is what they are planning to go and commission. This corrupt, incompetent ,useless and wasteful government are determined to hoodwink voters in Ashanti region with the renaming and repackaging. This administration has failed to do anything meaningful in power generation, he posted. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In response to the heartbreaking loss of actor John Paul Odonwodo, widely known as Junior Pope, and four crew members in a recent boat accident at the River Niger Cable Point in Asaba, the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has made significant decisions impacting the industry. The incident occurred on April 10, 2024, during the filming of "The Other Side of Life," produced by Adamma Luke. In light of this tragedy, the AGN, under the leadership of National President Emeka Rollas, has announced the following measures: 1. Suspension of Riverine Film Shoots: All films involving riverine areas and boat riding are suspended indefinitely. This decision aims to prioritize safety and prevent similar mishaps in the future. 2. Nationwide Shoot Suspension: There will be no filming activities at any location across the country on Thursday, April 11, 2024. This pause is a mark of respect and mourning for the lives lost. 3. Indefinite Suspension of "Another Side of Life" Film: The production of "Another Side of Life" is halted until further notice as part of the precautionary measures taken by the guild. 4. Restriction on Working with Adamma Luke: Actors are prohibited from working with Adamma Luke as a producer until further directives are issued. This step is part of the ongoing investigation and safety considerations. In his statement, Dr. Ejezie Emeka Rollas, the National President of AGN, expressed deep sorrow for the loss of lives and urged industry members to prioritize safety protocols during film productions. The guild continues its efforts to locate the bodies of the missing persons while honoring the memories of those who tragically lost their lives in the boat mishap. 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 By Diane Mastrull, The Philadelphia Inquirer PHILADELPHIA A 1-year-old boy was stabbed near Rittenhouse Square while being pushed with his twin in a stroller by his parents Saturday afternoon, less than five hours after a woman was stabbed about five blocks away in what police believe are attacks by the same person. Philadelphia police are seeking a 29-year-old woman who has a prior arrest for aggravated assault and is wanted in New York in connection with an aggravated assault, Cpt. Frank Banford from Central Detectives said during a news conference Saturday night. We need the publics help, he said.Wed like to speak to this individual and confirm that shes possibly involved. The first of what Banford described as two completely random attacks occurred at 7:57 a.m. on the 1300 block of Chancellor Street, just off Locust Street, when a 24-year-old woman walking east was stabbed in the chest and hand by a woman who then fled carrying a blue bag, Banford said. As police were on alert for that person, the 1-year-old boy was stabbed in both arms outside 300 South 18th Street, just off Spruce, around 12:45 p.m. as his parents pushed the stroller he was in with a twin, Banford said. It looked like the female just rushed up to them, nothing was said, Banford recalled from security video, saying the woman tried to stab both children, but managed to injure only one of them. The childrens father chased the attacker, who dropped a black bag. Inside that bag was the coat the attacker in the first incident appeared to be wearing in videos and information leading to her, Banford said. That child was taken to Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was listed in stable condition, police said. The woman in the first attack was reported in stable condition at Jefferson University Hospital. Banford described the weapon used in both attacks as a long knife. It looks like some kind of a kitchen knife. The second stabbing took place near Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel but did not involve anyone connected to the synagogue, its executive director, Lynne Balaban, wrote in an email to congregants Saturday. We have been assured that this incident was not in any way related to anti-Semitism, ... Balaban wrote, saying the synagogue had been working closely with the Philadelphia Police Department, the FBI and other security agencies. Synagogue staff and its security team ensured the safety and well-being of congregants and children attending religious school and also provided medical aid to the family while they waited for an ambulance to arrive, Balaban said. 2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The Russian terrorist army periodically changes the direction of the main attack at the front. The enemy regularly switches its focus to offensive operations in the Lyman, Bakhmut, and Pokrovsk sectors. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, at the beginning of 2024, the invaders concentrated their main forces on the Avdiivka and Kupiansk directions. This is stated in the analysis of the Institute for the Study of War. The ISW noted that the Russians lack the ability to conduct more than one effective large-scale operational operation at a time, as they have done throughout the war. Now, the occupiers can use several offensive efforts to distract Ukraine's defense capabilities in the face of a lack of artillery and air defense. Analysts also emphasized that the current type of Russian offensive operations allows units involved in less intense operations to rest and recover, while other units are actively engaged in combat. After some time, Russian troops may intensify their efforts on another operational direction, forcing Ukrainian forces to redistribute their defense resources across the theater and creating vulnerabilities that Russian forces can exploit. ADVERTISIMENT Moreover, the occupiers are now creating operational and strategic level reserves capable of supporting offensive operations in the spring and summer of 2024. At the same time, analysts continue to believe that these reserves are unlikely to be ready to act as a first-echelon breakthrough force or a second-echelon force capable of conducting large-scale mechanized attacks in 2024. According to ISW experts, Putin's forces are likely to use trained reserves to replenish or reinforce existing units and continue infantry-led offensives with occasional limited mechanized attacks. At the same time, analysts warn that if the United States does not resume providing military assistance to Ukraine, even poorly trained and ill-equipped Russian occupiers will be able to conduct successful offensive operations in the face of a lack of artillery and air defense in the Armed Forces. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, the Russian occupiers, using their superiority in air, missiles and artillery ammunition, are trying to reach the administrative border of Donetsk region at any cost. The situation is particularly difficult in the Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Novopavlivka directions. Earlier, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that the situation at the front in eastern Ukraine has deteriorated significantly in recent days. The occupation forces have intensified their offensive, with repeated attempts to attack, in particular, in the Lyman, Bakhmut and Pokrovsk directions. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT This years #1 most-watched series for preschoolers is premiering a new extended length special, premiering exclusive on Disney+. Bluey: The Sign follows Bluey, a lovable and inexhaustible Blue Heeler dog who lives with her Mum, Dad and little sister, Bingo. The Aussie uses her energy to play games that unfold in unpredictable and hilarious ways, bringing her family and the entire neighborhood into a world of fun. Bluey: The Sign will be available to stream on Disney+ Sunday, April 14 at 12 a.m. a.m. PDT on Disney+ and 7 a.m. EDT/PDT. Read more: Ten new episodes of Bluey drops January 12 on Disney+, heres how to watch According to a Disney+ press release, the special will air on Disney+ for 28 minutes, which is about four times the length of its regular episodes. It showcases the joyful simplicity that can be found in families, by bringing to life how children learn and grow through play, a synopsis from a press release continued. Making their Bluey voice debut, this special episode introduces Rove McManus, Deborah Mailman, Brendan Williams and Joel Edgerton. About Disney+ Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. As part of Disneys Media and Entertainment Distribution segment, Disney+ is available on most internet-connected devices and offers programming with a variety of original feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series and short-form content. A wind advisory in effect until 6 p.m. on Saturday will turn into a hazardous weather outlook for a large portion of central Pennsylvania until Monday, with possible thunderstorms, large hail and winds gusting upwards of 60 miles per hour, the National Weather Service said. The wind advisory and hazardous weather outlook cover the following counties: Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Perry, Centre, Franklin, Juniata, Mifflin, Potter, Cameron, Clinton, Clearfield, Cambria, Blair, Huntingdon, Somerset, Bedford, Fulton, Tioga, Lycoming, Sullivan, Union, Snyder, Montour, Northumberland, Columbia and Schuylkill. Forecasts for the hazardous weather outlook which has the possibility of bringing hail larger than one inch in diameter have been released for Saturday, April 13, until Monday, April 15, according to the National Weather Service. The weather outlook also said an isolated weak, short-lived tornado is possible, but did not include any percentage chances for severe weather in any particular regions. The National Weather Service posted a map on X, formerly Twitter, showing the severity of the weather outlook until 7 a.m. Monday. The main impact will be the damaging winds, though we cant rule out the potential for hail or tornadoes. Stay weather aware! the post said. The SPC has upgraded portions of central Pennsylvania to an Enhanced risk. The main impact will be the damaging winds, though we can't rule out the potential for hail or tornadoes. Stay weather aware! #pawx pic.twitter.com/f4lGK9Bylq NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) April 13, 2024 Cities like Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg and Carlisle are all within the Slight Risk category, while more southern areas such as York, Lancaster and Gettysburg are listed in the Marginal Risk category. The areas of the state with the highest likelihood of seeing severe weather are in the central and northern regions, including State College, Lock Haven, Williamsport, Altoona and DuBois. Parts of central Pa. received gusting winds of up to 50 miles per hours on Saturday, which prompted the original wind advisory. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Michael Cohens lawyer, Lanny Davis, said that there is no doubt that Trump will be incarcerated if he is convicted in Manhattan. Could Trump Be Incarcerated If Criminally Convicted In Manhattan? Davis said when MSNBCs Jen Psaki asked about jail time for Trump if he is convicted, He most certainly will go to jail for this because he cant pardon himself. Let me repeat this. Hes going to if hes elected president, I hope that wont take place. He says he will pardon himself, and he probably will try, but he cannot be pardoned from a criminal conviction by a jury of a state crime. He must go to jail. I would not favor putting him behind bars. I would favor a house arrest, something less than behind bars because hes an ex-president. But theres no question he will be incarcerated either on house arrest or behind bars. If hes convicted. Video: Michael Cohens legal advisor, Lanny Davis, says Trump will be incarcerated if he is convicted in Manhattan, Theres no question he will be incarcerated either on house arrest or behind bars if hes convicted. pic.twitter.com/IJww0gbKOr Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 14, 2024 For years, people have been saying that Trump should go to jail, or be behind bars. Starting tomorrow, Trumps incarceration could be on the path to reality. Lanny Davis was probably correct. Given Trumps circumstancesa nearly 80-year-old ex-president with no prior criminal convictionsthe odds are that if he is found guilty, He will be sentenced to some form of House arrest. How any Trump incarceration might impact the 2024 presidential campaign would be very interesting. If Trump is on house arrest, would he campaign via Zoom calls? Having Trump unable to physically campaign would be crushing for the Republican Party. Republicans would be getting what they asked for when they nominated a candidate facing 91 felony counts to be their presidential candidate. The Manhattan trial will be the closest that Donald Trump has come yet to conviction and incarceration. 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] At one point, Donald Trump spoke something that wasnt words as his mind trailed off during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania. Trump said, Just last week it was reported that an illegal adlinthin and you just look at thisss, whats happening Video: "Just last week it was reported that an illegal adlinthin and you just look at thisss, what's happening" Trump pic.twitter.com/5z0j1zArN4 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2024 Trump also called a magazine a magastine, but at least that was sort of close to a word: Trump, confused: This was a magastine that Ive never read pic.twitter.com/slnq1BelKz Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) April 14, 2024 Trump thinks that he is his own best political and legal advocate, but his cognitive abilities have declined to such a degree that even when his rally speeches are scripted, he cant form words anymore. Donald Trump doesnt make sense. Joe Biden may get words confused from time to time, but they are actual words in the English language. Trump is trying to say words, but sometimes unintelligible gibberish comes out of his mouth. Donald Trump appears to be in some fort of serious cognitive decline, and the nations media needs to stop being so afraid of what is right in front of their eyes. Trump wont release his medical records . His father had dementia, and the ex-president is exhibiting symptoms that suggest something is seriously cognitively wrong with the presumptive nominee for the Republican presidential nomination. 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] Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi addressed Ukrainian defenders on the tenth anniversary of the start of the anti-terrorist operation in the east of the country. The Colonel General emphasized that the announcement of the ATO was a reaction to the capture of Sloviansk by a special unit of the Russian Federal Security Service on the orders of the Kremlin head. ADVERTISIMENT Syrskyi thanked the defenders who joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Security and Defense Forces in the spring of 2014. The chief's address was published on Facebook. According to Syrskyi, he honorably served as Chief of Staff of the Anti-Terrorist Operation, Deputy Head of the Anti-Terrorist Operation and Head of the Anti-Terrorist Operation. The general expressed his gratitude to the soldiers who stood up to defend the country from Russian terrorists and aggressors who brought suffering and death to our land 10 years ago. "On this day, we must remember and commemorate all Ukrainian defenders who laid down their lives for the freedom of our country in opposition to the Russian invasion. Eternal glory and eternal memory to our heroes! The struggle continues," Syrskyi said in his address. Earlier, Syrskyi said that the situation on the frontline in eastern Ukraine has deteriorated significantly in recent days. The occupation forces have intensified their offensive, with repeated attempts at attacks taking place, in particular, in the Lyman, Bakhmut and Pokrovsk directions. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, the Russian occupiers, using air superiority, missiles and artillery ammunition, are trying to reach the administrative border of the Donetsk region at any cost. The situation is particularly difficult in the Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Novopavlivka sectors. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! There is a crisis between Iran and Israel in the Middle East, but Trump is melting down over his Manhattan criminal trial. Trump posted on Truth Social: udge Juan Merchan, perhaps the most highly conflicted Judge in New York State history, only gave us a short period of time to read and study hundreds of thousands of pages of documents that D.A. Alvin Bragg illegally hid, disguised, and held back from us. Of course, and as the Judge knows, we need far more time than that. They could have started this Fake Biden Trial many years ago, not right in the middle of my campaign for President, and time would not be a problem. This is a blatant and unprecedented attack on Crooked Joe Bidens Political Opponent (who is leading in every poll!), done in close coordination with the White House, that cannot be allowed to go forward! This is the sort of leadership that America could expect from Trump on the world stage if he returned to the White House. The ex-president is again demonstrating that he has no interest in actually doing the job required of the presidency. Trump is running to avoid criminal conviction and jail, and coherent mental bandwidth that he has left is dedicated to attacking the cases or trying to get rid of the criminal charges that he is facing. Israel is reportedly going to respond to the Iranian drone/missile launch against their country. The Middle East is in crisis. The world needs a President Of The United States, like President Joe Biden, not a criminal defendant who is only capable of thinking about himself. 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] Natural disasters like storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding and wildfires often bring out the best in people as strangers reach out to help others in need. Unfortunately, the aftermath of a crisis also brings out contractors taking advantage of those who have already been victimized. Read moreBBB CONSUMER TIPS: Protect yourself from 'storm chasers' after a natural disaster Charlestons drinking water utility will soon be compelled to comply with Americas first drinking water standards for forever chemicals. Mark Cline, Charleston Water Systems chief executive officer, said the water utility will meet those new rules. But its not going to be cheap. In my view, and Ive been doing this for 40 years, this is the most expensive rule EPA has ever put in place for drinking water, Cline said. He estimates that installing the treatment technology to meet the new guidelines will cost at least $130 million in capital costs and $10 million to $12 million in annual operating costs for the Water System. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the long-awaited regulations April 10, estimating that complying with the rules nationwide will cost $1.5 billion annually. Thats essentially a break-even point, as the federal agency also estimates the new rules will result in savings of $1.5 billion per year from lower cancer rates, fewer heart issues and reduced birth problems. The pollutants go under the scientific name per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which pose health risks at even small levels of exposure. PFAS is a massive chemical family with thousands of member compounds, some of which can take hundreds of years to break down hence their nickname forever chemicals. Charleston Water System serves about 125,600 customers in the region. Its most recent testing for PFAS showed that the utility is already in compliance with new standards for the compound PFOA, a known human carcinogen. But levels of the compound PFOS, a possible carcinogen, were tested at 5.56 parts per trillion, which is above the new health standard of 4 ppt. Charlestonians who want to avoid drinking elevated PFOS levels can decrease their exposure through table-top water filters. PFAS have been linked to a laundry list of health issues. That includes, among other things, increased infertility, developmental problems, increased risk of certain cancers and hormonal issues. The EPA notes that research is still ongoing and the precise health effects of PFAS can be difficult to tease out given the size of the chemical family and the multiple different routes of exposure. You know how Charlestonians get when they see snow falling? That was Pickens Rep. Neal Collins the morning Tropical Storm Helene arrived at his Easley home. He stood in his garage and shot video of the rain. I woke up before my 5am alarm with unexpected excitement, he posted on social medi Read moreScoppe: 'We are being manipulated by people who don't have our best interests at heart' The situation on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine has deteriorated significantly in recent days. The Russian occupiers are advancing on three fronts, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for Ukrainian soldiers to hold the line amid a shortage of ammunition and air defense equipment and the almost complete absence of military assistance from the United States. ADVERTISIMENT And if the United States does not resume assistance, there is a high threat that even poorly trained and prepared Russian occupation forces will be able to succeed in the war against Ukraine. This was warned by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Analysts noted that Russian troops are currently operating at the operational level in three areas. They do not reinforce each other, but the occupiers have the opportunity to concentrate on gaining tactical achievements in any sector of their choice. This was also stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrsky, who on April 13 noted a significant escalation of the situation on the eastern front in recent days. According to him, the Russians are conducting mechanized attacks at the Liman, Bakhmut and Pokrovsk directions. ADVERTISIMENT The Russian offensive is facilitated by dry and hot weather, which has made it easier for enemy heavy equipment to advance. In addition, despite significant losses, the Russians are bringing new units to eastern Ukraine in an attempt to achieve tactical success. "Russia's efforts on the Liman, Chasiv Yar and Pokrovske directions pursue important operational objectives, but these operations do not support each other, and Russian forces still seem to be alternating between different directions rather than leaning toward all three at any given time," the analysts noted. Experts noted that during the previous two years of full-scale Russian aggression, Ukrainian troops successfully repelled Russian offensives of this operational level, not least because of the resources provided by the US Armed Forces. So at some point, Russia was forced to end its attempts to advance before achieving operationally significant results. ADVERTISIMENT Now, when Ukrainian troops are suffering from a significant shortage of artillery shells and air defense systems, which are critical to defense, the Russians have decided to take advantage of this. "The Russian military command probably believes that Ukrainian forces will not be able to defend themselves against current and future Russian offensives due to delays or complete cessation of US military assistance. Recently, Russian troops have been periodically shifting their attention between offensive operations on the Liman, Chasiv Yar, and Pokrovske directions. Initially, in early 2024, Russian troops prioritized the capture of Avdiivka, along with simultaneous but less intense operations on the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, then concentrated on the Liman direction, slowing down somewhat near Avdiivka, and in March-April 2024, they intensified efforts to capture Chasiv Yar," the article says. ADVERTISIMENT Analysts believe that the occupying Russian forces lack the strength to conduct more than one effective large-scale operational operation at a given time. This problem has been recorded since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. However, now the occupiers have been able to alternate several offensive efforts to "stretch" Ukraine's forces in the face of the lack of Ukrainian artillery and air defense. This scheme even allowed some Russian units in less intense areas to rest and recover while Ukrainians were attacked by units that had rested earlier or had recently received reinforcements. Further, the Russian command can intensify its efforts in another operational area at any time, forcing the Ukrainian Defense Forces to redistribute their defense resources in the theater and create vulnerabilities that Russian forces can exploit. ADVERTISIMENT According to ISW, the occupiers are creating operational and strategic level reserves that will not only support the current offensive operations in Ukraine, but also likely launch the announced offensive in the spring and summer. And, according to analysts, these reserves are unlikely to be ready to act as first-echelon penetration or second-echelon exploitation forces and to be able to conduct large-scale mechanized assaults in 2024, as long as Ukrainian forces have the means to counter them. So Russian forces are likely to use them to re-enforce or reinforce existing formations and continue the infantry-led grind with occasional limited mechanized pushes in a chosen direction at key moments. Much of this depends on what Ukraine's biggest ally, the United States, does. "If the United States does not resume its assistance to Ukraine, and if Ukrainian forces continue to lack critical artillery and air defense munitions, even poorly trained and ill-equipped Russian forces will be able to conduct successful offensives," ISW concluded. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, ISW said that it was the West's indecision that created the possibility of a new offensive for Russia. The Kremlin is trying to hinder the development of the Ukrainian defense industry, which has the potential to reach a level where it can meet its own needs in the future. The occupiers are doing this, in particular, by destroying the Ukrainian energy sector. The growth of Russian activity is also facilitated by delays in the provision of Western aid, which has opened up the possibility for Russia to launch a strike campaign against Ukraine and a new offensive. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-14 00:30:53 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1024 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 RADNOR, PA / ACCESSWIRE / April 13, 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, LLPor 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 ability t PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-14 18:19:06 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 528 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The brand of lighting solutions loved by digital-first creators will spin off from sister company AputureLAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / April 14, 2024 / amaran , pioneer of lighting tools by creators, for creators, has announced its official launch as an independent brand, just before the opening of the 2024 NAB Show. Originally launched within the Aputure brand family, amaran will spin off into its own separate business to support the entire spectrum of content creation, headed up by VP of Marketing Aaron Tsai, formerly of Meta, Nike and Google. NAB attendees can visit the amaran team and get hands-on with the family of lighting solutions creator tools at the Aputure booth in Central Hall ( C6719 )."I am thrilled to embark on this journey with amaran, a brand committed to pushing boundaries and setting new standards in serving content creators," comments Tsai. "I look forward to leveraging my experience and collaborating with talented content creators to pioneer innovative and captivating storytelling and product creation, propelling our brand to become the undisputed superpower of content creation." amaran is known throughout the filmmaking industry for its ease of use and mobile-friendly solutions, with features that marry simplicity with the high quality and advanced technology that sister brand Aputure has established over years of innovation. This DNA has made amaran products the go-to for creators of all sizes, from digital-first creators to student and indie filmmakers, and will remain a core component of the amaran product offering. Whether on the go or in-studio, amaran products are both portable and powerful, offering quality lighting that is as fun to use as it is accessible.Ted Sim, co-founder and president of amaran and Aputure, says, "amaran is our commitment to design gear that is specifically made for the needs of content creators. We all know that Hollywood tools remain complex and technical but are still used by many everyday creatives because there is simply no other option. Our mission is to bridge the gap and make it so that creators have future-forward tools that emphasize design first and are actually made for the way most people work today." amaran's goal is to create a seamless journey from product to software, with products that are designed with the creator in mind. As the brand ventures into new and exciting territory, amaran will continue to expand its product ecosystem beyond lighting to become the superpower for content creators.To learn more and see these products in action, chat with the amaran squad and snag some swag, visit the Aputure booth in Central Hall, C6719.Download the amaran media kit .Meet with amaran at NAB 2024To book a press briefing and product demos with amaran during NAB 2024, please contact Megan Fasy at megan@ grithaus.agency About amaranamaran is lighting the way for the next generation of creators. Whether you're filming in your home studio, vlogging on the move, or turning any space (the world) into your canvas, our upcoming product ecosystem is designed to help creators take their content to the next level.Follow @ amaran.lighting onInstagram ,X ,YouTube ,Facebook , andLinkedIn .Press ContactMegan Fasy, Grithaus Agency megan@ grithaus.agency +1 617-480-3674SOURCE: amaran PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-14 17:31:10 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 284 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 14, 2024 / Levi & Korsinsky notifies investors that it has commenced an investigation of Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. ("Lamb Weston Holdings") (NYSE:LW) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws.Lamb Weston announced on April 4, 2024, its results for the third quarter of fiscal 2024. The Company missed analyst earnings projections; The Company reported that an implementation of a new ERP system brought about a temporary decrease in the visibility of finished goods inventories housed at their distribution centers. This significantly hampered capacity to fulfill customer orders in a timely and efficient manner. As a direct consequence of the disruption, the Company experienced a substantial decline in sales volume as well as margin performance. Following this news, Lamb Weston stock dropped over 7%. To obtain additional information, go to:or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212)363-7500.WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, Levi & Korsinsky LLP has established itself as a nationally-recognized securities litigation firm that has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. The firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212)363-7500 Fax: (212)363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, mourning Nollywood actor, John Paul Odonwodo, a.k.a Junior Pope, says the state has lost one of its talented sons. The governor said Junior Popes death came at a time Enugu State was working hard to develop the creative potential of its youths for self reliance. Mr Mbah stated this in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Aka Eze Aka, on Saturday night in Enugu, the state capital. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Junior Pope, who hailed from Ukehe in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, alongside four of his colleagues, lost their lives in the tragic boat accident on River Niger while returning from a movie location on Wednesday. The five crew members were returning from a movie set when the unfortunate incident happpened. The governor who described Junior Popes death as heart wrenching and unfortunate, said he received the news with sadness. Indeed, the death of Junior Pope came at a time Enugu State was working so hard to develop the creative potential of its youths for self reliance, job creation and export of their talents outside the shores of Nigeria, the governor said. 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 Mbah expressed deep regrets that such talented, young Nigerians could lose their lives in such unfortunate circumstance. Mourning and promises The governor commiserated with the bereaved families, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and the entire Nollywood industry on the loss of their members in an ill-fated boat accident. He promised that the state shall work in concert with the family to ensure a befitting burial for the late movie icon. The governor stressed that Enugu State Government had opened a condolence register for Nigerians to pay their tributes to the fallen Nollywood Star. Mr Mbah explained that the condolence register would be opened at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Information and Communication, State Secretariat, Enugu, on April 15. Those who may not get to the office of the Honourable Commissioner for Information and Communication, may use the following email address condolencejuniorpope@gmail.com to register their condolences, he said. Like Enugu, like Akwa Ibom PREMIUM TIMES reported how Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom similarly pledged to support the family of Abigail Frederick, a make-up artist, who was among the deceased victims of the boat accident. The governor visited the bereaved family at their compound in Ikot Udoma, Eket Local Government Area of the state, on Saturday. During the visit, Mr Eno offered automatic employment to the elder sister of the deceased and promised to assist the two sisters of the deceased who are undergraduates at the University of Uyo, Uyo. Earlier before the visit, the governor had directed that the remains of the deceased be exhumed and brought home for proper burial. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Between 2016 and 2023, no fewer than 21 Chibok girls who escaped captivity or were rescued by the military, returned with 34 children, a recent report by the Murtala Muhammed Foundation has shown. The children aged between five months and seven years now live with their mothers who struggle to move on from the trauma they went through. A screenshot of a propaganda video released by Boko Haram in 2014 after the girls were kidnapped Some of the mothers, however, returned to their (former) Boko Haram husbands to nurture the children they had together while in captivity. The14 April 2014 tragedy In the early hours of 14 April 2014, Boko Haram insurgents seized 276 girls from their dormitories at Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. The terrorists put the girls in trucks and headed for Sambisa forest, but 57 girls were lucky to jump off the trucks. One of them later obtained an associate degree from a US college in 2019. 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 Their abduction sparked local and international outrage, a scenario that birthed a global movement, #BringBackOurGirls. Subsequently, 128 others were rescued or escaped in batches between 2016 and 2023. However, 91 others are still missing and their parents still keep hope to reunite with them even though some of them are believed to have died. Some of the girls who returned home had, unwillingly, turned into mothers with some choosing to remain with their Boko Haram husbands. Finding love with their captors We had been childless for five years before Jinkai came. Her name means Gods Grace, said Falmata Yama, the mother of Jinkai, one of the Chibok girls. Mrs Yamas account of her experience was documented in a book The Stolen Daughters of Chibok authored by Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, a human rights activist. Jinkai spent eight years in captivity before returning home with three children. She was rescued alongside two others on 7 September 2022. Jinkai said she found love with her (former) Boko Haram husband whom she now lives with in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency. However, the relationship between Jinkai and her parents has now strained, according to a BBC report. They are angry she decided to go back to a (former) terrorist. She was not alone in this tangle. Other Chibok escapees like Aisha Grema and Mary Dauda who escaped captivity in 2022 explained why they are still in love with their ex-Boko Haram fighters. We have been married for eight years, Grema, who escaped with her child, had said. I first came out of the forest and then he followed me. There in the bush, we had no relatives, no brother, no sister, that is why we decided to come out. She explained that her husband was deradicalised before they were allowed to stay together. The deradicalisation programme by the Borno State Government provides a window for the terrorists to be reintegrated back into society. More than 160,000 ex-terrorists have taken advantage of the amnesty. Moving on after the infamous night of 14 April 2014 Out of the 219 girls who were taken into the forest, Amina Nkeki was the first to escape two years later. She was found with her insurgent husband, Mohammed Hayatu, with whom she had a girl child, now eight years old. Amina and some of the other victims of the Chibok abduction now study at the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Adamawa State, on a government scholarship. Murtala Muhammed Foundation, in its recent report, detailed how the Chibok girls regained their freedom between 2014 and 2023. Five months after Amina was rescued in May 2016, 21 other Chibok girls were released after a swap deal brokered by the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross. In November, another Chibok captive, Maryam Ali-Maiyanga was found with a child. In May 2017, 82 of the abducted girls were released, following another negotiation with the terror group. Four months earlier, another Chibok captive, Rakiya Gali, was rescued with a child. In 2018, only one girl, Salomi Pogu, was rescued. There would not be another breakthrough for the remaining captives until 2021 when another four regained freedom (two escaped and the two others were rescued). The following year, 11 others were rescued. Last year, four of them were rescued, bringing the figure to 128. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Irans UN Mission says the Islamic Republic has concluded its retaliatory attack on Israel after it launched dozens of drones and missiles on Sunday. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Iran launched the drones and missiles from Iranian territory towards Israel in what Tehran said was in retaliation for the Israeli attack on an Iranian consulate in Syria on 1 April. More than 100 drones were intercepted outside Israeli territory, Aljazeera quotes the Israeli army radio as saying. The interceptions were done with assistance from the US and UK. Most of the drones and missiles fired by Iran are believed to have been intercepted and it is not clear if there has been any casualty as of the time of this report. However, explosions were heard across Israel as the projectiles were intercepted. Israel had warned its citizens to take safety measures after Iran fired the drones and missiles. Israeli airspace had been shut while neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Iraq also shut their airspace. The Iranian strikes have been condemned by the EU and the UK. The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrel wrote on X. This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security. 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 EU had also condemned the 1 April Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate that killed at least seven Iranian security officials including two generals. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the attack as reckless and said the UK would continue to stand up for Israels security. Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed, Mr Sunak said in a statement. AlJazeera quotes Irans UN mission as saying it has concluded its retaliatory attacks on Israel. Iran also warned Israel against retaliations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had declared that Israel was prepared for both defensive and offensive actions against Iran. PREMIUM TIMES will provide further updates in subsequent reports. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, the apex body of the Yoruba self-determination groups, has disowned the attackers of the Oyo State House Assembly and the state secretariat at Agodi, Ibadan, the state capital, on Saturday, describing the suspects as hoodlums trying to hide under the foliage of the association. In a statement on Sunday by its General Secretary, Yemi Akindele, titled, Important disclaimer, the group berated the attackers who claimed to be members of the Yoruba Nation agitators. It stated that the attack by the impostors was needless and uncalled for. The statement read, The attention of Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide has been drawn to the unfortunate incident of a needless attack on the Oyo State House of Assembly by hoodlums disguised as Yoruba Nation agitators on the 13 April 2024. The entire membership of the group, the umbrella body representing all agitating groups under the leadership of the founder and chairman, Prof. Emeritus Banji Akintoye, hereby denies any knowledge of such individuals and wishes to inform the public that the attackers are not members of Ilana Omo Oodua worldwide. These criminal elements are not known to us and, as such, are not part of any genuine agitating groups demanding freedom for the Yoruba people. The group noted that its movement was devoid of any form of violence or confrontation with any arm of the government. 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 self-determination was backed by international law and committed to achieving it without resorting to war. It added that all rallies organised by genuine agitating groups in Yorubaland have been conducted with proper notifications, peacefully and without any form of violence. We, therefore, condemn the needless attack on the Oyo State House of Assembly facility and urge the government to thoroughly investigate the incident, expose the sponsors and collaborators, and charge them with treasonable felony and terrorism. This action will serve as a deterrent to others who might contemplate such a deplorable act in the future, the statement added. Akintoye disowns agitators Yoruba leader Banji Akintoye, a professor, has also disowned the Yoruba Nation agitators who invaded the Oyo State government secretariat in Ibadan. He said the behaviour of the so-called agitators was insane. While noting that though the Yoruba wanted to have their independent nation, he stressed that they would not go violent with it. Mr Akintoye maintained that those going violent with the actualisation of the Yoruba Nation wanted to destroy the struggle, pointing out that the agitators had nothing to do with the real Yoruba struggle. We thank God that law enforcement agencies were able to handle them. I am speaking on behalf of the struggle for the Yoruba Nation. There is no need for us to go violent. We are not part of the violence that anyone is propagating. Everything we do must be peaceful. All our acts are peaceful, he added. Yoruba Oodua Union expresses displeasure In its reaction, the Yoruba Oodua Union (YOU) also distanced itself from the Ibadan incident. It, however, stressed that regardless of a Yoruba man being the president at the moment, the current system of governance in Nigeria was unacceptable, skewed in favour of a particular ethnic group over others and was retarding growth and development. A founding member of YOU, Sam Agbetuyi, also urged the Federal Government and the Oyo State government to do everything possible to investigate where the acclaimed leader of the perpetrators of the Ibadan attack, Abiola Onitiri, lives and why the action. Oyo Global Forum condemns the invasion The Oyo Global Forum has also condemned the invasion of the Oyo State Government secretariat and House of Assembly complex in Ibadan by an armed group purportedly seeking the secession of Yourbaland from Nigeria. In a statement by its chairman, Taiwo Adebayo, and public relations officer, Mojeed Agboola, the OGF commended The effective inter-agency collaboration involving the army, police, Amotekun, and government security advisors that led to the foiling of the attack and the arrest of the armed group. It noted that the style of the invasion and the use of military camouflage with badges suggested that they had been organising without detection and preemptive actions. It said that this calls for the need to enhance intelligence gathering and systems. The OGF also warned against any action by any group that would lead to the erasure of the substantial peace and stability being enjoyed in Oyo State. Freedoms of expression and association remain fundamental rights in the country, but nobody should resort to violence to pursue any agenda. We call on Governor Seyi Makinde and the security establishment to ensure a thorough investigation that would not only lead to lawful consequences but also help counter such violent tendencies moving forward, it said. CPPM wants attackers prosecuted The Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM), on Sunday, condemned the attack on the Oyo State government secretariat by a group of hoodlums, describing it as an act of terrorism. In a statement by its Executive Director, Nelson Ekujumi, CPPM commended the security agencies for rising to the occasion in apprehending the terrorists before they could unleash mayhem in Oyo State in particular and Nigeria in general. We view this reprehensible terrorist conduct by the hoodlums called Yoruba nation agitators as an act of terrorism against the Nigerian state, which must be confronted with the full wrath of the law, the statement read. The group urged the security agencies to dig deeper into the activities of the terrorist association called Yoruba nation agitators, who have assaulted and undermined national security and were warming up to be like other terrorist groups such as IPOB/ESN and Boko Haram. CPPM warned that Nigeria as a country cannot afford to allow the threat to national security by another terrorist group in the name of Yoruba nation agitators. It called for the venting of the full wrath of the law on the terrorists before they develop into monsters. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has carpeted the Northern Elders Forum(NEF) for the threats reportedly issued by the body against President Bola Tinubus administration. Mr Matawalle, in a statement he signed on Saturday, said the group does not speak for the North. The minister, the immediate past governor of Zamfara State, noted in the statement that the NEF is more or less a political paperweight trying to embark on a destructive journey that will bring the North to disrepute for the groups personal and selfish gains. Mr Matawalle said the attitude of the Forum was becoming overbearing, saying it cannot offer any positive idea or thought about the future of Northern Nigeria or, indeed, of Nigeria and its unity and togetherness. Read the full statement below: TINUBU PRESIDENCY: NORTHERN ELDERS FORUM : A POLITICAL BURDEN TO THE NORTH, THEY DO NOT SPEAK FOR THE REGION BELLO MATAWALLE My attention has been drawn to the threats issued by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which is reprehensible and naive. It is preposterous for a group of people seeking political relevance to overburden the system and create political disunity among 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 The so-called NEF is more or less a political paperweight trying to embark on a destructive journey that will bring the North to disrepute for the groups personal and selfish gains . In addition : This NEF is more of a political burden to Northerners. The group is seeking to erode other peoples rights in order to be recognised or made relevant in the scheme of things despite the failure of their sponsored candidates in the 2023 general elections. In as much as many have overlooked them in respect of their utterances, it is pertinent to underscore their overbearing attitude on issues that affect political unity and cohesion. They can not offer any positive idea or thought about the future of Northern Nigeria or, indeed, of Nigeria and its unity and togetherness. We all know President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR won the February 2023 presidential election convincingly. So, who is the NEF to want to undermine the presidents victory and even threaten to unseat him? This same group of people have intentionally shied away from their responsibility of engendering unity in the North by appreciating the incremental development being brought to the North by Ministers appointed by President Tinubu from the North, especially North West. The NEF has not deemed it fit to seek audience with Mr. President to discuss issues affecting the Northern region despite the numerous challenges facing the North as rightly highlighted by the President and being addressed by him. The group is yet to visit any of the ministers dealing with issues of security, agriculture, water resources, police affairs, Education, Health, Budget, foreign affairs, or any head of security agencies in the country so far for first hand knowledge of government programs and actions. The majority of them are more interested in faulting the government so as to be recognised or accorded some relevance. Our region, the North, is united, disciplined and politically-driven enough not to listen and accept being teleguided by any group of elites who had fed fat in the past on the Norths resources and opportunities which had retarded development in the region and nation due to their selfishness. President Tinubu is poised to do a lot for the North as President of Nigeria, elected by the people of Nigeria, not by one ethnic group or the other, therefore, anyone mistakenly seeing President Tinubu as a failure or a weakling is making a mistake and should rethink. Such a person or group is either blind or misguided and unable to see the new Nigeria that is emerging. Therefore, the NEFs statement allegedly expressing regret for voting for President Tinubu is unfortunate. NEF is not more than a group that has refused to accept reality and is living in delusion. The truth is that the North is proud of its support and vote for President Tinubu and will continue to be proud of her relationship with the President given the enormous change and development his government has brought to the region. My advice to NEF and others alike , is to support the present government and join hands with President Tinubu GCFR in order to further move the country forward. H.E Bello Mohammed Matawalle MON, Honourable Minister of State, Defence. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations has stated that Tehran's attack on Israel was a response to the "Zionist regime's" aggression against Iranian diplomatic missions in Damascus. They claim that Iran's military actions were carried out in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter on legitimate defense. ADVERTISIMENT This is stated in the message of the Iranian Permanent Mission on the social network X. They noted that "the issue can be considered exhausted". There were also threats against Israel - Iran said that if the Israeli regime "makes another mistake," Iran's response will be "much more severe." They also appealed to the United States. "This is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime from which the United States MUST STAY AWAY!" the statement reads. Israeli Prime Minister's spokesman Ophir Handelman said that "Israel's response to Iran's attack will be tough and clear." Iran has violated the UN Charter and poses a threat to peace and security, said Israel's Permanent Representative to the UN Gilad Erdan. He appealed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres with the words "Where is your voice? Where is your condemnation? Wake up!!!". ADVERTISIMENT The latter soon issued a statement in which he "strongly condemned" the serious escalation represented by Iran's large-scale attack on Israel. He called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. "I am deeply concerned about the very real danger of a devastating escalation throughout the region. I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military clashes on multiple fronts in the Middle East. I have repeatedly emphasized that neither the region nor the world can afford another war," Guterres said. We are following the events in Israel, which is under drone and missile attack by Iran, online. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Iran said that Tehran would react harshly to the actions of any country that "opens its airspace or territory to attacks by Israel." This statement was made by Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The international community expressed concern on Sunday after Iran launched drones and missiles at Israel in its first direct attack on Israeli territory. Iran launched the attack late on Saturday in response to an Israeli attack on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month which killed two Iranian generals. Israel said in a statement early on Sunday that the vast majority of missiles launched from Iran were intercepted outside of Israels borders. Only a few landed in Israeli territory and they caused minimal damage, authorities said. Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari was quoted by AlJazeera as saying that there was a direct hit on the Nevatim airbase by ballistic missiles but said it caused only minor damage to infrastructure and the base remains fully operational, adding that a young girl was injured in the attack. Ballistic missiles, only a small number single digits fell in the base and around, Mr Hagari said in a morning briefing. A direct hit with minor damage that doesnt do anything to the operation of the base. Mr Hagari further described the use of ballistic missiles as an escalatory factor. When asked about Israels options for an offensive response, he said Israel has plans and was considering its options. 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 We have plans, the situation is still ongoing. We are assessing the situation, we are showing the cabinet the plans, and we are ready to do what is necessary for the defence of Israel. I think Iran meant to get results and didnt get results. The ballistic missiles are an escalatory factor. And when they used these numbers they wanted more significant results than what happened, Mr Hagari was quoted as saying by the UK Guardian. Meanwhile, Iran has warned it will strike again with greater force if Israel or the US retaliate for the Iranian strike on Israel. Iran also said it considers its attacks as sufficient retaliation for the attack on its consulate. The two foes have for years been engaged in a shadow war marked by diverse incidents. However, the Israeli attack on an Iranian consulate was the first direct attack on Irans territory by Israel. Also, Sundays assault, which set off air raid sirens across Israel, was the first time Iran launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Reaction US President Joe Biden condemned the Iranian attacks and pledged a coordinated G7 diplomatic response. He said the US had helped Israel take down nearly all of the attacking drones and missiles. Mr Biden said he reiterated the US support for Israels security in a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, Biden said in a statement by the White House. China China is deeply concerned about escalation after Irans attacks, a spokesperson of Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said in remarks published on its website. China calls on relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalation of tensions, the spokesperson said in response to a question about Irans strikes. This round of tensions is a spillover from the Gaza conflict, and quelling that conflict is a top priority, the spokesperson added. Jordan Jordans Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh said any escalation in the region would lead to dangerous paths and said that there was a need to reduce escalation by all parties. Mr Khasawneh said the countrys armed forces would confront any attempt by any party that sought to endanger the kingdoms security. Russia Russia said it was extremely concerned by Iranian strikes on Israel and called on all parties to exercise restraint. We express our extreme concern over another dangerous escalation in the region, Russias foreign ministry said. We call on all parties involved to exercise restraint. We have repeatedly warned that the numerous unresolved crises in the Middle East, primarily in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, which are often fueled by irresponsible provocative actions, will lead to an increase in tension, the ministry said. Germany We strongly condemn the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos. Iran and its proxies must stop this immediately, Al Jazeera quoted German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as saying. Israel offers our full solidarity at this time. Saudi Arabia The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement voicing its concern at the military escalation and calling on all parties to exercise utmost restraint and spare the region and its peoples from the dangers of war. It urged the UN Security Council to assume its responsibility towards maintaining international peace and security. The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday, at the request of Israels ambassador to the UN, the councils president said in a statement to the media. Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain also called for restraint, saying on Twitter (formerly X): We are following with the greatest concern the evolution of the situation in the Middle East. One must at all cost avoid a regional escalation. United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described Irans actions as reckless. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its backyard, he said in a statement posted on X. The UK will continue to stand up for Israels security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq, he added. Other countries including Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, and Qatar have called for restraint amid fears of a regional escalation of conflict across the Middle East. Irans foreign ministry has summoned the ambassadors of the UK, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their irresponsible stance regarding Tehrans retaliatory strikes on Israel, the UK Guardian reported. Several Iranian airports, including Tehrans Imam Khomeini International, have cancelled flights until Monday, Iranian state media reported on Sunday. Domestic flights from Tehrans Mehrabad Airport and airports in Shiraz, Isfahan, Bushehr, Kerman, Ilam, and Sanandaj have also been cancelled until Monday morning, according to Irans Airports and Air Navigation Company. Israel, however, said it had reopened its airspace as of 7:30 am local time on Sunday morning. Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq which also closed their airspaces during the Iranian attack have reopened them. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has signed an agreement with the Student Housing Company Limited for the development of 1600-bed space hostels in the institution under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. Auwalu Umar, Director, Public Affairs Directorate of the university, disclosed this in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Zaria. Ms Umar said the institutions Vice-Chanellor, Kabiru Bala,a professor and the Registrar, Malam Rabiu Samaila, signed the agreement on behalf of the university, while Head, Deal Origination and Investment, Dipo Lawore, signed for Africa Plus Partners Nigeria Limited. Ms Umar said the agreement followed a proposal for the development of Student Housing at the university by Africa Plus Partners Nigeria Limited (APPNL), an accredited infrastructure fund manager. Funding According to him, in the agreement, the project cost is agreed to be funded by a collaborative effort of both TETFund and APPNL. TETFund shall provide 25 per cent counterpart fund of the project cost under a Special Intervention Framework to ABU, while APPNL shall provide 75 per cent of the total cost. The funds, under the agreement, shall be used by APPNL to undertake the construction of the project. 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 Upon completion of the facility, APPNL shall appoint a facility management entity to manage the structure for a period of 21 years after which control shall revert to ABU, he said. Ms Umar quoted the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala, as expressing delight over the development, adding that the project would greatly help stem the huge shortfall in students accommodation. Earlier in his remarks on the scope of the project, the Head, Public Private Partnership Unit, ABU, Muawiya Abubakar, had explained that the project was facilitated by TETFund. Mr Abubakar added that ABU was one of the six public universities across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria that would benefit from the national student housing project. Also speaking, the Head, Deal Origination and Investment, Africa Plus Partners Nigeria Limited, Dipo Lawore, pointed out that the development of the 1600-bed space student hostels for ABU would be completed within a span of 12 months. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria, say they have rescued a female kidnap victim in the state. The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, in a statement on Sunday, said the victim (name withheld) was rescued at about 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday by operatives serving at the Central Police Station of the State Police Command. Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said two suspects behind the alleged kidnap were also arrested. The police spokesperson gave the names of the suspects as Ejike Okorie, 26, and Christopher Kindness, 25 both males and residents of Ameke-Ngwo in Enugu North Local Government Area of the state. He said, before the police intervened, an angry mob had earlier intercepted the suspects and set ablaze their minibus at the P-and-T Bus Stop in Okpara Avenue Area of the state after an alarm was raised about the victims kidnap. A preliminary investigation has shown that the suspects confessed to the crime, he said. Mr Ndukwe said the suspects also allegedly confessed how they and others at large had been carrying out one-chance robbery and kidnap attacks in the state. According to the police spokesperson, the suspects further confessed that they fraudulently obtained money and other valuables from their unsuspecting victims within Enugu metropolis. 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 suspects will be arraigned in court and prosecuted once investigations are concluded, he stated. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Kanayo Uzuegbu, commended the police operatives for their quick intervention which prevented the angry mob from killing the suspects in a mob action, Mr Ndukwe said. Mr Uzuegbu enjoined residents of the state to obey Nigerian law by arresting and handing over crime suspects to the police for necessary investigation and prosecution rather than resorting to self-help in the form of jungle justice. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nasarawa State has expressed interest in hosting the Public Relations Finishing School, a flagship project of the current leadership of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). A statement by the Director of Public Relations at NIPR, Stanley Ogadigbo, on Sunday, said the state governor, Abdullahi Sule, expressed the interest on Saturday when he received a delegation of the institute in Abuja. Mr Sule, the statement said, confirmed the states enthusiasm for collaborating with the Institute on the ambitious Finishing School project. He stated that this initiative aims to equip aspiring and seasoned professionals with the necessary skills for effective reputation building and management. He emphasised, Nasarawa State not only supports the PR Finishing School proposal but is also willing to contribute a portion of land, the governor said. Mr Sule assured that the state government is committed to expediting the processing of the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) for the facility at no cost to NIPR. NIPR President Ike Neliaku emphasised the transformative potential of the Finishing School, highlighting the mutual benefits it promises for the country and its host communities. 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 noted the strategic partnerships already secured with reputable global institutions, including access to the 320,000 members of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management, spanning 126 countries across five continents. Mr Neliaku revealed that the governing council of the Institute is scheduled to consider bids from various states of the federation during its 109th meeting on Sunday, 14 April, to decide on the location of the NIPR Finishing School. The NIPR president was accompanied to the meeting by the Vice President and Chairman of the Education Advisory Board, Emmanuel Dandaura; Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Jibril Baba Ndace; Executive Director of News at Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Ayo Adewuyi; Executive Director of DAAR Media Academy, Mark Amarere; and Director of Development SPEC Academy, Okey Ikechukwu, among others. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian Army says its personnel who killed a young lady in Enugu last week is not a repentant Boko Haram terrorist. Army spokesperson Onyema Nwachukwu said this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday. A soldier, Adamu Muhammad, killed Hauwakulu Tabra, on Thursday last week in a barracks in Enugu. Her corpse was discovered the following day. Mr Nwachukwu said though the incident is regrettable, it is laughable to claim that tha dastardly act was committed by a repentant Boko Haram member. Much as it is highly regrettable that a young lady lost her life in the hands of a man with whom she was in an amorous relationship, the incident should not be latched on to insinuate a laughable claim that the dastardly act was committed by a repentant Boko Haram recruited into the Nigerian Army, he said. The army spokesperson described the incident as sad and that investigations are ongoing.. The sad incident of the gruesome murder of Miss Hauwakulu Tabra by Private Adamu Muhammad occurred on the night of Thursday 11 April 2024 and her corpse was discovered within the barracks on Friday 12 April 2024. 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 Preliminary investigations revealed that the late Hauwakulu Tabra was actually murdered by the said soldier, who is presently in detention for further investigation to unravel the motive behind his actions, he said. Mr Nwachukwu said the army had at no time repentant Boko Haram terrorists though considerations were given to Civilian Joint Task Force who in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in the North-east distinguished themselves morally and patriotically. He explained that such members of the CJTF must have also shown commitment, dedication and loyalty to the service and the nation. Read full statement here: CLARIFICATION RE: REPENTED BOKO HARAM MEMBER ENLISTED INTO NIGERIAN ARMY SLITS WOMANS THROAT IN ENUGU BARRACKS, HIDES CORPSE The attention of the Nigerian Army (NA) has been drawn to a publication by Sahara Reporters on 13 April 2024 tilted, Repented Boko Haram Member Enlisted into Nigerian Army slits Womans throat in Enugu Barracks, Hides Corpse. Much as it is highly regrettable that a young lady lost her life in the hands of a man with whom she was in an amorous relationship, the incident should not be latched on to insinuate a laughable claim that the dastardly act was committed by a repentant Boko Haram recruited into the Nigerian Army. It is pertinent therefore to clear the air on the allegation as insinuated by Sahara Reporters. The NA has at no point in time, either in the past or present enlisted repentant Boko Haram members to its strength. However, considerations were given to Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) who in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in the North East distinguished themselves morally and patriotically. Such members of the CJTF must have also shown commitment, dedication and loyalty to the service and the nation. The sad incident of the gruesome murder of Miss Hauwakulu Tabra by Private Adamu Muhammad occurred on the night of Thursday 11 April 2024 and her corpse was discovered within the barracks on Friday 12 April 2024. Preliminary investigations revealed that the late Hauwakulu Tabra was actually murdered by the said soldier, who is presently in detention for further investigation to unravel the motive behind his actions. The Nigerian Army extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased Miss Hauwakulu Tabra and also emphatically assert that at no time has the NA enlisted repentant Boko Haram members into its fold as mischievously insinuated. The general public should be assured that justice will be served, as the NA will not condone any unprofessional conduct or indiscipline within its ranks. ONYEMA NWACHUKWU Major General Director Army Public Relations 14 April 2024 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Israel has reopened its airspace following an attack by Iran using drones and missiles. Military and commercial flights to Israel have also resumed. Israel said over 300 drones were launched at it from Iran, Iraq and Yemen but most of them were intercepted with the support of the US and UK. There have been no casualties reported so far. Iran said the attacks were in retaliation for a 1 April attack on an Iranian consulate in Syria which killed seven Iranian officials including two generals. Consulates are diplomatic buildings protected under international law and that attack was condemned by many countries including China, Russia and the EU. Iran had vowed to avenge the attack despite calls for caution by several countries including the US. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Iran carried out its threat late on Saturday, launching dozens of drones and missiles from its territory. Iran proxies Hizbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen also launched drone attacks at Israel. Following the attacks, Israel closed its airspace while Jordan and Iraq, which border the warring countries, also closed their airspace. Iran told the UN Security Council late Saturday that it had concluded its retaliatory attacks and warned Israel against retaliation. 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 Iranian announcement may have prompted Israel to reopen its airspace at about 4:30 GMT on Sunday. Jordan and Iraq also reopened their airspace. Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a phone conversation with US President Joe Biden. Mr Biden reportedly pledged that the US will continue to support Israel in its defence but will not participate in any offensive actions against Iran. Hardliners in Israel have, however, called on the country to carry out strong retaliatory measures on Iran. Impressive defence so far now we need a crushing attack, Israels far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on X. It is not clear whether Israel will carry out any direct retaliatory attacks on Iran, especially with American officials saying the US would not be involved in any offensive action. But Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has resisted mass protests and calls for his resignation by Israelis, may proceed with retaliatory attacks to satisfy his far-right government. Like Iran, Israel has written to the UN Security Council about the latest attacks and the council is expected to meet today to deliberate on the matter. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print In the wee hours of 14 April 2014, Boko Haram seized 276 girls from their dormitories in Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State. While 128 regained freedom in batches over nine years, the whereabouts of 91 others remain unknown. The abduction which made global headlines and birthed an international movement #BringBackOurGirls brought the group, led by the late Abubakar Shekau into the limelight. Some of the girls were forced to marry insurgents and those who refused to comply were subjected to excruciating hardship. Analysts believe the politicisation of the kidnap by the Goodluck Jonathan administration and refusal to allow foreign forces and mercenaries to assist in rescuing the captives worsened the matter. They also argued that the success of the Chibok abduction emboldened other terror groups to target schools and kidnap students. PREMIUM TIMES has documented over 10 mass abductions of students in different northern states since the Chibok incident. Rescued or escaped in batches The Murtala Muhammed Foundation, in its recent report, detailed how many of the Chibok girls regained their freedom between 2014 and 2023. While the students were being transported into Sambisa forest in a truck, 57 of them jumped off the truck, leaving 219 onboard. In May 2016, one of the girls, 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 alongside her six-month-old baby and a Boko Haram member to whom she was forcefully married were rescued by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force. Five months later, 21 others were released after a swap deal brokered by the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross. In November, another Chibok captive, Maryam Ali-Maiyanga, was found with a child. In May 2017, 82 of the abducted girls were released, following another negotiation with the terror group. Four months earlier, another Chibok captive, Rakiya Abubakar Gali, was rescued with a child. In 2018, another victim, Salomi Pogu, was rescued. There was no further successful release for three years until 2021 when another four Chibok girls regained freedom (two escaped and the two others were rescued). The following year, 11 others were rescued. Last year, four of them were rescued, bringing the figure to 128. Where are the remaining girls? A total of 91 Chibok girls are still missing. Some of them may have died as according to some of the rescued girls, some victims died in captivity. Also, some who found love in captivity chose to remain with Boko Haram husbands. However, the group has lost many of its fighters after an internal split led to the creation of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). President Bola Tinubu who in the past warned leaders not to politicise the Chibok abduction, had not said talked about his administrations effort to rescue the remaining girls. Meanwhile, their parents have pleaded with the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, to use her influence to bring their daughters back home. We are haunted by the memories of that night when our girls were taken from us, and every day, we pray for their safe return, the parents said in a letter to the First Lady. We have not lost hope, Your Excellency. We have not given up on our daughters, and we will continue to fight for their freedom until they are brought back to us. We urge you to use your influence and your platform to ensure that the plight of the Chibok girls is never forgotten, that justice is served, and that those responsible for this heinous act are held accountable. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian Army Joint Task Force, Operation Hadarin Daji (OPHD) in the North-west, has killed 12 bandits and recovered weapons including one AK-47 rifle, an official has announced. The operations Information Officer, Suleman Omale, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Gusau on Saturday. Mr Omale, a lieutenant, said the success recorded followed a continued offensive operation against violent extremists with a view to restoring normalcy in the North-west region. He said the troops successfully dominated Babban Doka, Gobirawar Challi and Kabaro communities in Maru Local Government Area of the state after engaging the terrorists in a heavy gun duel on Friday. During the operation, our troops from Dansadau area forward operating base exhibited exceptional courage, overpowering the criminal elements and neutralising 12 terrorists, while others fled with gunshot wounds. In a subsequent mop-up the gallant troops recovered significant weapons and assets from the scene, including 1 AK-47 rifle, 1 magazine, 2 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 1 locally made gun, 1 dane gun. Additionally, the troops also recovered 18 cows, 10 motorcycles belonging to the terrorists and destroyed them on the spot, he said. 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 Omale quoted the Commander 1 Brigade and Sector 1 OPHD, Sani Ahmed, as commending the resilience, doggedness and gallantry displayed by the troops during the operation. Let me urge the gallant troops to maintain the momentum and not to relent until normalcy is fully restored in the region, Mr Ahmed, a brigadier general, charged. He extended his appreciation to the General Officer Commanding 8 Division, Sokoto and Commander OPHD, Godwin Mutkut, for his tactical leadership. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, gave the assurance on Saturday, at a press conference to mark the ten years of the Chibok Girls abduction. Mr Tar said that ten years ago, the Boko Haram insurgents criminally abducted 276 innocent girls in their hotels at Government Girls Secondary School Chibok. This painful date is ingrained in our collective memory and we shall not rest on our oars until the last of our innocent girls are back home with their families. On this auspicious occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the abduction of Chibok Girls, the Borno government identifies and sympathises with all those who are affected by abduction. The government wishes to inform the public that we shall continue to struggle to salvage our abducted girls on behalf of the parents and relatives of the Chibok girls who are still in captivity, he said. Mr Tar explained that the government was committed to rescuing and reuniting the remaining Chibok girls and reuniting them with their families. We understand the pain and anguish that the families of those still in captivity are going through, this is our sorrow! 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 We also wish to use this occasion to take stock of the rescued girls and provide an update on how the girls are coming to terms with adjusting to normal life after captivity, and efforts of the Borno government to sustain the momentum on the rescue of the remaining girls, he added The commissioner said that so far, out of the 276 abducted Chibok Girls,187 have been rescued and reunited with their families. According to him, most of the rescued girls have, over the years, been enrolled in different schools or graduated under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs. He added that a number of the girls have been enrolled on local and foreign scholarships or empowerment programmes. Mr Tar noted that many have since been reunited with their immediate families and are continuing to receive psychosocial support to reconcile them with normal life. He said 16 recently rescued girls were being rehabilitated by the Borno government and attending the 2nd Chance School where they were learning skills in various vocations that would provide them with sustainable livelihoods, while their kids were also placed in nursery schools. Mr Tar also said four of the rescued girls voluntarily decided to return to their parents. (NAN) HMS/YGA Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print In light of growing concerns regarding gender disparities in property ownership and financial autonomy in marriages, a lawyer, Oluwatodimu Ige, has offered advice for married women. Mr Iges advice, in this interview, addresses the traditional practice of wives buying property solely in their husbands names, and the legal implications of such a practice. The lawyer also suggested legally established ways couples can handle cultural and traditional sentiments concerning property ownership without impairing mutual trust and matrimonial harmony. Excerpts: PT: What are your thoughts on the prevalent practice of married women purchasing landed properties and registering them solely in their husbands name? Oluwatodimu: These days, you know, due to information and the position of the law, many people have started tilting away, at least the educated ones. Now, why this is prevalent is because of one: our culture. We live in a patriarchal society, and then you see that most people say that in marriage, when two come together, they become one. So, most times, it is on that basis that you see that when a woman buys a property, the woman puts in the husbands name. And sometimes, some women would not even put it in their husbands name; they put it in their fathers or maiden name. There has been an erroneous belief, particularly in some cultures, that a woman should not own property. And, of course, that has been shattered by the landmark case laws that a woman is also a human being and has a right to own property. That is a stride in Chapter Four of the Constitution of Nigeria. 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 proper thing is if you are buying the property, what is yours is yours, except you are buying it for your husband. If you want to claim the property in the future, you must register that property legally and adequately. Then, the property is yours, which must be in the name of whoever is dropping the money. I cant buy property for myself and put my wifes name. It is wrong to put the name of my wife and the mutual agreement to say that one of us owns that property, the same way if a man buys it. If the woman buys the property, she must put her name because the property belongs to her, except there is a mutual understanding between her and her husband. So, it is proper for a lady or a woman to put the name on their valid means of identification on the property documents. PT: Can you elaborate on the societal and cultural factors contributing to this trend? Oluwatodimu: Our society and cultural norms lead many to believe women should not own property. This is a significant reason you see many people buying properties and putting them in their husbands names. Secondly, besides the cultural aspect, trust issues also play a role. For example, sometimes a woman wants to rent an apartment, but people refuse, saying they dont rent to women. Even when they want to buy property, theyre told it wont be sold to a woman. Because of these challenges, many women are forced to bring in a man to represent them in transactions for renting or buying property. The misconception also perpetuates this bias against women owning property that when a woman owns property, she is overbearing and overreaching, which is untrue. These societal and cultural factors greatly hinder women from owning property. Even today, some cultures deny women the right to own property simply because of their gender. In some families, regardless of how many houses the father owned before his death, the property automatically goes to the first son or sons, which goes against the law that allows anyone, regardless of gender, to own property. Legally, anyone can own property, but certain cultures are biased against women owning property. These societal and cultural biases contribute to the trends we see. PT: In your opinion, what are the potential drawbacks or risks for married women who choose to have properties solely registered in their husbands name? Oluwatodimu: The significant fallout and drawback is that when you register a property in somebodys name, it automatically belongs to that person. That means if a woman buys a property in her husbands name, only her husband has the right to do anything with the property. If a woman buys a property in her husbands name and intends to seek a loan from the bank, the bank will only give that loan to her husband because the property is registered in his name. If she were to travel for any reason, they would ask what assets she has in Nigeria. If she said she has a property, and the property is in the name of her husband, it means the property doesnt belong to her. If the husband dies, there will be a letter of administration stating that the property belongs to her husband and not to her. So, if they are going to buy property, it is best advised that as long as the property belongs to the woman, it must be in her name. In a case of divorce, if the property is in the husbands name, the woman cant lay claim to what she bought. Regardless of whether she has the transactional receipts, the name registered on that property is the owner, and thats what the court will look at. PT: Do you think this practice impacts the financial independence and empowerment of married women? Oluwatodimu: Yes, it dramatically impacts their financial independence, emotional independence, the general disposition of women, and their empowerment because when you acquire property in your name, it is an incentive to you. Youve put in the work, and you have made money, so if you have a property and the property is in your name, it gives you some form of motivation. If you can receive alerts in your name, the payment for the work that you have done goes to your bank accounts, which are your property. Then, why should women put their property in the name of their husbands? Most times, because of this tendency of women to put the property in the name of their husbands, many of them are not truthful. We have seen so many instances. I even heard of stories where the husband and wife are staying in the property that belongs to the wife, and they are paying rent, and the husband doesnt know because the woman has failed to disclose. Why is it so? Because the woman is scared that once the man knows that the property belongs to her, there will be problems? Most times, it affects the independence of women because most women would instead use the money for other purposes because they dont want to buy the property in the name of their husband, and all these would eventually lead to disharmony where there is no trust between the couple. So, as I said, the impact of it is that if women have property and its not in their name, theres no way they can be independent because it is what they have labelled for, and it is not in their name. That means that theres a rope or chain around their neck that is not making them completely free, and when it comes to empowerment, when you are not free, you cannot be empowered. PT: Are there legal implications or considerations that married women should know regarding property ownership in their husbands name? Oluwatodimu: Yes, the number one legal implication when women buy property in the name of their husband is that the property belongs to their husband, and they cannot have any ownership claim on that property as much as the property was bought and registered in the name of their husband. That means they have gifted the property to their husband, who is the owner. It would then be assumed that he brought out money from his pocket and paid for it, or the woman might keep the money for him and make the payment on his behalf, in as much as the property was bought in his name, so she can never lay claim to it. If the husband dies and he writes a will and says, Im giving this land or this property to my brother or charity homes, the woman cannot contend for that property because the property is registered in the mans name. Number two is that if the property belonged to the woman and was registered in her husbands name, the woman has no ownership rights. She cannot transfer it to her children. The name of the person on the property document is the one that is the Alpha and Omega. Women must understand that they have a name, and its the name on their valid means of identification that they should put on property transactions. PT: Can you share instances that have thrown up these issues with our readers? Oluwatodimu: Quite a number of these issues. There was some instance of a woman who has been working in a bank and has been saving money, and because of the name of her job, she cant go and inspect the land she bought for school. So, when she wanted to buy the land, she wanted her husband to go and buy it. The husband told her that because she was not there, he put his name on it. She said no problem. So, the land was bought in the name of the man. Dont forget that he who owned the land owned everything. The woman builds the school in her name and names it after herself. Over the years, when they divorced, all of a sudden, the woman was in school one day, and she saw that some people had come and were inspecting the property. They said they were from the bank, and the husband had used the property as a collateral. She said it was her own. How? The man brought out his documents. The woman brought out the documents, and it was registered in the name of the man. Regardless of how long the school has been used, the property belongs to the man because it was registered in his name. The woman should not made that fundamental error when the man represented her, he should have put her name on the receipts. Of course, there are also legal ways she can reclaim the property. PT: How should a couple go about registering a property they jointly bought? Oluwatodimu: There have been instances where women contributed money for the purchase properties by their husbands, then the name on the receipts and the title documents must be in the names of both parties and how both parties will put their name is that, lets say, Mr Todimu Ige and Mrs Temitope Ige, its wrong to write the name as Mr and Mrs Ige but Mr Todimu Ige and Mrs Temitope Ige. That means two legal names. PT: What advice would you give to married women considering purchasing property and deciding on the registration process? Oluwatodimu: Well, my advice to women is that the law permits them, as humans and Nigerians, to own movable and immovable property in Nigeria, as enshrined in Chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I will say they can own property in their names, and there is no reason to buy a property they laboured for in their husbands names. That is not the position of the law. So, if they are buying a property, except they are hiding it for fraud purposes or they dont want people in their office to know that they have the property (because some people also do that buying properties using the names of proxies because they have embezzled money somewhere), they should buy it in their name. Because they are hiding some things, so in that instance, they have a flawed conscience. If you have acquired your property legitimately, then the proper thing to do is to buy the property in your name. And when we mean your name, that should be the name stated on your valid means of identification. Because that is the only way any property can be legally registered at the Ministry of Lands in any State where you have bought and acquired that property. PT: How can couples navigate discussions around property ownership to ensure both parties feel financially secure and empowered? Oluwatodimu: Well, the truth is, when it comes to marriage, communication is essential, and when it comes to this, the intention must be clear. If a woman has property in her name, she can also have joint property with her husband. They can buy the property jointly, whereby each person brings their equity. If the husband says hes getting 50 per cent and she is bringing the same, in such an instance, the names of the properties will be there. If the husband brings money from his pocket, he should put his name. If the wife brings cash from her pocket, she should put her name. If the husband is buying the property on behalf of his wife or for his wife, he should put the wifes name in the document, and in the same way, if the wife wants to buy for the husband, she should put his name. But if you are buying it for yourself, lets be very clear: if they buy it themselves, it must be in their name. PT: Are there any alternative approaches or strategies married couples can consider to achieve equitable property ownership? Oluwatodimu: Yes, theres what we call the trust. They can set up a trust. If they buy a property and then transfer the ownership to the trust to handle them, probably at their demise. This trust will continue to manage and maintain the property on behalf of their children, who will be beneficiaries, or their family members at the end. They can also incorporate a company where the couple will be shareholders of that company, and the company will be the one buying property. It will be spelt out in the title documents as the equity that belongs to all the parties in that transaction. So these are the ways that they can buy their properties. PT: What role do you believe government policies and initiatives should play in addressing the imbalance in property ownership between spouses? Oluwatodimu: Well, the first thing that we must commend the government for is that the right of women to own property is enshrined in our Constitution. The courts have federally, in many case laws, established that women have the right to own properties. So, having said that, what we now need to do is to take it a step further and further educate the women and enlighten them to let them know that it is within their rights to own properties, and no one can stop them from owning properties. So when there is enlightenment, there are a lot of empowerment and opportunities for women to have access to funding, mortgages and to buy properties. PT: Looking ahead, what changes or shifts do you anticipate in attitudes towards property ownership among married women? Oluwatodimu: You know, in the future, and I know that we are gradually getting there because of the enlightenment, people have now seen that women can own properties. As you can see, we have had several female Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), even in the banks, in every sector. These women have the right to own properties, and they have been acquiring and buying properties. So if that is the situation, that means that over time, people will now begin to see that women are equally empowered, just like men, to buy properties and that the bias will gradually be reduced. Over time, we hope that well be able to eliminate it 100 per cent in our society. People think that a woman who owns property wants to kill her husband. People say that a woman who owns property is not humble, a woman who owns property cannot be submissive. No, the position of the law is that a woman can own property, and it doesnt affect how she operates in her home. PT: What is your view on joint accounts? Oluwatodimu: When couples operate a joint account, they must understand that its an offshoot of trust between both parties. That means that if something belongs to two people, one party cannot unilaterally take decisions in respect of that property or in respect of that account. That means that if I take any amount from the account, my partner must consent and approve of such a debit. Also, if you sell a joint property, the other party must consent to it. Its mandatory. You cannot on your own take any decision. Once you have this understanding, then whatever decisions you will take will be guided by the partner. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The United States will not directly participate in any operations against Iran if Israel decides to respond to Tehran's massive attack on the night of April 14. Washington is convinced that Israel should consider that night its victory, as most of Iran's air defense systems were shot down. ADVERTISIMENT Those missiles that the air defense system failed to deal with did not hit significant targets. This was stated by US President Joe Biden during a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 14, CNN reports. The publication, citing data obtained from a senior US presidential administration official, reported that in a conversation with Netanyahu, Biden warned that the United States would not engage in a direct confrontation with Iran on the side of Israel if it decided to respond to the attack on the night of April 14. "The United States will not engage in any offensive operations against Iran, US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior administration official told CNN. He said this during a telephone conversation between the two leaders after Iran's strikes on Israel," the article says. ADVERTISIMENT Citing sources, CNN also noted that Biden told Netanyahu that Israel should consider the night of the Iranian attack as its own victory. After all, according to US estimates, "Iran's attacks were largely unsuccessful and demonstrated the superiority of Israeli military capabilities." Washington believes that since almost all of Iran's drones and missiles were shot down, Iran failed to hit "anything of value." Late in the evening of April 13, it became known that Iran had openly attacked Israel by launching Shahids and missiles. During the attack, which is called "unprecedented" both in terms of the number of weapons used and the fact that Iran attacked Israel directly, rather than through its proxies, for the first time in 40 years, civilians were injured. According to the Israeli National Emergency Medical Service, 31 people received medical care. All of the victims were either injured while running to the shelters or needed help due to an acute stress reaction. ADVERTISIMENT Two injured children and three seriously injured people were also reported as a result of the fire in the Sharon medical center. After the attack, the US Congress called for a strike against Iran, and the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting . Meanwhile, Israel itself is preparing a response to the attack. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has drawn Nigerians attention to the ban on Dex Luxury Bar Soap (No 6 Mystic Flower), by European Union (EU). The notification is contained in a public alert with No. 012/2024, signed by NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, a professor, and shared with journalists in Abuja on Sunday. The product does not comply with the cosmetic products regulation; it also contains Butyphenyl Methylpropional (BMHCA), which is prohibited in cosmetic products due to its risk of harming the reproductive system. It also causes harm to the health of unborn children and may cause skin sensitisation. It is as a result of the defective nature of the product that the EU banned it. The products is not in NAFDAC database; importers, distributors, retailers and consumers are to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain, she said, Stop importation, sale and use Mrs Adeyeye called on marketers and consumers to avoid the importation, distribution, sale and use of the product, saying that products authenticity and physical condition must be carefully checked. She called on members of the public in possession of the product to discontinue sale or use, and submit stock to the nearest NAFDAC office. The NAFDAC boss advised healthcare professionals and consumers to report any suspicion of adverse reaction or substandard and falsified regulated products to the nearest NAFDAC office on 0800-162-3322 or via email: sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng. She also encouraged healthcare professionals and patients to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of the product, to the nearest NAFDAC office. 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 (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian army has confirmed the murder of a woman by a soldier in its barracks in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria. Last week, there was a report that Muhammad Adamu, said to be a repentant Boko Haram member, enlisted in the army through the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), allegedly murdered a woman at the Nigerian Armys 82 Division Barracks in the state. The woman, Hauwakulu Tabra, was said to be Mr Adamus girlfriend. She was said to be pregnant with another man, which angered the soldier. Army speaks Reacting to the incident in a statement on Sunday, the army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, confirmed the development, saying Mr Adamu, a private in the army, had been arrested over the alleged murder. Mr Nwachukwu, a major general, said Mr Adamu allegedly murdered the victim on Thursday night and that her corpse was discovered within the barracks premises on Friday. Preliminary investigations revealed that the late Hauwakulu Tabra was murdered by the said soldier, who is presently in detention for further investigation to unravel the motive behind his actions, he said. 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 army spokesperson, however, refuted claims that Mr Adamu is a repented Boko Haram member. The Nigerian army has at no point in time, either in the past or present,t enlisted repentant Boko Haram members to its strength. However, considerations were given to the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) who, in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in the North East, distinguished themselves morally and patriotically, he said. Such members of the CJTF must have also shown commitment, dedication and loyalty to the service and the nation. Mr Nwachukwu said the army has extended its condolences to the family of the late Tabra. The spokesperson also assured Nigerians that justice would be served as the army would not condone any unprofessional conduct or indiscipline within its ranks. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print It is the 14th day of April again, a day that will live in infamy as the day regular girls attending a public school in a peaceful rural community in Nigeria were violently abducted by insurgents on a mission to deny them of education. Their tale will forever captivate peoples imagination; but thanks to the intervention of AUN, this tragic story is getting a happy ending. On 3 February, 2015, after a visit to the American University of Nigeria campus in Yola, Monica Mark wrote in The Guardian of London: The mass abduction (of girls from a school in Chibok) propelled the sect (Boko Haram) into global infamy, as the missing students became an international symbol of Boko Harams escalating war against lay education. If the abduction of the Chibok girls became Boko Harams loud statement of intent, braving the odds to provide the girls with quality education are the opening shots in the ideological defeat of the insurgents. On the tenth anniversary of the infamous kidnap, we at the American University of Nigeria reflect on our institutions role in the degrading of the sects threat, our contribution to the counterinsurgency efforts of the Nigerian government and the security forces. American Astronaut Neil Armstrong once left an iconic quote when he landed on the moon on 20 July, 1969: One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Educating the Chibok girls at AUN is one small step in humanitys inevitable victory against an extremist ideology. As a Development University with a mission to find solutions to community problems and educate a new generation of critical thinkers and problem solvers, the American University of Nigeria is ideally suited to lead the battle to free Nigerian girls from fear and offer them hope. A world-class university with state-of-the-art learning facilities and a technological endowment unparalleled in sub-Saharan Africa, AUN also had the belief, faith, and courage to take on this historic battle against formidable forces determined to enslave young girls and deny them of education. AUN brought in the first batch of twenty-five girls from Chibok in August 2014. This comprised those who escaped from the kidnappers at significant personal risk, a few of who were injured in their fight for freedom. After carefully studying their state of academic standing, the University introduced the New Foundation School (NFS) programme, a rigorous preparatory course plan featuring academic and personal development components. The first batch of Chibok girls was enrolled in this special programme. They were on the Universitys scholarship, with a significant portion of the funds coming from our founder, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar (GCON) and, later, US financial mogul, Mr Robert Smith. After two years of intensive studies following their arrival, four of the Chibok girls were enrolled in undergraduate programmes at AUN. They studied Natural and Environmental Sciences, with concentrations on Biomedical Science and public health; and Accounting. As then President Margee Ensign, an American, told them during their matriculation: You have come to the American University of Nigeria where you will be trained as knowledgeable solution providers. All universities identify new problems and come up with fresh ideas to solve them. You are role models and change leaders. We will not only provide you with a different sort of education, but we will also arm you with confidence and the intellectual tools to change the narrative of Africa, beginning from Chibok. The academic and self-development breakthrough achieved by the Chibok girls is a major turning point in deconstructing the kidnapping sagas ideological posturing. These girls are brave and very resilient. They appear fragile physically but you get to quickly realise they are tough-minded and determined to overcome the challenges which life has thrown at them. Their education is rigorous, as you would expect from the American University of Nigeria, but in a short time they became conscious of their place in history as pioneers and role models. They begin to see themselves as role models in their hometown of Chibok. Young women look up to them for inspiration. Their presence on campus and the impressive progress they are making prompted the start of new intervention programmes to assist vulnerable boys and girls from the North-East. In 2015, AUN initiated the Feed and Read Programme, which provides preparatory education and a daily meal to hundreds of vulnerable out-of-school boys and girls in the Yola-Jimeta communities. Currently, the AUN Feed and Read programme is supported in part by UNICEF. The USAID-funded Technology Enhanced Learning for All (TELA), a programme that deployed radio and tablets to teach Maths, English, and local languages to over 22,000 neighbourhood children, and the follow-up Strengthening Education in the Northeast Schools (SENSE), became some of the most successful interventions in a post-conflict community. TELA, developed and guided by the erudite global scholar of strategic communication, Professor Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob, offered a very transformative learning experience, which Nigeria, and other countries with a sizeable out-of-school population, should be replicating. Most of the funding for educational interventions has come from the AUN Founder, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, who spares no effort, material or otherwise, to support any initiative that positively impacts Adamawa State and the North-East region. An expert has confirmed that the level of cognitive behavioural therapy we provide for the Chibok girls is at par with what is obtainable in the best American universities around the world. Our Psychology Unit, staffed by excellent professionals, works with them consistently as they strive to overcome challenges such as PTSD, anxiety and other related mental health challenges. In later years, more of the pioneer Chibok girls were enrolled to study Law, Communication, and Multimedia Design, with concentrations in Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising, at the undergraduate level. Most have since graduated from the University with honours degrees and rejoined the society in various capacities. In September 2018, AUN received another batch of 106 girls from the Federal Government of Nigeria. This batch was from among the kidnapped girls and they joined their sisters in our NFS program to begin their rehabilitation and educational advancement. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Abuja, is their custodian. This nation owes gratitude to the late former Federal Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan; former Vice President Yemi Osibanjo and his wife; as well as incumbent First Lady Senator Remi Tinubu great patriots who rose above partisan politics to ensure that the Nigerian government provides the Chibok girls with the best education any at-risk persons can receive in the country. The incumbent President of AUN, Dr DeWayne Preston Frazier, also an American, is investing as much passion and determination in providing the Chibok girls studying at AUN with the best education, care, and social skills they can get anywhere, with dignity. He is committed to their well-being and progress and has invested personal funds in their welfare. Dr DeWayne draws a huge applause anytime he tells the campus and greater community that one of the reasons he chose to come to AUN was because of the universitys impact on the Chibok girls, a story that deeply affected him while working in America, where notable personalities, including former First Lady Michele Obama took a highly-publicised stand supporting the #BringBackOurGirls movement. 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 On campus, we try as much as possible to shield the Chibok girls from unnecessary media exposure to encourage them to concentrate more on achieving their enrolment goals. AUN is a campus where rules apply and are strictly enforced, which initially created anxiety for the girls when they were admitted. But they have settled in fine and are being assisted on a mission of personal healing, educational development, and gradual community reintegration. We are careful to ensure that their public engagements, interactions, or relationships are guided only by the need to advance their rehabilitation and advancement in a safe and secure environment that will not, in any way, endanger their academic progress. The New Foundation School of the American University of Nigeria has the prerequisite academic facilities and resources to meet the unique needs of these determined and unbreakable girls. First-rate facilities and personnel are devoted to their care, including seasoned psychologists and therapists. An expert has confirmed that the level of cognitive behavioural therapy we provide for the Chibok girls is at par with what is obtainable in the best American universities around the world. Our Psychology Unit, staffed by excellent professionals, works with them consistently as they strive to overcome challenges such as PTSD, anxiety and other related mental health challenges. The learning community is welcoming too, and that has been helpful. AUN has in place unique academic support programmes to help the Chibok girls struggling academically, facilities you will not find in your regular Nigerian universities. They include the Writing Center, the Math Resource Center, the Academic Advising and Retention Office, the Career Services Center, and the Honor Societys Peer-to-Peer Tutoring platform. There is a vocational skills acquisition centre and numerous co-curriculum activities provided to develop their cognitive and social skills. We are incredibly pleased with their progress since they joined us. Adjusting to campus life was tough for many and while some have struggled to keep up with high academic standards, many are progressing satisfactorily. It is a sad commentary that ten years after the Chibok saga, more students are still being kidnapped from schools in the country but the insurgents will not have the last word. Under the mentorship provided by the American University of Nigerias model, the government of Nigeria is determined to close the 14 April kidnap chapter on a favourable note: no force can deny girls in Nigeria the right to an education. We routinely implore our good friends in the media, as well as the general public, to rein in their impulse to treat the Chibok girls studying at AUN like media trophies; we prefer that the girls lose their celebrity status and become regular students like everyone else. It is the 14th day of April again, a day that will live in infamy as the day regular girls attending a public school in a peaceful rural community in Nigeria were violently abducted by insurgents on a mission to deny them of education. Their tale will forever captivate peoples imagination; but thanks to the intervention of AUN, this tragic story is getting a happy ending. It illustrates the triumph of willpower over adversity, the enduring power of the human spirit, when you watch these Chibok girls on campus praying for others, singing, dancing, performing community service, contributing funds, and donating to less privileged groups. In its literal and symbolic sense, this is also the victory of the national will over violent extremism. The vision of the AUN management in bringing in the first batch of Chibok girls ten years ago at obvious risks, cements the universitys legacy a Development University with the courage of conviction to match its philosophy with action, a courageous and active agent of social change in the local community, and a beacon of hope for a better Nigeria, and Africa. From this experience, the Nigerian government and indeed the international community, can always count on AUN as a partner in research and development. After the embarrassing intelligence failure that led to the kidnapping of the Chibok girls, the Nigerian state can claim to have discharged its moral obligation to the abducted girls and their families. They were kidnapped to prevent them from receiving an education, but they ended up attending the countrys most prestigious private university, AUN. Their rehabilitation is still work in progress but it is destined to end in praise. It is also a victory for President Muhammad Buharis administration for insisting that the released Chibok girls join their counterparts at the American University of Nigeria to continue their education and healing process. It is a sad commentary that ten years after the Chibok saga, more students are still being kidnapped from schools in the country but the insurgents will not have the last word. Under the mentorship provided by the American University of Nigerias model, the government of Nigeria is determined to close the 14 April kidnap chapter on a favourable note: no force can deny girls in Nigeria the right to an education. Daniel Okereke is the interim Registrar/Vice President for Administration at the American University of Nigeria, Yola. He can be reached at danokereke@gmail.com. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Only the cruel can deny the horror of Gaza and claim that what we are witnessing there today is anything other than mass murder, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, war crimes, collective punishment, starvation and genocide all of which constitute specific and clear violations of both international law and the law of war and all of which have made Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his ministers, his intelligence chiefs and his military commanders candidates for prosecution at the International Criminal Court at the Hague. We do not have evidence of Israel committing genocide in Gaza. General Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defence of the United States of America. Never in the history of humanity and in the comity of nations has such an asinine, puerile and indefensible statement been made by a high-ranking US government official. It reflects the dishonesty, wickedness, insensitivity, depravity, deceit, hypocrisy, double standards, moral bankruptcy, unconscionable inhumanity, malodorous disposition and spiritual turpitude of the Biden administration. You cannot wish away or dismiss the truth, no matter how bitter, and you cannot deny the facts, no matter how ugly. Andrew Mitrovika, a columnist with Al Jazeera, captured the events in Gaza graphically and clearly when he wrote the following. Permit me to quote him extensively: The cataclysm that you and I are witnessing in Gaza is a genocide in the awful making. It is not an onslaught. It is not an invasion. It is not even a war. It is a genocide. 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 apocalyptic scenes and sounds in Gaza are proof that a cruel, occupying army is intent on achieving its overarching aim: the annihilation of what remains of an already shattered slice of land and the indiscriminate killing of helpless, exhausted children, women and men. Over decades, a succession of immune Israeli governments and their useful proxies, the rampaging settler militias, have waged incremental genocide, bit by bit, with the explicit approval, consent, and encouragement of Western governments which in a predictable show of performative solidarity with a ruthless ally have bathed their tourist attractions in blue and white or the Star of David. Go ahead, you craven enablers, show the world your true and rank colours. We will remember. Make no mistake: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with his racist gang of brutish (by nature, temperament, and vernacular) cabinet ministers, have been aching, for a long, frustrating time, to abandon the lets-teach-Palestinians-a-lethal-lesson spasms of violence in favour of the much more satisfying wholesale destruction of the Gaza Strip. The monstrous plan is as plain as Netanyahus wretched character: Be done with Gaza by erasing Gaza. Anyone, anywhere, in any forum, who denies this fact is either a liar or blind, or wilfully, happily, and comfortably both. This is not righteous payback or vengeance. It is I repeat, for the legion of complicit hacks and stenographers who, remarkably, have never noticed, let alone given a damn, about the perpetual suffering and trauma of Palestinians a genocide. If my blunt indictment stings, I challenge any of the historically illiterate columnists and American TV news celebrities, who have rushed to Israel to burnish their credentials as foreign correspondents with their hairstylists, makeup artists and writers in tow to disabuse me, and much more importantly, the Palestinian diaspora and their allies, of our belief that a murderous genocide is unfolding in that besieged enclave. These insufferable hypocrites are again tarring Palestinians as evil predators, while praising Israelis as solicitous saints for warning grateful Palestinians in Gaza that theyre going to kill them en masse. These fawning Israel loyalists have likely, not once, stepped inside the barbed-wired walls and fences that encircle Gaza or interviewed any of the millions of human beings who, for generations, have endured the loss, theft, deprivations, indignities, humiliations, and, of course, lethal ferocity committed by an apartheid state. It is a familiar, surreal minstrel show that reduces an old, complex story into a pat, easy-to-digest clash between black and white, for countless, equally callow, geography-allergic Americans, who are convinced that carrying a passport is woke. The white hats the Israelis are always the innocent victims. The black hats the Palestinians are always the guilty perpetrators. Hence, the cavalier disregard for the almost incomprehensible human consequences of Israels blatant annulment of that, by now, silly, anachronistic term: international law. Stop the stuff of life food and water from getting into captive Gaza. Fine. Stop fuel and electricity from being delivered to homes and hospitals. Fine. Destroy United Nations schools sheltering desperate Palestinian families from the incessant carpet bombing. Fine. Attack ambulances to bar them from ferrying mangled children to darkened hospitals where they require urgent care. Fine. Claiming that there is no evidence of genocide in Gaza is like saying that there is no evidence of the holocaust in Nazi Germany and that there is no evidence of the trans-Atlantic slave trade or slavery in America, Europe and the Caribbean in the 18th and 19th centuries It is like saying that there is no evidence of the hideous atrocities, horrific barbarity, daylight robbery, psychological torture, emotional abusethat the Western colonial powers of Great Britain, France, Holland, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Spain and Germany unleashed and foisted on their former colonies Unleash white phosphorous to burn Palestinians to the bone. Fine. Dispense with the canard of precision strikes to prevent civilian casualties and revel, instead, in turning Gaza into Fallujah, circa 2005. Fine. Seal the prison that is Gaza tighter to make escape and hope impossible. Fine. Then demand that 1.1 million people move to nowhere within hours or face, in all likelihood, a certain death. Fine. On appalling cue, the usual gallery of preening presidents and prime ministers has deplored the atrocities committed by the black hats, while applauding, as a necessary and welcomed rebuttal, the atrocities committed by the white hats. So please, would fantasists stop imploring the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague to do something, anything, to hold both parties, including, Israel, to account? It has not happened and will not happen because the ever-compliant ICC knows that it must not offend, and will not offend, the powers that be in Washington DC, who run the whole fraudulent farce. Meanwhile, Netanyahu who, just a few weeks ago, was excoriated for being an indicted crook facing a corruption trial on a slew of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust charges, as well as having an authoritarians DNA has been rehabilitated by US President Joe Biden and obsequious company, as the Middle Easts shining avatar of resolve, resilience and morality. Such is the diseased moral compass of Biden and his pedestrian confederates in London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Canberra and Ottawa. Still, its hardly surprising that feral colonial powers given their hideous record of killing and disfiguring so many innocents, in so many scarred places would offer their blanket endorsement to another colonial power responsible for killing and disfiguring so many innocent Palestinians in Gaza and beyond, yesterday, today and tomorrow. But know this: Biden et al do not speak for millions of citizens who they purport to represent, but who will continue to stand steadfast with unbowed Palestinians and their just and humane cause. Despite all the nonsense and posturing by the international community about resolving the crisis through diplomacy, this dystopian-like horror has been the end game all along: pulverise every square inch of Gaza and its people into dust and memory. The risible two-state solution is a sick illusion promoted by slick, Ivy-league-educated diplomats like US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the other Israeli war-crime apologists who preceded him fused, as they were and are, to their partners in Tel Aviv like conjoined twins. Blinken has travelled to Israel at the behest of his boss to greenlight genocide. We will remember that, too. A malignant regime, motivated by a poisonous combination of ultra-nationalism and fanaticism, knows that its sinister goal is in tantalising sight. There will be more horrors to come. But Palestinians will not be broken. They will persevere and prevail. It will be hard and take time, but they will rebuild (CONCLUDED). Andrew Mitrovika, the author of these powerful words, has hit the nail on the head. His views and indeed his conclusion that genocide is indeed being committed in Gaza represents the thinking of millions of people all over the world. Western leaders and all those who are still lost in their vain and self-inflicted fantasy of no evidence of genocide in Gaza should read his powerful and insightful words carefully and come to the conclusion that what is happening in Gaza is downright evil, which ought to be described for what it is and roundly condemned. Claiming that there is no evidence of genocide in Gaza is like saying that there is no evidence of the holocaust in Nazi Germany and that there is no evidence of the trans-Atlantic slave trade or slavery in America, Europe and the Caribbean in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is like saying that there is no evidence of the hideous atrocities, horrific barbarity, daylight robbery, psychological torture, emotional abuse, wholesale deprivation, unalloyed humiliation, shameless graft and mind-boggling pillaging that the Western colonial powers of Great Britain, France, Holland, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Spain and Germany unleashed and foisted on their former colonies in Africa, Asia, South America and the Middle East. It is like saying that King Louis II of Belgium did not kill 10 million Congolese Africans, that Vladimir Lenin and Josef Stalin did not kill 25 million Russians, that Pol Pot did not kill two million Cambodians, that the Hutus of Rwanda did not kill one million Tutsis, that the Turks did not kill one million Armenians, and that the Americans did not literally exterminate the Red Indian population in their country. It is like saying that there was no terror attack in New York on 9/11 and that there was no terror attack in Moscow a few weeks ago. It is like saying that the Spanish did not eliminate a quarter of the native and indigenous population of South America, that the British did not wipe out millions of the Irish and three million Bengali Indians, that the Serbs did not murder 20,000 thousand Bosnians, and that Argentina did not exterminate its entire black population. It is like saying that 20 million people were not killed in WWI, that 50 million people were not killed in WWII, and that America did not drop a nuclear bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing hundreds of thousands. Joe Biden and his administration will ultimately regret the blind, irrational, inexplicable, indefensible, unjustifiable, unrestrained, unconditional and relentless support that they continue to offer the Jewish state which, given the events of the last six months, has transformed itself into a murderous, totalitarian fascist apartheid settler- colonial state and a hideous enclave of bloodthirsty genocidal maniacs, child killers, mass murderers, land grabbers and vicious, cold-blooded Nazis. It is like saying that the ethnic cleansing of 80,000 of the Herero and Nama people of Namibia by the Germans never took place and it is like saying that the mass murder of three million Igbos by Nigeria never took place. It is like saying that the war that is being waged in Gaza by Israel is against Hamas and not against the Palestinian people. It is like saying that the war started on 7th October after the attack on Israel by Hamas and not 75 years ago after the unleashing of the horrific Nakba on the Palestinians and the illegal occupation of their land by the Jews. It is like saying that the Israelis have always owned all the land in Gaza and that the Palestinians never lived in or had a historical stake in it. It is like saying that the Zionists did not murder hundreds of innocent and defenceless Palestinians in the village of Deir Yassin. It is like saying that the Christian Falange Lebanese militia, with the full support of the Israelis, did not butcher thousands of Palestinian Muslims in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatilla. It is like saying that the 1948 Nakba, in which 750,000 Palestinians were butchered and ethnically cleansed, forced from their homes and scattered and displaced by the Zionists never took place. It is like saying that the terror attack by Hamas in Israel on 7th October, in which 1,000 Jews were killed never took place. Finally, it is like saying that the air strike by the Israeli Airforce on Eid, in which three sons and three grandchildren of the leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, were targeted and murdered, never took place. Those that insist on perpetuating the monstrous mendacity that there is no genocide in Gaza and who indulge in such egregious falsehood, self-serving perfidy, and outrageous lies, are not only malicious, mischievous, malevolent, ignorant and sociopathic but also totally and completely insensitive, misinformed and possibly insane. They look but they refuse to see and they listen but refuse to hear. They have no truth in them and they are nothing but feral psychopaths and intellectual barbarians. They are a coven of dark, dangerous and deviant manipulators and an unholy gathering of shameless and sinister cultists, charlatans and gangsters, who are in the grip, power and service of Satan. That is precisely why many refer to them as agents of the dark forces and acolytes of the principalities and powers that rule our world, and refer to the Zionists, whose interests they seek to further and protect, as founding fathers of the Synagogue of Satan and devil worshippers. For the record, there has never been a war in history like the one in Gaza, in which 80 per cent of the country has been decimated, 100 per cent of the population displaced, and 50 per cent of those that have been killed are children. In his contribution, Christian Hedges, an American journalist, whilst on his assignment and coverage of the war in Gaza said, children have been shot in other conflicts I have covered but never have I watched as soldiers enticed children like mice into a trap and murder them for sport. All this and yet the American Secretary of Defence, General Lloyd Austin, has the effrontery and nerve to proclaim that there is no evidence of genocide in Gaza! Someone needs to ask this misguided and facetious man just how many Palestinians need to be slaughtered before it fits into his definition of genocide! Only the cruel can deny the horror of Gaza and claim that what we are witnessing there today is anything other than mass murder, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, war crimes, collective punishment, starvation and genocide all of which constitute specific and clear violations of both international law and the law of war and all of which have made Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his ministers, his intelligence chiefs and his military commanders candidates for prosecution at the International Criminal Court at the Hague. Those who claim that this is not the case are devious-minded, specious liars and blood-lusting warmongers who are feeding fat on the blood of the women and children of Gaza, and who deserve to burn in hell. Not only have Joe Biden and his entire government become enablers of the crime of genocide but, given the fact that they are providing vast sums of money and deadly arms to the Zionist state to achieve their bloody enterprise, they are also complicit in it. The blood of 35,000 innocent and defenceless Palestinians, including 15,000 children, are on their collective hands. This blood will cry to God in heaven for vengeance and speak against them into eternity. Joe Biden and his administration will ultimately regret the blind, irrational, inexplicable, indefensible, unjustifiable, unrestrained, unconditional and relentless support that they continue to offer the Jewish state which, given the events of the last six months, has transformed itself into a murderous, totalitarian fascist apartheid settler- colonial state and a hideous enclave of bloodthirsty genocidal maniacs, child killers, mass murderers, land grabbers and vicious, cold-blooded Nazis. It is fair to say that all the demons have left hell and now reside in Israel. Femi Fani-Kayode, the Sadaukin Shinkafi and the Wakilin Doka Potiskum, is a lawyer, and former minister of Culture and Tourism, and Aviation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print In June 1987, he set up his own chambers, known as Messrs Ahmad O. Belgore & Co, in Kano, where he provided free legal services to those with genuine cases but no finances to prosecute them. He was a compassionate lawyer who genuinely cared about his clients and ordinary people who came for his advice. He sensitively approached legal matters by empathising with his clients on their challenges. He adhered to high ethical standards by prioritising honesty, integrity, and transparency in his interactions. He heartily observed the fast from the first to the last day of Ramadan. Throughout the 30 days, from 10 March to 9 April, as was his tradition, Justice Ahmad Olanrewaju Belgore provided plenty of food and gift items to the poor and the needy, and various families and groups. On the last day of Ramadan, just a week before his 71st birthday, after breaking his fast, observing his night prayers and performing Zakat Fitr, the retired Justice of the Court of Appeal answered the call of Almighty God. He did not witness the Eid-Fitr, which was only hours away the following day. His death shocked everyone. In various tributes, Justice Belgore has been described as a jurist par excellence, with sterling qualities and without blemish. He is ranked him alongside Niki Tobi and Karibi Whyte for his deep knowledge of jurisprudence. Others described him as a bold and erudite judge with a keen sense of justice. In his condolence message, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, who is also a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, said Belgore was one of the finest Justices, who contributed in no small measure to the growth and development of the justice system, the judiciary and humanity in general. Before his death, political and community leaders acknowledged and appreciated his sterling qualities, as evident during his 70th birthday last year, when Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said the bench and other stakeholders in the justice sector would miss him for making the country proud with his brilliance, industry, and sound character. Also, in a tribute, renowned biographer and author of Ilorin Emirates Frontliners, Abubakar Sidiq Imam, wrote, Apart from giving a good account of himself on the bench, Justice Belgore was also very helpful to many younger ones offering quality assistances to many in the realm of job facilitation, career progression, counselling, and financial support. 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 I had a memorable encounter with this legal luminary when he came to Kano as a humble, well-dressed, and jovial lawyer, who always gave us small boys sweets and biscuits. So, when I read the tributes pouring in after his death, focusing only on his time on the bench, without any background to his practice at the bar, I wondered what the reason could be. The now-late Justice Belgore came to Kano in the early 1980s after his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in the Niger State Ministry of Justice, where he also headed the Legal Aid Council and chaired the states Rents Tribunal. He was then a lawyer at the prestigious Majiyagbe Law Chamber, founded by Jonathan Babatunde Majiyagbe, the first practising lawyer in northern Nigeria to be elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1980 and former president of Rotary International. Belgore and others used to attend a forum in Kano called The Markazi, which my father, Imam Abdulhameed Shuaib Agaka, hosted. There, they chatted and debated topical issues in Arabic. Some notable members of the advocacy forum included the present Imam Imale, Sheikh Abdullahi Abdulhameed; Imam Murtala Alaya; Dr AbdulSalam Alabidun of Bayero University Kano (BUK); and Professor Abdulbaqi Shuaib of the University of Sokoto, among others. Later, young scholars like Sheikh Habibullahi Adam Alilory of Markaz Agege, Professor Abubakar Aliagan of the University of Ilorin, Sheikh Adam Yahaya of Darul Hikma and Dr Aminullahi Gambari of BUK joined a similar interactive advocacy forum. Resolutions from those interactions influenced Lawyer Belgore, Professor Oba Abdulraheem, Alhaji SO Aliyu and other influential figures in Kano, in providing educational guidance and facilitating scholarships and job placements for people from the Ilorin Emirate. Beyond being a modest, humble, and eloquent legal practitioner, Belgore motivated some of us to become lawyers due to his compassionate approach to the legal practice and his reluctance to pursue cases that could lead to hatred and enmity among litigants. We were told he didnt like to take briefs about divorce and issues that could cause him to worry or entertain concerns about fairness and equity. Justice Belgore once told us about a bitter experience when two lawyers representing a husband and a wife in a divorce case fought profusely in court. After the judge granted the dissolution of the marriage, with one of the couples not satisfied with the judgment and crying profusely, the two lawyers merely drove away in the same car, beaming with smiles, as if it was just another case to them, even though someones life had been fundamentally impacted negatively. In June 1987, he set up his own chambers, known as Messrs Ahmad O. Belgore & Co, in Kano, where he provided free legal services to those with genuine cases but no finances to prosecute them. He was a compassionate lawyer who genuinely cared about his clients and ordinary people who came for his advice. He sensitively approached legal matters by empathising with his clients on their challenges. He adhered to high ethical standards by prioritising honesty, integrity, and transparency in his interactions. Beyond that, as our role model, he advised us on career choices and provided for our emotional, mental, and financial needs. Many students benefited from his support, more than scholarships offered in some official quarters. It was in August 1990 that he became a judge of the Kwara State High Court of Justice. Coming from the Belgore family, most of whose members are either lawyers or jurists, his appointment to the bench was not a surprise to us. Other Belgores in the profession included a former Chief Justice of the Federation, a former Chief Justice of the Federal High Court, and Justices of the High Court at the state level. As a justice of the Appeal Court, Belgore treated everyone with respect, remained unbiased, and was free from external influences. In cases in which negative insinuations were made through social media posts or where litigants attempted to question the integrity of his court or the panel of judges, he presided over, Justice Ahmed Belgore often recused himself and members of panels he led and advised the litigants to petition the Nigerian Judicial Council (NJC). In one such instance, Belgore and his panel were vindicated in the end, as the NJC dismissed the allegations for lack of merit or evidence of misconduct. As a judge, he embodied qualities that went beyond legal expertise. Overall, he maintained patience, open-mindedness, and courtesy. Unsurprisingly, he often allowed a member of the usually three-member panel of the Court of Appeal to read the judgments of cases on his behalf. Born on 18 April 1953, the late Justice Ahmad Belgore studied Law at Ahmadu Bello University and became a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1979. Throughout his career, he held various roles, including Judge of the High Court of Kwara State, as mentioned, Justice of Appeal in the Republic of the Gambia, and Justice of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria. Belgore served as Presiding Justice in different divisions of the Court of Appeal. He was a member of the Body of Benchers of Nigeria and later a Life Bencher. As mentioned, he retired on 18 April 2023 at 70 and died on 9 April 2024 at 71. May Almighty Allah grant him Aljannatul Firdaus. Yushau A. Shuaib is the Publisher of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential; Email: yashuaib@yahoo.com Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Many people have, over the years, wondered which North the NEF claims to be speaking for when its silence or equivocation over serious heists that have bedevilled the Middle Belt area of the region has been louder than a thunderclap? Can it truly claim to speak for every section of the North in the same way that the Ohaneze speaks for the Igbos? We regret voting for Tinubu in 2023. We wont repeat such a mistake again, say Northern Elders. That was the banner headline carved out by the media from the latest intervention of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), in Nigerias political space. I chuckled. Its an old trick. Mother Fowl knows what to do when it wants more corn. The struggle for domination in the business of selling political spare parts is older than Nigerias flag independence. In every corner of the political space, there have always been self-styled elders, youths, professionals, critical stakeholders, vanguards, progressives, custodians, and all sorts of unelected persons elbowing each other for prime access to the media space. Northern Elders The Northern Elders Forum (NEF), founded eleven years ago by Professor Ango Abdullahi, former vice-chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, is one such contraption. It claims to speak for the entire northern region of Nigeria and has vigorously pursued whatever agenda it sets for itself in the geopolitics of Nigeria. There are many such elite interest groups scattered all over the country; so, NEF hasnt really done anything wrong. I do not grudge the NEF its right to freely associate. Its a free world where other ethnic nationalities in the country are also entitled to cobble out their own special purpose vehicles for political patronage or other self-serving fallouts of programmed activism. Until recently, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed was the most visible face and spokesperson of the organisation. In the recent past, he was the chief of staff to the Senate President during the tenure of Dr Bukola Saraki. He is now a Special Adviser On Political Issues in the office of Vice-President Kashim Shettima. There is something to be said for media visibility in the political space, especially when you give the impression that your exertions are altruistically based on the common good. Nigerians recognise a selfish quest even when disguised as heroism. 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 Last year, the NEF controversially declared that the presidential race should still be open to candidates from the northern part of the country because the North had a deficit of four years in the Nigerian power roulette: Since 1999, the South has ruled the country for 14 years and the North for 10 years, it said. The Forums recent claim that President Tinubu has failed to secure the country, and that the northern part of the country has been the most hit as a result of the presidents incompetence, was downright laughable, considering that, measure for measure, Buhari who hailed from the North had a poorer record (within an 11-month timeline) than the incumbent president in many areas of governance. Many people have, over the years, wondered which North the NEF claims to be speaking for when its silence or equivocation over serious heists that have bedevilled the Middle Belt area of the region has been louder than a thunderclap? Can it truly claim to speak for every section of the North in the same way that the Ohaneze speaks for the Igbos? Arrogance The arrogant presumptuousness that attends some of its pronouncements is remarkable. During the campaigns last year, it claimed that no region had ever suffered under any leader than the North did under the Buhari administration and no region benefitted from more undeserved advantages than the South did. That was at a time when nepotism had become a defining stamp of President Buharis government and the children of political bigwigs were unfairly smuggled into juicy public appointments, thereby distorting the federal character composition of many parastatals and agencies. NEFs claim that, at the right time, it would advise Northerners on who to vote for, was seen by analysts as proof that the elderly members of the organisation were still living in the past. I dont play ethnic games, nor am I interested in politricks. I insist, however, that if we must navigate our way out of our serious national problems, we have to re-interrogate our assumptions, shun the We-Vs-Them attitude that brought the First Republic to grief, and reject blackmail as a negotiation tool. To say all this is to reassert my right to love the North and other parts of Nigeria as I do, and help the area achieve its great potentials without pulling down the larger household. If Nigeria must exist, then it must work for all Nigerians, not just a section of it. The Forums recent claim that President Tinubu has failed to secure the country, and that the northern part of the country has been the most hit as a result of the presidents incompetence, was downright laughable, considering that, measure for measure, Buhari who hailed from the North had a poorer record (within an 11-month timeline) than the incumbent president in many areas of governance. For example, it took Buhari six months to appoint ministers. He fiddled most times while Nigeria burnt. His statements during crises were divisive. Indeed, ethnic killings became rife under his administration. Remember the naira recolouring scandal? What about the eventual bastardisation of the Ways and Means procedure? NEF was largely silent when it mattered most in the eight years of the Buhari government. That fact, in itself, does not disqualify the Forum from commenting on public affairs; it only means that it should use its tongue to count its teeth before doing so. It appears to me that, going forward, anyone who wants to be politically relevant and appointable will have to ventilate a larger, more all-encompassing vision rather than the same atavistic tricks in the service of narrow agendas which have kept the various regions of the country, especially the North, on their mendicant knees. According to NEFs new spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, the fact that the criminals were allowed to kidnap the school children was a sign of serious security lapses. It is unacceptable for Nigerians, particularly those in the northern region, to continue living under such insecure conditions. Unfortunately, just months into the Tinubu administration, there have already been clear signs of failure in providing the vital aspects of security of life and property to citizens. Many netizens are now asking NEF, where were you when the list of terror sponsors of Northern origin was released? What is your comment on the development? What solutions do you proffer? NCEF And talking about solutions, another unelected body which describes itself as a coalition of statesmen in Nigeria under the aegis of the National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), has blamed foreign invaders masquerading as religious extremists for the spate of killings and bloodshed in the country. Nigeria is facing a racial and cultural domination agenda disguised as religious intolerance In Plateau and Kaduna states the owners of the land have been driven into IDP camps while the names of the villages have been changed to Fulani names. In Plateau State, over 102 villages were reportedly taken over by Fulani invaders while in Kaduna State, over 109 villages have been dislodged. The owners of the land are in IDP camps, says NCEF. To reset the country on the path of normalcy, the NCEF recommends the following: Immediate implementation of the report of the 2014 National Conference. Immediate ban of nomadic cattle rearing and abolishment of the RUGA project mooted by former President Muhammadu Buhari. Dismantling of terrorist cells and infrastructure. Any business investor that requires land should apply for land like other citizens. Preferential treatment should not be accorded any group in Nigeria. The ethnic nationalities should assert their right and ownership over their ancestral land and assert the dominion of their thrones in Nigeria. The ethnic socio-cultural groups should consider these issues in greater detail. The demand for devolution of power should be intensified by the ethnic nationalities. President Tinubu should appoint a Special Investigator to conduct a Commission of Inquiry into the causes, as well as expose the actors, in the various acts of terrorism and religious insurgency that overwhelmed Nigeria since 2009. The Forum called on the various indigenous ethnic nationalities to come together to renegotiate Nigeria. It appears to me that, going forward, anyone who wants to be politically relevant and appointable will have to ventilate a larger, more all-encompassing vision rather than the same atavistic tricks in the service of narrow agendas which have kept the various regions of the country, especially the North, on their mendicant knees. Congratulations, Pelumi Hearty congratulations to the travel content creator who is the first woman to solo drive a car from London to Lagos, and now Lagos Tourism Ambassador, Pelumi Nubi. As they say in cyberlingo, Naija no dey carry last! 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 Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), on Saturday, demanded the release of the remaining Chibok girls from captivity 10 years after their abduction by Boko Haram. PREMIUM TIMES reported that 91 of the girls remain missing, including those that might have died in captivity and others that decided to stay married to Boko Haram members. The Christian body said the pain and anguish experienced by the parents of the abducted girls was still being deeply felt. It said that it was not only a matter of national importance, but also a test of commitment to upholding the rights and safety of Nigerian citizens. This is contained in a statement by its National Director for Education, Youth and Women Development, Ozumba Nicodemus, a reverend, on Saturday in Abuja. We cant remain silent The trauma experienced by the remaining (of the) 276 abducted girls from Nigeria is unimaginable. The pain and anguish felt by their parents, who have endured sleepless nights filled with hopelessness, are deeply felt by CAN. 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 We cannot remain silent while their children remain in captivity, yearning for freedom and reunion with their families, it said. CAN urged the government to intensify efforts and take decisive action to rescue the remaining children still held hostage. It is our duty as a nation to ensure their safe return, and to bring an end to the anguish and suffering endured by these innocent young girls and their families. We call on the government to mobilise all available resources, engage relevant security agencies, and collaborate with international partners to secure the release of the remaining Chibok girls, It said. The religious body also implored the international community, humanitarian organisations, and well-meaning individuals to join hands in advocating for the release of the Chibok girls. Together, we can amplify our voices and exert greater pressure on the abductors to bring an end to this prolonged ordeal. CAN remains resolute in its commitment to seeking justice and ensuring the safe return of the Chibok girls. We will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders and utilise all available avenues to shed light on their plight and secure their release. We urge all Nigerians to stand united, to lend their voices and to demand immediate action from the government. Let us show our unwavering support for the families of the Chibok girls and demonstrate our collective determination to bring them back home, It added. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The United States Government has pledged to support Nigerias war against terrorism, as the country marks a decade of the mass abduction of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok in Borno State, North-east Nigeria, by Boko Haram terrorists. This is contained in a statement issued by the spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, Aishah Gambari, on Sunday, in Abuja. Ms Gambari said the U.S. would also support Nigerias terrorism survivors and their families, saying that the U.S.-Nigeria partnership was built on a foundation of shared values and common goals. According to her, the U.S. will continue to support Nigerias efforts to combat terrorism, and to hold perpetrators of terrorist attacks accountable, as well as guarantee citizens safety and well-being. The partnership between the United States and Nigeria is built on a foundation of shared values and common goals. We will continue to work together to promote peace, security, and stability in the region, and to support initiatives that foster education, economic growth, and human rights. As we mark one decade since this terrible act, we reaffirm our support for the survivors, their families, and all those affected by terrorism. 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 United States stands with Nigeria in its fight against extremism and its commitment to creating a safer, more prosperous future for all its people, Gambari said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that on 14 April 2014, Boko Haram terrorists stormed Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State, and abducted no fewer than 276 girls. The girls were preparing for that years Senior West African School Certificate Examination, and 10 years since then, while some of them were found, about 89 others have yet to return. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Residents of Fagge in the Kano metropolis were ecstatic on Friday as a Sallah Durbar event they last witnessed six years ago returned to their area. The Hawan Nasarawa (Durbar procession) did not pass through Fagge for the nearly six years that Muhammadu Sanusi was the emir of Kano (June 2014 March 2020). Before then, Mr Sanusis predecessor, Ado Bayero (1963 to 2014), usually rode through Fagge, stopping over at several places to receive homage and prayers from residents and notable clerics of the area before returning to his palace. The Hawan Nasarawa, one of the Kano royal Sallah Durbah processions, is considered the climax of Sallah Day celebrations by residents of Fagge because of the activities of the late emir in the area, a resident, Nuruddeen Muhammad, said. An indication of the importance that the people attached to the event is reflected in the fact that indigenes of Fagge residing in other parts of Nigeria and abroad would return home to witness the procession, Mr Muhammad said. The procession usually began with the late emir paying homage to the state governor at the Government House. He would then stop over at Sabon Gari, an area of the city densely populated by non-indigenes (especially from the southern parts of Nigeria), where he would be welcomed by the community and Christian leaders, with the residents turning out in large numbers to greet him. The emir would then move to the Sanda Maibarewas residence in Fagge, where he would be welcomed by Mr Maibarewa, a political ally of the late Sardauna of Sokoto and premier of the defunct Northern Region, Ahmadu Bello. 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 Muhammad said the tradition continued after Mr Maibarewa died as the emir received the special greetings from his family. The emir would also switch to his spare horse at Mr Maibarewas residence before proceeding. The residence wore a new look annually to host the emirs stopover, Mr Muhammad recalled, adding that this was the practice for decades until Mr Sanusi shortened the procession. The emir then proceeded to Malam Muttaka Street for another stopover and prayers. The next stopovers were observed at Kabobo Street, Dandalin Fagge, where he received prayers from some clerics and traditional leaders before exiting the area to his palace. The larger part of the activities took place in the Fagge area during the durbar procession unless when it falls on Friday. (In that case), the late emir would cut off some routes, as it happened in this years procession, to meet the Jummat prayer at the palace, Mr Muhammad said. But Mr Muhammad, a lawyer, said Mr Sanusi cut the route throughout his reign which made the Sallah celebration in Fagge boring. He said the new emir, Aminu Ado-Bayero, returning his late fathers Durbar tradition, since he mounted the throne in March 2020, has again made the celebration colourful in the area. PREMIUM TIMES confirmed that Mr Ado-Bayeros durbar procession was much longer than that of Mr Sanusi. The deposed emir always headed back to the palace from the Government House via a short route through Obasanjo Way to IBB Way; Kantin Kwari; Kofar Mata and finally the palace. But for the new emir, after leaving the Government House, he passed through Lodge Road to Muhammad Abdullahi Specialist Hospital Road; Sani Abacha Way; Sabon Gari; Fagge; Wambai Quarters and Kofar Mata from where he finally arrived back at the palace. Because this years procession fell on a Friday, the emir avoided some areas so that he could return to the palace on time for the Jummat prayer. At each location the emir passed through, he received rousing greetings from spectators lining the streets. The Hawan Nasarawa procession presents representatives of the ethnic communities in Sabon Gari in Fagge LGA with the opportunity to see the emir and deliver their Sallah greetings to him and his entourage. On the emirs arrival at Kofar Kwaru, his gun salute team fired a series of gunshots to indicate that the Hawan Nassarawa had come to an end. The Durbar procession The Sallah Durbar procession is usually held twice a year. It is a symbol of the cultural heritage of Kano and some ancient towns in Northern Nigeria. As the Sallah festivities reached their climax on Friday in Kano, residents and tourists appreciated the rich cultural heritage of the city. The Durbar, despite the hot weather, had a long procession of horse riders and colourful displays of traditional attires. A resident, Maryam Haruna, recalled how her father used to carry her on his shoulder to watch the late emir, Mr Bayero, pass through Fagge. She described the Durbar as a unique and unforgettable experience. Another spectator, Aisha Abba, said what she admired most in the Durbar were the colourful attires of the emir and his guards. She said what attracted her most in the procession was how each group of horse riders dressed in different and beautiful costumes. The Durbar was four days of grandeur, horsemanship and equestrian parades. Beginning with Hawan Sallah, it moves to Hawan Daushe, Hawan Nassarawa, and ends with Hawan Doriya, also known as Fanisau. Each day of the procession has its unique cultural meaning. The one that many people found most interesting is Hawan Daushe, said to have been introduced in the 14th century under Emir Muhammadu Rumfa. Hawan Daushe is historically unique to Kano but it is also practised in other towns in Northern Nigeria. According to tradition, it began when the late Mr Rumfa accepted the request of one of his loyal guards, named Daushe, who was ill during the Sallah celebration, to introduce the Hawan Daushe to please him. In Kano, Hawan Daushe is a Durbar procession that pays homage to the palace of the emirs mother. It is a durbar procession for residents around the emirs palace. It also avails the people of Kano City an opportunity to see the emir during the Sallah festivities. The procession passes through various quarters in Kano, including Kabara Quarters, named after the famous 19th-century scholar Mallam Kabara, and Tudun Wizirchi Quarters, where scholars and influential figures lived. READ ALSO: Police arrest six persons for allegedly booing Kano Emir The Hawan Daushe is also a demonstration of the cultural heritage of Kano and its people. It attracts tourists and residents alike to appreciate it and see it as an expression of the diverse cultural heritage of Nigeria. This years Hawan Daushe, like previous ones, drew spectators from far and near including foreign diplomats and top government officials. The emir ends every years durbar procession with the Hawan Fanisau when he rests at a mini palace in Dorayi. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested nine Yoruba Nation agitators who attacked the Oyo State Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan, the state capital, on Saturday, an official said. The army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, a major-general, said in a statement on Sunday that the suspects were arrested clad in foreign military camouflage with berets and armed with dangerous weapons. Apart from arresting nine suspects, Mr Nwachukwu said, the troops also recovered one Semi Automatic Pump Action rifle and ammunition from them. He said troops responded swiftly upon receiving the news of the attack on the state government secretariat by the group which he said had invaded the location in buses and bikes. According to him, the troops engaged in a shootout with suspects, whom he said were subsequently overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the soldiers. While some members of the group fled, nine of them were apprehended by the troops, according to the Nigerian Armys statement. As a result of this engagement, nine members of the irredentist group were apprehended, while one Semi Automatic Pump Action rifle and ammunition were recovered. 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 Currently, troops are on the track of the fleeing adherents, and the situation is under control, the statement stated. No casualty has been reported yet. The army assured Nigerians of its resolve to keep them safe and maintain peace and order in the region. Meanwhile, prominent Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has distanced himself from Saturdays invasion. Ill implore the state government to do due diligence on the matter and figure out the identities of these impersonators and blackmailers, he wrote in a disclaimer he posted on his Instagram handle on Saturday. Read the Nigerian Armys full statement below: SITUATION REPORT ON INVASION OF OYO STATE SECRETARIAT AGODI This is to notify the general public that today Saturday 13 April 2024, sequel to the report of an attack on the State Secretariat Agodi, Ibadan, Oyo State, troops promptly responded to the incident and had contact with adherents of the Yoruba Nation dressed in foreign military camouflage with berets and armed with dangerous weapons in buses and motorbikes. Upon encountering own troops, the Yoruba nation adherents engaged the troops in a shootout. Troops, utilizing superior firepower, successfully subdued the attackers, who subsequently retreated in disarray. As a result of this engagement, nine members of the irredentist group were apprehended, while one Semi Automatic Pump Action rifle and ammunition were recovered. Currently, troops are on the track of the fleeing adherents, and the situation is under control. We assure members of the public that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety and security of the general area. We urge the public to remain calm and vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to the appropriate security agencies. The safety and security of the citizenry remain a priority, as we will continue to work tirelessly to maintain peace and order in the region. ONYEMA NWACHUKWU Major General Director Army Public Relations 13 April 2024 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print On the night of April 14, the Israeli Defense Forces intercepted most of the more than 300 Shahed drones and missiles launched by Iran outside the country. The IDF was assisted by the U.S. and British military in repelling the attack, shooting down targets in the skies of Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, there were reports of a hit at an Israeli army base in the south of the country, causing minor damage to the infrastructure, after which 31 people sought medical attention. OBOZ.UA is following the events in the region online. 09:55 - President Isaac Herzog expressed his gratitude to Israel's military and allies after Iran launched a large wave of hundreds of attack UAVs and missiles at the country. "Blessings to you, dear soldiers and commanders of the IDF and Air Force. Bless the coalition of nations led by the United States. Bless my sisters and brothers, the people of Israel, for their exceptional demonstration of resilience. Together, the forces of good will overcome the forces of evil," he said. ADVERTISIMENT 09:30 - Israel's chief military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, says France was among the countries that participated in the defense against Iran's nighttime attack. He emphasized that the country has very good technology, jets and radars that helped in patrolling the airspace. 08:50 - The US Congress has called for US troops to strike Iran in response to the attack on Israel, and is also going to hold Tehran accountable for the attack. US leader Joe Biden is convening consultations with G7 allies to formulate a response to the attacks. For its part, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the events in the Middle East. ADVERTISIMENT 08:30 - Jordan has reopened its airspace after closing it on Saturday evening when Iran launched drones and rockets at Israel. 08:20 - Beijing expressed "deep concern" over Iran's attack on Israel and called on "relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint" to prevent further escalation. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the international community, "especially influential countries, should play a constructive role for peace and stability in the region." 08:00 - Seven hours after the Iranian attack, Israel reopened its airspace at 07:30 on Sunday, according to the country's airport authorities. This is expected to affect flight schedules from Tel Aviv and passengers should check their departure/arrival times. 07:50 - IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari clarified that 99% of the 300 or so missiles fired by Iran at Israel overnight were intercepted by air defense systems. According to him, Iran launched 170 UAVs and all of them were shot down outside the country by the army and allies. In addition, none of the 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles fired by Iran entered Israeli airspace. Hagari confirmed that the infrastructure in Nevatim was slightly damaged, but the air base is operating normally. ADVERTISIMENT 07:30 - During the situation assessment on the morning of April 14, "no decision was made regarding Israel's response to the Iranian missile and drone attack," an Israeli official told The Times of Israel. He specified that a potential response would be discussed at a meeting of the military cabinet scheduled for 15:00 that day. 07:10 - After assessing the situation in the country, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that they managed to stop the main Iranian attack. At the same time, he warned that "the campaign is not over yet." ADVERTISIMENT "Tonight, Israel withstood an attack by hundreds of rockets and drones, and the IDF stopped the attack in an impressive manner. The whole world saw Iran for what it is: a terrorist state that attacks Israel from a distance of 1500 kilometers and tries to activate all its networks. We must be attentive to the instructions of the IDF Home Front Command and be prepared for any scenario," the general said. 06:55 - IDF fighter jets strike a number of military installations in a complex belonging to the Radwan Hezbollah forces in the Jbaa area of southern Lebanon. This was reported by the army's press service, noting that earlier in the night, Israeli aircraft struck Hezbollah military facilities in the Khiam and Kfarkela areas. ADVERTISIMENT 06:50 - Israel is preparing a response to the Iranian attack, which will be coordinated with its allies, The New York Times reports, citing an Israeli official. At the same time, US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the Americans would not help any IDF counterattack on Iran. 06:40 - Jewish media reports that no drones or cruise missiles have managed to enter Israeli airspace. According to them, the Jordanian air force also "intercepted and shot down dozens of Iranian UAVs" that violated the country's airspace and were heading for Israel. The Guardian writes that the British air force also participated in the interception of Iranian drones. ADVERTISIMENT 06:30 - The U.S. military intercepted more than 70 drones and at least three ballistic missiles during Iran's attack on Israel on Sunday night, CNN reports, citing unnamed U.S. officials. One of them said that the ballistic missiles were intercepted by warships in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. 06:00 - Iran has fired about 185 drones, 110 surface-to-surface missiles and 36 cruise missiles at Israel, two Israeli officials said. They added that while most of the targets were launched from Iran, some also came from Iraq and Yemen. ADVERTISIMENT As reported, late on Saturday night, April 13, Iran attacked Israel with drones and missiles from its territory. Both countries and their immediate neighbors announced the closure of airspace. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was fully prepared to repel the attack. The European Union and the UN Secretary General condemned Iran's "reckless" attack on Israel. Many leaders said it was "wreaking havoc in the region." Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- KuCoin, a global leader in the cryptocurrency exchange market, has fulfilled its honor and has successfully completed the distribution of an $8.95 million airdrop to users affected by withdrawal congestion. In a continuing effort to express gratitude to its loyal user base, KuCoin is thrilled to introduce another round of airdrops. Within 5 days, there will be 10 rounds of airdrops worth $20 Million credited to 3 million users. This initiative is specifically designed to reward users who did not initiate withdrawals or deposits during the specified timeframe of March 26, 22:00, to March 28, 00:00 (UTC+8). Through a lucky draw, 3 million fortunate users will be selected to receive airdrops varying from 0.1 to 2,000 USDT (please refer to KuCoin's official announcement for details), with the distribution process set to be completed within 5 days. The claim process for KuCoin's $20 million gratitude airdrop involves token vouchers, which recipients can redeem for BTC on a 1:1 basis. This gesture is part of KuCoin's ongoing commitment to not only ensure the platform's security and reliability but also to foster a united and protected cryptocurrency ecosystem. "As People's Exchange, we aim to show our appreciation for the trust and support our users have continuously shown," stated Johnny, the CEO of KuCoin. "Let's protect and celebrate the spirit of cryptocurrency together!" Users are encouraged to stay updated through KuCoin's Official channels. About KuCoin Launched in September 2017, KuCoin is a global cryptocurrency exchange with its operational headquarters in Seychelles. As a user-oriented platform with a focus on inclusiveness and community action reach, it offers over 800 digital assets and currently provides Spot trading, Margin trading, P2P Fiat trading, Futures trading, and Staking to its 30 million users in more than 200 countries and regions. KuCoin is currently one of the top 5 crypto exchanges. In 2023, KuCoin was named one of the Best Crypto Exchanges by Forbes and recognized as a highly commended global exchange in Finder's 2023 Global Cryptocurrency Trading Platform Awards. Learn more at https://www.kucoin.com/. 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 Varanasi, April 14 : The Lanka police in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi has arrested nine people of a gang of 'fake journalists', a police officer said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Kashi zone, Pramod Kumar, said that an Innova car, camera, electronic equipment, mobile, SIM card and six hundred rupees have been recovered from them. According to the DCP, during questioning, the accused confessed that they would go out on the highway in the night and would stop vehicles on the highway and threaten their drivers with a sting operation. One would pose as the chief editor, someone a reporter and another a cameraman. Apart from this, they used to extort money from illegal and overloaded vehicles by threatening to seize them. If they met policemen on the way, they would threaten them by recording their video and pretending to be journalists. The arrested gang members include Mridul Kumar Tiwari, Lal Babu Sonkar, Akash Kumar Gautam, Gaurav Kumar Bharti, Prakash Verma, Sawan Kumar, Anil Kashyap, Dilip Kumar and Jitendra Sonkar. Police said that Mridul Kumar Tiwari is the leader and he posed as chief editor. Lal Babu Sonkar became assistant cameraman, Akash Kumar Gautam, Jitendra Sonkar and Sawan Kumar alias Nayak became reporters. Gaurav Kumar Bharti was the driver. Dilip Kumar, Anil Kashyap and Prakash Verma were involved in this business of extortion by posing as cameramen. Police have recovered the alleged channel's reporting mic, stand, three hand-talks, mobile selfie stick, 360 degree camera, data cable, 11 mobile phones, 11 SIM cards, three data cables, Innova car and Rs 600 as recovery money from them. The DCP added that every day the police were receiving complaints of extortion from vehicles by gangs of fake journalists travelling in vehicles. Following this, top officials formed a police team, the DCP said During investigation, the police got the number of the gang's car. The gang members met under the Maldahiya bridge near Dafi bypass. They were caught near Harsevanand Public School under Maldahiya bridge. Iran's attack on Israel on the evening of April 13 was similar to the strikes that Russian troops have repeatedly carried out in Ukraine. Today, experts believe that the Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure were a kind of test of Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones and ballistic missiles. ADVERTISIMENT In particular, this was stated by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Analysts note that Russia's strikes on Ukraine were an attempt to determine the optimal package of means to break through Western air defense. On the night of April 13-14, the aerospace forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a large-scale strike against Israel with drones and missiles. The IDF said that all targets were intercepted by them and their allies outside Israeli airspace. At the same time, analysts emphasize the importance of the fact that Tehran struck Israel from Iranian territory, not exclusively with the help of the Yemeni Houthis and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, for the first time. "Russia has been experimenting with a combination of ballistic and cruise missiles along with Iranian drones in Ukraine. Iran's current use of drones and missiles shows how it is learning from the Russians to develop increasingly dangerous and effective means of attacking Israel," the ISW emphasized. ADVERTISIMENT They added that similarly, Tehran has used the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea to improve its drone tactics by testing the air defense capabilities of the US Navy. According to military experts, the ongoing attacks on Israel provide Iran with an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of its various strike capabilities to understand how it can more effectively evade and suppress Western air and naval defenses. "The United States, its allies and partners are dealing with an increasingly interconnected group of adversaries who help each other and learn from each other. The continued use of Iranian-designed drones by numerous US enemies and deepening ties between the players will help Tehran, Russia, North Korea and China improve the use of these systems against the United States and its allies," the ISW believes. ADVERTISIMENT As reported, the Lebanese group Hezbollah also joined Iran's massive attack on Israel on the night of April 14. The militants launched missiles from multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) in the north of the country from Lebanon. As reported, at least one hundred Iranian drones fired at Israel were intercepted outside Israeli airspace by the US and British forces. Tehran has previously threatened a harsh response to any country that opens its airspace or territory "for attacks from Israel." Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Deoria : , April 14 (IANS) A four-year-old girl was fatally attacked by stray dogs near the Amethi Mata Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district on Saturday, the police said. The victim belonged to a nomadic family, and her mutilated body was taken into custody by the police for post-mortem examination. The incident occurred within the jurisdiction of Kotwali police station, said Station House Officer (SHO) Ved Prakash Sharma. According to the SHO, the family of the victim had been residing near the temple in a temporary shanty for the past several months. On Saturday, the girl's family members had ventured out to search for work when stray dogs attacked the girl as she followed them. Despite efforts by bystanders to chase away the dogs, the girl sustained severe injuries and succumbed to them on the spot. "The police are taking necessary action in this regard," SHO Sharma added. Washington, April 14 : The US has announced "ironclad" support for Israel as Iran launched scores of drones and cruise missiles against Israel in retaliation for the the bombing of one of its diplomatic facilities in Damascus earlier this month. US President Joe Biden cut short his weekend retreat at his beachfront home in Delaware to head back to the White House as Iranian drones were on their way. He had an hour-long meeting with his national security team that included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, CIA Director William Burns and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. "Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. President Biden is being regularly updated on the situation by his national security team and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House," said National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on Saturday. "His team is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies. This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours. President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel's security is ironclad. The US will stand with the people of Israel and support their defence against these threats from Iran." The Iranian attack, said to be coming in waves of drones, is in retaliation for the Israeli bombing of a building in Damascus that housed senior officials of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Maharajganj /Basti : , April 14 (IANS) The district authorities of Maharajganj and police personnel of Basti have confiscated properties of former Uttar Pradesh Minister Amarmani Tripathi and seized two rooms of his office at his residence in Nautanva town of Maharajganj district on Saturday. Hundreds of supporters of the former Minister protested and entered into heated arguments with revenue officials carrying out measurement of the properties. The police officials have to produce a report regarding the confiscation of Amarmani Tripathi's properties in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Basti, Pramod Giri, on April 15. The action relates to a 23-year-old case of kidnapping of a school boy, Rahul Gupta, in Basti, in 2002. The abducted child was found at a house in Lucknow that belonged to the then Minister Tripathi. The MP MLA court of Basti had issued a non-bailable warrant against Amarmani Tripathi on October 16, 2022, and later, the Allahabad High Court had rejected his application to cancel the non-bailable warrant and stop the confiscation process on March 22, 2023. Earlier on March 20 this year, Basti police officers had sought more time to recover two properties of Amarmani: one in Nautanva town of Maharajganj district and another one in Vibhuti Khand, Lucknow, and CJM court had granted 10 days' time and instructed the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police and State Home Secretary to ensure that the properties are confiscated by April 15. Jerusalem, April 14 : A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. The projectiles triggered sirens in Jerusalem, the Negev Desert and the Dead Sea in the south, the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in the north as well as the occupied West Bank. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed on Saturday during a press briefing that Israel was under attack by ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran, noting that aerial defence systems have intercepted some of the missiles. Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that about 100 drones, out of about 400-500 that have been launched, were intercepted before reaching Israel by allied countries, including the US, Jordanian and British forces. Israel's Maged David Adom rescue service said in a statement that a 10-year-old boy from a Beduin village in the Negev was seriously injured. A projectile or parts of a projectile fell near Umm Al Fahm, an Arab city in northern Israel, causing no injuries. Israel is planning to launch a "significant response" to the Iranian aerial attack, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported early on Sunday, citing an anonymous senior Israeli official. "The fact that Iran fires for the first time from its territory at Israel requires a significant response. It will come soon," the official said. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed in a broadcast statement on Saturday night that it had launched missile and drone attacks on Israel. Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that the drones were launched from Iran as well as from other countries allied with Iran. The Israeli military said earlier in a statement that "the IDF Aerial Defense Array is on high alert, along with Israel Air Force fighter jets and Israeli Navy vessels that are on a defence mission in Israeli air and naval space". Meanwhile, two Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Xinhua news agency that several cruise missiles were also launched from Iran toward Israel. Israel has been on heightened alert over the past few days following Iranian threats to avenge the killing of seven Iranian officers in its consular building in Damascus, Syria, earlier in April, which was carried out by Israel, according to Iran. Beirut, April 14 : Lebanon has announced the closure of the Lebanese airspace to aviation due to the Iranian drone attack on Israel. "The Lebanese airspace has been closed to all aircraft arriving, departing, and crossing Lebanese airspace, temporarily and as a precaution, as of 1 a.m. on Sunday until 7 a.m.," the Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh said on Saturday evening. Iran has launched dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) toward Israel which arrived in the Israeli airspace in the early hours of Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced early Sunday that its fighters targeted the Israeli Kela barracks with dozens of Katyusha rockets in the occupied Syrian Golan. Hezbollah said in a statement that it launched its attack in response to the Israeli enemy's attacks on safe villages and towns in southern Lebanon. Israeli warplanes on Saturday night continued their airstrikes in multiple areas in southern Lebanon, paralleled with violent artillery shelling targeting many towns and villages, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua news agency. The military sources, who spoke anonymously, said that Israeli warplanes carried out five raids in southeast Lebanon. Eyewitnesses from border villages confirmed to Xinhua, "Dozens of powerful explosions reverberated in most of the border areas, and several drones flew at low to medium altitudes in the airspace of southern Lebanon." Moreover, Israeli artillery fired nearly 80 shells toward more than 21 towns and villages in the eastern, central, and western sectors of the border area in southern Lebanon. The military sources reported that they also monitored the crossing of several drones from Lebanon to Israel, most of which were intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome. Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on October 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 last year. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. United Nations, April 14 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned Iran's airborne attack on Saturday against Israel and urged a cessation of hostilities, media reports said. "I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran this evening. I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities," he said in a statement as quoted by Xinhua news agency report. Guterres added that he is "deeply alarmed" about the "very real danger" of a devastating region-wide escalation, "I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East. "I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war," he said. Iran began an airborne attack against Israel on Saturday in retaliation for an April 1 airstrike on its diplomatic facility in the Syrian capital of Damascus. The Israeli strike killed at least seven members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two top generals. Iran has accused Israel of carrying out the attack and vowed to respond. Tel Aviv has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack but it has for months carried out several strikes against Iranian targets across Syria. Iran and Hezbollah, its main ally in Lebanon, have said the attack will not go unpunished. Jerusalem, April 14 : Iran has launched unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) toward Israel, the Israeli military said. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Saturday evening in a press briefing that the drones would take several hours to arrive in Israeli airspace and that the country's defence systems would try to intercept them, Xinhua news agency reported. An official statement said the Israeli airspace will be closed from 12:30 a.m. The Israeli military said in a statement that it is "constantly monitoring the operational situation". According to the statement, "the IDF Aerial Defense Array is on high alert, along with Israel Air Force fighter jets and Israeli Navy vessels that are on a defence mission in Israeli air and naval space." Iranian media reported that about 50 UAVs have been launched. Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that the drones were launched from Iran as well as from other countries allied with Iran. Israel has been on heightened alert over the past few days following Iranian threats to avenge the killing of seven Iranian officers in its consular building in Damascus, Syria, earlier in April, which was carried out by Israel, according to Iran. Bahraich, April 14 : Five youths have been arrested for the forcible conversion and gang-rape of a minor girl in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich. The incident was reported from the Hardi area of the district where a Dalit minor girl, staying in her grandmotheras house, was kidnapped, converted, and gang-raped by the accused. All five accused were arrested on Saturday. The mother told police that her minor daughter, who was at her grandmotheras residence near Raji Chauraha, was kidnapped on February 2 by five youths from the neighbourhood, who converted her to their religion and gang-raped her. A case was registered and Superintendent of Police (SP) Vrinda Shukla along with other officers visited the site and gave directions for evidence collection and stringent action against the accused. The girl said that the youths had threatened to kill her if she spoke up. The accused -- Anees, Saddam, Mohiuddeen, Aleem and Baura -- were taken into custody and legal proceedings have been initiated against them under sections 363, 342, 376-D, 506, of IPC, the SP said on Sunday. The girl will be sent for medical examination. Tel Aviv, April 14 : Israel has closed all its educational institutions from Sunday for an indefinite period following the Iranian attack. Iran has on Saturday directed drones and a few missiles at Israel which the latter has claimed to have destroyed in the air itself. Iran has been threatening Israel with an attack following an April 1 attack by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF ) on its consulate in Damascus, Syria. Seven top officials of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), including Brigade General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, were killed in the attack. The Israel Home Front said that extracurricular activities in the country have also been suspended till further announcement. IDF spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari in a statement on Saturday night said that from Sunday no educational institutions will be open and that no camp programmes or extracurricular activities will be taking place. Daniel Hagari also called upon the Israeli citizens to be vigilant and to stay in shelters for ten minutes on hearing a warning siren. Israel defence ministry officials told IANS that Israel has taken all necessary precautions and that "the Iran proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi militants from Yemen have been attacking them. The official said that their country is prepared for any escalation and added that Israel could not be cowed down due to this. New Delhi, April 14 : India on Sunday expressed serious concern over the escalating tension between Israel and Iran, and called for exercising restraint, stepping back from violence and returning to the path of diplomacy. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Isreal and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region." Calling for immediate de-escalation, the MEA said, "We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy." "We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. Our Embassies in the region are in close touch with Indian community. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region," MEA said in an X post of its official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. After the nighttime Iranian attack, Israel reopened the airspace over the country on the morning of April 14. At 07:30, domestic airports in Israel reopened, and flights from Tel Aviv resumed. ADVERTISIMENT Travelers are advised to check flight schedule updates, which have changed due to the temporary closure of the sky. This was stated by the Israel Airports Authority, NBC News reports. "The airspace over Israel was reopened at 7:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, according to a statement from a spokesperson for the Israel Airports Authority. Flights from Tel Aviv are likely to change, so travelers should check with airlines and the airport authority's website for flight schedule updates," the statement said. The Israel Airports Authority also noted that domestic airports in the country will operate throughout the day. Israel's airspace was closed due to a massive nighttime air attack by Iran. In total, according to the IDF, Iran used about 300 air means during 5 hours on the night of April 14. 99% of them were intercepted by Israel's air defense and several of its allies. ADVERTISIMENT During the attack, Iran launched 170 kamikaze drones, none of which reached Israeli territory as they were all destroyed outside the country by both Israeli air defense forces and its allies. Not a single one of the 30 Iranian cruise missiles reached Israel: 25 of them were destroyed by Israeli air defense. Iran also used 120 ballistic missiles during the attack. The vast majority of them were destroyed by the Arrow long-range air defense system, but several missiles managed to bypass the defense and reached the Nevatim air base. However, according to a morning statement by the Israeli Defense Forces, the base withstood the attack and continues to function. Late in the evening of April 13, it became known that Iran had openly attacked Israel by launching Shahed drones and missiles. During the attack, which is called "unprecedented" both in terms of the number of weapons used and the fact that Iran attacked Israel directly, rather than through its proxies, for the first time in 40 years, civilians were injured. According to the Israeli National Emergency Medical Services, 31 people received medical care. There are also reports of two wounded children and three seriously injured as a result of the fire in the Sharon medical center. ADVERTISIMENT After the attack, the US Congress called for a strike against Iran, and the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting. Meanwhile, Israel itself is preparing a response to the attack. Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! Hyderabad, April 14 : AICC general secretary (organisation) K. C. Venugopal is arriving in Hyderabad later in the day for talks with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and other top party leaders to finalise candidates for remaining three Lok Sabha seats. Venugopal will hold a meeting with the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, AICC in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi and other key leaders on Sunday evening. He will also meet AICC secretaries, in-charges of Lok Sabha constituencies and party candidates whose names have already been announced. The Congress has already declared candidates for 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Announcement of candidates for Khammam, Karimnagar and Hyderabad constituencies has been delayed due to various reasons including multiple contenders, especially in Khammam and Karimnagar. For Khammam, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka's wife Nandini is also an aspirant. Since Vikramarkaas brother Mallu Ravi has already been declared party candidate from Nagarkurnool constituency, the leadership is in a dilemma on giving ticket to another member of his family. State minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddyas brother Prasad Reddy is also an aspirant of the party ticket from Khammam. There are many other aspirants including Raghurami Reddy and Mandava Venkateshwar Rao for the Khammam seat. There is a similar situation in Karimnagar, where BJP general secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar is seeking re-election. Revanth Reddy, Vikramarka and Deepa Dasmunshi on Saturday held talks about finalisation of candidates for the three candidates. The state election commission is already reported to have shortlisted the candidates for the seats and a final decision is likely after Sundayas meeting with Venugopal. The AICC general secretary is also likely to discuss with state leaders the strategy for May 13 elections and the joining by leaders of other political parties. The central leader is expected to give directions to state leadership on the issues to be taken up during campaigning and explain to people the promises made by the party in its national manifesto. Venugopal in consultation with the state leaders will also decide dates and venues of the public meetings to be addressed by top leaders of the party. The party is reportedly planning 50 public meetings across the state. Lok Sabha polls in Telangana will be held on May 13. New Delhi, April 14 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his letter to the nation said that farmers have been the backbone of the country's progress, whether it is historic MSP hikes, massive rise in procurement or making fertilisers available to them inexpensively despite globally high prices. On Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its election manifesto, known as 'Sankalp Patra'. The manifesto was released in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief J.P. Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and other leaders. The PM in his address, during the launch, said that India will be made a Global Nutrition Hub due to which farmers will benefit immensely. "Increasing vegetable production and storage facilities will be our focus. Kisan Samman Nidhi will continue," said PM Modi. In the letter, the PM also outlined the government's efforts to expand farmers' access to both local and global markets, empowering them to thrive in a competitive environment. Additionally, he celebrated the success of the PM KUSUM scheme, which aims to transform farmers into 'Urjadatas' (energy providers) by enabling them to generate solar power. "Farmers have been a backbone of our nation's progress. Whether it is historic MSP hikes, a massive rise in procurement or making fertilisers available to them inexpensively despite globally high prices, direct income support through PM-KISAN, the safety net of Fasal Bima, renewed focus on millets, expanded access to local and global markets, a number of steps have been taken to empower them," PM Modi wrote in the letter. "Our Annadatas are also becoming Urjadatas due to the PM KUSUM scheme. Empowered by our Beej Se Bazar Tak approach, our farmers have done wonders for the country," the PM further stated. PM Modi, in a stirring declaration in the manifesto, celebrated India's remarkable journey from being labelled among the 'Fragile Five' nations to ascending as one of the top five economies globally. "We have gone from a nation that was in the 'Fragile Five' to a nation that is one of the top 5 economies of the world. The most important facet of this progress is that the fruits of development reached everyone, especially those who needed it the most," the PM said in the letter. "The mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas has guided our actions. The nation's growth has been powered by the victory of 25 crore people in the battle against poverty. These are people who had suffered decades of deprivation of even basic necessities. Today, not only are they benefiting from our saturation approach in basic needs like bank accounts, gas connections, toilets, water, electricity, etc, but they are also being empowered with new-age facilities like optic fibre connections, digital solutions, drones, etc," the PM said. In the letter, he further emphasised that the nation's growth is intricately intertwined with the profound socio-economic transformations witnessed in the lives of various segments of society, including women, farmers, fisherfolk, street vendors, small entrepreneurs, and marginalised communities. "The nation's growth has come from the drastic socio-economic transformation seen in the lives of women, farmers, fisherfolks, street vendors, small entrepreneurs, SC, ST and OBC communities. They are being directly empowered through the power of technology such as the JAM trinity," PM Modi said. New Delhi, April 14 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released its manifesto, named 'Sankalp Patra', for the Lok Sabha polls. The manifesto was presented by BJP's Manifesto Committee head and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other top party leaders. PM Modi said the BJP was focused on four pillars -- youth, women, poor and the farmers, and 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' is the "soul" of BJP's Sankalp Patra. He also reiterated the government's commitment to "fight against corruption as it snatches the rights of poor and middle-class". Here are key points of the Sankalp Patra: All 70-plus senior citizens to be covered under Ayushman scheme Free ration scheme to continue for next five years Mudra loan limit to be hiked from current Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh Ensure clean drinking water, Har Ghar Nal se Jal for all households in villages, towns and cities. Provide free electricity to poor households under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. Empower the Neo-Middle Class Expand Bharat's top-tier startup ecosystem to tier-2 and tier-3 cities Introduce more IITs, IIMs, AIIMS and other such institutes. Launch internship programmes to blend academic and practical skills. Empower three crore more rural women to become Lakhpati Didis Increase Women's Participation in Sports Implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Implement Law to Prevent Paper Leaks and conduct transparent public exams Expand the Startup Ecosystem Increase employment opportunities in manufacturing Facilitate convenient Teerth Yatra for senior citizens To strengthen PM KISAN & PM Fasal Bima Yojana Increase in MSP Insurance for Fisheries Empower Small Traders and MSMEs with ONDC To expand metro network in major urban centres ensuring last-mile connectivity Initiate feasibility studies for Bullet Train Corridors in North, South and East India Three models of Vande Bharat trains are to be run -- Vande Bharat sleeper, Vande Bharat chaircar, and Vande Bharat metro. Uniform Civil Code: Article 44 of the Constitution lists the Uniform Civil Code as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy. BJP believes that there cannot be gender equality till such time Bharat adopts a Uniform Civil Code, which protects the rights of all women, and the BJP reiterates its stand to draw a Uniform Civil Code, drawing upon the best traditions and harmonising them with the modern times. To launch Gaganyaan, Bharat's first human spaceflight mission, and land an astronaut on the Moon. Committed to seeking permanent membership in the UN Security Council To take Digital Public Infrastructure to the World Preserving and promoting the legacy of Lord Ram Zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism to be continued Robust infrastructure along borders to be ensured Reinforce the fight against drugs Make Bharat the third-largest economy Honour Honest Taxpayers Implement 'One Nation, One Student ID' through the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) to store academic qualifications, credit scores and certificates, among others for students from pre-primary to higher education. Make One Nation, One Election a reality New Delhi, April 14 : Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has a new vision for the country, to make it an economic hub for South Asia, pointing out that small countries like Bhutan are not trapped by legacy and can innovate swiftly to implement plans that other countries might hesitate to pursue. Gelephu Mindfulness City Special Administrative Region (SAR) in the South of the Kingdom is set to become a leading hub through investments in green energy, physical and digital connectivity infrastructure and education. Mindfulness City is unique for being founded on Bhutanese values and the Gross National Happiness philosophy, prioritising not only economic development but personal well-being for every resident. Bhutan is already known worldwide for being a haven of pristine natural beauty, spirituality and unique cultural traditions. The SAR is the worldas aModern Buddhist Lifestyle Destinationa for spirituality, wellness and rejuvenation. Gelephu Mindfulness City is also the gateway for tourists to the rest of Bhutan, nestled between two nature reserves a" the Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Royal Manas National Park a" as well as connected to Thimphu via Paro airport. Nestled between mountains, forests, and rivers, Bhutan stands as one of the last biodiversity hotspots in the world, with 70 percent of the country covered in forest. The Mindfulness City will cover an area of over 1,000 sq. km, or 250,000 acres. This is around 2.5 percent of the total surface area of the country. Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) shared its master plan for Mindfulness City. Proposing a series of bridges as new landmarks tailored to each of the nine Gross National Happiness domains, agricultural preservation, mobility connections, public spaces and low- to mid-rise development in the south of Bhutan. The master plan aims to amplify the countryas abundant biodiversity by emerging as a vibrant tapestry of interconnected ecosystems forming eleven lively neighbourhoods shaped by the flow of the 35 rivers and streams that run through the site. The resulting ribbonlike neighbourhoods resemble paddy fields, forming urban terraces that cascade down from the hills to the valley. The city increases in density from the rural and recreational highlands to the urban and dense lowlands. Each neighbourhood is designed based on the principles of the Mandala: defined by a series of repeating typologies organised symmetrically around a central public space, a gradual transition in density is created, from small buildings dispersed in the landscape in the north to larger footprints within an urban environment in the south. To protect existing and future development against flooding in the monsoon season, paddy fields will be established along the siteas rivers and tributaries, running from north to south. These will further function as biodiversity corridors for local flora and fauna, leaving the migratory routes of elephants and other wildlife undisturbed. IANSlife caught up with Carissa Nimah, Chief Marketing Officer of Bhutan to get more details. Read Excerpts. With the new SAR, do you expect a lot of Bhutanese people from surrounding areas to come and work here? Nimah: Yes, definitely and I think the city will have a lot of knock-on impacts. There will be a lot of improvements in infrastructure and connectivity. There's a big international airport that's been planned and in fact, that's going to be the first piece of the puzzle because when it's ready in two years, we expect a flurry of activities. We expect the rest of the city to be completed anywhere from five years onwards. The region will be inspired by the culture of Bhutan and its respect and compassion, the Mindfulness City's vision will be to enhance ecological systems, while there will be urban development which will connect people and ideas with the flora and fauna. It is set to become a global example of creating a sustainable space for all. What do you feel is the most magnetic and enchanting part of Bhutan? Nimah: I would say it's extremely authentic so there's nothing here that's contrived for tourists. It's really real. It's very unusual now to go to places where you get this authenticity all the time. For instance, last weekend was the biggest Paro festival, the biggest festival of the year and that's not for tourists it's for Bhutanese people. The word "magnetic" is important, because the energy in this country is really special. It's a very spiritual destination and one respects the fact that it's such a spiritual destination. You can hear everyone chanting, you see the flags and you see people turning the prayer wheels, there are more than 2000 temples and all these old structures like fortresses around the country. You're in the mountains, you're at an altitude and the mountains are very imposing and I just feel that that creates a very special energy and it's a great chance for people to come and learn but just to be here and reflect on yourself, and on your life. I think that's special, you can't find that many places like that on Earth. It's like a spiritual pilgrimage that's quite transformational for people. What are the travel trends that you forecast for the region? Nimah: This year is 50 years of tourism, as Bhutan only opened for international guests in 1974 this year, it's important for Bhutan, which is a country still on its tourism journey. Tourism numbers haven't quite recovered since before the pandemic but they are certainly on the right track, and Bhutan's tourism strategy has now changed quite a lot. It's now looking for higher-value guests. I would say higher profile, higher value guests don't mean that everyone who comes has to be wealthy, but that's not the point, we just want to attract people who want to be here. We would love to achieve a target of 300,000 tourists which in terms of comparison to India is very low but for us in Bhutan that's quite a lot. We're trying to kind of facilitate new experiences and improve the entire guest journey to hit that number and also just promote a bit more to the world, both on a B2B level and B2C. There is very little awareness about what Bhutan has to offer, experiences, and itineraries, beyond the temples or Tiger's Nest. It's I'd say it is very traditional and very authentic, but Bhutan is also trying to modernise in a way that's very in line with its values. Modernise carefully I would say and it's a really interesting time to promote Bhutan. It's ready for growth but at the same time it doesn't want to just do it willy-nilly, it wants to grow deliberately, carefully which I think is quite innovative for tourism boards, as most government tourism boards just focus on numbers and run the risk of losing culture, ruining your environment and that's the real reason that people go there in the first place. What are your tourism insights from India? Nimah: We have seen a lot of Inbound tourism from America and other regions of the world which are expected to grow with the new airport. We are also focused on the Indian market. For foreigners, our Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per person, while for Indian nationals it is Rupees 1200 per person, per night. That just means that we attract the type of tourist who wants to be in Bhutan and explore the region. It's not you just passing time for a weekend, but it's a different type of tourist, I would say. What are some of the guest experiences that have been curated? Nimah: Still very much progress, but some of the new experiences include the Trans Bhutan Trail which is kind of repurposed the old human highway that spans from across the country earlier, it could take somewhere between 35 to 40 days, and before roads and cars that's how people moved around. In addition to that, we now allow Golden Mahseer fishing, catch and release, which is very elusive and found in the Himalayas. There's also fly fishing, we just introduced a new astronomy experience because of the dark skies. You can learn about the history of time like how people navigated the skies and some of the historical things in Bhutan. There are also river rafting and night rafting experiences that have been introduced, and there's more to come. We're also encouraging the private sector to come up with new experiences, some of which are just in the process of getting approvals. What do you feel about the hospitality options and luxury in Bhutan? Nimah: Bhutan has got a lot of really nice hotels, we have 10 five-star luxury brands here, which is quite a lot for a small country. We have Six Senses, Aman, & Beyond, and Le Meridien and we have a host of independent brands. We've got a lot of four and three-stars and what we see is that homestays are becoming increasingly popular. Guests want to experience a real mix, they want the comfort and the luxury of the 4 to 5-star but they also want the authentic experience of the three-star or family-run hotel, Bhutan offers both. I think that's a real trend, maybe it's just got something to do with authentic travel and people are chasing the experience along with luxury. In the end, we would like to believe we have complete confidence in the success of the SAR undertaking, stating that Bhutan is blessed with an incredible opportunity to build its legacy via the Gelephu Mindfulness City. IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in Washington, April 14 : US President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington will oppose any Israeli counterattack against Iran, local media reported. "You got a win. Take the win," Biden told Netanyahu, thanking Israel, the US, and other countries for their joint efforts, which failed Iran's attacks, US news portal Axios reported, citing a senior White House official. The official was quoted as saying that when Biden told Netanyahu that the US would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran and would not support such operations, Netanyahu said he understood, Xinhua news agency reported. Also on Saturday night, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke for the second time with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, during which the Pentagon chief reiterated Washington's "ironclad" support for Israel's defense, Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said in a statement. Austin told Gallant that the US would ask Israel to notify Washington ahead of any response against Iran, reported Axios, citing a senior Israeli official June 2020,Amarnath,First visuals of Amarnath cave this year,Amaranth,Jammu and Kashmir. Image Source: IANS News Jammu, April 14 : The annual Amarnath Yatra will start on June 29 this year and conclude on August 19, coinciding with the occasion of Shravan Purnima. A statement issued by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) headed by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, said that this yearas Amarnath Yatra to the holy cave shrine will start on June 29 and end on August 19. Advance registration for the Yatra will start from April 15. The cave shrine situated at 3,888 metres above sea level in Kashmir houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon. Devotees believe that the ice stalagmite symbolises the mythical powers of Lord Shiva. The Yatra is an arduous pilgrimage in Kashmir during which Hindu pilgrims are assisted by Muslim pony wallahs and others to facilitate their aDarshana inside the cave shrine. Pilgrims reach the cave shrine either from the shorter Baltal route in Ganderbal district or from the traditional longer route from Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district. Richa Chadha reminisces about her school girl gang 'Saste Qatil': 'Best years of my life'. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, April 14 : Soon-to-be mother Richa Chadha reminisced about her school days on Sunday, sharing a throwback picture of her 'best girl gang' named 'Saste Qatil'. Richa took to Instagram stories and reshared a picture posted by a fan page named "Richa Chadha _merizindagi". The blurred picture shows the 'Madam Chief Minister' actress wearing a white shirt and a black bandana on her head. She gives an intense look, posing alongside her two girl besties. Richa did her schooling from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, New Delhi. The post is captioned: "LOL! This photo is from school days, when we made up a gang (to kinda combat one stupid boy gang that was kinda toxic). We ironically named this girl gang Saste Qatil. Don't miss the bandana and the attitude. Pic was taken in the Barista at Janpath, next to People Tree... Delhi peeps would know! Best years of my life. Best girl gang ever!" Richa is married to actor Ali Fazal, and they are expecting their first child together. They tied the knot under the Special Marriage Act in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, on the work front, Ali was last seen in the spy thriller film 'Khufiya' and is gearing up for the release of the new season of 'Mirzapur'. Richa's last appearance was in 'Fukrey 3'. Kolkata, April 14 : As it is now certain that Left Front and Congress will be contesting for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal with a more-or-less amicable seat-sharing arrangement, an area of concern continued to haunt the partners. The concern is how smooth the mutual transfer of votes between the two can happen. Even if the CPI(M) can convince its dyed-in-wool vote bank to back the Congress candidates, will the countryas oldest national party be able to reciprocate by motivating its dedicated voters to press the EVM button in favour of the Left Front candidates? Veteran political observers feel that CPI(M) or Left Front, being a regimented force, can always mobilize the traditional voters behind a Congress candidate as part of an alliance formula. The records say that while a Congress-Left Front seat agreement proved to be a positive factor for Congress in increasing its seat tally in West Bengal, the same arrangement reaped negative dividends for the Leftist forces. The finest example on this count was the 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections, when for the first time Congress and Left Front went to the polls with an amicable seat-sharing agreement. In the 2016 Assembly polls, despite contesting from a lesser number of seats, Congress was able to improve its seat tally to 42 from 40 in 2011 and also increase its vote share by 3.16 percentage points. In 2016, Congress also emerged as the second largest and the principal opposition party in the state. On the contrary, in 2016, the Left Front slipped to the third position bagging just 26 seats as compared to 40 in the 2011 Assembly polls. The Left Frontas vote share also dipped by 10.35 percentage points in 2016 from what it was in 2011 when it became the principal opposition party in the state. From this statistical trend, the same thing was clear: While Left Front allies managed to successfully transfer their dedicated vote bank in favour of Congress wherever applicable, the countryas oldest national party was not able to reciprocate similarly. The 2016 Assembly election statistics also reveal that both Trinamool Congress and BJP gained significantly because of this factor where the dedicated Congress voters were reluctant to consume Congressa decision of having a seat-sharing arrangement with Left Front. On one hand, Trinamool Congress increased its seat tally in 2016 to 211 from 184 in 2011 and also improved its vote share by 5.98 percentage points. On the other hand, in 2016 BJP increased its seat tally to three from zero in 2011 and also improved its vote share by 7.10 percentage points. In 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, Congress and Left Front contested independently and that year there was a four-cornered contest in the state involving Trinamool Congress, BJP, Left Front and Congress. In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, again there was a mutual seat-sharing agreement between Congress and Left Front and at that time All India Secular Front (AISF) was a third partner in the alliance. The result was that AISF was the only gainer after bagging just one seat, while both Congress and the Left Front were reduced to zero in terms of Assembly presence. However, in 2021 also significant were the respective vote shares of Congress and Left Front, where the decline in Left Frontas vote share was much higher than that of Congress. While the Left Front witnessed a negative swing of 15.02 percentage points, the same for Congress was lower at 9.22 percentage points. This statistical trend again raised the same question even if the Left Front can convince their voters to back Congress wherever applicable, can the Congress display a reciprocation of the same? The same question seems to be haunting the CPI(M) this time as well. The question also remains if the same trend continues this time as well, who will gain more out of it -- Congress or BJP? New Delhi, April 14 : The pressure of staying relevant in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls seems to be forcing Congress to promise the moon and the sun to people. A manifestation of this is the slew of promises made by Rahul Gandhi just ahead of the polls. During his election speech in Rajasthan last week, he had said: "The Congress government will transfer Rs one lakh to the bank account of a woman from every poor family in the country... khatakhat khatakhat aata rahega aur ek jhatke se hum Hindustan se gareebi ko mita denge (it will come instantly and, we will remove poverty from Hindustan)." The best jiffy moment has always been Aladdin's magic lamp but Rahul Gandhi's "khatakhat khatakhat" claim could well be the new one. The closest translation of Khatakhat, a Hindi word, could be jiffy or in one stroke or instant. And, instant for most of the present-day generation is always noodles, a Chinese-origin food item. As all political parties are making promises to woo the electorate, the perpetual youth leader of his party offered the ultimate 'Khatakhat' solution to address poverty in the nick of 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The solution is a sharp contrast to the statement that Rahul Gandhi made 11 years ago in Uttar Pradesh when he said that "poverty is a state of mind." In August 2013, the Congress leader was participating in a discussion in Uttar Pradesh when he said: "Poverty is just a state of mind. It does not mean the scarcity of food, money or material things. If one possesses self-confidence, then one can overcome poverty." To prove his point, he even cited the example of a poor woman from Amethi, who got hold of her life by taking help from Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana. If, in 2013, Rahul believed that providing the right atmosphere to earn and sustain can help tackle poverty, then why the U-turn in 2024? A decade of sitting in the opposition has made the Congress scion believe that promising doles is the only way to impress people. And the khatakhat system of transferring money in accounts is the easiest way to the hearts of people. Had it been so easy then Karnataka and Telangana economies would not have been struggling with fulfilling the pre-election promises on guarantees. Various development activities have almost stopped and legislators, even from the Congress, are unhappy as fund flow is slow. Overlooking the ground realities, Rahul also made another equally startling promise which is to do a wealth survey, very much a Communist idea that actually originates from Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels' Communist Manifesto. Rahul Gandhi said that if voted to power, his government would conduct a caste census to know the exact population and status of backward communities, SCs, STs and minorities. After that, the financial and institutional survey will be done and finally, the "historic assignment to distribute the wealth of India, jobs and other welfare schemes to these sections based on their population" will be done. History has examples of several countries under the influence of Communism going for this concept, but after suffering the ill effects, decided to change again. China tried the same in the 1960s but failed and finally reworked its policies. Today, China's economy is huge with a rise in wealth, private properties and income gaps. But, in India, the Congress scion is seeking the 1848 idea for developing the country where youths constitute 66 per cent of the population. By talking about wealth distribution, he also appears to be taking an about-turn from the liberal economic model of 1991. It was Manmohan Singh, the then Finance Minister in P. V. Narasimha Rao's government, who presented a landmark budget, ushering in a new dawn for the country's economy. Since then, India has not looked back. Rahul Gandhi, with such withered and weird ideas, is seeking to impress the youth of the country who want to move ahead and not get entangled in caste and religion wars. It is an aspirational India in 2024 which is seeking new opportunities to grow, prosper and lead. With less than a week to go for the first phase of elections on April 19, what has the Congress shaped itself into? Inner contradictions are galore and its leaders at all levels are just running away with a majority of them picking the lotus merrily. Those abandoning the grand old party's ship do not hesitate to blame Rahul Gandhi for "suffocating them" and the party for being directionless. While the BJP has built a strong narrative of developmental politics, the Congress has been unable to come up as a challenger. In fact, it is today seen as a party standing with the corrupt and openly giving impetus to caste politics. As surveys predict, Congress may find it difficult to even retain the 52 seats that it secured in 2019. The blame squarely rests on the top leadership. There is no Khatakhat genie that can help Rahul Gandhi get even near 100 seats. His Aunt Maneka Gandhi has the best advice for him. He should take a break, she said, and perhaps this could work for him. (Deepika Bhan can be contacted at deepika.b@ians.in) Bhopal, April 14 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday said that the BJP's election manifesto guarantees the welfare of all sections of the society and includes all steps needed to be taken for the same. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government has fulfilled all its commitments to the people in the last 10 years and has come up with new ideas and innovations considering all sections of people and development of the country in Sankalp Patra," CM Yadav said. The chief minister said that he would talk in detail about the party's 'Sankalp Patra' later as he was preparing for PM Modi's visit to the state. PM Modi is scheduled to address a public rally in Pipariya tehsil under Hoshangabad Lok Sabha constituency bordering with two other seats - Chhindwara and Betul on Sunday. PM Modi, accompanied by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP national president J. P. Nadda, unveiled the party's manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections during an event held at the party headquarters in Delhi on Sunday. Sankalp Patra titled 'Modi's Guarantee' has been presented as PM Modi's commitment to prosperity, and welfare across various segments, including women, youth, the underprivileged and farmers. The 'Sankalp Patra' release coincides with Babasaheb's birth anniversary. The BJP manifesto reinforces the party's thrust on empowering four strong pillars of Viksit Bharat a" youth power, women power, poor and farmers.emphasised on its originated idea of 'GYAN' - dubbed Gareeb, Yuva, Annadata and Naari Shakti to counter the Congress led INDI Alliance's demand for the caste-based survey. Voting in Chhindwara, the last bastion of Congress in Madhya Pradesh, will be held in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19, while in Betul and Hoshangabad, the election will be held in the third phase on May 7. After a massive drone and missile attack, Israel is preparing to retaliate against Iran. However, the IDF first intends to coordinate its actions with its allies. ADVERTISIMENT Israel's leadership has already begun active negotiations with the United States. This was reported by The New York Times. After the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with his cabinet ministers and immediately had a telephone conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden. So far, Netanyahu's office has not provided any additional details about the talks with the American president. At the same time, one Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Israel's response would be coordinated with its allies. At the same time, the White House statement said that Biden had spoken on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in the evening. Washington promised to provide detailed information later. Two Israeli officials said that Iran had launched 185 drones and 36 cruise missiles. Most of the launches were made from Iran, but some of the missiles flew from Iraq and Yemen. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, on the night of April 14, the Israeli Defense Forces intercepted most of the more than 300 Shahed drones and missiles launched by Iran outside the country. The IDF was assisted by the U.S. and British military in repelling the attack, shooting down targets in the skies of Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country had been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack by Iran in recent years and especially in recent weeks. All systems are now deployed, and Israel is ready for any scenario: both defense and offense. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Guwahati, April 14 : Opposition in Assam has been sceptical about the delimitation of Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in the state since the draft of the exercise was first published by the Election Commission in June last year. Congress, AIUDF, Trinamool Congress, and other opposition parties have claimed that the "ECI did a favour to the BJP in the whole exercise", an allegation that has been strongly refuted by the ruling party. The four Lok Sabha seats of upper Assam -- Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, and Tezpur (now Sonitpur) -- were always dominated by the Hindu population. These were once the bastions of the Congress party. The political dynamics changed in 2014 when the BJP made serious inroads here and won these four parliamentary constituencies. However, in Barpeta, Darang, Kaliabor, etc., constituencies, minority votes were the deciding factor, and Congress had an advantage in these seats even after the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Tarun Gogoi once represented Kaliabor Lok Sabha in Parliament. He won this seat thrice -- 1991, 1998 and 1999. In 2001, Gogoi quit Lok Sabha after becoming the Chief Minister of Assam. His brother Dip Gogoi was given the Congress ticket in Kaliabor. Dip Gogoi first won the Kaliabor seat in 2002 by-election and was again re-elected to Parliament from the same constituency in 2004 and 2009. When Tarun Gogoi's son Gaurav Gogoi was introduced to politics, he was nominated by the Congress party from Kaliabor in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Gaurav Gogoi won in 2014 and 2019 general elections despite a strong wave of BJP in Assam. Post-delimitation exercise, the Kaliabor seat ceased to exist, and a new constituency, Kaziranga, was formed. This seat is now dominated by Hindu voters, and minorities are no longer a big factor here. Assembly constituencies with a major Muslim population, like Ruaparihat, Samaguri, and Dhing, were scrapped from the Kaliabor Lok Sabha seat, and Hindu-populated areas were included here. The changed dynamics of this Lok Sabha constituency have forced Gaurav Gogoi to change his seat, and he is contesting from Jorhat this time. The BJP won the Darang Lok Sabha seat in 2019. However, a good number of Muslim population poses a challenge to the BJP here. The ECI-conducted delimitation exercise has included areas like the Jalukbari Assembly constituency within the parliamentary constituency where Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is an MLA. In 2019, Congress won three Lok Sabha seats in Assam -- Kaliabor, Nagaon, and Barpeta. However, the voter pattern of the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat was changed to a large extent in the delimitation exercise. A seat that was always dominated by the Muslim population, now Hindu votes will also play a major role in deciding the candidate's fortune. Abdul Khaleque, the incumbent Congress MP, refused to fight from the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat this time, and he insisted on a ticket from the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat. Assam has more than 30 per cent of the Muslim population; however, the minority voters will be a deciding factor only in the three Lok Sabha seats -- Dhubri, Nagaon, and Karimganj. That is why Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed at least six months ago that the BJP would win at least 11 out of the total 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam. Congress leaders have been alleging that the whole delimitation process was conducted with the motive of giving electoral benefits to the BJP. The ruling party leaders have argued that delimitation was an exercise conducted by the Election Commission and that the BJP had no role in this. However, it is a fact that post-delimitation, opposition parties discovered that taking on the BJP in Assam has become an uphill task. Panaji, April 14 : Goa Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar on Sunday said that Congress will be finished in Goa and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls may be the last of the grand old party from the coastal state. Addressing a press conference here, Sudin Dhavalikar, senior leader of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, said, "Congress tried to finish us by importing our leaders. But today they are facing the same fate and their leaders are joining BJP." "Even the remaining three MLAs of the Congress will join some other parties. I am not saying they will join us but will join some other parties," Sudin Dhavalikar, who was also minister in erstwhile Congress governments, said. MGP, the alliance partner of BJP, has two MLAs in the 40-member Legislative Assembly. Eight Congress MLAs, out of eleven, in Goa had switched to the BJP in 2022. The minister said that his party has around one lakh votes in the state and will try his best to ensure that these votes add to the share of BJP candidates. "We are fully supporting both candidates of BJP in Goa. We will organise meetings in 24 constituencies, where MGP has the support of voters. We have a total of 1 lakh votes across the state and we will make efforts that these votes go into ballots of the BJP candidates. Our candidates who got defeated in the last assembly election with few votes will work hard to support BJP candidates," he said. The BJP has fielded Union Minister Shripad Naik from North and Industrialist Pallavi Dempo from South. "There are rumours spread by the opposition that Pallavi Dempo has not contributed to the social field. It is not true. She comes from a highly reputed family and she is educated. We should support her," he said. New Delhi, April 14 : The BJP manifesto for the Lok Sabha poll released on Sunday promises to empower the emerging neo-middle class in the country by supporting them with affordable quality housing and healthcare, greater access to quality education, and more employment opportunities. The manifesto states that the RERA Act will be strengthened as it has helped make the real estate sector in the country more transparent and citizen-friendly. It also promises to create high-value jobs by expanding India's top-tier startup ecosystem to tier-2 and tier-3 cities. It provides for promoting quality higher education by introducing more IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, and other such institutes and the launching of internship programs to blend academic and practical skills. The manifesto promises to ensure quality healthcare services by expanding the AIIMS and Ayushman Arogya Mandir network to give better access to the middle class. It also states that there would be a greater focus on the modern road network, enhanced rail and metro connectivity with new-age trains and expanded networks, development of comprehensive EV charging stations, construction of new airports, and the advance telecom infrastructure with 5G and 6G technology. Besides, more green spaces like parks and playgrounds would be developed, water bodies like lakes and ponds would be revived, and other natural spaces would be developed to make cities more adaptable, sustainable, and people-friendly, the manifesto adds. Ottawa, April 14 : A 24-year-old Indian student was shot dead in his car in Sunset neighbourhood in Canada's Vancouver, police said on Sunday. Chirag Antil, 24, was found dead inside a vehicle in the area, the Vancouver Police said in a statement. After hearing the gunshots, residents in the neighbourhood called emergency responders, CBC news reported quoting police spokesperson Tania Visintin. "Officers were called to East 55th Avenue and Main Street around 11 p.m. on April 12 after residents heard the sound of gun shots. Chirag Antil, 24, was found deceased inside a vehicle in the area," Vancouver Police said. No arrests have been made in the case and an investigation is on, the police said. Taking to X, Congress NSUI chief Varun Choudhary, tagging the Ministry of External Affairs, requested for assistance to the student's family. He posted: "Urgent attention regarding the murder of Chirag Antil, an Indian student in Vancouver, Canada. We urge the Ministry of External Affairs to closely monitor the progress of the investigation and ensure that justice is swiftly served." He also requested the ministry to extend all necessary support and assistance to the family of the deceased during this difficult time. For the repatriation of Chirag's body, his family is raising money through the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, local media reported. Chirag's brother Romit Antil, a resident of Haryana, told the local media that he used to talk with his sibling every day. Romit said that he had also spoken to Chirag on the day when the accident happened. Chirag, who moved to Vancouver in September 2022, had just finished his MBA at University Canada West, and got his work permit recently. Rupali Ganguly joins 'Gulabi Sadi' bandwagon, grooves to its music, points to the 'Marathi in me'. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, April 14 : 'Anupamaa' star Rupali Ganguly on Sunday joined the latest social media trend by dancing to the Marathi song 'Gulabi Sadi'. Instagram users are currently creating numerous videos on the track 'Gulabi Sadi' sung by Sanju Rathod. Joining the bandwagon, Rupali shared a Reel video wearing a pink saree and graciously dancing to the viral song. The post is captioned: "Jumping on to the trend bandwagon in my Gulaabi Saadi The Marathi in me had to do this one #sunday." The video has garnered 440K views. One fan commented: "This trend was definitely incomplete without you doing it". Another user said: "Wow super se bhi upar". On the professional front, Rupali is currently seen as the lead in the show 'Anupamaa'. The show is based on the Bengali series 'Sreemoyee'. It also stars Sudhanshu Pandey as Vanraj, Madalsa Sharma and Gaurav Khanna. Produced by Rajan Shahi and Deepa Shahi under the banner of Director's Kut Productions, it airs on Star Plus at 10 p.m.. New Delhi, April 14 : Rural healthcare in India has seen remarkable progress in the last decade, with people living in remote areas getting better access to quality health services. New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) Rural healthcare in India has witnessed remarkable progress in the last decade, with people living in remote areas getting better access to quality health services. The healthcare coverage, which can be credited to the expansion of telemedicine and adoption of digital health solutions such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), together with the government's National Digital Health Mission has led to reductions in maternal and child mortality rates, polio eradication, and most recently eliminated visceral leishmaniasis or Kala-azar. Yet, gaps remain with a significant lack of skilled healthcare professionals, and technological advancement comparatively slow in the hinterlands. "Over the last decade, India has made substantial progress in healthcare through technology and innovation. Telemedicine and digital health solutions have expanded access to remote areas. Innovations in medical devices and diagnostics have enhanced affordability and accuracy," Himanshu Sikka, project director, SAMRIDH, told IANS. Himanshu noted that the integration of AI and ML, and the National Digital Health Mission "signify a transformative shift towards more accessible, efficient, and patient-centric healthcare." "Despite notable strides, persistent challenges like workforce shortages and technological gaps linger. Sustained investment in training, technology, and community collaboration is imperative for achieving universal health coverage and bridging the urban-rural healthcare gap by 2030," Himanshu said. One of the areas that SAMRIDH, a blended finance (BF) facility supported by USAID and implemented by IPE Global, works is for sickle cell screening. In remote areas of Odisha's Phulbani, Kandhamal, it used drones to conduct over 400 sickle cell tests. The drones help in collecting samples, testing, and providing diagnoses, among others. Boosting healthcare in rural areas is not only critical for the health results of the nation but also for the economy. It plays a pivotal role in fostering rural economic development. Priyadarshi Mohapatra, Founder, CureBay, told IANS that in the last 10 years, rural areas in the country have seen "advancements in medical technology, robust health education programmes, and improved healthcare facilities." These have collectively bolstered the quality of care across the nation, as well as led to reductions in maternal and child mortality rates. "Promoting preventive practices, and accessible healthcare in rural areas significantly reduces the burden of diseases, aligning with India's sustainable development goals," she noted. The healthcare startup ensures accessibility to quality healthcare in remote areas via its eClinics which are powered by an intelligent tech platform offering online consultations and a comprehensive range of services. CureBay has positively impacted over 1,86,000 patients in Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Even with the commendable progress, there exists a "vast gap in healthcare access between urban and rural India," Smriti Tandon, Co-founder, Online Chikitsa Mitra told IANS. "As per NHM Rural Health Statistics 2021-22, despite a 51 per cent increase in doctors, there is still a significant shortfall, with a 3.1 per cent deficit of the total requirement," she added, emphasising the need "to address the challenge". The rural health-tech start-up boasts of a robust network of over 500 e-Clinics within local medical stores in remote areas. These e-Clinics, with trained store facilitators and a user-friendly platform, connect rural patients to a national network of medical specialists via teleconsultations. Tel Aviv, April 14 : The Indian mission in Israel on Sunday issued a fresh advisory for its nationals asking them to be safe and calm, a day after Iran attacked the Jewish state. In a post on X, the Indian mission posted an advisory that read, "In light of the recent events in the region, all Indian nationals in Israel are advised to stay calm and adhere to the safety protocols issued by the local authorities. The embassy is closely monitoring the situation and is in touch with the Israeli authorities and Indian community members to ensure the safety of all of our nationals." It has also mentioned an emergency helpline for its nationals in the country. "For any urgent assistance, please contact the embassy at 24*7 Emergency Helpline/Contact Tel. 1: +972 547520711 2: + 972 543278392 Email: cons1.telaviv@mea@gov.in," it said. On Saturday, Israel was attacked by ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran. Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported that about 100 drones, out of about 400-500 that have been launched, were intercepted before reaching Israel by allied countries, including the US, Jordanian and British forces. India on Sunday expressed serious concern over the escalating tension between Israel and Iran and called for exercising restraint, stepping back from violence and returning to the path of diplomacy. Iran's attack on Israel has drawn condemnation from world powers. New Delhi, April 14 : Delhi Water Minister Atishi has written to Lieutenant Governor V. K. Saxena asking him to immediately suspend the CEO, Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and take stringent and exemplary action against all concerned officers after a woman lost her life in a violent fight that started due to shortage of water supply in east Delhi. She claimed that the onset of summer has barely started and many parts of Delhi are already facing water shortages, despite repeated directions to the Chief Secretary and DJB. "For more than a year, the Chief Minister had given clear directions and a road map for improving water supply in Delhi. For the last 6 months, the undersigned gave repeated directions to the CEO of Delhi Jal Board and the Chief Secretary to ensure augmentation of water supply, so that there is no shortage of water when the onset of summer happens. However, despite repeated directions, no action has been taken to prevent this water crisis in Delhi," she said in the letter. She further alleged that in the last few weeks, many reminders were given to the CEO, DJB, and Chief Secretary to ensure that water supply must be augmented through tube wells and water tankers. "Grievances regarding water shortage have regularly been sent to the Chief Secretary on WhatsApp. As recently as April 3 directions for ensuring adequate water supply in the summers were given to Chief Secretary and I asked for an action-taken-report on the steps being taken by DJB. However, on April 4, the CEO of DJB had the audacity to send me a note stating that I would not be given any information regarding the water supply situation in Delhi because the Model Code of Conduct is in force," she claimed. She said that it is a consequence of this callous inaction of the officers of Delhi Jal Board that today a woman has lost her life in violence due to water shortage. "This inaction is tantamount to criminal negligence and cannot be ignored; immediate and exemplary action must be taken against the highest level of officers of DJB," she said. Delhi Police on Sunday said that they have apprehended a 15-year-old girl for stabbing a neighbour to death after a quarrel over filling water from the common tap of the first floor of the house in Delhi's Farsh Bazar area. The deceased was identified as Soni, a resident of Bhikam Singh Colony in the Farsh Bazar area, and the incident occurred on Friday. New Delhi, April 14 : Perhaps the best part about the documentary is the fact that it remains focused on the subject. The director, though providing it with cinematic adjectives does not try to make it 'his own'. In the documentary 'FN Souza: Father of Modern Indian Art', directed by veteran critic and documentary filmmaker Vinod Bhardwaj, and commissioned by Capital-based Dhoomimal Gallery, which had a very long association with the artist, multiple facets of Francis Newton Souza come forward. Executed with a rhythm that evokes both nostalgia and the contemporary, Souza's life and art (which cannot be differentiated) are narrated in a non-linear way. Several other important artists like Krishen Khanna, Manu Parekh, art historians and gallerists remember the time spent with him and share their memories. Founding member of the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group, Souza's style exhibited both decadence and primitivism. In 'FN Souza: Father of Modern Indian Art', we are introduced to his early life, the time this master known for his bold strokes and unapologetic themes became a rage internationally to his last days in Mumbai where this Goa born finally passed on (March 28, 2002). In recent times, his works have been sold for over a million dollars. Bhardwaj, the filmmaker shared a close bond with the artist. While they met for the first time in 1975 in Delhi, both maintained regular correspondence even when Souza shifted to England and then the US. Souza, whom MF Hussain considered his mentor, paid a lot of attention to art critics and art historians. "He always believed in the constant exchange of ideas, and feedback was important for him," remembers Bhardwaj, who was also a film critic and part of the jury of the Leningrad Film Festival held in the former Soviet Union. Bhardwaj, who also made a documentary on J. Swaminathan that was premiered by the Raza Foundation strongly believes that the passionist figurist, Souza was much different than his contemporaries. "He was intellectually very strong in comparison to others, and always believed in holding his right. The man would not come under pressure, under any circumstances. We have used a portion of his book 'Words and Lines'." Admitting he was a quite controversial figure, a "womaniser", who married multiple times, and one of the major reasons he moved to the US from England was the fact that married a 16-year-old girl and that caused quite a stir, Bhardwaj remembers: "Once an Indian woman painter asked him why he paints such voluptuous women. To that he replied that he had been with more voluptuous ones in his personal life," smiles Bhardwaj. In fact, Souza once said, "My paintings are not a product of love or anger but my libido." Despite being raised in a strict catholic home, he belled against the church and its structures. Stressing that he did not have to do much research for the film as he had been reading consistently about the painter and also edited a 508-page book on him in 2009, Bhardwaj feels that more films need to be made on Indian artists. "Now that there are so many streaming platforms, including free ones, this is just the right time for such initiatives." Uday Jain, the owner of Dhoomimal Gallery, says "As we honour his centenary year, the gallery promises to unveil the hidden gems of Souza's artistry." New Delhi, April 14 : Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday claimed that his chopper was raided by the Income Tax officials and the I-T sleuths also misbehaved with his security men. The I-T searches reportedly took place when his chopper was in Kolkata's Behala Flying Club. According to party officials, the tax officials also got into a verbal altercation with the Trinamool leader's security staff and threatened to ground the chopper. Trinamool fumed over the I-T raids at one of its tallest leaders and accused the BJP of deploying government agencies in its bid to target the rival parties. The party also said that the recent raids are a testament of BJP's 'fear and frustration'. "These actions are testament to the fact that BJP is trembling when it comes to Bengal and across the country, by hook or by crook, they want to wipe out the opposition in a bid to come to power again," the TMC said in a statement. Banerjee also took to X and wrote: "Instead of removing the @NIA_India DG and SP, @ECISVEEP and@BJP4India chose to deploy MINIONS FROM IT to search and raid my chopper and security personnel today, resulting in NO FINDINGS. The ZAMINDARS can exert all the might but Bengal's SPIRIT OF RESISTANCE will never waver." Sanket Gokhale, senior TMC leader and Rajya Sabha MP, slammed the raids and accused the I-T dept of blocking his campaign days ahead of polls, at the behest of PM Modi's dispensation. Abhishek Banerjee is the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and is an incumbent MP from Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency. On April 14, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in China for a three-day visit to strengthen trade ties between Beijing and Berlin. The politician also intends to resolve differences on a number of issues during his visit. ADVERTISIMENT It is expected that during his Chinese tour, Scholz intends to raise the issue of China's support for the aggressor country Russia. This was reported by Reuters. Scholz began his visit in the southwestern metropolis of Chongqing. He will also visit Shanghai and Beijing, where he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang. During the visit, Scholz will visit the hydrogen fuel cell plant of the German automotive supplier Bosch in Chongqing. It is worth noting that the beginning of Scholz's visit coincided with the beginning of Iran's attack on Israel. Therefore, upon his arrival, Scholz condemned the Iranian strikes "in the strongest terms possible." At the same time, German officials said that Beijing could play a positive role in cooling tensions in the Middle East. ADVERTISIMENT Scholz is also expected to address the issue of China's support for Russia. German officials have explicitly stated that Beijing's support and exports to Russia allow Moscow to continue waging an aggressive war against Ukraine and causing "the loss of China's reputation" in Europe and beyond. As a reminder, Scholz's visit will be the longest foreign trip to a single country by a chancellor since he took office in December 2021. The three-day program includes a meeting with Xi Jinping. The main topics are the economy, the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the situation around Taiwan. Earlier, on April 13, it was reported that Germany announced the immediate delivery of an additional Patriot air defense system to Ukraine. The reason was the intensification of Russian strikes. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT Bhopal, April 14 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday once again targeted the Congress, saying the party's 'shahi parivar' has been spreading hatred among the people. Speaking at a rally in Hoshangabad Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi said "the Congress' 'shahi parivar' is threatening that if Modi becomes Prime Minister for the third term, the country will be destroyed". "The Congress has been out of power for the last 10 years. They are spreading hatred among the people, and if the Congress keeps moving on with the same attitude, it will never come back to power again," PM Modi said. Referring to the BJP's victory in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, PM Modi said that the results had surprised everyone in the country. Taking a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's statement that he will end poverty in the country if voted to power at the Centre, PM Modi said the Wayanad MP was making a mockery of himself. "Where did the Congress keep this jaadugar (magician) so far?" PM Modi wondered. He slammed the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi while addressing a public rally to seek support for BJP's candidate in Hoshangabad Lok Sabha seat, Darshan Singh Choudhary. PM Modi further said: "The frustrated Congress' 'shahi parivar' has come out with a strategy of threatening the people. They are not able to digest the development the country has witnessed in the last 10 years. That is why their frustration is coming out." This was PM Modi's third visit to Madhya Pradesh in the last one week. During his address, PM Modi also talked about the BJP election manifesto and said that he has promised to provide 3 crore homes to the underprivileged people under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. PM Modi said that his government has already started working on the 'Janman' scheme for the tribal communities. Meanwhile, PM Modi also said that the Congress has disrespected BR Ambedkar. April 14 is the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar. "Today is Dr. Ambedkar's birth anniversary and his birthplace (Mhow) is not very far from here. The Congress has disrespected him too," he added. BJP has been retaining the Hoshangabad Lok Sabha seat since 2014. This time, the party has fielded a fresh face -- Darshan Singh Choudhary -- against Congress' Sanjay Sharma. Ahmedabad, April 14 : Gujarat Congress on Sunday accused Ambaji Temple Manager Pravin Goswami of 'favouritism' and 'misconduct' over allegedly allowing acquaintances to bypass queues for darshan while sidelining thousands of other devotees who wait patiently in line. "These practices have not only caused discontent among devotees but also raised questions about the governance of religious sites," Congress Spokesperson Hemang Raval said. He said that in one incident, a video surfaced showing Goswami permitting a woman in jeans, traditionally considered inappropriate attire for the sanctum, to enter while covered with a chunri, a move that contradicted the temple's own decorum rules. "Despite the public outcry that followed, no disciplinary action was taken against him," he said. He said that Goswami has faced multiple complaints regarding his treatment of Brahmins visiting for pooja rituals. "Accusations detail him using derogatory language, adding to a growing perception of administrative failure within the temple's management," he added. He said that earlier the locals also lodged complaints with the Collector of Banaskantha regarding the favouritism allegations which have been overlooked due to political protections of the BJP government. "Congress has written to the Collector of Banaskantha urging an impartial investigation into these complaints and appropriate action against those found guilty of violating the sanctity of Ambaji Temple," Hemang Raval said. UCC in BJP manifesto: Manu Gaur lauds move, says Uttarakhand law could be the blueprint for Centre. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, April 14 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its election manifesto on Sunday and promised to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across the country to ensure 'gender equality and protecting the rights of women', after returning to power in 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the 'Sankalp Patra' was the party's pledge to empower four strong pillars of developed India Youth, women, poor and farmers. BJP's poll promise of UCC roll-out, pan-India, has elicited many political reactions. Manu Guar, one of the members of the drafting committee for Uttarakhand UCC, has hailed the party's pitch for UCC and said that the state model can serve as the basis for the law at the Central level. In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Manu Gaur said that the Uttarakhand UCC draft was prepared after a mammoth public outreach for about 20 months and widespread consultations with various stakeholders. It incorporated almost all aspects of uniformity in law and addressed the concerns of all sections and hence could serve as the ideal blueprint for the Centre. Explaining the reason behind getting the President's nod for Uttarakhand UCC, he said that there were some specific provisions in the law which exceeded the state's mandate and hence needed the assent of the President. Earlier this year, the BJP government in Uttarakhand enacted the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), replacing religious personal laws that governed marriages, divorces, inheritance and other civil issues. Manu Gaur, also the Taxpayers Association of Bharat (TAXAB) President lauded the inclusion of UCC in the BJP 2024 manifesto. He wrote on X, "Uniform Civil Code will soon be implemented in whole Bharat like Uttarakhand." He told IANS that the UCC law seeks to establish a uniform law for the whole country in relation to marriage, divorce, inheritance and more, for all communities. He also rubbished the Opposition's charges that it would lead to hatred and religious disharmony in society. Gaur, who is also a part of the 9-member committee for laying out rules for UCC, told IANS that a comprehensive framework was in the works to facilitate an easy and people-friendly roll-out of the law. He said that web portals and mobile applications are being developed to allow people to lodge complaints without much hassle. Notably, the nine-member committee was formed for the successful implementation of the provisions of the Uniform Civil Code Bill 2024. The Committee has been mandated to prepare a draft of the rules, in which facts related to various procedures, competent level authorities and easy implementation of the provisions of the proposed Act would be included. Uttarakhand's UCC is expected to be the blueprint for other states as well including Gujarat and Assam that have promised to implement the law. Jerusalem, April 14 : The Israeli military said on Sunday that it intercepted about 99 per cent of more than 300 missiles and drones Iran launched in its first direct attack against Israel. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, "Together with our partners, the Americans and others, we managed to block the attack with very little damage caused." Gallant noted that the incident has not been over, and the Israeli Air Force remains on high alert. In a press briefing, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said that Iran had launched about 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles, and over 120 ballistic missiles. Hagari said the IDF's Arrow anti-missile system successfully intercepted most of the ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere. He said that "a few" ballistic missiles did hit Israel, causing minor damage. After being closed for more than six hours, the Israeli airspace was opened, the Israeli Airports Authority said. Jordanian state television reported that Jordan's airspace was also reopened in the morning after the kingdom participated in intercepting the drones overnight. The closure of airspace in Lebanon and Iraq has also been lifted. "We intercepted. We blocked. Together we will win," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on social media platform X on Sunday morning. Iran's official news agency, IRNA, reported that Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Hossein Salami warned on Sunday that any reaction from Israel would be met with a much stronger response. Israel might not have the US support for a counterattack. Overnight, Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden talked over the phone, according to Netanyahu's office. Hagari said that "a wide-scale attack by Iran is a severe and dangerous escalation." However, asked whether Israel would retaliate, he said only that the army "does and will do whatever is required to protect the security of Israel." Patiala, April 14 : Former Minister of State for External Affairs and Member of Parliament from Patiala, Preneet Kaur, on Sunday praised the Sankalp Patra released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her speech at Samana town in Punjab. She was addressing a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) booth summit. Praising the party's election manifesto, Kaur, who is in the fray from Patiala as the BJP candidate, said, "The Sankalp Patra released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not only a reflection of all things done by the BJP government in past 10 years, but it also underlines all steps that the government will take in the coming years. "It is truly a visionary manifesto which will usher in a new era of development in India. The Modi 3.0 government will work for the holistic development of all sections of society, be it the women, the youth, the elderly, the farmers or our people belonging to economically weaker sections." Attacking the AAP government in Punjab, Kaur said, "Whatever Modi promises are his Sankalps and he always fulfils them, unlike the Aam Aadmi Party that sells big dreams through their guarantees and later doesn't stay true to it. "The Bhagawant Mann government is only functioning in advertisements, whereas in real life Punjab is facing many crises under them. They are repeatedly taking loans and are wasting our public money on promoting their party in other states. Not a single new project has been started by the Punjab government in the last two years." She further said, "The youth is our future, it is your job to now choose very wisely, which party you are going to vote for. The INDIA alliance or other opposition parties clearly lack leadership skills and the will to do better and ensure security for the country. Only the Narendra Modi-led BJP government can ensure a better future for our youngsters." Mumbai, April 14 : The MahaYuti government in Maharashtra received a major boost after the BJP in its Sankalp Patra (manifesto) proposed to increase renewable energy production, accelerate the renewable energy transition, increase green hydrogen production capacity and install smart meters. The MahaYuti government has not only taken a slew of decisions but also launched the implementation for energy transition. Maharashtra has become the first state to implement the worldas largest distributed solar programme for agriculture after it awarded Letters of Award to 95 project developers in March for a whopping 9,000 mw distributed solar capacity dedicated to supplying reliable day-time electricity supply to agriculture. The proposed 9,000 MW capacity will be deployed in a distributed manner across the states covering 1,368 sub-stations and 5,293 agriculture feeders. The state cabinet last month approved the borrowing of Rs 17,000 crore from the Asian Development Bank (Rs 8,109 crore) and Asia Infrastructure Development Bank (Rs 9,020 crore) to strengthen the network for the agriculture solar pumps across the state. Maharashtra government also signed an MoU with the State-run NTPC Green Energy for the development of green hydrogen and its derivatives such as green ammonia and green methanol of up to 1 million tonne capacity per annum. This is a part of the state governmentas green investment plan for the next five years. The agreement envisages a potential investment of approximately Rs 80,000 crore. The MoU also includes the creation of pumped storage projects of 2 gigawatts (GW) and the development of renewable energy projects with or without storage upto 5 GW in the state. This initiative aims to provide 12 hours of uninterrupted power supply to farmers during the day. The government decision will enable 40 per cent of agriculture feeders to be driven by solar power by 2025. The governmentas decision is important as it gives power to farmers at a subsidised rate of Rs 1.25 per unit leading to an expenditure of Rs 13,000 crore. Maharashtra has 1.6 crore farmers with 78 per cent under the low and marginal category. Solar power would help them not only in cost-effectiveness but also in working in fields after sunset. Maharashtra government has also launched the Green Hydrogen policy for the production of green hydrogen - hydrogen created by electrolysing water. The policy is in line with the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The cabinet has sanctioned funds to the tune of Rs 8,562 crore to provide subsidies and benefits to companies generating this green energy in the coming years. The government aims to make Maharashtra a leader in green hydrogen and its derivatives ecosystem in the country, with a production target of 500 kilotons per annum of green energy by 2030. As far as installation of smart meters is concerned the state-run Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MahaVitaran) has already awarded contracts worth Rs 13,888 crore. The existing conventional meters of more than two crore consumers in the state will be replaced with prepaid smart meters. After the installation, customers will be able to decide how much to spend on electricity. Mumbai, April 14 : Actress Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, who is known for 'Guilty', 'Ray' and 'Monica, Oh My Darling', celebrated the Tamil New Year, Puthandu on Sunday. The actress took to Instagram and shared a video of herself. The video has several close-up shots of the actress as she moves around in a bedroom with old-world charm furniture used in South Indian households. The colour palette of the video is also kept warm with shades of cream and brown. She wrote in the caption, "My Tamil New Year wishes to everyone." She dons a striped saree with her hair tied in a bun, adorned with a bindi and ethnic jewellery in the video celebrating Puthandu. Sharing her thoughts on her South Indian girl era and the photoshoot, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor expressed: "I felt my most elegant, mature and graceful self in this beautiful South Indian attire with absolutely no makeup or hair done. "The women there are so raw and real, which made me feel so pretty. Today, on this special occasion, I would like to send my love to everyone celebrating Puthandu. May the new year bring lots of joy and happiness to everyone's life". Meanwhile, on the work front, the actress is gearing up for her upcoming sci-fi action thriller film 'Maaya One' in which she stars opposite Sundeep Kishan. New Delhi, April 14 : Six school buses and two rooms were gutted after a massive fire broke out at a private school in Delhi's Dwarka area on Sunday, a fire department official said, adding that no one was injured in the incident. Delhi Fire Service Director Atul Garg said that a call regarding a blaze in school buses at R.D. Rajpal Public School near the police station in Sector 9, Dwarka was received at 2.53 p.m. aA total of five fire tenders were rushed to the site and flames were doused by 4:35 p.m.," he said, adding that the fire engulfed six CNG school buses and two rooms on the ground floor. aNo casualty was reported and the cooling operation is underway," Garg said. Lahore, April 14 : In what's being considered as an incident of targeted killing, unidentified gunmen on Sunday killed Amir Tanba, a key figure behind the killing of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail in 2013. Amir Tanba was outside his residence at Islampura in Lahore when at least two unidentified motorcycle-borne gunmen opened fire, injuring him critically. The latest killing of Sarabjit Singh's killer Amir Tanba is being seen as a "revenge killing" done by hired killers. According to local residents, Amir was critically injured by the gunshots and succumbed to his injuries even before he could be taken to hospital. The locals also claimed that Amir had been receiving death threats for the last few days. Amir, along with his fellow inmate Mudasir Munir, were accused of assaulting Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in April 2013. It was reported that both inmates tortured Sarabjit Singh to death in the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore. But on December 15, 2013, a court acquitted both Amir and Munir after all the witnesses of the murder retracted their statements, leading to the release of the accused. Inmates of the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore, Amir and Munir attacked and tortured Sarabjit to death. Sarabjit suffered severe head injuries from the torture done by blunt objects and bricks. He was brought to Lahore's Jinnah Hospital and kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for at least five days. Later, Sarabjit Singh was declared as 'dead' by the medical board of senior neurosurgeons. Other reports also indicated that Sarabjit Singh died on the route from the jail to the hospital on the first day of his torture by inmates and that the matter was dragged further to cover-up on the actual incident. Sarabjit Singh was convicted of terrorism and spying by the Supreme Court of Pakistan for his involvement in a series of bombings in Lahore and Faisalabad during the 1990s. The Lahore High Court first sentenced him to death while an appeal in the apex court was later rejected and the death sentence was retained in 1991. Vijayawada, April 14 : Vijayawada police on Sunday registered a case of attempt to murder against unknown persons in connection with last night's attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy while he was campaigning in the district. A case under the Indian Penal Code's Section 307 was registered at AS Nagar Police Station on a complaint by YSR Congress Party MLA Velampalli Srinivasa Rao. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief sustained an injury on his left eyebrow after being hit by a stone in the Ajit Singh Nagar area. Doctors immediately provided first aid to him. The Chief Minister, who is currently on his "Memantha Siddham Yatra", was standing on the special campaign bus to greet people when he was attacked. Srinivasa Rao, the Vijayawada West MLA, who was standing next to Jagan Mohan Reddy, also sustained an injury in his left eye. Following doctors' advice, Jagan Mohan Reddy was taken to the Vijayawada Government Hospital. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the attack took place near Vivekananda School around 8.30 p.m. Police took up the investigation into the incident, which has triggered a war of words between leaders of the YSRCP and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Srinivas Rao said when lakhs of people were gathering in support of Jagan Mohan Reddy, some miscreants saw an opportunity and deliberately attacked him. The power supply was cut off at that time, and they seized the opportunity to carry out the attack. He alleged that TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu is unable to tolerate the overwhelming support for Jagan Mohan Reddy, which is why he and his associates resorted to such cheap tricks. This behaviour is completely unjustified, and it is distressing to witness the Chief Minister being attacked in this manner, he said adding that Naidu should be held accountable. "Despite the overwhelming support for CM Jagan in both the east and central constituencies of Vijayawada, alliances have been formed against him. There have been malicious attempts, joining hands with the Congress and the Communist party," the MLA alleged. He claimed that 10 surveys have been conducted, all of which clearly indicate that the YSRCP will sweep the 2024 polls. The US Congress has called for US troops to strike Iran in response to the attack on Israel, and is also going to hold Tehran accountable for the attack. At the same time, US President Joe Biden is convening consultations with G7 allies to formulate a response to the attacks. ADVERTISIMENT For its part, the United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the events in the Middle East. OBOZ.UA tells you how the world reacted to the aggravation of the situation in the region. Thus, the US President said that American facilities or forces in the Middle East were not affected by Iran's attack on Israel. He also added that Tel Aviv, with Washington's assistance, managed to shoot down almost all missiles and drones launched by Tehran. Biden assured Israel of US support, but in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said that the Americans would not help any IDF counterattack on Iran. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris released her first response to Iran's strike on Israel, saying that the White House's support for Israel's security is "ironclad." "We stand with the people of Israel in defending these attacks," she said. ADVERTISIMENT U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, called on the leadership of the state to retaliate against Tehran. "Iran has started launching drone strikes against Israel. President Biden, we must act quickly and retaliate against Iran," she said on X. The Hill writes that her post provides an insight into the pressure that some Republicans in Congress may be putting on the American leader amid fears of a broader war in the region. The Republican majority leader in the House of Representatives, Congressman Steve Scalise, said that the House schedule will change for next week. According to him, the key work will be focused on considering legislation to support Israel and hold Iran accountable. ADVERTISIMENT "In light of Iran's unjustified attack on Israel, next week the House of Representatives will change its previously announced legislative schedule to consider legislation that supports our ally Israel and holds Iran and its terrorist proxies accountable instead," he said. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen condemned Iran's attack on Israel but added that he supports Biden in his efforts to "prevent an even broader conflict that will engulf the people of the entire region." Malta's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vanessa Fraser, said that the UN Security Council meeting will be held at 23:00 (Kyiv time) on Sunday, April 14. ADVERTISIMENT After the attack on Israel on the evening of April 13, Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations said it was a response to the aggression of the "Zionist regime" against Iranian diplomatic missions in Damascus. They claim that Tehran's military actions "were carried out in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter on legitimate defense." Tel Aviv has promised a response to the Iranian terrorist attack. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and a number of leaders condemned Iran's massive attack on Israel, emphasizing that neither the Middle East nor the world "can afford another war." As reported, on the night of April 13-14, Iran fired almost 200 drones and more than a hundred cruise and ballistic missiles at Israel. According to the IDF, none of the targets reached Israeli airspace. All of them were intercepted, including by allies. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Bhopal, April 14 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the world is living in 'fear' and 'uncertainty' of new challenges and in such a situation India needs to emerge stronger. Addressing a public rally in Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad, he asserted that making India a powerful country is the need of the hour and it can happen with a strong government which has an absolute majority. "Only BJP's government can make India more powerful. We can't expect it from those who could not even make their own party strong. People do not take them seriously as they do not have any vision for the country," PM Modi said while hitting out at Congress. PM Modi, who reached Madhya Pradesh after releasing the BJP manifesto said, "The election manifesto is a commitment. Congress doesn't take it seriously. People are laughing at them because of their hollow promises." Responding to Rahul Gandhi's remarks that the Congress will remove poverty if voted to power, PM Modi said that the Congress is only mocking itself by making such statements. "Congress is mocking itself by giving such statements. Can poverty be eliminated overnight?" PM Modi asked. He said the leaders of the "INDI alliance" are confused over deciding their election manifesto. "BJP's Sankalp Patra is Modi's guarantee which will be fulfilled in the next few years. Modi is born to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the country," PM Modi added. Beirut, April 14 : Israeli warplanes struck a pro-Iranian Hezbollah stronghold in eastern Lebanon on Sunday, inflicting at least three casualties, Lebanese security and Hezbollah sources said. Lebanese security sources said a two-storey building was hit by Israeli warplanes in Nabi Sheet, near the city of Baalbeck. The Israeli army said that in response to the firing toward northern Israel overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck "a significant Hezbollah weapons manufacturing site in the area of Nabi Chit, deep inside Lebanon". Lebanese security sources said Hezbollah fighters went on full alert following the strike near the eastern Lebanese-Syrian borders. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency also reported that "an enemy air strike targeted a building" in the village of al-Nabi Sheet and "destroyed it." Hezbollah said at least one fighter was killed but did not say where. In response to the Israeli night raids that targeted a number of southern Lebanese villages, the pro-Iranian movement earlier said Hezbollah fighters fired dozens of Katyusha rockets on areas in the Golan Heights at dawn on Sunday. Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles on Saturday targeting Israel in response to a suspected Israeli attack on an Iranian compound in Syria earlier this month which killed two brigadier generals and five other members of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). --DPA/IANS vd Tel Aviv, April 14 : Iran's large-scale air attack on Israel has prompted fears of further escalation in the volatile Middle East, as leaders condemned the attack and rallied on Sunday to consider their further response. Israeli and regional airspace reopened on Sunday morning after the country managed with the help of its allies to intercept 99 per cent of the projectiles fired by Iran, according to Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari. Tehran had launched "over 300 threats of various types," Hagari said. For the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic, Iran directly attacked Israel in the overnight barrage of drones and missiles. The attack was retaliation for the killing of high-ranking Iranian officers in Syria, in a suspected Israeli airstrike on April 1. Of the 170 unmanned missiles and more than 30 cruise missiles launched by Iran, none reached Israel, Hagari said. "Out of over 120 ballistic missiles, only a few crossed into Israeli territory, with the rest being intercepted," he added. These had caused minor infrastructure damage to the Nevatim Air Force Base, which continued to function normally. Hagari spoke of Israel's "very significant strategic achievement" in deterring the attack. He strongly rejected the idea that the airstrikes could have been intended as a form of sabre-rattling without serious intent of damage. "I think Iran meant to get results and did not get results," Hagari told journalists. He pointed to the use of ballistic missiles by Iran as a clear escalation. Israel is now carefully considering its next steps, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in an interview with the Israeli army radio station. "We have said: if Iran attacks Israel, we will attack Iran. And this commitment is still valid," Katz said. He said the specific question of a possible response would be discussed in the appropriate framework under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli media have announced that the war cabinet was to meet at 3.30 p.m. (12.30 GMT) to discuss the next steps. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) had "taught a lesson" to the country's arch-enemy Israel. "Punishment of the aggressor, which was the sincere promise of the powerful and wise leader of the Islamic Revolution, has come true," Raisi said in a statement from the presidential office. Raisi warned Israel's allies against counter-attacks: "We advise the supporters of the occupying regime to appreciate this responsible and proportionate action of the Islamic Republic of Iran." Iran's highest-ranking general, Mohammed Bagheri, rated the attack on Israel as a success, in comments carried by the ISNA news agency. "The reason for this operation was a crossing of red lines by the Zionist regime," Bagheri said. Israel called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Sunday to condemn Iran's attack on Israel and designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organisation. Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan sent an urgent letter to the President of the Security Council, Vanessa Frazier, calling for the meeting. "The Iranian attack is a serious threat to global peace and security and I expect the Council to use every means to take concrete action against Iran," he posted on X. Italy, which currently holds the G7 presidency, has convened a videoconference on Sunday for the heads of the seven leading democratic industrialised nations. US President Joe Biden had previously announced the meeting, "to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iranas brazen attack". Western leaders including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack, while Beijing broke its relative silence on the conflict in the Middle East to express "deep concern." In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called on all sides to "exercise calm and restraint to prevent a further increase in tensions". Moscow, meanwhile, blamed Western powers for failing to respond to the April 1 attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus and said Iran was invoking its right to self-defence under the UN Charter. "Unfortunately, due to the position adopted by its Western members, the (UN) Security Council was unable to provide a proper response to the strike on the Iranian consular mission," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Russia and Iran, both facing sanctions by Western powers, have strengthened their ties over recent years. Tehran had vowed to respond to the April 1 attack on its Damascus embassy compound, and indications had mounted that it would take action this weekend. Two brigadier generals were killed in the suspected Israeli airstrike. --DPA/IANS vd Chennai, April 14 : Tamil superstar Vishal, who has several hit movies to his credit, on Sunday, announced that he is all set to enter politics and would float a new political party to contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Interacting with media persons on the sidelines of an event at Vadapalani here, he said that he would enter politics and is preparing for it. To a query on whether his party would enter into any electoral alliances, Vishal said that he was not thinking about this issue yet. He said that he would prove the strength of his party in the 2026 Assembly elections and based on that, would consider any alliances. Tamil Nadu politics has seen several film stars and writers. C.N. Annadurai, the first Chief Minister of the state from a Dravidian party, was a scriptwriter and so was his protegee and successor M. Karunanidhi. M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and Jayalalithaa were superstars of the Tamil movie world. The latest entry to the Tamil political scenario is superstar Thalapathy Vijay who has floated the TVK and has announced that he was aiming for 2026 Assembly polls. Superstar Kamal Haasan had also floated his political outfit, the MNM. Aligned with the INDIA bloc, he is extensively campaigning for the candidates from the bloc for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. Leading female star Khushboo Sundar joined the BJP after a stint with the Congress and the DMK and is now a member of the National Commission for Women. Tamil star Raadhika Sarathkumar is now contesting from the Virudhunagar Lok Sabha seat as a BJP candidate against Vijaya Prabhakaran, son of late Tamil superstar and DMDK founder Vijayakanth, who was once the Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. With the entry of Vishal, Tamil Nadu politics will have one more star testing the waters and it remains to be seen how he fares. Talking to IANS, film critic and writer R. Manusamy said: "Vishal is a good actor and has several hits to his credit. However, it has to be seen how he fares in politics as even Kamal Haasan could not make much of an impact in Tamil politics even though he is a superstar." Mysuru : , April 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the INDIA bloc led by the Congress, saying the Opposition alliance wants to destroy the strength of Hindu dharma. Addressing a massive gathering here, PM Modi said that "the Congress has become the sultan of tukde tukde gang". "The Congress wants to divide and break the nation, and it wants to weaken the country. These intentions of the Congress are still intact even today. The Congress-led INDIA bloc boycotted Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, it rejected the invitation. They (Congress and INDIA bloc leaders) never respected the Hindu faith. However, till Modi is here, till your blessings are on Modi, the enemies won't succeed in their nefarious designs. This is Modi's guarantee," PM Modi said at the rally. "Modi always wants to give an account of governance. But has Congress given its report card for 60 years of its governance? The Congress only wants to create a crisis, and it only knows betrayal," PM Modi said. Criticising Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, PM Modi said: "The Congress president asked what is the relationship of Kashmiri people with other states when Article 370 was abrogated. The people of Karnataka have seen how the Congress party had allotted the ticket as a gift to those who spoke against India." PM Modi further said that during the election, the Congress leaders are seen taking permission to raise "Bharat Mata ki Jai" slogans. "Does one need to take permission to even raise Bharat Mata ki Jai slogans?" he wondered. "Can the people of the nation and Karnataka state forgive the Congress? The Congress had opposed the slogan of Vande Mataram now it is opposed to Bharat Mata ki Jai slogan. This is the height of Congress' arrogance. The Congress is playing with fire for the sake of power," PM Modi said. Further addressing the crowd, PM Modi stated: "You see (today) the rising stature of the country in the world. The respect for India is only growing in the world. The Congress leaders who go abroad are leaving no opportunity to show the country in a bad light." Jammu, April 14 : Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said that the National Conference (NC) and Congress will split the secular vote in the Chenba region in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. "NC and Congress will split the secular vote in the Chenab valley," Azad said while addressing a public meeting in Kishtwar. He said that DPAP was the first to declare its candidate after the BJP. "After the BJP, Congress announced its candidate whose track record was communal. Still, the NC is campaigning in Chenab solely to manipulate and deceive the people," Azad said. He also questioned the absence and lack of contribution of NC and Congress over the past decade in the Chenab regions. "What tangible efforts they have made in the region. These leaders come to the Chenab as tourists, aiding the BJP and fracturing our votes. What have they truly done for the people here? How many schools, roads, or colleges did they construct during their tenure? They merely exploited and deceived our populace," Azad said. Lahore, April 14 : Sarabjit Singh, the Indian prisoner who was attacked and murdered by fellow inmates at a jail in Pakistan's Lahore, before his demise, gave a fickle ray of hope to his family members and well-wishers about his release, only to later find himself entangled in a series of confusing developments, as it was revealed that Surjeet Singh, and not Sarabjit Singh, would be released. The episode dates back to June 2012. Surjeet Singh, who had spent at least three decades in Pakistani jails on charges of spying, was scheduled to be released from Lahore central jail (Kot Lakhpat Jail), and he was to be handed-over to the Indian authorities via Wagah-Attari border. However, the initial report mentioned the name of Sarabjit Singh instead of Surjeet Singh, making Sarabjit part of the spotlight momentarily, as he was not the one who was going back home. At that time, the legal representative of Indian prisoners in Pakistani jails, Awais Sheikh, had revealed that after the successful transfer of Surjeet Singh to India, the next in line was Sarabjit Singh, who would be crossing over the Wagah border and reuniting with his family. It is believed that since then, the attitude of inmates towards Sarabjit Singh had changed, and there were also reports of some incidents of attacks on him as well. That was why the authorities had shifted Sarabjit Singh to a separate cell. Prisoners on death row are kept in separate areas of the prison, away from other inmates. The whole episode of the killing of Sarabjit Singh was shrouded in suspicion as the attack by Amir Tanba and Muddasar Munir remained under question as many concerns about the attack in Kot Lakhpat Jail remained a mystery. While the Pakistan government maintained that Sarabjit Singh was brought to the Jinnah Hospital in critical condition and was kept in the hospital for at least 5 days before being declared dead, there were many local sources who confirmed that he had died while being brought to the hospital from the jail. Other sources also stated that the reason behind keeping his dead body in the hospital for 5 days was to "fade away" the case of Sarabjit being killed inside the Kot Lakhpat jail and avoid any further extension to the controversy behind his murder. It remains a mystery how a death row convict like Amir Tanba was able to get a release from jail and then be targeted at his residence in Lahore on Sunday. Locals of Islampura area where Amir Tanba was gunned down told IANS that he died of excessive bleeding, a news confirmed by his family sources. "He was hit with four bullets," said one of the local residents of Islampura. One of his close family members confirmed to IANS that Amir was shot dead by two gunmen who had entered the house and opened fire on him. "Tanba was shot twice in the chest and twice in the legs," a police officer said. "One attacker was wearing a helmet and the other was wearing a mask," said Junaid Sarfaraz, brother of Amir Sarfaraz a.k.a. Tanba. A case has been registered into the murder of Amir Tanba and an investigation has been launched. Gurugram, April 14 : To increase voter participation and expand voting opportunities for eligible voters, the Election Commission has released a Voters-in-Q App, officials said. With this App, voters can get information about the crowd at polling booths on the day of voting. The app will prove to be very helpful in increasing the voting percentage, they said. District Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner Gurugram, Nishant Kumar Yadav said that the Election Commission of India has started many special plans to increase the vote percentage for the upcoming Lok Sabha general elections. He said that now voters can download the app on the day of voting and see the crowd at the polling stations live. So that voters can vote at their convenience. He said that many times voters see the crowd and go back without casting their vote, and information about polling stations will be available through this app. "At present, this voters app can be used only in about 30 assembly constituencies of Haryana including Gurugram assembly," Yadav said. He further said that the Election Commission of India has also given its approval to this mobile app as an experiment. He informed that if the voter feeds the name of his area, name of the polling booth, name of the voter etc. on the mobile app, then he will get an OTP, using which he can directly connect with the Booth Level Officer (BLO) at the booth. After every hour or half an hour, the BLO will inform the app how many people are currently standing in the queue to cast their votes. "This mobile app and website is being used for the first time in elections. Its biggest advantage is that the voter will not have to wait for long to cast his vote and he can go to cast his vote as soon as the crowd reduces. If this experiment is successful, it can be implemented in all the assembly constituencies in future in Haryana," Yadav added. Bhandara : , April 14 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the BJP will not scrap the reservation if the party can win 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. "Congress is spreading this confusion. BJP will never scrap reservation. We have a majority now and did not tinker with the reservation. We abrogated Article 370 and ended the Triple Talaq but did not scrap the reservation. It is Narendra Modi's guarantee that reservation will not be scrapped," Amit Shah said while addressing a rally at Sakoli in Bhandara district. He was accompanied by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP Working President Praful Patel. "In 70 years, Congress did not scrap Article 370 but kept it as an honorless child. We removed it and brought Kashmir into the mainstream. Congress kept the Ram Mandir issue hanging for years. Modi fulfilled the Ram Mandir promise as well," he said. He said that people should elect PM Modi for the third term so that BJP can fulfil the promise of the Uniform Civil Code, free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh for every citizen above 70 years, piped gas connection to households, free electricity in poor houses, millions of opportunities to brighten the future of youth in every field, economic prosperity for women and prosperous India. "Modi government has brightened the lives of one crore women through the Lakhpati Didi scheme during its ten-year tenure. When Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister for the third time, it is the resolution of the Modi government that three crore women in the country will become Lakhpati Didi," he said. He said that Congress has constantly insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar but is now going from house to house asking for votes in his name. "Congress did not give Bharat Ratna to Babasaheb despite being in power for five decades and insulted him continuously. The BJP government has given sanctity to all the five places associated with Babasaheb," he said. He also targeted Congress MP Rahul Gandhi saying that he never reads. "Every now and then he announces the eradication of poverty. This is what Indiraji announced, Rajiv Gandhi promised, Sonia did nothing but Narendra Modi lifted 25 crore people out of poverty in ten years," he said. Visakhapatnam, April 14 : A day after the stone attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, similar attempts were made by unidentified persons on Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader Pawan Kalyan on Sunday. However, both Naidu and Pawan Kalyan escaped unhurt in the separate incidents that occurred in Guntur and Visakhapatnam, respectively. Unidentified persons pelted stones at the opposition leaders when they were addressing people as part of the election campaign. There was tension during former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naiduas public meeting in Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam when unidentified persons pelted stones at him. The stones, however, missed the target. The assailants pelted stones from behind the Parajagalam vehicle. TDP workers tried to apprehend them but they managed to escape. Chandrababu Naidu expressed anger at the incident and issued a stern warning to those responsible. He asserted that he is not intimidated by such attacks. Security personnel were put on alert following the stone-throwing incident. "Stones were thrown here. People won't let them get away and will drive them out. The Ganja and blade gangs have also arrived here. I don't know what the police are doing. I will also address the drama that happened yesterday in Vijayawada," he said. The TDP chief warned those involved to stop resorting to such cheap tricks saying people will revolt and punish them by exposing them. "There was no electricity when stones were thrown at Jagan in Vijayawada. Who should own responsibility for power breakdown during the Chief Ministeras meeting," he asked. He alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy earlier played aKodi Kathi dramaa in 2018. He was referring to the knife attack on the YSRCP leader at Visakhapatnam Airport. Naidu said Jagan Mohan Reddy also tried to blame him for his uncle Vivekananda Reddyas murder in 2019. He alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy won the election with sympathy after the murder of his uncle. Stones were also pelted on Pawan Kalyan when he was campaigning at Tenali in Guntur district on Sunday. Sundayas incidents came a day after Jagan Mohan Reddy was injured when someone pelted a stone while he was campaigning in Vijayawada. The YSRCP chief sustained an injury on his left eyebrow after being hit by a stone in the Ajit Singh Nagar area on Saturday. As part of aMemantha Siddham Yatraa, the Chief Minister was standing on a special campaign bus to greet people when the attack took place. Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao, the Vijayawada West MLA, who was standing next to Jagan Mohan Reddy, also sustained an injury in his left eye. Elections to the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats are scheduled on May 13. Kering is going through a difficult time. Even its CEO, Francois-Henri Pinault, admits as much. The French luxury empire, one of the sectors most important groups, issued a profit warning to the market, alerting it that sales performance during the first quarter was 10% lower than expected a few months ago. This bad streak is not new and is mainly the result of poor sales of its flagship brand, Gucci, in China. In addition to the Italian brand, the most important one in its portfolio, the company controls other fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga. The companys difficulties have taken their toll on the stock market. On March 20, a day after the luxury empire warned of its poor quarterly figures, shares plummeted by up to 12%. One of the worst sessions in its history, it was a dark day for the company, which lost over 6 billion ($6.4 billion) in market capitalization. Kering is one of the primary drivers of the CAC 40, the main index of the French stock market along with LOreal, LVMH and Hermes. Over the past 12 months, its shares have lost 35% of their value. Group revenues for the first quarter of 2024 will be published on April 23, following a year described as difficult by Pinault, who has been Kerings CEO since 2005. Although the companys revenue reached 19.57 billion ($20.88 billion) in 2023, it fell 4% (2% in comparable terms) as compared to 2022, when revenue was 20.35 billion ($21.72 billion). Meanwhile, net profit for the last financial year fell by 17% to 2.98 billion ($3.18 billion). The figures highlight the difficulties that the French company is facing in the Chinese market, one of its main growth drivers; economic recovery following the end of the Draconian zero-Covid measures has not fully arrived there. The Asian giant is seeking to revive an economy weighed down by a depressed real estate market, low domestic demand and high youth unemployment. Fears of a slowdown among Chinese shoppers have hit Gucci hard; the brand accounts for over half of Kerings sales and more than two-thirds of its profits. The Asian region (excluding Japan) accounts for 39% of the Italian brands profits. Its contribution to the Kering groups total revenues is 35%. A reassuring message The situation is worrisome. In 2023, Guccis profits fell by 6% compared to the previous year (2% in comparable terms), standing at 9.87 billion ($10.54 billion). And for the first quarter of 2024, the luxury group anticipated that sales from the Florentine house founded in 1921 will be 20% lower compared to last year. Nevertheless, the company wanted to send a reassuring message: The new collection has been very well received. For several months, Kering has been reorganizing around its flagship brand. The priority is to get Gucci back on track, although that wont happen overnight, Pinault admitted after the annual results were presented. The changes have already begun. In July 2023, the billionaire appointed his then right-hand man, Jean-Francois Paulus, as the new president of the Italian firm. The French luxury group also decided to part ways with its iconic artistic creator, Alessandro Michele, and replace him with Sabato de Sarno. In September, his first collection, Ancora, premiered at Milan Fashion Week, changing the brands direction and investing in new, more classic basics. The new line arrived in major Chinese cities in March, trying to woo consumers with pop-up stores and events with local influencers. The next few months will be decisive in determining whether Kerings executives have hit the right note. The jury is out on whether the Chinese will like the Sabato De Sarno quiet luxury, Bernstein analyst Luca Solca said in a recent note distributed to clients. The bad news on Kering is company specific, but is also a good reminder that consumer confidence and discretionary spend in China is soft, he added. For its part, the Bain & Company consultancy firm warned that following an overall rebound last year, Chinas luxury market is expected to grow at mid-single-digit in 2024. Betting on the goose that lays the golden egg has its risks. Over the years, the French company has been reducing its dependence on Gucci, although only minimally. But its other brands have not risen up to compensate for the Italian firms reduced sales. The groups second-largest brand, Yves Saint Laurent, which accounts for about 16% of Kerings profits, saw its revenues fall by 4% last year. The revenues of the third-largest brand, Bottega Veneta, fell by 5%. The other houses category, which includes the Spanish brand Balenciaga, whose image was damaged after a controversial marketing campaign, saw its revenues fall by 9% last year. The only group subsidiary to perform well was Kering Eyewear; it saw a record 38% rise in revenues. In addition to the changes at Gucci, Kering launched a beauty division that it is looking to expand in the coming years; and took its first step with the acquisition of high-end perfume maker Creed in June 2023. Last summer, it also announced the purchase of a 30% stake in the famous fashion brand Valentino for 1.7 billion ($1.81 billion) from the Qatari fund Mayhoola. The aim is to continue investing in the conglomerates various houses. The impact of this investment strategy, as recognized by the groups CEO, will affect results in the short term. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Panaji, April 14 : After Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged his Goa counterpart to rehabilitate Kannadigas families, whose houses were demolished in the coastal state, the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) attacked the former saying illegal occupants should vacate the land. Around 22 houses belonging to Kannadigas constructed on comunidade land at Sangolda in North Goa were demolished following the order of the Goa High Court. These families had threatened to boycott the Lok Sabha election if the government failed to give them solace. Reacting to the incident Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took to the X stating: "Deeply concerned by the demolition of homes belonging to Kannadigas in Sangolda, Goa. I appeal to the Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant, to cease further demolitions immediately until alternatives are provided and ensure all displaced individuals receive adequate rehabilitation. It's crucial we uphold the dignity and stability of every affected family." RGP Supremo Manoj Parab, fighting against the illegal encroachment on Comunidade land by migrants, attacked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stating: "Kindly send your KSRTC buses to Goa and take away all the Kannadigas who have encroached our land illegally and are involved in illegal activities. Kindly give them a rehabilitation package in Karnataka under your government." "There are lakhs of Goans who can't afford to buy a piece of land in Goa because lakhs of Kannadigas have encroached our comunidade land and created their vote bank. Will your government ask them to vacate our land which is illegally encroached on," Parab said. In the last couple of years, RGP forced authorities to cancel around twenty-five thousand election cards of migrants who also had election cards at their native place. Most of them are from Karnataka. New Delhi, April 14 : External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday spoke to his Iranian counterpart H. Amirabdollahian and raised the issue of 17 Indian crewmen on a commercial vessel seized by Iranian special forces. He also urged Iran to avoid escalation, following its missile and drone barrage on Israel overnight. The Israeli-linked MSC Aries, which has 17 Indians among its 25-member crew as well as Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals, was as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz, about 80 km offshore of the UAE, early on Saturday, as per the vessel's operator. "Spoke to Iranian FM @Amirabdolahian this evening. Took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of MSC Aries. Discussed the current situation in the region. Stressed the importance of avoiding escalation, exercising restraint and returning to diplomacy. Agreed to remain in touch," Minister Jaishankar said in a post on X. In a separate post, he said that he also talked to his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz. "Just concluded a conversation with Israel FM @Israel_katz. Shared our concern at the developments yesterday. Discussed the larger regional situation. Agreed to stay in touch," he posted. Agartala, April 14 : Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah arrived here on Sunday to further step up the ongoing campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. BJP sources said that Home Minister after addressing an election rally in Tripura's Kumarghat on Monday, would fly to Imphal, where he would address a public meeting and hold meetings with Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, state BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi and other senior party leaders. Both Tripura and Manipur have two Lok Sabha seats each. Polling would be held in these two northeastern states in the first two phases -- April 19 and April 26. A senior BJP leader said that the Kumarghat election rally would cover the Tripura East Lok Sabha seat, reserved for the tribals, comprising 30 of the 60 Assembly constituencies. BJP sources in Imphal said that Home Minister Shah, one of the star campaigners of the ruling BJP, would address an election rally at the Hapta Kangjeibung ground, palace compound, in Imphal East district on Monday afternoon. Biren Singh and other BJP leaders including state BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi are also likely to address the gathering. Party leaders, workers, and people from both Lok Sabha constituencies -- Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur -- would attend the first ever mega public rally since the ethnic violence began in the state on May 3 last year. A BJP leader said that leaders of the Naga People's Front (NPF), an ally of the BJP, would also attend the election meeting at the Hapta Kangjeibung ground. After addressing the election rally, the Union Home Minister, before leaving for Delhi, would hold a meeting with the Chief Minister, state BJP President and other senior party leaders. HM Shah would also inaugurate the BJP party office at Thambal Sanglen in Imphal. HM Shah's Monday rally would be the first such major election event in Manipur as due to over 11 month-long ethnic strife, no political party has so far organised any kind of election rally in the trouble-torn state. The campaigns of all political parties are extremely subdued with the leaders mostly using social and traditional media to ventilate their views, statements and appeals. The leaders of different political parties, both ruling and opposition, are trying to involve various organisations and civil societies to undertake campaigns for their party candidates. After violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, the Union Home Minister visited the state for four days from May 29 to June 1 last year and held a series of meetings with top officials, politicians, NGOs, before announcing a slew of measures to deal with the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities. Elections in Manipur's two Lok Sabha seats will be held in two phases. Six candidates are contesting in Inner Manipur seat while four candidates are in the fray in the Outer Manipur seat, reserved for the tribals. The Inner Manipur seat will go to the polls in the first phase on April 19 along with some parts of the Outer Manipur constituency (15 Assembly segments). The remaining parts of Outer Manipur (13 Assembly segments) will vote in the second phase on April 26. The BJP has fielded Manipur Education Minister Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh in Inner Manipur and extended support to the NPF nominee K. Timothy Zimik in the Outer Manipur seat, reserved for the tribals. The opposition Congress-led INDIA bloc has put up Angomcha Bimol Akoijam for the Inner Manipur seat while Alfred Kanngam S. Arthur has been fielded in Outer Manipur (ST). Voting will be held in Tripura West and Tripura East Parliamentary constituencies on April 19 and April 26 respectively. In total, 18 candidates, including two women, are contesting the two Lok Sabha seats. However, the main contest is expected to be between the BJP and the INDIA bloc, comprising the Congress, CPI-M, and six other parties. --IANS sc/pgh Chandigarh, April 14 : Gangster-turned-social activist Lakhbir Singh, alias Lakha Sidhana, who was one of the main accused in the violence in Delhi during the farmers' rally on Republic Day in 2021, was on Sunday declared as Shiromani Akali Dal-Amritsar (SAD-A) candidate from Punjab's Bathinda parliamentary seat. SAD-A President Simranjit Singh Mann said Sidhana has been nominated as the party's candidate as a testament to his relentless activism for the Punjabi language and multiple social causes in Punjab. "I wish Lakha Singh Sidhana all the best and trust Bathinda will elect their homegrown popular young activist and further embolden Panth-Punjab's voice Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar," Mann, the MP from Sangrur, said. Sidhana, who belongs to Sidhana village in Bathinda district, had dreamed of making big in politics through the farmers' agitation in 2021-22. In 2021-22, he was quite active in the agitation on the borders of the national capital and aggressively lobbied for the agitation to gain momentum. At one point in time, farmer leaders had distanced themselves from Sidhana and they blamed him for inciting violence at the Red Fort. A small-time gangster who aimed to enter politics by becoming a social activist, he was acquitted in several cases before contesting the 2012 Assembly polls as a candidate of the People's Party of Punjab, once led by Manpreet Singh Badal, who is currently with the BJP. He used to work for the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) too. He was first jailed in 2004 and was put behind bars many times till 2017. Of late, he hogged the limelight as a social activist by demanding that all official signboards, other than English, should be in Punjabi first. --IANS vg/vd Jaipur, April 14 : Seven people, including two kids, aged 4 and 7 years old, were burnt alive as their car caught fire after hitting a truck on the Churu-Salasar state highway in Rajasthan's Churu on Sunday, police said. The family was returning after offering their prayers at Salasar Balaji temple, said SHO Subhash Bikaraniya. He said that police rushed to the sport after receiving information and called the fire brigade, which doused the fire. The deceased were residents of Uttar Pradesh's Meerut city and identified as Neelam Goyal, Ashutosh Goyal, Manju Bindal, Hardik Bindal, Swati Bindal, Diksha and a four-year-old kid. The car had a gas kit while the truck was loaded with cotton. While the bodies were being taken out, a half-burnt mobile was found. The officials took out its SIM and put it in another phone which rang soon after, with the woman on the other side saying that she had called her mother who was returning from Salasar Balaji. This helped the police to identify the deceased. Kolkata, April 15 : A special, additional nodal officer will be appointed for effective coordination and movement of central armed police force (CAPF) personnel on polling days for the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal, election officials said. Insiders from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal said that the decision for appointing this special and additional nodal officer has been conveyed to the CEO office from the Election Commission of India. "The special, additional nodal officer will have a two-tier responsibility on the polling days for the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls in the state. The first will be maintaining a between the control rooms of the offices of CEO, state nodal officer for police, and the CAPF coordinator in West Bengal," an official said. The second assignment is to give hourly updates of the poll proceedings to the control room in the office of the CEO, Kolkata on the polling days. "The CEO's office, in due course, will update the ECI office in Kolkata based on the hourly inputs provided by the special, additional nodal officer," said the official. The ECI had been especially vigilant about West Bengal considering the stateas past records of poll-related violence during the three-tier panchayat polls last year that left 50 dead. It has been decided that there will be a total allotment of 920 companies of CAPF for West Bengal, a figure which is the highest among all states and UTs, including Jammu & Kashmir. "Already 277 companies of CAPF have been deployed in West Bengal for the first phase of polls on April 19 for the three Lok Sabha constituencies, namely Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar. Another 25 companies are expected by this week," the official said. Chennai, April 15 : A former judge of the Madras High Court expressed displeasure after the Tamil Nadu Police cordoned off the Ambedkar memorial in Chennai's Raja Annamalaipuram area in view of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's visit to the site on Sunday. Chief Minister Stalin visited the memorial to pay tributes on the birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar. Madras High Court retired judge D. Hariparanthaman protested against the police decision and openly expressed his displeasure. He told media persons that he had gone to the memorial to attend a 'self-respect' marriage scheduled to take place in the morning. However, he found that the couple, their family members and friends were not allowed inside the memorial citing the protocol. They were asked to wait until the Chief Minister pays a visit to the memorial. When the former judge explained that the marriage would get over in hardly 10 minutes, the police agreed to allow him and the couple alone inside the memorial but not anyone else. The retired judge said that he wondered how could such a restriction be imposed on family members and friends. Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam president Kolathu Mani said that the marriage was performed outside the memorial after registering strong protest to police action. Addressing a gathering of activists, retired judge Hariparanthaman said: "We are not making it an issue because we do not want this government to earn a bad name on the birth anniversary of Ambedkar. We were prepared to leave the premises before the Chief Minister arrives but it was not proper to prevent us from entering until he arrives." He also said: "We have actually been supporting the ruling DMK in the ongoing Lok Sabha poll campaign and had also decided to take the oath 'Let all of us vote and save the Constitution'. This oath was to be taken in front of the Ambedkar statue but the police didnat allow it." The judge also said that two noted publishers of Tamil Nadu, K. Senthamizhselvi and Niranjan Vijayan had filed a writ petition in the High Court complaining about a similar restriction imposed by the police last year because of which the general public was able to pay respects at the memorial only for two hours. --IANS aal/sha Visakhapatnam, April 15 : Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, accusing him of importing ganja and other drugs from abroad. Addressing a public meeting at Payakaraopeta in the Anakapalli district during his Praja Galam, he said that while he, as Chief Minister, invited investments to the state from various foreign countries, Jagan Mohan Reddy, after becoming the Chief Minister, has successfully brought in ganja and other drugs from abroad. The TDP chief alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy totally swept away north Andhra and encroached upon all the hilly areas. He stated that while the TDP promoted the port city of Visakhapatnam as IT and economic capital, Jagan Mohan Reddy turned it into a centre for settlements and land encroachments. Chandrababu Naidu said that Jagan started feeling shaky after the TDP, the Jana Sena and the BJP came together and promised to develop the state with a double-engine government. He expressed confidence that there is a change in the mood of the people and the tremendous response from the Dalit community here is a clear indication of this. "If the soul of Dr Sudhakar, a medical doctor who was killed branding him as mad, is to be peaceful, the YSRCP should be completely routed in these elections," he said and added that the Constitution framed by Dr BR Ambedkar is certainly a fantastic document but Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is in the position to implement it in the state, is the most unfit person. "Did Mr Jagan provide employment even to a single person," he asked, saying that this Chief Minister did not fulfil even a single promise made to the people, including the youth like issuing job calendars and Mega DSC. "If the youth want to get jobs, Babu should be back and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) should come to power," he said. Stating that he will personally take the responsibility to provide jobs to the youth, the TDP supremo called upon the people to elect the Jana Sena and the BJP candidates besides the TDP candidates for the progress of the state. The alliance will take every measure to construct houses for the poor besides supplying sand free of cost, he said. Chandrababu Naidu also promised to promote local leaders for the development of this area and also put an end to the sand, land and mining mafia. The Super-Six schemes coupled with the welfare programmes announced by the Centre will certainly help the people to prosper, he added. Jaipur, April 15 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has assured the Jats of Dholpur and Bharatpur districts that their demand for quota would be fulfilled soon. Chief Minister Sharma on Sunday said that the Jat reservation issue has been pending in the districts and that he is "fully aware of it". "A committee of the state government is preparing a report on the Jat reservation. We will present our views strongly in the OBC Commission," he said. "Now that the BJP government will soon be formed (again) at the Centre and there is a BJP government in the state too, in such a situation, we will get the reservation implemented soon," the Chief Minister added. Chief Minister Sharma was addressing an election meeting in support of BJP Lok Sabha poll candidate Ramswaroop Koli on Sunday. "Now when Koli gets elected from here, he too will be a strong force who will go to Delhi and pitch for the quick implementation of quota for Jats from Bharatpur and Dholpur," he said. The global elite recently swarmed around the Alpine resort of Davos and drew up the lines of the global agenda for this new year, at the World Economic Forum. Peter Sands was there, too. He is the former British banker who since 2018 heads the Global Fund, the great international organization that Kofi Annan contributed to creating 20 years ago to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; the major infectious diseases that kill millions of people in the world. The developed countries have given more than $60 billion to this fund, and according to the organizations own calculations, 59 million lives have been saved. Although the diseases that affect the poorest people in the planet are not the top priorities of the politicians and business leaders that met at the World Economic Forum, the decisions made there will impact the Global South, which is at record levels of debt and on the front line of the climate emergency. This year, artificial intelligence was the main focus of the event, with politicians and businessmen warning of the danger that this technology poses for democracies. Sands agrees speaking via videoconference that the risks must not be downplayed, but also stresses that this innovation brings unprecedented opportunities, especially in the field of global health. At the same time, he believes that it is advisable not to take any achievement for granted. He warns that political volatility makes it harder for the international community to act in a coordinated manner on key issues such as the climate emergency, and states that there is an alarming erosion of the commitment to human rights, in addition to a demonization of the other for political purposes. Question. Techno-optimists believe that artificial intelligence will be able to bridge the inequality gap and improve global health. Do you think it represents an opportunity? Answer. For global health, I think AI is definitely an opportunity. One of the critical constraints is the availability of health practitioners, people with expertise in particular areas, and AI allows us to replicate our expertise in a relatively low cost and scalable way. For example, we have a partnership with Siemens Healthineers, using AI to interpret scans, either x-ray or ultrasound. This enables us to get around the fact that we dont have a lot of radiologists, particularly in Africa. AI enables things like the diagnosis of tuberculosis to happen quickly. I know that there are also risks and dangers concerned with AI, but certainly in global health there are some immediate opportunities where we can see real value. Q. The perfect storm of Covid-19, the war in Ukraine, together with the climate emergency, has resulted in a historic debt of countries in the Global South that prevents them from investing in health. The voices calling for a new financial architecture are increasingly louder. A. I do think its urgent, because if you look at some of the poorest countries and communities in the world, they face a fairly daunting combination of climate change, conflict and economic issues, including over-indebtedness. Geopolitics is extremely complicated at the moment. 2024 has seen a huge number of countries around the world having elections. So the politics has been made fluid, and when you have so many divisions or fissures within geopolitics, its hard to find a common approach to some of these inherently global challenges. Pandemic preparedness, climate change, these are inherently global in the sense that they are affecting us all. And getting consensus on priorities, and ways of dealing with these challenges, is very difficult right now. Q. In Davos they talked about disease X, one that is much more lethal than Covid-19. You yourself have said that the next pandemic may already be among us, and that it will be exacerbated by the climate emergency. To what extent can the climate overturn the progress made in recent years in health? A. There are some things we already know about the impacts of climate change, and theres a whole lot of things that we dont. We know that its going to have a direct impact on some of the more climate or environmentally sensitive diseases. Malaria is a very good example. Were seeing malaria appear in places where it was previously too cold for the mosquitoes. Were also seeing surges in areas with extreme weather, cyclones or flooding and so on. One of the impacts of climate change on health is through disruption of agriculture and, therefore, nutrition. And a malnourished child has a lower survival rate from malaria than a well nourished child. There are also things we dont know. We dont know how climate change is going to affect interspecies competition between different types of mosquitoes. There are 30 or 40 mosquitoes that carry malaria, but with climate change were seeing some interesting dynamics around the prevalence of these different types of mosquitoes. And I cite that as one example; there are going to be second and third order consequences of climate change that are going to be extremely difficult to predict. And thats where diseases or outbreaks can appear in places we dont expect, either existing diseases or totally new pathogens. Climate change has such a profound impact on the environment in which all these viruses and bacteria and parasites live that its extremely difficult to know what actually is going to happen. Q. Covid-19 took aid funds away from other diseases and development priorities. Will we return to previous aid levels, or does the weakening of multilateralism signal a permanent regression of international aid? A. we have to continue to make the argument for multilateralism. Its perhaps become a bit unfashionable, but the fundamental logic of pooling donor resources and turn them into effective interventions hasnt gone away. What kind of world do we want to live in? Do we want to live in a world where thousands of small children and pregnant women are dying of a disease like malaria, which we know how to tackle and where relatively small amounts of money would make a massive difference? There is a sense of common humanity and global solidarity, and that still fuels the way the Global Fund partnership works. Q. The attitude of some countries in the Global South has also changed. The war in Gaza has put the final nail in the coffin in terms of distrust and distance from the West, while they have created new alliances with China and Russia. What impact will this have on the development of those countries? A. Many countries in the so-called Global South want to have more voice, more ability to decide what their priorities are, more control over their resources and how they should be spent. Q. During the pandemic, the countries of the South confirmed that they cannot count on the developed world in case of emergency, and they launched vaccine production initiatives, also thanks to the messenger RNA technique. To what extent is the health self-sufficiency they aspire to possible? A. Localization of manufacturing is important, but it is only part of the solution. There are many countries within the low and middle-income country category that have the opportunity to build more capabilities, but there are other countries which are not in that position at this stage. Theres not one single answer that is going to cover all the countries. Q. Meanwhile, the homophobic crackdown in Uganda and other African countries, partly financed by global ultra-conservative groups, prevents access to treatments. Politics once again endangers scientific achievements. A. Achieving equitable access to life-saving treatment services and diagnostics is critical to beating these diseases, particularly diseases like HIV and TB, which disproportionately affect key and marginalized populations, and policies, laws, discriminatory approaches, stigma, those kinds of barriers that stop people from getting access to these sorts of services actually reduce the efficacy of all the innovative medicine and technologies that we have available. We do see the threat to LGBTQI rights and the stalling of progress on gender equality in some countries. Q. We also see among donors that the regression of human rights and sexism are also part of the populist agendas of the North. A. There is an alarming erosion of the commitment to human rights, particularly related to health, in both rich countries and poor countries. If you see the language around immigrants, or the language thats used to describe different religious groups or LGBTQI communities, there are many echoes across the different groups that people are discriminating against. They all run against the spirit of global solidarity that has been a fundamental principle of the Global Fund partnership. Q. Was that not the case 10 or 15 years ago? A. There have always been parts of the world where theres been stigma, discrimination, and in some dimensions we have made great progress. There are many countries where gender equality is in a far better position than it was a decade ago. But right now, when we look across the world, were very concerned about the LGBTQI rights in particular, but also, more generally, about notions of equality and access to health as a human right. I think if you did a word search, you would find that terms such as common humanity and global solidarity are, I suspect, much less prevalent than maybe a decade ago. Q. How did we get to this point? A. The ripple effects of the global financial crisis, of the pandemic, have put a lot of pressure on communities, even rich countries. Weve seen a polarization of politics in many parts of the world, and I think weve seen, in some of the populist approaches, that the demonization of the other has become a route to power in some places. And I do think that theres a need to rediscover that sense, or spirit, of common humanity. The world is actually not that big, and has financial resources. We have a huge amount of shared obligations and shared interests on this planet. The impulse to create the Global Fund was, first, the disaster of AIDS, particularly in Africa. We had a situation where very few people in Africa had access to antiretroviral treatment. They were dying. And those who did, it was costing something like $10,000 a year. Here we are just over 20 years later and, in the countries in which the Global Fund operates, youve got 24.7 million people on antiretroviral treatment, and the cost per year of those drugs is now about $45. And the number of people dying has come down dramatically. And its required a massive effort by donor governments, implemented governments, philanthropy, private sector, community, civil society and technical partners; but in a way, its a proof point that you can actually take a massive challenge and get on top of that. 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Nearby 89119 Disney/Richard Middlesworth By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/14/2024 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT 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 Kelsey Toussant has revealed the current status of her relationship with her father after a long estrangement.On Joey Graziadei 's season, Kelsey T. opened up to Joey during their one-on-one date in Montreal about how she was extremely close to her father growing up, until she decided that she didn't want to focus her life -- and career -- around his religion.The 31-year-old actress from Los Angeles, CA, recalled, "Because I chose to go to college, he didn't support that decision at all. Anyone who's in his household has to be in the religion, and so I wasn't allowed to be there anymore. So I went to live with my mom and we stopped talking."Kelsey T. did not specify what religion she was raised in, but she previously spoke to Voyage LA magazine about her estrangement from her father and how he was a Jehovah's Witness Now that the show has aired, Kelsey revealed how her relationship with her father has changed during a recent appearance on the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast.Kelsey told the podcast's co-hosts, Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt , that things with her dad are "really good" now."I am so shocked, honestly, because we've been working on it for a while but it's never gotten to a point where we feel like we have an actual relationship," Kelsey shared."It's different when you talk to someone or you call someone. When you have an actual relationship with someone and it's building, that's where we're at now. And I didn't know if we could get there."Kelsey confirmed, "It's there though."Joey was only the second person whom Kelsey had ever told about her estranged relationship with her father, and so she was admittedly "very nervous" to bring the subject up on 's 28th season, which just wrapped on March 25.The first person to learn about her dad, who had cut Kelsey out of his life because she wouldn't adhere to the strict traditions and rules of his religion, was her ex-fiance.Kelsey revealed that her father "actually watched" episode with her, the one in which Kelsey told the story of her childhood."I asked if he could come over and just watch it with me because I wanted to see how he felt, and I also wanted to be with him in that moment if he had questions or needed anything from me or if he had anything to say to me," Kelsey explained."So we watched it. He was a little emotional," Kelsey recalled."But overall, he was like, 'Hey, again, I feel like we've grown from that place and I hope that we can get better and continue to get better. All you did was share your truth, and that's all you can do.'"Kelsey said her dad "has been very supportive," adding, "And he's been very honest with how our relationship has been in the past and how he wants it to go in the future."Joe and Serena gushed about how that's a wonderful outcome for the family members, and Kelsey confirmed that her dad actually attended : After the Final Rose with her."I was shocked because I wasn't sure if he was going to come at all," Kelsey admitted."He doesn't do TV. He stays very private on social media, so I was like, 'I don't know if he's actually going to come. But he came and he also took a shot [at new ette star Jenn Tran 's request], too. I was like, 'Okay, Dad!'"Kelsey shared, "It's great to know that although we've disagreed over a lot of things and how he saw my life... going somewhere totally different from where it is now, he can still be there to support me, no matter what, even if his vision of what his child was supposed to be or do is never going to happen."Kelsey said she'll also continue to support her father as well, despite her disapproval of some of his choices."My dad is human. He's made some mistakes, and I'm going to love him regardless," Kelsey concluded."So for us to be there in that moment, and for him to support me through it no matter what, I love him for that."When Kelsey previously spoke to Voyage LA magazine, she revealed that her relationship with her dad fell apart in high school."I knew I had creative genes flowing through my body... When high school came around, I joined a theater class and that's when I realized I wanted to pursue creativity for the rest of my life," Kelsey T. explained before her stint on ."At the same time, I was a full-blown Jehovah's Witness and I knew the two couldn't co-exist. So I decided to leave the religion and set my focus on attending California State University, Northridge."Kelsey went on to have three majors: accounting, broadcast journalism, and theater."After a successful play, costume designing, directing, improv, and on camera classes, I realized that I didn't choose this dream -- it chose me," she told the magazine."I would be doing myself and everyone else a disservice if I only made it a side hustle. After graduating, acting became my life."She elaborated, "Since then I've been honored to be a part of several web series, short films... a commercial, and shared the creative space with some of the most talented creatives I know. In addition to acting, I also dabble in modeling and I'm starting a clothing line named TOUSSANT."Kelsey admitted, however, that carving her own path and supporting herself while pursuing her passions wasn't easy."Coming from a very strict religious background, I've had to break out of a mentality that I've had for more than half my life. I was so separated from society and didn't even realize it and I've had to play catch-up ever since," Kelsey explained."From rebuilding relationships with family and friends to watching movies I wasn't able to experience. Even to this day, friends of mine will ask if I've seen certain movies and they can't believe that as an actress I haven't seen some of the most iconic films!"Kelsey said a lot of sacrifice went into "being a creative" and doing such work has caused "a lot of downfalls, disappointments and fruitless expenses" for her."Despite those challenges," Kelsey said, "I can go through rain, sleet, mud, snow or hunger and get one opportunity to act, then suddenly I don't remember how hard the journey's been."Kelsey concluded, "I can't remember where I heard this first but I truly believe Luck is when Preparation meets Opportunity. Success to me is connecting dreams."On , Kelsey admitted to Joey that her situation with her father "messed [her] up very badly" and she was still struggling to trust men in relationships.However, Kelsey revealed that she and her father had been in touch and were working to slowly repair their relationship."It's hard because he still missed a lot," Kelsey lamented to star.Joey complimented Kelsey on being strong and resilient, and he said he felt very connected to the bachelorette.However, Joey eliminated Kelsey right before hometown dates on .The show ended with Joey getting engaged to the other Kelsey -- Kelsey Anderson -- and the couple is still together now and planning a move to New York City this summer.Interested in more news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group Educational exposure of ideas, assumptions or hypotheses, based on proven facts" (which need not be strictly current affairs) Value in judgments are excluded, and the text comes close to an opinion article, without judging or making forecasts , just formulating hypotheses, giving motivated explanations and bringing together a variety of data On Sunday morning, Iran fulfilled its threat to respond to the attack against its consulate in Damascus, which was attributed to Israel. The barrages of Iranian missiles and drones have ended speculation about what form the promised revenge would take retaliation that the United States had predicted 24 hours earlier. It is the first time that the Islamic Republic has directly attacked Israeli territory. Will it be the spark that unleashes a regional war? This will depend on Israels response, which will probably depend on the damage caused by the attack. Despite the alarm in Tel Aviv, Washington and Israels neighbors, the Iranian operation was expected. And there are signs that Tehran informed several of Israels neighbors of its intentions so that they could warn Israel and minimize the risk of escalation. For a good part of their trajectory, it was even possible to follow the projectiles in real time. In fact, the Israeli army had been preparing for this moment since April 1, when a missile hit the Iranian consulate in Damascus, killing seven senior soldiers, including General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a key link with the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, Irans most important and powerful ally in the Middle East. As usual, Israel neither confirmed nor denied that it was responsible for the attack, but few had any doubt. The enmity between both countries, which dates back to the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, has intensified since the Hamas attack on October 7. Israeli officials accuse Iran of supporting and financing the Palestinian group. It was not the first time that Israel directly attacked Iranian interests in Syria and even within Iran (where it is blamed for the murder of several nuclear scientists). However, on this occasion, the fact that the target was a high ranking military commander and the context of the war in Gaza put Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a difficult situation. When they attack our consulate, it means they have attacked our soil. [Israel] must be punished and will be punished, promised Khamenei, who has the final say in national security matters. After six months of tense anti-Israel rhetoric that has not translated into effective support for Hamas, not responding to this affront would have weakened Irans image among its allies (the so-called Axis of Resistance that includes Hezbollah, Hamas, Iraqi popular mobilization forces, various Syrian groups and Yemens Houthis movement). But above all, Iran ran the risk of widening division in the regime, where the Revolutionary Guard, which is the true power behind the ayatollahs, asked for a forceful response. At the same time, Khamenei faced a dilemma. Since the start of the war in Gaza, Irans diplomacy has been at pains to make it clear that Iran had no interest in a regional war. Its military leaders know that the United States backs Israel and that U.S. intervention would endanger the regime. Hence, Iran took two weeks to gauge the scale of their response (and how to warn Iraq and Jordan in advance about the missiles and drones that would be flying over their airspace, information that was undoubtedly passed on to Washington) in an attempt to limit Israels anger and the chances of an escalation with unpredictable consequences. It is still too early to know whether Iran achieved its goal. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Food banks at the universities in the Southeastern Conference are competing to raise the most amount of food and monetary donations in an effort to alleviate food insecurity through a philanthropic event known as the SEC Food Fight. Iran has one of the largest missile arsenals in the Middle East, with more than 3,000 ballistic missiles, according to an estimate released in 2022 by the U.S. Central Command. In the last decade, the country has significantly improved the precision of its missiles that have been considered a threat by the West for years. The Iranian weaponry is conventional. The country does not yet have nuclear weapons, but several of its missiles could carry a nuclear payload if Iran were to develop that type of weaponry. According to the Arms Control Association, an American non-governmental organization based in Washington, cited by the Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel, Iranian missiles are largely based on North Korean and Russian designs, and perfected with Chinese technology. These missiles are mainly short and medium range. In the last decade, Tehran has also become a major producer and exporter of drones. According to the U.S. Institute for Peace, Iran has manufactured thousands of advanced surveillance, reconnaissance and combat drones. Whats more, Iranian drones have become one of the greatest assets of the so-called Axis of Resistance (Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis of Yemen and the pro-Iranian militias of Iraq and Syria) and Russia has frequently used them in its attacks against Ukraine. Among short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, models such as the Sejjil stand out, a medium-range ballistic missile developed in part with Iranian technology, which is capable of carrying a payload of around 700 kilograms and reaching a target up to 1,550 miles (2,500 kilometers) away. The distance between Tehran and Tel Aviv is just under 1,240 miles (2,000 kilometers). Another missile with a somewhat shorter range, the Kheibar, has a maximum range of 1,240 miles. Manufactured by the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it can carry a 1,500-kilo payload, while the Haj Qasem missile can hit a target up to 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) away. In total, it is estimated that Iran has nine types of missiles with enough range to reach Israeli territory. Additionally, last June, Iranian authorities unveiled what the countrys regime described as its first domestically-made hypersonic ballistic missile, according to Irans state news agency IRNA. Hypersonic missiles can fly at least five times faster than the speed of sound and follow a complex trajectory, making it difficult for them to be intercepted by air defense systems. In recent months, Iran has used these missiles against Israeli interests and insurgencies hostile to its regime in several countries in the region. On January 16, the Revolutionary Guard claimed to have attacked the Israeli spy headquarters in Iraqi Kurdistan with this weapon. A day earlier, Iran had launched missiles and drones against the bases of the Baloch insurgency in the Pakistani province of Balochistan. Pakistans government condemned the attack, accusing Iran of killing two children and calling it an unprovoked violation of its airspace. When a cruise missile and drone attack hit Saudi oil company Aramcos facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais in eastern Saudi Arabia on September 14, 2019, neither Saudi Arabia nor the United States believed that Yemens Houthi militants were the real perpetrators. They did not have the weapons, technology or intelligence information to carry out an attack of that magnitude. Both countries believed that the main supporter of the Yemeni rebels was behind the attack: Iran. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition With the Middle East tensions flaring up, Air India has temporarily suspended its Tel Aviv flights and airlines have charted alternative flight paths to avoid the Iranian airspace. IMAGE: An Israeli flag flutters as people rest on the beach, after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Tel Aviv, on April 14, 2024. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters Longer flight paths will result in increased operational costs for the carriers, and the situation could also push airfares higher. Air India, Vistara, IndiGo and some international airlines are avoiding Iranian airspace and have opted for alternative paths for their flights to the West. A senior wide-body aircraft pilot at an Indian carrier told PTI that the alternative paths are increasing the flight duration. With the revised flight paths chosen after taking safety and security into consideration, the duration of some flights has increased by around half an hour, the pilot said. Such a scenario will result in higher operational costs, increased fuel usage and more crew members might have to be roped in for flights as there are duty time limitations. The pilot also opined the rise in expenses could even be passed on to the passengers, which means that international airfares could rise. Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel in a retaliatory attack. Amid the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, Air India on Sunday decided to temporarily suspend the flights to Tel Aviv from Delhi. Air India operates four weekly flights between the national capital and Israeli city. The Tata group-owned carrier recommenced services to Tel Aviv on March 3 after a gap of nearly five months. Air India and Vistara have opted for alternative flight paths for their flights to the West. An official in the know said that IndiGo, which operates flights to Istanbul with aircraft leased from Turkish Airlines, is avoiding the Iranian airspace. Air India on Saturday said it was closely monitoring the Middle East situation and that its aircraft will operate on alternative flight paths to and from India. On Saturday, Vistara said it is making changes to the flight paths of some of the flights due to the situation in the Middle East. On Sunday, India said it is concerned over escalating hostilities between the two sides that threaten regional peace and security. Iran carried out the attack on Israel in response to a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1, in which seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards personnel, including two generals, were killed. Vijayawada city police in Andhra Pradesh have rounded up four to five suspects in the stone pelting case against Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and will be investigating the offence from the angle of an 'attempt to murder' case, said an official on Sunday. IMAGE: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was injured in pelting of stones during his election campaign in Vijayawada. Photograph: @YSRCParty/X Unidentified miscreants hurled a stone at the Chief Minister on Saturday night near Vivekananda School Centre in Vijayawada's Singh Nagar, which injured his left temple when he was canvassing for polls. The stone was hurled at a high speed, leading to a small cut. Vijayawada police commissioner Kanthi Ratan Tata said a case has been booked under Indian Penal Code Section 307 (attempt to murder). "We have identified some suspects. We are interrogating them and that process is going on now. Four to five suspects. Case has been registered under IPC Section 307," Tata told PTI. Further, he highlighted that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed with six officers and four policemen, who are scrutinising video footage and technical data to identify the stone pelters. According to Tata, a stone which could fit in a palm was hurled at the CM, which first hit him and then struck former minister and YSRCP leader V Srinivas, who stood beside him. The police commissioner said all the suspects are locals and exuded confidence that the real culprits could be identified in a couple of days. On Sunday, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party and Telugu Desam Party leaders engaged in a war of words over this incident. YSRCP general secretary S Ramakrishna Reddy claimed that the attack was a premeditated cold-blooded one on the CM. "Who would have planned such an attempt? It stems from the insecurity that the TDP is experiencing as they are witnessing the response our leader is getting through the poll campaign, through the roadshows and 'siddham sabhas' (meetings)," he said, addressing a press conference. Ramakrishna Reddy alleged that TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu had recently instigated a crowd in his 'prajagalam' (canvassing) meetings to attack Jagan and claimed that Naidu and his party would benefit if the YSRCP chief could not mingle with the masses. "This leads us to presume that the TDP and their leader (Naidu) are responsible for the attack," he said, adding that the injury is a fact and its location sensitive. Further, he claimed that the opposition party is trying to downplay the incident due to the "fear of exposure" and also resorting to making inhumane comments. Meanwhile, YSRCP Nellore Lok Sabha candidate V Vijayasai Reddy alleged that Naidu 'never engaged in politics believing in development'. "It has been proven again that he (Naidu) engages in cowardly politics, believing in violence and conspiracies," said Vijayasai Reddy in a post on social media platform X. Ruling party leaders, ministers and others castigated Naidu and the TDP, claiming that the opposition party was involved in the attack on the CM. Chandrababu Naidu condemned the attack on Reddy. 'I strongly condemn the attack on Jagan. I request the Election Commission of India (ECI) to initiate an impartial and unbiased inquiry into the incident and punish the responsible officials,' he said in a post on X. However, the TDP alleged that the attack on Jagan Mohan Reddy was stage-managed. Backing Naidu's appeal to the Election Commission to undertake an impartial and unbiased probe into the attack, TDP spokesperson Pattabhiram Kommareddy questioned the timing and circumstances of the attack. "It only tends to raise a question about the validity of an act like this when it is so coincidental, yet in sync. It wouldn't be the first time that the YSRCP has staged such an act, much like the infamous 'kodi kathi' drama, not only for sympathy but to also create confusion and unrest, right when the elections are around the corner," Kommareddy alleged. Condemning the attack on the CM, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y S Sharmila said she believes it was accidental. However, if it was not so, she said, everybody should condemn it. Sharmila said she is praying to God for the quick recovery of her elder brother Jagan. Meanwhile, a delegation of YSRCP leaders lodged a complaint with the Election Commission over the incident, alleging that the attack was executed with an intention to 'murder' the CM. Jagan is unperturbed by the attack, said Ramakrishna Reddy. The CM paused his bus tour on Sunday to take rest and is expected to resume it on Monday from Kesarapalle in NTR District. Elections for the 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled on May 13 and the counting of votes will be held on June 4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a pitch for electing a strong and stable government in an uncertain world beset by geopolitical tensions as the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday released its manifesto, prioritising development and welfare while shunning populist measures and contentious issues like the National Register of Citizens (NRC). IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) election manifesto -- 'Sankalp Patra' for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, at the BJP headquarters extension in New Delhi on Sunday. BJP president J P Nadda also seen. Photograph: Shrikant Singh/ANI Photo Named 'Modi ki Guarantee', the manifesto largely builds on the government's existing welfare schemes targeted at different sections of society, while reiterating the BJP's commitment to roll out one-nation-one-election and Uniform Civil Code, two issues mentioned in its 2019 manifesto too. The government has taken some concrete steps for their implementation. The BJP promised to include all senior citizens above the age of 70 years in the 'Ayushman Bharat' scheme, which provides health insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh. It also spoke of considering bullet trains in north, south and east India and expanding 'new age' trains like Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat and Namo Bharat. Promising to strengthen the sports ecosystem to make India a world leader in sports, the BJP manifesto -- Sankalp Patra -- said its government will facilitate the Indian Olympic Association to bid for hosting the Olympic Games in 2036. The party also promised to continue efforts to remove the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in a phased manner in the northeast states and leverage the region as a strategic gateway for the 'Act East' policy. It underscored the commitment to defending India's citizens and interests at 'home and abroad from all threats of terrorism' as it cited surgical and air strikes during the first term of the Modi government to highlight its zero-tolerance. Modi gave the first copies of the manifesto to a few beneficiaries of his government's schemes at the function organised at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi. Touching on its cultural agenda after having fulfilled its decades-old promise of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the BJP said its government will undertake 'significant new projects' across the country to develop religious and tourist sites inspired by the Kashi Vishwanath corridor model. It promised holistic development of Ayodhya, the establishment of 'Bharatiya Sanskriti Kosh' for preservation of ancient civilizational traditions and culture and promoting 'wed in India' by developing select destinations as wedding venues. The manifesto promises are categorised under 10 social groups, including the poor, middle class, women, youth, senior citizens, farmers, fishermen, labourers, traders and traditionally deprived sections like the SC and ST, and 14 issues, including secure India, prosperous India and ease of living in cities among others. As has been its recent practice, the party has chosen to refer to the country as Bharat in the manifesto. The Sankalp Patra, released by Modi, party president J P Nadda and other senior leaders including Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, however, omitted any mention of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which the BJP promised in 2019 to combat infiltration but had put on the back burner following protests. In his speech, Modi dwelt largely on his vision for boosting the country's development, asserting that the manifesto reflects the aspirations of a young India with its focus on quality and dignity of life and creating opportunities, both quantitatively and qualitatively high, for the young population. He noted that the world is full of uncertainties amid conflicts and the safety of Indians living in such a situation is the government's priority. At such a time, there is a need for a strong and stable government having a full majority, he said. The manifesto, in its outreach to the poor, highlights the government's decision to continue with the free ration scheme for over 80 crore people for the next five years and vows to protect the garib ki thali against any price pressure. It promises to expand the housing scheme for them and provide them with free electricity with its solar rooftop scheme. For the middle class, it offered several measures to fulfil their dream of owning a house, creating high-value jobs and improved infrastructure for living. The ruling party highlighted the government's efforts to empower three crore rural women to become 'Lakhpati Didis' and underscored its commitment to their greater participation in sports and to building and maintaining public toilets for them. To the youth, it promised strict implementation of the recently enacted law against paper leaks, boosting the start-up ecosystem and ensuring employment opportunities. 'We will further strengthen our efforts to make Bharat the global hub for high-value services by establishing more global capability centres, global tech centres and global engineering centres,' it said. The Mudra loan limit will also be hiked to Rs 20 lakh, it said. The BJP said its government will support farmers to make India self-reliant in the production of pulses and edible oil and promote millets as superfood. Better living conditions in cities have also found a place among the BJP's promises with the party assuring voters of affordable housing, new satellite townships, ease of mobility, developing sustainable cities, improved air quality and removing open landfills in cities. The manifesto highlights the BJP government's Gaganyaan mission, India's first human spaceflight project, and said it will land an astronaut on the Moon as well. A BJP government will take more steps to facilitate fiscal autonomy and sustainability of Panchayati Raj Institutions, it said. Other promises that the manifesto makes include world-class infrastructure, including in railways, road and aviation sectors, besides positioning the country as a global manufacturing hub. The government will work to make India a leader in automobile and EV manufacturing, build a globally competitive food processing industry, and promote the country as a hub in railway and aviation manufacturing, and shipbuilding, it said. Speaking of digital infrastructure, it said, 'We will expand the 5G network and take the lead in the development of 6G technology.' The opposition Congress in its manifesto has promised a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Price, Rs 1 lakh for every poor family and cashless health insurance of up to Rs 25 lakh, a massive scaling-up of cash-intensive welfarism as the opposition party looks to woo people. The BJP has, however, stuck to building on and expanding its existing welfare measures and has not touched on issues like a legal guarantee for the MSP or caste quota. The Congress has promised to lift the 50 per cent quota cap. The BJP has highlighted its welfare works for the SC, ST and OBC communities in its 10 years in power, asserting that it will continue with its 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' approach. The current central government has 60 per cent of ministers from these communities, it noted. The BJP chose the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, the iconic leader from the Dalit community and architect of the Indian Constitution, to unveil its manifesto. On the Uniform Civil Code, the BJP said, 'There cannot be gender equality till such time Bharat adopts a Uniform Civil Code which protects the rights of all women.' 'The BJP reiterates its stand to draw a Uniform Civil Code, drawing upon the best traditions and harmonising them with the modern times,' the manifesto said. The Mumbai police have registered a first information report (FIR) after two motorbike-borne unidentified persons opened fire outside Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's house in Mumbai's Bandra area early Sunday morning, an official said. IMAGE: Police and forensic team collect evidence after two unidentified people opened fire outside the house of Bollywood actor Salman Khan, at Bandra in Mumbai on Sunday, April 14, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The police have also recovered a two-wheeler, a little over a kilometre from the actor's home, suspected to have been used by the duo, he said. According to the Bandra police official, an FIR has been registered against unidentified person under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Arms Act. Two persons fired four rounds outside Bandra's Galaxy Apartments, where the actor resides, around 5 am and fled from the spot, the police official said. Security outside Khan's residence was stepped up after the firing, he said. The local police, crime branch personnel and a team of forensic experts reached the spot to collect evidence, including footage of the CCTV cameras installed near the actor's house, and started a probe into the incident, the official said. There was no official word from the police or Khan's family on whether the actor was present in the house at the time of the incident. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde spoke with Khan in the wake of the firing and assured support saying the state government would not allow anybody to take the law into their hands. Speaking to reporters at Chaityabhoomi in suburban Dadar after paying respects to Dr B R Ambedkar on the occasion of his birth anniversary, Shinde called the firing very unfortunate. "I spoke with the Mumbai police commissioner and actor Salman Khan and offered him our support. The firing incident is very unfortunate. I assure people that this government will not tolerate anybody trying to take the law into their hands," the chief minister said. In March last year, an e-mail threatening Khan was received at his office following which the Mumbai police registered an FIR against gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar and another person under IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 506-II (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention). The FIR was based on a complaint lodged with the Bandra police by one Prashant Gunjalkar, who according to cops frequently visited the Bandra-based residence of Khan and ran an artist management company. The e-mail stated that Khan must have seen an interview given to a news channel by Lawrence Bishnoi, and if not, he should see it. Addressing Gunjalkar, it said if Khan wants to close the matter, he should talk face-to-face with 'Goldy bhai', adding there is still time but agli bar, jhatka dekhne ko milega (you'll see something shocking next time), police earlier said. In June 2022, an unidentified person threatened Khan via a handwritten note, they said. The United States, Canada and the United Nations have condemned the Iranian air attack on Israel, with President Joe Biden reaffirming America's 'ironclad commitment' to the Jewish nation and vowing to convene a meeting of the G-7 leaders on Sunday to develop a coordinated response to the brazen assault. IMAGE: An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, on April 14, 2024. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters The Israeli military said on Sunday that 99 per cent of more than 300 Iranian drones and missiles were intercepted by Israel and its allies. Biden said 'We helped Israel take down nearly all' of them. His comments came as American forces joined efforts to down drones and missiles launched by Tehran. "Earlier today, Iran -- and its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq -- launched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms," Biden said after his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said the attack was aimed at 'specific targets'. Iran had vowed to retaliate for a strike on its consulate in Syria on 1 April which killed seven IRGC officers, including a top commander. It accused Israel of carrying out that attack, but Israel neither confirmed nor denied it. Netanyahu called a war cabinet meeting after the start of the Iranian attack, and later spoke to President Biden, who said he had reaffirmed 'America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel'. Biden said at his direction, to support the defence of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. "Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles," he said. "I've just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel," he said. Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks -- sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, he said. "Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G-7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack. "My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israel's leaders. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people," Biden said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said the United States condemns Iran's attack on Israel in the strongest terms. "While we do not seek escalation, we will continue to support Israel's defence, and as the President made clear, we will defend US personnel. I will be consulting with allies and partners in the region and around the world in the hours and days ahead," he said. In New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement condemned the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by Iran. "I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities," he said. "I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East," he said. UN General Assembly Dennis Francis expressed deep concerns about the unfolding situation in the Middle East, involving the launch by Iran of drones and missiles against Israel. "The Iranians have explained their action in the context of article 51 of the UN Charter, following the recent Israeli attack on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus. The Iranian response compounds the already tense and delicate peace and security situation in the Middle East," he said and called upon all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid further escalation of tension in the region. This is a moment that calls for wise and prudent judgement, in which the risks and extended risks are very carefully considered, he said. "I expect that the Iranian authorities will honour their word that by their action today, the matter can be deemed concluded. A vicious cycle of attack and counter-attack will lead to nowhere, but inevitably, to more death, suffering and misery. Dialogue and diplomacy are the only way to resolve any differences through peaceful means," Francis said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unequivocally condemned Iran's airborne attacks against Israel. "We stand with Israel. After supporting Hamas' brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime's latest actions will further destabilise the region and make lasting peace more difficult," he said. "These attacks demonstrate yet again the Iranian regime's disregard for peace and stability in the region. We support Israel's right to defend itself and its people from these attacks," Trudeau said. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said that American forces remain postured to protect its troops and partners in the region, provide further support for Israel's defence, and enhance regional stability. "We condemn these reckless and unprecedented attacks by Iran and its proxies, and we call on Iran to immediately halt any further attacks, including from its proxy forces, and to de-escalate tensions. We do not seek conflict with Iran, but we will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defence of Israel," he said. Austin said he will continue to monitor the situation closely and to consult with US allies and partners. He also spoke with Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant to discuss urgent regional threats and reiterated unwavering US support for Israel's defence. During the call, Austin made clear that Israel could count on full US support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies, his spokesperson said on Saturday. Hours after Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel in a retaliatory attack, India on Sunday said it is concerned over escalating hostilities between the two sides that threaten regional peace and security. IMAGE: Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, on April 14, 2024. Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/ Reuters Iran carried out the attack on Israel in response to a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1 in which seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards personnel, including two generals, were killed. In its reaction, India called for immediate de-escalation of the situation and return to the path of diplomacy. New Delhi said its embassies in the region are in close touch with the Indian community in the region. "We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. "We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy," it said. The MEA said India is closely monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia. "We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. Our Embassies in the region are in close touch with Indian community," it said in a statement. "It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region," it added. On Saturday, the Iranian military seized a cargo ship with Israeli links near the Strait of Hormuz. The ship has 17 Indian crew members. India is in touch with Iran to secure the release of Indians onboard the Portuguese-flagged vessel 'MSC Aries'. Following Iran's attack, the Israeli military said it and its allies have intercepted the majority of more than 300 drones and missiles fired by Iran. US President Joe Biden said the American military helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles launched by Iran. 'Earlier today, Iran and its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq, launched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms,' he said in a statement. 'At my direction, to support the defence of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week,' Biden said. 'Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles,' he said. The US president also spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and reaffirmed Washington's 'ironclad' commitment to the security of Israel. 'Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack. My team will engage with their counterparts across the region,' Biden said. 'And we will stay in close touch with Israel's leaders. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people,' he said. Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Sardar Bagheri, has said that the military operation against Israel has 'concluded' from Tehran's side, while issuing warning that if the United States helps Israel in their possible next actions, their bases will 'not have any security', and will be dealt with, according to CNN. IMAGE: A man rides a skateboard as people walk, after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Tel Aviv, on April 14, 2024. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters However, Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that the confrontation between Iran and Israel is 'not over yet'. Gallant said that Israel was attacked with missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles and Israel Defence Forces (IDF) thwarted the attack. He urged Israelis to remain 'alert and attentive' to the instructions issued by the IDF and Homefront Command, according to a CNN report. He said, "The State of Israel was attacked with hundreds of missiles and [unmanned aerial vehicles], and the [Israel Defence Forces] thwarted this attack in an impressive manner." He emphasised that Israel 'must be prepared for every scenario'. Earlier, Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, said, "Israel's actions in the consulate were condemned so a response should have been given." He also noted that, although the operation is concluded, Iranian forces continue to remain on high alert. Iranian officials have made it apparent that the strikes this weekend were reprisals for an Israeli strike on April 1 that destroyed an Iranian consulate facility in Damascus. Israel has not taken responsibility for the attack, which Iran claims cost the lives of several officials, including Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Reza Zahedi. Following its attack on Israel, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander declared that a 'new equation' has been developed. He stated that as a result, Iran will henceforth immediately retaliate against any Israeli attack on its interests, resources, or citizens. "We have decided to create a new equation, which is that if from now on the Zionist regime attacks our interests, assets, personalities, and citizens, anywhere and at any point we will retaliate against them," CNN quoted the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami as saying to Iranian state TV. "The Honest Promise operation is a prominent and very clear example of this new equation," Salami said. Gallant, meanwhile, said, "Together with the United States and additional partners, we managed to defend the territory of the State of Israel." He added, "Very little damage was caused - this is the result of the IDF's impressive operations." Gallant is one of three members of Israel's war cabinet, alongside Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz. An Israeli official said that the war cabinet has been authorised to make a decision on Israel's response to the Iranian attack, CNN reported. Following a barrage of drone strikes fired by Iran on Saturday towards Israel, a New York Times report states that Israel decided to carry out a retailtory attack on Tehran on Sunday morning, however it was cancelled after a phone call took place between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the situation. IMAGE: US President Joe Biden meets with members of his national security team in the Situation Room at the White House, in Washington, DC, on April 13, 2024. Photograph: The White House/Handout via Reuters After Israel successfully intercepted Iranian missiles and drones, the Biden administration cautioned Tel Aviv to avoid escalation in the Middle East, The Jerusalem Post reported citing NYT. More than 300 drones and missiles were intercepted by Israel, which United States officials called a major strategic win while advising that further retailition is not required. Israel's war cabinet is set to convene later on Sunday to evaluate a response to Iran's attack. Notably, Netanyahu spoke with Biden, following meetings with the Security Cabinet and the War Cabinet, after Iran launched drones towards Israel on Saturday night in response to the air strike on its embassy in Syria. The authorities , however, did not disclose the exchange between Biden and Netanyahu. According to Jerusalem Post, Biden's conversation with Netanyahu reiterated the US' commitment to Israel's security, which following the attacks, Biden called 'ironclad'. In his subsequent public statement, President Biden hinted at a preference for restraint and the need for careful consideration of the situation before any steps taken further. Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, meanwhile said on Sunday that the confrontation between Iran and Israel is 'not over yet'. His remarks came after Iran launched an attack on Israel the previous night. Development economist Jean Dreze said the Indian democracy is currently navigating a crisis that is not only limited to the 'recent wave of authoritarianism' but also suppression of opposition voices by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. IMAGE: Girls with their faces and hands painted with words to encourage citizens of India to vote, pose for photographs ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, in Amritsar on Sunday, April 14, 2024. Photograph: Raminder Pal Singh/ANI Photo He said the upcoming Lok Sabha elections under the present circumstances are as good as rigged. In an exclusive interview with PTI, Dreze said five years ago, Arundhati Roy had described the 2019 elections as a race between a Ferrari and a few bicycles. "The metaphor is still valid. Today, thanks to the Supreme Court, we know that the Ferrari is fuelled by the corporate sector. Meanwhile, the bicycles, symbolising the main opposition parties in the state such as Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the Congress, are systematically targeted," he said. Reacting to Dreze's remarks, the BJP said it has been winning the mandate of the masses in a democratic manner and to say that its regime is authoritarian is 'biased and one-sided'. "The BJP has been confronted with unfounded allegations aimed at shaping a negative narrative against it," BJP leader Amar Bauri said. The Belgium-born economist who took Indian citizenship and has been residing in the country for over four decades said, "Leaders of JMM, RJD and Congress have endured relentless scrutiny and harassment by central agencies for years. Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren finds himself behind the bars, Lalu Prasad has faced intermittent periods of incarceration, and Rahul Gandhi narrowly avoided a similar fate in addition to Congress' accounts being frozen. Any politician who presents a danger to the BJP is at risk of harassment. In these circumstances, the elections are as good as rigged." Asked if the BJP is certain to sweep the elections in the mineral-rich state, the development economist said many people in Jharkhand have good reasons to be unhappy with the saffron party. "The bicycles may not be in good shape, but this time they are working as a team. That can make a big difference. There have been big surprises in all the Lok Sabha polls since 2004, with the partial exception of 2019. Exit polls often get the results wrong. The BJP is likely to win a majority of seats in the state, but it may not get 11 out of the 14 as it did in 2019," Dreze, a visiting professor at the department of economics, Ranchi University, added. BJP state president Babulal Marandi said the saffron party has been practising free and fair elections and a study of West Bengal elections should be conducted. "Action has been taken against only such political leaders who indulged in wrongdoings like Jharkhand CM Soren," he said. On Jharkhand's poverty and backwardness despite having about 40 per cent of India's mineral resources, Dreze said the state operates within a contractor-dominated framework. "Contractors exploit public funds, collaborating with bureaucrats and politicians who shield them. Initially, I believed this phenomenon was confined to small towns, but it's indicative of a broader systemic issue. Mineral resources, touted as a boon, exacerbate the problem by fuelling the contractor Raj, eroding any semblance of democracy. "The electoral process, far from addressing this issue, is entwined within it. Poor people count for nothing, except for a short while during elections. This is why they have been so badly served by the state government, irrespective of the ruling party. All this is true to a varying extent in other states as well, but Bihar and Jharkhand take the cake," he added. On the state's economy, Dreze said his foremost recommendation would involve a radical overhaul of the schooling system, beginning with teacher appointments. "Shockingly, one-third of all government primary schools in Jharkhand operate with just a single teacher, a blatant violation of the Right to Education Act and a disservice to children. Since 2017, no new teachers have been appointed, exacerbating the issue as retirements deplete staff numbers without replacements. The entire education system resembles a ship adrift without a rudder and demands urgent intervention," he said. The development economist also proposed a concerted effort to revitalise the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). "Jharkhand holds the potential to become a beacon for employment guarantees, given the state's abundant rural workforce. I advocate for a significant shift towards harnessing local resources for the community's benefit rather than selling them off to corporate interests," he said. "Jharkhand boasts vast potential for sustainable and equitable development of local produce, including vegetables, fruits, fish, livestock, and various forest products. Collectively, these measures could revolutionise the rural economy. However, their implementation necessitates political leadership, a quality sorely lacking in the current landscape," he added. On the flaws of democratic politics, Dreze said recent curbs on democratic rights, such as the freedom of expression and dissent, can certainly be reversed. "However, the crisis of Indian democracy is not limited to the recent wave of authoritarianism. There is also a chronic failure that goes way back. As Dr Ambedkar warned us long ago, democracy is incompatible with the staggering inequalities that pervade the economy and society," he said. "The warning was ignored, and we are now paying the price. I don't see how this failure can be addressed, beyond a point, without radical change in economic and social life," he added. A cleric chants slogans during an anti-Israeli gathering in front of the British Embassy in Tehran, Iran, early Sunday, April 14, 2024. Irans unprecedented attack on Israel early Sunday marked a change in approach for Tehran, which had relied on proxies across the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October. All eyes are now on whether Israel chooses to take further military action, while Washington seeks diplomatic measures instead to ease regional tensions. Iran says the attack was in response to an airstrike widely blamed on Israel that destroyed what Iran says were consular offices in Syria and killed two generals with its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard earlier this month. Israel said almost all the over 300 drones and missiles launched overnight by Iran were shot down by its anti-missile defense system, backed by the U.S. and Britain. The sole reported casualty was a wounded girl in southern Israel, and a missile struck an Israeli airbase, causing light damage. Still, the chief of Irans Revolutionary Guard called the operation successful. Iran has managed to strike a balance between retaliating publicly for the strike in Damascus and avoiding provoking further Israeli military action leading to a much wider conflict, said Mona Yacoubian, vice president of the Middle East and North Africa center at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Both [Iran and Israel] are able at this point to claim victory and step down off the precipice, particularly since there were no Israeli civilians killed, Yacoubian said. The world was still waiting, however, for the result of an Israeli War Cabinet meeting on Sunday. Israeli hard-liners have pushed for a response. But others have suggested restraint, saying Israel should focus on strengthening budding ties with Arab partners. We will build a regional coalition and collect the price from Iran, in the way and at the time that suits us, said Benny Gantz, a member of the War Cabinet. Analysts say Iran sent a message that it would be willing to escalate and change its rules of engagement in its shadow war with Israel. Its a warning shot, saying that if Israel breaks the rules, there are consequences, said Magnus Ranstorp, strategic adviser at the Swedish Defense University. Irans attack has further stoked fears of the war in Gaza causing regional havoc. But Iran maintains that it does not seek all-out war across the region. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that Iran has no intention of continuing defensive operations at this point unless it is attacked. Iran stressed that it targeted Israeli facilities involved in the Damascus attack, not civilians or economic areas. After Israel began its offensive in Gaza against Hamas, Iran-backed groups were involved militarily while Tehran sat on the sidelines. Lebanons Hezbollah group fired rockets into northern Israel. Yemens Houthi rebels attacked Western ships on the Red Sea. An umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militias attacked U.S. military positions in Iraq and Syria. Now, Tehran is willing to up the ante without relying on proxies, said the director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, Maha Yahya. Still, Iran only went so far. They gave enough warning that this was coming, and I think they knew that they [the drones and missiles] would be brought down before they reached Israeli territory, Yahya said. She also noted that the recent mounting pressure on Israel over its conduct in Gaza has now shifted to deescalating regional tensions instead. Israel taking further military action does not seem popular among its allies, including the United States, said Eldad Shavit, who heads the Israel-U.S. Research Program at Israeli think tank the Institute for National Security Studies. White House national security spokesman John Kirby told NBC that President Joe Biden does not want an escalation in the regional conflict or a wider war with Iran, and is working on the diplomatic side of this personally. Urgent meetings of the G7 the informal gathering of industrialized countries that includes the United States, United Kingdom, and France and the U.N. Security Council were being held Sunday. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The Indian diplomatic missions in Israel and Iran on Sunday issued fresh advisories for its nationals after Tehran launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on the Jewish state, advising them to stay calm, adhere to safety protocols along with activating additional helpline numbers. IMAGE: A police officer inspects the remains of a rocket booster that, according to Israeli authorities critically injured a 7-year-old girl, after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, near Arad, on April 14, 2024. Photograph: Christophe van der Perre/Reuters Iran and its proxies launched 330 missiles and drones on Israel late on Saturday night in retaliation to an alleged attack by Israel on a diplomatic mission of the Islamic Republic in Damascus on April 1 in which several people, including two top commanders, were killed. The Indian embassy in Israel issued a fresh 'important advisory' for its nationals after the overnight attacks by Iran. 'In light of the recent events in the region, all Indian nationals in Israel are advised to stay calm and adhere to the safety protocols issued by the local authorities,' the Indian mission said in the 'important advisory' posted on its social media handles. 'The Embassy is closely monitoring the situation and it is in touch with the Israeli authorities and Indian community members to ensure the safety of all our nationals,' it added. It also urged Indian nationals to register with the embassy at a given link. Hours later, the Indian embassy in Tehran said it has activated additional telephone lines for its nationals. 'Embassy of India in Tehran has activated additional helpline numbers. For any assistance, please contact the Embassy at: +989128109115; +989128109109; +989932179567; +989932179359; +98-21-88755103-5; cons.tehran@mea.gov.in,' the Indian Embassy at Tehran posted on its official X handle. Earlier on Friday, April 12, the Indian Embassy in Tehran had issued an advisory that said: 'Travel advisory for Iran and Israel: In view of the prevailing situation in the region, all Indians are advised not to travel to Iran or Israel till further notice.' It gave a mail ID (cons.tehran@mea.gov.in) and two phone numbers (+98-21-88755103-5 and +989128109115) for any assistance. It also asked all Indians residing in Iran to register themselves and gave a URL to use for the same. Same day, the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv too had also issued an advisory amid growing speculation of a retaliatory attack by Iran advising its nationals asking them to 'avoid unnecessary travel, remain calm and follow safety guidelines issued by the local authorities'. In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs said India was seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region. 'We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. Our Embassies in the region are in close touch with the Indian community,' the ministry said in a statement. The statement highlighted that it is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region. This is the first time that the Islamic Republic has launched an attack on the Jewish State from its soil. Despite the barrage of projectiles fired on Israel, none of the countries have taken any steps so far to evacuate their nationals, even though some of them, including the US, have issued advisories. Schools and other educational institutions in Israel have suspended their activities till Monday but government offices and private businesses largely are functioning as usual with the government instructing all to follow guidelines being issued by the Home Front. Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson said that 99 per cent of the roughly 330 missiles and drones launched by Iran were intercepted, but that 'the threat is not over'. Iran has warned Israel of a larger attack on its territory should it retaliate, adding that US bases would be targeted if Washington backs any Israeli military action against Iran. Amir Sarfaraz Tamba, an accused in the murder of Sarabjit Singh -- the Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan -- and a close associate of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit founder Hafiz Sayeed, was killed by unidentified gunmen in Lahore on Sunday. IMAGE: People attend the funeral of Sarabjit Singh in large numbers at Bhikhiwind in Punjab on May 3, 2013. Photograph: Munish Sharma/Reuters Tamba was attacked by motorcycle-borne assailants at his residence in Sanant Nagar, a thickly populated area of old Lahore in the afternoon. He was rushed in critical condition to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Police have registered an FIR against two unidentified assailants on the complaint of Tamba's younger brother Junaid Sarfraz. According to reports, Tamba's body bore four bullet wounds, two each in the chest and legs. Singh, 49, died of cardiac arrest in Jinnah Hospital Lahore in the wee hours of May 2, 2013, after being comatose for nearly a week following a brutal assault by inmates including Tamba, inside the high-security Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore. Singh had been allegedly found guilty of taking part in several bombings in Pakistan's Punjab province in 1990 and was given the death penalty. However, Singh's family in India maintained he was a victim of mistaken identity and had inadvertently strayed across the border. His sister Dalbir Kaur had fought a long battle to secure his release from the neighbouring nation, but failed. Dr Usman Anwar, Inspector General Police of Pakistan's Punjab province, said that police are investigating the murder of Tamba from all aspects. "However, it will be premature to pinpoint involvement of anti-State elements at this stage," he said. According to the FIR, Junaid Sarfraz said he and his elder brother Amir Sarfraz Tamba were present at home in Sanant Nagar when the incident took place. "I was present at the ground floor while Tamba was at upper portion. The main gate of the house of was open. Two unidentified motorcyclists -- one wearing helmet and other a facemask -- entered the house at 12.40 pm Sunday and moved towards the upper portion. "They aimed three gunshots at Tamba and fled from the scene. I rushed to the upper floor and found Tamba in a pool of blood. He was shifted to hospital where he succumbed to his wounds," Juniad said in his complaint. Tamba, son of Sarfaraz Javed, was born in Lahore in 1979 and was a close associate of the LeT founder, who felicitated him for killing Singh, official sources in India said. In Lahore, police officer Sajjad Hussain told PTI that it appears to be a 'targeted attack'. Hussain said the younger brother of Tamba told police that the family had no enmity with anyone. He said police are also investigating Tamba's killing regarding his role in the alleged murder case or Sarbajit Singh. Notorious as 'Lahore ka asli don', Tamba was part of the 'Truckwalla gang' and was engaged in the property trade and drug trafficking, the sources said, adding, he was involved in a clash recently with one of the gang members Ameer Balaj Tipu, who was later killed during a marriage reception in Lahore. Tamba and his accomplice Mudassar -- two Pakistani death row prisoners -- had attacked Singh in in 2013 resulting in his death. A Pakistani court in 2018 had acquitted them both in Singh's murder case citing 'lack of evidence' against them after all the witnesses turned hostile. Singh died before recording his statement before the doctors. A one-man judicial commission of Justice Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi of Lahore high court had initially investigated Singh's murder case before the trial kicked off in the Sessions court. Judge Naqvi recorded the statements of some 40 witnesses in the case and submitted its report to the government which is yet to make its findings public. The one-man commission had also issued notices to Singh's relatives through the Foreign Ministry to record their statements and produce any evidence they had regarding his death. However, Singh's family did not record their statements. Tamba and Mudassar, in their statements to the commission, had confessed to the crime and said they killed Singh as they wanted to avenge the killing of people in Lahore and Faisalabad in bomb blasts allegedly carried out by the Indian national. Tamba was enjoying all facilities, including a mobile phone, inside the jail during his imprisonment, the sources said. Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook. ENOSBURGH A 16-year-old gang-affiliated offender, who police say is wanted for a New York City homicide and is a person of interest in two homicides investigations in Burlington last year, was arrested at a home in Enosburgh on Friday evening, authorities said. Christian Concepcion was identified on Saturday as the defendant lodged by the U.S. Marshals Service at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland on Friday night, a corrections spokesperson said. Concepcion, whose name was initially withheld, remained at the prison with no bail on Saturday. It was unknown if, and when, Concepcion will have a hearing in federal court in Vermont before he is returned to New York to face the state charge. He was taken into custody by a massive law enforcement presence of federal, state, county and local police that surrounded a house on Howard Road in Enosburgh, officials said. The homicide in New York City involved a robbery at a marijuana dispensary with the employee getting shot, a spokesman said. The teen had a link to a homicide investigation in Burlington in the spring of 2023 and also had a possible connection to another homicide in Burlington in November 2023, police said. Burlington Police officers were at the Enosburgh home on the dead end road and appeared to be seeking a search warrant on Friday night. Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad did not respond to requests by text or phone seeking an interview Friday evening or Saturday. It was unknown if BPD has made any progress on the two cases. The suspect had been floating between Burlington, Enosburgh and New York City for months, the U.S. Marshals Service said. The Marshals Service, which is the primary law enforcement agency in the nation for fugitive tracking, had been searching for leads in Vermont, officials said. The Marshals Service in Vermont said it got a recent lead that the murder suspect might be in the Enosburgh area. Investigators flooded the Franklin County community starting late Friday morning. By early afternoon they heard the teen was hiding at a home on Howard Road and tightened their dragnet, officials said. Investigation confirmed the suspect was hiding in the basement and he initially refused to come out, police said. With an estimated 50 to 60 law enforcement officers in the area, the house was surrounded and the suspect realized it was best to surrender about 6 p.m. The Vermont State Police special teams including its SWAT team, also known as its tactical services unit, and the bomb squad, provided technical assistance. A police K-9, a drone, an armored vehicle, and a helicopter were also brought in. Co-location data centre specialist T4 Group has bought land in Invercargill, Southland, for what it says will be New Zealands only tier 4 data centre. Describing the planned data centre as a milestone for New Zealand, Invercargill-based T4 said it would showcase cutting-edge green practices and set a new benchmark for environmental responsibility. The data centre will not only offer state-of-the-art co-location data solutions but also serve as a catalyst for economic growth and environmental stewardship in the Southland community, T4 Group CEO Dean Addie said. T4 Group also announced the availability of premium rack space at its Auckland data centre, with 500 spaces available. We are thrilled to extend businesses access to our world-class facilities in Auckland, Addie said. T4 bought Kyndryls Auckland East Tamaki data centre in March, building on a 2022 agreement to use the facility. Many of the young women who accept the marriage offers end up victims of human trafficking in China. A Lao Hmong middleman, right, in yellow, assists Chinese middlemen looking for Lao Hmong girls and women to marry Chinese men, March 24, 2024 in Laos. The man behind the phone chuckles as he calls out in the Hmong language to villagers sitting around a raised wooden home in rural Laos. A young man in a yellow hooded sweatshirt offers a slightly embarrassed smile, while other men gathered around a motorbike appear to pay him no mind. The camera zooms in on two young women who look shocked or turn away, as others laugh, before it settles on a girl barely in her teens, sitting atop a bike between two other children. This 30-second video, shot in an undisclosed location in Laos, went viral late last month after it was posted to Facebook, along with dialogue warning of ethnic Hmong middlemen working as interpreters for Chinese nationals seeking Hmong women and girls as wives. While the offer of marriage can be a financial leg up for largely poor Hmong villagers in rural Laos, many women who accept end up victims of human trafficking, according to a Lao official, who is calling on authorities to take action against the middlemen. Some of the women end up as forced laborers and sometimes face physical punishment, the official said. In the video, the middleman goes to a village and says that there are some Chinese men looking for Lao Hmong girls and women to be their wives, a speaker of the Hmong language told Radio Free Asia. The video doesnt mention the province, district, or village, he said. Its only clear that Chinese men are looking for Lao Hmong wives. A Lao Hmong middleman assists Chinese middlemen looking for Lao Hmong girls and women to marry Chinese men, March 24, 2024 in Laos. (Citizen journalist) The women and girls typically live in remote hill areas and are usually uneducated, according to an official from the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Youth Union, the ruling partys youth wing. As I observe, some of the men cannot marry Chinese women because they are poor, the youth official said. But when they come to Laos, theyre in a better position in terms of wealth. Loopholes in Laos laws The Chinese men offer the parents large amounts of money or promise to build a modern cement house, he said. And they mostly target the Lao women in their early 20s, with fair skin and a small body, a source in Vientiane provinces Thoulakhom district told RFA. The influx of Chinese people into Laos in the last few years has presented new challenges to the Lao governments anti-human trafficking efforts, according to several government officials. Many of the Chinese men obtain all of the required Lao government documents before marrying Hmong women, one Vientiane-based official told RFA. That can make it more difficult for provincial authorities to gauge whether the women will face an abusive situation once they move to China, the official said. There are some loopholes in Lao regulations and laws for the Chinese men to take advantage to bring Lao girls and women to China, the official said. We only know their whereabouts once they face problems and are in a situation where they need help. But we cant stop them from going to China with their new husbands. It was unclear how many Hmong women have moved to China to marry Chinese men in recent years. But Lao government officials and one person who works for an NGO said the practice has become commonplace in the countrys north, particularly in Luang Prabang and Oudomxay provinces. I just saw this happen earlier this year, a resident of Xayabury provinces Hongsa district told RFA. A middleman who works for Chinese men came here to negotiate with parents of Hmong women. When the parents said yes, he did all the paperwork according to regulations and laws on marriage. In every instance, the Hmong women and the Chinese men didnt meet each other until after the paperwork was completed, he said. Because of that, the village doesnt hold an engagement ceremony, like with other marriages. Translated by Phouvong. Edited by Matt Reed. Facebook users in Afghanistan fear the Taliban's plans to block or restrict access to the popular social-media platform will deal a death blow to what is left of free speech in the country. It is unclear what exactly the "finalized" policy announced last week will entail or how it will be implemented and enforced, but Afghans are bracing for the worst-case scenario. "This is really the last nail in the coffin of freedom of speech," Fatema, a Facebook user in Afghanistan, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. "Facebook was the only source where most of the news that is censored in the Afghan domestic media was published without censorship," she said, providing only her first name due to fear of retribution from the Taliban's hard-line Islamist government. In announcing the impending move to counter what it called the distracting influence of social media, the Taliban cited the need for young people to focus on their education. "Our youth are in a situation where they are academically weak and the majority of them are illiterate, yet they continue to waste their time and spend money on these things to the benefit of the company and the detriment of the nation," Najibullah Haqqani, the Taliban's minister of telecommunications and information, said in an interview with the private Tolo News channel on April 6. Facebook has emerged as a major social-media platform in Afghanistan, with an estimated 4.5 million users in the country of some 40 million people. Many rely on Facebook for unfiltered information and, particularly for women and girls, to continue their pursuit of an education denied to them by the Taliban. WATCH: Two exiled Afghan women have told RFE/RL that the Taliban appears to be further tightening restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan. Media watchdogs say that any effort to curtail access to Facebook would have a devastating effect in an already heavily censored media landscape. "The Taliban's plan to restrict or block access to Facebook would be a further blow to freedom of information in Afghanistan," Beh Lih Yi, Asia program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), said in a statement. "Social-media platforms, including Facebook, have helped to fill a void left by the decline of the Afghan media industry since the Taliban's August 2021 takeover and the ensuing crackdown on press freedom." The CPJ statement said that when questioned, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the U.S.-based media watchdog that "Facebook will not be banned, but restrictions will be imposed on it." In any event, the CPJ said, the proposal "highlights the worsening censorship by the Taliban." The Taliban's Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry did not respond to questions from Radio Azadi asking for specifics about the new policy and when it will come into force. Since regaining power, the Taliban has reversed the free-media gains that were made after the first Taliban regime was ousted by the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. Despite its early promises to protect the independent media, the Taliban has waged a violent crackdown on dissent. Television and radio stations have encountered sustained pressure to end entertainment and educational programming that does not fit with the hard-line leadership's strict interpretation of Islamic law. Female television presenters are required to wear face masks on air and are barred from conducting interviews with male government officials or from participating in press conferences without a male chaperone. Women and girls have meanwhile seen their access to education severely impeded, again despite the Taliban's early pledges. Girls are not allowed to attend school past the sixth grade, while women have been banned from going to university. Female teachers are barred from teaching male students, and encounter difficulties leaving their homes for work at all due to the Taliban's restrictions on women being in public without a male escort. With many teachers and journalists fleeing the country due to the obstacles to their work, many Afghans turned to inclusive radio and television programs that provided students a lifeline to continue their studies and for unrestricted media and discussion of social issues. Facebook, by providing access to outside news and educational courses often catered to women and girls, became a crucial tool. The Taliban has already taken steps to curtail traditional media from continuing with such programming. In February, for example, police in the eastern Khost Province banned girls from contacting local radio and television stations and warned such outlets against taking calls from girls. The Taliban cited the potential for such outreach to promote "inappropriate behavior" among audiences as justification for the move, which was enforced with warnings of punishment and shutdowns against media that did not comply. Now the Taliban appears to have focused its attention on Facebook, which hosts a wealth of pages dedicated to women's rights and education, Afghan news and society, and allows for discourse among users. Spozhmai Gharani, a Facebook user, said the social-media platform is one of the few ways for Afghan girls to continue their education, and "should not be shut down." Homa Rajabi, from Kabul, said that without the ability to share views and collect information on Facebook, life in Afghanistan "will become more limited and narrow." Kamal Sadat, who served as a deputy minister of information and culture in the previous, Western-backed government, told Radio Azadi that any restrictions on Facebook would be a "strong blow to freedom of expression." The move, he said, would cut the Afghan people off from a crucial and increasingly rare way to "express their voices to the world, Afghan authorities, and international organizations." Facebook has blacklisted the Taliban for years, and since the militant group took power in 2021, the platform has reportedly maintained a loose ban on Taliban content. References and posts that promote the Taliban are removed, while official Taliban posts that serve the public good, such as the de facto Health Ministry's directives related to natural disasters, have been allowed. Asif Ashna, a frequent critic of the Taliban's unrecognized government, took to a social-media platform that the Taliban itself relies on heavily to promote itself to air his criticism of the new policy. Ashna suggested that the Taliban may have targeted Facebook in retaliation for restrictions the U.S.-based social-media company has placed on its content. "Why is this ignorant group hostile to Facebook?" Ashna asked in a post that included a clip of Haqqani's Tolo News appearance. "The bottom line is that Facebook has blocked thousands of official and pseudonymous accounts related to the Taliban and put this group on its blacklist." "Now the Taliban has decided to do the same thing to Facebook," Ashna wrote. "The rest of the arguments [made by the Taliban for targeting Facebook] are bullshit." Whether the Taliban can actually succeed in banning or curtailing Facebook is open to debate. Experts say that the Taliban does not have the technological infrastructure in place to cut Afghanistan off from the global Internet and force its citizens to use a domestically designed "intranet," as Iran and China have attempted to do. "No, never. They cannot do that," Jamil Nematyar, a cybersecurity expert who worked for the former Afghan government told Radio Azadi in a video interview. "It is not possible for them. The existing infrastructure is not capable of this." Instead, Nematyar and other experts say the Taliban must rely on pressuring private companies to enforce any policy decisions or laws that would target Facebook. The Taliban's control over the country's telecommunications infrastructure does give its government leverage in this regard by forcing mobile telecoms operators or Internet service providers (ISPs) to block specific websites, and by filtering the domain name system (DNS) that determines specific Internet protocol (IP) addresses. "It is common to use the worldwide web to control the flow of information" in Afghanistan, Agha Malok Sahar, founder of Darrak, a GPS tracking and software company that works in Afghanistan, told Radio Azadi. There is precedent for banning foreign news outlets in the country, including the websites of Radio Azadi, the Afghan service of the congressionally funded RFE/RL. But as CPJ notes, the Facebook pages of Radio Azadi and other foreign news outlets such as Britain's BBC and Germany's Deutsche Welle are still accessible to readers inside the country despite being officially banned. Sahar said that in the event of a complete ban, the Taliban authorities could also go after individuals and media outlets that are active on Facebook by "monitoring their activities, potentially harassing or penalizing them." Such an approach, Sahar said, could "involve arrests or other forms of intimidation to discourage the use of Facebook" and be accompanied by Taliban propaganda efforts "to discredit these outlets or individuals." But restricting or outright banning Facebook would be a tough task for the Taliban. "This would be a difficult law to actually enforce," Darren Linvill, co-director of the U.S. Clemson University's Media Forensics Hub, told RFE/RL in written comments. "There are a large range of ways individuals have to skirt such restrictions. Any teenager can learn to pretend their computer is somewhere in the EU so that they can get different options out of Netflix," he said. "China has difficulty enforcing the Great Firewall. I'm sure Afghanistan would face similar problems." Elsewhere around the world, people have found a workaround to local restrictions by using virtual private networks (VPNs) that allow users to mask the area or country they are in. Ultimately, Nematyar said, "people will go to VPNs and it will make more headaches for the nation and the current regime" in Afghanistan. "Facebook will be working, through VPNs," Nematyar said, although Afghans' use of the social-media platform might be closely followed by the Taliban authorities. Written by Michael Scollon based on reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi 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. Can an authoritarian government's policies contribute to its citizens becoming terrorists? Tajik President Emomali Rahmons government has received financial and security aid from many governments and for more than three decades, in an effort to keep Tajikistan from becoming a second Afghanistan or Syria. During that time, Rahmon has exploited these concerns to crush all potential opposition and allow his family to take control of nearly every profitable business in the country. In recent months, a few dozen citizens of Tajikistan have carried out -- or been accused of carrying out or abetting -- terrorist attacks in several countries. Should the Tajik government also be held responsible? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss this are guests Marius Fossum, the regional representative in Central Asia for the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, and Steve Swerdlow, a rights lawyer with long experience in Central Asia and currently an associate professor of the practice of human rights at the University of Southern California. Russian President Vladimir Putin used a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Masud Pezeshkian, to cement their growing bilateral ties that have raised concern in the West as war rages in Ukraine and the Middle East. The two leaders met in Ashgabat on the sidelines of a conference in the capital of the tightly controlled Central Asian country of Turkmenistan on October 11. It was the first of two meetings between the men, with another scheduled at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan that runs on October 22-24. It was the first of two meetings between the two, with another scheduled at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan that runs on October 22-24. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters ahead of the meeting that while the talks will focus on bilateral relations, "the situation in the Middle East definitely will not be ignored and will also be on the agenda." The meeting was the first between the two since Pezeshkian assumed office on July 30 after winning an election to succeed his hard-line predecessor, Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May. Relations between Moscow and Tehran have strengthened since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "Pezeshkian is trying to gauge to what extent Iran can rely on Russia for help," Touraj Atabaki, professor emeritus of Middle East and Central Asia social history at Leiden University in the Netherlands, told Radio Farda. "Russia wants to stand with Iran due to Iran's support in its war on Ukraine but Moscow doesn't want to darken its relationship with Israel further and cut all ties," he added. Since the early months of the Ukraine war, Russia has been accused of using Iranian-made Shahed and Mohajer-6 drones, many of which have been found after being shot down over Ukrainian cities and battlefields. Iran initially denied arming Russia before relenting and admitting that it had supplied a "limited number of drones" to Moscow before the war. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Tehran continues to deny that its drones are being used by Russia against Ukraine. That has not stopped the United States and the European Union from imposing sanctions on Iran for helping Moscow. Last month, the EU said it had "credible" information provided by allies suggesting that Iran has supplied short-range ballistic missiles to Russia to help Moscow wage war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East have been heightened since Tehran launched some 200 missiles at Israel on October 1, saying the attack was in response to the killing of Tehran-backed militant leaders and a general from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Israel has vowed to launch a "deadly, precise, and surprising" attack on Iran in retaliation, while it continues to pound targets in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip that it says are aimed at Iran-backed proxies. At least 30 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded on October 11 by Israeli strikes in Jabalia in northern Gaza, according to the territory's civil-defense agency. The recent spiral of violence was sparked by the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas that killed around 1,200 people and saw some 250 taken hostage. Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. The fighting in Gaza prompted another Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, to fire missiles into Israel in support of Hamas. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. The Israeli military has launched massive air strikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon in response, as well as a ground incursion into southern Lebanon intended to destroy the Iran-allied militant group, whose political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament. Israel faced condemnation on October 11 after its forces fired at what it said was a threat near a UN peacekeeping position in Lebanon. Israeli soldiers had responded to "an immediate threat" around 50 meters from the UNIFIL post, the military said. "An initial examination indicates that during the incident, a hit was identified on a UNIFIL post...resulting in the injury of two UNIFIL personnel," the statement added. The army pledged to carry out a "thorough review." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the firing as "intolerable" and "a violation of international humanitarian law," while the British government said it was "appalled" by reports of the injuries. U.S. President Joe Biden said he was "absolutely" asking Israel to stop firing at UN peacekeepers, while the French, Spanish, and Italian leaders issued a joint statement expressing "outrage." French President Emmanuel Macron renewed his call for an end to exports of weapons used by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, while saying the UN peacekeepers had been "deliberately targeted." In Iran, more than three dozen hard-line lawmakers on October 10 demanded the government revise its nuclear doctrine to pursue atomic weapons. In a letter to the Supreme National Security Council, they said Western powers could not control Israel, thus making nuclear weapons "Iran's option to create deterrence." Iran has been hit with waves of crippling economic sanctions for its nuclear program, which has seen a sharp increase in its uranium enrichment capacity after the United States under former President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 landmark deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that restricted Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian purposes, but government officials caused alarm recently by saying it could change its "nuclear doctrine" if it is attacked or its existence is threatened by Israel. With reporting by Reuters and AFP KYODO NEWS - Apr 14, 2024 - 20:57 | All, World Iran launched over 300 missiles and explosive drones toward Israel from Saturday evening to the following morning in a retaliatory strike following a recent deadly attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria. It marks the first time Iran has directly launched an attack on Israeli territory. An Israeli military spokesman said 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles were launched from Iran and that 99 percent of them were intercepted. Light damage was caused to a military base in southern Israel, according to the spokesman, while a girl suffered an injury. Addressing his country's citizens, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, "Together we will overcome all of our enemies," while Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, "The campaign is not yet over." A senior Israeli government official said the country will retaliate, according to a local television report. Since Hamas carried out a surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7 last year, the security situation in the Middle East has sharply deteriorated, triggering the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip that local health officials say has left more than 33,000 people dead. The latest escalation comes after Iran vowed to retaliate against Israel for its bombing of the Iranian embassy complex's consular section in Damascus on April 1. The strike killed seven Iranian officers, including a top commander of the Revolutionary Guards. The attack has triggered strong opposition from world leaders. U.S. President Joe Biden blamed Iran and "its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq," saying in a statement, "I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms." U.S. forces helped Israel "take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles," he said, adding he has talked with Netanyahu over the phone "to reaffirm America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel." Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri reportedly said that Iran has no intention of continuing its attack on Israel. Biden told Netanyahu that Washington will oppose any Israeli counterattack against Iran, U.S. news website Axios reported, citing a senior White House official. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said in a statement that the attack has "taught a lesson" to Israel. He warned Israel and the United States to refrain from retaliation, saying that if Israel or its supporters "show perverse behavior, they will receive a decisive and far more violent response." Italy, which holds the presidency of the Group of Seven advanced economies this year, said that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will host a virtual meeting with the leaders of the framework's member states on Sunday to discuss their response to the attack. In Tokyo, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that Japan "strongly condemns" Iran's attack on Israel and considers the move an escalation that will further destabilize the Middle East. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on X, "I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities. Neither the region nor the world can afford another war." The U.N. Security Council will also hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the issue. Related coverage: Japan emperor hopes for compassion in 2024 amid wars, disasters Israel-Hamas war Kyodo News' top international story of 2023 A response from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) requesting road safety improvement works at Oran, a road described by a councillor as "lethal", has been criticised. At a previous meeting of the Roscommon Municipal District, councillors had expressed serious concern about safety on the stretch of road, particularly people speeding and overtaking at junctions. It was agreed that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) be written to, asking that works be carried out to make the stretch safer. At the March MD meeting, Transport Infrastructure Ireland responded that once the council submitted a rationale for such a scheme, it would consider it having regard to the level of funding available. The letter said there were many competing demands for these resources, and that no funding application had been received to date from the council. To be honest, I am not happy at all with that response, Cllr Marty McDermott said. I dont think they have any clue at all about whats going on there with those junctions, and how dangerous it is. Putting a speed van there will not solve it, it is an overtaking issue. He described the stretch of road as lethal, something which motorists had repeatedly highlighted to him. He said that there were no proper markings and nothing to prevent overtaking. Cllr McDermott highlighted how good the design was for the Ballaghaderreen bypass, in terms of preventing overtaking at junctions. Is it going to take a fatal accident for TII to realise what we are talking about? he asked. Cllr Paschal Fitzmaurice suggested that the council pursue the option of installing a slow lane on the stretch. He proposed that the roads department would seek funding for a feasibility report, which was agreed. Cllr McDermott also asked that his dissatisfaction be conveyed to TII. I am not happy with the response, I want to make that crystal clear, he said. Roscommon MD Cathaoirleach Cllr Anthony Waldron said a number of people had also brought the road to his attention, particularly at the turn for Oran Cemetery, which has to be looked at. This weekends Spreckels family reunion is a time to recall staggering success while overlooking bitter rivalries. Quick read: A century ago, brothers John D. and Adolph Spreckels owned much of downtown San Diego and all of Coronado. Their father, Claus Spreckels, amassed a fortune by dominating Hawaiis sugar trade. This areas most powerful figure at the turn of the century, John D. Spreckels owned everything from the Hotel del Coronado to The San Diego Union and the Evening Tribune. John D. Spreckels is the subject of a Coronado Historical Association exhibit that opens Thursday. Old family feuds almost derailed the exhibit and reunion. I swear, an organizer said, its like the Kardashians. San Diego and Coronados forgotten first family, the Spreckels: Heres the full story: Every family has a history. The Spreckels family, in town this weekend for a reunion, can boast of an epic. Their tale is the sweeping novel James Michener never got around to writing, a turn-of-the-century Game of Thrones that has yet to be produced. The sprawling story stars the tycoon brothers John D. and Adolph B. Spreckels, and the plot includes extramarital dalliances, a drug overdose, a shootout in a newspaper office, a landmark Kentucky Derby victory and a fortune worth billions that provoked lawsuits and feuds. Some of these wounds are still raw, noted Sandra Bonura, the historian who organized this weekends gathering. I heard, If he comes, I wont come he sued me, Bonura said. I swear, its like the Kardashians. She succeeded in drawing 45 members of this extended family. The Rosekrans contingent came from San Francisco, the Russells from Napa, the Belchers from New Mexico, the Lewises from Arizona, the Pletchers from Coronado. Unlike Kim, Khloe and company, all were on their best behavior. By now, said Adolph Rosekrans, 87, a grandson of Adolph B. Spreckels, were all kissing cousins. Everybody loves each other. That wasnt always true. Since the mid-19th century, the Spreckels clan worked, played and scrapped in dramatic, glamorous fashion. Their lives played out in Hawaiian sugar plantations, aboard a lavishly-appointed steam yacht, at a Napa horse ranch and across San Diego and Coronado, cities the family ruled like medieval princes. John D. and Adolph B. Spreckels, the cutthroat sons of the 19th century sugar baron Claus Spreckels, once owned Coronado. Every square inch, Bonura said. As business partners, they snapped up most of downtown San Diego, installed electric streetcars, erected dams, opened Belmont Park, improved Balboa Park, created the zoos first elephant enclosure. John D. literally hammered home the final spike in The Impossible Railroad on the U.S.-Mexico border. What they didnt own, they tried to control. Opposed by the San Diego Sun, John D. ensured friendly coverage by buying The San Diego Union in 1890. This pro-Spreckels voice would be amplified by the Evening Tribune, which Spreckels purchased in 1901. Even before moving to Coronado in 1906, John D. was the regions most influential figure. Yet when his remains were cremated 20 years later, much of his legacy also turned to ash. The family name still adorns the Spreckels Theatre downtown, the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park and other landmarks, but John D. and Adolphs heirs are no longer local powerbrokers. Memories of John D.s local achievements, likewise, have faded. I dont know why he is not remembered more for what he did, Bonura said. Gunfire in the newsroom In the century since the Spreckels fortunes peaked, much has been lost, including the familys grasp of its past. David Lewis experience was typical. Growing up in 1940s San Francisco, he knew little about great-great-grandfather John D. Spreckels. No, there werent a lot of stories, said Lewis, 79, one of the 45 descendants at this weekends reunion. As a boy, he was unaware of the significance of his fathers wastebasket. Lewis later learned that this bowl of Hawaiian koa, deep and wide enough to hold a watermelon, was a gift to the Spreckels family from Hawaiis royal family. For Lewis, the weekend was a rare opportunity to catch up with distant relatives. Christine Donald, who lives in Point Loma aboard a 40-foot yacht, expressed similar hopes. Donald, 52, recalls dining at the Hotel Del with her grandmother, John D.s granddaughter. Her goals for the reunion include meeting the other relatives that I didnt know, sharing stories that I hadnt heard. Some of those yarns will be told by John D. Spreckels: The Man, the Legacy, an exhibit opening Thursday at the Coronado Historical Associations museum. The family was afforded a sneak peek before the associations gala dinner Saturday night. He did so much in San Diego, said Bonura, who is curating the show, which will run through Aug. 31. He turned San Diego into a powerhouse. Touring the exhibit, family members saw the koa bowl/wastebasket, John D.s flask, paintings and photos of family mansions and yachts. A 1922 home movie shows John D. and Adolph mugging at the latters Napa estate. Adolph waves from a wheelchair, suffering a fatal dose of syphilis contracted during an extramarital liaison. John D. appears in white christening gown and baby bonnet, puffing a cigar and swilling gin from a bottle. Bonura is a San Diego native, but she stumbled across this page of San Diego history while writing two books about turn-of-the-century Hawaii. Depending on the circles you move in over there, she said, the name Spreckels is either villainized or adored. The familys wealth stems from the smart, if not ruthless, business practices of Claus Spreckels. Born in Germany in 1828, he emigrated to the U.S. as a penniless teenager. By the 1860s, he had amassed a fortune in the Hawaiian sugar trade, undercutting rivals and cultivating political patrons in the Hawaiian royal family and the U.S. Congress. Controlling a chain of plantations on the islands, he created a company town, Spreckelsville, for his Maui workers. Like his son, John D., he believed in the power of transportation his fleet of steamers brought Hawaiian sugar to the West Coast, while his railroads in California supported his sugar beet farms in the Central Valley. As executives of Spreckels Sugar Company, John D. and Adolph were willing to do almost anything to ensure the familys fortune. In 1884, when the San Francisco Chronicle accused the familys company with defrauding investors, Adolph stormed into the newsroom, leveled his revolver at the publisher, M.H. de Young, and opened fire. In the ensuing shootout, de Young was wounded twice while Adolph was grazed by a bullet fired by a Chronicle clerk. Before he could get off a third shot at de Young, Adolph was tackled by an editor. De Young survived, as did his assailant. At trial, Adolph pleaded temporary insanity and was acquitted. Needing more favorable coverage, John D. did what he had done in San Diego he bought a rival newspaper, the San Francisco Call. In an odd twist of fate, the Call changed hands years later, when it was purchased by M.H. de Young. Morvich for the win As a press baron, John D. could push pet projects and control his clans public image. You could hardly find any dirt on the family in California, Bonura said. When Claus died in 1908, he left the bulk of his fortune worth at least $15 billion in todays dollars to John D. and Adolph. There were two other brothers, though, and they sued. They lost, as did dozens more who tangled with John D. in court. John D. would sue you if you looked at him sideways, Bonura said. While John D. moved to Coronado after the 1906 earthquake, Adolph remained in the Bay Area, dividing his time between San Francisco and his Napa horse farm. One of his herd, Morvich, in 1922 became the first California thoroughbred to win the Kentucky Derby. Adolphs wife, Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, left a more enduring monument in San Francisco, establishing the Legion of Honor, an art museum overlooking the Golden Gate. In Coronado, John D. built a mansion the current Glorietta Bay Inn with lush grounds that overlooked his Hotel Del and the anchorage of his 226-foot yacht, the Venetia. They say he picked this spot so he could have one eye on his business and one eye on his pleasure, said Vickie Stone, curator of collections for the Coronado Historical Association. While Spreckels loved the Venetia, sometimes embarking on cruises of several months, he leased her to the U.S. Navy during World War I. After serving in the Mediterranean as a sub-chaser and escort vessel, the yacht was returned to Spreckels along with a $76,000 check from the government. A shrewd dealmaker as well as a patriot, Spreckels insisted Washington cover the cost of returning this temporary warship to her status as a pleasure cruiser. Hearts, not wallets On June 7, 1926, the Venetias flag was lowered to half staff. On that day, the Coronado Eagle & Journal reported, John D. had succumbed to a spinal disease which steadily became more acute and resulted in a respiratory paralysis which inevitably caused death. His remains traveled across the bay aboard the ferry Ramona the ferry line was one of John D.s enterprises then cremated and shipped to San Francisco, where they rest with the ashes of his wife, Lillie Siebein, who had died two years earlier. The man was, in the words of biographer Austin Adams, one of Americas few great Empire Builders who invested millions to turn a struggling, bankrupt village into the beautiful and cosmopolitan city San Diego is today. If this description sounds overly worshipful, thats no accident. Adams book was commissioned and approved by John D. two years before the great mans death. For a new, unauthorized biography, Bonura tracked down family members. They had stories about John D. and his equally colorful descendants. There were battles over entire blocks of downtown Honolulu and mansions in San Francisco; there was an ill-fated marriage to an actress, Kay Williams, who rebounded by marrying Clark Gable; there were lives ruined by booze and drugs. John D. Spreckels Jr. died in 1921 in his 30s in a car crash, Bonura said. He had already gone through two marriages at this point and was a playboy. More than 50 years later, a similar fate befell Adolph B. Bunker Spreckels III, a champion surfer. Six years after inheriting a sizeable chunk of the familys wealth, he overdosed at the age of 27. Today, Spreckels descendants look for healthier, benign signs of their heritage. Christine Donald, who divided her youth between Hawaii and San Diego County, inherited John D.s love of the sea and Adolphs devotion to horses. David Lewis, who now lives in Arizona, developed a late-in-life passion for polo and later found that Del Mars San Diego Surf Polo Club still hosts the annual Spreckels Cup tournament. And about 30 family members trooped over to Balboa Park on Saturday morning for a behind-the-pipes tour of the worlds largest outdoor pipe organ. Its a privilege to introduce the Spreckels family to its legacy, said Ross Porter, executive director of the Spreckels Organ Society. We are honored. Welcome! This was exactly what Bonura had hoped for a weekend that renewed family ties and created shared memories, without sparking fresh resentments or lawsuits. My personal hope is that this reunion will bring hearts together, she said, not wallets. KYODO NEWS - Apr 14, 2024 - 21:51 | All, World, Japan Japan "strongly condemns" Iran's retaliatory attack on Israel and considers it an escalation that will further destabilize the Middle East, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Sunday. Japan is "deeply concerned," Kishida said after Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that began on Saturday evening and continued through to the following morning in response to a recent deadly strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria's capital city of Damascus. "I have instructed relevant ministries and agencies to gather information and coordinate responses with other countries, including to protect Japanese nationals abroad," Kishida told reporters at his office after returning from his trip to the United States. Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa also said in a statement released Sunday that Japan "reiterates its determination to continue to make all necessary diplomatic efforts in order to prevent the further deterioration of the situation." An Israeli military spokesman said over 300 drones and missiles were launched from Iran. It is the first direct attack to have been carried out by Tehran on Israeli territory. "Japan has been strongly urging the parties concerned to calm down the situation as peace and stability in the Middle East is extremely important for Japan as well," the Japanese foreign minister said. Citing heightening tensions, the Japanese Foreign Ministry on Sunday called on people planning to visit Iran to cancel their trips. For those in Iran wishing to leave the country, the ministry requested they consider doing so while commercial flights are in operation. The security situation in the Middle East has sharply deteriorated in the wake of a surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israel on Oct. 7 last year, triggering an ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip that local health officials say has left more than 33,000 people dead. The latest escalation comes after Iran vowed to retaliate against Israel for bombing an Iranian consulate complex in Damascus on April 1. The attack killed seven Iranian officers, including a top commander, of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Related coverage: Iran launches attack on Israel in retaliation for embassy strike Japan to resume funding for U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA Exiled Iranian royal sees regime change as country's only way forward KYODO NEWS - Apr 14, 2024 - 11:55 | All, Japan, World Japan's Self-Defense Forces have started training to operate land-based Tomahawk cruise missiles, as the country plans to deploy them from fiscal 2025 in the hope of enhancing deterrence against China and North Korea. With the help of the U.S. military, the first drills were joined by Maritime Self-Defense Force and Air Self-Defense Force officers and were conducted March 25-29 in the U.S. Navy's base in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo, with further exercises to follow, according to U.S. Forces Japan. The latest exercises "provided participants with a hands-on overview" of the consoles and associated equipment for the U.S.-made weapon's control system, with those who took part given the chance to "execute a simulated generic strike mission scenario," the U.S. Navy said in a press release. Such drills deliver "the credibility of the deterrence that all of us rely on," U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said after observing the shipboard portion of the training open to the media on the U.S. guided-missile destroyer McCampbell on March 28. He told reporters the U.S. forces plan to continue providing training to the SDF through the exercises "on a bimonthly basis." In a statement, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara welcomed the commencement of the Tomahawk drills, saying that his country is beefing up its "stand-off defense capabilities in order to disrupt and defeat any forces that seek to invade Japan early and from far away." Japan plans to purchase 400 Tomahawks from the United States over three years from fiscal 2025, starting next April, to obtain "counterstrike capabilities" for hitting military targets in an adversary's territory in cases of emergency. The close U.S. security ally pledged to acquire the capabilities in its National Security Strategy, updated in 2022, in a major policy shift under its war-renouncing Constitution, amid Beijing's military buildup and the threat posed by Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. Of the 400 missiles, 200 are expected to be the latest Tomahawk Block-5 model, while the rest will be the older Block-4 model. Both versions have a strike range of about 1,600 kilometers, and MSDF destroyers will be equipped with them. Japan was initially planning to buy 400 Block-5 missiles in fiscal 2026 and 2027, but it later decided to go ahead with the purchase a year earlier by switching half of them to Block-4s. Related coverage: Japan, U.S., South Korea hold maritime exercise in East China Sea Japan PM asks U.S. to take lead for global order in landmark speech Japan drops new SDF training site plan in Okinawa amid local protest KYODO NEWS - Apr 14, 2024 - 19:06 | Sports, All Second-favorite Justin Milano kept his career record perfect after three races Sunday by winning the 84th running of the 2,000-meter Satuki-sho classic for 3-year-olds. Third pick Jantar Mantar took the lead after the final corner at Chiba Prefecture's Nakayama Racecourse but was outstripped at the finish. Justin Milano darted down the final stretch alongside Cosmo Kuranda before crossing the wire a neck ahead in a record race time of 1 minute, 57.1 seconds with Jantar Mantar third. "He was excited at the start but was calm thereafter," jockey Keita Tosaki said after Justin Milano's first Grade 1 victory. "We managed to race at a good rhythm...He overcame many issues that he faced for the first time, which shows his high ability. He's a horse with high potential." Tosaki also paid tribute to late jockey Kota Fujioka, who died at 35 on Wednesday, having sustained head and chest injuries from a fall in an April 6 race. "He had trained (Justin Milano) in the past two weeks and was telling me his condition in detail," Tosaki said. "I think he gave us the push in getting that winning margin at the end, and is feeling happy up there. I want to tell Kota thank you." The favorite, Regaleira, finished sixth, missing out on becoming the first filly to win the race in 76 years. Related coverage: Horse racing: Take steers Do Deuce to Arima Kinen triumph Horse racing: World's top-rated thoroughbred Equinox to retire Horse racing: Equinox captures Japan Cup, 6th straight G1 race STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The 16th annual Vietnam Veterans Day celebration honored Vietnam veterans Saturday afternoon at Tottenville High School in Huguenot. With the community showing support for the Vietnam veterans, the day began with the presentation of the colors, salute to the flag, and Pledge of Allegiance, by the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 421. The Tottenville HS choir sang the national anthem, followed by remarks by Senator Andrew Lanza and Gene DiGiacomo, President of the VVA Chapter 421. The event honored the 85 Staten Islanders who were killed in Vietnam through a memoriam video while the choir sang He Aint Heavy, Hes My Brother. The tribute to the fallen heroes continued with a performance by the Tottenville High School Marine Corps JROTC Armed Exhibition Team and Honor Guard, with taps played by Saniyah Ahmad. Of the hundreds of bills I have authored, in many ways-the one making March 29th Vietnam Veterans Day in New York is most appropriate. It requires that we address the shameful American chapter when warped Hollywood types, weak kneed politicians, and leftists in academia mistreated our hero American soldiers upon their return from the battlefield. While New York was about the first state to do so, it was not until President Trump signed a similar law in 2017, has it become a national day of recognition, said Lanza. Lanza also expressed his gratitude to Lester Modelowitz and the Staten Island Vietnam Veterans of America chapter for bringing this idea forward way back in 2008, and for then Assemblyman Titone for advancing it in the assembly. With the help of the Governor and the entire Staten Island state delegation, we made it happen. Now this year and every year, we say to our Vietnam Veterans: Thank you for your brave defense of our liberty, and: welcome home, welcome home, welcome home! The 16th annual Vietnam Veterans Day celebration honored Vietnam veterans Saturday afternoon at Tottenville High School in Huguenot.Sen. Lanza Office Lanza and former Assemblymember Matthew Titone passed a law in 2008 designating March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day in the State of New York. The day is in honor of March 29, 1973 when the last 2,500 U.S. troops were withdrawn from South Vietnam, which marked the end of the U.S.s involvement in the war. Of the more than 58,000 names of soldiers listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall, 4,120 are from New York. Lanza hosts the annual ceremony to thank veterans who fought in the second longest war in U.S. history for their bravery and service. This years marks the 16th anniversary since New York officially declared March 29 Vietnam Veterans Day and 51 years since the final combat troops returned from Vietnam. Aside from Lanza, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis was in attendance, as well as representatives from: Senator Jessica Scarcella Spanton, DA Mike McMahon, Assemblyman Mike Tannousis, Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo, Assemblyman Mike Reilly, Councilman David Carr, Councilman Joe Borelli, Public Administrator Edwina Martin, and Deputy Chief representing FDNY Chief of Department John J. Hodgens STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A Staten Island college student has been named the grand-prize winner of the New York Public Library (NYPL) National Teen Writing Contest, which focused on the value of our freedom to read. The NYPL and Teen Vogue recently announced that Tara Isabel Lago, a Rosebank resident and student at Columbia University, took home the grand prize for her work, Why is the freedom to read important to you? Lago was awarded a cash prize of $500, and her essay will be published in Teen Vogue. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Certain Verizon Wireless customers may be eligible for a class action payout, but the deadline for filing is quickly approaching. A lawsuit, filed in New Jersey, alleges that customers who had some of the networks monthly plans were charged undisclosed administration fees in a deceptive and unfair manner. If you were a Verizon Wireless customer between Jan. 1, 2016, and Nov. 8, 2023, you may be eligible for a payout. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- On April 15 in New York Supreme Court, former President Donald Trumps criminal trial -- related to alleged falsification of business records in the Stormy Daniels hush money scheme -- will begin to unfold. And the Advance/SILive.com will be right there, every step of the way, to bring you the latest news about the trial, as well as how the prosecution of Trump resonates with Staten Islanders during one the biggest election years in recent history. The Advance/SILive.coms City Hall reporter, Paul Liotta, will report from New York Supreme Court in Manhattan every day, where he will be privy to all courtroom proceedings. Paul Liotta is an award-winning journalist and member of the Advance/SILive.coms Public Interest & Advocacy Team. (Staten Island Advance/Jason Paderon) With Trump being the first former president to be brought up on criminal charges, questions are swirling about how his multiple criminal cases will affect his campaign and bid for the White House. And the Advance/SILive.com will be there to bring you the inside scoop on this historic trial. WHERE THE TRIAL STANDS The alleged hush money dealings involve Trumps former fixer and personal attorney, Michael Cohen, who said he paid off pornstar Stormy Daniels (real name is Stephanie Clifford) to keep quiet about a 2006 affair with the former president. At a hearing on March 25, New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan denied the Trump teams motion for a dismissal of the case, and set April 15 as the trial start date in the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. At the pretrial hearing, the former president, who has denied any wrongdoing, strode into the court surrounded by lawyers and secret service just a few minutes before the hearing began, calling the prosecution a witch hunt and a hoax. Following the hearing, Trump addressed members of the press and said Merchans decision. He said the timing of the case was, in his opinion, an effort to sway the November presidential election. This is election interference. Thats all it is, he said. This is a pure case of voter intimidation and election interference, and it shouldnt be allowed to happen. ABOUT PAUL LIOTTA Liotta is an award-winning journalist and member of the Advance/SILive.coms Public Interest & Advocacy Team. He covers the day-to-day happenings of Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Council. In journalism for almost a decade, Liotta previously worked as the nighttime breaking news reporter for the Advance. A lifelong Staten Islander born, raised, and living in Midland Beach Liotta works to localize citywide issues for Staten Islanders. TEHRAN/JERUSALEM, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments related to Iran's massive drone and missile attack against Israel: A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said. The projectiles triggered sirens in Jerusalem, the Negev Desert and the Dead Sea in the south, the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in the north as well as the occupied West Bank. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed during a press briefing that Israel was under attack by ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran, noting that aerial defense systems have intercepted some of the missiles. - - - - Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed that it has launched dozens of missiles and drones against Israel, Iran's Fars news agency reported on Saturday night. - - - - Lebanon announced on Saturday night the closure of the Lebanese airspace to aviation due to the Iranian drone attack on Israel. "The Lebanese airspace has been closed to all aircraft arriving, departing, and crossing Lebanese airspace, temporarily and as a precaution, as of 1 a.m. on Sunday (2200 GMT Saturday) until 7 a.m.," the Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh said. Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced early Sunday that its fighters targeted the Israeli Kela barracks with dozens of Katyusha rockets in the occupied Syrian Golan. - - - - Yemen's Houthi group launched drone attacks against targets in Israel on Saturday, a military source in Yemen's internationally recognized government told Xinhua on Sunday. The source, requesting anonymity, said the drones were launched from the Houthi-held territory along Yemen's western coast. - - - - Explosions were heard in several cities in Syria early on Sunday, as tensions escalated between Iran and Israel, according to reports by a war monitor. Explosions were heard in the Syrian capital of Damascus, as well as Homs, Hama, Daraa, and coastal regions, as Syrian air defenses attempted to intercept Israeli missiles that were allegedly targeting Iranian missiles en route to hit targets in Israel, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. - - - - Egypt's air defense systems were placed on high alert following Iran's announcement of launching retaliatory attacks on Israel, a senior Egyptian security official told the Al-Qahera News TV on Saturday. The official stated that a crisis response team was monitoring the situation and reporting to President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. - - - - Iran's mission to the United Nations(UN) said Saturday that the attack on Israel "can be deemed concluded." "Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran's military action was in response to the Zionist regime's aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded," the mission said on social media X. - - - - The UN Security Council is set to meet Sunday in response to a request from Israel, UN said Saturday. Israel has called on the council to condemn Iran's attack against Israel on Saturday and to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, the sources noted. The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. local time (2000 GMT), as announced by the UN Department of Global Communications late Saturday night. - - - - U.S. President Joe Biden said Saturday that he will convene leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries on Sunday to coordinate a "united diplomatic response" to Iran's attack against Israel. "Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack," Biden said in a statement following his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden said that he reaffirmed "America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel" while on the phone with Netanyahu. U.S. news portal Axios, citing a senior White House official, reported Biden told Netanyahu that the United States will oppose any Israeli counterattack against Iran. Coming back to the Senate inquiry into supermarket prices, where it was Bunnings in the hot seat. Last week, the inquiry heard that Bunnings had agreements with some suppliers so unprofitable that they decided to sever commercial ties. Senators have lashed Bunnings as representatives fronted Senate inquiry. Credit: Louie Douvis NSW Nationals senator Ross Cadell has lashed the hardware chains representatives, ethical sourcing manager Laura Gaspert and category manager Belinda Rakers, for giving a lot of opinions and very clever words instead of straight answers. When asked if Bunnings didnt want to be bound by the conditions of the food and grocery code of conduct, Gaspert began responding by saying were committed to working with our suppliers to have strong relationships, but was interrupted. This is the eighth time Ive heard it, Cadell fired off, adding that even Coles and Woolworths have had some suppliers saying positive things about the supermarkets. No one is saying anything good about Bunnings in the green life supply. All the people who have come to you, thats great, because were told to smile to survive. People have said that theyll say nice things to you because they want to keep contracts. Why is no one coming to us and saying you are good corporate citizens? That hasnt been our experience, said Gaspert. Cadell went on to ask what Bunnings average markup is on green life products and whether the chain is earning higher margins on plants and flowers than on other big box products. Rakers said she didnt have that information in front of her. The questions would be taken on notice. However, we are lowest prices in the market, said Rakers. I hear lowest prices are only the beginning because the rest of the story is a bit of a horror story so far, retorted Cadell. Loading Tasmanian senator Tammy Tyrrell noted the fact that Rakers and Gaspert were fielding questions instead of Bunnings managing director Michael Schneider. We actually think that were best placed to support this committee. We work with our suppliers daily. We have interactions with them all the time and can provide further clarity around how Bunnings actually does business with our suppliers, said Gaspert. OK, I dont agree, but thank you, appreciate it, said Tyrrell. Federal Court Justice Michael Lee said that while Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson had legally justified their imputation of rape, it did not mean their conduct was justified in any broader or colloquial sense. The contemporaneous documents and the broadcast itself demonstrate the allegation of rape was the minor theme, and the allegation of cover-up was the major motif, the judge said in his 324-page judgment. Lisa Wilkinson outside the Federal Court in Sydney on Monday. Credit: Wolter Peeters Lee said the publication of accusations of corrupt conduct in putting up roadblocks and forcing a rape victim to choose between her career and justice saw the broadcasters program The Project, of which Wilkinson was then a co-host, take away the glittering prize of Most Outstanding News Coverage or Public Affairs Report at the 2022 Logie Awards. However, he said that accusation was supposition without reasonable foundation in verifiable fact, its dissemination caused a brume of confusion and it did much collateral damage. This included impacting the fair and orderly progress of the underlying allegation of sexual assault through the criminal justice system, he added. Lisa Wilkinson holding her Logie award in June 2022 for her interview with Brittany Higgins. Credit: Getty Images To the extent there were perceived systemic issues as to avenues of complaint and support services in parliament, this may have merited a form of fact-based critique, not the publication of insufficiently scrutinised and factually misconceived conjecture, Lee said. Wilkinsons speech referencing Brittany Higgins, as she accepted the Logie on behalf of The Project, saw Bruce Lehrmanns criminal trial delayed. However, the court heard that speech had been reviewed by Ten management and lawyers. What became apparent by the end of the evidence was the action in giving the speech was not, as many suggested at the time, a case of Ms Wilkinson going off on a frolic and irresponsibly saying something off the top of her head. She was sufficiently prudent to seek advice, Lee said. Loading Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the stabbing attack was beyond comprehension and had shocked the nation. People going about their Saturday afternoon shopping should be safe, shouldnt be at risk, but tragically, we saw a loss of life and people will be grieving for loved ones today, he said. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said about 75 paramedics and doctors had attended the scene. Who was the offender? Cooke on Sunday morning identified Cauchi, from Queensland, as the offender. He was known to police. We are, and have, spoken with his family and will continue to do so, he said. Police believe Joel Cauchi lived with schizophrenia. Credit: Facebook Cooke said there was no evidence to suggest the attack was linked to terrorism or any particular ideology. We know that the offender in the matter suffered from mental health, he said. We are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage, it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved. Loading Cooke said the man came to NSW last month and, shortly after arriving in Sydney took possession of a storage facility. Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe said Cauchi has never been arrested or charged with a criminal offence in Queensland but was stopped by officers in December last year. He has been in contact with the police primarily in the last four to five years, he said, clarifying that was from 2020 onwards. Lowe described Cauchi as itinerant, moving from Kangaroo Point and Carina in Brisbane to his familys home in the southern police region, and said his family was aware he was interstate but did not have regular contact. Albanese said the government had been informed of the killers mental health issues, but the investigations are ongoing and it is not helpful to speculate beyond which the police have found. Who are the victims? Six victims died in the stabbing attack, five women and one man. Two of whom would appear to have no family in Australia, so we are working through and with agencies overseas to attempt to reach out to the families, Cooke said. A dozen more were taken to hospital with stab wounds, including a baby who is in a serious but stable condition. The 38-year-old mother of the baby, Ashlee Good, died at St Vincents Hospital on Saturday and was the first victim to be identified. She desperately sought help from others at the shopping centre for her baby and her own wounds. A second victim has been identified as Dawn Singleton, the daughter of businessman John Singleton and lawyer Julie Martin. Bondi Junction attack victim Ashlee Good and her nine-month-old daughter. Credit: Instragram Another is an architect and mother of two from Bellevue Hill, Jade Young. Bondi Junction stabbing victim, Faraz Tahir, sought refuge in Australia a little over a year ago. Credit: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Australia On Sunday afternoon, security guard Faraz Tahir was named as the male fatality in the attack. Aged 30, he came to Australia just a year ago, fleeing persecution in his home country of Pakistan, according to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Late on Sunday, artist Pikria Darchia, 55, was revealed to be among the victims. From Tbilisi in Georgia, she leaves behind two sons. Three patients remain at St Vincents. One woman in her 20s is in a critical condition, one man in his 20s is in a critical but stable condition, and one woman in her 40s is in a stable condition. A spokeswoman for Royal Prince Alfred Hospital said one male patient is in stable condition, and one female patient is in stable condition. Patients were also taken to St George and Royal North Shore hospitals, while the injured baby was taken to the Sydney Childrens Hospital at Randwick. Dawn Singleton has been named as one of the victims of Saturdays attack. Credit: Facebook What happens now? NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said whether Cauchi deliberately targeted women in his attack would be a line of inquiry. This will be an active investigation for many days and perhaps weeks while we identify not only the movement of the offender, not just yesterday, but the hours, the days, the weeks, his life leading up to yesterday, she said. Loading Cooke said police were still working to establish exactly what happened at the shopping centre, which remained closed on Sunday. He said while there was no evidence linking Cauchi to any particular motivation or ideology, investigations were ongoing. Investigations will very clearly continue through the day. Work continues at the crime scene. We understand that there are people who were present and may have property or belongings at the scene, he said. Joel Cauchi was a drifter. He slept in his car, wandered between cities, lost touch with his family. Since his teenage years, he had lived with complex mental health issues. His erratic behaviour was evident to those who encountered him, including police and health authorities. But there is no formal record of violence in Cauchis history, police say; he was never even arrested. Nothing revealed about his life so far could have flagged that he would decide, one Saturday afternoon, to enter a crowded shopping centre, withdraw a knife from his backpack, and begin to stab passersby. Sydney grappled with shock and grief on Sunday, as details emerged of Cauchis killing spree and his victims women whose deaths left young children without mothers, a 20-something whose life lay ahead of her, a refugee who moved to Australia last year for a better life. The mass of floral tributes at the entrance to the shopping centre where the 40-year-old went on his murderous rampage grew throughout the day. People who had never met the victims shed tears for them, knowing that but for the whim of chance, they could have been victims, too. Queensland man Joel Cauchi has been named as the killer who went on a stabbing spree at Bondi Junction Westfield, slaughtering six people and injuring at least a dozen more before police shot him dead. The 40-year-old fatally stabbed five women and one man as he rampaged through the busy shopping centre brandishing a large knife in Sydneys east on Saturday. Bondi Junction killer Joel Cauchi. Credit: Facebook The dead include Dawn Singleton, 25, who is the daughter of prominent Australian businessman John Singleton, Bellevue Hill architect and mother-of-two Jade Young, 47, and 38-year-old Ashlee Good, whose baby daughter was also stabbed. The man who was killed was Pakistani security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, who moved to Australia a year ago. Saturday was his first day shift at Bondi Junction Westfield. More than 10 people fell ill with gastro-like symptoms after a suspected mass poisoning at an 80th birthday party in Brisbane on Sunday. Paramedics were called to the party in Norman Park in Brisbanes south-east shortly before 3pm as multiple guests started feeling ill. Multiple paramedics attended a private residence, along with fellow emergency services, after a number of patients were complaining of dizziness, nausea and fatigue during an event at 2.43pm, Queensland Ambulance Service said in a statement. Ten elderly patients were assessed by paramedics, with six taken to various hospitals, including the Mater Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital and Queen Elizabeth II Hospital. At midnight, paramedics were called to the Shorncliffe home of an elderly woman who had also attended the party and began suffering symptoms. She was taken to the Prince Charles Hospital for treatment. We will bring you more on this today. The scathing independent report into a scandal-plagued regional council was supposed to provide closure for the innocent employees who were victims of a workplace culture so toxic that it culminated in the murder of an employee. But two men falsely accused of improper conduct say they are still fighting for justice from Moira Shire in northern Victoria more than year after a Commission of Inquiry into the beleaguered council exonerated them. David Lee and John Mangan are still seeking justice from the Moira Shire after their ordeal at the troubled workplace. Credit: Joe Armao It destroyed my mental health, said John Mangan, one of the workers. Concerns remain about working conditions at the shire. WorkSafe confirmed to The Sunday Age that it was monitoring the council closely amid reports of a high proportion of WorkCover claims. About 200 protesters gathered on the steps of Parliament House from 8am and marched through the city to protest against the state governments partnership with Israel-based military technology company and defence contractor Elbit Systems. Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam spoke at the rally and said the Labor government should stop doing deals with weapons manufacturers. A woman is arrested in Fishermans Bend after being disconnected from a fellow protester by police. Credit: Chris Hopkins This will be one of the most defining moments, all of our lifetimes, potentially generations to come, she said. Like the protests against the Vietnam War, like the hundreds of thousands who marched through the streets in Australia and around the world against the Iraqi war and occupation. History will study how the world responds now. Ratnam asked protesters to sign a petition calling on the Allan government to end deals with weapons manufacturers. She said that if the petition received more than 2000 signatures, a debate could be forced in parliament. We have warmongers at the helms of our governments right across this world who are itching to escalate this conflict, she said. The disruption that comes with protest activity pales in comparison to the devastation that people are experiencing right now in Gaza. A pro-Palestine protester waves a flag outside Parliament House in the CBD. Credit: Eddie Jim Organiser Nathalie Farah told the crowd at Parliament House the protesters aimed to cause disruption. Were taking an effective action to disrupt the war machine, and we will continue to do so until Australia cuts its ties with the genocidal entity of Israel and the US imperialist state. The rally ended with a sit-in blocking trams and traffic on Collins Street outside the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade offices. On Monday night, dozens of protesters also gathered outside the Broadmeadows Town Hall, demanding liberation for Palestinians and a boycott of any alleged manufacturing of weapons in the Hume council area. Police outside the Broadmeadows Town Hall on Monday evening. Credit: Penny Stephens The car park outside was full of families and demonstrators clutching Palestinian flags, wearing keffiyeh scarves and holding signs that said Stop killing children. As a drum beat in the background, they chanted: The ethnic cleansing, shut it down, the bombing of hospitals, shut it down and liberation, liberation, Palestine is a nation. One of the rallys organisers, Mohamed Helmy, said the area was home to one of the highest Muslim and migrant populations in the state. The event followed a spate of protests outside a Campbellfield factory in recent months. Residents want the Hume council to ensure no businesses or factories in the area are assisting with any kind of weapon manufacturing being used in Israels war efforts. Rally organiser Mohammed Helmy outside Broadmeadows Town Hall on Monday evening. Credit: Penny Stephens. The protesters called for the Hume council to pass a motion calling for an end to any deals with companies that supply weapons to the Israeli military. Earlier in the day, up to 50 protesters gathered outside BPs Bourke Street office, chanting Free, free Palestine and unfurling a BP fuels genocide banner. Police formed a line in front of the door to prevent protesters getting too close. Local protest group A15 Action had vowed to identify and blockade major choke points in the economy by focusing on points of production and circulation as part of a global protest over Israels continued military assaults in Gaza. The global economy is complicit in genocide, a statement on the A15 Action website says. Join participating cities in blocking the arteries of capitalism and jamming the wheels of production ... there is a need to shift from symbolic actions to those that cause pain to the economy. Pro Palestine protesters march through the streets on Monday. Credit: Eddie Jim The blockade plans in Melbourne were part of a global movement involving at least 30 international cities. Israels seventh-month bombardment of Gaza was sparked by Hamas October 7 terror attacks on Israel in which 1200 people were killed. The Jewish states response to the attacks has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians. Public funds will be poured into projects to make medicine and medical devices for the global market under a $1.5 billion federal plan that deepens a political row over industry subsidies. The federal government will release the blueprint for its looming investments in healthcare manufacturing after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ignited a debate on industry aid with a made in Australia policy pledge last week. Professor Ian Frazer at the 2006 launch of Gardasil, the worlds first cervical cancer vaccine. Credit: Ruth Pollard The new plan clears the way for public investment in high-value therapies where Australia holds a big advantage in medical research, naming cancer and heart disease as key areas that deserve government funds. But the federal document rules out putting cash into large-scale facilities to produce common medicines because Australia will struggle to match the lower transport and labour costs in other countries. JERUSALEM, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Iran has launched unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and missiles toward Israel, the Israeli military said on Saturday night. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a press briefing that the drones would take several hours to arrive in Israeli airspace and that the country's defense systems would try to intercept them. An official statement said the Israeli airspace will be closed from 00:30 a.m. (2130 GMT). The Israeli military said in a statement that it is "constantly monitoring the operational situation." According to the statement, "the IDF Aerial Defense Array is on high alert, along with Israel Air Force fighter jets and Israeli Navy vessels that are on a defense mission in Israeli air and naval space." Hagari called the Iranian aerial attack on Israel "a severe and dangerous escalation," adding that Israel's "defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran." Israeli and U.S. forces are in "close coordination" and "dozens" of fighter jets are currently airborne, preparing for the Iranian aircraft's arrival in Israeli airspace, according to the Israeli army. Meanwhile, two Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Xinhua that several cruise missiles were also launched from Iran toward Israel. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed in a broadcast statement that it had launched missile and drone attacks on Israel from Iran. The IRGC added the details of the operation would be announced soon, stressing that it was carried out with the approval of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran and under the supervision of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces. Iranian media reported that about 50 UAVs have been launched. Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that the drones were launched from Iran as well as from other countries allied with Iran. Israel has been on heightened alert over the past few days following Iranian threats to avenge the killing of seven Iranian officers in its consular building in Damascus, Syria, earlier in April, which was carried out by Israel, according to Iran. If the carousel horses on Santa Monica Pier could talk, theyd tell you about the time they shared the big screen with Dennis Hopper, Paul Newman or Sandra Bullock. Or how Robert Redford saved their lives. And why Marilyn Monroe was their secret admirer. Here in Los Angeles, star power is everything and these 44 wooden prancers have been stealing scenes from Hollywoods finest for longer than any movie veteran. In 2022 they turned 100 years old, but thanks to some subtle work (this is Tinseltown after all) they look as fresh as the days Santa Monica native Redford rode them as a child. The carousel at Santa Monica. The actor loves the Pier so much that while filming The Sting here with Newman in 1973, he joined a crusade with local Angelenos to save the storied structure from demolition. They won, and a thank-you note from the horses remains on display in their historic Hippodrome building a Hollywood happy ending. Its just $US2 ($3) to ride the carousel, a bargain when you consider just how many famous rears have graced these saddles. In the 1950s and 60s, there were apartments above the carousel. A starry boho community thrived in the Hippodrome and the horses hobnobbed with Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Herb Alpert and more as life and art blurred to the tune of the Wurlitzer. The minimum number of cabin crew is determined by safety regulations. Credit: iStock The number of cabin crew is determined not by what level of service an airline wants to provide more for more attentive service, fewer for less but rather by a minimum of one flight attendant for every 50 seats, regardless of whether those seats are occupied. Dont be dim You might think that the cabin lights are dimmed and you are told to keep window blinds open when taking off and landing at night to make sure the cabin crew can see out in the event of an accident and to make it easier to see the emergency lights inside the cabin that show the way to an emergency exit. But thats only part of the story. Dimming the lights also helps passengers eyes to adjust faster to a dark or smoke-filled cabin. Blindsided There are good reasons your blind has to go up for takeoff and landing. Credit: iStock Blinds are kept open to make sure that if there is a fire, firefighters can see inside the cabin and identify any flames on board and their location (as well as crew and passengers being able to see any fire outside, like on the wings). Caught short There are no rules on the number of bathrooms an airliner has to have. Some airlines have been reducing the number of bathrooms on short-haul jets, so go before you go. Batteries not included Airlines have to observe a minimum equipment list. If an important item is missing or defective, the aircraft cannot fly and a strict deadline for repair or replacement is enforced. Something as seemingly small as a battery powered exit light above an overwing door has to be checked before every flight. If there is a power cut, passengers still need to be able to see where the nearest exit is, an aircraft engineer says. Singles club All jets have to be able to fly on one engine. Yes, once airborne, a 550-tonne Airbus A380 superjumbo can fly on a single engine. Single-engine operation helps determine a flights routing and airports it would use if it needs to divert. Feeling the heat There is no set temperature for an aircraft cabin. It can be anywhere between 18C and 30C. Airlines raise the temperature to encourage passengers to go to sleep and lower it when it is time to wake up. Aircraft can be heated by using hot air which is bled off the engines and even by harvesting the heat generated by the batteries that run its computer systems. Loading A breath of fresh air There is no requirement that airlines provide individual air vents over every seat. Many Asian airlines do not offer these on widebody jets. Air has to be filtered every three minutes using HEPA filters, which are also used in a hospital operating theatre. This means you are unlikely to pick up airborne viruses on board but you may well be affected by the constant variations in temperature when you travel. Window dressing You might have noticed a small triangle sticker above the window next to your seat. This indicates that it is the best window through which to see the moving parts and controls of the wing. The sticker is there to help the cabin crew to be as fast as possible to observe the condition of the wing or an engine in an emergency. Tipping the scales Loading Cabin crew tell passengers to take your assigned seat before takeoff not because they want to split up families but because theyve used data on the average weight of passengers to distribute the weight evenly around the aircraft for takeoff and landing. Every five years, some airlines, including Air New Zealand and Korean, do random, voluntary weight checks of passengers in the countries to which they fly which they use to develop an average weight. Passengers are invited to step on to the scales at check-in. Phoney rules Even though we are all told to switch off our mobile phones, some private flights allow mobile calls and there is little evidence that interference from mobile phones has affected an aircrafts performance or navigation. A drunk Australian in Bali had to be locked inside a mini-mart before he could be arrested for allegedly attacking an Indonesian man. Bystanders were forced to lock the man inside the store following the alleged attack, to prevent him from doing any more damage but also to protect him from an angry mob waiting outside, according to Putu Sukarma, a spokesman for Badung police. Bali has explored a possible ban on foreign citizens hiring motorbikes. Credit: Amilia Rosa Sukarma said the foreigner identified only as John, ran amok at about 3.30am on Thursday near the Potato Head Beach Club in North Kuta. The alleged victim, a 28-year-old man, was on his motorcycle when he saw the Australian being chased by a number of ride-sharing motorbike taxis offering him a ride, Sukarma said. Irans direct attack on Israel that is currently unfolding is more than a regional challenge. It will test the resolve of the United States at a time when it is leading a new global strategic orientation; one that the US has led with great skill, and in equal measure, remarkable inconsistency, if not incompetence. Australia is in the thick of it this global alignment, and will rise or fall by its tide. The US has done an excellent job at reinvigorating alliances across the globe. AUKUS is a bold newcomer, but in the background the US has also significantly strengthened links with South Korea (a standout US achievement), and the Philippines (a complete turn around). Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen In Europe, once neutral countries such as Sweden and Finland now accept with gratitude the significant obligations that come with NATO membership, on the basis that the US underwrites the credibility of NATOs commitment to come to the aid of any member who is attacked. But alarmingly, three current developments raise the question of whether this polarised global order of which Australia is a cheerleader may be little more substantive than the paint on facades of a Potemkin village. Sarah Snooks critically acclaimed performance in one-woman show The Picture of Dorian Gray on Londons West End has been capped with a prestigious Olivier Award for best actress. The 36-year-old, best known for playing Shiv Roy in the hit TV show Succession, won ahead of a star-studded field which included Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker for Plaza Suite. Sarah Snook with the Olivier Award at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Credit: Getty It is the first time the STC has been nominated and won the prestigious Olivier award. It is the third major acting award this year for Snook, having won an Emmy and Golden Globe for work in the final season of HBOs acclaimed series, who has since February stunned audiences and critics alike in the Kip Williams adapted and directed Oscar Wilde classic at Londons Royal Haymarket Theatre. The Australian plays all 26 roles in the production, which is headed for New York, among them Basil Hallward, Sibyl Vane and Gray himself - a handsome young gentleman corrupted by hedonistic values. Now that Israel and Iran have attacked each others territory directly for the first time, the world braces for the possibility of a war between the two heavily armed nation states. If full-scale war eventuates, it would have deep consequences well beyond the Middle East, rippling all the way to the Indo-Pacific. The night skies above Tel Aviv are lit up as Israels defence systems intercept drones and missiles from Iran. Credit: Getty To now, the Jewish state and the Islamic Republic, while sworn enemies, have conducted hostilities indirectly. They are some 1700 kilometres apart, separated by Jordan, Syria and Iraq. But, on April 1, a missile struck an Iranian consulate in Syria, assassinating a top Iranian general. Israel is the suspected aggressor but has not admitted so. How might a war between them be fought? Iran opened its attack by launching more than 100 bomb-carrying drones toward Israel. Hours later, Iran announced it had also launched much more destructive ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. The Israeli Defence Forces said the vast majority of missiles launched from Iran were intercepted outside Israels borders. Israel has made missile defence a priority, with a variety of air defence systems available to shoot down incoming missile and drone fire. The details of Irans current capabilities contained in a US Defence Intelligence Agency assessment released with little fanfare on April 11 suggested that any Iranian attack on Israel would likely be a combination of the two. Tehrans missile force is increasingly augmented by Irans UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] and serves as the regimes primary conventional deterrent against attacks on its personnel and territory, the agency said. It added that Iran has a substantial inventory of ballistic and cruise missiles capable of striking targets 2000 kilometres away putting Israel well within range. Israeli fighters would be expected to strike back, including those in its fleet of stealthy F-35I Adir and non-stealthy F-15I fighters. An F-35 made aviation history when the Israeli Air Force announced in November that it had shot down a cruise missile from the south-east headed toward Israeli airspace. Israel scrambled navigational signals over the Tel Aviv metropolitan area early this month to prepare for an Iranian attack, a showcase of its capabilities. It did so again on April 13 after Iran began its attack. A more remote possibility remains: Iran could also direct proxies to deploy militants on the ground from Syria or Lebanon. The one precedent for Iran attacking Israeli territory came in 2018, when Tehran fired rockets from Syria on positions in the Golan Heights. Another likelihood is cyberwar. More than a decade ago, malware known as Stuxnet compromised operations at an Iranian nuclear enrichment facility in whats suspected to have been a US and Israeli operation. Iran has also launched attacks of its own, including a hack that sought to cripple computers and water flow for two Israeli districts, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. How do Israeli and Iranian military capabilities compare? Israels forces are vastly superior to Irans when it comes to technology. Iran, however, has massive stockpiles of cheap, but effective, weapons in its arsenal. Israels Iron Dome air defence system launches from central Israel to intercept missiles fired from Iran. Credit: AP Since 2022, Iran has provided more than 1000 Shahed-136 UAVs, as well as Shahed-131 and Mohajer-6 UAVs, to support Russias invasion of Ukraine. In May, Iran began assisting Russia in establishing a Shahed-136 UAV production facility in Russia, according to the US Defence Intelligence Agency. So its safe to assume that Iran has hundreds if not thousands of one-way drones in its inventory to attack Israel. Israel would counter ballistic missiles with its Arrow interceptors and drone attacks, possibly with Davids Sling air defence systems and perhaps with a system called Drone Guard made by ELTA Systems. Who are their allies? What roles might they play? Loading Irans most important allies are the Shiite militias in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, which it supports with money, weapons and training. The Lebanese militia Hezbollah would be positioned to play the most significant role. Its fought repeated battles with Israel and has been regularly firing missiles, mortars and rockets into northern Israel since war broke out in October between Israel and the Iran-backed militant Palestinian group Hamas. Hezbollahs arsenal contains more than 70,000 rockets and missiles, including long-range and precision-guided missiles, according to Israeli intelligence. An escalation of its attacks on Israel could test the countrys defences at a time when it was also confronting Iran and Hamas. Irans only state ally in the Middle East is Syria. The government of President Bashar al-Assad would be unlikely to be of assistance given that its still struggling to gain control over the entire country following the outbreak of civil war in 2011. Iran has good relations with Russia, though its war in Ukraine would likely limit its ability to help, and with China, which has bought Iranian oil, though it remains sanctioned by the US and allies. Israel has the US on its side. Already the US is expediting shipments of munitions to Israel, to help it fight Hamas. Among the US forces in the Middle East region are two Navy destroyers that moved to the eastern Mediterranean in early April, according to a Navy official the USS Carney and the USS Arleigh Burke, both capable of air defence. Joe Biden meets with his National Security team at the White House on Irans attacks on Israel. Credit: AP Early in the Israel-Hamas war, the Pentagon moved its newest aircraft carrier, the Gerald R. Ford, and its battle group into the eastern Mediterranean. It has since returned home. The Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group is on its way from operations against the Houthis. Each bristles with F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jets and other advanced aircraft. In addition, 2000 Marines were put on heightened alert for potential mobilisation. How might Arab states react? SIMPSON BAY:--- Police officers and Ambulance officials were at Lotus Nightclub in Simpson Bay, where a shooting took place just after 4:00 am on Sunday. According to initial reports, four persons were shot during the shooting, and one out of the four persons is believed to have passed away due to the injuries sustained by the shootout. There is no word yet on the reason behind the shooting, In a short statement from KPSM, it states that Police are investigating a shooting that took place in front of a nightclub in Simpson Bay. According to the first info, one person passed away from gunshot wounds; three others were shot. Two went to the French side hospitalone at the St. Maarten Medical Center. Police received the call after 04.00 am. Detectives are currently investigating this situation. Police will give an update once it becomes available. Witnessing the graceful arrival of hundreds of Tundra Swans at Ulungur Lake in the Altay region of Xinjiang is a truly inspiring sight. Let's take a closer look! Iran attack 'ongoing', 200 drones, missiles fired: Israel army Jerusalem, April 14 (AFP) Apr 14, 2024 Iran has launched over 200 drones, ballistic and cruise missiles towards Israel and the attack is "ongoing," an Israeli army spokesman said early on Sunday. "The regime in Iran sent a massive swarm of over 200 killer drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles," Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement. He said a girl had been injured in the attack. In a separate statement, the Israeli army said that "dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches" were identified approaching Israeli territory, the majority of which were intercepted before they crossed into Israel. Dozens of Israeli fighter jets are currently operating to intercept "all aerial threats" approaching Israel, the statement added. Over 300 drones, missiles fired from Iran: Israel army Jerusalem, April 14 (AFP) Apr 14, 2024 Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles towards Israel in its unprecedented attack overnight, injuring at least 12 people, an Israeli army spokesman said Sunday. "Last night Iran fired over 300 ballistic missiles, UAVs and cruise missiles towards Israel," military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a televised statement, revising an earlier figure of more than 200 launches. Hagari said 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles were launched, none of which entered Israeli territory, adding that 110 ballistic missiles were also fired and few of them reached Israel. In a separate statement, the Israeli military said that "dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches" were identified, with the majority intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory. One of those injured was a seven-year-old girl from a Bedouin community near the southern town of Arad, who was in intensive care, according to the medical centre that received her. Israel on alert as Iran warns against responding to attack Jerusalem, April 14 (AFP) Apr 14, 2024 Israel was on high alert Sunday after Iran's unprecedented missile and drone attack drew an international chorus of condemnation and sparked fears of a broader conflict. Iran launched its first-ever direct assault on Israeli territory late Saturday in retaliation for a deadly Damascus strike, marking a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned Israel against a "reckless" retaliation, saying one would be a met with "a decisive and much stronger response". Iran said Saturday's assault was itself a response to the April 1 air strike on Tehran's consulate building in the Syrian capital that has been widely blamed on Israel. It remained unclear how Israel would respond. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that "the campaign is not over yet -- we must remain alert". US President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washington's "ironclad" support for Israel, while appearing to guide its staunch ally away from a military response. Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles towards Israel late Saturday, injuring 12 people, the Israeli army said. But almost all were intercepted before they reached Israeli territory, the army said, with help from the United States, Jordan, Britain and other allies. Many nations have called for restraint, and the United Nations Security Council is due to hold an emergency meeting later on Sunday. The attack came as fighting between Israel and Hamas raged in Gaza, and the latest attempt to reach a ceasefire in the war appeared to falter. - Attack 'foiled' - Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that 99 percent of the launches had been intercepted, declaring that "the Iranian attack was foiled". While 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles were shot down before they reached Israel, a few of the 110 ballistic missiles did get through, the Israeli army said. Among the injured was a seven-year-old girl near the southern Israeli town of Arad who was in intensive care, according to the medical centre that received her. Iran's proxies and allies also carried out coordinated attacks on Israeli positions. AFP correspondents heard blasts in the skies above Jerusalem early Sunday, and overnight people sought cover in the city while some residents stockpiled water. On Sunday morning, people were beginning to tentatively return to the streets of Jerusalem. "The situation is really frightening because we are afraid of what happens and all of the bombing and aircraft that are coming," said 48-year-old Ayala Salant, a resident of Jerusalem. - 'Achieved all objectives' - The Iranian army declared that its attack was "completed successfully," which it said was in "self defence" after the Damascus strike which killed seven of Iran's Revolutionary Guards including two generals. "Operation Honest Promise... achieved all its objectives", said Mohammad Bagheri, the Iranian armed forces' chief of staff. Bagheri said the attack targeted an intelligence centre and the air base from which Tehran says the Israeli F-35 jets took off to strike the Damascus consulate. "Both these centres were significantly destroyed," he said, though Israel maintains that the attack only resulted in minor damage. Hundreds of Iranians gathered in Tehran's Palestine Square waving Iranian and Palestinian flags in a show of support for the military action. Israel, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon all said they had reopened their airspace after suspending air traffic during the attack. - 'Take the win' - Iran's allies in the region joined the attack, with Yemen's Tehran-backed Huthi rebels also launching drones at Israel, according to security agency Ambrey. Lebanon's Hezbollah movement announced it had fired rockets at Israeli positions in the annexed Golan Heights around the same time, as well as a second barrage hours later. An Israeli strike destroyed a building used by Hezbollah in Lebanon's east on Sunday, Israeli and Lebanese sources said. A Hezbollah source told AFP that there were no casualties. The Iranian mission to the United Nations warned Washington to keep out of Iran's conflict with Israel. The mission added on X that "the matter can be deemed concluded". "However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe." US media reported that Biden was looking to de-escalate. News outlet Axios said the president had told Netanyahu he would oppose an Israeli counterattack against Iran and that the prime minister should "take the win". British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for "calm heads to prevail," adding that UK fighter jets were among those shooting down Iranian attack drones. NATO said it was "vital that the conflict in the Middle East does not spiral out of control." Pope Francis called for "an end to any action which could fuel a spiral of violence". The US Security Council was to meet at around 2000 GMT Sunday to discuss the latest crisis at Israel's request. G7 nations will also hold a video conference in the early afternoon to discuss the attack. Jordan, which is located between Israel and Iran, said it had intercepted "flying objects" that breached its airspace during the attack. Before Tehran launched its attack on Saturday, the Israeli military warned Iran it would suffer the "consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further". Iran had earlier seized an Israeli-linked container vessel in the Gulf, putting the whole region on alert. - Gaza stalemate - Meanwhile, fighting in Gaza continued. The war began with an unprecedented October 7 attack by Hamas against Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,729 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Late Saturday, Hamas said it had submitted its response to a truce plan presented by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators at talks that started in Cairo on April 7. Hamas said it was sticking to its previous demands, insisting on "a permanent ceasefire" and the "withdrawal of the (Israeli) occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip". Israel's Mossad spy agency described this as a rejection of the proposal, accusing Hamas of "continuing to exploit the tension with Iran" and aiming for "a general escalation in the region". burs/dl/ami Lufthansa suspends flights to and from Tel Aviv, Amman, Erbil Frankfurt, Germany, April 14 (AFP) Apr 14, 2024 Lufthansa has suspended until Monday its flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel, Amman in Jordan, as well as Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, a spokesman said on Sunday. Following Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel late Saturday, the German airline is "constantly monitoring the situation in the Middle East", a spokesman told AFP. Flights to and from Beirut and Tehran will remain suspended until at least April 18, after the company said Friday its planes would no longer use Iranian airspace. Lufthansa flights to the Iranian capital have been suspended since April 6. Israel announced the reopening of its airspace on Sunday morning, along with its neighbours Jordan and Lebanon, and Iraq, which borders Iran. jpl/spb/rox Ukraine says situation 'tense' on eastern front Kyiv, Ukraine, April 14 (AFP) Apr 14, 2024 Ukraine on Sunday said the situation was "tense" on its eastern front, where the Russian army is doubling down on efforts to seize the strategic town of Chassiv Iar. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said he had visited troops on the frontier, where Ukrainian forces are outnumbered and running low on ammunition. He said "the situation is tense", a day after Kyiv warned that the situation on its eastern front was significantly worsening. If Moscow manages to capture Chassiv Iar, it would "create conditions for a deeper advance" towards the key Ukrainian transport hub of Kramatorsk, said Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky. Kramatorsk town is the major rail and logistics hub for the Ukrainian army, 30 kilometres (19 miles) from Chassiv Iar. Russia has been trying to break through to the west of Bakhmut -- a town conquered by the Russians in May 2023 after a bloody battle -- according to Umerov. In recent weeks, Moscow has claimed the capture of several small villages, notably near the industrial town of Avdiivka on Saturday. It has also ramped up its aerial bombardments on Ukraine's infrastructure in recent weeks, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying the Kremlin was aiming to drive people from second city Kharkiv. "Rhetoric does not protect the sky," Zelensky said on Sunday. And more than two years into Russia's war, support from Ukraine's Western allies has faltered. Europe is struggling to generate enough weaponry, and US aid is blocked by political wrangling in Congress. TEHRAN/JERUSALEM, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments related to Iran's massive drone and missile attack against Israel: A Hezbollah official was killed and three civilians were injured on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike on a village in southern Lebanon, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the Israeli raid targeted the main market in the southeast village of Khiam, killing a local Hezbollah official named Jihad Ali Abu Mahdi and wounding three civilians. The sources noted that another raid destroyed a two-story house between the villages of Sareen and Nabi Chit in the vicinity of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon. The sources added that Israel carried out air strikes on four towns and villages in southern and eastern Lebanon and fired 30 shells on nine towns and villages in the eastern, central, and western sectors of the border region in southern Lebanon. - - - - Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations said the country's military action against Israel was based on Article 51 of the UN Charter regarding the legitimate right to self-defense and in response to the deadly Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria, the official news agency IRNA reported on Sunday. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed that it has launched dozens of missiles and drones against Israel, Iran's Fars news agency reported on Saturday night. - - - - A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. The projectiles triggered sirens in Jerusalem, the Negev Desert and the Dead Sea in the south, the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in the north as well as the occupied West Bank. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed during a press briefing that Israel was under attack by ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran, noting that aerial defense systems have intercepted some of the missiles. Israel's Maged David Adom rescue service said in a statement that a 10-year-old boy was seriously injured in a Beduin village in the Negev. A projectile or parts of a projectile fell near Umm Al Fahm, an Arab city in northern Israel, causing no injuries. - - - - Explosions were heard in several cities in Syria early on Sunday, as tensions escalated between Iran and Israel, according to reports by a war monitor. Explosions were heard in the Syrian capital of Damascus, as well as Homs, Hama, Daraa, and coastal regions, as Syrian air defenses attempted to intercept Israeli missiles that were allegedly targeting Iranian missiles en route to hit targets in Israel, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. - - - - Countries in the Middle East on Sunday announced the reopening of their airspace following the Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel. A statement by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) said that "the Iraqi airspace has been reopened to all aircraft arriving at, departing from, and crossing the country after the end of all risks that affect the security and safety of civil aviation in Iraq." Earlier, the ICAA closed the Iraqi airspace after dozens of Iranian missiles and drones traversed Iraqi airspace en route to Israel late Saturday. - - - - Lebanon's General Directorate of Civil Aviation announced on Sunday that the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut reopened at 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) after closure due to regional tensions over the past hours. Hezbollah announced early Sunday that its fighters targeted the Israeli Kela barracks with dozens of Katyusha rockets in the occupied Syrian Golan. Hezbollah said in a statement that it launched the attack in response to the Israeli enemy's attacks on safe villages and towns in southern Lebanon. - - - - Iran's mission to the United Nations (UN) said Saturday that the attack on Israel "can be deemed concluded." "Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran's military action was in response to the Zionist regime's aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded," the mission said on social media X. The United Nations Security Council is set to meet Sunday in response to a request from Israel, UN said. Israel has called on the council to condemn Iran's attack against Israel and to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, the sources noted. The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. local time (2000 GMT), as announced by the UN Department of Global Communications late Saturday night. JERUSALEM, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Israel plans to launch a "significant response" to the Iranian aerial attack against it, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported early on Sunday, citing an anonymous senior Israeli official. The route was carefully planned to include stops in places that involved good food (the carrot to drive us on during long hours behind the wheel), were culturally interesting and, of course, accepted dogs. European hotels, in general, have always been less dog-friendly than in the UK, but with glorious ease our journey came together. It was in spite of setting off on day two in the pouring rain before dawn, guided by Google, and taking my husband into an incredibly narrow street which became impassable. As we, inch by painful inch, reversed our way up and out of the winding medieval alley, I did think of Hemmingways words Never go on trips with anyone you do not love. But our marriage survived and road trips might just become our thing for the feeling of freedom they engender. * FIRST NAME * LAST NAME * EMAIL Your email address * PASSWORD Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Show * YEAR OF BIRTH You must be at least 18 years old to create an account 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 * Required fields I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. 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. If this attack had been successful, the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate, and we stand by the security of Israel and the wider region, which is of course important for our security here at home. UNITED NATIONS, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) Security Council is set to meet Sunday in response to a request from Israel, UN said Saturday. Israel has called on the council to condemn Iran's attack against Israel on Saturday and to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, the sources noted. The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. local time (2000 GMT), as announced by the UN Department of Global Communications late Saturday night. Gilad Erdan, Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations, formally requested this emergency session in a letter to the president of the council on Saturday. Denis Francis, president of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), expressed significant concern about the recent developments in the Middle East, including Iran's launch of drones and missiles against Israel. "I strongly call upon all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid further escalation of tension in the region. This is a moment that calls for wise and prudent judgement, in which the risks and extended risks are very carefully considered," the UNGA president said. BRUSSELS, April 14 (Xinhua) -- EU leaders on Sunday called on all parties to exercise restraint and to prevent further escalation of the situation in the Middle East following Iran's retaliatory strikes on Israel. "Everything must be done to prevent further regional escalation. More bloodshed must be avoided. We will continue to follow the situation closely with our partners," said European Council President Charles Michel on social media on Sunday. "All actors must now refrain from further escalation and work to restore stability in the region," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on social media on Sunday. Both EU leaders also condemned Iran's attack on Israel. While calling on "all parties to exercise utmost restraint," Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said on social media that "this is an unprecedented escalation." Borrell said that he has called an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers on April 16 "to contribute to de-escalation and security of the region." Iran and allied armed groups launched coordinated drone and missile strikes on Israel late Saturday night. Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations has said the country's military action against Israel was based on Article 51 of the UN Charter regarding the legitimate right to self-defense and in response to the deadly Israeli attack against the Iranian consulate in Syria. The latest developments heightened fears of a wider regional war as a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip remains elusive. Sexyy Red clears the air to hip hop media personality Joe Budden, who says Drakes support comes with a dollar sign comment. What reportedly prompted Joe Buddens shade to Drake and Sexyy Red was his appearance in Reds Get It Sexyy, reportedly flying her out halfway across the country. Sexyy Red humbly posted that Drake sent her a private jet for a flight to New York. When @champagnepapi send you a private jet to New York [jet, okay emojis] nails @ghettogirlbeisha [fire emoji], she posted of herself standing aside the aircraft. When Red caught wind of Buddens comment, she got on X, formerly known as Twitter. They so dumb, Sexyy Red posted online with a clip of Budden speaking about her and Drake on his podcast. YANGON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's vibrant Thingyan water festival continued into its second day, as people across the Southeast Asian country immersed themselves in the joyous festivities. The time-honored tradition of splashing each other with water represents a symbolic cleansing of past wrongs and a fresh beginning for the upcoming year. Throughout the country, lively dance performances contributed to the festive atmosphere, marking the official opening of the Thingyan Water Festival on Saturday morning. In the capital Nay Pyi Taw on Saturday, the opening ceremony was graced by Secretary of Myanmar's State Administration Council Lt-Gen Aung Lin Dwe and officially commented by Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Transport and Communications General Mya Tun Oo, Union Minister for Information U Maung Maung Ohn, and Mayor Than Tun Oo. In Yangon, the former capital and the commercial hub of Myanmar, the water festival was officially opened at the mayor's pavilion in front of Yangon City Hall on Saturday. Yangon Region Chief Minister U Soe Thein extended his best wishes to the people. Among the revelers in front of the Yangon mayor's pavilion on Sunday, Hein Thura, 6, was also playing with a water gun with other children. "I'm happy playing with water during the Thingyan festival. I came here with my family," the boy said, rubbing water from his face. Hein's grandmother, Daw Tin Tin Than, 60, watching the children playing, said, "I brought my grandchildren here because I want to make them happy. I want them to see how people celebrate Thingyan. I will also bring them to People's Square." In Yangon, the largest walking Thingyan celebration was taking place at the People's Square. "In addition to splashing water, we also give away charity foods and do merits such as taking precepts during the festival," she added. From Ayeyarwady region's Bogale township, Shine Win Tun told Xinhua on Sunday "In our village, there is a communal novitiation and ordination ceremony this year. Many boys were novitiated, and some men over 20 years old were ordained. I went to the communal novitiation ceremony yesterday." "Thingyan festival is culturally very important for the people in Myanmar," the 31-year-old school teacher said. "It is the longest holiday in Myanmar. Most people working away from their native places come back home for family reunion during the holiday," he said. In Kayin state, Ah Phyu, 31, said she went out with her friends in Hpa-an on Saturday, the first day of the Thingyan festival. "Here in Hpa-an, people enjoy giving away charity foods. Nearly every day during the festival, people give away charity foods. My elder sister is also giving away charity foods with her friends today," she said on Sunday. "In the past years, I used to visit famous travel destinations across the country during the Thingyan holidays. This year, I'm not traveling anywhere. I'm just going around the town," she said. This year's traditional Myanmar Thingyan water festival will run for four days until Tuesday. The Myanmar New Year falls on Wednesday. In Myanmar, the Thingyan water festival holds immense cultural significance, standing as the most famous celebration among the 12 monthly seasonal festivals observed throughout the year. April 14, 2024: Ukraine is using deception to deceive Russians into firing on cheap imitations of Ukrainian weapons. These decoys are cheaply fabricated fakes that appear to be real when Russian aerial surveillance spots them. When Russia fires on the fakes there is an explosion, but it is difficult for the Russians to determine if the explosion was just the Russian weapon or the Russian weapon and its Ukrainian target. Even after the Russians realized they were being deceived, they were reluctant to stop attacking because the Ukrainians might be using these tactics to prevent the Russians from attacking real targets. Ukraine noted the success of decoys and established a workshop where more fakes, representing a wider variety of weapons and military equipment could be produced, and placed where the Russians would spot them and attack. In this way Russia would use very expensive weapons, some costing over a million dollars each, to destroy fakes that cost less than a hundred dollars to make. Despite the low cost of the fakes, the designers and manufacturers of the fakes managed to create even more realistic looking ones depicting anti-tank weapons, artillery, HIMARS vehicles, inflatable tanks, fake hangars at air bases and even a Patriot anti-aircraft missile battery. The Russians continue to use their limited supply of missiles to attack these fakes because they have no sure way of telling a fake from the real thing. Ukrainian media helps out by publishing pictures of fake hangars destroyed by the Russians at a Ukrainian air base. Russian aerial reconnaissance shows the same fake destroyed hangar. The Russians know they are being deceived but they dont know when. Some of their attacks actually destroy Ukrainian equipment or structures. The Russians continue making their attacks, knowing that some of their missiles, and they are not sure how many, are wasted on fake targets. This use of fakes is nothing new and has been used for over eighty years. In the 21st century aerial, and space based, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment became much more effective, which made it more difficult and expensive to use cheap decoys of weapons and vehicles to deceive aerial surveillance. There are still firms that develop and manufacture effective decoy vehicles, artillery, and anti-aircraft systems but their cost has gone up 5-10 ten times faster than the cost of the original fakes. This is because the aircraft and space satellite sensors have become more powerful and able to detect a lot more details. It was no longer enough to just have a lot of convincing, from the air, inflatable armored vehicles, and artillery. In Ukraine the Russians dont have the best quality aerial surveillance because of anti-aircraft weapons the Ukrainians received from NATO countries, Western sanctions impeding construction of modern Russian reconnaissance satellites, and the general collapse of Russian space launch capabilities. This enables the Ukrainians to effectively use cheaper fakes which would not deceive Western reconnaissance assets. What the Russians dont have are Western sensors first developed to survey farmland or search for new resources from the air or space, radars and sensors that can identify what is down there and what it is made of. Worse for the military these multispectral sensors can identify what is below foliage, like forests or jungles as well as camouflage nets. The higher resolution sensors can also detect the tracks of armored vehicles or heavy trucks left on the ground or even the wear of heavy tanks left on paved roads. It gets worse, because new fire control and target selection systems use computers and software to find patterns indicating what enemy forces have been or are planning to do. These systems can also be used to spot deceptions on the ground. Israel gave a demonstration of how effective these new systems are during the current war with Hamas in Gaza. The Hamas surprise rocket attacks were much less effective than during the 51-day war in 2014. Although Hamas fired over three times as many rockets than in 2014, Israeli casualties and losses were much less than in 2014. Hamas losses were higher, especially in terms of tunnels and bunkers located and destroyed, often only after Hamas gunmen or leaders were detected taking shelter in them. Over the last decade software has replaced humans in analyzing aerial digital photos along with data obtained from more abundant and powerful electronic sensors. The use of digital photos made it possible to use software systems to look for threats and even their patterns of operation. Many nations still maintain stockpiles of inflatable vehicles that could deceive 20th century aerial surveillance, but these decoys are now worse than useless because they are more likely to reveal your deception efforts than provide any effective deception. In short, ground deceptions have become less effective and a lot more expensive. There is still some use of these deceptions, but they cannot be used as frequently on as large a scale as in the past. In the early 20th aerial reconnaissance revolutionized the ability to spot, count and even identify enemy forces and bases far from the front line or advancing troops. Before aerial surveillance you were dependent on mounted scouts who operated as close to the enemy as possible to count and identify the opposition and ride back to report what was there. A century ago, horse mounted scouts were supplemented and often replaced by airborne scouts, so aerial combat developed in an effort to keep enemy air observation away from your own rear area. Senior commander quickly discovered that it was impossible to keep all enemy recon aircraft from getting a look, and often photos, of what was behind the front lines. This made it more difficult to plan surprise offensives, or even protect vulnerable rear-area targets like headquarters, supply storage sites and the hundreds of towed artillery weapons set up in the open to provide support fire for front line troops. Users of aerial recon soon discovered that there were ways to effectively deceive aerial surveillance and the post-Soviet Union forces were the first to discover how much had changed. While the Russian armed forces were not able to buy many real tanks or warplanes in the two decades after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, they still bought fakes. Russian firms that designed and produced inflatable tanks and aircraft were still in business and they had new designs that were real enough looking that they could deceive human analysts who scrutinize aerial photographs. Actually, Russia had lots of these in storage after 1991, but a decade ago they were again buying more tanks and aircraft that were improved models and realized they had to replenish their stock of fakes as well. All this goes back to the World War II era when dummy tanks and trucks were widely used and often made of wood and cloth. These were fragile and difficult to set up. Soon came the rubber, inflatable decoy. These were much lighter, easier to set up and could be easily moved about once deflated and packed. In addition, a special trailer was built that created realistic marks on the ground showing characteristic tank "track" marks. The trailer would be towed to where each rubber tank was to be set up. With that, the enemy photo analysts would be convinced that the rubber tank was real, for there behind it were the characteristic marks on the ground that only heavy trucks or armored vehicles leave. The military advantages of this deception were substantial. If the enemy recon aircraft spotted hundreds of tanks, enemy plans would have to be changed to deal with this threat. The Allies used the rubber tank ploy against the Germans many times and as a result, the Nazis always overestimated the number, already substantial, of forces the Allies had. The Germans could have been a lot more aggressive against the Western Allies were it not for the rubber tanks. The presence of these additional tanks forced the Germans to hold back large numbers of their own forces as a reserve to deal with fake Allied forces represented by rubber tanks and other deceptions. Of course, the rubber tanks never saw combat, aside from being shot up by German aircraft a few times and the German armored units being held in reserve were often pounded by Allied aircraft before the panzers ever got to reach the real Allied forces. Many Allied soldiers in 1944 and 1945 owed their life to rubber tanks, and most were never aware of it. For example, in preparation for the final Allied offensive in Italy in 1945, an entire dummy armored division was assembled in the rear of an American infantry division, with a highly regarded, by the Germans, Japanese-American infantry regiment attached, convincing the Germans that the main attack was to come on the west coast, rather than in the center. Like any good deception, the use of the rubber tanks was kept secret for as long as possible. For the rest of the 20th century rubber tanks were still used. In the late 1980s the U.S. Army developed a decoy version of the M 1 Abrams tank. It cost only $3,300 and weighed 23 kg. When disassembled the dummy tank is about the size of a duffel bag, while its portable generator is about the size of a small laser printer. When erected, which could be accomplished by two men in a few minutes, the decoy not only looks like a real M-1, at least from the front, but also simulates its heat signature to fool infrared detectors. What's more, it can take several hits and remain standing, giving the illusion that you missed, or that there are more enemy tanks around than you thought. Developers of air or space-based sensors took note and began equipping their aircraft and satellites with systems to identify improved fakes. While rubber aircraft were not a big item during World War II, fake tanks were easier to build and inflate to the right shape than they are today. And with the high speed of modern combat, attacking bombers often don't notice the peculiar effect their bombs and missiles have on the aircraft they were hitting on an enemy airfield. During these attacks, the parked aircraft might be fake, but the anti-aircraft fire isn't. While the aircraft lost on the ground were cheap imitations, the attacking aircraft shot down were not. Rubber aircraft, then, can be quite lethal. Sort of like cheap bait. All this began to change in the 1990s as guided bombs and missiles replaced unguided bombs and the need to deal with enemy air defenses. More effective airborne sensors made it easier to get accurate assessments of damage done by aerial attacks. There have been fewer opportunities to use ground-based deceptions, especially the new ones and that meant fewer opportunities to see how effective aerial attack and surveillance has become. Some recent campaigns revealed how current ground-based deceptions are in trouble and that has military leaders and their staffs paying attention. April 14, 2024: NATO countries in Europe now realize that Russian threats against them are real. Russian leaders openly proclaim that the conquest and absorption of Ukraine will be followed by attacks on NATO countries. This seems absurd until you consider how unprepared NATO members are for a war. Decades of low spending on defense and the lack of a credible threat led to many members reducing their military forces and no longer updating or maintaining major weapons systems like tanks, aircraft, and ships. These bad habits were noticed by Russia, which had been upgrading and expanding their armed forces since the 1990s. When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, the Americans and NATO were quick to send military aid to Ukraine. While the United States had substantial military reserves of munitions and supplies to send to Ukraine, the European NATO countries did not. They sent what they could and realized if Ukraine was defeated the European NATO members were next. The closest NATO states to Ukraine were Poland and the three Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. All four of these nations have substantially increased their defense spending and preparations for an attack by Russia. Being a NATO member means that once attacked, all the other NATO members will come to your aid. The small Baltic States fear they could be overrun before NATO forces arrive. To deal with that, Baltic states are building obstacles to slow the Russians down and instructing their citizens on how best to resist a Russian occupation. Larger NATO states like Poland, Germany and France are upgrading and expanding their armed forces. This has brought large orders for weapons from Americans and South Korean producers. Over the last few decades South Korea has become a major arms developer, manufacturer, and exporter. South Korea is now an incredibly affluent nation, one of the top ten in the world. North Korea is still a threat while Japan and China have become valuable trading partners. NATO now considers South Korea an associate member, even though South Korea is far away. The enormous quantity of seaborne trade keeps these distant trading partners connected. The recent violent activity by Shia rebels in Yemen, which borders the Red Sea and the only sea route to the Suez Canal, demonstrated how vulnerable some of these sea routes were. Warships from the United States, Britain, Russia, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Greece, India, and Sri Lanka were sent to the Red Sea to keep the sea lane safe for commercial shipping. Iran supplies the Yemen rebels with weapons and is subject to economic sanctions for a long list of disruptive activity, including promoting and arming the Yemen rebels. Iran is considered an outlaw state while Iran considers itself on a Mission From God to convert, by force is necessary, all nations to their form of Shia Islam. Iran is ruled by a religious dictatorship that is unpopular with most Iranians and kept in check by the ruthless and brutal IRGC (Islamic Republican Guard Corps) that also promotes and supplies armed rebellions outside Iran. Because of the growing threat from Shia Iran, the Sunni Arab states in the Persian Gulf have established relationships with Israel. Iran sees Israel as their primary target. Israel is the most industrialized, productive, and well-armed nation in the region as well as the primary target for Iran. Over 80 percent of the billion Moslems worldwide are Sunnis. Most Sunnis get along with nearby Shia. Iran is the exception and as the largest Shia state in the world, considers itself the potential leader of all Moslems, once all Moslems have been persuaded or forced to convert to the Shia form of Islam. This is not going to happen and the non-Shia world, which includes most of the seven billion people on the planet, opposes any violent or aggressive behavior by Iran. The exceptions are other outlaw states like Russia and North Korea. Because Iran promotes terrorism and espionage in Europe, NATO has added Iran to the list of hostile nations NATO has to keep an eye on. NATO nations upgrading their armed forces to deal with Russia found that the accompanying increased intelligence (information gathering) activity has also identified Iranian and Russian espionage and assassination efforts in Europe that sometimes find and kill someone Iran or Russia considers a traitor. The problem with European NATO members is that they continually make defense-related promises they dont keep. This irritates the United States, which considers European reluctance to spend what they promised (two percent of GDP) on their own defense, an admission that Europeans consider the better armed Americans always available to protect them. Recently the Americans have changed their attitude and told the Europeans that, if they would not try to defend themselves, the U.S. would not automatically step in and save them. The Americans consider this Tough Love and enough terrorist threats and threats of attacks from Iran and Russia would persuade the Europeans to do more to defend themselves. KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian authorities are hunting for a gunman who shot one person injured at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia early on Sunday. The identity and photographs of the 38-year-old shooter have been released to the public, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain told a press briefing at the airport following the incident. "The police have classified the suspect as armed and dangerous. Anyone who spots him is urged to share the information with the police but not to act alone," the official said. "We have launched operations to trace him. All nearby and neighboring (state CID chiefs) have been mobilized," he said. Mohd Shuhaily added that the shooting is linked to a domestic dispute, with the suspect targeting his wife, who is in the process of divorcing him, but instead hit one of her bodyguards before fleeing the scene. A drone photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows a toll station on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in Preah Sihanouk province, Cambodia. (Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua) SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia, April 14 (Xinhua) -- A large number of vehicles traveled on the Chinese-invested Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway on Sunday as people flocked to the coastal province of Preah Sihanouk in southwest Cambodia during traditional New Year holiday. Tang Sochetkresna, director of Preah Sihanouk Provincial Department of Tourism, said the 187-km expressway has prompted a surge in tourist arrivals to Preah Sihanouk for its safe, comfortable and fast travel mode. Sochetkresna said the expressway, which connects Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh with the Southeast Asian nation's most popular coastal province Preah Sihanouk, facilitates tourists' travel for leisure. Cambodia kicked off its four-day traditional New Year on Saturday. Phang Veyhong, a 30-year-old user of the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, said traveling on the expressway took him only two hours from Phnom Penh to Preah Sihanouk. "In comparison to ordinary roads, traveling on the expressway is time-efficient and safe, as well as lowers fuel expenses," he told Xinhua on Sunday while driving his five family members to visit Preah Sihanouk province. Veyhong said he also likes traveling on the expressway for the beautiful scenery along the route. Kong Sengkim, a 52-year-old user of the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, said the expressway is broad and comfortable for driving. "This is the first time I drive my car on the expressway and I feel pretty safe," he told Xinhua. "The road and its surrounding scenery are very beautiful." Invested by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), the 2-billion-U.S.-dollar Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway was officially opened to traffic in November 2022. With two lanes for traffic in each direction plus an emergency lane on each side, vehicles will be able to reach their destinations within two hours through the expressway instead of five hours. "The expressway has played a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency of travel and logistic system in Cambodia," Heang Sotheayuth, a spokesperson for Cambodia's Ministry of Public Works and Transport, told Xinhua. The expressway was the fruit of close cooperation between Cambodia and China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, Sotheayuth said. Kirtland AFB 58th Special Operations Wing Flight Line Mechanics post for a group photo with the UH-1N helicopter that crossed the 20,000 flight hours milestone on March 22, 2024. The UH-1N Hueys were initially designed to be 4,000 hour aircrafts but continue to serve the air crew and the mission due to their robust design and adaptations. (Britianie Teston/U.S. Air Force) (Tribune News Service) Its arms arent tired. Kirtland Air Force Base is the home of a record-holding, long-flying aircraft. The UH-1N Huey reached the impressive milestone on March 18 20,000 flight hours becoming the third Huey to do so. Thats five times longer than the 4,000 flight hours it was designed to reach in the 1960s. How it got to keep its wings for such a long haul is a testament to the commitment of its air crews over the years and the skill of the maintenance crews, Kirtland officials said. We have some of the finest mechanics from a wide variety of backgrounds. Its a good diverse group that have worked on these aircraft, said Bryon Lupton, flight line lead mechanic. Its a team effort with our uniformed crews and how well they also treat the aircraft. A legend The Huey is a legendary beast of the air for the U.S. armed forces, notable for its robust design. It saw extensive action in the Vietnam War, where it earned widespread acclaim among pilots and ground forces alike. Plenty of Huey stories have been told, complete with vivid descriptions of the noise, the dust, the rescues it carried out and the battles raging around it. Many veterans who served in Hueys have reacted sentimentally to the old war horse. The sound is something you will never forget, said Vietnam veteran and Huey pilot Phil Marshall, who helps rehabilitate old Hueys. He was quoted in a 2022 Vietnam magazine story. Other veterans recalled the distinctive whop, whop, whop as it approached. Still others commented on its sturdy build and endurance. You could get it flying again with duct tape and bailer twine if you had to, said Jim Watkins, a maintenance specialist, in the same report. Beyond battle, the UH-1N also found application in civilian operations, law enforcement, firefighting and humanitarian missions. A 58th Operations Group UH-1N takes flight on March 22, 2024, after achieving 20,000 flight hours on March 18. (Britianie Teston/U.S. Air Force) Upgrades This particular Huey has had several upgrades over the years to extend the lifecycle of the aircraft. For the age of the aircraft to actually be in the shape that we are able to maintain these in is pretty significant, Lupton said, describing how the UH-1Ns were initially designed for 4,000 flight hours. And here we are at 20,000 hours still flying it. The Air Forces UH-1N fleet has had multiple upgrades over the past few years, according to Maj. Gordon Blair, commander of the Kirtlands 58th Operations Group, Detachment 2. The upgrades increased the aircrafts all-weather capabilities, crash worthiness, digital traffic avoidance detection and precision GPS instrument approaches. These efforts include avionics, radios, safety equipment, navigation, equipment and maintenance and longevity-related improvements, Blair said. All three Hueys holding the 20,000-hour record are currently at Kirtland with the 58th Special Operations Wings fleet. The 58th OG, Det 2, currently house six UH-1N helicopters and graduates approximately 120 students annually. Maj. Joshua Hartmann prepares to pilot Kirtlands 55-year-old UH-1N Huey helicopter on March 22, 2024 after it logged 20,000 flight hours earlier in the week. (Britianie Teston/U.S. Air Force) Last of its kind The United States Air Force is the last service branch to operate Hueys. The Marine Corps retired the helicopter in 2014. Kirtlands 20,000 champs have managed to bypass the usual pathway of retired Hueys. At the end of service they usually travel to an aircraft boneyard, where they can at least be used for parts. With such a feast of spare parts, a good Huey can keep on working. The Huey can carry 13 personnel with a typical crew of four, and it could be configured for multiple different missions, such as medical evacuation, search and rescue, remote operations, personnel transport, airborne security and military operations. The UH-1N is a tried-and-true workhorse for the Air Force, Blair said. Our air crew members love and trust the venerable Huey. (c)2024 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) Visit at www.abqjournal.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Soldiers train at East Range on Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Feb. 1, 2024. The Army will be lighting controlled burns at its Schofield Barracks training range complex this week in an effort to prepare for and prevent potential wildfires as Hawaiis rainy season dries up. (Jared Simmons/U.S.Army) HONOLULU (Tribune News Service) The Army will be lighting controlled burns at its Schofield Barracks training range complex this week in an effort to prepare for and prevent potential wildfires as Hawaiis rainy season dries up. The Armys Wildland Fire Division is scheduled to begin the prescribed burn Monday and continue through Friday in an effort to clear invasive and highly flammable guinea grass and other vegetation that can become large fuel sources for brushfires. These grasses played a central role in the spread of the August fire on Maui that destroyed Lahaina and killed more than 100 people. The prescribed burn is a critical piece of the Armys management of threatened and endangered species, the Army said in a media release, noting that uncontrolled fires threaten species such as the Oahu elepaio, an endangered flycatcher bird that lives in habitats above the range. More than 30 species of endangered plants and animals call the range and surrounding area home. Prescribed burns help prevent brushfire outbreaks on our training ranges, and can reduce the number of brushfires by upwards of 70 % annually, said Justin Turnbo, Wildland Fire Program Manager, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. We anticipate completing the burn in approximately three days ... theres a short time period following the wet winter months when all prescribed burn parameters are right, prior to the dry summer months. According to a media release, the Army has approval from the state Department of Healths Clean Air Branch in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure all state, federal and Army requirements are met. During the burn, a variety of specialists will be on site, including firefighters, aviators, engineers, range and safety officers, natural and cultural resources specialists, explosive ordnance disposal personnel and law enforcement personnel. The Army said operations will only take place during daylight hours, and Army Wildland firefighters will remain on site each night to monitor the area. Army staff will also monitor humidity and wind in an effort to minimize smoke and ash. Controls on the smoke duration and amounts are very important, and we will be monitoring weather data, smoke production and fire behavior to make informed decisions and adjustments as needed, Turnbo said. We will be taking all feasible precautions to lessen potential impacts on our neighbors. The deadly and destructive 2023 fire season in Hawaii has raised concerns about wildfire preparedness across the state, and officials have warned that a wetter-than-expected rainy season before what is expected to be a hot and dry summer could have created more fuel for fires across the islands. As the rainy season comes to an end, the latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows about 17 % of the state is already in severe drought, while 25% is in moderate drought. (c)2024 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Visit at www.staradvertiser.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Spc. Jayla Mathis shares a laugh with her mom, Jaymie Mathis, during a welcome home ceremony for the 54th Quartermaster Company April 12, 2024, at the Family Life Center on Fort Gregg-Adams, Va. () Soldiers from the 54th Quartermaster Company at Fort Gregg-Adams, Va., returned home Friday after nine months in the Middle East, according to an Army news release. The first thing I saw was my mom and her holding the sign, which I didnt know she had, said Spc. Jayla Mathis. Her mother, Jayime Mathis, drove 14 hours from Mississippi, bringing a sign that read, Welcome home, girly! Jayime Mathis, left, holds a sign welcoming home her daughter, Spc. Jayla Mathis, from deployment April 12, 2024, at the Family Life Center on Fort Gregg-Adams, Va. (Jefferson Wolfe/Fort Gregg-Adams) That was the longest Ive ever been away from her since Ive been the Army in general, so it was tough, but I got through it, Im here, Jayla said. The 54th Quartermaster Company is the Armys only active-duty mortuary affairs unit. The unit sent 29 Soldiers to Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates in support of a wide array of operations in the region. Leaders from Fort Gregg-Adams and fellow soldiers joined in the welcome. Everyone in this room, and all your loved ones back home, are all very proud of what youve done and are glad to have you back safe, said Capt. Peter Kase, the company commander. So, job well done team, and were very excited to have you back. 54th Quartermaster Company soldiers wait to exit a bus before being reunited with their families during a welcome home ceremony on April 12, 2024, at the Family Life Center on Fort Gregg-Adams, Va. (Jefferson Wolfe/Fort Gregg-Adams) 54th Quartermaster Company Soldiers exit the bus to attend a welcome home ceremony for the unit on April 12, 2024, at the Family Life Center on Fort Gregg-Adams, Va. (Jefferson Wolfe/Fort Gregg-Adams) Staff Sgt. Calan Johnson, center, poses for a photo with his wife, Ashley, and their children during a welcome home ceremony for the 54th Quartermaster Company on April 12, 2024, at the Family Life Center on Fort Gregg-Adams, Va. (Jefferson Wolfe/Fort Gregg-Adams) 54th Quartermaster Company Soldiers march into a welcome home ceremony on April 12, 2024, at the Family Life Center on Fort Gregg-Adams, Va. (Jefferson Wolfe/Fort Gregg-Adams) Lt. Col. Jim Grube, commander of the 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, hands out coins to returning members of the 54th Quartermaster Company on April 12, 2024, at the Family Life Center on Fort Gregg-Adams, Va. (Jefferson Wolfe/Fort Gregg-Adams) 54th Quartermaster Company Soldiers meet with family and friends after a welcome home ceremony on April 12, 2024, at the Family Life Center on Fort Gregg-Adams, Va. (Jefferson Wolfe/Fort Gregg-Adams) Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter F. Schleiter, who died aboard the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor in 1941, receives a military burial on April 11, 2024, at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Cecil Township, Pa. (National Cemetery of the Alleghenies/Facebook) (Tribune News Service) White-gloved hands carefully lifted the American flag draped over the long casket and began to fold. Firm creases. Every edge straightened and tucked. The process, steeped in ceremony and tradition, took minutes, not seconds, and the Navy honor guard carried out the solemn task with reverence. As the six men and women made each of the 13 folds, the only sound was rain that fell on the roof of the small shelter in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Cecil Township, Pa. Dozens stood in the steady rain Thursday to pay final respects to a man they never knew. Its likely that Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter F. Schleiter died before many of them were even born. It was the end of a long journey for the boy from Beaver County, the Rev. Larry Mort, of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Moon, told the small crowd. Born in Freedom in 1919, Schleiter lived most of his short life in Stark County, Ohio. He joined the Navy in 1940, more than a year before the United States would be drawn into WWII. He was stationed some 4,500 miles from home, at the naval base at Pearl Harbor. He was assigned to the USS Oklahoma in October, just over a year before Japanese planes decimated the battleship fleet moored at the base in a surprise attack. The 22-year-old was killed. Nearly 83 years later, he made it home. Well never know what Walter was doing at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, but Im pretty sure he didnt wake up that morning thinking it would be his time, Rev. Mort said. Yet, we can be sure that Walter and all the Navy personnel on the Oklahoma who died that day were busy carrying out their duties to the end. Schleiter was among the 429 sailors and Marines who died aboard the USS Oklahoma; hes also one of more than 350 whose remains have been positively identified since 2015. For decades, hed lain alongside fellow service members in group graves in Hawaii at a cemetery known as the Punchbowl. On Thursday, six years after he was identified, he received a funeral with full military honors. Lynn Such, 83, Schleiters cousin and closest living relative, sat in the front row in the small cemetery shelter. She knew she had a cousin who was killed at Pearl Harbor, but shed only been just over a year old when he was killed. When the flag was folded, it was passed slowly to a Navy officer. He patted the creases once more and then knelt in front of Ms. Such, who wept and choked back emotion as she took the flag in her arms. On behalf of the president of the United States, the United States Navy, and a grateful nation, he said, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved ones honorable and faithful service. Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter F. Schleiter, who died aboard the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor in 1941, receives a military burial on April 11, 2024, at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Cecil Township, Pa. () An act of war Schleiter was born Sept. 27, 1919, to Ada and Carl Schleiter. Carl died of pneumonia about five months later, according to his death certificate, and Ada moved back to her hometown of Massillon, Ohio. By 1930, she had remarried, and the census that year listed Walter as the only child of Ada and Charles Stauffer. In August 1940, just shy of 21, Schleiter went to Cleveland and enlisted in the Navy, records show. Hed been assigned to the USS Oklahoma in Pearl Harbor by October 1940 thats the first time he appears in the Navys muster rolls, quarterly reports of personnel attached to a particular unit or station. On Dec. 7, 1941, the 27,000-ton battleship was moored next to the USS Maryland along Battleship Row off Oahu. Schleiter was aboard the ship shortly before 8 a.m. when Japanese planes attacked. The first two torpedoes that struck the Oklahoma came within seconds of each other. The battleship took at least three more hits. It capsized within 12 minutes. Out of her crew of 1,200, 429 died, many inside the ships hull. What Schleiter was doing that morning is largely lost to history. His cousin, Paul E. Wiley, was also assigned to the Oklahoma, according to The Evening Independent, Massillons daily newspaper. In an interview four months after the attack, Mr. Wiley said hed been below deck when the first torpedoes hit, and hed eventually jumped overboard when orders were given to abandon ship. He said hed last seen his cousin the day prior. I have since talked with some fellows who were with him when the attack began, he told the newspaper. One of them told me that Walter was with him when they started to leave their stations. What happened to him after that, no one knows. Rescue and recovery efforts began almost immediately, but little could be done. Thirty-two sailors were rescued from an airtight section of the ship several days after the attack, but ramped-up war efforts hampered further work. In 1942, efforts began to right the ship. By the time the Oklahoma was refloated in 1944, hundreds of remains had been recovered. Attempts to put names to the remains in 1947 yielded only 35 positive identifications. The rest were buried across 46 plots in the Punchbowl. In 1949, the government deemed those men non-recoverable. Fulfilling a promise Thats how most stayed for decades buried together, their names carved into stone to mark their sacrifice. Organized efforts to recover missing service members date to the 1970s amid the Vietnam War and its aftermath. Since then, the mission has expanded to include World War II, the Korean War and the Cold War. The work has been undertaken by several organizations over the years, including the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO). Amid a push in the early 2000s by a Pearl Harbor survivor, Chief Petty Officer Ray Emory, JPAC disinterred a single casket of Oklahoma unknowns, believed to hold the remains of five sailors. What was found were the remains of nearly 100 men; six were able to be identified. In 2009, U.S. officials ordered JPAC to halt all disinterments until they could locate a certain percentage of family members of the missing Oklahoma sailors and get DNA for testing. That threshold was met in 2012, but it wasnt until 2015 that the U.S. gave the greenlight to disinter all of the unidentified Oklahoma dead. This effort, officials said, would be undertaken by a new group formed by merging organizations like JPAC and DPMO. It would become the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, or DPAA. Our job is to make sure that the United States fulfills that promise to those service members and those service members families to make sure that they ultimately come home and are laid to rest, said Sean Everette, a spokesman for the DPAA. An Army veteran himself, Mr. Everette said there is a sense of security in knowing that an organization like the one he now speaks for exists. It is kind of a comfort for service members to know that there is an organization whose sole purpose is to bring them home if, God forbid, their unit cant bring them home when theyre first lost, he said. It doesnt erase any of the apprehension or fear of deployment but, at the same time, knowing that theyll be brought home is a comfort. Members of a Navy Honor Guard escort Fireman First Class Walter F. Schleiter of Massillon, Ohio, to his final resting place during a funeral for him at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies on Thursday, April 11, 2024.( Lucy Schaly/Post-Gazette) How thats done varies, but each identification begins with DPAA researchers and historians, he said. They pore through service records, unit records and eyewitness accounts. That can become a long and winding puzzle thats part history and part geography. Sometimes its a matter of location: Determining exactly where a plane carrying a particular set of service members went down. Investigators and anthropological teams then can be sent to look for clues or remains. Other times, solving the puzzle means disinterring those buried as unknowns in U.S. military cemeteries across the world. To do that, DPAA needs to have at least narrowed down who that person might be. From there, they can cross-reference those records with any information gleaned from the remains themselves. Identification was trickier for those lost aboard the Oklahoma, since so many remains were comingled within the group graves, said Carrie LeGarde, who led the USS Oklahoma identification project for DPAA. Every scrap of evidence was inventoried, and each bone was documented around 13,000 bones in all. Such evidence, she said, can paint a picture even before DNA samples are taken. If its a bone, that might give us information about age, [and] well take measurements because we can use that to estimate living height, she said. And so all of that information is kind of an initial inventory. From there, Ms. LeGarde said, analysts try to match bones that go together. Its impossible to DNA test every single bone, she said, and they must be selective about which bones they use. Those tests will tell Ms. LeGarde not only which bones match each other, but also which bones match the reference samples collected from family members. As service members are recovered, it can be years before an identification is confirmed. Even once an identification is made, news of it remains mum until a relative can be notified. I spend a lot of time looking at the names and really trying to figure out whether or not weve got this guy, Ms. LaGarde said. Sometimes its years that were spending trying to get enough evidence that its this guy, and when we finally do, its exciting. DPAAs USS Oklahoma project is considered closed. From 2015 to 2021, Ms. LaGarde and her team identified 355 service members killed on the battleship. The roughly three dozen who could not be identified were reburied together at the Punchbowl on Dec. 7, 2021. All told, 396 of the 429 men killed aboard the ship have been identified. They signed their life away Among them was 22-year-old Fireman First Class Walter Schleiter. The final leg of his journey home began in 2018, when his remains were positively identified. It took until early 2024 for DPAA to find a living relative, a process hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. His remains arrived at Pittsburgh International Airport on April 5, where his flag-draped casket was met by a Navy honor guard and other service organizations. Those in uniform stood in silent salute. Civilians puts their hands over their hearts. The honor guard carried Schleiters casket to a hearse while Patriot Guard Riders lined the way with American flags, according to a report in the Blue Sky News, a newsletter published by the Allegheny County Airport Authority. The scene played out again Thursday. The honor guard carried Schleiters casket through the rain from the hearse to the shelter where his service would be held. A massive C-17 cargo plane from the 911th Airlift Wing soared overhead. Fellow veterans stood to salute. Along the sidewalk, honor guard members stood at attention throughout the hour-long service. They took no notice of the rain, nor did the Patriot Guard Riders who stood at attention alongside the honor guard. He could have been a veteran for 15 minutes or 83 years, we would still represent and honor, said Patriot Guard Rider Tiffany Simmons. Rain dripped off the brim of her hat. They signed their life away for your freedom and my freedom. With the USS Oklahoma portion of DPAAs work complete, 81,000 U.S. service members remain missing or unaccounted for worldwide. At least half are believed to be lost at sea. Most are World War II casualties about 1,500 have been accounted for since the government renewed efforts in 1973, but more than 72,000 from the war remain missing. Each year, DPAA investigators and anthropologists travel to various corners of the world to search for American remains. Nearly 7,500 who served in the Korean War remain unaccounted for, as well as nearly 1,600 from the Vietnam War. Hundreds are considered non-recoverable. From the Cold War-era, 126 service members are still missing. Mr. Everette, of the DPAA, said his organization will exist until it fulfills the promise made to service members years ago. Were going to be doing this for decades, but frankly, well do it as long as it takes to bring them all home. (c)2024 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Visit www.post-gazette.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. * Lasting from April 13 to 18, the expo themed "Share Open Opportunities, Co-create a Better Life" will host over 4,000 brands from 71 countries and regions, showcasing their novel and upmarket products for global consumers. * Three sub-venues regarding sailboats and yachts, duty-free shopping and international health have been set up in Haikou and Boao. * Ireland is the guest of honor at this year's expo, with a dedicated exhibition venue showing the country's scientific and technological innovation, education, investment, tourism and culture. HAIKOU, April 13 (Xinhua) -- China, the world's second-largest economy, is sharing its booming consumer market with companies around the world, with its heavyweight expo hitting a record high scale held in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province. The country launched a series of global consumption events on Saturday at the fourth China International Consumer Products Expo in the island province known for its offshore duty-free shopping and free trade port policies. Lasting from April 13 to 18, the expo themed "Share Open Opportunities, Co-create a Better Life" will host over 4,000 brands from 71 countries and regions, showcasing their novel and upmarket products for global consumers. This photo taken on April 13, 2024 shows a view outside the venue of the fourth China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Mengjiao) In addition to the main venue at the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center in Haikou, the provincial capital, three sub-venues regarding sailboats and yachts, duty-free shopping and international health have been set up in Haikou and Boao. The total indoor exhibition area is expected to reach 128,000 square meters, surpassing its previous editions. More than 300 themed activities and featured activities such as new product releases will also be carried out. Over the past three years, the scale, quality and influence of the expo have been continuously improved, Peng Qinghua, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said at the launch ceremony. The expo has become the largest consumer products exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region, a gathering place for global consumer products and a vane for the consumer market, becoming a name card for the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port, he said. Feng Fei, secretary of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, said from this year, the expo will be held in Hainan from April 13 to 18 every year to better facilitate the arrangements of participants. A piece of jewelry designed with artificial intelligence is displayed at the fourth China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng) In addition, the quality of the exhibitions is improving. Especially, more attention has been paid to the marketization, internationalization and specialization of the exhibitions. Ireland is the guest of honor at this year's expo, with a dedicated exhibition venue showing the country's scientific and technological innovation, education, investment, tourism and culture. "China is our largest trading partner in the Asia Pacific. Many of our companies will be represented at the Hainan consumer products expo," Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin said in a congratulatory letter to the expo, adding that international expos like this one give Irish producers an important and direct platform to promote their high quality produce. Ann Derwin, Ireland's ambassador to China, said the economic and trade exchanges between the two countries are strong. In 2022, the total bilateral trade reached over 45 billion euros, a 28 percent year-on-year increase, she said. "Free Trade Zones, such as Hainan Free Trade Port, are an important element and driver of this system as they allow greater freedom and incentives to companies wishing to trade globally," she added. Israel Alexander Assa, Estee Lauder Companies Travel Retail Global President, said that Hainan has made significant progress in developing its duty-free sector in recent years, with improvements in shopping policy and retail infrastructure and the company remains optimistic about the sector's long term future. In the first two months of this year, retail sales of consumer goods totaled 8.1 trillion yuan (about 1.14 trillion U.S. dollars), an increase of 5.5 percent year on year. "This fully reflects the strong resilience and vitality of China's consumer market, and also lays a foundation for stable consumption throughout the year," said Vice Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping. (Video reporters: Hong Liang, Xu Yang, Jiang Sai, Guo Liangchuan, Zhao Yuhe, Li Duojiang, Wang Junfeng; Video editors: Hong Ling, Liu Xiaorui) (Bob Milnes/Stars and Stripes) Malaga, Spain, July 1965: Actor Anthony Quinn during a break in the filming of The Centurions (later released as Lost Command), in which Quinn stars as Pierre Raspeguy, a French paratrooper fighting in Indochina and Algeria in the 1950s. Looking for Stars and Stripes historic coverage? Subscribe to Stars and Stripes historic newspaper archive! We have digitized our 1948-1999 European and Pacific editions, as well as several of our WWII editions and made them available online through https://starsandstripes.newspaperarchive.com/ Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinas President Xi Jinping make a toast during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2023. (Pavel Byrkin, AFP via Getty Images/TNS) (Tribune News Service) China is providing Russia with significant quantities of components to build cruise missiles and drones as well as optical parts for tanks and armored vehicles, allowing Moscow to ramp up defense production in its war against Ukraine, senior U.S. officials said. The White House is urging Chinese firms to cease their support and encouraging European allies to put pressure on Beijing to end sales from companies like Wuhan Global Sensor Technology Co., Wuhan Tongsheng Technology Co. Ltd., and Hikvision that are providing critical components for Russian military systems, according to an official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity Friday. While there is no evidence China is providing lethal assistance, people familiar with the U.S. intelligence assessment characterized the aid as just as significant, saying that without the imports, Russias military industrial base would struggle. Chinese officials argue the country isnt taking a side in the face of Russias full-scale war, even as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have established a deep alliance. For well over a year, China has pushed back on U.S. claims that it has considered providing lethal aid to Russia in its war, saying it never sells arms to parties involved in a conflict. Chinese officials have also noted that some technology is dual-use, with both commercial and military applications. But one person familiar with U.S. intelligence described a ramping up of Chinese support for Russia. The assistance from Chinese firms detailed Friday likely includes nitrocellulose, which Russia uses to make propellants for weapons, according to the officials. They also said Chinese entities are working to produce drones within Russia, according to intelligence gathered by the U.S. The underlying intelligence materials were not provided by individuals who described the conclusions. In the last quarter of 2023, 70% of Russias machine tools and 90% of its microelectronics imports came from China, the official said, material which Russia has used to produce missiles, tanks and aircraft. The companies providing machine tools include Dalian Machine Tool Group, a leading manufacturer, according to the officials. Russia has also received military optics that are manufactured by Chinese firms iRay Technology Co. and North China Research Institute of Electro-Optics for use in tanks and armored vehicles, according to the officials. The officials provided no other details on iRay Technology. Shanghai-listed iRay Technology Co. denied any involvement in military business, saying in an email that it provides X-ray imaging systems for medical, dental and other commercial use, and has never manufactured or provided any products used in tanks or armored vehicles. The push comes as U.S. intelligence has seen Russia dramatically ramp up production of military equipment with its invasion of Ukraine now in its third year, and as Kyiv struggles to defend its territory with weapons supplies dwindling. Further U.S. assistance has been tied up in Congress, leading administration officials to warn the situation for Ukraine is increasingly dire. Russia has been paying China for the support it receives, and banks handling those payments are effectively supporting Russias military and could be subject to U.S. sanctions, according to the person familiar. It was previously reported the U.S. concluded China provides Russia satellite imagery for military purposes, as well as machine tools for tanks, propellants to be used in missiles and other materials. President Joe Bidens administration has sought to crack down on firms that are helping Russia evade sanctions that the U.S. and allies imposed on Moscow after it invaded Ukraine in 2022. The U.S. has raised their concerns with China, including on a recent call between Biden and Xi and at a summit between the leaders last year. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned this month that any companies that provide material support for Russias war will face significant consequences and banks that facilitate significant transactions expose themselves to the risk of U.S. sanctions, after talks in China. The U.S. sanctions office is investigating several companies involved in shipments of chips that ultimately end up in Russia, including from some produced by U.S.-headquartered microelectronics manufacturers. 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This video grab from AFPTV taken on April 14, 2024, shows explosions lighting up the Jerusalem sky during Iranian attack on Israel. (AFPTV, AFP via Getty Images/TNS) ISTANBUL After Iran launched a retaliatory wave of missiles and drones toward Israel, a rare direct attack by Tehran, much of the Middle East found itself in uncharted territory: bracing for further violence while scrambling to interpret the new rules of confrontation between the regions most powerful adversaries. Iranian-backed militant groups that have participated in attacks on Israel over the last six months in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq congratulated Iran for the barrage but indicated that, this time, they had largely stayed out of the fray. Arab governments, already struggling to contain popular fury at Israels deadly military offensive in Gaza, pleaded for calm. By late Sunday, the question of whether there would be further regional escalation had shifted to Israel, which said it was weighing its response. But Irans apparent efforts to stave off Israeli retaliation by giving advance warning of its attacks, and making minimal use of its proxies were no guarantee that a broader war would be avoided, analysts said. Despite Irans attempt to limit the fallout, I dont think you can control how escalation happens, said H.A. Hellyer, an expert on the Middle East and security studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Royal United Services Institute in London. These things always run the risk of spinning out of control. Saudi Arabia said it was deeply concerned and called for the highest levels of self-restraint, according to a foreign ministry statement Sunday. The United Arab Emirates warned of growing instability. Egypt declared a state of maximum alert, local media reported. A foreign ministry statement emphasized the need for maximum self-control to prevent further instability and tension in the region. Of all the Arab states, Jordan appeared to be the most vulnerable after Sundays attack because of its decision to shoot down some of the Iranian projectiles: a favor to Israel that may leave the monarchy facing even greater anger from a public already seething over the war in Gaza. The country, which has a peace treaty with Israel, as well as a large population of Palestinian descent, has seen regular protests against Israel since the war in Gaza began and they have intensified in recent weeks. Jordans role on Saturday earned derision on social media with one picture showing King Abdullah II in an Israeli uniform. The Jordanian government, in a statement, said the munitions were shot to down to prevent them from endangering the safety of our citizens and residential and populated areas. That move certainly created pressure on Jordan, and already there are accusations it was protecting Israel, said Saud al-Sharafat, a former brigadier general in the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate and founder of the Sharafat Center for the Study of Globalization and Terrorism. The Iranian strikes also caused panic in Jordan, he said. Iran wanted to send several messages: the primary is responding to Israel in its backyard, and another message is embarrassing Jordan politically and popularly. Irans attack on Israel early Sunday appeared incredibly telegraphed and choreographed, based on the use of drones that took hours to arrive, giving Israel and allies plenty of time to prepare and shoot them down in transit, Hellyer said. No one was killed in the assault, though a young girl was injured in a Bedouin town in the south. The barrage was the result of an escalatory cycle that Israel set in motion on April 1, with strikes on an Iranian diplomatic facility in Syria that killed two senior commanders in its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, he said. Before the attack, the Iranians have made it very clear over the past six months that despite all the bravado and the rhetoric and basically the chest thumping, they dont want to enter into a regional conflict, Hellyer said. After its commanders were killed, Iran and its allies suggested Tehran would respond directly altering what is often described as a shadow war between Iran and Israel, because the conflict largely occurs in third countries or through proxies. The point of Sundays attack seemed to be to show their bona fides as the resistance leader and advance Irans reputation in the Arab world and beyond, Hellyer said. John Kirby, the spokesman for the National Security Council, said during an appearance on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday that while some of the attacks on Israel had come from proxies, the vast majority of weapons that were fired at Israel came from Iran proper. During the Gaza war, Irans allies have shown both a willingness to carry out attacks against Israel or U.S. military targets and a sensitivity to domestic concerns, when their actions have threatened more destabilizing consequences. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group and political party, has engaged in tit-for-tat fire along the border with Israel while seeming wary of dragging Lebanon into all-out war. In a statement Sunday, Hezbollah congratulated Iran for its unprecedented attack targeting the unjust and aggressor enemy entity. The statement also tried to convey a sense that Iran had carefully calibrated its attacks, with high appreciation of the situation of the entire region and even worldwide, it said. The operation achieved its precisely defined military objectives. In Iraq, several people close to Iranian-backed militia groups said the militias had not joined the Iranian attack, partly out of consideration for Iraqs prime minister, who is visiting Washington. This military response was purely Iranian, without any participation or assistance from anyone, Mahdi al-Kaabi, a spokesman for the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, a militia that has claimed several attacks on U.S. forces, said in a message to The Washington Post on Sunday. But they were ready to participate in any operations against Israel, he added, including if it retaliated against Iran. Officials with Yemens Iran-backed Houthi militia which has carried out months of maritime attacks against commercial vessels also sought to downplay their involvement in the overnight attack. We congratulate Iran for responding to the attack and support Irans legitimate right to defend itself, Nasraddin Amer, chairman of the Sanaa-based Saba News Agency, the official Houthi news platform, told The Post. We have been involved in the war against Israel since the beginning of the aggression, and our operations have been almost daily. If we had participated, we would have no embarrassment in announcing it, he said. Dadouch reported from Beirut, Parker from Cairo and Salim from Baghdad. Heba Farouk Mahfouz in Cairo and Ali Al-Mujahed in Sanaa, Yemen, contributed to this report. U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron sit on the flight line at RAF Lakenheath, England, in October 2023. Fighter planes from the squadron shot down Iranian drones headed for Israel, White House officials said Sunday, April 14, 2024. (Olivia Gibson/U.S. Air Force) U.S. forces in the Middle East shot down dozens of missiles and drones over the weekend as Iran launched its first ever attack from its own territory on Israel, senior White House officials said. The Iranian attack involved more than 300 aerial munitions, including 100 ballistic missiles, more than 30 cruise missiles and 150 one-way attack drones, senior administration officials said in a telephone press conference Sunday. The White House believes that 99% of the aerial threats were intercepted and that the attack caused no significant damage, said a senior administration official who was unauthorized to be identified on the record. U.S. Air Force, Navy and Army assets participated in the operation to shoot down Iranian missiles and drones, which one official called a spectacular success, with no American casualties. Some 70 Iranian drones were shot down by fighter pilots from the 494th Fighter Squadron based out of RAF Lakenheath and the 335th Fighter Squadron from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., a senior official said. The destroyers USS Arleigh Burke and USS Carney in the eastern Mediterranean Sea took down between four and six ballistic missiles, officials said. Meanwhile, an Army Patriot missile battery deployed to Irbil, Iraq, shot down a ballistic missile headed from Iran toward Israel. Israeli air defense systems were responsible for most of the shootdowns, the administration officials said. Some of the U.S. units involved were part of a move by Washington over the last week to bring additional aircraft and ships to the region, in anticipation of the attack. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, President Joe Biden said late Saturday in Washington. The U.S., U.K., France and other countries prepared for two weeks to defend against the weapons strikes, which Iran said would be retribution for Israel killing two of its generals in a strike in Syria at the beginning of April. Iran and Israel have engaged in a shadow war for many years, but the Hamas-Israel war that began Oct. 7 has brought that conflict into the open. Munitions also were launched from Iraq, Syria and Yemen, where Iranian proxy militias operate. The White House said that Irans intent was to inflict significant damage in Israel. Tehran didnt give prior warning of the attack, and the scope of the operation is seen as being on the high end of how the administration expected Iran would respond. As far as whats next, one senior administration official said the White House would not envision the U.S. participating with Israel in a counteroffensive against Iran. Three men were shot inside a Chevron gas station in Miamis Liberty City neighborhood around 12:30 a.m. April 13, 2024. (Jaromir Chalabala/TNS) MIAMI (Tribune News Service) Two men are dead after an early morning shooting at a Miami-area gas station. According to Miami police spokesman, Officer Michael Vega, three men were shot just after midnight Saturday in the 1700 block of Northwest 54th Street in Liberty City. When police arrived they found two of the men, employees of a Chevron gas station, dead from gunshot wounds and a third man injured. The shooter ran away. Police identified the Chevron employees as Shahbaz Hussain, 51, and Shamun Shaukat, 42. The third gunshot victim, Elijah Shorter, 57, is in critical condition at Jackson. Vega said the shooter argued with the attendants inside the station. The man shot Hussain and Shaukat, killing them, and shot Shorter, who was also inside the stations convenience store. In addition to the Chevron gas station and a Liberty Tires on the property, the street corner houses a six-story apartment complex and a Snappers seafood restaurant across the street. Police are investigating. The streets are open and there is no danger to the public, Vega said. 2024 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This is not the first time the company has been targeted by Companies House The UK company at the centre of an alleged 600,000 mortgage scam involving former Ireland hockey player Catriona Carey is being pursued for an outstanding debt. A judgment for 300 (257) was registered against Careysfort Asset Estates this month by the Civil National Business Centre (CNBC). The CNBC handles civil claims for monies owed in England and Wales. It is the second judgment filed against Careysfort in the last two years. In June 2022, a judgment was registered for 580 (497). The details of the debts have not been disclosed, but both judgments remain outstanding. A notice for compulsory strike-off for the controversial Careysfort Asset Estates is still pending. A first Gazette notice, which is a public warning that Companies House in the UK will strike a company off its register, was published on February 27. Carey has the option to object, but the company will be dissolved unless cause is shown to the contrary. A confirmation statement a document that limited companies must file each year containing details of its directors and shareholders is overdue. This is not the first time the company has been targeted by Companies House. In October 2021, Careysfort was due to be struck off but this was later discontinued. Four months later, RTE Investigates exposed how the Carey company was allegedly involved in a mortgage scam that defrauded people out of hundreds of thousands of euro. Recent accounts filed for Careysfort said it had retained fixed assets worth 76,189 (65,208), down from 106,338 (91,000) in 2021. However, Companies House has put a warning note on the companys credit score. Carey is the sole director of Careysfort, which is one of multiple businesses registered in her name in England. Her former business partner, Patrick Maher, is named as company secretary, but he claims he has resigned from the role. Both have been under investigation in connection with the alleged scam, and files have now been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). It follows a lengthy investigation by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) into the UK company. One-time camogie star Carey (46) was arrested as part of this investigation last April and Maher, as well as another former male associate, were also arrested as part of the probe before being released. Gardai have asked the DPP to review potential deception, theft and conspiracy to commit deception offences in the file, which was submitted in recent weeks. Carey is currently being pursued through the courts for other debts. Pepper Finance lodged High Court proceedings over an outstanding mortgage debt last October. The debt relates to a house she bought in the Rochfort Manor estate in Co Laois. Her late father, John Carey, gave her security for the mortgage by supporting a charge over 30 acres of land he owned in Demesne, Co Kilkenny. The Sunday World understands Carey had failed to make any repayments on the mortgage loan account for a number of years and the level of arrears is now in excess of 370,000. Bank of Ireland is also suing Carey over an outstanding debt. This photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows flares from explosions in the sky over Jerusalem as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts missiles and drones from Iran. A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, April 14 (Xinhua) -- A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. The projectiles triggered sirens in Jerusalem, the Negev Desert and the Dead Sea in the south, the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in the north as well as the occupied West Bank. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed during a press briefing that Israel was under attack by ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran, noting that aerial defense systems have intercepted some of the missiles. Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that about 100 drones, out of about 400-500 that have been launched, were intercepted before reaching Israel by allied countries, including the American, Jordanian and British forces. Israel's Maged David Adom rescue service said in a statement that a 10-year-old boy from a Beduin village in the Negev was seriously injured. A projectile or parts of a projectile fell near Umm Al Fahm, an Arab city in northern Israel, causing no injuries. Israel is planning to launch a "significant response" to the Iranian aerial attack, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported early on Sunday, citing an anonymous senior Israeli official. "The fact that Iran fires for the first time from its territory at Israel requires a significant response. It will come soon," the official said. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed in a broadcast statement Saturday night that it had launched missile and drone attacks on Israel. Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that the drones were launched from Iran as well as from other countries allied with Iran. The Israeli military said earlier in a statement that "the IDF Aerial Defense Array is on high alert, along with Israel Air Force fighter jets and Israeli Navy vessels that are on a defense mission in Israeli air and naval space." Meanwhile, two Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Xinhua that several cruise missiles were also launched from Iran toward Israel. Israel has been on heightened alert over the past few days following Iranian threats to avenge the killing of seven Iranian officers in its consular building in Damascus, Syria, earlier in April, which was carried out by Israel, according to Iran. This photo released by Israel's Government Press Office on April 14, 2024 shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attending a meeting of wartime cabinet at Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel. A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed during a press briefing that Israel was under attack by ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran, noting that aerial defense systems have intercepted some of the missiles. (Xinhua) This photo taken on April 13, 2024 shows a building of Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel. A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed during a press briefing that Israel was under attack by ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran, noting that aerial defense systems have intercepted some of the missiles. (Xinhua/Chen Junqing) This photo taken on April 13, 2024 shows buildings of Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel. A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed during a press briefing that Israel was under attack by ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran, noting that aerial defense systems have intercepted some of the missiles. (Xinhua/Chen Junqing) This photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows flares from explosions in the sky over Jerusalem as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts missiles and drones from Iran. A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. (Xinhua/Chen Junqing) This photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows flares from explosions in the sky over Jerusalem as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts missiles and drones from Iran. A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. (Xinhua/Chen Junqing) This photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows flares from explosions in the sky over Jerusalem as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts missiles and drones from Iran. A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) This photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows flares from explosions in the sky over Jerusalem as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts missiles and drones from Iran. A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) This photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows flares from explosions in the sky over Jerusalem as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts missiles and drones from Iran. A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. (Xinhua/Chen Junqing) Mr Randall (48) had suppressed the memory of being raped until 2018 A Dublin man who was raped by a priest as a child is taking An Garda Siochana to court to try uncover the identity of the cleric who abused him. At age four, Jonathan Randall was raped by a man while on a family holiday in Bettystown, Co Meath, more than 40 years ago. He had reason to believe it was paedophile priest Brendan Smyth, but new garda information has emerged that the suspect is a different priest who, like Smyth, was from the North and is now dead. Mr Randall (48) had suppressed the memory of being raped until 2018. In June 2019, he walked into a south Dublin garda station and gave a detailed statement about what happened to him as a child. The statement of complaint was transferred to Co Meath and examined by a detective who began to investigate. In October 2021, Mr Randall was told gardai were confident they had identified his suspected abuser. They were unable to provide him with the mans name, but they did give him some information. This included that there was a lot of material about the suspect online as he was well known and that his crimes led to a political fallout and involved extradition requests. Mr Randall said: The gardai didnt break any rules, they were very careful not to mention his name. Through his legal representative, Mr Randall has requested to know the identity of his attacker from the DPP and An Garda Siochana. This has not been provided and he has now issued legal proceedings against An Garda Siochana in an effort to compel the force to release the dead clerics name. Solicitor and senior counsel Stuart Gilhooly, of HJ Ward LLP, confirmed he has lodged the legal action on behalf of Mr Randall. I have issued proceedings against the Commissioner of An Garda Siochana as a result of the failure to provide or even respond to my requests for the name of the perpetrator. I hope this will come before the courts in the coming months, he said when contacted. Should the suspects name be released, it would open the way for Mr Randall to initiate legal action against his religious order over the abuse. But that is not his motivation. What is most important to me is to have a name. I think it would help give me some kind of closure, he said. Who is this phantom priest? He destroyed so much of my life. At the very least, I deserve to know his name. The 20-year-old was found in possession of cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy. A Co Down OnlyFans model has avoided jail after she was caught with a large volume of drugs including cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy. Young mum Sian Maxwell (20) was handed a conditional discharge at Laganside Magistrates Court in Belfast last week. She had earlier entered guilty pleas to two counts of possessing Class A drugs and a further count of possessing Class B drugs. Maxwell, of Old Mill Court, Newtownards, Co Down, was also initially charged with possession of ammunition but this was later withdrawn. Sian Maxwell after her conviction On her racy social media pages, Maxwell advertises her online content with her X, formerly Twitter, account telling followers: Telegram me for filth Horny, tattooed blonde. Come see what ur missing out on..FULLY EXPLICIT CONTENT, followed by 18 plus. Maxwell stood in the dock of Laganside Magistrates Court on Wednesday as a Public Prosecution Service lawyer told the court police were called to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in south Belfast on October 22, 2022, following a report by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. This defendant had booked into a room with a male co-accused and they had been spending time together, the solicitor said. Adding: She was searched and they found a bag of white powder and a number of tablets, the total value of the drugs was estimated at between 500 and 1,000. Sian Maxwell Outlining his clients case, Maxwells solicitor said she had fallen in with the wrong crowd but had since cleaned up her act. He said: Her co-accused has gone back to Donegal but has a significant criminal history, her and him and some friends spent a significant amount of time in the room and she has ended up in possession of the drugs. There were more drugs in the room but she was cleared of any involvement with those, thankfully. She had fallen in with this crowd and has since got herself back on track. Sian Maxwell The court heard the convictions are a breach of an existing probation order against Maxwell and District Judge Steven Keown outlined the consequences for her if she steps out of line again. He said: This was a large volume of drugs, I would strongly advise you to re-engage with probation otherwise it could have serious implications for you and your child. Maxwell has a number of social media profiles across X, Facebook and Instagram, some of which she has used to flaunt her online content. Sian Maxwell In the month before the offences took place she uploaded a number of raunchy posts inviting her sexys for meets and encouraging punters to message her on encrypted messaging platform Telegram. Telegram me loads meets and sex videos content available one post reads, while another says: Loads cheap, girl on girl videos, photos, fetishes, dress up, meet ups, personal, the lot. Get at me. Loads new stuff there also, cheap all. A further post reads: Message me for info you wee sexys boys xo #onlyfans #Promote #telegram #hotsexyfun hit me up xo. Thug threatened to burn down his victims house This is the Irish serial sex offender who has been jailed in the UK after a horrific assault on a 14-year-old schoolgirl. Sex beast Ashley McPhee (26), from Midleton in Cork, attacked the girl after finding himself alone with her in a house near Blackburn, Lancashire, last November. McPhee, who has a history of violence against women, moved to the UK from his native Cork after being convicted of several serious offences in Ireland. He relocated to the town of Darwen, near Blackburn in northern England, where he carried out the attack on the schoolgirl. During the attack, McPhee got on top of his victim and pulled down her shirt, before giving her three love bites on her chest in the incident on November 13 last year. Ashley McPhee has a history of violence against women The terrified victim immediately went home and told her parents, leading to McPhees arrest that day. He initially denied to police that he did anything, but was remanded in custody for the separate offence of possession of a knife which officers recovered during his arrest. A spokesperson for Blackburn and Darwen Police said while on remand McPhee wrote a letter to his victim from prison. He was jailed for 18 weeks for possession of the knife and for being in breach of notification requirements imposed on him for previous sexual offences in Ireland. The court heard he had numerous convictions in Ireland, multiple breaches of sex offender notification requirements, possession of drugs and other offences. He also served time in Ireland for assaulting a young woman and threatening to burn her home. McPhee initially pleaded not guilty to the sexual assault of the 14-year-old girl and was due to go on trial next month, but recently changed his plea to guilty. He appeared at Preston Crown Court last month for sentencing. The Lancashire Telegraph reported that Judge Philip Parry noted McPhee made his first appearance at court on December 12 and pleaded not guilty, claiming the offence didnt happen. A trial was set for May this year but because your victim is a 14-year-old girl, there was a date set for her to be cross-examined by your barrister in what is called a section 28 hearing. At a ground rules hearing earlier this week you indicated that you wanted to plead guilty and didnt want a trial after all. At that hearing, having gone through the facts, I told you that the maximum sentence I could impose on you would be 10 months in prison and you changed your plea to guilty, meaning that your victim did not have to come to court at all and give her evidence in that section 28 hearing. You will get credit for that. You had a real effect on your victim. She became lonely and sad, and her friends turned against her when none of this was her fault. What you did has had an effect on her wellbeing and you should be ashamed of what you did to this young girl. Your contact with this young girl put you in breach of your notification requirements. You have a poor antecedent record and a poor history of complying with court orders. He sentenced McPhee to 10 months in prison. McPhee was made subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order which states he must sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and was subject of a restraining order against his victim for the same length of time. A Blackburn and Darwen Police spokesperson said: This will mean McPhee will continue to be monitored by the authorities once he is released from prison. We are committed to protecting women and girls from all form of sexual harm and will do everything in our power to put the offenders before the courts. McPhee has previously appeared in court on numerous occasions in Ireland, including in 2021 when he was convicted of attacking a young woman near Midleton in 2019. Cork District Court heard McPhee grabbed the woman by the throat and pulled her around by her hair before warning her: Your house will go up in flames by the end of the night. He was sentenced to one year with two months suspended for assault causing harm and threatening to cause criminal damage to the home. Gardai have identified four suspects, including the alleged ringleader who has links to far right Josip Strok was attacked by four men as he walked through Clondalkin The home of the suspected ringleader of a gang who beat a Croatian tourist to death was searched and a mobile phone seized within days of the murder, it can be revealed. Gardai have identified four suspects in relation to the murder of Josip Strok (31), who was left on life support and later died after the savage assault in Clondalkin on March 30. Mr Strok and his friend David Druzinec (28) were set upon by a gang as they walked through the village, in the west of the city, shortly after 10pm on the night. While Mr Druzinec did not suffer life-threatening injuries, Mr Strok was left with serious head wounds and died in hospital four days later. Investigators have now identified the four men who they believe were involved in the fatal assault, including the alleged ringleader. This man is known to gardai, having been investigated for drug-related offences in the past. He is also known for posting anti-immigration and far-right rhetoric online. Within days of the murder, detectives searched the suspects Dublin home and seized electronic devices including a mobile phone. He was also detained over another matter unconnected to the fatal assault on Mr Strok. While no arrests have yet been made in relation to the murder, senior sources have insisted that good progress has been made. Gardai are trying to gather as much evidence as possible before bringing people in for questioning. It can appear to be a slow process but it is necessary to ensure that all available material can be put to a detained person in interview, a source said. Since the violent attack on Grange View Way, gardai have been gathering CCTV footage from various locations in the area and have searched a number of properties. Several mobile phone devices have also been recovered, which are being analysed. Its believed that the four men involved in the attack were called to the scene by a third-party after the two Croatian men got off a bus close to where the assault happened after 10pm. They had earlier been involved in an altercation with two youths outside a shop in Clondalkin village, which was later reported to gardai by one of the juveniles. David Druzinec has been quoted in Croatian media as saying that they were subjected to racial insults that evening, which included a youth telling the men to speak English. Gardai are continuing to investigate all aspects of the attack including a motive for the violent assault. Mr Strok was from the Krapina region in northern Croatia but had been living and working in Ireland in recent years. His uncle Ivica last week spoke of how his nephew had saved four lives after his organs were donated. A vigil was held for him at the scene of the attack over the weekend and attended by dozens of people. Croatian woman Leana Stipanicic, who attended the event, told RTEs This Week programme that the community is shocked by the attack and raised concerns for foreign nationals in Dublin. Everybody is just shocked and heartbroken because we feel this was just a matter of time, and I think we all know Dublin is not as safe anymore, especially if you are a foreigner. I wouldnt walk down the street and talk in Croatian, and that was even before this attack because I dont want people to know Im a foreigner because you dont feel safe, ever since the riots happened, she said. Gardai received reports of a man attempting to hijack a car, shortly after 9pm, on the R136 at Grange Castle in Clondalkin. A man in his 30s has been arrested following two serious hijacking incidents in Dublin on Saturday night. Gardai received reports of a man attempting to hijack a car, shortly after 9pm, on the R136 at Grange Castle in Clondalkin. After the first attempt was unsuccessful, gardai said he subsequently approached a second car, removed the owner and drove away from the scene. An operation involving local gardai and the Armed Support Unit ensued and the car was intercepted on the Kathleen Tynan Road in Tallaght a short time later. A man, aged in his 30s, was arrested and he is currently being detained at a garda station in west Dublin. Gardai are appealing to anyone who was in the Grange Castle Road area of Clondalkin at around 9pm last night and who may have witnessed these incidents to come forward. Any persons with camera footage, including dash cam, is asked to make this available to investigating gardai at Clondalkin Garda Station on 01-6667600, the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station. The Sunday World reunites traffic charge man who appeared in court starkers with his beloved moggy This is the moment the Sunday World reunited a man who appeared in court naked and highly agitated over his missing emotional support cat with his beloved feline. Joseph Davis (51) declared himself the happiest man in the world after we drove him across the city to be reunited with much-loved moggy, Oliver. A distraught Davis appealed for our help getting home on Tuesday evening after he was released from Cloverhill Prison, where hed spent three nights in custody awaiting a bail hearing for traffic offences. He told us: I still dont know whats happened to Oliver. Im worried sick. I havent slept in three days worrying about him. He was with me when I was arrested and the last thing I heard one of the guards say was that they were going to put him in the pound. Joseph Davis said he hadnt slept for three nights worrying about his cat Oliver Cats go one way in the pound you never get them back and my phone is dead so I dont have any idea what happened to him. Using our reporters phone, he urgently attempted to ring family members in an attempt to get up-to-date information on the felines fate. After failing to get a response, he said: Oliver is the most important thing in my life. I dont have a wife or children. I live with my parents and Ive raised him since he was a kitten. I just need to make sure hes OK. Impressed by the sincerity of Daviss feelings for his feline, we agreed to get him home. And there was good news en-route when his brother rang our reporters phone and let him know the cat was safe and well Im the happiest man in the world, he said after he arrived home and his furry friend spotted him and jumped up into his arms. You dont know how much it means to me to have him back. You really dont! Later, Davis told us that Oliver was doing good after the cat miraculously made his own way home. Davis with our reporter Patrick after his release He was obviously left at the scene cause he had made his own way home, it took him a day and a half to find his own way home. He was found sitting on my window at 4am on Saturday night, Davis told us. Having secured bail on his own bond of 300 when he appeared before Cloverhill District Court on Tuesday, Davis wont have to appear in court again until April 24 on charges arising from last Fridays road traffic stop. The facts of the case were opened when he appeared before Judge Marie Quirke at a weekend sitting of Dublin District Court. Davis is charged with Road Traffic Act offences of failing to give gardai his details and not keeping the car stationary during an alleged incident on Friday at Dunsink Drive in Finglas. Judge Quirke heard he refused to wear his clothes when brought to the courthouse. Garda Eva Mahedy said the accused made no reply to the charge at Finglas station, where he was offered bail but refused to sign his bond. She added that there was no objection to his bail, but the gardai sought a 100 cash lodgement. A delighted Joseph Davis is greeted by his emotional support pet Oliver I dont see his wallet on him today, the judge remarked, at which the defendant interjected: You dont see f***ing anything. The court sergeant informed the judge the man had his property, including his clothes, and he just wont put them on. The defendant told the court: Let me tell you my story. This is relevant, this is my story. What happened yesterday, I was travelling with my companion pet, Oliver, he normally comes into this court. I was dropping off legal documents pertaining to a legal case in the High Court. He then went on to call gardai scum, maintaining that he tried to show them the documents and that he had been bashed. He claimed he had been lent the car involved in the alleged offence and demanded: Now, where is my emotional support animal? The court heard a doctor attended him in the garda station and gave him advice, but the accused claimed he was seen by someone who did not speak f**ing English. A delighted Joseph Davis is greeted by his emotional support pet Oliver He said he was stressed because his emotional support animal was missing. Davis, who is unemployed, banged on the glass barrier in front of the dock and called out: Where is my emotional support animal? The judge was told that the defendant was previously allowed to bring the cat to court with him, provided he kept it on a leash. Judge Quirke described it as an impossible situation. Davis agreed and said: Please, I need to find my animal. Im lost without him, and he is lost without me. Judge Quirke set his bail and directed immediate medical attention while he remained in custody. While escorted from the courtroom, he replied that he did not need a doctor, just his pet. The judge assured him: All that will be looked into. She remanded him in custody with consent to 200 bail, directed medical attention and asked gardai to find out what happened to his cat, Oliver. Appearing at Cloverhill District Court on Tuesday, the defendant told Judge John OLeary he had been trying to raise bail since Saturday but his trousers and money had been stolen from him. Noting there was no garda objection to bail, Judge OLeary granted bail in the defendants own bond in the sum of 300 and adjourned the case to April 24 at which time Davis will be asked to enter a plea. "I've been in Bondi Junction for 21 years and I've never witnessed anything like this." Sydney stabbing attack: several people dead, including suspect, as police do not believe attack was terror-related A woman from Northern Ireland who works near a shopping centre in Sydney where six people were stabbed to death has described how she helped those who fled the scene in terror. Salon owner Leanne Devine, originally from Co Down, kept her premises open to shelter those escaping the Westfield Bondi Junction commercial complex on Saturday. The Brackenagh native said many "traumatised" people came through her doors after running in fear for their lives. "We're in shock mode," she told ABC News. "I've been in Bondi Junction for 21 years and I've never witnessed anything like this." The businesswoman, whose salon is situated on the Oxford Street in the Australian city, described the incident as "just horrific". Many of her clients work and shop in Westfield. Employees had been getting ready to finish their shift when they witnessed "hundreds and hundreds of people running from the shopping centre while shouting, screaming and crying. A young child carries flowers to place as a tribute near the crime scene at Bondi Junction (Rick Rycroft/AP) "What they saw was just traumatising," Ms Devine said. "We had lots and lots of people come in, showing us the photographs of what they'd seen. "They had to sit down, we had to give them water, we had to say, 'Are you OK?. An elderly woman was among those who sought refuge in the salon and had to remain there for several hours because her legs were sore from running while carrying shopping bags. Drivers who could not access the car park during the major security operation also sought safety amid the panic. They did not know if the if the suspect had been intercepted or was still on the loose. "Paramedics have obviously come in to use the bathroom because they've been here that long," Ms Devine recalled. "The paramedics are in tears. They have seen stuff that they have never witnessed before, ever. "It was a really scary, traumatic time. "It was horrific seeing young children running and crying." The perpetrator was later identified as Joel Cauchi (40) who was shot dead by a lone police officer. Queensland Police confirmed he was known to them and had mental health issues. Ashlee Good, one of the six victims of the knife attack at the Westfield shopping centre at Bondi Junction in the east of Sydney (Family handout/Schillings/PA) New mum Ashlee Good (38) was among those killed in the attack. She died protecting her nine-month-old baby who has undergone surgery. The baby got stabbed, an eye witness said. "The mum got stabbed and came over with a baby and threw it at me. I was holding the baby, it looked pretty bad." Four other victims have been identified as shopping centre security guard Faraz Tahir, Jade Young (47), Pikria Darchia (55) and Dawn Singleton (25). Ms Singleton was the daughter of well-known Australian entrepreneur John Singleton. Pikria Darchia, 55, one of the six victims of the knife attack at the Westfield shopping centre (New South Wales Police/PA) Inspector Amy Scott, who opened fire as Cauchi raised his knife towards her after being challenged, has been hailed as a hero by Australias prime minister. "There is no doubt that she saved lives," Anthony Albanese told reporters as he condemned the horrific act of violence". Ms Devine said her thoughts were with all the victims, including the injured and all those who witnessed the attack. "I just feel so sorry for everybody who was in Westfield," she added. "I feel to sorry for all the families - the five woman and one man who were killed and what their families have to go through now." Murderer posted extracts from interview to social media in bid to intimidate witnesses This is the police interview that cop killer Aaron Brady recorded from his prison cell as he tried to stop a witness giving evidence in his trial for the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. Brady (33) this week pleaded guilty to recording the video, which was intended to pervert the course of justice during this 2020 trial for capital murder. It was part of a campaign by the Crossmaglen man to prevent key witnesses from testifying that he had confessed to the murder on several occasions while on the run in New York. Aaron Brady's cell phone video that aimed at collapsing State's case Brady was subsequently found to have been the masked gunman who shot the detective dead during an armed raid at Lordship credit union in 2013, and is serving a life sentence with a minimum of 40 years imprisonment. Before the trial commenced, Aaron Brady applied to have access to a laptop to review the evidence against him and prepare for the case. This was later granted and the Irish Prison Service purchased the device for the Armagh native. He was given access to the large volume of material compiled against him, including the video-recorded statements of key witnesses. One of them was a Garda interview with Ronan Flynn, a former housemate of Brady in New York, Ronan Flynn s interview to police was posted on social media Then hed just spill the beans and everything... Sayin like sure f**k it they shot him and all this Ronan Flynn giving his statement to police During the taped conversations, Flynn told officers that Brady admitted: I shot him, so what, adding that the Crossmaglen man admitted to the murder of Detective Garda Donohoe on several occasions. Flynn had known Brady while living in Ireland and is also a cousin of James Flynn, a man now serving an eight-year jail term for conspiring to steal the getaway car used in the Lordship murder and robbery. Aaron Bradys efforts to get at the witness escalated in April 2020 as his murder trial was ongoing. In his jail cell in Mountjoy Prison he opened his laptop and began playing the recorded video statement given by Ronan Flynn. It showed the witness in the Bronx police precinct speaking to members of the Garda investigation team; Detective Inspector Mark Phillips, Detective Sergeant Paul Gill, and Sergeant Padraig OReilly. As he watched the video, Aaron Brady took out a recording device and used it to film a number of sections of the witness statement. In total, four videos were recorded from inside the cell and in one excerpt Brady is heard exclaiming: Fucking pigs head. A month later, on May 7, gardai became aware that the video clips were being widely circulated on the WhatsApp messaging app, along with a text. The message made a number of claims against Ronan Flynn, including that he was touting on his own cousins that flew him over to America. The videos were also shared on Facebook and YouTube, with one comment describing the witness as a rat. Flynns family in Ireland were also the target of a campaign of intimidation during the trial. That day, Bradys prison cell was searched and members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) were satisfied that the videos had been recorded by the then murder accused. As a result of their investigation, Brady had the laptop taken off him, while it was also recommended during the trial that any sensitive documents should be read out to him, rather than him being allowed to review them alone. The prosecution team believed that it was a clear attempt to intimidate not just Ronan Flynn, but also designed to intimidate any other witnesses who were planning to give evidence in the trial. Adrian Donohoe was murdered The efforts by Aaron Brady, and the unidentified persons who further circulated the video, were successful. Ronan Flynn refused to give evidence in the trial, with the presiding judge, Mr Justice Michael White, saying that this was as a result of clear intimidation. Ultimately, however, it was all in vain. Two other witnesses living in the United States, Daniel Cahill and Molly Staunton, testified that Aaron Brady admitted to them he carried out the murder of Detective Garda Donohoe. He was subsequently convicted by a jury of capital murder and the credit union robbery. Over the last four years, Brady and his family have also been engaged in what was described this week as vitriolic commentary against the prosecution lawyers, gardai, and witnesses in the trial. They have also vehemently denied that Aaron Brady recorded and shared the video of Ronan Flynns witness statement. Murderer posted extracts from interview to social media in bid to intimidate witnesses Any doubts about these claims were put to bed at the Special Criminal Court on Thursday when the convicted murderer stood up to be arraigned. The registrar asked how Brady pleaded to the allegation that he recorded the video of Mr Flynns witness statement which had a tendency to, and was intended to, pervert the course of justice. Aaron Brady simply replied guilty to the charge, the first admission in court made by the Crossmaglen criminal in relation to his crimes. He was remanded in custody, where he continues to serve a life sentence for a minimum of 40 years imprisonment for the capital murder of Detective Garda Donohoe. His sentencing hearing takes place on May 29. Names of Jeffrey and wife Eleanor do not appear on list of defendants for April 24 Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is believed to be staying in London as part of his bail conditions Confusion has emerged over Sir Jeffrey Donaldsons planned appearance in court to face historical sex charges. Sir Jeffrey and his wife Lady Eleanor were arrested at their home on March 28 and questioned about a series of allegations. A statement from the PSNI later that evening said the couple had been released and were due to appear before Newry Magistrates Court on April 24. While no one was named in the PSNI statement, the DUP confirmed the next day that Sir Jeffrey had been charged with allegations of a historical nature and had stepped down as the partys leader. However, the date when the Donaldsons will appear in court remains unclear. Each week, the Northern Ireland Courts Service (NICS) uploads its court schedule for the coming weeks online. The list of defendants due to appear before Newry Magistrates Court on April 24 was uploaded this week. Jeffrey Donaldson pictured with his wife, Lady Eleanor, who also faces charges. There are around 80 named cases due before the court that day, but there is no mention of the cases involving Sir Jeffrey or his wife. The Sunday World contacted the PSNI on Friday and asked if the couples planned court appearance date or location had changed. A police spokesperson said this would be a matter for the courts service. However, when we contacted NICS a spokesperson for the service said: Questions regarding the listing date should be referred to PSNI. When we went back to the PSNI yesterday, a spokesperson said it was the courts service who published lists regarding scheduled court hearings. While not naming them, the PSNI spokesperson again indicated the Donaldsons are both due to appear before Newry Magistrates Court on April 24. We have heard nothing otherwise to suggest a different date, the spokesperson added. Whenever it happens, the couples appearance before a court will attract huge media attention. Sir Jeffrey has been Lagan Valley MP since 1997 Sir Jeffreys arrest and his resignation as DUP leader stunned Northern Ireland. The couple were arrested at their Dromore home before 7am on March 28, before being taken to Antrim Custody Suite, where they were charged. It is understood that Sir Jeffrey, who has indicated he will be denying the alleged offences, is facing one count of rape, one count of gross indecency and several counts of indecent assault. His wife has been charged with aiding and abetting additional offences in relation to the same police investigation. Police said they first received a report in relation to the allegations on March 7 this year. Sir Jeffrey, who has been Lagan Valley MP since 1997, is believed to be staying at his London address as part of his bail conditions in advance of his court appearance, while his wife has been bailed to their home address. While he has resigned as DUP leader, Sir Jeffrey has not yet revealed if he will be standing down as Lagan Valley MP in light of the allegations made against him. There has been an extremely high level of media coverage and online commentary about the allegations faced by Sir Jeffrey and his wife. Police have warned that anyone engaging in online speculation about the charges could be committing a criminal offence. A PSNI spokesperson said: On March 29, 2024, we confirmed that a 61-year-old man had been charged with non-recent sexual offences, alongside a 57-year-old woman who was charged with aiding and abetting additional offences. We are aware of ongoing commentary on social media platforms and in the mainstream media reporting regarding this. In investigations of this kind, victims are given complete anonymity by law unless they choose to waive that themselves. The publication of any information which is likely to lead to the identification of victims is a criminal offence, and can be investigated accordingly. The safeguarding of victims and protection of the integrity of any live investigation is at the forefront of all we do as a police service. With this in mind we are reminding our local communities and media that such speculation is unhelpful and may ultimately have a negative impact on a criminal justice process. The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Associations main fundraiser is on its way so dont forget to give generously! Poppy Day this year is on Friday, April 19, with poppies on sale for a gold coin donation across Aotearoa. You can donate via street collection, online at: https://www.rsa.org.nz/support-us/ donate Or text Poppy to 8595 to instantly donate $3. Donations collected on Poppy Day help the RNZRSA to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes for New Zealands veterans of all ages. The RSA was established in 1916 with the aim of taking care of New Zealands veterans and their families as soldiers returned from Gallipoli. While todays soldiers face different challenges, the RNZRSAs support to them and their whanau continues. In 2024 we celebrate 102 years of the Poppy Appeal with the Poppy campaign running throughout the month of April and Poppy Day, the street collection, occurring on April 19. According to New Zealand History online Nga korero o ipurangi o Aotearoa the first poppy appeal on April 24 in 1922 sold a total of 245,059 small poppies and 15,157 larger versions, earning 13,166 the equivalent to $1.34 million in 2020. NZH online states: Unlike the practice in other countries, the NZRSA did not hold its inaugural Poppy Appeal in association with Armistice Day, November 11. The shipment arrived too late for Poppy Day to be properly promoted prior to Armistice Day, so the NZRSA decided to hold it on the day before Anzac Day 1922. Back in 1922 poppies were sold for one shilling each. According to the RNZRSA, todays poppies are sold for a gold coin donation and our nation averages selling close to one million poppies each year. And the annual Poppy Day Appeal is now usually held on the Friday before Anzac Day, April 25. UNITED NATIONS, April 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis on Saturday called on all parties concerned to exercise utmost restraint amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel. Strongly condemning the "large-scale attack" launched on Israel by Iran, Guterres called for maximum restraint by all parties and warned that "neither the region nor the world can afford another war." "I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities," said Guterres in a statement on Saturday evening, shortly after Iran reportedly launched hundreds of drone and missile attacks against Israel. The UN Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting for 4 p.m. local time (1200 GMT) Sunday to discuss the latest flare-up in the region. "The Iranian response compounds the already tense and delicate peace and security situation in the Middle East," said Francis in a separate statement, calling on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid further escalation of tension in the region. Iran's UN mission said Saturday that the attack on Israel "can be deemed concluded." Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran's military action was in response to Israel's aggression against Iran's diplomatic premises in Damascus, the mission said on social media X. "However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe," it warned. The first week of the school holidays looks to have fairly fine weather for the week ahead with some cloudy days, and a few showers expected later in the week. With plenty to do around the Bay of Plenty, people can expect to head outdoors enjoying daytime highs of up to 22 degrees Celsius. MetService is forecasting a westerly flow which will develop over New Zealand by Tuesday, with an embedded weak front forecast to move onto the South Island. This westerly flow is expected to remain over New Zealand during Wednesday, with the embedded weak front over the northern South Island expected to move onto the North Island. For the Bay of Plenty, the weather is expected to be fine with westerlies until Wednesday, when clouds and a few showers are due to develop. The west to northwest flow will continue to affect New Zealand on Thursday, with minimal risk of severe weather. On Friday, a front is expected to move northwards across the South Island, bringing a period of heavy rain to western regions. A few showers with westerlies are forecast for the Bay of Plenty on Thursday and Friday. There is low confidence of rainfall reaching warning criteria over Fiordland and the ranges of the Westland District. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Tel Aviv, Israel Israeli leaders on Sunday credited an international military coalition with helping thwart a direct Iranian attack involving hundreds of drones and missiles, calling the coordinated response a starting point for a strategic alliance of regional opposition to Tehran. But Israels War Cabinet met without making a decision on next steps, an official said, as a nervous world waited for any sign of further escalation of the former shadow war. The military coalition, led by the United States, Britain and France and appearing to include a number of Middle Eastern countries, gave Israel support at a time when it finds itself isolated over its war against Hamas in Gaza. The coalition also could serve as a model for regional relations when that war ends. This was the first time that such a coalition worked together against the threat of Iran and its proxies in the Middle East, said the Israeli military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. One unknown is which of Israels neighbors participated in the shooting down of the vast majority of about 350 drones and missiles Iran launched. Israeli military officials and a key War Cabinet member noted additional partners without naming them. When pressed, White House national security spokesman John Kirby would not name them either. But one appeared to be Jordan, which described its action as self-defense. There was an assessment that there was a real danger of Iranian marches and missiles falling on Jordan, and the armed forces dealt with this danger. And if this danger came from Israel, Jordan would take the same action, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi said in an interview on Al-Mamlaka state television. U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Jordans King Abdullah on Sunday. The U.S. has long tried to forge a regionwide alliance against Iran as a way of integrating Israel and boosting ties with the Arab world. The effort has included the 2020 Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between Israel and four Arab countries, and having Israel in the U.S. militarys Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East and works closely with the armies of moderate Arab states. The U.S. had been working to establish full relations between Israel and regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack sparked Israels war in Gaza. The war, which has claimed over 33,700 Palestinian lives, has frozen those efforts due to widespread outrage across the Arab world. But it appears that some behind-the-scenes cooperation has continued, and the White House has held out hopes of forging Israel-Saudi ties as part of a postwar plan. Just ahead of Irans attack, the commander of CENTCOM, Gen. Erik Kurilla, visited Israel to map out a strategy. Israels military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, on Sunday thanked CENTCOM for the joint defensive effort. Both Jordan and Saudi Arabia are under the CENTCOM umbrella. While neither acknowledged involvement in intercepting Irans launches, the Israeli military released a map showing missiles traveling through the airspace of both nations. Arab countries came to the aid of Israel in stopping the attack because they understand that regional organizing is required against Iran, otherwise they will be next in line, Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israels military intelligence, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Israels defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said he had spoken with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and that the cooperation highlighted the opportunity to establish an international coalition and strategic alliance to counter the threat posed by Iran. The White House signaled that it hopes to build on the partnerships and urged Israel to think twice before striking Iran. U.S. officials said Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington would not participate in any offensive action against Iran. Israels War Cabinet met late Sunday to discuss a possible response, but an Israeli official familiar with the talks said no decisions had been made. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing confidential deliberations. Asked about plans for retaliation, Hagari declined to comment directly. We are at high readiness in all fronts, he said. We will build a regional coalition and collect the price from Iran, in the way and at the time that suits us, said a key War Cabinet member, Benny Gantz. Iran launched the attack in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel that hit an Iranian consular building in Syria this month and killed two Iranian generals. By Sunday morning, Iran said the attack was over, and Israel reopened its airspace. Irans president, Ebrahim Raisi, claimed Iran had taught Israel a lesson and warned that any new adventures against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran. The foes have been engaged in a shadow war for years, but Sundays assault was the first time Iran launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran said it targeted Israeli facilities involved in the Damascus strike, and that it told the White House early Sunday that the operation would be minimalistic. But U.S. officials said Irans intent was to destroy and cause casualties and that if successful, the strikes would have caused an uncontrollable escalation. At one point, at least 100 ballistic missiles were in the air with just minutes of flight time to Israel, the officials said. Israel said more than 99% of what Iran fired was intercepted, with just a few missiles getting through. An Israeli airbase sustained minor damage. Israel has over the years established often with the help of the U.S. a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats, including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. That system, along with collaboration with the U.S. and others, helped thwart what could have been a far more devastating assault at a time when Israel is already deeply engaged in Gaza as well as low-level fighting on its northern border with Lebanons Hezbollah militia. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran. While thwarting the Iranian onslaught could help restore Israels image after the Hamas attack in October, what the Middle Easts best-equipped army does next will be closely watched in the region and in Western capitals especially as Israel seeks to develop the coalition it praised Sunday. In Washington, Biden pledged to convene allies to develop a unified response. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. would hold talks with allies. After an urgent meeting, the Group of Seven countries unanimously condemned Irans attack and said they stood ready to take further measures. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israels war in Gaza. In the Oct. 7 attack, militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, also backed by Iran, killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. Israels offensive in Gaza has killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Hamas welcomed Irans attack, saying it was a natural right and a deserved response to the strike in Syria. It urged the Iran-backed groups in the region to continue to support Hamas in the war. Hezbollah also welcomed the attack. Almost immediately after the war in Gaza erupted, Hezbollah began attacking Israels northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel. BAGHDAD/BEIRUT/CAIRO, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Countries in the Middle East on Sunday announced the reopening of their airspace following the Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel. A statement by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) said that "the Iraqi airspace has been reopened to all aircraft arriving at, departing from, and crossing the country after the end of all risks that affect the security and safety of civil aviation in Iraq." Earlier, the ICAA closed the Iraqi airspace after dozens of Iranian missiles and drones traversed Iraqi airspace en route to Israel late Saturday. Lebanon's General Directorate of Civil Aviation announced on Sunday that the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut reopened at 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) after closure due to regional tensions over the past hours. "The Lebanese airspace has been closed to all aircraft arriving, departing, and crossing Lebanese airspace, temporarily and as a precaution, as of 1 a.m. on Sunday (2200 GMT Saturday)," Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh said earlier. Jordan on Sunday reopened its airspace following Iran's attack on Israel and vowed to take all necessary steps to protect the country's security and sovereignty. The Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission said the airspace was reopened after reassessing the risks according to national and international standards for the safety and security of civil aviation, the state-run Petra news agency reported. Meanwhile, the Egyptian government on Sunday denied implementing any emergency closure of airspace or air navigation, stressing all Egyptian airports are operating normally, said the Egyptian cabinet in a statement. "The Egyptian airspace, as well as air traffic, is operating normally without interruption," said the Egyptian cabinet's media center, referring to relevant reports circulating on some media websites and social media platforms as "rumors" and "fake news." Verifying information with the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation, the cabinet clarified that all flights at Egyptian airports operate regularly according to their usual schedules, except for those heading to some countries closing their airspace. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps confirmed on Saturday that it launched missile and drone attacks on Israel in retaliation for the Israeli airstrikes on the Iranian consulate building at its embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus on April 1. New research reveals ad blockers' unexpected importance in malicious software prevention. Recent findings show how spyware makers employ banner advertisements for government surveillance. Innovators in ad-based spyware distribution include European firm Intellexa, which created Predator. Documents showing Intellexa's 2022 Aladdin proof-of-concept system was received by Haaretz. The papers indicate that Aladdin used internet job advertising to install phone spyware on graphic designers and campaigners, according to a TechCrunch report. Malvertising: How Does It Work? Aladdin's growth and clients are unknown, but Insanet, an Israeli company, has created an ad-based infection system that can identify persons in advertising networks. Ad exchanges are crucial to websites' income, but unscrupulous actors use them to spread destructive malware to consumers' devices. Malvertising, which uses user input to execute its payload, threatens online security and privacy. Government surveillance can target dissenters with surreptitious spyware due to pervasive web advertising. Ad blockers prevent web browser advertising from loading, protecting against malvertising and ad-based malware. In Feburary, FBI Director Christopher Wray has stressed the agency's attention on Chinese attempts to enter computer networks with harmful malware, increasing fears about disrupting crucial US infrastructure, per the Financial Times. After the Munich Security Conference, Wray worried about malware "pre-positioning" after the dismantling of the Volt Typhoon, a Chinese hacking network that targeted American infrastructure like the electricity grid and water supply and other global targets. "We're laser-focused on this as a real threat and working with a lot of partners to identify, anticipate, and disrupt it," Wray said, emphasizing the need for caution. Volt Typhoon is a notable instance, but Wray warned that it is simply one of several Chinese government-led operations. China is inserting "offensive weapons" into crucial infrastructure to attack at Beijing's discretion, he said. This revelation is part of the FBI's larger campaign to increase awareness of Chinese espionage, including intellectual property theft and hacking for future wars. Wray added that the US has monitored Chinese pre-positioning for over a decade, but recent developments have increased these efforts. He said China's espionage efforts are shifting, with Europe becoming a focal area owing to security agencies' more limited resources than the US. In addition to government circles, Wray has noticed a rising awareness and worry among international intelligence services, security agencies, companies, and academic institutions about Chinese espionage. A man surfs the internet in Beijing on June 15, 2009. Security Experts Recommends Installing Ad Blockers Early this year, the US Justice Department it stopped Chinese government-sponsored hackers from targeting US critical infrastructure networks using malware that hijacked "hundreds" of household and small business routers. US officials said they dismantled the botnet by deleting malware from US-based victim routers and preventing reinfection in a court-authorized operation in January, per ABC News. Many security experts recommend using an ad blocker to prevent malvertising. In 2022, the FBI advised internet safety by using ad blockers for PCs and phones to disable advertisements and ad exchange tracking, improving user privacy. After the discoveries, Citizen Lab senior researcher John Scott-Railton, who studies government spyware, stressed the need for ad blockers for internet user protection. "It's a matter of safety." NIAMEY, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of demonstrators marched in the streets of Niger's capital of Niamey on Saturday, calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, following the government's decision to terminate a military agreement with the United States. Braving the heatwave, young men and women holding signs staged a peaceful protest. "U.S. army, you leave, you move, you vanish," read the signs. Mohamed Alkabir, who is in charge of synergizing Nigerien civil society organizations, said that this mobilization aims to urge the U.S. side to promptly announce its timetable for withdrawing its troops from Niger. In March, the nation halted its military pact with the United States. A White House report to Congress indicated that approximately 650 U.S. personnel were in Niger in December. BEIRUT, April 14 (Xinhua) -- A Hezbollah official was killed and three civilians were injured on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike on a village in southern Lebanon, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the Israeli raid targeted the main market in the southeast village of Khiam, killing a local Hezbollah official named Jihad Ali Abu Mahdi and wounding three civilians. The sources noted that another raid destroyed a two-story house between the villages of Sareen and Nabi Chit in the vicinity of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon. The sources added that Israel carried out four air strikes on four towns and villages in southern and eastern Lebanon and fired 30 shells on nine towns and villages in the eastern, central, and western sectors of the border region in southern Lebanon. Military sources said that they monitored the launching of about 25 surface-to-surface missiles and several drones from Lebanon into northern Israel, some of which were responded to by Israeli Iron Dome missiles. 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 419 people on the Lebanese side, including 266 Hezbollah members and 75 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources. Advertisement Eating outJust open Landmark Surry Hills pub White Horse gallops to fine-dining finish, with $6m facelift An acclaimed chef, a rooftop terrace and a toilet consultant? Your first look at the slick renovation. Scott Bolles April 15, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share This venue appears in the classic Sydney pubs all done up collection. See all stories . 1 / 5 The rooftop terrace at White Horse hotel. Gavin Green 2 / 5 Veal tongue French toast, green apple, finger lime and pigs face. Steven Woodburn 3 / 5 The bar at White Horse. Gavin Green 4 / 5 Squid ink glazed toothfish, cauliflower and phlox flowers. Steven Woodburn 5 / 5 Manjimup marron, sweetcorn and ice plant. Steven Woodburn Previous Slide Next Slide Theres nothing left except the horse, White Horse hotel director Craig Hemmings says of a meticulous, ground-up revamp of the landmark Surry Hills venue. The galvanised steel, life-sized statue of the rearing horse has remained atop the 1930s property, overseeing multimillion-dollar renovations below, the cost of entry to the upper echelons of Sydneys cut-throat hospitality scene. They had hoped to swing open the saloon doors last spring after luring star WA chef Jed Gerrard across the Nullarbor. It cost a couple of million [dollars] to bring it up to code, Hemmings says. Advertisement By the time the White Horses slick dining room and luxe bar open on Wednesday, April 17, the renovation price tag will have hit $6 million. The new dining room. Gavin Green Hemming was a colt when he opened The Third Man restaurant on Kellett Street in Potts Point 35 years ago, and hes seen a few rodeos (or rather, the opening of 15 hospitality venues) since. But each time, there are new and sometimes shocking requirements. We had a toilet door consultant, he says. The result from design shop Farago Han Studio is impressive. White Horses dedication to being a serious dining destination begins on the ground floor, where its reclaimed the pubs bar as a restaurant, with neutral tones, bold artwork, French oak tables and a mix of Danish and local chairs. Advertisement The first floor has been transformed into a luxe bar, with a rooftop terrace and a private dining room overlooking the treetops of the adjacent park. Pardoo wagyu beef sandwich. Steven Woodburn Hemmings forged his career at top-end Sydney restaurants such as Guillaume at Bennelong, and while he wants White Horse to deliver high-end food, he isnt looking to recoup its extravagant reconstruction costs overnight. He says hed rather offer punters value for their money. Its a sentiment echoed by chef Jed Gerrard. He points to a dish on the opening menu of wagyu tri-tip with chestnut mushrooms and a mushroom sabayon. Gerrard tapped into his relationship with Pilbara producer Pardoo wagyu to bring the Western Australia product with him. Advertisement Well have it on the menu for $45, in other restaurants, it might be twice the price, he says. WA marron also appears on the opening menu, perched on a risotto base of arborio rice and creamed corn. A toothfish dish has a squid ink glaze, and Berkshire pork jowl is matched with sugarloaf cabbage and nashi pear. James Audas (left), Michael Chiem and Jed Gerrard are relaunching the White Horse Hotel. Steve Woodburn Hemmings has reassembled much of the team from his time at Black by Ezard, a restaurant at The Star. Head chef Gerrard worked there before relocating to Perth, where he took on executive chef positions at a series of hotel chains, including The Ritz-Carlton, and remains culinary director at Wills Domain in Margaret River. James Audas (Lo-Fi Wines, Noma) and Michael Chiem (PS40, Sokyo) have taken on consulting roles, while Maureen Er (Tetsuyas, Manly Greenhouse) has come on board as White Horses general manager. The plan was to reimagine the White Horse through a contemporary lens, says Hemmings. Were thrilled to bring this old girl back to life. Advertisement Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up When Dr John Wiseman graduated as a doctor more than 70 years ago, it was not unusual for general practitioners to spend an hour with their patients, maybe even two. The concept of mental health was unheard of and Australias polio epidemic was near its deadly peak. One of Wisemans first jobs was at the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital, where children and adults suffering various degrees of paralysis and disablement from polio were lined up in long wards of 20 or 30 beds. Still working at 96, Dr John Wiseman is Victorias oldest doctor. Credit: Simon Schulter We still had, in my ward, five people on what they called an iron lung, recalls the 96-year-old. They lived permanently in a wooden box because they couldnt breathe. I tell people about it now, they think Im talking about another world. After millions of dollars in legal costs, dozens of witnesses and a high-profile trial streamed live on YouTube, a Federal Court judge is set to hand down his decision in Bruce Lehrmanns defamation fight with Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson but there may be no real winners. Justice Michael Lee will deliver his decision in Sydney at 10.15am on Monday after a four-week trial last year and a surprise re-opening of the case this year. It will be broadcast live and Lee is expected to read extracts of his reasons in court before publishing the full written judgment. Bruce Lehrmann outside the Federal Court in Sydney in December last year. Credit: James Brickwood The trial took a detour this month after Ten won a bombshell application to call fresh evidence from a former Seven producer, Taylor Auerbach, about that networks dealings with Lehrmann before the former federal Liberal staffer signed an exclusive interview deal with its Spotlight program. Leading media lawyer and Minter Ellison partner Peter Bartlett, who acted for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald in the Ben Roberts-Smith litigation, said that books will be written about the Lehrmann litigation, just as they were in the war veterans case. BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhua) -- China called on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent further escalations after Iran's military strike on Israeli territory, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday. The spokesperson made the remarks when asked to comment on the report that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched military strike on April 14 against Israeli territory using ballistic missiles and drones. China expresses deep concern over the current escalation and calls on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent further escalations, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson noted that the ongoing situation is the latest spillover of the Gaza conflict. There should be no more delays in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2728, and the conflict must end now. China calls on the international community, especially countries with influence, to play a constructive role for the peace and stability of the region, the spokesperson added. The Queensland man who fatally stabbed six people at a shopping centre in Sydneys Bondi Junction was itinerant and living out of his car with a history of mental illness, senior Queensland police confirmed on Sunday. Police have on Sunday increased their presence in Queensland shopping centres, but say there is no ongoing threat to the public. We will continue to increase that presence to make sure the community understands they are supported, and we are there to make sure they are safe, Acting Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe told reporters on Sunday. The Toowoomba-based family of the 40-year-old killer, identified by NSW Police as Joel Andrew Cauchi, had sporadic contact with him. A traumatised Bondi Junction shop owner has paid tribute to Inspector Amy Scott, saying the officer saved her life when she shot knife attacker Joel Cauchi. We were positive we were going to die, Victoria Kerr, 29, who owns Hair Royale on level 5 at Bondi Junction Westfield, said on Sunday. Inspector Amy Scott shot Joel Cauchi after he killed six people. She saved us from that serial killer. As Cauchi prowled the shopping centre armed with his 30-centimetre knife, and shoppers fled, Scott ran towards him. The ancient festival of Nowruz marks the new year, and thousands of members of our Afghan community celebrated it, as is the custom, by stepping out in colourful new clothes on Sunday. In Dandenong Park on a sunny autumn day, there were the sounds of traditional guitars and drums, the smell of kebabs and the sights of children running and playing. Afghan families celebrate Nowruz, or New Year, at Dandenong Park on Sunday. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui Such public displays are haram, or forbidden, in Afghanistan under Taliban rule because Nowruz is a pre-Islamic tradition dating back 3000 years. Its all the more reason, said the Dandenong events co-ordinator, Zabi Mazoori, for the community to celebrate here. A plan by pro-Palestine protest groups to cause economic pain across Melbournes CBD has prompted police to redeploy hundreds of officers from regional stations in a bid to minimise expected disruptions on Monday. However, the force conceded on Sunday afternoon that it still did not know the specific locations and nature of the planned blockades. Zim shipping lines Sparrow cargo ship docked at Webb Dock in Melbourne on Thursday. The companys ships have previously been targeted by pro-Palestinian protesters. Credit: Chris Hopkins The force will relocate officers to central Melbourne and several specialist teams will also be deployed, including the mounted branch, public order response team, highway patrol and transit police. Local protest group A15 Action has vowed to identify and blockade major choke points in the economy by focusing on points of production and circulation as part of a global protest over Israels continued military assaults in Gaza. A 60 Minutes investigation has obtained footage of the treatment meted out to Lee-Anne over 18 months between 2019 and 2020. The videos reveal that the complaints made by Lee-Anne, who is not cognitively impaired, only worsened the behaviour of her carers, Lisa Wilson, Monika Paniczko and Anastasia Moutsos. The footage captured Wilson, then aged 25, sticking her finger and then a cylinder into Lee-Annes mouth for her own amusement and yelling, Aw, she hasnt got a gag reflex. In another video, Paniczko, who had worked with Lee-Anne for 17-years, can be seen listening to a broadcast about health workers dying of coronavirus. Paniczko says: Maybe I have corona ... if I have it, I want you to have it. She then leans over Lee-Annes face and appears to breathe and spit into her mouth. There you go ... we both have it, she tells Lee-Anne. NDIS Minister Bill Shorten. Credit: 60 Minutes NDIS Minister Bill Shorten has vowed he will try to place life bans on the disgraced disability support staff to prevent them working with vulnerable people under the scheme. Shorten, who was provided the footage by 60 Minutes, said the actions of the carers were dehumanising and made him angry. He said Scope, a large not-for-profit provider of disability services in Victoria and NSW, would be watched. I thought it was just evil, Shorten said. I dont want to believe that there are people who will treat other people in the manner in which I saw in that video. These people acting with such callous indifference to Lee-Anne, its just shocking. Its cruel. Its a betrayal of Lee-Anne and its actually a betrayal of the good people who work in disability. It was shocking. Ive reached out to Robert and Lorraine, Lee-Annes parents. In October 2020, Scope reported the abuse to Victoria Police after being handed the CCTV files by the Mackeys. Wilson was immediately sacked. But Scope chose to move the other two carers, Paniczko and Moutsos, to work at another residential house. They were both dismissed six months later when charges were laid by police. All three women initially pleaded guilty at the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court in Melbourne in June 2022 to assault. Wilsons defence was that her actions were intended as a joke. After convictions were initially recorded against the trio, they launched appeals in the County Court. In separate appeals, Moutsos and Wilson pleaded guilty to assault but argued successfully for convictions not to be recorded. Paniczko convinced an appeal court to withdraw her guilty plea and drop one of the charges against her. For the remaining charge, she entered a diversion program, meaning if she acknowledges responsibility and completes certain conditions, no finding of guilt will be made against her. Paniczkos conditions included giving a verbal and written apology to Lee-Anne and donating $500 to the Lort Smith Animal Hospital. Wilson, considered the ring leader, was ordered to perform 175 hours of unpaid community work. Moutsos was ordered to perform 80 hours of unpaid community work. A County Court judge ruled that the secretly recorded video evidence recorded by the Mackeys was admissable during Paniczos appeal. Loading Wilson was banned by the NDIS Commission for five years, while Paniczko and Moutsos were both prohibited for three years. Police Detective Senior Constable Travis Kinghorn, who investigated the case, urged people to report abuse in the disability sector. Theres no excuse for this type of behaviour, he said. The Mackeys said the ordeal had been traumatic and left Lee-Anne with psychological scarring. [It] breaks my heart to see that shes lost so much trust in people that care for her because shed known them for so long, Lorraine said. And she does see a psychologist and her trust levels have gone to zero since ... these incidents happened. Lee-Anne remains a client of Scope and now lives in another of its houses. Scope acting CEO Lisa Evans, who was not in charge at the time of the offending, said she was appalled by the conduct. Evans said she had met the Mackeys to apologise. The videos are some of the worst things that Ive ever seen, she said. It is appalling what happened to Lee-Anne and it is unthinkable to think that that happened to her. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the country had successfully thwarted the most significant strikes but had to be ready for further attacks. The campaign is not over yet, he said. We must be prepared for every scenario. Iran said it would retaliate against any Israeli attacks and warned the US that its bases would also be targeted if it offered Israel any military help. Our response will be much larger than tonights military action if Israel retaliates against Iran, armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri told state television. The IDF said the attack comprised about 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles. Most were halted and the damage appeared to be limited to one Israeli military base. Iran launched the attack after blaming Israel for a strike on April 1 that killed three senior Iranian commanders in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Biden pledged ironclad support for the security of Israel after he spoke by phone with Netanyahu, while he also noted the possibility of other attacks in coming days. Iranian demonstrators protest during an anti-Israeli rally in front of the British embassy in Tehran. Credit: AP While we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people, he said. The United Nations Security Council was due to meet on Sunday (New York time) after Israel requested the session. Biden sought to hold a separate meeting the same day with fellow G7 leaders from the UK, Japan, Italy, Germany, France and Canada. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack and emphasised the federal governments sanctions against 85 people and 97 entities connected with the Iranian regime. Anyone who cares for the protection of innocent life must stand against these attacks, he said in a joint statement with acting Foreign Minister Katy Gallagher. US President Joe Biden and members of his national security team receive an update on the attack. Credit: The White House This escalation is a grave threat to the security of Israel and the entire region. It risks greater instability and devastation across the Middle East. Australia continues to support regional security, including that of Israel. Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham backed Israel with a forceful statement on Sunday and rebuked Labor for emphasising security in the region rather than the country under attack. Israel has been subjected to deliberate military attack from Iran, just as Israelis were subjected to deliberate mass murder from Iranian-sponsored Hamas, he said. Loading There is no room for ambiguity in Australias response. While the US pledged its ironclad commitment to Israel, the Albanese government could only muster support for regional security, including that of Israel. It is beyond time for the Albanese government to act on our call for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be listed by Australia as a terrorist organisation. That drew a reaction from Labor MP Josh Burns, who is Jewish and backed Albanese. The prime minister made a strong statement. Were constantly seeking advice on the next steps we can take, he said. Burns condemned Iran for the attack and for funding terror groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. The Greens, who have been sharply critical of Israel, are supporting a protest on Monday against a Queensland company, Ferra Engineering. They blame Ferra for supplying parts for the F35 fighter, which they say is being used against Palestinian civilians. Illustrating community divisions over the conflict, the Australian National Imams Council called on political parties to avoid taking sides between Israel and Iran. The escalating conflict is of concern. Israels seemingly uninhibited aggression and attack against civilian populations (in Gaza and elsewhere) and places has not helped, it said. Countries like Australia have an important role to play in de-escalating the situation and encouraging the main parties to avoid further violence and threats of violence. They should avoid taking positions. Loading With many in Australia are divided over the war in Gaza, peak members of the Australian Jewish community expressed their fear that support for Israel was slipping around the world. This attack was made possible by the weakening of international support for Israel in recent weeks. Evil regimes detect weakness and exploit it, said Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief Alex Ryvchin. Zionist Federation president Jeremy Leibler welcomed the international condemnation of the attack on Israel and blamed Iran for supporting terrorists. Iran wants to set the region on fire, he said. Iran is intent on destabilising the entire region, and this requires a regional and international response. In this light, we welcome Jordanian and Saudi co-operation with Israel in its efforts to defend itself. We can see by the regional co-operation with Israel that Middle Eastern countries know who their enemy is, and it is Iran. Loading Liberal MP Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, said the attacks brought Irans evil intent into the open and Australia should respond by closing its embassy in Tehran. There is good and evil in the world, and the government should not act with indifference towards the only democratic nation in the Middle East, he said. Israels Iron Dome is a mobile defence system designed to take out short-range rockets fired up to 70 kilometres away, no matter the weather. It was brought in a decade ago with US funding help a big-tech solution to the low-tech rockets built by Hamas in the streets and tunnels of Gaza, and one part of Israels sweeping security apparatus of surveillance drones and checkpoints that monitor the 2 million Palestinians blockaded inside Gaza. The lights split apart the night sky over Israel and Gaza rockets and answering interceptor missiles exploding overhead in a shower of sparks, like alien warships doing battle. The violence between Israel and Palestine is now the worst seen in years air strikes from Israeli warplanes have killed hundreds of Palestinians in densely populated Gaza, while a barrage of rockets fired by Gazas militant group Hamas is testing Israels Iron Dome missile defence shield. No. The dome is actually a roving group of batteries or equipment units radars, computers and missile packs on wheels. Radars listen for incoming rockets nearby and feed that data to the computers to analyse the rockets trajectory and model. If theyre headed for uninhabited land, the AI wont recommend taking a shot. But if a rocket is on course for people or property, then an interceptor missile will be fired to explode just in front of it, taking it out in the fireball. The units, including the interceptors, are moved around to cover more ground and keep their location secret. Does it work? And has it changed the conflict? Yes, and yes. Israel and the local companies who designed the dome claim its 90 per cent effective. While experts put that success rate at about 80 per cent, its still considered the most advanced low-range rocket shield in the world. The dome has largely lifted the shadow of Hamas rocket strikes from Israeli life as the conflict over the occupied territories stretches on. But it has not stopped Israel launching air strikes of its own on Gazas captive population. In the current violence, people have been killed on both sides, including children. But, with fewer strikes making it through Israeli air space, Israels death toll is much lower. The number of Israelis killed and wounded would be far higher if it had not been for the Iron Dome system, said Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman. What if you fire lots of rockets at once? Governor calls on Legislature to clarify residency requirements. After determining that language in voter registration rules proposed by Secretary of State Chuck Gray exceeds his statutory authority, Governor Mark Gordon has not approved the proposed rule package. The Governors action follows the recommendation of the Wyoming Legislatures Management Council. The States election code functions well, and the countless hours spent by volunteers, election judges, canvassing boards, county clerks, town clerks, your office, and numerous others have ensured for decades that Wyomingites can trust the states election results, the Governor said. While there may always be room to improve Wyomings election laws, this responsibility lies in the purview of the legislative branch. In a letter sent to the Secretary of State, the Governor emphasized that Wyomings elections are safe and secure, and that existing laws already offer remedies to address voter fraud. The Governor stated that Wyomings election code, currently provides a comprehensive framework for how bona fide residents can register to vote and how election officials can investigate or challenge their qualifications. The Governors letter states that while he agrees with the foundational principle that only United States citizens who are Wyoming residents should be voting in our elections, currently available data indicates that Wyoming does not have a significant problem with either fraudulent voter registrations, or the ability to investigate and verify voter qualifications. The Governor further urged the legislature to provide clarity on the definition of the term bona fide resident and take the time to study the topic to ensure no eligible Wyoming voters are disenfranchised by any future changes. Wyomings county clerks have indicated in their public comment on these rules, as well as in past testimony to legislative committees, that this clarification is needed, and the Governor agrees. Until the legislature provides more explicit rulemaking authority for the Secretary of State, county clerks must follow the methods for investigating and challenging voters citizenship and registration outlined in statute, the Governor wrote. While I support addressing the county clerks concerns, assuming the worst when experience shows that our system continues to be effective at preventing voter fraud, does not support upending a decades long practice. We can always improve, and that discussion properly lies with the legislature The Governors letter to the Secretary of State may be found here. JERUSALEM, April 14 (Xinhua) -- A barrage of rockets were fired at the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights early Sunday morning, with no casualties reported, according to Israeli and Lebanese sources. Around 30 rockets were fired at a military camp near the Israeli settlement of Katzrin in the Golan, causing light damage, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported. Sirens were triggered in several communities nearby. Lebanese Hezbollah later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was a response to recent Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon. Hezbollah's attack came after a large-scale drone and missile attack against Israel launched by Iran overnight. NEW DELHI, SEVENTEEN Indians are on board an Israeli-linked container ship that has been seized by the Iranian military amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel. Official sources said India is in touch with Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and in Delhi, to ensure the welfare and early release of the Indian nationals. The Iranian action came amid increasing fears that Tehran may launch an attack on Israeli soil in retaliation to a strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria 12 days ago. We are aware that a cargo ship MSC Aries has been taken control by Iran. We have learnt that there are 17 Indian nationals onboard, said a source. We are in touch with the Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and in Delhi, to ensure security, welfare and early release of Indian nationals, it said. Reports said Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards seized MSC Aries on Saturday morning when it was sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier in the day, commandos from Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled down from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel Saturday. The Middle East had braced for potential Iranian retaliation over a suspected Israeli strike earlier this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including a senior Guard General who once commanded its expeditionary Quds Force. Irans state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guards navy carried out the attack on the vessel, which other media in the country widely identified as the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime. Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofers Zodiac Group. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC, which did not immediately respond. Earlier, a Middle East defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Intelligence matters, shared a video of the attack with The Associated Press. In it, the commandos are seen rappelling down onto a stack of containers sitting on the deck of the vessel. A crew member on the ship can be heard saying: Dont come out. He then tells his colleagues to go to the ships bridge as more commandos come down on the deck. One commando can be seen kneeling above the others to provide them potential cover fire. The video corresponded with known details of the MSC Aries. The helicopter used also appeared to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, which both the Guard and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen have used in the past to conduct commando raids on ships. The British militarys United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations described the vessel as being seized by regional authorities in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah, without elaborating. The MSC Aries had been last located off Dubai heading toward the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. The ship had turned off its tracking data, which has been common for Israeli-affiliated ships moving through the region. Iran since 2019 has engaged in a series of ship seizures and attacks on vessels have been attributed to it amid ongoing tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear programme. NEW DELHI, THE induction of heavy-lift helicopters and logistic drones, deployment of all-terrain vehicles and laying of an extensive network of tracks are among a host of measures that have enhanced Indias combat prowess in Siachen, the worlds highest battlefield, officials said on Saturday. As the Indian Army marks the 40th year of its presence on the strategically-significant Siachen glacier, the officials said there have been extensive improvements in the operational capabilities of the force due to the enhancement of infrastructure in the region in the last few years. The Siachen glacier at the height of around 20,000 feet in the Karakoram mountain range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds. Under its Operation Meghdoot, the Indian Army established its full control over the glacier on April 13, 1984. The Indian Armys control over the Siachen glacier has not only been a story of unparalleled valour and determination but also an incredible journey of technological advancements and logistical improvements that transformed it from one of the most formidable terrains into a symbol of indomitable spirit and innovation, said an official. The initiatives, especially laid out in the last five years, have made significant strides in improving the living conditions and operational capabilities of the personnel deployed in Siachen, he said on the condition of anonymity. In January last year, Captain Shiva Chauhan from the Armys Corps of Engineers was posted at a frontline post in the Siachen glacier, in the first such operational deployment of a woman Army officer at a key battlefield. The official cited above said there has been a noteworthy improvement in the aspect of mobility in Siachen. The development of an extensive network of tracks and the introduction of all-terrain vehicles (ATV) have significantly improved mobility across the glacier, he said. Another official said innovations like the DRDO-developed ATV bridges have enabled the Army to overcome natural obstacles, while high-quality Dyneema ropes in aerial cableways ensure seamless supply lines to even the most-remote outposts. The induction of heavy-lift helicopters and logistic drones has vastly improved the supply of essentials to the personnel deployed in posts that are cut off, especially in winters, he said. The availability of special clothing, mountaineering equipment and advanced rations has enhanced the ability of the soldiers to withstand the harsh conditions of the worlds coldest battlefield, the official added. He said gadgets, such as pocket weather trackers, with each soldier provides timely weather updates and warn them about possible avalanches. Recent initiatives concerning the improvement of connectivity have ensured that the personnel in forward posts in the northern and central glacier regions have access to fresh ration and vegetables instead of tinned ration, an aspect that could not have been imagined a few years ago, the official said. Fresh ration and vegetables are now a reality for our forward posts, thanks to new logistic initiatives, he added. There has been a focus on improvement in mobile and data connectivity in the region as well. The introduction of the VSAT technology has revolutionised communication on the glacier, providing the troops with data and internet connectivity, the second official said. This leap in technology has enhanced real-time situational awareness, telemedicine capabilities and the well-being of our soldiers by keeping them connected with their families, he said. BJP-Congress workers come to blows during live debate, one hurt Staff Reporter A Clash erupted between Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers during a live telecast of a debate organised by a TV channel at Bhawartal Park on Saturday night. The incident, in which a BJP worker sustained injuries on the head, occurred following heated exchanges between workers of both the parties. BJP MLA Ashibhal Pandey and former Congress MLA Vinay Saxena were the main guests of the live debate. As per the information received, the argument escalated rapidly after a controversial question posed on the guests which provoked intense arguments between workers of both the parties. Verbal spat turned physical as workers from the Congress and BJP exchanged blows, hurled plastic chairs and resorted to vulgar language. Despite efforts by senior party leaders to calm down the situation, the violence persisted, prompting the TV channel to abruptly halt the live broadcast. Former Congress MLA Vinay Saxena when contacted claimed that BJP workers instigated the row by initiating the argument and assaulting Congress workers. He said that a BJP worker slipped and sustained injuries while attempting to remove an iron pole and reportedly sustain injury as the ground of park was wet. However, BJP workers alleged that Congress members initiated the brawl by attacking them, resulting in injuries to Ramji Singh, a BJP supporter, who was immediately hospitalised for treatment. Neither party has lodged a formal complaint with the police regarding the altercation till the report was filed. Himanta would have been nowhere without Congress: Jairam Ramesh By Durba Ghosh GUWAHATI, SENIOR Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma would have been nowhere without the grand old party which had given him identity and position during its rule in the State. The Congress general secretary, in an interview with PTI here, claimed that Sarma was among the first to quit the grand old party when it lost power and join the washing machine of BJP. The Congress gave him identity and position, along with authority and responsibility, during the tenure of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi but he chose to betray the party when it was not in power. It is a matter of great sorrow that those given a responsible position turn out to be opportunists. But that has not shattered our self-confidence, he said. Opportunists leaving the Congress actually work in the partys favour, making way for ideologically committed youngsters, the Rajya Sabha MP said. Terming Sarmas claim that Congressmen are quitting the party in hordes to join the BJP a psychological game, Ramesh said the partys State unit chief Bhupen Kumar Borah has given him a reply in the strongest possible language. Iran-Israel War Looming By Girish Linganna RECENTLY, tensions have surged between Iran and Israel. On Twitter, Irans top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated that Israels reported attack on a site within an Iranian embassy area in Damascus capital of Syria and one of the worlds oldest continuously inhabited citieswas tantamount to aggression against Iran. He emphasized that Israel deserved to face consequences for its actions. On April 1, 2024, an Israeli airstrike hit a building next to the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, resulting in the death of Zahedi and between five to seven others. The building targeted was a consulate annex. The Iranian ambassador to Syria, Hossein Akbari, confirmed the number of casualties. A few hours after Irans declaration, Israels Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, took to Twitter in Persian with a clear message: If Iran attacks Israel from its own territory, Israel will strike back on Iranian soil. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also issued a similar warning later in the day, but did not specifically mention Iran in his remarks. Over the past week, Israel has sent clear signals to Iran that it will strike back if attacked. These warnings have also been shared with the United States. The recent threats between Israel and Iran are similar to the tough talk that happened after the killing of Iranian nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, in December 2020. But this time, all of Irans main leaders are making threats together. When Irans supreme leader issues a threat, it is like giving an order to take action. Fakhrizadeh, a prominent Iranian nuclear scientist, was assassinated in November 2020 near Tehran. His vehicle was ambushed by armed attackers, which led to a firefight. He died from gunshot wounds sustained in the attack. While Iran has publicly accused Israel of orchestrating the killing, Israel has neither confirmed, nor denied involvement, following its policy of ambiguity on such matters. International investigations or arrests have not been reported in the case. Improved Israel-US Coop: A senior security official spoke to Zman Yisrael, the Hebrew-language partner site of The Times of Israel, explaining that, following the death of Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a high-ranking commander in Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in Damascus last week, the partnership between the US military and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) has significantly improved. This enhanced cooperation includes setting up a new system to quickly alert Israel about incoming missile threats. The US has radar systems in the Persian Gulf that monitor the skies over and around Iran. While not commonly discussed in Israel, the US, Israel and other regional partners have established a network of radar systems. This network provides extensive surveillance coverage of Iran. After a week of being cautious with their words about Iran, the US gave Israel a reassuring message on Wednesday. President Joe Biden emphasised that Americas support for Israels security, especially against threats from Iran and its allies, was ironcladsomething that is very strong, unbreakable, or guaranteed, an unwavering commitment. Both Republican and Democratic Administrations in the US have consistently pledged to maintain Israels superior military capabilities relative to its regional rivals. Additionally, the US has made substantial investments in supporting Israels development of missile defence systems. The Iron Dome system is a notable achievement in this area. It is a mobile defence system designed to intercept short-range rockets and has successfully intercepted over 2,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip since its deployment 10 years ago. Recently, the US Army acquired two Iron Dome units following Congressional directives, aiming to enhance defences against cruise missiles. Bidens remarks are clearly directed at Iran, possibly influenced by alarming intelligence data from Israel shared with the US. It is clear that the Biden Administration is deeply worried about the potential for conflict between Israel and Iran, although it is generally believed that neither Iran nor Israel wants a large-scale military fight. Israel is currently engaged in conflict in the Gaza Strip and managing tensions with Hezbollah on its northern border. Meanwhile, Iran considers war as a last option, only to be used if the leadership is threatened, or to defend its nuclear programme. Instead, Iran typically relies on a group of allied forces to carry out its plans. Earlier this year, Iran deviated from its normal cautious behaviour and faced the consequences. Following an ISIS attack at Qassem Soleimanis grave, Iran launched an attack on Baluchistan in Pakistan. Pakistan responded forcefully and immediately, shooting back and sending a strong warning to Iran. Faced with Pakistans nuclear capabilities, Iran quickly backed down. The Nuclear Option: Another possible response from Iran could be to increase its enrichment efforts and quickly move towards developing nuclear weapons. Recently, at two different events, top officials in Iran urged Khamenei to pursue nuclear weapons. Khamenei had previously issued a fatwa, an Islamic legal decree, stating that building nuclear weapons was against Islam. Despite this, during the Ramadan prayers last Friday, a leading imam asked Khamenei to revoke this fatwa and direct Irans nuclear agency to start making a bomb. This statement caught the attention of the Western world as it seemed like a major religious leader was openly challenging the supreme leader. This has led to speculation that Khamenei might be setting the stage for such a decision by encouraging pressure from religious authorities. Later in the week, suspicions grew when Mahmoud-Reza Aghamir, head of Shahid Behesti University in Tehran and a nuclear physics professor, mentioned on Iranian TV that the supreme leader could, indeed, withdraw his fatwa, the Times of Israel reported. Aghamir, who is closely linked to the regime, said that, with the current level of their nuclear programme, making a bomb would be easier than continuing to store large amounts of highly enriched uranium. Currently, Iran has 150 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent, which is enough to make three bombs. Israel is keeping a close eye on this potential situation. If it develops, the US might have to step in with a strong military response to make its stance clear to Iran. The risk is that Khamenei may secretly issue an order to build a bomb and then the only signs that Iran is working on it would come from intelligence reports. Israel had earlier claimed it would know if Iran was close to completing a nuclear warhead. However, following the events of October 7, Israel is re-evaluating all its intelligence assumptions, including those about Iran. Iran to attack Israel sooner than later: Fears Biden WASHINGTON, AMID fears of the ongoing hostilities in Gaza devolving into a larger Middle-Eastern conflict, US President Joe Biden on Friday said that he expects Iran to attack Israel sooner than later, CNN reported. I dont want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner than later, Biden told reporters when asked how imminent an Iranian attack on Israel would be. As has been reported globally, Tehran vowed revenge after Israel launched airstrikes on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus, taking out three top military Generals. On his message to Iran at this time, the US President said, Dont. In response to more shouted questions from reporters in the White House, asking if American troops were at risk, Biden returned to the podium saying that the United States was devoted to the defence of Israel, CNN reported. We are devoted to the defence of Israel. We will support Israel we will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed, Biden said. The US has been on high alert for a significant Iranian retaliatory attack on Israel in recent days, as fears grow of a wider regional war. There remains a real, credible and viable threat of Iran launching strikes, the White House said on Friday, following Israels attack on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria last week, killing three Iranian Generals. Biden, who warned this week that Iran was threatening a significant attack on Israel, has been receiving constant updates on the situation from his national security team. The US and several other countries, including India, Britain and France, issued new travel guidelines for government employees in Israel as the Iranian threat loomed. In view of the prevailing situation in the region, all Indians are advised not to travel to Iran or Israel till further notice. All those who are currently residing in Iran or Israel are requested to get in touch with Indian Embassies there and register themselves, the Ministry of External Affairs stated in an official release. Man commits suicide after killing live-in partner, son Special Correspondent SENSATION prevailed in MIDC area after a man, in his thirties, committed suicide after killing his live-in partner and their three-year-old son in a hotel room on Saturday evening. The news about the double murder spread like wildfire in nearby localities after the bodies were found in a room at Hotel near Gajanan Colony, Wanadongri, MIDC. The hotel staff found Sachin Vinodkumar Raut (31) hanging from the ceiling fan in the evening. Soon after receiving information from the hotel manager, staff from MIDC Police Station led by Senior Inspector Praveen Kale rushed to the spot. Cops forced open the door of Room No 103 and noticed Sachin hanging from the ceiling fan. His live-in partner Naznin (29) and son Yug (3) were also lying dead in the room. A hammer with blood stains was also found near the body. The womans body bore head injuries. However, no injuries were found on the boys body. Prima facie, police said, Naznin was first hammered to death by Sachin. He then either poisoned his son or strangulated him to death before committing suicide. A truck cleaner, Sachin was staying at Bhim Nagar, Isasani. Naznin was a native of village Tiroda, Madhya Pradesh. Sachin was already married and had two children. He had an extra marital affair with Naznin and the couple was blessed with a male child. However, he did not divorce his wife Rukhmini but started living with Naznin. Later, Sachin started avoiding Naznin. He stopped visiting her house. Naznin got enraged and started quarrelling with Sachin. Finally, they decided to stay separately. On Friday, both signed a mutual agreement on a stamp paper of Rs 500 that they would stay separately. Cops have seized the stamp paper for investigation purposes. Shaping the future BY ANIL SWAMY ONE summer night last year, lightening and unseasonal rains accounted for the power outage. Brooding in dark, my mind strolled back sixty years to fun filled summer holidays year after year, with my Nine cousins, at Ajobas one room Govt quarter with no fans. Huge family under a tiny roof had its own comic thrills and funny problems like daily scheduling the toilet visits, limited participants in Carom, Ludo or any other games. A wet gunny bag curtain would be hung daily on main door to ward off blistering afternoon heat. At night, everyone slept on terrace listening to Ajjis stories. None ever complained as we loved being together, but almost impossible to imagine that life now. My disturbed sleep was interrupted at 6 am, next morning by my youngest cousin from Pune. Screaming with excitement, Arre Dada? Still sleeping? All well? Yes I said but her excitement had pinched me hard. Dada how about visiting Sunanda Tai at Vadodara for ten days? What? Now I screamed and jumped off the bed. Tai lives all alone in an ecofriendly village with some like-minded people, practicing austerity for the sake conserving Nature, using power only for agriculture and night lights. After a summer night without power, planning for fan-less ten days wasnt exciting. Unwillingly we agreed. After a tiring drive, we had to fetch water from the well. We were quite embarrassed to bathe in open. My biggest worry was solved as fortunately, clean toilets were suitable for us. Next day, Tai woke us before daybreak, to bathe in privacy in chilled well water and by seven after breakfast, had some tasks lined up for all. I had to replace the bearings of the water pump. I needed helpers for assistance but there werent any and I was made to slug and sweat my heart out as it was ages since I repaired a technical item with my own hands. Later, I accompanied my wife with the lunch packed for all at the farm. Busy day had tired me and I wanted a nap after lunch, but only place was under a tree without any pillow or mattress, forget a fan or an AC. We plucked veggies from the farm for supper. I took charge of kitchen to make vegetable and dal. At night, everyone carried a mattress(shatranji) onto terrace for sleeping. Surprisingly there werent any mosquitoes. As taught by Ajoba, we started gazing to locate Sapt rishi mandal and other identifiable stars and reminisced many stories told by Ajji and Ajoba till midnight. I had totally forgotten that how a sleep in unpolluted and natural breeze invigorates and freshens you by morning. I rushed out to get some vegetables for my last kitchen duty, as we were to return back. All the cousins were miffed at my plan. On breakfast, Tai suggested a visit to a nearby temple to pray for our Ajji and Ajoba. To evaluate their success, Tai is an accomplished and highly respected figure in literary world, two sisters had their own successful carriers and their spouses retired as very Senior Defense officers, four became Engineers, another late brother was an Army Officer and youngest sister a Doctor. All nurtured by Ajji and Ajoba, two have nots, who selflessly dreamt, shaped the careers, future and entire life for Nine of us. Tai questioned Have we done anything for our younger generation or community? WITHOUT FEAR ! THE promise of peace without fear in Kashmir, as highlighted by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi in his public speech in Udhampur, appears far more important than anything else at this point in time. Even as the Prime Minister assured that legislative elections, too, would be held in Jammu and Kashmir soon, he seemed to have punctured the political balloon of the Opposition propaganda that the Central Government was avoiding holding legislative elections in the State. He assured the country that Kashmir will soon have legislative elections as well. In other words, the Prime Minister debunked all by himself the doubts that the Opposition was trying to spread in Kashmir and about Kashmir. Thus, Mr. Modi made statements far more profound and meaningful than the Opposition propaganda. The Prime Minister was candid and straightforward in his statements and answered all doubts dancing in peoples minds -- on his own volition. He made it clear that stone-pelting on security personnel in Kashmir has stopped totally. Markets have opened and people visit shopping areas to make even late-evening purchases and move back home without any untoward incidents. Fear of terrorism has been wiped off peoples thought. Against such a background, the Kashmir region will go to polls in the next some days. This election, thus, is taking place without any of the negative aspects that often afflicted Kashmirs public life. This is no mean a gain, given the 70-plus years of mis-rule under this or that pretext. The common people of Kashmir had never experienced such an atmosphere in the past many decades. The Prime Minister highlighted this very well in his speech. He said, in effect, that Kashmir will see elections taking place in a free and fair manner -- beyond petty politics and threat. By asserting thus, Mr. Modi only made clear to the nation his Governments credentials as regards democracy and rule of law plus welfarism. The Opposition, therefore, will have no face to go, nowhere to hide its face. It had been making all sorts of allegations on the basis of implied interpretation of events in the country under the Modi-Government. All those allegations got answered effectively through the Prime Ministers speech. This is the actual gain of the abrogation of Articles of 370 and 35A of the Constitution from Kashmir. Seen from this angle, the Oppositions claim that it will bring back Special Status to Kashmir if it happens to win the election, appears so terribly hollow and meaningless. Such diatribes do not make any profound point not just in electoral politics but also elsewhere in public life. The Prime Minister made this point so effectively through his speech at a public rally attracting countless thousands of people from different parts of the Kashmir region. What counts most in democracy is an atmosphere without fear when people can live life of their choice -- political, professional and personal. When elections take place without fear, the outcome is always the fairest. Kashmir will have all that from now onwards. This was the nations dream for Kashmir -- and it is being realised after a dark period stretching for decades. For the Indian nation, this is a situation that everybody waited for in Kashmir and about Kashmir -- in the process proving that Kashmir more fully integrated with India in practical terms. ISLAMABAD, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Current developments demonstrate the consequences of the breakdown of diplomacy and it is now critically urgent to stabilize the situation and restore peace, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Sunday on Israel-Iran tensions. "We call on all parties to exercise utmost restraint and move towards de-escalation," the ministry said in a statement, adding that Pakistan is watching with deep concern the ongoing developments in the Middle East. For months, Pakistan has underlined the necessity of international efforts to prevent the expansion of hostilities in the region and for a ceasefire in Gaza, it added. Pakistan had pointed to the dangers of the attack on an Iranian consular office in Syria as a major escalation in an already volatile region, according to the statement. * Israel has been on high alert over the past few days following Iranian threats to retaliate for an airstrike on the Iranian consular building in Damascus, capital of Syria, on April 1, which killed seven Iranians, including two military commanders. Iran blames the attack on Israel. * After Iran's attack, U.S. President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call on Saturday night that the United States will oppose any Israeli counterattack against Iran. * As Iran launches direct attacks on Israel, analysts worry that the security landscape in the Middle East could be on the precipice of further deterioration. Israeli air defense system launches to intercept missiles in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 14, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) JERUSALEM/TEHRAN, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Iran and allied armed groups launched coordinated drone and missile strikes on Israel late Saturday night in retaliation for a deadly assault on the Iranian consulate in Syria about two weeks ago. The escalation has further heightened fears of a wider regional war as a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip remains elusive. Hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones launched from Iran triggered sirens in Jerusalem, the Negev Desert, the Dead Sea in the south, the Golan Heights in the north, and the West Bank. Massive explosions were heard in Jerusalem and other parts of Israel as Iranian drones and missiles were intercepted, according to Xinhua correspondents in Jerusalem and local witnesses. During a press briefing, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israel intercepted the majority of the missiles and drones launched towards its territory. As Iran launched drones and missiles toward Israel, Hezbollah in Lebanon fired rockets at Israeli barracks in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, and the Houthis in Yemen launched drones toward Israeli targets. Israel's Maged David Adom rescue service said in a statement that a 10-year-old boy was seriously injured in a Beduin village in the Negev. A projectile or parts of a projectile fell near Umm Al Fahm, an Arab city in northern Israel, causing no injuries. After Iran's attack, U.S. President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call on Saturday night that the United States will oppose any Israeli counterattack against Iran, U.S. news portal Axios reported, citing a senior White House official. Biden also said that he would convene leaders of the Group of Seven countries on Sunday to coordinate a "united diplomatic response" to the attack. ESCALATING IRAN-ISRAEL TENSION Israel has been on high alert over the past few days following Iranian threats to retaliate for an airstrike on the Iranian consular building in Damascus, capital of Syria, on April 1, which killed seven Iranians, including two military commanders. Iran blames the attack on Israel. Ahead of the anticipated Iranian attack, Israeli authorities took precautionary measures by closing schools, advising citizens to stay near shelters, and activating air defenses to counter potential threats. This photo released by Israel's Government Press Office on April 14, 2024 shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attending a meeting of wartime cabinet at Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Xinhua) Following Iran's attack on Saturday, Netanyahu convened the war cabinet at military headquarters in Tel Aviv, his office confirmed. Israel is planning to launch a "significant response" to the Iranian aerial attack, the nation's state-owned Kan TV news reported early Sunday, citing an anonymous senior Israeli official. "The fact that Iran fires for the first time from its territory at Israel requires a significant response. It will come soon," the official said. In response to the drone and missile attacks by Iran, the United States has pledged unwavering support for Israel. Calling it a conflict between Iran and Israel, Iran's mission to the United Nations warned the United States to stay away. Iran also warned of a "firm response" to any country that opens its airspace or territory for Israeli attacks. "PANDORA'S BOX" The latest flare-up has intensified concerns of a wider war in a region already embroiled in the six-month-old Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Since the outbreak of the conflict in October last year, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and resistance groups in Iraq have launched attacks on targets associated with Israel. As Iran launches direct attacks on Israel, analysts worry that the security landscape in the Middle East could be on the precipice of further deterioration. The latest development is transforming "the years-long 'shadow war' between Israel and Iran into an open and all-out regional conflict," according to a report by the International Crisis Group, a global think tank based in Belgium. This combo photo taken on April 13, 2024 shows people demonstrating in front of the Israeli Defense Ministry (above); and the empty road in front of the Israeli Defense Ministry after Israeli authorities released a safety warning on the same day, in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Xinhua/Chen Junqing) Before this round of strikes began, both Iran and Israel had prepared for an escalation. Earlier this month, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held an online meeting with Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, vowing to intensify attacks against Israel. Iran's strike against Israel "could be it, but it could be that this is a prelude to a bigger attack," said Alex Rossi, an analyst from Sky News, stressing that the attack could "set off a chain of events" leading to a wider conflict. Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, said that given Israel's anticipated forceful retaliation, such a move "has a high potential to trigger a full-scale, region-wide war." Apart from Israel's retaliatory strikes, another factor that could precipitate a worsening trend is the intervention of the United States. Washington has promised Israel "ironclad" support, and already rushed U.S. warships into position to protect Israel. On Friday, U.S. Central Command Commander Michael Erik Kurilla attended a situational assessment meeting with commanders of the IDF in Tel Aviv. "Washington is unlikely to sit idly by," analyzed the International Crisis Group, noting that Iran's attack "could quickly spark a wider confrontation involving each side's respective allies." "We are at the beginning of a unique and unprecedented event whose results are difficult to see," Danny Citrinowicz, a fellow at the Israel Institute for National Security Studies, said on social media platform X. (Video reporters: Zhang Tianlang, Chen Junqing, Jamal Awad, Wang Zhuolun, He Yiping; video editors: Zheng Xin, Mu Xuyao, Zhang Yucheng) GENEVA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Volker Turk, the UN human rights chief, has called on influential states to prevent any further worsening of the already highly delicate situation between Iran and Israel. In a statement issued on Sunday, Turk expressed deep concerns over the potential humanitarian and human rights fallout of this escalation and urged all parties involved to take immediate measures to de-escalate the situation. He called upon third-party states, "in particular those with influence, to do all in their power to ensure there is no further deterioration in an already extremely precarious situation." He criticized the assaults carried out by Iran on Israel, stating that these missile and drone attacks could result in serious harm extending beyond military objectives and endangering civilians. He emphasized the importance of all parties adhering to their responsibilities outlined in international humanitarian and human rights laws. Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations said Saturday the country's military action against Israel was based on Article 51 of the UN Charter regarding the legitimate right to self-defense and in response to the deadly Israeli attack against the Iranian consulate in Syria, the official news agency IRNA reported Sunday. GAZA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said on Sunday that Iran's attack against Israel overnight was "a natural right" to defend the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria. "The military operation carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Israel is a natural right and a deserved response to the crime of targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus and assassinating a number of Revolutionary Guard leaders there," the movement said in a press statement. Meanwhile, Hamas called on the Arab and Islamic nations and people of the world to continue to support the right of the Palestinian people to pursue freedom and independence and to establish the Palestinian state. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed Saturday night that it launched dozens of missiles and drones against Israel. Israel has been on heightened alert over the past few days following Iranian threats to retaliate against the Israeli airstrike on its consular building in the Syrian capital Damascus on April 1, which killed seven Iranian officials, including two veteran commanders. KCP elucidates geostrategic factors | IMPHAL, Apr 14: The banned outfit KCP has elucidated the geopolitical and geostrategic factors which have been allegedly prolonging the violent conflict between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. A statement issued by KCP politburo standing committee chairman Ibungo Ngangom asserted, It is also beyond any doubt that the systematic prolongation of the ongoing violent conflict between the Meetei/Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities has a number of geopolitical and geostrategic factors, owing to which the Government of India has not only remained a mute spectator, but also turned a blind eye to all the evil activities and designs of the Kuki-Zo narco-terrorist elements. The Government of India is fully aware of the fact that the success of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, which also carries geostrategic ramifications for India, is now heavily dependent on the 'overall cooperation' of certain Myanmar-based armed insurgent groups sharing close ethnic and ideological ties with the Kuki-Zo community in India, it said. Moreover, with the military junta in Myanmar now confronted with an existential challenge, the Government of India cannot just afford to underestimate the importance of such Myanmar-based armed insurgent groups in denying China, India's arch rival, a direct access to the Bay of Bengal, which is apparently the ultimate military goal in terms of its India encirclement policy, it said. So despite the fact that the vast majority of the Meetei/Meitei community are officially considered Hindus and almost the entire Kuki-Zo people are Christians, the 'all-powerful' Hindutva-driven Government at the Centre has had to develop and deploy an apparently pro-Kuki strategy in response to the ongoing inter-communal conflict in Kangleipak as anything to the contrary is bound to have adverse economic and geostrategic implications for India in the Kuki-Chin-Zo regions of Myanmar, Ibungo Ngangom said. Despite the multitude of external factors in the ongoing inter-communal conflict in Kangleipak, an effective and meaningful resolution can only emerge from an honest and direct dialogue between the two warring communities, he continued. It is extremely important that the civil society organisations of both the warring communities accept how hard and difficult life has become for the general populace of both the communities since May 3, 2023 so that the ice can be broken with the acceptance of that critical fact, according to the KCP leaders statement. It asserted that the two communities have to meaningfully address each other's genuine concerns. If the Meetei/Meitei community feels the need to seek a fair correction of the skewed land distribution among different communities in Kangleipak, there cannot be any justification whatsoever for other communities to even feel threatened by or oppose it. Today the Meetei/Meitei community remains demographically and economically hemmed in within the small valley of Kangleipak, notwithstanding the fact that it has a recorded history of over 2000 years of existence as the predominant community of the land. So it is humanly natural for the Meetei/Meitei community to strive to break the unjustified 'constitutional' barriers erected in the wake of the Indian annexation of Kangleipak in 1949 and regain its access to the hills of Kangleipak, it said. It is also important to note that the Kuki-Zo community in Kangleipak are not supposed to oppose any rightful demands of the Meetei/Meitei community just for the sake of opposing or on the pretext of being an economically backward tribal community, all the more so because there are more poor Meeteis/Meiteis in Kangleipak today than the actual bonafide Kuki-Zo population of Kangleipak, i.e. those who arrived in Kangleipak before 25 October 1949, which, if assessed on the average decadal population growth rate, should be around 16% of the total population of Kangleipak. So both the warring communities have to accept that the ongoing conflict cannot be meaningfully resolved without first swallowing the relevant truth no matter how bitter it may be. Every community has to prioritise peaceful coexistence, which should also involve helping address each other's genuine concerns and achieve rightful aspirations. In the context of the ongoing inter-communal conflict in Kangleipak, the Kuki-Zo narco-terrorist elements have apparently had an upper hand in the cyberspace because they most likely had a comprehensive plan to dominate the cyberspace and do whatever possible to demonize and discredit the Meetei/Meitei community there with the help of self-seeking pseudo-intellectuals, journalists and professional content managers. So in order to effectively counter the anti-Meetei/Meitei propaganda in the cyberspace, there has to be an unrelenting coordinated cyber campaign at community level, it said. Though the Meeteis/Meiteis have often been blamed for barbaric acts in the ongoing inter-communal conflict, many unthinkable acts of barbarism on the part of the armed Kuki-Zo elements have already come to the fore. Yet, the Meeteis/Meiteis should never try to match or surpass the Kuki-Zo community in the area of barbarism, it continued. In the course of the ongoing inter-communal conflict and also in the face of extreme provocation, my comrades have never targeted, hurt or killed any unarmed civilians of the Kuki-Zo community, or destroyed their properties, for that matter. However, the KCP will continue to hunt for the Kuki-Zo narco-terrorist elements until they are completely wiped out from the sacred soil of Kangleipak, Ibungo said. When the Meetei/Meitei community has come to be confronted with an existential threat, there are also some Meetei/Meitei trade and transport syndicates who have consciously acted against the non-negotiable interests of their own community just for the sake of their personal monetary gains. These anti-community syndicates have actually become a major regular source of funds for many organisations, including Kuki-Zo narco-terrorist groups. What is even more unfortunate is the fact they regularly pay the ethnicity-based groups like the NSCN(IM) multiple times more than the organisations representing Kangleipak as a whole. For example, the betel leave syndicate annually pays over 10 crore rupees to the NSCN(IM) alone just to be allowed to transport its betel leave consignments through the latter's strongholds. This is just one example. There are also numerous other basic commodities like cement, oil and even food supplies, for the transport of which such trade and transport syndicates pay those ethnicity-based organisations and make them even more and more powerful at the cost of the people of Kangleipak. What is even more unfortunate is the fact that the government of the day has apparently been hand in glove with these ethnicity-based groups, all of which are in one or the other format of talk with the Government of India. Considering all the diabolical realities around the existence of these trade and transport syndicates, the KCP will now start handling these self-seeking syndicates with an iron hand, the chairman added. A Review of Milk of Paradise : A History of Opium | Kongbrailatpam Rajeshwar SharmaContd from last SaturdayUnder the leadership of Robert Clive, the East India Company not only took control of Bengal after defeating the Nawab of Bengal in the Battle of Plassey but it also placed Britain in control of the major opium-growing regions of Patna, Benares, Behar and Malwa. Moreover the Indian cotton and opium were in high demand in China. So the British East India Company established in Canton an equitable trade exchange. In her book, Lucy Inglis writes It was the beginning of a trade exchange that had disastrous results for China.Milk of Paradise: A History of Opium is divided into three parts. In the third part of her book, Lucy Inglis dwells on heroin the most successful illegal synthetic drug that emerged out of a research laboratory as another avatar of opium. Half a century after Freiderich Wilhelm Serturner, a German chemist discovered the active substance Morphium from opium latex in 1817, the conception of heroin began at St. Marys Hospital in London, where two young chemists worked together to find a form of painkiller that wasnt as addictive as morphine. Augustus Matthiessen, one of the two chemists, committed suicide in 1870 before they could synthesize the drug. In spite of the death of his colleague, Charles Romley Alder Wright, the other chemist, continued working alone. In 1874 he was able to synthesize diacetylmorphine which is popularly known as heroin. However F.M Pierce, a London doctor who tested the synthesized drug, failed to make comparative tests with standard morphine, so diacetylmorphine didnt seem any more or less effective, and was thus discarded as yet another failure.In 1898 at Bayer, a German pharmaceutical company, a research chemist named Heinrich Dreser who is often creditedwronglywith the invention of heroin published two papers on the pharmacology of derivatives and the other on the effect of some morphine derivatives on respiration It revealed that he had been looking for a drug, specifically, in the diacetylmorphine experiments, that would treat advanced lung disease. To his surprise, it was found from studies on sufferers that diacetylmorphine really did stop them coughing, made them feel calm, and as a sedative, helped them get a good nights sleep With the success of the synthesized drug in the treatment of TB patients, Dreser named his companys diacetylmorphine preparation as diamorphine which was given the brand name Heroin. It was then put in for patent and granted in 1899.On the other side of the Atlantic, the American Civil War (1861 to 1865) had left 620,000 men dead and thousands wounded. During the war, the Union Army issued almost 10 million opium pills and 2.841 million ounces of other opiates in 1865 to help the wounded soldiers reduce their excruciating pains.Subsequently in the years that followed, it was noticed that there was a striking rise in the number of morphine addicts among the war veterans many of whom had been administered opium pills or morphine to relieve pain in the amputation of their limbs. Morphine addiction was so widespread and common among the war veterans that it came to be known as the army disease.The scourge of morphine and heroin addiction persists till date. After diacetylmorphine or heroin was synthesized in 1874, the term narcomanias was introduced to refer to the heroin addicts. Heroin addictions and deaths due to overdose were more often reported in America than not in late 19th century. In 1903 a London junior doctor, Sophie Frances Hickman was found dead in Richmond Park next to intravenous morphine paraphernalia. During the Vietnam War in the early seventies of the 20th century, a report to the Congress claimed that 15 per cent of US troops serving in Vietnam were addicted to drugs, especially heroin. The report prompted President Richard Nixon to announce a new offensive on drug trade at a press conference. In 1971 the notorious phrase the Golden Triangle was coined by Vice Secretary of State Marshall Green to refer to the triangle of Laos, Burma and Thailand, where more than 1000 tons of raw opium were harvested every year by 1968-69.Although Milk of Paradise: A History of Opium is exhaustive in providing detailed information with regard to opium and poppy, Lucy Inglis, its author, does not make any reference to the extension of the Golden Triangle towards the West along the India-Myanmar border. Nor does she mention about the Burmese drug lord Khun Sa who controlled nearly 70 per cent of worlds heroin supply. However Lucy Inglis writes as well about the alleged involvement of CIA in the drug trade. She writes, Nevertheless, there is the inescapable fact that it (CIA) was present and using Air America as a front, dealing with the Hmong who used opiates as hard currency, and hence in all likelihood the US was involved in establishing the Golden Triangle on which President Nixon declared war on 17 June 1971. Since then there has been no winner but drug lords.**K. Rajeshwar Sharma is a freelancer. You can reach him at [email protected] Fundamental points to be kept in mind Test of peoples character | The eruption of violence after a lull of some time should more than indicate that what Manipur now needs is some voice of sanity that may be effectively conveyed to the outside world and this is where the importance of the coming Lok Sabha elections should be clear. It is not the contesting narratives that one is interested in seeing either in print or otherwise, but the fact that Manipur has been bleeding for nearly a year now and Delhi or rather Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to remain silent, a silence that borders more on indifference. The need now is to send someone to the lower House of Parliament, someone who can tell the story of Manipur not only on the floor of Parliament but also outside the House and this reality should be kept in mind while making up ones mind on which button to push on the EVM come April 19. There is a reason why elections are held and there is a reason why Manipur needs to elect the right person to represent the people in the highest decision making body in the country. A point which should be acknowledged and accordingly acted upon. For too long Manipur has been sending inept personalities to Parliament and now is the time to change this. What should matter most is whether people are ready to go in for the needed change and send someone who can present the case of Manipur effectively. This is where people also need to look beyond the obvious and try to understand the pattern behind the violence and accordingly act upon it and perhaps the best opportunity for the people speak out their stand is on April 19. That this is going to be the most important date for the people need not be overstressed, and the crucial question is whether the people have realised and acknowledged this or not. This is the time for the people to strike a stand and the best medium to speak ones position and mind is the EVM. The power of the ballot, a fact which the people should keep in mind while exercising their choice on April 19. As noted in an earlier commentary here, the 2024 Parliamentary election is a sharp departure from the earlier such elections held for it has come amid the ongoing clash and when the idea of Manipur has been challenged so nonchalantly. And this challenge to the understanding of Manipur as a distinct geo- political reality should be seen and understood beyond the call of a Separate Administration. In short the idea of Manipur should be understood as a Manipur where people of different communities reside and one has to delve a little deeper to understand the pattern of violence amid the ongoing clash. Is there something which has allowed the violence to linger on for nearly one year now ? Why and how the Tribal Solidarity March of May 3, 2023 was allowed to be staged in the first place ? Were not the ugly happenings at Churachandpur just a few days before May 3 of 2023 enough of a pointer of the charged atmosphere at the said district ? How did armed elements come to participate in the Tribal Solidarity March ? Who lit the first match stick that set on fire the houses of so many civilians at Torbung and later at Churachandpur ? Why did the violence erupt only at Churachand-pur and soon spread to Kangpokpi and Moreh ? Was the rally in any way related to the directive of the High Court of Manipur to Imphal to send the report that the Meiteis be included in the ST list ? Can the Judiciary decide whether a community fits the bill to be tagged a Scheduled Tribe ? No answer has been forthcoming on why civilian houses were first targeted at Torbung and Churachandpur. No one has bothered to question why the rally ended peacefully at the Naga dominated districts but wound up violently at Churachandpur. Or if the people of Churachandpur had any grievances against the Government, why were civilians targeted ? Shouldnt the protest be against the policies and programmes of the Government ? These questions will keep hanging in the air, as in the past 11 months, and to come anywhere near to the answers, the people have to vote wisely and with a conscience keeping the situation in mind. It is not only the candidates whose fate will be sealed on April 19 and April 26, but also the fate of Manipur to a large extent. These points should be kept in mind while casting ones vote. The test of character of the people starts now. Israel plans to launch a "significant response" to the Iranian aerial attack against it, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported on Sunday, citing an anonymous senior Israeli official. #XinhuaNews A fire broke out in the slums around Dum Dums Sudhir Shur College area this afternoon. Explosions were heard in succession. The incident of fire broke out suddenly in the slum in the Chatakol area of Dum Dum. The entire area is covered in black smoke. Along with that, the sound of explosions can be heard from far away. Former Dum Dum Lok Sabha MP and current Trinamul Congress candidate Sougata Roy and CPM candidate Sujan Chakraborty reached the spot to help the distressed persons. As soon as the news of the fire was received, multiple engines from the fire department rushed to the scene. As soon as the fire was noticed, locals came forward first extending their help. They started pumping water from the nearby canal to douse the fire. According to the latest news, 10 engines from the fire department were rushed to the spot. Due to the area being congested, the fire fighters had difficulty in navigating the area. On the other hand, several huts were gutted in flames. The intensity of the fire was such that it quickly spread to the surrounding areas. Locals also helped the firefighters to extinguish the fire. It is not yet clear how the fire started. Advertisement According to locals, this fire occurred due to a gas cylinder explosion. Casualties, if any and the extent of the damage could not be ascertained. Mr Roy said that the state government will help them with their rehabilitation. Around 50 huts were gutted. Fire minister Sujit Bose said that as the area is very congested, firefighters had to face hurdles in rescue operations. He said that the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. CPM leader Mr Chakraborty demanded a thorough probe into the incident. It is of prime importance to extinguish the fire. The cause can be investigated later. A fire department official said that inflammable articles were stocked in the area, leading the fire to spread rapidly. Observed as Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Rongali Bihu in Assam, Vaisakhi in Haryana, Punjab, and various Northern states, Poila Baisakh in West Bengal occupies a central place in the hearts of the Bengali community. Poila Baisakh, derived from Poila (first) and Baisakh (the first month of the Bengali calendar), commemorates the onset of the Bengali New Year or Noboborsho and is characterized by a day replete with traditions, ritualistic practices, cultural events, and sumptuous feasts. This year, the Bengali New Year falls on April 14, a Sunday, and the entire state is gearing up to celebrate with great enthusiasm. However, what truly heralds the commencement of this Bengali New Year is the Choitro sale, occurring a few days prior to Poila Baisakh. Characterized by substantial discounts on a wide array of items, the Choitro sale (Choitro being the last month in the Bengali calendar) signals a clearance sale. For Bengalis, Poila Baisakh commences with rising at dawn, adorning new sarees and kurtas, and seeking blessings from the elders. Meanwhile, for businesses, the festival is marked by queuing up at temples to have their halkatha blessed or by conducting Ganesh and Lakshmi puja at their establishments or homes. Halkatha refers to the opening of new business ledger or account books on the auspicious first day of the Bengali New Year, accompanied by prayers for wealth, prosperity, health, and general well-being. Opening a new halkatha on the auspicious day of Poila Baisakh is believed to be auspicious, bringing good fortune and prosperity to any business. Advertisement People also throng to renowned temples such as Dakshineswar, Lake Kalibari, Kalighat, and Belur Math to seek blessings and embark on the New Year with fresh beginnings. Poila Baisakh revolves around spending the day in grandeur and indulging in elaborate meals. Bengali households are often seen preparing a lavish spread comprising authentic Bengali delicacies. In recent times, Kolkata restaurants specializing in Bengali cuisine have introduced Poila Baisakh special thalis, celebrating the rich culture and gastronomical extravaganza of West Bengal. Malika Banerjee, a PhD scholar, remarks, Poila Baisakh is synonymous with family time. Its the opulent Bengali feast and the thrill of venturing out in the evening to various shops to collect sweet packets that make it truly memorable. During the evenings, families partake in cultural events, but what truly adds to the charm of this day is the bustling crowds visiting different shops to partake in the festivities and conclude the day on a sweet note by receiving sweet packets and Bengali calendars from the shops and traders. Gunfire rang out in the quiet early hours of Sunday as two unidentified individuals on bikes unleashed a flurry of bullets outside the iconic Galaxy Apartments in Mumbais Bandra area, home to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. The incident, shrouded in mystery, sent shockwaves through the neighborhood, prompting an immediate tightening of security around the actors residence. Reports indicate that the assailants fired four rounds before swiftly disappearing into the night, leaving behind a scene of chaos and fear. The Mumbai police wasted no time in launching a comprehensive investigation, with both the crime branch and local authorities swiftly mobilizing to the scene. Forensic experts were promptly deployed to gather crucial evidence amidst heightened concerns for the safety of Salman Khan and his family. This alarming incident is not the first time Salman Khan has been targeted. The actor has been the recipient of death threats in the past, prompting authorities to provide him with Y+ category security. In a bid to fortify his defenses, Khan even invested in a bulletproof Nissan SUV, underscoring the persistent dangers lurking in the shadows. Advertisement In a chilling reminder of previous threats, the firing outside Khans residence echoes similar acts of intimidation directed towards the Bollywood luminary. In March 2023, Khan found himself the target of a menacing email, which prompted Mumbai police to pursue gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar in connection with the threat. The latest attack has once again reignited concerns for Khans safety, with law enforcement agencies leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of justice. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act, signaling the gravity of the situation. As the investigation intensifies, authorities have revealed startling details suggesting the shooters may hail from outside Maharashtra. With a sizable police contingent deployed and top officials, including Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Lakhmi Gautam and renowned encounter specialist Daya Nayak, leading the charge, the hunt for the perpetrators is in full swing. In the aftermath of this brazen assault, the Bollywood fraternity stands united in solidarity with Salman Khan, underscoring the need for greater vigilance and security measures in an industry perennially besieged by threats and uncertainties. As dawn breaks over a city grappling with yet another brush with violence, the quest for answers continues unabated, driven by a collective determination to uphold justice and ensure the safety of all. Accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of creating a constitutional crisis in the national capital, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri on Sunday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Chief Minister Kejriwal is currently in Tihar Jail under judicial custody. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. After Chief Minister Kejriwal went to jail, the situation has arisen that a minister is resigning and his resignation is not being accepted. In the absence of the Chief Minister, other important works have come to a halt. Even the cabinet meeting is not taking place, the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly said. Advertisement The Aam Aadmi Party is adamant that Kejriwal will run the government from jail itself. At the time of this constitutional crisis, many apprehensions are arising in the minds of the public, Bidhuri said. He said the current situation in Delhi is unprecedented because it has never happened that a Chief Minister is insisting on running the government from jail. Therefore, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is advised to resign, Bidhuri said. Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has assured the public that no subsidy scheme of the Delhi Government will be stopped. Electricity, water and other schemes will continue as these schemes are part of the budget approved by the Government of India and the L-G. After becoming a part of the budget, it does not become the inheritance of any person or political party, Bidhuri added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday released the Bharatiya Janata Partys poll manifesto called Sankalp Patra at party headquarters in New Delhi. Speaking at the manifesto launch event, Modi said BJPs manifesto will empower all the four strong pillars of developed India Youth, women, poor and farmers. Claiming that the saffron party implemented every point of its manifesto as a guarantee on the ground, Modi said the BJP would implement Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across the country if elected to power for the third straight term. Advertisement He also promised that the free ration scheme will continue for the next five years if he retains power. Below are the key highlights of BJPs poll manifesto: 1. People above 75 years of age and transgenders will be brought under the purview of Ayushman Bharat Yojna. 2.The limit of loans under MUDRA Yojana will be increased to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 10 lakh. 3. If re-elected, the BJP will expand the Vande Bharat Trains to every corner of the country. Three models of Vande Bharat train Vande Bharat Sleeper, Vande Bharat Chair Car and Vande Bharat Metro will run across the country. 4. The BJP will work towards realising the idea of One Nation, One Election in the next five years. A committee to explore the possibilities of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls has already submitted its report. 5. PM Modi said that Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is necessary in the interest of the country and the BJP will bring the UCC. 6. PM Modi said that in the next five years, the BJP will work towards reducing the electricity bills of crores of families to zero. A solar rooftop scheme in this regard has already been announced. 7. Modi said that the BJP will strengthen the foundation of 21st century India through three kinds of infrastructure 1) social infrastructure, 2) digital infrastructure, 3) physical infrastructure. 8. The BJP has also announced expansion of PM Awas Yojna, and PM Ujjwala Yojna to ensure the poor are provided with quality housing and clean cooking gas. 9. The saffron party said that it will work with the state governments to facilitate sacred pilgrimage for senior citizens. 10. The party has also promised to promote start-up ecosystem in tier -2 and tier -3 cities to generate high-value employment opportunities. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released its poll manifesto called Sankalp Patra at party headquarters in New Delhi. The saffron partys manifesto was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This comes eight days after the principal opposition Congress announced its Nyay Patra for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. While the main element in the BJP manifesto is Modi ki Guarantee, the Congress partys Nyay Patra is centred around work wealth and welfare. Advertisement Now that the manifestos of the BJP and the Congress are out, we bring you the major poll planks of both the parties. Below are the key promises of BJP and Congress: BJP on jobs: The saffron party has promised to make Bharat a global manufacturing hub and enhance employment in this crucial sector. The BJP said that unprecedented investment in infrastructure has created a large number of employment opportunities. We will continue this investment for employment growth, the BJP Sankalp Patra promised. Besides, the BJP has also promised to create employment opportunities in tourism and several other sectors. It also said that government vacancies will be filled in a time bound and transparent manner. Congress on jobs: The Congress party has promised a new Right to Apprenticeship Act to provide a one year apprenticeship with a private or a public sector company to every diploma holder or college graduate below the age of 25. Apprentices will get 1 lakh a year. It will also provide fast-track courts to adjudicate cases of leaking question papers for job examinations and provide monetary compensation to the victims. The grand old party has also promised to fill the nearly 30 lakh vacancies in sanctioned posts at various levels in the central government. Congress will restructure the Fund of Funds Scheme for start-ups and allocate 50 per cent of the available fund, as far as possible equally among all districts, for providing funds to youth below 40 years of age to start their own businesses and generate employment. BJP on women: In its manifesto, the saffron party said that it will empower three crore rural women to become Lakhpati Didis. We will empower women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with the skills and tools in key service sectors like IT, healthcare, education, retail and tourism with an aim to increase their income and integrate women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with ongoing initiatives such as One District One Product (ODOP), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Ekta Mall, ONDC, GEM, One Station One Product, enhancing better market access for their products. The BJP has also promised to ensure development of infrastructure such as working womens hostels, creches etc. with the specific focus on locations near industrial and commercial centres to facilitate increased participation of women in the workforce. Strengthening 112 women helpline and ensuring participation of women in Parliament and state assemblies are also among the BJPs key announcements on women welfare. Congress on women: The Opposition Congress has resolved to launch a Mahalakshmi scheme to provide 1 lakh per year to every poor Indian family as an unconditional cash transfer. The Congress has also promised 50 per cent reservation for women in Central government jobs. It has also promised to double the salaries of Asha, Anganwadi and mid-day meal cooks. The grand old party has also promised to implement same work, same wages in order to prevent discrimination in wages for women. BJP on health: BJP will strengthen our network of AIIMS to provide quality healthcare across the country. The saffron party has also promised to increase the number of UG and PG seats in medical education. PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission) further expand for robust health care. Congress on health: In its poll manifesto, the Congress promised that healthcare will be universal and free in public health centres such as hospitals, clinics, primary health centres, mobile healthcare units, dispensaries and health camps. The Rajasthan Model of cashless insurance up to 25 lakhs will be adopted for universal healthcare. Primary Health Centres (PHC) will be upgraded according to Indian Public Health Standards norms, and diagnostics will be added in each PHC. BJP on farmers: Strengthening PM KISAN We are providing annual nancial assistance of 6,000 under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. We are committed to sustained nancial support for our farmers. Strengthening PM Fasal Bima Yojana We will further strengthen the PM Fasal Bima Yojana through more technological interventions to ensure speedy and more accurate assessment, faster payouts and quicker grievance resolution. Increase in MSP: We have ensured an unprecedented increase in MSP for major crops, and we will continue to increase MSP from time to time. Congress on farmers: The party has promised to give a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) announced by the government every year, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission. The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) will be made a statutory body. MSP payable to the farmer-seller at the procurement centres and APMCs will be directly credited digitally to the bank account of the farmer. BJP on education: In its manifesto, the BJP said, 7 IITs, 16 IIITs, 7 IIMs, 15 AIIMS, 315 Medical Colleges and 390 universities have been set-up in the past decade. We are committed to strengthening these institutes and further increasing the number of institutions of higher learning. We will continue to upgrade the existing institutions through focused funding, capacity building, infrastructure upgradation and dedicated research grants. It has also promised to implement the One Nation, One Student ID through the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) to store academic qualications, credit scores and certicates, among others for students from pre-primary to higher education. Congress on education: The party has promised to amend the RTE Act to make education from Class I to Class XII in public schools compulsory and free. It has also announced plans to revisit and amend the New Education Policy. For greater equity, affordability and transparency in school fees charged by private schools, we will encourage state governments to establish fee regulation committees, the Congress announced. The smoke caused by an Israeli strike can be seen in Marjeyoun, Lebanon, on April 14, 2024. A Lebanese civilian was killed, and five others injured early Sunday morning in Israeli air strikes on a village in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese military sources. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua) BEIRUT, April 14 (Xinhua) -- A Lebanese civilian was killed, and five others injured early Sunday morning in Israeli air strikes on a village in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese military sources. The military sources told Xinhua that the Israeli airstrikes on the southeastern village of Khiam also led to the destruction of three houses and damage to 13 others. According to the sources, Israel carried out 10 air strikes on seven border towns and villages in the eastern and central sectors, and fired 50 shells on 12 towns and villages in the eastern, central, and western sectors of the border region in southern Lebanon. It said the raids also targeted Hezbollah sites in the Jabal Safi area, while Hezbollah said its fighters attacked several Israeli sites. The sources also told Xinhua that they monitored the launching of about 45 surface-to-surface missiles from Lebanon at northern Israel, some of which were responded by Israeli Iron Dome missiles. Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. In response, Israel retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. The smoke caused by an Israeli strike can be seen in Marjeyoun, Lebanon, on April 14, 2024. A Lebanese civilian was killed, and five others injured early Sunday morning in Israeli air strikes on a village in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese military sources. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua) The smoke caused by an Israeli strike can be seen in Marjeyoun, Lebanon, on April 14, 2024. A Lebanese civilian was killed, and five others injured early Sunday morning in Israeli air strikes on a village in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese military sources. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua) The smoke caused by an Israeli strike can be seen in Marjeyoun, Lebanon, on April 14, 2024. A Lebanese civilian was killed, and five others injured early Sunday morning in Israeli air strikes on a village in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese military sources. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua) With barely ten days left for the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala to go to the polls, on April 26, the election scene in the state is heating up with the Congress-led UDF, the CPI-M-headed LDF, and the BJP-led NDA intensifying their campaigns. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to campaign in Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram to give momentum to the BJPs campaign. Congress plans to deploy star campaigners like Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, while the CPI-M plans to bring in national leaders like Sitaram Yechury, Prakash Karat, and Brinda Karat to bolster its campaign. PM Modi will reach Kochi on Sunday night and will proceed to Kunnamkulam near Thrissur on Monday morning to address a rally there. BJP candidates from Alathur and Thrissur, Prof Sarassu and Suresh Gopi, respectively will attend the event. Advertisement After that, he will proceed to Thiruvananthapuram to address a poll rally at the Christian College ground in Kattakkada. BJP candidates from Thiruvananthapuram and Attingal, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and V Muraleedharan respectively will attend the event. The stakes are high for the UDF as it won 19 of the 20 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The LDF is in no better position as there is a strong anti-incumbency among the voters due to multiple reasons and the state facing unprecedented financial crisis. The LDF Government has been facing the wrath of the people as it failed to pay up social security pension on time, the salary of government employees being delayed, and pending DA instalments due to government employees. Subsidised grocery items are not being distributed through the Supply Co. outlets. The death of JS Sidharthan, a second-year veterinary student the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Pookode campus in Wayanad, inside hostel after brutal ragging and assault allegedly by the SFI leaders on February 18, the Panoor bomb blast, Karuvannur cooperative bank scam, the monthly pay off case against the chief ministers daughter Veena Vijayan and other corruption charges against the Pinarayi Vijayan government, including the Life Mission housing project kickback case have dented the image of the LDF Government. Knowing well that its government is facing massive anti-incumbency, the front leaders are trying to overcome it by raising the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) issue. The CAA notification has come as a blessing in disguise for the ruling CPI-M which has been facing massive anti-incumbency. With an eye on the minority votes, the LDF star campaigner, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has been harping on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and atrocities against Christians in Manipur and north Indian states in his election meetings across the state. The Congress and the CPI-M seemed to vie with each other to cash in on the growing fear that the CAA was patently anti-Muslim. They are competing with each other in wooing Muslims stating that we will protect your interest at any cost. The 2024 Lok Sabha polls are of paramount importance to the CPI-M as it has to defend its national party status based on its performance in these elections. Its tally has come down from 43 seats in 2004 LS polls to a paltry three now. If CPI-M fails to win 11 seats from no less than three states, it will lose its national party status and symbol. The UDF is hoping to ride the anti-incumbency sentiments against the Central and state governments. Its leaders have said the political situation in Kerala is in their favour now and therefore, the front would repeat its performance of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when it won 19 of the states 20 seats. The surveys conducted by many TV channels give an upper hand to the UDF. The BJP is intensifying its efforts to break its electoral dry spell in Kerala. It expects to win two or three of the Lok Sabha seats in the state this time and the party candidates have succeeded in making the contest in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Attingal, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Palakkad a three-cornered fight. Dallal Nandakumars bribery allegation against BJPs Pathanamthitta candidate Anil Antony, who is the son of veteran Congress leader AK Antony, may affect the BJPs prospects in Pathanamthitta. Many party workers believe Anil Antony was a wrong choice for Pathanamthitta. The situation would have been different had the BJP fielded PC George or Shone George there, they say. There is a general feeling among the noncommittal voters and also among party workers that the probe agencies under the Centre government have been soft towards Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI-M. That is the reason why the allegation against Chief Minister Vijayan in the gold smuggling, Dollar smuggling, and Life Mission cases have not been probed properly. The Lavlin case, involving CM Pinarayi Vijayan was adjourned more than 30 times in Supreme Court. Had the CBI taken some interest in the hearing of the case such adjournments would not have happened. They now expect that the probe into the monthly pay-off case, involving Pinarayi Vijayans daughter Veena and the Karuvannur cooperative bank scam, involving CPI-M leaders in Thrissur district will reach its logical conclusion. The BJP cadre is elated by the back-to-back visits of Prime Minister Modi to Kerala. They hope to win a few seats in the Lok Sabha polls banking on Modis influence. Massive attendance in his rallies and roadshows of is being interpreted as an indication of growing acceptance for Modi among Kerala voters. The Saga of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj organized at Patanjali University entered day six on Sunday. During the narration of the saga of the great Maratha king, Swami Govind Dev Giri Ji Maharaj said that even those who adhere to discipline can accomplish great tasks if they work in a planned manner. He said that no work should be done in haste and it should always be according to the plan. The British ruled India for 150 years mainly because of planning and discipline, he said, also adding the saga of Shivaji Maharaj depicts the history of betrayal. Advertisement There are many instances where valor, courage, deceit, betrayal, and treachery are depicted. Jijabais father and two brothers were betrayed and killed. Even Shivaji Maharajs elder brother Sambhaji Ji was betrayed by Afzal Khan, he said. How could Jijabais agony be calmed when she lost her father, brothers, and son? Afzal Khan had demolished the temple of Jagadamba Mata, which was a wound in Shivaji Maharajs heart. Along with Jijabai, the aspiration of the entire India was to crush these sinners. Shivaji Maharaj fulfilled Jijabais resolve by killing Afzal Khan. Just as Lord Rama killed Ravana and Lord Krishna killed Kansa, Shivaji Maharaj also destroyed Afzal Khan, Govind Dev Giri Maharaj added. On the ocassion, Yog Guru and Patanjali Yogpeeth founder Baba Ramdev said that when we look at the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the guardian of Sanatan Dharma, its propagator, and the initiator of national awakening, we see a great personality before us. From the birth of revered Maharaj to his firm determination for the Hindu Empire and his crusade against the Turks, Mughals, and cruel oppressors inspire everyones heart. Various aspects of this saga are presenting the revered Maharajs entire perspective and efforts in a very logical and practical manner among us, Ramdev added. He further said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj carried a huge goal along with Sanatan Dharma, the national religion, and did such immense efforts and valor that today there is no need for war in that form, but there is still an intellectual struggle against our cultural heritage, cultural struggle, economic warfare, political warfare, and social warfare going on all around us. To maintain our dignity in all aspects, we all need to organize ourselves against all those who make despicable efforts to undermine our glory and those evil forces that attack in a covert manner, he added. India on Sunday expressed serious concern over the escalating tension between Israel and Iran and called for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and returning to the path of diplomacy. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said, We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region. The MEA said, We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. Our Embassies in the region are in close touch with the Indian community. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region. Advertisement New Delhis comments came after Iran launched drone and missile attacks on Israel in retaliation for Israels bombing of the Iranian Embassy in Syria on April 1. Meanwhile, India is learnt to be in touch with Iran in the wake of the Islamic nation seizing an Israeli-linked vessel reportedly carrying 17 Indian sailors. One of the accused in the brutal killing of Indian national Sarabjit Singh in Kot Lakhpat jail in 2013 was gunned down by two unidentified assailants in Lahores Islampura area, Pakistani media reported on Sunday. According to the reports, Aamir Sarfaraz alias Tamba was shot at by two bike-borne assailants at his residence in Lahores Islampura. Later, he succumbed to his injuries. Tamba was among the key accused in the killing of Sarabjit Singh. However, he was acquitted by a Pakistani court after all the witnesses turned hostile. Advertisement Tamba, along with other inmates had attacked Sarabjit Singh with bricks and rod. He later died in the hospital on May 2, 2013. Singh, who was the resident of Bhikhiwind in Punjab, had mistakenly crossed over to Pakistan and was later sentenced to death over his alleged role in a 1990 bomb blast in the countrys Punjab province. Meanwhile, Tambas family has claimed that he had been receiving threats for some time. According to the family, two unidentified motorcyclists entered the house and opened fire on him. Police sources said that Sarfaraz was shot twice in the chest and twice in the legs. The law enforcement agencies have taken the body into custody and launched an investigation, Samaa TV reported. As the contest for the prestigious Udhampur Lok Sabha seat has touched its peak, National Conference (NC) leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah was on Sunday accorded a warm welcome when he reached Banihal and many other places to campaign for the Congress candidate Chaudhary Lal Singh. Polling for the seat will be held in the first phase on 19 April. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh is the BJP candidate for the seat that is witnessing a high-pitched campaign. Pradesh Congress chief Vikar Rasool Wani accompanied Abdullah and despite inclement weather a large number of people gathered raising slogans in favour of NC and Congress. The two leaders addressed a well attended election rally at Khari in Banihal. Advertisement Abdullah and Wani slammed the BJP for destroying the democratic system and indulging in divisive politics that has hit the pluralistic fabric of the country. They said that secularism alone can maintain unity and integrity of the country as well as that of Jammu and Kashmir. Rights of people have been snatched, resources looted and our Statehood downgraded to a Union Territory (UT), they said. Abdullah also addressed gatherings of a large number of people at Ramban and Batote. Thereafter, he proceeded to Doda where he is scheduled to address a series of election rallies in favour of the Congress candidate Chaudhary Lal Singh who is contesting against the Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who is the BJP candidate for the Udhampur seat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath have already campaigned for Dr Jitendra Singh. Although the NC and PDP, which are INDIA bloc partners, are pitched against each other on all the three Lok Sabha seats in the Kashmir valley, but both are supporting the Congress candidates on the two seats of Jammu. Although no senior leader of PDP has so far campaigned in favour of the two Congress candidates on the Jammu and Udhampur seats, NC chief Dr Farooq Abdullah has already addressed a series of election rallies for the Congress candidates on both seats. Besides Jammu, he held rallies also in parts of the Udhampur constituency. The NC enjoys considerable support in the Banihal, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar areas that are part of the Udhampur constituency. Omar Abdullah, who is himself contesting the election for north Kashmirs Baramulla seat, has come to the Jammu division to support the Congress candidates. Earlier, he said that The largest onslaught of Delhi we are seeing is in north Kashmir. My fight in north Kashmir is against proxies of the BJP. Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad, who has been announced the candidate for south Kashmirs Anantnag seat, is also busy campaigning in the Udhampur constituency in favour of his trusted lieutenant GM Saroori who is the party candidate there. With barely three days left for campaigning for the first phase of polls in Uttar Pradesh, the INDIA bloc of Opposition parties failed to hold a Congress-Samajwadi Party joint rally. Voting for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in the state is on April 19 in 8 seats. But so far, no rally or public meeting of any big Opposition leader from other states, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and other state leaders, has been scheduled to campaign in Western Uttar Pradesh. However, on the last day of campaigning on April 17, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is scheduled to hold a road show in Saharanpur in support of party candidate Imran Masood from Gol Kothi at 10 am. The Congress party is contesting elections in the state in alliance with the INDIA. However, in the first phase, the party is contesting only on one seat of Saharanpur. Advertisement Despite all the efforts, the party has not been able to organise even a single rally or meeting of any big leader in the first phase. The election campaign for the first phase has now reached its final stage. So far, no programme of a big leader has been organised in Western Uttar Pradesh. Whats more, no big leader of the party from other states has been able to come for campaigning. However, Chairman of the Partys Media Department, Dr. C P Rai said preparations are on for Priyanka Gandhis road show in the constituency Saharanpur on April 16 or 17. It is expected that soon the Central leadership will finalise his programme and that of other leaders. He said in the second phase, there would be meetings of many leaders, rallies and meetings with the leaders of the alliance. There may not be programmes of national leaders in Western UP. But the state Congress leaders have camped in the area. On the one hand, state in-charge Avinash Pandey is holding Lok Sabha-wise meeting and review. Besides, they are also holding meetings with public. State President Ajay Rai and Pramod Tiwari are reaching out to the public whereas the programme of public relation meetings of Brijlal Khabri, Naseemuddin Siddiqui and others were also on the card. Along with campaigning at the grassroots level, the party has also intensified the campaign on social media. On Sunday, the party prepared and released videos of different leaders on the issues of women, youth and farmers. Party leaders say that every day five to ten videos on major issues will be made and released. It will be delivered through various mediums as well as at the booth level. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday that the criminals and mafia fleeing his state cannot enter the Uttarakhand. He said those trying to come to the Devbhoomi will be eliminated before they plan to enter the hill state. Addressing three back-to-back election rallies in Srinagar, Roorkee, and Dehradun in favour of BJP candidates, the chief minister said people in Uttarakhand fear that the criminals and mafia fleeing from his state owing to the latters zero-tolerance policy might land up in the Himalayan state. Sometimes people tell me that your zero-tolerance policy and action against the mafia in Uttar Pradesh would result in their shifting bases to Uttarakhand. I replied to them that we wouldnt let that happen. The criminals and mafia will be sent to the gallows before they plan to move out from Uttar Pradesh, he asserted. Advertisement Yogi, one of the most sought-after Hindu faces of the BJP, said, Anyone trying to harass traders and daughters wont be spared come what may. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister added that Uttarakhand is witnessing an unparalleled coincidence of faith, heritage, and development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A railway track is being constructed between Rishikesh and Karnprayag. NIIT and medical college have been set up in Srinagar. Today, there is IIT, IIM, IIIT, and AIIMs along with a long chain of modern technology-based educational institutions being created in the Country. World-class universities are being set up in India while is not limited to the welfare schemes for social and economically weaker sections. He claimed that the 2024 election manifesto of the BJP promises three crore new houses to the economically weaker sections of society in the next three years. This is in addition to the four core houses already handed out to them in the last ten years. Yogi said, While 80 crore Indians are getting free ration, people in Pakistan are battling to get a single chapati. Pakistan is moving across the world with begging bowls. He attacked the Congress party, saying its leadership has no priority against Modis nation first approach. Youth was unemployed in their regime but today there are enough employments for them. Catesim was the Congress governments prime agenda but Modi has nationalism as the true spirit behind governance. They believed in the politics of appeasement. During the Congress regime, they said Muslims would have first right over the countrys resources but Modi says every citizen of India has equal rights over them. The prime minister is for appeasement of none, but for satisfaction of all, he added. It has long been held that embassies should be treated as off-limits to other nations. Yet in a single week, two governments both long-established democracies stand accused of violating, in different ways, the laws surrounding foreign diplomatic missions. First, on 1 April 2024, Irans embassy in Damascus was bombed, presumably by Israel, killing several high-ranking commanders of the Quds Force of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Then, on April 5, Ecuadorian police forced their way into the Mexican Embassy in Quito to arrest a former vice president of Ecuador who was seeking political asylum. Both actions have led to claims of international law violations and accusations that the Vienna Convention, which establishes the immunity of diplomatic missions, was contravened. As someone with a fair amount of knowledge of embassy life I have served as Chiles head of mission in China, India and South Africa and coedited The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy I believe the two incidents are of greater concern than much of the international community appears to be viewing them. Contrary to the famous quip from late businessman and presidential candidate Ross Perot, embassies are not just relics of the days of sailing ships. Rather, in an increasingly complex world where geopolitical conflict, mass migrations, pandemics and climate change require careful and stable diplomatic management, any incidents that erode the sanctity of embassy rules could have serious negative consequences. In short, they make for a more dangerous world. Of the two recent incidents, the Iranian embassy bombing is the more serious, as it involved the loss of life and resulted in warnings of retaliatory attacks. Yet, Western countries, leaders of which often voice concern over upholding the so-called rules-based order, have been reluctant to condemn the act. It was notable that the three liberal democracies on the U.N. Security Council the United States, the United Kingdom and France all refused to condemn the strike on Irans embassy when the issue came up before them. Israel, while not officially acknowledging responsibility, argued that the Iranian ambassadors residence was not really a diplomatic venue but a military building disguised as a civilian building. As such, to Israel it was a perfectly legitimate target. Advertisement But by this logic, nearly all embassies would be seen as fair game. Almost by definition, the vast majority of embassies particularly of the larger countries are populated with significant numbers of military and intelligence personnel. To suggest that for that reason embassies should lose their diplomatic immunity and become legitimate targets for armed attacks would bring the whole edifice of the Vienna Convention crashing down. And with it would come the structure on which worldwide formal diplomatic interactions are based. The case of Ecuador, though less serious because it did not involve loss of life, is a bit more complex and demands some unpacking. At the centre of the diplomatic spat between Ecuador and Mexico is former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, who served four years behind bars following a 2017 conviction on corruption charges. Glas is now facing trial on different charges, prompting his December 2023 application for asylum at the Mexican Embassy. Mexico accepted the request and conveyed this to the Ecuadorian government. The latter justified its decision to send police into the Mexican embassy on the grounds that it believes Glas cannot be granted political asylum as he is a convicted felon. There is some basis to this claim: Under the Organization of American States Convention on the Right to Asylum of 1954, political asylum cannot be given to convicted felons unless the charges behind such conviction are of a political nature. But at the same time, Article 21 of the Vienna Convention states that diplomatic missions enjoy full immunity and extraterritoriality, meaning the host government does not have the right to enter an embassy without the authorization of the head of mission. Ecuador argues that Mexico abused its diplomatic immunity, leaving it no option other than to send police in. Yet, here a crucial distinction needs to be made. Diplomatic immunity and the extraterritoriality of foreign missions are bedrock principles of the Vienna Convention. Political asylum is a separate matter that should be handled on its own. As such, if the Ecuadorian government considered Glas not to qualify for political asylum, it could have attempted to legally block the move or refuse safe passage for the asylumseeker to exit the embassy and leave the country. Mexico would have strong grounds to counter such measures, however, as according to the Convention on the Right to Asylum of 1954, it is up to the asylum-granting state to decide whether the case is politically motivated. Regardless of the merits of the asylum case, sending in the equivalent of a SWAT team to storm the embassy represents a deliberate violation of diplomatic norms. There is a long history of Latin America politicians seeking asylum who spent many years holed up in embassy buildings because governments would not grant them safe passage the most notable being Peruvian leader Victor Raul Haya de la Torre, who spent five years at the Colombian Embassy in Lima. Yet, with a few exceptions, not even in the darkest hour of Latin Americas military dictatorships in the 1960s and 1970s were police permitted to storm into embassy buildings to arrest asylum-seekers. And this highlights what makes Ecuadors actions especially worrisome. Precisely because of Latin Americas problems with political instability and a tradition of military coup, the laws surrounding political asylum and diplomatic immunity are necessary. Undermining the Vienna Convention in the way Ecuador has risks setting a precedent that other governments might be tempted to follow. Political asylum in Latin America has traditionally worked as a safety valve, allowing deposed leaders to get themselves out of harms way. Weakening the diplomatic structures in place supporting asylum will make the handling of democratic breakdowns more difficult. It also risks exacerbating regional disagreements. We are already seeing this with Mexico breaking relations with Ecuador as a result of the embassy raid. Of course, embassy violations are not unprecedented. Guatemalas dictatorship attacked the Spanish Embassy in Guatemala City in 1980, killing several asylum-seekers, including a former vice president. And Uruguays military government sent security forces into the Venezuelan Embassy in Montevideo in 1976 to arrest a left-wing militant who had sought asylum, leading to the breakdown of diplomatic relations between the two countries. But those events in the relatively distant past were widely and rightly condemned at the time as the product of authoritarian regimes with little regard for international conventions. The comparatively relaxed international attitude to the embassy violations by Israel and Ecuador reflects, I believe, a failure to grasp the significance of eroding diplomatic immunity and norms. As global challenges increase, embassies and their representatives become more important, not less so. If the takeaway from the two latest embassy incidents is that the protection of diplomatic premises can be secondary to whatever is politically expedient on any given day, then it will be of great detriment to the management of international relations. Diplomacy will become much more difficult. And given the enormity of the challenges the world faces today, that is the last thing any country needs. (The writer is Interim Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the LongerRange Future, Boston University. This article was published on www.theconversation.com) The southern State of Karnataka is preparing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, a momentous event. It will unfold in 28 constituencies over two phases on April 26 and May 7. The ruling Congress and the BJP-JD(S) are in a fierce battle. Past elections have left an indelible mark on Karnatakas political landscape, and this election has the potential to do the same, marking a pivotal moment in the states history. The election is a high-stakes contest between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance. While it is symbolic for BJPs re-entry, the Congress aims for a significant win, targeting 20 out of 28 seats. The Modi-led NDA is eyeing a clean sweep. The elections outcome carries significant implications, potentially shaping the future of ministers and their families. More importantly, it has the power to shape the lives of the people of Karnataka directly, influencing the policies and governance that will impact them. The polls hold significant stakes for all three parties. The BJP is striving to snatch Karnataka, a key part of its strategy to consolidate its regional power. On the other hand, Congress is fighting to safeguard the future of its government. The JD(S) views this election as a battle for survival. The BJPs campaign centres around Prime Minister Modi and his decade of achievements while highlighting the Congresss perceived failures. It is also promoting its pan-India agenda. On the other hand, the Congress is focusing on leading among SCs, STs, and Muslims. It has implemented five essential poll guarantees to address specific issues or concerns of the regions voters, demonstrating its commitment to their welfare. The BJP is trying to win the support of the Lingayats and Vokkaligas, two influential communities in Karnataka politics. Advertisement The Lingayats are influential in northern Karnataka, while the Vokkaligas have more control over the Old Mysore regions. Congress, a centrist-left party, is focusing on getting votes from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Muslims. SCs and STs live throughout the State, with a higher concentration in the Kalyana-Karnataka region. With its rich political history, Karnataka has been a stronghold of the Congress party for many years, even when other states did not support it. This historical significance is evident from the victories of Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, who both won seats in Karnataka. It has produced influential leaders such as Veerendra Patil, Devaraj Urs, and R Gundu Rao who have shaped Indian politics. To win Karnataka voters, the Congress government implemented five key poll guarantees that were promised last year. These promises, made during the election campaign, were designed to address specific concerns of voters. They included initiatives such as free bus rides for women, increased funding for education, and job creation. The BJP faces this election based on Modis ten years of achievement. The PM has toured the State several times and campaigned for BJP candidates. The party has also kept former chief minister Yediyurappa on its side by humouring him. Three pre-poll surveys predict conflicting results for Karnatakas upcoming elections. Edina predicts Congress will win 17 seats, and the BJP-JDS alliance will bag 11. News 18 forecasts NDA will win 25 seats, Congress only 3. India Today Group predicts NDA will win 24 seats with a 53 per cent vote share. The INDIA alliance is expected to secure only four seats with a 42 per cent vote share. The BJP and Congress are taking every step in Karnataka to win maximum seats. This is a strategic shift from the 2019 polls when Congress and JD(S) were allies. The BJPs move aims to secure the Vokkaliga vote in Old Mysore and tilt the election in its favour. The BJP has fielded a top cardiologist, a member of the Mysuru royal family, and an ex-chief Minister among its candidates. The Congress has many ministers relatives, and these candidates can impact the result. It has taken a risk by fielding family members of mighty politicians, thus playing into the narrative of dynastic politics. Rebel candidates from both parties could upset the overall outcome. For instance, senior leaders like former chief Minister Veerappa Moily needed to be given the seats they sought. The 2024 election is crucial for both parties. Since the BJP formed its first government in 2008, the toppling game has been ongoing, with money playing a significant role in luring legislators to shift loyalties. The voters must decide whether to vote for the Congress, as they did in the Assembly polls, or promote the BJP, which previously ruled the State. Undoubtedly, the disenchanted people who previously voted for the BJP might prefer the Congress, but the BJP has its own set of loyalists. Hours after US President Joe Bidens warning of a sooner than later Iranian attack, Tehran launched hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel in an unprecedented direct attack on the Jewish state. The attack, anticipated for several days, was confirmed by the Israel military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari late on Saturday night. He said that most of Iranian projectiles were intercepted by Israel and its allies. Israeli Air force jets were in the sky to counter the Iranian attack. According to local media reports, air raid sirens began sounding at around 1:40 am (local time) and loud booms sounded in Jerusalem and several other areas of West Bank. Advertisement Hagari, in a briefing, said that Iran also fired ballistic missiles at Israel, causing slight damage to a military base. A young girl was injured in the Negev after being by shrapnel following the interception. Additional slight damage to a military base in southern Israel was also reported. The spokesperson said that the missiles were intercepted by the long-range Arrow air defense system and most of them were downed outside Israel airspace. Fighter jets also destroyed dozens of cruise missiles and drones, he added. While Israel has lifted some restrictions on the movement of people inside the country, Hagari said that the incident is not over yet. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken to US President Joe Biden and the latter has reportedly asked Israel to inform in advance if they launch a retaliatory attack. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has also spoken to his American counterpart, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after the attack, informing him about Israels defense actions against the Iranian attack. Furthermore, Iran has warned further defensive measures against any military agression. According to Iranian state TV, Iran, if necessary, will not hesitate to take further defensive measures to safeguard its legitimate interests against any military aggressions and unlawful use of force. The developments come hours after US President Biden said that Iran will attack Israel sooner than later. He said America will defend Israel against Iranian attack, warning Tehran not to do that. The attack was anticipated for several days after Iran vowed to punish the Jewish state for its alleged strike on Iranian embassy in Syria early this month. While Israel denies any role in the embassy strike, Iran believes the attack that killed two of its top military leaders was orchestrated by the Jewish state. NEW DELHI, April 14 (Xinhua) -- India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released its election manifesto titled "Modi ki Guarantee (Modi's Guarantee)," promising to create jobs, boost infrastructure and expand welfare programs. The manifesto promised the upliftment of women, youth, farmers and the poor. In the document, the government said it would focus on taking piped gas to all homes and providing free electricity through solar power. The free ration and healthcare schemes for the poor will be extended by five more years. The BJP also said it will implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and focus on One Nation, One Poll (ONOP). The UCC promises one law applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption and maintenance. India has a uniform or one set of "criminal code" for all its citizens but does not have uniform civil law. Likewise, ONOP refers to holding simultaneous elections across the country, which means polls for parliament and state assemblies will be held together. India's general election will begin on April 19 and last until June 1. The vote count is scheduled to be held on June 4 and results will be announced on the same day. Officials said nearly 970 million people are expected to cast their votes at over 1 million polling stations in the seven-phase elections. In the forthcoming elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the BJP is seeking a third term. He is facing a challenge from an alliance of around two dozen opposition parties namely the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), led by the country's main opposition Congress party. Iraq suspended all civilian flights within its airspace on Saturday, as a precaution to ensure the safety and security of civil aviation amid regional tensions, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority said. The closure became effective from 11:30 p.m. local time on Saturday to 5:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, the authority said on Saturday, indicating that this suspension might be prolonged if necessary, Xinhua news agency reported. Reports from Iraqi media on Saturday evening suggested that several Iranian drones had traversed Iraqi airspace en route to Israel. Advertisement This development follows Irans repeated declarations of intent to conduct retaliatory attacks against Israel for the deaths of seven Iranian individuals in a strike on Irans consular building in Damascus, Syria, on April 1. Lebanon has announced the closure of the Lebanese airspace to aviation due to the Iranian drone attack on Israel. The Lebanese airspace has been closed to all aircraft arriving, departing, and crossing Lebanese airspace, temporarily and as a precaution, as of 1 a.m. on Sunday until 7 a.m., the Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh said on Saturday evening. Iran has launched dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) toward Israel which arrived in the Israeli airspace in the early hours of Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported. Advertisement Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced early Sunday that its fighters targeted the Israeli Kela barracks with dozens of Katyusha rockets in the occupied Syrian Golan. Hezbollah said in a statement that it launched its attack in response to the Israeli enemys attacks on safe villages and towns in southern Lebanon. Israeli warplanes on Saturday night continued their airstrikes in multiple areas in southern Lebanon, paralleled with violent artillery shelling targeting many towns and villages, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua news agency. The military sources, who spoke anonymously, said that Israeli warplanes carried out five raids in southeast Lebanon. Eyewitnesses from border villages confirmed to Xinhua, Dozens of powerful explosions reverberated in most of the border areas, and several drones flew at low to medium altitudes in the airspace of southern Lebanon. Moreover, Israeli artillery fired nearly 80 shells toward more than 21 towns and villages in the eastern, central, and western sectors of the border area in southern Lebanon. The military sources reported that they also monitored the crossing of several drones from Lebanon to Israel, most of which were intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome. Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on October 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. A new issue has arisen for the airlines businesses globally amid the Iran-Israel war heat as most of them are looking for an alternate option to fly between Europe and Asia. Multiple nations in the region have shut their airspaces in the wake of the first direct Iranian attack on Israel from its soil. According to the reports, Middle Eastern countries including Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon announced closures of their airspace as Iran launched drones and missiles. These fall in the key route connecting Asia with the European world. Advertisement Further, both Israel and Iran also imposed restrictions on airline traffic over their airspace. The rerouting is a difficult task as they need to find alternative routes in a quick time and it will also lead to prolonged flight times and add to fuel costs. Qantas Airways, Singapore Airlines and Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Kuwait Airways are a few of the airlines who are diverting flights away from tension areas. Swiss International Air Lines said it will suspend Tel Aviv flights until further notice, and all its aircraft will avoid Iran, Iraq and Israeli airspace. Lufthansa has also suspended flights to Tehran, a move followed by Austrian Airlines. Qantas also temporarily adjusted its direct Perth-London flights to stop over in Singapore to account for the extra fuel needed to re-route around the volatile region. Cathay Pacific Ltd. is also watching the situation in the Middle East closely, but its operations remain normal. Notably, Israel has shut down its airspace for both domestic and international routes on Saturday, before reopening them Sunday morning. Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq had also temporarily closed their airspace for incoming, outgoing and transit flights as a precautionary measure. Further, Amman also extended the closure for several hours, citing growing risks in the region. Parents dont need research. They know when their children get addicted to social media. Just like wives know when husbands become alcoholics or fathers know when sons clandestine smoking turns into addiction. But research is necessary if household misery is to be addressed by impactful public policy. New American research establishes what most parents know from experiencesocial media harms children. In his just-published book, The Anxious Generation, renowned New Yorker and social-psychologist Jonathan Haidt writes, When adolescents social lives moved onto smartphones and social media platforms, anxiety and depression surged among them. The turning point came in 2012, Haidt says, when social media went viral, after Facebook bought Instagram and with the arrival of high-speed internet, unlimited data and smartphones with front-facing cameras. Schoolgirls spent hours daily taking selfies, editing and posting them for buddies, rivals and strangers to comment on. Simultaneously they scrolled for the posts of friends, foes and celebrities flaunting their wealth, perfect bodies and luxurious lifestyles. Time spent on social media eroded sleep, study and activities with family and friends. Academic performance in reading and math deteriorated. Negative emotions like anger, envy, shame and sadness spiraled. Self-harm increased among pre-teens and teenagers. Illustration: Job P.K. Gen Z (born after 1996) suffered like no previous generation, although millennials (born 1981-1996) havent been spared. Over the decade, American youth suicide rose by 130 per cent. Haidt emphasises two of the six factors contributing to this mental health crisis. First, play-based childhood declined because anxious parents didnt send children for unsupervised outdoor playwhich helps overcome normal childhood fears, judge risks for themselves and thus prepare for adulthood. Overanxious parents birthed an anxious generation. Second, play-based was replaced by phone-based childhood. This diminished in-person socialising. Haidt argued social media hacked and rewired childrens brains, but scientists lacked data hitherto to protect children from tech companies. We ended up overprotecting children in the real world, while under-protecting them in the virtual world, he says. The addictive nature of social media is the problem. Tech investor Roger McNamee says to encourage addiction, tech companies use techniques common in propaganda and casino gamblingconstant notifications (likes) and variable rewards (for accomplishment/novelty-seeking behaviour). Mental health is as important as physical health. So, should the production and consumption of social media be restricted like alcohol and cigarettes? Together with some leading tech founders, Haidt pleads for phone-free schools, age-guards, student digital guidance and social media regulation. Says McNamee, Now we face the challenge of extracting the world from the jaws of internet platform monopolies. But Haidt has vocal detractors. Journalist Aaron Brown called Haidts findings mostly junk research. Haidts critics quote studies claiming social media is about as harmful as eating potatoesalmost zero. As Mark Twain says, There are lies, damned lies and statistics. For decades the tobacco lobbyists debunked evidence that smoking caused cancer. For decades, the oil lobby scorned climate change. Salt, sugar, junk food and pharma lobbies followed. And for decades, lobbyists supplied spurious statistics to confuse the public and delay, if not abort regulation. Haidt says, The correlation between social media and mental health is higher than the correlation between childhood exposure to lead and low adult IQ. The proper comparison is not potatoes, but marijuana use and binge drinking. McNamee, who mentored Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, says, It is time to disrupt the disrupters. Pratap is an author and journalist. You have gotta love the election season. Setting aside contentious issues like electoral bonds, rumours of electronic voting machine rigging, bribery, intimidation and wilful disinformation, the fact is that Indias Lok Sabha elections are still the biggest reality show on earth. Of course, reality shows today are often accused of being a little um, performative and pre-decided, much more show than reality but that doesnt stop them from being absorbing viewing. As usual theres so much to watch and learn from the BJPs advertising, marketing and information cell. Its wrong to call it a cell, or even a sell, because its so much larger and savvier than that. Their classiest move this time, to me at least, is the weaponising of the number 370. By setting it as their target for 2024, they achieve two things. One, they flex casually on the fact that for them the erstwhile magical number of 272 is a bayen hath ka khel, the equivalent of competing with one hand tied behind your back. This is something an indulgent adult often does with a child, which in effect allows them to infantilise the opposition, which is clearly the logical next step after they have successfully infantilised the electorate (Bharat Mata is our holy mother, we are her worshipful, dutiful children, and to question her, or her chosen son Modiji, is the worst kind of sin.) And, two, without even uttering a single word on the topic, they remind all of us of the abrogation of Article 370, of the fact that nobody has special status in India today, and that the BJP juggernaut sweeps everything that comes before it, be it the Supreme Court, the intentions of our founding fathers or the wishes of the majority residents of a state. The oppositions smartest move this time, to me at least, is the acronym, or rather the backronym (when one already has a word in mind and works backwards from there, to come up with an expanded form for it) I.N.D.I.A. This branding is a stoke of pure geniusit makes the alliance seem more cohesive, less raggle-taggle, its memorable, and gives the alliance some much needed high groundthey stand for the idea of India, not just opportunistic election victorythe speeches can just write themselves. In fact, the branding clearly rattled the BJP publicity machine, as rumours of India officially changing its name to Bharat swept our news feeds just a little after I.N.D.I.A was announced. But the usual cracks showed up in the alliance almost immediately, and the BJP probably (and wisely) concluded that there was no need to panic. Still, the BJP is no slouch in the acronym gametheres UPYOGI sarkar (Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath) and the last time I watched a new channel, a BJP spokesperson was busily pitching torturous backronyms like RAM LALLA (Rashtriya suraksha, Mahila, Labharti, Leadership and Ardhvyavastha), GIIITA (Growth, Information, Innovation, Infrastructure, Technology and Atmanirbhar Bharat) and PDA (Performance, Delivery and Aspiration) to an amused anchor. The AAP used to be good at thisthe name of the party is in itself evocative, and lends itself to endless, powerful wordplay, as does the symbol of the broom which would sweep India clean of all corruption. If the AAP publicity apparatus ups its game and plays it smart, they may be able to convert Arvind Kejriwals arrest into a sympathy wave that may pay a sweet dividend on the hustings. Who knows, Delhi could become BADLAPUR. (Beloved And Dashing Leader Arvind Powers Partys Unbelievable Resurgence.) editor@theweek.in The reactions on social media following the collision of the cargo ship Dali with Baltimores Francis Scott Key Bridge were unnecessarily derogatory. There was also a racially insensitive cartoon by a webcomic based in the US. All this and more has led to further slamming of the Indian crew on the ship. Crew nationality is a matter of employment and not indicative of a countrys maritime safety standards. It is imperative not to jump to conclusions or assign blame solely on the nationality of the crew, but instead to conduct a thorough and impartial inquiry to determine the causes of the mishap. Who was the captain of the ship? What are the existing laws in the US in such situations? Were there any tugboats to ensure safe navigation? The swift action taken by the Indian crew to alert authorities undoubtedly played a crucial role in mitigating the extent of casualties in what could have been a far more devastating incident. Was there sabotage? Today, the Navy is securing the Indian Ocean so that world trade is protected from terrorists and pirates. Even the US President Joe Biden praised the Indian crew for a quick call for help. Looking down at Indians in loincloth, like in the cartoon, is akin to a mindset that saw India as a land of snake charmers. It was the same cloth, mind you, from which we made masts in ships thousands of years ago. Racism of such nature needs to be checked by all governments. Imaging: Deni Lal/Ai India has been a maritime superpower since ancient times. Lothal, an ancient site in Gujarat, dating back to 2400 BCE, is considered the worlds oldest dry-dock. It was equipped to berth and service ships. Back then it gave us an insight into tides, winds and other nautical factors. Not just that, the navy of the Magadha kingdom is considered to be the first ever recorded instance of a navy anywhere in the world. Chandragupta Mauryas minister, Chanakya, wrote the Arthashastra, where he shared details about the department of waterways under a navadhyaksha (superintendent of the ships). It also mentioned an admiralty division, which was responsible for navigation on the oceans, lakes and seas. Many centuries ago people from our country had reached Zanzibar in Africa for business. In fact, it was a merchant from Gujarat named Chandan whose ship Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama followed to reach India. He said in his diary that Indian ships were much bigger than theirs and the workmanship was so fine that that not a single drop of water could go through them. Today, India contributes a significant chunk of seafarers to the shipping industry as the country is recognised globally as a reliable source of marine manpower. On an average, India sends around 2.4 lakh seafarers every year. Of them, 2.1 lakh seafarers work on foreign ships. Indias resolute actions in maritime security have been demonstrated through recent successful operations. With the Navy disclosing its response to 18 incidents in recent months, employing a rotating force of 21 ships and 5,000 personnel, and conducting thorough boarding and investigation procedures on over 1,000 vessels, India has proven its commitment to safeguarding maritime interests. This proactive approach not only underscores Indias dedication to ensuring maritime security but also solidifies its position as a key player in the global maritime domain. Lekhi is Union minister of state for external affairs and culture. In 218 BCE, Hannibal, the great Carthaginian general, made his audacious assault on Rome from the north, crossing the Alps with his army of 30,000 men, 15,000 cavalry and most famously, 37 elephants. In the ensuing two millennia, Hannibal would have gone the way of most history, gradually reducing to a footnote. But largely because of the image of his elephants in snowbound Alps, he has reached metaphoric status, immortalised in film and legend. If a mere 37 elephants could so impress the European psyche, imagine the result if Botswanas President, Mokgweetsi Masisi, were to deliver on his threator promiseof sending 20,000 elephants to Germany and, as he added for good measure, he wont take no for an answer. The thought conjures up delicious images: thousands of pachyderms marching down the Unter den Linden to the tune of Baby Elephant Walk, or shooting the breeze in Potsdamer Platz or heading down to Munichs beer halls to quench their summer thirst. Elephants have been gifted by states before. During World War II for instance, zoo animals were ruthlessly slaughtered in Europe, Japan and even India for fear that bombardment may free dangerous predators to roam the streets; the two Indian elephants in Tokyo zoo died of forced starvation. When peace returned, hundreds of Japanese children wrote letters to prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru expressing anguish at the loss of the elephants. Nehru promptly sent an elephant named after his own daughter, Indira, as a peace ambassador to Japan. A similar gift, this time named Shanti, reached Berlin in 1951. Imaging: Deni Lal/Ai But 20,000? Costly to transport, for one. Even in the case of Indira, the MEA had to explore the funding issue with princely states. But regardless of whether it is sent CIF or FOB, this jumbo gift is likely to remain a rhetorical flourish; the Germans will no doubt put on a thick skin and ignore the offer, given its acrimonious origins. President Masisis threat came after Germany, presently one of the largest importers of hunting trophies in the EU, considered a proposal, backed by animal protection groups, to ban such imports. Britain had toyed with a similar proposal earlier only to be told that Botswana would send 10,000 elephants to Londons Hyde Park; the thought of this bunch performing their morning ablutions in the Serpentine lake in the park must have quickly dampened the ardour of British conservationists. Botswana feels that western countries and conservation purists fail to appreciate the problems of living with its 1.3 lakh elephants, more than twice the ecologically sustainable number. Big-game hunting, with proper permits, is a major revenue earner for local communitiesa 12-day hunting package can bring in as much as $50,000and a zero-threat to the species; indeed, it is argued, it enables better conservation by strengthening local capacity to better manage man-animal conflict and discourages indiscriminate poaching. Uncontrolled elephant population, which doubled during an earlier five-year hunting ban, leads to widespread destruction of property, crops and lives and hampers development in a poor country; keen to keep numbers to sustainable levels, Botswana has already sent 8,000 elephants to neighbouring Angola and offered another 500 to Mozambique. Even if rhetorical, Botswanas dramatic offer underlines that wildlife preservation is not always a zero-sum game. When it comes to living with elephants, there is a lot of grey; sustainable and pragmatic conservation rather than moral high-mindedness may be the way to go. As the young musician Dhruv Visvanath says in his well-known song Botswana, .what you call pain I call my home. Theres a point to ponder. The writer is former high commissioner to the UK and former ambassador to the US. Team Modi has been warming up for this election, claiming jo kaha, wo kiyawhat was promised has been delivered. Jolly good. What did they promise, and what did they deliver? A shrine for Lord Ram in Ayodhya; built. Scrap Kashmirs special status; done. Citizenship to non-Muslim migrants; yes. A common civil code; kicked off in Uttarakhand. A scheme to hold polls to all legislative bodies in one go; ready. Quota for women in law-making forums; legislation done, execution next. The last two may not have been fulfilled, but the BJP can claim they are half-filled. Pardon my bad English, but the score card is not bad. Then there were those humdrum governance guarantees that are given by every party. Terror has been combated, the Pakistanis have been quietened, China is staying put, riots have been contained, the corrupt are being caught, the economy is doing well, farmers arent protesting, the poor are being fed, more roads built, more trains running, more money in pockets, more grain in warehouses, more gains from stocks, more homes with light bulbs, more kitchens with gas cylinders (though they cost a lot more), and so on. In short, the gods are in heaven, the deities in shrines, and alls well with the Indians world. There may be more jobless in Modis India than there were in Manmohan Singhs, but patience! Therell be more jobs in the richer India that Modi is building in the amrit kaal. Imaging: Deni Lal The opposition may crywhat about crony capitalism? What about raid raj? Suppression of dissent? Abuse of poll bonds? Petrol price? Hate crimes? Chinese still on the border? Minorities? Manipur? Well, thats their habitto carp about everything. Carping is the pastime of the opposition everywhere. They would come out with black papers (a Congress innovation made during the last budget session) to shoot holes into the BJPs white or saffron papers. On the whole, thus, Modi and company would have us believe that there is a feel-good and a feel-big about India. Therein lies the problem. Feel-good or feel-big doesnt fetch votes. Didnt we see how A.B. Vajpayee went to town with a feel good, went to the polls saying India shining, and went down not knowing what had hit him? Much like Harold Wilson who claimed we never had it so good, and lost the next polls. The truth isthe voters are an ungrateful lot. As Canadian thinker William B. Munro, often discredited for his support of eugenics, said, The average man does not vote for anything, but against something. He wont vote for what you have done for him. He doesnt vote with his mind; he votes with his heart. So, dont appeal to his reason; appeal to his emotion. Dont we know? It was voter anger that brought down Indira Gandhis Emergency regime in 1977. Anger and sympathy over the murder of Indira helped Rajiv win a brute majority in 1984. Hindu anger over a post-Shah Bano law, and Muslim anger over shilanyas at Ayodhya combined to bring down Rajiv in 1989. Or look at Modis own two elections. He worked the voters fear of terror and their revulsion with corruption to kick out the Manmohan regime in 2014. In 2019, he absorbed the voter anger over Pulwama, hit back at Balakot and made the voter walk with a swagger to the polls. Passions were roused; passions were channelled. In 2024? There is pretty little that can rouse passions. So we hearwhy did you boycott the Ayodhya shrine consecration? Why are you mocking at Shakti? Why did you sell out Katchatheevu? Why is your manifesto reading like the Muslim Leagues? Are these enough? prasannan@theweek.in BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) announced this week that it will join the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Improvement Initiative, which involves cooperation between the world's five leading IP offices, namely China, the United States, Europe, Japan and the Republic of Korea. The objective of this initiative is to establish a more predictable examination cycle. According to the CNIPA, it will this year strive for an average duration of 3 months from the grant of a PPH request to issuance of a first office action. Similarly, it will aim for an average response time from examiner to applicant of no more than 3 months. PPH is a fast track linking patent examination duties of different countries or regions, allowing patent examination authorities to share their work to speed up patent examination. Since the initiation of the first PPH pilot program in November 2011, the CNIPA has built PPH ties with patent examination authorities of 32 countries or regions. The five members of the initiative are the world's five leading IP offices, known as the IP5. They together handle about 80 percent of the world's patent applications. The IP5 was set up to improve the efficiency of the examination process for patents worldwide. Air India has suspended its flights from Delhi to Tel Aviv amid the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran following Tehrans missile and drone attacks on Saturday night. The Tata Group-owned carrier operates four weekly flights between Delhi and the Israeli city. The airline had suspended its flights to Tel Aviv on October 7, 2023 after the city was attacked by Hamas gunmen, killing at least 1200 people. The services later resumed on March 3. Meanwhile, Israeli airlines said on Sunday that the operations were returning to normal, a day after the countrys airspace was closed following the overnight attack by Iranian drones and missiles. Flag carrier El Al, which had cancelled 15 flights to Europe, Dubai and Moscow scheduled for Sunday, said they have resumed operations. According to the Israel airports authority, most flights of foreign carriers have been delayed, including Sunday flights to London by Wizz Air, to New Delhi by Air India, to Madrid by Iberia and to Marseille by Air France. Iran launched around 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night in its first attack on Israel from its own soil. Israel, however, claims to have intercepted 99 per cent of the launches. Two unidentified persons opened fired outside actor Salman Khan's residence in Mumbai's Bandra area in the wee hours of Sunday morning, according to police. The duo on motorbike shot four rounds outside the Galaxy Apartments in Bandra around 5 am before speeding away, officials said. Police have launched an investigation into the shooting incident. A forensic team has collected evidence from the spot. Reports, citing offical sources, claimed that police suspect that Lawrence Bishnoi's gang is involved in the incident, considering previous threats against the actor. In two separate incidents in March and November last year, the actor received death threats from gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar. The gang targeted Khan allegedly due to his 1998 blackbuck hunting incident, which the gang claims offended the Bishnoi community. Blackbucks are considered sacred by the community. Following this, Khan's security cover have been upgraded to Y-Plus category. The actor also bought a bulletproof Nissan SUV after the incident. It is not clear if the police will review the actor's security in the wake of the latest incident. Bishnoi is currently in prison in connection with a drug smuggling case being probed by the National Investigation Agency. A day after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, reports have emerged that four of the 17 crew onboard 'MSC Aries' were from Kerala. India confirmed on Saturday that 17 Indians were onboard an Israeli-linked ship and that the government was in touch with authorities in Tehran for the early release of the crew. There were a total of 25 crew members in the team, which also included Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals. The four Malayalis have been identified as Ann Tessa Joseph from Thrissur, Shyamnath Telamparambath from Kozhikode, Sumesh from Palakkad and V V Dhanesh from Wayanad, according to Manorama Online. "We are in touch with the Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and in Delhi, to ensure security, welfare and early release of Indian nationals," it said. However, the families of the Indian crew members said they lost touch with their loved ones since Saturday evening. The IRNA said the Guard would take the vessel into Iranian territorial waters. The shipping company MSC, which operates the Aries, too said it was working "with the relevant authorities" for its safe return and the wellbeing of its 25 crew. The Portuguese-flagged vessel is operated by the Zodiac Maritime Shipping Company, which is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. The ship had turned off its tracking data due to its connections with Israelis. The ship was reportedly coming to India's Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust through the United Arab Emirates. However, there is no official confirmation of it. JUST IN | There are 17 Indians among the 25 crew onboard the Portuguese flagged and #Israel affiliated cargo vessel MSC Aries that was seized by #Iran in the Gulf of Hormuz. Other crew members include, four Filipinos, 2 Pakistanis, one Russian and one Estonian, reports @dperi84. pic.twitter.com/A6kWEpfUIv The Hindu (@the_hindu) April 13, 2024 Meanwhile, a video purported to be of the hijacking incident showed IRGC commandos descending onto a stack of containers sitting on the deck of the vessel. A crew member on the ship could be heard saying: "Dont come out" before asking his colleagues to move to the ships bridge as more commandos come down on the deck. One commando can be seen kneeling above the others to provide them with potential cover fire. The choppers involved appeared to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, which both the IRGC and the Iranian-backed Houthis of Yemen have used in the past to conduct commando raids on ships. Following the seizure of the cargo ship by the Iranian military, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz called on the international community to immediately declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation. "The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps have seized a Portuguese civilian cargo ship, belonging to an EU member, claiming Israeli ownership," he said on 'X'. "I call on the European Union and the free world to immediately declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization and to sanction Iran now," he added. The BJP on Sunday released the manifesto for Lok Sabha elections 2024, which, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focuses on the dignity of life, quality of life, jobs and investment The Prime Minister added that the highlight of the manifesto will be the four pillars of 'Viksit Bharat - Yuva Shakti, Nari Shakti, the poor and farmers. He added the government, if elected, will focus on creating jobs and boosting startups in the country. The prime minister handed over the copies of the manifesto to representatives of the four broad groups -- Gareeb, Yuva, Annadata and Nari Shakti (GYAN) -- who are beneficiaries of government schemes. "In the last 10 years, BJP has implemented every aspect of its manifesto as a guarantee. BJP has restored the sanctity of the manifesto," Modi said at the release of the manifesto. "The need for a stable majority government increases at a time when the world is passing through uncertain times," the prime minister said, referring to the several conflicts the world was grappling with. Modi asserted that the BJP will work towards implementing the one nation, one election initiative, and stressed that the Uniform Civil Code was in the national interest. "BJP will start working on the promises made in the manifesto immediately after the results are declared on June 4," Modi said. "I present this Sankalp Patra of the BJP as a document of 'Modi ki Guarantee' to the people of the nation for their blessings," he said. Union minister Rajnath Singh, who headed the manifesto coordination committee, said the BJP has earned credibility among people by fulfilling its commitments, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantees are seen as pure as 24-carat gold. Singh said the BJP's manifesto is seen as the gold standard in the world politics. He cited a host of development measures taken by the central government besides the enactment of women's reservation law, repeal of Article 370 and the construction of the Ram temple to assert that the ruling party has fulfilled its promises. Here are the main promises: * Raising loan limit under 'Mudra' scheme to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 10 lakh. * Steps to provide all households with affordable piped gas * Three crore houses for the poor across the country * All Indians above 70 to be brought under free health insurance programme * Expansion of Vande Bharat trains to every corner of the country. These include three models of Vande Bharat - Vande Bharat Sleeper, Vande Bharat Chaircar and Vande Bharat Metro. Abolishing waiting lists for train travel * The 150th birth anniversary of Lord Birsa Munda in 2025 will be celebrated at the national level. Digital Janjatiya Kala Academy to be established * Implementing the "one nation, one poll" initiative and preparing common electoral rolls. * The Uniform Civil Code for the country's interest. * Expansion of 5G networks and work on 6G. * Free ration for the poor for the next five years under the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. * Free electricity to poor households under the Prime Minister Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. * Efforts to empower three crore rural women to become "Lakhpati Didis". *Integration of women self-help groups (SHGs) with the service sector, enhancing market access for women SHG enterprises: *Ensuring development of infrastructure, such as working women's hostels and creches, with a specific focus on locations near industrial and commercial centres to facilitate increased participation of women in the workforce. * Expansion of the existing health services, focusing on prevention and reduction of anaemia, breast cancer, cervical cancer and osteoporosis, ensuring a healthy life for women. * Launching a focused initiative to eliminate cervical cancer. * Implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam to ensure representation of women in Parliament and the state legislatures. * A transparent government recruitment system. * Enactment of a law to prevent paper leaks. * Expansion of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana to cover senior citizens and provide them access to free and quality healthcare. Delivery of government services at doorsteps to ensure seamless access to social security benefits and other essential government services for senior citizens by leveraging the extensive reach and reliability of the postal and digital network. *Strengthening the Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme to provide sustained financial support to farmers. * Strengthening the Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana through more technological interventions to ensure speedy and more accurate assessment, faster payouts and quicker grievance resolution. * Increasing the minimum support price (MSP) for crops. * Launching the Krishi Infrastructure Mission for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of agri-infrastructure projects like storage facilities, irrigation, grading and sorting units, cold-storage facilities and food processing. * Expansion of irrigation facilities, launching technology-enabled irrigation initiatives to implement cutting-edge technology for efficient water management. * Launching an indigenous "Bharat Krishi" satellite for farm-related activities like crop forecasting, pesticide application, irrigation, soil health and weather forecasting. * A periodic review of the national floor-level minimum wages. * Inclusion of autorickshaw, taxi, truck drivers and other drivers in all social security schemes. * Empowerment of small traders and MSMEs through the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to help them expand their businesses using technology. * A focused approach for tribal healthcare, measures to eliminate malnutrition among tribal children and providing comprehensive healthcare services in tribal areas on a mission mode. * Measures to eliminate sickle-cell anaemia. * "Modi ki Guarantee" for a secure and prosperous Bharat. * Robust infrastructure along the borders, technological solutions on the fenced portions to make fencing smarter. * Implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). * Making India the third-largest economy in the world. * Expansion of employment opportunities. It was a female police inspector who tracked down and neutralised Joel Cauchi, the man behind the deadly stabbing attack at Bondi Junction's Westfield Shopping Centre, one of Sydney's busiest shopping malls. She was alone and had no backup while confronting the stabber, reports said. The valiant cop was identified as Inspector Amy Scott, who was at Bondi Junction conducting routine duties when the horrific incident unfolded. It was reportedly on the fifth floor of the shopping mall that Inspector Scott met the assailant and fatally shot him. Amy Scott's heroics: What eyewitnesses said Amy Scott was literally the first responder and kept a cool head amidst the panicking crowd. She interacted with the shoppers who directed her to the fifth floor of the shopping complex. WastING no time, the cop rushed and caught up with the 40-year-old attacker using inputs from the onlookers. When Officer Scott spotted Joel Cauchi, she screamed "put it down", BBC quoted an eyewitness as saying. However, Cauchi instead raised his knife and charged at her -- forcing the police officer to pull the trigger. READ HERE | 6 killed in stabbing spree, police rule out 'terrorism' after suspect shot dead As Cauchi collapsed, Scott moved towards him and chucked the weapon, which was identified as a big knife away. Later, she proceeded to perform CPR on him, the report added. Confirming the development, the New South Wales Police told Reuters, "He turned around, pulled out a knife, she said 'put it down', he didn't and then she pulled the trigger and then she pulled the knife away and started doing CPR on him." The head of the state's police force, Karen Webb, reportedly hailed Scott's "enormous courage" for "doing well under the circumstances". "If she didn't do it, he would've kept going ... she (has) done an awesome job and I'm proud of her," Webb added. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, meanwhile, said, "There is no doubt that she saved lives." Australia mall stabbing spree An assailant stabbed six people to death at a busy Sydney shopping centre on Saturday. New South Wales Police said Sunday that Joel Cauchi, 40, was responsible for the Saturday afternoon attack at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction, in the citys eastern suburbs and not far from the world-famous Bondi Beach. NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters at a media conference on Sunday that Cauchi suffered from yet unspecified mental health issues and police investigators werent treating the attack as terrorism-related. We are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved, Cooke said. There is still, to this point... no information we have received, no evidence we have recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation - ideology or otherwise, he added. Reacting to the direct confrontation between Iran and Israel, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) joined the wagon of world powers who condemned the development. The Indian embassies are in touch with the citizens in the affected region, MEA said while asking all parties involved to exercise restraint. "We are seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region. We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy," the MEA said. "We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. Our Embassies in the region are in close touch with Indian community. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region," it added. READ HERE | Iran attacks Israel: Over 200 drones shot down by IDF Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said he will convene "fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack" on Monday. Iran attacks Israel Iran launched its first direct military attack against Israel on Saturday. The Israeli military says Iran fired more than 100 bomb-carrying drones toward Israel. Hours later, Iran announced it had also launched much more destructive ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. Iran had been threatening to attack Israel after an airstrike earlier this week widely blamed on Israel destroyed Irans consulate in Syria, killing 12 people, including two elite Iranian generals. The Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement early Sunday the vast majority of missiles launched from Iran were intercepted outside of Israels borders. Israel has made missile defence a priority, with a variety of air-defence systems available to shoot down incoming missile and drone fire. Israel-Iran conflict, how the world reacted: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran this evening, Guterres wrote in a statement Saturday night. I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East, Guterres wrote. I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war, the UN chief's statement added. I condemn Iran's attacks in the strongest possible terms and reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. My full statement on Irans attacks against Israel: pic.twitter.com/EuPJZoGw6w President Biden (@POTUS) April 14, 2024 United States of America: "Earlier today, Iran and its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq launched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms," Biden said after his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israel's leaders. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people," Biden said. France: French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne said in a statement Saturday that in taking such an unprecedented action, Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilizing activities and is risking a potential military escalation. China: China is deeply concerned about escalation after Iran launched drones and missiles against Israel, a foreign ministry spokesperson said in remarks published on the ministry's website on Sunday."China calls on relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalation of tensions," the spokesperson said in response to a question about Iran's strikes. This round of tensions is a "spillover from the Gaza conflict," and quelling that conflict is "a top priority", the spokesperson said. Deutschland: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote early Sunday on X that Germany condemns in the strongest possible terms the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos. Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately, Baerbock wrote. "We offer Israel our full solidarity at this time. Canada: Canada unequivocally condemns Irans airborne attacks against Israel and the Iranian regimes disregard for peace and stability in the region. My statement:https://t.co/Di77xELVjR Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 13, 2024 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his nation unequivocally condemns Irans airborne attacks against Israel. "We stand with Israel. After supporting Hamas brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regimes latest actions will further destabilize the region and make lasting peace more difficult... We support Israels right to defend itself and its people from these attacks., Trudeau's statement said . United Kingdom: UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers have been sent to the Middle East to bolster Britains existing operation against the Islamic State Group in Iraq and Syria. He said the jets will intercept airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, but did not confirm whether RAF jets had already shot down any Iranian drones. Read my statement on the Iranian regimes reckless attack against Israel. pic.twitter.com/xeuR3cd3kG Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 13, 2024 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also released an official statement accusing Tehran of "sowing chaos in its own backyard." Argentina: The spokesperson of Argentine President Javier Milei says the leader will cancel a trip to Denmark and return to Buenos Aires due to Irans attack on Israel. A statement from presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni said Milei was flying home to form a crisis committee in light of the latest events in Israel, to take charge of the situation and coordinate actions with the presidents of the Western world. Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation as the United States pledged "ironclad" backing for Israel. For days, Israel had braced for an attack claimed by Iran as retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force. As tensions escalate in the Middle East, here are the latest five developments that you need to know about Tehran's direct conflict with Tel Aviv: 1. Israel's military says the vast majority of missiles launched from Iran were intercepted outside of Israels borders. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement early Sunday that dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory and that the IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the Arrow Aerial Defense System, together with Israels strategic allies, before the launches crossed into Israeli territory." Dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets are currently operating to intercept approaching threats. 2. US forces shot down some Iran-launched attack drones flying toward Israel, according to the Associated Press. A source in the Pentagon told the news agency that effort to intercept the attack was continuing. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team at the White House on Saturday afternoon, returning to Washington minutes before Israeli officials confirmed that they had detected drones being launched toward their territory from Iran. ALSO READ | Middle East crisis: Iran seizes Israel-linked ship near Strait of Hormuz, 17 Indians onboard 3. The United Nations Security Council aims to hold a meeting on Sunday, a diplomat said, after Israel requested the council condemn Iran's attack on Israel and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization. Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, requested the council hold an emergency meeting in a letter on Saturday to the council's president. "The Iranian attack is a serious threat to global peace and security and I expect the Council to use every means to take concrete action against Iran," Erdan wrote in a post on X. 4. However, not all Iranian launches were intercepted, Tel Aviv added. A small number of hits were identified, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure, the Israeli statement added. 5. Irans state-run IRNA news agency says Tehran has fired ballistic missiles at targets inside of Israel. The announcement came shortly after Iran said it fired dozens of bomb-carrying drones. Meanwhile, Germany, France and Canada joined the world powers to condemn the Iranian offensive. After Tehrans drone and missile attacks, Iran has warned Israel of any further escalation leading to a larger attack on its territory. Irans President Ebrahim Raisi said that any reckless behaviour from its allies would be dealt with a stronger response. If the Zionist regime [Israel] or its supporters demonstrate reckless behaviour, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response, Raisi said in a statement on Sunday. Echoing Raisi's statement, Iranian military chief, Major-General Mohammad Bagheri said that Israel awaits a "much larger response if it retaliates against Iran". Bagheri said the Iranian attack on Israel has achieved all its goals, and in our view, the operation has ended, and we do not intend to continue. Iran launched around 300 explosive drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday night. The airstrikes were the first direct attack on Israel by Iran. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said that almost 99 per cent of the launches had been intercepted, saying the Iranian attack was foiled. Along with the US, the UK also stood by Israels side in shooting down the Iranian drones. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that RAF jets shot down a number of attack drones after Irans launch of missiles. Irans attack last night was a dangerous and unnecessary escalation, said Sunak. Meanwhile, Irans permanent mission to the United Nations justified Tehrans response to Israeli aggression as a legitimate defence under the UN charter. The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe, said a statement. It added that the US should stay away from the Israel-Iran conflict. Iran summons UK, France and Germany ambassadors Iran's foreign ministry has summoned the ambassadors of the UK, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their "irresponsible stance" relating to Tehran's retaliatory strikes on Israel. UK, Germany and France were among those countries which have condemned the drone and missile strike on Israel. Frances President Emmanuel Macron expressed his solidarity with the Israeli people and reaffirmed its commitment to the security of Israel. I condemn in the strongest terms the unprecedented attack launched by Iran against Israel, which threatens to destabilise the region. I express my solidarity with the Israeli people and France's commitment to the security of Israel, our partners, and regional stability. France is working on de-escalation with its partners and calls for restraint, Macron wrote on X. The director for Western Europe at Iran's foreign ministry accused the UK, Germany and France of "double standards" as they opposed the Russian-drafted UN Security Council statement that would have condemned Israel's attack on Iran's embassy in Syria earlier this month. Amid the deepening crisis, the United Arab Emirates has called for restraint to avoid dangerous repercussions in the Middle East, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The UAE also called for resolving conflicts through dialogue and diplomatic channels. Russias foreign ministry, meanwhile, has expressed extreme concern over another dangerous escalation in the Middle East and also called for restraint after Iranian strikes on Israel. However, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israels defensive system is strong and is ready for any scenario. "In recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran. Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong," said Netanyahu. With Irans retaliatory strikes, on one hand, Israel was able to instil confidence among Israelites that its defensive system is still intact, while on the other Iran was able to exhibit its fierce firepower and disrupt the lives of many Israelites and cause fear among them. As the global world powers seek restraint from further escalating the Israel-Iran tensions, former US president Donald Trump has responded to the recent Iran air strikes. By reposting a 2018 all-caps tweet threatening the president of Iran he said the US would not stand for "DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH". "To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS! read the 2018 tweet. Trump posted a screenshot on his social media platform, Truth Social. Trump's post, in 2018, was a reply to the then-Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, who warned the US that a war with Iran would be the mother of all wars. Though Trump was often seen as a person upending many traditional norms of the US, he was frequently criticised for his closeness to authoritarian figures including Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong-un. Earlier, US President Joe Biden urged Iran not to attack Israel following an April 1 airstrike--in which Iran's top military commander was killed in Syria. After Iran's retaliation attack on Israel, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said that the US isn't seeking "a wider war in the region" after it assisted Israel to defend itself from Iran's attack. We dont seek an escalation, said Kirby. Meanwhile, war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said that Israel will exact a price from Iran in response to its mass missile and drone attack when the time is right. "We will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us, Gantz said in a statement. The accused in the murder of an Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan Sarabjit Singh was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Sunday in Lahore. Amir Sarfaraz Tamba, a close associate of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Sayeed, was attacked by motorcycle-borne assailants in the Islampura area. Though Tamba was rushed to a nearby hospital, he succumbed to his injuries, according to reports. Singh, 49, died of cardiac arrest in Jinnah Hospital Lahore on May 2, 2013, after being comatose for nearly a week following a brutal assault by inmates including Tamba, inside the high-security Kot Lakhpat jail. Tamba, whose father's name is Sarfaraz Javed, was born in Lahore in 1979 and was a close associate of the LeT founder. Singh was lodged in Lahore's high-security Kot Lakhpat Jail, where he was brutally attacked by a group of Pakistani prisoners with bricks and iron rods. Singh was allegedly found guilty of taking part in multiple bomb blasts in Pakistans Punjab province in 1990. He was sentenced to death. Tamba and Mudassar, involved in Singh's killing were acquitted by a Pakistani court due to 'lack of evidence' six years ago. All witnesses in the case had turned hostile. Singh's sister Dalbir Kaur fought against the system for his release and repeatedly insisted that he was innocent. Kaur said that he had 'mistakenly' strayed into Pakistan. After putting up a long fight, Kaur passed away in June 2022. YANGON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Twelve people were injured in bomb blasts during the Thingyan water festival in central Myanmar's Mandalay on Sunday, the Information Team of Myanmar's State Administration Council said. The incident occurred at around 10:25 a.m. local time (0355 GMT) on Sunday when two improvised explosive devices exploded at a motorcycle parking area near the Mandalay mayor's pandal in Mandalay, the information team said. The information team added that the attack was carried out by the People's Defence Force, and the injured included five children. The injured were transported to Mandalay General Hospital for medical treatment, it said. Operations are underway to locate the perpetrators, the information team said. Amid the escalating Israel-Iran tensions, the world powers including Russia, United Arab Emirates and Germany urged restraint. Though Iran's retaliatory air strikes at Israel caused only minor damages, Israel has vowed to strike back "at the right time". However, while talking at a press conference, Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, said that his country had notified the United States almost 72 hours in advance before launching the strike against Israel. "About 72 hours prior to our operations, we informed our friends and neighbours in the region that Iran's response against Israel was certain, legitimate and irrevocable," said Amirabdollahian in Tehran. Iran had informed the US that the attacks launched would be "limited". Early Sunday in a message to the White House we announced that our operation would be limited and minimalistic and aimed at legitimate defence and punishing the Israeli regime, he added. Meanwhile, Israel's war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said that his country will exact the price from Iran in response to its missile strikes. We will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us, Gantz said in a statement. The Israeli military spokesperson had said that it has intercepted almost 99 per cent of the drones fired at. However, President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US would not participate in any Israeli counter-offensive against Iran. While reiterating Biden's stand, White House spokesperson, John Kirby said that " "our commitment is ironclad" to defending Israel and to "helping Israel defend itself." "We do not seek a war with Iran," he added. Though US President Joe Biden hailed Israeli defence against Iranian drones and ballistic missiles, he made it clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will not aid any Israeli counterattack on Iran. In the phone conversation Biden held with Netanyahu, the US President said Israel should "tonight a win because the current US assessment is that Irans attacks had been largely unsuccessful and demonstrated Israels superior military capability." A readout from the White House said Biden told Netanyahu that "Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel." The US estimates that almost all Iranian drones and missiles launched against Israel have been knocked out of the sky. "No cruise missile made impact," the official said, and nothing of "value" was hit. However, Israel has yet to decide on its response to the Iranian missile and drone attack. The potential response will be discussed at the war cabinet meeting on Sunday afternoon, according to The Times of Israel. Meanwhile, Iran has warned of more attacks if Israel retaliates over the weekend's strikes. "The Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to exercise its inherent right of self-defence when required," Irans Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, said in a statement. "Should the Israeli regime commit any military aggression again, Iran's response will assuredly and decisively be stronger and more resolute, Ambassador Iravani added. The Iranian mission to the United Nations said Iran now "deemed the matter concluded" and warned the US to stay away. Meanwhile, Israeli local media reports said the country has put a delegation visit to the US on the back burner. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi were slated to fly to Washington this week to discuss the looming Rafah operation, but that trip is in doubt after the Iranian attack. "Its on the back burner now," says an Israeli official. Israel has been threatening to enter Rafah, the last Gaza city fully in Hamas's hands, for weeks. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Sunday released footage showing its Air Force fighter jets downing around 300 drones, and missiles fired from Iran. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said that almost 99 per cent of the launches had been intercepted, saying the Iranian attack was foiled. This is what a 99% interception rate looks like. Operational footage from the Aerial Defense System protecting the Israeli airspace: pic.twitter.com/eAwcUPUDw2 Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 14, 2024 Hagari said Iran fired 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and over 120 ballistic missiles. The ballistic missiles reaching the ground caused minor damage to an air base. Israel's anti-missile system, Iron Dome, one of the best air defence systems in the world, intercepted many rockets that was fired from Iran. Along with US, UK also supported Israel in downing the missiles. This was Iran's first direct attack against Israel since the escalation of the Middle East crisis after the Hamas attack on October 7. Iran's strike comes after 'Israeli' air strikes at its consulate in Syria killed its senior military officials including a top commander of the IRGC. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israels defensive system is strong and is ready for any scenario. "In recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran. Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong," said Netanyahu. Chirag Antil, a 24-year-old student from Haryana, was fatally shot inside a car in South Vancouver, Canada, around 11pm on Friday. The man's body was found in a car in the intersection of East 55th Avenue and Main Street, Vancouver. The police have not made any arrests yet. Antil's family members have started a fundraiser on GoFundMe to repatriate his body to India. "We urgently need assistance to raise funds for sending his body back to India, the post read. They have raised 6,279 Canadian dollars out of the 40,0000 goal when this report was published. If you are in Vancouver and able to offer any support or help, please reach out to us. Your help in this matter would be deeply appreciated by Chirags family and friends, as we work towards bringing closure and peace during this heartbreaking time. Thank you for any help you can provide, the fundraiser added. Indias Consulate in Vancouver posted on X, It has learnt with great sorrow the shooting and killing of an Indian national, Mr Chirag Antil, living in Vancouver," adding that the Consulate has approached the concerned Canadian authorities for more information." Who was Chirag Antil? Chirag Antil, 24, was from Haryana's Sonipat and moved to Vancouver in September 2022. He completed his MBA at University Canada West (UCW), British Columbia. The sunset in Sandeshkhali is just as majestic as it is in the Sundarbans. Vast fish farms and mangroves enhance the riverine islands beauty. The last ferry to the mainland departs around 8pm. There is no accommodation for outsiders, except the state guest house. Patra has showcased her political acumen by taking on Mamata and addressing the alleged mafia presence in West Bengal. Sandeshkhali, situated in the lower Ganges delta in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district near the Bangladesh border, has become the focal point of the Lok Sabha elections in the state following a widespread outburst of popular anger against Sheikh Shahjahan, a local strongman and leader of the Trinamool Congress. He was arrested in February after the protests attracted national and judicial attention. A sense of fear continues to envelope the village, despite extensive police presence. Villagers are afraid to discuss anything about Shahjahan or even to have their photos taken, fearing reprisal from goons. Sandeshkhali was literally ruled by Shahjahan for a long time. Many complaints were filed against him and his associates by the villagers, about land grabs, molestation and their reign of terror. It may be unbelievable to you, but they wield modern guns. They have a gang of around 300 people, said a victim. We never had an option but to follow their orders. The situation took a dramatic turn when Shahjahan went into hiding after a case was filed against him for attacking Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on January 5 during a raid on his house. The ED went after him following allegations about a ration distribution scam. In Shahjahans absence, nearly 1,500 women, who had been silent for years, came out against him. They lodged complaints against him and protested for many days with bamboo sticks and brooms, demanding his arrest. Some protesters torched houses belonging to Shahjahans accomplices, Uttam Sardar and Shibu Hazra. Sardar, a member of the zilla parishad and the zonal president of the Trinamool, was later suspended from the party. The Calcutta High Court remarked that it would be highly shameful even if one per cent of the allegations of sexual assault in Sandeshkhali were found true. The Sandeshkhali protests created a major political turbulence when opposition leaders, including a central team of the BJP, were stopped by the West Bengal police from visiting the place. A fact-finding team of ex-bureaucrats and a judge was arrested on their way to Sandeshkhali. West Bengal opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari sought the help of the High Court to visit the place. These incidents, coming just before the Lok Sabha elections, caused embarrassment to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress, which came to power with the slogan, Maa, Mati, Manush (mother, land and people). The party eventually suspended Shahjahan, paving the way for a proper investigation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the women of Sandeshkhali and attacked the state government during his multiple visits to West Bengal. He said women were unsafe in the state, although it was ruled by a woman chief minister. The BJP, which won 18 of 42 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and then faced a setback in the assembly polls two years later, is relying heavily on the Sandeshkhali incidents to improve its tally. Payback time: Sheikh Shahjahan being produced at the Basirhat court in North 24 Parganas | PTI As Sandeshkhali grows in prominence, so does the woman who is now known across the country as the symbol of the resistance movement. Rekha Patra, a 27-year-old former migrant worker, is said to be the first person to file a police complaint against Shahjahan and his gang, about an attack she faced from one of his associates. According to the complaint filed at the Sandeshkhali police station, he hit her face, pulled her hair and tore her sari, while she was trying to protect her child. She bears a scar on her right cheek from the attack. Patra is contesting the Lok Sabha polls as the BJPs candidate from the Basirhat constituency, under which Sandeshkhali falls. Modi talked to her on phone and called her Shakti swaroopa (an embodiment of Shakti). Patra has showcased her political acumen by taking on Mamata and addressing the alleged mafia presence in West Bengal. BJP spokesperson Archana Sengupta said because of Patra, the Trinamool would lose its female vote bank, and that the effect of the atrocities against women in Sandeshkhali would resonate across the state. The BJP has formed a squad of 300 women from Sandeshkhali, including the alleged victims of the atrocities perpetrated by Shahjahan and his supporters. They will share their experiences with voters in all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal. Sandeshkhali is just like many other border villages in West Bengal, controlled by local strongmen. We have lodged numerous complaints with the police regarding land grabbing and attacks on women, but nothing has been done, said Patra. The police claim they cannot take action without bhaijans [brother, referring to Shahjahan] consent. Former BJP district president Bikash Singh, who was arrested in connection with the agitation, said Shahjahan and his associates had grabbed hundreds of hectares on the island. Besides, they engage in illegal activities such as cattle smuggling to Bangladesh by land and water. They hold considerable influence in both West Bengal and Bangladesh, and they possess modern guns and ammunition. Sandeshkhali is a beautiful island at the mouth of the Sundarbans, which consists of a national park and a large coastal mangrove forest shared by India and Bangladesh. The Kalindi river, a tributary of the Ganges, flows between the islands. The area used to be highly fertile, ensuring high yields for farmers with vast paddy fields. Things changed after the 2009 Cyclone Aila, which increased the salinity of the farmlands, forcing farmers to change the crops they grow. That was a time of political shift in West Bengal as well. Shahjahan, who was once a CPI(M) cadre, joined the Trinamool when Mamata ended the 34-year rule of the left front. Starting as a labourer who helped drivers get passengers from the ferry, he gradually rose to become a local leader of the Trinamool. He and his associates began fish farming, especially shrimp, which had high demand both domestically and internationally. They cut down mangroves to build their farms and took peoples land on lease, but often failed to pay. If someone asked for the lease amount or the return of their land, they would resort to violence, said Bikash Singh. Villagers said land grabbing and other atrocities had intensified in the past three or four years. Farmers who lost their land are often compelled to work in the fish farms for meagre wages. Labour is cheap in Sandeshkhali, with men earning Rs300 and women Rs200 to Rs250 for an 11-hour workday. The ED said Shahjahan accumulated huge wealth through illegal means. Shahjahan and his associates created fear by engaging in organised crime, including threats of injury, murder, extortion and land grabbing, to gain illegal profits, said an ED statement. A victim said Shahjahans associates targeted young women. If they spotted a beautiful girl in the village, they would ask her to come to their place late at night. If anyone resisted, their husband or family members would be brutally beaten, she said. Rekha Sharma, chairperson of the National Commission for Women, said she received 18 complaints from women in Sandeshkhali, which included two cases of rape, during her visit to the area. Aside from the pervasive terror, poverty, too, persists in Sandeshkhali. Patra, for instance, could study only till class five as her family had no money. She lives in a small house with her three kids. The house itself is divided into threeone portion each for her husband and his two brothers. More than 80 per cent of the population in Sandeshkhali comprises scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and many of them lack proper rights over the farms they have been occupying for generations. It has allowed goons and strongmen to usurp their land with impunity. A large portion of the male population in the village is migrant labour. Nearly 70 per cent of them work in south India. Patras husband and his two brothers own a small piece of land where they engage in shrimp farming. The rest of the time, they work as labourers in south India. Patras husband works as a mason in Bengaluru, and she herself has worked in Bengaluru and Chennai in tailoring units. Mamata, meanwhile, expressed confidence that Sandeshkhali would not turn out to be another Singur or Nandigram. She said it was a local issue which the administration had managed to resolve and that the government had returned the usurped land to the villagers. Still, anticipating some backlash, the Trinamool has replaced incumbent MP from Basirhat, actor Nusrat Jahan, with Haroa MLA Nurul Islam. Surely the times they are a-changing. In the second week of March, an Indian Air Force Avro aircraft suddenly developed a snag mid-air and made an unplanned landing at the Bhopal civil airport. The problem turned out to be bigthe engine had to be swapped out. Faced with a challenging situation, IAF and Indian Army engineers trooped in as if on cue, changed the engine and sent the aircraft up again. There could easily have been a round of applause. In a sense, Bharat Shakti may well mark the taking off of the integration effort. It is one thing to talk about it and another to walk the talk. Bharat Shakti walked the talk. More recently, on April 1, the IAF embarked on its biggest exerciseGagan Shaktiwhen fighter planes and helicopters took off from different parts of the country to engage pseudo targets at Pokhran. But, the Indian Army also moved ammunition and about 10,000 IAF personnel on 12 passenger trains in order to validate the IAFs Operational Rail Mobilisation Plan. The passenger trains were named Sanyukta Express to denote the inter-service camaraderie. In the first four months of 2024, four mega military exercises were organised. Gagan Shakti, which envisaged two-front war scenario and hence included logistics involving the western and northern fronts, preceded by the IAFs Vayu Shakti (February 17), the Indian Navys Milan (February 19), the Indian Armys Bharat Shakti (March 12). In all these, a key underlying theme was the unprecedented emphasis on jointness. Such instances of synergy define the winds of change sweeping the Indian military landscape. The age-old practice of mainly operating in silos may soon be a thing of the past. The Centres vision of theaterisation, jointness and integration of the tri-forces is already under way under General Anil Chauhan, the chief of defence staff. Fittingly, the national capital hosted the first ever tri-services planning conference on April 8 where General Chauhan underlined the need for a joint culture among the three services. In that context, the massive, unprecedented tri-service fire and manoeuvre exercise Bharat Shakti at Pokhran broke new ground. On March 12, the test firing range in Pokhrans Charlie Sector thundered with the roar of IAF aircraft in the skies as the Armys artillery, mechanised forces and the infantry opened up their booming guns in a display of synergy in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and firepower coordination and communications. There were bombing runs and precision bombings by IAF aircraft and helicopters, operations by special forces, and Indian Navy operations (in digital format; telecast on screen because of terrain challenges) that set an example of joint operations of offence and defence. Full force: Bharat Shakti tri-service war exercise in progress at Pokhran. Naval operations were telecast | PIB A target area in the desert10km in length and 5km in breadthbore the brunt of the bombardment. A highly placed Army officer said: The exercise is remarkable because it is practice and demonstration of how an operation would actually unfold, depicting synergy in joint planning and execution. A second Army source said: Coordinating fire and manoeuvre drills by various arms and services is an essential requirement of such large-scale exercises and gives first-hand experience of dealing with such issues in actual battles. These activities include movement of large numbers of equipment and weapon pieces for firing and display, which involves coordination with other services at the highest level. While the efforts are in place and extensive plans are being made to orchestrate integration and bring jointness among the services, Bharat Shakti epitomises these efforts and highlights the contributions of the Army towards achieving integration. The officer added that Bharat Shakti signalled to the world military community to subscribe to Indias large defence manufacturing potential. In a sense, Bharat Shakti may well mark the taking off of the integration effort. It is one thing to talk about it and another to walk the talk. Bharat Shakti walked the talk. Military strategic analyst Lieutenant General Raj Shukla (retired) told THE WEEK: India is undergoing the boldest and most ambitious national security reforms since Independence. They are deep, thoughtful and potentially game changing. The grand strategic geometry was laid out by the prime minister himself, in his address during the Combined Commanders Conference in December 2015. Shukla, who served as the general officer commanding-in-chief of the Shimla-based Army Training Command, added that there were also challenges galore. On the one hand, we have the military gallop of a powerful China and on the other we face the most profound changes in the character of war in recorded history, he said. Bharat Shakti is a key element of this ongoing national security makeover. The exercise may be the first attempt by the forces to work out a military manual of combined operations. The objectives of the exercise also have strategic connotations. Europe, especially the powerhouses France and Germany, view India as a credible military power that can be leveraged to make its presence felt in the Indo-Pacific. After all, the Indo-Pacific has become the new stomping ground for the world powers. Joint effort: IAF and Army engineers work together to change the engine of an Avro aircraft after it was forced to land at the Bhopal civil airport | IAF Evidently, the number of military exercises between India and these two European powers has also increased in recent years. US foreign policy is at its most unstable. The possibility of a comeback by Donald Trump is also being viewed with apprehension by Europe as it may entail a policy change. It would therefore be in the fitness of things for European powers to assert themselves more autonomously, and, India, with its increasing military, economic and strategic heft, can play a pivotal role towards that goal. Moreover, with India being a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the Indian military, mainly the Navy, will have to demonstrate its enhanced capability. The Indian Navy has propped up its presence in an unprecedented manner in three areas of operationsGulf of Aden and adjoining areas, the Arabian Sea, and off the east coast of Somalia. Since December, more than 5,000 Navy personnel have been deployed at sea, over 450 ship days (with over 21 ships deployed) and maritime surveillance aircraft have flown more than 900 hours to address threats. Milan, which took place at Visakhapatnam, saw the participation of about 50 countries. During the exercise, the two aircraft carriers Vikrant and Vikramadityasailing side by side in the Indian seaboard made for remarkable optics of power projection. Before Milan, Vayu Shakti, the IAFs biennial exercise, took place in Pokhran. This years exercise was the biggest ever. The IAF exploded 50 tonnes of ordnance in a 9sqkm desert patch in just two hours. More than 120 aircraft of the IAFincluding Rafale, Sukhoi 30, MiG-29, Mirage 2000, Jaguar, Tejas and Hawk fighter aircraft; Apache, Chinook, Prachand and other helicopters, besides the transporters C-17 heavy-lift Globemaster, the C-130J Super Hercules and the workhorse AN-32had taken part. The timing of Bharat Shakti was also interesting. Just six days before the exercise began, on March 6, two events on the same day marked two significant milestones for the Indian Navy. The first MH 60R Squadron was commissioned at Kochi representing significant and effective expansion in the Navys reach besides supplementing combat readiness. Addressing a gathering, chief of the naval staff, Admiral R. Hari Kumar said: With their cutting-edge sensors and multi-mission capabilities, MH 60Rs will augment our maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. But more significant, with regard to strategic implications, is the second eventthe commissioning of INS Jatayu at Minicoy island. It will strengthen the Navys foothold in Lakshadweep while extending capacity building, operational reach and sustenance in the region. Said Admiral Hari Kumar: INS Baaz to the east in Andamans and now INS Jatayu in the west at Minicoy will serve as the eyes and ears of the Navy... and the nation across the far reaches of the seas to safeguard our national interestswhatever be the challenge and whosoever be the challenger. INS Jatayu is basically a significant enhancement of the naval detachment at Minicoy that was set up in the early 1980s. Explained Commodore R.S. Vasan (retired), director general, Chennai Centre of China Studies: INS Jatayu will no longer be a naval detachment. It will be a full-fledged naval station with proper manpower and equipment sanction and unit holding. He said the development was also related to what was happening in the Maldives, the Suez Canal area and the like. So as a first responder in the region, the closer the Indian Navy is to the area of incidence, the faster it will be able to respond, he said. Moreover, it is close to the sea lines of communication. On the domestic front, too, compelling visuals from Bharat Shaktisignalling the rising capabilities of a major military powerwould yield political dividends in a country that is going to the parliamentary elections from April 19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address at Bharat Shakti hammered in the elements, pointing out that Indian defence exports had increased eight-fold compared with 2014. He also spoke about the pre-2014 multiplicity of defence scams, scarcity of ammunition and deterioration of ordnance factories. With China replacing Pakistan as Indias biggest adversary, the ground-breaking exercise was also a statement of Indias growing military readiness in the face of growing Chinese presence overseas like Sri Lankas Hambantota and on Myanmars southern seaboard, and Chinas domination in the politics of the strategically located Maldives, not to speak of an up-and-running military base in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. The Chinese moves are read by strategic experts as a furtherance of Chinas String of Pearls strategic initiative. An interesting facet of Bharat Shakti was that only homemade weapon systems, platforms, and technologies were featured. It was a message to the world that India can produce effective platforms on its own. What slightly marred the exhibition of Indias synergised military machismo was the crash of a Tejas LCA fighter aircraft that had taken part in the exercise. The Tejas is expected to make up for the depletion of fighter squadrons in the IAF besides being a prime item of export to foreign countries. New Delhi, Apr 14 (PTI) Air India on Sunday decided to temporarily suspend flights to Tel Aviv amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. An official said the direct flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv will be suspended for now. Air India operates four weekly flights between the national capital and Israeli city. The Tata group-owned carrier recommenced services to Tel Aviv on March 3 after a gap of nearly five months. Air India suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv, starting October 7, 2023, in the wake of the Hamas attack on the Israeli city. New Delhi, Apr 14 (PTI) "RRR" star Ram Charan, who received a doctorate degree from Chennai's Vels University, expressed gratitude to everyone who has been part of his journey as an actor. According to the varsity's X page, the Telugu cinema star was conferred an honorary Doctor of Literature degree at its 14th annual convocation on Saturday. Ram Charan, 39, shared a photograph from the event on his official Instagram page. "Happy to receive my doctorate degree from Vels University! Grateful to the people of Chennai and to everyone who's been a part of my journey. Here's to more dreams and achievements together! #velsuniversity," the Chennai-born actor captioned his post. Son of superstar Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan made his debut with the 2007 action movie "Chirutha". He has since featured in hit films such as "Magadheera", "Yevadu", "Rangasthalam", and "RRR", which earned him the status of a pan-India star. The actor will next be seen in S Shankar's "Game Changer". His 16th film with filmmaker Buchi Babu Sana went on floors recently. Ram Charan is set to reunite with his "Rangasthalam" director Sukumar for a new movie. Islamabad, Apr 14 (PTI) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday felicitated the Sikhs on the occasion of the Baisakhi festival as about 3,000 Indian Sikhs arrived in Punjab province to participate in the celebrations. In his message, Prime Minister Sharif described Baisakhi as the "symbol of spring season and the festival of spreading love and happiness". He said Pakistan is a beautiful blend of different faiths and cultures" and the colour of Baisakhi further added to this beauty. Sharif said that the Government of Pakistan and its provincial governments will provide all-out facilities to Sikh pilgrims coming from all over the world to perform Baisakhi rituals. The main event of the Sikh religious festival, Baisakhi Mela, will be held at Gurudwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal on Sunday. Thousands of Sikh pilgrims from all over the world, including India will participate. Minority leaders will also participate in the event. Pakistan has extended visas to 2,843 Indian Sikh pilgrims, granting them the opportunity to engage in the festivities of Baisakhi Mela and Khalsa Janam Din. The pilgrims would attend the main event of Baisakhi Mela at the Gurudwara Panja Sahib in Punjab province on Sunday. Subsequently, on April 15, the pilgrims will travel to Nankana Sahib from Hasanabdal, where they will pay homage to Sacha Sauda (Farooqabad) during their stay. This will be followed by a visit to Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur (Narowal) on April 18. The pilgrimage will continue with a visit to Gurdwara Rori Sahib (Eminabad) on April 20, where the pilgrims will spend a day in contemplation. The culmination of the spiritual journey will see the Sikh pilgrims bidding farewell to Pakistan on April 22, marking the completion of their 10-day pilgrimage. Sardar Ramesh Singh, the head of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and provincial minister for minority affairs in Punjab, said that Basakhi and Khalsa Janam Day are distinct festivals. He recounted the historical significance of Baisakhi, stating that on this day in 1699, the tenth Guru Gobind founded the Sikh Panth at Anandpur Sahib. Pakistan is home to several Sikh religious sites and every year thousands of followers of the religion visit the country for sacred rites. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI) JERUSALEM, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said on Sunday that it intercepted about 99 percent of more than 300 missiles and drones Iran launched late Saturday in its first direct attack against Israel. Booms, the noise of heavy fighter jet traffic, and air raid sirens were heard across Israel as the Iranian retaliatory assault, seeking vengeance for the killing of seven Iranian officials, including two veteran commanders, in Damascus on April 1, began around midnight. "Together with our partners, the Americans and others, we managed to block the attack with very little damage caused," said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, describing the outcome as "an impressive achievement." Gallant noted that the incident has not been over, and the Israeli Air Force remains on high alert. In a press briefing, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said that Iran had launched about 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles, and over 120 ballistic missiles. Hagari said the IDF's Arrow anti-missile system successfully intercepted most of the ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere. According to the spokesman, "a few" ballistic missiles did hit Israel, causing minor damage to the Nevatim Airbase in the Negev Desert. The drones and cruise missiles did not hit Israeli territory. Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service reported that a seven-year-old girl in a Bedouin village suffered severe injuries, apparently from a missile strike. However, it added that the circumstances of her injury were still under investigation by the police. At 7:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT), the Israeli airspace was opened after being closed for more than six hours, the Israeli Airports Authority said. Jordanian state television reported that Jordan's airspace was also reopened in the morning after the kingdom participated in intercepting the drones overnight. The closure of airspace in Lebanon and Iraq has also been lifted. Footage released by the military showed an F-35 warplane returning to the Nevatim Airbase after participating in the defense operation. Israel's Channel 12 TV news broadcast footage of the country's international Ben Gurion Airport resuming operations, suggesting it was an indication that the nation is returning to normalcy. "We intercepted. We blocked. Together we will win," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on social media platform X on Sunday morning. Iran's official news agency, IRNA, reported that Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Hossein Salami warned on Sunday that any reaction from Israel would be met with a much stronger response. Israel might not have the U.S. support for a counterattack. Overnight, Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden talked over the phone, according to Netanyahu's office. Israel's Walla news site reported that Biden told Netanyahu that the U.S. would not support an Israeli counterattack against Iran. Hagari said that "a wide-scale attack by Iran is a severe and dangerous escalation." However, asked whether Israel would retaliate, he said only that the army "does and will do whatever is required to protect the security of Israel." Hezbollah, Iran's key ally, which has been engaging in conflict with Israel since the start of the Gaza war, claimed early Sunday that it had targeted an Israeli military base with rockets. In response, the Israeli military stated that its fighter jets conducted airstrikes on multiple structures and a compound belonging to Hezbollah's Radwan Forces in southern Lebanon. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that U.S. forces "intercepted dozens of missiles and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) en route to Israel, launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen." Several Western countries, including France and Britain, condemned the Iranian retaliation, with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres slamming it a "serious escalation." Washington, Apr 14 (PTI) President Joe Biden has condemned Iran's unprecedented air attack on Israel and convened a meeting of the G-7 leaders on Sunday to develop a coordinated response to the brazen assault. His comments came as American forces joined efforts to down drones and missiles launched by Tehran. Israel said it and its allies have intercepted the vast majority of more than 200 drones and missiles launched by Iran. "Earlier today, Iranand its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraqlaunched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms," Biden said after his call with Netanyahu. Biden said at his direction, to support the defence of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, he said. Ive just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel," he said. Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, he said. Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. "My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israels leaders. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people, Biden said. Jerusalem, Apr 14 (AP) Israel hailed the success of its defences in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran involving hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. An Israeli military spokesman said Sunday the launches numbered more than 300, but 99 per cent of them were intercepted. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Iran fired 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. Several ballistic missiles reached Israeli territory, causing minor damage to an air base. The Iranian attack on Saturday, less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel's six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on October 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Here is the latest: JORDAN REPORTS IT BROUGHT DOWN IRANIAN OBJECTS OVER ITS TERRITORY AMMAN, Jordan The Jordanian Council of Ministers says that its forces dealt with parts of the Iranian attack that flew over its territory, to prevent them from endangering the safety of our citizens and residential and inhabited areas. It said that fragments fell in multiple places but did not cause any significant damage or injuries. The German Foreign Ministry said in a travel advisory Saturday that the Jordanian air force had shot down Iranian drones over Jordan, including over the capital, Amman. Jordan's airspace was reopened on Sunday morning. JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER CONDEMNS THE IRANIAN ATTACK TOKYO Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday condemned Iran's attack on Israel as a move to worsen the ongoing Middle East situation. I am deeply concerned and strongly condemn the escalation," he told reporters. Kishida said his government will do the utmost for the safety of Japanese citizens in the region, and stressed the importance of diplomatic effort to prevent further escalation of tensions. He said there has been no report of injury to Japanese nationals so far from the attack. Kishida made the comment shortly after returning to Tokyo after a weeklong visit to the United States, where he stressed Japan's role as a committed partner for the US in global security and other issues. IRAN SAYS ITS STRIKE WAS MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN IT EXPECTED TEHRAN, Iran The chief of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard says the operation against Israel was more successful than expected. Gen. Hossein Salami, in an interview with state TV, said they were still collecting information but that "the part of the hits that we have detailed and documented reports from the field show that this operation was more successful. He also said the Iranian forces had carried out a limited operation that matched "the evil that the Zionist enemy had done. Salami described the Israeli air defence system as complex, multi-layered and advanced and said passing through this system was a very difficult task. It means designing an operation that can pass drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles through this space and destroy them (targets) on the ground with extremely high accuracy," he said. HAMAS LAUDS IRAN'S ATTACK ON ISRAEL CAIRO Hamas on Sunday praised Iran's unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, saying it was a deserved response to the crime of a strike on Iran's consulate in Syria two weeks ago. The strike on the Iranian diplomatic compound on April 1 killed two Iranian generals and was widely attributed to Israel. Hamas, an Islamic militant group backed by Iran, also appealed for continued support for its war with Israel in Gaza, now in its seventh month. Hamas directed the appeal at Arab and Islamic nations, as well as Iran-backed groups in the region. Hamas said in the statement that it is fighting for the right of our Palestinian people to freedom and independence and the establishment of its Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Hamas has been branded a terror organisation by the West and has rejected a so-called two-state solution, instead seeking Israel's destruction. GRS GRS New York, Apr 14 (AP) Twelve news organisations on Sunday urged presumptive presidential nominees Joe Biden and Donald Trump to agree to debates, saying they were a rich tradition that have been part of every general election campaign since 1976. While Trump, who did not participate in debates for the Republican nomination, has indicated a willingness to take on his 2020 rival, the Democratic president has not committed to debating him again. Although invitations have not been formally issued, the news organisations said it was not too early for each campaign to say publicly that it will participate in the three presidential and one vice presidential forums set by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarised time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high, the organisations said in a joint statement. Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation. ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, PBS, NBC, NPR and The Associated Press all signed on to the letter. Biden and Trump debated twice in 2020. A third debate was cancelled after Trump, then president, tested positive for COVID-19 and would not debate remotely. Asked on March 8 whether he would commit to a debate with Trump, Biden said, it depends on his behaviour. The president was visibly miffed by his opponent in the freewheeling first 2020 debate, at one point saying, will you shut up. Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita said in a letter this past week that we have already indicated President Trump is willing to debate anytime, any place and anywhere and the time to start these debates is now. They cited the seven 1858 Illinois Senate debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, saying certainly today's America deserves as much. The Republican National Committee voted in 2022 to no longer participate in forums sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The Trump campaign has not indicated it would adhere to that, but did have some conditions. The campaign managers said the commission selected a demonstrably anti-Trump moderator in then-Fox News host Chris Wallace in 2020 and wants assurances the commission debates are fair and impartial. The Trump campaign also wants the timetable moved up, saying that many Americans will have already voted by September 16, October 1 and October 9, the dates of the three debates set by the commission. The Biden campaign declined comment on the news organisations' letter, pointing to the president's earlier statement. There was no immediate response from the Trump campaign. But on Saturday, Trump held a rally in northeast Pennsylvania with two lecterns set up on the stage: one for him to give a speech, the other to symbolise what he said was Biden's refusal to debate him. The second lectern had a placard that read, Anytime. Anywhere. Anyplace. Midway through his campaign speech, Trump turned to his right and pointed to the second lectern. We have a little, look at this, it's for him, he said. See the podium? I'm calling on Crooked Joe Biden to debate anytime, anywhere, any place. Right there. And we have to debate because our country is going in the wrong direction so badly and while it's a little bit typically early we have to debate. We have to explain to the American people what the hell is going on, Trump said. C-SPAN, NewsNation and Univision also joined the letter calling for debates. Only one newspaper, USA Today, added its voice. Certainly the broadcasters could use the juice that debates may bring. Television news ratings are down significantly compared with the 2020 campaign, although there are other factors involved, such as cord-cutting and the pandemic, that increased interest in news four years ago. There were no Democratic debates this presidential cycle, and Trump's refusal to participate in the GOP forums depressed interest in them. (AP) GRS GRS Tel Aviv, Apr 14 (AP) Israel on Sunday hailed its successful air defences in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran, saying it and its allies thwarted 99 per cent of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched toward its territory. But regional tensions remain high, amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. US President Joe Biden said he would convene a meeting of the Group of Seven advanced democracies on Sunday to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack. The language indicated that the Biden administration does not want to spiral into a broader military conflict. A top US official said the US had informed Israel it does not plan on striking Iran itself. Iran launched the attack in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month which killed two Iranian generals. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. By Sunday morning, Iran said the attack was over and Israel reopened its air space. The two foes have for years been engaged in a shadow war marked by incidents like the Damascus strike. But Sunday's assault, which set off air raid sirens across Israel, was the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel has over the years established often with the help of the United States a multi-layered air-defence network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. That system, along with collaboration with the US and other forces, helped thwart what could have been a far more devastating assault at a time when Israel is already bogged down in its war against Hamas in Gaza and engaged in low-level fighting on its northern border with Lebanon's Hezbollah militia. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran. Israeli and US officials lauded the response to the aerial assault. Iran launched more than 300 threats and 99 per cent were intercepted, said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman. That is a success. Asked if Israel would respond, Hagari said the country would do what was needed to protect its citizens. Hagari said that none of the drones and cruise missiles reached Israel and that only a few of the ballistic missiles got through. He said that of the cruise missiles, 25 were shot down by the Israeli air force. Hagari said minor damage was caused to an Israeli airbase, but he said it was still functioning. Rescuers said a 7-year-old girl was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a missile strike, though they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a short message on X, formerly Twitter: We intercepted. We blocked. Together, we will win. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also celebrated the results, thanking the US and other countries for their assistance. Israel announced it reopened its airspace, loosening one restriction it had imposed ahead of the strike, although schools remained closed around the country and traffic on the first day of the Israeli workweek was lighter than usual as many people stayed home or recovered from the long night. Neighbouring Jordan also reopened its airspace. Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, said the operation was over, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. We have no intention of continuing the operation against Israel, he was quoted as saying. Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi, claimed Iran had taught Israel a lesson and warned that "any new adventures against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Israel may be particularly proud of the success of its defence because it stands in sharp contrast to the failures it endured during Hamas' attack on October 7. Facing a far less powerful enemy in Hamas, Israel's border defences collapsed and the military took days to repel the marauding militants an embarrassing defeat for the Middle East's strongest and best-equipped army. While thwarting the Iranian onslaught could help restore Israel's image, what it does next will be closely watched both in the region and in Western capitals. In Washington, Biden said US forces helped Israel down nearly all the drones and missiles and pledged to convene allies to develop a unified response. Biden, who had cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team at the White House on Saturday afternoon, spoke with Netanyahu later in the day. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, Biden said. During the call, Biden encouraged Israel to proclaim the interceptions a success against Iran and made clear the US would not participate in any offensive action against Iran, according to a senior administration official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a private conversation between the leaders. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US does not seek escalation, and would hold talks with its allies in the coming days. The US, along with its allies, has sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalating the conflict. Leaders from the G7 will hold a video conference on Sunday early afternoon to discuss the Iranian strikes against Israel, according to Italy, which holds the presidency of the group of developed countries, which includes the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, and Canada. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard issued a new threat against the US. "The terrorist US government is warned any support or participation in harming Iran's interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Iran's armed forces," said a statement carried by IRNA. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel's six-month war against Hamas militants in Gaza, triggered by the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. On that day, militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, also backed by Iran, killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Negotiations underway, meant to bring about a cease-fire in exchange for the release of the hostages, appeared to hit a setback Sunday. Netanyahu's office said that Hamas rejected the latest proposal for a deal, which had been presented to Hamas a week ago by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States. A Hamas official said the group wants a clear written commitment that Israel will withdraw from the Gaza Strip during the second of a three-phase cease-fire deal. The deal presented to the sides calls for a six-week cease-fire in Gaza, during which Hamas would release 40 of the more than 100 hostages the group is holding in the enclave in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners from Israel's jails, including 100 serving long sentences for serious crimes. Hamas welcomed Iran's attack, saying it was a natural right and a deserved response to the strike in Syria and urged the Iran-backed groups in the region to continue to support Hamas in the war against Israel. Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah began attacking Israel's northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel. (AP) GSP Jerusalem, Apr 14 (AP) Israel praised the success of its defences in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran involving hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles while tensions ran high over a possible Israeli counter-strike. An Israeli military spokesman said Sunday the launches numbered more than 300, but 99 per cent of them were intercepted. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Iran fired 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. Several ballistic missiles reached Israeli territory, causing minor damage to an air base. The Iranian attack on Saturday, less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel's six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on October 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Currently: Iran's attack on Israel raised fears of a wider war, but all sides in the conflict also scored gains. US helps Israel shoot down nearly all' Iran-launched attack drones as Biden vows support. President Joe Biden cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team and monitor the situation in the Middle East as Iran launched an attack against Israel. Israel has a multilayered air-defense system. It faces a big test with the Iranian drone strike. Here is the latest: UK MOVES ADDITIONAL WARPLANES TO THE MIDEAST NICOSIA, Cyprus The British government says it has moved several additional fighter jets and refuelling tankers to the region, following Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel. In a statement Sunday, the British government said the air assets will bolster the UK's existing operation against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq as well as intercepting any airborne attacks within the range of our existing missions, as required. Asked by The Associated Press whether the additional jets have been transferred to the UK's air base in Cyprus, a spokesperson said a number of aircraft have been temporarily moved from Romania to bolster our existing footprint in the region. The official didn't disclose the exact location for reasons of operational security. Israel said Sunday that 99 per cent of more than 300 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles Iran had launched were intercepted. ZELENSKYY CONDEMNS IRAN'S ATTACK KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Iran's attack on Israel, drawing parallels to the war ravaging his own country where Russia has also used Iran-made drones. We in Ukraine know very well the horror of similar attacks by Russia, which uses the same Shahed drones and Russian missiles, the same tactics of mass air strikes," he said. Every effort must be made to prevent a further escalation in the Middle East. Iran's actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia's actions threaten a larger conflict, and the obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world, he said in a post on X. It is critical that the United States Congress make the necessary decisions to strengthen America's allies at this critical time, Zelenskyy said. CYPRUS PRESIDENT SAYS HIS NATION WASN'T INVOLVED IN ANY MILITARY ACTION NICOSIA, Cyprus - Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides says the east Mediterranean island nation wasn't in anyway involved in any military action to thwart Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack against Israel. Christodoulides told reporters Sunday that aircraft had arrived in Cyprus from neighboring countries late Saturday. He said they would depart Sunday. Asked if the U.K. had informed the Cypriot government ahead of time that any of its warplanes from a British air base on the island would be involved in intercepting the Iranian attack, Christodoulides said there was no forewarning. The U.K's two military bases on Cyprus - including the larger air base RAF Akrotiri -- are British sovereign territory and don't require the Cypriot government's permission to launch any military action. But normally, the U.K. does brief the Cypriot government of any impending action as a courtesy. The Cypriot president said his foreign minister spoke with his British counterpart only after the fact. He added that he's hoping there's no further escalation because his government doesn't believe that any problems are solved through such aggressive acts. LUFTHANSA SUSPENDS SOME MIDEAST FLIGHTS THROUGH MONDAY German airline Lufthansa said Sunday that it had suspended regular flights to and from Tel Aviv, Amman and Erbil through Monday. It said it plans to serve those destinations again starting Tuesday, but that flights to Beirut and Tehran will remain suspended until at least Thursday. Lufthansa said it was monitoring and assessing the security situation in the Middle East and was in close contact with authorities. The safety of our passengers and crews always has top priority, it said in an emailed statement. Lufthansa, Europe's biggest airline group, announced on Friday that its planes were avoiding Iranian airspace. SUNAK SAYS UK SHOT DOWN A NUMBER OF IRANIAN DRONES LONDON British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed that UK military jets shot down a number of Iranian attack drones" during an attack on Israel. Sunak says the Royal Air Force sent additional planes to the Middle East to help intercept airborne strikes after Tehran announced it had launched an assault on Saturday. It's clear that Iran is determined to sow discontent and destabilize the region, its own backyard, Sunak told the BBC on Sunday. If this attack had been successful, the fallout for regional security would be hard to overstate. Sunak is expected to hold an urgent call with US President Joe Biden and other Group of Seven leaders later Sunday. GERMANY SAYS IRANIAN ATTACK BRINGS THE REGION TO THE BRINK BERLIN German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says the Iranian attack on Israel had brought the region to the edge of the abyss. With its aggressive behaviour, with which it wants to destabilize a whole region, Iran is isolated. And Israel's capabilities have shown that Israel is strong, Israel can defend itself, Baerbock said in Berlin. I call on all actors in the region to act prudently. The escalatory spiral must be broken. We must together find a way to end the violence, Baerbock said. She said Germany and its allies were discussing consequences following the Iranian attack, without elaborating. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking to reporters during a trip to China, said he would take part in a meeting of G7 leaders later Sunday. We will do everything to prevent a further escalation, Scholz said. We can only warn everyone, especially Iran, against continuing in this way. Scholz is due to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday. IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER REITERATES OPERATION IS OVER TEHRAN, Iran Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said his country has no intention of continuing the military operation against Israel. At this juncture, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no intention of continuing defensive operations, he posted on X, and added: "But if necessary, it will not hesitate to protect its legitimate interests against any new aggression. Amirabdollahian called the attack exercising the right of legitimate defense and said it shows Iran's responsible approach to regional and international peace and security. POPE FRANCIS APPEALS TO IRAN AND ISRAEL TO AVOID A SPIRAL OF VIOLENCE VATICAN CITY Pope Francis urged Iran and Israel in his Sunday's prayer to avoid new actions that could spark a spiral of violence and drag the Middle East deeper into conflict. I follow in prayer and with concern, even pain, the news that came in the last few hours about the aggravation of the situation in Israel, due to the intervention by Iran, Francis said, addressing pilgrims from the window overlooking St. Peter's Square. The pontiff made another heartfelt appeal to immediately stop any action that could further intensify the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. No one should threaten the existence of others. Instead, all nations should side with peace and help Israelis and Palestinians to live in two States side by side, in safety, he added. Enough war, enough attacks, enough violence. Yes to dialogue, yes to peace." The pope has often called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking conflicting parties to follow the path of negotiations. IRAN SUMMONS 3 EUROPEAN AMBASSADORS OVER CONDEMNATION OF ATTACK ON ISRAEL TEHRAN, Iran Iran's Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned the ambassadors of the U.K., Germany and France after the three European nations condemned an Iranian attack on Israel. The ministry said on its website that the ambassadors were called in over their governments' irresponsible stances on the Iranian operation against Israel, which was in retaliation for a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month that killed two Iranian generals. RUSSIA EXPRESSES CONCERN FOLLOWING IRAN'S ATTACK ON ISRAEL Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its utmost concern Sunday following Iranian strikes on Israel. It said it hoped that Middle Eastern governments would resolve their problems through political and diplomatic means. It also said that Western states had stopped the U.N. Security Council from adequately responding to the April 1 strike on Iran's consulate building in Syria. We have repeatedly warned that unresolved crises throughout the Middle East primarily in the area of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are often being fueled by irresponsible and provocative actions and will lead to increased tensions in the area, the ministry said in a statement. IRAN WARNS US AGAINST COOPERATION WITH ISRAEL IN ANY NEW ATTACK TEHRAN, Iran Iran has sent a message to the U.S. warning Washington against cooperation with Israel in any military operation again Tehran following its unprecedented attack on Israel. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, as saying that Tehran had communicated its message to the U.S. through the Swiss Embassy, which handles U.S. interests in Iran in the absence of diplomatic relations. President Ebrahim Raisi sent a message praising Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard for launching the attack, saying it had taught a lesson to the Zionist regime. He also warned that any new adventure against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran. State TV meanwhile broadcast interviews with people on the street who praised the Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel and thanked the Iranian military. HAMAS DEMANDS WRITTEN COMMITMENT THAT ISRAEL WILL WITHDRAW FROM GAZA CAIRO Hamas has demanded a clear written commitment that Israel will withdraw from the Gaza Strip during the second of a three-phase cease-fire deal, a senior Egyptian official and a Hamas official said Sunday. The Palestinian militant group said Saturday it submitted its response to a six-week cease-fire proposal to Egyptian and Qatari mediators. It said it's still committed to its demands for a permanent cease-fire, Israeli army withdrawal from all parts of Gaza, the return of displaced people to their homes, intensifying the flow of aid and the start of reconstruction. Israel said earlier Sunday that Hamas had rejected the latest proposal for a deal submitted last week. We confirm our readiness to reach a deal regarding a serious exchange of prisoners between the two sides, Hamas said. The proposal presented to both sides calls for a six-week cease-fire in Gaza, during which Hamas would release 40 of the more than 100 hostages the group is holding in the enclave in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, including 100 serving long sentences for serious crimes. The Egyptian official said Hamas wants a comprehensive, phased deal that included ending the war, Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and an agreement of all hostages in return for a large number of Palestinian prisoners. Israel says it wants to destroy Hamas' military and governing capabilities. The officials said the response also included an increase in the number of Palestinian prisoners Hamas wants released from Israel. The officials from Egypt and Hamas spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to disclose details from the sensitive negotiations. They said that Hamas' response included the unrestricted return of displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza through the two main south-north thoroughfares. The Egyptian official said mediators will carefully review the response before calling for another round of talks. G7 LEADERS WILL CONVENE SUNDAY IN A VIDEO CALL ROME Leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations will hold a video conference Sunday to discuss an unprecedented Iranian attack against Israel. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, whose country holds the G7 rotating presidency, wrote on X: "We express strong concern about a further destabilization of the region and continue to work to avoid it. U.S. President Joe Biden said the meeting is "to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack. The language indicated that the Biden administration does not want Iran's assault to spiral into a broader military conflict. JORDAN REPORTS IT BROUGHT DOWN IRANIAN OBJECTS OVER ITS TERRITORY AMMAN, Jordan The Jordanian Council of Ministers says that its forces dealt with parts of the Iranian attack that flew over its territory, to prevent them from endangering the safety of our citizens and residential and inhabited areas. It said that fragments fell in multiple places but did not cause any significant damage or injuries. The German Foreign Ministry said in a travel advisory Saturday that the Jordanian air force had shot down Iranian drones over Jordan, including over the capital, Amman. Jordan's airspace was reopened on Sunday morning. JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER CONDEMNS THE IRANIAN ATTACK TOKYO Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday condemned Iran's attack on Israel as a move to worsen the ongoing Middle East situation. I am deeply concerned and strongly condemn the escalation," he told reporters. Kishida said his government will do the utmost for the safety of Japanese citizens in the region, and stressed the importance of diplomatic effort to prevent further escalation of tensions. He said there has been no report of injury to Japanese nationals so far from the attack. Kishida made the comment shortly after returning to Tokyo after a weeklong visit to the United States, where he stressed Japan's role as a committed partner for the U.S. in global security and other issues. IRAN SAYS ITS STRIKE WAS MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN IT EXPECTED TEHRAN, Iran The chief of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard says the operation against Israel was more successful than expected. Gen. Hossein Salami, in an interview with state TV, said they were still collecting information but that "the part of the hits that we have detailed and documented reports from the field show that this operation was more successful. He also said the Iranian forces had carried out a limited operation that matched "the evil that the Zionist enemy had done. Salami described the Israeli air defense system as complex, multi-layered and advanced and said passing through this system was a very difficult task. It means designing an operation that can pass drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles through this space and destroy them (targets) on the ground with extremely high accuracy," he said. HAMAS LAUDS IRAN'S ATTACK ON ISRAEL CAIRO Hamas on Sunday praised Iran's unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, saying it was a deserved response to the crime of a strike on Iran's consulate in Syria two weeks ago. The strike on the Iranian diplomatic compound on April 1 killed two Iranian generals and was widely attributed to Israel. Hamas, an Islamic militant group backed by Iran, also appealed for continued support for its war with Israel in Gaza, now in its seventh month. Hamas directed the appeal at Arab and Islamic nations, as well as Iran-backed groups in the region. Hamas said in the statement that it is fighting for the right of our Palestinian people to freedom and independence and the establishment of its Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Hamas has been branded a terror organization by the West and has rejected a so-called two-state solution, instead seeking Israel's destruction. HEZBOLLAH SAYS IT FIRED DOZENS OF ROCKETS TOWARD ISRAELI MILITARY POSTS IN GOLAN HEIGHTS BEIRUT Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group says it fired dozens of rockets toward Israeli military posts in Syria's Israeli-occupied Golan Heights early Sunday after an Israeli airstrike killed one person in Lebanon. The group said the attack was in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes overnight on towns and villages in southern Lebanon that killed and wounded civilians." Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said Israeli airstrikes hit areas including the border villages of Kfar Kila and Odeisseh, as well as the town of Khiam. It said the airstrike on Khiam, a few miles from the border, killed one person and wounded others. The exchange early Sunday came as Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles toward Israel in an unprecedented revenge mission for the April 1 airstrike on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital, Damascus. ISRAEL REOPENS ITS AIRSPACE AFTER IRANIAN ATTACK TEL AVIV, Israel Israel has reopened its airspace following an unprecedented attack on its territory by Iran. Israel's Transportation Ministry said the country's main international airport has resumed operations. It said domestic airports would reopen throughout the day Sunday. Israel says Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles toward its territory in the early morning attack, and that air defenses intercepted 99% of them. Minor damage was caused to an air base, the military said. The military announced measures on Saturday in anticipation of the Iranian attack, closing its airspace, canceling school and limiting public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. ISRAEL HAILS INTERCEPTION OF IRANIAN MISSILES AND DRONES JERUSALEM Israel on Sunday hailed the interception of virtually all of the more than 300 Iranian missiles and drones targeting its territory as a significant strategic success. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on social platform X: We intercepted. We blocked. Together, we will win. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant added that the Iranian attack was blocked in the most impressive way, together with our partners, the Americans and others. The Israeli army spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said that 99% of more than 300 launches, including drones, surface-to-surface missiles and cruise missiles, were intercepted outside Israeli territory. He said only a few got through, causing minor damage to an air base and injuring a 7-year-old girl in another location. The successful interceptions come at a time when Israel is bogged down in its war against Hamas in Gaza, triggered by the militants' deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. At the start of the war, Israel vowed to crush Hamas and bring back hostages the militants had taken on Oct. 7. Yet Hamas, while significantly weakened, remains standing, and dozens of hostages are still in Gaza. NETANYAHU SAYS HAMAS REJECTS LATEST CEASE-FIRE PROPOSAL JERUSALEM Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Sunday that Hamas has rejected the latest proposal for a temporary cease-fire in Gaza, which would was to include the release of about 40 hostages held by the Islamic militants. The proposal had been presented to Hamas a week ago by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States. The Israeli statement said that Israel had shown flexibility in the negotiations. It alleged that Hamas leader Yehya Sinwar continues to take advantage of the tensions with Iran and seeks a wider regional escalation. The statement came just hours after Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel early Sunday, with Israel saying 99% of the launches were intercepted. ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER CALLS IRAN A COUNTRY OF TERROR' JERUSALEM Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday called Iran a country of terror after Tehran launched hundreds of drones and missiles toward Israel in an unprecedented attack. "The Iranian attack was blocked in the most impressive way, together with our partners, the Americans and others ... The entire world saw today who is Iran a country of terror, Gallant said. The attack, less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. U.N SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS AN EMERGENCY MEETING The UN Security Council called an emergency meeting for 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT) on Sunday, after Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles at Israel. The gravity and volume of the attacks is unprecedented, Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan wrote in a letter to the council late Saturday calling for the meeting. BIDEN SAYS US HELPED ISRAEL DOWN NEARLY ALL' IRANIAN DRONES AND MISSILES WASHINGTON President Joe Biden says U.S. forces helped Israel down nearly all of the drones and missiles launched by Iran and pledged to convene allies to develop a unified response. Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke early Sunday, Israeli time, their governments said. Biden said in a statement that he reaffirmed America's ironclad commitment to Israel's security a departure from his harsh criticism over Israel's handling of the war in Gaza. At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week, Biden said in the statement. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. UN CHIEF CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling for an immediate halt to hostilities in the Middle East. I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran this evening, Guterres wrote in a statement Saturday night. I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East, Guterres wrote. I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war. GERMANY, FRANCE, CANADA CONDEMN IRANIAN ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAEL The French government forcefully condemned the Iranian air attack on Israel. French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne said in a statement Saturday that in taking such an unprecedented action, Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilizing activities and is risking a potential military escalation. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote early Sunday on X that Germany condemns in the strongest possible terms the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos. Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately, Baerbock wrote. "We offer Israel our full solidarity at this time. Likewise, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his nation unequivocally condemns Iran's airborne attacks against Israel. "We stand with Israel. After supporting Hamas' brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime's latest actions will further destabilize the region and make lasting peace more difficult, Trudeau said in a statement. "We support Israel's right to defend itself and its people from these attacks. BRITAIN AND ARGENTINA RESPOND TO IRANIAN ATTACK ON ISRAEL UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said additional Royal Air Force jets and air refueling tankers have been sent to the Middle East to bolster Britain's existing operation against the Islamic State Group in Iraq and Syria. He said the jets will intercept airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, but did not confirm whether RAF jets had already shot down any Iranian drones. Meanwhile, the spokesperson of Argentine President Javier Milei says the leader will cancel a trip to Denmark and return to Buenos Aires due to Iran's attack on Israel. A statement from presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni said Milei was flying home to form a crisis committee in light of the latest events in Israel, to take charge of the situation and coordinate actions with the presidents of the Western world. (AP) GSP Washington, Apr 14 (AP) President Joe Biden convened the Group of Seven advanced democracies on Sunday to coordinate a rebuke to Iran for its unprecedented and largely unsuccessful aerial attack on Israel and to prevent a wider regional escalation. The United States assisted Israel in shooting down dozens of drones and missiles fired by Tehran in what was the first time that Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel. Israeli authorities said 99 per cent of the inbound weapons were shot down without causing any significant damage. At my direction, to support the defence of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the region over the course of the past week, Biden said in a statement late Saturday. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. Biden, in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that night, urged that Israel claim victory for its defense prowess as the president aimed to dissuade America's closest Mideast ally from a larger retaliatory strike against Iran. Biden, according to a senior administration official, told Netanyahu that the US would not participate in any offensive action against Iran. The official was not authorised to publicly discuss the private conversation and spoke on condition of anonymity. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks - sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, Biden said in his statement. The G7 meeting, Biden said, is intended to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack. The effort to encourage Israel to show restraint mirrored ongoing American efforts to curtail Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, which is now in its seventh month, and to do more to protect civilian lives in the territory. The US and Israel had been bracing for an attack for days after Iran said it would retaliate for a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, criticised White House for leaking it to the press that Biden told Netanyahu to take the win and not retaliate. Rubio told CNN's State of the Union that it wast part of the White House's efforts to appease people calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. (AP) PY PY Kathmandu, Apr 14 (PTI) Lt Gen Pradeep Chandran Nair, Director General of Assam Rifles, Indian Army has met Nepal Army chief Gen Prabhu Ram Sharma and discussed ways to enhance bilateral military relations between the two nations. Lt Gen Nair called on Gen Sharma at the Nepal Army Headquarters to discuss furtherance in bilateral military relations between Nepal and India and bolstering army-to-army connect, the Indian Embassy in Nepal said in a post on X. The senior Indian Army officer, who arrived here on an official visit on April 8 also addressed a rally of Nepali-domiciled Gorkha ex-servicemen in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Dharan, a statement from the Indian Embassy said. The statement said that Gen Nair paid a visit to the Pension Paying Office in Pokhara and the Pension Paying Office in Dharan during his week-long visit. Gen. Nair lauded the bravery of the Gorkha soldiers and saluted their courage and dedicated service to the nation. He reminisced the invaluable sacrifices of our gallant Gorkha veterans and affirmed the continued commitment of Assam Rifles, Indian Army and the Indian government for their meaningful welfare, the statement said. Gen Nair called on Naveen Srivastava, the Indian ambassador to Nepal, at the Indian embassy and paid a courtesy call on Gen Prabhu Ram Sharma, Chief of Army Staff, Nepal Army, at the Nepal Army headquarters. "The interactions held during Gen Nair's visit shall strengthen and enhance the military-to-military connect between Nepal and India," the Indian Embassy said on X. Jerusalem, Apr 14 (AP) Iran says it has launched ballistic missiles as part of its attack targeting Israel. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted an anonymous official saying ballistic missiles were part of the attack. Already, slow-moving Shahed-136 bomb-carrying drones have been seen in the skies over Iran. However, those are more easily shot down. A ballistic missile moves on an arch trajectory, heading up into space before gravity brings the weapon down at a speed several times faster than the speed of sound. Israel has missile defense systems capable of targeting ballistic missiles. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles like the campaign launched late Saturday by Iran, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher. Iran launched dozens of drones toward Israel late Saturday, Israeli and Iranian officials confirmed, on an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East ever closer to a regionwide war. Israel's military said over 100 drones had been fired but that its air defenses were prepared for the attack and it was ready to respond. The U.S., with its large troop presence in the region, said it would provide unspecified support to Israel. We are monitoring the threat, the Israeli military's spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, announced in a nationwide television address, saying it would take several hours for the drones to reach Israel. The Israeli military said it could not confirm if it had intercepted any drones or what their targets were. The attack marked the first time Iran had ever launched a full-scale military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran had vowed revenge since an April 1 airstrike in Syria killed two Iranian generals inside an Iranian consular building. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack. Israel hasn't commented on it. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel's six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, began attacking Israel's northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel. In a statement carried late Saturday by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime. The statement did not elaborate. Online videos shared by state television purported to show delta-wing-style drones resembling the Iranian Shahed-136 drones long used by Russia in its war on Ukraine. The drones are bomb-carrying and slow-flying. Ukraine has successfully used both surface-to-air missiles and ground fire to target the drones. Iran has a vast arsenal of drones and missiles. Tehran's choice of the Shahed-136 drones give Israel and its allies hours to shoot them down. It does not appear Iran used any of its ballistic missiles in the attack, which would pose a greater risk to Israel. Israel has a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. Hagari, the army spokesman, said Israel was prepared and ready with both defensive and offensive responses. But he cautioned that the air defenses are not 100% effective and urged the public to heed safety instructions. The army's Home Front Command canceled school on Sunday and limited public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. Israel closed its airspace and canceled all flights. Earlier Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. In Washington, President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House. He was set to convene a principals meeting of the National Security Council on Saturday to discuss the unfolding attack, the White House said. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of the U.S. military's Central Command, was in Israel over the weekend consulting with Israeli defense officials about the Iranian threat. The Central Command oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, while Israel has a formidable arsenal that includes long-range missiles and F-35 stealth warplanes. For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had threatened to slap Israel for its Syria strike. In Iran's capital, Tehran, witnesses saw long lines at gas stations early Sunday as people appeared worried about what may come next. Dozens of hard-liners demonstrated in support of the attack at Palestine Square. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following Iran's launch of drones. Flight-tracking data late Saturday showed the airspace over Jordan empty, while few flights continued on their north-south routes over Iraq. A sole Middle East Airlines flight from Dubai to Beirut remained airborne over Syria. Lebanon was closing its airspace. Earlier Saturday, commandos from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel. Iran's state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guard's navy carried out the attack on the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime. Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC. Geneva-based MSC acknowledged the seizure and said 25 crew members were on the ship. We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their well-being, and safe return of the vessel, MSC said. Watson, the White House spokesperson, said the crew was made up of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals and urged Iran to release them and the vessel. IRNA said the Guard would take the vessel into Iranian territorial waters. A Middle East defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, provided video of the attack to The Associated Press in which Iranian commandos are seen rappelling onto a stack of containers on the vessel's deck. The video corresponded with known details of the MSC Aries. The commandos rappelled from what appeared to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, which both the Guard and the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have used before to raid ships. (AP) ANB ANB Thane, Apr 14 (PTI) A worker and a labour contractor were killed and another person was injured after a wall collapsed during repairs to a house in Maharashtras Thane district on Sunday, an official said. The incident took place at Bhayander East, on the outskirts of Mumbai, around 11 am, the official said. A house was being repaired when one of its walls collapsed on two workers and a labour contractor. While worker Makhanlal Yadav (25) and labour contractor Hariram Chouhan (49) were killed, the second worker suffered injuries, the official said. After being alerted, the local firemen reached the spot, cleared the rubble and rushed the injured worker to a government hospital. A police officer from the Navghar police station in the area said a first information report (FIR) was being registered for negligence under the Indian Penal Code. This photo taken on April 8, 2024 shows a street view in Paramaribo, Suriname. (Photo by Ricardo Montoya/Xinhua) Suriname was one of the first Caribbean countries to sign the Belt and Road cooperation plan with China, for which Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi has repeatedly expressed support. "China is taking leadership in the world and supporting other countries. One of the examples is the Belt and Road Initiative. My country is also benefiting from this development," Santokhi told reporters during his ongoing state visit to China. PARAMARIBO, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Nestled deep within the embrace of the Amazon rainforest lies Botopasi village, right in the heart of Suriname. Getting there from the capital city of Paramaribo takes five and a half hours -- two and a half hours by car and another three by boat along the Suriname River. Besides the underdeveloped transportation infrastructure, villagers in the region were also unable to connect to the national electricity grid, thus lacking a continuous power supply for long periods of time. The diesel fuel provided by the government only generates a five-hour electricity supply per day. Having stable access to electricity had been a wish of Botopasi villagers for long, but the absence of electricity and other inconveniences have compelled many of them to relocate to the capital in recent years, resulting in a decline in the village's population. In 2019, Suriname's Ministry of Natural Resources signed an agreement with Power Construction Corporation of China (Power China), hoping to jointly solve the electricity problem for villagers in this area. Suriname's Minister of Natural Resources David Abiamofo said the rural microgrid photovoltaic project is in line with the country's energy strategy and has improved the lives of people in disadvantaged inland areas. Currently, Suriname is one of the three carbon-negative countries in the world, Abiamofo said. "Our goal is to make sure that our footprint becomes increasingly ecological." After studying more than 10 villages, Xiong Zekun, project manager of Power China of Surinam Villages Micro-grid Solar Project, and his team presented a plan to build photovoltaic stations and install transmission lines in each village, forming a microgrid in each region. This photo taken on April 5, 2024 shows a street view in Paramaribo, Suriname. (Photo by Ricardo Montoya/Xinhua) Following the approval of the plan by the Surinamese government, Power China began construction. Six months later, it delivered the first phase of the project, the Goejaba microgrid, in 2020, which has since supplied the village with uninterrupted electricity. Xiong recalled the night when the first phase of the project was inaugurated. "After turning on the lights and leaving the station, I passed by a house and saw a child studying under a lit lamp. This scene made me feel that all the efforts for this project were worth it," he said. The successful operation of the first phase of the project has prompted the government of Suriname to authorize Power China to build microgrids in more villages. In October 2021, the second phase of the project was officially launched. The village of Botopasi, where the camp for the second phase of Power China's project is located, is one of the nine villages set to benefit from the five complexes of the second phase. Once completed, these complexes will provide uninterrupted clean energy to more than 3,000 residents. Born and raised in the village of Botopasi, Harry Wens Potter has been assisting the Power China team as an interpreter since the beginning of the second phase. "I love working to help Chinese company communicate with people from my village because electricity is so important for us," Potter told Xinhua. "We live in the rainforest and have always lived in harmony with nature. The photovoltaic technology promoted by the Chinese will not harm local natural environment, which is exactly what we need," Porter said. Suriname was one of the first Caribbean countries to sign the Belt and Road cooperation plan with China, for which Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi has repeatedly expressed support. "China is taking leadership in the world and supporting other countries. One of the examples is the Belt and Road Initiative. My country is also benefiting from this development," Santokhi told reporters during his ongoing state visit to China. Ambikapur, Apr 14 (PTI) Three minor siblings were charred to death after a fire broke out in a thatched house in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district, police said on Sunday. The incident took place late Saturday late in Barima village under Kamleshwarpur police station limits when the children's mother went to a neighbour's house after lighting a mud stove, a police official said. The woman, Sudhni Bai, lit the stove at around 9 pm and went to the neighbour's house to look for her another elder daughter, he said. She returned at around 3 am and found the entire house gutted, the official said in a statement. After being alerted, a police team reached the spot. Prima facie, the stove flames seem to have led to the fire in the house, the police said, adding that further investigation is underway. The deceased have been identified as Kumari Gulabi (8), her sister Sushma (4) and brother Ram Prasad (2), the official said. Mumbai, Apr 14 (PTI) Rich tributes were paid across Maharashtra to legendary social reformer and jurist Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 133rd birth anniversary, with thousands of people visiting Chaityabhoomi in Mumbai's Dadar and Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur since midnight. While Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrasekhar Bawankule visited Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde paid tribute at Dadar. The vicinity of these sites were full of stalls selling books related to Ambedkar and other memorabilia, with civic bodies making arrangements for water etc for people. Gurugram, Apr 13 (PTI) The Gurugram police on Saturday arrested five donors and recipients on charges of commercial dealing in organs, 10 days after an organ transplant racket in Haryana and Rajasthan was busted, officials said. A senior police officer said the arrested accused include three recipients and two donors, all hailing from Bangladesh. The donors took Rs 2 lakh each for the kidney transplant. The mastermind of the racket Mohammed Murtaza Ansari, a native of Jharkhand, is still absconding, the police said. On April 4, a joint team of CM flying squad, district health department and Gurugram Police busted a gang that got kidney transplant done for money in two private hospitals in Jaipur, according to officials. The racket was busted following a raid at a hotel in Gurugram Sector-39 where a Bangladeshi national was found who had undergone a kidney removal procedure at a hospital in Jaipur under "suspicious" financial arrangements, they had said. After the transplant, the gang allegedly used to make the patient and the donor stay in a guest house in Gurugram. On Saturday, the police arrested five donors and recipients, all of them natives of Bangladesh, who were staying in the guest house in Gurugram after undergoing kidney transplant surgeries, they said. "We have arrested all the five accused. They were sent to judicial custody after being produced in a city court today," said Arjun Dhundhara, SHO of Sadar police station. The five arrested persons have been identified as kidney recipients Kobir MD Ahasanul (31), Nurul Islam (56) and Mahmud Syed Akb (25) and donors Shamim Mehndi Hasan (34) and Hossain MD Azad (30), he added. Ranchi, Apr 14 (PTI) Terming the BJP's 'Sankalp Patra' as 'Sanvidhan Badlo Patra', the Jharkhand Congress claimed that the document is full of "jugglery of words with no mention of unemployment and price rise". Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) also claimed that the BJP's manifesto would give a "guarantee of loot by corporate houses". Congress president Rajesh Thakur said, "The BJP's manifesto is intended to deceive people. It is not for the interest of the citizens but it is a document of the resolution taken by the BJP to change the Constitution of the country." He also alleged that the saffron party's manifesto is a "jugglery of words with no mention about unemployment and price rise". Thakur, in a statement, claimed, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is once again trying to cheat the tribal community by taking the name of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. First of all, he should tell what steps have been taken so far on the demand of the Sarna Religious Code of tribals who follow the footsteps of Bhagwan Birsa Munda." He said the coalition state government, in which the JMM and the Congress are constituents, has passed a bill in the assembly to implement the Sarna Code and sent it to the central government for its approval. Modi on Sunday released the BJP's Lok Sabha poll manifesto, outlining his vision for Viksit Bharat as he exhorted people to give another mandate to his party to shape Indias 'destiny' for the next 1,000 years. JMM general secretary and central spokesperson Supriya Bhattacharya, in a press conference here, alleged, "The BJP has surrendered itself to the dictatorship by calling its Sankalp Patra (manifesto) as 'Modi Ki Guarantee'. Describing the partys Sankalp Patra as a document of his guarantee, Modi highlighted the achievements of 10 years of his government at the Centre and said the BJP has delivered on every promise it made so far. "Only new words have been coined such as social and digital infrastructure without any clarity. There is no mention of unemployment and price rise, which the country is talking about. There is also no roadmap for farmers and education in the country " Bhattacharya added. Rajkot, Apr 14 (PTI) Kshatriya community members on Sunday once again demanded that the BJP remove Union minister Parshottam Rupala as the party candidate for the Rajkot Lok Sabha seat, vowing to intensify their protest in the coming days. The Kshatriya community, also called Raputs, held a public meeting at Ratanpur village of Rajkot district in Gujarat at a time when the ruling BJP has announced that Rupala will file his nomination papers on April 16. We are firm on our demand for withdrawal of Rupalas candidature. We have demanded from BJP that Rupala has to go and we stand firm on that demand, said Ramjubha Jadeja, a core committee member of the Kshatrya community, addressing the meeting. Gujarat's 26 seats, including Rajkot, will go to polls in the third phase on May 7 and votes will be counted on June 4. BJP had won all the seats in the state in 2014 and 2019. Rupala insulted our daughters and sisters. Then he played a farce of seeking apology. But we have rejected his apology. We will continue with our protest against Rupala. BJP must withdraw him as the Lok Sabha candidate from Rajkot, he said. In the past, when people made mistakes, the BJP leadership took action against such people, which includes the case of Nupur Sharma (former party spokesperson)," he said. Jadeja asserted that the community will intensify its agitation in the coming days as he thanked Kshatriyas from other states like Rajasthan for extending support to the community members Gujarat in their fight against Rupala. Many other community members also addressed the meeting, appealing for agitating in a peaceful manner. Kshatriya community women leader Trupti Ba said, "Rupala has insulted the daughters and sisters of the community and he has to go. Nothing should be done to hurt the self-respect of women and we will not sit idle till our self-respect is restored." Another community leader, Dasrathsinh Sarvaiya, claimed that Rupalas days are numbered and he should not represent the people of Rajkot as their MP. Rupala enraged the Kshatriya community after he recently claimed that the erstwhile maharajas succumbed to the persecution of foreign rulers, including the Britishers. He said these maharajas broke bread with these rulers and also married off their daughters to them. The Kshatriya community members are demanding that BJP drop him as the Rajkot Lok Sabha candidate. Rupala has apologised twice, but the community is not appeased. New Delhi, Apr 14 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday released the BJP's Lok Sabha poll manifesto, which has a special focus on the poor, youngsters, farmers and women. The prime minister handed over copies of the manifesto to the representatives of the four broad groups -- Gareeb, Yuva, Annadata and Naari Shakti (GYAN) -- who were beneficiaries of the government's schemes. Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman released the manifesto for the polls that are scheduled to commence from April 19. Addressing the gathering earlier, Singh said the manifesto embodies the guarantees the prime minister has given to the people of the country. "Modi ki guarantee" is the recurring theme of the manifesto, he said. "Modi ki guarantee is equivalent to 24-carat gold and has emerged as the gold standard of governance," the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said. Singh, who headed the party's manifesto committee, said more than 15 lakh suggestions were received from across the country and those were incorporated into the document. The manifesto talks about implementing the "one nation, one poll" initiative, preparing common electoral rolls, abolishing waiting lists for train travel, expansion of 5G networks and organising Ramayan festivals the world over. Lucknow, Apr 14 (PTI) Saket Misra, the BJP's Lok Sabha poll candidate from Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh, says his goal is to ensure industrial development in the region. In an interview with PTI, the former police officer and banker said he is in touch with private as well as public sector companies for setting up new industries in the area. "Industrial development is essential to provide employment opportunities to youngsters in this Buddhist pilgrimage centre. I am in touch with private as well as public sector companies for investments and setting up new industries. I am hopeful that my two decades of relationships in the finance and banking sector will be fully utilised to achieve this promise," Misra said. Saket Misra is the son of Nripendra Misra, the chairperson of the Ram Temple Construction Committee. Saket Misra was nominated to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council around nine months ago. His father has also been the principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded two police officers in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls -- Asim Arun and Rajeshwar Singh -- with both of them emerging victorious in the electoral contest. This time, the party has fielded Misra, a former police officer, from the Shravasti Lok Sabha seat. Misra did BA Honours in Economics from Delhi's St Stephen's College and then bagged a management degree from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta. He got a job in an international bank, but left it to prepare for civil services. He joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1994. Misra and Arun (former IPS officer and currently a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government) were from the same batch. Misra worked with big banks globally but returned to India as he was keen on doing social service. "Shravasti is my maternal home and I have a connection with this place since my childhood days. When I decided to do social service, I chose this city because I am well acquainted with the people here and their problems," he said. Asked why did he return to India after a successful stint in the banking and finance sector abroad, Misra said, "When I was a student, I was greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and while working in the banking and finance sector, I was convinced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision towards development. Leaving everything behind, I engaged myself in social service." The BJP leader said he joined politics "with a spirit of service". "I am working in the health, education and industry sectors in Shravasti. I have a detailed action plan to ensure that the youngsters of Shravasti get better employment opportunities. Because of my experience in banking and finance and industry, and two decades of investment banking, I have contacts in the country and abroad. I will make efforts to bring industrial investment in the area using my contacts in the private as well as the public sector," he said. He added that his research team has suggested that industrial units related to agriculture and food processing will prove to be beneficial for the people of the region. Farmers will benefit from agro-based industries and food processing will provide employment opportunities to youngsters. Misra's native village is Kasli in Deoria district. His father was a 1967-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. His maternal grandfather, Pandit Badluram Shukla, had become a member of Parliament from Bahraich in 1971 on a Congress ticket. He was an MLA before that. Misra said to fulfil Modi's target of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) winning more than 400 Lok Sabha seats, he has been working in the area for months. He also said Chief Minister Adityanath has done a lot of work for entire Uttar Pradesh, including Shravasti. The villages here get electricity for more than 18 hours, Misra said, adding that the law-and-order situation is so good that businessmen and citizens feel safe. He said due to his attachment to Shravasti since childhood, he wants to serve the people here. But he also emphasised that "this election is being fought only on the guarantee of a developed India given by Modiji and his 10 years of work". In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the main contest in Shravasti was between the SP-BSP alliance candidate Ram Shiromani Verma and the BJP's Daddan Mishra. Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Verma had won the electoral contest. In 2014, BJP's Daddan Mishra defeated Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Atiq Ahmed. There are five Assembly seats in the Shravasti parliamentary segment -- two (Bhinga and Shravasti) in Shravasti district, and three (Gainsari, Tulsipur and Balrampur Sadar) in Balrampur district. The Balrampur Sadar seat is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs). In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the SP won two of the five seats -- Bhinga and Gainsari -- while the BJP won the remaining three. The SP and the BSP are yet to declare their candidates for the upcoming polls. Shravasti goes to polls on May 25. It is said that Lord Buddha spent the last 25 years of his life in Shravasti. The main tourist destination of the district is Katra Shravasti, the holy place of Lord Buddha located within the Ikauna police station limits. Buddhist temples have been built by the followers of Buddhism in Katra Shravasti. Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Apr 14 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was injured in pelting of stones on Saturday by some people during his election campaign here, his office said. The YSRCP president suffered a small cut on the left side of his temple during his "Memanta Siddham (We are all ready)" bus yatra. Saturday was the 14th day of Reddy's 21-day election campaign ahead of polling for the 175-member assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats of the state on May 13. Counting of votes is scheduled on June 4. "A stone hit the chief minister while he was acknowledging the crowd as part of his bus tour at the Vivekananda School Centre in Singh Nagar, Vijayawada," a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. On the advice of doctors, he was taken to the Vijayawada Government Hospital for treatment, following which he headed back to his night halt station at Kesarapalle in NTR district around 12:30 am on Sunday. A plastic surgeon administered two to three fine stitches on Reddy's wound, a doctor told reporters, adding that the chief minister has been advised not to sleep on his stomach. His treatment lasted for about 10 minutes, according to the doctor. In a statement, the YSRCP said the party has announced that the bus yatra will take a break tomorrow. The party will release the next programme on Sunday, the statement released around 1 am said. "Doctors examined Chief Minister Jagan's injury and gave local anaesthesia before stitching the wound...doctors have advised him on getting some rest. After greeting the hospital staff, Chief Minister Jagan proceeded to the Kesarapalle stay point (night halt)," it said. In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "I pray for the speedy recovery and good health of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Garu." Reddy's Tamil Nadu counterpart and DMK president M K Stalin condemned the incident. "Political differences should never escalate to violence. Let's uphold civility and mutual respect as we engage in the democratic process. Wishing him a quick recovery," he said on X. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on X said, "I am shocked to hear about the attack on Jagan ji. Praying for his speedy recovery." Vijayawada Police Commissioner Kanthi Ratan Tata said police are yet to nab those involved in the attack. "There are some clues and we are analysing the video and drone footage. We will identify them. We think that it (stone) was thrown along with flowers. So many people were showering flower petals (on Chief Minister Reddy) and amid that somebody threw the stone," Tata told PTI. In a video shared by the CMO, Reddy is seen acknowledging the crowd to his right while a stone hit him on his temple. The YSRCP chief, however, kept acknowledging the crowd. He later got inside the bus for treatment. The chief minister was administered first aid inside the bus by a doctor. He then resumed his tour of the city, where he campaigned for nearly four hours. Reddy concluded his bus tour for the day around 11 pm. Senior YSRCP leader and former minister V Srinivas, who was standing beside Reddy, was also hit by a stone, the CMO statement said. YSRCP leaders alleged that the opposition TDP was behind this "attack". "The TDP is behind this cowardly act because they cannot bear to see the massive response that Chief Minister Jagan is receiving during his 'Memantha Siddham Yatra' in their so-called bastion (Vijayawada). We urge the police to nab the culprits. The TDP should know that they cannot win the election by such attacks," YSRCP leader Hafeez Khan said. The TDP dismissed the allegations and termed the incident "stage-managed". TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu condemned the attack on Reddy. "I strongly condemn the attack on Jagan. I request the Election Commission of India (ECI) to initiate an impartial and unbiased inquiry into the incident and punish the responsible officials," Naidu said on X. Reacting to the incident, senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former Telangana minister K Taraka Rama Rao said violence has no place in democracy. In a post on X, he said, "Glad you are safe. Take care Jagan Anna. Strongly condemn the attack on AP (Andhra Pradesh) Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. Violence has no place in democracy and I hope strict preventive measures are put in place by ECI." Several YSRCP workers and supporters protested at various places in the state following the incident in Vijayawada. Reddy embarked the election campaign bus tour from Idupulupaya in the Kadapa district to Icchapuram in Srikakulam district. Chennai, Apr 14 (PTI) Tamil New Year, the first day of the Tamil month 'Chithirai', was welcomed with traditional fervour across the state on Sunday. Tamil-speaking people ushered in the 'Krodhi' New Year by visiting places of worship clad in traditional attire. Special pujas were held across several temples to mark the occasion with devotees queuing up at the famous Vadapalani Murugan Temple, Samayapuram Mariamman Temple near Tiruchirapalli among others in the state. Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami extended their greetings on the occasion. "On the auspicious occasion of Tamil New Year, my warmest greeting and best wishes to all, especially my Tamil brothers and sisters. May the New Year bring good health, happiness, success, and fulfilment to the lives of all," Ravi said in a Raj Bhavan release. "With new inspirations, energy and enthusiasm let us rededicate ourselves to the unity, integrity and inclusive development of the nation," he said. In an audio message that was shared on various social media platforms, Palaniswami extended his Tamil New Year wishes to Tamils living across the globe. Meanwhile, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also extended his greetings to Tamils on the occasion. "I am sending my best wishes to Tamils across Canada who are coming together with family and loved ones to celebrate the start of the Tamil New Year. Happy Puthandu.", he said in a social media post. Puducherry, Apr 14 (PTI) Former Bharatiya Janata Party legislator in Puducherry A M Krishnamoorthy died after prolonged illness at his residence here, family sources said on Sunday. Krishnamoorthy passed away on Saturday night, they said. The territorial Home Minister A Namassivayam was among those who paid homage to the former legislator. Lt Governor C P Radhakrishnan condoled the death of Krishnamoorthy. A release from his office said Sunday the Lt Governor was saddened on hearing the news of demise of Krishnamoorthy, adding he (Krishnamoorthy) had great regard and affection for the people of Puducherry. The late legislator had also contributed a lot to the development of Puducherry, the Lt Governor further said. Radhakrishnan conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family. Krishnamoorthy was a legislator between 2001 and 2006 and was elected from Reddiarpalayam constituency, becoming the first BJP MLA in Puducherry. DHAKA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladesh-flagged ship MV Abdullah and all of its crew members, who were captured by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, have been released, an official said here Sunday. Mizanul Islam, KSRM Group's media spokesperson, told journalists here that all the crew members including the ship were released from hostage on early Sunday. According to the KSRM official, all 23 crew members on board are safe, in good health and have been able to contact their relatives. The release came about a month after the ship and its crew members were taken hostage. The vessel is owned by SR Shipping Limited, a sister concern of Bangladeshi KSRM group. The Biden administration is canceling student loans for another 206,000 borrowers as part of a new repayment plan that offers a faster route to forgiveness. The Education Department announced the latest round of cancellations Friday in an update on the progress of its SAVE Plan. More people are becoming eligible for student loan cancellation as they hit 10 years of payments, a new finish line for some loans thats a decade sooner than what borrowers faced in the past. Casting a shadow over the cancellations, however, are two new lawsuits challenging the plans legality. Two groups of Republican-led states, fronted by Kansas and Missouri, recently filed federal suits arguing that the Biden administration overstepped its authority in creating the repayment option. From day one of my Administration, I promised to fight to ensure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity, President Joe Biden said in a statement. I will never stop working to cancel student debt no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stop us. With the latest action, the Education Department has now approved cancellation for about 360,000 borrowers through the new repayment plan, totaling $4.8 billion. The SAVE Plan is an updated version of a federal repayment plan that has been offered for decades, but with more generous terms. Congress created the first income-driven repayment option in the 1990s for people struggling to afford payments on standard plans. It capped monthly payments to a percentage of their incomes and canceled any unpaid debt after 25 years. Similar plans were added later, offering cancellation in as little as 20 years. Arguing that todays borrowers need even more help, the Biden administration merged most of those plans into a single repayment option with more lenient terms. The SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) Plan allows more borrowers to pay nothing until their income rise above certain limits. It also lowers payments more than past plans, eliminates interest growth and cancels unpaid debt in as little as 10 years. Biden announced the plan in 2022 alongside his broader proposal for a one-time cancellation of up to $20,000 for more than 40 million people. While the one-time cancellation was struck down by the Supreme Court, the SAVE Plan moved forward and initially escaped legal scrutiny. The repayment plan opened for enrollment last fall, with certain provisions scheduled to be phased in later this year. The faster path to cancellation was among those slated to start this summer, but the Biden administration fast-tracked that benefit early this year, announcing forgiveness for 153,000 borrowers who had hit 10 years of payments. Almost 8 million Americans have enrolled in the plan, including 4.5 million who pay nothing because they have lower incomes. In a call with reporters, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the plan provides relief and prevents borrowers from falling behind on their loans. Now they have some money back in their pockets, instead of a bill that too often competed with basic needs like groceries and health care, he said. Under the plan, borrowers who originally borrowed $12,000 or less are eligible for forgiveness after 10 years. Those who took out more than $12,000 can get cancellation but on a longer timeline. For each $1,000 borrowed beyond $12,000, it adds an additional year of payments on top of 10 years. The Biden administration says its designed to help those who need it most. Counterintuitively, those with smaller student loan balances tend to struggle more. Its driven by millions of Americans who take out student loans but dont finish degrees, leaving them with the downside of debt without the upside of a higher income. In two separate lawsuits, Republican attorneys general in 18 states are pushing to have the plan tossed and to halt any further cancellation. They say the SAVE Plan goes beyond Bidens authority and makes it harder for states to recruit employees. They say the plan undermines a separate cancellation program that encourages careers in public service. Its unclear what the suits could mean for loans that have already been canceled. A court document filed by Kansas attorney general says its unrealistic to think that any loan forgiveness that occurs during this litigation will ever be clawed back. The lawsuits dont directly address the question, and the attorneys general didnt immediately respond to an Associated Press request. The Education Department says Congress gave the agency power to define the terms of income-driven payment plans in 1993, and that authority has been used in the past. Along with the repayment plan, Biden is trying again at a one-time student loan cancellation. In a visit to Wisconsin on Monday, he highlighted a proposal to reduce or cancel loans for more than 30 million borrowers in five categories. It aims to help borrowers with larges sums of unpaid interest, those with older loans, those who attended low-value programs, and those who face other hardships preventing them from repaying student loans. It would also cancel loans for people who are eligible for other forgiveness programs but havent applied. The Biden administration says it will accelerate parts of the proposal, with plans to start waiving unpaid interest for millions of borrowers starting this fall. Conservative opponents have threatened to challenge that plan, too. On Friday the administration also said its canceling loans for 65,000 borrowers who are enrolled in older income-driven repayment plans and hit the finish line for forgiveness. It also announced cancellation for another 5,000 borrowers through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Through a variety of programs, the Biden administration says it has now provided loan relief to 4.3 million people, totaling $153 billion. (AP) Democratic donors covered more than $1 million in legal fees racked up by attorneys representing President Joe Biden in a yearlong special counsel probe into his handling of classified documents. The use of party funds to cover Bidens legal bills is not without precedent and falls within the bounds of campaign finance law, but it could cloud Bidens ability to continue to hammer former President Donald Trump over his far more extensive use of donor funds to cover his legal bills. The former president has tapped more than $100 million in donor money for a web of legal challenges, ranging from his upcoming criminal trial in New York over hush money payments to ongoing prosecutions over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection and his refusal to turn over classified documents to the federal government after leaving office. For months, Biden aides and advisers have criticized Trump and Republicans for their spending on the former presidents legal issues, which has left the GOP campaign cash-strapped and diverted resources from battleground states. We are not spending money on legal bills or hawking gold sneakers, Biden campaign finance chair Rufus Gifford told MSNBC last week. The payments to Biden attorney Bob Bauer and the law firm Hemenway & Barnes were disclosed in regular campaign finance reports to the Federal Election Commission. Two people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the payments, confirmed the money went for work on the Biden probe. Axios first reported on the payments. The money for Bidens legal team came from the Democratic National Committees legal account, according to the people. That account is primarily funded by high-dollar donors who have already met federal contribution limits for the partys political activities. If these corrupt Democrats didnt have HYPOCRISY, theyd have NOTHING! the Republican National Committee said in a post Friday on X. (AP) Drug regulators in Europe have found no evidence that popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are linked to a higher risk of suicidal thoughts or actions. The European Medicines Agency regulatory committee announced the results of its review on Friday. Its the latest group to conclude theres no known tie between a new class of obesity drugs and suicide. In January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said a preliminary review showed no evidence of such a link, though the agency said it could not rule out that a small risk may exist and that it would continue to study the issue. A federally funded U.S. study also found that people taking semaglutide, the medication in Ozempic and Wegovy, had a lower risk of suicidal thoughts than those taking older medications to treat diabetes and obesity. The review by the European Unions regulators was triggered last July by anecdotal reports that people taking the drugs had thoughts of self-harm. The regulators examined studies, post-marketing data and other research related to medications used in nearly a dozen drugs used to treat the diseases. The group did not review information regarding tirzepatide, the medication used in drugs sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound. Both agencies said they would continue to closely monitor reports of suicidal thoughts or actions in people taking the drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. Patients taking the drugs should report any mental health or other problems to their health care providers, officials said. (AP) The first drug shown to slow Alzheimers disease hit the U.S. market over a year ago, but sales have lagged, major hospital systems have taken months to start using it and some insurers have rejected coverage. Doctors also expect some patients will hesitate to take Leqembi due to its limited impact and potential side effects. They say it will take years to learn how best to deploy the drug and that work must be done to improve diagnosis. This is the start of a very exciting journey, said Dr. Ambar Kulshreshtha, a suburban Atlanta family physician focused on dementia patients. More than 6 million Americans, and millions more worldwide, have Alzheimers disease, the most common cause of dementia. Theres no cure, but Leqembi clears a sticky brain protein called amyloid thats a key indicator of Alzheimers. Studies showed that it can delay the progression of the disease by a few months when given to people with mild symptoms. Some experts say the delay may be too subtle for patients to notice. The drug also can cause brain swelling and bleeding. Patients need regular brain scans to monitor for that. The Food and Drug Administration gave Leqembi full approval last summer for patients with early stages of the disease. The federal Medicare program for people ages 65 and over covers Leqembi and the cost of scans needed to diagnose patients. The drugs maker, Japans Eisai, initially expected to have 10,000 patients taking the IV drug by the end of March. Company executives have since backed off that projection, though they say sales are growing. Hospitals and health systems have needed more time than expected to set up their systems for delivering Leqembi, said Alexander Scott, an Eisai executive vice president. Its not like we are adding a drug to an existing system, he said. They are building the system for the drug. The Cedars-Sinai health system in Los Angeles started administering the drug in early March. Getting there required months of meetings to iron out a plan to coordinate diagnosis, treatment and then monitoring for problems. We were very careful about it, said Dr. Sarah Kremen, a behavioral neurologist. Banner Health in Arizona also recently started using Leqembi at a couple specialty clinics in Phoenix, a spokeswoman said. This is a very phased and staged approach, said Dr. Alireza Atri, a neurologist who has worked as a paid consultant for Eisai. As we learn more, well expand and extend it. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, started using Leqembi in October but only for patients who live within a 100-mile radius so it can reach them quickly if they develop side effect symptoms. Doctors evaluate three to five patients every week for potential treatment, said Alzheimers expert Dr. Ron Petersen. Health systems are still trying to understand how coverage for the drug, its infusions and the needed scans works so patients dont get stuck with bills. Thats a significant variable for a drug that can cost more than $26,000 a year. An Eisai spokeswoman said nearly three-quarters of commercial plans in the U.S. cover the drug outside Medicare. But doctors are concerned that coverage still may be tough for some patients, especially those too young to qualify for Medicare. Insurance denials delayed Scott Berkheisers first Leqembi infusion a few months until last December. The 57-year-old Venice, Florida, resident said the drugmaker eventually agreed to give it to him for free while he makes co-payments for the infusions. It was a little crazy, he said. It seemed like it was kind of a game that must make sense for some monetary reason. Getting treatments started on time remains another challenge. Texas Neurology had 60 patients screened as possible candidates for Leqembi and on a waitlist when the drug launched last year. Only eight eventually started treatment. The rest either declined to take it or had advanced beyond the mild phase of the disease when they were rescreened, CEO David Evans said. That window gets very short very quick, he said. Doctors say more must be done to quickly identify patients and get treatment started before the disease advances. But thats a murky process. If people mention memory trouble, doctors must rule out reversible causes like thyroid problems, vitamin deficiencies, medication issues or depression, Kulshreshtha said. Then memory tests for dementia can take a few visits. Some patients may be ineligible for Leqembi because it would conflict with medication they already take to prevent strokes. And then getting in to see a neurologist who prescribes the drug can take months. Those who make it to the first infusion say the treatment process is manageable. Berkheiser says infusions have gone like clockwork since his delayed start. He fits them in between his work as an engineer and training six days a week to compete in an Ironman triathlon. Charles Bum Clegg recently finished his 13th Leqembi infusion. The Salem, Alabama, resident visits a treatment center only 15 minutes from his home. Clegg and his wife, Carol, say he has had no side effects, and his short-term memory has improved. This drug gives you hope, Carol said. Treatment access may improve over time. The FDA is reviewing another potential treatment that targets amyloid protein, Eli Lilly and Co.s donanemab. Eisai is planning to seek approval for an injectable version of Leqembi that would be easier to use. Blood tests may eventually speed up amyloid detection. But researchers say theres still a long road ahead. Its not clear what causes Alzheimers disease, and many think combination treatments will be needed to stop it. We still have a lot to learn about Alzheimers, said Dr. Eric Widera a geriatric specialist with the University of California San Francisco. Its complex, and its much more than amyloid. (AP) A Texas semitrailer driver rammed a stolen 18-wheeler through the front of a public safety building where his renewal for a commercial drivers license had been rejected, killing one person and injuring 13 others, authorities said Friday. The intentional crash into the single-story brick building off a highway in Brenham, a rural town outside of Houston, littered debris in the parking lot and left a gaping hole in the entrance. The crash damaged the front of the red semitrailer, which was hauling materials on a flatbed. After crashing into the building the first time, the driver backed up the truck with the intention of smashing it again before being detained, Brenham Mayor Atwood Kenjura said. Its unfortunate that we are here gathered for a really senseless tragedy, Kenjura said. The driver identified as Clenard Parker, 42 was pulled out of the truck by authorities at the Texas Department of Public Safety office. Authorities say Parker did not resist when he was taken into custody and would face multiple felonies, but did not specify the charges. On Thursday, Parker was told by employees at the office that he would not be eligible to renew his commercial drivers license, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Justin Ruiz said. He did not elaborate as to why Parkers renewal was rejected. One employee in the building was trapped for a period of time after the crash but no one who worked at the drivers license office suffered serious injuries, Republican state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst said. It was unclear Friday afternoon where the person who was killed was located at the time of the crash. Following the crash, two people were flown to a hospital in Bryan and another to Houston. Three people were transported to local hospitals but later released, and eight others were treated on the scene. Parker, who lived in Chappell Hill about 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of the crash site, was being held without bail Friday in the Washington County jail in Brenham on two initial charges suspicion of evading arrest causing serious bodily injury and unauthorized use of a vehicle. It wasnt immediately clear if Parker had a lawyer or would be appointed one at a future court appearance. The jails website didnt list an attorney or pending court date. Ruiz said he didnt know if Parker had a criminal record. He said they were still investigating whether he was armed at the time of the crash. He said they also were investigating whether his actions might be considered an act of terrorism. Were trying to figure that out, Ruiz said. He said the FBI was assisting in the investigation. A heavy presence of police surrounded the building and drivers were urged to steer clear of the area on Friday. Brenham, a city of about 19,000 residents, is about 80 miles (128 kilometers) miles west of Houston. Kolkhorst and Kenjura said the quick response by law enforcement helped avert a greater tragedy. Were blessed more werent injured in this act of violence, Kolkhorst said. Kenjura said a fire department official told him if Parker had veered to the left and succeeded in striking the building again, there would have been a collapse of the building resulting in more injuries and possibly death. The Texas Department of Public Safety is a sprawling agency and one of the largest state law enforcement operations in the country. It includes troopers who are a central part of a massive border security operation on the U.S.-Mexico border as well as the Texas Rangers, the states top criminal investigators. But the department also has offices across the state that issue drivers licenses. The Texas Rangers were leading the investigation into the crash, Ruiz said. (AP) China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow in turn is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry for use in its war against Ukraine, according to a U.S. assessment. Two senior Biden administration officials, who discussed the sensitive findings Friday on the condition of anonymity, said that in 2023 about 90% of Russias microelectronics came from China, which Russia has used to make missiles, tanks and aircraft. Nearly 70% of Russias approximately $900 million in machine tool imports in the last quarter of 2023 came from China. Chinese and Russian entities have also been working to jointly produce unmanned aerial vehicles inside Russia, and Chinese companies are likely providing Russia with nitrocellulose used in the manufacture of ammunition, the officials said. China-based companies Wuhan Global Sensor Technology Co., Wuhan Tongsheng Technology Co. Ltd. and Hikvision are providing optical components for use in Russian tanks and armored vehicles. The officials said Russia has received military optics for use in tanks and armored vehicles manufactured by Chinese firms iRay Technology and North China Research Institute of Electro-Optics, and China has been providing Russia with UAV engines and turbojet engines for cruise missiles. Russias semiconductor imports from China jumped from $200 million in 2021 to over $500 million in 2022, according to Russian customs data analyzed by the Free Russia Foundation, a group that advocates for civil society development. Beijing is also working with Russia to improve its satellite and other space-based capabilities for use in Ukraine, a development the officials say could in the longer term increase the threat Russia poses across Europe. The officials, citing downgraded intelligence findings, said the U.S. has also determined that China is providing imagery to Russia for its war on Ukraine. The officials discussed the findings as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to travel to China this month for talks. Blinken is scheduled to travel next week to the Group of 7 foreign ministers meeting in Capri, Italy, where hes expected to raise concerns about Chinas growing indirect support for Russia as Moscow revamps its military and looks to consolidate recent gains in Ukraine. President Joe Biden has previously raised his concerns directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Beijing indirectly supporting Russias war effort. While China has not provided direct lethal military support for Russia, it has backed it diplomatically in blaming the West for provoking Russian President Vladimir Putins decision to launch the war and refrained from calling it an invasion in deference to the Kremlin. China has repeatedly said it isnt providing Russia with arms or military assistance, although it has maintained robust economic connections with Moscow, alongside India and other countries, amid sanctions from Washington and its allies. The normal trade between China and Russia should not be interfered or restricted, said Liu Pengyu, spokesman of the Chinese Embassy in Washington. We urge the U.S. side to refrain from disparaging and scapegoating the normal relationship between China and Russia. Xi met in Beijing on Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who heaped praise on Xis leadership. Russias growing economic and diplomatic isolation has made it increasingly reliant on China, its former rival for leadership of the Communist bloc during the Cold War. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who returned to Washington this week from a visit to Beijing, said she warned Chinese officials that the Biden administration was prepared to sanction Chinese banks, companies and Beijings leadership, if they assist Russias armed forces with its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The Democratic president issued an executive order in December giving Yellen the authority to sanction financial institutions that aided Russias military-industrial complex. We continue to be concerned about the role that any firms, including those in the PRC, are playing in Russias military procurement, Yellen told reporters, using the initials for the Peoples Republic of 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. 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 U.S. has frequently downgraded and unveiled intelligence findings about Russias plans and operations over the course of the more than 2-year-old war with Ukraine. Such efforts have been focused on highlighting plans for Russian misinformation operations or to throw attention on Moscows difficulties in prosecuting its war against Ukraine as well as its coordination with Iran and North Korea to supply it with badly needed weaponry. Blinken last year spotlighted intelligence that showed China was considering providing arms and ammunition to Russia. The White House believes that the public airing of the intelligence findings has led China, at least for now, to hold off on directly arming Russia. Chinas economy has also been slow to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Chinese officials could be sensitive to reaction from European capitals, which have maintained closer ties to Beijing even as the U.S.-China relationship has become more complicated. Meanwhile, China on Thursday announced rare sanctions against two U.S. defense companies over what it called their support for arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy Beijing claims as its own territory to be recovered by force if necessary. The announcement freezes the assets of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems held within China. It also bars the companies management from entering the country. Filings show General Dynamics operates a half-dozen Gulfstream and jet aviation services operations in China, which remains heavily reliant on foreign aerospace technology even as it attempts to build its own presence in the field. The company also helps make the Abrams tank being purchased by Taiwan to replace outdated armor intended to deter or resist an invasion from China. General Atomics produces the Predator and Reaper drones used by the U.S. military. (AP) TEHRAN, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations said the country's military action against Israel was based on Article 51 of the UN Charter regarding the legitimate right to self-defense and in response to the deadly Israeli attack against the Iranian consulate in Syria, the official news agency IRNA reported on Sunday. The Iranian mission made the remarks while elaborating on the country's large-scale missile and drone strikes launched in the early hours of Sunday against Israel in retaliation for the Israeli missile strike on April 1 on the consular section of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus that killed seven Iranians, including two veteran commanders, the report said. The mission said that the attack on Israel can be considered finished. "However, if Israel makes another mistake, the response of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be considerably more severe. "This is a conflict between Iran and the rebellious regime of Israel, and the United States should stay away from it," it warned. The mission added that if the UN Security Council had condemned the Israeli "aggression" against the Iranian diplomatic missions in Damascus, and subsequently tried those behind it, "perhaps it was not necessary that Iran punishes" Israel. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in two separate statements that it had launched "tens of missile and drones" and "successfully hit and destroyed" important military targets belonging to the Israeli army in the occupied Palestinian territories, in response to "numerous Israeli crimes." The IRGC also warned that any threat by the United States and Israel from any country would receive a reciprocal and proportionate response from Iran. The House voted Friday to reauthorize and reform a key U.S. government surveillance tool following a dramatic showdown on the floor over whether the FBI should be restricted from using the program to search for Americans data. The bill was approved on a bipartisan basis, 273-147, though it will still have to clear the Senate to become law. The surveillance program is set to expire on April 19 unless Congress acts. Passage of the bill represented a much-needed victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has been wrangling with conservative critics of the legislation for months. A group of 19 Republicans revolted to block the bill from coming to the floor earlier in the week, forcing Johnson to make late changes to secure their support. The legislation approved Friday would extend the surveillance program for two years, rather than the full five-year authorization first proposed. Johnson hoped that the shorter timeline would sway GOP critics by pushing any future debate on the issue to the presidency of Donald Trump if he were to win back the White House in November. Still, the legislation teetered precariously Friday morning as lawmakers voted on an amendment vociferously opposed by Johnson, the White House and sponsors of the legislation that would have prohibited the warrantless surveillance of Americans. One of his top critics, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said that Johnsons vote against the warrant requirement was another strike against him. Basically, whats the difference in Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi and Speaker Johnson and theres not one, the Georgia lawmaker said. The amendment ultimately failed by the narrowest of margins, in a 212-212 tie. Supporters breathed a sigh of relief as the vote was gaveled to a close. The vote on the amendment cut across party lines, uniting progressives and conservatives who agree on little else, but have long been skeptical of the governments surveillance powers. And opponents of the legislation werent giving up. In a surprise move after the vote was closed on the overall bill, a Republican made a procedural motion preventing the legislation from being sent to the Senate. An additional vote will be needed next week. The legislation approved Friday would permit the U.S. government to collect, without a warrant, the communications of non-Americans located outside the country to gather foreign intelligence. The reauthorization is currently tied to a series of reforms aimed at satisfying critics who complained of civil liberties violations against Americans. But far-right opponents have complained that those changes did not go far enough. The vocal detractors are some of Johnsons harshest critics, members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, who have railed against the speaker the last several months for reaching across the aisle to carry out the basic functions of the government. To further appease some of those critics, Johnson also plans to bring forward next week a separate proposal that would close a loophole that allows U.S. officials to collect data on Americans from big tech companies without a warrant. Though the program is technically set to expire next Friday, the Biden administration has said it expects its authority to collect intelligence to remain operational for at least another year, thanks to an opinion earlier this month from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which receives surveillance applications. But officials say that court approval shouldnt be a substitute for congressional authorization, especially since communications companies could cease cooperation with the government. First authorized in 2008, the spy tool has been renewed several times since then as U.S. officials see it as crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions and foreign espionage. It has also produced intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations. But the administrations efforts to secure reauthorization of the program have repeatedly encountered fierce, and bipartisan, pushback, with Democrats like Sen. Ron Wyden who have long championed civil liberties aligning with Republican supporters of former President Donald Trump, who in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday stated incorrectly that Section 702 had been used to spy on his presidential campaign. Kill FISA, Trump wrote in all capital letters. It was illegally used against me, and many others. They spied on my campaign. A former adviser to his 2016 presidential campaign was targeted for surveillance over potential ties to Russia under a different section of the law. A specific area of concern for lawmakers is the FBIs use of the vast intelligence repository to search for information about Americans and others in the U.S. Though the surveillance program only targets non-Americans in other countries, it also collects communications of Americans when they are in contact with those targeted foreigners. In the past year, U.S. officials have revealed a series of abuses and mistakes by FBI analysts in improperly querying the intelligence repository for information about Americans or others in the U.S., including about a member of Congress and participants in the racial justice protests of 2020 and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Those violations have led to demands for the FBI to have a warrant before conducting database queries on Americans, which FBI director Chris Wray has warned would effectively gut the programs effectiveness and would also be legally unnecessary given that the information in the database has already been lawfully collected. While it is imperative that we ensure this critical authority of 702 does not lapse, we also must not undercut the effectiveness of this essential tool with a warrant requirement or some similar restriction, paralyzing our ability to tackle fast-moving threats, Wray said in a speech Tuesday. (AP) In a swift and collaborative effort, the Ramapo Police Department has arrested and charged Elijah Dean, a 23-year-old New City resident, in connection with the brutal assault that left an Orthodox Jewish man with severe injuries, Monsey Scoop reports. Police say that on Thursday, at approximately 8:37 p.m., officers responded to a report of an assault involving a knife on Trailside Place in the Town of Ramapo. The victim was found in their driveway, having been stabbed multiple times, including in the head and neck. Following nearly 48 hours of tireless investigation, Ramapo Police Detectives charged Dean with Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First and Second Degrees, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree. The Ramapo Police Investigations Division worked closely with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Spring Valley Police Department Detective Bureau, the Rockland County Sheriffs Department, the Rockland County District Attorneys Office, and the Clarkstown Police Department to develop the suspect and gather evidence. Dean was arraigned in Ramapo Town Court on Saturday, April 13, 2024, where bail was set at $1 million cash, $5 million fully secured bond, or $10 million partially secured bond. He is scheduled to appear in court again on April 18. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) JOIN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS WHO ALREADY ARE ALERTED OF BREAKING NEWS LIKE THIS IN LIVE TIME: YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be added to an official YWN WhatsApp Group. MAKE SURE TO CHECK THIS PAGE FREQUENTLY AS UPDATES WILL BE PUBLISHED IN LIVE TIME THERE IS NO NEED TO REFRESH THIS PAGE AS UPDATES WILL APPEAR AUTOMATICALLY (YWN World Headquarters NYC) STATEMENT FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN: Earlier today, Iranand its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraqlaunched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms. At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. Ive just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israels leaders. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people. According to a statement from the Prime Ministers Office and the Mossad intelligence agency, Hamas has rejected the ceasefire and hostage offer put forward by Israel last week in Cairo. The proposal, which included significantly greater room for flexibility on Israels part, was aimed at securing the release of 133 hostages held in Gaza. The rejection of the proposal from the three mediators proves that [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar is not interested in a humanitarian deal and in the return of the hostages, the statement read. He continues to take advantage of tensions with Iran to try to unite the theaters and to achieve a general escalation in the region. Despite the rejection, Israel has vowed to continue working towards achieving its goals. We will turn over every stone to bring back the 133 hostages from Gaza as soon as possible, the statement assured. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari revealed in a press conference that Israels air defenses successfully intercepted 99% of the approximately 300 projectiles fired by Iran overnight. The attack included 170 drones, all of which were downed outside of Israels borders by Israeli and allied forces. Additionally, 30 cruise missiles were launched, with none entering Israeli airspace, and 25 being downed by the Israeli Air Force. Hagari also reported that Iran fired 120 ballistic missiles at Israel, with some managing to bypass defenses and hitting the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel. However, the damage was minimal, and the airbase is operating normally. The IDF spokesman also mentioned that a few drones and missiles were launched from Iraq and Yemen during the attack, but none entered Israeli airspace. The IDF also released images of fighter jets returning from their missions after downing Iranian drones and cruise missiles. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) US President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that the US will oppose an Israeli counterattack on the Islamic Republic, media outlets reported on Sunday morning. Biden told Netanyahu that the US would not assist Israel in such an attack. You got a win. Take the win, Biden said to Netanyahu, according to an Axios report that quoted a White House official. The report added that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin asked his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant to notify Israel ahead of any strike against Iran Senior Iranian officials said that Iran warned the US of supporting an Israeli retaliatory attack, saying that it would target US bases in return. This is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY! Irans mission to the UN in New York stated on Sunday morning. Tehran also warned Israel of a more significant attack if it retaliates for the unprecedented attack on the Jewish state. Meanwhile, Israels war cabinet is scheduled to meet on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. to discuss its response to the strike. According to Channel 12 News, Israel intends to carry out a significant retaliatory attack but to try to align its moves with the US and other western allies to avoid sparking a regional war. The chief of staff of #Irans regimes Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri tells Iranian media today: Our response will be much larger than tonights military action if #Israel retaliates against Iran, and warned Washington that any backing of Israeli retaliation would result in U.S. pic.twitter.com/NqBayr7aTU Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) April 14, 2024 (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Brig. Gen. Reem Aminoach, the former financial advisor to the IDF chief of staff, estimated that the cost of defending Israel from the massive overnight missile attack was about NIS 4-5 billion. Speaking in an interview on Sunday with Ynet, he said: If were talking about ballistic missiles that need to be intercepted with the Arrow system, cruise missiles that need to be intercepted with other missiles, and UAVs, which we actually mainly intercept with planes then add up the costs $3.5 million per Arrow missile, $1 million per Davids Sling interceptor, and, various costs for planes it adds up to NIS 4-5 billion. Aminoach added that Iran spent far less on the attack. The attack cost Iran less than 10% of what it cost us to defend against it. In the future, in a year, two years, or five years, they can carry out 50 such attacks. And lets say that if the IDFs net budget in 2023 was 60 billion shekels, with less than double that you have no chance of reaching a situation where we can maintain the required amounts. In comparison, the Israeli governments budget PER YEAR for yeshivos and kollelim was a mere NIS 1 billion. And the protection for Klal Yisrael was priceless. [It should be noted that the current government would have continued to fund the yeshivos but was forced to stop by Israels true dictators Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, who was appointed to represent the government but instead works against it and the Supreme Court.] After the Supreme Courts ruling at the end of March freezing funding to yeshivos HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau warned that the decision endangers Klal Yisrael. The yeshivos hakedoshos and kollelim, where the Torah is constantly learned, are the zechus of our existence here in Eretz Yisrael and thats what protects all Jews in Eretz Yisrael from all their tzaros, the Rosh HaYeshivah said. And the more lomdei Torah there are in yeshivos and kollelim, the more protection there is for all the residents of Eretz Yisrael, and chalilah, the opposite. If the number of lomdei Torah is decreased, it can rachmana litzlan bring incriminations against Klal Yisrael. We all know that our existence as the sons of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov here in Eretz Yisrael, surrounded by our enemies, is only due to nissim. The Torah is what protects and saves us, and chalilah, that the land shouldnt spit out its residents. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) A life lived with tranquility and confidence. Success in business. Protection in times of danger. And, greatest of all, a way to strengthen our connection to Hashem. Yes, the blessings of bitachon are immeasurable. But how do we truly incorporate such trust in Hashem into our hearts? The Talmud Yerushalmi, the Zohar, the Maharal and many other sources offer us a time-tested and effective means for embedding bitachon firmly within us. The Maharal even states that this technique is a segulah for success in business and protection in times of war. What is this ultra-powerful technique? Pesukim of bitachon. Reciting specific verses, these sources tell us, is an extremely powerful way of incorporating bitachon and all its blessings into every aspect of our lives. In this Inside ArtScroll interview, Rabbi David Sutton, author of A Daily Dose of Pesukim of Bitachon, describes how when we internalize these pesukim, we will transform our very essence. In his book and in this interview, Rabbi Sutton gives us a greater understanding of the many lessons we can learn from these pesukim. Through stories and insights, he shows us how to use the pesukim to strengthen our bitachon. Watch and be uplifted. Buy the new book HERE. WATCH: Watch all Inside ArtScroll episodes at: Inside.Artscroll.com. TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST OF THE INTERVIEW, CLICK ON THE PODCAST PLATFORM YOU WANT: Spotify Apple Podcast Podbean Tune-In Stitcher Or Podcast.ArtScroll.com Inside ArtScroll is also available on TorahAnytime.com Out of fashion: Results are expected to confirm an 18 per cent fall in sales Asos will be in focus this week amid slumping sales that have left it out of fashion with investors. Shares in the online retailer are down 19 per cent as it battles to turn around its fortunes under chief executive Jose Antonio Ramos Calamonte. Analysts point to challenges including supply chain concerns, consumer caution, bad weather in the UK and competition from the likes of China's Shein. The company will publish results on Wednesday that are expected to confirm an 18 per cent fall in sales for the six months to March 3. Its boss says Asos is striving to become a 'faster and more agile business'. Guy Lawson-Johns, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'Investors will be looking for signs that better times are coming and that a return to growth in the final quarter of this year is still on the cards.' An exhibitor arranges exhibits at the national pavilion of Ireland during the fourth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, April 14, 2024. Lasting from April 13 to 18, the expo themed "Share Open Opportunities, Co-create a Better Life" will host over 4,000 brands from 71 countries and regions, showcasing their novel and upmarket products for global consumers. Ireland is the guest of honor at this year's expo, with a dedicated exhibition venue showing the country's scientific and technological innovation, education, investment, tourism and culture. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng) Visitors taste wine at the national pavilion of Ireland during the fourth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, April 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng) Artists perform tap dance at the national pavilion of Ireland during the fourth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, April 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng) This photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows a view of the national pavilion of Ireland during the fourth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng) This photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows a view of the national pavilion of Ireland during the fourth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu) Visitors taste wine at the national pavilion of Ireland during the fourth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, April 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu) This photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows a view of the national pavilion of Ireland during the fourth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu) An exhibitor (R) communicates with visitors at the national pavilion of Ireland during the fourth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, April 14, 2024.(Xinhua/Tian Weiwei) Nationwide's 2.9billion attempt to take over Virgin Money has won the backing in principle of the most influential lobby group for mutuals. Peter Hunt, founder of Mutuo, the UK's leading advocate for building societies and co-ops, said a successful deal would be a watershed moment. 'This is what the sector needs,' he said. 'Building societies have been on the back foot for 35 years, being taken over by banks and having to justify their existence. It has the potential to change the weather.' The bid by Nationwide, under chief executive Debbie Crosbie, would be the first takeover by a building society of a bank on this scale in the UK. Hunt said he was not qualified to give a view on the financial merits of the transaction, but he added: 'Nationwide's top team has managed the business well, which gives me confidence. This has the potential to be a watershed for the whole mutual sector. If I am going to trust anyone, I am going to trust them.' Sign of the times: The bid by Nationwide would be the first takeover by a building society of a bank on this scale in the UK The proposed takeover has angered some members of Nationwide who are being denied a vote. A petition demanding a say has garnered more than 1,000 signatures. Nationwide's internal polling suggests most of its 16million members would support the bid. Many customers, however, do not realise it is happening. Nationwide insists it is not required to offer its members a vote. Gaining support from Mutuo is a boost for Crosbie. In 2021, Mutuo was involved in a successful campaign alongside the Daily Mail to stop mutual insurance company LV selling itself to private equity. Hunt said the deal 'changes the narrative for mutuals' and opens up opportunities for businesses to bank with a mutual. Nationwide is the biggest building society in the UK and, as a mutual, it is owned by members. Virgin Money's shareholders, the biggest of whom is Sir Richard Branson, get a vote on the takeover. A court hearing this week will determine whether Branson, who has backed the deal, will be permitted to vote. His Virgin Group stands to make up to 400m from its 14 per cent stake. A cargo ship carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip leaves a port of southern Mersin province, Turkiye, on March 7, 2024. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) by Burak Akinci ANKARA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Although Turkiye's recent ban on a long list of exports to Israel may have a limited impact on the economy, the move is a sign of worsening ties between the two regional players amid the Gaza crisis, experts have said. On April 9, Ankara enacted new restrictions on exports to Israel, saying they would remain in effect until there is a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The decision was made after Israel blocked Turkish military planes from dropping aid into Gaza. Dozens of items are on Turkiye's embargo list, such as iron and steel products, aviation fuel, construction equipment, cement, and chemicals. "The significance of Ankara's move is more political than economic," said Ali Oguz Dirioz, an associate professor of international relations at Ankara's TOBB University of Economics and Technology. "Despite Ankara's ban ... trade is continuing between Turkiye and Israel," Dirioz said, explaining that food products and many other export items are not included in the boycott list, and Israel can still import Turkish products from third countries, bypassing Ankara's ban, albeit at a higher cost. According to Dirioz, ever since Isreal waged its deadly military operation in Gaza, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been facing domestic criticism for continuing commercial ties with Israel, despite that Erdogan has been an outspoken critic of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. By announcing an export ban, the Turkish president aims to alleviate domestic criticism while "putting pressure on Israel to declare a ceasefire and inciting Western nations to take similar trade action," Dirioz said. Notably, soon after Ankara enacted the export embargo, the Israeli Foreign Ministry warned in a statement that it would cast a shadow on relations between the two countries and that Israel would potentially impose similar restrictions on Turkish exports. Over the past ten years, Turkiye and Israel have been trading barbs over the Palestinian issue. In the wake of the recent Israel-Hamas conflict, both nations recalled their ambassadors home. For Ankara-based foreign policy analyst Tulin Daloglu, Turkiye's trade restrictions have added further strain to bilateral relations, and no improvement should be expected any time soon. "After Oct. 7, ambassadors have been withdrawn, and political and diplomatic relations are almost non-existent," the expert told Xinhua. Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. Due to Israel's assault on Iran's consulate in Syria earlier this month, for which Iran has vowed reprisal, the situation in the Middle East has grown more intricate. The potential for the expansion of the ongoing conflict to Iran may further complicate the conundrum at hand, Daloglu pointed out. "Let's first see how these rough seas will calm down. Only then, it will be time to rethink the Turkiye-Israel relations," she said. TEHRAN/JERUSALEM, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments related to Iran's massive drone and missile attack against Israel: The United Nations (UN) Security Council is set to meet Sunday in response to a request from Israel, UN said Saturday. Israel has called on the council to condemn Iran's attack against Israel and to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, the sources noted. The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. local time (2000 GMT), as announced by the UN Department of Global Communications late Saturday night. - - - - Jordan on Sunday reopened its airspace following Iran's attack on Israel, and vowed to take all necessary steps to protect the country's security and sovereignty. The Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission said the airspace was reopened after reassessing the risks according to national and international standards for the safety and security of civil aviation, the state-run Petra news agency reported. - - - - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis on Saturday called on all parties concerned to exercise utmost restraint amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel. Strongly condemning the "large-scale attack" launched on Israel by Iran, Guterres called for maximum restraint by all parties and warned that "neither the region nor the world can afford another war." - - - - U.S. President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call on Saturday that the United States will oppose any Israeli counterattack against Iran, U.S. news portal Axios reported, citing a senior White House official. "You got a win. Take the win," Biden told Netanyahu, thanking Israel, the United States, and other countries for their joint efforts, which failed Iran's attacks, according to the official. - - - - A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. The projectiles triggered sirens in Jerusalem, the Negev Desert and the Dead Sea in the south, the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in the north as well as the occupied West Bank. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed during a press briefing that Israel was under attack by ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran, noting that aerial defense systems have intercepted some of the missiles. - - - - Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed that it has launched dozens of missiles and drones against Israel, Iran's Fars news agency reported on Saturday night. BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Most of the capital goods monitored by China's statistics authorities registered price decreases from late-March to early-April, official data shows. Of the 50 major goods classified in nine categories, including seamless steel tubes, gasoline and fertilizer, 26 saw price declines, 20 reported heightened prices, and 4 remained unchanged, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Hog prices increased 0.7 percent to 15.3 yuan (about 2.16 U.S. dollars) per kg during this period, the NBS said. The figures, released every 10 days, are based on the survey of nearly 2,000 wholesalers and distributors in 31 provincial-level regions across the country. A senior human rights academic has said we are running out of data that is comparable north and south of the border post-Brexit and now is the time to find a solution. Dr Iris Elliot, the head of policy and research at the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, was speaking at the Dublin launch of a study that compared womens pay and participation in the workforce north and south of the border. Dr Elliot said that some of the figures in the report were from as far back as 2017 as the research was cut off because of the UK leaving the EU. She said Ireland should be the first EU country to develop a data strategy on equality and it should consider adding an all-island aspect to it. Since Brexit, Northern Ireland is no longer participating in European surveys or European data work, she told the PA news agency. Theres now an absence of comparable data. This report is using data that concluded in 2017 because the data is no longer available to us. Theres an opportunity with Irelands equality data strategy to use that as a framework to have a conversation across the island about how we develop an all-island data infrastructure that will support comparable research. She said that Ireland and Northern Ireland wouldnt necessarily have to create a new survey system and instead could implement a mirroring of each others data collection. Ireland continues to use EU surveys and Northern Ireland runs the same questions at the same time with the same type of sample, she said. I would speak to the value of continuing using some of the EU survey questions because that enables Ireland also to compare ourselves with the rest of the EU. The UK Government would need to fund such an initiative in Northern Ireland. She added: Its very difficult to have a comparison about what are the experiences of the whole population, and then particular groups who are covered by equality legislation, unless we have comparable data. And that includes using the same categories, using the same questions, collecting the data at the same time, and its important on a one-off basis for that comparability, but also will enable us to compare over time. I think its a way to across any survey work we are doing to always be asking the question is there an opportunity to build in comparable data north and south?. Both Northern Ireland, the UK and Ireland have signed up to international agreements, UN and European treaties and will need to collect monitoring data to ensure they are complying with those terms. I think now is a good time to do it before more years pass and over time systems will change. At the moment were still relatively in step with each other in terms of the EU framework of legislation around equality and non discrimination and fundamental rights. So now is the time to do it. A barrage of rockets were fired at the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights early Sunday morning, with no casualties reported, according to Israeli and Lebanese sources. #XinhuaNews Shocking brutality in the heartland takes center-stage in national news coverage today. An overview of suspects and the story along with links to more info . . . "The four were suspected of kidnapping and murdering Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, before they vanished on March 30. "The two women were considered acquaintances, as Kelley supervised Butlers visits with her children." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . 4 suspected of murdering 2 Kansas moms - including grandma of missing woman's kids: report Four people were taken into custody in connection to the disappearance of two Kansas women who were last seen driving through the Oklahoma Panhandle. Four arrests made in the case of the missing Kansas moms Police have arrested four people in connection to the disappearance of Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley. Developing . . . For Sunday we want to start with a singular topic and a glimpse at how local politics works behind the scenes. We've noted the basics of this story previously but now we have a bit of confirmation and more deets. The main takeaway and a glimpse at the future: KANSAS CITY BIZ LEADERS ARE UNITED IN OPPOSITION AGAINST FRANK WHITE AND NOW WORK TO ACTIVELY SEEK HIS REMOVAL AFTER STADIUM TAX DEFEAT!!! Perspective & insider word . . . "Think about it this way . . . The Jackson County Executive just took money out of the pocket of some of the most powerful people in Kansas City. We're talking MILLIONS OF DOLLARS and a construction project that would've been bigger than the airport. They're not going to just let that slide or forget about it . . . Now he says he's going to run again. There are doubts that his career will carry him that far. The decision has been made, the overwhelming majority of the business community now see Jackson County Executive Frank White as the biggest local impediment to progress." Translation . . . Snubbing the unions, the heavies and many of the civic elite has political consequences. Even worse . . . Whilst some may admire his bold stance on the stadium tax issue . . . At the same time, longtime critics over property tax assessments won't object to the political long knives coming to conclude the career of the Executive. And so . . . As we noted previously . . . Voters for campaign 2024 can expect to see a more "professional" class of signature gatherers working on the petition campaign in August & November. Moreover . . . KANSAS CITY BIZ LEADERS ARE NOW PUTTING MONEY TOWARD OPPOSITION AGAINST FRANK WHITE!!! Remember . . . The Executive contradicted former allies at Freedom, Inc. and unions that he promised to support. BUT . . . Tragically, he didn't gain many supporters with his Stadium Tax opposition. A question for readers because we honestly don't know . . . DO YOU THINK CROSSROADS DENIZENS WILL RETURN THE FAVOR AND STAND FIRM IN THEIR ALLIANCE WITH EXEC FRANK WHITE?!? Typically . . . People waiting for gratitude usually die of starvation and/or boredom when it comes to politics. Again . . . It's not our biz here at www.TonysKansasCity.com to take sides . . . We only serve to offer a preview of how local politics will take shape in the very near future. What we will note is that the saga of Jackson County Executive Frank White is quickly becoming the stuff of legend. The former ball player turned politico, then tax fighter and now municipal sacrifice is an iconic career arc that will not only send a message to the current crop of political leaders but also define the politics of this cowtown for years. Developing . . . Right now on Sunday angel Lily inspires our afternoon glimpse at pop culture, community news and top headlines. Check TKC news gathering . . . Local Love Fest Parade of Hearts display unites community, celebrates KC The third annual Parade of Hearts display was open to the public Saturday, April 13. Since 2022, these 5-foot heart sculptures have popped up across Kansas City. First Responder Update Railroad temporarily closes after KC lumber yard fire Kansas City Fire Department responded to fire at lumber yard in Kansas City, Missouri, railroad was shut down and nobody was injured. Kansas Tribute Redux New Jackie Robinson statue coming to Wichita this summer After League 42's Jackie Robinson statue was stolen and subsequently destroyed in January, a new one is coming this summer. Show-Me Mighty Scrub Artsy Cash-In Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is putting an iconic Monet painting up for sale The sale of "Mill at Limetz, 1888," which was partially gifted to the Kansas City museum in 1986, will help fund future art acquisitions. The museum owns four other paintings by Claude Monet. Angel Shares Real Life Success All Smiles! Lily Aldridge Shares Family Photos with Husband Caleb Followill and Their Two Kids Lily Aldridge and Caleb Followill are parents to daughter Dixie Pearl and son Winston Roy Western Tech Stays Winning Analysis: How Israel and allied defenses intercepted more than 300 Iranian missiles and drones | CNN Almost all the ballistic missiles and drones Iran launched at Israel in an unprecedented attack late Saturday were intercepted and failed to meet their mark, according to Israel and the United States officials, highlighting the formidable, and multi-layered missile defense deployed by the two allied partners. White House Wants To Avoid Wider War Biden told Netanyahu U.S. won't support an Israeli counterattack on Iran Biden and his senior advisers are highly concerned an Israeli response to Iran would lead to a regional war with catastrophic consequences, officials said.. Arguing About MAGA ABC's Stephanopoulos clashes with GOP governor over support for Trump in heated interview ABC News host George Stephanopoulos clashed with GOP Gov. Chris Sununu on Sunday over his support for former President Trump, despite his past criticism of him. Campaign Clashes Coming Soon US news organizations urge Biden and Trump to agree to TV election debates CNN, NBC and Fox among outlets to make plea as Trump campaign calls for earlier debates and Biden remains uncommitted Vlad Moves In Ukraine army chief says Russia making significant 'gains' in east of country Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russia is making tactical gains and benefitting from warmer weather. El Papa Wants Peace Pope Francis urges end to 'spiral of violence' in Middle East Pope Francis urged Iran and Israel on Sunday to avoid steps that could feed "a spiral of violence" that risked plunging the Middle East deeper into conflict. More Local Java Reported Kansas City's Dona Fina Cafe keeps family tradition alive, one cup of coffee at a time Erika Cecilia Noguera is the owner of Dona Fina Cafe, a Kansas City coffee company that roasts and sells beans grown on her family's farm in Guatemala. She says Dona Fina - which is named for her great-grandmother - is about telling the story of coffee, and of the people who make it. Sunday According To Katie Sunday looks to be the warmest day of the weekend Sunday will have high temperatures around 87 degrees; severe storms are possible at the start of this upcoming week. Sam Cooke - This Little Light Of Mine is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. This political stance is a no-brainer and has universal support for a politico who keeps beating her competition despite old school pockets of resistance in a rapidly shifting suburban enclave. Check-it . . . "Since the Great Depression, the farm bill has been instrumental in equipping Kansas producers with essential tools, and Kansans have played an outsize role in shaping this law. Thanks in large part to the efforts of former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, as of 1973, the farm bill has also included provisions guaranteeing access to nutritious foods for all Americans. And Sen. Roberts holds the unique distinction of being the sole member of Congress to have chaired both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees and played a pivotal role in negotiating eight farm bills all bipartisan. "This year, Congress is working on reauthorizing the farm bill to sustain programs that uplift Kansas economy, support farmers, benefit children and lower grocery costs. However, as Sen. Roberts pointed out on our tour, partisan differences have hindered the progress of this vital legislation." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Sales of Chinese-brand passenger vehicles soared 26.4 percent year on year in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, industry data showed. About 3.39 million such vehicles were sold during this period, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The market share of domestic-brand passenger vehicles rose 7.4 percentage points year on year to 59.6 percent during the period. In March alone, nearly 1.33 million such vehicles were sold, with the market share up 7.2 percentage points from a year earlier to 59.3 percent. The composition of the ongoing Iranian attack on Israel is similar to that of strikes that Russia has repeatedly conducted against Ukraine in efforts to determine the optimal package to penetrate Western-style air- and missile defenses. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said this in a post on the social media platform X, Ukrinform reports. The Iranian drone and missile attack into Israel shows that Iran is learning from the Russians and the Houthis to develop increasingly dangerous and effective strike packages against Israel and the U.S. The combination of Iranian drones and both cruise and ballistic missiles against Israel is meant to confuse and overwhelm Israeli air defenses. Launches of concurrent attacks by Iranian-backed actors in Lebanon and Yemen are part of this effort. "This Iranian approach mirrors Russia's experimentation with combinations of ballistic and cruise missiles alongside Iranian drones to launch increasingly effective strike packages able to penetrate US and European anti-missile and air defense systems," ISW analysts said. Iran has also learned from Houthi attacks targeting international shipping around Yemen. The Houthis have used combinations of Iranian drones and missiles against U.S. air and missile defense systems, allowing Iran and the Houthis to test and improve their strike packages. "The continued use of Iranian-designed drones by multiple enemies of the U.S. and the deepening ties between the actors using them will help Tehran, Russia, North Korea, and China to refine their use of these systems against the United States and its allies and partners. The U.S. and its allies and partners face an increasingly interconnected group of adversaries helping one another and learning from one another," ISW said. Iran carried out a drone and missile attack on Israel on Saturday, April 13. According to the Israel Defense Forces, during a massive attack, Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel, with 99% of them intercepted by air defense forces. PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Apr, 2024) The business community of Peshawar has paid tributes to Governor KP, Haji Ghulam Ali for keeping the official residence open for general public during Eid holidays. Governor Haji Ghulam Ali not only ended the feeling of deprivation of the people but also won their hearts by keeping the Governor's House open for the public and family, they observed. The sincerity and love with which the governor received Eid from people will be remembered in history with golden words, comments Salman Elahi and Lal Jan Khan, office bearers of Peshawar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In a press statement issued here on Sunday, Malik Salman Elahi, President Peshawar Chamber of Commerce, Senior Vice President Lal Jan, Vice President Saeed Khan and President of Flour Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Waheed Khan in their joint statement, praised Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Haji Ghulam Ali for opening the Governor House for the public and family during three days of Eid-ul-Fitr. Paying tribute, they said Haji Ghulam Ali has proved on every occasion that he is a governor with a passion for serving the people and always feels happy to be among common men. Governor's house where ordinary people could not even think of going, Haji Ghulam Ali broke this tradition after becoming the governor and ended the feeling of deprivation felt by people and practically proved that Governor's house is not only for special people but also for common man. Like last year, this year too, on the three days of Eid, the governor's house was kept open for the public for three days to share happiness, they added. The representatives of the business community said Governor Haji Ghulam Ali has won the hearts of the people not only of Peshawar but of the entire province, be they are special children, school and college students or from other walks of life. He not only invited all of them to the Governor's House and honored them, but also entertained them personally, they said. They further said that history will always remember their services and efforts for opening the Governor House to the common people in the 76-year history. Ever since Haji Ghulam Ali assumed the gubernatorial post , people from every school of thought including workers of political parties, members of the business community across the province, chambers, youth and those belonging to minority communities have called on him by considering as their representative, they added. LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Apr, 2024) Lahore police deployed full-scale security arrangements on Sunday at the city's churches, parks, and recreational places. Teams of Lahore police executed high alert operations to ensure security duties across the city. This was stated by Lahore Capital City Police Officer Bilal Siddique Kamyana in a statement issued here today. He said that Lahore police ensured foolproof security of religious gatherings at Christian places of worship, parks, and recreational places on Sunday. Search and sweep operations continued around churches, parks, and sensitive locations. Supervisory officers monitored security arrangements at churches and recreational places. Bilal Siddique Kamyana said that additional personnel and snipers were deployed at sensitive churches, while Dolphin Squads, Police Response Unit, and Elite Forces patrolled effectively around churches and parks. Traffic police ensured smooth traffic flow around churches and recreational areas. Bilal Siddique Kamyana also highlighted the stringent checking of individuals and vehicles at entry and exit checkpoints in the city. Police officers and Jawans remained on high alert on their security duty, he concluded. A fire-fighting helicopter operates at the site of a forest fire in Jinning District of Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 14, 2024. More than 2,300 people are battling a forest fire that has raged in southwest China's Yunnan Province since Friday, local authorities said Sunday. The fire started at around 4 p.m. Friday in Diantou Village in Jinning District of the capital city Kunming. No casualties have been reported so far. Officials confirmed the mobilization of 46 excavators and two helicopters to help put out the blaze. (Xinhua) KUNMING, April 14 (Xinhua) -- More than 2,300 people are battling a forest fire that has raged in southwest China's Yunnan Province since Friday, local authorities said Sunday. The fire started at around 4 p.m. Friday in Diantou Village in Jinning District of the capital city Kunming. No casualties have been reported so far. Officials confirmed the mobilization of 46 excavators and two helicopters to help put out the blaze. Firefighters operate at the site of a forest fire in Jinning District of Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 14, 2024. More than 2,300 people are battling a forest fire that has raged in southwest China's Yunnan Province since Friday, local authorities said Sunday. The fire started at around 4 p.m. Friday in Diantou Village in Jinning District of the capital city Kunming. No casualties have been reported so far. Officials confirmed the mobilization of 46 excavators and two helicopters to help put out the blaze. (Xinhua) Firefighters operate at the site of a forest fire in Jinning District of Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 13, 2024. More than 2,300 people are battling a forest fire that has raged in southwest China's Yunnan Province since Friday, local authorities said Sunday. The fire started at around 4 p.m. Friday in Diantou Village in Jinning District of the capital city Kunming. No casualties have been reported so far. Officials confirmed the mobilization of 46 excavators and two helicopters to help put out the blaze. (Xinhua) (@ChaudhryMAli88) PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Apr, 2024) Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) has commended Pakistan Railways over increasing its annual revenue to highest peak of Rs. 66 billion in nine months of current year and has suggested for launching of cargo trains to further piling up of earnings. In a press statement issued here on Sunday, Coordinator PAJCCI KP, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi said it is appreciating development that Pakistan Railways has increased it annual revenue to record height. The phenomenal jump in earnings reflect revival of peoples confidence on Railways in the wake of better management decisions taken by Chairman Mazhar Ali Shah and GM, Amir Baloch for provision of improved travelling facilities, opined Zia who is also Member Advisory Committee of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Pakistan Railways. He said Railways is safest and cheapest travelling facility in the country but due to some management loopholes, travelers had diverted to buses and other mode of travelling. If such decisions were kept on taking, more people will prefer travelling in trains and revenue will increase with passage of time, he opined. Coordinator PAJCCI also suggested Pakistan Railways to focus on launching of cargo trains from Karachi to Peshawar for facilitation of business community especially those dealing in Pak-Afghan trade. He said Railways should also cater to transportation of loose cargo being sent by exporters and importers within the country. By focusing on plying of cargo trains, Railways can triple its annual earnings from existing one besides providing relief to people especially business community who have to pay exorbitant rates to truck owners for transportation of goods. Zia said in the wake of increase in prices of petroleum products, fare for transportation of goods from port city (Karachi) to Peshawar through heavy vehicles has increased manifold, inflicting huge burden on business community of the country. Cargo trains by Railway will not only provide relief to business community but also contribute in increasing volume of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan by reducing transportation charges, he observed. N'Djamena, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Apr, 2024) The transitional president of military-led Chad launched a campaign Sunday for a May presidential election he is likely to win, after his main rivals were ousted from the race. On the first day of campaigning, the capital N'Djamena was decked out in his political colours and giant portraits of President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, an AFP journalist observed. "I am a soldier and a man of the field... after three years at the head of the country, I have experience," said Itno in front of thousands of supporters gathered in Nation Square, a stone's throw from the presidential palace. General Itno, 40, was proclaimed president by a junta of 15 generals in 2021 following the death of his father Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled the Sahel country with an iron fist for more than three decades. The new president promised to hand power back to a civilian government within 18 months and told the African Union he would not stand for election as president. But he then extended the transition period by two more years and in March officially announced he would run for the top office. Last month 10 candidates -- including two fierce opponents of the military regime -- were barred from standing in the presidential election. Only former opponent Succes Masra, now prime minister, remains in the race. His participation has been denounced by the opposition as a front for plurality. A former opposition leader, Masra signed a reconciliation deal with the junta leader earlier this year. He held a meeting in front of a few thousand supporters in his neighbourhood and intends to conduct a "door-to-door campaign". The opposition has accused Masra of betraying them to form a majority with Itno and ultimately secure a place in government. Itno's main rival Yaya Dillo Djerou was shot dead in an army assault on his PSF party headquarters in late February. The election has been scheduled for May 6. A photo finish seals the deal in Texas Sam Mayer has won the Andy's Frozen Custard 300 at Texas Motor Speedway by a scarcely believable 0.002 seconds ahead of the owner-driver Ryan Sieg. Sieg was chased down late in the race after a caution was brought out by the #91 Chevrolet of Kyle Weatherman and the #15 Ford of Hailie Deegan. Mayer overtook his adversary through turns one and two on the last lap, however he went deep into turn three which allowed his rival to sneak inside. The pair banged doors coming to the line and the #1 took the win by an inch, bringing JR Motorsports their first victory of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series. Sam Mayer, driver of the #1 Carolina Carports Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Andy's Frozen Custard 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 13, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) Mayer said: "We've had to fight the amount of adversity we had this year, it took a lot to win. "It took every ounce in me to do that today. "My spotter Kevin Moses won me that race because he told me that using the bottom line through turns three and four were better, so props to him!" Mayer took his fifth Xfinity Series win and $100,000 for being the highest placed driver in the Dash4Cash challenge. Meanwhile, Sieg took his third career runner-up finish in the second tier, having previously finished second in the fall Talladega race in 2020, and at Iowa in 2017. Ryan Sieg, driver of the #39 Sci Aps Ford, drives during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Andy's Frozen Custard 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 13, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) Close but no cigar for Sieg He said: "Ah, it sucks! "We had a really good car, then I got tight and tried to change my line and started falling back. "I saw [Mayer] coming, I was doing all I could do, then at the end I was trying to run him into the wall! "I was trying to win the race, but we were so close, and it sucks because I've been in second too many times before. "But it's a good thing, we were running in the top five so we just need to clean up a few things and a win will come." "We've got to keep fighting because we're right there, just got to keep it up and we'll have our SciAps Ford in victory lane soon." Both Mayer and Sieg will race in the Dash4Cash next week at Talladega, along with this week's Stage One and Two winner, Justin Allgaier, and also AJ Allmendinger. A year since war broke out in Sudan, analysts foresee no end to the conflict and say the longer it drags on, the more likely Sudan will become a breeding ground for terrorist groups. VOA spoke via video to a volunteer at one of the last functioning hospitals in Omdurman. Henry Wilkins reports. More than two dozen river barges broke loose from their moorings and floated down the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, striking one bridge that had already been preemptively closed and damaging a marina, officials said. The boats eventually were pinned to the riverbank or went over a dam downstream, officials said. Pittsburgh police, fire and emergency medical services responded around 11:25 p.m. Friday to reports of the barges floating uncontrolled down the river, Pittsburgh Public Safety said in a statement. The area had been hit by flooding after heavy rains Thursday. The Sewickley Bridge was struck by a barge a few minutes before 2 p.m. Saturday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said. It was closed in advance of the strike and will remain closed until our crews complete an inspection," spokesperson Steve Cowan said. Officials in Moon Township, which is connected by the bridge to the community of Sewickley, earlier said the span would be temporarily closed due to unmanned barge passing through. Eleven of the 26 barges that broke free were quickly contained to one side by another towing vessel just downstream, said Cmdr. Justin Jolley of the Coast Guard marine safety unit in Pittsburgh. Nine others were collected at the Emsworth lock and dam downstream. Five or six barges went through the dam. Four ended up just downstream at a lock and dam, while another ended up on the bank of the river and was stabilized. Marine safety units were searching for one barge unaccounted for, Jolley said. Pittsburgh public safety officials reported damage to Peggys Harbor, a marina on the river. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the McKees Rocks Bridge was also closed as a precaution but later reopened following inspection. Twenty-three of the barges were carrying dry cargo, mostly coal, and at least one was loaded with fertilizer, according to the owner, Jolley said. Three were empty. There were no hazardous materials on any of the vessels, the city said. The Coast Guard put out a broadcast notice to mariners to inform them about the potential hazard, but high water was preventing traffic on the river, Jolley said. The barges were owned or operated by Campbell Transportation Co., the city's statement said. Jolley said Coast Guard officials were working with the owner on a salvage plan. Pennsylvania State Police and other agencies were also alerted. The vulnerability of bridges to strikes from barges and ships came into stark relief last month when a container ship rammed a support of the major Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, collapsing the span and leading to the deaths or presumptive deaths of six road workers. To enter the Museum of the Bamoun Kings in western Cameroon, you have to pass under the fangs of a gigantic two-headed snake the highlight of an imposing coat of arms of one of the oldest kingdoms in sub-Saharan Africa. Thousands of Cameroonians gathered in the royal palace square in Foumban on Saturday to celebrate the opening of the Museum of the Bamoun Kings. Sultan King Mouhammad Nabil Mforifoum Mbombo Njoya welcomed 2,000 guests to the opening of the museum located in Foumban the historic capital of the Bamoun Kings. The royal family, descendants of a monarchy that dates back six centuries, attended the event dressed in traditional ceremonial attire with colorful boubous and matching fezzes. Griot narrators in multicolored boubous played drums and long traditional flutes while palace riflemen fired shots to punctuate the arrival of distinguished guests which included ministers and diplomats. Then, princes and princesses from the Bamoun chieftaincies performed the ritual Ndjah dance in yellow robes and animal masks. For Cameroon, such a museum dedicated to the history of a kingdom is "unique in its scope", Armand Kpoumie Nchare, author of a book about the Bamoun kingdom, told AFP. "This is one of the rare kingdoms to have managed to exist and remain authentic, despite the presence of missionaries, merchants and colonial administrators," he said. The Bamoun kingdom, founded in 1384, is one of the oldest in sub-Saharan Africa. To honor the Bamoun, the museum was built in the shape of the kingdom's coat of arms. A spider, which is over 5,000 square meters (54,000 square feet), sits atop the building while the entrances represent the two-headed serpent. "This is a festival for the Bamoun people. We've come from all over to experience this unique moment," 50-year-old spectator Ben Oumar said. "It's a proud feeling to attend this event. We've been waiting for it for a long time," civil servant Mahamet Jules Pepore said. The museum contains 12,500 pieces including weapons, pipes and musical instruments -- only a few of which were previously displayed in the royal palace. "It reflects the rich, multi-century creativity of these people, both in terms of craftsmanship and art Bamoun drawings as well as the technological innovations of the peasants at various periods: Mills, wine presses etc.," Nchare said. Also on display are items from the life of the most famous Bamoun King, Ibrahim Njoya, who reigned from 1889 to 1933 and created Bamoune Script, a writing system that contains over 500 syllabic signs. The museum exhibits his manuscripts and a corn-grinding machine he invented. "We pay tribute to a king who was simultaneously a guardian and a pioneer... a way for us to be proud of our past in order to build the future" and "show that Africa is not an importer of thoughts," Njoya's great-grandson, the 30-year-old Sultan King Mouhammad said. To commemorate his grandfather's work, former Sultan King Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya launched the construction of the museum in 2013 after realizing the palace rooms were too cramped. The opening of the museum comes months after the Nguon of the Bamoun people, a set of rituals celebrated in a popular annual festival, joined UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Chinas foreign ministry Sunday said it is "deeply concerned" about escalating tensions in the Middle East. Hours after Iran launched more than 320 warheads towards Israel in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on Tehrans embassy in Damascus, Chinas foreign ministry published a statement calling for the immediate implementation of a U.N. ceasefire resolution. China expresses deep concern over the current escalation and calls on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent further escalations. The ongoing situation is the latest spillover of the Gaza conflict." China has sought to play the role of mediator in the Middle East, last year helping to broker a deal that saw the restoration of diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia. However Chinese companies have also been linked as suppliers for Irans military drone program, most recently in a U.S. Commerce department legal notice last week. Online criticism of Israel On Chinas biggest social network Weibo, the attack became the most discussed topics with over 140 million clicks and more than 23,000 comments in the hours after the news came out. Its difficult to gauge the real reaction of Chinese Internet users since comments are routinely censored, but the majority of uncensored comments expressed opposition to Israel and the United States, and support for the Iranian attack on Israel. Chinas official news agency Central TV News published a post on Irans attack under its Weibo account and attracted over 3,700 comments within one day. Many of the comments expressed doubts over Israeli reports saying that only one person was injured in Irans aerial barrage. A user with the handle Pikachu and his AD calcium said: Israeli soldiers can only die with permission. No death or injuries, I dont believe the news; another one named Owen665996 said, This is obviously Israels propaganda. Israel said that its air defenses, aided by the United States and other countries, shot down 99% of the 320 warheads which were launched from places in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. The White House called collective defense efforts an incredible military achievement. In contrast to the mainstream stance, some readers left supporting comments on the official account of the Israeli Embassy in Beijing. Go Israel! Chinese with conscious support you to strike on terrorists, said one Weibo user Master of Minions. Another one with the handle Hello Hayek said, support Israel to strike back and rid the terrorist cult regime! The Chinese Embassy in Iran posted on its website on the early morning of Apr 14 that it once again reminds Chinese citizens and enterprises in Iran to closely follow the local security situation and the security reminders issued by the Embassy. It urged Chinese citizens to effectively enhance security awareness, always tighten the string of security precautions, resolutely avoid going to sensitive areas and densely populated places. German lawmakers on Friday approved legislation that will make it easier for transgender, intersex and nonbinary people to change their name and gender in official records. The "self-determination law," one of several social reforms that Chancellor Olaf Scholz's liberal-leaning coalition government pledged when it took office in late 2021, is set to take effect on November 1. Germany, the European Union's most populous nation, follows several other countries in making the change. Parliament's lower house, the Bundestag, approved it by 374 votes to 251 with 11 abstentions. The German legislation will allow adults to change their first name and legal gender at registry offices without further formalities. They will have to notify the office three months before making the change. The existing "transsexual law," which dates back four decades, requires individuals who want to change gender on official documents to first obtain assessments from two experts "sufficiently familiar with the particular problems of transsexualism" and then a court decision. Since that law was drawn up, Germany's top court has struck down other provisions that required transgender people to get divorced and sterilized, and to undergo gender-transition surgery. "For over 40 years, the 'transsexual law' has caused a lot of suffering ... and only because people want to be recognized as they are," Sven Lehmann, the government's commissioner for queer issues, told lawmakers. "And today we are finally putting an end to this." The new legislation focuses on individuals' legal identities. It does not involve any revisions to Germany's rules for gender-transition surgery. The new rules will allow minors 14 years and older to change their name and legal gender with approval from their parents or guardians; if they don't agree, teenagers could ask a family court to overrule them. In the case of children younger than 14, parents or guardians would have to make registry office applications on their behalf. After a formal change of name and gender takes effect, no further changes would be allowed for a year. The new legislation provides for operators of, for example, gyms and changing rooms for women to continue to decide who has access. Nyke Slawik, a transgender woman elected to parliament in 2021 for the Greens, one of the governing parties, recounted her experience of going through the current system a decade ago. She said she had had enough of being asked "is that your brother's ID?" when she had to identify herself. "Two years, many conversations with experts and one district court process later, it was done the name change went through, and I was nearly 2,000 euros ($2,150) poorer," she told lawmakers. "As trans people, we repeatedly experience our dignity being made a matter for negotiation." The mainstream conservative opposition faulted the legislation for what it described as a lack of safeguards against abuse and a lack of protection for young people. Conservative lawmaker Susanne Hierl complained that the government is "ignoring the justified concerns of many women and girls." "You want to satisfy a loud but very small group and, in doing so, are dividing society," Hierl said. Martin Reichardt of the far-right Alternative for Germany blasted what he called "ideological nonsense." Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said in a statement that "there are numerous precautions against possibilities of abuse, however improbable they may be." He insisted that the new law takes into account the interests of the whole of society and said "much less will change with this law than some say." Among others, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Spain already have similar legislation. In the U.K., the Scottish parliament in 2022 passed a bill that would allow people aged 16 or older to change the gender designation on identity documents by self-declaration. That was vetoed by the British government, a decision that Scotland's highest civil court upheld in December. In other socially liberal reforms, Scholz's government has legalized the possession of limited amounts of cannabis; eased the rules on gaining German citizenship and ended restrictions on holding dual citizenship; and ended a ban on doctors "advertising" abortion services. Same-sex marriage was already legalized in 2017. Hamas has rejected the latest Gaza truce proposal, according to a statement by the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office Sunday. Rejection of the proposal "proves that [Hamas Gaza chief Yahya] Sinwar does not want a humanitarian deal and the return of the hostages, is continuing to exploit the tension with Iran, and is striving to unite the sectors and achieve a general escalation in the region," the statement said. Israel, it said, will continue to pursue its Gaza war objectives "with full force" and will "leave no stone unturned to return the 133 hostages from Gaza forthwith." Hamas had said Saturday it had submitted its response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on a proposed truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip, insisting on a "permanent cease-fire." Truce talks started April 7 in Cairo but have so far brought no breakthrough on a plan presented by U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators. In a statement, the U.S. terror-designated group reaffirmed its demands for a mediated truce, including "a permanent cease-fire, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced to their areas and places of residence, intensification of the entry of relief and aid, and the start of reconstruction." Hamas said it was also ready "to conclude a serious and real prisoner exchange deal between the two parties." Netanyahu has opposed a permanent cease-fire and has vowed to send ground troops into Rafah, ignoring an international outcry against it, including from the United States. Netanyahu's office said Saturday "the only obstacle to obtaining the release of the abductees is Hamas and not any factor on the Israeli side." Hamas is believed to be holding roughly 100 hostages, as well as the remains of about 30 people who either died in captivity or were killed in the October 7, terror attack which triggered the war. West Bank An Israeli teen who disappeared Friday has been found dead in the occupied West Bank where Israeli authorities said he was killed in a "terrorist attack." "The heinous murder of the boy ... is a serious crime, Netanyahu said in a statement. The body of the 14-year-old boy was spotted by a drone. He was found near the Malachei Shalom outpost near the city of Ramallah where he had originally disappeared while herding sheep. According to Israeli media, the teen was last seen leaving the settler outpost early Friday to tend to the livestock nearby. The sheep returned to the outpost hours later without him, reports said. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the teen's killing. Binyamin Achimairs disappearance sparked a wide search and intensified violence by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages. Dozens of Israeli settlers set fire Saturday to 12 homes and several cars in a village near Achimairs murder site. The Palestinian Health Ministry said three people from the village were injured, one critically. Border police fired tear gas at villagers who gathered, trying to disperse them. Violence erupted Friday afternoon when Jewish settlers who were part of the original manhunt raided the village of Al-Mughayyir, around 500 meters west of Malachei Shalom, according to an AFP reporter. During the manhunt Friday, the settlers fired shots and torched numerous homes and cars in the village, while residents responded by throwing stones, according to AFP reporters who were there. Mayor Amin Abu Alyah said "settlers raided the town with the excuse of searching for the missing Israeli boy," adding that "the army arrived to back them up." Arafat Abu Alia, a resident of Al-Mughayyir, said the Israeli army told residents to gather on the outskirts of their village. "More than 10 houses and 50 vehicles were burnt," he told AFP. At least one person was killed and 25 wounded, the Palestinian health ministry said Friday. Tensions have been high across the Israeli-occupied territory since the beginning of the war more than six months ago when the Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting about 240 hostages. Israel then launched an offensive against Hamas in Gaza, killing more than 33,000 people, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. In the West Bank, more than 460 Palestinians have been killed mostly in skirmishes caused by army raids and vigilante Israeli settlers. Expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank have turned the area into a powder keg. Israeli outposts are not authorized there, and the international community overwhelmingly considers them illegal. However, consecutive Israeli governments have allowed sprawling Israeli settlement construction in east Jerusalem and the West, which Palestinians stake as their future state. Over 700,000 Israelis now live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. The West Bank alone is home to around 490,000 Israeli settlers. The territories were seized by Israel in 1967. Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday he will try to push forward wartime aid for Israel this week as part of his effort to gain House approval for a national security package. It includes funding for Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia as well as funding to send U.S. weapons to Taiwan. The House speaker is under enormous pressure to satisfy opposing sides within the Republican Party regarding a $95 billion supplemental U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan as well as for civilians in Ukraine and Gaza. The bill has been stalled for two months in Congress. Senior Republican lawmakers who support aid to Ukraine are growing frustrated with the monthslong wait to bring the bill to the House floor. Kyiv's troops have been running low on ammunition and Russia is gaining ground. A massive missile and drone attack destroyed one of Ukraine's largest power plants and damaged others last week. Separately, a growing number of hard-line conservatives are openly defying Johnson for toeing the line of the Biden administration on government spending. The unprecedented attack by Iran on Israel early Sunday has piled on even more pressure on Johnson, but it also offered him a platform to impress on Congress the urgency of approving the funding. The details of that package are being put together right now, he said. Were looking at the options and all these supplemental issues, he told Fox News Sunday Morning Futures show. So far, the only aid package with wide bipartisan support in Congress is the Senate-passed bill that includes roughly $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel, awaiting its fate in the House. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby called on the House speaker to put the package "on the floor as soon as possible." "We didn't need any reminders in terms of what's going on in Ukraine," Kirby said on NBC. "But last night certainly underscores significantly the threat that Israel faces in a very, very tough neighborhood." With his job hanging in the balance and some fellow Republican lawmakers calling for his ouster, Johnson is looking for ways to pass the bill, by structuring some of the aid for Kyiv as loans. He also supports tapping into frozen Russian central bank assets. Johnson has also demanded policy changes at the U.S. border with Mexico. He has been in conversations with both the White House and former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Many Democrats also have signaled they would likely be willing to help Johnson defeat an effort to remove him from the speaker's office if he puts the Senate bill on the floor. "I'm one of those who would save him if we can do Israel, Taiwan, Ukraine and some reasonable border security," said Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. An aerial drone photo taken on April 13, 2024 shows the Silver Shadow cruise ship, operated by the Royal Caribbean Group, docking at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China's Tianjin Municipality. [Photo/Xinhua] The Silver Shadow cruise ship, operated by the Royal Caribbean Group, docked at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China's port city of Tianjin on Saturday morning, making it the third international cruise ship to visit Tianjin within a week. Featuring luxurious facilities, Silver Shadow is one of the most popular cruise ships in the Silversea fleet. The cruise ship began service in 2000 and underwent renovation in 2019. The ship has visited Tianjin 17 times in the past and this is its first visit to the city this year. The ship will dock at Tianjin for two days and one night. The majority of the over 200 foreign tourists from 21 countries and regions aboard will go on sightseeing tours in Beijing and Tianjin. "We work with the cruise line and the port company to streamline passenger clearance procedures, allowing them to have more travel time in China," said Liu Yang, a local immigration inspection officer. With the rapid recovery of the cruise industry, there is a growing demand among foreign tourists to visit China's scenic spots and historic sites, Liu said. "Last time I came to China to visit the Great Wall. This time, I would like to experience something different. I hope to take the high-speed rail from Tianjin to visit and enjoy Beijing," said Christopher Hamilton, a tourist hailing from Britain. A couple from Germany stated that they had only one day in Beijing and would like to visit the Great Wall, perhaps the Forbidden City, and other popular attractions. As the largest cruise home port in northern China, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port has welcomed three international cruise ships within a week. Cruise ship Serenade of the Seas, also operated by Royal Caribbean Group, and Seabourn Odyssey, operated by Seabourn Cruise Line, docked at this port on April 7 and 8, respectively. "The frequency of international cruise ships visiting Tianjin has surpassed previous levels," Liu said. The Tianjin International Cruise Home Port has welcomed 24 cruise ships with 74,000 tourists 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 tourists this year. Royal Caribbean International announced its new China route deployment plan in March, which includes two cruises deployed in the ports of Shanghai, Tianjin and Hong Kong, with the sailing timeframe spanning from February 2025 to April 2026. "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," said Liu Zinan, chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Asia. AMMAN, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Sunday summoned the Iranian ambassador in Amman to warn against Tehran's "questioning of Jordan's position," after the kingdom intercepted Iranian drones and missiles aimed at Israel last night. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told the state-owned Al Mamlaka TV that any missile entering Jordanian airspace would be met with a response to safeguard against damage and threats to Jordanians. "Iran's issue lies with Israel, not Jordan, and neither Iran nor anyone else can challenge what Jordan does, what it offers, and what it has done for Palestine historically," Safadi said, accusing Iranian media, including the official Iranian news agency, of publishing offensive statements. Safadi said the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip could escalate tensions regionally, potentially sparking a wider war. "Jordan does not want a conflict with anyone, certainly not with Iran, and we want good relations with Iran," he noted. He said the current challenge for Jordan is to prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government from using the Iranian attack as a pretext for continuing aggression against Gaza. The Jordanian cabinet announced on Sunday that the country's armed forces intercepted drones that entered Jordan's airspace. Debris fell in multiple locations, but there were no reports of significant damage or injuries among citizens. 3 A man reacts as a bucket of water is splashed on him during the Songkran water festival to celebrate the Thai New Year in Prachinburi Province, Thailand, April 13, 2024. Instagram says it's deploying new tools to protect young people and combat sexual extortion, including a feature that will automatically blur nudity in direct messages. The social media platform said in a blog post Thursday that it's testing out the features as part of its campaign to fight sexual scams and other forms of "image abuse," and to make it tougher for criminals to contact teens. Sexual extortion, or sextortion, involves persuading a person to send explicit photos online and then threatening to make the images public unless the victim pays money or engages in sexual favors. Recent high-profile cases include two Nigerian brothers who pleaded guilty to sexually extorting teen boys and young men in Michigan, including one who took his own life, and a Virginia sheriff's deputy who sexually extorted and kidnapped a 15-year-old girl. Instagram and other social media companies have faced growing criticism for not doing enough to protect young people. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Instagram's owner Meta Platforms, apologized to the parents of victims of such abuse during a Senate hearing earlier this year. Meta, which is based in Menlo Park, California, also owns Facebook and WhatsApp but the nudity blur feature won't be added to messages sent on those platforms. Instagram said scammers often use direct messages to ask for "intimate images." To counter this, it will soon start testing out a nudity-protection feature for direct messages that blurs any images with nudity "and encourages people to think twice before sending nude images." "The feature is designed not only to protect people from seeing unwanted nudity in their DMs, but also to protect them from scammers who may send nude images to trick people into sending their own images in return," Instagram said. The feature will be turned on by default globally for teens under 18. Adult users will get a notification encouraging them to activate it. Images with nudity will be blurred with a warning, giving users the option to view it. They'll also get an option to block the sender and report the chat. For people sending direct messages with nudity, they will get a message reminding them to be cautious when sending "sensitive photos." They'll also be informed that they can unsend the photos if they change their mind, but that there's a chance others may have already seen them. As with many of Meta's tools and policies around child safety, critics saw the move as a positive step, but one that does not go far enough. "I think the tools announced can protect senders, and that is welcome. But what about recipients?" said Arturo Bejar, former engineering director at the social media giant who is known for his expertise in curbing online harassment. He said 1 in 8 teens receives an unwanted advance on Instagram every seven days, citing internal research he compiled while at Meta that he presented in November testimony before Congress. "What tools do they get? What can they do if they get an unwanted nude?" Bejar said "things won't meaningfully change" until there is a way for a teen to say they've received an unwanted advance, and there is transparency about it. Instagram said it's working on technology to help identify accounts that could be potentially be engaging in sexual extortion scams, "based on a range of signals that could indicate sextortion behavior." To stop criminals from connecting with young people, it's also taking measures including not showing the "message" button on a teen's profile to potential sextortion accounts, even if they already follow each other, and testing new ways to hide teens from these accounts. In January, the FBI warned of a "huge increase" in sextortion cases targeting children including financial sextortion, where someone threatens to release compromising images unless the victim pays. The targeted victims are primarily boys between the ages of 14 to 17, but the FBI said any child can become a victim. In the six-month period from October 2022 to March 2023, the FBI saw a more than 20% increase in reporting of financially motivated sextortion cases involving minor victims compared to the same period in the previous year. Major airlines across the Middle East announced they are resuming their flight operations in the area after canceling or rerouting some of their flights when Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles against Israel during an overnight attack. An Emirates spokesperson said that as of Sunday afternoon, the airline was reinstating its flight schedules to and from Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. The carrier, the largest in the Middle East, had canceled some of its flights and rerouted others after many countries in the region closed airspace temporarily in response to Irans attack on Israel. Qatar Airways also returned their flight schedules to Amman, Baghdad and Beirut, it said in a post on X. The Abu Dhabi-headquartered Etihad Airways announced it will restart its passenger and cargo flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv, Amman and Beirut Monday. It cautioned, however, that the closure of regional countries airspace over the weekend has contributed to service disruptions and that the carrier may operate Monday in a more limited capacity. "There may still be a risk of some knock-on disruption across Monday [April] 15, it said. "Some of our flights have been affected by the temporary closure of a number of airspaces in the region," a statement from the United Arab Emirates' Fly Dubai was quoted on state news agency WAM as saying. Egypt, Kuwait and Lebanon closed their airspace after several Arab countries announced the temporary closure of their airspace Saturday. Meanwhile, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon announced Sunday morning that they had reopened their airspace. Israeli airlines also said operations were returning to normal Sunday after the overnight attack closed their airspace and led to flight cancelations. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Twelve news organizations on Sunday urged presumptive presidential nominees Joe Biden and Donald Trump to agree to debates, saying they were a "rich tradition" that have been part of every general election campaign since 1976. While Trump, who did not participate in debates for the Republican nomination, has indicated a willingness to take on his 2020 rival, the Democratic president has not committed to debating him again. Although invitations have not been formally issued, the news organizations said it was not too early for each campaign to say publicly that it will participate in the three presidential and one vice presidential forums set by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. "If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high," the organizations said in a joint statement. "Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation." ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, PBS, NBC, NPR and The Associated Press all signed on to the letter. Biden and Trump debated twice in 2020. A third debate was canceled after Trump, then president, tested positive for COVID-19 and would not debate remotely. Asked on March 8 whether he would commit to a debate with Trump, Biden said, "it depends on his behavior." The president was visibly miffed by his opponent in the freewheeling first 2020 debate, at one point saying, "will you shut up?" Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita said in a letter this past week that "we have already indicated President Trump is willing to debate anytime, any place and anywhere and the time to start these debates is now." They cited the seven 1858 Illinois Senate debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, saying "certainly today's America deserves as much." The Republican National Committee voted in 2022 to no longer participate in forums sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The Trump campaign has not indicated it would adhere to that but did have some conditions. The campaign managers said the commission selected a "demonstrably anti-Trump moderator" in then-Fox News host Chris Wallace in 2020 and wants assurances the commission debates are fair and impartial. The Trump campaign also wants the timetable moved up, saying that many Americans will have already voted by Sept. 16, Oct. 1 and Oct. 9, the dates of the three debates set by the commission. The Biden campaign declined comment on the news organizations' letter, pointing to the president's earlier statement. There was no immediate response from the Trump campaign. But on Saturday, Trump held a rally in northeast Pennsylvania with two lecterns set up on the stage: one for him to give a speech, the other to symbolize what he said was Biden's refusal to debate him. The second lectern had a placard that read, "Anytime. Anywhere. Anyplace." Midway through his campaign speech, Trump turned to his right and pointed to the second lectern. "We have a little, look at this, it's for him," he said. "See the podium? I'm calling on Crooked Joe Biden to debate anytime, anywhere, any place. Right there. And we have to debate because our country is going in the wrong direction so badly and while it's a little bit typically early we have to debate. We have to explain to the American people what the hell is going on," Trump said. C-SPAN, NewsNation and Univision also joined the letter calling for debates. Only one newspaper, USA Today, added its voice. The Washington Post declined a request to join. Certainly the broadcasters could use the juice that debates may bring. Television news ratings are down significantly compared with the 2020 campaign, although there are other factors involved, such as cord-cutting and the pandemic, that increased interest in news four years ago. There were no Democratic debates this presidential cycle, and Trump's refusal to participate in the Republican forums depressed interest in them. His weak body stood in the doorway, exhausted and covered in dirt. For two years, the boy had been among Nigeria's ghosts, one of at least 1,500 schoolchildren and others seized by armed groups and held for ransom. But paying a ransom didn't work for 12-year-old Treasure, the only captive held back from the more than 100 schoolchildren kidnapped from their school in July 2021 in the northwestern Kaduna state. Instead, his captors hung on, and he had to escape the forests on his own in November. Treasure's ordeal is part of a worrying new development in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country where the mass abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls a decade ago marked a new era of fear with nearly 100 of the girls still in captivity. Since the Chibok abductions, at least 1,500 students have been kidnapped, as armed groups increasingly find in them a lucrative way to fund other crimes and control villages in the nation's mineral-rich but poorly policed northwestern region. The Associated Press spoke with five families whose children have been taken hostage in recent years and witnessed a pattern of trauma and struggle with education among the children. Parents are becoming more reluctant to send their children to school in parts of northern Nigeria, worsening the education crisis in a country of over 200 million where at least 10 million children are out of school one of the world's highest rates. The AP could not speak with Treasure, who is undergoing therapy after escaping captivity in November. His relatives, however, were interviewed at their home in Kaduna state, including Jennifer, his cousin, who was also kidnapped when her boarding school was attacked in March 2021. "I have not recovered, my family has not recovered (and) Treasure barely talks about it," said Jennifer, 26, as her mother sobbed beside her. "I don't think life will ever be the same after all the experience," she added. Unlike the Islamic extremists that staged the Chibok kidnappings, the deadly criminal gangs terrorizing villages in northwestern Nigeria are mostly former herdsmen who were in conflict with farming host communities, according to authorities. Aided by arms smuggled through Nigeria's porous borders, they operate with no centralized leadership structure and launch attacks driven mostly by economic motive. Some analysts see school kidnappings as a symptom of Nigeria's worsening security crisis. According to Nigerian research firm SBM Intelligence, nearly 2,000 people have been abducted in exchange for ransoms this year. However, armed gangs find the kidnapping of schoolchildren a "more lucrative way of getting attention and collecting bigger ransoms," said the Rev. John Hayab, a former chairman of the local Christian association in Kaduna who has often helped to secure the release of abducted schoolchildren like Treasure. The security lapses that resulted in the Chibok kidnappings 10 years ago remain in place in many schools, according to a recent survey by the United Nations children's agency's Nigeria office, which found that only 43% of minimum safety standards such as perimeter fencing and guards are met in over 6,000 surveyed schools. Bola Tinubu, who was elected president in March 2023, had promised to end the kidnappings while on the campaign trail. Nearly a year into his tenure there is still "a lack of will and urgency and a failure to realize the gravity of the situation, or to respond to it," said Nnamdi Obasi, senior adviser for Nigeria at the International Crisis Group. "There is no focused attention or commitment of resources on this emergency," he added. Treasure was the youngest of more than 100 children seized from the Bethel Baptist High School in the Chikun area of Kaduna in 2021. After receiving ransoms and freeing the other children in batches, his captors vowed to keep him, said the Rev. Hayab. That didn't stop his family from clinging to hope that he would one day return home alive. His grandmother, Mary Peter, remembers the night he returned home, agitated and hungry. "He told us he was hungry and wanted to eat," she said of Treasure's first words that night after two years and three months in captivity. "Treasure went through hell," said the Rev. Hayab with the Christian association. "We need to work hard to get him out of ... what he saw, whatever he experienced." Nigerian lawmakers in 2022 outlawed ransom payments, but desperate families continue to pay, knowing kidnappers can be ruthless, sometimes killing their victims when their relatives delay ransom payments often delivered in cash at designated locations. And sometimes, even paying a ransom does not guarantee freedom. Some victims have accused security forces of not doing anything to arrest the kidnappers even after providing information about their calls and where their hostages were held. Such was the experience of Treasure's uncle Emmanuel Audu, who was seized and chained to a tree for more than a week after he had gone to deliver the ransom demanded for his nephew to be freed. Audu and other hostages were held in Kaduna's notorious Davin Rugu forest. Once a bustling forest reserve that was home to wild animals and tourists, it is now one of the bandit enclaves in the ungoverned and vast woodlands tucked between mountainous terrains and stretching across thousands of kilometers as they connect states in the troubled region. "The whole forest is occupied by kidnappers and terrorists," Audu said as he talked about his time in captivity. His account was corroborated by several other kidnap victims and analysts. Some of his captors in the forest were boys as young as Treasure, a hint of what his nephew could have become, and a sign that a new generation of kidnappers is already emerging. "They beat us mercilessly. When you faint, they will flog you till you wake up," he said, raising his hand to show the scars that reminded him of life in captivity. No one in the Peter family recovered after their experience with kidnapping. Jennifer says she rarely sleeps well even though it's been almost three years since she was freed by her captors. Her mother, a food trader, is finding it hard to raise capital again for her business after using most of her savings and assets inherited from her late husband to pay for ransoms. Therapy is so costly, that the church had to sponsor that of Treasure while other members of the family are left to endure and hope they eventually get over their experiences. "Sometimes, when I think about what happened, I wish I did not go to school," said Jennifer with a rueful grin. "I just feel sorry for the children that are still in boarding school because it is not safe. They are the main target." Police have identified the man they say stabbed six people to death at a busy Sydney shopping center before he was fatally shot by a police officer. New South Wales Police said Sunday that Joel Cauchi, 40, was responsible for the Saturday afternoon attack at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction, in the city's eastern suburbs and not far from the world-famous Bondi Beach. NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters at a media conference on Sunday that Cauchi suffered from unspecified mental health issues and police investigators weren't treating the attack as terrorism-related. "We are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved," Cooke said. "There is still, to this point ... no information we have received, no evidence we have recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation ideology or otherwise," he added. The attack at the shopping center, one of the country's busiest and which was a hub of activity on a particularly warm fall afternoon, began around 3:10 p.m. and police were swiftly called. Six people five women and one man were killed in the attack and 12 others were injured, including a 9-month-old child, whose mother died during the attack. Two of the six victims were from overseas and have no family in Australia, Cooke said Sunday. Video footage shared online appears to show many people fleeing as a knife-wielding Cauchi walked through the shopping center and lunged at people. Other footage shows a man confronting the attacker on an escalator in the shopping center by holding what appeared to be a post towards him. Cauchi was shot dead by a lone female police officer at the scene. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the officer was doing well under the circumstances and will be interviewed Sunday. "She showed enormous courage and bravery," Webb said, adding other responding police, civilians and staff at the center had too. "It was an awful situation ... but it could have been much worse." The shopping center remains closed Sunday and will be an active crime scene for days, police said. It was too late for the mother to shield her children when the two masked and armed Russian fighters burst into her home, held her at gunpoint and took turns raping her. Her five children were forced to watch in the dark. Seated in a restaurant in Central African Republic's capital, to which she fled after the attack, she wiped away tears. Two years on, the assault has "stayed with me in my core," she said. The Associated Press does not identify survivors of sexual assault. She blamed the Russians who are part of the Wagner mercenary group that operates alongside Central African Republic's army and has been accused by locals and rights groups of abuses. She had seen them patrolling in her town of Bambari before. On the day of the assault, they were fighting rebels there. Gender-based violence is rising in Central African Republic amid ongoing conflict, weak legal and care systems, and the stigma attached to speaking up, locals and aid groups say. Since 2020, incidents have jumped from about 9,200 reported cases to 25,500, according to cases tracked by the U.N. and partners. But international funding for the country has dropped, with gender-based violence receiving some of the least support. The humanitarian request for about $14 million received less than 15% of that, according to the U.N. Central African Republic has been in conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced the president from office. Mostly Christian militias fought back. A 2019 peace deal only lessened the fighting, and six of the 14 armed groups that signed later left the agreement. Wagner, a U.N. peacekeeping mission and Rwandan troops are all on the ground to try to quell the violence. "More than 10 years on since this crisis unfolded, many people are still displaced, vulnerable and live at the mercy of armed groups," said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director for Human Rights Watch. "A new dynamic has emerged as well whereby mercenaries aligned with the government are also, at times, preying on the local population." Most likely don't report Doctors Without Borders, one of the main organizations working on gender-based violence, says it has seen an increase in patients due to the expansion of services and outreach. But it says the majority of survivors likely don't come forward, often because help is not available where they live. The 37-year-old who fled to the capital, Bangui, said she received mental health treatment and assistance for her children from an international aid group. She's too afraid to return home and survives by selling charcoal in the market and on handouts from friends. She never reported the attack to police because she thought it was futile. "Who can arrest the Russians in this country?" she asked. A local fighter who works with Wagner asserted that he saw six of the Russians rape a local woman in the tent where he was sleeping at their base in Bambari in early 2023. He said the Russians give women canned food like sardines or bottled water afterward. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. The Russian government didn't respond to questions. Women don't usually blame Wagner because its fighters are so entrenched in communities that they fear retaliation, aid groups said. During a visit by The Associated Press in March, Russians could be seen driving trucks around Bangui and walking in the western town of Bouar. Women who come forward find it hard to receive justice, said Lucie Boalo Mbassinga, vice president of the Association for Women Lawyers for Central Africa. She said they had 213 cases of sexual assault and rape reported in 2022 and 304 cases in 2023. Sometimes women open a case against local fighters but withdraw it because perpetrators' families pay survivors not to proceed, she said. The challenges are compounded by funding cuts. In November, Mbassinga's organization closed a program that was helping survivors across eight provinces, including in the capital, because there was no more money, she said. The cuts by the U.N. Development Program have prevented staff from reaching women in more rural areas, accompanying them to court, and providing medical and mental health support, she said. "Victims are abandoned," Mbassinga said. She suggested having mobile courts to better reach rural areas. Donor fatigue and multiple global crises are part of the reason for cuts in funding, but some diplomats and aid workers say the presence of Wagner mercenaries embedded so closely with the government and in communities makes it hard to justify giving aid. There are concerns that funding could be associated with Wagner. Other culprits But not only Wagner fighters are accused of rape. The AP spoke with three women who said they had been sexually assaulted. One blamed Wagner. One blamed an armed bandit. One, a security guard, blamed a U.N. peacekeeper. The 39-year-old security guard said she was assaulted in November while on the night shift in Bangui at the peacekeeper's home. He left her about $65 when it was over, she said. She asked her supervisor to be transferred to another house but never reported the attack. Her pastor cautioned against it to keep her job. The U.N. mission didn't receive any allegation of sexual assault involving its personnel last November, spokesman Vladimir Monteiro said, and stressed that the U.N. takes such allegations seriously. The U.N. has long wrestled with allegations of sexual assaults by U.N. peacekeepers in Central African Republic and elsewhere. Three years ago, the secretary-general ordered the immediate repatriation of the entire U.N. Gabonese peacekeeping contingent following credible reports of sexual abuse. The government's justice ministry didn't respond to requests for comment. The new constitution has measures to tackle the issue, saying authorities must ensure that sexual assault is eliminated. But that comes as little comfort for survivors. In December, a 29-year-old woman said she was assaulted at a market about 124 miles (200 kilometers) from Bangui. Three men with knives and machetes robbed her and one raped her. She didn't report it because she didn't know the man and thought police would refuse to investigate. Now the mother of two wants to move on. She finds comfort in a program run by Doctors Without Borders, meeting weekly with a dozen other survivors. "The advice I've been given is to not think about the aggressor and to stay busy," she said. Thailand is in the middle of its Songkran celebrations, marking the countrys traditional New Year, which have millions participating in the worlds biggest water fight. Thai officials and business owners have welcomed the festivities that increase the country's soft power and boost its economy. In many areas of Thailand, including the capital, Bangkok, Songkran public water fights usually last for three days starting on April 13. But this year the festival began a day earlier as Thailand enjoys a long public holiday weekend. In some areas, like the northern city of Chiang Mai, the public water fighting rituals tend to last longer. Millions of domestic tourists and foreign visitors celebrate the occasion, boosting business for Thai companies in the tourism industry. Chan Holland, owner of travel agency Canary Travel Thailand in Bangkok, said she believes this Songkran festival has attracted more visitors. More people come to Songkran this year; its busier for both Thai and [international] tourists she told VOA. There are concerts and shows, parades at the royal grounds in front of the Grand Palace. The Thai government is trying to promote the festival more internationally. May Kung, a part-owner of Ruen Thong restaurant in Bangkok, said bookings have increased. My restaurant [bookings] are better than last year. About 20% [busier], she told VOA. Thais enjoy the festivities by visiting temples, cleaning Buddha statues, and engaging in public water fights, which are seen as cleansing rituals. In Bangkok, excited revellers from Thailand and abroad began with the water dousing as early as Thursday. People in the capital wore colorful, flowery shirts, armed themselves with toy water guns and buckets of water, and drenched each other from morning until night. Authorities closed major roads for the crowds, but it was still shoulder-to-shoulder in popular areas like the Silom district, Khao San Road and the Sanam Luang field near the Grand Palace. The Siam Songkran Music Festival is another major event taking place over the weekend. The Thai government says the Songkran celebrations, officially the Maha Songkran World Water Festival, will be extended this year. This comes after UNESCO designated Songkran as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in December. To honor its recent UNESCO designation, the 2024 festival will be celebrated [for up] to three weeks, from April 1 to 21, uniting all 77 provinces in a celebration of unmatched scale, Nithee Seeprae, the deputy governor for marketing communications at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, told VOA. Confusion from some international visitors has put a damper on the celebrations. Some international visitors thought that public water fights would last for the entire three weeks, prompting the Thai government to respond by saying the celebrations would not all take place simultaneously. But the festival does come at a time when Thailand has fewer concerns than recent years. The Southeast Asian country has been marred by political unrest, military coups and the COVID-19 pandemic in the last decade. Its the first year under civilian government and without real fears regarding COVID-19, Pravit Rojanaphruk, a veteran journalist at Khaosod English newspaper, told VOA. Thailand is now led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin after nine years under military governance. Songkran shows Thailands soft power, officials say. The Srettha government is very keen to promote it as a key festival on the global calendar and in this regard, Thailand is succeeding, despite the fact that Songkran is also celebrated in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and even parts of China, Pravit added. While the Songkran festival is one of the biggest holidays on the Thai calendar, the nationwide event significantly boosts the economy, which relies heavily on tourism. The industry provides around 20% of jobs in the Southeast Asian country. Thailand saw 28 million tourist arrivals in 2023 with 35 million expected in 2024. We estimate that there will be over 500,000 international tourists in Bangkok and around for the Maha Songkran World Water Festival 2024 from April 11 to 15, joining locals and domestic travelers at the extravaganza at the heart of this years celebration, Nithee Seeprae said. For economic benefit, this constitutes 8.76 billion Baht (around $240 million) from international tourism and 15.66 billion Baht (around $428.3 million) from domestic tourism with 510,000 visitor arrivals and 4.29 million domestic trips, he added. Tourism analyst Gary Bowerman said he believes Thailands government will want to maximize Songkran but must be cautious about overdoing the festival in the future. Essentially, Thailand is seeking to extend the franchise, and make Songkran a three-week festival around the country to promote water-themed tourism activities, he told VOA. The timing is important, as this is the start of the traditional off-peak season, and the [Tourism Authority of Thailand] doesnt want the momentum that developed in the first quarter to drop significantly, as it has set itself an ambitious full-year visitor arrivals target. The risk is that, ultimately, you could dilute the cultural resonance of Songkran, and turn it into a less meaningful event across a longer period. There will be a lot of learnings from this first year of making it an extended festival. Next year will likely see further changes based on the 2024 Songkran experiences for the tourism sector across the country, he added. The first criminal trial of a former U.S. president is set to begin this coming week in New York City. Donald Trumps hush money case will start on Monday with jury selection. Separately, President Joe Biden, who is seeking reelection, will hit the campaign trail in Pennsylvania. VOAs Veronica Balderas Iglesias has the details. The U.S. State Department has strongly condemned Irans seizure of a container ship, the MSC Aries, near the Strait of Hormuz and urged Tehran to immediately release the vessel and its crew. A State Department spokesperson told VOAs Persian Service that the vessel, flying the Portuguese flag and owned by Britain, was seized in "international waters," and its crew consists of nationals from India, the Philippines, Pakistan, Russia, and Estonia. Saturdays seizure of a non-military vessel, even without any provocation on its part, is deemed a "blatant violation of international laws" and "piracy" by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), classified as a "foreign terrorist organization," said the spokesperson. The official stressed that this action "must be unequivocally condemned, and we will work with our partners to ensure Iran is held accountable for its actions." The state news agency IRNA reported Saturday that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had seized an "Israel-linked ship" in the Strait of Hormuz. International shipping company Zodiac Maritime said in a statement that MSC is the manager and commercial operator of the vessel seized Saturday by Iranian authorities. Israel Katz, the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, urged the "European Union and the free world" to "immediately declare the IRGC as a terrorist organization and sanction Iran now." He posted on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that "The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has seized a Portuguese civilian cargo ship, belonging to an EU member, claiming Israeli ownership." "The Ayatollah regime of Khamenei is a criminal regime that supports Hamas crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law, he said. The ship seizure came before Iran launched missiles and drones toward Israel, retaliating after blaming Israel for the bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Israel says it air defenses were successful in defending against the Iranian attack. CAIRO, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Countries across the Middle East on Sunday called for restraint after Iran launched coordinated drone and missile strikes on Israel late Saturday night in retaliation for a deadly Israeli assault on the Iranian consulate in Syria. According to a statement by the Iraqi presidency, President Abdul Latif Rashid warned of an expansion of conflicts in the Middle East region, stressing that "wars will not solve people's problems but aggravate the conflicts between nations." The Iraqi president also called for an end to the military attacks against the Gaza Strip, noting that a decisive solution to the Palestinian issue must be reached as a fundamental pillar of stability in the region. In another statement, Iraq's Acting Parliament Speaker Mohsen al-Mandalawi said that the response by Iran to Israel's targeting of its consulate in Syria was "a natural and legitimate right guaranteed by international laws and regulations." The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the international community to take action to defuse tensions and de-escalate the situation in the region, calling on "all parties to halt escalation, promote calm, and exercise maximum restraint." Highlighting the military escalation in the region and its implications, the Foreign Ministry of Oman stressed in a statement the importance of exercising restraint to spare the region and its peoples from the risks of war. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also released a statement regarding the attack, saying that before the incident, Turkiye had held discussions with Iranian and U.S. authorities, and made necessary initiatives to ensure that the reactions would be proportionate. "Today, we are conveying our messages to Iranian officials and Western countries that influence Israel, calling for an end to the escalation," it added. According to a report by Turkiye's Anadolu Agency, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, clarifying that Ankara does not want further escalation of tension in the region. The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in a statement expressed its solidarity with Iran, denouncing Israel's strikes on Syrian territory and Iran's diplomatic premises. It also called on the international community to condemn Israel's actions and take immediate action to halt further aggression. Following Iran's reprisal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the war cabinet to discuss the repercussions of the attack. Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet, said that Israel will respond to Iran's aerial attack "in the right time." "In the wake of the threat from Iran, we will build a regional coalition and exact a price from Iran, in the manner and at the time that suits us," Gantz said in a video statement. However, analysts believe that a decision to retaliate immediately was unlikely for Israel, as the United States, Israel's key ally, said it would not support such a move. Earlier on Sunday, Iranian foreign minister said Iran at this moment no longer sought to continue its retaliatory military operations against Israel. "Iran at this moment no more seeks to continue its defensive operations, but if necessary, it will not hesitate in protecting its legitimate interests against any new aggression," said Amir-Abdollahian. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Sunday decried Irans drone strikes on Israel, saying the obvious collaboration between Russia and Iran in spreading terror must be met with a resolute and united response from the world. "Iran's actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia's actions threaten a larger conflict," Zelenskyy wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Zelenskyy linked Israels situation to Ukraine by saying that like Israel, Ukraine has been attacked by Iranian-made Shahed drones and missiles. "We in Ukraine know very well the horror of similar attacks by Russia, which uses the same 'Shahed' drones and Russian missiles, the same tactics of mass air strikes," he wrote. A coordinated Western response intercepted most of the 300 drones and missiles that Iran launched against Israel Saturday, prompting many Ukrainians to criticize Western allies for not displaying the same decisive and wide-reaching support for Ukraine they showed for Israel. Zelenskyy said that only "tangible assistance" can protect Ukraine from missiles and drones and urged the release of U.S. war aid for Ukraine that has long been blocked by Congress. "It is critical that the United States Congress make the necessary decisions to strengthen America's allies at this critical time," he said. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based research group, warned that further delays in U.S. military assistance would increasingly undermine Ukraines capacity to repel Russian advances. Patriot air defense systems, military training As Kyiv awaits the desperately needed U.S. aid that is stuck in Congress, Germany announced Saturday it would deliver a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, its third so far, citing "massive and ongoing Russian airstrikes." Zelenskyy thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for "a real manifestation of support for Ukraine at a critical time for us." The German chancellor said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he had discussed the massive Russian air attacks on civilian energy infrastructure with Zelenskyy on Saturday, and that Berlin will stand unbreakably by Ukraines side. The Ukrainian military also is hampered by the lack of adequate training it requires to improve its capabilities of operating military equipment and Western weapons, Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, noted. Ukraines European allies are engaged in a training push for Kyivs forces. French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Friday that future Ukrainian fighter pilots likely to fly American F-16 aircraft were receiving their initial training in the south of France. Other countries including Denmark, the Netherlands and Romania are helping Ukraine to train its pilots. Some Ukrainians, after receiving initial training in Britain, are now undergoing "advanced training" in an undisclosed location to learn how to fly fighter jets, according to a military source. On the ground At least five people died across Ukraine Sunday from Russian and Ukrainian attacks. One man was killed by a Russian drone striking his truck in the Sumy region, the local prosecutors office said. In Kharkiv, officials recovered the bodies of a 61-year-old woman and 68-year-old man killed by a Russian strike Saturday. In the Russian-occupied Kherson region, two civilians were killed Sunday, according to Moscow-installed leader Vladimir Saldo. Ukrainian drones were also reported in Russias Krasnodar and Belgorod regions and over the Black Sea, the Russian defense ministry said. Russian troops are making significant gains in Ukraines eastern region near the Russian-occupied industrial town of Avdiivka, Syrskyi said Saturday on his Telegram channel. The situation on the eastern front has deteriorated significantly in recent days," he said, adding that the Russian army intensified its offensive along several stretches of the more 1,000-kilometer-long front line after the presidential elections in Russia last month. Warmer, drier weather also is playing a factor in Russias surging offensive, allowing its heavy vehicles to move quickly across the drying terrain. Russia's defense ministry announced its troops had "liberated" the village of Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region, about 11 kilometers west of the largely destroyed town of Avdiivka, which Russia captured in mid-February. Ukraine has not confirmed the loss of Pervomaiske, and its army asserted Friday that it had repelled attacks on the village. In a Telegram update Saturday, the Russian military said Moscows forces also had taken Bohdanivka, another eastern village close to the city of Bakhmut known for its bloody siege and subsequent capture by Russian forces nine months ago. Shortly afterward, Ukraines defense ministry denied that Bohdanivka had been captured and said intense fighting there is ongoing. Ukraine has also said the situation around the eastern front-line city of Chasiv Yar, west of Bakhmut, remains "difficult and tense" with the area under "constant fire." Syrskyi acknowledged that Russian forces have been actively attacking Ukrainian positions in three areas of the eastern Donetsk region, near the cities of Lyman, Bakhmut and Pokrovsk. He said Ukraine was planning to "strengthen the most problematic defense areas with electronic warfare and air defense." Russia has an advantage in firepower and personnel over Ukraine, which is running low on ammunition, to increase attacks across eastern Ukraine. Additionally, Russian forces are increasingly using satellite-guided gliding bombs that allow planes to drop them from a safe distance and overwhelm Ukrainian forces. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Sicilys tourist hot spots are living an economic boom thanks to shows like HBOs The White Lotus, which put the islands breathtaking vistas on display. But the ancient islands infamous underbelly remains untouched by the influx of new wealth. In fact, organised crime has only diversified and become more entwined with the legitimate economy. On a recent trip to Sicily, the contrast between the flourishing tourism sector and the declines elsewhere was as stark as Ive seen in more than 20 years of reporting on the island. In Palermo, the piazza around the cathedral was brimming with activity. Not 10 minutes walk away, burned out cars lined a residential street of dilapidated high-rise apartments. In Taormina, with its Greco-Roman theatre and views over Mt. Etna, locals told me new Louis Vuitton and Prada stores had brought more well-heeled visitors to the hilltop town that has a starring role in the second series of the hit HBO show. Yet down the hill and along the coast, piles of filthy refuse made beaches unusable. Season two of The White Lotus boosted Sicilys thriving tourism industry. Credit: HBO/Binge Sicily and organised crime the islands Cosa Nostra have been synonymous since at least the 19th century. Atrocities dwindled in recent years following an aggressive campaign by police in response to the 1992 roadside bombs near Palermo that killed prosecuting magistrates Paolo Borsellino and Giovanni Falcone. But magistrates say its also because the Sicilian mafia and its Calabrian counterpart, ndrangheta, have grown more sophisticated, following the money into drugs, prostitution and people trafficking rather than open confrontation with the authorities. But post-pandemic, theres a new trend developing thats a warning for all of Europe. While mobsters continue to follow the money in big cities, they are also feeding on increasing inequality and polarisation to undermine the declining and indebted Italian state. The problem with identities is that theyre like elbows. Everybody has them. And like elbows on an aeroplane armrest, they sometimes battle to occupy the very same space. That is the essence of a case in the NSW Federal Court this week. Tickle v Giggle isnt the light-hearted affair the litigants names would suggest. Giggle is an app created to provide a space for women to communicate on a range of issues just among women. It is a platform to find other women to travel with, share houses with, and, if theyre lesbian, perhaps find someone to date. Roxanne Tickle says Giggle for Girls illegally discriminated on the grounds of gender identity after her access to the app was revoked. Credit: AAP Trans men, who were born female, are invited to join the app, which sees itself as providing a safe space for all people who have experiences and vulnerabilities particular to female biology. Roxanne Tickle is a trans woman who was excluded from partaking in the app because, while she identifies as a woman, she was born male. Tickle has reportedly had gender-affirming surgery and, as Australian law allows, changed her birth certificate to reflect her gender identity. Her lawyer has taken pains to emphasise how genuinely and profoundly she feels that she is a woman. Despite these feelings, Tickle was denied access to Giggle, on the basis that the app is exclusively for biological females, which Tickle is not. The Australian national flag atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge flies at half-mast to mourn for victims of the attack inside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) SYDNEY, April 14 (Xinhua) -- From dawn till dusk on Sunday, numerous mourners from all across Sydney have been swarming to Bondi Junction in the city's east, grieving over the loss of six innocent lives and multiple injuries caused by a mass-casualty stabbing. The shopping center remained cordoned off with investigations underway at the crime scene. Under the arrangements of related authorities, a line of people waited outside the building to retrieve their cars from the parking lot. Some of those present were vehicle owners who happened to leave their cars on the premises without seeing the attack unfold, and some were witnesses who felt too traumatized to recollect any speck of Saturday's tragedy. Parents also came in place of their children, as their beloved ones were still trembling in the aftermath of such a horror. Just a short distance away from the shopping center, Oxford Street served as a venue for members of the public to mourn the victims. With mental health volunteers on-site to provide timely support, a constant stream of people showed up laying flowers or leaving condolence messages throughout the day. "It was very scary. Very close to home. Horribly sad," Alisa Bartholomew said after leaving a bouquet to pay her respect. When spending a cozy Saturday afternoon at the nearby Bondi Beach, Bartholomew and her friends had planned to go to Bondi Westfield before a change of heart. Then they were made aware of the attack through texts sent by other friends. "I was aback and so shocked, especially in Bondi Westfield, a very busy shopping center in a safe community. So it was just confusion like why it would happen here," said Bartholomew. Having lived in Sydney for a year, the British visits the center almost every day, as this is where she does grocery shopping and gym workouts. "It is a lovely city, very friendly and safe. So when something like this happens, it seems completely out of the norm for a city like this," said Bartholomew. According to the police, the knife-wielding offender named Joel Cauchi entered the shopping center at around 3:20 p.m. local time on Saturday, starting a stabbing spree that left four women and one man dead at the scene, with another 38-year-old female succumbing to severe injury at a hospital. Twelve patients, including nine women, two men, and a nine-month-old baby, were also taken to various Sydney hospitals. As of Sunday afternoon, one female patient has already been recently discharged. Bondi local Kelly O'Brien completed her shopping and left the center, sensing nothing out of the ordinary, shortly before the arrival of the attacker. "Where he was my normal route," said O'Brien, who was still reeling from the shock. For many locals like O'Brien, the Bondi Westfield is where they would be there "once or twice a day, not even once a week." "Just knowing you may have missed him by half an hour, you just don't expect it," said O'Brien. "The victims won't be forgotten and everyone will definitely do what we can to make sure that they live on. But also, we don't want to keep thinking about the person that did it. It's more about the people that were impacted. I feel that as a community, we'll just rise and become stronger," she added. Among those hundreds of bouquets, there was also a bunch from Conor McClelland, a 29-year-old born and bred in Sydney. His home is situated in Sydney's west, but his partner's is within 100 meters of Bondi Westfield. "I wanted to come through and pay my respects. She wanted to. She is doing the same thing in her own way. But she is struggling quite hard. She has been part of the community for a little while now and feels very attached to it," McClelland told Xinhua. "We were just shocked. You've seen a lot of the reactions from people. It's been the same words used. It feels very hard to believe and very jarring that is happening here in an iconic part of Sydney," he said. The Bondi Junction is one of the eastern suburbs in Sydney, located 3 to 4 km east of the city's central business district and also within proximity of Bondi Beach, one of Australia's most popular tourist attractions. The suburb, in McClelland's eyes, is of "great positivity" and a place where "people come to enjoy themselves and have fun," but the horrific attack stands "in stark contrast" to this environment. Meanwhile, more details about the brave inspector Amy Scott who confronted the assailant alone and the bystanders displaying heroic acts are being increasingly reported and winning widespread praise. "It will take a long time for things to sink in. But on a positive note, I saw some of the interviews about the people who were on the scene and some of the actions taken that were pretty incredible. Not just the community here but wider Australia can get galvanized by these behaviors to stay together," said McClelland. On Sunday evening, major landmarks in the state of Victoria, such as Flinders Street Station, Federation Square, and the National Gallery of Victoria, were illuminated white in memory of those lost in the stabbing. The Commonwealth Flag Network confirmed that flags across Australia are to be flown at half-mast on Monday at the request of the country's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Local media also revealed that the Sydney Opera House would project a memorial on its sails on Monday night. The Australian national flag atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge flies at half-mast to mourn for victims of the attack inside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) Flags atop the Queen Victoria Building fly at half-mast to mourn for victims of the attack inside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) Flags atop the Queen Victoria Building fly at half-mast to mourn for victims of the attack inside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) A young Sydney man mistakenly identified as the Bondi Junction killer has hit out at those who mindlessly propagated the misinformation, including the Seven Network, saying it was distressing that so many were willing to spread the unverified claims. Ben Cohen, a 20-year-old student at the University of Technology Sydney who lives in the eastern suburbs with his family, was misidentified as the person responsible for murdering six people at Westfield shopping centre in Bondi Junction on Saturday afternoon. Sydney man Ben Cohen, who was misidentified as the Bondi Junction killer. Cohen was named as the killer on social media, in particular on X, from about 8.30pm on Saturday. His name was soon trending, with thousands of comments, many of which drew attention to his Jewish identity. The misinformation was then broadcast by Channel Seven on its YouTube channel in a promo for Sunrise. The network described him as 40-year-old lone-wolf attacker Benjamin Cohen. Squatters have taken over a 13million ($24.9 million) London pub restaurant owned by Gordon Ramsay. The Grade II-listed York & Albany pub and boutique hotel near Regents Park has been occupied and barricaded with kitchen appliances. Gordon Ramsay is said to be attempting to finalise an eviction notice. A source close to the celebrity chef said at least five men and one woman are now squatting in the restaurant. The Metropolitan Police were called about the squatters but declined to attend, saying it was a civil matter. Iran launched the attack over a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders and followed months of clashes between Israel and Irans regional allies, triggered by the war in Gaza. However, the attack by more than 300 missiles and drones caused only modest damage in Israel. Most were shot down by Israels Iron Dome defence system and with help from the US, Britain, France and Jordan. A surfer waits for a wave while an Israeli naval ship patrols the Mediterranean sea off the coast of Hadera, Israel, on Sunday. Credit: AP The only serious injury reported within Israel was a 7-year-old who was hurt by shrapnel. There also was little serious property damage reported. Authorities said an Israeli Air Force base was hit but continued to operate as normal. Israeli officials said Netanyahus five-member war cabinet favoured retaliation in a meeting on Sunday, although the panel was divided over the timing and scale of any such response. Loading Two senior Israeli ministers signalled retaliation was not imminent and that Israel would not act alone. We will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us, centrist minister Benny Gantz said ahead of a war cabinet meeting. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also said Israel had an opportunity to form a strategic alliance against this grave threat by Iran. Israel remained on high alert, but authorities lifted some emergency measures that had included a ban on some school activities and caps on large gatherings. Iranian army chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri said on television, Our response will be much larger than tonights military action if Israel retaliates against Iran, and told Washington that its bases could also be attacked if it helped Israel retaliate. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said Tehran had informed the United States its attack on Israel would be limited and for self-defence and that regional neighbours had been informed of its planned strikes 72 hours in advance. Turkish, Jordanian and Iraqi officials said that Iran gave wide notice days before the attack, but US officials said Tehran did not warn Washington and was aiming to cause significant damage. The leaders of the Group of 7 nations condemned Irans attack and said they would work to stabilise the situation, warning in a statement that Tehran risked an uncontrollable regional escalation. Motivations for attack debated Analysts debated whether Irans attack was calibrated to cause genuine devastation in Israel, or to save face at home after vows of revenge while avoiding a major new war. I think the Iranians took into consideration the fact that Israel has a very, very strong multi-layer anti-missile system and they probably took into consideration that there will not be too many casualties, said Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. In Gaza, Irans attack drew applause as rare payback for an Israeli offensive that has killed at least 33,000 people. We have been slaughtered for over six months and no one dared to do anything. Now Iran, after its consulate was hit, is hitting back at Israel and this brings joy into our hearts, said Majed Abu Hamza of Gaza City. Loading The war in Gaza, which Israel invaded after an attack by Iran-backed Hamas on October 7, has spread to fronts with Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq. In Israel, although there was alarm at the first direct attack from another country in more than three decades, the mood contrasted with the trauma after the Hamas-led attack on October 7. I think weve been given license to respond now. I mean it was a major attack from Iran... I imagine Israel will respond and may be over quickly and get back to normal life, said Jeremy Smith, 60. AMMAN, April 14 (Xinhua) -- King Abdullah II of Jordan on Sunday said Jordan will not allow a regional war to unfold on its land, warning of the consequences of the Israeli aggression on Gaza and unilateral measures in the West Bank. King Abdullah called for an immediate end to the Gaza conflict as he believed it was the way to prevent a regional spillover. The king made the remarks during a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden, during which they discussed the latest developments in the region and efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, the state-run Petra news agency reported. The king stressed the need to stop escalation immediately, warning that any escalatory moves by Israel would expand the conflict in the area. He also called for the protection of civilians in Gaza and ensuring the sustainable flow of sufficient humanitarian aid through all available means. According to the report, they also discussed the need to maintain coordination between Jordan and the United States on regional developments. My father had a well-loved collection of old 78 records. They mostly featured the fiddle playing of Michael Coleman and the singing of John McCormack, but among them was a record made by a certain John Feeney. The song on the record was The Dawning of the Day, and Feeney sang it sweetly in his tenor voice and with a distinctive Irish brogue. In the past, we always gave great credit to the talented and famous who came from faraway places; we were impressed by their start quality and mystique. I was, therefore, quite surprised to hear my father say that Feeney was actually born and reared in Swinford. Early years John Feeney, affectionately known as Jack, was born on August 9, 1903 in Swinford. His father, Patrick Feeney, was a grocer in the town and his mother, Mary Kelly, was a daughter of another prominent Swinford business family. Young John attended the local convent school until the age of nine and then studied at Swinford National School until he was 16. During these schooldays, he developed his early love of singing. Lawrence White, writing about John Feeney in the Dictionary of Irish Biography, takes up the story. On leaving school, he worked in the family grocery before going to London (early 1920s) where he worked on building sites, including Wembley Stadium, for McAlpine's Contractors. In 1928, he emigrated to America with the express purpose of training his fine tenor voice, and attempting a career as a professional singer. He married (February 1932) in Brooklyn, NY, Maura Ruddy (190490), of Ballina, who had followed him to America in 1929. A steadfast moral and practical support to Feeney through his singing apprenticeship, when he lost his job in a Western Electric plant in the 1929 economic depression, she supported him and other family members on her wages from clerical work and funded his early voice lessons. New York, New York Feeney began to make steady progress in his new career. He pushed for performances at school and community events in the New York area as well as performing on local radio. He recorded several songs, without receiving any fees, with lesser-known record labels. Quite soon, his efforts began to pay off, as Lawrence White continues. In 1933, he began writing a weekly social column for the Irish Echo newspaper, thereby attaining both a regular income and valuable contacts in the Irish-oriented entertainment industry. In 1934, he was signed to a recording contract by Decca, a British label seeking to penetrate the slumped, depression-era American market. Feeney's first Decca recording session (November 1934) produced his biggest hit, When It's Moonlight in Mayo, a Tin-Pan-Alley composition of 20 years provenance, which remained his signature tune. Career highlights Dubbed The Mayo Nightingale by The New York Times after his first major American concert recital at New York's Hotel Barbizon-Plaza in April 1936, Feeney was to become the foremost Irish-American tenor and succeeded the hugely popular John McCormack. White provides further information on Feeneys progress, and versatility. Feeney reached his widest audience as a prominent performer of the 1930s40s, the golden days of American radio, when the medium was the country's dominant form of home entertainment. He began a long association (193764) with the Schaefer brewing company of Brooklyn. Throughout the 1940s, he sang regularly on Schaefer's weekly musical variety shows, broadcast from New York and networked to the company's other markets in Boston, Albany, Baltimore, and Cleveland. When radio declined after the advent of television in the 1950s, Feeney really showed his powers of adaptability. While retaining the Schaefer's radio residency, he now also appeared on the company's sponsored television broadcasts. Feeney was, however, at his best on the concert stage. He would open with operatic arias, continue with British and American folk songs and ballads, and conclude with a range of Irish favourites. He performed frequently at New York's Carnegie Hall and made trips back to Ireland to appear in Dublin's Olympia and Theatre Royal. Singing at the 1947 All-Ireland Final between Cavan and Kerry at the Polo Grounds in New York was another of his achievements. He later sang in his native Swinford and to 2,000 mass-goers at St Muredach's Cathedral in Ballina. During his 30-year professional career, John Feeney recorded some 50 records. Swinford-born tenor John Feeney with his wife Maura Ruddy, from Ballina, in New York in the 1930s. Preserving a legacy John and Maura retired to Ireland in 1964. Maura had by now inherited her family business, The Mineral Water Company in Ballina. On their return to Ireland, she operated the business while John acted as its public relations officer. Their time together, however, was to be short-lived. John Feeney died suddenly while driving between Tubbercurry and Ballina on the shores of Lough Talt in 1967. He passed away in the arms of his beloved Maura in a place of great natural beauty - a fitting backdrop to their lifes concert. At the time of his death, John Feeney was only 64. There was, however, one final twist to come in the John Feeney story. Not surprisingly, it would come from his great champion, Maura. She had been his support in life and now she would continue in that role after his death. Maura had meticulously archived every shred of Feeney's body of work and was anxious to place it in safe hands before her own departure from the stage. Declan McCormack, in an article in the Irish Independent in September 2003, entitled 'Saving Mayo's Lost Tenor from Obscurity', relates the story. Harry Bradshaw, RTE radio producer, is a man with an eclectic taste in music but even he baulked when the widow of an Irish tenor invited him to listen to her dead husband's musical legacy. He politely but firmly said no. "I told her it wasn't my area." Maura did not take Harry's "no" lying down. The feisty septuagenarian told him she was going back to the States and would be donating her husband's tapes, records and documents to the garbage collecting department of Dun Laoghaire borough if he didn't take them. "I couldn't have it on my conscience to let this stuff be lost to the nation so I took the five big chests and deposited them in the attic." Many years later, when Bradshaw rediscovered the dusty boxes, he became hooked by the project. It was Feeney's radio show recordings that really piqued his interest. He knew that during the 1920s and '30s, NBC and CBS competed for the huge audiences created by radio. Manufacturers invested fortunes in big productions with outstanding orchestras, successful stars, and dazzling dance troupes. He soon came to realise that John Feeney had become one of these big stars. Bradshaw immediately took to researching Feeney's life and began remastering his many recordings. Bradshaw eventually produced a collection of Feeneys varied repertory in time for the centenary of the tenor's birth in 2003. The resultant collection, a double CD and biographical booklet, entitled When its Moonlight in Mayo, became a huge hit and re-introduced a new generation to the remarkable legacy of 'The Mayo Nightingale'. For Ox Mountain people, wherever we may go in the world, when thinking of home and childhood, our place of origin is defined by our townland. Its name will be dropped in conversation as easily as the word 'mother'. A townland (Irish: baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: toonlann), is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering 100 to 500 acres. The townland system is of Gaelic origin preceded the Norman invasion. Most have names of Irish origin but some townland names come from later creations of the Ordnance Survey, as referenced in Translations, the play by Brian Friel. The total number of inhabited townlands in Ireland was 60,679 in 1911. The total number recognised by the Irish Place Names database as of 2014 was 61,098, including small uninhabited islands. Mayo, for example has 3,422 townlands and Sligo has 1,289. The whole world James Joyce said: The particular is contained within the universal. The great writer, John McGahern was hugely inspired by his local surroundings and Patrick Kavanagh espoused a similar theory about our places of origin when he suggested: The whole world is in our townland. Kavanagh loved his own townland, Mucker, and every townland in his parish. He loved their names, their fields, their barns, their hedges, and their laneways. To him, these were sacred places, a holy land. Lets examine Kavanaghs observation. I think he means that all the beauty, all the wars and all the great love affairs that we associate with the wider world are, in fact, right beside us in our own place. That magnificent view, the joy of nature and the feeling of being grounded in a special place are all around us in our own townland. The bad fence, the lengthy feud, the love of land, the tyrant, are common to every townland, as they are to every nation on earth Shancoduff, Beal na Blath, Syria, Ukraine, Gaza. The search for our roots often leads us to a particular townland. Deep roots Our smallest and oldest basic unit of land is often the key to finding the location of our ancestors and their old homes. The name usually reflects a local identifiable landmark, for instance a hill, wood, church, castle or ancient monument. According to Amy Stewart, writing for BBC Northern Ireland, the townland has always been of importance in defining place. Before modernity redrew our maps - more urban sprawl, housing estates and roads everywhere - people identified primarily with townlands. Some were big and some were small, but from Tullychurry to Ballywatticock, it was your townland that defined who you were. Townlands are areas based on old Irish land divisions, many of which existed before the arrival of the English language. And before the mid-20th century, our ancestors in rural areas identified themselves by townland only. Stewarts article went on to feature a recent body of work undertaken by Andrew Kean. She explains that Keans role as a research consultant with the Ulster Historical Foundation, often puts him in the position of assisting those researching family history - and townlands are a primary building block for that work. No wonder that the Ulster Historical Foundation has described them as a fundamental unit of Irish life. But while a strong connection to townlands still exists in many tight-knit rural communities, their use is no longer as official as it once was. Andrew Kean, who is passionate about preserving townland names, started an ambitious lockdown project, which has grown into a book, Townland Atlas of Ulster. For anyone doing family research with a rural background, he said, "a townland name is the most important thing". Kean is, of course, quite right; the search for our roots often leads us to a particular townland. It is when we find a particular placename, either in parish records or a local library, that we get more confident that we are pointing in the right direction. My own family name, McCarrick, is often the subject of genealogical interest. While a good example - there are not that many of us and most seem to have some connection with south Sligo it still takes finding a particular townland to best define the original family line. The conversation might go somethings like this. Well, there was a branch of the family in Loughill and then there were branches in Cloonbaniff, Carnaleck, Doomore and Carrowreagh. Then there were other branches in Trinta, Renbane, and Cloonbarry. One of these townlands was likely to ring a bell and so the hunt would be narrowed down. This search would be similar for most families unless your family name was Henry. Cloondrihara (Meadow of the Brothers), near Knocknashee, got its name because it was the birthplace of seven Henry brothers that were once born there. The parish of Cloonacool is noted for its countless Henry families, many of them in the same townland. All in the name Even the sound of the name of a townland can give comfort. Carrownageeragh (Quarter of the Herd), in the parish of Killasser is a good example. A simple analysis of a name can reveal much information about a place, its history and what makes it unique. Many of the landmarks and special traits that made an area unique and gave rise to its placename are now gone from our landscape. They are only remembered in the old name, hidden in a precious code. Culdaly is a townland in the parish of Kilmactigue which rests high in the Ox Mountains. A quick check on the name tells us that its meaning is 'The wood of the two calves'. It could well be the case that this reference to calves dates back to a legend that is thousands of years old and is likely a reference to the naming of the Ox Mountains themselves. A contribution to the National Folklore Schools' Collection, from the 1930s, made by Patrick Walsh of Tourlestrane in south Sligo, goes some way in explaining the origin. Long ago there lived on the Ox Mountains two young bulls. When those bulls were young, they lived at Coill Da Laogh. Every morning, they used to walk from Coill Da Laogh to Cnoc na Side which was the whole length of the Ox mountains. They used to graze on the mountains. When those two bulls grew up, they changed to a village called Gleann Da Damh. They lived at Gleann Da Damh for a few years and they grazed on the mountains there but history tells us that when they were only a few years in Gleann Da Damh that they died. It is from those two bulls that Coill Da Laogh and Gleann Da Damh got their names. Tarry Flynn Going back to the theory offered by Patrick Kavanagh, his point is probably best illustrated in the pages of his only novel, Tarry Flynn. The story is a beautiful account of life as it was lived in Ireland in the 1930s. The promotional blurb for the book says it all. A mans mother can be a terrible burden sometimes. For Tarry Flynn poet, farmer and lover-from-afar of beautiful young virgins the responsibility of family, farm, poetic inspiration and his own unyielding lust is a heavy one. The only solution is to rise above all or escape over the nearest horizon. The final lecture in Westport Civic Trusts programme for the year is by Dr Fiona White of ATU Castlebar campus. It takes place in the Walnut Suite in the Plaza Hotel on Tuesday, April 16, at 8pm. Fiona teaches and researches in the Built and Heritage Studies programme in ATU. The Moore family of Moore Hall contributed significantly to the political, social and cultural history of the local region and to wider national events. They certainly lived up to their family motto: He Who Proceeds With Courage Will Never Fail. The last generation of the Moores included both the novelist George Augustus and his brother Maurice, the distinguished British soldier and Irish statesman. They demonstrated that the Moores in each generation were at the front of important humanitarian, literary, political and military change. This talk examines the brothers' turbulent relationship and differing opinions, especially when it came to Ireland's future. RIYADH, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Sunday held a phone conversation on the current situation in the Middle East region. In the phone call made by Amir-Abdollahian, the two diplomats discussed regional escalations "against the backdrop of the crisis in the Gaza Strip and its repercussions," the Saudi Press Agency reported, without giving further details. The phone talk came after Iran launched late Saturday an unprecedented drone and missile attack against Israel, in response to the latter's deadly strike on its consulate in Syria on April 1. Allentown, PA (18103) Today Partly sunny and rather mild; a few scattered showers are possible, but mainly in the Poconos and along and north of the I-80 corridor.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with a few showers; many only get a couple hundredths of an inch at most but a bit more in the Poconos and points north...maybe as much as a quarter of an inch. KHARTOUM, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The deadly war in Sudan, leaving thousands of people dead and millions of others displaced, is entering its second year amid repeated warnings of an imminent famine threatening to kill those who escaped death from bullets. Since the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out on April 15, 2023, 14,790 fatalities have been recorded, while the number of people displaced inside and outside of Sudan has reached 8.2 million, a report by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) showed Sunday. "It's beyond time for this devastating war to stop," a UN fact-finding Mission said on Thursday, urging the warring parties to commit to an immediate ceasefire, end attacks on civilians, and ensure unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance for millions of people in desperate need of aid. "Sudan's warring parties are legally obligated to protect civilians, but they have shown little regard for doing so," said Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan. "We are now investigating alarming reports of repeated attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools," he added. Starvation is looming as fighting rages on in Sudan. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned of a worsening food security crisis in Sudan, urging warring parties to halt hostilities and allow for the access of humanitarian aid. "The food and nutrition security in Sudan is very dire," Adam Yao, FAO deputy representative in Sudan, said in a recent interview with Xinhua. "Immediate assistance is required." Similarly, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) said on Friday that Sudan's hunger crisis will worsen unless its people receive a constant flow of aid via all possible humanitarian corridors. "I fear that we will see unprecedented levels of starvation and malnutrition sweep across Sudan in this lean season," said Eddie Rowe, WFP representative and country director in Sudan. According to the UN, half of Sudan's population -- some 25 million people -- need humanitarian assistance and protection, with nearly 18 million people facing acute food insecurity. However, the war so far shows no sign of ending, as none of the warring parties seems to be willing to silence the sounds of bullets or sit to the negotiation table. In a speech on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, SAF's General Commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan stressed that the war would continue until the RSF is "eliminated." Meanwhile, the RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also in a speech on the Eid al-Fitr occasion, said the only option was "to achieve victory" and congratulated his forces on what he said were "great victories" in central Sudan's Gezira and Sinnar states. The Coordination of Civilian Democratic Forces (Taqaddum), a Sudanese political coalition led by former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, condemned what it called "the escalatory message" by the army and RSF leaders, which showed "the lack of desire of both parties for any political settlement." "This embodies the underestimation of the extent of the tragedy the Sudanese people are suffering due to the war," Bakri El Jak, Tagaddum's spokesman, said in a statement. "It is not possible for any party to win this war." Khalid Omer Yousif, a leading figure in the Sudanese Congress Party, said that Al-Burhan and Dagalo, with their speeches, have smashed the hope for peaceful solutions. "Ending the war is not possible unless there is will on the part of the warring parties, which so far is not present," he said on the social media platform X. SEOUL, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), attended a special concert presented by China National Traditional Orchestra, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Sunday. The orchestra was on a visit to the country to participate in the opening ceremony of the "DPRK-China Friendship Year." Visiting performers presented music featuring Chinese traditional culture and impressed the audience with Korean songs and a chorus "China-DPRK Friendship Will Be Immortal" at the East Pyongyang Grand Theater on Saturday evening, according to the KCNA report. Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli and Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK Wang Yajun, as well as officials and representatives from various sectors in Pyongyang and foreign diplomats in the DPRK, watched the performance. A woman lays flowers outside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 14, 2024. One Chinese citizen was killed and another wounded in a mass stabbing attack at a Sydney shopping center, the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney said on Sunday. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) SYDNEY, April 14 (Xinhua) -- One Chinese citizen was killed and another wounded in a mass stabbing attack at a Sydney shopping center, the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney said on Sunday. The Australian authorities have confirmed the information to the Chinese embassy and consulates in Australia after the Chinese missions repeatedly sought to check its veracity from various sources. The Chinese embassy and consulates will stay in touch with the families of the victims, relevant domestic departments and the Australian side to provide full assistance for follow-up matters. Six people were killed in an attack at Westfield Shopping Center at Bondi Junction Saturday afternoon. Twelve others are being treated at various Sydney hospitals. The attacker, identified by police as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, was shot dead by a police officer at the shopping center. Police said earlier Sunday that Cauchi suffered from mental health issues and no intelligence would suggest the attack was driven by ideology. Police officers work outside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 14, 2024. One Chinese citizen was killed and another wounded in a mass stabbing attack at a Sydney shopping center, the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney said on Sunday. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) The US will not participate in any offensive action against Iran, according to US officials. President Joe Biden, here on April 12, described Israels successful interception of the Iranian strikes as a major victory. A police car is seen outside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 14, 2024. Australian police on Sunday identified the perpetrator of a Sydney shopping centre stabbing that killed six people, saying no intelligence would suggest the attack was driven by ideology. The offender in the Saturday afternoon attack at Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction was 40-year-old Joel Cauchi from Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) SYDNEY, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Australian police on Sunday identified the perpetrator of a Sydney shopping centre stabbing that killed six people, saying no intelligence would suggest the attack was driven by ideology. The offender in the Saturday afternoon attack at Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction was 40-year-old Joel Cauchi from Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters. Cooke said the man was known to authorities in his home state and suffered from mental health issues. "There is still to this point nothing that we have, no information we have received, no evidence we have recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation, ideology or otherwise," Cooke said. "We are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved," he added. Emergency services were called to the shopping centre Saturday afternoon following reports that multiple people had been stabbed, NSW Police said in a press release on Sunday. A police officer attended and was allegedly confronted by Cauchi, armed with a knife. Cauchi allegedly lunged at the officer, before he was shot dead, according to the press release. Five other people, including four women believed to be aged between 20 and 55 and a man aged in his 30s, who were in the centre, died at the scene. Twelve others, including nine women, two men and a 9-month-old child, suffering stab wounds, were treated by paramedics and taken to various Sydney hospitals. A 38-year-old woman who was taken to St Vincent's Hospital in a critical condition has since died. Police are aware that other people have also sought medical treatment for various injuries, the press release said. A police car is seen outside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 14, 2024. Australian police on Sunday identified the perpetrator of a Sydney shopping centre stabbing that killed six people, saying no intelligence would suggest the attack was driven by ideology. The offender in the Saturday afternoon attack at Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction was 40-year-old Joel Cauchi from Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) This photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows flower tributes with a note outside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia. Australian police on Sunday identified the perpetrator of a Sydney shopping centre stabbing that killed six people, saying no intelligence would suggest the attack was driven by ideology. The offender in the Saturday afternoon attack at Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction was 40-year-old Joel Cauchi from Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) A note is seen with flower tributes outside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 14, 2024. Australian police on Sunday identified the perpetrator of a Sydney shopping centre stabbing that killed six people, saying no intelligence would suggest the attack was driven by ideology. The offender in the Saturday afternoon attack at Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction was 40-year-old Joel Cauchi from Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) A man lays flowers with his daughter outside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 14, 2024. Australian police on Sunday identified the perpetrator of a Sydney shopping centre stabbing that killed six people, saying no intelligence would suggest the attack was driven by ideology. The offender in the Saturday afternoon attack at Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction was 40-year-old Joel Cauchi from Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) A woman reacts as she leaves flowers outside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 14, 2024. Australian police on Sunday identified the perpetrator of a Sydney shopping centre stabbing that killed six people, saying no intelligence would suggest the attack was driven by ideology. The offender in the Saturday afternoon attack at Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction was 40-year-old Joel Cauchi from Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) A woman lays flowers outside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 14, 2024. Australian police on Sunday identified the perpetrator of a Sydney shopping centre stabbing that killed six people, saying no intelligence would suggest the attack was driven by ideology. The offender in the Saturday afternoon attack at Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction was 40-year-old Joel Cauchi from Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) People lay flowers outside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 14, 2024. Australian police on Sunday identified the perpetrator of a Sydney shopping centre stabbing that killed six people, saying no intelligence would suggest the attack was driven by ideology. The offender in the Saturday afternoon attack at Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction was 40-year-old Joel Cauchi from Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) A note is seen with flower tributes outside the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, April 14, 2024. Australian police on Sunday identified the perpetrator of a Sydney shopping centre stabbing that killed six people, saying no intelligence would suggest the attack was driven by ideology. The offender in the Saturday afternoon attack at Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction was 40-year-old Joel Cauchi from Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) Coleg Cambria in top 10 for cyber security education This article is old - Published: Sunday, Apr 14th, 2024 Coleg Cambria has retained its position as a leader in cyber security education. The college based in Wrexham, Deeside, Llysfasi and Northop received a gold award from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) as part of its CyberFirst initiative, which aims to address the UKs cyber skills gap. Cambria is one of only eight institutions in Wales to achieve this benchmark. The good news comes as interest grows in the colleges popular Digital Degree Apprenticeship in Applied Cyber Security, aimed at prospective learners pursuing a career in IT, software development and engineering, or those already in a relevant position and looking to upskill. The course includes modules on Local Area Network Essentials, Security and Data Ethics, Web Servers and Authentication, Business and Enterprise Programming, Software Engineering, and Penetration Testing. Cambrias Director of Business Solutions Nigel Holloway said maintaining the gold accreditation is a major USP for the colleges suite of digital and IT qualifications. Given the emphasis and strategic importance of combatting cybercrime on the international stage, for Coleg Cambria to be among only a select number of organisations nationwide to hold this standard is a significant milestone, he added. It gives our learners confidence in the courses we run and demonstrates to our industry partners that we are at the forefront of advances in this sector. The programmes we deliver notably the fully funded Digital Degree Apprenticeships hold even more weight as a result. A big thank you to all of our team for their hard work in not only reaching this standard but going above and beyond it, year after year. The Digital Degree Apprenticeship in Applied Cyber Security in partnership with Bangor University runs for three years and consists of nine hours of in-person and online delivery per week, split over one six-hour day and one three-hour evening session. For more information, visit the website. CyberFirst covers a broad range of activities including thousands of free places on CyberFirst courses at UK universities and colleges. Each activity is designed to seek out diverse people with potential, offering the support, skills, experience, and exposure needed to be the future first line of defence in our CyberFirst world. Visit www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberfirst to find out more. Fast-growing Wrexham bakery keeps on trucking with big 90th birthday salute! This article is old - Published: Sunday, Apr 14th, 2024 A transport company is celebrating a bakerys 90th birthday in a big way. C&M Transport has adorned the latest, 240,000 addition to its 20-strong fleet of articulated lorries with the Jones Village Bakery branding to mark the milestone anniversary and the signing of a new three-year contract. The firm now has up to 10 of those trucks and six temperature controlled vans delivering the bakerys award-winning products to supermarkets across the UK every day. The two Wrexham companies go back a long way to the 1990s to when C&M Transport founder Chris Williams sold vans to Alan Jones who bought the bakery originally established in 1934 with his father in 1964. Back then the bakery employed just six members of staff and was based in Park Road in Coedpoeth, just a stones throw from where Chris and his family lived in Penygelli Road. After leaving school aged 16, Chriss son, Jonno, joined the bakery as an apprentice, by which time the ever-growing firm had moved to much bigger premises up the road in Minera. Jonno qualified as a trained baker but the lure of joining his dad at the transport company proved too strong and he swapped making bread and pies for eating up the miles at the wheel of an articulated lorry. Fast forward to 2010 and C&M Transport started making deliveries for the bakery, initially in a small way. By then Alan was company chairman and two of his sons were at the helm of the Village Bakery, Robin as managing director and Christien as projects director. Following a period of spectacular growth, it now also has five other bakeries on Wrexham Industrial Estate and more than 850 staff with sales, topping 100 million last year. Jonno Williams, now the hauliers general manager, said: We thought that putting their anniversary branding on the side of the new truck was a great way to celebrate our partnership with the Village Bakery. Its been a brilliant, mutually beneficial relationship and my mentality is that you should always bend over backwards to look after the customer. As a company, we have grown alongside the Village Bakery and the new contract means we can keep on growing with them and we currently employ 40 people. According to his dad, Chris, attention to detail and the determination to do things properly was at the heart of everything they did. He said: We handpick the drivers to make sure theyre the right fit for our customers and we dont use agency drivers. The new contract is a great show of faith in us and our capabilities. The relationship has been good for them and great for us too. Jones Village Bakery managing director Robin Jones said: This is a big year for us and this lovely gesture is the perfect birthday present for us. It underlines the strength of the relationship between the two companies which is why we wanted to reward them with a new three-year contract. Jonnos background as a baker makes him uniquely qualified to understand our transport needs and how to ensure our products are always delivered in tip top shape. We are really proud to have C&M Transport delivering our products because we know that the investment they make in trailers and trucks their service is always spot on and totally reliable which is incredibly important for our customers. The company is another Wrexham success story. Theyve worked extremely hard to get to where they are and were proud to support them. Llangollen PCSO swaps one beat for another with live musical performance This article is old - Published: Sunday, Apr 14th, 2024 A Wrexham man and Llangollen PCSO will be swapping one type of beat for another this month when he takes to the stage in the local town hall. Karl Joseph, a familiar face across Llangollen and fondly known as the Laughing Policeman, is well known for providing a reassuring police presence in the town and also for belting out the odd song. This time last year, Karl appeared on ITVs Starstruck with his own tribute to Robbie Williams impressing Queen front-man Adam Lambert, Canadian Superstar Shania Twain and soul sensation Beverley Knight. In just 10 days time, he will be providing a very different beat at Llangollen Town Hall when he takes to the stage alongside a highly acclaimed tribute act endorsed by Robbie Williams himself. The event is the latest in the Live in Llangollen Town Hall fundraising gigs to raise money for the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfods charity. It comes just 70 days before Bryan Adams takes the stage before a procession of International Stars including Simple Minds, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Jess Glynne, folk Superstars Calan, West End stars Kerry Ellis and John Owen-Jones and Tom Jones perform in the biggest Llangollen Eisteddfod for a generation. Karl cites his influences as Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and many of todays Country Music stars. He is also a massive fan of Bryan Adams, who himself will be singing in Llangollen himself at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod on Tuesday 18 June. I cant wait to take the stage at our splendid Town Hall, explained Karl. I love my job patrolling the local streets of Llangollen but anyone who knows me will tell you how passionate I am about performing. Thats why swapping my stage from the streets of Llangollen to the stage at Llangollen Town Hall is so great. Ill be performing a mixture of Rock, Country, Pop and Indie songs, from the 70s through to modern songs. I cant wait to entertain you. Also performing will be Mike Andrews Robbie To the MAX a highly acclaimed tribute act. Mike Andrews from Denbigh is one of the most accurate Robbie tributes currently available in the UK and is the only one in the world to be endorsed by Robbie Williams himself. The show covers all of Robbies hits, starting off with some of his earlier hits like as Let Me Entertain You and Millennium and continuing all the way through to his more hits such as Love My Life, Candy and many more. Robbie to the MAX with support from Karl Joseph will take place on Friday, April 19 from 7.30pm. Tickets priced 10 are available from Llangollen Tourist Information Centre on Regent Street, Llangollen or from the website. Use promo code LIVE24 to remove the booking fee. Limited tickets will be available on the door. North Wales MS urges eligible residents to get covid-19 booster This article is old - Published: Sunday, Apr 14th, 2024 A North Wales Member of the Senedd is urging constituents to make sure they take up the offer of a Covid booster jab. Around 100,000 of the most vulnerable people in the region will be offered a jab by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The booster is being offered around six months after their last dose of the vaccine. It aims to help to protect older people and adults and children with a compromised immune system from serious illness caused by the virus. Those who will be offered the vaccine include: Adults living in care homes for older people Vaccination teams are prioritising eligible groups in order of clinical need, and have started visiting care homes to vaccinate older adults across the region. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board teams will continue to visit care homes in turn over the coming weeks. People aged 75 and over People aged 75 and over will be offered a COVID-19 Spring booster at one of our community vaccination centres during April, May and June. The first appointments at community vaccination centres will take place from mid-April onwards. Appointment letters, which include the location, date and time of your vaccination slot, have already been posted to the first people to be invited. Further rounds of invitations will be issued in priority order over the coming weeks. The health board will write to you when it is your turn. Please check your invitation letter carefully because the location of your vaccination appointment may have be different from your previous appointment. People who are housebound Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board will contact people who are housebound to make arrangements for them to receive their vaccination. Adults and children with a compromised immune system Adults and children aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed will also be offered the COVID-19 Spring booster at one of the vaccination centres. The health board is especially keen to encourage adults and children with a compromised immune system (as defined by tables 3 and 4 of the Green Book) to come forward to receive the vaccine when invited. The covid-19 autumn booster campaign ended on March 28, with the health board delivering vaccines to more than 175,000 people across the region. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board will contact people who are housebound to make arrangements for them to receive their vaccination. Adults and children with a compromised immune system Sam Rowlands MS said: I am delighted to hear that BCUHB will be offering these very important boosters next month. It is vital that we continue to protect people, ourselves and those who need protection. The booster will help those who have a higher risk of contracting Covid and will ultimately cut down on hospital admissions therefore easing pressure on our already stretched health services in North Wales. Covid has still not gone away and I would urge people who are offered the jab, to seek this extra protection. MANILA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines on Sunday said four Filipino sailors were among the crew of a container ship seized by Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf on Saturday. In a statement, the Philippines' Department of Migrant Workers confirmed the seizure of the vessel MSC Aries "with four Filipino seafarers on board," adding that it has contacted the families of the four sailors. The Philippine government has been coordinating with the licensed manning agency, the ship manager, and the operator to ensure the seafarers' safety and well-being and work on the release, the statement said. The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Saturday seized the Israeli-linked, Portuguese-flagged container ship, named MSC Aries, near the Strait of Hormuz, the official news agency IRNA reported. The Philippines is among the biggest suppliers of maritime labor in the world, providing almost one-fifth of the worldwide 1.2 million seafarers, according to International Labor Organization. Last November, 17 Filipino seafarers were taken hostage after an Israeli cargo ship was hijacked by Yemen's Houthi militants in the Red Sea. In March, two Filipino sailors were killed in a missile strike by Houthi militants on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, off southern Yemen. For better or worse, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been making headlines for everything they did this past week in Florida, specifically at Wellington, Florida, for the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Challenge. They arrived because Sentebale is the founation Harry founded that raises money for children impacted by HIV in Botswana and Lesotho; and they were filming for their upcoming polo series for Netflix. And amid this event, the pair shared a passionate PDA moment, and a body language expert is breaking down exactly what that kiss meant. Body language expert Judi James told The Mirror that the kiss may have given fans a glimpse into how their marriage is years later. Hint: theyre more in love than ever! More from SheKnows The Duchess of Sussex, the Duke of Sussex. Photo by Yaroslav Sabitov/PA Images via Getty Images. Back in 2018 Harry, looking all fired-up and full of passion after hammering around on the polo field, planted a very sexy kiss on Meghans lips, giving the kiss a get a room! quality, James said about their first polo match in 2018. His expression was serious and he looked lost in the moment as he turned his head but kept his torso facing front. Meghan tilted her head back in the same neck-baring gesture of submission that [Princess] Diana used when she kissed [King] Charles on their wedding day. The polo trophy looked irrelevant and they almost had to be reminded it was supposed to be handed over. But in 2024? The PDA has changed up quite a bit! James said their most recent kiss shows the love is still there but it is a much sweeter, more fun PDA. The side view of their faces shows both have raised and rounded cheeks here, making it a smiling kiss that suggests good humour and higher levels of sociability than they showed when they appeared lost in the moment back in 2018, she said. Its Harry craning his neck here and Meghans heels make her able to kiss at a more even angle. The body language is more mirrored here, illustrating the levels of like-minded synchronicity that has grown over the years. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images. The Sussexes are known for not shying away from PDA, and this latest moment shows their marriage is going swimmingly, despite what naysayers may say. For those who dont know, Harry and Meghan started dating in 2016, and by April 2018, they were married in a beautiful royal ceremony. They share two children together named Archie, born in May 2019, and Lilibet Diana, born in June 2021. Click here to see a complete timeline of Prince Harry and Meghan Markles feud with the royal family. Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Ever since he broke through with his 2017 album Purgatory, Tyler Childers calling card has been his ability to bridge the generational gap between older, roots country and modern country. He uses bluegrass melodies in his songs, and sings about everything from that liminal space between Heaven and Hell to the plight of Kentucy coal workers to RVs and dogs. He used his mostly-instrumental 2020 bluegrass album Long Violent History to highlight racial injustice. His work has always defied expectations in the genre and combined old music with new sensibilities. His two-hour, 23-song concert Saturday night at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth also successfully combined old and new. A visual backdrop (as is the custom for big arena shows these days) highlighted clips from his music videos and showed stained-glass images of woodland critters and kaleidoscopic snakes. His old-time stage setup juxtaposed the modern videos, as his Food Stamps band created an atmosphere that was both arena-large and Old Country Church intimate, complete with multiple guitars and bass, a piano and an organ, fiddles, drums and everything in between. The sold-out crowd was hanging on every word of songs like Lady May, Nose to the Grindstone and All Yourn, but there was a down-home quality to it as well. Tyler Childers and the Food Stamps Band sold out Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday, April 13, 2024. Childers started the show with nine songs with the Food Stamps. He then gave the band a break after a rollicking version of bluegrass standard Cluck Ol Hen and then treated the audience to a brief solo acoustic set. Then the band came back to play selections from Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? and his latest album Rustin in the Rain. There was a lot of singing about religion, old country churches, and Jesus Saturday night not unlike another show I recently attended at Billy Bobs. The difference between Childers and Oliver Anthony is that Childers and the Food Stamps used the hymns and gospel music to build community in the crowd; Anthony seemed to be tapping into a persecution complex. A brief intertitle before Percheron Mules, the first song the night, simply read: Fellowship. Childers isnt much for stage banter, but the most meaningful bit he said came midway through the night, when he said that he hoped that people in the crowd could enjoy each other as much as the music, and maybe make friends with their neighbors, or possibly fall in love with someone next to them. For Childers, the communal experience of the music is as important as the music itself maybe more. Way of the Triune God I thought of that communal experience and the way music can bridge generational divides a lot Saturday night, especially during the gospel songs from 2022s Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? that the setlist leaned on heavily. I have always associated that album with my grandfather, even though weve never talked about it before. My grandfather is the one responsible for my love of country music. We dont have a lot in common, aside from genetics. But if theres another throughline from him to my dad to me, its a love of music. He used to sing in his church choir and in a local gospel quartet in Tennessee. He introduced me to a lot of old country and gospel standards, and I was always eager to talk to him about whatever new music I found. Most of the time, he wasnt a huge fan of newer country, but he would indulge me. Tyler Childers performs at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Saturday, April 13, 2024. He was a farmer, a bus driver, a security guard and a truck driver, among other things. Sometimes I would go with him on produce deliveries, listening to the radio. We would go large stretches of road without saying much either from both of us listening to radio, or from me reading a book. Hes softspoken, but when he does speak, you know its something important. When he sings, you can pick his voice out of a lineup anywhere. Now the only way I can hear his voice is through home videos and the tapes he recorded with his gospel group. He has dementia, and doesnt know who I am anymore. The first time I heard Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?, I knew hed want to hear it, even if I didnt know if hed undersand it. The three-part album is made up of eight gospel music songs, recorded three times. Theres a moment on Way of the Triune God where the background hamony sounds a lot like my grandfather, and it stopped me in my tracks the first time I heard it. I bought the album and sent it to my dad for him to play it in my grandfathers room at his nursing home. So far, it seems like its been a big hit for both of them. For a bit Saturday night, I swear I heard him sing again, and it made me think about the ways we pass down and reinterpret music to each new generation, the way Childers is doing with roots and bluegrass music today. Nobodys ever really gone if you have a song to remember them by. Thats the Universal Sound Childers sings about right there. I think my grandfather would have liked it. TYLER CHILDERS SETLIST, DICKIES ARENA, FORT WORTH TEXAS (APRIL 13, 2024) Percheron Mules Country Squire Creeker I Swear (To God) Rustin in the Rain All Yourn Help Me Make It Through the Night (Kris Kristofferson cover) Purgatory Cluck Ol Hen (Instrumental; standard cover) Shake the Frost (Solo) Lady May (Solo) Nose on the Grindstone (Solo) Follow You To Virgie (Solo) In Your Love Old Country Church (Hank Williams cover) Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven? Whitehouse Road Two Coats Honky Tonk Flame Way of the Triune God House Fire Universal Sound Heart Youve Been Tendin An Indiana State University student is receiving backlash after making racist comments in a widely circulated video about Black people and Beyonces influence on country music. According to People and ABC 33/40, the video was shared on social media and has since been deleted. The clip surfaced following Beyonces release of Cowboy Carter on March 29 and quickly gained traction on TikTok, with numerous social media users stitching their reactions to it. Im sorry, but if youre Black, youre not country, the woman said in the video. I dont care. And I meant that in the nicest way. I know you were raised in the country or your grandparents were, I guess your great granny and grandpas but they was picking. OK? They wasnt planting. Just keep that in mind. They wasnt making money. They was getting sold for money. You aint country. She also stated that Black people shouldnt wear jeans and boots to fraternity parties because it really pisses [her] off, the Daily Dot reported. The video has made its rounds on social media, with many users calling out the student over her racist remarks. This is disgusting racist behavior from one of your students, a user on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote, tagging ISU. Yall need to address this immediately. This is disgusting racist behavior from one of your students, Asa Blanton. Yall need to address this immediately. @indianastate pic.twitter.com/7STVtItbq8 Emanuel . (@__MissEmanuel) April 1, 2024 On Monday, students protested with signs denouncing racism on the universitys campus. The following day, Indiana State University President Deborah J. Curtis released a statement shared on the schools Facebook page condemning the racist video. She said she has worked with the vice president of Student Affairs to identify the student, communicate directly with student leaders, and strategize how to prioritize student well-being and safety, Fox59 reported. She continued, Racism, hate speech and discrimination of any kind is deplorable and in direct contradiction of Indiana States mission, vision, and values. The students comments in the video in no way represent the ideals and goals of Indiana State University. ISUs NAACP chapter and African Student Union have shared statements on Instagram, calling for disciplinary action against the student. We believe disciplinary actions should be taken and be an example for future students who consider making a mockery of Indiana State Universitys moral code regarding diversity and inclusion, the African Student Union wrote in an Instagram post. As Blavity reported, Beyonce released Cowboy Carter as the second installment in her three-album trilogy, which began with Renaissance. She released singles Texas Dont Hold Em and 16 Carriages ahead of the 27-track album. The former Philadelphia Eagles center, 36, responded to a fan on X who questioned his brother's recent "graduation antics" New Heights/X Jason and Travis Kelce Jason Kelce is speaking up for his brother! On April 13, rhe former Philadelphia Eagles center, 36, defended his brother Travis Kelce in a post in response to a fan criticizing the Kansas City Chiefs tight end for chugging a beer at the pairs commencement ceremony during their recent New Heights Live podcast event at the University of Cincinnati. A fan initially questioned Jason on X (formerly Twitter) about his brothers graduation antics, asking, Doing what you did at a playoff game in buffalo is one thing but doing that at the college where he got kicked off the team for acting like a jackass prob wasn't best idea. Jason explained in response that there was no need for the concern as the diploma ceremony wasnt actually a real graduation event for the brothers. I know it looks like a graduation from the video, but this was actually at the end of a New Heights Live podcast that we put on to raise money for the Universitys NIL, he wrote back. The university did this to poke fun at my brother and I for never really picking up our diplomas. Related: Travis Kelce Chugs a Beer While He and Brother Jason Receive Their Diplomas Watch! On April 11, Jason and Travis, 34, received diplomas in a surprise commencement at the University of Cincinnati, while hosting their New Heights Live podcast event. In a video posted on X by local Cincinnati Bengals radio voice Dan Hoard during the ceremony, Travis came out onstage dressed in full graduation attire and chugged a can of beer in front of a cheering crowd before smashing it to the ground. He was then presented his diploma by the university president Dr. Neville Pinto. Receiving a diploma Travis Kelce style @newheightshow, Hoard wrote in the caption. Robin Marchant/Getty; David Eulitt/Getty Jason has defended his brother Travis after chugging a beer at their "commencement" ceremony Related: Travis Kelce Sings Taylor Swift's 'Bad Blood' While Discussing Kenny Pickett's Exit from Steelers The university added in a post on X, "A surprise commencement well never forget. Congratulations to Travis and Jason on (finally) picking up their diplomas!" 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. Despite Travis earning a degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2022 and Jason having a bachelors degree in marketing, both brothers did not attend their commencement ceremonies, according to Cincinnati Enquirer. The outlet reported that Jason and Travis parents Donna and Ed Kelce were in attendance at the diploma ceremony which was held at Fifth Third Arena. Prior to his now famous beer-chugging moment onstage, Travis was seen earlier at the live event rocking some dance moves during the podcast taping as he swayed to a marching band rendition of girlfriend Taylor Swifts "Shake It Off onstage beside his brother. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. If you grew up in New England, you probably have made your fair share of trips to Cape Cod. This peninsula jets out from the eastern side of Massachuttes. There are only about 15 towns on Cape Cod and adjacent islands, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. The close-knit and coastal vibes of this region of the state make it a popular tourist destination for folks seeking to get away from the hustle and bustle of Boston or just take time to relax on the beach and soak in the Cape's quintessential New England charm. As with many tourist regions, Cape Cod has an incredibly rich dining scene spanning many different cuisines. You'll find just as many good places to grab a cocktail and enjoy views of the Atlantic Ocean as you will digging into a homestyle stack of fresh pancakes, whipped cream, and maple syrup. As someone who loves visiting the Cape, I have assembled a list of some of my favorite places to dine in the region based on my personal experiences and recommendations from other Cape-goers. Besides the quality of the food, I included restaurants that embodied Cape Cod's laid-back, carefree atmosphere -- which is why so many people flock to the area in the first place. Read more: Restaurant Foods That Always Taste Better Than What You Make At Home Best Lobster Roll: Lobster Trap In Bourne Lobster roll beside bridge - The Lobster Trap It's the Cape -- so you can expect that lobster rolls in this part of New England will be a dime a dozen. But you can find the best one at a little shack in Bourne. While the Lobster Trap's menu also features an extensive raw bar and sandwiches (with options for landlubbers), the main attraction is the succulent lobster rolls. The Lobster Trap serves the rolls Maine style: cold lobster salad with mayonnaise, lettuce, and a perfectly crisp, buttery brioche roll. The shack doesn't skimp out on the lobster on its sandwiches, either, so you can expect to leave full and satisfied every time. This spot is equally as fun as it is quirky, as evidenced by the plethora of lobster-themed decor. On your way out of the Cape, I recommend stopping at the attached market to grab locally caught cod, scallops, flounder, and lobster to take home. lobstertrap.net (508) 759-7600 290 Shore Rd, Bourne, MA 02532 Best Spot For Breakfast: Red Cottage Restaurant In South Dennis Home fries with Hollandaise - Red Cottage Restaurant / Facebook The Red Cottage Restaurant in South Dennis is likely one that you pass by on your way to another restaurant, but the locals know how excellent this little dive is -- it's a destination. Even if you're not a year-round Cape resident, you'll feel like one at this community-centric restaurant. It serves up all the classic diner favorites, including hand-cut home fries and thick-sliced bacon. My favorite order at this shop has to be the French Toast Foster, with caramelized bananas, rum, banana liqueur, butter, and brown sugar. It's a little boozy but the perfect pick-me-up for a day of activities on the Cape. Another popular option is the Red Cottage home fries with veggies, hollandaise sauce, and a house spice blend. redcottagerestaurant.net (508) 394-2923 36 Old Bass River Rd, South Dennis, MA 02660 Best Thai: Tuk Tuk Thai Food In Poccaset Interior of Thai restaurant - supermansoor / Instagram The outside of this restaurant is, in one word, confusing. Its '50s metal facade and red leather chairs may give you the impression that you're about to order a blue-plate special and a milkshake. But, instead, this Pocasset institution actually serves up the best Thai food you'll find in the Cape. Tuk Tuk has all the staples that you'd find at your favorite local Thai joint. Its avocado summer rolls are freshly made and packed with crispy, bright veggies. They have an irresistible texture, especially when you dip them into a house-made peanut sauce with the perfect mashup of salty, savory, and sweet flavors. Its curries are warm and inviting, and you'll find a wide selection of seafood on the menu, too. tuktukthaifood.com (774) 302-4358 808 Mac Arthur Bvld, Pocasset, MA 02559 Best Steakhouse: 53 Chophouse In Mashpee 53 Chophouse interior - 53chophouse / Instagram 53 Chophouse is a relative newcomer to the Cape Cod restaurant scene. But its refined interior and approach to high-quality meats easily win it the title of the top steakhouse on the Cape. This small, intimate steakhouse, located in the Mashpee Commons, offers an array of upscale steaks, classic accompaniments, and crafted wine pairings. You'll find an array of steak cuts, including filet mignon, Japanese Wagyu, and bone-in tomahawk steaks, on the menu, as well as sauces, rubs, and butter. It's the same caliber of cooking and butchery you'd expect from a Boston or a New York steakhouse -- which is ultimately why it made this list. The hours here are limited; the restaurant only offers a Thursday through Sunday dinner service starting at 6 p.m. But the exclusivity of this spot just adds to its appeal. 53chophouse.com (774) 228-2405 53 Market St, Mashpee, MA 02649 Best Spot For Mexican: Anejo (Multiple Locations) burrito at Anejo restaurant - maddyt.eats / Instagram Anejo is all about Mexican -- with a twist. Its menu features some of the familiar favorites, including a wide selection of mezcal and chips and guac. But it also puts a unique Cape Cod spin on some of the classics, like Quahogs rellenos and langosta enchiladas made with locally caught, ancho-glazed lobster meat. The main plates at its locations in both Hyannis and Falmouth are generous, but I would still recommend ordering appetizers like nachos and chorizo mussels to split amongst your party. If you stop in at the Hyannis location on a hot summer day, you have to sit underneath the 300-year-old weeping beech tree at its outdoor bar. Anejo embodies everything there is to love about Cape Cod in the summer. It's fun, electric, and the perfect place to soak up the sun's rays. anejo.cc Multiple locations Best Sushi: Misaki Sushi In Hyannis Misaki Sushi plate - misaki.sushi / Instagram Cape Cod is well-endowed with seafood options, as evidenced by its robust sushi scene. But if you want to find fresh rolls and punchy flavors, you'll need to take a trip to Hyannis and stop in at Misaki. While it offers a complete Japanese-inspired menu with starters, soups, and more, the real attraction here is the fresh sushi counter. One of Misaki's more popular selections is its namesake roll, which consists of tuna, salmon, seabass, cucumber, and avocado wrapped in soy paper and served with a mildly salty sauce. You'll also find inside-out rolls and nirigi on the menu. There's bound to be something at Misaki to satisfy your cravings, and the relaxed, laid-back atmosphere just adds to the overall appeal of this spot. misakisushi.com (508) 771-3771 379 W Main St, Hyannis, MA 02601 Best Bakery: The Hole In One (Multiple Locations) Strawberry frosted donut on beach - theholeinone_eastham / Instagram There's nothing better than donuts and the beach, and it's clear that the folks at The Hole in One in Eastham think so, too. Its bakery serves 18 different donut styles daily, including the classics and more unconventional varieties like whoopie cream and honey-dipped. You'll also find a tantalizing case of pastries like coffee rolls, twists, and eclairs. Although the shop offers a small collection of coffee and beverages, the baked goods are really where it's at. The staff is friendly and welcoming, and my Cape-going friends have yet to report a bad donut from this shop. If you find yourself in nearby Orleans, you can stop by The Hole in One's sister location, which serves up an array of breakfast food. But for a box of pastries and donuts, its Eastham location can't be beat. theholecapecod.com Multiple locations Best Barbecue: Off The Grid In Sandwich Pulled pork sandwich on plate - offthegridcc / Instagram Off the Grid may have started as a food truck in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but a series of twists and turns in its story brought it to the small community of Sandwich. Not only will you find a collection of sandwiches served on sourdough with extra-crispy fries alongside them, but you can also grab a barbecue plate and satiate your cravings for charred meat, succulent sauces, and tantalizing sides. If you can't decide on which barbecue option to order, I recommend the Mixed Grill with brisket, smoked pulled pork, crispy wings, and three sides. You won't leave hungry -- that's for sure. One of the most highly recommended sandwiches at this spot is the Sloppy Choppy. It's layered with beef brisket, barbecue sauce, coleslaw, and charred pineapple (the best part) on a brioche bun. It's the perfect marriage of sweet, savory, salty, and everything in between. offthegridcapecod.com (508) 241-8684 91 Route 6A, Sandwich, MA 02563 Best Date Night Spot: The Ocean House In Dennis Port Plate of seafood with rice - theoceanhouse / Instagram If your time in the Cape is limited, you'll want to find menus and spots that offer a little bit of everything. The Ocean House in Dennis Port fits the bill and has the perfect romantic ambiance to boot. This restaurant has unparalleled views of Nantucket Sound, which adds to its charm. It boasts a traditional dining room and beach bar, where you can enjoy specialty craft cocktails overlooking the water. The food menu here is equally impressive as its views; it includes Cape-inspired menu offerings like hot buttered lobster dumplings lacquered in blood orange syrup and lobster deviled eggs with caviar. You'd also be remiss not to check out the dessert menu, which includes one of my favorites: the Vietnamese coffee creme brulee. It takes all the things I love about the classic French dessert and turns it on its head. And what's more romantic than splitting one with your date? oceanhouserestaurant.com (508) 394-0700 425 Old Wharf Rd, Dennis Port, MA 02639 Best Ice Cream: Cape Cod Creamery (Multiple Locations) Ice cream cone in shop - capecodcreamery / Instagram After a long day at the beach, a cold scoop of ice cream is in order. Or maybe two scoops -- if not an entire sundae. You can satisfy this sweet treat craving and sample some innovative flavors at the Cape Cod Creamery. The shop has locations in South Yarmouth, Hyannis, and Dennis. All of the flavor names are inspired by Cape Cod, including Orleans Oreo, Dennis Double Chocolate, and Bayview Beach Brownie. This ice cream shop doesn't just serve scoops and sundaes; you can also find ice cream cakes in its freezers, or maybe even chipwiches if you're lucky. It's the perfect little ice cream shop to grab a cone from on a hot summer evening and enjoy it in the seating area outside. Although the lines can be long, my friends who have stopped in have noted that they move relatively quickly. capecodcreamery.com Multiple locations Best Comfort Food: Keltic Kitchen In West Yarmouth Hot chocolate pancakes on plate - Keltic Kitchen / Facebook Let's face it: The vibes at some of the dining spots on Cape Cod are just plain pretentious. But you won't have to worry about tucking in your collared shirt or trading your flip-flops for heels at Keltic Kitchen in West Yarmouth. As its name suggests, this restaurant caters to traditional Irish fare, so expect dishes like corned beef hash and the Keltic Fry (a version of the full Irish breakfast). But, you'll also find a number of dishes that cater to the comfort food palate, as well. Omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and pancakes are on the breakfast menu, while the lunch menu is filled with humongous burgers, Reubens, and turkey clubs. Keltic Kitchen landed on my list because of its welcoming ambiance, as well as its high-quality, yet homey, fare. If you're grabbing food for the beach, stop by the to-go window for simple sandwiches, home fries, and more. It's open seven days a week for whenever you're craving a home-cooked meal. keltickitchen.com (508) 771-4835 415 Route 28, West Yarmouth, MA 02673 Best Spot For Formal Dining: Twenty-Eight Atlantic In Harwich Twenty-Eight Atlantic dining room - Wequassett Resort and Golf Club If you are looking for an opulent space to host a fancy gathering on the Cape, look no further than Twenty-Eight Atlantic at the Wequassett Resort. This intimate yet airy space has ocean-front views of Pleasant Bay and a coastal-inspired menu to complement its feng shui. Its offerings include a three-course prix fixe menu, a chef-curated wine list, and a seven-course tasting menu featuring an amuse-bouche and oyster course. My favorite thing about this spot is the floor-to-ceiling windows and opulent dining room, which transport you from the coastal casual vibes of the Cape to somewhere more refined. It's an excellent spot not only for a romantic date night but also for a special occasion like an anniversary. wequassett.com/dining/twenty-eight-atlantic (508) 432-5400 2173 Head of the Bay Rd, Harwich, MA 02645 Best Pizza: Stone L'Oven In Brewster a margherita pizza - stonelovenbrewster / Instagram Despite its proximity to other pizza cities, the Cape isn't known for its pies. Unless, of course, you're talking about Stone L'Oven, which has a location in the small Cape town of Brewster. Besides pizza, the shop also sells an array of wings, salads, and sandwiches, but the pizza is where the true craftsmanship comes in. The shop uses a long ferment to get the perfect flavor on its crust, along with Wisconsin's finest cheese and Stanislaus tomatoes. These Neapolitan-style pies have the distinct char that I look for in a good pizza, along with creative toppings that really tie the entire pie together. If you're feeling adventurous, skip the pepperoni and order a fig and prosciutto pie with fig and balsamic jam, caramelized onions, and gorgonzola. stonelovenbrewster.com (508) 896-9400 280 Underpass Rd, Brewster, MA 02631 Best Raw Bar: Cru Oyster Bar In Nantucket CRU Nantucket oysters - crunantucket / Instagram Nantucket is a small island community located about 30 miles off the southern coast, which is why it's considered an auxiliary region of the Cape. Its proximity to the water means that Nantucket has some of the freshest seafood of anywhere in the region -- which you're bound to find at Cru. Cru has one of the largest raw bar selections on Cape Cod and tons of innovative twists to set it apart from the rest. Pair a flavorful, youthful cocktail with local littleneck or cherrystone clams. The crab cocktail, with lump blue crab, pomegranate, lime, and chili, is also not to be missed. You can also take things to a gourmet level and add an order of caviar to any of your raw bar selections. Cru is by no means a cheap date night spot, but its youthful yet gourmet twists on raw bar favorites earned it a special mention in my roundup. crunantucket.com (508) 228-9278 1 Straight Wharf, Nantucket, MA 02554 Best Coffee Shop: Three Fins Coffee Roasters In West Dennis Three Fins cup with cafe - threefinscoffee / Instagram When you're planning your visit to the Cape, you can't forget to schedule a couple of coffee pit stops along the way. Three Fins in West Dennis is a great spot for grabbing a quality nitro cold brew, single-origin pour-over, or milky latte. While the menu is far from exhaustive, this shop offers a little bit of everything and some pastries to nibble on, too. Three Fins was one of the most common recommendations I received for coffee spots in the Cape because of its modern, industrially chic atmosphere and friendly staff. If you're a coffee snob like me, you'll also appreciate the events and classes that Three Fins holds at its shop. You can buy a bag of beans to take home with you as a souvenir; after all, it's much better than a fridge magnet. threefinscoffee.com (508) 619-3372 581 Main Street, West Dennis, MA 02670 Best Happy Hour: Casa Del Cabo In Eastham Cocktail on table outside - casa_del_cabo / Instagram Cape Cod is no stranger to happy hour. One of the best places to grab an innovative cocktail is at Casa Del Cabo in Eastham. Its beverage menu offers an array of alcoholic and alcohol-free beverages to appease any drinker. While you can sip on an Aperol Spritz or a classic margarita, you can also try more creative twists like the Midnight Sidecar with butterfly pea flower-infused gin and Cointreau, or the Guava and Blanco with Blanco tequila, lime juice, Naranja orange liqueur, agave, and guava puree. Every beverage, including its selection of non-alcoholic wines, is a bit of summer in a glass. And no happy hour would be complete without bites, either. Casa Del Cabo has rotating ceviches, chili-spiced wings, and more to pair with your beverage of choice. casadelcaboeastham.com (774) 801-2743 3 Main St, Unit 32B, Eastham, MA, 02642 Best Deli: Far Land Provisions In Provincetown Far Land Provisions front - far_land_pt / Instagram Some of the best food I've ever had in the Cape is on my way to the beach. P-Town's not-so-hidden gem for beachside eats is Far Land Provisions. The store has an in-house bakery, meaning you'll get your selection of cookies, treats, and desserts when you return home after your day on the shore. Breakfast is served until 11:30 a.m. daily, and from there, you can pick up made-to-order sandwiches and prepared foods to take with you. My friends who visit P-Town recommend the High Head sandwich with chicken breast, provolone, avocado, and mayo and the Ballston with Rosemary ham, apple slices, bacon, cheddar, and a good schmear of honey mustard. Just don't forget a bag of Cape Cod chips on your way out. farlandprovisions.com (508) 487-0045 150 Bradford St, Provincetown, MA 02657 Methodology Cape Cod National Seashore - Dan Hanscom/Shutterstock Cape Cod has an excellent selection of exclusive restaurants, dives, and low-key spots to grab a meal in between lounging on a beach chair and checking out all that the area has to offer. The sheer number of different spots made it very difficult to narrow down top picks for these categories, but I based my decisions on the restaurants I've gone to in the Cape and recommendations from fellow Cape enthusiasts who have made the trek to this very special place. For each category I selected, I factored in the quality of the food and beverages, as well as the ambiance of the spot. I wanted to select spots that really flowed well with the Cape Cod that I grew up loving: one that was fun, vibrant, and teeming with activity. It's important to note that because Cape Cod is a seasonal destination for most travelers, many of these spots are only open during the summer months. Be sure to check the restaurant or eatery's website for the most up-to-date information about when to expect each will open. Read the original article on Tasting Table Kitchens play a pivotal role in the timeline of Piero Lissonis life. From childhood conversations around the dinner table regarding his creative ambitions to the small apartment in Milan where he set up his first studio, the architect followed his passion for creating spaces through classrooms, offices, and studios around the globe before landing, in 1986, at Boffia purveyor of (go figure) luxury kitchens. For me, it was like a special trampoline jump, Lissoni says of the move, made when he was just 30 years old, which would help launch his career and cement him as one of the most prolific designers of our time. I was very young, and Boffi was not in a fantastic situation in terms of creativity, economy, or credibility. More from Robb Report Piero Lissoni Lissoni, along with Roberto Gavazzi, Boffis current CEO, would help revamp the company from the ground up. When he joined the brand, which had emerged as an industry leader in the 1950s, it had reached a crossroads: After the 1972 death of Dino Boffi, one of founder Piero Boffis three sons and the brands forward-facing creative force, the nearly 40-year-old business had lost the unique, pioneering edge that had set it apart. By the mid-1980s, Dinos brother Paolo was looking for a visionary to help lead the company into the 21st century. With a factory headquartered just outside Milan, he had quick access to some of the greatest design talent in Italy, if not the world, and yet he took a risk by naming the young Lissoni as art director and bringing on Gavazzi as managing director. We were two young boys in the middle of a great adventure, Lissoni recalls. We redesigned everything with a completely different approach, zero traditional attitude. We touched the company everywherethe technologies, the models, the aesthetics, the graphics, the communications, the shops. Its not enough to design one product. Its not enough to design a new product. The most important [thing] was to control the whole process. In Beijing, Lissoni & Partners transformed an abandoned industrial building into the neo-brutalist Shangri-La Shougang ParkBeijing hotel. Process is a word that Lissoni uses frequently, and its arguably his biggest consideration. An avowed humanist, he doesnt adhere to a particular set of steps as he designs; that way, he says, its possible to open your mind [to] a mix-match of many different ingredientstheater, poetry, photography, paintings, movies, food, and fashion. At the Lissoni & Partners Milan office, he installed a semicircular Wunderkammer to display objects of curiosity, giving his staff and visitors a small snapshot of the types of things that inspire him; these have included everything from a scale model of a Porsche 356 and antique Chinese porcelain to 1950s robots and a bust of Lenin. In the early 80s, Lissoni attended the Polytechnic University of Milan, where he had the opportunity to study under a jaw-dropping roster of design masters including Marco Zanuso, Achille Castiglioni, and Carlo de Carli. After graduating, Lissoni founded the interdisciplinary design firm Lissoni Associati with Nicoletta Canesi, now the project manager at Lissoni Architecture New York. The appointment at Boffi soon followed. In 1992, the brand released its second Lissoni-designed kitchen, the Latina, which would be a game changer. The units interchangeable components proved massively popular, setting Boffi back on track to become a leader in the luxury market once again. Lissoni brings a residential feel to the interiors of the Sanlorenzo SX112 yacht. But Lissoni isnt known for just kitchens. He is currently a creative director for numerous brands running the gamut from furniture to yachts (including Alpi, B&B Italia, Porro, and Sanlorenzo Yachts) and has designed residential, commercial, and hospitality projects such as the Shangri-La Shougang Park in Beijing, the Dorothea Hotel in Budapest, and headquarters for Fantini and Glas Italia, among others. Throughout it all he retains his signature elegantly minimalist style. Simplicity is not easy, he says, because in making something simple, you need to be very, very complex in the back. If you dont, you become banal. Known for his wit, Lissoni often includes moments of levity in his projects, such as the sentry sheep in the living room of this countryside holiday home. Lissoni remains known for his willingness to experiment with new materials and processes, and despite his streamlined approach, he isnt afraid to loosen up and get playful, whether through unexpected elementssay, a dramatically spiraled staircase on a superyachtor whimsical color and material choices. (One wool upholstery option for the Oolong chair, designed for Living Divani, is an almost cartoonishly vibrant purple hue.) Piero Lissoni is one of the most interesting names in contemporary Italian design, says Sergio Buttiglieri, style director at Sanlorenzo Yachts, for which Lissoni has designed the interiors on the SP110, SX100, SX76, and other models. The architect is currently working with the company on the interiors of a superyacht featuring a groundbreaking fuel system developed in partnership with Siemens Energy. And, in addition to residential commissions in Saudi Arabia, Budapest, and Dubai, he also had a handful of debuts at the recent Salone del Mobile and Milan Design Week. That seemingly inhuman pace, he says, is more or less his life: no rest. The design for Fantinis HQ reflects his ability to work with modernism at a human scale. Talking to Lissoni, one gets the sense that he doesnt actually want to restnot when there are so many opportunities to create. In my experience, the design trade is nothing without curiosity, he writes in the preface to his recent book, Environments, published by Rizzoli. Such inquisitiveness underpins a creative process that relentlessly centers the human experience. I draw everything by myself, Lissoni says. I draw on paper, or sometimes electronic paper like the iPad, but I drawI never use the supersophisticated software to design something, because [you must] think. Drawing by hand, he explains, triggers this special connection, this special synapsis between your brain and the hand. When you move the pencils, I believe this moment, its absolutely crucial to put meaning inside a project. 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. An aerial photo taken on Aug 20, 2023 shows a view of Volkswagen (Anhui) Automotive Company Limited in Hefei, east China's Anhui province. [Photo/Xinhua] In recent months, there have been several delegations of German enterprises visiting Hefei, a city in east China's Anhui Province, demonstrating keen interest in China's emerging industries. Last month, Matthias Machnig, Vice President of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Economic Forum, an independent German entrepreneurial professional association, led a delegation to the city. They visited new energy vehicle (NEV) factories there and held discussions with local entrepreneurs in various fields including NEV, AI and bio-medicine. Anhui has displayed a huge potential in the industrial and manufacturing sectors, and future exchange on industry, technology and culture between Germany and this province is expected to be further deepened, Machnig said. Anhui's ties with Germany can be traced back to 1984, marked by a joint declaration for cooperation between the province and the German state of Lower Saxony. This partnership stands as one of the longest-running regional collaborations between China and Germany. In recent years, there has been a surge in visits from German entrepreneurs to Hefei, resulting in a flurry of industrial collaborations. To advance its pace of innovation in China, Volkswagen Group China on Thursday announced that it will invest 2.5 billion euros (about $2.68 billion) in the expansion of its innovation hub in Hefei. "This additional investment in the site underlines our ambition to quickly expand our local innovative strength," said Ralf Brandstatter, Chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group China, adding that the innovation hub in Hefei will bring technologies to market approximately 30 percent faster in the future. Volkswagen (China) Technology Co., Ltd., located in Hefei, is the company's implementation hub for its production localization strategy. It is Volkswagen's largest research and development center outside of Germany. Effective communication requires mutual engagement and exchange. A Hefei delegation led by government officials also visited Hannover, Wolfsburg, Berlin and Stuttgart in 2023. During these visits, discussions were held with representatives from Volkswagen, Continental, Porsche and Bosch to strengthen collaboration with China. During his visit to Hefei last month, Jochen Leonhardt, a member of the board of the German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (BVMW), said that the association has always maintained a good interactive and cooperative relationship with the city and provincial governments. "Every time I come to Anhui, I can feel the rapid development and great changes here, which fully proves that it is a hot land for investment and development," Leonhardt said. KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia on Sunday called for calm in the Middle East as tensions between Israel and Iran continue to escalate. Referring to the tensions between Israel and Iran following Israel's attack on April 1 on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamad Hasan said any further form of provocation and retaliation could ignite a devastating region-wide conflict that will not serve the region. He also urged the international community to not lose sight of the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. "Malaysia further echoes the call by the United Nations secretary-general for an immediate cessation and end of these hostilities. Any form of attack, offensive or defensive, will have consequences if it spirals out of control and will ultimately lead to the death of many more innocent lives," he said. Pete Galloway, owner of Savannahs new Printmakers Inn, shares the number one pitfall historic homeowners often fall into. John McManus Savannahs new Printmakers Inn sits just a few blocks west of the citys famed Forsyth Park and is comprised of not one but two museum-quality homes, each painstakingly restored by owner Pete Galloway, his wife Kristen, and their dedicated team of craftspeople and contractors. I was always interested in old houses and preservation, Galloway says. After graduating college, an uninspiring job in healthcare left him searching for more. When the Nichols House, a gorgeous but aging 19th century Italianate Victorian manor and the adjacent lot, went for sale in 2015, he and his wife jumped headlong into the project. The learning curve was steep, but Galloway immersed himself in research, poring over architecture books and peering over the shoulders of his crew. Slowly, the couple turned the homes four apartments into suites, refreshing the paint, restoring architectural details like the original crown molding, ceiling medallions, and heart pine floors, and refurnishing rooms with period antiques they scooped up both locally and online, including auction sites like Live Auctioneers, Bid Square, and Invaluable. Meet Our Expert Pete Galloway is the founder of Peter Galloway Historic Preservation in Savannah, Georgia John McManus The Bellingham Suite in The Hills Galloway House But Galloway admits his real education began with the empty lot next door and a partnership with Bill Gould, a New England-based preservationist with more than 50 years of experience relocating historic properties that no one else wants, exactly the kind of place Galloway hoped to find for his vacant lot. I reached out to him for six months, he says. Finally, he got back to me because I think he knew we were serious. When they struck out in the South, they headed north to Connecticut, eventually purchasing the Hills House, a neglected Georgian home built in 1693 on the banks of the Connecticut River. They closed on the property in 2019 and began the arduous process of dismantling and reassembling the 326-year-old home. Last year, after four years of careful renovations, the Galloways opened the new/old Hills-Galloway House, where guests are treated to refreshed pine floors, reconstructed antique windows with the original 18th century glass, spectacular woodwork, and traditional plasterwork finished with a lime wash or period-appropriate linseed oil paint. John McManus The Hills House The #1 Biggest Mistake You Can Make We asked Galloway, who recently launched his own company, Galloway Preservation Design, what he considers the biggest mistake old house aficionados can fall into and how to avoid it. His answer? Rushing the process. Advice On Taking On a Restoration Project Do Your Research The restoration process is a slow one, Galloway says. If you dont have the time, care, and wherewithal to do it right, youre set up for failure. Getting it right starts with doing your homework, he says. Research everythingvernacular architecture, traditional construction methods and materials, period finishes, classic millwork, and even the regional history and local customs. When the time came to disassemble the Hills House, Galloway went so far as to engage an anthropologist to help chronicle any artifacts the move uncovered. They found old shoes hidden in the wallsthe practice was once thought to bring the homeowners luck and ward off evil spiritsand there was a family Bible tucked in there, too. They also turned up an antique coin that dates to the 1740s. But the most thrilling discovery was an 18th-century drawing of a battle scene. The man who expanded the house in the 1740s fought in the French and Indian War, so we [are] thinking the drawing is his. Its now framed and hangs inside the Hills House. "The restoration process is a slow one. If you dont have the time, care, and wherewithal to do it right, youre set up for failure." Seek Out The Right People Not everyone needs to hire an anthropologist, Galloway admits, but you should make time to find the right peopletrue experts at their craft. It might take a while to find them, but the results will be worth the wait, says Galloway, who says it took him several attempts to get the right team in place. Eventually, things started clicking when he met Bill Gould. The New England preservationist was generous with both his time and expertise, helping Galloway with everything from reassembling the homes stunningly well-preserved mortise-and-tenon timber frame to using traditional methods to hand-craft new mahogany window frames based on period patterns before reinstalling the original 18th-century glass. People are always so gung-ho to replace old windows with new ones, which are so often vinyl, Galloway says. They may be a little more efficient, but youll have to replace them every 20 years when 99% of the time the old wooden ones can be restored. Theyll be good as new, but theyll last another hundred-plus years. Theres a magic quality to the light that filters through that old glass. Its part of what makes old houses so cool. Related: 7 Secrets Everyone Should Know Before Renovating An Older Home Give Yourself Plenty Of Time As with his approach to windows, Galloway recommends taking the slow route on other architectural features because traditional craftsmanship matters, especially regarding things like plaster walls, he says. Of course, it can be hard to resist the temptation to rip out damaged plaster walls when drywall is so much cheaper and makes things like plumbing and electrical easier to manage. But plaster really gives you that historic feel, he says. Theres no comparison. While restoring the Hills House, Galloway worked with the British-born plasterer Henry Orton to reinstall thousands of individual pieces of hand-split lath, dating back to the homes 1740s expansion, and apply new plaster atop them using old-school methods. There are eco-friendly pluses to plaster, too, including the walls longevity as well as their ability to resist mold when used with milk paint, linseed oil paint, or a simple lime wash. John McManus The Inn's keeping room At the end of the day, though, Galloway says: Dont be afraid to make mistakes. Youre going to make them. Learning by doing is part of the fun. For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Southern Living. When it comes to cooking for yourself or your loved ones, chicken is typically an easy route to take. With so many different ways to prepare chicken, there are countless ways to dress it up or down. For the nights when you're looking to kick things up a notch or two, you might even consider a wine pairing. A good pairing uses complementary flavors to elevate the taste of both the food and the wine. "In general, when I look at a pairing with chicken, I immediately think of the classic Burgundian varietals of chardonnay and pinot noir," Nathan Grunow, wine director at Jovanina's Broken Italian told Mashed in an exclusive interview. Thanks to the weather and soil quality in the Burgundy region of France, its chardonnays and pinot noirs are considered some of the best in the world. However, because the terrain has so much variance, there can be vast differences between the wines produced there. While the flavors of Burgundian wines can be a little much against the delicate taste of chicken breast, Grunow explains that once it has been prepared with varying degrees of salt and fat, it becomes easier to find a perfect pairing. Here are his pairing suggestions for four classic chicken dishes: chicken cordon bleu, chicken piccata, chicken parmigiana, and chicken Alfredo. Read more: Popular Vodka Brands Ranked From Worst To Best The Best Wine To Pair With Chicken Cordon Bleu chicken cordon bleu on plate with vegetables - Lauripatterson/Getty Images "With a classic chicken preparation such as chicken cordon bleu ... I opt for a higher acid and tannic pinot noir," Nathan Grunow explains. When it comes to wine with cheese, you can either complement the flavors or contrast them . Chicken cordon bleu, stuffed with cheese and ham, is fatty, smokey, and practically begging to be paired with a contrasting wine that can cut through all that richness. "Wines from the Eola-Amity Hills appellation of Oregon's Willamette Valley always hit for me in this case," Grunow muses. Specifically, Grunow references the hard-to-find pinot noir from Walter Scott's Justice Vineyard, explaining it has "big bursts of baking cherry and unsweetened pomegranate with some cedary notes and hints of white peppercorn," which make it the ideal pairing for chicken cordon bleu. If you can't track down that particular brand, or if the $80 price tag seems a little steep, Grunow notes, "Look for other wines from that same part of the Willamette, which yield more structural versions of pinot noir." The Best Wine To Pair With Chicken Piccata chicken piccata on white plate - Jacek Chabraszewski/Shutterstock "Chicken piccata is a fun and easy-to-make chicken dish," says Nathan Grunow, adding, "The key with pairing with a piccata is matching and complementing the zing and freshness of the lemon and caper that dominate the flavor of the sauce." In this case, a brightly flavored white draws out those deep citrusy and fermented flavors. For chicken piccata, he says, "Steve Matthiasson's Linda Vista chardonnay hits all the right notes, with a subtle honeysuckle softness that leads to an extended fresh finish." However, if you can't find it at your local wine shop, Grunow also points out that there are plenty of worthy substitutions. "I would look for lightly (though not completely) unoaked chardonnays with minimal extraction that preserves the chardonnay's acidity," he says, adding, "Most white Burgundies would fit the bill, along [with] some of the Burgundy-inspired chardonnays produced in Piedmont especially Pio Cesare's L'Altro." The Best Wine To Pair With Chicken Parmigiana chicken parmesan by candlelight - Mohamed-Kareem Mohamed/Shutterstock One of the quickest ways to elevate your favorite chicken parmesan recipe is with a killer wine pairing. However, because chicken parm has several flavorful components, there are a few things to remember. Particularly, Nathan Grunow says the flavor of the sauce and the thickness of the breading are important factors to consider. "All red sauces are not the same, though most remain racy and high acid," he says, adding, "The only warning I would give: The spicier the sauce, the more you want to pick a wine that's light on the tannin. Tannin in wine acts as a multiplier for spice." For sauces that lean on the spicier side, Grunow says, "A Piemontese Barbera would almost always work. A Deltetto's Brame Barbera d'Alba offers plenty of fresh red and unripe purple fruit that unfold into a big, brilliant, mouth-cleaning finish." "For a more traditional light flavored red sauce," Grunow says, "I would go with a softer riserva Chianti." Ge recommends Caparsino from Villa Caparsa. "The natural acid of Sangiovese while a bit muted from extra wood aging still complements and adds depth to the flavor of the red sauce." The Best Wine To Pair With Chicken Alfredo Chicken alfredo on plate with parsley - Riverrockphotos/Getty Images "When looking at chicken Alfredo, the rich creaminess of these sauces is always the driving factor in a wine pairing," says Nathan Grunow. "Almost any medium-bodied, relatively unoaked white would work," he notes, adding, "Looking specifically for winemakers who work with stainless steel vessels to preserve the natural acidity of their white wines." Thanks to a process called malolactic fermentation, many varietals have a buttery taste, which acts as one of oak-aged chardonnay's defining features. Pairing a buttery, oak-aged chardonnay with a creamy chicken Alfredo recipe may work to bog down both the dish and the wine. However, chardonnays aged in stainless steel tend to have more acidity, which works to brighten the creamy cheesiness of the Alfredo. "We have been loving the work of winemakers on Mt. Etna whose brilliant fresh, volcanic soil, tinged white, make for very versatile wine pairings," says Grunow. "Currently, I am partial to Pietro Caciorgna's Guardoilvento, whose light to medium-bodied white has a brilliant lemon curd and unripe pear tension that leads to a zippy, sea breeze-tinged finish. If you can, look for Etna winemakers that favor higher percentages of the zippier carricante. You should be able to find great examples from Benanti and La Planeta, amongst others." Read the original article on Mashed Some of the world's most famous vineyards span from Spain to France to Germany to Italy, commanding international attention on the world wine stage but many of the continent's most interesting wines are coming from outside these ultra-well-known regions, tucked amid valleys and peninsulas beyond the Loire and the Mosel. If you want to explore Europe's wine scene beyond French Bordeaux and Italian Barolo, one of your very first stops should be Croatia. Croatia boasts several different wine regions, ranging from islands and coastal areas to inland pockets of vineyards. While you can find plenty of international grapes here, there are several native grapes that are used to make wines you won't be able to find elsewhere. We've visited Croatia to taste some of its wines, and had the chance to try a variety of Croatian wines available on the American market. We also spoke to Boston-based sommelier Nick Angel, who has organized tastings of Croatian wine in his city, to learn more about this European country's wines. Let's take a closer look at some of the most celebrated wines that come from Croatia. Whether you have plans to visit the country and are interested in learning more about the types of wines to try when you're there, or you just want some advice to maximize your next wine shop visit and perhaps grab a bottle of Croatian wine, this guide can point you in the right direction. Read more: The 20 Best Olive Oils For Cooking Zinfandel red zinfandel grapes - Yinyang/Getty Images The United States may be the country most celebrated for wines made from the zinfandel grape, but you may be surprised to learn that zinfandel wine didn't originate in the U.S. at all. In fact, zinfandel, which is called primitivo in Italy, is actually native to Croatia. There the grape is referred to as crljenak kastelanski, which is just one of several names that this grape has collected while bouncing from country to country. Not only is zinfandel important in Croatia in its own right, but it's also related to another well-known Croatian grape, plavac mali. You may have an idea of what to expect with Croatian zinfandel if you've gotten the chance to try the grape in the United States or in Italy, but this variety takes on a different character when it's grown and vinified in Croatia. Crljenak kastelanski wines are often fruitier than American zinfandel counterparts, and tend to have more tannins. Like many other Croatian grape varieties, this wine is largely produced in Dalmatia, among other regions. The Bedalov winery makes excellent zinfandel, as does Benmosche Family Wine. Plavac Mali plavac mali grapes - Michal Dziedziak/Shutterstock If you like full-bodied red wines, you have to give plavac mali a try. This bold red wine is one of Croatia's most well-known native grapes, and its most popular red variety. According to Nick Angel, "Plavac mali is known for being big and bold, with naturally high alcohol and tannins. Some of its robust nature can be attributed to descending from the zinfandel grape." Take a sip of wine made from plavac mali, and you may notice aromas of blackberry, dark cherry, and plum, along with spicy, smoky, and chocolatey notes. Looking for a particularly delicious plavac mali? You may want to seek out Dingac, a type of wine made with plavac mali grapes that comes from the peninsula of Peljesac. "The Peljesac Peninsula off the coast of mainland Dalmatia is home to Croatia's finest plavac mali," says Angel, adding that beyond those black fruit notes, you may also pick up on "Mediterranean notes of spice and olive, and perfumed aromatics." Try plavac mali from producers like Matusko and Kiridzija. Marastina vineyards in Dalmatia - Goranstimac/Getty Images Located along Croatia's southernmost stretch of Adriatic Sea coast, the Dalmatia region is home to many of Croatia's best wines and vineyards, and here marastina thrives. Marastina is a white grape that can grow all along the country's coast, and is also sometimes produced in nearby countries like Italy and Greece. It was discovered that marastina is actually the same grape variety as malvasia, and is likely not native to Croatia, although it has become an important staple in the country's wine scene. While marastina is not the most common white wine grape variety in this region, it still provides the base for one of Croatia's most delicious white wines. Marastina is often refreshing with a distinct mineral quality to it that reflects the coastal environment in which it's produced. The grape itself can be quite acidic, and it can make wines that range from fresh and elegant to ripe and more full-bodied, with hints of pear along with a creamy texture. Some of these wines age well, and Marastina grapes can also be used to make sweet dessert wines. Try a marastina from the producer Baraka. Grasevina grasevina grapes on the vine - Tamisclao/Shutterstock Another white grape to be on the lookout for when tasting Croatian wine is grasevina, which Nick Angel describes as a "workhorse" variety. "Grasevina dominates the flat, inland regions of Slavonia and Croatian Danube, accounting for nearly 25% of total plantings nationwide. The majority of the fruit is used to make table wine for domestic consumption." These wines are light and refreshing but tend not to be too complex, according to Angel. If you've ever had the chance to taste welschriesling a popular variety of Austrian wines then you know what grasevina tastes like as well; they're actually the same grape. Although grasevina has had a reputation for providing average-quality wines, Angel says that trend may be starting to turn. "Some producers are striving to create grasevina that is more complex and balanced," explains Angel. "They can be made in a variety of styles, but the best expressions have a natural acidity that adds structure, with notes of fresh, just-ripe citrus fruit and refreshing minerality." Try grasevina from Antunovic winery. Posip vineyard in Korcula - Donnebryant/Shutterstock Perhaps the most notable white wine from Croatia is posip, which Nick Angel says is cultivated in different ways across the country. "Despite its adaptability, posip is known for drastic variety from site to site, showcasing the unique terroir of the selected vineyard area," Angel explains. Many of the best wines produced from the posip grape come from Korcula, an island located along Croatia's Adriatic coastline between the cities of Split and Dubrovnik. In these wines, you may notice notes of refreshing green apple, but they can also be more complex, expressing almond and vanilla characteristics. "Posip can be fresh, neutral and young, or oaked and aged, due to its natural acidity," says Angel, adding that posip wines "are generally medium- to full-body, with high alcohol. My favorite posips have fresh, searing acidity with a backbone of layered stone and citrus fruit." Try this variety from Posip Cara an agricultural cooperative that's been specializing in producing this grape since 1984 or Blato 1902. Babic babic grapes in vineyard - crordx/Shutterstock A red grape native to the Dalmatian coast, babic shares many characteristics with plavac mali, says Nick Angel. "What distinguishes babic is an extra touch of natural acidity," he says. For a long time, babic was mostly harvested as a blending grape for table wine, but according to Angel, these days more and more winemakers are trying to experiment with babic by investing time and money to make it into more of a premium product. "Babic has experienced a surge in plantings as winemakers discover its merit," Angel explains. In the glass, babic wines appear dark, and they feature a bold taste from its tannins, which are what make your mouth feel dry when you drink red wine. On the palate, you might notice notes of dark berries, figs, and spice. These wines are often aged in oak to help temper the strong tannins and acidity. "Ripe red fruit flavors of juicy raspberry and cherry work alongside the high alcohol and acidity to provide balance in the best versions," Angel says. Try a babic from Delusional Wine. Grk vineyard of grk grapes - Chris Babcock/Getty Images It's always exciting to explore a country's native wine grapes, which is one of the reasons we love grk so much. It's traditionally been grown on a small scale, so unlike many of its Croatian cousins, grk wines can be difficult to find but this rarity makes the variety all the more worth seeking out. Grk is mostly grown on the island of Korcula, and according to locals, the grapevines flourish in rocky terrain by the sea coast, giving wines made from this grape a subtle salinity and mineral-forward flavor. Grk wines tend to be bright and crisp, making them a specialty that can be considered among the best wines to pair with lobster and other seafood. If you see "grk" on a label, there's a good chance you're going to be getting a dry wine. However, not all grk is made the same way. Some grk is aged on the lees to enhance its development, while it's also possible to make grk into sparkling wine. In some cases, grk can even be used to make prosek, Dalmatia's famous dessert wine. Check out grk from the Cebalo winery. Read the original article on Tasting Table In the hills of eastern Tennessee, on an 800-acre plot of land, a small army of construction workers is hustling to finish a $250 million gated community. On the day of our recent visit, the place was little more than a 3.5-mile loop of pavementalbeit one that jinks across the land like a back road in the Great Smoky Mountains, with 127 feet of elevation change from beginning to end. The vision of Knoxville developer Rusty Bittle, Flatrock Motorclub is a private racetrack and luxury residence community rising about 45 minutes west of the city. Collaborating on the project is Tilke Engineers and Architects, the German firm behind numerous Formula 1 tracks around the world, including Circuit of the Americas, home of the U.S. Grand Prix. More from Robb Report When Tilke started, Bittle recalls, I said, Listen, guys, I need a track thats ever-challenging, one I cant conquer, one that scares me every time I get on it. Bittle raced karts as a younger man but hadnt run a car in a closed-course race until four years ago. Hooked, he soon noticed that most American circuits were, as he put it, under-serving. One thing led to another, and now Bittle aims to have Flatrock open for member laps sometime this year. When completed, the facility will be one of just 13 permanent stateside circuits to meet FIA Grade 2 standards, its design and safety features suitable for most forms of road racing short of Formula 1. Thats largely down to cost: Grade 2 standards are expensive, Bittle notes. The track-as-country-club model isnt new; some European circuits have been run as members-only organizations for decades. In America, though, the format basically dates to the 2004 launch of the Autobahn Country Club in Illinois, but it really gained ground with the 2008 opening of New Yorks Monticello Motor Club. A 90-minute drive from Manhattan, Monticello was one of the first U.S. motorsport operations to combine five-figure membership fees with luxury benefits. Grand Prix Track Start/Finish Length 2.67 miles Monticello boasted celebrity charter members including Jerry Seinfeld and NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon, and its success spawned a host of competitors. These days, Bittle says, club-track demand remains strong, helped along by the success of Netflixs reality show Formula 1: Drive to Survive and the related boost in that race seriess popularity. As for Flatrock, Bittle envisions a place where families can spend the weekendand to that end those 3.5 miles, and that $250 million, are merely the first phase of his project. A separate 2.67-mile Grand Prix track is also planned, along with a boutique hotel, an amphitheater, a kart track, and at least two helipads. Premier membership requires $25,000 in annual dues plus a $250,000 initiation fee. A founders membership, with lifetime access for your immediate family, lifts those commitments to $50,000 and $500,000, respectively. If all this sounds like big ambition for a relatively quiet corner of the world, youre not wrong. An initial visit to the site in June 2023 revealed mostly dirt, making the end product difficult to imagine. That picture comes into better focus now, though still not completely. But at first blush, Flatrock already appears more fun and challenging than many big-league tracks in America or even Europe, including more than a few highly regarded Tilke circuits. The market seems to have noticed. According to Tim Chandler, Flatrocks vice president of marketing, more than 100 Flatrock memberships have been sold to date. That figure includes 23 of the 25 available founders packages, with customers from as far away as Alaska. Race cars are neither beautiful nor ugly, as Enzo Ferrari supposedly saidthey only become beautiful when they win. Launching a track is difficult in the best of times, which makes every circuit a winner, in a sense, from the day it opens. Eastern Tennessee is pretty to begin with; Flatrock, we hope, will only add to the beauty. 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. Los Angeles doctors were baffled by a rare illness after years of hives and fevers for one woman worsened. (Getty Images) Correction: A previous version of this article included frogs as reptiles known to carry salmonella. Frogs are amphibians. The article has been corrected. - - - Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. There were few things Beth Sternliebs Los Angeles doctors could say with certainty about her baffling illness, but this much was clear: Although manageable for years, it had worsened dramatically. For nearly two decades Sternlieb had been plagued by flu-like episodes that began with a headache and abdominal pain accompanied by fatigue, muscle aches and diarrhea. Within a day, a spotty red rash blanketed her abdomen. A yoga and meditation teacher who worked at the University of California at Los Angeless pediatric pain program, Sternlieb had undergone numerous tests that failed to reveal the reason for the unidentified illness that occurred two or three times a year and lasted about five days. In 2004, after 17 years, the illness began occurring more frequently and Sternlieb never fully recovered between episodes. A year later she developed a high fever, chills and exhaustion that lasted five months and left her bedridden. The startling and highly unusual cause was finally identified after Sternlieb underwent an operation that ended up curing her. It was a good thing my abdomen turned red because it caught the attention of my doctors, Sternlieb said recently. Something was really wrong, but no one imagined this. - - - Bad case of flu The first episode occurred in December 1987, two weeks after Sternliebs second child was born. I became sicker than I had ever been, said Sternlieb, then 37. It was flu season and that year was a bad flu season, so doctors attributed her illness to influenza. Six months later the illness recurred, a pattern that prevailed for years. At first Sternlieb didnt pay much attention to the tiny red dots that covered her abdomen. The rash resembled a sunburn but wasnt itchy or painful. Doctors ultimately decided it was hives, a common skin condition that can occur as an allergic reaction to food or drugs; often its cause is never discovered. Her primary care doctor referred her to a rheumatologist, a physician who specializes in treating autoimmune diseases, whom she saw for several years. He ordered blood tests, which he said suggested the presence of an unspecified autoimmune disorder in which the body mistakenly attacks itself. Over the years, Sternlieb noticed that the episodes seemed to occur during periods of stress both good and bad, including traveling, partying and too little sleep. I thought it must have a psychological component, she said. She learned to incorporate the bouts into her life, relieved that no one had found anything serious. She hoped doctors would figure out what was wrong so they could treat and eradicate whatever it was. - - - Travel history By 2005, Sternliebs equanimity was shattered by a sharp deterioration in her health. That summer, she became seriously ill and did not recover. Her fever periodically spiked to 104 degrees, and she suffered from drenching night sweats as well as profound weakness and fatigue. She lost 15 pounds and, unable to work, spent most of her time in bed or on the couch. The rash that had been confined to her abdomen spread to her neck and torso. Blood tests showed elevated levels of inflammation and a high white blood cell count. Sternlieb began seeing a new crop of specialists. An infectious-disease doctor combed through her travel history, which included a trip to India years earlier, ultimately ruling out malaria and other parasitic infections. Doctors considered and discarded a variety of diagnoses including fever of unknown origin, which can be associated with some autoimmune diseases; familial Mediterranean fever, an inherited genetic disorder that causes recurrent fevers and inflammation; as well as HIV and hepatitis. That left an infection or an allergy as possible causes. The latter seemed unlikely despite recurrent hives, said Raffi Tachdjian, then a fellow in allergy and immunology at UCLA and one of the doctors Sternlieb consulted. Hives usually last 24 hours and are not like this, which was chronic, he recalled. We needed to look deeper into anything unusual. It seemed that there was something packing some heat somewhere that was triggering a reaction from Sternliebs immune system. We see this in sinuses where antibiotics dont reach infected tissue and result in a smoldering infection that becomes virtually impossible to eradicate with medication, he added. A CT scan ordered by the infectious-disease doctor showed multiple uterine fibroids, common benign tumors that dont require treatment unless they cause problems. The scan showed that one of the fibroids had grown very large and was possibly degenerating (dying) or necrotic (dead), which happens when a tumor loses its blood supply. A degenerating fibroid can get very big very fast. But doctors were also concerned about the possibility of a rare cancer such as a leiomyosarcoma, which grows in smooth muscles including in uterine tissue. None of her doctors, including her new gynecologist Jessica Schneider, knew whether her long-standing illness and the fibroids were related. And what explained the hives, which are not associated with fibroids or this cancer? It didnt seem obvious that a fibroid would cause this, said Schneider, a member of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Group. But it didnt look like a typical fibroid, and I recommended we take it out. Sternlieb, who said she worried she might still be sick after a hysterectomy, agreed. During the December 2005 operation, Schneider removed eight fibroids. The largest measured a whopping 11 centimeters, the size of a large grapefruit. Nearly 20 years later Schneider vividly remembers its unique characteristics. Typically a fibroid is a solid ball of muscle, she said. This one was full of pus that spurted explosively when it was touched with a scalpel. It was crazy, said Schneider, who had never seen anything like it before and hasnt since. She administered antibiotics and took a culture that she sent to the pathology lab for analysis. Tachdjian remembers that Schneider called him just after she finished surgery to tell him what she had found. I thought We need to know what the heck grew, Tachdjian said. We were crossing our fingers that surgery would take care of it, whatever it was. But only time would tell. - - - A nice nest A few weeks later, the first question was answered. The culture showed an unknown strain of salmonella, a common bacterial infection that is usually caused by contaminated food. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that it causes more than 1.3 million illnesses annually and results in more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 420 deaths. Neither Sternlieb nor her doctors knew how or when she contracted salmonella, which is known to cause hives if it settles in the intestine, Tachdjian said. In Sternliebs case, the bacteria had burrowed into only one fibroid; the other seven were free of salmonella. It probably seeded itself in the GI tract and thought Heres a nice nest for me, said Tachdjian, who practices in Santa Monica and is an associate clinical professor of medicine and pediatrics at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. But the duration of Sternliebs infection, its location in a uterine fibroid and the recurring hives made the case something of a fascinoma - medical slang for an unusual and unusually interesting case, a status that would be enhanced by the discovery of its source. I kept asking older doctors if theyd ever seen anything like this, and they said they hadnt, Schneider said. A search of medical journals conducted by Tachdjian turned up nothing similar. Because salmonella is a reportable disease, California health officials were notified. Several months after her operation, Sternlieb received a home visit from a public health nurse with startling news: Her infection had been traced not to food but to a reptile. Turtles are known to harbor salmonella, one reason federal law has long banned the sale of small turtles because of the risk they pose to young children. Other reptiles and amphibians including snakes, frogs and lizards are also carriers, which is why public health officials stress the importance of handwashing after touching them. But her family never had a pet reptile, Sternlieb said. Because her symptoms started shortly after giving birth, Sternliebs infectious-disease doctor suspected she might have contracted the infection in the hospital, possibly from a staff member. At times during pregnancy and before delivery, the mothers immune system is suppressed to prevent it from rejecting the fetus. Another possibility, said Sternlieb, who wracked her brain trying to recall possible reptile exposures from nearly two decades earlier, is that the infection was transmitted by a pet reptile at the nursery school her then-4-year-old son attended. But she added that he never brought a reptile home and that she doesnt remember the school keeping such pets. Schneider said she began to recover almost immediately after surgery and has never had another episode. Doctors deemed the surgery a cure. Tachdjian said he suspects she was exposed in the hospital and added that its fortunate she underwent surgery when she did. Had the fibroid ruptured, Sternlieb could have developed sepsis, a potentially fatal infection that results from bacteria coursing through the bloodstream. In 2010, Tachdjian, Schneider and two other doctors published a report of her case in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. Their goal, Tachdjian said, was to alert other doctors to consider abdominal hives as a possible sign of a simmering pelvic infection. You want these reports so the next [doctor] that runs into something like this gets imaging quickly, he said. Related Content The Trump Trials: Trumps jury seems nearly set. How we got here. Majority Latino city endures years of toxic water in health crisis Federal criminal investigation opened into Key Bridge crash See how the director of 'The Help' and one of the oldest churches in MS are connected It couldn't be more picturesque; a small 1800s church atop a terraced hill in the center of a community outside Natchez. It's a sight that will make almost anyone pause and take in. The church is in need of repair, but Christ Episcopal Church in Church Hill is now getting new life and undergoing restoration with the help of the community including the director and the producer of the movie The Help. "I was driving down (highway) 553 and came around the bend and saw the store and saw the church," said Tate Taylor, a Jackson native and director of the 2011 movie The Help, which was filmed in Mississippi. "I had a spiritual wash come over me. "It has that effect on people. It's the oldest (Episcopal) congregation in the state. I really took to the church. I've been asked if it was real or just a movie set." Under renovation, Christ Episcopal Church In Church Hill, Mississippi stands like a beacon atop a terraced hill where it has been since 1857. A Gothic Revival church in rural Mississippi And real it is. The congregation formed in 1820, just three years after Mississippi became a state. The church building, which is its third house of worship, was built in 1857. At that time, it served a small community of plantations. "It's a gothic revival-style building," said Carter Burns, executive director of Historic Natchez Foundation which has an advisory and consulting role in the project. "That was a popular style for churches in the mid-19th century. "It's a very well-preserved example. Chapel of the Cross in Annandale is from about that same period and is that same style. The style really lends itself to churches." Taylor's journey to Church Hill, along with partner John Norris, a movie producer, began with The Help. Oldest churches in Mississippi: Take a look at seven of the oldest churches in Mississippi. See where they are Tate Taylor, left, and Carter Burns, center, executive director of the Historic Natchez Foundation, discuss what appears to be the original finish of the pews at Christ Episcopal Church. Taylor, a church member and director of the movie "The Help", spearheads the restoration of the church, built in 1857. More: Take a look at seven of the oldest churches in Mississippi. See where they are How a movie director and producer ended up in Church Hill, Mississippi "After shooting The Help in Greenwood, Mississippi in 2010, I had this longing to have an old house," Taylor said. After seeing the church and the area, the two found a house to restore. Since 2014, they've called it home. "It's just a very peaceful community and settlement that's been here since the 1780s," Taylor said. Norris said much the same. "After The Help, Tate and I fell in love with it," Norris said. "There's just really a sense of community." They've also joined the church and Norris, who serves as junior warden, said like the building, the congregation is also being restored. "Our congregation has grown over the last six or seven years," Norris said. "It's probably doubled, but it's still small. It's still a mission church." Built in 1857, Christ Episcopal Church in Church Hill, Mississippi is undergoing renovation. More than just a country store: Wagner's Grocery, 1870 community hub, gets new life in Mississippi Christ Episcopal Church has a special place It's a mission church in the sense that it falls under the wing of the larger Trinity Episcopal Church in Natchez, which provides aid for services that are held at Christ Episcopal Church at 2 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month. Carolyn Vance Smith is a member of Trinity, but also attends services in Church Hill with her husband, Marion, and has for more than 40 years. "Trinity has had an affiliation for over 100 years to help support Christ Church," Smith said. "It's had a special place in the lives and hearts of so many people that live around here. "It's like a beacon on that hill that speaks to people. Marion and I are just thrilled that the restoration is going on. It's on the drawing board to make that an absolute jewel inside. It's bringing new life to that historic area." Shepherding renovation of a historic church A number of things are on that drawing board. Aging floors, doors and pews are being repaired and repainted in their original colors. Plaster that covers the bricks it's built with will be repaired. The stained glass windows are being rebuilt and broken or cracked panes are being replaced. It's a big project for a church with about 25 members and a small budget and Taylor said the church needs roughly $250,000 to complete, but it's one that Taylor and Norris want to help see through. "All we're trying to do is shepherd it," Norris said. Marion Smith, Carolyn's husband, said he's glad to see the project moving forward. "It's a great feeling of satisfaction," Smith said. "We've dreamed of seeing that church restored for a long time and now we're seeing some of that done." He's also looking forward to the air conditioning that has been installed; something the church didn't have before the restoration began. "That church could be pretty warm in July services," Smith said. Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com. How to help Donations for the project can be made and directed to Christ Episcopal Church on the Trinity Episcopal Church website and are tax-deductible. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Revival of historic Mississippi church gets help from movie director Tax Day is almost here and fast food and sit-down restaurants across the U.S. are offering customers freebies and discounts to celebrate the occasion. Whether you've already filed your taxes and are waiting on your tax return, or need to file a tax extension, customers can get free or discounted treats at places like Hooters and Krispy Kreme, among others. Tax Day always falls on April 15 unless that date falls on a weekend or holiday. This year, the date falls on a Monday. Here's where you can get deals and freebies on Monday to celebrate the end of tax season in 2024. Tax Day 2024 live updates: What to know about extensions, free file, deadlines and refunds Krispy Kreme offers a 'sweet tax break' on Tax Day On April 15, Krispy Kreme customers can purchase an Original Glazed or assorted dozen in shop and receive a second Original Glazed dozen for just the prices of sales tax in their state, the company said in a news release. This is the second consecutive year Krispy Kreme has offered this deal on Tax Day and there is a limit of two dozen per customer in-shop and a limit of one when ordering online for pickup or delivery via Krispy Kreme's app or website, the company said. Krispy Kreme customers can purchase an Original Glazed or assorted dozen in shop on Tax Day and receive a second Original Glazed dozen for just the price of sales tax in their state. Hooters offers special dine-in deals on food, drinks on Tax Day Hooters is offering customers a BOGO wing deal and drink specials on Monday, April 15 to celebrate Tax Day. Customers who visit a Hooters location and purchase 10 wings on April 15 will receive 10 wings of any style for free. The company is also offering $4 Dos Equis draft beers and $4 Legendary Margaritas. Additionally, HootClub Rewards loyalty members are eligible to receive a free dessert up to $6.99 in value on April 15 only. GrubHub offers delivery discount on Tax Day GrubHub is looking to help customers survive tax season by offering a $15 discount on delivery orders worth $25 or more on April 15. Diners can use the code TAXBREAK upon checkout on qualifying offers. The deal is available nationwide on April 15 only, and only to the first 1,000 customers who redeem it. GrubHub is offering customers a $15 discount on delivery orders of $25 or more on April 15 in honor of Tax Day. Potbelly offers customers free sandwich on Tax Day Potbelly shops nationwide are aiming to ease Tax Day blues by offering customers a free Original sandwich with the purchase of any Original or Big sized sandwich on Monday, April 15, the company said. Customers can redeem the free sandwich at Potbelly.com or through the Potbelly app using the promo code BOGO. Arby's offers free sandwich on Tax Day as part of Free Sandwich Month Customers can get a free sandwich as part of Arby's Free Sandwich Month on Tax Day, the company said. Every week in April, Arby's Rewards members will have one free sandwich loaded into their account. To redeem the free sandwich deal, orders must be placed online or on the Arby's App with any purchase. If you are not an Arby's Rewards member, you can still sign up and receive the deal for the remaining weeks of the month. Arby's announced Tuesday it is giving away one free sandwich per week for the entire month of April to Arby's Rewards members in a promotion they are calling Free Sandwich Month. Dave & Buster's offers 50% off all food starting April 15 to celebrate new menu Dave & Buster's is offering 50% off all food from April 15 through April 28 to customers who join the D&B Rewards program to celebrate the company's new menu launch. The new menu features more than 20 new items, including Loaded Barbacoa Fries and Cajun Shrimp Pasta, among others, the company said in a news release. California Pizza Kitchen offers Tax Day discount California Pizza Kitchen is offering customers $10 off when they spend $40 on Monday in support of those who "may literally need a Tax Break," the company said. In order to receive the offer, customers need to sign up for CPK Rewards. The promotion is available for dine-in and takeout, the company said. California Pizza Kitchen is offering customers $10 off when they spend $40 on Monday, April 15 to celebrate the end of tax season. BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse offers discount on Tax Day BJ's Restaurants is helping customers celebrate the end of tax season by offering $10 off any take-out and delivery orders of $40 or more on Monday using promo code 10OFF40, the company said. TGI Fridays creates new limited-time drink to celebrate end of tax season From now through April 30, participating TGI Friday's locations are offering customers a new limited-time cocktail and a BOGO entree offer. The new drink is called the Tax Break and it features 1800 Silver Tequila, citrus, agave, strawberry and passionfruit. It is served with a hitchhiker of Hennessy V.S. to "soften the blow of owing money - or to rejoice in celebrating a refund," the company said in a news release. Additionally, Fridays Rewards members can get a free entree alongside the purchase of an entree of equal or lesser value, the company said. From now through April 30, participating TGI Friday's locations are offering customers a new limited-time cocktail and a BOGO entree offer. Paris Baguette offers free pastry on Tax Day Rewards members can get a free pastry with any beverage purchase on April 15 at participating U.S. Paris Baguette locations, the company said. Grimaldi's Pizzeria offers discount for Tax Day Customers can enjoy $10.40 off any purchase of $30 or more at Grimaldi's locations across the country on Monday, April 15, the company said. The offer is valid for dine-in, to-go and online orders with code TAXDAY24. The offer is valid at participating locations, excluding New York, New Jersey, Flagstaff, Arizona; and Las Vegas Palazzo, the company said. Great American Cookies offers BOGO deal on Tax Day Great American Cookies is offering customers a buy one, get one free on chocolate chip cookie cake slices, the company told USA TODAY. The deal is available at participating locations in-store nationwide. Get free breadsticks at Fazoli's with purchase on Tax Day Fazoli's is offering six free breadsticks with a $5 purchase at participating locations with code Tax24, the company said. Round Table Pizza offers discount on Tax Day Round Table Pizza is offering customers 15% off any order $40 or more at participating locations on Monday, April 15. Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tax Day food deals 2024: Krispy Kreme, Hooters offering discounts Read the full story on Backfire News Thailands First Ever Backfire Competition As one might expect, Thai car culture is a wee bit different from what you find here in the States. The selection of vehicles, as well as the economic disparities of the two countries, combined with flavoring from the cultures makes for a number of differences. However, gearheads there just like us love to see flames shooting out of exhaust pipes. Check out Alex Rodriquezs car collection. Also, being that were Backfire News, were always fan of backfires. Usually we get to see flame-outs as a car shifts during a race, which is always a thrill, but this is a competition where the competitors are stationary and just rev their engine in an attempt to produce the best flamethrower. ADVERTISEMENT Youd expect to see a bunch of Hondas, Nissans, Toyotas, and other JDM brands at a Thai car competition like this. Its actually dominated just by Hondas, go figure. However, a special guest joined in the competition just for a fun, a tuned Mercedes E-Class that unsurprisingly spanked the Hondas sideways. Thats probably why it wasnt allowed to compete head-to-head with the little four-bangers because there wouldnt have been a competition at all. One of the Hondas had some sort of trouble with its downpipe. It looks like the team just yanked off the front bumper and tried shooting out some flames in the undercarriage, which didnt really work. Another went the more traditional route of trying to shoot out flames from its tailpipe instead of an exhaust cutout in the engine compartment. That strategy backfired, although only barely in the literal sense. So much for traditionalism. Check out the video for yourself and get a taste for Thai car culture. Its definitely different from what you get here in the States and were always fans of broadening horizons. Images via YouTube "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Birding is an absolute blast. This ultra-relaxing hobby offers a great way to not just enjoy and experience nature, but also appreciate itas literally millions of us discovered during the pandemic. Seriously, remember whendesperate to do anything outsidewe threw ourselves into bird-watching, buying or DIYing feeders, purchasing special cameras and even snapping up binoculars? Here we are now, four years later, and we've pretty much spotted all the species there are to see in our backyards. Which just might mean it's time to take it on the road to the best spots in the U.S. to travel for bird-watching. Think about it: what could be better than combining your two favorite obsessions: birding and travel? Especially when some of the world's best bird-watching can be found within America's borders, in places as pretty as northern California and coastal Maine? Best of all, the following avian hangouts are so dense in winged wonders (hellllooo Platte River Valley!) you don't need to be an expert to spot some stunning species. And some destinations, like the legendary Rio Grande Valley, are home to birds you won't find anywhere else in the nation, giving even the most experienced twitchers a chance to expand their life list (the inventory of birds a birder has spotted in their lifetime). Many of the following vacation hotspots, which are sprinkled throughout the U.S., are best to visit in spring or fall, when long-distance migrants are moving through on their way to or from Central or South America. Some provide special birding opportunities in summer, or even winter. But all are definitely for the birds! Acadia National Park, Maine Thanks to an incredibly diverse landscape, ranging from wild, water-swept coastline to verdant forest and barren, rocky mountaintop, more than 300 species of birds call the nearly 50,000 acres of Acadia National Park in Maine home. That includes the 20-plus species of warblers that nest in spring and summer on Mount Desert Island, though the park is a birder's paradise in all seasons. Popular annual avian events include the Acadia Birding Festival in early summer and autumn's Cadillac Mountain Hawk Watch, a prime time to check out the thousands of raptors that descend on the area as they head south for the winter. Looking to spot the iconic (if slightly silly-looking) puffin? Maine is the only state to boast breeding populations of the bird, which nest on offshore islands (not technically part of the park) come warm weather. Tour boats that visit the islands leave from Bar Harbor, the gateway to Acadia, and other towns along the coast. Shop Now Harry Collins Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico Tucked away between the Chupadera and San Pascual mountains along the Rio Grand River, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1939 to provide an overwintering habitat for migrating waterfowl. By November each year, the refuge's nearly 60,000 acres play host to sandhill cranes, ducks, and snow and Ross's geese numbering in the tens of thousands. The birds' return to the refuge is celebrated annually in late fall with the Festival of the Cranes, while the springtime migrationknown for visiting and nesting flycatchers, vireos, and a dozen species of warblersgets its own special event in May. Spring is also a good time to catch sight of the legendary greater roadrunner (maybe even with a coyote in hot pursuit). Although summer in the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge can get as sultry as you might expect, birders who head out in the morning and evening hours may be rewarded with sightings of black-chinned, broad-tailed, calliope and rufous hummingbirds. Shop Now SWInsider Cape May, New Jersey Named by National Geographic as one of the best places in the world to birdwatch, Cape May is blessed with a location along the Atlantic Flyway (a sort of north-south super-skyway for migrating birds), westerly winds and a range of habitats pleasing to our fine feathered friends. Thanks to these and other factors, as many as a whopping 400 species of birds visit Cape May during fall migration. Songbirds galore like vireos, tanagers, grosbeaks, warblers, buntings, and orioles flood the peninsula in September and October, along with raptors such as falcons, hawks and eagles. Ideal viewing spots include the Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area and Cape May Point State Park, but be sure to keep an eye for smaller flying critters. The area's famed monarch butterfly migration usually begins in late September and continues through mid-October. Cape May Bird Observatory and New Jersey Audubon coordinate a wealth of fun events in Cape May throughout the year, from migration watches to fall and spring festivals and The World Series of Birding. Held every May, the fundraiser benefits bird conservation by challenging teams to count the most species in a 24-hour period. Shop Now SWInsider Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona Cave Creek Canyon, which sits pretty at 5,000 feet, on the eastern side of the Chiricahua Mountains, is home to the elusive elegant trogon. One of the country's most sought-after birds by hobbyists, this beautiful metallic-green and scarlet red fellow's range in the U.S. is mostly limited to southeastern Arizona. You'll find him summering here, in this stunning slice of Coronado National Forest, most likely near the south fork of Cave Creek. Of course, as rare as the elegant trogon is, he's just one of as many as 370-some species birders may see in the canyon, including a dozen species of hummingbirds in the summertime. Thanks in part to the area's astounding biological diversity, which ranges from desert to grassland and various types of woodlands and forests, species as varied as the Western screech owl, the sulphur-bellied flycatcher, the cactus wren, the hairy woodpecker, and the majestic golden eagle all thrive in Cave Creek Canyon. Shop Now David Arment Central Park, New York It may seem counterintuitive to recommend a park nestled within a bustling city as a haven for birders. But Central Park, an 843-acre rectangle that dates to the mid-19th century, provides a critical pit stop for birds migrating along the Atlantic Flyway. Spring and fall are thus the peak birding seasons, with as many as 30 warbler species sometimes seen on a single day. In total, more than 280 bird species have been recorded in Central Park. The best places for birding in the park include the 40-acre North Woods; The Ramble, featuring a leafy canopy and feeders to entice avian creatures; and The Pond. It's frequented by everything from great egrets to majestic red-tail hawks, which are year-round Big Apple residents. Peregrine falcons, another raptor favorite, also are permanent fixtures in Central Park (as are dedicated local birders, who are usually happy to point out birds to fellow enthusiasts). Otherwise, in the wintertime keep an eye out for six species of owls, including the great-horned, barred, and northern saw-whet. Spring brings everything from cuckoos to flycatchers, kinglets and freshwater sandpipers. In fall, along with warblers, Central Park trees fill with sparrows, thrushes, and birds of prey. Shop Now Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography Everglades National Park, Florida The largest subtropical wilderness in the country, Everglades National Park sprawls across 1.5 million acres in southern Florida but can be easily accessed via entrances in Miami, Everglades City, and Homestead. The dry season, which lasts from December to April, is best for birding. Not only are there fewer mosquitos, but the warm winters attract the greatest variety of wading birds. They include the wood storkonce endangered and still federally listed as threatenedthe pink-plumed roseate spoonbill, the least bittern, the glossy ibis and an array of egrets and herons. Some of the other 360-some species seen in the park include the brilliant blue indigo bunting, the pleasingly acrobatic purple martin and the little yellow warbler. There are a number of trails in Everglades National Park popular for birding, most accessible from the main entrance in Homestead, but the "River of Grass" can also be explored via everything from trams to airboats. Guided birdwatching tours are available from both park rangers and outside companies. Shop Now benedek Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Ohio A refuge for 36 species of migrating warblers (including the endangered Kirtland's warbler) and more than 100 species of other songbirds, Magee Marsh Wildlife Area serves up some of the country's best birding come mid-May. In total, around 310 species of birds have been found here in spring, but the 2,200 acres of unspoiled wetlands along western Lake Erie draw plentiful species of birds in the fall, too. They include jaw-dropping numbers of waterfowl like Canada geese, mallards, green- and blue-winged teal and gadwall. The well-maintained trails at Magee Marsh make birding here a bit less taxing than at some other avian-rich destinations. Most notably, the mile-long Magee Boardwalk offers twitchers a stellar view of neotropical migrants without having to work up a sweat. Meanwhile, birders should head to Hawkwatch Tower to see bald eagles, a wide array of hawk species, and osprey soar in the springtime. The Biggest Week in American Birding, an annual 10-day extravaganza that takes place each May in northwest Ohio, will offer two daily guided walks at Magee Marsh, along with a wide range of other field trips, workshops, and special events. Shop Now Nancy Strohm Platte River Valley, Nebraska Dubbed one of the planet's greatest migrations, the mind-boggling influx of one million sandhill cranes into the Platte River Valley should be on every birder's bucket list. Each year, beginning in mid-February, 80 percent of the world's population of the tall, leggy, crimson-capped wading birds descend on central Nebraska. They stay until early April, taking a well-earned breather before heading on to their breeding grounds in Alaska, Canada, and Siberia. Among the world's oldest birds, the sandhill cranes spend their days in farm fields, chowing down on corn leftover from fall's harvest. They return to the safety of the Platte's shallow waters to roost at sunset, making dusk and dawn ideal times for crane watching. Blinds line the river; other perches include Fort Kearny Bridge in Kearney and Plautz Viewing Platform, south of Gibbon. Or, visit Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary for guided sunrise and sunset crane tours. They also offer an overnight photography experience for dedicated shutterbugs who don't mind spending the night in a blind. Shop Now Hawk Buckman / 500px Point Reyes National Seashore, California According to the folks at Point Reyes National Seashore, their piece of the Northern California coast "claims the prize for the greatest avian diversity of any national park." Nearly 490 species, or over half of all North American bird species, have been observed there. This staggering number is due to the park's more than 70,000 acres of diverse, unspoiled habitat; coastal location; advantageous latitude; and the 10-mile projection of the peninsula into the sea, which attracts "vagrants," birds that have made navigation errors during migration. Its location on the Pacific Flyway (like the Atlantic Flyway, a major north-south skyway for migrating birds), means that fall and spring are plenty productive in Point Reyes, though the winter months offer great flocks of waterbirds thousands strong. Head to Limantour Estero or Bolinas Lagoon to catch grebes, cormorants, pelicans, kingfishers, ducks, and more, while Abbotts Lagoon is home to coots, black-shouldered kites, Caspian terns, a variety of raptors and nests of the threatened western snowy plover. (The threatened northern spotted owl also flourishes in the park.) The park hosts several annual ornithological events throughout the year, like spring's Point Reyes Birding and Nature Festival, which boasts a wide variety of guided birding walks, and the Point Reyes Christmas Bird Count, with hundreds of volunteers tallying up the birds they observe throughout the day. Shop Now Conrad J Camit Rio Grande Valley, Texas It's almost impossible to beat the Rio Grande Valley for birding. Some 500 species have been documented in this mostly subtropical area, which unspools across 4,200 square miles and four counties in the southernmost tip of the Lone State State. Nestled within the convergence of the Mississippi and Central flyways, this is the place to check birds off your list you won't find anywhere else in the country, including such showstoppers as the great kiskadee, the green jay and the buff-bellied hummingbird. The World Birding Center is an invaluable resource for visitors, maintaining nine unique locations, each representing one of the valley's diverse landscapes. Depending on the facility, they offer goodies like tours and other special programming, exhibits, trails, boardwalks, observation towers, bird blinds, feeding stations, and even trams. The birds vary by site, too, with everything from plain chachalacas and Altamira orioles sighted at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley to endangered brown pelicans and piping plovers spotted at the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center. Want to flock together with some birds of a feather? The Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival runs for four days in November, offering a wealth of field trips, keynote speakers, workshops and more. Shop Now JeffGoulden You Might Also Like A massive statue of an L&P bottle standing outside a New Zealand town has caused quite a stir. Originating in Paeroa, L&P is a lemon-flavored beverage native to New Zealand. The beverage has been around since 1907, offering a recipe mixed with lemon juice and carbonated mineral water. The name L&P references both the flavor and town -- lemon and Paeroa -- and while the flavors may not be particularly unique, hunting down this soda can be difficult if a thirsty drinker is not in New Zealand. Thus, the beverage's slogan: "World Famous in New Zealand." Paeroa's mineral waters famously flavored the drink. Unlike other kinds of lemon-flavored drinks Americans might be familiar with, L&P leans into the lemon bitters category. The dry soda can leave behind a mineral taste in the mouth with a touch of acidic sweetness. Some white chocolate bars are flavored with L&P, but like the drink, they, too, can be tricky to find if you're not in New Zealand. This could be one of the reasons why the massive statue has held appeal to visitors to the area. The installment was a pointed effort to draw attention to Paeroa. "I'm the last person who's still alive and there's no one else around to give the true history," Cliff Pett, who worked on the bottle's construction told the New Zealand Herald. Pett admits that they didn't imagine this bottle would become a lasting attraction in the town, much less be standing decades later. Read more: 25 Popular Bottled Water Brands, Ranked Worst To Best Committed To An Idea close up of L&P bottle statue - Harrell Wong / Instagram Cliff Pett claims that a group of businessmen collectively decided that a bottle of L&P was a brilliant idea to promote the town. The group was drinking on a hot day, and an empty soda bottle inspired their creative campaign to bring visitors to the community. The men announced their idea to the mayor, council members, and then-owners of the Paeroa mineral water spring who all agreed this was a concept worth pursuing. In 1969, a concrete slab was set, and construction on the bottle took place. Vertical steel rods were erected on top of concrete rings that measured 3 feet in height, and chicken netting was wrapped around them before a local tradesman affixed plaster. A door was made at the base of the neck to provide access inside the bottle for repairs. While the statue remains standing, the soda has undergone some changes, including a shift of ownership, and Coca-Cola now runs the company. Read the original article on Tasting Table MOSCOW, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The Russian air defense forces have neutralized more than 30,000 Ukrainian aerial weapons since the onset of Russia's special military operation against Ukraine, a senior Russian general announced on Sunday. "Our forces have destroyed over 30,000 enemy aerial assets, including tactical aviation aircraft, tactical missiles, multiple launch rocket system projectiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and anti-radiation missiles," said Lieutenant General Andrei Semenov, commander of the air and missile defense forces and deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The remarks were made on Russia's Air Defense Forces Day, observed on the second Sunday in April. Semenov said Russian forces effectively thwarted group assaults on Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod, Voronezh, and strategic locations in western Russia. More than 3,000 air defense troops are on combat duty every day, Semenov said. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A convicted felon who was out on bond has been arrested in connection with some early morning gunfire near a South Nashville nightclub that left six people wounded, police said. According to authorities, the shooting was reported just after 2 a.m. in the 400 block of Bell Road on Sunday, April 14. The Metro Nashville Police Department said a quick response by a group of Specialized Investigations Division TITANS (The Investigative Team Addressing Neighborhood Shootings) detectives to the gunfire near the Soho Lounge on Bell Road led to the arrest of 24-year-old Erik Dewaun Williams on six counts of felony reckless endangerment and one count of unlawful gun possession by a convicted felon. Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts Officials said TITANS detectives were on special assignment in the Bell Road area when a 911 call came in about people with guns who were fighting. As law enforcement responded to the scene, they reportedly saw Williams holding a pistol. Authorities said he threw it down when he noticed them and tried to run, but he was taken into custody and his gun was recovered. Six people were injured by gunfire from at least two individuals that allegedly occurred as the result of an argument. As of Sunday afternoon, all of the victims are in stable condition, according to the MNPD. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee Williams is accused of, at minimum, contributing to the gunfire, police said, adding that everyone involved in the incident had been at the Soho Lounge. Officials said three of the victims an 18-year-old woman, a 21-year-old man, and a 22-year-old man, all from Columbia, Tennessee arrived at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in the same private vehicle. Meanwhile, the three other victims described by authorities as a 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old man, both from Columbia, and a 20-year-old woman from Spring Hill left in a private vehicle that crashed at the intersection of Bell Road and Murfreesboro Pike. They were reportedly taken from the crash scene to VUMC. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com At the time of his arrest on Sunday, police said Williams was free on a $50,000 bond in relation to a pending 2022 grand jury indictment that also charges him with felony reckless endangerment and unlawful gun possession by a convicted felon. He is set to appear in Criminal Court next month for that previous case. Law enforcement said Williams who is currently being held in the Downtown Detention Center on a $300,000 bond has prior convictions in Rutherford County from 2018 and Sumner County from 2021. According to officials, detectives from the Non-Lethal Shooting Unit are following up on this investigation. No additional details have been released about this incident. 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. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A 80-year-old woman was killed and four others were hospitalized after a car crashed into a Florida restaurant Saturday afternoon. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 24-year-old Cape Coral man was driving on Pine Island Road south of Island Avenue in Matlacha when his car swerved off the road. Missing Florida woman found dead in torched SUV after possible carjacking: sheriff Troopers said the vehicle then crashed into a restaurant called The BBQ Place and hit five people who were sitting in an outdoor dining area. After striking the building, the man then hit a parked motorcycle, mailboxes, garbage cans, and then re-entered the road where he crashed into a pickup truck. One person, an 80-year-old woman from Matlacha, was killed in the collision. The other four victims, whose ages range from 55 to 77 years old, were hospitalized for their injuries, according to an FHP report. As of this report, one person, a 77-year-old Matlacha man, is in serious condition. The crash is still under investigation, and the Cape Coral man could face charges for the incident, troopers said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. One person was killed and eight others were injured in a shooting at a large party in east Dallas early Sunday morning, according to a news release from police. Officers were sent to the 4500 block of Collins Avenue around 11:10 p.m. Saturday, where theyd received calls of gunfire at a large party that had moved into the street, according to the release. When police arrived, the shooting stopped and the officers remained nearby to monitor the crowd. They were still in the area when a few hours later, around 1:35 a.m., shots rang out again, hitting nine people in the crowd, according to police. Seven women and two men were taken to hospitals by Dallas Fire Rescue and in private vehicles. Coriesha Bradford, 21, died at a hospital, police said in the news release. The eight other victims, all adults, sustained non-life threatening injuries and are expected to survive, according to the release. Police believe based on the preliminary investigation that one person started the shootings, but others fired weapons after that, according to the news release. The investigation is ongoing, but detectives believe the shooting involved gangs. Anybody with information about the shooting is asked to contact Detective Phillip Wheeler at 214-671-3686, or send an email to Phillip.wheeler@dallaspolice.gov. A 25-year-old man from Altona, Ill., was killed Saturday in an ATV crash in Knox County, according to a news release from the Knox County Sheriffs Office. The crash happened shortly after 10:45 p.m. on the 2800 block of Knox Road 900E, the release says. The release says his passenger, a 19-year-old Cambridge man, was transported by ambulance to an area hospital, then Life Flighted to OSF Peoria with life-threatening injuries. Preliminary information indicates the ATV was traveling through a field and struck an embankment, where it came to an immediate stop. Names were not being released Sunday pending notification of family. The Knox County Sheriffs Office Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating the crash. No other information was available Sunday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. Smoke and flames poured out of part of a house in Washington County early Saturday morning. The South Strabane Fire Department said its members were called to Munce Ridge Road at around 1:30 a.m. When they arrived they saw heavy smoke in the house and fire in the walls. Firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading beyond the second-story and first-floor kitchen. During the battle with the flames, one firefighter sustained an injury and had to be taken to a hospital. Officials say the injury was minor and that the firefighter has since been released from the hospital. Crews say a long driveway, difficulty accessing water and strong winds made the fire difficult to fight. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: 26 barges break loose on Ohio River, cause damage to a marina Sewickley Bridge temporarily closes due to unmanned barge on Ohio River Another Mega Millions ticket sold in Pennsylvania wins $1M VIDEO: Steel City Con 2024 kicks off at Monroeville Convention Center DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts A 16-year-old boy is in custody after he reported to have shot someone, according to the Renton Police Department. At about 4 p.m. Saturday, officers responded to the 600 block of Camas Avenue Northwest to the report of a shooting. According to police, the 16-year-old boy said he shot someone. Officers found a 15-year-old boy who was transported to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. On Sunday, the 15-year-old boy died from his injuries. The 16-year-old is expected to have his first court appearance Monday. UPDATE 4/14: Unfortunately, this is now a homicide investigation as the victim has passed. The suspect is expected to have his first court appearance tomorrow. Renton Police Dept. (@RentonpdWA) April 14, 2024 18-year-old clinging to vehicle falls and dies during game of tag, Ohio police say An 18-year-old Ohio man is dead following a fatal accident during a game of tag, police told news outlets. Police say the man was involved in a game of tag with squirt guns when he seemingly tried to ambush someone he knew outside a home in Avon Saturday, April 13, WJW reported. His target had just driven home when the man dashed out into the driveway and jumped onto the side of the SUV, police told WEWS. He was clinging on to the side of the vehicle as the vehicle was moving, but fell off and hit his head, according to police. Officers arrived to find someone performing CPR on the man, WOIO reported. He was taken to a hospital where he later died, officials said. An investigation is underway, according to police. Avon is a suburb of Cleveland and is a roughly 20-mile drive west of the citys downtown. Mom leaves baby in car seat for 13 hours, leading to his death, Indiana officials say Armed husband clings to hood of car as kidnapped wife makes bold escape, Texas cops say Naked teacher found in SUV crashed by teen driver fleeing sheriff, Nebraska cops say Driver inhaled whippets before fatal crash that killed 18-year-old, Oklahoma cops say Two firefighters suffered non-life-threatening injuries Saturday while responding to a blaze that rapidly spread throughout a Bowleys Quarters apartment building, according to the Baltimore County Fire Department. The fire department did not immediately say on Sunday how the two firefighters were injured or if they had been released from treatment. The department said Saturday evening on X, formerly Twitter, that the blaze at the Seneca Bay apartment complex had been put out and that the cause was under investigation. The department said that no civilians were injured in the two-alarm fire on the unit block of Starwood Court, which is across the street from Seneca Elementary School. The American Red Cross is assisting residents who have been displaced by the fire, the department said. 2 people hurt after falling off border wall in Sunland Park 2 people hurt after falling off border wall in Sunland Park EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Two people fell off the border wall in Sunland Park, New Mexico, and suffered serious lower extremity injuries on Saturday afternoon, April 13, according to the Sunland Park Fire Departments X account. Photos credit of Sunland Park Fires X account The two people were transported to a local hospital by Sunland Park Fire. The incident happened shortly after 3:30 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. A person was killed, and another was hurt in a shooting in Washington County. Washington County dispatchers tell Channel 11 that emergency crews were called to the 500 block of Jolly School Road in South Franklin Township at around 11 p.m. Saturday. Investigators say two females were shot. One of the victims died. She was identified by the Washington County Coroner as Annalaya Wilkerson, 18, of Monongahela. The other was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. Channel 11 has reached out to Pennsylvania State Police for more information. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: 26 barges break loose on Ohio River, cause damage to a marina Sewickley Bridge temporarily closes due to unmanned barge on Ohio River Another Mega Millions ticket sold in Pennsylvania wins $1M VIDEO: Steel City Con 2024 kicks off at Monroeville Convention Center DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts MOSCOW, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Flights of Russian airlines to Israel, Iraq and Jordan have been suspended amid regional tensions, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency said on Sunday. Such flights and transit flights of Russian airlines using these countries' airspace "are suspended until the restrictions are lifted," the agency said on its social media channel. Earlier, Iran reportedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel in response to Israel's bombing of its consulate in Damascus on April 1. 20-year-old found with pounds of marijuana, meth and gun after a shooting, SC cops say A 20-year-old South Carolina man was arrested on multiple charges a month after a shooting, the Lexington County Sheriffs Department said. West Columbia resident Korey Muller was taken into custody after shooting at a woman following an argument, the sheriffs department said Thursday in a news release. Muller was charged with attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, according to the release. He was arrested April 2, and remains locked up in the Lexington County Detention Center after his bond was denied, jail records show. Based on the information detectives have gathered, Muller grabbed a gun out of his car and fired one shot at the victim after an argument March 4, Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said in the release. The woman was not hit by the gunfire. No injuries were reported by the sheriffs department, which did not say where the shooting happened. There was no word if Muller and the victim knew each other prior to the shooting, and information about why they were arguing was not available. When Muller, who the sheriffs department said is a documented gang member, was arrested he was in possession of more than two pounds of marijuana, meth and a loaded handgun, according to Koon. Information about how Muller was connected to gang activity was not available. A 24-year-old man is dead following an early morning shooting in Worcester on Saturday. Worcester police responded to Allendale Street around 2:19 a.m. for a Shotspotter activation, a spokesperson with the police department told Boston 25. Responding officers found an unresponsive 24-year-old. Responders attempted medical aid before the victim was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased. An investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been announced. If you have information about this incident, please send an anonymous text to 274637 TIPWPD + your message or send an anonymous web based message at worcesterma.gov/police. Calls can also be made to the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at (508) 799-8651, Worcester Police say. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW BOSTON The Healey/Driscoll administration strategy to aggressively pursue federal money for infrastructure construction projects appears to be working. State officials just announced the receipt of $3.7 million from Washington to alleviate flooding where routes 20 and 122 interchange at Grafton Street in Worcester County. Two Massachusetts Department of Transportation employees work to clear storm drains at the Route 20 and Grafton Street underpass in August 2023. The road was closed in both directions due to flooding from a passing storm This award is a game changer for Worcester and Shrewsbury, said Gov. Maura Healey in a prepared statement. We need to act now on critical transportation infrastructure projects like this, which will provide urgently needed relief for communities impacted by flooding and strengthen resilience. The issue at the Route 20/Grafton Street interchange is the pooling of water in the Route 20 underpass, sometimes several feet deep depending on the intensity and duration of a rainstorm. Cars stall out in the puddles, endangering motorists and blocking traffic. On Aug. 19, 2021, and again on July 16 last year, motorists and passengers in vehicles that had stalled out in the floodwaters had to be rescued by first responders. While there is a history of flooding at the interchange, a 2018 state transportation study indicated that intense real estate development in the area around the underpass over decades has exacerbated the problem. What was an infrequent yet bothersome occurrence now plagues motorists more than a half-dozen times a year. And unless it is addressed, it will only get worse. Was flooding at interchange always a problem? The drainage infrastructure was first built in the 1930s, according to the state. Development, with affiliated increases in impervious surfaces, has exacerbated drainage issues. Structures, homes, businesses, parking lots, sidewalks and all hard or impervious surfaces prevent water from seeping into the ground around the underpass. Less absorption means more pooling, puddling and flooding on the hard surfaces. A review by the state Department of Transportation determined that the drainage infrastructure needed upgrades. It had already scheduled the work to begin in the summer of 2025 at a cost of $5.5 million. The state plan is to improve whats already in place and to install a dedicated trunk line and numerous new drainage inlets. The DOT expects the new inlets will increase drainage in low-lying areas during storms, reducing the frequency and duration of floods. The state will also build a stilling basin, a catch basin that absorbs or dissipates water energy while it also reduces erosion. Flood water will be directed to Flint Pond, located at the southern end of Lake Quinsigamond that borders Worcester and Shrewsbury, according to the state plans, which also include environmental protections to prevent pollution of the pond. Equipment will capture and environmentally treat any solids in the floodwater at the point where it flows into the pond. The state expects the project will provide critical relief for areas of Worcester and Shrewsbury that have long been impacted by severe flooding. These funds will bring great relief to the Grafton Street/Route 20 area under the Route 122 overpass which is prone to flooding during storms and poor drainage, impacting residents travel, said Worcester City Manager Eric D. Batista. Thank you to our federal and state partners for bringing this project forward and investing in climate resilient infrastructure that will benefit residents for years to come. With the federal grant coming in at $3.7 million, a good portion of the work will be funded. "Shrewsbury's newly adopted Climate Action and Resiliency Plan notes the need to prepare for the current and coming impacts of climate change including flooding, which happens often along this section of Route 20, said Shrewsbury Select Board Chair Beth Casavant. With increased commercial and residential development, this funding will make our community safer by modernizing aging infrastructure to meet the challenges of today's climate. State and local partnerships like this lead to better outcomes for all." The grant was awarded under the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation Grant Program, as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and represents 80% of the total projects costs. This award is an important result of our whole-of-government strategy to maximize the federal funding available to Massachusetts and put federal dollars to work in our communities, improving infrastructure, increasing climate resiliency, and creating good paying jobs and equitable economic growth, said Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure Quentin Palfrey. The administration has already secured almost $3 billion in federal dollars from the BIL, as well as other funding initiatives launched by the Biden White House. The Healey/Driscoll team also secured $350 million in federal transportation dollars to help fund the replacement of two bridges in Cape Cod. There are outstanding applications totaling $2 billion still pending before federal agencies submitted for projects statewide. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Flooding headaches to get $3.7 million federal relief package MEMPHIS, Tenn. Three people are injured after a shooting in South Memphis Saturday night. Memphis Police responded to the scene on Cleaborn Street near St. Paul Avenue at 8:35 p.m. Police say one man went to Regional One Hospital in critical condition. Two other men arrived at Methodist University by a private vehicle. Those men are reportedly in non-critical condition. Memphis Police say no suspect information is available at this time. Anyone with information on this shooting is asked to call CrimeStoppers at (901) 528-CASH. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. The first criminal trial of any former U.S. president is set to begin Monday, when former President Trump will stand trial for his role in a hush money deal with an adult film actress ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump for months has sought to push back the start of his first criminal trial, launching a series of last-ditch efforts to delay the case indefinitely with little success. Now, for six weeks or more, Trump will be forced off the campaign trail and into a seat at the defense table of a Manhattan courtroom, where a panel of 12 New Yorkers will decide whether to make him a convicted felon before Election Day. A cast of high-profile witnesses is expected to testify, from top aides on Trumps 2016 campaign and Trump Organization executives to once-unknown individuals who sought to sell salacious stories about Trump and the media executives who helped catch and kill their tales. Here are five things to know before the trial begins. A 2016 hush money payment The case revolves around a hush money payment made by Trumps ex-fixer, Michael Cohen, to adult film actress Stormy Daniels aimed at concealing an alleged sexual encounter with Trump, who was then a presidential candidate in the 2016 election. Trump denies the affair. Cohen paid Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, $130,000 so that she would keep quiet. Trump paid Cohen back for executing the deal, and Trumps company logged those reimbursements as legal expenses which the Manhattan district attorney claims was unlawful. But the story prosecutors will tell at trial hardly stops there. Instead, theyll attempt to portray the payment to Daniels as a small piece of a broader catch-and-kill scheme to quash negative gossip about Trump ahead of the election. Two other payoffs a $30,000 deal with a doorman at Trump Tower who claimed Trump had fathered a child out of wedlock with a building employee, and a $150,000 payoff to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also claims to have had an affair with Trump are expected to be featured prominently by the state. Trump denies both of their salacious accusations. Trump faces 34 felony counts and possible prison time Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, which stem from his reimbursements to Cohen after arranging the hush money deal with Daniels. Trump, who has denied the affair, pleaded not guilty. The counts are tied to allegedly false records, including Cohens bogus invoices for legal fees, Trumps checks reimbursing Cohen and ledger entries documenting the reimbursements in Trumps accounting records. Each count is a Class E felony in New York the lowest level felony offense under state law. To prove Trump guilty of the charges, prosecutors must show that the former president acted with an intent to defraud and to commit or further another crime. Prosecutors claim in a statement of facts that Trump and other participants in the hush money scheme violated election laws and mischaracterized business records to outwit state tax authorities. Though some of Trumps other legal matters have ended in hefty financial penalties, his Manhattan criminal trial raises the stakes. Under New York state law, nonviolent Class E felonies carry a maximum sentence ranging from one and a half to four years. However, a conviction in the hush money case would make Trump a first offender, meaning the judge could sentence him to no jail time or probation. High-profile witnesses from Trumps orbit to testify Top aides in Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and business orbit are expected to testify throughout the trial. Hope Hicks, Trumps former press secretary who is thought to have been aware of the hush money payment at the time, is reportedly set to testify. She has denied involvement. Trump Organization employees including Deborah Tarasoff, an accountant who allegedly processed the hush money reimbursements and invoices, and ex-controller Jeffrey McConney who purportedly instructed Tarasoff to do so could also take the stand. McConney was a defendant in Trumps civil fraud trial, which recently ended with a New York judge ordering the defendants to pay $464 million, plus interest, for deceitful business practices. And at least two executives at American Media Inc., the National Enquirer publisher alleged to have participated in the catch-and-kill scheme, could testify as well: David Pecker, the companys then-CEO, and Dylan Howard, the Enquirers former editor in chief. The individuals whose stories were quashed Daniels, McDougal and Trump Tower doorman Dino Sajudin may also take the stand, in addition to Cohen. Trump will be in court New York state law requires that Trump attend the entirety of his trial, which could last six or more weeks. Even when he wasnt required to attend, however, the former president in recent months has regularly ditched the campaign trail to show up in court alongside his lawyers in multiple cases. Monday will mark Trumps 13th day in court this year, according to The Hills review of his calendar. Trump has turned his legal proceedings into a spectacle at times, storming out of the courtroom one day and causing a judge on another day to threaten to kick him out of the proceedings. The judge during Trumps hush money trial can remove him following a warning if Trump conducts himself in so disorderly and disruptive a manner that his trial cannot be carried on with him in the courtroom. Jury selection could take days Jury selection is expected to begin Monday, when Trumps lawyers and state attorneys will start to select the 12 New Yorkers who will decide the former presidents fate. The process could take days, if not weeks. Potential jurors are randomly picked from lists of New York registered voters, state drivers license holders, New York state income tax filers and more. To serve, they must be at least 18 years old, U.S. citizens and residents of Manhattan where the trial is set to take place. Jurors must also understand English and hold no felony convictions. Once the jury is assembled, Judge Juan Merchan will introduce Trump and the lawyers. The judge will also outline the charges and read off a list of potential witnesses before asking everyone if they wish to be excused. If you have an honest, legitimate and good faith reason to believe that you cannot serve on this case, or that you cannot be fair and impartial, based solely upon what you have heard up to this point, please let me know now, Merchan will ask. The judge has signaled anyone who raises their hand is likely to be excused. Next, the remaining jurors will be provided a 42-question survey. Among the questions: Do you listen to talk radio? Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for Donald Trump? Have you ever considered yourself a supporter of the QAnon movement? The survey will not ask about prospective jurors political party or if they plan to vote for Trump in November. Trump had sought to glean that information as he faces trial in a borough that President Biden won by nearly 75 percentage points in 2020. The attorneys can make challenges for cause that contest a jurors eligibility. Each side will also be given 10 peremptory challenges they can use to strike a juror without a reason. Eventually, the group will be whittled down to the 12 jurors who will decide the case, and opening statements will begin. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. 7 robbers punch, kick and hit man with metal object in the Bronx: NYPD THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) Police are searching for seven people accused of surrounding a man and attacking him on March 31, according to the NYPD. The attack happened on East 167th Street around 7:25 p.m. Police said the 22-year-old victim was approached by the group and was kicked, punched and hit with a metal object. The suspects then displayed a gun and allegedly stole the mans keys, cellphone and sneakers, according to authorities. 2 people fall onto train tracks after brawling in Manhattan subway station: NYPD The group then fled north on Sherman Avenue. The victim was taken to BronxCare Health System. 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. 85-Year-Old Woman Shot and Killed Intruder After He Handcuffed Her to Chair and Threatened to Kill Her "Her will to live appeared to be what saved her that night," said the prosecuting attorney Bingham County Sheriff's Office Derek Condon Authorities say an 85-year-old woman who shot and killed a 39-year-old man last month had been acting in self-defense after he invaded her home, handcuffed her to a chair and threatened to kill her. The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of Bingham County in Idaho said in a press release that the woman, identified as Christine Jenneiahn, had been justified in killing the man, identified as Derek Condon, under Idaho law based on the information they collected during the investigation. The incident occurred on March 13 at approximately 2 a.m. local time, according to the prosecuting attorneys office. The investigation found that Jenneiahn had been asleep in her home when she was woken up by Condon, who was dressed in a "military jacket and a black ski mask, and who pointed a gun at her. Her disabled son, David Jenneiahn, also was in the home at the time. Authorities said there was a strong likelihood that Condon struck [Christine] in the head while she was in bed, as there was blood found on the pillow and floor where she slept. They said the 39-year-old then took her to the living room of her house and handcuffed her to a wooden chair. According to the release, Condon then asked Christine where her valuables were located, placed his pistol against her head and made numerous threats against her. She eventually told him there were two safes downstairs." He then proceeded to go downstairs and rummage through several rooms. While he was downstairs, authorities said Christine drug the chair that she was handcuffed to into her bedroom and retrieved her 357 magnum revolver from under her pillow. She then went back to the living room and hid the gun between the armrest and cushion of a couch near where she was seated. When Condon returned, she ultimately made the decision that it was now or never and drew her gun, shooting Condon twice, according to the release. The prosecutors office said Condon returned fire with his 9mm pistol, striking her multiple times in several parts of her body. Authorities said Condon then went into the adjoining kitchen and eventually died from his wounds, while Christine fell to the floor while still handcuffed. She eventually called 911 about 10 hours later when her son gave her a phone. They said deputies provided lifesaving measures to her at approximately 12:17 p.m. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The prosecuting attorneys office said that evidence found in Christine's home backed up her story, including a broken window in the rear of the home and a screwdriver found next to the door where Condon entered. Condon's car was also found near the womans own car with a trail of footprints leading from it. Rylan Jolley, the Bingham County Prosecuting Attorney, said the case is an example of self-defense and justifiable homicide under Idaho laws. It also presents one of the most heroic acts of self-preservation I have heard of, Jolley said in a statement in the release. Any reasonable person would believe it necessary to defend themselves or their disabled child under such circumstances." "That Christine survived the encounter is truly incredible," he added. "Her grit, determination and will to live appear to be what saved her that night. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A child was killed and at least 10 other people were injured, including a 1-year-old and an 8-year-old, when gunfire broke out at a family gathering in Chicago, according to police. No suspects have been arrested in the mass shooting that erupted Saturday night on the city's South Side, and police are asking for the public's help in identifying those who might be responsible for the shooting. Deputy Chief Don Jerome said the shooting was likely gang-related. "This was not a random act of violence," Jerome said during a news conference Saturday night. "Regardless of the motivation for this incident, three innocent children were struck tonight and one of them tragically succumbed to her wounds." The slain victim was identified by her father as 9-year-old Ariana Molina, who police said was shot in the head. She was taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said. PHOTO: Chicago Police are rushing to the scene of a mass shooting on Saturday evening in the area of West 52nd Street in Chicago, IL, April 13, 2024. (Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock) Ariana's father, Jose Molina, told ABC News that the shooting also left him and his wife with bullet wounds. He said his wife remains hospitalized with a bullet wound to the back and that he suffered wounds to his feet. He said his daughter was "wonderful and helpful, and was everything to him." The shooting unfolded during a large family outdoor gathering in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, police said. Witnesses told police that around 9:18 p.m., a black sedan pulled up to the event and occupants opened fire on the crowd without warning. Police said there were likely two shooters responsible for the carnage. "The offenders' actions, make no mistake, are horrific and unacceptable in our city," Jerome said. Police officers went to the scene after a ShotSpotter alert detected 18 gunshot rounds at the location, according to police. MORE: 75 people shot, 13 fatally, in Chicago over violent holiday weekend Officers found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds and started performing life-saving measures, authorities said. At least three people were in critical condition, including the 1-year-old and 8-year-old boys, police said. Both children were shot in the abdomen and were being treated Sunday at Comer Children's Hospital, according to police. A 36-year-old man who suffered two gunshot wounds to the back was also in critical condition Sunday at the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said. The other victims ranged in age from 19 to 40, police said. MORE: Juneteenth celebration horror: 23 shot, 1 fatally, at Illinois event Chicago Alderman Stephanie Coleman, who represents Chicago's 16th Ward where the shooting occurred, released a statement Sunday calling the shooting "a cowardly crime." "The Back of the Yards community is united in our grief, prayers and collective mindset that we must continue to stand firm against these senseless acts of physical force," Coleman said. "Violence is a citywide issue that continues to falsely characterize the true essence and intrinsic nature of our neighborhoods. This tragedy has left us all heartbroken and distressed," Coleman said. ABC News' Roger Lee contributed to this report. 9-year-old killed, both parents wounded in mass shooting at family gathering originally appeared on abcnews.go.com ABILENE Kansas will soon have an official state heritage railroad and it's in the historic city of Abilene. A week ago, the Kansas Legislature passed HB2481, which, among other things, designated the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad (A&SV) as the heritage railroad and also named the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 3415, a 4-6-2 Pacific-type engine as Kansas' Official Steam Locomotive. The bill is awaiting Gov. Laura Kelly's signature, which is expected to come soon. Ross Boelling, president and general manager for A&SV, said this designation is an honor and speaks to the work that volunteers have put into making this heritage railroad a reality. Our organization was founded three decades ago on the idea of preserving the legacy of railroads as builders of our state," Boelling said. "Its great to make our mission an official Kansas tradition. More importantly, this designation is a great recognition of our volunteers and the tens of thousands of hours they have dedicated to the A&SV." This new designation will help in various ways, including in grant writing as the railroad looks to raise funding for the 3415 locomotive, which went out of commission last year to undergo a Federal Railroad Administration mandatory overhaul. A new seal for the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad incorporates the image of the ATSF 3415 locomotive and the designation of the railroad as the official state heritage railroad for Kansas. Boelling said a new capital campaign for the overhaul is expected to be kicked off soon, and this new designation will be used to enhance this and other funding options. Additionally, a new logo for the A&SV Railroad has been designed, incorporating the 3415 locomotive and the state designation. How did the A&SV Railroad become Kansas' official heritage railroad? The process to get this designation began earlier this year, with State Representative Scott Hill of Abilene, introducing two different bills, one each for the state heritage railroad designation and for the state steam locomotive designation. Hill was inspired to introduce this bill after seeing and experiencing the A&SV Railroad first hand. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 3415 steam locomotive travels along the Abilene and Smoky Valley Heritage Railroad line. The locomotive will soon be designated as the official state steam locomotive for Kansas after a bill was passed in the state legislature. The dedication of the volunteers was so inspirational the dedication of the staff is indeed infectious, Hill said. "The mechanic in me goes crazy every time I watch it in operation. The individual bills were eventually combined into a single bill and then bundled together with other transportation related bills. This final bundled bill was passed unanimously by the State House and State Senate. Hill said support from the local community in testimony before the legislature, including from Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Julie Roller Weeks, fifth grade students from Enterprise Elementary School and from Abilene's St. Andrew's school, was crucial to getting this measure passed. More: Abilene, Kansas, named one of 10 best historic small towns in America This proposal got lots of great support, Hill said. "The idea caught on for a lot of legislators." In addition to Rep. Hill, State Sen. J.R. Claeys of Salina championed the bill in the Senate. What does this designation mean for Abilene? The city of Abilene is full of history, including being the boyhood home of President Dwight Eisenhower, as well as a major stop along multiple cattle trails and railroads. Weeks said this designation adds to the history and importance of Abilene as a destination for people looking to celebrate the city's colorful history. This recognition highlights our town's commitment to preserving our state's rich railroad heritage," said Weeks. "It's attractions like this that contribute to Abilene consistently being named a best small town, offering visitors a unique and immersive experience in our history and culture. More: New artists, musicians and food announced for Smoky Hill River Festival this June Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad excursion rides season underway People looking to take a trip on the A&SV Railroad can do so now, as the organization's season for excursion rides opened last week at the train depot in Old Abilene Town, 200 S.E. Fifth St. While the 3415 locomotive is out of commission during the 2024 current season, A&SF Railroad will be running trips using a diesel locomotive. Tickets for Flint Hills Express Excursion train rides begin at $18 for children 11 and younger and $24 for adults. To see the train's schedule or to book a ride, visit the Ride With Us page on the railroad's website, asvrr.org/rides/. This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Abilene and Smoky Valley to become official Kansas heritage railroad Inside the prisons at Abu Ghraib run by Saddam Hussien during his 35-year regime taken in May 2003 in Baghdad, Iraq. Prisoners kept at Abu Ghraib prison - the biggest in the Middle East - were held in overcrowded and inhumane cells and were often subject to beatings, torture, and executions. Credit - Benjamin LowyGetty Images A U.S. military contractor is about to head to trial over allegations that it participated in a conspiracy to torture detainees at Abu Ghraib prison during the Iraq War20 years after infamous images of the abuse were seen around the globe. The plaintiffs, three Iraqis detained and tortured at Abu Ghraib, originally sued military contractor CACI, which provided interrogators for the prison, in 2008. Now the civil trial, which is expected to last two weeks, is scheduled to start Monday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va. The legal proceedings represent the first time Abu Ghraib victims will present their claims to a U.S. jury, the Center for Constitutional Rights, which is representing the plaintiffs, has said. CACI has denied wrongdoing and argued in court filings over the years that the plaintiffs didnt allege its interrogators directly inflicted abuse or sufficiently prove they directed it. Charles Tiefer, a retired law professor and former commissioner of the federal Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2008 to 2011, says this trial is enormously important. The rulings and judgment in this case will set the stage for how future combat is conducted by the United States, Tiefer says. If the jury decides against CACI, contractors could be reined in in the future, Tiefer says, but if not, the very reasons we relied so heavily on contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan will lead us to rely on them for future service with the military that used to be unthinkable. The U.S. military still contracts with CACI, with the Army in March awarding the company a $239 million deal to modernize its network. CACI and the Center for Constitutional Rights declined to comment Friday before the trial. Four Iraqi civilians sued CACI, another contract company, and three individual contractors in 2008. Suhail Najim Abdullah Al Shimari, after whom the case is named, was imprisoned for four years for no reason, including two months at Abu Ghraib, his original complaint said. There, he was subjected to electric shocks, beaten with a baton-like instrument, deprived of food and sleep, stripped naked, forcibly shaved, and threatened with dogs and death, the complaint read. The other contractor and the individuals were dismissed as defendants early on. One plaintiff later left the case. The abuses at Abu Ghraib were brought to the worlds attention in 2004, when CBS News published shocking photos of prisoners subjected to abuse by U.S. soldiers that was similar to what the plaintiffs described. In one image, a soldier held a leash around the neck of a detainee; in another, soldiers smiled beside naked and hooded prisoners piled into a pyramid. The pictures spurred worldwide condemnation, apologies from U.S. leaders, and the closure of the detention site. Eleven soldiers were convicted of criminal charges in the scandal in and after 2004. An early complaint accused CACI of committing acts of torture and other crimes, along with conspiracy. However, in 2018, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkeman, who will see the case to trial, dismissed three counts alleging direct liability. Brinkeman did rule that CACI could still face conspiracy charges under the claim that its interrogators explicitly instructed MPs (military police) to soften up detainees to prepare them for interrogation. This was based on the testimony of Ivan Frederick, a former military sergeant who was sentenced to eight years in prison by a military court for detainee abuse in 2004. CACI has contended in court filings that the military had actual control over the interrogation-related conduct at Abu Ghraib prison. CACI also argued that it and the U.S. government were immune from the suit, but in what experts say was a significant order, Brinkeman ruled that they were not entitled to immunity if the allegations were true. The three plaintiffs are expected to testify in the trial starting Monday, one in person and two remotely, along with retired Army Gen. Antonio Taguba, who led an investigation into the Abu Ghraib scandal, the Associated Press reported. Prosecuting contractors for crimes allegedly committed abroad is rare and challenging. There are innumerable hurdles to doing so, including collecting evidence, the need for extradition, and complex issues of jurisdiction, Steven Schooner, a professor at George Washington University Law School who has written on the subject, says in an email. Another civil lawsuit alleging abuse by a contractoragainst two psychologists who designed CIA torture techniquessettled in 2017 just before going to trial, resulting in damage awards for the victims or their families. Tiefer says theres no specific statute for bringing a case against contractors. He adds the CACI case was brought under a hodgepodge of international law and the Alien Tort Statute, which says that U.S. district courts have jurisdiction over civil actions filed by non-citizens alleging violations of international law. The case will be closely watched because it involves this unique statute thats not often used in litigation claims, Mark Bina, an attorney and litigation partner at Quarles & Brady LLP who wrote about contractor accountability at Abu Ghraib, says in an email. He says because of the relatively recent rise of U.S. military contractors over the past 50 years, theres not much legal precedent for courts to draw from to assess contractor liability in combat. If a jury finds wrongdoing, This would be a significant step toward helping other victims to seek redress for grave abuses in CIA or U.S. military detention in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, says Letta Tayler, associate director of Human Rights Watchs crisis and conflict division, who leads work on terrorism and counterterrorism. If found guilty, CACI would face damages, and its possible a judgment against them could count as a negative when they bid on future contracts, Tiefer says. The outcome of the case could have ramifications beyond remedies for victims, given the U.S. militarys dependence on contractors. It's fair to say that today, the U.S. military can't move, communicate, fight, or sustain itself without contractor support, says Schooner. Bina says that its difficult to predict what precedent the case could set until a final appellate court ruling, which could be years away. But the fact that this matter survived summary judgment and that triable claims exist signals that legal risks exist for military contractors operating during an armed conflict, he says. Contact us at letters@time.com. Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz visits Bosch Hydrogen Powertrain Systems (Chongqing) Co., Ltd. in Jiulongpo District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 14, 2024. Scholz arrived in Chongqing Municipality on Sunday to kick off his three-day official visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) CHONGQING, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz said on Sunday he is impressed by the cooperation between German and Chinese enterprises in the field of hydrogen technology, and Germany is willing to continue to deepen friendly exchanges with China and push bilateral cooperation to a new level. Scholz on Sunday visited a Sino-German joint venture and a Sino-German cooperative scientific research project on water monitoring, among others, after his arrival earlier the day in Chongqing Municipality to kick off his three-day official visit to China. At the joint venture Bosch Hydrogen Powertrain Systems (Chongqing) Co., Ltd., Scholz learned about the hydrogen powertrain products and fuel cell powertrain solutions, and experienced the assembly of hydrogen fuel cell power modules. Scholz said the company's technology progress and the factory construction speed were gratifying. Scholz is being accompanied by senior representatives of a number of renowned German companies, including Siemens, Bayer, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Zeiss. More than 5,000 German companies are operating in China -- which has been Germany's largest trading partner for many years. Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz learns about a Sino-German cooperative scientific research project on water monitoring in Jiangbeizui, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 14, 2024. Scholz arrived in Chongqing Municipality on Sunday to kick off his three-day official visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) CHICAGO Progressive activist groups from across the country are preparing to protest outside the Democratic National Convention with or without permits come August. Coalition leaders have attested their right to be within sight and sound of the conventions center stage at the United Center, citing First Amendment rights in a federal lawsuit filed last month. On Saturday, leaders reaffirmed their commitment to be heard outside the DNC, despite the citys denial of protest permits closer to the conventions site. A couple hundred people representing 78 activist organizations gathered Saturday for a day-long working conference hosted by the March on the DNC coalition to organize fundraising, communications and logistics for the months ahead before top Democratic politicians arrive in Chicago. While support for a ceasefire in Palestine is the unifying cause, the coalition includes representatives from dozens of causes, including reproductive rights, labor rights, and immigrant and undocumented persons rights. Well be marching with or without permits. This DNC is the most important one since 1968, also in Chicago when Vietnam War protesters and the Black liberation movement organized mass demonstrations that were violently repressed, said Hatem Abudayyeh, executive director of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, at a coalition conference Saturday on the Near West Side to organize protest efforts. The march on the DNC will be the largest mobilization for Palestine in the history of the city. The city has repeatedly argued in court that Chicago does not have enough police to protect the parade, keep protesters in check and regulate traffic, records show. As the Chicago Department of Transportation denied each protest permit, it offered each applicant the same alternate route: a 2-block march up a tree-lined stretch of Columbus Drive in the middle of Grant Park from Roosevelt Road to Jackson Drive which demonstrators have rejected, as the site is nearly four miles away from the conventions headquarters. Organizers have planned two alternative protests on the Near West Side, one at Union Park on Aug. 19 and another near Addams Park on Aug. 22. With pressure between activists and the city mounting, organizers are encouraging supporters to show up in large numbers in August to make crowds harder to disperse. If the people in this room want to make sure that we get as close as possible to Biden, what we need to do is bring as many people as possible because then its gonna be hard to keep us from being able to get close to them, said Meredith Aby, a lead organizer with the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, addressing a packed room of coalition members. Even with the scheduled alternative protests, organizers say they are confident in winning the federal lawsuit and still set on obtaining city permits through increased pressure on Mayor Brandon Johnson, who last month affirmed his commitment to allow free speech demonstrations. We know that hes a community organizer and he came from the movement, Abudayyeh said of Johnson. So were asking him and his administration directly to intercede here and to make sure that we get the permits to march within sight and sound of the United Center. And because hes a community organizer, he knows that he can also be a target of ours. A respectful target of ours, but we will ask him and we will continue to ask him and we will continue to press him and his office to make sure that they facilitate these marches and protests as well, he added. Organizers passed around a petition addressed to CDOT that called on attendees to leave voicemails at the mayors office. Abudayyeh, a lead organizer behind the more than 20 mass pro-Palestinian movements since October, said the coalition could see numbers up into the hundreds of thousands, as they await word of more groups who will join. For instance, one group in the coalition, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, has upwards of 30,000 members alone. A sneak peek of the coalitions organizing efforts could come in July, when the Republican National Committee sets up shop for its national convention in Milwaukee, just 90 miles north of Chicago. Its right down the blockIm sure the majority of the organizations that are here, definitely, the leadership of our coalition is going to be mobilizing for that as well, Abudayyeh said. But I cant imagine that the RNC mobilization is going to be even close to the DNC. With the city set to receive $75 million in federal funding for DNC security, federal authorities are planning a security perimeter around the United Center while top Chicago police officials responsible for security say planning and training are long underway. The training will focus on constitutional policing, police said. On Friday, a coalition of the community groups that triggered the ongoing federal consent decree over Chicagos policing practices asked the judge overseeing the agreement to block the police department from implementing a new mass arrest policy drafted in preparation for Augusts convention. The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and other free speech groups argue the new proposed policy eviscerates protections required by the First Amendment, the Consent Decree, and CPDs existing First Amendment policy to protect people engaged in First Amendment expression and activity. The groups argue that the new proposal is overly broad, fails to make proper accommodations for people with disabilities and non-English speakers, and marks a step back from a First Amendment policy that was negotiated after the violent and unconstitutional response to the 2020 protests over the police killing of George Floyd, according to the filing. Among other issues, the proposed policy fails to distinguish between different types of gatherings and which ones are constitutionally protected, the filing states. The groups have asked Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer to intervene swiftly because CPD officers are already being trained on the infirm policy for the DNC. The mass arrest policy must be brought into compliance with the Consent Decree and the First Amendment with enough time to train thousands of CPD officers and supervisors by the August DNC, the filing states. The groups say city officials who did not discuss the proposed policy with the coalition before its Feb. 9 release for public comment have not made themselves available to meet about the issue until the week of April 22. Thats six weeks after the groups initially raised issues with the policy in a March 13 letter to Pallmeyer. The coalition is asking Pallmeyer to halt any training on the proposed policy, order the Police Department to train officers on the agreed policy, and allow the coalition to attend training sessions. A police spokeswoman declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. (The Tribunes Dan Petrella contributed to this report ) As Iran launched a large wave of attack drones and missiles toward Israel on Saturday, the Israeli military was tracking and preparing to intercept the weapons in the first-ever direct attack on Israel by the Islamic Republic, the Times of Israel reported. Earlier Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had for weeks "been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran." Netanyahu said Israel's "air defenses are deployed, we are ready for any scenario, both in attack and in defense." Israel's missile defense system includes a complex range of weapons to protect and defend its country. IRAN LAUNCHES DRONES TOWARDS ISRAEL WEEKS AFTER DEADLY SYRIA CONSULATE STRIKE "Israel has a multilayered air defense system consisting of the Iron Dome, Davids Sling and the Arrow as well as other undisclosed assets. It will likely also get ballistic missile support defense from the United States, as the two militaries have been training on for years," said Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP With an annual military budget exceeding $20 billion and access to some of the most advanced U.S. military hardware, Israel controls the skies and much of the sea around its territory, and it has superior cyber capabilities. The Arrow Missile Defense System is made up of Arrow 2 and Arrow 3, which can intercept missiles fired from up to nearly 1,500 miles away and above the earth's atmosphere. Another weapon it uses is "David's Sling." It is designed to intercept enemy planes, drones, tactical ballistic missiles, medium to long-range rockets and cruise missiles, fired at ranges from 25 to 190 miles. WHITE HOUSE SAYS US SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IS 'IRONCLAD,' WILL 'SUPPORT THEIR DEFENSE' AMID IRAN ATTACK Streaks of light are seen as Israel's Iron Dome air defense system intercepts rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, April 7, 2023. The Iron Dome is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of two to 43 miles away and whose trajectory would take them to an Israeli populated area. The system was first used in combat in 2011. It knocked out a missile fired from the Gaza Strip, which has been under Hamas control since 2007. Israel's military has claimed a success rate of up to 90% for the Iron Dome. The Patriot Missile System is primarily used by the U.S. Army and the U.S. has also sent it to several allies, including Ukraine, Poland and Israel. The Patriot system is designed to intercept aircraft and cruise missiles at ranges of up to 94 miles and altitudes of up to 19 miles. Over the past several years, the U.S. and Israeli missile defense cooperation has evolved to include the co-development of several systems designed to thwart a diverse range of threats, from short-range missiles and rockets fired by non-state actors, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, to mid- and long-range ballistic missiles in Syrias and Irans arsenals, according to the Jewish virtual library. The Israel Missile Defense Organization states that they continue to improve each of its systems, adapting and advancing its capabilities to a wide range of threats. Fox News' Bradford Betz and Greg Norman contributed to this report. Original article source: Advanced air defense systems protect Israel from drones, missiles Amber Alert canceled for 12-year-old girl who went missing in Waco Saturday The Texas State Technical College Police Department canceled an Amber Alert issued for a 12-year-old girl who went missing in Waco Saturday morning. Sage Hunter, 12, was last seen at 10:30 a.m. in the 90 block of Bolling Drive in Waco, according to police. Hunter was described by police as a white female who is 5 feet, 4 inches tall, weighs 150 pounds, has brown hair with blond highlights and has brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with a bathing suit halter top and sweat pants. Authorities believed Hunter to be in grave or immediate danger. Anyone with information about Hunter or her whereabouts was asked to contact Texas State Technical College police at 254-867-3690. America does not seek conflict with Iran US Secretary of Defense The United States does not want to engage in conflict with Iran, but it will defend its soldiers in the Middle East and back Israel. Source: Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense, as reported by European Pravda Details: Austin stated that the United States condemns "these reckless and unprecedented attacks by Iran and its proxies," and urged a halt to any further aggressive acts. "We do not seek conflict with Iran, but we will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defence of Israel," he stressed. The commander of the Pentagon commended the United States military for its assistance in repelling Iran's major attack on Israel. Austin said that on 13 April, the United States intercepted hundreds of missiles and drones on their route to Israel, launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. "Our forces remain postured to protect U.S. troops and partners in the region, provide further support for Israel's defence, and enhance regional stability," he added. According to reports, US President Joe Biden informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the Iranian strike that the US would not support Israel's potential reaction against Iran. In response to the attack, US President Joe Biden convened the US security team for discussion and had a conversation with the prime minister of Israel. Additionally, he announced that he would convene an extraordinary meeting of the Group of Seven leaders on 14 April to coordinate a diplomatic response to Iran's attack. Support UP or become our patron! As conflicted as our judgements might be about Israels conduct of its war in Gaza, there should be no ambiguity about our condemnation of Irans attack on Israel. Our outrage should be as deafening as was our outrage when Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine on February 22, 2022. Within our developed world order there is no place for unilateral acts of aggression towards the sovereign territory of one country by another. Such actions sit totally outside the international security structure of the UN created by multilateral agreement after the chaos of the Second World War and invigilated by the UN Security Council. Iran has made a grave error in a direct attack on Israel. It is only through the technical excellence of Israels air defence systems and the willing cooperation of some of her allies that this attack did not result in mass civilian casualties. The pressure on Israel from the United States and other western countries, including the United Kingdom, to moderate its behaviour in Gaza has been put on hold while those same countries have stood with Israel in repelling Irans illegal attack. Of course, Israel was firmly in the lead in conducting its defensive operations against the Iranian attack, but the role of the US Central Command was pivotal as well. As much as China, Russia or even Iran might like to believe they have superpower status, there is only one military superpower in the world still, and that is the United States. Even though Donald Trump might like the US to step back from its international policing duties, President Biden was in no doubt over the last few days that the US through Central Command (Centcom) has a vital role to protect the rights of one country when threatened by another. To the credit of other countries such as our own, there was a willingness to contribute to this defensive military operation. Our Prime Ministers confirmation that RAF fighter jets shot down Iranian drones over Syria and Iraq claims justifiable credit for the UK participation in the operation. The challenge for the next few days is, how does Israel react to the events of the weekend? Israeli minister Benny Gantz has said that Israel will exact price from Iran in timing that is right for us. In war, timing is everything, but the right time might not be now. Israel has burnt up much of its international support after the October 7 massacre by its heavy-handed tactics in Gaza a poorly thought through operational campaign with no deliverable strategic objective so would be well advised to pause now and make carefully considered decisions. A massive reaction against Iran itself could be counter-productive. Unlike Israel, Iran does not have sophisticated air defence systems and its allies are a polyglot array of terrorist groups scattered around the Middle East. A major strike by Israel on Tehran, Irans oil fields or putative nuclear sites could result in massive destruction and loss of life. A more nuanced approach would be to pause, reflect and then decide what action to take. Flipping the coin, there are factors to consider. Had Iran chosen not to attack Israel directly herself but to do so through its proxy, Hezbollah, the region could have been today in a hugely different situation. Hezbollah has an estimated 130,000 to 150,000 missiles and rockets in southern Lebanon quite capable of striking the length and breadth of Israel. In the event of such an attack, the iron dome air defence system would undoubtedly have been overwhelmed with huge loss of life in Israel. In those circumstances, Israel has made it clear and personally to me on my last visit to IDF headquarters that such an attack would be met by a devastating counter offensive on southern Lebanon and the striking of targets in Iran itself. A consequent major conflict in the region would have been inevitable. In the last week since the strike on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus, the Iranians have calculated that a much-anticipated direct strike on Israel would cause only limited damage. They were right. A strike by Hezbollah would have been disastrous. Israel today needs to exercise restraint. That may well prove to be the right strategic option. General The Lord Dannatt is a former Chief of the General Staff 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. Making criminals out of legal gun owners Here we go again with yet another misguided gun control law. Senate Bill 1160 would require yearly gun registration, supposedly for better understanding of who has lawfully owned firearms. Really, it is a law to collect more fees, possibly to make up for the states lack of fiscal responsibility. Why not pass laws that take care of the real problem the criminals who flaunt our governments lack of the desire to put them in jail. What happened to use a gun, go to jail. We as citizens of this state need to let our legislators know we are tired of them making laws by making citizens criminals for owning a legal firearm. Put the criminal who uses a gun where he belongs in a cell, then dont let him out. As I have said time and time again, when will we get a clue? Duane Opie, Fresno Valley Childrens leaders lost their way Valley Childrens Hospital has evolved from a small hospital at Shields and Millbrook in Fresno to their large campus in Madera. Along the way the leadership has lost its way. When a top executive is paid $1.7 million, he should meet all his goals and expectations and not receive millions in bonuses. Opinion Remember this is a nonprofit that has received lots of support from our community. The success of VCH is its staff on the floor that carries out the hospitals mission. If anyone receives a bonus, it should be the nurses and the supporting staff that make VCH a world-class operation. I have read and listened to the excesses of the excessive bonuses, so I looked at the compensation of top executives in our area. These are larger, more complex operations, with more employees. They are Fresno city, Madera city, Fresno County, Madera County, Fresno Unified, Clovis Unified. Their compensation ranges from $230,000 to $440,000, compared to the $5 million VCH compensation package. Community Medical and Kaweah Delta pay their leaders about 1/5 of what VCH compensates its leader. Another concern for me was the $10 million donated to Fresno State and $124 million invested offshore. Be transparent invest locally. Al Rush, Fresno Keep tobacco away from young people We are the Advocates for Tobacco Abstinence Coalition, a group of young adults in Fresno, working with the Fresno County Tobacco Prevention Program. Our goal is to reduce tobacco use in our community by raising awareness of the tobacco industrys impact. We believe this can be accomplished by implementing a comprehensive tobacco retail license policy. There are several ways youth access to tobacco products, including buying them at local stores. Survey results from an undercover youth purchase study show that 21% of retailers in Fresno sold to young people. Its not surprising that one-third of high schoolers in Fresno County have tried tobacco products because many retailers fail to ask for identification. This can be significantly reduced if the tobacco retail license passes. More than 200 cities and counties in California have implemented a TRL and had decreased illegal sales to youth. The outcomes for a TRL include a minimum price for packs to make them less affordable, restricting flavored products that are enticing to youth, and keeping retail locations away from schools and youth zones. Protect the younger generation and help us support a TRL policy that will minimize the sale of tobacco products to youth and penalize retailers that sell to underage individuals. Karina Virk, Clovis Red-light runner On the digital edition of The Bee April 10, there is a caption under a picture that states ... a UPS truck running a red light and striking an SUV. Clearly, that is not the case, based on the video which shows the SUV running the red light. A prominent Fresno attorney says the intersection at fault. Dont think so. Perhaps a better explanation would be that Fresno drivers feel that their time is more valuable than your life, and the city of Fresno couldnt care less. Cameras to catch violators? Oh, we tried that in the past, but we didnt make enough money. While cameras wouldnt be absolutely preventative, a hefty fine would give some people a second thought before running a red light and endangering others. Bill Dixon, Fresno Arab nations express need for restraint following Iranian attack on Israel Governments across the Arab world called for de-escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran on Sunday, after Iran launched a large-scale missile barrage on Israel Saturday evening. Iran fired about 350 rockets toward Israel, raising concerns over a regional war after Israel attacked Iranian military leaders in Syria earlier this month. Nearly all the rockets were intercepted in a joint effort by Israel, Jordan and the U.S., with minimal damage inside Israel. The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry called for the highest levels of self-restraint in a statement, while the United Arab Emirates government warned of growing instability in the region. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry made a similar warning, urging both Israeli and Iranian leaders to exercise utmost self-restraint and refrain from provocations that would increase tension and instability in the region. Shoukry said the conflict between Israel and Iran has begun taking a dangerous turn as it coincides with the crisis in the Gaza Strip and adds tension to other hot spots in the region, adding that he spoke to Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the situation. The Jordanian government showed favor for Israel by participating in its defense on Saturday, with the government saying the move was to prevent Iran from endangering the safety of our citizens and residential and populated areas. President Biden spoke with Jordanian King Abdullah II about the conflict on Sunday, condemning the attack. Biden has also urged Israeli leaders not to retaliate, fearing a regional war. Israeli leaders have signaled there will be a response but have stated that they do not seek a wider conflict with Iran. This was a very aggressive and brutal attack, which looks like a declaration of war, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a CNN interview Sunday. But I also added immediately to say that we are not seeking war. We are seeking always peace. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Melody Felicano Johnson, 39, admitted to putting trace amounts of bleach in her husband's coffee pot and now faces up to four years in prison Pima County Sheriff's Office Melody Feliciano Johnson An Arizona woman who was charged with attempted murder after she poisoned her husband has agreed to a plea deal. Melody Felicano Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of adding poison or a harmful substance to food or drink, according to Pima County Superior Court documents obtained by CNN and local stations KOLD and KCRA. Johnson was originally charged with attempted first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty in August 2023, and the new charge is a lesser felony. According to KCRA, Johnson faces a sentence range of four months to two years in prison for each count. Johnson's attorney, a public defender, said she admitted to putting trace amounts of bleach in their coffee pot on July 11 and July 18, 2023, per KOLD. Related: Arizona Woman Charged with Trying to Kill Husband with Poisoned Coffee The 39-year-old was first accused of poisoning her husband Roby Johnson's coffee in March 2023, when he noticed a "foul taste" in the beverage. Roby, an Air Force member, was stationed in Germany with his wife when he first suspected his coffee was being poisoned, and he eventually used testing strips on his coffee and set up video cameras in an attempt to catch Melody in the act, according to court documents reported by CNN affiliate KVOA in August 2023. A camera was placed in the couple's laundry room, a second was installed over their coffee machine, and a third was placed to show walking between the two areas. 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. Roby used pool testing strips that revealed his coffee pot "showed high levels of chlorine," and according to NBC, he set up multiple cameras that looked like fire alarms on the ceiling of the couple's home. He pretended to keep drinking the coffee in order to wait until they returned to the States to the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson before filing a police report, he told authorities. The couple was living together with their child but were in the process of getting a divorce, CNN reported. Investigators said Roby "believes [Melody] was trying to kill him to collect death benefits." Melody was eventually arrested on July 18, per NBC. Her bond was previously set at $250,000, as prosecutors argued that she was considered a flight risk because she recently bought a house in the Philippines. Her sentencing is scheduled for May 10. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. WASHINGTON, April 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden said Saturday that he will convene leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries on Sunday to coordinate a "united diplomatic response" to Iran's attack against Israel. "Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack," Biden said in a statement following his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden said that he reaffirmed "America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel" while on the phone with Netanyahu. "I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks - sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel," he added. Biden condemned the attacks "in the strongest terms possible," saying that they were carried out through air by Iran and "its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq." U.S. forces in the region "helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles," the president said. Saturday's attacks did not target U.S. forces and facilities, according to Biden, who nonetheless said that the U.S. military "will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people." Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Israel earlier, in retaliation to an Israeli missile attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1. The Atlanta Police Department is looking for a person they say was involved in a robbery on April 3. Police say they responded to a pedestrian robbery call at 11 p.m. in the area of 3202 Martin Luther King Jr Drive. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] When police arrived, they met with the victim who told them after she left the gas station, she noticed a man following her. She told police the man told her to give up her belongings while threatening to shoot her if she didnt. He then took her purse and pushed her down a hill. TRENDING STORIES: Police are asking anyone who can identify the man to contact them at (404) 577-TIPS (8477), online at here, or by texting CSA and the tip to CRIMES (274637). Persons do not have to give their name or any identifying information to be eligible for the reward of up to $2,000. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: A drone is launched in an undisclosed area in Iran as Iran launches dozens of drones toward Israel. Tasnim News Agancy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Iran's direct and unprecedented attack on Israel brought the two nations to the verge of war on Sunday, as leaders around the world called for de-escalation amid fears of all-out war spreading in the Middle East. US President Joe Biden and the leaders of the seven leading democratic industrialized countries (G7) condemned Iran's attack in the strongest possible terms on Sunday and underlined their full support for Israel's security. "With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided," they said in a statement. Later, the UN Security Council was due to hold an emergency meeting in New York. For the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic, Iran directly attacked its nemesis Israel in the overnight barrage of drones and missiles. The attack was retaliation for the killing of high-ranking Iranian officers in Syria, in a suspected Israeli airstrike on April 1. Of the 170 unmanned missiles and more than 30 cruise missiles launched by Iran, none reached Israel, according to the Israeli military, saying it successfully repelled the attack, aided by the US, Britain, France and Jordan. A 7-year-old Bedouin girl was seriously injured in the Negev desert, but otherwise there was only minor damage to property in Israel and Israeli and regional airspace reopened on Sunday morning. Nonetheless, Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the attack a "declaration of war." Israel is now carefully considering its next steps, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said earlier in an interview with the Israeli army radio station. "We have said: if Iran attacks Israel, we will attack Iran. And this commitment is still valid," Katz said. He later said Iran must pay a price in calls with his British counterpart David Cameron and France's Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne. He told them that it was time for them to weaken the Iranian regime, Katz wrote on the social media platform X on Sunday evening. This included classifying the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation and imposing strict sanctions on Iran's missile programme. Others in Israel called for a regional coalition to counter Iran. Iran will be made to pay the price for its attack on Israel "as and when it suits us," Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's war cabinet, said on Sunday. Israel's war cabinet was weighing a response on Sunday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "We shot down, we slowed down. Together we will win," in a post on X. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) had "taught a lesson" to Israel and he warned against counterattacks. "We carried out an operation of limited scope and size against the Zionist regime," said commander Hussein Salami, according to the Tasnim news agency. He said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had decided to deal with Israel differently in future. "This new equation means that from now on, whenever the Zionist regime attacks our interests, properties, individuals and citizens, we will retaliate from the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said. Up until now, Iran has primarily relied on allied, non-state actors in Arab countries. Western leaders including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack, while Beijing broke its relative silence on the conflict in the Middle East to express "deep concern." Biden spoke to Netanyahu on the phone, condemning the attack and reaffirming Washington's "ironclad commitment" to Israel's security. Biden also told Netanyahu the US would join in any "offensive operations against Iran," according to a US media report. Scholz, currently in China, condemned the attack and he and other German lawmakers likewise assured Israel of their solidarity. Von der Leyen said the G7 would continue its efforts to stabilize the situation and said the group would also discuss further sanctions on Iran, particularly its drone and missile programmes. EU foreign ministers are due to meet on Tuesday for talks to further stabilize the situation. "Our objective is to contribute to de-escalation and security of the region," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also called for de-escalation in a call with his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amirabdollahian, Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported, citing diplomats. Syria said Iranian retaliation for the strike on its consulate in Damascus was a "legitimate right," state media reported. Meanwhile the Russian and Iranian foreign ministers warned of "new dangerous provocations" after a call, saying these could increase tensions in the region. AUSTIN (KXAN) The Austin Fire Department said one firefighter sustained non-life-threatening injuries after a fire in northeast Austin Sunday. The Austin Fire Department said one firefighter sustained non-life-threatening injuries after a fire in northeast Austin Sunday. (Courtesy: Austin Fire Department) The Austin Fire Department said one firefighter sustained non-life-threatening injuries after a fire in northeast Austin Sunday. (Courtesy: Austin Fire Department) The Austin Fire Department said one firefighter sustained non-life-threatening injuries after a fire in northeast Austin Sunday. (Courtesy: Austin Fire Department) The Austin Fire Department said one firefighter sustained non-life-threatening injuries after a fire in northeast Austin Sunday. (Courtesy: Austin Fire Department) AFD shared on social media the fire happened in the 7300 block of Berkman Drive. The injured firefighter has since been transported by Austin-Travis County EMS, per the post. This embedded content is not available in your region. AFD said crews received an initial report of a person trapped inside the home. After a search under heavy fire conditions, crews found no one inside. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Iran and Israel cropped flags displayed behind a wooden hourglass sand timer. Iran has launched a drone attack from within its territory towards Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari. It will take several hours for the drones to reach Israeli territory, he said. Andre M. Chang/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles as part of its unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, according to state media. It was not clear from the report by news agency IRNA what kinds of missiles were involved, as the IRGC has several types of medium-range missiles capable of reaching Israel. Ballistic missiles have rocket engines and are used for rapid attacks over long distances, and differ from cruise missiles, for example, which can fly at lower altitudes and are guided continuously. Iran said the attack is in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian embassy compound in Damascus on April 1 in which two brigadier generals were killed. From the Dispatch Weekly on The Dispatch Hello. Iran on Saturday launched nearly 300 missiles and drones at Israel in an attack that Western leaders had been anticipating all week. The Israel Defense Forces reported that nearly all the missiles and drones were intercepted, though the Washington Post notes that the few that did fall damaged a military base and one girl was injured. Well have more details tomorrow in The Morning Dispatch. Before that happened, the biggest story of the week centered around abortion and how the Republican Party is handling the contentious issue. Nearly two years ago, pro-lifers got the moment theyd been working toward for 50 years: The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The events of the past week demonstrate what a Pyrrhic victory that was. As weve seen since the court handed down its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, strict abortion restrictions are a losing proposition electorally. Voters in both blue states (California, Michigan, and Vermont) and red states (Kansas, Kentucky, and Ohio) have voted to enshrine abortion rights into their constitutions. That is a big enough challenge for pro-lifers to grapple with. But the pro-life movement made its home in the Republican Party, which in turn hitched its star to Donald Trump. And no one hates losing quite like Donald Trump. The former president and presumptive Republican nominee has tried to have it every which way on the issue over the years: He was the first sitting president to address the annual March for Life rally, and he appointed three of the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe. Hes described himself as the most pro-life president in American history. But last fall he called Floridas six-week abortion ban a terrible mistake, and he more recently drew the ire of pro-lifers who oppose in vitro fertilization by calling on Alabama to pass protections for that procedure after its state Supreme Court ruled that embryos were children. Hes also made conflicting statements about federal abortion bans. On Monday, he seemed to offer some clarity on the issue, saying in a video statement that the Republican Party should always be on the side of the miracle of life while also declaring that whatever states decide must be the law of the land. That disappointed some pro-lifers, but is a defensible position constitutionally even if made for the sake of convenience. As Nick noted that evening in Boiling Frogs, Donald Trump, situational federalist, has arrived at the right outcome for the wrong reason. He plainly doesnt give a fig about constitutional niceties; his allergy to setting abortion policy at the federal level derives entirely from the electoral headache this issue has created for him. But then on Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court reinstated the states 1864 law banning abortions from the moment of conception in all cases except to save the life of the mother. Trumps response? Its all about states rights, and thatll be straightened out, he said. Im sure that the governor and everybody else are going to bring it back into reason and thatll be taken care of, I think very quickly. Kari Lake, a Trump ally in Arizona running for the U.S. Senate, has even appealed to state legislators to overturn the 19th-century law and restore the states law restricting abortions after 15 weeks of gestation. So, is the GOP still a pro-life party? Can pro-lifers justify supporting Donald Trump? Activists are mixed. Live Action President Lila Rose spoke out forcefully against Trumps stance. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, expressed disappointment but vowed her group will work tirelessly to defeat President Biden and extreme congressional Democrats. Students for Life America issued a letter calling on Trump to select a pro-life running mate and to defund Planned Parenthood if he wins. Kevin writes about how, as much as the current dynamic is partially a product of Trumps radical selfishness, the pro-life movement is in a bad spot because it was narrowly focused on overturning Roe for so long that it forgot how to talk about abortion as a democratic controversy. There is hard work to be done, and its not at the ballot box. Consensus-building is the only way to build a stable, long-term policy that actually protects the lives of the unborn and reducesin fact, not in theorythe practice of abortion, he writes. Consensus-building is the way toward anti-abortion goals, not a detour from them. As I have written before: The pro-life movement doesnt win when nobody can get an abortionit wins when nobody wants one. But in the meantime, several states will have abortion measures on the ballot this year, and the issue is likely to influence other races in November. Chris Stirewalt explains in his Saturday newsletter how the issue persuades some existing voters to choose different candidates and motivates new voters to register and turn out. For more, check out Sarah, Steve, and Jonahs discussion of Trumps statement on The Dispatch Podcast. Thanks for reading. Here are a few other things you might have missed. Not a member? Join now! In Boiling Frogs (), Nick writes about a peculiar trend hes noticed. Its not enough for the America First crowd to oppose U.S. support for Ukraine or Israel on isolationist grounds. Folks like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Tucker Carlson are arguing against U.S. involvement on religious grounds. MTG has accused the Ukrainians of attacking Christians and Tucker Carlson is very concerned about Christian persecution in the Middle East by Israel. Nick suggests that its less about religion and more about tribalism: America First types want Christians to suppress their instinct to ask whos right and whos wrong morally and instead approach disputes by asking, Which side of this is more closely aligned with my ethnic or religious tribe? And he has some thoughts: The more political tribalism infects Christian identity, the easier it should be for Trump and other talented demagogues like Carlson and Greene to mold Christian belief to their political ends. In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission adopted net neutrality, which ostensibly prohibited internet service providers from blocking or slowing down access to sites on the internet. When FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai undid net neutrality during the Trump administration, supporters of the policy warned that the internet would slow to a crawl or that ISPs would charge sites like Google and social media platforms for access, which they would be forced to pass along. None of that came to pass, but net neutrality is back. Will revisits the history in this weeks edition of Techne, and notes that regulating ISPs has never been about consumer protection. It bears repeating: Even without these rigid guidelines, Big Tech came into being. Innovation thrived without the need for strict enforcement of net neutrality rules, he writes. Whats fascinating looking back on this history is that network neutrality has never been a fixed policy. The goal posts were constantly shifting and expanding. In the end, this battle was never about protecting consumersthey were always protected by the antitrust authorities. Rather, net neutrality has always been a battle about the limits of agency action. The youth vote is a perpetual mystery in elections, but maybe never more so than in 2024. For all the perceptions that kids these days are super progressive and aligned with the left, the fact is that Donald Trump and Joe Biden are surprisingly close in polling data of the under-30 crowd. John McCormack reports that Biden can ill afford to lose any support in that demographic. Biden, he writes, won Wisconsin, Arizona, and Georgia by less than 1 point and carried Pennsylvania by a little more than 1 point. If Biden were to win young voters by 14 points in 2024 instead of his 24-point margin from 2020and everything else stayed the samethat could be enough to sink him in 2024. Not a member? Join now! And heres the best of the rest. Charlotte reports from Tel Aviv on Israels preparations for a war against Iran and its proxies in response to an attack against Iranian personnel in Damascus, Syria on April 1. The Israel Defense Forces have called up air-defense reserves and canceled the leaves of some soldiers, the navy and air force have conducted joint exercises, and citizens are stockpiling water and non-perishable foods. Can House Speaker Mike Johnson pass aid for Ukraine and keep his job? The Dispatch Politics team details how Johnson is working to pull off that delicate task. Various states have tried to ban or limit social media platforms for kids, but the laws have failed subsequent legal challenges. Has Florida come up with a law that can both protect kids and stand up to scrutiny from courts? Nick Hafen explains how a new state law is dealing with that challenge. Conservatives had a lot of fun mocking the idea that Barack Obama was some kind of messiahor in progressive parlance, a lightworker. Is it any less ridiculous to describe Donald Trump as a man sent by god? No, Jonah argues in his Wednesday G-File (). Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg might have the weakest of the four criminal cases against Donald Trump, but hes got one thing that other prosecutors dont: a court date. Get ready for some history as the former president heads to trial over payments he made to Stormy Daniels. In The Collision , Sarah and Mike write about what to expect from jury selection, which begins Monday. And the pods! Chris Stirewalt stole Jonahs Remnant mic for a day, but well allow it: Our favorite West Virginia native is the perfect person to talk to Bates College professor Tyler Austin Harper, who just published an important critique of the book White Rural Rage. Give it a listen. What are the origins of originalism? David and Sarah get into that question and others on Advisory Opinions. And on The Dispatch Podcast, Jamie debates former MSBNC host Mehdi Hasan about Israels war against Hamas and whether the IDF is committing war crimes. 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. Biden branded hypocrite as documents show he used $2m from donors for legal fees Joe Biden on the campaign trail in 2022 - Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Joe Biden used $2 million from donors towards his legal fees despite publicly attacking Donald Trump for doing the same. According to Federal Election Commission records, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) paid around $1.05 million (840,000) to Bob Bauer, Mr Bidens personal lawyer, who formed part of his legal team during the investigation into his handling of classified documents. A further $905,000 was paid to Boston legal firm, Hemenway & Barnes, which had been retained for the documents case. The disclosure was seized upon by Republicans who accused the president and the Democrats of hypocrisy. If these corrupt Democrats didnt have HYPOCRISY, theyd have NOTHING! the Republican National Committee said. Last week the Biden campaign said his fundraising was in stark contrast to Trumps cash-strapped operation that is funnelling the limited and billionaire-reliant funds it has to pay off his various legal fees. Rufus Gifford, the Biden campaign chairman, said: Every single time you give to the campaign, were going straight to talk to voters, with 100 offices open in swing states, hundreds of thousands of calls to voters. We are not spending money on legal bills or hawking gold sneakers. Donald Trump in Georgia in March 2024 - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Payments to Mr Bidens lawyers started in January 2023 when the classified documents investigation began. The cash came from the DNCs legal account and the sum was about the same spent by the organisation during the Obama campaign. But Democrat spokesman Alex Floyd said: There is no comparison. The DNC does not spend a single penny of grassroots donors money on legal bills, unlike Donald Trump, who actively solicits legal fees from his supporters and has drawn down every bank account he can get his hands on like a personal piggy bank. However Christopher Galdieri, professor of politics at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, told The Telegraph.It makes it tougher for Biden to criticise Trump. One difference is the practical implication. As far as we know, this donation was a one-time thing. Trump has turned the Republican National Committee as the fundraising arm of his criminal defence team. According to The New York Times, Mr Trump has already paid $100 million to lawyers amid his legal woes. This does not take into account the damages awarded to E Jean Carroll after he was found liable for defaming the journalist who had accused him of raping her decades ago. Nor does it include the bond demanded by the courts after he lost a civil fraud case in New York. Barrage of court cases The former president has used the barrage of court cases to raise money from supporters, insisting that the prosecutions are politically driven. In his final report on Mr Bidens handling of classified documents, special counsel Robert Hur found that Mr Biden had wilfully retained documents. Papers relating to Afghanistan were found in the cluttered garage of his home in Delaware. But Mr Hur decided against prosecuting Mr Biden who, he said, would present himself at a trial as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory. Mr Bauer, who also worked for Barack Obamas campaign in 2009, led Mr Bidens attack on the Hur report questioning the presidents cognitive abilities. He and White House counsel Richard Sauber lashed out at the findings in a five-page letter. We do not believe that the reports treatment of President Bidens memory is accurate or appropriate, they wrote. The report uses highly prejudicial language to describe a commonplace occurrence among witnesses: a lack of recall of years-old events. 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. US President Joe Biden has condemned Iranian attacks on Israel and pledged a coordinated G7 diplomatic response. "I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms," Biden said in a statement. He said he had spoken with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel." "I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel." G7 leaders would meet "to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack," Biden said. "And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people." According to the Israeli military, around 200 drones and missiles were fired during the attack. The US military had helped Israel down "nearly all" of the incoming drones and missiles, Biden said. The G7 group of democratic industrialized nations consists of Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Japan, Canada and the US. The Supreme Court is set to consider a second abortion case this term, this time dealing with claims by a Republican-led state that the Biden administration is attempting to wield a 40-year-old federal law as an "abortion mandate." On the heels of a debate over the Federal Food and Drug Administrations regulation of an abortion pill, the high court will consider later this month whether the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) pre-empts the state of Idahos newly enacted Defense of Life Act which makes it a crime for any medical provider to perform an abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. The Justice Department argued that the states law does not go far enough to allow abortions in more medical emergency circumstances. However, proponents of the state law say that the administration's lawsuit against Idaho is attempting to use a federal statute as an "abortion mandate" to benefit the president ahead of the 2024 elections. WHY TRUMP IS DEFERRING TO THE STATES, AFTER WEIGHING AN ABORTION BAN AT 15 WEEKS A crowd outside the Supreme Court reacting to the Dobbs ruling in 2022. "Construing EMTALA as a federal abortion mandate raises grave questions under the major questions doctrine that affect both Congress and this Court," Idaho argued in legal filings. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP In an interview with Fox News Digital, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador said, "The Supreme Court made it clear that its up to the states to decide what our laws should be and that it's not for the federal government." "But Joe Biden and his administration decided to come straight and sue us in federal courts. We are excited to go before the Supreme Court to show that the state should be deciding these issues and not the federal government," he said. The DOJ said in its response to the high court that while Idahos law makes it a felony for a doctor to terminate a pregnancy unless doing so is "necessary" to prevent the patients "death," that exception is "narrower" than EMTALA, which by its terms "protects patients not only from imminent death but also from emergencies that seriously threaten their health." However, Idaho accused the administration of "construing the spare phrase" in the federal law "as a blank slate to be filled with the Executive Branchs preferred abortion policy collides with multiple statutory provisions guaranteeing emergency medical care for a pregnant woman and her unborn child." "Its clear that the administration is just manipulating EMTALA and that both laws should be able to coexist," John Busch, senior litigator at civil rights firm Alliance Defending Freedom and co-counsel in the case, told Fox News Digital in an interview. "If a woman's life is in danger, Idahos Defense of Life Act makes it clear that the women should be treated and helped. Because in that instance, when the mom's life is in danger, it's not an abortion in Idaho or any of the other 49 states," he said. But the White House says that the 21 states enforcing abortion bans are causing "chaos and confusion." "These extreme state laws have caused chaos and confusion, and women are being denied the essential care they need. But these dangerous state laws do not change the responsibility that health care providers have to their patients in emergencies covered by the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act," White House spokesperson Kelly Scully told Fox News Digital. "The Biden-Harris Administration has long been clear that federal law requires hospitals to offer health and life-saving care to patients in an emergency. The Administration remains focused on working with doctors, hospitals, and patients to make these federal requirements clear while the Department of Justice defends that understanding in the Supreme Court. No woman should be denied the care she needs," she said. PRO-LIFE CONSERVATIVES ARE 'DISAPPOINTED' IN TRUMP'S NEW ABORTION POLICY, BUT STICK BY HIM: 'ONLY ONE OPTION' Anti-abortion campaigners celebrate outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 24, 2022. EMTALA is a federal statute signed by then-President Reagan in 1986 after earning bipartisan congressional support, designed to prevent hospitals from turning away indigent patients who are in critical need of medical care and offer the same "stabilizing" care they would to a patient who could pay or is covered by insurance. After the Dobbs decision in 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade and left states to decide their own abortion limitations, Bursch said the Biden administration, for the first time in the laws history, used it to impose an "abortion mandate." A district court sided with DOJ and ordered a preliminary injunction of the states law. The Ninth Circuit affirmed that decision, which Idaho then appealed to the Supreme Court. Oral arguments are set for April 24. "What the Biden administration wants to do is take this law and turn it into an abortion enclave in emergency rooms," Bursch said. "And to the point where even if a patient came in, and they said that they were in critical condition because of a mental health problem, like depression, or anxiety, that would give doctors a carte blanche ability to ignore laws like Idaho's and take the life of the innocent child, and EMTALA doesn't say anything like that." REPUBLICANS LARGELY QUIET AS DEMOCRATS HAMMER SCOTUS ABORTION PILL CHALLENGE Supreme Court Justices posing for an official photo at the Supreme Court. Bursch added that what he believes is "so ironic" is that following the Dobbs decision, President Biden himself said that he disagreed with the decision, but that he understood that states operating through the democratic process would get to decide what abortion laws would control each state. "And it was only a matter of weeks later that he changed course and said, oh no, the federal government is just going to impose this new requirement by reinterpreting EMTALA in a way that it's never been interpreted in its nearly four-decade history." "It is subverting states' rights. Its pushing abortion on states that don't want it, and it's all blatantly illegal," he said. Stephen Billy, vice president of state affairs for SBA Pro-Life America, said the administrations novel legal challenge to a states abortion law looks politically motivated ahead of the November elections amid Bidens dwindling poll numbers. "The Biden administration doesn't feel like they have any other issue to run on, and it's clear what they're going to talk about and what they're trying to run on. Whether abortion is going to be a campaign issue or not, the Biden administration is going to try to make it one," he added. IN ABORTION PILL ARGUMENTS, SUPREME COURT JUSTICES SEEM SKEPTICAL ABOUT FDA ACCOUNTABILITY EXPERTS SAY Representative Nydia Velazquez, a Democrat from New York, left, Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and Representative Jackie Speier, a Democrat from California, march toward the U.S. Supreme Court during a protest of the court overturning Roe v. Wade in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. Billy cited the Womens Health Protection Act, which Democrats in Congress attempted to pass last year. It would have legalized virtually limitless abortion nationwide, but ultimately failed. "Congress's opposition to that comes from the will of the people who sent the elected representatives to D.C., and they have very little national support when you look at the polling for the extreme position of the Women's Health Protection Act," said Billy. "So Biden turned to executive action, ignoring the text of laws and just trying to use executive fiat to expand abortion on demand wherever you can, and however you can. And EMTALA is just one example of that," he said. Billy added that he believes the Biden administration is using "fear and scare tactics" around the issue. "The entire case is basically a claim that women can't get medical care," he said, but noted that every "pro-life state" allows for a mothers health exception and allows doctors to act when theres a medical emergency. "They are trying to use that fear to drive a political agenda and to save their campaign because they don't really have anything else to run on," he said. The Justice Department declined to comment on pending litigation. Original article source: Biden lawsuit 'subverting states rights' to regulate abortion heads to Supreme Court Biden meeting with his national security team as US pledges support for Israel against Iran WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden and his national security team monitored Irans aerial attack against Israel on Saturday as U.S. forces joined efforts to down explosive-laden drones launched by Tehran. With tensions at their highest since the Israel-Hamas war began six months ago, Biden pledged that American support for Israels defense against attacks by Iran and its proxies is ironclad. U.S. forces shot down some Iran-launched attack drones flying toward Israel, according to a U.S. defense official and two other U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The defense official said the effort to intercept the attack was continuing. Biden had cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team at the White House on Saturday afternoon, returning to Washington minutes before Israeli officials confirmed that they had detected drones being launched toward their territory from Iran. He convened a principals meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room to discuss the unfolding situation, the White House said. The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, risking a wider regional conflict. For days, the U.S. and Israel had braced for an attack claimed by Iran as retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force. The Pentagon reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with his Israeli counterpart to discuss urgent regional threats and made clear that Israel could count on full U.S. support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies. National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washingtons ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a Saturday statement that Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. She added: The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran. Biden on Friday said the United States was devoted to defending Israel and that Iran will not succeed. Asked by reporters what his message was for Iran, the presidents only reply was: Dont. He ignored a question about what would trigger a direct U.S. military response, and when asked how imminent an Iranian attack on Israel was, Biden said he did not want to get into secure information, but my expectation is sooner than later. The U.S., along with its allies, have sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalating the conflict. During the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, there have been near-daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group along the Israel-Lebanon border. U.S. officials have recorded more than 150 attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria on U.S. forces at bases in those countries since war started on Oct. 7. One attack in late January killed three U.S. service members in Jordan. In retaliation, the U.S. launched a massive air assault, hitting more than 85 targets at seven locations in Iraq and Syria. Meantime, on Saturday, commandos from Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel. Watson, the NSC spokesperson, said the U.S. strongly condemned the seizure and urged Iran to release the ship and crew immediately. We will work with our partners to hold Iran to account for its actions, she said. Also Saturday, the Israeli-occupied West Bank also saw some of the worst violence since Hamas attack on Israel. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. WASHINGTON, April 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated Saturday his nation's "ironclad" support for Israel, shortly after a meeting with his national security team to discuss the Iranian attack on Israel. "I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel," Biden said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," the president added. A picture that Biden posted along with the text showed that participants of the meeting inside the White House Situation Room included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown, Director of Central Intelligence Agency William Burns, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, among others. Earlier, U.S. National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement that Iran "has begun an airborne attack on Israel," adding that Biden was being "regularly updated on the situation." Meanwhile, CNN, citing a U.S. defense official, reported that "U.S. forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel." "Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region," the official was quoted as saying. President Biden and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke following Irans brazen attack that targeted Israel on Saturday. Earlier today, Iranand its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraqlaunched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel, Biden said in a Saturday night statement. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms. The president said he reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel and condemned Irans missile and drone attacks during the call. Ive just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel, Biden said. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. Iran launched a wave of drone and missile attacks on Saturday. They were anticipated in light of Tehrans public threats towards Israel after an alleged Israeli strike in early April near Irans consulate in Damascus, Syria killed two senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers. Israel said it intercepted most of the missiles with the help of allied defense systems, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Ramon air base in southern Israel was struck by seven missiles, Iranian state-run media outlets reported, while also some hit Nevatim air base. At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week, Biden said. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. Biden said that he will convene with G7 leaders on Saturday to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. My team will engage with their counterparts across the region, the president said. And we will stay in close touch with Israels leaders. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Biden is hoping to avoid an all-out eruption in the Middle East after Iran sent hundreds of missiles and drones, nearly all of them intercepted, toward Israel in retaliation for an attack on an Iranian facility in Damascus that took out a top general. Biden now has to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other allies not to escalate tensions in the region that have become beyond frayed since the start of the war in Gaza in October. Biden reportedly told Israels leader that the U.S. would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran going forward. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby was peppered with questions Sunday about whether the administration was confident Bidens mission to deter war with Iran was understood effectively by Netanyahu. When asked about reports that Biden told Netanyahu to take the win on the interception of the missiles, Kirby instead focused on what he called Israels success on Saturday. It was very clearly, you know, We stand with you in your self-defense, Kirby said on NBCs Meet the Press when asked about Bidens message to the prime minister. That was the main message that the president delivered to the prime minister and congratulated the prime minister and the [Israel Defense Forces] for the extraordinary job they did knocking things out of the sky. But I wont go into more detail. Again, I just go back to what the president has said time and time again: We dont seek an escalation. We dont seek a wider war in the region, he added. However, some of Israels war Cabinet appear to already be disagreeing with that sentiment. We will exact a price on Iran, in the manner and at the time that is right for us, war Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz said Sunday on his military intentions. Biden will also have to quell pressures at home to strike back on Tehran. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) called for as much on Saturday shortly after Iran launched drones and cruise missiles toward Israel, some of which also rained down on parts of Jordans capital Amman and areas of the West Bank. Iran has begun launching drone strikes on Israel, Blackburn said Saturday on the social platform X. @POTUS we must move quickly and launch aggressive retaliatory strikes on Iran. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), meanwhile, assessed that the administration had hit rock bottom on dumb policy decisions in considering Israels efforts to stop the missiles and drones from inflicting more significant damage a win. When you think the Biden Administration has hit rock bottom on dumb policy decisions or statements on national security, unfortunately thats not the case, Graham wrote Sunday on X. Only the Biden Administration would consider hundreds of missiles and drones being launched at your country by Iran a win, he added. For Biden, there is also the matter of U.S. military personnel in places like Iraq and Syria who have been under a barrage of attacks by Iranian proxies since late last year. When asked by CBSs Margaret Brennan whether Israels attack in Damascus raised the risk of danger for American troops in the Middle East and whether Israel should let the U.S. know before targeting any Iranian assets Kirby wouldnt go into details about the strike in Syria. We want to make sure the conversations were having with the Israelis are as contextual as possible, so that we can make the necessary preparations for our own troops and facilities, Kirby said. The other message the president sent over the last few days, and certainly it was discussed last night, is were going to take whatever steps we need to take to protect our troops, our ships, our facilities in the region going forward. Kirby added that Biden was speaking with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday about the potential need to draw down or reposition any of the U.S. presence in the region. Saturdays attack by Iran stands to also change the tune of at least some Democrats who had expressed serious concerns about Israels military operation in Gaza and its heavy toll on Palestinian civilians. These concerns were only elevated earlier this month, when Israeli forces inadvertently killed seven aid workers who were assisting with desperately needed food distribution in the devastated coastal enclave. The way this has been conducted in Gaza, I have serious concerns, Ive expressed those, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who serves on the Intelligence and Armed Services committees, told CBS. While he called the attack on the aid workers reckless and irresponsible, he then added: We provide [Israel] with significant aid, and were going to need to provide them with more by the way here because of what happened last night, we were going to need to replenish their rounds. When asked if Irans attack risked a wider war, Kirby told CNN that the way the U.S. responded to Saturdays attack was an example of how Biden sought to de-escalate the matter. The president, I mean, almost everything hes been doing since the beginning, since October 7, has been to try to de-escalate, to try to limit the opportunities here for a broader regional war, Kirby said. And if you think about it, just last night, the pre-positioning that the president ordered, additional ships, additional aircraft, fighter pilots into the region to help take down these drones and these missiles, I mean, everything hes doing is trying to set the conditions so that does not happen, he added. A senior administration official told reporters on Sunday the U.S. remains steadfast in containing what he called a crisis to only Gaza. Biden officials maintain that while they dont want to see the conflict get any worse, they stopped short of publicly advising Israel on how to respond to Iran. No one wants to run up the escalation ladder here, the official said. Israel has to think through carefully what it wants to do next. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. United States President Joe Biden meets with members of the National Security Council regarding the unfolding missile attacks on Israel in the Situation Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA 13 April 2024. | Adam Schultz - White House via CNP/picture alliance / Consolidated News This weekend's air raids in the Middle East set a lot of records. Iran carried out its first ever direct attack on Israel from Iranian territory, launching an unprecedentedly large swarm of drones and missiles against Israeli military bases. And for the first time in history, U.S. troops engaged in direct combat in defense of Israeli territory. The U.S. military shot down three Iranian ballistic missiles and 70 drones that were en route to Israeli military bases, officials told CNN. American ships and fighter jets were involved in the operation. Videos shared online also purport to show U.S. ground troops in Iraqi Kurdistan firing antiaircraft missiles. The British and French militaries assisted in the operation, and Jordan reportedly shot down Iranian drones over its own airspace. Although Israel and its protectors stopped most of the Iranian air raids, Iranian state media has claimed that Israel's Nevatim Air Base was "damaged severely" and put out of service. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari has denied this, saying that Nevatim was only slightly damaged and "continues to perform its tasks." No deaths were reported. Iran was retaliating for an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1. That attack killed 16 people, including an Iranian general. President Joe Biden, after pledging his full support to Israel for months, may have finally tapped the brakes. After Saturday's air raids, he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States will not support an Israeli counterstrike on Iran, according to Axios, because Israel already "got a win. Take the win." The New York Times reports that some members of the Israeli war cabinet wanted to attack Iran immediately but that Biden's call talked them out of it. Publicly, Biden condemned the "unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel" and promised to "coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack." He confirmed that "we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today." Israel's next moveand America'sis anyone's guess. Although the United States had not been informed of the consulate attack beforehand, Biden jumped to Israel's aid afterward. When Iran threatened to retaliate, Biden promised to grant Israel "ironclad" support and to "do all we can to protect Israel's security." And he had Gen. Michael Kurilla, head of all U.S. forces in the Middle East, fly to Israel a few days before the Iranian retaliation. Iran and Israel have flung violent threats and proxy attacks at each other for decades. While Iran has armed Hamas and other Palestinian rebels, Israel has assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists and bombed Iranian troops in Iraq and Syria with tacit U.S. support. The Hamas attacks of October 2023 and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza escalated the conflict across the entire region. Iranian-backed forces in Yemen attacked Israeli shipping, Iranian-backed paramilitaries in Lebanon fired on the Israeli border, and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq broke their truce with the U.S. military. Israeli leaders made it clear that they wanted to escalate and that they believed they had an American green light. Biden had to talk down Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant from launching a full-scale attack on Lebanon early in the war. But the U.S. president refused to place any actual limits on how many weapons the United States would send Israel or how Israel could use those weapons. Early in the war, Biden showed that he was willing to put American lives on the line in Israel's defense. Even though his administration insisted that it had "no plans or intentions to put U.S. boots on the ground in combat," Biden deployed two aircraft carriers to the region as a threat to any other country that might join the war against Israel. From Israeli leaders' perspective, the consulate attack was a win-win situation. Either Tehran would not retaliate, making Iranian leaders look weak, or it would retaliate, forcing Biden to make good on his commitments and bring U.S. power to bear against Iran. Iranian leaders chose the second scenario, betting that Biden's commitment to Israel was not as "ironclad" as he claimed. Explaining Tehran's reasoning, an Iranian source told the news site Amwaj.media on Thursday that "the U.S. is not ready to go to war with Iran." But although Biden did come to Israel's defense, he appears unwilling to push the conflict any further. Left out of the conversation entirely were the American people. Congress has not passed a declaration of war against Iran or authorization for the use of military force against Iranian troops. It hasn't even passed the supplemental aid package to Israel that Biden has been asking for. Lawmakers from both parties have called this weekend for Congress to pass the package, although Democrats and Republicans disagreed on whether it should also include aid to Ukraine. That wasn't the only way legislators reacted differently to the air raids. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (RTenn.) demanded that Biden "launch aggressive retaliatory strikes on Iran." Rep. Adam Smith (DWash.), on the other hand, called for "calm and restraint." Without naming Israel or Iran, libertarian-leaning Rep. Thomas Massie (RKy.) was more blunt about the stakes than anyone else: "I'm against the next war already." The post Biden Sends U.S. Forces To Protect Israel's Borders for the First Time Ever appeared first on Reason.com. Joe Biden, President of the US and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Stock photo: Anadolu via Getty Images Joe Biden, President of the US, stated during the conversation with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that he does not support the Israeli attack on Iran in response to the latter's large-scale drone and missile attack. Source: an unnamed White House official in a commentary for Axios, as reported by European Pravda Details: Reportedly, Biden and his senior advisors are deeply concerned that Israels response may lead to a regional war with catastrophic consequences. Biden told Netanyahu that joint defence efforts of Israel, the US and other countries of the region led to the failure of the Iranian attack, the source added. "You got a win. Take the win," Biden told Netanyahu, according to the official. The official said that when Biden told Netanyahu that the US would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran and would not support such operations, Netanyahu replied he understood that. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke on Saturday with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant and asked that Israel notify the US ahead of any response against Iran, a senior Israeli official said. Background: Iran launched an attack on Israel, using dozens of drones and missiles on the night of 13-14 April. Israel Defense Forces later clarified that there were over 300 air targets in total, including approximately 170 attack drones, over 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles, nearly all of which were shot down. The White House noted Israels success in repelling Irans large-scale attack. Support UP or become our patron! President Joe Biden urged Israel not to launch a counter-strike against Iran, telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. will not participate in one. Iran on Saturday launched drones and missiles to attack Israel most of which were intercepted by forces from the U.S., Israel, and other countries in the region. In a phone call with Netanyahu late Saturday, Biden told Netanyahu, You got a win. Take the win, according to a senior U.S. official who spoke with Axios. Biden further told Netanyahu that the U.S. would not support a retaliatory strike against Iran. Iran launched the attacks in response to Israel killing some of its senior generals in Damascus, Syria. I told Prime Minister Netanyahu that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, Biden said in a statement following the call. In a conversation with Israels minister of defense, Yoav Gallant, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that Israel should notify the U.S. before it makes any response against Iran, Axios also reported. Speaking on CNNs State of the Union, John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, said that the fact Israel was able to avoid widespread destruction proves Israels military superiority and demonstrates that Iran is not military power that they claim to be. This was an incredible success, really proving Israels military superiority and just as critically, their diplomatic superiority, that they have friends in the region, that they have around the world that are willing to help them, Kirby told Jake Tapper. Leaders in Europe and the Middle East have urged both parties to exercise restraint. I call on Iran and its proxies to immediately cease these attacks, European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said. All actors must now refrain from further escalation and work to restore stability in the region. The foreign ministries in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates called for both sides to prevent escalation, according to The New York Times. Iranian leaders said that the countrys military response to Israel has concluded and it is not seeking further escalation unless Israel responds with force. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said on social media, per The New York Times, that at this point, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no intention of continuing defensive operations, but if necessary it will not hesitate to protect its legitimate interests against any new aggression. Despite the Biden administration urging restraint, some Republicans are pressing for reprisal, even though it means escalating the conflict. We must move quickly and launch aggressive retaliatory strikes on Iran, GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn tweeted Saturday. Senator Marco Rubio also called for retaliation. Israel has a very clear military doctrine, and that is that they respond to attacks with something much more severe, the Florida Republican told Tapper on Sunday. I expect that they will respond. I dont think theyre gonna ask us, nor do they need us to help them in that regard. Marco Rubio complains because Biden made it publicly known that he won't allow Netanyahu to drag the US into a Middle East war. pic.twitter.com/07CizpQRvZ Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 14, 2024 Rep. Mike Lawler advocated for victory at all costs against Iran and cutting off Irans funding source in an interview Saturday night on CNN. We absolutely need to work with the Israelis to take out Irans nuclear capabilities. This is a grave threat. The world is in the most precarious place since World War II. We cannot be a bunch of Neville Chamberlains in this moment. We must be Winston Churchill. Victory at all costs. Israel must defend themselves, the New York congressman said. And to all my colleagues in Congress whove been calling for [a] ceasefire that have been seeking regime change in Israel: Enough. Get behind the Israeli government. Work together to ensure the free world is victorious. Because if not, the consequences will be dire across the globe. Iran is the greatest state sponsor of terror and they want to eradicate Israel. We must stand up to Iranian aggression and cut off their funding source their illicit oil trade. My bill to do exactly that passed the House in November and Senator Schumer needs to bring it up for pic.twitter.com/zhoEBlEtKS Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) April 14, 2024 Iran has denied seeking nuclear weapons, but IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in February that the country has shown a trend of constant increase in inventory of highly enriched uranium that can be used in nuclear weapons. Grossi added that the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by President Barack Obama and ended by President Donald Trump has all but disintegrated. John Bolton, who last served as President Donald Trumps national security advisor, called for eliminating Irans nuclear arsenal and said that Israels response to Irans aggression should be far stronger. Israels response and there should be a response should not be proportionate. It should be far stronger, Bolton told CNNs Wolf Blitzer on Saturday, adding, This is the opportunity to destroy Irans nuclear weapons program. At least one Democrat has also called for counter-strikes. Sen. John Fetterman, who has been a staunch ally of Israel, told Tapper on State of the Union that he disagreed with Biden telling Netanyahu not to counter-attack Iran. We should follow and have Israels back, the Pennsylvania senator said. Donald Trump addressed the conflict during a speech at a Saturday rally and a post on Truth Social, claiming that Irans attack on Israel would not have happened if we were in office. But Bolton shot down Trumps claim. I just think Trump is delusional on this point, he said on CNN. Its a point that nobody can refute or confirm one way or the other. He doesnt have any idea what to do in the Middle East in this situation. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone to US President Joe Biden Joe Biden reportedly warned Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will not participate in any Israeli counter-attacks against Iran. The US president and his senior advisers are highly concerned that an Israeli response to Irans attack would lead to a regional war with catastrophic consequences, US officials told Axios. On Saturday evening, Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel, involving more than 300 drones and missiles. The attack came in retaliation to an airstrike in Syria on April 1 that killed seven of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. Mr Biden said the US and Israel had shot down nearly all of the drones and missiles launched by Tehran overnight, aided also by Britain, France and Jordan. Israel said 99 per cent were intercepted without hitting their targets and that very little damage had been caused. President Biden meets with national security council regarding missile attacks on Israel - Adam Schultz - White House via CNP American forces intercepted 70 drones and at least three ballistic missiles, according to CNN, while Mr Biden also said that US support for Israel was ironclad. You got a win. Take the win, Mr Biden reportedly told Mr Netanyahu, adding that the US will not participate in any offensive operations. Mr Netanyahu reportedly said that he understands the USs position. Iran has said the attacks achieved all its objectives and that it is not planning any further operations. It warned Israel against taking any reckless actions, and said it would not hesitate to retaliate with a much stronger response. However, Israel has said the campaign is not over yet. Lloyd Austin, the US secretary of defence, has asked that Israel notify the US ahead of any response against Iran. World leaders have condemned Irans attack, with regional powers Saudi Arabia and Egypt calling for restraint. Leaders from the G7 will hold a video conference later on Sunday to discuss the Iranian strikes and coordinate a united diplomatic response. 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. Biden tells Netanyahu US will not participate in any counter-strike against Iran President Joe Biden and senior members of his national security team, seeking to contain the risk of a wider regional war following a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones directed toward Israel, have told their counterparts the US will not participate in any offensive action against Iran, according to US officials familiar with the matter. In a conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Saturday, Biden sought to frame Israels successful interception of the Iranian onslaught as a major victory with the suggestion that further Israeli response was unnecessary. Biden told the Israeli prime minister in his phone call that he should consider Saturday a win because Irans attacks had been largely unsuccessful and demonstrated Israels superior military capability, a senior administration official said. The US assessed that there was no significant damage within Israel itself, according to a senior US military official. John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, said Sunday the ability to prevent widespread damage was a demonstration of Israels military superiority and proof that Iran was not the military power that they claim to be. This was an incredible success, really proving Israels military superiority and just as critically, their diplomatic superiority, that they have friends in the region, that they have around the world that are willing to help them, Kirby told CNNs Jake Tapper on State of the Union. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asked his Israeli counterpart, Minister Yoav Gallant, to notify the US ahead of any potential response to the Iranian attack, according to another US official. Even as American officials stressed to their counterparts that the final decision on how to respond to Iran is up to Israel, Biden has sought to prevent a wider escalation of the conflict. On Sunday, Biden met with his fellow Group of Seven leaders to discuss a united diplomatic response with the emphasis on non-military actions that would limit the prospects of a wider war. In a joint statement released after the virtual meeting, the G7 members condemned in the strongest terms Irans direct and unprecedented attack against Israel and expressed their full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security. With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided, the G7 statement said. A senior administration official later described the convening of leaders and their discussion about Iran as constructive and stressed ongoing support for Israel. We are committed to defending Israel. We would not be a part of any of any response they do. Thats very consistent policy, the senior administration official said. In this handout photo, released early Sunday local time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talks on the phone with US President Joe Biden. Portions of this photo have been blurred by the source. - Israeli Prime Minister's Office Whether Netanyahu takes Bidens advice remains an open question. The Iranian reprisals came at a moment of deep tension between the men over the war in Gaza. Throughout that conflict, the limits of American influence on Israeli decision-making have been laid bare. Israel told the United States that its not looking for a significant escalation with Iran, the senior Biden administration said Sunday. The president was very clear that were going to help defend Israel, and he made very clear to the prime minister last night that we do have to think carefully and strategically about risks of escalation, the senior administration official said. Irans decision to fire weapons from its own territory toward Israel significantly ratchets up the long-simmering enmity between the two countries. There will likely be political pressure from inside Israel for some type of response. Kirby said the attack the first launched from Iranian soil against Israel did not necessarily have to constitute the start of a broader regional war. We dont believe it is nor do we believe it has to be, he told Tapper, noting that the US and Israel both had a good sense of what Iran was planning to do ahead of time. Gallant warned Sunday that the confrontation with Iran is not over yet. The countrys response options are expected to be discussed in detail during a meeting of Israels war cabinet meeting. The Commander of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, warned that Tehran would respond directly if Israel retaliates, saying a new equation had been created. Tense moments in the Situation Room Biden gathered Saturday with his national security team for real-time updates on Irans attack against Israel at times leading to tense moments in the White House Situation Room. One of those tense moments occurred when over 100 ballistic missiles were in the sky, with a short travel time to Israel. The results of the defenses, of course, were unclear until all was said and done. As the results of the defenses came in, which is when we knew that preparations and planning had succeeded, there was a bit of a relief, the senior administration official said. US officials have touted ongoing preparations ahead of Irans attack, which had been anticipated since a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in Syria earlier this month. Preparations ahead of Saturdays attack started nearly two weeks ago, the senior administration official said, and involved a force posture adjustment, and ongoing discussions with Israelis and other partners in the region, among other measures. After the White House determined Saturdays attack was largely defeated, Biden connected with Netanyahu. Biden has continued to be routinely updated, according to officials. On Sunday morning, the president again gathered his advisers in the Situation Room, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, and Mideast coordinator Brett McGurk. This story and headline have been updated with additional reporting. CNNs Sharon Braithwaite, Radina Gigova, Catherine Nicholls and Tamar Michaelis contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com President Biden has won the Alaska Democratic presidential primary, according to a projection from Decision Desk HQ. Biden was the only candidate on the ballot with Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), a primary challenger who was also originally on the ballot, having dropped out last month. The Alaska Democratic Party decided as a result to hold a voice vote instead of having voters cast their ballots. Bidens win will add at least most of the states 15 pledged delegates up for grabs to his total. He already mathematically clinched the Democratic nomination last month, paving the way for a rematch between him and former President Trump in November. Alaska has historically voted Republican in presidential elections. The last Democratic presidential candidate to nab a win in the state was former President Johnson in 1964, per the Associated Press. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Tehran did not heed President Joe Bidens warning to not strike Israel and launched 200 explosive drones and ballistic missiles against the Jewish state on Saturday. The attack was the only direct Iranian offensive on Israel ever, and the first by a state since 1991. Yet despite hours of live media coverage, the damage that Iran has inflicted on Israel seems to have been insignificant. The question has thus become: Will Israel now grasp an opportunity it has long waited for and respond? Irans attack came to avenge an air strikewidely acknowledged to be from Israelon Damascus that killed seven senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) generals, including Mohamed Zahedi. Israel believes that Zahedi helped mastermind the October 7 Hamas attack, which led to the murder of 1,200 Israelis. Hamas confirmed the Israeli claims when it eulogized Zahedi, crediting him with building Hamass military wing and helping plan the October 7 attack. Zahedi was not the first of the senior IRGC generals killed by Israeli airstrikes on Syria. But this time, Irans proxiessuch as Hezbollah in Lebanonvoiced their expectations that the Islamic Republic would respond. The Lebanese saw no reason why they engage Israel in battle to help Hamas, but Iran does not, even after Israel had taken out a top Iranian general. Tehran, for its part, feared that launching a first-ever attack from its territory on Israel would give the Jewish state a license to respond and take out strategic Iranian assets, including nuclear facilities that Israel believes Tehran is using to develop a nuclear weapon. After a week of chest thumping, Iran finally attacked Israel from Iranian territory. At face value, the attack looked big. To put it in perspective, consider that on a hellish night in Ukraine, Russia attacks Kiev with 50 Iran-made Shahed kamikaze drones. Iran fired over 100 of these. Tehran then layered its attack, in military lingo, with ballistic missiles that flew at much higher speed. Once the Iranian drones were reportedly airborne, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) seemed at ease, with its spokesperson Daniel Hagari finding enough time to hold a presser, during which he did not ask Israelis to head to bomb shelters. Despite the sheer number of Iranian drones and missiles, the military value of the Iranian attack on Israel seems to have been insignificant, injuring one child and causing minor damage at a military base. Fighter jets from Israel, the U.S., the U.K., and Jordan helped shoot down most of the drones and missiles before they even reached Israeli airspace. The attacks political value, however, seemed significant. Since it took the Iranian drones some two hours to reach Israel, global media covered the attack live, with pundits analyzing the situation. Dozens of official statements were aired as breaking news. Meanwhile, citizens of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon captured footage of the explosive drones cruising at high altitude and shining like comets in the dark nights sky. In Jordan, citizens captured images of their air force scrambling to prevent Tehrans drones from crossing its airspace, shooting down dozens of them. Over the course of a few hours of live TV coverage, Iran announced to the world that it was not scared of striking Israel. But the slow motion attack also made the Islamic Republic the butt of jokes, especially with videos showing that some drones fell in Iranian territory. Meanwhile, Iran telegraphedthrough its UN delegationthat its revenge for Zahedis death had been exacted, and that it was not willing to carry the military confrontation further. Irans UN delegation warned of harsher punishments should Israel repeat its offense in the future. In other words, Iran wanted to impress on its partisans that it had stood up to Israel and fought back, and by doing so, it has restored deterrence. But not so fast. As the Iranian attack unfolded, Israeli officials were huddling and issuing statements to the effect that Tehran should expect an Israeli response. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Biden spoke over the phone. The U.S. President, who had earlier said that Americas commitment to Israels defense was ironclad, seemed to have meant what he saiddefenseverbatim. In his call, Biden told Netanyahu that America, which helped shoot down Iranian drones and missiles, did not support an Israeli counterattack. Netanyahu might grasp the opportunity and hit the Iranian octopus on its head, instead of fighting with its proxy arms. Alternatively he might let the Iranian attack pass without an Israeli response for fear of aggravating his already strained relationship with Biden. Which direction the Israeli leader will go is anybodys guess. 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. SALMON CREEK, Wash. (KOIN) Around 11 a.m. Saturday Jamie Gardner was playing bingo inside the American Legion hall in Salmon Creek. But the bingo game was interrupted by bullets. A suspected armed carjacker was spotted by Clark County deputies going into the American Legion hall, 14011 NE 20th Avenue, and deputies followed him inside The first things were screaming yelling, gasping, Gardner told KOIN 6 News. And then I knew something was terribly wrong. Suspected carjacker dies at American Legion in Salmon Creek Gardner then witnessed what happened next. Jamie Gardner was playing bingo at the American Legion hall in Salmon Creek when Clark County deputies confronted an armed suspected carjacker inside, April 13, 202 4 (KOIN) I only seen him in the entranceway of the mens restroom about two feet in, like he was coming out of the bathroom and then the cops were going towards the bathroom, she said. I heard shots ring out. The shooting happened so fast. And we were under the table and it was just a matter of seconds. The Clark County Sheriffs Office said four deputies are on administrative leave following the shooting that left the suspect dead. Sgt. Chris Skidmore did not confirm or deny if there was an exchange of gunfire between the suspect who died at the scene and the deputies. Gardner said she and everyone else in the American Legion hall walked out the front door and lined up near the Walgreens. How it began The incident began around 10:30 a.m. when a man and woman carjacked a van in Hazel Dell at gunpoint. Jess Arnett, the man who was the victim of the initial carjacking, told KOIN 6 News the thieves first asked to borrow his car before pointing a gun at him and demanded his keys. The carjackers then stopped at the Goodwill in Salmon Creek, where officials said they tried to carjack a different car with someone inside. Jess Arnett of Hazel Dell was carjacked by a man who later died in the American Legion in Salmon Creek, April 13, 2024 (KOIN) A deputy-involved shooting left a suspected carjacker dead inside the American Legion in Salmon Creek, April 13, 2024 (KOIN) A woman suspected in a carjacking in Hazel Dell is taken into custody by Clark Couty deputies, April 13, 2024 (KOIN) A woman suspected in a carjacking in Hazel Dell is taken into custody by Clark Couty deputies, April 13, 2024 (KOIN) Arnetts stolen van was spotted behind the American Legion and authorities said they spotted the armed carjacker go inside. Both deputies and gunfire followed quickly. No deputies were hurt. The woman suspected in the carjackings was taken into custody near the scene around 3:20 p.m. The names of the suspects have not yet been released. The Clark County Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death of the man suspected in the carjacking incident. Because it was an officer-involved shooting, the Vancouver Police Department, under the auspices of the Southwest Independent Investigative Response Team, will be the lead investigative agency into the shooting. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. This photo released on April 14, 2024 shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu making a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden. U.S. President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call on Saturday that the United States will oppose any Israeli counterattack against Iran, U.S. news portal Axios reported, citing a senior White House official. (GPO/Handout via Xinhua) WASHINGTON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call on Saturday that the United States will oppose any Israeli counterattack against Iran, U.S. news portal Axios reported, citing a senior White House official. "You got a win. Take the win," Biden told Netanyahu, thanking Israel, the United States, and other countries for their joint efforts, which failed Iran's attacks, according to the official. The official was quoted as saying that when Biden told Netanyahu that the United States would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran and would not support such operations, Netanyahu said he understood. Also on Saturday night, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke for the second time with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, during which the Pentagon chief reiterated Washington's "ironclad" support for Israel's defense, Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said in a statement. Austin told Gallant that the United States would ask Israel to notify Washington ahead of any response against Iran, reported Axios, citing a senior Israeli official. This photo released by Israeli Defense Ministry on April 14, 2024 shows Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant having a phone call with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. On Saturday night, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke for the second time with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, during which the Pentagon chief reiterated Washington's "ironclad" support for Israel's defense, Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said in a statement. (Ariel Hermoni - Israeli Defense Ministry/Handout via Xinhua) One Black woman CEOs organization is making a big difference. Sheena Meade is the CEO of The Clean Slate Initiative, a national bipartisan organization dedicated to advancing policy that automatically clears all eligible arrest and conviction records across the country. So far, the organization has helped pass legislation in 12 states that provides a path to record clearance for 15 million people. Meade recently spoke to Blavity about the Clean Slate initiative and the work that is being done. She spoke about the goals of the initiative, the impact of Clean Slate legislation, challenges faced, success stories, collaborations and future plans. What inspired you to join the Clean Slate initiative, and what are its main goals and objectives? I was inspired to join The Clean Slate Initiative after my involvement in the Amendment 4 campaign, which restored voting rights for more than 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions in 2018. I saw this campaign prioritize people over politics and unify people beyond political lines or economic status to rally around redemption, second chances, and forgiveness. I recognized that the Amendment 4 campaign was the blueprint for the Clean Slate work and saw it as a natural extension of my work to make record clearance possible. I was enthusiastic to expand these efforts to offer pathways to accessibility to housing, education, and employment, while simultaneously dismantling barriers to these very same resources. What particularly excited me was the opportunity to continue developing winning strategies and bringing together individuals of all demographics to push to advance a bipartisan issue. At the Clean Slate Initiative, we are working to dismantle stigmas associated with having a record and ensuring that individuals are not solely defined by their history. Our mission is to pass and implement laws that automatically clear eligible records nationwide for people who have completed their sentence and remained crime-free, and expand who is eligible for clearance. This work would have a significant impact on millions of individuals affected by arrests or convictions. As a directly impacted individual, I understand the barriers people with records face. While I have not received record clearance yet, Im dedicated to creating a path for not just myself but the millions of people who are deserving of the opportunity to be defined beyond their mistakes. Our ongoing commitment is to steadily reduce the number of people facing barriers due to their records by making automatic record clearance a reality and transformatively shifting how people view those with records. Can you explain how the process of automatically clearing eligible arrests and convictions through some of the policies and legislation that The Clean Slate Initiative has helped enact? Whats beautiful about Clean Slate policy is that it takes the burden off of the individual. The current process for record clearance is filled with red tape and makes it difficult for people to get their records cleared. They may have to petition the courts, do a ton of paperwork, or pay fees associated with the process and this may look different from state to state. The Clean Slate Initiative is working to streamline and automate that process. Once someone has served their time and remained crime-free for a certain amount of time, Clean Slate policy would ensure that their record would automatically be cleared of eligible offenses. What impact do you hope Clean Slate legislation will have on individuals with criminal records and their communities? My hope is that Clean Slate legislation will allow individuals to feel like more than their past or their record. According to the National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction, people face approximately 44,000 collateral consequences that impact their lives after serving their time. 94% of employers, 90% of landlords, and 72% of colleges and universities use background checks to screen out applicants with records. Its clear that previous mistakes can have long-term effects on a persons life. Through our work, I hope that people are no longer held back from pursuing their dreams or opportunities because of their mistakes whether it be home ownership, employment, or being active participants in their communities. Our goal is to also destigmatize having a record and ensure that people can seamlessly reintegrate themselves into their communities without unnecessary barriers. What challenges did you face in advocating for Clean Slate legislation, and how did you overcome them? The biggest challenge weve faced is educating people and legislators about the issue, the barriers people face, and how Clean Slate policies will and are impacting communities. This is an issues that transcend political or economic lines. One in three people in America have some type of criminal arrest record thats over 114 million people. This is a common sense policy that doesnt only impact individuals lives but has positive implications for our communities, economies, and more. Another challenge we face is ensuring that people are notified when Clean Slate policy has been passed in their state and whether they are eligible. Currently, states do not automatically notify people that their records have been cleared, so we hope to continue to educate communities around these policies, how they affect them, and ensure individuals are notified when they have their clean slate. Can you discuss any success stories or positive outcomes that have resulted from Clean Slate initiatives? Due to Clean Slate policies passed in 12 states, up to 15 million people are currently eligible to have their records partially or fully cleared. When I think about how these policies are directly impacting people, I think about stories like a woman named Elvina from Michigan, who for 18 years, struggled to find gainful employment and earn the wages she deserved but faced barriers due to her record. After her record was cleared last April, during the inaugural Second Chance Month where over one million records were cleared on day one, shes been able to find employment at a state university and has even been promoted since then. This is the type of real-life impact that fuels us to keep doing this work. However, the success doesnt only reach individuals but also has significant societal and economic impacts. A study in Michigan found that a year after record clearance, individuals were 11 percent more likely to be employed and were making over 22 percent higher wages. Record clearance can boost opportunities for individuals and the larger economy. It is estimated that approximately 87 billion dollars are lost annually due to people with records being locked out of the labor force. Clean Slate policies can help reduce recidivism, negate negative impacts on families, and break cycles of poverty and incarceration. The positive outcomes from record clearance are endless and a vital set toward reshaping the way we see people with records and the opportunities available to them and their families. How do you collaborate with lawmakers, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders to promote Clean Slate legislation? Our secret sauce is our collaboration and coalition building. Our first priority is to always make sure that were working with and centering directly impacted individuals and state-based coalitions across the country to advocate for Clean Slate laws. In our work with policymakers, we collaborate to move the needle on and pass bipartisan Clean Slate laws at the state and federal level, while also ensuring that these are effectively implemented. We also collaborate with faith communities and business partners like J.P. Morgan, Indeed, small businesses and more to expand our impact and engage communities. Lastly, we collaborate with Code for America which helps us ensure the integration and implementation of the technology with state agencies and existing petition-based record clearance processes. What advice do you have for other individuals or organizations advocating for criminal justice reform? My advice is to make sure the people closest to the pain are the closest to the solution. They should always be centered in the work because you cant do the work without them. Secondly, Id encourage others in this space to remain optimistic about the work theyre doing. The reforms we are fighting for are working. They are creating safer communities and impacting mass incarceration. At The Clean Slate Initiative, our mission is record clearance, but mass incarceration and opportunities post-conviction are work that needs us all. Continue to lead with passion and stay close to the mission. Looking ahead, what are your plans and goals for the future of The Clean Slate Initiative? Our goal is to continue to move the path forward to put all 50 states on the pathways to automatic record clearance. Today, we are active in over 28 states and we are excited to build capacity and support around directly impacted organizations and leaders across the country while planting the seeds for Clean Slate policies in additional states. Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas, 31, went missing after a supposed carjacking, and authorities believe they found her body in a neighboring county SEMINOLE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas A body found in a burned car in Florida is believed to belong to a woman who went missing in a possible carjacking just days ago. According to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office in Florida, 31-year-old Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas went missing after she was involved in an alleged carjacking on April 11 in the Winter Springs area more than 250 miles away from her home in southern Florida. Now, according to a press conference held by the sheriff's office on April 12, Guerrero De Aguasvivas' case is considered a homicide investigation, after her body may have been discovered in a burned car in neighboring Osceola County. On April 11, the sheriff's office issued an alert following the carjacking, warning local residents to be on the lookout for Guerrero De Aguasvivas and her missing car. In a video of the incident captured by a nearby witness, a green Acura could be seen ramming into the back of Guerrero De Aguasvivas' car, and a male suspect wearing a mask could be seen pointing a weapon at her before getting in the back seat of her car. According to Sheriff Dennis M. Lemma, the suspect in the green Acura (plus another suspect who stayed in the car) followed Guerrero De Aguasvivas as she was driving near Orlando. Police said that she called her husband after the car began ramming into her car, and he advised her not to stop. Lemma added that neither Guerrero De Aguasvivas nor her husband made a report to police at the time. She eventually came to a stoplight and, according to the video footage obtained by local station WESH, unlocked the car doors when the suspect pointed his gun at her. "It is incredibly frightening to watch the boldness of this suspect, this perpetrator getting out of the car, wearing a hood, carrying a weapon in broad daylight, getting in the vehicle," Lemma said at the press conference. Less than two hours after the alleged carjacking, witnesses reported hearing gunshots and seeing smoke from a car fire in a remote area in Osceola County, Lemma said. The car and body were badly burned, he added. SEMINOLE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas A dozen 10mm shell casings were found at the scene, and although police are still awaiting confirmation from dental records and DNA evidence, Lemma stated that authorities believe the body belonged to Guerrero De Aguasvivas and that the car was her white Dodge Durango. The sheriff added during the press conference that no motive is known at this time, but the assailants may have known "exactly who they were following." 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. "There's no clear indicator why somebody would do this, why somebody would target them," Lemma said. "But we do feel and believe ... that this was not a random act of violence. The perpetrators knew exactly who they were going after, why they were going after them." Lemma added that the woman was originally from the Dominican Republic and was a U.S. citizen. She lived with her husband in Homestead, where the pair worked at a barbershop and beauty salon. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office is encouraging any witnesses who have further information about the potential carjacking to reach out. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Former national security adviser John Bolton said the Iranian strikes over the weekend represented a massive failure of deterrence from Israel and the United States. What we had tonight was a massive failure of Israeli and American deterrence. Massive failure, a 200 ballistic missile, cruise missile, drone failure. And I think notwithstanding that there appears to be very little damage, fingers crossed, until we get the final assessment. Thank God if the death toll is is low or non existent, Bolton told CNNs Wolf Blitzer on Saturday night. The U.S. helped Israel thwart an aerial assault by Iran overnight by intercepting hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles in a significant attack. Little damage was reported, and the Israeli military said that it successfully intercepted most of the missiles targeting the country. Bolton suggested that a disproportionate response by Israel could boost deterrence in the region. And I think that means by definition, Israels response and there should be a response should not be proportionate. It should be far stronger, because when deterrence fails to reestablish, if you have to teach the adversary that any gain they may hope to get by any future attack will be more than outweighed by the damage that will be called, he said. Israels war cabinet is slated to meet Sunday to discuss how they will respond. John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, said that President Biden is not looking to create a larger war in the region in the wake of the attack. And also, Israel demonstrated again, as I said, that theyre not standing alone, that they have friends, Kirby said on NBCs Meet the Press. So the presidents been clear. We dont want to see this escalate. Were not looking for a wider war with Iran. I think, you know, the coming hours and days will tell us a lot. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. PROVO, Utah (ABC4) A bomb threat, which has since been cleared, was issued toward a Provo bookstore Saturday morning, according to Provo Police. Shortly after 9 a.m., police received a report of a bomb threat toward the Mosaics Community Bookstore & Venue, located at 1500 North State St. in Provo. Police said the threat was made in an email that was sent to the KSL news desk. The email reportedly stated bombs will go off and appeared to be regarding events held at the bookstore, including all ages drag story hour. Arizona Coyotes players get word theyre moving to Utah Provo Officers responded and conducted a sweep of the area using their bomb detection K-9. No bombs or suspicious packages were found. Officers are continuing to investigate the source of the threat, and do not have a suspect at this time, Provo Police stated in a release. The threat comes less than a year after Salt Lake Citys The Kings English Bookshop received a bomb threat during its monthly Drag Storytime. Salt Lake City Council had this to say about the threat at the time: Theres no room for the type of hate that occurred today. We stand with The Kings English Book Store, Tara Lipsyncki and all those spreading love, joy and visibility in our community [] We see this as a crime rooted in hate. No further information is available at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Booms and sirens in Israel after Iran launches over 200 missiles and drones Booms and sirens in Israel after Iran launches over 200 missiles and drones JERUSALEM (AP) Booms and air raid sirens sounded across Israel early Sunday after Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East closer to a regionwide war. The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Condemnation from the United Nations chief and others was swift, with France saying Iran is risking a potential military escalation, Britain calling the attack reckless and Germany saying Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately. Man punches 9-year-old girl in the face at Grand Central Terminal: NYPD The Israeli militarys spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Iran fired scores of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles with the vast majority intercepted outside Israels borders. He said warplanes intercepted over 10 cruise missiles alone, also outside Israeli airspace. Hagari said a handful of missiles landed in Israel. Rescuers said a 7-year-old girl in a Bedouin Arab town was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a missile strike, though they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. Hagari said a missile struck an army base, causing light damage but no injuries. A wide-scale attack by Iran is a major escalation, he said. Asked whether Israel would respond, Hagari said only that the army does and will do whatever is required to protect the security of the state of Israel. He said the incident was not over, and dozens of Israeli warplanes remained in the skies. U.S. forces downed some of the Iran-launched drones flying toward Israel, according to a U.S. defense official and two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. Israels military said its Arrow system, which shoots down ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere, handled most interceptions and noted that strategic partners were involved. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said he was speaking to U.S. President Joe Biden early Sunday. No details on their conversation were immediately made public. But Biden has said his commitment to Israels security is ironclad in the face of Iranian threats a departure from his harsh criticism over Israels handling of the war in Gaza. Iran had vowed revenge since an April 1 airstrike in Syria killed two Iranian generals inside an Iranian consular building. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack. Israel hasnt commented on it. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israels six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, began attacking Israels northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel. In a statement carried late Saturday by Irans state-run IRNA news agency, the countrys paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime. In a later statement, the Revolutionary Guard issued a direct warning to the U.S.: The terrorist U.S. government is warned any support or participation in harming Irans interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Irans armed forces. IRNA also quoted an anonymous official saying ballistic missiles were part of the attack. A ballistic missile moves on an arch trajectory, heading up into space before gravity brings the weapon down at a speed several times faster than the speed of sound. Israel has a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher. Iran has a vast arsenal of drones and missiles. Online videos shared by Iranian state television purported to show delta-wing-style drones resembling the Iranian Shahed-136s long used by Russia in its war on Ukraine. The slow-flying drones carry bombs. Ukraine has successfully used both surface-to-air missiles and ground fire to target them. Some Israelis watched the interceptions light up the night sky. Air raid sirens were reported in numerous places including northern Israel, southern Israel, the northern West Bank and the Dead Sea near the Jordanian border. Israels army ordered residents in the Golan Heights near the Syrian and Lebanese borders as well as the southern towns of Nevatim and Dimona and the Red Sea resort of Eilat into protective spaces. Dimona is home to Israels main nuclear facility, and Nevatim has a major air base. Loud booms were heard in Jerusalem and northern and southern Israel. The armys Home Front Command canceled school Sunday and limited public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. Israel and some other countries in the region closed their airspace. Earlier, Netanyahu warned: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. In Washington, Biden convened a principals meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the attack. Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of the U.S. militarys Central Command, was in Israel over the weekend consulting with Israeli defense officials. The Central Command oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East. Irans mission to the United Nations issued a warning to both Israel and the U.S. Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe, it wrote online. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY! For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had threatened to slap Israel for the Syria strike. In Irans capital, Tehran, witnesses saw long lines at gas stations early Sunday as people appeared worried about what may come next. Dozens of hard-liners demonstrated in support of the attack at Palestine Square. Lebanons state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following Irans launch of drones. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched dozens of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military site in the Golan Heights early Sunday. It was not immediately clear if there was any damage. Iranian missiles or drones were intercepted in the sky above the Jordanian capital, Amman. In Lebanons capital, Beirut, and elsewhere in the country, residents reported seeing missiles in the sky and hearing explosions, likely from interceptions. In Syria, explosions were heard in the capital, Damascus, and elsewhere. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Syrian air defenses tried to shoot down Israeli attempts to intercept Iranian missiles. ___ Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. AP correspondents Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, Michael Balsamo in New York, Krutika Pathi in New Delhi, Stephen Graham in Berlin, Thomas Adamson in Paris, and Zeke Miller and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Boston police are asking for help locating a missing 17-year-old from Plymouth. Hakim Boyles was last seen around 5:00 a.m. on Park Street in Dorchester on April 2, police say. Boyles is described as a Black male, about 506 and 170 lbs. Police say he is known to frequent the Fields Corner and Normandy Street area. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact 911 or C-11 Detectives at 617-343-4335. If you would prefer to share information anonymously you can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line AT 1-800 (494) -TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463), Boston police say. 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 UK has refused to say whether its jets intercepted any drones - JULIAN SIMMONDS Britain must accept were now involved in the Middle East conflict after RAF warplanes joined the mission to shoot down Iranian drones targeted at Israel, a former defence minister has said. Tobias Ellwood, a former defence minister and former chair of the Commons defence committee, warned nobody was in full control of the escalating conflict as increasing numbers of countries were sucked into it. His comments came after Iran mounted an unprecedented attack on Israel by firing more than 300 drones and cruise and ballistic missiles into Israel on Saturday night. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed UK warplanes in Iraq and Syria had been deployed to intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions. Mr Ellwood said: Its very clear that Britain will stand with Israel to help defend its guys and its soil along with the United States as well. But we need to recognise were now involved in this too. No single power in control He said the Iranian strikes on Israel took the regional conflict into new dangerous territory. Theres no doubt that this conflict in the Middle East is escalating with no single power in control of where this is heading, he said. Iran has long engaged in a shadow war with Israel, but both sides usually carefully avoid direct engagement. So this attack by Iran, rather than using its proxies, takes us into a new, dangerous territory. A new worrying precedent has now been set. Speaking on Sky News, Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, called on Israel and Iran to de-escalate the conflict. She said the UK Government was putting all of our efforts into de-escalation in the Middle East, saying no one wanted to see a miscalculation or an escalation. Her appeal came ahead of a call between G7 leaders on Sunday, as she confirmed the Prime Minister had already been engaged in calls with his international counterparts over the morning. She disclosed an emergency Cobra meeting had been held on Friday with the Prime Minister being updated on the Iranian attack through Saturday night as well as being briefed on the deployment of the RAF jets. Speaking on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Ms Atkins said: All of our efforts at the moment are on de-escalating this. We do not want a miscalculation or an escalation in events because we know that that will take its toll. She repeated the UK Governments call for an immediate humanitarian pause to allow the return of hostages held by Hamas following the Oct 7 terrorist attack and for aid to be sent into Gaza. Tobias Ellwood described the new events as pushing the conflict into a new dangerous territory - Jordan Pettitt/PA Ms Atkins refused to say whether UK jets had shot down any drones, adding that she could not provide a running commentary on a live operation. The Prime Minister held a Cobra meeting on Friday, he was kept updated throughout yesterday and last night and has had calls already this morning, and there is planned to be a G7 leaders call later today, Ms Atkins said. Ms Atkins said the circle of knowledge on the conflict in the Middle East has to be very, very tight, when asked whether the Cabinet was consulted before RAF planes were deployed to protect Israel. Speaking to the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, the Health Secretary added: Of course there are relevant Cabinet ministers in that (Cobra) meeting. You will appreciate the circle of knowledge on this has to be very, very tight because of the sensitivities and the danger that is involved for everyone in the region. Asked whether the Government would proscribe the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, she said: We keep all of these issues under constant review. Edge of a precipice Iran has taken the Middle East to the edge of a precipice with its overnight attack on Israel, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Sunday. She said Tehran had plunged an entire region into chaos and asked all sides to show restraint, adding that the spiralling tensions needed to end. Nato on Sunday condemned Irans attack as escalation of regional unrest and urged restraint on all sides. We condemn Irans overnight escalation, call for restraint, and are monitoring developments closely. It is vital that the conflict in the Middle East does not spiral out of control, spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah 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. WASHINGTON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The United States does not want to go to war with Iran, a White House national security spokesman said on Sunday. Appearing on CNN's State of the Union news program one day after Iran launched attacks against Israel, U.S. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby was asked by host Jake Tapper if the Biden administration supports an Israeli retaliatory operation directly aimed at targets inside Iran. Kirby stopped short of saying explicitly if the United States would support or oppose such a potential move by Israel. "As the president has said many times, we don't seek a wider war in the region. We don't seek a war with Iran. And I think I'll leave it at that," he said. Kirby seemed to be showing more restraint in his remarks. According to U.S. media reports citing White House officials, U.S. President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone Saturday night that the United States would neither participate in nor support any offensive operations by Israel against Iran. Iran and allied armed groups launched coordinated drone and missile strikes on Israel late Saturday night in retaliation for an Israeli deadly assault on the Iranian consulate in Syria two weeks ago. Brute who slugged little girl in Grand Central was free after another attack days earlier: cops A cowardly brute is facing assault charges after police said he slugged a 9-year-old girl at Grand Central Terminal in an unprovoked attack on Saturday. Jean Carlos Zarzuela, 30, who was free without bail despite allegedly punching an elderly woman earlier this month, was hauled out of a Manhattan precinct in handcuffs Sunday to face a court arraignment in the latest shocking attack, according to MTA police. Zarzuela is accused of approaching the little girl, a Bronx resident, around 11:50 a.m. inside the historic terminal and punching her without warning, cops said. Jean Carlos Zarzuela, 30, is charged with assault for allegedly slugging a 9-year-old girl at Grand Central Terminal. G.N.Miller/NYPost The girl was left dizzy and in pain and was taken to NYU Langone-Tisch Hospital, sources said. Zarzuela, who initially fled the scene, is already facing assault charges for allegedly punching an elderly woman in the head on April 4, according to court records. He was arraigned on assault, reckless endangerment and harassment charges in that case but released without bail by Manhattan Judge Laurie Peterson, records show. He was still on the streets when he punched the girl at Grand Central and was back in custody on Sunday. The Manhattan District Attorneys Office said Sunday that Zarzuela was awaiting arraignment. Peterson made headlines in 2020 when she released an accused looter who smashed an NYPD cop in the head with a glass bong, The Post reported at the time. Surveillance video captured Jean Carlos Zarzuela wandering around Grand Central before he allegedl slugged a girl. MTAPD Manhattan prosecutors had asked that suspect Kevin Bullock, 22, be held on $25,000 cash bail or a $75,000 bond in that case but Peterson instead cut him loose without bail. In 2016, Peterson also released another suspect charged with a random attack on a woman in Greenwich Village. Once free, the career criminal was busted for allegedly slashing two other women. Police said Jean Carlos Zarzuela fled after slugging a 9-year-old girl at Grand Central Terminal on Saturday. MTAPD Jean Carlos Zarzuela was already facing charges that he slugged a woman on April 4 but was free without bail when he was arrested again for allegedly punching a 9-year-old girl at Grand Central Terminal on Saturday. MTAPD Kari Bazemore was later deemed unfit for trial and committed to a psychiatric institution. State court officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Caitlyn Jenner has placed the blame for Irans apparent drone and missile attack at the feet of President Joe Biden. Hours after the IDF announced drones had been fired toward Israel from Iran, the conservative Jenner tweeted, Can we please get a new POTUS in November that wont allow for this to our allies and our people?! Never would have happened under Trump. Can we please get a new POTUS in November that wont allow for this to our allies and our people?! Never would have happened under Trump. https://t.co/Jc5CljvWtF Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) April 13, 2024 Unsurprisingly, Trump also made a similar claim on Truth Social. He wrote, ISRAEL IS UNDER ATTACK! This should never have been allowed to happen This would NEVER have happened if I were President! Democrats pointed to Trumps own contributions to the current situation with Iran. Democratic commentator Kaivan Shroff suggested that Trumps decision to pull out of the Iran Nuclear Deal in 2018 could have dramatic and terrible ramifications related to todays done attacks. Shroff wryly noted, Starting to think it was a terrible idea for Trump to pull out of the historic Iran deal and allow Iran to get closer to building a nuclear bomb than ever before. But maybe thats just me. Starting to think it was a terrible idea for Trump to pull out of the historic Iran deal and allow Iran to get closer to building a nuclear bomb than ever before. But maybe thats just me. Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) April 13, 2024 The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (as the nuclear agreement is formally known) was signed in 2015. It placed severe restrictions on Irans ability to build nuclear weapons. The Trump Administration claimed the deal jeopardized the security of the United States, and Trump said at the time, The Iran Deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Others in the United States have also weighed in. After Sen. Marsha Blackburn tweeted that Biden must move quickly and launch aggressive retaliatory strikes on Iran in response to the drone launch, former Barack Obama staffer and media personality Tommy Vietor hit back, These lunatics are desperate to push us into a direct war with Iran. Its bloodthirsty, stupid, and not what any actual voters in this country want. These lunatics are desperate to push us into a direct war with Iran. It's bloodthirsty, stupid, and not what any actual voters in this country want. https://t.co/9bNdsGpOPI Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) April 13, 2024 The post Caitlyn Jenner Blames Biden for Iran Attack, Says It Never Would Have Happened Under Trump appeared first on TheWrap. Evan Ricciardi, 18, a student at Biola University, takes his turn using a rope from a footbridge to stay in position and surf stormwater rushing through a La Mirada flood control channel during heavy rain in Southern California in February. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) President Biden has approved Californias request for a major disaster declaration to support recovery efforts from a string of February storms that drenched much of the state with historic rainfall and mountain snow and resulted in numerous deaths, officials announced Sunday. Nine California counties Butte, Glenn, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sutter and Ventura will receive federal aid as a result of the declaration, which also includes funding for statewide hazard mitigation efforts, officials said. This declaration brings in more resources for local communities across the state recovering from the widespread impacts of these storms, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement thanking the Biden administration for its support. At least 11 people died as a result of the storms, which caused widespread flooding, power outages, school closures and damage to critical infrastructure, Newsom wrote in his request for a disaster declaration. In San Luis Obispo County, where two tornados touched down, the storms damaged eight steel firehouse bay doors and the roof and gutters of the Grover Beach Police Department, and high waves caused major structural damage to the Cayucos Pier, compromising its integrity, Newsom wrote. In Santa Barbara County, high winds damaged homes in Goleta and tore off part of a windmill in Solvang, and rain overwhelmed concrete channels that divert water from residential areas, destroying 300 linear feet of them, Newsom wrote. Sediment from debris flows filled three debris basins to near capacity, threatening to flood an airport runway, and a section of channel bank of the Zanja de Cota Creek collapsed, sending trees and debris into the waterway on the Chumash Indian reservation, Newsom wrote. In Ventura County, flooding damaged roads, bridges, levees and park facilities, inundating the Ventura Wastewater Facility and causing water to backflow into the system, Newsom wrote. Flooding also overwhelmed culverts and washed out a fish bypass basin that enables steelhead to journey along the Ventura River, while debris flows blocked roads and overwhelmed debris basins with sediment. The Ventura River flooded and altered its course, with the new path washing out a road and embankment and destroying an above-ground water distribution system, Newsom wrote. Los Angeles County saw hundreds of debris flows, prompting evacuations. The Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant was inundated with stormwater, which caused an excess of pressure in a sewer line that sent sewage up from manhole covers, flooding portions of the facility and at one point causing the filtration system to shut down, Newsom wrote. The storm also damaged electrical equipment in one building, forcing the plant to borrow power to continue operations, he wrote. In Santa Cruz County, high winds toppled a eucalyptus tree, severing a 10-inch steel aerial sewer main, and heavy surf damaged a municipal wharf in the city of Santa Cruz, collapsing a portion of its deck, Newsom wrote. In Monterey County, heavy rain in burn scars sent silt and debris into catch basins and stormwater conveyance systems, overwhelming them and resulting in tens of thousands of cubic yards of material that had to be trucked long distance for disposal, Newsom wrote. In Butte County, wind and rain downed trees, damaging roads and guardrails and at least one culvert. The worst of the damage took place in the burn scars of the Bear and Camp fires, which cover roughly 40% of the county, Newsom wrote. Glenn Countys airport was damaged by heavy rain, while Sutter Countys Yuba Fairgrounds were severely damaged when a 15-foot redwood tree fell on a restroom building. 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. Governor Gavin Newsoms request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration has been approved by President Joe Biden, providing aid to nine California counties following Februarys storms. Announced Sunday by the California Governors Office of Emergency Services, the declaration will support recovery efforts after the storms brought widespread flooding and mudslides to the state. The counties receiving aid include Butte, Glenn, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sutter and Ventura. This declaration brings in more resources for local communities across the state recovering from the widespread impacts of these storms, Gov. Newsom said. California Storms In his initial request, Newsom claimed that the February disasters cost the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, nearly $88 million. FEMA estimated that the damage in L.A. County alone was worth nearly $53 million. Newsom cited the seven-inches of rainfall in downtown Los Angeles between Feb. 4 and 5 as the cause of debris flow and mudslides. The Department of Public Works responded to 553 fallen trees and branches, 1,180 reports of potholes as a result. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. One 19th century Gentile described California as the Jews earthly paradise. It is paradise no longer. Reports of attacks on Jewish businesses, homes and institutions are becoming ever more commonplace, while university campuses hardly considered to be bastions of hate have allowed acts of flagrant anti-Semitism to go unpunished. Just last week, pro-Hamas students interrupted a graduation party for UC Berkeley law school graduates at the home of the schools Jewish dean. The protest occurred on private property, but that didnt prevent the leader of Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine from smearing the professor who confiscated the microphone from the interrupting students hand as an Islamophobe, accusing her of assault. It appears that Californias Jews cant even relax in their own homes without being confronted by zealous radicals. Prior to the event, posters had been shared on social media showing the dean holding a bloody knife and fork, captioned No dinner with Zionist Chem while Gaza starves. Its little wonder that dean Chemerinsky, a well-known progressive, wrote in response that nothing has prepared me for the anti-Semitism currently festering on Berkeley campus. What happens in California says much about the future of the beleaguered Jewish diaspora. California, with 1.2 million Jews, has almost three times as many Jewish people as the three largest foreign diaspora countries France, England and Canada. The redefinition of Jews as serial oppressors harbouring genocidal ambitions has its roots in the educational and cultural industries that constitute the heart of progressive power. The anti-Jewish shift is all the more heartbreaking given that Universities like Berkeley, which I attended a half century ago and where some of my family have lived for 70 years, produced numerous Jewish Nobel prize winners. Today in the University of California system pro-Hamas professors and students run riot on campuses, with the school seemingly unable or unwilling to stand up to them. Jay Sures, a member of the UC Board of Regents, characterised a statement released by the UC Ethnic Studies Faculty Council to the board, as being full falsehoods, inaccuracies, and anti-Semitic innuendos that seeks to legitimise and defend the horrific savagery of the Hamas massacre of October 7. More worrisome still are efforts in grade schools to push a deeply divisive political agenda. Steeped in progressive ideology, California schools have rejiggered their math curricula to emphasise social justice. The states adopted ethnic studies program, shaped by Critical Race Theory, is openly anti-Zionist, all but erasing a millennia of Jewish history and experience. Anti-Semitism isnt just restricted to the schools. Recent pro-Hamas demonstrations have forced at least one LA synagogue to relocate its services; others have been vandalised while demonstrators halted traffic in the traditionally Jewish Fairfax district. The home owned by AIPAC President Steve Tuchin was recently attacked with smoke bombs and red paint. Many Jews, including members of my own congregation, are increasingly concerned about their safety. Gun sales in Jewish neighbourhoods have soared. Two California stalwart industries, tech and film production, have buckled under the pressure of fashionable activist anti-Zionism. Organisations like the Writers Guild, long a bastion of progressivism, suddenly decided to display neutrality when it comes to attacks on the Jewish state. Two thousand actors signed a statement outlining Israels war crimes, with no mention of Hamas atrocities. Silicon Valley, which once embraced anti-Israel groups like Black Lives Matter with open arms, has kept remarkably quiet about the Hamas pogrom. A lot of [tech oligarchs] are more concerned with their social justice profile than their Judaism, longtime Jewish activist and Palo Alto native Nickolas Targ tells me, in an area where secular progressivism is part of the air. Given these developments, will California Jews, long fixtures in the Democratic Party and progressive circles, shift to the Right? Not anytime soon. Californias Jewish democrats are instead engaged in an intra-party struggle against the increasingly anti-Jewish Left. Well-organised pro-Hamas demonstrators were able to all but shut down the state party convention this year. The nine California Congresspeople backing a ceasefire before Hamas is destroyed are all Democratic progressives. Gavin Newsoms temporary Senate appointee and former union organiser Laphonza Butler has also joined the crowd seeking to remove support for Israels war effort. The truth is that anti-Israel advocacy has found its base within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, while the strongest support for Israel in the state now comes from Republicans. Still, some Democratic moderates have launched a counter-coup, with the well-connected Bay Area publicist insisting his group Democratic Majority for Israel will succeed in halting the pro-Hamas trend. Rep. Adam Schiff, the next Senator of the state, won a campaign against two far more anti-Israel candidates. Jews in California, as elsewhere, will need to prioritise not ideology but community survival. They will need to work with whatever politician, in either party, who embraces the security of our communities, as well as Israel. Now is not the time for party loyalty, or making excuses for a Democratic party that has long since stopped caring about the safety of Jews. If not, this fabled outpost of the diaspora will weaken and whither, leaving Jews with only one homeland, the perpetually threatened Jewish state. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The fractious, sometimes violent debate over the Israel-Hamas war on college campuses has not cooled, even as the conflict enters its sixth month. College administrators have struggled to figure out the right balance between some students rights to free speech and others rights to be protected from discrimination and harassment. That debate erupted at UC Berkeley this week when a dinner for graduating students held at the home of law school dean Erwin Chemerinsky devolved into a heated confrontation when a Muslim student disrupted the event to make a pro-Palestinian speech and was physically confronted by Chemerinsky's wife, Catherine Fisk. A fierce fight about freedom of speech and accusations of anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish bias quickly followed. The debate at Berkeley is particularly notable since the campus was the birthplace of the student Free Speech Movement in the 1960s. The crown jewel of the University of California system is now under investigation by both the federal Department of Education and House Republicans about its on-campus antisemitism. One of the administrators navigating this crisis is John A. Perez, who sits on the Board of Regents for the University of California, the governing body of the sprawling 10 campus public university system that has nearly 300,000 students. Perez, who attended Berkeley as an undergraduate, is used to the political spotlight, having served for four years as the states Assembly speaker. In an interview, Perez told POLITICO that the student protest at Chemerinskys home crossed a line and described how campus leaders can do more to push back on what he sees as a dangerous surge in campus antisemitism. This transcript has been condensed and edited for clarity. Lets start with the protest and confrontation at Dean Chemerinskys home in Berkeley. Do you think that the students stepped over the line by interrupting this dinner? Did the dean or his wife, Professor Catherine Fisk, step over the line in shutting down their remarks? The students overstepped the line by disrupting a purely social event at a private home that was intended to celebrate the collective accomplishments of all the third-year law students. They telegraphed their opposition by calling for a boycott [in advance of the event] that was fine, that was completely within their rights. But they did it in a horrific way, by employing an antisemitic caricature of Dean Chemerinsky. Whats interesting is Dean Chemerinsky is a nationally renowned First Amendment expert. And even though he was offended and hurt by the caricature, he defended their right to employ it. He has been the most consistent protector of First Amendment rights of students and student protests as well as others, even when hes the target of it. Thats different than what the students ended up doing, which is going to the house, disrupting the event, refusing to leave when asked to leave, confronting and asserting a First Amendment right that I dont believe they had at a private home and then asserting that they had legal representation to do it. When Professor Fisk again asked them to leave and they didnt, and then she confronted and tried to take away the mic, Im sure in retrospect, she wished she would have handled that slightly differently. But that doesnt forgive the act of the students disrupting and violating the private personal space and refusing to leave when asked. What should be the consequences for these students? So these are my individual opinions as somebody who believes in the right to protest, somebody whos engaged in a lot of protest on the Berkeley campus, myself, and somebody whos deeply concerned about campus climate and creating an environment that neither stifles free speech, but also doesnt victimize and marginalize people. Students broadly have been put on notice that if theres further disruptions, folks will be turned over to Student Conduct and appropriate evaluations will be made. The question becomes whether the campus decides to engage in a student conduct investigation of this and whether the students involved will say they didnt have fair notice that this crossed the line. Thats something that the campus has got to wrestle with. And I think the campus could come to either conclusion in defensible ways. They can come to the conclusion that students could have misinterpreted this because its hosted by the dean as being the same as anything on campus. And the campus can also come to the conclusion that my God, these are third-year law students at one of the top law schools in the country, and that they should have a better understanding about the consequences of their actions. UC Berkeley, in particular, is in the national imagination as a place of protests during the Vietnam War in particular. Do you feel like these current protests on campus are different than protests in the past? And if so, how? I do think theyre different. In each of those waves of previous protests, there was a notion from students that engaging in the protest had to serve the purpose of bringing people along in an area of debate, creating space to protest, but also to change minds and bring people in the direction of the justice that they were trying to seek. But there was also a concept of consequences associated with protest. If you want protest without consequence, what you really want is performance. And I think that right now were seeing folks engaging in disruption, without an understanding or appreciation for what consequences can come up with it, which I think can sometimes be performative. Second, it feels like much of the protest now isnt, at least from my perspective, effective in trying to move debate and create space to find a new common ground that aligns with the justice that the protesters are seeking. When its disruption for the sake of disruption, as opposed to civil disobedience to capture attention and create space for debate, I think it serves a fundamentally different [purpose]. When you look at the Free Speech Movement, it was about creating the space for all debate, including debate that one disagrees with. What weve seen of late is something very different, which is shutting down debate. Last year, at Berkeley Law School, student groups passed a series of resolutions, essentially banning debate, saying that holders of Zionist viewpoints would not be allowed to come [to their events]. Thats very different. Its one thing to say any given organization shouldnt be compelled to invite somebody who has a viewpoint thats contrary to theirs. But to say that we want to ban a whole section of debate is inherently problematic in society. Its particularly problematic in law school, and particularly problematic in a law school centered in a place that in many ways was the birth of the free speech movement on university campuses. There has been a horrible spike in antisemitic activity across college campuses across the country, but particularly at elite universities, and theres been a spike in the community more broadly as well. And I dont think that we, societally and we, as university leaders, have done enough to push back against this spike in antisemitism. You talked about these flashpoints across the country, not just at Berkeley or the UCs. Why do you think this war has lit up so intensely on these elite campuses throughout the country? I dont know. I struggle with this. One theory is that theres been significant funding of organizations on elite campuses to push back against the policies of the state of Israel. Second, you look at a student population that is generationally different in its worldview than folks of my age. Im in my 50s. My fundamental experiences looking at the state of Israel are different than somebody in their 20s. Somebody in their 20s has grown up with an Israel thats been disproportionately governed by the Netanyahu government, and a government that has been more conservative. Somebody of my age wouldve seen a variety of different expressions of leadership in Israel. I think its allowed for a certain shorthand that I think is ahistoric. I think you can be, as I am, a supporter of the existence of the state of Israel and the ability of Israel to defend itself and a critic of the current administration leading Israel and the policies of the administration. You can be a critic of government there just like you can be a critic of government here. So I could be a critic of a Trump administration and a supporter of America, somebody else can be a critic of the Biden administration and still a supporter of America. We dont seem to have a generational ability to afford that same duality with respect to viewing Israel. But it goes further than that. What were seeing is stuff that we saw in the Chemerinsky caricature, which goes back to old antisemitic tropes blood libel with respect to the way they depicted Erwin with the bloody knife and fork and a sense that were holding all Jews accountable for anything that we find problematic with respect to the situation [in Gaza] unless and until they actively renounce and reject Israel. Thats really problematic. It really goes against all of the standards of community that we have. If it was any other group, we wouldnt do it. Were not seeing on college campuses, attacks and questioning every student of Russian heritage because we take issue with the Putin administration, and what theyve done in Ukraine and other places around the world. Were not seeing where were attacking every Muslim student, because we take issue with what Hamas did on Oct. 7. One can debate the space between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. But one would have to have serious blinders not to recognize that whats happening on college campuses, UCs included, is a series of activities that are targeting Jewish students because of their identities, making them feel unsafe and apart from the rest of the community in a way that really should have no place in our society and no place on our college campuses. But we have seen spikes in incidences of Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment, too. Absolutely. Are you saying that the antisemitism were seeing is disproportionate? The antisemitism is absolutely disproportionate. We reject both. We reject all forms of hatred. But what were not seeing is massive student protests targeting every Muslim-identified student, asking students of Muslim or Arabic background to denounce or renounce something that they have no part in. The numbers and the spikes are vastly different, and the types of incidences are vastly different. I was on the Los Angeles City Human Relations Commission, I think I was president at the time in 2001 when 9/11 happened. We immediately came together and said, how do we avoid an irrational targeting of Muslim members of our community in the wake of the response to 9/11?' Now that said, we saw spikes in anti-Muslim activities, Islamophobic activities. That was problematic and offensive. And we've seen some of that now, and we have to speak out against that. Its interesting to me that the only time where we have to do this both sides-y rejection is when the victims are Jewish. When we saw a spike in anti-Asian hate crimes over the last couple of years, there was no immediate pushback that said, now you have to reject these other forms [of hate]. In fact, after George Floyd, when we were talking about Black Lives Matter, there was a clear distinction that if you responded by saying, All Lives Matter, that yes, thats true that all lives matter, but if you were doing it reflexively you are denying the real pattern and problem of what was happening in the African American community. So weve got to be careful in that we should be able to have a conversation about the spike in antisemitism, the very clear expression of antisemitism, without then having to do a litany of [denouncing other forms of hate in order] to renounce the antisemitism. There are a number of California campuses, including three UC campuses Berkeley, UCLA and San Diego that at the moment are under investigation by the federal Department of Education in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks because of discriminatory incidents. What can you tell us about where those investigations stand? I cant tell you anything about where those investigations stand. Im not fully read in on the moment to moment of the investigations. And to the extent that I know anything in the middle of an investigation, it would be inappropriate for me to comment. But at a certain level, theres got to be a gut check. When you look at something, does it look right? And then can you go and figure out a way to confirm that your inclinations are correct, and that you can create defensible policies based on that? It was right that you asked about the 1960s in the Free Speech movement, and the antiwar movement. Were 60 years later. We should have learned from 60 years. How do we adjust in real time? On many college campuses, theres been such an orthodoxy around the First Amendment that there hasnt been enough debate about how it exists in conflict with these other protections. Let me give you an example of where I think students broadly would say the First Amendment should have limits sexual harassment. We know that we can regulate certain speech that is, in fact, sexual harassment. At what point does the First Amendment come into conflict and into tension with other sets of laws and other protections? Again, Im not a lawyer. Im not a constitutional scholar. But theres some basic common sense questions that are asked. Another question around these free speech issues is directly on your plate as a regent. The regents are considering banning political statements from the department homepages. Its largely been seen as a response to faculty groups posting critical statements of Israel and its conduct in Gaza. That vote has been delayed twice. Whos the person that moved to delay the votes? It was you. Its an important area of debate and there hasnt been enough work to land in the right place. And this does cut to the core of who we are. We shouldnt have unreasonable restrictions on speech. And that speech can take many forms including posting on websites. When the first policy came forward, I didnt think enough work had been done. So I moved to put it off. And this last one, I dont know if I made the ultimate motion to put it off or not, but I think I did, again, because theres more work. Any regulation has to be content neutral. What I did say at the last meeting is the timing of it makes the action suspect. Had we done this a few years before, without the current tension, it would be less suspect than it is right now. Now, college campuses have free speech zones. Public buildings have places where free speech is and is not allowed. I think its reasonable to say that as we move to a world that significantly exists and people interact with online, you can make distinctions between places where you have official business versus opinion. Its appropriate. Newspapers have editorial and opinion pages and letters to the editor. Websites dont do as good a job, in my opinion, of moderating comments, but theres a distinction between editorial space, news space, opinion space. I think its reasonable to try to find that distinction if its 1) content neutral, and 2) provides an equally accessible way to access peoples opinions. Id like for you to put on your jersey as a lifelong Democrat for a moment. You know that a crucial part of your partys coalition depends on young people. When you see the intensity of the reaction to the Israel-Hamas war on campus and the criticism that Biden is getting for how hes been handling this, does that make you worried for November? Youve seen the Biden administrations view and interaction with Israel evolve in real time based on real circumstances. Biden, who has a lifetime record of having a very positive relationship with Israel, has also been trying to hold the Netanyahu administration accountable and pushing back. Is that enough to satisfy the critics? Of course not. Its appropriate to have tension. But in the end, elections are about choices. This is going to be a question about Biden versus Trump. Students, like everybody else, need to look at the totality of everything that theyre offering as candidates and I think that young people will once again overwhelmingly vote for Biden. That sounds to me like youre not very worried. No, no. Im worried. But Im also hopeful. This doesnt happen magically. It happens by having conversations, by engaging voters, by talking to voters, by looking at whats at issue. Its not enough to say, Hey, young people are going to be so offended by what Trump is doing on abortion..." You have to speak to the concerns that theyve articulated. Youre Mexican American and grew up with deep ties to the Jewish community in east L.A. This week, a new poll said 40 percent of Latinos support a cease-fire and nearly 40 percent believe the U.S. should not be involved in the conflict. Does it concern you that these two communities that you have been so much a part of seem to have a fraying relationship? It worries me that Americans writ large are becoming more isolationist. Theres not only an interest in us playing less of a role in the conflict in the Middle East, but theres a spike in folks wanting us to play less of a role in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. But yes, it bothers me that theres less of a connection between communities that have historically been connected. But Latinos exist in the same world that everybody else does. Latinos are a disproportionately young community younger on average than just about any other ethnic group. And young people have grown up with 20 years of the Netanyahu administration that they increasingly take issue with. Latinos also are horrified by what happened on Oct. 7. Absolutely horrified by murder, by rape, by torture, by kidnapping. Part of the problem with a poll is what question youre asking. What does cease-fire mean? Does cease-fire mean a temporary cease-fire, does it mean an effort at sustainable peace? Im somebody whos supportive of cease-fire. It cant be unilateral. It doesnt work that way. Putting the polls aside, do you sense a fraying in the relationship between Jews and Latinos? I think theres a little fraying in the relationship but what I think were seeing is a national spike in antisemitism and it expresses itself in every community. Latinos dont exist in a bubble. And there has been a persistent rise in antisemitism. And it goes unchecked in ways that discriminatory actions against other communities do not go unchecked. When somebody on a college campus targets a Muslim student for identity, targets a Muslim woman for wearing traditional garb, there is offense taken and a pushback. The same isnt expressing itself when were seeing antisemitic acts. At the last Regents meeting, protesters erected an effigy, in violation of policy, of a bloody pig holding a cage, bags of money and [it] said UC regents time is running out. Protesters came and took over the Regents meeting and the room was cleared. I think three of us stayed in the room to listen. Nobody took the opportunity to speak to the three of us. It was just chants. And the chants werent about a policy, the chants were about Jews. They were about Jews. It wasnt about this university policy or that university policy, it wasnt even that the regents need to divest. It was about Jews. It was antisemitic. What were the chants? We've got to go after these Jews. We got to stop the Jewish lobby. It was very clear. We have gotten to a point of both sides-ism in this question, which is completely not constructive. When I go around to different college campuses, I tend to meet with a cross section of students and faculty. I have only in my 14 years on the board been challenged once about trying to meet with a group of students. And it was trying to meet with a group of Jewish students on a campus where there have been efforts to target their Hillel. The campus told me that if you meet with Jewish students, you have to meet with the Muslim students. I said, Im meeting with students at Hillel because Hillel was targeted. Theres no balancing that needs to happen. If you asked me to meet with Muslim students because Im on campus, Im happy to do it. But it cant be because Im meeting with Jewish students. When I go meet with Latino students, I dont have to go balance that by meeting with somebody else. When I go meet with LGBTQ students, I dont have to balance that with meeting somebody else. When I go meet veteran students that are dealing with the complexity of coming back after having served and navigating a college campus, Im not told you now have to go meet with another group. The only time its ever happened was in one instance trying to meet the Jewish students. It shouldnt be the case. Anything else youd like to add? I take all of this personally. I take it a little more personally at a UC because I have responsibility for UC. I take it a little more personally still at Berkeley because its such an important part of my life experience. Berkeley is the first place where I ever experienced a Ramadan. Berkeley was the first place I ever meaningfully engaged with the Muslim student community and navigated making sure that we were an inclusive campus for Muslim students. As you mentioned, I have a clear, very personal tie to the Jewish community. But thats not an exclusion of a tie and an interest in the Muslim community. Having a deep connection to one community doesnt mean that theres not a concern and care for another. President Ford, left, and former President Nixon, right, flank their wives, Betty Ford and Pat Nixon, as the Nixons leave the White House in 1974. (Associated Press) A kerfuffle in Grand Rapids, Mich., in recent days revealed a grim truth about Americas institutions in these troubled times: Too many of them lack the courage to stand up to the threat to democracy that is Donald Trump, thereby contributing to the alarming staying power of the once and perhaps future president. We already know about the failure of the main institutional players in this constitutional crisis: those atop the Republican Party. Political parties are democracys gatekeepers, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt wrote in their 2018 bestseller, How Democracies Die, which documented how the once-Grand Old Party abandoned that role to enable the rise of the demagogic would-be authoritarian. Republican leaders at all levels recognized in 2016 the danger Trump represented, and yet, fearing his and his followers vitriol, mostly kept mum rather than form a united, vocal front against his nomination. Traditional Republicans who joined the Trump administration naively rationalized that theyd be good influences on the erratic president, only to learn who was boss. Trump critics turned into sycophants (heres looking at you, Lindsey Graham), even after the disgrace of Jan. 6. When Congress fulfilled its institutional duty and impeached Trump, Republican senators acquitted him. The criminal justice system indicted the ex-president multiple times, but Republican judges and Supreme Court justices are forcing trial delays. Read more: Calmes: Trump 1.0 made some world leaders laugh. Trump 2.0 terrifies them Meanwhile, many in corporate America for all their talk of civic responsibility stifled their evident horror at various Trump antics in return for tax cuts and fewer federal regulations. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers issued a challenge early in Trumps tenure: If CEOs who employ hundreds of thousands of people are not in a position to speak truth to power, who is going to be? Yes, who? The mainstream media was cowed in covering Trump, at least initially, by its fealty to fairness, and still sometimes lapses into both - sides-ism , normalizing Trumps abnormal behavior. And countless organizations, foundations and civic groups have stayed silent or inert, lest they offend donors or the vindictive and potentially reempowered Trump. And that brings us to the recent brouhaha at one such organization, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, for a real-time window into institutional spinelessness in the age of Trump. Read more: Calmes: Would you buy a $60 Bible from this man? One of the foundations best-known trustees Pulitzer Prize-winner David Hume Kennerly, Fords White House photographer and then his friend resigned on Tuesday after its executive committee refused three times to consider giving its annual Gerald R. Ford Medal for Distinguished Public Service to former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, herself a board member, the daughter of Fords White House chief of staff, Dick Cheney, and, as the nation knows, Trumps foremost Republican antagonist. Politico disclosed Kennerly's five-page scorcher of a letter to the foundations executive committee and board, in which he revealed that the members lacked the kind of guts that Ford had shown as a World War II combat veteran and politician refusing to honor Cheney for fear of enraging Trump, who might threaten the foundation's tax-exempt status or otherwise take retribution should he become president again. How ironic. These are the leaders of a foundation dedicated to a president who lost election in 1976 at least in part for an action he believed was in the countrys best interest: pardoning Richard M. Nixon for his Watergate crimes, soon after succeeding Nixon when the disgraced president resigned. Fifty years later, they withhold a tribute from Cheney, who lost her House leadership post and then her congressional seat thanks to MAGA Republicans, because she too took a principled stand for the good of the country against Trump. Read more: Calmes: One Trump puppet stands between Ukraine and the aid it needs You arent alone, Kennerly wryly wrote to the foundation invertebrates. Many foundations, organizations, corporations, and other entities are caught up in this tidal wave of timidity and fear thats sweeping this country. This is the kind of acquiescent behavior that leads to authoritarianism. President Ford most likely would have come out even tougher and said that it leads directly to fascism. Those of you who rejected Liz join many good Republicans now aiding and abetting our 45th president by ignoring the genuine menace he presents to our country, the letter continues. Kennerly closed: If the foundation that bears the name of Gerald R. Ford wont stand up to this real threat to our democracy, who will? Depressingly, that question echoes the one Summers posed to corporate America seven years ago, and which has been put to many other institutions since. Were still waiting for the answer. The Ford Presidential Foundation's executive director, Gleaves Whitney, told Politico that because Cheney had not ruled out running for president this year, the nonprofit foundation could have risked losing its tax-exempt status by honoring her and making what might be construed as a political statement. Thats ridiculous. Cheney is not running now, and shes all but ruled out doing so as a third-party or independent candidate. But there is no reconsidering for the Ford folks: Their 2024 public-service award will go to Mitch Daniels, a former Indiana governor and President George W. Bushs budget director. More to the point, Daniels is a once-prominent Republican whos hardly been known as a Trump critic all these years. A safe choice, in other words. As Cheney wrote not long after the Trump mobs attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, History is watching. Our children are watching. Alas, theyre not seeing much Cheney-like courage from the nations institutions and Republican leaders. Its up to voters to stand up to Trump. Again. @jackiekcalmes Get the latest from Jackie Calmes Commentary on politics and more from award-winning opinion columnist. Sign me up. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. On Christmas Day in 1170, as the story goes, King Henry II, exasperated by his disputes with Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said something along the lines of Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest? Days later, Becket was dead, murdered by knights who had heeded his majestys call. Future despots and mob bosses admired Henrys example, and that would include Donald Trump whether or not he knows the story who was trained in the art of getting even by his father and later by notorious lawyer and fixer Roy Cohn, a despicable man who also ruined lives for his living. As youve probably heard by now, this all-too-familiar tactic is called stochastic terrorism, a term often deployed over the past few years by Salon's Chauncey DeVega, among others: For at least the last six years, Donald Trump and the larger neofascist movement behind him have been using the propaganda technique known as stochastic terrorism, in which dog-whistle and other coded appeals are used to encourage political violence. In itself, this is nothing new: Stochastic terrorism has been a key feature of right-wing media and the conservative movement for several decades. We could come up with other terms: solicited terrorism, maybe, or "leader hate speech or political mob-speak. At the other end of the process, the unfortunate but predictable result is known as scripted violence. Whatever we call it, we know how it works: Those who foment violence give themselves just enough room to deny any clear intent, or at least enough to fend off legal liability, and pretend to disapprove when someone acts on the obvious message, sometimes with lethal effect. During a Slate podcast discussion of the E. Jean Carroll case back in February, host David Plotz wondered about a shortfall within our legal system: Theres something happening in the American system that is unsettling to me. And you see it with Trump, you see it with Alex Jones, you see it with Fox News, which is theres a certain category of people or organizations for whom the benefits of being monstrous in attacking people and causing people harm outweighs the costs. And the ability to put off the judgment makes it pretty easy. What Alex Jones has done in the face of the Sandy Hook judgments is disgusting and its also incredibly demoralizing. The incapacity of the American legal system to effectively punish him is really confusing to me. We have laws about defamation of character, as Trump has discovered at great expense in the two lawsuits brought by Carroll, as well as about witness tampering. But what can we do about a shameless, coddled politician who not only regularly defames others but also encourages threats and violence against them with a smirk, using the cheap rhetorical tools of despots including demonizing and dehumanizing so-called enemies while leaving himself that tiny window of plausible deniability? Trump has repeatedly been hit with gag orders from judges in his numerous criminal and civil trials, including a broader order imposed in the Manhattan hush-money case that's finally supposed to go to trial this week. That resulted from Trumps repeated social media harassment of Judge Juan Merchan and his daughter, who Trump claims is a Democratic operative out to get him. Predictably, Trump kept it up even after the gag order, causing a sitting federal judge to speak out, in highly unusual fashion, about the ex-presidents attacks on the rule of law. Wouldnt it be great wouldnt it be a sign of some return to civilization and order if we could somehow impose a nationwide gag order on Donald Trumps appeals to violence? Im not exactly kidding, although Im also well aware of the potential or perceived First Amendment conflict. But heres the thing: 1A, as we like to call it on the internet, clearly protects the rights of citizens to express their opinions, even (or especially) when theyre unpopular, obnoxious or offensive. It also protects freedom of the press, although thats come under some pressure lately and could come under a lot more if Trump returns to the White House. But I would argue that the framers understood that political leaders have a higher responsibility to society, and must meet a higher standard. The First Amendment prohibits Congress from abridging free speech, as well as from establishing an official religion or limiting religious liberty. The Supreme Court plays its role in interpreting what constitutes protected speech and religious liberty (and, of late, theyve been quite expansive about the latter). What most people in Europe and around the world would consider hate speech has largely been protected by the court. As historian Joseph J. Ellis has noted, John Adams was worried about an oligarchy of wealthy families with little virtue seizing power. Thomas Jefferson wrote of his fear that the U.S. could devolve into a tinsel democracy dominated by privileged people unworthy to hold power. Yahtzee! First Amendment: A "demagogue carve-out"? With the unanticipated arrival of a deeply troubled and shameless leader to the highest office, we need the Supreme Court someday, perhaps, with a new set of justices to consider a new category of inflammatory language, or fighting words. We might think of this as the demagogue carve-out to the First Amendment. Trump finally found out he couldnt get away with absolutely everything in the case of at least one woman he sexually assaulted, and he shouldnt be able to get away with assaulting our democracy by threatening citizens who are simply performing their civic duties. Those he attacks repeatedly should be entitled to sue him, with a reasonable expectation that courts will take them seriously. The last time the Supreme Court ruled on inflammatory speech that might incite lawless behavior was in the landmark Brandenburg v. Ohio case of 1969. In an unsigned decision, the court overruled an appellate courts application of Ohios criminal syndicalism statute to a Ku Klux Klan leader. The court cited the concept that the marketplace of ideas must remain free in order to self-correct. That Klan leader, Clarence Brandenburg, was an odious white supremacist who delivered a speech full of hateful fulminations. But he was not a public servant of any kind. Yes, even detestable speech of that kind should remain as free as possible. To stick with the marketplace metaphor, we might note that when spoiled produce, rotten meat or other unsafe goods are discovered in any marketplace, they are routinely removed as a public health hazard. We have laws governing food and product safety which, admittedly, many Republicans would like to roll back and we desperately need similar standards applied to political speech that is clearly intended to promote or inspire acts of violence. Trumps trickle-down violence Trump appears to endorse the failed Republican concept of trickle-down economics but hes an even bigger fan of what we might call trickle-down violence. Whenever he develops a new grievance with a new opponent, or just wants to divert attention from his own misdeeds, he mob-whistles to his troubled followers. Even when hes explicitly called out for such mob-speak, he rarely retreats, telling his would-be thugs to "stand back and stand by." Not only should Trump face charges for inciting his followers to stage an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, he and others like him should also be held accountable for encouraging his supporters to act against poll workers, prosecutors, judges and governors. Of course there must be genuine legal standards, beyond impressions or opinions: A preponderance of the evidence, a pattern of behavior, would have to indicate clear responsibility for tacitly encouraging violence. Many of those arrested for invading the Capitol on Jan. 6 said they did so because their president asked them to. These were not lone wolves, in the sense often encountered with leader-directed terrorism; this was a pack of wolves lured to Washington by their "favorite president" (Will be wild!) and told what to do, a lot more explicitly than usual. Trump is singing their praises and calling them hostages, which may be as close as he gets to acknowledging responsibility: He summoned them, and hes responsible for their criminal charges and possible incarceration. As is typical of a man who demands loyalty but gives none in return, he has exploited his loyalists over and over. Trumps demonizing and dehumanizing xenophobia has been on display for years, from his call for the execution of five young men of color wrongly convicted of a crime to his fairytale about Muslims in New Jersey celebrating the 9/11 attack to his infamous slur of Mexican immigrants as criminals, drug dealers and rapists. (As I have argued, a subconscious confession of sorts.) More recently, he has specifically echoed Nazi rhetoric about invaders destroying the blood of our country and suggested that some immigrants are not human. History tells us this is precisely the kind of language that leads to people killing other people. When Trump proclaims on his social media platform that Joe Biden, Jack Smith and various unnamed world leaders should ROT IN HELL (that was in his 2023 Christmas greeting!), he knows he may incite some troubled lone wolf out there to do something very bad. So do the rest of us. Beyond the embarrassing childishness, its essentially the same as calling for a Second Amendment remedy. If you dont think thats exactly inflammatory language, lets call it tinder and matches language; hes laying the groundwork for someone else to start a blaze. Trump understands perfectly well that there are several hundred million guns in this country, just as he knew that the mob he summoned to Washington in January 2021 was armed with various kinds of concealed or makeshift weapons. As we know, he demanded that metal detectors be removed. Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified that Trump simply said, Theyre not here to hurt me. Weaponizing the First Amendment The right would like you to believe the First Amendment has no limits, at least when applied to them. But it was never intended to allow for lies and invective, especially coming from the government itself. When you read the drafts of the clause (originally by James Madison), you can see that the intent was to protect the speech, primarily or exclusively, of ordinary citizens and members of the press. Judges who call themselves originalists or textualists should note that Jefferson suggested to Madison that the free speech-free press clause might read something like: The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write or otherwise to publish anything but false facts affecting injuriously the life, liberty, property, or reputation of others or affecting the peace of the confederacy with foreign nations [my emphasis]. In other words, a politician or elected official who feels unjustly attacked in the press or in the courts is entitled to respond in civil fashion or through political debate, but not through insinuations that serve to spur violent attacks against the press, the judiciary or other individuals. Nearly every day, Trump defames the rule of law, numerous public officials, the institutions of democracy and the country itself. Doesnt saying that the press is "the enemy of the people put journalists at risk? His running claim that Democrats are destroying this country" would be hilarious psychological projection if it werent so dangerous. Yes, he has the constitutional right to say despicable and divisive things in many contexts. But no political leader should be able to threaten those who are doing the essential work of democracy. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. We need new limitations on political mob speech by public servants to protect other public servants, especially election workers, teachers and librarians, school board members, prosecutors and judges, sitting governors and members of Congress (as well as their family members) those who quietly and resolutely constitute the very fabric of our society. I dont claim that this demagogue carve-out would be easy to put into effect, and I certainly dont claim that the Supreme Court under John Roberts is likely to embrace any such action. (The current justices are likelier to move in the opposite direction.) In the same Slate podcast mentioned above, journalist Emily Bazelon was clear about the First Amendment issues and the unique problem of this mob-speak: The attack problem is about speech. If your method of attack involves speech, and we want to continue to give broad protections for speech, we have defamation as a tool against that. But what we dont have a really good way of grappling with is setting a whole mob after people its all the other people who you instigate who then can truly intimidate, threaten, make peoples lives miserable. That exponentially multiplying factor is not something, I think, that we have figured out how to deal with within the legal system. And there would really be a downside to trying to address it more, because then youd be chilling a lot of speech. But there is no question that if youre on the receiving end of the kinds of abuse, verbal abuse, that someone like E. Jean Carroll has taken and you can think of other examples of this its really destabilizing and harmful. Could allowing people to sue for these kinds of mob-like statements open a proverbial can of worms? Thats possible, and the related legal and moral issues are undoubtedly complex. But Trump is gleefully opening barrels of vipers and shaking them loose just to see where they might go and whom they might bite. Those who hear their Dear Leaders call are far too likely to show up armed to the teeth in our schools, our churches and our public squares. Im not proposing enacting new laws to restrict speech that's exactly what the First Amendment says Congress may not do. Im suggesting that citizens should have the right to sue prominent public figures for attacking them in a manner likely to lead to real harm. With the coming of Trump, there is effectively a new category of grievance: He is repeatedly telling lies about me, and his followers are making my life a nightmare. This is closely akin to the common-sense gun regulations most Americans want: They want themselves and their loved ones to feel safe to go about their lives in the pursuit of happiness, a right that far outweighs those supposedly conferred by our antique Second Amendment. Similarly, our right to do the basic work of democracy without a public bully with an outsized megaphone prompting his most unhinged followers to threaten us with violence should outweigh smirking, specious claims of freedom of speech. Based on his lifetime of privilege, Donald Trump believes he is immune from any form of prosecution for any reason. He should not be immune from consequences for his repeated use of stochastic terrorism. Ive been working on this article for several weeks, and have constantly been compelled to update it to include the latest examples of Trumps winking (and not-so-winking) calls for violence: Judge Merchans new gag order, Trumps refusal to abide by it, his false posts about Merchans daughter, his reposting of an image depicting Joe Biden hogtied in the back of a pickup. Then, in yet another social media rant about Merchan, Trump sounded almost exactly like King Henry: How many Corrupt, Biased, Crooked Joe Biden-Protection Agency New York Judges do I have to endure before somebody steps in? Maybe he does know the story after all. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. This week the Arkansas General Assembly met for the fiscal session. Capitol View host Roby Brock met with Democratic State Rep. Ashley Hudson and Republican State Rep. Jimmy Gazaway to talk about the first week of the legislative session and other political happenings in the Natural State. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders outlines priorities, goals in Arkansas State of the State address Roby then talks with Arkansas top lawyer, Attorney General Tim Griffin to discuss crypto mining, the recent Biden administration proposed gun show loophole closure and other topics. Capitol View airs on Sundays at 8:30 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. New Delhi: Envoys and diplomats attended the mesmerizing Ganga Aarti at Varanasi's Dashashwamedh Ghat on Saturday as part of the grand event 'Prayas: Dharohar Kashi Ki,' organized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event showcased Varanasi's cultural significance and timeless allure to a global audience. Present among the dignitaries were Kanokporn Kunnawattana (Counsellor, Royal Thai Embassy), Said Hijri (Counsellor, Embassy of Kingdom, Morocco), Haymandoyal Dillum (High Commissioner of Mauritius), and Omar Lisandro Castaneda Solares (Ambassador of Guatemala). Their attendance lent an international dimension to the event, highlighting the importance of cultural diplomacy. In her remarks, Kanokporn Kunnawattana (Marcie), Minister Counsellor of the Royal Thai Embassy, expressed the meaningfulness of her visit to Varanasi and lauded PM Modi's leadership, expressing confidence in India's progress under his stewardship. She remarked, "I could experience it like my first Aarti puja ceremony. I have never been to Varanasi before. This is my first time so it is very meaningful for me to be here and to be able to attend the Aarti ceremony. I think India is a very big country, and it's a country where we can preserve all kinds of cultures together. And, for example, in this ceremony in Thailand, we also worship the goddess of Ganga in November." "PM Modi is a very good leader of India, and I am sure India will keep progressing in every aspect under his leadership," she added. Said Hijri, Counsellor of the Morocco Embassy, expressed his admiration for Varanasi and pledged to visit India again. He remarked, "This is my first time in Varanasi. I always read and learn about the Ganga River, but today I was really impressed. This is a very impressive place. And this is a convulsion of cultural heritage in India. As you know, India is a land of diversity, peace, and tolerance, I was really impressed with the event. I will come again here." "Varanasi has changed over the years in terms of economic and cultural development," added Hijri. High Commissioner of Mauritius, Haymandoyal Dillum, shared his pleasure in visiting Varanasi, which he described as the spiritual capital of India. He said, "It's always a pleasure to come to Banaras. Banaras is considered to be the spiritual capital of India, and you come across around 2000 temples in Varanasi. So it's always a pleasure when you come here, which is like a sort of spiritual enlightenment for all of us. And when you go back from here, you get the spiritual inspiration from here." Ambassador of Guatemala, Omar Castaneda, expressed his honor and delight in attending the Ganga Aarti, praising PM Modi's leadership in promoting India's cultural heritage. He remarked, "Today, I feel so honored and delighted to be here. The experience of Ganga Aarti is amazing and unforgettable." "From my perspective, Prime Minister Modi is a great leader. We appreciate and admire him, and we believe that he's doing a great job. The country will continue promoting the beautiful and amazing culture of India worldwide under his leadership," he added. Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot Criticizes BJP's Manifesto, Calls Promises Mere Words Kharge Criticizes BJP's Manifesto: Alleges Lack of Accomplishments Sudden Weather Shift in New Delhi: Heavy Rainfall Hits Various Parts of the City Submarine crews of around 130 people share four sinks and three toilets, with little to no contact with the outside world - 'it's challenging', admits Captain Ryan Ramsey - JOHN CLEWS/CROWN COPYRIGHT When a torpedo starts coming straight at you, theres only one thing a submarine crew can do snap into full evasion mode. Captain Ryan Ramsey issues swift orders. His crew responds immediately, twisting the Royal Navys Trafalgar-class submarine to manoeuvre the boat beneath the waves in an effort to shake off the weapon bearing down fast on their position. It would, though, take a miracle for a submarine of nearly 6,000 tons to outrun a torpedo. And that miracle never comes. The torpedo smashes into the fin, the large central structure on the submarine sometimes called the conning tower. As it hits the boat, a loud bang reverberates hard through the hull, a high-strength steel alloy designed to withstand the extreme pressure experienced at the submarines maximum and classified diving depth. It is lucky, then, that it is only an exercise, and that the Dutch torpedo has not been fitted with an explosive warhead. The depth setting on the torpedo has been accidentally but incorrectly adjusted, meaning that the weapon should, on this particular exercise, never have been able to go deep enough to see the British submarine lurking below. Nevertheless, the incident focused the mind, says Ramsey, who has now retired. Ramsey was in the submarine service for 23 years. For three of those, he was captain of the fast-attack HMS Turbulent, and deployed in a cat and mouse game of anti-submarine warfare. It quickly becomes apparent that before we even talk about Russian submarine commanders (five of which Ramsey met at a function in 2009: I learned so much in that vodka session that I applied later on) the most challenging aspect of their work was the sea itself. Commander Ramsey was in the submarine service for 23 years, three of those as captain of the fast-attack HMS Turbulent - SOUTH WEST NEWS SERVICE I always found it amazing that when we took a submarine off on operations, we were going to take the most complex platform that the British military owns into something thats less explored than space, Ramsey says. Tom Sharpe, a retired Royal Navy commander with 20 years service at sea on the surface agrees. When you let go all lines and sail, youre on operations irrespective of whether the enemy is present, says Sharpe, whose tenure included command of an anti-submarine frigate. Youre in harms way from forces that far exceed anything an enemy can throw at you. If you end up in it, your chances of survival diminish really, really quickly. And thats just on the outside. Inside the vessel, whether above or below the surface, conditions are equally harsh. Submariners work a six-hours on, six-hours off shift pattern. Maintaining that regime for 100 days at a time is not uncommon. Thats relentless in itself, Ramsey says. Youre not getting a full nights sleep, you might get a maximum of four hours at a time. You can sustain this almost indefinitely but its not much fun, Sharpe adds. Before long, it feels more like existing than living. The submarine crew of around 130 people share four sinks and three toilets. Its challenging, Ramsey observes, in his typically understated fashion. Youve got a load of people in a steel tube and no contact with the outside world. You receive a telegram maybe once a week, of 150 words, from your family. You cant speak to them. You cant pass messages to them. Occasionally therell be friction on board. People have arguments. The important bit is to let those arguments play out because otherwise tensions build. If they overstep, then you intervene. It sounds like a combustible environment. So why do countries invest so much time and money into sub-surface warfare? Nations can exercise political intent using under-sea assets effectively, Ramsey says. They can threaten, they can spy, they can gather intelligence. They can do all kinds of things. He says submarines should be thought of less as metal cigar tubes trying to find other metal cigar tubes and more as little bubbles of GCHQ. HMS Turbulent returns to Devonport Plymouth in 2003 after serving in the second Gulf War - BARRY BATCHELOR/PA Submarines are the first line and last line of defence for the United Kingdom. The last line of defence is obviously the strategic ballistic missile submarines with the Trident D5 [nuclear missiles]. But the first line of defence is intelligence gathering. And thats going to places in the world to gather intelligence and assess future capability to make sure that were ready to defend against it. Of course, there are many countries trying to do the same to Britain. Finding hostile submarines is a team sport. He says for the surface fleet, the most important concern is to stay outside an enemy submarines torpedo range of high single digit miles, adding: If youre outside of that you can do whatever you like as a ship. But he sounds a note of caution: If youre a single frigate against a single submarine, youre going to be in trouble. There are no absolutes in war fighting, there are so many variables in the business of anti-submarine warfare, but a singleton frigate against a submarine? Its advantage to the submarine every time. Hunting Russian submarines starts with intelligence gathering. Through satellite imagery and other sources, the British military would usually know when a Russian boat has deployed from its home base of Murmansk in the Russian arctic region. Such knowledge would be highly classified and not shared widely around the Nato alliance. Underwater sensors located on the seafloor in the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap would send a silent alert back to headquarters when a Russian vessel crossed into the high North Atlantic. Long-range patrol planes, such as the RAFs P-8 Poseidon multi-role maritime patrol aircraft, which is equipped with sensors and weapons systems for anti-submarine and surface warfare, would refine the search, perhaps aided by a friendly submarine. After that, a close-in search would be conducted by frigates using towed-array sonars trailing behind the ship, dipping deep into the ocean to listen for the tell-tale sounds of man-made technology beneath the waves. The ships would send out pings, basically a sound that would hopefully reach an enemy submarine and be reflected back. Youre giving away your position but in this case it doesnt matter, Sharpe says. As long as youre outside their weapon range you are safe. However, finding a well-run nuclear submarine on passive only [not emitting any noise] is a game probably only for another well-run submarine, not frigates, he concedes. Only when satisfied the Russian vessel had been found would the frigates commanding officer launch the on-board Merlin helicopter to locate the submarine and, if ordered, launch a weapon. In the case of the Royal Navy helicopters this would be a Sting Ray torpedo with its sophisticated acoustic homing system and 45kg explosive charge, which is powerful enough to punch through the double hulls of modern submarines. Sound can travel vast distances underwater and a frigates variable depth sonar will, in the right conditions, pick up noise from hundreds of miles away. Exactly how far sound will travel underwater is governed by a number of factors. Commanders above and below the surface are aided by highly sophisticated systems to construct mental models of the sea, where depth, temperature, salinity and distance from land all combine to form layers in the water. Sonar pings can bounce off these layers in the right conditions, meaning submarines can hide below potentially close to ships, but utterly unseen. Submarine captains have to use their judgment to position their boat correctly in the layers to hunt or hide. Grueling Perisher course Ramsey trained British and American would-be commanding officers on the Royal Navys gruelling Perisher course. This unforgiving final hurdle, that tests future submarine commanders in every aspect of their work before they can be appointed, has just a 60 per cent pass rate. Success or failure is a very human construct, Ramsey says. Ego has a huge part to play in this. You see some captains that have massive egos that push the limits way beyond where they should do. We would get into contact with the enemy and start trailing them [but] we need to tell somebody so they can position other forces. But breaking off to go back up to periscope depth to transmit, to tell somebody, means you lose the tactical advantage immediately. I always found that to be the real challenge. How far do we push this before we pull out and say, right, hes going in this direction, you need to put other forces in to intercept? Anti-submarine warfare is by far the biggest game of chess that you could ever participate in. I describe it as being in a really dark room where youve got a knife, the other guys got a knife, you cant hear him and he cant hear you, but youre looking round, hoping, waiting for the person to make the first sound so you can get in there and deal with them. Has Ramsey been in contact with Russian submarines? Ive been in contact with many submarines in my time, he replies cryptically. But being detected by an enemy submarine is a different game, he says. Youre no longer in tactical control. You need to work out how youre going to evade, get out of there, and come back another time. You dont know whether theyre going to fire weapons or not. You dont know what their rules of engagement are; its not like weve spoken to them before we started this. We have no idea what their rules of engagement are, we only know what ours are. Its exceptionally tense. Sharpe agrees: Anti-submarine warfare is a complex and confusing business and the captain who can impose order on that the quickest is the one that inevitably ends up winning. 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. CATS expecting more than $30 million in funding from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law More money is being put into public transport. MORE: CATS makes changes to several bus routes to help with timeliness North Carolina is getting another $185 million for public transit thanks to President Joe Bidens Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funding is part of a $20.5 billion package for transit agencies across the United States. A spokesperson for Charlotte Area Transit says the city is expecting $33 million. The funding will be used for various transit-related items like repairs, buying emission buses, or planning future projects. (WATCH BELOW: A lot faster: CATS passengers ready for unused bus lanes to open on East Independence) 55% After four rounds and more than 70,000 total votes, Wan Wang Restaurant on Park Avenue in Worcester has the good fortune of carrying the label of Best Chinese Restaurant in Central Massachusetts. In a Telegram & Gazette reader poll, shaped in the spirit of March Madness, Wan Wang upended Jasmine Asian Restaurant in the final round. Wan Wang collected 55% of the 5,548 votes that were cast in the weeklong final round, which ended April 7. We celebrated last night with all my customers, owner Kenny Huang said. We are definitely 100% very happy for them." 33 A piece of the former Grafton State Hospital, shuttered in 1973 and partially vacant since, has been sold by the state to a Boston real estate developer with plans for new spaces dedicated to life sciences/industrial uses. GFI Partners indicated that it plans to construct 200,000 square feet of space dedicated to life sciences and industrial uses on a 33-acre parcel at 124 Westboro Road. Other developments within the former state mental hospital include two Tufts University sites, the Grafton Science Park and the universitys Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine as well as the Massachusetts Biotech Research Park. Bean Counter Bakery Cafe in Shrewsbury has closed. 9 Weeks after unveiling the renovation of its store on Highland Street in Worcester, Bean Counter Bakery Cafe has closed its Shrewsbury location. The decision is a part of "efforts to streamline operations and focus our resources on delivering an unparalleled experience" at the Worcester stores and online, according to a social media post announcing the closure. "It was a strategic decision," said owner Alice Lombardi. The Shrewsbury store, on Route 9, opened in 2007 and was the second brick-and-mortar location for the franchise, following the opening of the Highland Street store in 2001. The online store was implemented in June 2020. A Grafton & Upton Railroad locomotive leaves the rail yard in Hopedale on Aug. 23, 2021. 130 Hopedale is being given a renewed opportunity to enforce its right of first refusal to acquire 130 acres of forestland after a recent Land Court ruling. Land Court Judge Diane Rubin recently ruled that because a 2021 settlement reached by the town and Grafton and Upton Railroad to split the West Street land was never authorized by town meeting voters, the town may continue to enforce its right of first refusal to acquire the forestland. In the previous settlement, Hopedale agreed to pay the railroad $587,000 for about 84 acres because a railroad-owned trust owned the land. An updated rendering of a proposed building at 225 Shrewsbury St. 218 A proposed 218-unit residential project behind a Shrewsbury Street shopping plaza is the latest city housing project to report delays. According to a March 11 letter to the Division of Planning & Regulatory Services, developer Lundgren Equity Partners has been hit with a delay in commencing work at 225 Shrewsbury St. The seven-story building would be 205,000 square feet and sit behind behind the current shopping plaza featuring Mexicali Cantina Grill and InHouse Coffee. At one time the building was home to Lawless Cadillac Pontiac. Around 127 units are planned as one-bedroom apartments, 55 will be studio apartments and 36 will be two-bedroom units. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Central Mass. by the Numbers After losing some positions on the Chasiv Yar front in Donetsk Oblast, where heavy fighting has been ongoing since the beginning of 2024, the 67th Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Right Sector Ukrainian Volunteer Corps is being investigated and the military personnel who served as the brigades backbone are being transferred to other units. Source: official statement of the 67th Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Right Sector Ukrainian Volunteer Corps; Ukrainska Pravda sources in the military management of the front on which the 67th Brigade operated; a former Ukrainian Volunteer Corps soldier in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda Quote: "We inform you that the high command of Ukraine's Armed Forces has begun the process of transferring all commanders and fighters from the Right Sector Ukrainian Volunteer Corps, who formed the brigade and serve as its combat backbone. The motivation for such actions are unknown to us. All attempts to halt this process and determine the reasons have been unsuccessful. Perhaps someone believes that scattering the Right Sector fighters into various Armed Forces units will result in the destruction of the Right Sector Ukrainian Volunteer Corps. Now, the brigade has a number of commissions." Details: According to Ukrainska Pravda, military leadership at various levels was curious about why such a motivated unit as the Right Sector was failing on this front. One of the factors revealed by the audit was issues within the brigade. The leadership allegedly separated the soldiers from the Right Sector and those who were transferred from other parts during the recent replenishment (they were referred to as "pixels", in reference to the pattern on the Ukrainian military uniform). The attitude toward the "pixels" was even worse; they were the first to be sent into combat, and their lack of experience made them lose territory. According to a source of Ukrainska Pravda, this was not the only reason for the brigade's combat capacity deficiencies, as revealed by the audit. According to a former Ukrainian Volunteer Corps fighter who served in the unit during the 2014-2018 anti-terrorist operation in Ukraine's east and the first year of the full-scale invasion, the current problem stems from the inability to reform the former volunteer unit into a regular brigade of the Armed Forces. Following the reformatting of the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps into the 67th Brigade, volunteers were forced to live "according to military tenets", as determined by the newly formed army command. The former Ukrainian Volunteer Corps leaders lacked the military experience necessary for high positions. During the tenure of former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the backbone of the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps, particularly Andrii Stempitskyi, was able to maintain some autonomy in the brigade while receiving assistance from the General Staff. Quote: "And when Sirskyi was appointed, they were confronted with the fact that they must only do activities that are appropriate for their official position. They saw it as political persecution. For highly ideological Ukrainian Volunteer Corps combatants, this appears to be the end of a movement, but it is actually the system bringing its combat units up to standard." Background: The Right Sector Ukrainian Volunteer Corps joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces as the full-scale invasion began. In 2023, the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps was split into two parts: one joined the Special Operations Forces and the other formed the 67th Separate Mechanised Brigade. In February 2024, a portion of the Da Vinci Wolves Unit transferred from the 67th Brigade to the 59th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade. Support UP or become our patron! Guest Opinion. Cherokee Nation is on the leading edge of health care for Native peoples. Thanks to our investments in world class care, we operate the largest tribal health system in the United States. Cherokees and other Native Americans come from across the country to get medical care at our facilities. Still, we know that treating sickness is not enough. At Cherokee Nation Health Services and throughout our tribal government, we are guided by the goal of helping Cherokees have healthier, more fulfilling lives. To make that happen, all of our patients deserve access to the latest treatments and models of care. Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Recently, we were glad to host representatives from the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to kick off their Novel Innovations for Tissue Regeneration in Osteoarthritis (NITRO) program. The program's goal is to eradicate osteoarthritis, a common condition affecting bones and joints. Osteoarthritis often brings debilitating pain and loss of functional movement, and it can require costly reconstructive surgery. Osteoarthritis affects millions of people nationwide, and unfortunately American Indians have among the highest prevalence in the country. The cost of this disease is measured not only in pain suffered by patients, but a loss of capacity that can make it harder to participate in cultural and family life. Thats why improving treatment and prevention of osteoarthritis has the potential to strengthen our entire nation. The kickoff event brought together teams of researchers from leading institutions across the United States, including Duke University, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Colorado Boulder, Columbia University, and Case Western Reserve University. These teams shared visions for revolutionizing the treatment of osteoarthritis through innovative regenerative therapies that prevent the need for surgery, as well as better replacement joints. They were joined by ARPA-H Director Dr. Renee Wegrzyn and others from her team. Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. ARPA-H specifically chose Cherokee Nation for the launch of this program out of a commitment to putting the needs of diverse populations at the forefront of their work. The visitors heard from Cherokee Nation Health Services providers, who shared firsthand how osteoarthritis is affecting our people and the challenges of treating it in a tribal health care setting. They toured our facilities and learned about Cherokee history and culture. Our work with ARPA-H is not a one-off event. Cherokee Nation is a member of the agencys Investor Catalyst hub, which connects researchers, entrepreneurs and investors to the people who can most benefit from their work. Through this collaboration, we can make sure tribes have a strong voice in the development of advanced research programs. Together, we are working toward a day when arthritis is an easily treatable condition that does not get in the way of Cherokees living their best lives. Chuck Hoskin, Jr. is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. (Bloomberg) -- Chinese business executives and investors are embracing a future fraught with geopolitical tensions and slowing economic growth, but also with opportunity emerging from the countrys burst real estate bubble. Most Read from Bloomberg That mix of anxiety and measured optimism was on display at a forum at Harvard University where business tycoons, entrepreneurs and venture capitalist mingled with scholars and students over the weekend. The participants said the ongoing housing slump depressed investor sentiment. But they also praised Chinas economic resilience, supported by its vast pool of engineers and skilled workers, sophisticated infrastructure and innovation in areas such as renewable energy and electric vehicles. Most of the discussion, however, inevitably turned to the US-China relationship. Xing Lu, an executive at Cloopen Group, a cloud-based communications service provider, said hes worried that a potential shutdown of TikTok by the US may affect some of his investments, which heavily rely on the social media giant to lure new customers. In a thinly veiled complaint that the US has penalized Chinese EV makers with tariffs and other restrictions, William Li, chief executive officer of Nio, called for more cooperation, saying the Chinese government has refrained from discriminating against foreign automakers. Geopolitics is the biggest uncertainty, Chen Dongsheng, chairman and CEO at Taikang Insurance Group, said at the Harvard College China Forum. The trend of globalization has turned into decoupling, technology blockade and trade protectionism. Graham Allison, a Harvard professor who met with President Xi Jinping and other senior leaders during a recent trip to Beijing, said he returned with both good news and bad news. Allison popularized the term Thucydides Trap, which describes the historical tendency toward war when an emerging power threatens to dislodge the existing superpower. The good news, he said, is that the meeting between Xi and US President Joe Biden in San Francisco in November put a floor under a deteriorating relationship and set a foundation for improvement. But its far from guaranteed that the two countries can compete and cooperate at the same time, he said. Despite the economic challenges at home, Xi is very much in command with a determined vision to make China all that it can be, Allison said. So bad news: this is a genuine Thucydides rivalry between the fastest rising power of all time and the most colossal ruling power at least since Rome, Allison said. And neither of us is prepared to give much, with respect to its position. The potential collision occurs at a time when Chinas economy is struggling with a housing crisis and a loss of confidence among consumers and entrepreneurs as Beijing intensified its focus on national security. Chinese stocks slumped 30% over the past three years as foreign investors retreated. James Ding, managing director of GSR Ventures, said whether overseas investors will be enamored of the Chinese market again depends on the direction of next set of policies by Beijing. The Chinese government is keen to revive the confidence among Chinese and foreign investors, as well as the private sector Ding said. I hope it will gradually improve. Other Chinese venture capital and private equity investors were relatively upbeat. While Chinas economy is confronted with a shrinking population and the geopolitical risks, China is minting millions of college graduates, engineers and other professional and enjoys competitive edges with a comprehensive supply chain and renewed focus on innovation, said Kevin Qi, chairman of Merger China Group. I have more positive talking points for China than the negatives, Qi said. Jing Hong, founding Partner and CEO at Gaucheness Capital, echoed the sentiment. She said shes bullish on Chinese assets as well as overseas startups by Chinese entrepreneurs. The structural shift from labor and capital-intensive economy means China needs to push for technology innovation to improve productivity, which brings about a huge opportunity, she said. She added Chinas stable social and political structure points to a more sustainable development than most of its peers. A lot of people see how China slowed significantly, but they underestimate how stable the society is, Hong said. Ultimately, its not about how much the GDP can grow. Its about which country can protect the lower half of the population. China did pretty good on that. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Chris Sununu Tries and Fails to Defend His Trump Flipflop in ABC Interview New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu spent the past year criticizing his fellow Republican Donald Trump, saying repeatedly how Trump brought doom to the GOP and faced numerous investigations and continues to peddle the conspiracy theory that he won the 2020 election, as the governor wrote in a June 2023 column. On Sunday, however, Sununu sought to let bygones be bygonesan insurrection, a potential criminal conviction, and continued election-denying be damned. Sununu joined ABCs This Week on Sunday, where moderator George Stephanopoulos pressed the governor on his about-face in supporting the twice-impeached former president. He noted how Sununu, who endorsed Nikki Haley in the primaries, said in January 2021 that Trumps rhetoric and actions led to the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection and asked him how he could continue to support Trump despite that. New Hampshire Guv Set to Endorse Nikki Haley for President: Reports For me, its not about him as much as it is having a Republican administration, Republican secretaries, Republican rules, a sense where states rights come first, individual rights come first, and well have a pro-business economy, Sununu said. We wont have a cancel culture that has infiltrated across America. Its not about Trump with me. Stephanopoulos contested that argument, noting that Trump would still be the president overseeing that Republican administration. He noted to Sununu that, by standing by his 2021 statement, he was supporting an insurrectionist. As does 51 percent of America, George, he said. Elsewhere, Sununu tried to deflect from his previous criticisms of Trump, including over his federal indictments. He admitted that his support for the indicted former president was more about politics than personal favoritism. Look, nobody should be shocked that the Republican governor is supporting the Republican president, Sununu said. Eventually, Stephanopoulos had enough of Sununus indifference toward Trump after his yearslong bashing of the former president. Just to sum up, you would support him for president even if he was convicted in classified documents, Stephanopoulos started. You would support him for president, even though you believe he contributed to an insurrection. You support him for president even though you believe hes lying about the last election, you support him for president even if hes convicted in the Manhattan case. I just wanna say, the answer to that is yes, correct? Yeah, me and 51 percent of America, Sununu responded. Governor, thanks for your time, 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. JOHANNESBURG Christianity is in deadly crisis in more than half of Africas 54 countries, sources say. Christian groups contacted by Fox News Digital say the faithful are being persecuted, killed and displaced in 28 countries on the continent. The situation is the worst in Nigeria. Mission group Open Doors US told Fox News Digital its research reports that "nine out of 10 Christians killed for their faith in 2023 were in Nigeria. However, this number is likely higher, as many deaths go unreported." "Nigeria is one of the deadliest places on earth to be a Christian," Ryan Brown, Open Doors US CEO, told Fox News Digital. "Of the nearly 5,000 Christians killed for their faith in 2023 worldwide, a staggering 82% of them were in Nigeria." WORLD LOOKS OTHER WAY AS CHRISTIANS 'KILLED FOR SPORT BY JIHADISTS' IN NIGERIA Family members gather Dec. 27, 2023, to bury loved ones killed by armed groups in Nigeria's central Plateau State in Maiyanga village, Nigeria. The Nigerian research group Intersociety, the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, calls the killing of Nigerias Christians genocide and puts the death toll higher, claiming over 8,000 Nigerian Christians were killed or abducted from January 2023 to the end of January 2024. Most of them were reportedly savagely hacked to death with knives. Intersociety says over 18,500 places of Christian worship were destroyed across Nigeria from 2009-2023. And this slaughter is continuing, Intersocietys Emeka Umeagbalasi told Fox News Digital. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "(An) estimated 500-600 Christians are believed to have been hacked to death for professing to be Christians in Nigeria, covering January to the first week of April 2024," Umeagbalasi said. "They are being killed, raped and displaced, and their homes and, sometimes, churches burnt. In some occasions, they are forced, under pain of death, to publicly change their religion to Islam." "With the rise of radical Islam in Africa, there is a definite increase in the targeting and persecution of Christians," Todd Nettleton, host of the Voice of the Martyrs Radio Network told Fox News Digital. He added that these attacks come in a wide range, from "well-known groups like Boko Haram in Nigeria and al-Shabaab in Somalia, to less-well-known but equally violent groups in northern Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo and other nations. "Currently, there are 28 countries on the African continent listed on the Open Doors US 2024 World Watch List, nations where Christians routinely face oppression, harassment and violence because of their faith in Christ." Despite an estimated 46% of the population being Christian, Nigerian Christians are often ripped from their homes too, with Brown of Open Doors US reporting that "of the 34.5 million displaced people across sub-Saharan Africa due to political instability, conflict and extremism, an estimated 16.2 million are Christians." Brown added, "As Fulani militant (Islamist) herdsmen wish to claim land in the middle of Nigeria, where there is the best grazing, they attack Christian villages, kidnap their people, burn their homes and destroy their crops, claiming the land for themselves." WORLD, PROTESTERS SILENT ON SUDAN MASSACRES: 'NO MOB OUTSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE' A baby injured on the Christmas Day attacks at a nursing home, Bokkos, Plateau state, Nigeria Persecution in Nigeria is not new. Boko Haram Muslim militants kidnapped Maryamu Joseph when she was just 7 years old. She managed to escape nine years later, telling the Aid to the Church In Need (ACN) agency, "I suffered so much at the hands of these heartless, ruthless people. They put the Christians in cages, like animals. The first thing they did was forcefully convert us to Islam. They changed my name to Aisha, a Muslim name, and warned us not to pray as Christians, or we would be killed." Catholic teacher Emmanuel Joseph witnessed a recent attack on a Catholic and a Baptist Church in Rubuh, in Nigerias Kaduna State. "Mass had just started when we heard guns firing. Parishioners started running everywhere," Joseph said. "Coming into the church compound, they shot three members who had left the church. They also attacked the local Baptist church and abducted 36 members of the congregation, mostly women, and killed a man there also. We are only focused on how to stay alive, looking upon God for safety in the belief that He will fight back for us." "Religious persecution in the north is systemic," Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, the archbishop of Nigerias Kaduna State claimed, "I cannot build a church, yet the government employs and pays imams to teach in schools. Every year they have money to build mosques in the budget but will not let you build churches". Reports of persecution continue to flood in from the Sahel region Chad, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. The latter countrys bishop, Justin Kientega, told ACN parts of his diocese have become no-go areas as jihadists work to impose radical Islam on the population. "The terrorists gather people and tell them not to go to school," he said. "They instruct men to grow out their beards and women to wear the Islamic veil." In Sudan, Brown of Open Doors US said, theres more persecution of Christians. "There have been 165 churches closed," Brown said. "Others have been attacked and destroyed. We see in Sudan and so many other places that those who oppose the Christian faith will use these volatile situations as an opportunity to lash out against our brothers and sisters. As we pray for an end to the violence, we remember these brave men and women and pray for their protection as they continue to risk so much." CHRISTMAS EVE ATTACK IN NIGERIA LEAVES AT LEAST 140 PEOPLE DEAD, HOMES BURNED A Sudanese man walks in the courtyard of a church in the Um Gulja former refugee camp in Sudan's eastern Gedaref state Dec. 15, 2023. Sudans year-long civil war has displaced some 8.2 million people, according to this months figures from the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. But Christians are only a minority here, an estimated 5% of the population. Sudan researcher Eric Reeves told Fox News Digital its difficult when, for example, so many buildings of every type are being bombed in Sudan to say the burning of churches is a particular attack against Christians. "There has certainly been an underlying dislike of the long Christian presence in Sudan, going back to the Bashir regime and even longer confiscation of church property and curtailment of Christian activities in various ways. But the present situation is simply too chaotic to make generalizations." Christians are being targeted in Mozambique too. According to ACN, missionaries, priests and Christians generally have had to flee the Northern Cabo Delgado region. "The activities of Islamic insurgent groups have intensified in the region, creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity," according to ACN. The UNHCR says over 1 million people have been displaced since fighting started in 2017. A photo taken with a mobile phone June 27, 2021, shows the site of a Catholic church after an explosion in Beni city of North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo DRC. Attacks and destruction and burning of chapels in at least 12 Mozambican communities by groups related to Islamic State have been reported so far this year. "Our people carry only what they can in a bundle on their heads or on the family bicycle," The Bishop of Pemba in Northern Mozambique, Antonio Juliasse, told ACN. "Their greatest risk is to become forgotten faces, drowned out by the other wars in the world." A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital officials are "deeply concerned about rising levels of persecution globally, including of Christians. We note with grave concern that reports of intolerance and harassment against Christians around the world are increasing and more widespread. No one should ever have to fear for their personal safety or the safety of their religious institutions. "Members of Christian communities, or those wishing to join, face limits on their rights to freedom of religion or belief in every world region and have been the target of repeated terrorist and violent attacks by mobs and violent extremists, including in Africa. JIHADIST AND NUCLEAR THREAT AS AFRICAN COUNTRY TELLS US TO LEAVE AMID RUSSIAN AND IRANIAN GAINS State officials walk past injured victims on hospital beds being treated for wounds after an attack by gunmen at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo town, southwest Nigeria, June 5, 2022. "The Department of State regularly engages governments, at all levels, to advocate for improvements to religious freedom, including ending violations impacting Christians. We speak out about these issues regularly and report on these developments in the International Religious Freedom report. The United States Government and the Office of International Religious Freedom uses it as a starting point for advocacy efforts that span the entire year and beyond." The Voice of the Martyrs Todd Nettleton told Fox News Digital he would like to see more action. "It is important for our government, and other free-world governments, to identify and call out those who attack and persecute religious minorities whether they be governments or terrorist groups," Nettleton said. "The State Department issues its annual list of Countries of Particular Concern, which is a start, but more could certainly be done to shine a light on the suffering of religious minorities facing violent attacks in Africa and other places." A Boko Haram flag flutters from an abandoned command post in Gambaru, which is deserted after Chadian troops chased them from the border town on February 4, 2015. "Religious freedom is often called the first freedom, and therefore should be a vital facet of our governments interactions with other nations even at the risk of offending foreign governments with whom we might want to work on profitable trade or other agreements." "The U.S. government should be advocating for the Nigerian government to end impunity," Brown of Open Doors US told Fox News Digital. "For too long, extremists and groups such as Fulani militants have committed violence against Christians and various ethnic groups with no accountability. We need to urge the Nigerian government to take a strong stance against these perpetrators and break the cycle of violence that continues to expand throughout sub-Saharan Africa. "We need the U.S. government to take a strong and vocal stance on these attacks and the insecurity they are creating." In Burkina Faso, Bishop Kientega says Christians are prepared to die for their faith, rather than be forced to embrace Islam. "Many of them accept the possibility of death," Kientega said. "They refuse to remove their crosses, and they refuse to convert. They always find other ways to live their faith and pray." Fox News Digital reached out for comment to the Nigerian presidency, the Nigerian Foreign Ministry, the Nigerian U.S. Embassy and the Nigerian Police Force but did not receive a response. Original article source: Christians in Africa face worrying rise in killings, persecution and displacement The proposed budget for the Clarksville-Montgomery County 2024-25 school year includes raises for teachers, capital projects and new positions. During the April 9 Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board study session, the school board heard the first reading of the proposed budget for the 2024-25 school year. The proposed budget for the district, around $444 million in expenses, includes raises for teachers, increasing starting pay for bus drivers and key projects in various schools the district will be working on throughout the year. CMCSS' budget has a revenue of about $404 million, and although most of it is coming from the State of Tennessee, CMCSS is asking for an increase in allotted funds from the county property tax. CMCSS is requesting an increase in the district's allocation of property tax revenue by $4.8 million. A chart of how the Montgomery County property taxes are used. At the moment, Clarksville- Montgomery County Schools receives 18% and are asking for an increase of $4.8 million for the 2024-2025 school year budget. The proposed budget has $6.6 million in local revenue, including the proposed $4.8 increase in allotted funds to be received by property taxes and $1.8 increase in local sales taxes. "This is the first increase that we've asked of you," CMCSS financial officer Christopher Reneau said during his presentation. "If you do the cost average over 16 years that is less than a 1% increase per year." ESSER funds expiring ESSER funds, or Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, were provided by the federal government for school districts to provide relief for plans for education recovery due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the district's ESSER 3.0 plan, almost $6 million in academics such as summer school and interventionists, over $2 million was used to pay for educators in the district and over $1 million was used for student readiness. From substitutes, nurses and tutors to mental health and summer school, for the past several years, ESSER funds were used throughout the district to help provide education and resources to students. With ESSER funds expiring, the district changed some of those staff positions to permanent positions, including the eight floating nurses and eight special education (SPED) teachers, as permanent in the yearly budget without causing too much of a deficit for the district. Planning ahead of time, adding these new positions was something CMCSS is prepared for according to Christopher Reneau Chief Financial Officer for CMCSS as he started his presentation. "It's been published that 62% of the districts in the state of Tennessee are facing a fiscal cliff. And what's driving that cliff was the introduction of ESSER funds," said Reneau. "As we get started, I just wanted to note that we don't have that problem, we've been planning accordingly. And so there's there's zero concerns with the district funding with the removal of ESSER funding." District staff pay increase The budget has set aside over $160 million to pay teachers, and, if passed, teachers and district employees could get a 5% cost of living adjustment raise. If passed, CMCSS teachers would have seen a 22.5% increase in wages in the past 24 months, putting CMCSS two years ahead of Gov. Bill Lee's plan to have starting teachers making $50,000 by 2027. District employees will also see a 2% raise and special population teachers will see an additional $5,000 differentiated pay. The beginning pay for bus drivers will also increase to $21 an hour, an increase from two years ago when it was $16. "I'm very excited about that," said Reneau. "And I think it does well by our team members and we're heading in the right direction." Capital projects The proposed budget set aside $12.8, or $9.8 million for capital projects in schools, with the biggest expenses being roofing, HVAC and paving. "Miraculously, it only took me three years, but I realized that we have a paving department in Montgomery County," said Reneau with a laugh. If Montgomery County School and Montgomery County's paving department can work something out, the capital budget would be $9.8 million. As far as roofing and HVAC, the district has listed the six schools with those capital projects: East Montgomery Elementary, Ringgold Elementary, St. Bethlehem Early Learning Center, Moore Elementary, Glenellen Elementary and Northeast Elementary. With a new Kirkwood Elementary School opening in the fall, the board has set aside $2.2 million to fund teachers and staff for the school's operations. This includes the opening cost of the school and positions from counselors to cafeteria staff and maintenance like utilities and technology and all in between. Other projects included different sections of the district's budget such as buses changing its radio and frequency stations so there aren't dead zones, Wi-Fi and hot spots and an additional copier for every middle and high school. "So if anyone (teacher or staff member) is listening, we heard you," Reneau said. Kenya Anderson is a reporter for The Leaf-Chronicle. She can be contacted at kanderson@gannett.com or on X at kenyaanderson32. Sign up for the Leaf-Chronicle to support local journalism at www.theleafchronicle.com. This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Montgomery Co. school budget includes raises, capital, new positions NEW YORK Activists and donors, young and old, packed into a luxury co-op on the Upper West Side last Wednesday to celebrate the one-year birthday of Climate Defiance, a disruptive climate action group that is quite good at making powerful politicians, government officials, and corporate executives uncomfortable with the goal of trying to end our reliance on fossil fuels. Climate Defiance Executive Director Michael Greenberg put this power on full display at the event, as he gave supporters an excruciatingly hard sell, for what felt like an eternity, asking them to fund the organizations in-your-face climate activism and help take it national. In one year, weve reached 70 million people on Twitter, with $0 in paid ads, said Greenberg, noting his organizations activism has been covered in The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Guardian, and by this reporter in Rolling Stone. This is absolutely having an impact, he said. And if we can do this in one year, on pretty much just the East Coast, imagine what we could do if we had twice the budget. We could be doing this in Chicago, L.A., and Houston in the belly of the beast of the oil industry. Imagine what we could do if we had a real vibrant, distributed organizing program, so that people in small cities and [in] Omaha, Denver, and Minneapolis have the support they need to start their own chapters. Greenberg said that in just one year, Climate Defiance hounded several prominent officials so badly they quit their jobs. He noted the group protested Interior Department official Tommy Beaudreau, or the climate criminal who personally signed off on the Willow Project, [and] 15 days later he resigned. We protested Jody Freeman, whos a member was a member of the board of directors at ConocoPhillips, he continued. We gave her the Big Oil Bestie award, we shut down the whole Harvard climate change conference where shes affiliated. She resigned from ConocoPhillips and kept her role at Harvard University. Outside of the Climate Emergency Fund, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that funds organizations that lead disruptive climate actions, Greenberg told the crowd, there are few foundations willing to finance his groups work, which has included bird-dogging politicians like coal baron Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) or ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods. If we are to keep doing this work, it will be because people in this room give us money, he said, calling on one donor in the room to give $20,000. His rationale for that number was a bit convoluted honestly, it was a lot to follow yet powerful nonetheless. climate defiance one year Climate Defiances targeted, disruptive activism played a key role in convincing the Biden administration to pause a decision on whether to approve CP2, a liquefied natural-gas (LNG) export terminal that would be the largest in the United States and also temporarily pause all pending decisions on new LNG export projects. As Greenberg noted at the event, the White House specifically included a quote from Climate Defiance in a press release about its decision to pause new LNG decisions. If you stopped all proposed LNG build-out, thats the equivalent of stopping 500 coal plants, Greenberg said, extrapolating from there to suggest his groups activities last year ultimately had the impact of shutting down 25 coal plants. He continued: Our annual budget is about $500,000 per year. So $500,000, divided by the 25 coal plant equivalents weve shut down, shows that for every $20,000, you have the impact of shutting down the equivalent of one coal plant. When he finally made the ask, it worked almost immediately: A man pledged $20,000 on the spot. That is incredible. I am blown away, Greenberg said, before asking if anyone else was ready to give $20,000. It worked, again, as a foundation executive pledged to give that much, too. Greenberg asked again: Is there one more person ready to make a $20,000 commitment to Climate Defiance? After some awkward silence, Steven Donziger an environmental justice lawyer who was imprisoned and held under house arrest for nearly three years due to his role in a $9.5 billion judgment against Chevron stepped in and joked, The discomfort is part of the strategy. The New Republic ran a piece on Climate Defiance, which was otherwise a very nice piece, Greenberg said, but they said that I am lanky and awkward. So then I quote tweeted [them] and said, Nobody has ever called me lanky. He explained, I think part of why Im able to do this is that I dont always get too concerned about social norms. After lowering the ask to $10,000, Greenberg joked that Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) once told me that I take things too far but tonight, I am ready to prove her absolutely right. Later, as Greenberg asked for $5,000, he noted the group may have spent that much on tickets to attend the event with ExxonMobils CEO, where the organization unfurled a banner proclaiming, Eat shit Darren. Greenberg noted that the video got more than 5 million views on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. As the total haul eclipsed $60,000, Greenberg said that raising $70,000 will be enough to make Joe Manchin crawl into a cave, and place a giant boulder in front, and hide out there in shame for the rest of his life. By the end, after roughly 30 exhausting minutes of hard selling, Greenberg reached that $70,000 goal which was far more than anyone in the room could have expected. Margaret Klein Salamon, executive director at the Climate Emergency Fund which has financially supported Climate Defiance from the start was stunned. Afterwards, she tells Rolling Stone shes going to use Greenbergs strategy to raise money herself: Discomfort works. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Description Please join us Sunday, April 14th at 3:00PM, when Michael Waldman, former speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and author of "The Supermajority: How the Supreme Court Divided America," will be guest speaker, dialoguing with our moderator, NY1 News anchor, host of Inside City Hall, and CNN political analyst Errol Louis. Following their conversation, there will be a meet and greet / book signing. Light refreshments will be served. All members of the community are invited. Admission is free. Michael Waldman is president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to revitalize the nation's systems of democracy and justice. He was director of speechwriting for President Bill Clinton from 1995 to 1999 and is the author of "The Second Amendment: A Biography" and "The Fight to Vote." . In his current bestseller, "The Supermajority...", Michael Waldman explores the tumultuous 2021-2022 Supreme Court term. Over three days in June 2022, the conservative supermajority overturned the constitutional right to abortion, possibly opening the door to reconsider other major privacy rights, as Justice Clarence Thomas urged. The Court sharply limited the authority of the EPA, reducing the prospects for combatting climate change. It radically loosened curbs on guns amid an epidemic of mass shootings. Waldman asks: "What can we do when the Supreme Court challenges the country?" . Michael Waldman was a member of the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court. A graduate of Columbia College and NYU School of Law, he comments widely in the media on law and policy. This program is funded by Elaine and George Malin. Temple Emanuel of Great Neck is located at 150 Hicks Lane, Great Neck, NY 11024. Call 516.482.5701 to R.S.V.P. . . . Some comments on "The Supermajority..." "Waldman's book devastatingly demonstrates that . . . the current Court has made clear that even the judiciary's legitimacy as the law's highest expositor cannot be presumed." - Lawrence Tribe, The New York Review of Books "Today's Supreme Court poses a crisis for American democracy. It has set the country back on voting rights, reproductive rights, gun safety and racial justice, with more damage possibly to come. This compelling book tells the story of this critical moment in the long struggle for a better, more equitable country. It's not a story just for lawyers - it's something every American must know." - Eric Holder, former U.S. Attorney General Category: Attractions | Talks and Lectures Screenshot: CNN Former Biden staffer and current Harvard fellow Ashley Allison found herself in a bit of controversy after recently discussing the impact of the 1995 OJ Simpson trial on CNN. The broadcasters political commentator didnt mince words when she discussed the feelings Simpsons death brought back up for Black Americans. Simpson died on April 10 from prostate cancer. In 1994, he was charged in the double murder of ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. Ultimately, his acquittal showed a pertinent divide between Black and white America though Simpson was found civilly liable for their deaths. [Simpsons case] was so racially charged because of what had happened just before with Rodney King, but also just how Black Americans feel about policing, Allison explained when asked about how the trial divided the country in racial ways. She continued: [Simpson] wasnt a social justice leader, but he represented something for the Black community in that moment, in that trial, particularly because there were two white people who had been killed. And the history around how Black people have been persecuted during slavery. Until this country is ready to actually have an honest conversation about the racial dynamics from our origin story until today, we will always have moments like O.J. Simpson that manifests and our country will always be divided if we dont actually deal with the issue of race. Of course, conservatives like Charlie Kirk shared Allisons commentary on X to draw ire from his fans. Some of his followers responded to the clip with remarks that the media is vehemently anti-white and labeled Allison as a Black racist. The truth of the matter is, Simpson was found not guilty because LAPD let their racism and corruption botch their entire investigation. After Detective Mark Fuhrman got caught using the N-word when he denied doing so under oath and pleaded the fifth when asked if he planted evidence in the Simpson case, the suspects defense team got all the reasonable doubt they needed for an acquittal. Simpsons legacy isnt just about how a Black man allegedly got away with killing two white people, but how our criminal justice system inherently upholds white supremacy regardless of the cost. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Former President Trumps ex-personal attorney, Michael Cohen, said that the former commander-in-chief will not testify in the hush money case, arguing it is not going to happen. Cohen, a former ally of Trump who turned into a vocal critic of the former president, shut down the idea that he would testify in the New York case, the trial for which is set to begin on Monday. The likelihood of Donald Trump being on the stand is equal to the likelihood of me waking up tomorrow 76 and playing center for the New York Knicksits not gonna happen, Cohen said during his Saturday appearance on MSNBC The Weekend. His Saturday remarks come after Trump said on Friday that he would absolutely testify in the case where he is facing 34 felonies. Cohen also added that Trump is not a good defendant and that he would love to see the former president take the witness stand and try to defend himself in a case thats indefensible. We also know that hes not a good defendant, Cohen said on Saturday. Hes not a good witness. We watched that with the E. Jean Carroll case when he couldnt even identify E. Jean Carroll and confused her with Marla Maples. He is not a good witness, he continued. Hes not going to take the stick. In fact, I hope that Im wrong. Because I think that would be absolutely classic for America to be able to see Donald Trump on the witness stand trying to defend himself in a case thats indefensible. The former president is starring down 34 charges of falsifying business records related to the hush money payment made by Cohen to porn actress Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with Trump ahead of the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case and has denied the affair. Judge Juan Merchan tossed another of Trumps attempts to delay the trial on Friday, ruling that the trial will go forward as will the jury selection. Jury selection is largely luck, Trump said on Friday. It depends who you get. Its very unfair that Im having a trial there. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A harrowing trail of evidence led to an arrest in case of missing college student When 19-year-old Sade Robinson didnt show up for her shift at a Wisconsin pizza restaurant on April 2, her co-workers immediately suspected something was wrong. The evening before, Robinson had planned a first date with Maxwell Anderson, 33, at a local seafood restaurant, according to a criminal complaint against Anderson. He is now facing charges of homicide, mutilation of a corpse, and arson in connection with Robinsons death. The young college student had been looking forward to the date, even telling a worker in her building how excited she was, the complaint said. She texted Anderson she was feeling seafood and headed out to meet him at a seafood restaurant where he used to work, wearing ripped jeans and a white shirt, according to the complaint. Robinson was a vibrant, extroverted presence at the Pizza Shuttle, Manager Justin Romano described her to CNN affiliate WDJT-TV as very outgoing, she would talk to everybody here. She was always there to lighten the mood. Not showing up for work the next day wasnt like her at all, Romano, the manager on duty at the Pizza Shuttle the day Robinson disappeared, told WDJT-TV. We kind of knew something was up; we had been calling her all day. One of Robinsons friends called the police that night, saying she had not returned her calls or shown up for work, the criminal complaint said. Police visited Robinsons apartment for a welfare check but did not find her there. A harrowing trail of evidence The restaurant closed for three days during the search for Robinson, and authorities discovered a grisly set of clues. The morning after her date with Anderson, Robinsons vehicle was discovered on fire. The 2020 Civic had sustained extreme fire damage completely damaging the interior, according to the criminal complaint. Despite the fire damage, authorities were able to identify the outfit Robinson had been wearing the night of the date as well as part of an iPhone consistent with her phone in the burned car. Later the same day, police were called to the scene of another gruesome discovery: a human leg on the beach in Warnimont Park, in the Milwaukee suburb of Cudahy, which appeared sawn off at the hip, according to the criminal complaint. An examination determined the leg belonged to a Black woman, approximately 5 feet tall. It was identified as Robinsons using preliminary DNA evidence, the complaint states. And on April 6, as police canvassed the area where Robinsons car had been found, they identified more remains, including a human foot and what appeared to be human flesh. All appeared to come from the same person, the complaint said. Phone records found by a friend of Robinsons and her mother using a location-sharing app were detailed in the complaint. They show Robinsons phone traveling the night of April 1 from the seafood restaurant to a nearby sports bar, then to Andersons home and then to the park where the remains were discovered. Maxwell Anderson appears in court as he is charged with killing and dismembering 19-year-old Sade Robinson on Friday April 12, 2024 at the Criminal Justice Facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. - Jovanny Hernandez/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/USA Today Network Suspect faces homicide and mutilation charges On Friday, Wisconsin authorities charged Anderson with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, and arson of property other than a building. He would face life in prison if convicted on the homicide charge. The complaint details evidence police say ties Anderson to the crimes, including surveillance video, witness accounts and phone records. Authorities also found blood in Andersons house and several gasoline containers, it states. The complaint says evidence led authorities to conclude Robinson was dead. The facts mentioned in this complaint cause Complainant to conclude that the Defendant intentionally killed and then dismembered Robinson with the intent to conceal the homicide, and it occurred between the arrival at the Defendants residence and his departure from the Warnimont Park area, it states. Anthony Cotton, an attorney representing Anderson, told CNN his client is presumed innocent and we will fight this matter vigorously in court. At a Friday news conference, police said the search for more of Robinsons remains and other evidence continues. When asked if her office was reviewing other cases of missing women for possible connections, Milwaukee County Sheriff Danita Ball said, So far, there hasnt been any evidence that there are any other victims. After Andersons first court appearance, Robinsons mother, Sheena Scarbrough, called his arrest justice for Sade. A verified GoFundMe for Robinsons memorial service described Robinson as a loving daughter, a cherished sister, and a dear friend to many. Robinson, originally from Mississippi, was about to graduate from Milwaukee Area Technical College and pursue a career in criminal justice, according to the fundraiser. The pain of losing Sade has left a void in the hearts of her family, especially her grieving mother and little sister, along with other relatives, friends, and the entire community who loved and supported her, reads the description. As we come together to honor Sades memory, we aim to provide her with the dignified farewell she deserves. CNNs Kara Devlin and Cheri Mossburg contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Police have released a photo of a man suspected of murdering a man at a bus stop on the South Side. According to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers, a man was standing at a bus stop at the corner of Parsons Avenue and East Whittier Street, in the Southern Orchards neighborhood, at 6:12 p.m. on March 29. Police said that is when another man, who was standing with the victim, struck the victim, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the pavement. Columbus police released a photo of a man suspected of murder on Parsons Avenue and East Whittier Street, March 29, 2024. (Courtesy/Central Ohio Crime Stoppers) Officers found the victim, who was unconscious, bleeding from his head and medics took him to an area hospital. The victim never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead the following night at 11:12 p.m. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for any information leading to the arrest and/or indictment of the person(s) responsible for this crime. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrime.org and submit your tip. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. If you happen to come across far-right talking points expressed on the radio, podcasts or other forms of media, chances are youll hear about how California is a communist state. You may even see a bumper sticker now and again with Commiefornia plastered on a window. Recently I received an anonymous letter from a subscriber with a clipping from The Epoch Times a conservative news organization that dabbles in far-right conspiracy theories and is powered by Falun Gong, a religious group persecuted in China, which launched The Epoch Times as a free propaganda newsletter more than two decades ago to oppose the Chinese Communist Party, according to reporting by NBC News. The message from the subscriber on that clipping said, Why dont you print a viewpoint like this for a change?!? The headline of the viewpoint that the anonymous person wanted represented was Joe Rogan Says California Went Full Communist. Funny enough, on the back of the same clipping that was sent was the headline San Francisco Tops Nation With Highest-Earning Software Engineers in 2023. So which is it? Are we a communist state or are we actually a haven for capitalism and all the economic inequality that comes along with it? Opinion As has been the case in recent years, fear and concern over the world has led to an increase in irrational thought and a distrust of educational institutions. Words and phrases have been twisted to the point where they lose all meaning. Communism, in this respect, is a clear example of that twisting of words. For those who decry that we are living in a communist state or that so and so is communist, it seems as if they dont really understand what communism is and why our economic inequality is so great which is an absolute antithesis to communism. Lets start with the basics. Communism is a political ideology and type of government in which the state owns the major resources in a society, including property, means of production, education, agriculture and transportation. Basically, communism proposes a society in which everyone shares the benefits of labor equally, and eliminates the class system through redistribution of income, according to The University of North Carolinas Center for European Studies. The Father of Communism, Karl Marx, a German philosopher and economist, proposed this new ideology in his Communist Manifesto, which he wrote with Friedrich Engels in 1848. The manifesto emphasized the importance of class struggle in every historical society, and the dangerous instability capitalism created. Though Marx died well before a government tested his theories, his writings, in conjunction with a rising disgruntled working class across Europe, did immediately influence revolutionary industrial workers throughout Europe who created an international labor movement. Does this sound like Californias government and class structure to you? Is wealth evenly distributed among the masses? If youre paying attention and being honest with yourself, then the answer is unequivocally no. Lets take a look at reality. According to statistics froom the Internal Revenue Service, California residents with incomes of $1 million or more grew by 61,900, or 66%, from 2019 to 2021. Californias share of millionaires in the U.S. rose to 17.9% in 2021 the three most populous states after California all saw their share fall. Now lets take a look at billionaires in the state. According to Forbes Richest in 2023 list, California dominates other states with the amount of billionaires that live here collectively worth $12.2 trillion. There were more than 180 California residents on that list, with Larry Page, co-founder of Google, worth the most at $79.2 billion. So, if we were to go by pure statistics, by pure wealth that is not only generated but accumulated in this state, California is anything but a communist haven. The wealth is not redistributed in the manner outlined by communist ideology, nor does the state own major resources large corporations such as PG&E are investor owned and driven by the desire for more profit, the complete antithesis of communism and true ownership. In fact, California has some of the most noticeable and well-documented wealth inequality in the nation. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, the gap between high- and low-income families in California is among the largest in the nation exceeding all but three other states in 2021 (the latest data available). That data showed that families at the top of the income food chain earned 11 times more than families at the bottom. Californias income distribution reflects high rates of poverty. Income is frequently not enough to meet basic needs (on average a family of four requires about $37,000). Families in the bottom quarter of the income distribution are at risk of poverty absent major safety net programs, the institution noted. Wealth is more unevenly distributed than income. In California, 20% of all net worth is concentrated in the 30 wealthiest zip codes, home to just 2% of Californians. Again, this is the complete antithesis of communism where the even distribution of wealth is the desired byproduct. Its entirely possible that people are confusing communism with authoritarian dictatorships. The two are not mutually exclusive. If thats the case, though, then again the definition of communism fails in that respect. California has a robust democratic system allowing voters to voice their opinions and make decisions on nearly every direction the state may want to go. We vote on propositions, bonds, and of course who represents us at every level of government. If youre upset with the direction you think California or the nation is going, then that is perfectly understandable. Wealth inequality has only been rising as governments continue to cut taxes for the rich and allow corporations and the wealthy to dodge what little they pay compared to the rest of us. Fear mongering is now the key tactic for any politician or grifter looking to distract the populous from reality and the reasons we see increased inequality. They shift the blame, they dangle some keys in our faces to force us to take our eyes away from the real causes of our economic situation. They want to divide us through culture war narratives that most either do not agree with or find utterly nonsensical when there are real issues we deal with on a daily basis. The sooner we realize what some of our leaders and their associated charlatans are doing, the sooner we can get this country and this great state of California on the path to actual equality and opportunity for all. Continuing to bash each other or use terms like communism in wildly incorrect ways is not helping us or anybody achieve that goal. Robert Summa is the editor of the Appeal-Democrat in Marysville. Email: rsumma@appealdemocrat.com. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Sunday marks 15 days since Jilian Kelley and Veronica Butler went missing. Four people have been arrested in connection to the investigation. Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley (Courtesy: OSBI) Tad Cullum, Tifany Adams, Cole Twombly, and Cora Twombly have all been booked on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Tad Cullum, Cole Twombly, Tifany Adams, and Cora Twombly. (Courtesy: OSBI) The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says that two bodies were recovered in Texas County, Oklahoma, on Sunday, and both were transported to the medical examiners office to determine identification, as well as cause and manner of death. KSNs Julia Thatcher and Chief Photographer Merry Murray traveled to Hugoton, covering how the community is reacting to the arrests. OSBI: 2 bodies recovered in rural Texas County, Oklahoma Thatcher and Murray talked to people in Hugoton. The people are hesitant to say healing can begin and are questioning if that is possible with the pain that is being felt. Yellow ribbons, which are meant to be a symbol of hope and support, still line Main Street. There is also an outpouring of love all over social media from people across the state and across the country. A Hugoton woman said she knew Kelley and Butler in passing. She said you did not have to know the women personally to now feel a sense of grief. The community still cares, and its absolutely devastating. You know, they were both young and vibrant, and they deserved more, said Miranda Illoldi, an acquaintance. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. Condemning 'death to America' chants should be easy. Not for liberal Michigan Gov. Whitmer. Editor's note: This column was originally published Sunday morning. According to a Fox News report published Monday, a spokesperson for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a statement to the outlet saying she condemned the Dearborn chants. Our culture is one that is easily offended, and as such, its become a common practice for politicians to condemn words or actions they believe to be out of line. When those same officials remain mum when something truly awful is said, the silence is jarring. A recent example: In Dearborn, Michigan, not far from where I live in Metro Detroit, a group called Al-Quds Committee Detroit held a rally on April 5 in support of Palestinians. Israel and Hamas the terrorist group that controls Gaza remain locked in battle after Hamas brutal surprise attack on Israel more than six months ago. During the rally, chants of death to America erupted, along with cries of death to Israel. I find that pretty darn offensive. According to the ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), activist Tarek Bazzi began the Dearborn event by asking the crowd to pray for the victory of the resistance and called Israel a godless, satanic cancer. Dearborn wasnt the only place where this anti-American rhetoric was trumpeted. Similar ugly protests took place across the country on April 5, including in New York City and several cities in Texas. Protesters in Dearborn, Mich., on Jan. 31, 2024, call for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. I want to focus on Dearborn, though, because of the political forces at play. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is a Democratic rising star whom many see as future White House material. Her own ambitions are obvious. A new memoir out this summer (True Gretch) will help set the stage for a bigger national presence. Thats why its notable that Whitmer has stayed silent about the "death to America" chants at the Dearborn protest. More than a week after the event, she has said nothing about it. She did take time to mark the end of Ramadan with this tweet to Michigan Muslims on Tuesday: Eid Mubarak, Michigan. I hope you and your families had a blessed Ramadan. May you all have a blessed Eid and come together to celebrate all that makes our communities strong and our state even stronger. Why has Whitmer been silent about highly publicized comments made in her state comments so clearly beyond the pale that even the White House has condemned them? Whitmer's office did not respond to my request for comment on her stance. Anti-Arab hate is bad, and so is anti-American hate President Joe Biden and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer visit a United Auto Workers phone bank in the metropolitan Detroit area on Feb. 1, 2024. In February, Whitmer had no problem weighing in soon after The Wall Street Journal ran an opinion column with a headline that alleged Dearborn is Americas Jihad Capital. She, along with President Joe Biden, were quick to condemn the opinion piece as Islamophobic and hateful. Why cant Whitmer speak up in a similar way now? To their credit, Dearborns mayor and other Arab American leaders have spoken out against the chants. Biden faces protests: Biden tries to shake off 'Genocide Joe' epithet, but it could be the issue that sinks him But Whitmer isnt the only high-profile politician who has been quiet about in-your-face outrageousness in their own backyard. So has U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan. That's not a surprise. Tlaib was censured by her House colleagues for her anti-Israel rhetoric after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks launched from Gaza against Israel. The recent rally in Dearborn went viral after the Middle East Media Research Institute posted a video last weekend on X, formerly Twitter. It was that organization's executive director who wrote the Journal op-ed that Whitmer and other Democrats found so offensive. It's all about the presidential election Whats really going on here centers on the November presidential election. As a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, Whitmer is committed to delivering Michigan for Biden (even though I think shed rather be the one running). Biden is struggling mightily among many Democrats because of his support of Israel. That is especially true of Arab Americans in Michigan. Gaza is redefining the Christian vote. Biden and Trump better listen. It's to the point that chants of Genocide Joe have haunted Biden at numerous campaign appearances. A grassroots campaign ahead of Michigans Democratic primary in February encouraged Democrats to vote uncommitted rather than for Biden. In Dearborn and several other cities, uncommitted got more votes than Biden. Statewide, the uncommitted effort gained 13.2% of the vote more than 101,000 votes. 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 battleground state like Michigan, that number could easily determine the outcome in November. So Whitmer has to tread carefully with these voters. But come on. Its egregious to hear chants of death to America in our own country. If Whitmer really does have White House ambitions, she should prove she has the strength to stand up for what's right, even if it costs her party votes. Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques 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: Michigan protesters chanted 'Death to America.' Why is Whitmer silent? Will Congress pass aid to Israel after Iran strikes? Top Republicans say lawmakers could vote this week Lawmakers vowed to address U.S. aid to Israel, likely this week, following Iran's major drone and missile attack against Israel over the weekend. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures that the lower chamber is exploring options for what's known as a "clean" aid bill for Israel. That means it wouldn't include other priorities, such as funding for Ukraine, which has stalled in Congress as a sticking point for the House Republicans' right flank. Johnson said he hopes to have a package ready for this week and that lawmakers are currently working on the details. "Well put something together and send it to the Senate and get these obligations complete, he told Fox. Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump listens as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a press conference at Mr. Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on April 12, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. They spoke about "election integrity," which has been one of the former president's top issues. Others, though, are calling for the House to vote on a $95 billion aid package that already passed in the Senate. The proposal includes $60 billion to Ukraine, which has been battling Russia since February 2022. However, it faces an uphill climb in the House as a growing number of right-wing lawmakers argue that America has done enough for the war-torn nation. Nevertheless, House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner, R-Ohio, told NBC's Kristen Welker that he expects a vote on broader aid proposals in the coming days. That bill passed by the Senate would also send $14 billion in military assistance to Israel, $9 billion in humanitarian assistance to Gaza and elsewhere, and nearly $5 billion to defend Taiwan. Were at a critical point, Russia is beginning to gain ground, Ukraine is beginning to lose the ability to defend itself, Turner said. The United States must step up and provide Ukraine the weapons they need and I think were going to see overwhelming support for that in the House this week. White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said speed is of the essence, when asked by "Fox News Sunday" host Shannon Noelle Bream if President Joe Biden would sign a new aid bill only providing aid to Israel. "The fastest way to be able to support our partners in Ukraine and our ally in Israel is to move forward with what the Senate passed in a bipartisan way," he said. "That bipartisan bill gets the funding to Ukraine it gets the funding to Israel, it also helps us on the Indo-Pacific and the border." Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, also told CBS that the U.S. cannot "pick and choose" fights. Look, we didnt pick and choose our enemies in World War II. We went after all of them. Japan, Italy and Germany," McCaul said. "We cant just pick, you know, say Irans bad, Russias ok and Chinas bad ... Theyre all in this together. People gather in front of the Brandenburg gate in Berlin on April 14, 2024 in solidarity with Israel after Iran's strikes on Israel from late April 13, 2024. Countries around the world condemned Iran's strikes on Israel late April 13, 2024, warning the attack threatened to further destabilise the Middle East. McCaul, who serves as the chair of the House Foreign Affairs committee, said he plans to speak with Johnson Sunday evening, alongside other national security chairs, and that he has a commitment from the speaker that the Senate aid package will come to the House floor for a vote. "My preference is this week." "We dont have time on our side here," McCaul said. "We have to get this done. But as lawmakers have spent months debating foreign aid, they're also contending with another factor. Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has said he does not want to see humanitarian aid to go to Ukraine unless its in the form of a loan. His comments come as he has been sharply critical of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. At a campaign rally in South Carolina in February, Trump said he once told the leader of a NATO country that allies in the international organization need to pay the agreed-upon 2% of their GDP on military readiness or he would "encourage" Russia to do whatever the hell they want." This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Republican lawmakers vow to address Israel aid after Iran attacks In our Reality Check stories, The Olympian journalists seek to bring truth and transparency to issues of public concern. This effort will deliver fast facts to hold officials and institutions accountable. Read more. Story idea? news@theolympian.com. Almost every election campaign video follows the same formula: why the candidate wants to run for office (and why theyll be the best at it), who they are, and how much they love the district theyre representing. But do Congressional candidates need to actually live in the district theyre representing? The simple answer is no. The U.S. Constitution is clear about the requirements to run for Congressional office. No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen, it reads. Still, one Washington state Congressional candidate in particular this election cycle has raised some eyebrows and taken a few jabs over the uncertainty of where she resides. Hilary Franz is the current Commissioner of Public Lands, which is the leader of the state Department of Natural Resources. But this year she is running to represent Washingtons 6th Congressional District, a seat left open by U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, who announced late last year that he would not seek reelection. Kilmer has already endorsed Franz for the position. The district encompasses the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas, as well as most of Tacoma. In a blog published by the Northwest Progressive Institute March 21, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., seemed to take aim at Franz while endorsing Franzs Democratic opponent for Kilmers seat, state Sen. Emily Randall. Im with Emily for Congress because I know she will be a strong voice for working people the friends and neighbors she grew up with in a district that is her home, Murray was quoted as saying. But a spokesperson for Franz pushed back on the idea that she is not a resident of the 6th Congressional District. Hilary is a proud resident of Grays Harbor County, Eve Zhurbinskiy, Hilary Franz for Congress Campaign Manager, told McClatchy in an email. Zhurbinskiy said Franz has spent the vast majority of her adult life living in the congressional district, and pointed to Franzs time on the Bainbridge Island City Council from 2008 to 2011, the Kitsap County Regional Coordinating Council, and working in all six counties as Public Lands Commissioner since 2017. In a campaign video released in November, Franz says that she raised her three sons in Kitsap County, where she began her career in public service. Franz previously said that she moved to Seattle so her sons could attend the same high school as their father, but moved to Seabrook, south of Pacific Beach on the Washington coast, after they graduated. Records from Grays Harbor County show Franz purchased a property in Seabrook in early 2023 after it was constructed in 2022. Hers is the only name listed on the property as the owner. King County records show that Franz purchased a home in Seattle in 1998. Franz is listed with another buyer who appears on other properties she has owned. The home was sold in 2000, according to records, at which point Franz moved to Bainbridge. According to financial disclosure reports from the Public Disclosure Commission, Franz sold the Bainbridge home in 2016. Records show Franz purchased a home in Seattle in 2016, which she sold in 2020. She then purchased another Seattle home in 2020. Records for that property still show Franz as the owner. Aside from Randall and Franz, both Democrats, two Republican candidates are in the race for Kilmers seat so far: Elizabeth Kreiselmaier and current state Sen. Drew MacEwen, R-Shelton. MacEwen told McClatchy in a phone interview that while he is not a Washington native, he has lived in the state since 1994 when he was stationed at the Naval submarine base in Bangor. MacEwen now calls Mason County home, and has since 2006. The lawmaker said the 6th Congressional District is full of multi-generational hard-working families, and that living in a district an elected official represents is important because it gives them a profound understanding of the issues faced by people in the area. You cant grasp those overnight, MacEwen said. He also added that he finds it interesting that Franz claims Seabrook in her home when her tax bills are still sent to her home in Seattle. Additionally, he noted that he has been in the Legislature longer than either Franz or Randall have lived in the district. MacEwen was first elected to the statehouse in 2012. Randall, a Washington native, lived out of state until 2017 but said in an email to McClatchy that for 25 years overall Kitsap County has been her home. My neighbors in the 26th Legislative District which comprises over 21% of the 6th Congressional District have elected me twice in highly competitive campaigns, Randall said. Randall added that her neighbors stories are my stories. But Washington voters dont always care about where their representatives live. U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat, lived slightly outside the boundaries of the 7th Congressional District when she was elected to Congress in 2016. She is now serving her fourth term representing district centered on Seattle and stretches from Shoreline south to Burien and Vashon and Maury islands. Congressional leaders at odds over Israel aid next steps as conservatives warn Johnson against including Ukraine funding Congressional leaders from both parties were quick to condemn Irans retaliatory strikes on Israel this Saturday but still remain at odds on how to pass additional Israel funding in wake of the attacks. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday he will move forward with a vote on additional Israel aid but did not go into specifics about his plans as he walks a knifes edge with conservatives over the potential inclusion of Ukraine funding. The House Republicans and the Republican Party understand the necessity of standing with Israel. Were going to try again this week, and the details of that package are being put together right now. Were looking at the options and all these supplemental issues, Johnson told Fox News Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures. But hardline conservatives are warning Johnson against attaching Ukraine funding to any Israel aid package, underscoring the competing pressures on the speaker as he weighs critical decisions about the path ahead following Irans attack on Israel. Congress should be clear: no action by Iran or Israel merits a vote on the Ukraine omnibus the Senate seeks, GOP Rep. Warren Davidson wrote on social media. The pressure campaign from Johnsons right flank comes amid bipartisan calls including from GOP Leader Mitch McConnell to take up the Senate-passed foreign package that includes money for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, arguing that is the fastest way to get aid to Israel. Johnson has vowed to put some sort of Israel aid bill on the floor this week, but said the details are still being finalized. The House GOP Conference will meet Monday evening to discuss the Iran-Israel situation and their legislative plans going forward, according to GOP sources. It all amounts to a complicated calculation for Johnson. The House previously struggled to pass a standalone Israel aid bill, but Johnson could draw ire from the right if he ties it to Ukraine or puts the Senate bill on the floor. The speaker has, however, been trying to get former President Donald Trumps crucial buy-in for a more GOP-friendly Ukraine aid package, such as structuring the aid as a loan which Trump signaled openness to during a press conference with Johnson at Mar-a-Lago. President Joe Biden participated in a call with congressional leadership on Sunday afternoon to discuss the urgent need for the House to pass the bipartisan Senate-passed aid package. The President discussed the urgent need for the House of Representatives to pass the national security supplemental as soon as possible, the White House said Sunday. McConnell, Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries all participated in the call, according to the White House. At a news conference Sunday, Schumer urged the GOP-led House to move on the Senate-passed aid package in the wake of the Iranian attack. The best way to help Israel and to help Ukraine is to pass the supplemental this week, Schumer said, according to a transcript provided by his office. Ive called on Speaker Johnson to do that. The House has thus far declined to take a vote on the Senate-passed legislation, with many House conservatives opposed to sending additional aid to Ukraine and wanting stricter US southern border policies included in any aid package. But its unclear how the Democrat-controlled Senate would approach whatever legislation comes from the GOP-led House. Individual members have also weighed in on the conflict since the Iranian attacks on Israel, with Democrats imploring Johnson to bring up the Senate foreign aid package as many Republicans call on Schumer to act on Israel only. Responding to calls from McConnell for the House to bring to the floor the $95.3 billion supplemental foreign aid package that passed the Senate in February, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio sidestepped, insisting on Sunday that the Senate could pass standalone aid to Israel and win House approval. We could go on Monday to Washington, DC, and we can pass aid to Israel right away, Rubio told CNNs Jake Tapper on State of the Union, adding: If the Senate were to send the House an Israel aid bill on Monday, the House will pass it. Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, highlighting the time-sensitive nature of the issue, called on Johnson to bring the supplemental foreign aid package passed by the Senate in February to the floor on Monday. I think the most important deterrent action that Congress can take is for Speaker Johnson to not take days or weeks to try and come up with some other package but to pass the supplemental tomorrow, Coons told Tapper in a separate interview. How Congress reached this point While the Senate passed its foreign aid bill in February, Johnson said he never planned to bring the bill to the floor. The House, in turn, tried but failed to pass a standalone package for $17.6 billion in Israel aid amid opposition from both Republicans and Democratic leaders. Because of resistance among members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, Johnson had been forced to bring up the bill under a procedure that requires a two-thirds majority of the House to approve it. That means he needed the support of a sizable number of Democrats to get behind it, and failed to cross that threshold. At a closed caucus meeting prior to the vote, House Democratic leadership made a forceful case against supporting the standalone Israel aid package to members. However, given the attacks by Iran and its proxies, leadership in both chambers are under increased pressure to reach a consensus. This story has been updated with additional developments. CNNs Samantha Waldenberg, Haley Talbot, Lauren Fox, Manu Raju, Aileen Graef and Avery Lotz contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com An aerial drone photo taken on Nov. 30, 2023 shows a view of the Boeing Tianjin Composites Co., Ltd. in north China's Tianjin Municipality. [Photo/Xinhua] The Phase III expansion project of the Boeing Tianjin Composites Co., Ltd., plane maker Boeing's first joint venture in China, was officially put into operation on Friday. The project is expected to double the production capacity of the Tianjin plant, according to Boeing. The expansion was launched in the original factory area in 2019. With a total floor area of about 58,000 square meters, the new facility can also provide more space for the assembling work involving more high-end and complex parts. "Boeing is very proud of the partnership that we have built with China over more than half a century," said Brendan Nelson, senior vice president of the Boeing Company and president of Boeing Global. "We are committed to China for the next 50 years," said Nelson, adding that Boeing will continue cooperation in China in a wide range of fields, including composites manufacturing, research, training, completion and delivery center, and sustainability. Established in 1999, Boeing Tianjin Composites Co., Ltd. is the largest production base of composite materials in the Boeing supply chain in China. Its products cover all Boeing aircraft models. Since China received the first batch of Boeing 707 aircraft in 1973, Boeing has delivered more than 2,000 aircraft to Chinese customers. Meanwhile, more than 10,000 Boeing aircraft use parts and components are made in China. andresr / iStock/Getty Images If there are two things most people love to do, its travel and save money. It may seem like the only way to save money on your travel expenses is to decrease your luxury and potential for fun. However, you can do several simple things to save money while still enjoying your next trip. Learn More: Dave Ramsey: 15 Cheap Vacation Ideas in the US Find Out: 6 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money Here are six unexpected money tips for traveling abroad. Sponsored: Credit card debt keeping you up at night? Find out if you can reduce your debt with these 3 steps Bring Cash in Perfect Condition If you take cash on your trip abroad, take fresh notes from your bank. Currency exchanges sometimes wont accept bills with marks or even minor tears. You should also take a variety of large and small bills, so you can exchange only what you need but keep in mind that some currency exchanges will give better rates for big bills, like $100 bills. Its also important to get a favorable exchange rate to ensure you get the most value for your dollar. Exchange rates are always in flux. Before exchanging money, download an exchange rate app or do an online search to determine what amount you should receive back in the foreign currency. Convenient places, like airports and hotels, often offer unfavorable rates. Researching online for the best spots or banks to exchange your money once you arrive can maximize value. You can also exchange money at your local bank before you go, but plan ahead, as processing a foreign currency order may take time. Discover More: 11 Expensive Vacation Destinations That Will Be Cheaper in 2024 Coordinate With Your Bank If you dont like carrying large amounts of cash during your trip, you can still find ways to save. Coordinating with your bank can help you get some travel deals. For example, some banks, such as Chase, offer travel credit cards that waive foreign transaction fees. Other financial institutions offer checking accounts that offer unlimited ATM fee rebates worldwide. With this, you can withdraw the exact amount you need, instead of withdrawing a considerable amount to make it worth the fee. Its always important to notify your bank about your travels. Otherwise, your bank may assume someone stole your card and block the transaction when you try to use it in a foreign country. This can lead to a stressful situation of having your card suddenly blocked and perhaps not having Wi-Fi or phone data to contact your bank to complete an important transaction. Know the Local Scams and Customs You could end up losing money on your travels simply by being uninformed. Story continues Watch for Scams While traveling can be an enriching experience, some locals see tourists as a way to make easy money. Understanding some of the scam tactics that some locals can use will better prepare you to protect your wallet. A quick online search before your trip can help you understand what scams other travelers have experienced. For example, some taxi drivers will charge tourists an inflated price instead of using their taxi meters. Savvy travelers who know about this might demand that the driver use their meter or download a local ride-share app ahead of time, which will give them a fair price. Research Customs Knowing the local customs can also save you money. In many places, especially at local markets, sellers expect buyers to haggle. Sellers may give you an initial price for an item that could be three times what they would accept. Also, while tipping is an important part of U.S. culture, it isnt common everywhere. Doing prior research to know whether to tip at restaurants, hotels, taxis or on tours can save you a lot of money throughout your trip. Some countries, like Japan and South Korea, may even find it offensive if you try to tip. Go Off the Beaten Path When you plan your trip abroad, you may want to look beyond the Eiffel Tower or the Roman Colosseum. Heading to popular attractions will require a much larger budget than checking out lesser-known places. Famous sites and attractions pull in tourists from around the world, allowing hotels, restaurants, shops and taxis to drive up their prices. Doing research ahead of time or speaking with locals can open up a variety of cheaper options and better experiences. Use Public Transportation It might be slower or a bit intimidating, but public transportation can help you save big. With the purchase of a local SIM card, you can use phone data to access different apps or websites that show you the fastest and easiest routes to your destination via local bus, train or subway. Using public transportation instead of taking taxis or renting a car can save you hundreds of dollars. Likewise, walking is a great way to save money and explore a city. In addition, some cities offer free walking tours, which can be a great way to learn about the local history and culture without spending a dime. Look at Different Accommodation Options Staying at a hotel or resort for your trip will provide convenience, but it will also come with many unexpected extra costs. While booking well in advance or finding deals can cut back on your accommodation expenses, you may end up spending more than you realize when you eat at expensive restaurants connected to the hotel or grab a Coke from the mini fridge. You may be able to save some money by booking through a short-term rental company like Airbnb. For longer trips, Airbnb in particular offers discounts of 10% or more if you stay longer than 28 days. These short-term rentals offer a more local experience and may be available in more affordable areas of the city youre visiting. You can also book an accommodation with a kitchen. This gives you the option to shop for groceries at local stores and markets and cook some meals, which helps cut costs significantly. Save Money While Traveling Traveling doesnt always have to mean splurging. By putting in some time beforehand to research where you can save a bit here and there, you can find ways to make your trips more affordable while not compromising on enjoying great experiences abroad. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Unexpected Money Tips for Traveling Abroad Mike Turner, a Republican congressman, expects that this week the Chamber of Representatives will vote for the bill that provides for military aid for Ukraine and Israel. Source: Turner in the broadcast of the NBC News TV channel, as reported by European Pravda Details: To the hosts question, whether he expected the voting to take place this week, Turner replied positively. "And I expect it to be adoptedEveryone understands that this is a critical moment when Russia starts capturing positions, and Ukraine starts losing the capability to defend itself. The US must take a step forward and supply Ukraine with the weapons it needs, and I think that we will see a prevailing support of this issue in the Chamber of Representatives this week," he noted. In his turn, speaker of the Chamber of Representatives Mike Johnson stated that this week the congressmen would try to adopt the bill with additional aid for Israel. "The House Republicans and the Republican Party understand the necessity of standing with Israel. We're going to try again this week, and the details of that package are being put together right now. We're looking at the options and all these supplemental issues," CNN cites Johnson. He did not specify whether it would be the bill adopted by the Senate, which provides for the aid for both Ukraine and Israel, or some other new bill. Chuck Schumer, leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, stated that the Chamber of Representatives must adopt the national security aid package which includes the funding for Israel and Ukraine. "Given the events of tonight, it is even clearer that the best way to help Israel is for the House to quickly pass the Senates bipartisan national security supplemental next week," he said. Background: On 12 April, Mike Johnson, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, discussed the financial aid for Ukraine with the White House, and then went to meet with Trump. Reportedly, Johnson and White House officials were discussing a package that would differ from the Senate's proposed US$95 billion security package and include several Republican demands. Trump stated following the meeting with Johnson that he supported the adoption of the funding for Ukraine but in the form of a loan. Democrats in both chambers of the Congress stated that they would be ready to discuss the aid for Ukraine in the form of a loan if this helped to finally solve the issue even though it was not the preferable option for them. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated recently that Ukraine would agree to a loan aid from the US if there were no other options. Support UP or become our patron! A controversial report on mayoral control of NYC public schools adds a new wrinkle to the debate With Mayor Eric Adams authority over the New York Citys public schools on the line, a new study of mayoral control that painted an unfavorable picture of how parents and teachers feel about the status quo has added a new wrinkle to the debate in Albany. The state Education Departments $250,000 report, released Tuesday, offered no formal recommendations of its own. But an analysis of feedback found members of the public seeking stronger checks on the mayors power and a commission to consider reforms. Those views echoed the position of the local teachers union, which wants the citys Panel for Educational Policy to have greater decision-making authority. Adams and his team have blasted the study as a sham, saying it was based on the views of professional parents, who turned out for a series of borough hearings last winter. But state Sen. John Liu, D-Queens, chair of the NYC Education Committee, said the study will be a vital component of lawmakers deliberations and decision-making process. This rather authoritative report gives us the history leading up to mayoral control, Liu said. It discusses whats happened during mayoral control the good, the bad and the ugly. And it also analyzes the decision-making process that other major school districts around the country have undergone. So this gives us a great deal more information and insight that we didnt have at our fingertips before, he said. Liu and State Sen. Shelley Mayer, D-Westchester, chair of the statewide Education Committee, issued a joint statement shortly after the studys release, saying it will be invaluable as the expiration of mayoral control approaches in June. Schools Chancellor David Banks, who told reporters Thursday afternoon he had not been in touch with lawmakers since the studys release, disagreed with its conclusions. While the report was thorough, my team and I must confess, we were disappointed to read its takeaways, Banks said. My message to the state legislators is really quite simple, the chancellor continued. There is no perfect governance system. It does not exist. But the system that we have I believe on balance is better than what we had before. Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, D-Bronx, chair of the Education Committee, said the report did not change his mind and in fact confirmed his thinking on the issue. Some people, like myself, believe that under mayoral control, we can point our finger at someone if we think theyre not doing a good job, he said. Benedetto, like the chancellor, said he had not spoken with other lawmakers about the report since it came out, as the roughly two-weeks-late state budget is taking precedence in Albany. While Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, had called for a four-year extension of mayoral control in the budget, the Legislature had little appetite for it during budget negotiations. Benedetto, an ally of Adams, in December called for six more years of mayoral authority, but anticipated a diversity of opinions in the spring. It will make for an interesting last two months of the legislative year as we discuss this in our conference and see which way we want to go, Benedetto said. Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, D-Brooklyn, another Adams ally, said the report does not directly advocate for or against mayoral control. But everyone ultimately wants the best for our schools, she said, and knows (an extension of) mayoral control will keep us in the right direction. Assemblyman Ron Kim, D-Queens, a member of the Education Committee, said he expected the report will influence lawmakers decision on mayoral control. I think Senator John Liu will make sure it does, he said. When mayoral control was last renewed in 2022, the Legislature tasked state education officials with writing the report. And while the study revealed pushback with the current structure, the nearly 300-page report found few parents and teachers want to go back to the old system of dozens of local school boards. Betty Rosa, the state Education Department commissioner, told reporters before one of the public hearings this winter that she heard a range of opinions on mayoral control. We are here to listen, to capture information and do our analytics, Rosa said. Then the governor and the Legislature have to take a look at the report and say, whats the next step? New Yorks version of mayoral control gives Adams more power than the leaders of similar school systems studied by researchers. Other districts governed by the mayor share some authority with a City Council or nominating panel, or have abandoned the model in recent years. A literature review found no conclusive relationship between school governance structures and student achievement. The schools chancellor, however, suggested the data speaks for itself, with graduation rates, student achievement and teacher retention all on the rise. You can get into the political back-and-forth until the cows come home, but Im here to try to lead this system, Banks said. And we would like to have the support of our state to continue to give us what we need to provide our leadership. The Legislature is expected to take up the issue of mayoral control after the state budget is finalized. _____ Maria Acostas heart sinks every time she hears the question. Senora, do I need to move? Immigrants in Iowa keep asking her. And Acosta says she doesnt know how to respond. I feel powerless. I feel frustrated, says Acosta, a community organizer for the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice. What can I tell people? I cant tell them, Oh, no, everything is going to be fine. I dont know if everything is going to be fine. Right now, its not fine at all. Last month, Iowa lawmakers swiftly passed a bill that would allow local police to arrest some undocumented immigrants and give state judges the power to order deportations. And Wednesday, the states governor signed it. The law isnt scheduled to go into effect until July 1, but Acosta and other advocates say concern and confusion are already running high in immigrant communities. It affects me when I see the fear on their faces. They dont know what to do, Acosta says, even though theyve been living here for 10 or 15 years, and this is their home. Iowa is among at least nine states this year that have weighed restrictions mirroring portions of the Texas immigration law known as SB 4, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Proposals are still pending in some states. In others, theyve failed to pass. Its unclear how officials would enforce and fund the Iowa measure, which is known as SF 2340. Its likely to face legal challenges, which means its implementation could be delayed or even blocked in court, like the Texas law that inspired it has been so far. But advocates say this uncertainty hasnt eased worries about potential racial profiling and erosion of trust between law enforcement and communities. How would you deport someone? And who? No one knows how this law actually could be or would be applied, says Erica Johnson, executive director of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice. This college student has already decided to leave Enya Cid doesnt plan to stick around to find out. Next month, the 21-year-old is scheduled to graduate with a political science degree from Grand View University in Des Moines. She was weighing grad school options last month when Iowa lawmakers voted to pass the immigration bill. Cid says that pushed her to make a difficult decision about her future. I no longer want to live in a state where I feel like Im not valued, says Cid, who was brought to the US from Mexico when she was a toddler and says she has lived in Iowa for the past 18 years. Cid says shes applied for a U visa, which provides legal residency and deportation protection for victims of crimes, and says shes been granted a work permit while her application is pending. But she fears that wouldnt stop her and many other undocumented immigrants in a similar position from being targeted under the new measure. In addition to Iowas new law, Cid says several recent immigration proposals in the state failed to clear the legislature. Altogether, theyve caused a lot of chaos and fear in my community, she says. Enya Cid, 21, says she plans to leave Iowa and is now weighing out-of-state grad school options. "I no longer want to live in a state where I feel like I'm not valued," she says. - Courtesy Todd Bailey/Grand View University Now, she says, despite her recent acceptance into grad school at the University of Iowa, that option is off the table. Shes planning to leave the state and weighing out-of-state programs in Arizona and New Mexico, where she hopes to study urban planning. I may not be eligible to vote, she says, but I can vote with my feet. The passage of SF 2340 in Iowa, Cid says, was the nail in the coffin that made me feel not safe. But even when she leaves Iowa, Cid says many family members she loves will remain. Shes well aware that not everyone has the luxury of leaving. As easy as it may be for me to consider a move, theres a lot of people in Iowa who have built roots here for over two decades, she says. They have businesses here. They own homes. They have children who were born and raised here. Cid says shes tried to reassure them. Ive tried to explain the law as best I can, she says. Were not sure how the (attorney general) is going to enforce this. Im kind of the voice telling them, Lets just take it day by day, and see how it turns out. Other states are weighing similar measures The states where lawmakers have considered legislation similar to the Texas immigration law this year share several things in common. Most of them have Republican-dominated legislatures. And most of them are nowhere near the US-Mexico border. In addition to Iowa, lawmakers also weighed proposals in Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri and South Carolina, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Similar efforts failed in Arizona, where the states Democratic governor vetoed a bill its Republican-dominated legislature passed, and in Mississippi and West Virginia, where proposed measures died in committee. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, whos repeatedly expressed support for her Texas counterparts efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, argues that states are stepping in to secure the border because the federal government hasnt. Those who come into our country illegally have broken the law, yet (President Joe) Biden refuses to deport them, Reynolds said Wednesday. This bill gives Iowa law enforcement the power to do what he is unwilling to do: enforce immigration laws already on the books. The Iowa bill makes it an aggravated misdemeanor for immigrants to be in the state if theyve reentered the US after previously being denied admission or deported from the country. It also requires state judges to issue a deportation order if an immigrant is convicted of that aggravated misdemeanor charge. The measure comes at a time when immigration is a central issue on the campaign trail in the leadup to the 2024 presidential election. Republicans have made slamming the Biden administrations approach to border security a focal point, while Democrats accuse presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump and his GOP supporters of deliberately inflaming the crisis and torpedoing possible solutions to score political points. With record numbers of migrants trying to reach US soil, tensions have flared at the US-Mexico border and around the country, as Republican-led states increasingly try to take greater control of immigration enforcement. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, right, stands with a group of governors behind Texas Gov. Greg Abbott during a news conference in the border city of Mission, Texas, in October 2021. - Sergio Flores/Bloomberg/Getty Images Sponsors of the Iowa bill and similar measures argue such steps are necessary due to what they see as an invasion at the border. Critics call the Iowa bill and other proposed state measures discriminatory and unconstitutional, and they argue that the federal government oversees immigration enforcement, not the states. A similar trend unfolded after Arizona passed a controversial immigration law in 2010, says Anand Balakrishnan, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Unions Immigrant Rights Project. The Supreme Court ultimately struck down most of Arizonas 2010 law and the wave of state laws that followed it, finding that states could not pursue immigration policies that undermine federal law. In its 2012 decision, the court let one of the most controversial parts of the Arizona law stand: a provision that lets police check a persons immigration status while enforcing other laws if reasonable suspicion exists that the person is in the United States illegally. Today, SB 4 is on hold in Texas while a legal challenge against it plays out in court. But legal experts told CNN this month that the Texas case could eventually give the majority-conservative Supreme Court an opportunity to take another look at the federal governments long-held control over immigration policy. Immigrant advocates say theyre preparing to fight any other state measures that become law. Still, even if those measures are ultimately blocked by the courts, as advocates hope, their impact is already being felt. The legislation is so broad, its so oppressive, that it creates this level of fear and chaos, even just through the simple act of enacting it, Balakrishnan says. I have citizenship and I could get pulled over In Idaho, where the state House passed a measure mirroring the Texas law last month, Estefania Mondragon says shes been trying to get the word out, but also keep people calm including members of her own family whove asked whether they should start making plans to leave the state. Its a hard balance to inform the community, but not freak them out at the same time, says Mondragon, co-executive director of PODER of Idaho, an advocacy organization representing Latino and immigrant communities. The Idaho measure would create a state crime of illegal entry and make reentering the US after deportation or denial of admission a state crime. The bill, which includes sections that appear to be copied word-for-word from the Texas law, failed to come up for a vote in the states Senate before the legislative session ended Wednesday. Estefania Mondragon, executive director of PODER of Idaho, hopes a proposed immigration law won't pass there. - Courtesy PODER of Idaho But that wont stop it from coming back in a future session. Mondragon says her organization is tracking it closely. Like in Texas and Iowa, advocacy groups are concerned that law enforcement would turn to racial profiling to enforce it. It would be horrible for many immigrant folks, as well as non-immigrants, because it would target us as well. I have citizenship and I could get pulled over and asked for my papers, Mondragon says. For now, Mondragon says shes advising family members to hold off on packing their bags. But if the measure eventually passes, she says she has no doubt many families would consider moving. That would harm agricultural communities and small towns across the state, Mondragon says, many of which would be ghost towns without immigration. Theyre bracing themselves for whats next In Iowa, where the law is scheduled to go into effect in a few months, Fabiola Schirrmeister says shes been fielding a growing number of questions about what could be next. Racial profiling is a major concern thats come up in recent community forums and on the Spanish-language radio show Schirrmeister hosts. Because we look different, we have dark hair, we have dark-colored skin, now we can be detained by the police, and they have the right to ask me for my documents, without me doing anything wrong? she says. Its not something that you want to hear in 2024. Advocates say community members keep asking questions they can't answer about an immigration bill that recently passed in Iowa. At this March meeting, first reported by The Associated Press, some audience members asked whether they should leave the state. - Charlie Neibergall/AP As they wait for answers, advocates say theyre preparing their legal strategy and, most importantly, trying to help community members prepare. Were helping them set up what we call the safety planning and community defense mechanisms that have become, unfortunately, all too familiar with immigrant communities not just in Iowa, but everywhere, says Johnson of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice. What should I tell my kids about what we will do as a family if Im picked up on my way to work? If Im not there to pick them up at school, who do they call? Who gets guardianship of them if Im arrested and deported? What can be done right now? All we can do is know our rights, make a safety plan and prepare ourselves for battle, Acosta says. Because we are going to fight this. At a time when its hard to come up with definitive responses to an ever-mounting list of questions, thats one answer she knows. CNNs Devan Cole, Alisha Ebrahimji and Alexandra Ross contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, in partnership with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will host a public open house on Tuesday, April 30, to discuss plans for Phase II of an ecosystem restoration project in Lower Pool 13 of the Mississippi River. (usace.army.mil) The event is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. at Eagle Point Lodge, 4101 N. 3rd St., Clinton. The Lower Pool 13 Phase II Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project area includes a 4,000-acre wetland complex with shallow lakes, emergent vegetation, managed moist soil areas, and braided channels surrounded by degrading riparian timber. The project boundaries lie within the Green Island Wildlife Management Area which is managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. During the open house, a team of subject matter experts will provide an overview of the project and cover potential options for restoration and enhancement of the area. The public is invited to provide feedback and engage in discussion about the project. After the presentation, representatives from the partnering agencies will be available to answer questions and gather input from the community. For more information, visit here. For more information about the public meeting, contact the Rock Island District at 309-794-5729 or email cemvr-cc@usace.army.mil. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. A nesting bald Eagle, a beloved local winery and over 30 neighbors may jeopardize a proposal to open a 260-acre surface mine along the Boise River. Emmett developer Evan Buchert of Premier LLC wants to build the mine at 25706 Boise River Road off U.S. 95 in Parma in eastern Canyon County. The Pintail Long Term Mineral Extraction Mine would include mineral extraction on 160 acres and sand and gravel extraction, rock crushing and equipment storage on the other 100 acres. This embedded content is not available in your region. The application stalled after Canyon County Development Services received complaints from neighbors concerned about wildlife habitat, groundwater contamination and roadway impacts. The mine would be around 500 feet from the southeast side of the river. The land is now being used for farming, the application said. (Development Services) staff recommends denial of the request, a staff report said. Due to a lack of information regarding compatibility, access, traffic, floodplains, and wetlands, impacts are unknown. The county staff said Premier LLC should first detail its location and building plans to address noise complaints, dust and groundwater contamination. The staff also requested a flood study and evacuation plan and information from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game on the possible impacts on species and habitat. In a news release April 4, Canyon County, announced that an April 4 public hearing on the mining application was tabled to a date uncertain due to a request from the applicant for a continuance of the public hearing to address agency and staff comments and questions. Buchert did not immediately respond to an email and phone call Friday requesting comment. The Pintail Long Term Mineral Extraction mine would operate from Spring 2025 to Spring 2038 depending on how many minerals and gravel are in the area. Birders worry about Bald Eagles abandoning nests Two local birding groups, the Golden Eagle Audubon Society and the Southwestern Idaho Birders Association, wrote letters in opposition to Pintail Mineral Extraction Mine. They each said there is at least one known bald eagle nest next to the Boise River where the mine would be located. Bald eagles are sensitive to human activity in the vicinity of their nest throughout the breeding season, and such activity may lead to nest abandonment or decrease the chances of successfully raising chicks, wrote Golden Eagle Audubon Society President Daniel Salemi. Salemi also said bald eagles are protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which prohibits anyone without a permit from taking a Bald or Golden Eagle. The protection act defines take as pursue, shoot, shoot at, poison, wound, kill, capture, trap, collect, molest or disturb. Salemi suggests the mining operation would disturb the nesting bald eagle. The bird groups also said there is a heron rookery, which is an area used by groups of herons for nesting and raising young, downstream from the project and that yellow-billed cuckoos, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, have been found downstream. The Southwestern Idaho Birders Association also wrote that it is concerned about (bird) habitat, including food sources. Bald eagles, osprey, herons, egrets, and mergansers are fish-eating birds. Fish habitat in the Boise River is already degraded from irrigation withdrawals, agricultural runoff, development, and other sand and gravel operations upriver from this location. Canyon County development staff hoped Premier LLC would seek an environmental impact study related to possible water contamination along the Boise River. Possible negative impacts to local winery and neighborhood Stephanie Hodge is the nearly 10-year owner of Parma Ridge Winery and Bistro. She and her husband, Storm, operate the vineyard and winery, which she said was planted in 1998. The Pintail mine would operate just down the hill from the winery, Hodge wrote in her opposition letter to Canyon County. This would destroy this picturesque view that our customers come for and instead be replaced with mounds of dirt and rock, Hodge said. Additionally, the level of dust in the air is of concern for our vines and their ability to ripen and produce the best fruit possible. Parma Ridge Winery customers also wrote to the county to express concern with the mine, which would be located less than a mile from the restaurant. Tim and Cindy Petrucci, of Wilder, are members of the Parma Ridge Winery and wrote that the mine would disrupt the peacefulness of this entire business. This is a beautiful place to sit and over look the Parma valley below, the couple wrote. The folks that own the winery work extremely hard, and this would definitely affect the ambiance they are entitled to have. The photo shows a field which could be replaced by a mineral extraction mine in Parma. The area is now farmland. Other area homeowners worried about dust, the 45 trucks that are expected to enter the mine per day, and the fact that the operation would run 12 hours a day, six days a week. Chad Thompson, spokesperson for Canyon County, said the Planning and Zoning Commission has not yet set a new date for the hearing. Could this wine region be the new location of a concert venue? A California developer hopes so Traffic is up on this I-84 interchange west of Boise. More construction is coming Jackson, Miss. police have arrested a man in connection to the brutal killing of a registered nurse. As the cops investigate the motive for the slaying, family members suggest one tip could be the suspects toxic relationship with the victim. The morning of April 9, officers with the Jackson Police Department say they responded to a homicide near Tapestry Northridge Apartments. The victim was identified as 25-year-old Carlos Collins who was a registered nurse from Yazoo City, per WAPT. Police said he appeared to be attacked with an axe before being fatally shot to death. Public Information Officer Tommie Brown told the Clarion Ledger the suspect was identified as 33-year-old Marcus Johnson, Collins ex-boyfriend who had been accused of stalking him. Read more from PEOPLE: Collins also filed a restraining order against him, Collinss sister, Alisha Hudson tells PEOPLE. But his ex-boyfriend, Marcus Johnson, was a former Jackson police officer, and the stalking-like behavior continued, she says. The two had dated for about a year, ending in late 2023, Hudson says. In the months that followed their breakup, she says Collins found air tags and trackers on his car and that of a friends, as well as a ring camera he believed his ex had installed at a vacant apartment nearby to watch him. Once, Hudson says, her brother told her hed awoken to Johnson watching him sleep. Collins requested his locks to be changed multiple times, she says, and he spoke to a family pastor about taking self-defense classes. In addition to being an alleged troubled ex, police say Johnson is also former officer of the JPD with a troubling record. Johnson left the department in 2013, after just eight months working for them, per WAPT. Police didnt specify the circumstances surrounding his departure from the department. However, they did say he was facing disciplinary action that was leading to termination and happened to quit beforehand. A year later, Johnson was arrested after hijacking an old ticket book and officer badge number to issue a fake citation to a female student and offering to hook up with her so she could avoid the imaginary penalty, per The Clarion Ledger. Johnson was charged with false pretense, grand larceny and two counts of impersonating an officer. Now, hes facing new charges of murder and shooting into an occupied dwelling. Johnson was taken into custody April 10 after a brief car chase as he tried to flee to Louisiana and was transferred back to Jackson. According to Collins family, this killing would have been avoidable if proper measures were taken to protect Collins. In my brothers last months, he was living in hell dealing with Marcus, said Alisha Hudson, Collins sister. The Jackson Police Department mishandled his case and downplayed the situation. They didnt care to protect my brother. They protected Marcus. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A credit union was robbed Saturday afternoon and the suspect is still at large, according to Lacey police. About 1 p.m., the man entered the Americas Credit Union branch on Quinault Drive Northeast near Marvin Road Northeast. Once inside, the suspect brandished what appeared to be a handgun and demanded money, Sgt. Jeremy Knight said. The man was last seen headed in the direction of an area Home Depot and Costco. Lacey police received assistance from the Thurston County Sheriffs Office and a Tumwater police K9. The suspect is described as white with an average build. He was last seen wearing a mask, sunglasses, blue hoodie and gloves, according to police. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Lacey police at 360-459-4333. How do you find a jury with no biases when it comes to Donald Trump? What trial experts say. Jury selection may seem like the boring precursor to a trial's juicier parts, but it can be crucial to the outcome. Starting Monday, the teams of lawyers in former President Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial will try to select 12 jurors and several alternates who give them the best chance of winning. The process often involves weeding out jurors with opinions that might influence their decision. But how can you find anyone in Manhattan who doesn't have an opinion of Donald Trump? To find out, USA TODAY talked to jury and trial experts, who said Trump's and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's trial teams may want to ferret out anyone who has an anti-Trump agenda Trump because those are likely votes to convict, and Bragg to protect a guilty verdict on appeal. Trump's team may look for lone wolves and people who distrust the justice system, knowing that even a hung jury could shield him from the case for years if he wins the November election. It's a case that could bend the normal rules for criminal defendants, said Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, a jury consultant who has worked on many high-profile trials, including the O.J. Simpson murder trial in 1994-95. "In a normal criminal case, it is the prosecution that's looking for the white, older male, and it is the defense that's looking for the minority individual, the anti-police individual but in this case it's actually reversed," she said. Former President Donald Trump's New York criminal hush money trial will start with jury selection on April 15, 2024. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election, and jury selection will be the first portion of the trial beginning Monday. New York requires a unanimous verdict from the 12 jurors to convict. The business records at issue characterized payments from Trump to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, as compensation for legal services. In reality, they were reimbursements for a $130,000 hush money payment to keep adult film star Stormy Daniels from hurting Trump's 2016 election chances by going public about having had sex with Trump, according to prosecutors. They say the payment was a campaign contribution that exceeded federal limits. Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case, and he has denied Daniels' claim. Jury selection could last several days or even weeks. Both trial teams will get a limited number of "peremptory strikes" they can use essentially vetoes they can exercise to exclude prospective jurors. When those run out, however, the prosecution or defense will be stuck with whichever potential juror comes up next unless Merchan strikes the person "for cause." That means the judge has concluded the person doesn't meet New York juror qualifications or probably can't be impartial in the case. The two sides can ask Merchan to strike jurors based on responses to questions, but Merchan may not always agree. He said before trial that a potential juror's Republican or Democratic identification, on its own, isn't enough to strike that person for cause. Bragg's office declined to comment for this story. Two lawyers for Trump didn't respond to a request for comment. Here's a look at how the two sides could approach jury selection: Finding pro- or anti-Trumpers? Ahead of trial, Judge Juan Merchan decided on a list of 42 questions the prospective jurors will be asked orally in court, and both sides can ask follow-up questions. Merchan isn't allowing questions about whether jurors voted for Trump or plan to vote for him. But he is allowing several questions that could reveal a juror's political preferences. For example, has the potential juror attended a Trump rally, or an anti-Trump rally? Has the person ever followed Trump, or an anti-Trump group, on social media? Where do the prospective jurors get their news? All those questions are on the questionnaire. Trump is unlikely to get many fervent supporters on his Manhattan jury. About 87% of Manhattan residents voted for Joe Biden in the last presidential election, according to Politico. But that doesn't mean there aren't political shades to consider, Mitchell Epner, a longtime New York litigator and former federal prosecutor, told USA TODAY. "There are lots of different flavors amongst Manhattan Democrats, which go all the way from left of the Democratic Socialists of America to people who in other counties would be, by profile, Republicans," he said. Epner added that even prosecutors wouldn't want a juror who has an anti-Trump agenda "because, if it later comes out that a juror did have an agenda to convict Donald Trump, that could be a basis for an appeal." Looking for the juror who will hang the case? There are three basic outcomes from a jury trial: The jury convicts the defendant, the jury acquits the defendant, or the jury "hangs" meaning jurors can't come to an agreement and the judge is forced to declare a mistrial. Unlike when a defendant is acquitted, prosecutors are able to retry defendants after mistrials. Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney to President Donald Trump, speaks to the media before departing his Manhattan apartment for prison on May 6, 2019 in New York City. Cohen is due to report to a federal prison in Otisville, New York, where he will begin serving a three-year sentence for campaign finance violations, tax evasion and other crimes. But retrials don't usually happen after there's a hung jury, Epner said. Prosecutors are hesitant to bring the case again unless they believe there's some greater public policy issue at stake or they feel confident they would get a conviction from another jury. "Particularly in this case, where there is a significant possibility that the defendant could not be tried a second time before the 2024 election, a hung jury would be a major accomplishment for the defense team," Epner said. If Trump wins the election in November, there are significant legal questions about whether he could be prosecuted while in office. That gives Trump's team even more impetus than a typical defendant to look for a juror who isn't aiming to fit in and might go against the grain. "Defense counsel are typically looking for iconoclasts: people who consider themselves to be lone wolves or free spirits or in some way countercultural, and who have distrust of the system," Epner said. The social media 'polygraph test' While jurors are answering questions, the trial teams will be conducting social media checks that are akin to polygraph tests on the potential jurors, Dimitrius said. On high-profile cases, people who want to be on the jury may alter their responses to what they believe one side or the other wants to hear, Dimitrius told USA TODAY. "By looking at their oral responses to the questionnaire, and then comparing that to what they may have on social media, you can see if they are being forthcoming, or if they may be hiding something," she said. Here's an example of how that could play out: Potential jurors will be asked if they follow either Trump or an anti-Trump organization on social media. If they say they don't, but their profiles indicate they do, that could raise questions about whether they are intentionally lying to better their chances of getting on the jury. Building a relationship to last through trial Jury selection isn't just about what the lawyers and defendant think of the potential jurors, according to Molly Murphy, a trial consultant who has worked on jury selection and trial strategy across hundreds of cases. It's also about what potential jurors are thinking about the people questioning them and the defendant who is watching. "There is a connection that starts, and the jury is assessing each lawyer's integrity," Murphy told USA TODAY. "They are really constantly looking at how the lawyers behave, and how Mr. Trump is going to be behaving, and how the prosecution is behaving." Epner said a trial is an opportunity for each side to tell its own story, and stories are more persuasive if the audience in this case, the jury trusts and likes the storyteller. Developing that relationship starts at the very beginning. "Somebody who is both disliked and distrusted is highly unlikely to tell a persuasive story," he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: An unbiased New York jury for Trump hush money case? Experts weigh in. Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides speaks during a press conference with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola at the Zenon Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Larnaca Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides speaks during a press conference with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola at the Zenon Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Larnaca NICOSIA (Reuters) -Cyprus has suspended the processing of asylum applications from Syrians following a sharp increase in irregular arrivals this month, authorities said on Sunday. More than 1,000 people have arrived in Cyprus on boats from Lebanon since the start of April amid deepening tensions in the Middle East. It has triggered calls from Nicosia to its European Union partners to do more to assist Lebanon, as well as reconsider the status of war-torn Syria, which is at present considered unsafe to repatriate asylum seekers. "This is an emergency measure, it's a difficult decision to protect the interests of Cyprus," Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told reporters. Christodoulides and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen later discussed the possibility of offering a reinforced package of economic aid to Lebanon, a Cypriot government spokesperson said in a statement. To this end it was agreed they would jointly visit Lebanon after a preparatory visit by Commission officials, the statement added. Lebanon, in the throes of a deep financial crisis, hosts hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees. Cyprus, the EU's easternmost state and the closest to the Middle East, lies about 160 km (100 miles) west of the shores of Lebanon or Syria. It recorded more than 2,000 arrivals by sea in the first three months of this year, compared to just 78 over the same period in 2023. In practice, suspending processing of applications means asylum seekers will be confined to two reception camps offering food and shelter and regulated exits, with no other benefit. Those who choose to leave those facilities will automatically forfeit any kind of benefit, and will not be allowed to work, government sources said. (Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Susan Fenton) By Jan Lopatka and Michael Kahn PRAGUE (Reuters) - Michal Strnad, who a decade ago became head of CSG, a family defence business, is closing in on buying U.S. ammunitions maker Kinetic Group that will transform a company that started by buying tanks for scrap into a key player in the global arms market. But first Strnad, the 31-year old Czech, owner and chairman of the Czechoslovak Group (CSG) -- a large supplier to Ukraine -- needs to fend off a rival offer for Kinetic parent Vista Outdoor to get control of around 20 percent of the West's small ammunitions market and nearly double its revenue from last year's 1.7 billion euros. "We are a long-term strategic investor that wants to take it private to build it and grow it and invest in new capacity and technology," Strnad told Reuters in an interview on Friday. "We will not just come and shake the company for the money and try to squeeze it." The privately-held company, which employs more than 10,000 workers at 37 sites in Europe and the United States, has made a $1.91 billion all-cash offer for Kinetic Group, formerly known as the Sporting Products, which includes its ammunition production business. Vista Outdoor has agreed to the CSG bid, which needs clearance from shareholders in May, and approval from Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. The company has also received a revised unsolicited $3 billion all-cash bid deal from investment firm MNC capital, after rejecting a previous offer from the firm. Strnad, whose net worth more than doubled last year to $4.4 billion according to Forbes, said his company's offer makes sense for a privately-held company like his not answerable to shareholders that has the financial wherewithal to utilise and expand capacity and withstand what he called "peaks and valleys" in the industry. Taken together with the 2022 acquisition 70% of Italy's small-calibre ammunition maker Fiocchi Munizioni, the deal would make CSG the biggest player in that market in the world outside China and Russia, Strnad said. "There is big space to improve efficiency and invest into automation, new production lines and machines," said Strnad, who sees the deal giving the Czech company entry into the market for government contracts in the United States and elsewhere. FROM SCRAP TO GLOBAL PLAYER Strnad's father Jaroslav started the business in the 1990s after the Cold War, buying Soviet-era military equipment, initially meant for scrapping. He then turned to refurbishing it, and slowly growing the company from a small outfit with family members. The father stepped away in 2013 and handed CSG leadership to then 21-year old Strnad, who started working at the company in high school and has overseen its growth into a major producer in the European Union and exporter to over 50 markets including many fellow NATO member states. "I finished school when I was 18 at 1 p.m. I got in the car and went to the factory to work," said Strnad whose first job at the company was working in a storage warehouse with his grandmother during summer holidays when he was just 13. The fast growth under Strnad accelerated in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine because the company was able to supply refurbished Soviet-era tanks as well as new equipment, and quickly ramped up shell production. Core earnings more than doubled in 2023 to 439 million euros and CSG forecast continued strong demand for its heavy military equipment and large-caliber ammunition as countries ramp up defence spending amid the war in Ukraine. Strnad said the company plans to tap its war chest for some additional acquisitions, though nothing the scale of Vista. "We would like to grow in all of our divisions in the group," said Strnad who said targets in the defence industry had big premiums these days. "In each group there are small or bigger acquisitions. Some are vertical while some are buying competitors." ARTILLERY BACKLOG Where Strnad said the company has seen huge growth due to Ukraine is the production of large calibre ammunition, where its annual capacity has increased 10-fold to more than 500,000 rounds of tank and various artillery rounds, which is a significant part of current European capacity. "We have invested hundreds of millions of euros since the start of the war in capacity," Strnad said. He said the company now had a backlog of artillery orders for six years and was investing further into new capacity at its plants in Slovakia, Spain and Serbia. Strnad said CSG also planned to restart and idle gun powder and nitrocellulose production line at an Italian factory, in cooperation with the Italian government, to address what he called a huge bottleneck for European ammunition makers. The company, which also makes howitzers, armoured vehicles or multiple rocket launchers sees promising markets Asia, the Middle East and Africa but also Ukraine where it has been exploring joint ventures with Ukrainian companies. While the war makes it difficult to set up shop now, Strnad believes that the help and good will his company and the Czechs have received for supplying weapons and equipment to Ukraine can translate into an important foothold in the nation's future defence industry. "In the long term or mid term we would like to localize and help them with their own defence industry," Strnad said. (Writing by Michael Kahn, Editing by David Evans) Idaho government is doing its best to keep you poor Gov. Brad Little should have vetoed House Bill 545, which will ensure Idahos working poor remain not just poor but also at imminent risk of outright homelessness. Idaho stubbornly clings to a federal minimum wage of $7.25, unchanged since 2009 despite huge increases in both rents and cost of living generally. Its Orwellian double-speak for Moscow Rep. Brandon Mitchell to prohibit cities and counties from capping rents or requiring landlords to accept federal housing vouchers because we need to have as many properties in the state as we can, and thats what brings prices down for affordable housing. Who put Mitchell up to this undemocratic and inhumane legislation? Has he ever visited and spoken with residents at any of the Moscow area mobile home parks affected by his bill? I knew people in the now-vacant Syringa Park and have friends at Appaloosa, Palouse Hills, Abiel and Woodland Heights (formerly Valhalla, for us old-timers). These are hard-working people largely in the service economy, as well as veterans, disabled and older folks and kids. Chris Norden, Moscow Thanks for contributions of immigrants and refugees This letter is a meager expression for my immense gratitude for all of the immigrant and refugee workers in the United States. Additionally, it is to honor the 6 immigrant workers in Baltimore who lost their lives while laboring when the bridge collapsed. I often hear from people in the workforce that people just dont want to work. My experience working with immigrants and refugees conflicts with that notion. For over 15 years, I taught English to non-native English speakers who were either immigrants (papered or not) and recently arrived refugees. They related the conditions of their entry-level, often labor-intensive jobs. From my point of view, they were not taking away jobs from native-born people of the United States but rather doing work that other more privileged persons didnt want to do. Economist Steven Rattner of Morning Joe pointed out that immigrants have helped to push U.S. growth since the pandemic by adding millions of new workers to the labor market. As native-born workers have aged into retirement, immigrants have taken their places and been essential to Americas post-COVID labor market recovery. Ruth Merrill, Boise Bishop should oust Nichols I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for Lori Bishop as a candidate for the Idaho Senate from District 10. In this turbulent political climate, Lori stands out as a thoughtful and dedicated advocate for the people of Idaho. I have been close friends with Lori for almost 20 years, and I have watched with admiration as she has supported her family, her church and her community in countless ways. I have benefited greatly from her research into political issues and her wise advice about how to be a force for good in the world. Loris passion for education has been clear to me through her volunteer work in the classroom and in support of public education funding. I especially admire that she isnt just concerned about her own childrens success but instead works tirelessly in support of the right of all Idahos children to have a solid public education. I believe Lori Bishop has the integrity, vision, and determination needed to represent the interests of Idahoans effectively. Her commitment to work for the good of all Idahoans is inspiring and much needed. I urge my fellow Idahoans to join me in supporting Lori Bishop for Senate. Jennifer Black, Eagle Crapo should revive the Child Tax Credit U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo holds a unique power in his hands at this very moment. He holds the standing and seniority in Congress to halt the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, a bill set to benefit the families of 16 million children in the U.S. through the expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Idaho is well acquainted with the complexities of child care. From the lack of availability of providers, to the ever-soaring and fluctuating costs, a post-pandemic world has not improved the accessibility of child care for low-income Idaho families. With child care being a critical service to the health of Idahos economy, the continued support and expansion of the CTC is vital. This policy, which contributed to the reduction of child poverty by 46% in 2021, and that Crapo voted to expand in 2017, is coming to the end of its opportunity to become even more impactful for low-income families next year. So, how will Crapo use his powers? Let Crapo know that Idaho appreciates his dedication to the U.S. tax system and is in strong support of the good a CTC expansion will do for Idahoans. Savannah Slater, Boise Congress should support cancer screening Despite the current political climate, Congress has a rare opportunity to ensure Americas seniors have access to the latest cutting-edge cancer screenings. The Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act has strong bipartisan support and enough cosponsors to pass both the House and Senate. Our own Senator Mike Crapo is a top champion for this bill and Idahos senior community is grateful to him for his hard work. The bill would ensure the Medicare program is able to cover these cutting-edge cancer tests, empowering physicians and patients with an incredible new tool in the war on cancer. MCED tests can detect more kinds of cancer earlier, providing better treatability and likely lower costs. Almost percent of cancer diagnoses are among people 65+. There is no reason to delay on this important legislation passed for Americas seniors without delay. Lisa Hansen, Meridian Dad accused of crashing into cop car while drunk, injuring his two kids, Texas cops say A Texas father was driving while drunk when police say he crashed into the back of a cop car, injuring his two children and an officer, news outlets report. An officer was stopped inside their patrol vehicle at a red light at about 3 a.m. Sunday, April 14, when a white Kia Rio slammed into them from behind, the San Antonio Police Department told KSAT. The impact also caused the officers vehicle to hit a nearby SUV, police said. Two children inside the dads car, a 6-year-old boy and 10-year-old girl, were injured and taken to a hospital, police told WOAI. The boy was seriously injured while the girls injuries were non-life threatening, officials said. The police officer also sustained minor injuries but declined treatment, the San Antonio Express-News reported. The father, who has not been publicly identified, was arrested and is facing charges of DWI with a child and endangering a child, and intoxication assault, police told the newspaper. McClatchy News has reached out to police for an update. Armed husband clings to hood of car as kidnapped wife makes bold escape, Texas cops say 18-year-old clinging to vehicle falls and dies during game of tag, Ohio police say Naked teacher found in SUV crashed by teen driver fleeing sheriff, Nebraska cops say Road rage chase ends in crash, killing newlywed on way to pick up wife, Texas cops say 'The damage is done': Ruben Gallego says repealing Arizona's near-total abortion ban now would be too little, too late PHOENIX Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego argued this week that a potential repeal of Arizonas 1864 abortion law is not a viable long-term solution to secure abortion rights for the women of Arizona. The damage is done, Gallego told NBC News of a possible repeal of the 1864 ban, which the states Supreme Court ruled last week was enforceable, effectively banning the procedure statewide. Any initiative they pass right now wouldnt even take effect for quite a while, he added. Gallego, who is running for Senate this year, also pointed out that a repeal of the 1864 near-total ban, which makes exceptions for medical emergencies but not for rape or incest, could be reversed by future state legislatures. To make matters worse, it could just get overturned later by another state House or state Senate, Gallego said. The only protection we really, really have is to codify this and put this on the ballot and enshrine Roe and protect abortion rights, he said. Gallego argued a repeal through the state is just the first step in rectifying what he sees as injustice. They just need to put the bill on the floor, overturn this and codify Roe, which you can do right now at the state level, he said of what Republicans in the Legislature should do next in the wake of the 1864 ban. Gallego made the comments Friday, just hours after rallying with Vice President Kamala Harris on the issue of securing abortion rights. Under Arizonas constitution, a new law wouldnt take effect until 90 days after the Legislature adjourns. A law could take effect immediately upon Gov. Katie Hobbs signature if it were deemed emergency legislation, but with both chambers of the Arizona Legislature controlled by Republicans, that is unlikely meaning a ballot initiative could be a more pragmatic pathway for supporters of abortion rights. Arizona for Abortion Access, a coalition of reproductive rights organizations including the ACLU of Arizona and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, is working to put a referendum on the states ballot in November to enshrine abortion rights in the states constitution. The constitutional amendment that the coalition is putting forward would create a fundamental right to receive abortion care up until fetal viability, or about the 24th week of pregnancy, with exceptions after that point if a health care professional decides its needed to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual. The ballot initiative campaign announced it gathered more than half a million signatures at the beginning of the month, which is over 120,000 more than it needs to make it onto Novembers ballot. But the signatures will be subject to scrutiny from opponents of abortion rights, leading organizers at Arizona for Abortion Access to aim for double the 383,923 valid signatures needed. Gallego said his campaign has been pitching in with the signature collection. I have volunteers that are going door to door collecting signatures, said the congressman. Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat, called for repealing the states abortion ban in remarks to Phoenix volunteers for the Biden-Harris campaign on Saturday even as he agreed with Gallego that a repeal through the Legislature is not enough and signaled support for federal legislation. We need to codify here in the state of Arizona the right for women to make this decision themselves, and then ultimately we need to do it federally, Kelly said. Despite the push from Democrats for alternatives like a ballot initiative or a federal law, Republicans in the Arizona Legislature could still be compelled to act at the state level amid pressure to reverse the ban. The Governor and the Arizona Legislature must use HEART, COMMON SENSE, and ACT IMMEDIATELY, to remedy what has happened, wrote former President Donald Trump on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday. Arizona Legislature, please act as fast as possible! the former president added. Gallegos opponent for the Senate, Trump-backed Republican Kari Lake, has been calling Republican legislators and pushing them to repeal the ban. Republican state Rep. Matt Gress, one of the few Republican legislators to oppose the 1864 ban publicly, told NBC News Kristen Welker he believes it can be repealed in the coming days. I feel very confident that when we convene next Wednesday, we will vote on the measure and it will prevail in the House. And it will be sent to the Senate, and the Senate will take up the measure, and it will prevail in the Senate, and most likely that bill will be on Gov. Hobbs desk by the end of the day, Gress said on Meet the Press NOW on Thursday. But Gress timeline may conflict with the one set forth by Republican Speaker Ben Toma, who said in a statement Wednesday, We as an elected body are going to take the time needed to listen to our constituents and carefully consider appropriate actions, rather than rush legislation on a topic of this magnitude. Gress introduced a motion to repeal the law Wednesday before appearing to vote for shutting down debate on that repeal just moments later, a vote he later admitted to The Arizona Republic. On Wednesday, Arizona Republican state legislators blocked the push to repeal the 160-year-old abortion ban. The Arizona House is scheduled to convene again Wednesday. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com David Chang issued a public apology on his podcast amid criticism over his company Momofuku attempting to trademark the term chili crunch. Chang, chef and founder of Momofuku, and Momofuku CEO Marguerite Mariscal said on the April 12 episode of Changs podcast, The Dave Chang Show, that they are no longer enforcing the trademark. Over the years, Chang has become somewhat synonymous in the U.S. with Korean fine dining, microwave cooking and a host of Asian supermarket goods. As a celebrity chef, hes no stranger to controversy: Chang isnt afraid to share hot takes online, and hes been accused of facilitating toxic work environments in his restaurants. (Chang called accusations made in a 2020 Eater article consistent with his behaviors at the time, and apologized, though he didnt remember them specifically.) But this time, folks are fuming over his recent attempt to own the term chili crunch, which it uses for the chile-allium-oil condiment sold under the Momofuku brand. According to the Guardian, the brand sent cease-and-desist letters to companies using the term chili crunch and chile crunch and was hoping to successfully trademark the former. (It purchased the trademark for the latter in 2023 from Chile Colonial, a company that now licenses the product name from Momofuku.) Shortly after the report, everyone from consumers to small-business owners and even fellow chefs took to social media to share their disappointment with the man who has held firm ground as a leader in the Asian American culinary space. Now, Chang and the Momofuku team are saying they wont be enforcing the trademark, even though it may put their ownership of the term at risk. Heres everything you need to know about the controversy. What happened? In 2020, Momofuku started selling jars of chili crunch a spicy condiment commonly found across many Asian cultures made with chilis and oil which it launched in 2018. The product also goes by chili crisp, chili oil, crunchy chili sauce and countless other names, and it took off exponentially across the American grocery market in 2021, though Momofuku was not the first to bring it to shelves. There are now dozens of brands selling to consumers across the country, and all of them have their own recipe twists and monikers. Some opt to include the word crunch in the name, much like Changs company did. On April 4, the Guardian reported Momofuku is currently trying to trademark chili crunch with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Though it doesnt own the trademark yet, Momofuku sent cease-and-desist letters to an unknown number of brands that use crunch in their condiments name. Momofuku Chili Crunch. Chili oil in studio on Thursday, April 15, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) What small business owners are saying The phrase that I would use to refer to Momofuku in this case, is a trademark bully, says Stephen Coates, the lawyer representing New York-based Malaysian food brand Homiah, which received a cease-and-desist. Homiah sells a Sambal Chili Crunch. The brands founder, Michelle Tew, wrote in a LinkedIn post that the letter felt like a punch in the gut. She told the Guardian that had she received a cease and desist from a large corporation like Kraft Heinz, it would have been distressing, but the fact that it was Momofuku makes me feel really, really sad. Jing Gao, founder and CEO of Fly by Jing, a Sichuan chili sauce company, wrote on LinkedIn that she is disheartened to see Changs company allegedly go after numerous brands including small minority women founded businesses. This kind of action, if successful, sets a dangerous precedent for the squashing of fair competition, not to mention how ridiculous it is to try and take ownership of a generic cultural term, Gao continued. She tells TODAY.com that as a business owner herself who was told in the past that her chili crisp product was too niche for the American market, she sees more competition as a good thing. This isnt a zero-sum game, and there is enough space for everyone, Gao says. The bigger we can grow the pie for all, the better it is for everyone. Eric Huang, chef and founder of Pecking House, tells TODAY.com that trademarking food is an exercise in capitalist nonsense. Between all the effort hes seen is necessary for building a business, the work that goes into recipe testing and the logistics of creating a food product, the only reason you would (trademark food) is for a soulless cash grab. Huang continues to call this trademark filing a disappointing turn of events for someone who so singularly represents AAPI in the food & beverage industry. This is so uncool, Kerry Diamond, founder of Cherry Bombe magazine and former coffee shop owner, wrote in an Instagram caption. Dave was once the little guy. I hope it isnt Dave Chang personally issuing this command, Huang says, but rather his boardroom of likely rich, white dudes who got their MBA from Tuck. Chang and Momofukus response to the controversy First and foremost, I want to apologize to everyone in the AAPI community whos been hurt or feels like Ive marginalized them or put a ceiling on them by our actions, Chang said on his podcast. Theres a lot of chefs that Im friends with. Theres a lot of people that are upset, customers, and thats the last thing literally the last thing that I wanted to happen. He continued, adding, I spent the greater part of my adult life trying to bring light to Asian food, Asian American food, Asian identity, what it means to be Asian American. I understand why people are upset and Im truly sorry. 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, a spokesperson for Momofuku and Chang told TODAY.com. The company initially said it hoped to resolve branding disputes amicably. Chang, in his podcast, explained the backstory behind Momofukus chili crunch, citing the brand Lao Gan Ma, known for its spicy chili crisp sauce, as one of the original inspirations for the product, in addition to other sauces including ssamjang and salsa macha. When we were thinking about naming and again, shame on me if I didnt know this but we named it chili crunch specifically because it was not chili crisp, Chang explained. And we named it chili crunch because it was out of deference to chili crisp, which we associated with as Chinese, specifically carved out by Lao Gan Ma. The name behind the popular product was intentional, with Chang explaining that the product wasnt chili crisp, but rather the texture was crunchy. Had I known, or Momofuku known, that chili crunch was a tautology, basically the same as chili crisp, we would have never named it chili crunch, he said. Chang and Mariscal explained that when the brand launched its chili crunch product, it received a cease-and-desist letter from the Colorado based company Chile Colonial. However, rather than changing the name of its product, Marsical said that Momofuku worked with the company to purchase the trademark and gave the brand a perpetual license to continue to use the name. Everything Momofuku said in the podcast is true, Susie Hojel, founder of Chile Colonial, tells TODAY.com. I did send a cease-and-desist letter to Trader Joes to defend my mark, and ultimately they changed their name. I later sent a cease-and-desist letter to Momofuku. Trader Joes did not respond to TODAY.coms request for comment on whether it changed its name because of the cease-and-desist from Chile Colonial. Hojel says when she applied for and then received the chile crunch trademark from USPTO, she thought it covered any spelling of the name. When we acquired this mark, it then became our job to protect it, Mariscal explained. The reason we received a cease-and-desist from Chile Colonial is the same exact reason that Momofuku was sending them out, which is if you dont show the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) that youre routinely defending your mark and thats from any size business, large, small then youre at risk of losing your trademark. Mariscal said Momofuku was stuck with a dilemma of how to handle and protect the trademark without having the term chili crunch claimed by another company. At the end of the podcast, Chang shared the future of Momofukus plans with the trademark, explaining, The plan moving forward with this trademark is and its a strange way of sort of taking the power away from it by doing nothing. Were not going to enforce the trademark, he said. And by doing so, its possible that it becomes a generic term and nobody can own it. Marsical added, As a business, were taking the risk that by not enforcing it. Someone could come along someone much bigger than us say were not enforcing it, and therefore, they should own the mark. Hojel says she is truly sorry Momofuku has received so much bad publicity for defending their trademark. The name Chile Crunch has become very popular and I think some companies wanted to take advantage of the trend, she adds. I believe if you have a registered trademark, it is your right to defend it. It is too bad that it is so difficult and expensive to do so. On his podcast, Chang said, I dont want this to be seen as being inactive or being apathetic to the situation or us trying to have monopolistic powers or anything like that. Our choice is to do nothing. That is our action, is inactivity, no enforcement, no policing of this trademark. And if theres a better plan, were all ears. What next? Before Momofuku walked back the cease-and-desist, folks like Tew were given 90 days to stop using the word chili crunch, and five days to respond saying they would acquiesce. Momofuku trusts that Homiah did not adopt the CHILI CRUNCH mark in bad faith or with an intent to create confusion, the cease-and-desist letter reads. But because trademark law requires brand owners to police use of their trademarks and because Momofuku is concerned that consumers may actually be confused here we write to request Homiahs cooperation. Diamond wrote in her Instagram caption that as a small business especially for anyone who is a newbie entrepreneur it can be scary to go up against a big company. Youre scared so you pay the thousands of dollars to hire a lawyer to tell their lawyer to go away, she wrote. It just sucks. Tew told TODAY.com that she had already spent around $5,000 to have a lawyer draft a response to the cease and desist. She says she spoke with others who, within just a few days, apologized to Momofuku and said they would rebrand. The Guardian reported several brands had decided to comply and change their product names to avoid the fees and hassle of a legal battle. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Image Press Agency/NurPhoto / iStock.com Famed Shark Tank investor Barbara Corcoran has some strong advice about investing that flies in the face of traditional thinking. Learn More: 401(k) Growth Potential: Ways to Double Your Savings in 10 Years Find Out: 6 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money Unlike most financial experts, Corcoran believes that diversification is not the best path to building wealth. Perhaps even more controversially, shes also against the general concept of savings. Here are Corcorans explanations of her non-traditional views, along with a look at whether or not you should take her advice. Sponsored: Credit card debt keeping you up at night? Find out if you can reduce your debt with these 3 steps What Does Corcoran Say About Diversification? Diversification is one of the cornerstones of basic investment advice. The theory is that by combining non-correlated assets or those that dont move up or down in price at the same time, like gold and stocks you can reduce the volatility in your overall portfolio. Also, by having multiple assets, you avoid the risk that you can lose all your money by making one bad bet. However, Corcoran sees things in an entirely different manner. As she told CNBC Make It in 2023, One piece of advice people hear all the time, and I just dont believe it, is: Diversify, dont put all your eggs in one basket. I put all my money in the real estate basket, my brokerage firm and everything in there went to buying properties. For You: If You Bought $1K of Elon Musks Favorite Crypto 5 Years Ago, Heres How Much You Would Have Now Is She Alone in Her Thinking? Other famous investors support Corcorans ideas about diversification as well. Billionaires Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, who were co-chairs of Berkshire Hathaway until Mungers passing in 2023, famously referred to diversification as diworsification and protection against ignorance. Like Corcoran, they believed that if you know what youre doing, putting most or even all of your money into a single idea is the way to achieve outsized returns. Why Is She Against Saving? Corcorans anti-saving stance isnt a recommendation to avoid basic building blocks like an emergency fund or contributions to a 401(k) plan. Rather, its just an expression of how she prefers to invest in herself. Im just not a believer in saving money, the real estate guru told CNBC Make It. Ive never saved a dime my whole life. I spent every dollar I ever made and threw it back into the business. In other words, Corcorans approach towards saving is to reinvest her income into her growing business, which most successful companies do as well. Story continues It shouldnt be taken as an admonition against saving and investing your own way, especially if you dont have your own business. The point Corcoran makes is that people should use their money to build and grow something rather than just let it sit idly. What Are the Risks With Corcorans Approach? The main risk with Corcorans approach is that you might swing and miss, perhaps in terrible fashion. If you put all your eggs into one basket and dont fully understand what youre doing, you might easily lose everything you have. Thats not investing, its speculating. And while some speculations can work out, youre just as likely to go bust as you are to get lucky and punch a winning ticket. Corcoran herself even admits that she almost went bankrupt for the fifth time during the 1990-91 recession, so its clear that even with an experts touch, non-diversification can be an aggressive strategy. Taking Corcorans non-saving advice too literally could also cause problems if you think of it as a suggestion to simply blow all your money on shopping sprees. While Corcoran fully endorses enjoying life and buying the things you want with money you have, she earned that privilege by first reinvesting every dime she had into her growing business. Her process for growing wealth is not to save by being frugal but to invest so you can earn the money to have anything you want. Could Her Strategy Work for You? An important thing to note is that Corcoran believes in her anti-diversification, anti-saving stance because it ended up working out for her in spectacular fashion. She sold her real estate business for $66 million in 2001 and is now a world-renowned expert in the real estate space and a star investor on Shark Tank. But this doesnt necessarily mean her strategy would work for everyone. For example, if you run a solid business, know what you are doing and funnel all your time, energy and money into it, you certainly could succeed in the same way. But if you have poor business sense or if your idea of not diversifying is putting all your money into an obscure cryptocurrency you could just as likely go bust. The key is to understand exactly what youre doing, as Corcoran clearly does. If you have her level of expertise, dedication and business know-how, then focusing on one solid investment like yourself could indeed be the right path to building wealth. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Barbara Corcoran: Why Shes Against Diversifying and Saving Money DENVER (KDVR) Denver announced a new plan and budget for migrants and asylum-seekers this week, identifying how the nearly $90 million program will be funded including where the citys budget will be cut. On this weeks Colorado Point of View, analysts discuss the development and consider whether Denvers status as a sanctuary city for migrants is sustainable. Meanwhile, some Republicans are calling for Dave Williams, chair of the Colorado GOP, to resign after a longtime political journalist was booted from a Republican assembly. And as abortion remains a top political issue in the U.S., what are voters attitudes about it? Watch the full episode in the video player above. Colorado Point of View airs weekends on Colorados Very Own Channel 2. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Five-year-old from Chester County found safe month after last sighting Five-year-old from Chester County found safe month after last sighting CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Officials found a five-year-old boy missing from Chester County, the sheriffs office announced on Sunday. Deputies put out a missing endangered persons alert for Christian Hall who was last seen with his mother Deandrea Smith. Get breaking news alerts with the Queen City News mobile app. Its FREE! Download for iOS or Android Investigators say Christian is non-verbal and autistic, and the last time he was seen was on March 7 with his mom. Officials say Christian has been found and is safe. It is unclear if any charges will be filed. Anyone with information is urged to call the Chester County Sheriffs Office at 803-385-5433. This is a developing story; check back for updates For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Can dogs link words to certain objects like humans? A new study says yes BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) Many dog owners believe their pets understand and respond not only to commands such as sit and stay, but also to words referring to their favorite objects. Bring me your ball will often result in exactly that. But science has had trouble determining whether dogs and other animals genuinely activate a mental image in their minds when they hear the name of an object, something that would suggest a deeper grasp of language, similar to the kind that humans have. A new study in Hungary has found that beyond being able to respond to commands like roll over, dogs can learn to associate words with specific objects a relationship with language called referential understanding that had been unproven in dogs until now. When we are talking about objects, objects are external to the dogs, and dogs have to learn that words refer, they stand for something that is external to them, said Marianna Boros, a cognitive neuroscientist and co-lead author of the study conducted by the Department of Ethology of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest. Cicada-geddon: Which states will soon be bombarded with cicadas? The study, which has been peer reviewed, was published last Friday in the science journal Current Biology. It involved 18 dogs and a non-invasive EEG procedure using electrodes attached to dogs heads to measure brain activity and register brain waves. Dog owners participating in the study would play an audio clip in which they said the name of their dogs toy like ball or frisbee and then they would show the dog an object. The researchers measured the dogs brain activity when the object in the recording matched the object that was displayed, and also when it differed. We expected that if a dog really understands the meaning of the objects word, it will expect to see that object. And if the owner shows a different one, there will be a so-called surprise reaction in the brain, Boros said. And this is exactly what we found. The study found a different brain pattern when the dogs were shown an object that matched the word, compared to when it didnt suggesting the animals conjured a mental image of an object based on hearing the word for it. Lilla Magyari, also a cognitive neuroscientist and co-lead author of the study, said that while other animals have been shown to have some degree of referential understanding of language, those animals have typically been highly trained to do so. In dogs, she said, the findings show that such capacities appear to be inborn and require no special training or talent. The study supports theories of language evolution which actually say that referential understanding is not necessarily unique to humans, added Magyari, who is also an associate professor at the University of Stavanger in Norway. While the study has received praise, some experts have expressed doubts about its findings. Behavioral scientist and professor of psychology at Arizona State University, Clive Wynne, said in a post on Facebook that he believes that all the study shows is that dogs respond to stimuli but that they dont actually understand the meaning of specific words. Tick season is here: Heres how to protect yourself and your pets Scientists believe the first dogs began to be domesticated by humans up to 30,000 years ago, and have lived closely alongside us ever since. But whether dogs acquired their apparent capacity to understand referential language during that evolution remains unclear. Budapest resident Emese Doroszlai said during a walk with her dog in a city park on Wednesday that she usually teaches him commands for specific actions. When told about the study, she said she hasnt given much thought to building her dogs vocabulary or teaching him names for objects. But, she said, maybe the results of the study would change that. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Donald Trump is targeting his criminal trials from the campaign trail ahead of New York hush money case SCHNECKSVILLE, Pa. On a chilly and windswept weekend night in rural Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump previewed a new and unprecedented phase of his 2024 candidacy: Campaigning while standing trial in a criminal court. Trump's tactic of campaigning from the courthouse goes fully operational Monday, as jury selection begins for a trial on charges he tried to hide hush money payments before the 2016 election. While his court appearances and reelection campaign have already collided in civil lawsuits, Monday marks the beginning of the former president's first criminal trial. "I'm proud to do it for you," Trump told thousands of bundled-up supporters Saturday night at fairgrounds in Schnecksville, near Allentown, Pennsylvania. "Have a good time watching." In and around a trial that could last two months, Trump plans to use campaign rallies, news conferences and social media posts to amplify a long-standing allegation: The hush money trial and three other criminal cases pending against him are politically motivated attempts to destroy his campaign. There is no evidence that federal and state officials prosecuting cases against Trump are attacking his reelection bid. Nevertheless, Trump's supporters who braved the wind and the cold to see him at the fairground next to the Schnecksville Fire Hall said they will stick with him no matter what. Some, like Trump, did express concern that his legal troubles could kill off support from independent voters, especially if he is convicted. "They're trying to get death by a thousand cuts," said Stayce Hawthorne, 57, a housewife and Trump supporter from Atglen, Pennsylvania. Donald Trump at a New York courthouse in February Will Donald Trump's trial change his 2024 playbook? Conviction or not, the hush money trial isn't likely to sway Trump's GOP base. "They're trying to take him out," said Connie Collins, 68, a retired teacher from Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, echoing claims Trump has made since the hush money indictment was handed down over a year ago. In the New York case, Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to multiple women. Trump's goal, prosecutors said, was to keep them quiet about their relationships with him so as not to influence voters just before the 2016 presidential election. During the Republican primary, polls indicated that Trump's indictments may have helped the former president with more right-wing, conservative voters. But polls also showed that moderate and independent voters the types who supported GOP challenger Nikki Haley would not back Trump in a general election, especially if he is convicted. GOP pollster Whit Ayres predicted that basically any verdict in the New York case will reinforce long-held perceptions about Trump. If he's convicted, the former president is expected to continue calling the case a political attack. An acquittal or a hung jury, meanwhile, would boost Trump because "it would verify his argument" about all the cases against him. "It's hard to imagine it would change a lot of minds," Ayres said. Pollster Frank Luntz said Trump's voters may be immovable because "they think he's a victim; they think it's all a witch hunt, and that partisan politics are behind it." "He's got as much of the victim vote as he is going to get," Luntz said. Campaigning around the courthouse During his fairground rally in eastern Pennsylvania, Trump complained that "I will be forced to sit" during what he called "a show trial." It wasn't the first time Trump has protested his campaign and courtroom schedules. In February, after failing to get a delay in the hush money case, Trump told reporters "I'll be here during the day and campaigning during the night," and on weekends. He added that "they want to keep me nice and busy, so I can't campaign so hard." The former president is required to attend his criminal trial proceedings unlike his civil lawsuits. But with the 2024 general election seven months away, Trump will be on the move on weekends and the occasional week night, holding fundraisers, meeting with advisers and staging campaign events in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, according to Trump and his aides. Also: The hush money trial is scheduled to be in recess on Wednesdays, giving the court a chance to deal with other matters and Trump a chance to campaign. As he did during his civil trials and pre-trial hearings, Trump is also expected to speak to the media while heading into and out of the courtroom, sometimes both. After a March 25 hearing in the hush money case, Trump held a brief news conference at his nearby office building on Wall Street a probable model for some upcoming trial days. Trump's other criminal cases Trump isn't only facing the hush money case in 2024. He is also charged with trying to steal the 2020 election from President Joe Biden in a federal case and a state case in Georgia. He is additionally accused of mishandling classified documents in a federal case that saw his Mar-a-Lago home raided. But one wildcard that could upset the cases is an upcoming Supreme Court hearing on Trump's longshot claim that he is immune from prosecution. That argument centers around the federal indictment focused on the 2020 race for the White House. Special counsel Jack Smith had planned to start that case in early March, but the high court's decision to hear the pre-trial immunity pushed back that schedule. Now the hush money case, and Trump's campaign against it, go first. In the meantime, Trump will try and continue his effort to delay his other trials past Election Day on Nov. 5 Meanwhile, Trump is also seeking to delay his Georgia case, with pre-trial appeals revolving around complaints about Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump trial: Former president targets charges while campaigning Donald Trump's historic New York hush money trial is set to start Monday: What to know Barring a last-minute turn of events, a former American president will go on criminal trial for the first time in the nation's history on Monday. Donald Trump is fighting 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. If convicted, the charges could land the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in prison: Many legal experts say a realistic sentence ranges from just probation to as much as four years behind bars. It's a case that is sure to divide the country. Republican voters delivered electoral victories for Trump in nearly every Republican primary held this year, despite knowing Trump faces four criminal cases, including the New York charges. Trump has portrayed both Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and trial Judge Juan Merchan as biased against him. "There are some people who are just going to see this as a political trial, another one in New York where Trump is certainly not well liked," Hank Sheinkopf, a New York City-based political consultant who worked for former President Bill Clinton, told USA TODAY. "And then there are others who will see this as a way to deal with an illegality that should not have occurred we're talking about paying off a porno star," Sheinkopf said Jury selection is set to start Monday, just over a year after Bragg announced the indictment against Trump on April 4, 2023. The trial is expected to last between six and eight weeks, according to a media advisory from the court. A financial records case that starts with a sex story Twelve jurors will be asked to decide whether the real estate mogul falsified business records at the Trump Organization in order to conceal or commit another crime a purpose that turns the acts into felonies under New York law. Prosecutors allege Trump reimbursed his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for the $130,000 hush money payment through a series of checks, falsely labeling them as payments for legal services. That concealed a federal election law violation because the $130,000 payment was meant to help Trump's 2016 election and exceeded campaign contribution limits, according to the prosecution. They also say the records were meant to conceal plans to violate state tax and election laws. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and recently submitted a frenzy of legal filings trying to delay the trial, so far to no avail. Dueling 'election interference' claims Both sides have framed the case as being about election interference but they are talking about different elections. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has said the case is about falsifying records in order to unlawfully interfere with the 2016 election. "The core of it's not money for sex," Bragg said in a December WNYC radio interview. "We would say it's about conspiring to corrupt a presidential election and then lying in New York business records to cover it up." In this file photo taken on May 23, 2018, adult film star Stormy Daniels poses and signs autographs at Chi Chi Larue's adult entertainment store in West Hollywood, California. - Stormy Daniels is a onetime porn star who has approached her growing role in US political history with character and wit -- though her feud with Donald Trump has come with a price. The adult film actress has done battle with the former president for several years, alleging in 2018 that the two had a sexual relationship the long-ago summer of 2006. Cohen paid Daniels less than two weeks before the Nov. 8 Election Day, and at a time when the Trump campaign was still reeling from the Oct. 7 release of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape, in which Trump crudely described kissing women and grabbing their genitals. "When you're a star, they let you do it," he said. Trump feared another scandal that could hurt his standing with female voters, according to prosecutors. "Ultimately, with pressure mounting and the election approaching, the Defendant agreed to the payoff," they said in a case document. Trump has said the case and all his criminal and civil cases are intended to harm his prospects in the 2024 election. They represent "an illegal attack on a Political Opponent" and "Election Interference at its Best," he posted on his Truth Social media platform Wednesday. Norman Eisen, a Brookings Institution senior fellow who served as special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during Trump's first impeachment, agreed with Bragg's election-interference framing of the case. "The reason that Donald Trump made hush money payments and then covered them up, triggering the financial falsification charges in New York, over 30 of them, is because he did not want another damaging sex scandal at the end of the 2016 election, right after Access Hollywood it could have tanked him," Eisen told USA TODAY. How the trial will unfold The trial will start with jury selection, a days- or weekslong process in which both sides will try to suss out potential personal agendas towards Trump. After jury selection, the two sides are expected to make opening arguments. The prosecution will then call witnesses and introduce evidence, while Trump's team tries to poke holes in the prosecution's case. After that, Trump's side will have the option of putting on their own defense, including having Trump testify. On Friday, Trump said at a Palm Beach news conference that he plans to testify in the New York trial. "Im testifying. I tell the truth. I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there's no case, they have no case," Trump said. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. give a press conference detailing the charges against former President Donald Trump on April 4, 2023, in New York City. More: Did Donald Trump rape E. Jean Carroll? Here's what a jury and judge said. Trump also said he was going to testify when it was the defense's turn to call witnesses in his New York civil fraud case, but he backed out the day before his lawyers said he would take the stand. Trump did testify for just a few minutes in his latest of two trials against E. Jean Carroll, who sued him for defamation over his denials and attacks soon after she came forward with rape allegations against him. Theoretically, the trial could be halted somewhere along the way. For example, a lawyer or witness could say something in front of jurors that the judge rules is improper and creates too much prejudice against one side or the other, forcing the judge to declare a mistrial. If that doesn't happen, the two sides will give closing arguments, and then Trump's fate will be in the jury's hands. Will the trial be televised? The trial will not be televised, in keeping with general New York court policy. Reporters will be present in the courtroom as well as in at least one overflow room in which proceedings will be streamed. Trump may hold news conferences outside the courthouse, or speak to the news media in the hallway, as he has in his other court cases. Who are the witnesses? Testimony could be embarrassing for the former president, even if Trump disputes it. Stormy Daniels is on the prosecution's witness list and may share her story of having sex with Trump in 2006, soon after Melania Trump gave birth to their son, Barron. The former president vehemently denies Daniels' claim. Judge Juan Merchan has also ruled that other witnesses who received hush money payments before the 2016 election may testify because steps taken to secure their stories "complete the narrative" in the prosecution's case. That includes former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Prosecutors say she received $150,000 from the The National Enquirer's parent company, American Media Inc., to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump which he denies. Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen looks on at court during a break in the former presidents's fraud trial in New York on October 25, 2023. Donald Trump's onetime lawyer turned bitter foe Michael Cohen took the witness stand on October 24, 2023 in the business fraud case against the former US president, accusing his ex-boss of "arbitrarily" inflating his net worth. Michael Cohen could also take a turn on the stand. Trump's team bitterly fought the proposition that he could testify at all, calling Cohen an admitted liar. Cohen stated at Trump's New York civil fraud trial that he lied when he pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion. He engaged in "tax omission," not tax evasion, he said. However, Merchan said Trump hadn't shown Cohen had lied in this case, and Merchan hadn't found any applicable law or court ruling that blocked a prosecution witness from testifying because the witness' credibility was previously called into question. Former White House spokesperson Hope Hicks is also expected to testify, according to NBC News and CNN, which cited a source familiar with the matter. Hicks was Trump's 2016 presidential campaign press secretary and may have been present for discussions about the Daniels hush money payment, according to court filings dealing with an FBI investigation. A lawyer for Hicks previously denied she participated in hush money payment conversations on Oct. 8, 2016, a day when she and Cohen spoke several times. Who are the lawyers? Ex-U.S. Justice Department official Matthew Colangelo is expected to be a key player for the prosecution team. When he was in New York Attorney General Letitia James's office, he worked on the civil fraud investigation that ended with a $454 million judgment against Trump. Trump is represented by Todd Blanche, who spent several years as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan, and Susan Necheles, a former state prosecutor. "She's very experienced, she knows how to try cases," Diana Florence, a former Manhattan prosecutor, said about Necheles, whom she faced off against in multiple cases. Trump "has certainly competent and able counsel," Florence added. Social media PR campaign during trial? Trump may keep antagonizing Merchan on social media, as part of his apparent strategy to portray judges who he believes are unfriendly as biased. He has called Merchan a "HIGHLY CONFLICTED & CORRUPT JUDGE, whose hatred for me has no bounds." He has also targeted Merchan's daughter, calling her "a Rabid Trump Hater" based on her marketing work for Democratic candidates, and posted a photo of her to his millions of followers on Truth Social. Merchan expanded a gag order to prohibit Trump from attacking Merchan's or Bragg's family. "The average observer, must now, after hearing Defendant's recent attacks, draw the conclusion that if they become involved in these proceedings, even tangentially, they should worry not only for themselves, but for their loved ones as well," Merchan wrote in that decision. Could Trump go to prison? While some long-time New York lawyers told USA TODAY they believed Trump could well be sentenced to incarceration if he's convicted, others predicted a sentence of just probation. Trump would be a first-time, nonviolent felony offender, but some defendants convicted on the same charges have gotten several months of incarceration in New York. Merchan may view the case's tie to alleged interference in the 2016 election as warranting a longer sentence than typical for falsifying business records, some experts say. If convicted, Trump would almost certainly appeal. Florence said he is very likely to remain free during his appeal. It's unclear what any incarceration would look like for a former president who has around-the-clock Secret Service protection. Would it be jail or prison? Would it be house arrest or some alternative placement? It's uncharted territory. More: Donald Trump could face prison time if he is convicted in upcoming NY hush money trial The smallest case against Trump? Some commentators who are concerned that Trump threatens American democracy and national security have bemoaned the fact that his first criminal trial comes in this case. The ex-president also faces charges in Georgia and Washington, D.C., of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss and in Florida of hoarding classified documents even after a subpoena, which many consider to be more serious offenses. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all the cases. But some former prosecutors say the common perception that other cases are more significant doesn't mean Trump shouldn't be held to account in this case if he broke the law. "The fact that it's not as bad as leading a revolt to destroy the American Republic leaves an awful lot of room," John Moscow, a New York lawyer who spent 30 years in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, told USA TODAY. Election Day approaches Many Americans have said they believe the charges are significant. In an early April poll by Reuters/Ipsos of more than 1,000 adults, 64% of registered voters said the charges are at least "somewhat serious," compared to 34% who said they weren't. The remaining weren't sure or didn't answer. But Sheinkopf said the trial could help Trump's 2024 campaign in certain ways. "Those who love him will see this as just another way that the elites on both coasts who they detest in the first place, which is why they love Trump that the elites on both coasts are persecuting Donald Trump" he said. Sheinkopf added that it will also be an opportunity for Trump to show his skills in turning the courthouse into the campaign trail. "It will be a great show because everything Donald Trump does is a great show. He is a master of presentation," Sheinkopf said. Steven Hahn, a history professor at New York University, noted the trial is likely to bring out allegations of behavior by Trump that don't look very good to most people. He predicted a felony conviction will damage Trump politically. "I just can't see how it could help him except solidify the support of people who are basically utterly committed to him," Hahn told USA TODAY. Then again, many believed Trump's presidential prospects were over after the October 2016 release of the "Access Hollywood" tape, Hahn acknowledged. "He has amazing capacities he's like a political Houdini," Hahn said. Contributing: Dan Morrison This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump hush money trial in New York starts Monday: What to expect As the skies above the war zone in Ukraine are patrolled by countless drones hunting for any sign of movement, Ukrainian and Russian forces have little to no way to move across the battlefield without being spotted and killed. Source: Washington Post Details: The Ukrainian military noted that the growing number of small drones in Ukraine has turned the area on both sides of the line of contact, commonly referred to as the grey zone, into a "death zone". This means that those who dare to move day or night under the watchful eye of adversary drones are immediately killed. Journalists reported that the cheap drones deployed in Ukraine have transformed modern warfare, and initially gave Ukrainian forces an advantage on the battlefield. However, the Russians swiftly caught on and commenced large-scale production of their own drones. Experts term the current stage of the war the "blitzkrieg drone warfare", and admit that it is a stalemate, as if any person is out in the open, they are immediately hunted. Quote: "But the saturation of drones, many with thermal cameras that work at night, has also shrunk the space where troops can move safely without being spotted leading to high casualties and, in recent months, largely preventing either side from making major breakthroughs." Support UP or become our patron! The SNP has been urged to drop its conversion therapy ban after a landmark review warned the threat of legislation is making clinicians fearful of helping children with gender questions. The Scottish Government wants to make it a criminal offence to attempt to change or suppress a persons gender identity but has insisted that ethical medical practices would not be covered by its proposed ban. However, Dr Hilary Cass, the paediatrician who led an investigation which exposed deep problems with child gender services in England, warned that clinicians were already worried about the prospect of legislation and were declining to take on patients as a result. Trans activists often equate anything not affirming of a childs stated gender identity as a conversion practice. Dr Cass has also warned it may be difficult to come up with a legal definition which would not create further fear and risk within the medical profession. Carolyn Brown, a recently retired child psychologist, said the SNP plans were already creating concern north of the border and urged Scottish ministers to heed the expert report. Scotland should certainly think again because there is a huge misunderstanding about this issue, Ms Brown, who worked as depute educational psychologist for Fife council, said. A tactic of the trans lobby has been to piggyback on the gay rights movement. They have totally shifted the goalposts to redefine conversion as anything not affirming a trans identity, which has the real potential to set children off down a medicalised pathway. A number of us are concerned about the Scottish legislation and theres a real fear among a wide range of professionals, given the official support for strictly affirmative approaches in the health service as well as in schools. SNP ministers have said they will review Dr Casss findings but have not committed to implementing any of her recommendations. They have refused to follow England by banning puberty blockers, despite her finding that they may be dangerous to children with little evidence of benefit. Dr Hilary Cass, a paediatrician, led an investigation which exposed deep problems with child gender services in England - YUI MOK/PA Dr Cass has warned that ideology had directed gender healthcare for children in England in a major departure from established medical standards. However, the Sandyford in Glasgow, which is Scotlands only gender identity clinic for children and has been dubbed the tartan Tavistock, is still following an affirmative treatment model and referring children for puberty blockers and hormones. In her report of nearly 400 pages, Dr Cass said clinicians were concerned about potential accusations of conversion practice when trying to help young people with gender issues. She added that the prospect of legislation in England had left some clinical staff fearful of accepting referrals of these children and young people. Proposals for a Scottish ban are more advanced, with a consultation recently closing and legislation expected at Holyrood next year. Under the plans, parents who refuse to allow their children to live as members of the opposite sex could be jailed for up to seven years. Dr Casss report was clear that nobody should be subjected to conversion practices but she said these are not endorsed by any professional guidance, meaning any clinician endorsing them could be dealt with by professional regulators. Some trans rights activists claim anything that is not affirming of a childs self-declared gender identity amounts to conversion therapy and some have accused Dr Cass of backing the practices in her report. Draconian conversion therapy proposals Jenny Cunningham, a retired Scottish paediatrician, said the conversion therapy proposals were draconian, shaped by transgender ideology and had been pursued by the SNP despite a risible lack of credible evidence they were happening. She claimed a proposal in the consultation that healthcare professionals and parents could not direct a child to a gender identity that is considered preferable effectively banned them from explaining that human beings cannot change sex. In her report, Dr Cass said that not all children would benefit from a medical pathway and that for most young people with gender issues, it may not be the best way to resolve their issues. If parents do as Cass suggests, would this lead to an arrest or an investigation? Dr Cunningham, part of the Scottish Union for Education group, said. The evidence of harm in conversion practices in Scotland is risible, however, the Cass review indicates that the harms of gender affirmative treatments are increasingly well evidenced. A Scottish Government spokesman said: The Scottish Government agrees with Dr Hilary Cass when she highlights that increasingly toxic, ideological and polarised public debate does nothing to serve the young people accessing this care, their families and the NHS staff working hard to care for them. The Scottish Government is clear that the Cass reviews final report and findings will be closely considered by both the Scottish Government and wider partners. 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. Some dry towns may soon be able to sell spirits CLYMER, N.Y. (WIVB) Spirts may finally flow freely in two Western New York towns after a bill, which is up for a state Senate vote, could remove a 1934 law that allowed communities like Caneadea and Clymer to remain dry. Its a move that some residents of those towns arent toasting to. Right now there are a total of seven towns and cities in New York State that have complete booze bans, A proposed bill that recently moved out of committee into the hands of the state senate would take away that choice requiring that the seven dry towns like Clymer sell spirits. After prohibition, towns and cities in New York State were given the choice whether they wanted to sell and serve alcohol within their limits. This bill which the senate now has would officially end the local option of towns and cities to prohibit the sale of alcohol. Democratic Senator James Skoufis, the bills sponsor, has said that scrapping the ban would boost business. Fourth generation owner of Neckers Company General Store in Clymer. one of those 7 dry towns in the Empire State says the opposite. Weve gotten gotten along fine without it so is it really gonna benefit our community? I dont really think so, said Barry Neckers. We could sell more but at what cost Id have to make room for it. Id have to put in coolers and thats a whole other issue with New York State refrigerants and things like that that theyre trying to ban him and he got to make space for the empties that come back. Philip Stockin, the deputy town supervisor of Caneadea WNYs other dry town, says hes frustrated with the state taking more control away from the locals. Local rule home rule in most government things is a far better approach in the smaller issues, Stockin said. Canadea is the largest of the seven dry towns with nearly 2,200 people None of the other six towns have populations larger than 2,000 residents, so a change like this wont see significant sales tax boost for the state. For others, change is never a bad thing. Time to get rid of the old stuff and bring in the new. If you want to have a glass of beer or wine with your meal or if you want to have a pizza with wine I can see that a lot of people do, Clymer resident Ronnie Pound said. At this time its unclear when this bill will be voted on in the legislature. Latest Local News Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. Rosa Padilla Cervantes, mother of shooting victim Isaias Cervantes, talks with attorneys at a news conference at the Hall of Justice on April 22, 2021, in Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) The Board of Supervisors is the guardian of Los Angeles Countys budget and has oversight over county policies and actions. So it is disappointing, to say the least, that the supervisors asked no questions and engaged in no discussion last week when they signed off on a $25-million settlement for Isaias Cervantes, a Cudahy man who was shot in his home by sheriffs deputies on March 31, 2021. They were responding to a 911 call by Cervantes sister, who advised the dispatcher of her brothers disabilities and said he had become aggressive with their mother. She asked if deputies could take him to the hospital. Read more: Editorial: Sheriff's shooting costs taxpayers $25 million. Where's the accountability? When the two deputies arrived, Cervantes was seated inside on a couch. He declined to go outside to speak to the deputies but invited them in. They entered and told him he was not under arrest but they would have to handcuff him. When he resisted, they scuffled, and one deputy said Cervantes tried to grab his gun. The other deputy shot him. Its not that county taxpayers should begrudge the payment to Cervantes. He was paralyzed in the incident, exacerbating existing conditions that include deafness and autism. Read more: County watchdog urges disbanding of sheriff's 'aggressive' Risk Management Bureau But in approving the settlement, the board in effect signed off on the Sheriffs Department Summary Corrective Action report that includes no real corrective action, apart from admonitions to sheriffs personnel to follow existing policy by including senior personnel and a Mental Evaluation Team when responding to calls to assist people experiencing a mental health crisis. Corrective action reports are integral to county legal settlements. They are supposed to lay out what went wrong in an incident and why, and how policies and procedures or discipline will change to ensure that something similar does not happen again. Legal settlements are costly, but ideally they lead to improvements and efficiencies that save money and produce better service. Read more: Editorial: Deputies shot an autistic man, then the justice system terrorized him. There's a better way. That didn't happen with the Cervantes report. And the settlement sends a message to the public that, even though the county will pay a stunning amount of money, no one did anything wrong, no procedures need to change and no one will be held accountable. And if the same thing happens again, the county will likely pay all over again. The payout comes in the wake of a February report from county Inspector General Max Huntsman that sharply criticizes the sheriffs Risk Management Bureau, which prepares the departments corrective action reports and also helps defend against lawsuits. Read more: L.A. County to pay $700,000 to radio reporter arrested while covering 2020 protest There may be an inherent conflict between those two tasks, as Huntsman believes. Building a legal defense requires selecting and presenting facts that suggest the Sheriffs Department and its personnel did nothing wrong, and that its policies and procedures are in no need of fixing. Identifying failures, in order to prevent recurrence, requires the opposite critical examination of policies and actions. The conflict is so great, the inspector general said, that the sheriffs Risk Management Bureau should be dissolved. Read more: Editorial: Who pays the bill for sheriff misconduct? You do Sheriff Robert Luna pushed back on Huntsman's report, calling his criticism gratuitous attacks on the department. Luna correctly noted that it is common for law enforcement agencies to combine risk management and legal defense. But it doesn't mean the arrangement is healthy. Separately, the Office of County Counsel wrote that it does not rely on the sheriffs Risk Management Bureau to formulate litigation strategy. Still, it said, the bureau is needed to gather documents and witnesses. County legal liability is not limited to the Sheriffs Department, although it is typically responsible for more than half the money paid out in any given year. Last year, the county paid $257 million in judgments and settlements. So how will this fundamental dispute over county legal defense and huge payouts be resolved, and in what forum will it be discussed? Read more: Women were brutally strip-searched in L.A. County jails. Now we have to pay for it The Board of Supervisors created a Civilian Oversight Commission to investigate problems within the Sheriffs Department, and the commission would be an appropriate place to begin the conversation. But in the end it is the supervisors who are accountable for county policy, county wrongdoing and county spending. Their swift approval of the Cervantes settlement came 7 hours and 23 minutes into their April 9 meeting, so they are accustomed to spending time discussing at least some issues. They should also discuss the adequacy of corrective action reports, especially those that fail to explain huge settlements such as the one in the Cervantes case. 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. Iran and Israel cropped flags displayed behind a wooden hourglass sand timer. Iran has launched a drone attack from within its territory towards Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari. It will take several hours for the drones to reach Israeli territory, he said. Andre M. Chang/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Egypt has expressed "extreme concern" about the attack against its neighbour Israel and called for restraint. The attack announced by Iran was a sign of a "dangerous escalation" between the two countries, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said. Egypt had previously warned of an escalation of the conflict as a result of "Israel's war in the Gaza Strip." The government in Cairo is in constant contact with all parties involved in order to stop the escalation, the ministry said. Egypt was the first Arab country to make peace with Israel in 1979. SHELL OIL Endless hours have been spent imagining a world without oil as net zero looms decades in the future. In London, however, stock exchange chiefs face the prospect of a more immediate and more worrying oil crisis: life without Shell. Just two years after ditching the Dutch and delighting Britains Brexiteers by moving to the UK, Britains biggest company is now discussing leaving for New York. London, says chief executive Wael Sawan, is devaluing his company. It cant provide the capital, its politics are too turbulent and its taxes are too unpredictable. Just having a London address is pulling his share price down. I have a location that clearly seems to be undervalued, he said in an interview published by Bloomberg on Monday. He pledged to keep cutting costs to try and boost the companys share price but added that if that did not work we have to look at all options. All options. This is not the first time he has hinted at a move. Last July he reflected on the warm welcome extended to him by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) when he met investors to set out Shells plans to cut costs and maximise profits. The welcome we had there was exemplary. The Shell flag was waving next to the New York Stock Exchange flag, he said. Sawans peers think the idea of moving to the US is outlandish. Ben van Beurden, Sawans predecessor, told the FT Commodities Summit in Lausanne last week: The company is massively undervaluedthe share price today is at an all-time high, but it could be significantly higher from where it is today. He said a host of factors conspire against the [companies] listed in Europe. Sawan and van Beurdens key complaint is that Shell is undervalued compared to its American peers. On the face of it hes right. Shares in US oil majors like Exxon and Chevron listed in New York are valued at around 12 to 13 times their earnings, while Shell is valued at a multiple of just nine times earnings. Shell is attracting lower valuation due to negative sentiment towards oil and gas companies and [an] aggressive green agenda in Europe, says Panmure Gordon analyst Ashley Kelty. An anti-business environment is growing, and the demonisation of energy companies does not help investment. Many UK equity funds now have rules on environmental governance that prevent them from investing in oil and coal stocks. The US market, by contrast, is generally more supportive of fossil fuel companies. More broadly, international investors have been shunning the UK markets, leaving Shell with a smaller pool of money managers it can appeal to. Story continues One of the reasons why Shell is where it is is purely and simply because the UK market has been a no-go area for international investors, says a Shell investor. Low share prices make companies vulnerable to criticism, shareholder unrest and even takeovers. Shells great rival BP recently attracted takeover interest from UAEs state oil company. Of course, a bombed out share price also threatens the legacy of chief executives who want to be remembered as titans of industry, not the losers from London, as another analyst puts it. Shell is currently valued at 185bn in London. If its share price had traded in line with US rival ExxonMobil, the group would be worth nearly 260bn a 40pc increase, according to AJ Bell investment analyst Dan Coatsworth. The analysis is simplistic it doesnt account for differing assets and different accounting standards, among other things but it is instructive. Shell has long had divided national loyalties. The company was founded in 1907 through a merger of Shell Transport and Trading, a UK company, and Royal Dutch Petroleum. Some of its management remained in Europe for decades after. That led to an awkward few years during the 1940s when the UK company strongly supported the Allied war effort, while a key German subsidiary supplied Hitlers military. More recently, Shell has decided to end its identity confusion. In 2021, the group scrapped its dual Anglo-Dutch share structure and ditched Royal Dutch from its name as it moved to London. For a government in the throes of Brexit it seemed like a massive show of support. Then-business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng hailed it as a clear vote of confidence in the British economy. Since then, however, the companys commitment problems have reemerged. Its ownership structure means the group is anything but British. Around half of its institutional shares are now owned by American fund managers, with only 29pc held in the UK. When retail shares are taken into account, the UK holding is even lower at 17pc while US owners account for 56pc, according to Bloomberg data. Two US funds alone Blackrock and Vanguard hold 15pc of Shells shares, nearly as much as the entire UK. Shells sheer size means that any move out of London would matter not just for the company but Britain as whole. It is the largest company by value on the British stock market and generates 9pc of all the dividends paid by FTSE 100 companies, second only to HSBC. Its shares are held by money managers across hundreds of different UK funds, which are ultimately used to pay UK pensioners and help the next generation save for retirement. These funds rely on the companys steady flow of dividend payments. Switching to New York could possibly deprive funds of this income stream because many UK-focused funds have rules in place that prevent them from investing too much outside of the FTSE indices. For many income funds its big. This is a moment for them to really think about: what happens if BP then does the same, or perhaps AstraZeneca? This is a big moment, a second Shell shareholder says. Sawans comments come at a time when London is already grappling with fears that its stock market is in a doom spiral. Major companies are quitting: building materials suppliers Ferguson and CRH shifted to New York in 2022 and 2023 respectively, while Paddy Power-owner Flutter is plotting a similar move and Tui has decamped to Germany. Arm Holdings, a prominent UK chip designer, opted to list on the NYSE instead of London only last year. Shells departure would be a body blow. The dam would be broken, the second shareholder says. If youre thinking of listing, why would you consider listing in the UK if everyone is leaving? Why jump into a ship that appears to be leaking? A moribund stock market is not just a concern for the City of London. As John Foster, chief policy officer at the CBI, points out: Having large thriving companies list and base their operations in the UK is critical to the success of our economy. They innovate, drive investment and deliver the tax revenues we need to fund public services. Moving across the Atlantic would not be a sure fire win for Shell. Oil and gas stocks are only 3.5pc of the US index, versus 10pc or 11pc in the UK. That would make Shell a less important player on a bigger stage. Litigation risks are also higher in the US. Paul Benson, a senior lawyer at ClientEarth, an NGO specialising in legal actions to achieve its environmental aims, said: According to Shells own annual report, the company was facing 24 lawsuits in the US as of December 2023. This means that if the company decides to move to the US, it would be in spite of legal actions, not because of them. Wael Sawan admitted that Shell would have to win over 75pc of shareholders to pull off a move to New York - Ryan LIM / AFP Some analysts suggest Sawans sabre-rattling could be a clever double bluff to boost the groups share price. The first Shell investor says: If you think your share price is very undervalued, why not just give people the impression that youre thinking about moving to New York? If youre thinking about selling Shell, its going to make you think twice. Shares are up nearly 5pc over the past week since the comments were made. If Shell did decide to push the button on its New York plans, it would have to win the backing of more than 75pc of shareholders. In his Bloomberg interview, Sawan admitted the high hurdle meant we didnt think it was the battle to go into. A Shell spokesman said Sawans comments about moving to New York were very similar to those he made in a high-profile interview nine months ago but that a change of listing is not a priority. They added: That remains the case. Shells leadership is focused on delivering our strategy with continued operational improvement, simplification of the business and financial discipline, and wont be distracted by this debate. 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. Egypt's FM expresses need for restraint in calls to foreign ministers of Iran, Israel CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry expressed the need for restraint in phone calls with the foreign ministers of Iran and Israel on Sunday, Egypt said. Shoukry called on his Iranian and Israeli counterparts "to exercise utmost self-restraint and refrain from provocations that would increase tension and instability in the region," a foreign ministry statement said. Egypt is ready to intensify its efforts to defuse the current crisis, "which has begun taking a dangerous turn as it coincides with the crisis in the Gaza Strip and adds tension to other hot spots in the region," the statement added. Shoukry also held a call on Sunday with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to discuss "what has become a serious threat to the security and stability" of the Middle East after Iran launched drones and missile on Israel early on Sunday. (Reporting by Adam Makary and Ahmed Tolba) EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The El Paso Eye Surgeons Clinic in West El Paso is at the forefront of eye and vision care as it became one of the first practices in the country to administer an iDose implant last month. Currently limited to only 15 practices across the country, this revolutionary technology has surged in the past five years to help treat glaucoma, an eye disease that is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness around the world. (iDose Implant) is a small canister that is filled with glaucoma medication that is lasting three to five years in patients, and its really going to impact how we manage our glaucoma patients, said Dr. Mark Gallardo, the medical director of El Paso Eye Surgeons and Summit Surgical Center. El Paso Eye Surgeons were granted access to the technology as they were part of the new procedures clinical trials, and were the highest enrollers of patients in the study, Gallardo said. This revolutionary procedure marks a significant step in eye and vision care, as Gallardo explained that ophthalmologists have been trying to move away from using eye drops to treat glaucoma because of their adverse effects. Now that we have iDose, were going to be able to modify how we manage patients. Instead of having a patient put in an eye drop every single day that causes red eye, darkening of the eyelids, fat atrophy around the eyes, were now able to implant this medication so patients wont be subject to all the caustic effects of the eye drops itself, Gallardo said. Gallardo added glaucoma is more prevalent in Hispanic communities, and with many El Pasoans already suffering from dry eye, the eye drops used to treat glaucoma only aggravate the dryness even more. The exacerbation of dryness in the eye can in turn lead to Ocular Surface Disease, Gallardo said. Symptoms of this disease include dry, gritty, sandy sensations in the eyes among other problems. While the iDose implant is now commercially available, Gallardo explained that currently they can only administer it to people who are suffering from open-angle glaucoma. He added that because the procedure is still relatively new, it is currently only covered by traditional Medicare. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. How do you get the youngest generation excited about voting? This is the challenge an initiative is tackling ahead of this years European elections. Changemakers is a wide-ranging initiative from the European University College Association (EucA) that runs programmes to engage young voters across the continent. Its latest programme, Gen Z Votes, takes place over four events in four different countries and puts participants in the driving seat to drive policymaking and the information campaigns around elections. Across events in Coimbra, Portugal; Catania, Italy; Thessaloniki, Greece; and Dubrovnik, Croatia, 240 participants from 15 countries will brainstorm, film and edit engaging video content aimed at sparking interest in other young voters to demand change. These videos aim to show the power of youth vote, the how and why of different forms of civic participation in national and European elections, and the EU policies impact on everyday life, a spokesperson from EucA tells Euronews. The EucAs main goal is to galvanise younger voters into believing in the power they have as democratic citizens of the EU, and enacting that power when it comes to the European Parliament elections this June. The way to achieve it was to talk to youth using their language and letting them understand that they can engage with politics simply by being in their comfort zone: social media, the EucA explains. Growing the youth vote Ever since the first EP elections in 1979, electoral turnout has been in decline. This trend reversed for the first time ever in 2019, for the last set of elections with a turnout of 50.6% up eight percentage points (pp) from 2014. Part of the reason for the uptrend in voter turnout was pinned on an engaged youth vote. Votes from under 25s increased by 14 pp that year. Since those last elections, Belgium and Germany have both lowered their voting age to 16 joining Malta and Austria. Greece also lowered its voting age to 17 ahead of the last set of EP elections. Young Europeans strongly believe in EU values such as freedom, democracy, equality, and the rule of law, so their main concerns are surely linked to their protection. Issues related to social justice, racial equality, and systemic discrimination have gained significant traction among young adults, the EucA says. Being able to have a say on important issues to young voters such as diversity, climate change and mental health brought out new numbers of under 25 voters. Despite the increasingly engaged youth vote though, Eurobarometer 2023 predicts that 21% of Europeans aged 18-25 wont go out to vote in the upcoming elections. Hackathons and guerrilla marketing The events Gen Z Votes has organised are aiming to move the needle on that discrepancy. The four events include a video storytelling workshop, a hackathon, a video Olympics, and a workshop on guerrilla marketing campaigning. The first three workshops have already taken place, with just the guerrilla marketing workshop in Dubrovnik yet to run later this month. Over 25-28 April, 90 young students will come to the Croatian city to create video content designed to encourage youth voting. The students will learn about guerrilla marketing techniques before taking to the streets of Dubrovnik to make their videos and editing them to publish in advance of the elections. From the previous three groups, there are already 350 videos online on EucAs social media platforms. Content aimed at young people by young people is more likely to engage as it puts the important matters in an understandable context. According to the results of the 2021 European Parliament Youth Survey, young people aged 16-30 found their news in equal measure from social media and news websites (both at 41%). The EucA, which represents over 18,000 students across 17 EU countries found that there were still some major roadblocks to youth engagement: First, many young people do not know enough about the European Union and its functioning. They consider the EU distant from their daily lives and have a general lack of trust in the political system as they feel underrepresented. Moreover, young people may not have access to sufficient information about the voting process, candidates, and political issues, which can discourage them from participating. Finally, young people have a sense of disinterest or disconnect regarding their potential influence on political decision-making processes. Some may believe that their vote doesn't count or won't make a difference in the outcome of an election. In an age of social media dominating the way people receive news, the Gen Z Votes campaigns focus on tackling disinformation by empowering young voters to get involved with the creation of election promotional content themselves aims to turn the youth vote into one of the strongest demographic blocks at the next EP elections. Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, speaks to the media before the Foreign Affairs Council meeting. "The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel. This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security," Borrell wrote on X. -/European Council/dpa Top EU officials have condemned the Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel. "The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel. This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security," wrote EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell on X. The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, also condemned the Iranian attack, and wrote: "Everything must be done to prevent further regional escalation. More bloodshed must be avoided." Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, speaks to the media before the Foreign Affairs Council meeting. "The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel. This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security," Borrell wrote on X. -/European Council/dpa The European Union condemned Iran's direct aerial attack on Israel in the "strongest terms" on Sunday. "This is an unprecedented escalation and a threat to regional security," the bloc's chief diplomat Josep Borrell said on behalf of the EU on Sunday. "We call on all parties to exercise utmost restraint." In this highly tense regional situation, further escalation can be in no one's interest, Borrell said in a statement. He also reaffirmed the European Union's commitment to Israel's security. "The EU remains firmly committed to contribute to de-escalation and security in the region and is in close contact with all sides to this end." He spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian to convey these messages and urge Iran not to escalate further, Borrell wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday afternoon. He has called an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers for Tuesday to address security in the region. Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, speaks to the media before the Foreign Affairs Council meeting. "The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel. This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security," Borrell wrote on X. -/European Council/dpa The European Union's top diplomat has called a meeting of EU foreign ministers for Tuesday, as Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel fuels fears of a wider war in the Middle East. "Our objective is to contribute to de-escalation and security of the region," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday. For the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic, Iran directly attacked its arch enemy Israel overnight. The attack was retaliation for the killing of high-ranking Iranian officers in Syria, in a suspected Israeli airstrike earlier this month. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, gives a statement at the BDA Presidium meeting in the Haus der Deutschen Wirtschaft. Britta Pedersen/dpa European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has condemned Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel and called on all sides to show prudence. "I strongly condemn Irans blatant and unjustifiable attack on Israel. And I call on Iran and its proxies to immediately cease these attacks," von der Leyen wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "All actors must now refrain from further escalation and work to restore stability in the region," she continued. For the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic, Iran directly attacked its arch-enemy Israel. According to the Israeli military, more than 300 drones and missiles were fired in the large-scale attack. According to the military, the vast majority were intercepted while still outside Israel's borders. Only a small number of missiles hit Israeli territory, and there were no fatalities or major damage. Alvin Bragg had a problem. It was August 2022, and the Manhattan district attorney had just found out two people had been shot -- including a bystander who had been shot in the head -- during an attempted robbery in the borough's Washington Heights neighborhood. In a city struggling through the post-pandemic crime surge, it posed a crisis for Bragg, who had been elected as a reformist prosecutor but who critics painted as soft on crime. MORE: 'Nowhere near as angry': Sketch artists prepare for historic Trump criminal trial "We've got more work to do in an absolute sense," Bragg told ABC News during an interview in his office Friday. "We want to get back down to pre-pandemic levels, and the data is encouraging. It's going in the right direction, but we have more work to do." As Bragg sat in his office, he made no mention of his most notable prosecution just three days away -- the 34-count indictment against former President Donald Trump set to go to trial on Monday. The former president, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, has criticized Bragg for bringing the case while accusing the DA of being "lazy on violent crime" -- calling him a "radical liberal New York prosecutor who refuses to prosecute violent criminals." 'Things speak for themselves' Since Bragg's first day in office -- when he set a new office policy against prosecuting certain crimes and limiting the use of incarceration -- he has faced blowback against his approach to law enforcement, which has flared up with each high-profile instance of violent crime. In the last year, the chokehold death of a homeless man on the New York City subway, the attack on police officers by migrants in Times Square, and the refusal by an Arizona prosecutor to extradite a murder suspect to New York have provided fodder for Bragg's critics. PHOTO: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg listens at news conference in New York, Feb. 7, 2023. (Seth Wenig/AP) Bragg defended his conduct as measured and responsible, including the exoneration of a Venezuelan man who was falsely identified -- and subsequently vilified -- for allegedly participating in the Times Square assault earlier this year. He has called on the city and the state to support mental health treatment initiatives, as he did Sunday in a New York Times editorial. And in the fight to lower crime, Bragg and his partners at the New York Police Department are seeing results: Since 2021, shootings in Manhattan have dropped by 38% while homicides have dropped by 21%. "I think things speak for themselves," Bragg said about his record. "The reporting schedule can often get out in front of the investigatory schedule, and I do think that that can lead to some unfortunate sort of informational dislocations." 'The right thing for the right reason' In his campaign appearances and on social media, Trump has made crime in New York a centerpiece of his attacks on Bragg. "We have violent criminals that are murdering people, killing people. We have drug dealers all over the place and they go free, and they can do whatever they want," Trump said after a hearing in the criminal case last month. "But they go after Trump when there is not even a crime." Bragg on Friday declined to address Trump's criticisms directly, citing his office's policy of not discussing active cases, but he insisted his prosecution of the former president has no impact on the other work of his office. "I'm not going to talk about any one particular defendant -- I don't think that would be appropriate or any one active case -- but what I will say is 1,500 committed public servants come there every day focused on doing the right thing for the right reason in the right way," Bragg said, noting that prosecutions for gun-related offenses and hate crimes are up. Come Monday, Bragg and his team of prosecutors will be at the center of arguably the most consequential trial in American history, after charging the former president of the United States with falsifying business records to conceal information from voters. Bragg is the first prosecutor to bring criminal charges against a current or former U.S. president. PHOTO: Former President and presidential hopeful Donald Trump looks on after speaking during a campaign rally in Green Bay, Wis., April 2, 2024. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images) "I am charged with exercising independent prosecutorial discretion. I've been doing this for more than 20 years," Bragg said about his overall record of public service that includes stints at the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York and the New York Attorney General's office. To many of his friends and colleagues, Bragg is close to the perfect person to bring the unprecedented case against Trump. "This is a very unique moment," said Randall Jackson, a partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz who worked as a federal prosecutor with Bragg. "Alvin is a person who is deeply rooted in his sense of public service, that he has been trying to do for his whole career." 'Follow the facts' Two weeks before his office charged Trump with 34 felony counts, Bragg announced an indictment related to the Washington Heights shooting, using the same methods he applies to white collar crime. "We knew someone was a driver of violence but didn't have the evidence to bring it as a gun-trafficking case," Bragg said. Instead, investigators noted the same person appeared to discuss on social media a separate scheme to steal tax and stimulus checks from the mail. Prosecutors got a warrant for the suspect's Instagram account where he communicated his scheme to steal checks, deposit the money, and withdraw it before any raised concerns about potential fraud. Bragg said prosecutors "followed the facts" and got a search warrant for the subject's apartment, where they found a firearm. Ballistic tests later proved that the weapon fired those shots in Washington Heights in August 2022. MORE: Judge denies Trump's bid to adjourn hush money case due to pretrial publicity An indictment soon followed -- not only for a scheme to steal over $800,000 in checks but also for attempted murder. Bragg said that, when it comes to New Yorkers' perception of crime, part of his challenge is convincing people in relatively safe neighborhoods that crime numbers are going in the right direction. "When I go to neighborhoods that have had historically high shootings, they know that shootings are down," Bragg said. "I think there are parts of the borough that don't see those advances." "It's our job to not just drive these numbers down -- but that people feel that," the DA said. On eve of Trump's New York hush money trial, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg touts drop in violent crime originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Executor Named in O.J. Simpson's Will Says He'll 'Do Everything' to Ensure Goldman Family Gets 'Zero' from Estate Simpson's will was filed in Clark County, Nevada, on April 12, two days after his death Ethan Miller/Getty O.J. Simpson in Clark County District Court on May 14, 2013 O.J. Simpson's final will was filed in Clark County, Nevada, on April 12, two days after his death at 76. Simpson's will, filed by Cassady Law Offices this week, was signed by the controversial figure on Jan. 24, per the Eighth Judicial Court Portal's website. In the full legal document, Simpson's longtime lawyer Malcolm LaVergne was named as the executor of his estate with Simpson's son Justin Simpson being named as his successor. Simpson requested his property be placed into The Orenthal Simpson Revocable Living Trust, and also signed that his last wishes for his remains would be attached to the will itself. The will reads that it would be "administered as set forth herein without litigation or dispute of any kind and that if a beneficiary, heir or any other person seeks to "set aside the administration of this Will, have this Will declared null, void or diminish, or to defeat any change any part of the provisions of this will, that they'd receive, free of trust, one dollar ($1.00) and no more in lieu of any claimed interest in this will or its assets. LaVergne, who the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes has represented Simpson since 2009, told the outlet that he does not want the family of Ron Goldman to acquire money from the estate. Ethan Miller/Getty O.J. Simpson in Clark County District Court on May 14, 2013 Its my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing, LaVergne said. Them specifically. And I will do everything in my capacity as the executor or personal representative to try and ensure that they get nothing. LaVergne cited the events surrounding Simpson's controversial book If I Did It, in which the family secured the rights and later issued a revised edition featuring additional commentary. Related: O.J. Simpson Died $114M in Debt to Ron Goldmans Family and Legal Battle Looms, Attorney Says Jason Bean-Pool/Getty O.J. Simpson and Malcolm LaVergne at Lovelock Correctional Center July 20, 2017 An attorney for Goldman's father said Simpson who was famously acquitted of murdering Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson owed the family more than $100 million. Decades after Simpson was ordered to pay the Goldman and Brown families $33.5 million in a 1997 wrongful death lawsuit, lawyer David Cook told PEOPLE the family has not seen the money, which he said has since grown due to interest. "He died without penance, Cook said of Simpson. He did not want to give a dime, a nickel to Fred [Goldman], never, anything, never. 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. Simpson's executor has now told the Review-Journal that there was never a court order forcing Simpson to pay the civil judgment and that he "cant make a predication right now as to what the value of the estate is." LaVergne added he was "flummoxed as to why he would name me as the personal representative or the executor." And its something Im going to take very seriously," he said. LaVergne also told the outlet that Simpson would be cremated in the coming days and that arrangements for a funeral service have yet to be finalized. Simpson's family initially announced his death with a statement on X (formerly Twitter) this week, writing that he "succumbed to his battle with cancer." "He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren," the statement added. "During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. ECW Executive Director Yasmine Sherif Statement on the One-Year Anniversary of Hostilities in Sudan NEW YORK, April 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The conflict in Sudan is one of the worst in the world today, and millions of children and adolescents bear the brunt within and across the border from Sudan. Sudan has the largest forced displacement crisis in the world today. Over 8 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan since 15 April 2023, including 4 million children. Most schools are shuttered or are struggling to re-open across the country, leaving nearly 19 million school-aged children at risk of losing out on their education. To put this in perspective, thats more children at risk than the total populations of Finland, Ireland and Norway combined. As we mark the one-year anniversary of this vicious conflict, we call on world leaders to ensure that all girls and boys impacted by the conflict can access life-saving quality education. Their hope and future hinge on this. Sudan experiences a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. Without urgent international action, this catastrophe could engulf the entire country and have even more devastating impacts on neighboring countries, as refugees flee across borders into neighboring states. The brutal conflict continues to take innocent lives, with over 14,000 children, women and men reportedly killed already. According to the United Nations, half of Sudan's population 25 million people, including 14 million children urgently need humanitarian assistance. An estimated 5 million people are one step away from famine. Sudan also has the largest forced displacement crisis in the world today. Over 8 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan since 15 April 2023, including 4 million children. Most schools are shuttered or are struggling to re-open across the country, leaving nearly 19 million school-aged children at risk of losing out on their education. To put this in perspective, that's more children at risk than the total populations of Finland, Ireland and Norway combined. As the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises hosted within the United Nations, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and our global strategic partners have responded with speed, agility and coordination to provide girls and boys impacted by this complex conflict with the safety, hope and opportunity of a quality education. ECW has provided US$10 million to date in response to the regional refugee education needs, with First Emergency Response grants announced in the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan. In Sudan, we have provided US$28 million in funding, including a US$5 million grant announced in August 2023 that will reach over 86,000 girls and boys with access to an inclusive, quality education. Yet, these investments are simply not enough. We must step up global funding for education in all the world's forgotten crises, in places like Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, the Sahel, South Sudan and so many more. In all, over 224 million girls and boys are having their futures ripped from their hands by armed conflict, forced displacement, climate change and other protracted crises around the globe. Story continues This not only threatens global security and efforts to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals, but it is also an affront to their humanity. Without safe places to learn and grow, girls face a number of grave risks, including child marriage, sexual violence, human trafficking and forced labor. Boys find themselves against impossible odds and risk forced recruitment as child soldiers, forced labor and other assaults on their human rights. It's an impossible un-ending cycle of violence, displacement, poverty, hunger, chaos and uncertainty. With school feeding programmes, they have nutritious meals. With gender-inclusive classrooms, they have safe places to learn. With mental health and psychosocial support, they find a way to regain their dignity and build strong, resilient communities. It's a systems-wide approach that puts children first in our investments in sustainable development and puts humanity first in our global efforts to end war and build a better future for generations to come. As we build on calls from today's High-Level Conference for Sudan and its Neighbors, the African Year of Education, and other important efforts to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals, we appeal to public donors, the private sector and philanthropic foundations to urgently mobilize US$600 million in renewed support for ECW's 2023-2026 Strategic Plan. With a total of US$1.5 billion, we can reach 20 million children and adolescents. In South Sudan, education is an opportunity to "change my life" for Living Sunday, a young teenage mother who resumed her education against all odds. In Ethiopia, where prolonged drought made worse by climate change has disrupted education for an entire generation, it means Nakurchel, 12, is attending school for the first time in her life. In her own words: "Education has given me wings to fly." Still more needs to be done, in sub-Saharan Africa, only 1 out of 9 children can read a simple text. Sudan cannot wait. Africa cannot wait. The rest of the world needs to be unapologetically impatient in heeding their calls. SOURCE Education Cannot Wait The Governments treatment of Afghans since before the fall of Kabul has been a shameful saga Three years ago this month, the Government launched the Afghan Relocations and Assistance (ARAP) scheme to offer sanctuary to Afghans who had worked for or with the UK Government, including our armed forces. During our time in Afghanistan, the UK was clear that those supporting British efforts overseas would receive some level of protection. But when our troops left, many faced the possibility of brutal Taliban reprisals. This pledge couldnt have been clearer than in August 2021, when then-Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and then-Home Secretary Priti Patel wrote: If you looked out for us, we will look after you. In reality, the Governments treatment of Afghans since before the fall of Kabul to today has been a shameful saga of failure. Ministers have failed to deal with the backlog of ARAP applications, left Afghans fearing for their safety, oversaw data breaches and unbelievably told ARAP applicants to get the Taliban to verify their documents Its no wonder they had to U-turn and look again at the applications of Afghan Special Forces. Luke Pollard MP has described the Government's treatment of Afghans as a 'shameful saga' - Jamie Lorriman In the years since the fall of Kabul, some Afghans felt they had no option but to make the treacherous journey to Britain themselves by whatever means possible. If the Government gets its way in the House of Commons next week, some of those individuals - who are eligible to be here - could find themselves on a plane to Rwanda, caught up in the Conservatives last-gasp gimmick to distract from their broken asylum system. If the Government is serious about honouring the nations promise to those Afghans who served alongside our Forces, they must think again. The Government has an opportunity to finally get something right by voting to exempt people who have fought and worked for Britain from removal to Rwanda. To remain true to the promises made to brave Afghans who endangered themselves to support Britain, Ministers must adopt this safeguard before passing their Bill. Dan Jarvis, who is an MP for Barnsley, pictured in his army days in the parachute regiment - Waldegrave/REX Shutterstock A letter co-signed by a formidable line-up of former armed forces personnel and security experts, published today, makes clear how Britains duty to Afghans is felt most fiercely by the Armed Forces they served alongside. Ministers must heed their warning that a failure to protect these individuals would be a dereliction of duty and an insult to our armed forces. Most people in Britain want an immigration system that is firm and fair - that honours our long and proud history of offering sanctuary to the most vulnerable fleeing conflict and persecution, but also rigorously enforces the rules and removes those with no right to be here. Under the Conservatives, we have neither of those things. To distract from this dismal record, the Conservatives have resorted to headline-grabbing gimmicks like the failing Rwanda scheme, which is due to cost the British taxpayer over half a billion pounds despite not a single plane getting off the ground. We know the Tories intend to get a few symbolic flights off to Rwanda ahead of the next General Election, hoping no one will notice the 99% of people left in the asylum system with nowhere to go. Ministers must ensure our Afghan allies are not part of this shambolic stunt, and live up to our nations promise. Luke Pollard MP is Shadow Armed Forces Minister & Dan Jarvis MP is Shadow Security Minister 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 Donald Trump has repeatedly made false and unsubstantiated claims while denouncing the Manhattan criminal case against him over his alleged falsification of business records related to a hush money scheme executed during the 2016 presidential election. With Trumps trial scheduled to start Monday, here is a fact check of some of Trumps remarks. Trumps baseless claims that Biden is secretly running the case Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Manhattan case has been secretly orchestrated by President Joe Biden, Bidens White House or the Biden-era federal Justice Department. As supposed evidence, Trump has cited the fact that Matthew Colangelo, who had served as a senior Justice Department official under Biden, left the department in 2022 for a job in the office of the Manhattan district attorney who is prosecuting the case, Alvin Bragg. For example, Trump said in February: What it is, is election interference. Its being run by Joe Bidens White House. His top person was placed here in order to make sure everything goes right. He continued, His top person, Colangelo, and some others have been placed into the DAs office to make sure they do a good job of election interference. Trump claimed in a social media post in March that unspecified Biden Thugs sent Colangelo to the district attorneys office to oversee Bragg, perhaps to make sure that Bragg followed their illegal orders and commands. In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump wrote, BIDENS DOJ IS RUNNING THE CASE. Facts First: There is no basis for Trumps claims. First, there is no evidence that Biden, his White House or his Justice Department has had any role in launching or running Braggs case, let alone that Biden operatives are issuing secret commands in the case - and Bragg is a locally elected official who does not report to the federal government. Second, there is no evidence the White House or the Biden administration had anything to do with Colangelos decision to leave the Justice Department and join the district attorneys office as senior counsel to Bragg; Colangelo and Bragg had been colleagues before Bragg was elected Manhattan district attorney in 2021. Third, there is no basis for the claim that Colangelo oversees Bragg; Bragg is Colangelos boss. Before Colangelo worked at the Justice Department, he and Bragg worked at the same time in the office of New Yorks state attorney general, where Colangelo investigated Trumps charity and Trumps financial practices and was involved in bringing various lawsuits against the Trump administration. On a minor point, Colangelo was never Bidens very top official at the Justice Department. Colangelo served as acting associate attorney general in the first months of the Biden administration in early 2021 and then as principal deputy associate attorney general. As acting associate attorney general, he was third in command of the department. Trumps false claims that Manhattan has hit all-time highs for murder and violent crime Trump has repeatedly claimed that Bragg is spending time prosecuting him despite a record-high number of murders and violent crime in Manhattan, one of New York Citys five boroughs. Facts First: Trumps claims are not even close to true; Manhattan, like New York City as a whole, is nowhere near record highs for murder or violent crime more broadly. In 1990, when New York City set its all-time murder record, Manhattan recorded 503 murders; it recorded 73 murders in 2023, a decline of about 85%. Manhattans numbers for other kinds of violent crime are also far lower today than they were in the early 1990s. For example, Manhattan recorded 252 rapes in 2023, down about 63% from the 689 in 1990; 3,841 robberies in 2023, down about 86% from the 26,907 in 1990; and 5,116 felony assaults in 2023, down about 49% from the 10,089 in 1990. Its also worth noting that murder in Manhattan has declined since 2020, Trumps last full calendar year in office, when there were 84 murders in the borough; it has declined, too, from 2022 (78 murders) and 2021 (92 murders). However, some other kinds of violent crime, such as robbery and felony assault, have increased in Manhattan since 2020, though they declined from 2022 to 2023. Crime levels are always affected by a complicated mix of factors, and it is unclear how much impact Bragg has had on either the upticks or the declines. The fluctuations in Manhattan have been broadly aligned with trends in New York City as a whole. We have a tendency to want to blame one person, or credit one person, when in reality these are complex systems that rise and fall for often complex, random reasons that we dont have the ability to explain but its easier to say, It was Joe Schmoe over there, Jeff Asher, a crime data expert and co-founder of the firm AH Datalytics, told CNN when Trump was making similar claims about Manhattan last year. Trumps dubious claim that the judges daughter posted an image of him behind bars Trump has accused the judge presiding over the Manhattan trial, Judge Juan Merchan, of having a conflict of interest because his daughter Loren Merchan has been a Democratic political consultant at a firm that has worked for prominent federal clients, including Bidens 2020 campaign. But Trump also claimed in a social media post in March that Loren Merchan has just posted a picture of me behind bars, her obvious goal, and he wondered in another March post how it is fair for him to be subjected to a Merchan gag order while, among other things, the Judges daughter is allowed to post pictures of her dream of putting me in jail. Facts First: There is no evidence that Loren Merchan was the person who posted a picture of Trump behind bars on social media. A spokesperson for the court, Al Baker, said Loren Merchan didnt make the post. Baker said in a March statement that someone else had started using Loren Merchans former handle on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, after she deleted her own account and thus abandoned the handle about a year prior. A review of the evidence by The Spectator, a conservative-leaning British outlet, supports Bakers denial. Baker said: The X, formerly Twitter, account being attributed to Judge Merchans daughter no longer belongs to her since she deleted it approximately a year ago. It is not linked to her email address, nor has she posted under that screenname since she deleted the account. Rather, it represents the reconstitution, last April, and manipulation of an account she long ago abandoned. Trumps exaggerations about Merchans gag order Trump, denouncing Judge Merchans gag order on him, claimed in social media posts in early April that Merchan is not allowing me to talk. At a campaign rally Saturday in Pennsylvania, Trump said, On Monday, in New York City, I will be forced to sit, fully gagged. Im not allowed to talk. Can you believe it? They want to take away my constitutional right to talk. Facts First: Trumps claims are exaggerations. Merchan did issue a gag order, but it is far narrower than Trump suggested. Merchan has not generally forbidden Trump from talking; Trump is still permitted to defend his conduct at issue in the case (both in public and in any testimony he chooses to offer), to attack Merchan and Bragg, and to campaign for the presidency with rallies, interviews, social media posts and other commentary. The gag order forbids Trump from three specific categories of speech: 1) speaking publicly or directing others to speak publicly about known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses in the case - specifically concerning their potential participation in the case; 2) speaking publicly or directing others to speak publicly about prosecutors in the case other than Bragg, about staff members in Braggs office and the court, and about the family members of prosecutors, staffers or the court if those statements are made with the intent to materially interfere with, or to cause others to materially interfere with, counsels or staffs work in this criminal case, or with the knowledge that such interference is likely to result; 3) speaking publicly about or directing others to speak publicly about jurors or prospective jurors in the case. In early April, after Trump criticized Merchans daughter, Merchan expanded his previous gag order to cover family members of the court and district attorney. He wrote: The average observer, must now, after hearing Defendants recent attacks, draw the conclusion that if they become involved in these proceedings, even tangentially, they should worry not only for themselves, but for their loved ones as well. Such concerns will undoubtedly interfere with the fair administration of justice and constitutes a direct attack on the Rule of Law itself. Trump has appealed the gag order, so its possible the order will be overturned or narrowed by an appeals court. Submissions on the matter are due on April 29. Trumps unexplained claims about Bragg and Soros While attacking Bragg, Trump has repeatedly invoked liberal billionaire and Democratic donor George Soros without explaining the nature of their connection. For example, he called Bragg this Soros Prosecutor in a social media post on Wednesday; in a statement last year, he claimed that Bragg was hand-picked and funded by George Soros. Facts First: Trumps claims about Soros and Bragg need context. Soros did not make any donations to Braggs election campaign, and a Soros spokesperson, Michael Vachon, told CNN in 2023 that the two men have never once communicated in any way; there is no evidence that Soros had any role in Braggs decision to prosecute Trump. However, Soros, a longtime supporter of Democratic district attorney candidates who favor criminal justice reform, did support Braggs election campaign indirectly: he was a major donor to a liberal political action committee, Color of Change PAC, that says it spent just over $500,000 on an independent expenditure effort in support of Braggs candidacy. Vachon told CNN in 2023: Between 2016 and 2022, George Soros personally and Democracy PAC (a PAC to which Mr. Soros has contributed funds) have together contributed roughly $4 million to Color of Changes PAC, including $1 million in May 2021. None of those funds were earmarked for Alvin Braggs campaign. George Soros and Alvin Bragg have never meet in person or spoken by telephone, email, Zoom etc. There has been no contact between the two. Soros has been a frequent target of antisemitic conspiracy theories painting the Jewish philanthropist as a puppetmaster behind various US and international events. In 2023, Color of Change president Rashad Robinson called Trump and his allies latest invocations of Soros both antisemitic and anti-Black; he told CNN that the attacks overstate both Soros role in the PACs decision-making and the PACs role in Braggs election victory. You can read a longer fact check on this subject here. Trumps false claims that he has been indicted more than Al Capone As Trump has denounced his four indictments the one in Manhattan, another local indictment in Fulton County, Georgia, and two federal indictments he has repeatedly claimed that he has been indicted more than Al Capone, the notoriously vicious 1920s and 1930s gangster. Facts First: Trumps claim is false. Trump has been indicted four times, while Capone was indicted at least six times, as A. Brad Schwartz, the co-author of a book on Capone, told CNN in 2023. (You can find details about Capones indictments here.) And that doesnt include various criminal charges against Capone that did not involve an indictment, such as some misdemeanors, or obscure Capone cases for which CNN couldnt immediately determine whether there was an indictment. Schwartz also noted: This isnt a race, of course, but it may be worth noting that Capone is also way ahead in individual counts (the 1931 Prohibition indictment alone added up to five thousand conspiracy charges). Trump faces a total of 88 counts over the four indictments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com FILE PHOTO: A Sudanese national flag is attached to a machine gun of Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) soldiers as they wait for the arrival of Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo before a meeting FILE PHOTO: A Sudanese national flag is attached to a machine gun of Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) soldiers as they wait for the arrival of Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo before a meeting (Reuters) -Here are some facts about Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group which have been fighting each other for a year, devastating their country, reigniting ethnically-targeted killings in Darfur and displacing millions. The factions, uneasy partners in the toppling of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in 2019 and the overthrow of a civilian-led government in 2021, clashed as they competed to protect their interests in a planned political transition. THE ARMY * Sudan's armed forces, commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had the advantage on paper at the start of the war because of their higher troop numbers, their heavy weapons and fighter jets. * As an institution, they have been at or close to the centre of power in Sudan for decades. Burhan - born around 1960 in a village north of Khartoum neighbouring Bashir's home - has spent his whole career at the centre of that institution. * However, the armed forces have often outsourced fighting to allied groups in various regions of Sudan - including the militias that developed into the RSF in Darfur - while building up extensive economic interests. * Under Bashir, Burhan served in Darfur, where the government fought to put down a rebellion in violence that had displaced an estimated 2 million people and left 300,000 dead by 2008. He also developed ties in the Gulf, helping supply soldiers to a Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen. * Burhan said he was among the military figures who told Bashir that he needed to step down, quickly emerging afterwards as Sudan's effective leader. * In the first days of the war, the army lost ground to the RSF's more nimble units across the capital, and then later in Darfur and el-Gezira state south of Khartoum. * Early this year it has regained some footing, particularly in Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum - supported, sources say, by Iranian-made drones. It has also received support from foreign powers including neighbouring Egypt and largely holds north and eastern Sudan including Port Sudan on the Red Sea. * Residents have accused the army of killing civilians in indiscriminate shelling and air strikes in parts of Khartoum and other areas held by the RSF. The army had largely denied the accusations. THE RSF * The RSF is commanded by the wealthy, one-time militia leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is known as Hemedti. Analysts estimated the force numbered about 100,000 before the war started, with bases and deployments across the country. * Hemedti, a school dropout now in his late 40s, began as a camel trader in Darfur. According to Muhammad Saad, a former assistant, he first took up arms after men attacked his trade convoy, killed about 60 people from his extended family and stole his livestock. * His fighting skills were honed when his loyalists and other irregulars allied with the government to help quash therebellion in Darfur in a campaign that escalated in 2003. The militia forces became known as the Janjaweed, a term loosely derived from the Arabic for 'devils on horseback' that reflected their fearsome reputation. * International Criminal Court prosecutors accused government officials and Janjaweed leaders - without naming Hemedti - of genocide and other atrocities. * Over time the RSF grew and in 2017 won official recognition as a military force, with Bashir's support. In tandem, the business interests of Hemedti have expanded in gold mining, infrastructure, livestock and other areas. * His forces have proved wily adversaries to the army, capturing some of their bases and melting away into residential areas where heavy armour and conventional military tactics lose advantage. * Residents, rights groups and U.N. experts have accused the RSF and allied militias of perpetrating ethnically-targetted attacks in Darfur, accusations denied by the RSF. * Hemedti's most important ally has been the United Arab Emirates, Sudanese sources, analysts and diplomats say. The UAE has denied reports of sending arms shipments to the RSF. (Writing by Andrew Heavens and Aidan Lewis) (Reuters) -Israel's missile defenses were activated on Tuesday to repel a salvo of Iranian ballistic missiles fired in retaliation for Israel's campaign against Tehran's Hezbollah allies in Lebanon. Here are details of the multi-layered air defences Israel has been honing since coming under Iraqi Scud salvoes in the 1991 Gulf war. ARROW The long-range Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 interceptors, developed by Israel with an Iranian missile threat in mind, are designed to engage threats both in and outside the atmosphere, respectively. It operates at an altitude that allows for the safe dispersal of any non-conventional warheads. State-owned Israel Aerospace Industries is the project's main contractor, while Boeing Co is involved in producing the interceptors. On Oct. 31, Israel's military said it had used the Arrow aerial defence system for the first time since the Oct. 7 outbreak of the war with Hamas to intercept a surface-to-surface missile fired from the area of the Red Sea towards its territory. Last September, Germany signed a letter of commitment with Israel to buy the Arrow-3 system for nearly 4 billion euros ($4.2 billion). DAVID'S SLING The mid-range David's Sling system is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles fired from 100 km to 200 km (62 to 124 miles) away. Developed and manufactured jointly by Israel's state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the U.S. RTX Corp, formerly known as Raytheon, David's Sling is also designed to intercept aircraft, drones and cruise missiles. IRON DOME The short-range Iron Dome air defence system was built to intercept the kind of rockets fired by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza. Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with U.S. backing, it became operational in 2011. Each truck-towed unit fires radar-guided missiles to blow up short-range threats like rockets, mortars and drones in mid-air. Rafael says it delivered two Iron Dome batteries to the U.S. Army in 2020. Ukraine is seeking a supply as well in its war with Russia, though Israel has so far only provided Kyiv with humanitarian support and civil defences. A naval version of the Iron Dome to protect ships and sea-based assets was deployed in 2017. The system determines whether a rocket is on course to hit a populated area; if not, the rocket is ignored and allowed to land harmlessly. Iron Dome was originally billed as providing city-sized coverage against rockets with ranges of between 4 and 70 km (2.5 to 43 miles), but experts say this has since been expanded. LASER-BASED SYSTEM Israel's interception systems cost between tens of thousands and millions of dollars to shoot down incoming threats. Israel is developing a laser-based system to neutralise enemy rockets and drones at an estimated cost of just $2 per interception. (Editing by William Maclean, Jan Harvey, Mike Stone, Andrew Heavens and Daniel Wallis) Fairfield police arrest four in connection with armed carjacking (BCN) Fairfield police said Sunday they arrested four people Saturday allegedly involved in an armed carjacking. Police said at 6:21 p.m., a vehicle reportedly involved in the carjacking was captured by Flock cameras traveling eastbound on Travis Boulevard from Interstate 80. Firetruck gets hit twice while on scene of Fremont collision Several officers responded and, upon locating the vehicle near Travis Boulevard at Pennsylvania Avenue, initiated a traffic stop. Police said the vehicle continued moving, turning onto Travion Court, then continuing to a parking lot. Four people exited the vehicle as it was still moving. Two immediately surrendered to officers. The other two were located a short distance away. All four occupants were juveniles out of Sacramento. The driver, who had a warrant out for his arrest, was transported and booked into Juvenile Hall. Police didnt specify the location of the carjacking. Copyright 2024 Bay City News, Inc. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump holds a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress in Washington FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump holds a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress in Washington (This April 14 story has been refiled to add Special Counsel Jack Smith's first name and title in paragraph 11) By John Kruzel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The actions of Donald Trump and his supporters following his 2020 election loss top the U.S. Supreme Court's agenda in the next two weeks in cases involving his bid to avoid prosecution for trying to undo his defeat and an attempt by a man indicted in the Capitol attack to escape a charge that Trump also faces. The two cases assume even greater prominence as Trump campaigns to return to the White House as the Republican candidate challenging Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 U.S. election. The justices on Tuesday hear arguments in an appeal by Joseph Fischer, who was indicted on seven charges following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot including corruptly obstructing an official proceeding - congressional certification of Biden's victory over Trump. They then hear arguments on April 25 in Trump's assertion of presidential immunity from prosecution. "The court has not yet directly addressed issues related to Jan. 6," said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. "But Fischer and Trump so clearly raise issues arising from Jan. 6." Trump took numerous steps to try to reverse his 2020 loss. His false claims of widespread voting fraud helped fuel the attack on the Capitol as Congress met to certify Biden's victory. Trump and his allies also devised a plan to use false electors from key states to thwart certification. Federal prosecutors brought obstruction charges against about 350 of the roughly 1,400 people charged in the Capitol attack including Fischer and Trump. A Supreme Court ruling dismissing the charge against Fischer could make it more complicated - but not impossible - to make the charge stick against Trump, according to experts. The charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, though Jan. 6 defendants convicted of obstruction have received far lesser sentences. This is one of four criminal cases against Trump, whose first trial gets underway on Monday in New York on charges involving hush money paid to a porn star. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all of the cases and called them politically motivated. The Supreme Court on March 4 reversed a ruling by Colorado's top court to exclude Trump from the state's ballot under a constitutional provision involving insurrection. But the justices did not address the lower court's finding that Trump had created "an atmosphere of political violence" before the Jan. 6 attack and "engaged in insurrection." IMMUNITY CLAIM Until Trump, no former president had faced criminal charges. Trump has asserted that he has "absolute immunity" because he was serving as president when he took the actions that triggered Special Counsel Jack Smith's election subversion indictment. Smith has urged the Supreme Court to reject that claim on the principle that "no person is above the law." In August 2023, Smith brought four federal criminal counts against Trump in the election subversion case: conspiring to defraud the United States, corruptly obstructing an official proceeding and conspiring to do so, and conspiring against the right of Americans to vote. Fischer is awaiting trial on six criminal counts, including assaulting or impeding officers and civil disorder, while he challenges his obstruction charge at the Supreme Court. According to prosecutors, Fischer charged at police officers guarding a Capitol entrance during the attack. Fischer, at the time a member of the North Cornwall Township police in Pennsylvania, got inside and pressed up against an officer's riot shield as police attempted to clear rioters. He remained in the building for four minutes before police pushed him out. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, dismissed Fischer's obstruction charge, ruling that it applies only to defendants who tampered with evidence. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed that decision, ruling that the law broadly covers "all forms of corrupt obstruction of an official proceeding." A Supreme Court decision favoring Fischer could mean that hundreds of other defendants who faced the same charge could seek to be re-sentenced, withdraw their guilty pleas or request new trials. "It may not make a lot of practical difference in most cases because if defendants were convicted of multiple charges the judge might decide not to alter the sentence even if the obstruction charge is gone," said Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor who now teaches at the George Washington University Law School. About two-thirds of the Jan. 6 defendants charged with obstruction also were charged with other felonies. Eliason said that a win for Fischer might not deter Smith from pursuing the obstruction charges against Trump, despite the higher bar that the Supreme Court might set. "The charges against Trump can probably survive because Smith will be able to argue that his case did involve evidence-based obstruction, based on the slates of phony electors," Eliason said. Legal experts have said the Supreme Court would need to rule by about June 1 for Trump's trial on the election-related charges to finish before Nov. 5. If Trump regains the presidency, he could seek to force an end to the prosecution or potentially pardon himself of any federal crimes. Trump has pledged to pardon Jan. 6 defendants. (Reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Will Dunham and Scott Malone) COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Ten years after a 22-year-old woman disappeared, her loved ones continue pushing for answers. Jayme Bowen walked out the door, planning to go to a family members house, and has not been seen since; she was last seen in the Merion Village area in 2014. On Sunday, a group gathered in Schiller Park to remember Jayme Bowen and plead for answers. Her mother said it has been a long ten years, but that doesnt mean she is giving up hope. Nancy Bowen, Jaymes mother, said purple is Jaymes favorite color, so the group released purple balloons in her honor. They hope these gatherings spread the message that they still are searching for their friend, sister and daughter. They also were handing out flyers with her pictures and plan to spread them around the area. I just lost my oldest daughter to cancer and Jamie was already missing and I dont have any girls now and Id sure like to, you know, get this one back, Nancy Bowen said. But hopefully this leads to some kind of leads and answers and helps with something because ten years is a long time. Nancy Bowen is pleading for anyone who knows something to call Columbus police at 614-645-4545. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. As the Titanic was the height of luxury in 1912, some celebrities had tickets for its maiden voyage. But not all of them ended up boarding the ship. J. Pierpont Morgan and Milton Hershey were among those who missed the disaster. The sinking of the Titanic in April 1912 still captivates us today, with numerous books, a multibillion-dollar movie, museums, and, controversially, expensive tours of the wreckage available. Interest in the ship led to another maritime tragedy last year when an OceanGate submersible went missing on the way to the wreckage and was eventually confirmed to have imploded, killing all five people on board. In the aftermath, stories emerged about people invited to participate in one of OceanGate's trips but decided against it much like, more than 100 years ago, how people were fascinated with those who had almost been on the Titanic. Here are seven notable figures, some of whom were among the richest people in the world, who were supposed to sail on the Titanic's maiden voyage but didn't and four well-known people who were booked to go on a future journey with the ship. Milton Hershey, the founder of Hershey's, sent the White Star Line a $300 check to reserve a spot on the Titanic, but he ended up sailing home on the SS Amerika instead. Milton Hershey. Bettmann/Getty Images As they aged, Hershey and his wife, Catherine, spent their winters on the French Riviera. In December 1911, the couple left for another extended European vacation. For their return journey, Hershey wrote a $300 check from the Hershey Trust Company to the White Star Line to reserve places on the maiden voyage of the company's brand-new ship, the Titanic. According to Lancaster History, pressing business matters forced Hershey to cut his vacation short, and he left Europe just days before the Titanic would set sail, instead heading home on a German liner called the Amerika, which would later warn the Titanic about the dangerous amount of ice. Hershey's canceled check is still in the possession of the Hershey Community Archives, and you can view it online. J. Pierpont Morgan yes, J. P. Morgan himself had a personal suite on the Titanic and had attended its launch party in 1911. But he extended his French vacation and missed the sinking. J. Pierpont Morgan. CORBIS/Corbis/Getty Images "I've never been able to find an authoritative 1912 source explaining the exact reason why J. P. Morgan canceled his passage on the Titanic," the Titanic expert George Behe told Reuters in 2021. Some speculated that the reasons were that he was in bad health or having issues with customs because of his art collection. However, we know that Morgan, the cofounder of General Electric, International Harvester, and US Steel, was also the founder of the International Mercantile Marine, which in turn owned White Star Line. According to The Washington Post, he was even on hand to witness its 1911 launch. "Monetary losses amount to nothing in life," Morgan told a New York Times reporter after the sinking. "It is the loss of life that counts. It is that frightful death." Guglielmo Marconi, the Nobel Prize winner who invented the radio, opted to head to the US three days earlier on the Lusitania, forgoing a free ticket on the Titanic. Guglielmo Marconi. Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis/Getty Images You might know that Marconi was considered a hero after the sinking of the Titanic because his invention, the wireless radio, helped ships in the surrounding area find where to look for the lifeboats. But did you know he was almost on board the ship himself? His daughter Degna wrote in her 1926 book, "My Father, Marconi," that he was offered a free ticket aboard the Titanic. But because his stenographer got seasick, Marconi opted to sail to the US on the Lusitania because he trusted that ship's stenographer more than Titanic's, Degna wrote. Henry Clay Frick, the chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company, missed the sailing of the Titanic because his wife sprained her ankle in Italy and needed to be hospitalized. Henry Clay Frick. Bettmann/Getty Images Visitors to New York City might recognize Frick's name from the Frick Collection or the Henry Clay Frick House. He was an important industrialist and a patron of the arts and he was close to sailing on the doomed voyage. "The Fricks booked the suite first, and then Mrs. Frick sprained her ankle while they were in Europe buying art and touring and things; so, they stayed behind to get medical attention," the historian Melanie Linn Gutowski told CBS News Pittsburgh in 2012. "The suite that they booked, that some historians think that they booked, was some kind of savior suite in a way," she continued. "Everybody who booked it managed to survive either by not being on the ship, or jumping into a lifeboat at the last minute." Eventually, the tickets made their way to J. Bruce Ismay, the chairman and managing director of the White Star Line. Controversially, he was one of the few men who made their way onto a lifeboat and survived. He was criticized for this for the rest of his life. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt canceled his ticket on the Titanic at the last minute. He was on board the Lusitania when a German U-boat sank it in May 1915. A cartoon of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt. Hulton Archive/Getty Images As a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt was a well-known member of New York society, so there was media coverage when it was revealed he'd narrowly escaped the Titanic. Unfortunately, just a few years later, he was aboard the Lusitania, a British ocean liner that was sunk by German U-boats in 1915. He was one of the 1,200 passengers who did not survive the attack. The American journalist Theodore Dreiser was persuaded by his publisher to take a cheaper ship home across the Atlantic. Theodore Dreiser. Bettmann/Getty Images Dreiser wrote about his brush with disaster in a chapter of his 1913 memoir, "A Traveler at Forty." Slate said the section about the Titanic, "The Voyage Home," was "one of the most gripping chapters in the memoir." Dreiser wrote that he wanted to sail home with the rich and powerful people aboard the Titanic to get a peek at how the other half lived, but added that his publisher convinced him to sail home on the Kroonland, a cheaper ship, two days before Titanic sank. "The terror of the sea had come swiftly and directly home to all," Dreiser wrote, according to Slate. "To think of a ship as immense as the Titanic, new and bright, sinking in endless fathoms of water. And the two thousand passengers routed like rats from their berths only to float helplessly in miles of water, praying and crying!" John Mott, another Nobel Prize winner, was also offered a free ticket on the ship, but he chose a smaller ship, the Lapland, instead. John R. Mott. Bettman/Getty Images Mott, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who was the longtime leader of the YMCA, was another near-miss. Gorden R. Doss, a professor at Andrews University, said that Mott came close to death a few times. First, he skipped the Titanic and opted for the Lapland. Three decades later, in 1943, he narrowly avoided a train crash. Mott said, "The Good Lord must have more work for us to do" upon hearing about the sinking, according to Sotheby's. There were other celebrities who had tickets to sail the Titanic in the future, had it not sank. J.C. Penney was set to sail on the ship's next trip from England to New York. James Cash Penney, aka J.C. Penney. Underwood Archives/Getty Images According to the Smithsonian Magazine, the founder of JCPenney was set to sail on the Titanic's second voyage from England to the US. Frank Seiberling, the cofounder of Goodyear Tires, was booked to return to Southampton on the Titanic's next voyage. Frank Seiberling. Heritage Art/Heritage Images/Getty Images The Akron Beacon Journal reported that Seiberling, the cofounder of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, and his wife frequently traveled to England and were huge admirers of English architecture. But one of their trips was postponed when their ship out of the States, the Titanic, sank. So was John Alden Dix, the governor of New York. John Alden Dix. Heritage Art/Heritage Images/Getty Images Smithsonian Magazine also reported that Dix, the governor of New York from 1911 to 1913, was on the passenger list of the Titanic's return trip to England. Henry Adams, a historian who was a descendant of President John Adams and President John Quincy Adams, was also booked on this trip. Henry Adams. Culture Club/Bridgeman/Getty Images "My ship, the Titanic, is on her way," Adams wrote in a letter on April 12, 1912, "and unless she drops me somewhere else, I should get to Cherbourg in a fortnight." As history tells, Adams was never able to board the ship and was forced to book passage elsewhere, The New Republic's Timothy Noah wrote. Read the original article on Business Insider Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESRT) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 10% in the last quarter. While that might be a setback, it doesn't negate the nice returns received over the last twelve months. After all, the share price is up a market-beating 53% in that time. In light of the stock dropping 3.9% in the past week, we want to investigate the longer term story, and see if fundamentals have been the driver of the company's positive one-year return. View our latest analysis for Empire State Realty Trust To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. During the last year Empire State Realty Trust grew its earnings per share (EPS) by 39%. The share price gain of 53% certainly outpaced the EPS growth. So it's fair to assume the market has a higher opinion of the business than it a year ago. The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). It is of course excellent to see how Empire State Realty Trust has grown profits over the years, but the future is more important for shareholders. Take a more thorough look at Empire State Realty Trust's financial health with this free report on its balance sheet. What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. 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. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Empire State Realty Trust, it has a TSR of 55% for the last 1 year. 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 It's good to see that Empire State Realty Trust has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 55% in the last twelve months. And that does include the dividend. There's no doubt those recent returns are much better than the TSR loss of 6% per year over five years. The long term loss makes us cautious, but the short term TSR gain certainly hints at a brighter future. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Empire State Realty Trust better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Empire State Realty Trust (at least 2 which shouldn't be ignored) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Story continues We will like Empire State Realty Trust better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on 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. Fears of further escalation after Iranian air attack on Israel A drone is launched in an undisclosed area in Iran as Iran launches dozens of drones toward Israel. Tasnim News Agancy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Iran's large-scale air attack on Israel has prompted fears of further escalation in the volatile Middle East, as leaders condemned the attack and rallied on Sunday to consider their further response. Israeli and regional airspace reopened on Sunday morning after the country managed with the help of its allies to intercept 99% of the projectiles fired by Iran, according to Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari. Tehran had launched "over 300 threats of various types," Hagari said. For the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic, Iran directly attacked its nemesis Israel in the overnight barrage of drones and missiles. The attack was retaliation for the killing of high-ranking Iranian officers in Syria, in a suspected Israeli airstrike on April 1. Of the 170 unmanned missiles and more than 30 cruise missiles launched by Iran, none reached Israel, Hegari said. "Out of over 120 ballistic missiles, only a few crossed into Israeli territory, with the rest being intercepted," Hagari continued. These had caused minor infrastructure damage to the Nevatim Air Force Base, which continued to function normally. Hagari spoke of Israel's "very significant strategic achievement" in deterring the attack. He strongly rejected the idea that the airstrikes could have been intended as a form of sabre-rattling without serious intent of damage. "I think Iran meant to get results and did not get results," Hagari told journalists. He pointed to the use of ballistic missiles by Iran as a clear escalation. Israel is now carefully considering its next steps, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in an interview with the Israeli army radio station. "We have said: if Iran attacks Israel, we will attack Iran. And this commitment is still valid," Katz said. He said the specific question of a possible response would be discussed in the appropriate framework under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli media have announced that the war cabinet would meet at 3:30 pm (12:30 GMT) to discuss the next steps. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) had "taught a lesson" to the country's arch-enemy Israel. "Punishment of the aggressor, which was the sincere promise of the powerful and wise leader of the Islamic Revolution, has come true," Raisi said in a statement from the presidential office. Raisi warned Israel's allies against counter-attacks: "We advise the supporters of the occupying regime to appreciate this responsible and proportionate action of the Islamic Republic of Iran." Iran's highest-ranking general, Mohammed Bagheri, rated the attack on Israel as a success, in comments carried by the ISNA news agency. "The reason for this operation was a crossing of red lines by the Zionist regime," Bagheri said. Israel called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Sunday to condemn Iran's attack on Israel and designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization. Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan sent an urgent letter to the president of the Security Council, Vanessa Frazier, calling for the meeting. "The Iranian attack is a serious threat to global peace and security and I expect the Council to use every means to take concrete action against Iran," he posted on X, formerly Twitter. Italy, which currently holds the G7 presidency, has convened a videoconference on Sunday for the heads of the seven leading democratic industrialized nations. US President Joe Biden had previously announced the meeting, "to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack." Western leaders including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack, while Beijing broke its relative silence on the conflict in the Middle East to express "deep concern." In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called on all sides to "exercise calm and restraint to prevent a further increase in tensions." Moscow, meanwhile, blamed Western powers for failing to respond to the April 1 attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus and said Iran was invoking its right to self-defence under the UN Charter. "Unfortunately, due to the position adopted by its Western members, the [UN] Security Council was unable to provide a proper response to the strike on the Iranian consular mission," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Russia and Iran, both facing sanctions by Western powers, have strengthened their ties over recent years. Tehran had vowed to respond to the April 1 attack on its Damascus embassy compound, and indications had mounted that it would take action this weekend. Two brigadier generals were killed in the suspected Israeli airstrike. Fire truck gets hit twice while on scene of Fremont collision (KRON) On Saturday, a fire truck was struck pm two separate occasions after arriving on the scene of a separate car accident in Fremont, the Fremont Fire Department said. SF madman convicted of elder abuse on former partner Just after 7 a.m., Fremont firefighters responded to a car accident on northbound I-680, south of the Andrade exit. Fire officials said they parked by a patients car to protect the accidents location. While attending to the patient, the fire truck was then struck by two cars on two separate occasions, Fremont fire officials said. The driver of one of the cars that struck the fire engine sustained minor injuries and was transported to a hospital by Falck ambulance. Thankfully, no firefighters were injured, Fremont fire officials said. The fire truck, Engine 59, was towed, and a reserve fire engine will be placed into service. Fire officials said the California Highway Patrol is still investigating the cause of the two traffic collisions. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Supporters of the ballot proposal to enshrine the right to abortion in the Florida Constitution hold signs outside of the Florida Supreme Court on Feb. 7, 2024. (Photo by Jackie Llanos/Florida Phoenix) Quality Journalism for Critical Times Its not very often that voters whove been screwed over by elected officials get the opportunity to exact revenge a short time later. For the far-right politicos who have hijacked Floridas political apparatus and who act as if the state is their political playground the bill for their extremist position on reproductive justice and abortion care will come due in November. Thats when voters will be able to pass an initiative that would enshrine abortions rights and codify these protections in the Sunshine States Constitution. Thats the state of affairs confronting Gov. Ron DeSantis, his lap poodles in the Legislature, and the coterie of far right, evangelical, pro-Trump extremists who have been operating both in the open and in the shadows to effectively asphyxiate reproductive justice and abortion care. An Axios reporter described whats playing out in Florida as a post-Dobbs novelty in its own right. We havent seen this setup yet in which people will be living under a very strict abortion law and then head to the polls to vote on essentially overturning that, Laurie Sobel, associate director of womens health policy at KFF, told Axios. At least 11 other states have either greenlighted or are seeking to approve ballot questions on abortion. Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Maine also have attempted to get abortion measures on ballots, but hurdles make it unlikely. Republicans likely will lose their efforts to maintain Floridas near-total abortion ban in November. I expect them to be beaten back by an animated, energized, and motivated cadre of Florida voters who support the ballot initiative. In interviews, people have been incensed by the government prying into their bedrooms, violating their privacy, and attempting to control womens bodily autonomy. Rocked back on their heels The unadulterated glee of conservative Republicans and their anti-abortion accomplices at the evisceration of Roe v. Wade has now turned to desolation as their carefully laid plans crash and burn. In the face of widespread opprobrium and public fury, Republicans of all stripes are unsteady, rocked back on their heels. They watch helplessly as the wildfire they ignited consumes whats left of their party and incinerates any hopes of them coming out ahead in November. Republicans need look no further than recent election and ballot amendment beatings in Michigan, Kansas, and Virginia to see the handwriting on the wall. The numbers tell the story: According to Planned Parenthood, 85% of Americans believe abortion should be legal. In other data, experts say, 81% of Americans believe an abortion is solely a decision made between a woman and her doctor and 70 percent believe abortions should be legal in all or most instances. Polls show that 73% of Floridians support the proposed abortion ballot amendment, well above the 60% needed to pass the measure. Supporters tend to be quite firm in their support, while opponents tend to be quite squishy, said Florida Womens Freedom Coalition executive director Anna Hochkammer in a New York Times interview. This polls well across all demographics. Its motivating to young people and women, too. No one can deny that it will shape the voter universe. When the Florida Supreme Court imposed the six-week ban, said Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani, it closed off the availability of reproductive health services and abortions in a state which has become a critical access point for people in the U.S. South, as most states in the region have instituted restrictive laws. Wasteland Thanks to DeSantis, the southern United States has become an abortion wasteland with Floridas near-total ban going into effect in May. According to the Washington Post, the closest clinic where abortion will now be legal after the six-week mark for someone living at Floridas southernmost tip will be a 14-hour drive away in Charlotte. A patient whose pregnancy has progressed beyond 12 weeks, the point at which North Carolina bans abortion, will have to drive 17 hours, to southern Virginia. Were going to see a complete devastation, not just for Floridians but for women in the Southeast who come to Florida for abortion care when a six-week ban goes into effect, said Eskamani, who used to work for Planned Parenthood, during a recent call with reporters. These are going to be tragic and difficult and painful stories. The danger to the lives and fortunes of American women in the 22 states that severely restrict or outright ban abortions, as well as the deep hostility towards them by the male-dominated anti-abortion lobby, is front and center. A recent Washington Post story detailed many of the perils. South Florida resident Anya Cook, who in 2022 almost died after she was refused an abortion under the states then-15 week ban, warned women in the state who end up grappling with complications caused by their pregnancy after six weeks have passed: Run, she said. Run, because you have no help here. Arizona Caroline Kitchener, who quoted Cook in an April 2 Washington Post story, pointed to another tough challenge pregnant women in Florida will face. But even if voters decide to establish a constitutional right to abortion in the state, thousands of women will have to reckon with unwanted pregnancies in the eight months between May 1, when the new ban will take effect, and next January, when such an amendment could be added to the constitution, Kitchener said. Yet even as Floridians and the rest of the country were digesting the wildly divergent Florida high court rulings, Arizona galloped to the forefront as ground zero for abortion cruelty, heartlessness, and indifference. On April 9, the Republican-heavy Arizona Supreme Court upheld an archaic and deeply misogynistic 1864 Civil War-era abortion ban that deems almost all abortions illegal if and when it is implemented. Currently, abortions are legal up to 15 weeks. The 1864 law says performing or assisting in an abortion is a felony; there are no exceptions for rape or incest; the sole exception is for the life of the mother; and doctors could face prison time of between two and five years. The ruling tossed out a lower courts decision that a March 2022 15-week ban superseded the 1864 law. The high court has paused the decision for 14 days. AG wont enforce Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes issued a statement shortly after the judgement declaring that she would not enforce the law. Todays decision to reimpose a law from a time when Arizona wasnt a state, the Civil War was raging, and women couldnt even vote will go down in history as a stain on our state, said Mayes. This is far from the end of the debate on reproductive freedom, and I look forward to the people of Arizona having their say in the matter. And let me be completely clear, as long as I am Attorney General, no woman or doctor will be prosecuted under this draconian law in this state. The lines are clearly drawn in Arizona, as pro-choice advocates said they secured almost twice the number of signatures needed to put the abortion amendment on the ballot in November. According to NBC News, Arizona for Abortion Access, a coalition of reproductive rights organizations including the ACLU of Arizona and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, said they had gathered 506,892 petition signatures in the first few days of April, well before the July 3 submission deadline to the Arizona secretary of states office. The threshold to put a measure on the ballot is 383,923 signatures. To Republicans chagrin, the Arizona Supreme Court decision has further energized the citizenry and buoyed Democrats hopes that what has become a winning issue since Roe was toppled will earn them huge dividends in November. Blame to share Donald Trump who with Mitch McConnell rammed Justices Cavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Coney Barrett on the bench for the expressed purpose of overturning Roe v. Wade is to blame. DeSantis is to blame. The Republican Florida legislative majority is to blame. Sen. Rick Scott, who as governor shepherded a slew of abortion restrictions into law, is to blame. As is the far right, extremist wing of Republican Party. As the heat rises, Republicans are trying furiously to tap dance around this contentious and highly volatile issue but their attempts at walking away have failed. And their lies, half-truths, deception, deflections, and attempts to sow confusion are not working. Trump is a perfect example. Earlier this week, he said abortion laws should be left to the states, but the Arizona ruling, announced the next day, illustrated the chaos and confusion that killing Roe has wrought. The former president has proudly proclaimed authorship of ending Roe but has also said many times that the responsibility for the public backlash belongs elsewhere. 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. At the same time, he has refused to say publicly what his position is on a national abortion ban or whether if he as president he would sign a national ban. Regardless, Democrats from President Joe Biden to members of Congress to state legislators, activists, and advocates are laying the turmoil, upheaval, and misery caused by these abortion bans and restrictions at the feet of Republicans. Fight like hell The Biden campaign has turned up the heat on Republicans with several ads castigating the Arizona Supreme Court, the legislative extremists, and demagogues, with Biden promising to fight like hell to restore reproductive rights across the nation. At the same time, Vice President Kamala Harris visited Arizona on Friday hoping to galvanize voters. Republicans thought they could implement their dystopian vision of eliminating abortion access and reproductive health care and punishing women most in need. They thought people would sit quietly by. They were wrong. The extremists misguided, cruel, and deadly anti-abortion agenda will cost them dearly in November. Its getting hotter and hotter in Republicanland. Burn, Baby, Burn The post FL voters could punish abortion deniers in November elections appeared first on Florida Phoenix. Florida Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell may face even tougher odds than previously thought in her bid to unseat Republican Sen. Rick Scott. A new USA TODAY/Ipsos poll published Saturday finds that 74% of Florida voters have never heard of Mucarsel-Powell. That includes an overwhelming 61% of the states Democratic voters and 78% of the independents the Democratic candidate is relying on to narrow her opponents lead in the race. Scott edged Mucarsel-Powell 36%-26% in the poll, fielded between April 5 through April 7. The results may dampen Democrats' hopes that the Florida Supreme Courts recent abortion ruling would boost Mucarsel-Powells chances in the conservative-leaning state. In early April, the court upheld Floridas 15-week abortion ban and OKd a ballot measure that, if passed, would protect access to the procedure in the state. At the time of the ruling, experts suggested that the abortion ballot measure could incentivize liberal-leaning voters to head to the polls in November which would help Democratic candidates like Mucarsel-Powell. Protesters carry signs and listen to speakers as they demonstrate in front of the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse on May 3, 2022, in West Palm Beach, Florida. A draft opinion suggests the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide. But, with eight months to go until the election, Mucarsel-Powells low name recognition across the state could prove to be a major barrier in an already difficult-to-win race. Mucarsel-Powell, 53, represented Floridas 26th District, which includes parts of Miami, for one term in Congress between 2019 and 2021. After leaving office, Murcarsel-Powell joined the gun violence prevention organization Giffords, founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, as a senior adviser. She's previously worked in academic administration, including as an associate dean at Florida International University. Shes facing off against Scott, who is a longtime fixture in Florida politics. He served as the states governor between 2011 and 2019 and went on to beat out Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson to win his Senate seat in 2018. A Democratic candidate hasn't won statewide in Florida since 2018. Then newly-elected House Members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, left, and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL), center, and Abby Finkenauer, D-IA, right, huddle from the wind and cold as they arrive to gather at the U.S. Capitol for a class photo. -- Photo by Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Staff ORG XMIT: JG 137631 Congress photo 11/14/2018 (Via OlyDrop) In this year's Senate race, the USA TODAY/Ipsos poll shows that more than 20% of Democrats dont know who theyll vote for yet. But, more Democrats (9%) than Republicans (3%) say they dont plan on casting a ballot in the November Senate race. And 8% of Democrats surveyed said they were willing to cross party lines to vote for Scott, compared to just 2% of Republicans who were willing to do the same for Mucarsel-Powell. The Florida race could play a pivotal role in the battle for control of the Senate. Democrats currently hold a 51-49 majority in the chamber, but are facing a slate of challenging races in 2024. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin's retirement heavily favors a Republican to take his seat in deep-red West Virginia, and races in Montana, Nevada and Ohio are all considered toss-ups. A Democratic pick-up of Scott's seat in Florida would be a major upset. Susan MacManus, a retired political science professor at the University of South Florida, argued that even with abortion on the ballot, Mucarsel-Powell will need name recognition to win the Senate race. Its not impossible to get name ID, but name ID requires money and publicity and news, MacManus said. That's why there's such a big push to get the Biden administration, the DNC and their deep-pocketed Democrats to pour money into Florida. In 2022, Republicans outspent Democrats in Florida by more than $100 million and GOP candidates, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, outperformed their Democratic competitors. If Democrats want to even the playing field this year, MacManus argued that theyll need to up their investment. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., speaks during a news conference with Republican Senators about border security issues at the U.S. Capitol January 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. She also cautioned that Democrats like Mucarsel-Powell need to do a better job of communicating with young voters, who typically arent affiliated with a political party. They have to have a high turnout in a fairly cohesive vote among younger voters. In this state to be able to win statewide because the older voters leaned a little bit more Republican and their higher turnout, she said. Scott narrowly leads Mucarsel-Powell among independent voters in the state 28% to 25%, according to the USA TODAY/Ipsos survey. More than 20% of those polled said they dont know who theyll support in the race and 12% said they dont plan on voting. When reached for comment, Mucarsel-Powell's campaign pointed out that 48% of people polled in the USA TODAY/Ipsos survey viewed Scott unfavorably, arguing that Mucarsel-Powell has room to gain ground with dissatisfied Floridians in the next seven months. "Voters know that Rick Scott is an extremist who has proudly backed Florida's unpopular near-total abortion band and come for their Social Security benefits," said Campaign Spokesperson Lauren Chou. "That's why a plurality of voters disapprove of him." The poll has a margin of error of +/-4.1%. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Debbie Mucarsel-Powell faces big hurdle in FL race against Rick Scott Retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, the former commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), warned Sunday that U.S. forces are vulnerable to an attack by Iran or one of its proxies. Our forces distributed across Iraq and Syria, supporting the dark forces of Iraq and anti-ISIS operations and supporting our SDF partners in eastern Syria. Those forces are vulnerable to an Iranian or an Iranian proxy attack. We recognize that. I think thats why the presidents been very forceful in warning them, he said on CBSs Face the Nation. Iran launched a missile and drone attack against Israel over the weekend, but U.S. forces and Israeli forces intercepted most of the attacks before they entered Israel. Iran said that the attack was a retaliation. McKenzie also noted that Iran did not choose to attack the U.S., adding that Iran understands that the U.S. has the capability to hurt Iran significantly if they choose to attack. Now its also very instructive that the Iranians did not choose to attack us, as they conducted a major strategic attack on Israel. So they listened to that. The Iranians know that we have the capability, if they choose to fight us, to hurt them very badly. And I think that the Iranians will think long and hard before undertaking attacks against us in the future, he continued. He also said that Israel should coordinate a narrow attack if it wants to respond to Iran. You want to make sure that its a it has a definable beginning and a definable end, and the Iranians know when its over. But the fact of the matter is, Israel can name its price right now. And thats a very heady position to be in, he said. But its also a position that calls for exercise of strategic restraint, and a view to the long term. And Israel has an opportunity here, I think, to demonstrate that, and to seize the diplomatic initiative, really, in an arena where they struggled to do it over the past few months, he added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former NATO leader urges US not to withhold Ukraine aid: Putin will not stop Former NATO commander James Stavridis urged the Biden administration and lawmakers not to withhold aid from Ukraine in its war with Russia. In an interview with host John Catsimatidis on The Cats Roundtable, Stavridis said Russian President Vladimir Putins goal is to overrun Ukraine, and he not stop as long as he is given the opportunity to conquer it. The question is: Where are we today? he said in the interview that aired Sunday. We were at a stalemate until U.S. aid started to run out, and as a result the Russians are now starting to inch forward, and thats not gonna get better unless the U.S. provides this $60 billion additional amount of aid. He was likely referring to a Senate-passed national security funding package that has $60 billion in aid for Ukraine. However, the legislation has largely been dormant, as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has refused to bring it to the floor without concessions, including provisions included for security along the U.S.-Mexico border. Now, John, I know that sounds like a lot of money, but in the context of the U.S. defense budget, which is about $900 billion, $60 billion is not a huge amount, Stavridis said. The former NATO chief said that if more aid is not given to Ukraine, Putin has a reasonable shot at taking more territory and he compared the situation watching malevolent Nazi leader Adolf Hitlers Germany push across Europe. His comments come after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned Wednesday that starving Ukraine of military support is strategic and moral malpractice. Starving Ukraine of needed capabilities wasnt a smart way for the Biden administration to avoid escalation, and neither is it a political master stroke by some of the administrations Republican opponents, he said on the Senate floor. It is strategic and moral malpractice. It risks condemning Ukraine and undermining our own national interest. Multiple Hollywood stars, including Sean Penn, Barbra Streisand and Mark Hamill, have also called on Congress to act on more U.S. support for Ukraine. [W]e are letting the Ukrainians down, they wrote in an op-ed published in CNN earlier this week piece. It has been more than 470 days since Congress passed legislation to support Ukraine. That is most of the time since Russia invaded in February 2022. The piece was also signed by comedian Kate McKinnon, film director J.J. Abrams and novelist Jonathan Safran Foer. Despite his pushback to the Senate-backed bill, Johnson has vowed to move a bill forward that provides additional resources to Ukraine. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Fort Worth minister is facing a charge of online solicitation of a minor, according to a letter sent out to congregants of Trinity Episcopal Church on Saturday. Jason Phillip Myers, a associate rector of the church, was arrested Friday by the Collin County Sheriffs Office, according to the letter and Collin County Jail records. The sheriffs office did not respond Sunday to a Star-Telegram request for comment. Collin County court and jail records do not yet show the charges filed in Collin County Court or bond set for Myers. Jail records indicate he is still in custody. Myers ministry was suspended by the church after it learned of his arrest, according to the letter. The church has forbidden him from working as a minister in any Episcopal church or having any contact with members of the congregation until the investigation and any possible trial have concluded. Myers and his family will have pastoral support as the legal situation unfolds, according to the letter written by Rev. Robert F. Pace. Leaders in the church do not believe the accusation involves any minors in the church or its private school, Trinity Episcopal School, according to the letter. Pace wrote that there is a lot of information the church cant share or doesnt yet have. He said the church is cooperating with investigators and will share information with the congregation when it becomes available. Anybody with concerns or information on Myers should contact police in their area. The church is also asking anybody with information or concerns to reach out to church leadership. As we grieve this news and seek understanding, please join me in praying for everyone affected, Pace wrote. We pray for all children and adults who have experienced harm. We pray for our parish family. We pray for Jasons wife and their children. Please also pray for Jason. Key Insights The projected fair value for Pebble Group is UK0.60 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of UK0.63 suggests Pebble Group is potentially trading close to its fair value The UK1.20 analyst price target for PEBB is 100% 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 The Pebble Group plc (LON:PEBB) as an investment opportunity by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. 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. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for Pebble Group What's The Estimated Valuation? We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK5.10m UK5.01m UK5.64m UK5.42m UK5.30m UK5.25m UK5.23m UK5.25m UK5.29m UK5.34m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Est @ -3.84% Est @ -2.20% Est @ -1.05% Est @ -0.24% Est @ 0.32% Est @ 0.72% Est @ 1.00% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 6.4% UK4.8 UK4.4 UK4.7 UK4.2 UK3.9 UK3.6 UK3.4 UK3.2 UK3.0 UK2.9 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK38m 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 1.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.4%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = UK5.3m (1 + 1.6%) (6.4% 1.6%) = UK115m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK115m ( 1 + 6.4%)10= UK62m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK100m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK0.6, 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 The Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Pebble 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 6.4%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.864. 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 Pebble Group Strength Currently debt free. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Media market. Expensive based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the British market. 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. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Pebble Group, there are three essential items you should explore: Financial Health: Does PEBB have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does PEBB's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Four people arrested in connection with disappearance of two Kansas women in Oklahoma Four people have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of two Kansas women last month in Oklahoma, authorities said. Veronica Butler, 27 and Jilian Kelley, 39, were reported missing on March 30 after the vehicle they were traveling in was found abandoned south of Elkhart, Kansas in rural Texas County, Oklahoma. Oklahoma authorities recover 2 bodies a day after arresting 4 in missing Kansas women case The two women left Hugoton, Kansas and did not make it to their intended destination, KWCH first reported. An investigation was launched by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. On April 3, the bureau announced they had found evidence of foul play in the womens disappearance. On Saturday, the bureau named the four suspects arrested in connection with the disappearance. Tad Bert Cullum, 43; Tifany Machel Adams, 54; Cole Earl Twombly, 50 and Cora Twombly, 44, were booked into the Texas County Jail each on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, according to the OSBI. The OSBI and other law enforcement agencies are still searching for Kelley and Butler as of Sunday. Anyone with information on their whereabouts is encouraged to contact the OSBI at tips@osbi.ok.gov or 1-800-522-8017. The OSBI did not immediately respond to an inquiry seeking more details on Sunday. Four people arrested on suspicion of murder in case of missing Kansas women WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Four people have been taken into custody in connection to the disappearances of two Kansas mothers, according to authorities. Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, both of Hugoton, Kansas, have been missing since late March. The Texas County Sheriffs Department said the women were traveling to pick up children but never arrived at their destination. The vehicle Butler and Kelley had been traveling in was previously found abandoned near a highway outside Elkhart, Oklahoma. Nexstars NewsNation reported last week that, according to sources, police believe Butler and Kelley had been shot, and that blood was found near their abandoned vehicle. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation previously reported that, based on the information investigators had obtained from the vehicle, they believed there was evidence to indicate foul play. YouTubers help in search for missing Kansas women As the search for Butler and Kelley enters its third week, investigators have released little information. News that four people were arrested on Saturday was the first update OSBI had given in days. Among those arrested Saturday were Tifany Adams, 54, and Tad Cullum, 43. NewsNation reports that it has learned Adams is the grandmother of Butlers children, and Cullum is Adams boyfriend. Two other people, Cole Twombly, 50, and Cora Twombly, 44, were also taken into custody. The OSBI tells KSN that all four were arrested in counties near or along the Kansas border. Each was taken into custody on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. All four are set to be processed in Texas County. Tad Cullum (Courtesy: OSBI) Tifany Adams (Courtesy: OSBI) Cole Twombly (Courtesy: OSBI) Cora Twombly (Courtesy: OSBI) OSBI tells KSN they are still searching a wide area of Texas County for the missing women. No other details were released. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the OSBI at tips@osbi.ok.gov or 1-800-522-8017. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. FOX News Media and eleven other national news organizations released a joint statement Sunday urging the presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential nominees to "publicly commit" to general election debates prior to the 2024 election. "With the contours of the 2024 general election now coming into clear focus, we the undersigned national news organizations urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participating in general election debates before Novembers election," the news organizations stated in the joint statement. "General election debates have a rich tradition in our American democracy, having played a vital role in every presidential election of the past 50 years, dating to 1976. In each of those elections, tens of millions have tuned in to watch the candidates debating side by side, in a competition of ideas for the votes of American citizens." "Since 1988, the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has sponsored all presidential general election debates. The Commission has previously announced dates, times, and eligibility criteria for 2024 debates. Though it is too early for invitations to be extended to any candidates, it is not too early for candidates who expect to meet the eligibility criteria to publicly state their support for and their intention to participate in the Commissions debates planned for this fall," the group of a dozen news organizations continued. TRUMP CAMPAIGN DEMANDS BIDEN DEBATE HIM 'MUCH EARLIER' AND MORE OFTEN Twelve national news organizations released a joint statement on Sunday, urging the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees for president to "publicly commit" to participating in general election debates prior to the 2024 election. "If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high," the organizations added. "Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation." The other news organizations that joined FOX News Media in signing on to the statement include ABC News, The Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, C-SPAN, NBCUniversal News Group, NewsNation Noticias Univision (Univision Network News), NPR, PBS NewsHour and USA TODAY. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), which has been responsible for organizing presidential and vice presidential debates in the U.S. for more than 30 years, announced in November the sites and dates for three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate during the 2024 general election. The scheduled presidential debates are slated to take place at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, on September 16; at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia, on October 1; and at The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 9. The sole vice presidential debate is scheduled to take place on September 25 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. In announcing the debate locations last year, the CPD noted that each debate will begin at 9 p.m. ET and last for 90 minutes without commercial interruption. Last week, former President Donald Trump's campaign called for additional 2024 presidential debates and for them to take place "much earlier" than initially proposed by the debate commission. Trump told Fox News Digital that he is "totally committed" to debating President Biden "anytime, anywhere, anyplace." In a Thursday letter to CPD co-chairs Frank Farenkopf Jr. and Antonia Hernandez, Trump co-campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita told the commission they were writing "in agreement with the pending letter," reported by The New York Times, "from television networks advocating for presidential debates to occur in 2024." BIDEN SAYS DEBATING TRUMP 'DEPENDS ON HIS BEHAVIOR' Former President Donald Trump during a campaign event in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on April 2, 2024. "While the Commission on Presidential Debates has already announced three presidential debates and a vice-presidential debate to occur later this year, we are in favor of these debates beginning much earlier," they wrote in the letter, which was obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital. Citing their reasoning for requesting earlier debates, Wiles and LaCivita argued that "voting is beginning earlier and earlier, and as we saw in 2020, tens of millions of Americans had already voted by the time of the first debate." In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on Thursday, Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said it is "very important to have the debates now, because the country is doing so badly." Last month, following his State of the Union address, Biden was asked whether he would debate Trump ahead of Election Day. "Depends on his behavior," responded Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. Earlier this year, Biden addressed previous calls for earlier debates with Trump. "If I were him, I would want to debate me, too," Biden told reporters in Nevada when asked about Trump wanting to debate him earlier in the election cycle. "Hes got nothing else to do," Biden added. President Biden speaks at Union Station in Washington, D.C., on April 9, 2024. Though the Biden campaign has not yet committed to any of the scheduled debates, it previously fired back after Trump's invitation that he would debate the president "anytime, anywhere, anyplace." "I know Donald Trump's thirsty for attention and struggling to expand his appeal beyond the MAGA base and that's a conversation we'll have at the appropriate time in this cycle," Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler told Fox News Digital. "But if he's so desperate to see President Biden in prime time, he doesn't have to wait!" Original article source: Fox News and other news outlets urge presidential candidates to publicly commit to debates France, a country with a long and complicated history when it comes to race and discrimination, is considering a move to ban hair discrimination. Although the French legislation faces an uphill battle, it has the potential to surpass similar protections in the United States, where the debate over popular Black hairstyles has continued for years. The Associated Press reported that Frances National Assembly recently passed a bill that would ban hair-based discrimination in the country. The bill would outlaw discrimination based on things like hair texture and length, including baldness, as well as hairstyles. The bill was proposed by Olivier Serva, a Black member of the French parliament who is from Guadeloupe, a French region located in the Caribbean. Serva noted that the law is intended to ban racial discrimination based on hair, telling the Associated Press that people who dont fit in Eurocentric standards are facing discrimination, stereotypes and bias. While the proposal passed the lower chamber of the French parliament, where only 50 of 577 members showed up for the vote, it may face trouble in the conservative-dominated French Senate. Due to its long colonial history, France has a diverse population, with citizens and lawmakers of Caribbean and African heritage, among others. This diversity has led to racial, ethnic and religious tensions, with minority populations often complaining of discrimination and mistreatment; for example, major protests and riots erupted in 2023 after the police killing of a teenager of North African descent. Meanwhile, Black visitors from abroad also deal with microaggressions and racial harassment. Despite these societal divides, however, French leaders generally depict the country as not racist, in contrast to places like the United States. If France does pass the proposed ban on hair-based discrimination, it would be the first country to implement such a policy on a national level, moving it past the United States. In the U.S., a federal version of the CROWN Act has passed the House of Representatives but has stalled in the Senate. At least 22 states have passed a version of the CROWN Act, with additional states and territories, including Puerto Rico, considering similar legislation. Even in states with these laws in place, however, Black individuals have still faced exclusion because of their hairstyles, showing that the fight against hair-based discrimination remains an uphill battle. Now, France has entered that battle. Should its proposed legislation pass, it will be both a major victory in the movement to fight hair discrimination and an advancement for France as it recognizes the types of racial discrimination and marginalization within its borders that it has often chosen to ignore. For 76 years, Palestine has been a battleground, a land marred by the horrors of genocide, ethnic cleansing and oppression. Today, I write not just as a Palestinian-American, but as a voice for the voiceless, a defender of human rights and a bearer of truth. On Oct. 7, yet another chapter of brutality unfolded in Gaza. The death toll has now surpassed 33,000, with evidence suggesting that these numbers may be severely under-reported. Among the victims, tragically, are thousands of innocent children. Each day, a hundred Palestinians are mercilessly murdered, their bodies mutilated, their lives stolen. The psychological trauma inflicted upon survivors is unimaginable. Recently, seven foreign aid workers fell victim to a calculated attack by Israeli occupying forces. Their marked vehicles were systematically targeted, a deliberate act of violence that cannot be brushed aside as mere coincidence. This massacre is a stark reminder of the impunity with which Israel continues to operate. As an American taxpayer, I am appalled that over $3.3 billion of our hard-earned money is sent to Israel annually, funding a military machine that wreaks havoc on innocent lives. President Bidens approval of 25 F-35 fighter jets and 200-pound bombs to Israel only exacerbates this injustice. Meanwhile, our own infrastructure crumbles, our health-care system fails, and our education system languishes. Opinion Let us be clear: This is not the United States of Israel. This is the United States of America. The failure to hold the Israeli occupation accountable sends a dangerous message about the extent of power wielded by our leaders. It suggests a willingness to prioritize political alliances over principles of justice and human rights. This cannot be tolerated. The lack of consequences for these violations raises serious questions about the power and integrity of American leaders, including the president of the United States. The recent visit of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to Fresno highlights the extent of this corruption, where a fundraiser was held for him, hosted by construction-company owner Richard Spencer and his wife Karen. Johnson is a staunch supporter of the Israeli occupation. He has been bought and paid for by pro-Israel lobbyist groups such as AIPAC. In the ongoing conflict in Palestine, political rhetoric often masks the harsh realities faced by innocent civilians. It is crucial to scrutinize the statements and actions of politicians, particularly when they perpetuate double standards that undermine justice and perpetuate suffering. One such example is Rep. Johnsons stance on ceasefires, which reveals a troubling bias and disregard for the plight of Pales.nian prisoners. While publicly advocating against ceasefires until Israeli captives are released, Johnson conveniently ignores the thousands of Palestinian prisoners languishing in Israeli jails under administrative detention for years. This form of imprisonment allows Israeli authorities to detain Palestinians indefinitely without charge or trial, or access to a lawyer or their families, a blatant violation of human rights. Shockingly, among these detainees are many children, robbed of their freedom and childhoods without due process or legal recourse. By failing to acknowledge the plight of Palestinian prisoners, Johnson reveals a glaring double standard in his approach to this occupation. His insistence on releasing Israeli captives while disregarding the suffering of Palestinian detainees perpetuates injustice and inequality. It is a shameful display of hypocrisy that undermines efforts towards a just and lasting peace in the region. This issue is personal. I am a Palestinian-American taxpayer with family in Gaza and the West Bank. I refuse to remain silent as my people suffer under the weight of occupation and siege. Palestinians deserve respect, dignity, justice and freedom. The cry from the river to the sea is a call for liberation from checkpoints, apartheid walls and oppression. It is a plea to live as equals in our ancestral lands, to worship freely, to breathe without fear. It is time for accountability. It is time for justice. It is time for the world to stand with Palestine. Layla Darwish of Fresno is a Palestinian community activist and the founder of the Palestine Freedom Project The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) warned Sunday that the Iranian attack on Israel risks an uncontrollable regional escalation. With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. We will continue to work to stabilize the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives, the G7 leaders said in a statement. Iran launched an aerial assault against Israel on Saturday, firing hundreds of drones and missiles toward the country. Israel, with the help of the United States, intercepted most of the attacks headed toward the country overnight, and no major damage has been reported. The G7 leaders condemned the direct and unprecedented attack launched by Iran in their statement and emphasized their full solidarity and support to Israel. The leaders also noted that they will continue to work to end the ongoing crisis in Gaza, where Israel has been targeting Hamas militants in response to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. We will also strengthen our cooperation to end the crisis in Gaza, including by continuing to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, and deliver increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need, they said. President Biden also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Saturday about the brazen attack against Israel. Ive just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel, Biden said in a statement on Saturday. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating an officer-involved shooting in southwest Georgia. On Friday, April 12, Quitman police were investigating an earlier shooting where someone shot a vehicle multiple times while several people were inside. Police received information about the suspect vehicle and spotted it while patrolling the area. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Two officers tried to make a traffic stop on the vehicle, but the suspects kept going for a short distance before the front passenger jumped out and began running. An officer got out and ran after the suspect. Police said the suspect dropped an item two times while running, stopped to grab it and appeared to hide it in his waistband, then continued running. Police said the officer yelled for the suspect to stop and when he did not, the officer fired several shots at him, hitting him once. The suspect kept running after being shot and got away. Officers searched for the suspect and found him about 20 minutes later hiding in a shed in a nearby yard and arrested him. TRENDING STORIES: The suspect was treated at a nearby hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. At the request of Quitman police, GBI was called in to investigate the shooting. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: German Chancellor arrives on visit to China, plans to discuss Ukraine and economy German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in China on Sunday 14 April with a three-day visit. Source: DW; European Pravda Details: The German Chancellor began his visit in Chongqing. He will also travel to Shanghai and Beijing, where he will meet with Chinese leaders Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Scholz intends to reassure Xi that Germany remains committed to conducting business with the PRC. "China remains a really important economic partner," the chancellor told reporters prior to the visit, adding that he would work to level the playing field for German companies in China. Scholz also intends to use the visit to encourage Xi to influence Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and help resolve Russia's war with Ukraine. This is Scholz's second visit to China since being elected chancellor. The previous one, in November 2022, took place amid strict coronavirus restrictions in the PRC and worries over Berlin's reliance on Chinese imports. Earlier this week, Janet Yellen, US Secretary of the Treasury, indicated that she had "difficult conversations" about Ukraine during her four-day visit to China. Media reports indicated that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in communications with his counterparts in the EU and NATO, stated that China was assisting Russia "at a concerning scale," providing tools and technology. Support UP or become our patron! Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Jerusalem Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Jerusalem CHONGQING, China (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday condemned Iranian airstrikes on Israel "in the strongest possible terms," a spokesperson said during a visit by Scholz to China. "With this irresponsible and unjustifiable attack, Iran is risking a regional conflagration," government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said after Scholz's arrival in the Chinese city of Chongqing. "Germany stands closely by Israel's side," Hebestreit said. "We will now discuss further reactions closely with our G7 partners and allies." Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation. Iran had vowed retaliation for what it called an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1 that killed seven Revolutionary Guards officers including two senior commanders. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the consulate attack. Scholz started his three-day visit to China in Chongqing. Talks with the Chinese leadership in Beijing are planned for Tuesday. The chancellor was kept informed of developments in the Middle East during the night on the flight to Chongqing, according to government sources. The delegation has been in close contact with German security authorities, the sources said. (Reporting by Andrea Rinke; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Chizu Nomiyama) The first business expo will be held at the Gastonia Conference Center. The Gaston Business Association is planning its first small business expo. May 1 is in the middle of Small Business Week, and organizers wanted to showcase businesses that make up the communities in Gaston County. "This expo was inspired by the increasing demand from our investors who wanted to get out into the community more," the organization said in an email. Here are four key things to know about the event: 1. When and where The event will be from 3 to 6 p.m. with a reception to follow at 7 p.m. on May 1, at the Gastonia Conference Center. It is free to attend, but vendors will be charged depending on their membership status with the GBA. It is $50 to set up a booth for current investors/members and $250 for non-investors/members. There are a handful of spots left. 2. Businesses should expect Networking: Businesses will have a networking platform where they can connect with other entrepreneurs, potential clients, suppliers and partners. Exposure: Exhibiting at a small business expo provides businesses with exposure to a targeted audience interested in products or services within their industry. Lead Generation: By participating as an exhibitor, businesses can generate leads and capture contact information of potential customers interested in their offerings. Community Engagement: Small business expos serve as a platform for businesses to engage with the local community and build relationships with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. 3. Attendees should expect Networking opportunities and community engagement Exhibition booths showcasing products, services and solutions from various industries relevant to small businesses Expert advice, consultations and one-on-one meetings with industry professionals, business advisors, and consultants 4. How to register There are two kinds of registration, one for vendors and another for those who wish to attend. Find both at gastonbusiness.com. This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Four things to know about the 2024 Small Business Expo German foreign minister calls for more sanctions on Iran after attack Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister, makes a statement at the Federal Foreign Office following the Iranian attack on Israel. For the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic, Iran had directly attacked its arch-enemy Israel during the night. Fabian Sommer/dpa German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called for tougher sanctions on Tehran after Iran launched a direct and unprecedented attack on Israel. Sanctions are already in play concerning the drones used in Russia's war on Ukraine, she said. "I am strongly in favour of extending them to Iran, because we can see how dangerous its actions are at the moment," she told public broadcaster ARD. Her comments came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Brussels would discuss further sanctions on Iran, particularly with regard to Iran's drone and missile programmes. The European Union imposed additional sanctions on Tehran in December in a bid to prevent Iran from producing drones used by Moscow in Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Annalena Baerbock, Germany's Foreign Minister, speaks in the German Bundestag on the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. Kay Nietfeld/dpa German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is to chair a meeting of the government's Crisis Response Center in Berlin on Sunday to discuss the overnight air attack on Israel mounted by Iran, the Foreign Ministry has announced. The meeting follows the first direct attack on Israeli territory from Iran. An Israeli military spokesman said that 99% of some 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles had been intercepted by Israel and its allies, with minimal damage caused. Iran's "Operation Truthful Promise" was mounted in revenge for an airstrike on its embassy grounds in Damascus on April 1 in which two generals and others were killed. Israel is believed to have carried out the attack and has not denied responsibility. Whether Israel will respond to the Iranian attack is not yet clear. The German-Israeli Society has called for a rally, together with its youth forum, at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on Sunday afternoon in response to the unprecedented Iranian attack on Israel. "We call on Berliners today to show their solidarity with the Jewish and democratic state that has come under attack," it said, calling for supporters to gather at 3 pm (1300 GMT). The German-Israeli society is an independent organization supported by the German Foreign Office. It promotes strong cultural, scientific and civil society ties between the two countries. The call follows the first direct attack on Israeli territory from Iran. An Israeli military spokesman said that 99% of some 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles had been intercepted by Israel and its allies, with minimal damage caused. Iran's "Operation Truthful Promise" was mounted in revenge for an airstrike on its embassy grounds in Damascus on April 1 in which two generals and others were killed. Israel is believed to have carried out the attack and has not denied responsibility. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz takes part in a conference call with the heads of state and government of the G7 countries to discuss the current situation following Iran's attack on Israel. Scholz is currently traveling in China and had to be connected from the Intercontinental Chongqing Hotel. Steffen Kugler/Bundesregierung/dpa-Pool/dpa Berlin German leaders called for de-escalation and urged restraint on Sunday following Iran's overnight attack on Israel. Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned while on a visit to China against any further escalation. "Things must not continue in this way," Scholz said in Chongqing. "We will do everything we can to avoid further escalation." Scholz termed the Iranian attack "absolutely unjustifiable" and added that it was in no way acceptable, understandable or tolerable. "All we can do is warn everyone, especially Iran, against continuing like this," said Scholz. He reiterated Germany's solidarity with Israel, which had every right to defend itself since the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7 last year. Speaking in Berlin after chairing a crisis meeting, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on all the region's actors to act prudently. "The spiral of escalation must be broken. We have to find an end to the violence together," she said. Iran had taken the region "to the edge of a precipice," she said, condemning the attack in the sharpest terms and assuring Israel of Germany's full solidarity. Iran should avoid further attacks mounted by its allies, she added. Germany has urged its citizens to leave Iran. Baerbock pointed to the "millions of women, men and children in Israel, in Iran and in the entire region, who could not sleep last night for fear." President Frank-Walter Steinmeier phoned his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog to assure him of German solidarity. "People in Israel had to seek shelter for hours last night against Iranian drones and missiles. We condemn this attack in the sharpest terms," Steinmeier, a former German foreign minister, told Herzog, according to a statement from his office. He also expressed the hope that escalation could be avoided. The leaders were speaking following the first direct attack on Israeli territory from Iran. An Israeli military spokesman said that 99% of some 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles had been intercepted by Israel and its allies, with minimal damage caused. Iran's "Operation Truthful Promise" was mounted in revenge for an airstrike on its embassy grounds in Damascus on April 1 in which two generals and others were killed. Israel is believed to have carried out the attack and has not denied responsibility. Whether Israel will respond to the Iranian attack is not yet clear. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz makes a statement on the situation in Israel and his trip through China. Michael Kappeler/dpa German leaders called for de-escalation and urged restraint on Sunday following Iran's overnight attack on Israel, amid fears Tehran's move could spark a wider conflagration in the Middle East. Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned while on a visit to China against any further escalation. "Things must not continue in this way," Scholz said in Chongqing. "We will do everything we can to avoid further escalation." Scholz termed the Iranian attack "absolutely unjustifiable" and added that it was in no way acceptable, understandable or tolerable. "All we can do is warn everyone, especially Iran, against continuing like this," said Scholz. He reiterated Germany's solidarity with Israel, which had every right to defend itself since the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7 last year. Scholz's comments came after Iran mounted an unprecedented aerial attack on Israel that was widely expected after a suspected Istaeli strike on a compound at the start of the month. Speaking in Berlin after chairing a crisis meeting, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on all the region's actors to act prudently. "The spiral of escalation must be broken. We have to find an end to the violence together," she said. Iran had taken the region "to the edge of a precipice," she said, condemning the attack in the sharpest terms and assuring Israel of Germany's full solidarity. Iran should avoid further attacks mounted by its allies, she added. Germany has urged its citizens to leave Iran. Baerbock pointed to the "millions of women, men and children in Israel, in Iran and in the entire region, who could not sleep last night for fear." President Frank-Walter Steinmeier phoned his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog to assure him of German solidarity. "People in Israel had to seek shelter for hours last night against Iranian drones and missiles. We condemn this attack in the sharpest terms," Steinmeier, a former German foreign minister, told Herzog, according to a statement from his office. He also expressed the hope that escalation could be avoided. The leaders were speaking following the first direct attack on Israeli territory from Iran. An Israeli military spokesman said that 99% of some 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles had been intercepted by Israel and its allies, with minimal damage caused. Iran's "Operation Truthful Promise" was mounted in revenge for an airstrike on its embassy grounds in Damascus on April 1 in which two generals and others were killed. Israel is believed to have carried out the attack and has not denied responsibility. Whether Israel will respond to the Iranian attack is not yet clear. Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet, later said he had spoken to Baerbock about forming a "global united front" to counter emboldened Iranian aggression directly and through its proxies, regionally and globally. Earlier, he called for the formation of a regional coalition against the Iranian threat. Gantz also conveyed his appreciation for both Germanys and Baerbock's clear stance in support of Israel and the unequivocal German condemnation of the Iranian attack, he said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz makes a statement on the situation in Israel and his trip through China. Michael Kappeler/dpa German Chancellor Olaf Scholz began a three-day visit to China on Sunday, overshadowed by Iran's unprecedented air attack on Israel. Scholz learned of Tehran's massive drone and missile attack during his overnight flight to the Chinese metropolis of Chongqing, which is home to some 32 million inhabitants. Upon landing, Scholz immediately condemned the attack "in the strongest possible terms," in comments on his behalf by government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. Later, Scholz said it was an "an absolutely unjustifiable attack, it is a serious escalation of the situation." "All we can do is warn everyone, especially Iran, against continuing like this," he said, reiterating Germany's solidarity with Israel and the country's right to defend itself since the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7 last year. During the flight, Scholz was constantly updated about the escalation in the Middle East. The delegation was also in close contact with the German security authorities. No phone calls took place with allies from the aircraft, however. A video conference with G7 leaders has been convened for the evening, to coordinate their response to the attack. An IT expert is accompanying the chancellor on his trip, to ensure communications from China are secure against interception. The retaliatory strike had been expected for days, following a suspected Israeli-led airstrike on the Iranian embassy compound in the Syrian capital Damascus. Despite indications that it could occur this weekend, Scholz decided to go ahead with his trip to China. The chancellor stuck largely to his original programme with a planned visit to a Bosch hydrogen drive production facility, accompanied by a high-profile business delegation. A planned talk to students about urban planning remained on the agenda, as did a meeting of German and Chinese researchers on the subject of water quality and a meeting with regional Communist Party Secretary Yuan Jiajun. Sightseeing was struck off the agenda, however, meaning Scholz did not take a planned boat trip on the Yangtze River or a city tour. On Monday, Scholz's visit is expected to continue on to the economic and financial centre of Shanghai. On Tuesday he is due in Beijing for political talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. These two appointments alone - for which the Chinese leadership had cleared several hours - ruled out a cancellation of the trip. The talks could even be helpful given the new escalation to the conflict in the Middle East, where China had kept a low profile until now. On Sunday, however, Beijing expressed "deep concern." In a statement, the Foreign Ministry called on all sides to "exercise calm and restraint to prevent a further increase in tensions." Scholz is also expected to discuss the conflict in Ukraine when he meets with Xi, who is considered one of the closest allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, the trip is considered a key test of Germany's new "de-risking" strategy towards China, agreed by Scholz's coalition government last year. The aim is to reduce economic dependencies on China, after Germany learned lessons from its energy reliance on Russia when Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. China remains Germany's second-largest trading partner, however. The German chancellor is accompanied by a dozen top managers. Among them are the chief executives of the car manufacturers Mercedes-Benz and BMW as well as the chemical company BASF. In Beijing, Scholz is also expected to be accompanied by Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir, Transport Minister Volker Wissing and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke. This is Scholz'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 ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This time, he is taking three days - more than ever before for a single country on one trip. Beijing expects the visit to "inject new momentum" into the bilateral relationship, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, considered to be a Communist Party mouthpiece. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wears protective goggles during his visit to the research project of the Free State of Saxony and the University of Chongqing in China to monitor water quality. Michael Kappeler/dpa German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (2nd L) visits the research project of the Free State of Saxony and the University of Chongqing in China to monitor water quality. Michael Kappeler/dpa German Chancellor Olaf Scholz makes a statement on the situation in Israel and his trip through China. Michael Kappeler/dpa German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned against "any further escalation" following the Iranian airstrikes on Israel. "Things must not continue in this way," Scholz said on Sunday in the Chinese metropolis of Chongqing. "We will do everything we can to avoid further escalation." Scholz once again strongly condemned the Iranian attack. "This is an absolutely unjustifiable attack, it is a serious escalation of the situation," he said, adding that it was in no way acceptable, understandable or tolerable. "All we can do is warn everyone, especially Iran, against continuing like this," said Scholz. He reiterated Germany's solidarity with Israel, which had every right to defend itself since the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7 last year. Scholz announced that a meeting would take place later with the ministers responsible for security in his cabinet. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser are to take part. The meeting is to take place before Scholz participates in a videoconference of G7 leaders later on Sunday. A drone is launched in an undisclosed area in Iran as Iran launches dozens of drones toward Israel. Tasnim News Agancy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa GOP officials from both the House and the Senate took to the Sunday shows to try and chastise President Joe Biden for Irans attack on Israel on Saturdayeven as Biden directed the U.S. to help intercept Irans drone and missiles. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), along with Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), J.D. Vance (R-OH), and John Kennedy (R-LA), all appeared on various Sunday morning talk shows to respond to Irans Saturday attack on Israel, its first direct attack on the U.S. ally. Each of them took turns in their respective interviews bashing the Biden administrations Middle East policiesand then said that more aid funding needed to pass Congress to bolster Israels defenses. World on Edge as Israels War Cabinet Plots Retaliation Turner, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, tried to use his Meet the Press interview on Sunday to rail against the Biden administrations perceived deference to Iran, arguing that the White Houses insistence on Sunday that it did not want to further escalate the conflict amounted to a dismissal of Irans attack, which came days after the killing of one of Irans top officials in Syria (which Tehran blames on Israel). The administrationbecause we were successful, because we invested in missile-defense technology with Israelthe administration is acting like, Well, you know, we defended Israel against these attacks. This is not escalating, Turner told moderator Kristen Welker. This is escalation. Kristen Welker does a nice job pushing back on GOP Rep. Mike Turner as he tries to spread misleading right-wing talking points about Biden's Iran policy on Meet the Press pic.twitter.com/qaC9q5DfrM Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2024 He then tried to list the various ways the Biden administration allowed Irans military operations to grow, saying the country should never be allowed to be a nuclear weapons state (despite former President Donald Trumps decision to pull the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal) and noting the GOP refrain that the U.S. allowed $6 billion to flow to Iran to free U.S. prisoners. The Biden administration froze the transfer of those assets after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. Those assets are frozen and havent made their way to Iran, Welker said, as you know, Congressman. Rubio was one of multiple Republicans on Sunday who attacked Biden for reportedly telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take the win and declaring the U.S. wouldnt support a strike on Iran. Rubio told CNNs Jake Tapper that the U.S. had no business telling a besieged nation how to respond. Im not the one that was attacked by 300 rockets and missiles and drones. I do know that Israel has a very clear military doctrine, and that is that they respond to attacks by responding to those with something much more severe, said Rubio, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He added: What I dont understand is why Joe Biden and the administration would leak to the media the contents of a conversation in which he tells Netanyahu he doesnt think Netanyahu should respond at all. It is the continuing part of this public game that they are playing which, frankly, encourages Iran and Hezbollah, which we havent even talked about, and the Houthis and all these other elements that are targeting Israel. Johnson, the House Speaker, tried to find a fine line between criticizing the administration and complimenting the U.S. response to the attacks. He told Fox News Maria Bartiromo that the U.S. showed resolve by helping intercept the Iranian drones, though he criticized Democrats for their past denouncement of Israels attacks on Gaza. Still, he said House Republicans would work to again bring a supplemental aid package to the House floor this week and hinted that the package could include some aid for Ukraine, a previous point of contention for hard-line Republicans. Trump suggested on Friday that U.S. aid to Ukraine could be in the form of a loan, a position Johnson said on Sunday he was considering. Hes introduced the loan-lease concept, which is an important one that I think has a lot of consensus, Johnson said, adding: These are ideas that I think can get consensus and thats what weve been working through. Well send our packagewell put something together and send it to the Senate and get our obligations completed. 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. How we got here: A timeline of the Donald Trump-Stormy Daniels hush money case Jurors found former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in his New York hush money trial, the first criminal trial of a US ex-president. Judge Juan Merchan set a sentencing hearing for July 11. This is the first of four criminal cases expected to go to trial for Trump, also the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee. CNN compiled a timeline of the key events leading up to the historic trial. Heres how we got here: For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Whether you are an experienced investor or just getting started, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be a great addition to your portfolio for their diversification and simplicity. Vanguard is one of the largest investment firms in the world, and offers plenty of low-cost ETFs like the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (NYSEMKT: VYM). Another good option is dividend-paying companies with track records of growing their earnings and boosting payouts over time. Utility American Electric Power (NASDAQ: AEP) is a stable stalwart, while oilfield services company Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR) has more risk, but also higher growth potential. Here's what makes these income-producing investments worth a closer look. Image source: Getty Images. Your low-cost ticket to investment income Daniel Foelber (Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF): With $67.9 billion in net assets, the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF is a sizable yet low-cost way to achieve diversification across quality dividend stocks. The fund has a 0.06% expense ratio, which is slightly higher than those of funds like the Vanguard Growth ETF or Vanguard Value ETF, which both have 0.04% expense ratios. Even if you're investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in these funds, however, the difference is negligible. For example, a $100,000 investment at a 0.06% expense ratio is only charged $60, compared to $40 at 0.04%. Vanguard makes money because it manages trillions of dollars, so it can afford to charge dirt-cheap fees. The High Dividend Yield ETF has 451 holdings with an average price-to-earnings ratio of just 16.3 and a dividend yield of 2.8%. For comparison, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has a 26 P/E ratio and a yield of just 1.3%. The High Dividend Yield ETF achieves a lower multiple and higher yield by avoiding expensive growth stocks and targeting the less expensive sectors in the stock market. It is overweight sectors like consumer staples, energy, financials, utilities, and industrials. Top holdings aren't Magnificent Seven stocks like Microsoft or Nvidia, but Dividend Kings like Procter & Gamble and Walmart. When the fund does invest in technology, it does so through a dividend-paying chip stock like Broadcom. Its top healthcare stocks are stodgy dividend-paying companies like Johnson & Johnson. The fund has holdings in drugmakers with high yields like Merck and AbbVie, not a highflyer like Eli Lilly. With a focus on blue-chip stocks, value, and income, the fund is a good choice for investors looking for reliable passive income and capital preservation rather than innovative growth stocks that are driving today's bull market. Story continues American Electric Power can charge up your passive income stream Scott Levine (American Electric Power): There's no denying that a high-yield Vanguard fund is alluring, but choosing an individual stock with a hefty payout can also be appealing -- especially when it's sitting in the bargain bin. To this end, American Electric Power is certainly a stock that income investors should have on their radars. Between the electricity utility stock's inexpensive valuation and its forward-yielding dividend of 4.2%, today seems like a great time for income investors to click the buy button on American Electric Power stock. Investors often flinch at the thought of buying high-yield dividend stocks because they're unsure of whether the company can sustain the dividend or if the high payout is imperiling the company's finances. These concerns are easily addressed in a regulated utility stock like American Electric Power. Because American Electric Power operates in regulated markets, it ensures certain rates of return. This provides management with a good perspective into future cash flows, helping it to plan for capital expenditures accordingly. From 2024 through 2028, American Electric Power projects generating $38 billion in operating cash flow and returning $11.2 billion in dividends to investors. In terms of earnings, American Electric Power is targeting a conservative payout ratio of 60% to 70% -- something that seems attainable considering its five-year average payout ratio is 68.9%. Currently, shares of American Electric Power are trading at 7.6 times operating cash flow, representing a discount to their five-year-average cash flow multiple of 9.6. But that's not the only way the stock seems attractively priced. With regards to earnings, American Electric Power's stock has a 19.8 price-to-earnings ratio, lower than its five-year-average P/E of 20.1 and the S&P 500's earnings multiple of 28.25. Investors looking for exposure to rising energy prices should consider Baker Hughes Lee Samaha (Baker Hughes): Unfortunately, the world is an unstable place, and a lot of oil is produced in areas of geopolitical instability. Moreover, there's always the chance that they become more unstable in the current environment. This is not the place for speculation on such matters, but it suffices to note that Reuters has been reporting significant buying of energy-related futures by hedge funds lately. Throw in the OPEC and OPEC+ production cuts led by Saudi Arabia and Russia to support prices, and there's plenty of reason to believe that a relatively high price of oil is here to stay. It also supports the idea that there'll be a shift in who invests in energy where. That's all positive for the outlook for Baker Hughes, a stock held in the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF. That said, the company is far from a play on traditional fossil fuels. Indeed, Baker Hughes is growing its liquefied natural gas equipment and services, and it's also rapidly expanding its "new energy" orders (expected to triple from 2021 to 2024, reaching $800 million to $1 billion), expecting them to hit $6 billion to $7 billion in 2030. The midpoint of management's earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) calls for $4.3 billion in EBITDA in 2024, a figure that puts the stock on a forward enterprise value (market cap plus net debt) to EBITDA ratio of less than nine. That's attractive by itself, and even more so in the current environment where the risk is to the upside for energy prices. Should you invest $1,000 in Vanguard Whitehall Funds - Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF right now? Before you buy stock in Vanguard Whitehall Funds - Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF, 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 Vanguard Whitehall Funds - Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $540,321!* 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 quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of April 8, 2024 Daniel Foelber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Scott Levine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Merck, Microsoft, Nvidia, Vanguard Index Funds-Vanguard Growth ETF, Vanguard Index Funds-Vanguard Value ETF, Vanguard Whitehall Funds-Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and Johnson & Johnson and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. If You Like This High-Yield Vanguard Fund, Then You'll Love These Two Dividend Stocks was originally published by The Motley Fool The dome of the Montana Capitol, with the statue of Mike and Maureen Mansfield in the lower center (By Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan). The 1972 Montana Constitution is extraordinary; it is the peoples true treasure. Montanas state motto is Oro y Plata, which is Spanish for Gold and Silver. This motto is in tandem with Montanas state nickname, The Treasure State, both named for the states mineral wealth. Throughout the states history, those abundant natural resources and the people have been extracted and exploited by out-of-state corporations. Since 1906, the voters of Montana have used the citizens ballot measures to assert their sovereign rights. Many voters do not clearly understand the importance of Article III, Sections 4 (Initiatives) and 5 (Referendum) of the 1972 Montana Constitution. These sections grant the people the primary tools needed to ensure the rights of the majority of voters are secure. During the 2021 and 2023 Legislative sessions, the supermajority party repeatedly attacked the peoples constitutional rights and sovereignty. Without the right to enact laws by initiative and the right to approve or reject unpopular laws enacted by the Legislature, the personal freedoms and economic opportunities for the people of Montana will quickly disappear. The voters passed Montanas first initiative and referendum law (1906) by a 6-to-1 margin. In 1912, this right was first used to pass the first tax on the largest mines (owned mostly by out-of-state interests). Montanas first campaign finance law and a law to enact the popular election of Montana Senators were passed in 1912. Montanas first gas tax for roads, homestead property tax relief, lobbyist disclosure rules, the authority to invest the proceeds of the coal tax trust fund into Montana, term limits for state elected officials, two initiatives to raise the minimum wage for Montanas workers,(1996 and 2006) and funding for Healthy Montana Kids were only possible through citizens ballot measures. During the 2023 Legislative Session, I was a volunteer activist for a 100-year-old nonpartisan political advocacy organization. I testified on 80 bills, and more than half of those bills clearly infringed on citizens rights (as established by the 1972 Constitution). Personally, as a life long independent voter, Senate Bill 93 was the most important bill. During the years I was studying for a Masters of Divinity, I accepted a paid summer internship funded by Let Justice Roll and Our Faith Our Vote. My duties were to educate and organize faith communities to support the Raise Montana initiative. During decades of working as a nonpartisan political activist, most of the time I felt disenfranchised. Although I worked on political campaigns, it was always done to support individual candidates with the character and track record of working for the benefit of the people they represent (whether Republican or Democrat). The 2006 Raise Montana initiative passed because it had many different organizations and communities working together to get it passed. That is the power of citizens ballot initiatives; they break the two-party duopoly and bring diverse groups of people together, or they dont secure the majority of the popular vote. For decades, I worked in economic development, specializing in supporting the growth and success of Montana-based small businesses. Looking back, that was a good fit for me. I believe neither party represents Montanas small businesses. The Montana Chamber of Commerce primarily represents big corporations, not main street businesses. Small businesses generally do not have the discretionary resources to influence politicians. I mention this as background information as I describe my experience testifying at the Senate Bill 93 hearing before the Senate State Administration Committee in early February 2023. (SB 93 placed additional requirements for citizens in the ballot initiative process.) There was a diverse but small coalition of opponents ready to testify against SB 93. Because of the reputation of the nonpartisan organization I was volunteering for, I was given the privilege of being the first opposition speaker. I arrived early so that I could secure a seat near the podium. Before I entered the hearing room, I noticed a group of corporate lobbyists some of whom I recognized from past sessions. It was the usual group of corporate lobbyists representing out-of-state interests, the extractive industry, construction, banking and Northwestern Energy (Montanas utility monopoly). They appeared to be well-organized, and one of the younger women in the crowd was passing out packets of paper. As soon as the room was opened, I entered and sat on a chair near the podium. It was a very small room for a public hearing on such an important bill. The room filled up quickly, and then the Senators began to arrive. When the Committee Chair arrived, he instructed the opponents to SB 93 to vacate the room to allow the proponents to fill the room. Some of the opponents gathered in a hallway near the hearing room where we could watch the hearing on a television screen. It was noisy; there were only a few chairs to sit on, and we could only see the back of the person speaking at the podium. The chairman opened the hearing on SB 93, and after a few brief comments, he turned the podium over to the young corporate lobbyist I had seen handing out packets of paper in the hallway. She introduced herself as speaking on behalf of the Montana Chamber of Commerce. She handed a stack of the same papers she had been handing out in the hallway to be distributed to the Senators at the table. The packet was an amended version of Senate Bill 93. Sen. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka, introduced Senate Bill 93 on behalf of the State Administration Interim Committee. The interim committee process is designed to allow public input and bipartisan agreement on bills to be introduced in the following legislative session. All of that was dismissed when Cuffe turned the bill over to the corporate lobbyists. It felt like a trip back to the time when Anaconda Copper Co., Montana Power, and Burlington Northern Railroad controlled Montana politics. The hearing for SB 93 was just the most recent example of corporations versus the sovereign rights of the people of Montana. Rising to speak as the first opponent to the bill, it was difficult to control my anger. The room was too small, I was wearing a mask, and it was difficult to breathe. As a representative of an organization, my testimony had to be approved in advance. However, I began my testimony off script, registering an objection to the situation. The Chamber amendments substantially changed the scope of the bill, and the opponents did not have access to the amended bill before or even during the hearing. I requested that the chairman grant some kind of accommodation so that the opponents could respond to the bill as amended. That request was not honored. There never was a fair and open hearing on Senate Bill 93. I moved to Oregon in the summer of 2023, and I am no longer registered to vote in Montana. I still care deeply about the people of Montana. I felt compelled to offer this commentary. As I write this, the future of health care for Montana women is being held hostage by the unconstitutional provisions of Senate Bill 93. Because of SB 93 and the predecessor bill from the 2021 session (House Bill 651), the Attorney General and Legislative Interim Committees feel empowered to cause prolonged and unnecessary delays that prevent citizens from gathering signatures. The proponents of SB 93 knew what they were doing. They want to take Montana back to the days of our early statehood (before 1906) when out-of-state corporations had all the political power. We need to educate Montana voters. The rights and laws related to citizens ballot measures are absolutely necessary to protect basic rights. Popular sovereignty is government based on the consent of the people. The government is not legitimate if the elected leaders disregard the will of the people. The Montana Constitutions Declaration of Rights begins with this: Article II. Section 1. Popular Sovereignty. All political power is vested in and derived from the people. All government of right originates with the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole. The post The government works for the people in Montana, not the politicians appeared first on Daily Montanan. Russian troops launched an aerial bomb attack on a village in eastern Donetsk Oblast, killing one person and wounding two, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported on April 14. The attack hit a five-story building in the village of Ocheretyne, located a half-and-an-hour drive northwest of Russian-occupied Avdiivka. Rescuers had retrieved the body of a 67-year-old woman from the rubble, according to Filashkin. The wounded were hospitalized, he added. Russia's deadly attack on the village comes as Russia steps up its offensives in the east. Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on April 13 that the situation on Ukraine's eastern front has "significantly deteriorated in recent days," with Russian troops increasing armored assaults in the areas of Bakhmut, Lyman, and Pokrovsk. "Now I call: dont risk your life! Evacuate!" Governor Filashkin said in his Telegram post, urging civilians remaining in Donetsk Oblast to evacuate. Throughout Russia's full-scale war, Russian troops have launched deadly attacks against civilians across Ukraine's east and south leaving remaining residents in front-line areas at grave risk. At least 604 Ukrainian civilians were killed or injured in March, representing a 20% increase from the previous month, the U.N.'s human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine said in a report released on April 9. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the U.N. said that at least 10,810 civilians have been killed and at least 20,556 injured. But it emphasized that the true figure of civilian casualties is likely much higher, as the true toll on Russian-occupied territories remains unknown. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Grandmother to missing mothers kids in custody, along with her boyfriend UPDATE 6:40 P.M. Four names are being reported to have come out of the Texas County Jail after the grandmother of Veronica Butlers kids was booked. NewsNation reports that a Cora Twombly, a Cole Twombly, Tad Cullum, and the kids grandmother Tifany Adams were booked. CIMMARON COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) Moments ago the grandmother to Veronica Butlers kids was arrested and booked into Texas County Jail. Butler and Jilian Kelley were headed to pick up those kids two weeks ago before they vanished. The two names of those arrested came from NewsNation, a sister company of KFOR. NewsNation reporters on the scene Saturday were there while arrests were being made. Tifany Adams, 54, and her boyfriend Tad Cullum were booked, per reporter Nancy Loo. According to Loo, several agencies were called into Cimmaron County Saturday afternoon where arrests were made at several properties. So far, OSBI has confirmed four people are in custody connected to the disappearance of the two women. Adams was also said to have had custody of Butlers kids before she went missing. As authorities continue to investigate the case of two missing Kansas mothers, sources said that police suspect the women were shot and blood was found near the vehicle they were last seen driving. Police say Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley of Hugoton, Kansas, disappeared after their car was found 1,000 feet off of Oklahoma State Highway 95 along a dirt path on March 30. NewsNation previously reported that a small amount of blood was found inside the vehicle, but sources now say that there were also separate puddles of blood outside of the vehicle. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Calls for transparency echoed outside of Lansing City Hall Saturday. People who gathered there said theyre waiting for the Lansing Police Department to release footage of a shooting that wounded two if its officers. Around 12 people, saying they are family and friends of the suspect, who was also shot in the altercation, are demanding answers. The groups main message on Saturday was for LPD to release any footage it has of the April 10 incident. They said it will show the suspects side of the story. LPD officials say the 28-year-old suspect shot and wounded two LPD officers. The group on Saturday was holding signs and demanding answers, saying they want open communications with LPD, and added that it has already been a hassle communicating with the police department. People gather outside Lansing City Hall April 13, demanding LPD release video footage from an April 10 shooting. (WLNS) We are just here, trying to get a response from the police department, said Brianna Ortiz, a sibling of the suspects. Weve reached out to them numerous times; Ive left my phone number; Ive left my email; and nobody has contacted us on any updates on anything, even his condition. We wouldnt have even known if he was in the hospital, if it hadnt been for the community, she said. LPD has yet to release the name of the suspect, as well as the officers who were injured. The department did give 6 News the following statement: When appropriate, and properly cleared by MSP, we intend to release the relevant video footage of the incident. We do not want to jeopardize MSPs investigation. Lansing Police Department statement For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. Your guide to The Tribunes new print publication schedule, plus new features Tribune readers who receive the print edition will notice several major changes beginning Monday. Heres what you need to know and where to find your favorite content. Print schedule: Starting this week we will publish print newspapers on Wednesdays and Sundays and continue to be delivered alongside your regular mail delivery. The Sunday newspaper will arrive on Saturday as it has since December. Single copies also will be available at select retail locations. eEdition schedule: The eEdition will continue to publish seven days a week at sanluisobispo.com and in our digital app available on your cellphone and tablets. And well continue to publish news digitally throughout the day, every day, including late-breaking news things such as election results, council meetings and crime. The eEdition also includes the robust Extra Extra package of additional national news, sports, features, puzzles, comics and opinion content. Website, apps, social media, newsletters: We update our website, apps, social media accounts and newsletters seven days a week. Where to find your favorite content News: The print editions of the paper will have more pages of news content, and well continue to place our top journalism in print. But most stories will appear online on the website and often in the eEdition before they are featured in the print editions. Puzzles: Puzzles will be published daily in the eEdition. The print editions will include puzzles from nonprint days so the Wednesday paper, for example, will have the Monday and Tuesday puzzles, too. Comics: Comics will be published daily in the eEdition. In print, well continue to publish the Sunday comics. TV listings: TV listings, including the sports-specific listings, will be published daily in the eEdition. In print, youll see the listings for that specific day. Weather: Weather will run daily in the eEdition and in each print edition. New features Along with the print change, weve got some exciting new features as well. No. 1 is universal access for Tribune subscribers across all 30 of McClatchys news sites. That means your login will allow you to read the Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee and Sacramento Bee at no extra cost, along with other newspapers across the country, including the Miami Herald, the Kansas City Star, the Tacoma News-Tribune and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. This is a huge value addition to your subscription at no extra cost, especially for people with ties to the San Joaquin Valley and anyone interested in California politics and the state capital. In the coming months, well also launch a new eEdition portal and reader interface. The new interface will make it easier to select the edition and section you want to read. As always, The Tribune will continue to provide you with essential daily coverage of our community, including the latest breaking news and important investigative reporting that holds our leaders accountable through features like our Reality Check series. We have the most experienced newsroom in San Luis Obispo County, with roots that go back decades and a history that dates to 1869. The California News Publishers Association has named The Tribune best in class three out of the last five years, with first-place awards for general excellence, public service, investigative reporting and more. Our reporters, editors and visual journalists produce groundbreaking work across a wide range of topics and beats. If youre already a subscriber, thank you for supporting local journalism and being a champion for our democracy. If you havent activated your digital access, be sure to do that at sanluisobispo.com/activate so you can get the most out of your subscription. If you arent a subscriber, please consider being a part of the solution. Our community deserves a strong, independent local news source, and we cant do our work without you. Subscribers with questions can contact our customer service team at 800-750-4967 or customerservice@thetribunenews.com. Joe Tarica has been the editor of The Tribune since 2018 and and has been on staff for more than 30 years. Contact him at jtarica@thetribunenews.com. By Samia Nakhoul and Pesha Magid DUBAI/RIYADH (Reuters) - Gulf states are pushing to stop a full-blown regional war after Iran's unprecedented retaliatory strikes on Israel, sources in the region said, fearing new escalation could put them on front lines of a conflagration and ruin plans to reshape the region. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in particular may be well placed to triangulate between Iran, Israel and the United States after diplomatic advances in recent years that benefited all those countries. Allies of Washington, Gulf monarchies have sought to stabilise ties with Iran and Israel to resolve longstanding security concerns and allow them to focus on national projects. The UAE and Bahrain signed a normalisation deal with Israel in 2020 and Saudi Arabia was considering a similar agreement also involving a U.S. defence pact until the Gaza war torpedoed diplomacy. Riyadh also buried the hatchet with Iran last year after years of feuding. However, the policy of detente now faces its greatest ever threat as the risk to wider regional peace raised by Israel's conflict with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7 comes to a head. A direct war between Israel and Iran could swiftly expand to Gulf states whose air space lies between the pair, and which host several military bases of the United States, which has vowed to defend its ally Israel. "Nobody wants an escalation. Everybody wants to contain the situation," said a Gulf source close to government circles, adding that there was probably wide telephone diplomacy under way. "The pressure is not on Iran alone. The pressure is now on Israel not to retaliate," said the source, adding that the fallout of an Israeli attack on key Iranian sites "will affect all the region". Another Gulf source with knowledge of official thinking said Gulf states, Iraq and Jordan are pushing both Iran and Israel's main backer the United States not to escalate. Washington was already pressing Israel to show restraint, both sources said. At the same time, the United States was using Gulf countries to convey messages to Iran not to escalate any further, the source with knowledge of official thinking added. "It is clear that America is using Gulf Arab allies to convey messages between Iran and the Americans. Saudi Arabia is maintaining contacts with Iran and there is an understanding to contain things," the source said. Reuters has requested comment from both Saudi Arabia and the UAE on how they are handling the crisis. Still, both the sources as well as analysts in the Gulf believed the most dangerous moment may have passed. "The Iranians took their shot," said Abdulaziz al-Sager, head of the Gulf Research Centre close to government circles, indicating that for Tehran, the escalatory phase was over, and adding that Washington did not want an escalation from Israel. RISKS There have been many recent reminders of Gulf states' vulnerability. Iran on Saturday seized a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow stretch of water through which most Gulf energy exports pass, and has threatened to close shipping lanes there entirely. Meanwhile Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group, against which Saudi Arabia was fighting for years until moving towards a peace deal in December, has repeatedly attacked shipping and deployed drones towards Israel skirting Saudi airspace in recent months. The Houthis had several times attacked key Saudi Arabian energy facilities in recent years before the peace talks gained momentum last year and retain the capacity to do so again. In 2019 they hit key facilities in Saudi Arabia that process the vast majority of the country's crude output and in 2022 they attacked three oil tanker trucks in the UAE. "A conflagration will see the price of oil shooting up. The traffic of oil will be affected," the source said, describing likely outcomes of a wider regional war. De facto Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has for years tried to focus on his ambitious vision to develop mega projects in the kingdom free from geopolitical distractions. Saudi economic ambitions were at the heart of Riyadh's push for detente with Iran, but the kingdom was also very concerned about security, said Saudi analyst Aziz Algashian. "It's not just about the projects in our prosperous region... It doesn't want to be caught in the crossfire between Israel, Iran and the United States," he said. The war in Gaza had already put policies of entente under strain. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain made peace with Israel in 2020 through the so-called 'Abraham accords' and Saudi Arabia was considering following suit in return for U.S. security commitments. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Iran last year put aside decades of destructive feuding that had fuelled conflicts around the region with a deal to restore diplomatic ties and avoid harming each other's interests. But the devastation in Gaza has derailed further moves towards peace with Israel, and Iran's backing of regional Shi'ite Muslim allies that have targeted U.S. bases in Iraq and elsewhere has raised concerns in the Gulf. The fact that detente might allow Gulf states to bring down regional tensions was probably regarded in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi as confirmation their policy was working, Algashian said. "If there wasn't Saudi-Iranian normalisation and rapprochement, Saudi Arabia would be far more anxious right now," he said. (Reporting by Samia Nakhoul and Maha El Dahan in Dubai and Pesha Majid in Riyadh; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Susan Fenton) Paramedic staff move a coffin box, after gunmen shot and killed nine men after abducting them from a Iran-bound bus in Noshki district, at a hospital in Quetta Paramedic staff move a coffin box, after gunmen shot and killed nine men after abducting them from a Iran-bound bus in Noshki district, at a hospital in Quetta By Saleem Ahmed QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) -Gunmen shot and killed nine men after abducting them from a bus in a troubled province in southwestern Pakistan bordering Afghanistan and Iran, officials said on Saturday. A separatist militant group, Baloch Liberation Army, claimed responsibility for the Friday night attack in Balochistan province in Pakistan's southwest. In a statement sent to a Reuters reporter, it said those killed were intelligence operatives, which authorities denied saying they were labourers heading to Iran. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the killings. Separatist ethnic Baloch insurgent groups in the mineral-rich region have been fighting for decades against the state, saying it denies them their share of regional resources. Several gunmen intercepted the Iran-bound bus in Noshki district, taking the nine men with them after determining they were from the eastern province of Punjab, said police officer Abdullah Mengal. "All of them were travelling to Taftan," he said. The victims were shot at close range, he said. Their bullet-ridden bodies were found beneath a bridge after one and a half hours, said the district deputy commissioner, Habibullah Musakhail. The insurgents have previously claimed responsibility for similar killings in the region, which is home to deep-water Gwadar sea port being developed by neighbouring China. The insurgents have also targeted Chinese nationals and their interests. Beijing has invested heavily in regional development projects as part of its $65 billion pledge under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. (Reporting by Saleem Ahmed; Aditional reporting by Saud Meusud in Dera Ismail Khan; Writing by Asif Shahzad; Editing by William Mallard) A Gwinnett County man will spend the rest of his life in prison after his sentencing on Friday. Bernie Ray Mack, 63, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 30 years after a Gwinnett County jury found him guilty of malice murder, voluntary manslaughter, two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of gun possession during the commission of a felony for the 2022 shooting deaths of Bridget Pearl Brooks-Mack and Jeremy Roshawn Santos. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] In May 2022, Gwinnett County police responded to Macks home on Harbor Bay Drive and Chandler Road in Lawrenceville just after 6 p.m. after reports of a person shot during a domestic incident. Police determined a dispute from days earlier involving Mack, his wife Brooks-Mack, Macks stepdaughter Briana Santos, and her husband Jeremy Santos spilled over and resulted in Mack shooting his spouse at their home. Mack, police said fled the home after shooting and killing his wife. Briana and Jeremy Santos arrived to Macks home shortly where they found Brianas mother dead inside. As the couple called the police and drove away from the home with their children in the car, they passed Mack returning to the neighborhood in his vehicle. TRENDING STORIES: Santos, who was armed with a handgun, fired at Macks car, police said. Mack then turned his car around to chase Santos with his vehicle. Santos exited his vehicle to run from Mack, who chased him on foot. Both individuals were firing at one another, however, witnesses told police they saw Mack shoot Santos six times as Briana drove away. After he was convinced by a neighbor to put his weapon down, Mack remained on scene and was arrested by GCPD. We offer condolences to the Santos and Brooks family and hope that this conviction brings some closure and level of healing, said Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. The defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison for his thoughtless actions when he killed two people. The loved ones of Bridget Brooks-Mack and Jeremy Santos spoke about their enduring legacies. We hope that this verdict will send a message in our community that violence is never an acceptable end to a dispute. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: When you buy and hold a stock for the long term, you definitely want it to provide a positive return. Furthermore, you'd generally like to see the share price rise faster than the market. Unfortunately for shareholders, while the Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (NYSE:OPY) share price is up 48% in the last five years, that's less than the market return. The last year hasn't been great either, with the stock up just 2.5%. So let's assess the underlying fundamentals over the last 5 years and see if they've moved in lock-step with shareholder returns. View our latest analysis for Oppenheimer Holdings 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, Oppenheimer Holdings achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 5.8% per year. This EPS growth is lower than the 8% average annual increase in the share price. So it's fair to assume the market has a higher opinion of the business than it did five years ago. That's not necessarily surprising considering the five-year track record of earnings growth. The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). Dive deeper into Oppenheimer Holdings' key metrics by checking this interactive graph of Oppenheimer Holdings's earnings, revenue and cash flow. 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 incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Oppenheimer Holdings, it has a TSR of 69% 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 Oppenheimer Holdings provided a TSR of 4.1% over the last twelve months. Unfortunately this falls short of the market return. If we look back over five years, the returns are even better, coming in at 11% per year for five years. It's quite possible the business continues to execute with prowess, even as the share price gains are slowing. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Oppenheimer Holdings better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Oppenheimer Holdings that you should be aware of before investing here. Story continues Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on 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. Half of French youth ready to fight in Ukraine to defend France's interests, study finds Half of the French youth would be willing to enlist in the military and fight on the territory of Ukraine if it were necessary to defend France's interests. Source: Le Parisien, citing the results of a study conducted by the Institute for Strategic Research (IRSEM) and the Directorate-General for International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS), as reported by European Pravda IRSEM and DGRIS are entities within the French Defence Ministry structure. The studys results were published on 12 April, and the data was collected many months before. The research was led by Anne Muxel who analysed a series of surveys, including a questionnaire conducted by Ipsos among 2,300 French people aged 18-25 in the summer of 2023. Among the questions was: "If France's defence required its participation in the war in Ukraine, would you be willing to join to defend your country?" 51% of respondents, including both boys and girls, answered affirmatively, with 17% giving a very confident response and 34% answering "probably yes". In a question not mentioning Ukraine, 57% of respondents expressed readiness to take up arms to defend France in the event of war. About a third of respondents, 31%, are supportive of potential French military involvement in the war on Ukraine's side, whereas this figure is 17% among the 50+ age group. 62% of respondents believe it would be appropriate to reinstate compulsory military service, which France abolished in 1997. French media note that data collection took place long before President Emmanuel Macron publicly stated that he does not rule out involving Western allies in Ukraine, sparking heated discussions and public objections from most European capitals. Support UP or become our patron! Hamas has demanded a clear written commitment that Israel will withdraw from the Gaza Strip during the second of a three-phase cease-fire deal, a senior Egyptian official and a Hamas official said Sunday. The Palestinian militant group said Saturday it submitted its response to a six-week cease-fire proposal to Egyptian and Qatari mediators. It said its still committed to its demands for a permanent cease-fire, Israeli army withdrawal from all parts of Gaza, the return of displaced people to their homes, intensifying the flow of aid and the start of reconstruction. We confirm our readiness to reach a deal regarding a serious exchange of prisoners between the two sides, Hamas said. Israel said earlier Sunday that Hamas had rejected the latest proposal for a deal submitted last week. The proposal presented to both sides calls for a six-week cease-fire in Gaza, during which Hamas would release 40 of the more than 100 hostages the group is holding in the enclave in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, including 100 serving long sentences for serious crimes. The Egyptian official said Hamas wants a comprehensive, phased deal that included ending the war, Israels withdrawal from Gaza and an agreement of all hostages in return for a large number of Palestinian prisoners. Israel says it wants to destroy Hamas military and governing capabilities. The officials said the response also included an increase in the number of Palestinian prisoners Hamas wants released from Israel. The officials from Egypt and Hamas spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to disclose details from the sensitive negotiations. They said that Hamas response included the unrestricted return of displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza through the two main south-north thoroughfares. The Egyptian official said mediators will carefully review the response before calling for another round of talks. By Nidal al-Mughrabi CAIRO (Reuters) - The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has rejected an Israeli ceasefire proposal, saying on Saturday it had handed to mediators in Egypt and Qatar its response to the proposal it had received last Monday. After more than six months of war with Israel in Gaza, the negotiations remain deadlocked, with Hamas sticking to its demands that any agreement must end the war. "We.. reaffirm our adherence to our demands and the national demands of our people; with a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced to their areas and places of residence, intensification of the entry of relief and aid, and the start of reconstruction," the Islamist faction said. Israel wants to secure the return of hostages seized by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war, but says it will not stop fighting until Hamas is destroyed as a military force. It also says it still plans to carry out an assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than a million civilians have taken refuge. Hamas said on Saturday it was ready to conclude a prisoners-for-hostages swap deal with Israel that would see the release of 133 hostages still believed to be held in Gaza in return for hundreds of Palestinians jailed in Israel. There was no official Israeli comment on Hamas response. The Hamas statement came a few days after Israel killed several members of the family of the group's chief Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, raising fears among the families of hostages that it would derail efforts to secure their release from Gaza. Speaking to Reuters in Qatar a day after the killing, Haniyeh said his group still sought a deal but accused Israel of procrastinating and evading a response to the group's demands. Global calls for a ceasefire have been growing as the war has entered its seventh month, but there has been little sign of progress in the talks. Hamas is demanding an end to the Israeli offensive, a withdrawal of Israeli forces, and permission for Gaza's displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. (Writing and reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Additional reporting by Adam Makary and Ahmed Tolba; Editing by Hugh Lawson) What happened to these Arkansas counties and why do they no longer exist? FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) Counties have come and gone in Arkansas history and five of them are no longer with us. Here are the five counties that no longer exist and what happened to them: Clayton County (1873-75) Clayton County was established as the states 67th county in 1873, named after state senator John M. Clayton, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Citizens in the county didnt like the county was named Clayton. County citizens were displeased that the namesake of Clayton County was the brother of Powell Clayton, the first Republican Reconstruction governor, who had declared martial law in the area (then part of Greene County), due to violence targeted toward freedmen and Southern Unionists, and who did not allow the county to participate in the fall elections of 1868, CALS said. A bill by attorney E. Foster Brown was submitted successfully in the 1875 General Assembly, which shortened the county name to Clay County in honor of Secretary of State Henry Clay. Did your county exist when Arkansas became a state? Dorsey County (1873-85) Dorsey County became the 71st county in Arkansas in 1873 named after congressman Stephen Dorsey. The name stood for 12 years but was changed after Dorsey had a falling out with Arkansans and petitioned for a name change. According to the Association of Arkansas Counties, it was named Cleveland County in 1885, after the 22nd and 24th U.S. president, Grover Cleveland. Lovely County (1827-28) Only around for a year, Lovely County included all or part of present-day Benton, Washington, and Crawford counties in Arkansas along with parts of present-day Delaware, Mayes, Cherokee, Adair, Wagoner, Muskogee and Sequoyah counties in Oklahoma. As part of the Arkansas Territory, Lovely County was named after Major William Lewis Lovely, an Indian agent to the Arkansas Cherokee. After being established in 1827, the county quickly met its demise in 1828 after a change in the western boundary of the Arkansas Territory was made. Census: These Arkansas counties grew the most in 2023 Miller County (1820-28) Miller County was first established in 1820 and named after the first governor of the Arkansas Territory, James Miller. It included portions of present-day Miller County and 11 Texas counties, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. However, the county was abolished in 1838, two years after Texas declared its independence from Mexico. CALS says the county was problematic because Mexico claimed much of eastern Texas then. The county was reestablished in 1874 with Texarkana as the city seat. Sarber County (1871-75) Sarber County became the 64th county in 1871, named after Senator John Sarber. However, some Arkansans believed Sarber was a Yankee carpetbagger. Sarber County Democrats vehemently opposed the county being named after Sarber, the Encyclopedia of Arkansas said. The county was renamed Logan County in 1875, honoring Indian agent James Logan. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11) More than 30 mosques in Harlem came together for an Eid celebration Saturday, marking the end of Ramadan. The sounds of African drums echoed through the celebration at the Childrens Aid Dunlevy Milbank Center. Dozens of residents from Harlems Muslim community came out to honor the completion of a month-long spiritual journey with prayer and an extravagant feast. More Local News Its such a great community event because its what many of us do all the time in terms of rallying together, and particularly in this time when we have so many who are in need in the Muslim community that are in our city, said New York State Senator Cordell Cleare. Amidst celebrants were dozens of asylum seekers, embarking on their first Eid in a new homeland. Having made Harlem their refuge, they sought solace and camaraderie amongst the neighborhoods Central and West African population. The celebration served as a reminder of the strength found in unity, and the work being done to make the community stronger. Theres a lot of work to be done and were all here to do it together, New York State Assembly candidate Jordan Wright said. You can see from the beautiful turnout we have here now. Its a powerful thing, the Muslim community in Harlem is strong and were all here to work together. Organizers are hoping the strong bonds forged over shared meals and prayers underscore the importance of building a strong community. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about Arizona's new ban on virtually all abortions Friday in Tucson, a day before making similar remarks during a surprise appearance in Century City. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images) Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday continued to hammer Arizonas new abortion ban and former President Trumps role in overturning Roe vs. Wade during a surprise appearance in Century City. Here's the thing about what they're doing and the cruelty of it: No exception in some states even for rape and incest. You are saying to a survivor of a crime of violence to their body, a violation to their body, that they have no right to make a decision about what happens to their body next, Harris said. That's immoral. Harris made the remarks at the Power Leadership and Influence of Black Women luncheon, where Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) was being honored. As she was answering a question about abortion rights, Butler paused to introduce one of our biggest champions in this movement and one of my best friends, as Harris emerged onstage from the wings. The vice president has been a vocal force for the Biden administration on the issue since Arizonas Supreme Court on Tuesday reinstated a law from 1864 decades before Arizona became a state banning abortions except when the mothers life is at risk. Her comments Saturday reiterated what she said Friday in Tucson and what is expected to be a major theme of President Bidens reelection campaign. Read more: Arizona's ban on abortion sets up the swing state for an election 2024 showdown There is no ambiguity about who is to blame. The former president Donald Trump hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo Roe, and they did exactly as he intended, Harris said. And now he walks around talking about, 'Well, you know, the states can do what they want to do,' she continued. Well, look at what the states are doing. The states are passing Trump abortion bans. So we're not going to fall for the 'okey-doke.' We are not going to be gaslit about what is at play and who is to blame. The previous night, Harris headlined a fundraiser at Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlanes Spanish revival mansion in Beverly Hills. About $1.5 million was raised for the Biden Victory Fund at the event, which was attended by 30 people, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. When I was asked to host this event, I immediately agreed, because I realized if its at my house, I can drink as much as I want, MacFarlane said. Im not going to get a DUI on the way to bed. He then turned to Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who was in attendance. Anyway, now I wanted to get everything right to this introduction. So I practiced how to pronounce your name. Is it Doug? MacFarlane said, a reference to some Republicans' refusal to properly pronounce Harris first name. Read more: Column One: When a Senate colleague mocked Kamala Harris' name, so many people winced with recognition Harris and Emhoff are expected to spend Sunday at their Brentwood home before the vice president heads to Nevada on Monday. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox three times per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Among all Scots, Mr Yousaf now has an approval rating of minus 32, putting him just three points ahead of Rishi Sunak - MICHAEL McGURK Humza Yousafs popularity with Scottish voters has plummeted following the introduction of his new hate crime laws, a new poll has revealed. Even among SNP voters, more people believe the First Minister is doing a bad job of running Scotland than those who think he is doing a good job, the survey by polling company Norstat showed. It is the first such survey carried out since the introduction of the laws that Mr Yousaf steered through Holyrood as justice secretary and which came into force earlier this month. The controversial legislation is widely seen to have been botched by the SNP government, with an appeal to the public to report all instances of hate leading to more than 7,000 reports in the first week. Fewer than four per cent of the reports were assessed as actual crimes. The findings showed that among all Scots, Mr Yousaf now has an approval rating of minus 32, putting him just three points ahead of Rishi Sunak. It amounts to a 15-point drop for Mr Yousaf since the previous survey carried out in January. Even among those who voted SNP at the last general election, just 29 per cent believe Mr Yousaf is doing a good job, compared with 36 per cent who think he has been poor in office. This resulted in a score of minus seven among SNP voters, down from plus 14 in January. Sir John Curtice, the leading pollster, told The Sunday Times that the results showed that the First Minister is deeply and increasingly unpopular. He added: However, do the SNP have any option other than to make the best they can of Mr Yousafs leadership? Mr Yousaf has endured a troubled tenure as First Minister since he succeeded Nicola Sturgeon in March last year. Polls suggest Labour has overtaken the SNP in Scotland in voting intentions for the general election. A recent seat-by-seat poll by YouGov predicted that Labour was on course to win 28 Scottish seats, compared with one in 2019, while the SNPs tally would fall from 48 to 19. Such a disastrous result, should it be replicated in the general election, would inevitably lead to calls for Mr Yousaf to stand down. There are also fears that the situation could become far worse for the SNP, should a long-awaited police investigation into party finances, which saw Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell arrested, result in any criminal charges. Ms Sturgeon has strongly denied wrongdoing while Mr Murrell, the former SNP chief executive, has not commented publicly. In terms of voting intention, Labour and the SNP were tied on 32 per cent, though this would result in Labour winning 28 Westminster seats to the SNPs 18, an analysis by Sir John found. It is the lowest score the nationalists have scored in a Norstat poll since the independence referendum almost a decade ago. The SNPs election strategy has so far focussed on claiming backing the nationalists is the best way to make Scotland Tory free. The tactic has delighted Conservative figures, who believe it helps them appeal to unionists, as well as Labour strategists who see it as lacking credibility given they are clearly the largest threat to the SNP. In a possible shift, Mr Yousaf is to attack Labour this week in a speech at the Scottish Trades Union Congress in Glasgow. He is set to claim that the election is a choice of values and attack Sir Keir Starmers positions on public spending, workers rights and nuclear weapons. Norstat interviewed 1,086 people aged 16 or older in Scotland from April 9 to 12. 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. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) An invasive mosquito species that can carry dangerous diseases has been identified in several counties across California, including in San Diego County. Invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, also known as the yellow fever mosquito, usually bite several times, and are active during the day. They can transmit Zika, dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses, according to San Diegos Vector Control Program. CDC warns of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever for those traveling to Mexico The small black mosquitoes have distinctive white stripes on their legs and back. The California Department of Health has been monitoring invasive Aedes mosquitoes throughout California for the past several years part of a statewide vector-borne disease surveillance system. Would you let mosquitoes feed on you in the name of science? The San Diego Vector Control Programs map shows invasive Aedes mosquitoes have been found in all areas in San Diego County. Across California, the below counties are reporting the presence of invasive Aedes mosquitoes, while just a few counties in the state have found both Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (also known as the tiger mosquito): AedesDistributionMapDownload According to the California Department of Health, limited local transmission of dengue virus has happened in California, typically from mosquitoes biting people who have previously traveled to areas where those viruses are more prevalent. The update on Dengue Infections in California by CDPH reports infections by county so far in 2024 as of April 1: Kings County 1 Napa 1 Riverside 1 San Francisco 3 San Mateo 1 Santa Cruz 2 Sonoma 1 Ventura 2 Yolo 1 In other parts of the country, the CDCs map shows the Aedes aegypti mosquito across the entire southern half of the U.S., with less of a concentration in the southwestern states of Arizona and New Mexico. Are you a mosquito magnet? It could be your smell, study says Invasive Aedes mosquitoes lay their eggs in small containers of water. When its warm, the mosquitoes can go from egg to adult in less than one week. Tips for protecting your home from Aedes mosquitoes dump or treat any standing water around your property, check screens on doors and windows to insure they wont get inside, wear long sleeves and pants, and use insect repellant. Aedes-Brochure-2018Download To request an inspection, or for questions and advice contact the San Diego Vector Control Program at 858-694-2888 or vector@sdcounty.ca.gov. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. You are here: Business Sales of Chinese-brand passenger vehicles soared 26.4 percent year on year in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, industry data showed. About 3.39 million such vehicles were sold during this period, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The market share of domestic-brand passenger vehicles rose 7.4 percentage points year on year to 59.6 percent during the period. In March alone, nearly 1.33 million such vehicles were sold, with the market share up 7.2 percentage points from a year earlier to 59.3 percent. 9-year-old girl killed, 10 others injured in Back of the Yards shooting; was a family gathering for a confirmation CHICAGO A memorial of balloons, flowers and candles is growing at a home on the citys Southwest Side where a 9-year-old girl, described by family as loving and caring, was killed Saturday night when gunfire erupted on a family celebrating a confirmation. The shooting also injured 10 other people, including three children. The girl, identified by family as 9-year-old Ariana Molina, was shot in the head and rushed to Comer Childrens Hospital. She was pronounced dead a short time later, police said. Arianas mother was shot in the back of the shoulder and her father in the foot. The family is holding a prayer march for peace at noon Monday and a vigil in remembrance of Ariana at 6 p.m. Monday, both at the scene of the shooting. Chicago police say officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert in the 2000 block of West 52nd Street, in Back of the Yards, just after 9:15 p.m. Saturday. After arriving on the scene, they located several people who had suffered gunshot wounds. Police say ShotSpotter picked up 18 rounds fired at the location. The victims were outside at a family gathering, according to police. Woman killed, teen critically injured after argument leads to shooting on Far South Side The family said it was celebrating a teenage girls confirmation. One relative, who did not wish to be identified, told WGN News the family was about to cut the cake when gunfire erupted. According to police, three children in addition to Ariana a 1-year-old boy, an 8-year-old boy and a 9-year-old boy were shot and transported to Comer Childrens Hospital. The 1-year-old and 8-year-old were listed in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds. The 9-year-old was listed in good condition after being grazed in the finger. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines All I can say at this point is, Im going to pray, you pray, and God help us, Pastor Donovan Price said. Police say seven other people, whose ages range from 19 to 38, were injured in the shooting. One was listed in critical condition and the other six were listed in good condition. Ald. Stephanie Coleman of the 16th Ward, where the shooting occurred, issued a statement Sunday morning. The Back of the Yards community is united in our grief, prayers and collective mindset that we must continue to stand firm against these senseless acts of physical force, Colemans statement said. Violence is a citywide issue that continues to falsely characterize the true essence and intrinsic nature of our neighborhoods. This tragedy has left us all heartbroken and distressed. I am hopeful and confident that Superintendent (Larry) Snelling and the Chicago Police Department will work tirelessly to apprehend the person or persons responsible for this cowardly crime. I want to send my heartfelt condolences to the family of this precious jewel and my prayers to every person injured. Walter Butts is the pastor of Mt. Carmel Children of God Baptist Church, located just steps away from where the shooting happened. Heartless people who dont think, Butts said of the shooters. These are children. Unacceptable in our city Officers say the shooting was likely not a random act and believe it may have been a gang-related incident. Nobody is in custody, but after interviewing witnesses, police say they may be looking for multiple shooters. The offenders actions, make no mistake, are horrific and unacceptable in our city, CPD Deputy Chief Don Jerome said in a news conference Saturday night. Some witnesses told police two shooters walked up and sprayed bullets into a crowd of people. Sunday morning, police reported that the shots may have come from a black sedan, which then fled to the south. On Sunday, Mayor Brandon Johnson released a statement condemning the violence. We are all allowed to be outraged today a warm spring day that I am sure this child would have been enjoying with family. I am praying for her loved ones and her community as they experience the unimaginable pain of losing a child. I am also praying for the recovery of the three children and seven adults who were injured in this horrific shooting. Our Mayors Office of Community Safety has been in contact with the Chicago Police Department, which is committed to identifying and apprehending the individuals responsible. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Johnson also outlined the following initial response plan: Mass canvassing event at 52nd and Damen and surrounding blocks on Monday, April 15, at 2 p.m., with the purpose of providing the community access to behavioral teams, victim services and case management. Financial support for the family of the child who passed away via the Emergency Supplemental Victims Fund program. Emergency Services Assistance Center, starting Sunday, April 14. Victim services to other victims and families. Increased 9th District CPD presence at impacted schools. An investigation into the deadly shooting is ongoing. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been started by family members of the victims to help alleviate their financial burdens. Watch part of Saturdays CPD news conference below: LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact CPD Area One detectives at 312-747-8380, or dial 911. Those with information that could help authorities in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. On this day April 14 in 1865, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot by actor John Wilkes Booth. Booth injured himself, requiring medical treatment, while a manhunt for him was underway. Ultimately, Booth was treated by a doctor named Samuel Mudd, whose actions have been a source of controversy ever since. After shooting Lincoln during a production of "Our American Cousin," John Wilkes Booth leaped from the president's balcony seats to the stage below and yelled "Sic semper tyrannis." Booth broke his leg in the process, but managed to escape and meet up with co-conspirator David Herold. Herold and Booth, among others, had been part of a group that planned a failed plot to kidnap Lincoln. Following the assassination, Herold was responsible for finding Booth medical care, and he accompanied him to the house of a Maryland doctor, Samuel Mudd. There, Mudd set Booth's leg and gave him and Herold "food, lodging and fresh horses," allowing Booth to continue to hide from authorities for nearly two weeks. As described by Mudd descendent Robert Summers, Mudd was charged with aiding and abetting a conspiracy to kill Lincoln and subsequently convicted: Many people were arrested during the Government's investigation of the assassination, but ultimately only eight of these, including Dr. Mudd, were put on trial by a Military Commission. The Court didn't believe Dr. Mudd had anything to do with the assassination, but thought he was guilty of aiding Booth's escape by not alerting the authorities to Booth's presence at his farm. All eight were found guilty. The four whom the military commission believed had actually helped plan and participate in the assassination were executed. The other four, including Dr. Mudd, were sent to Fort Jefferson, a military prison located on a small Gulf of Mexico island about 70 miles west of Key West, Florida. The conviction on June 29, 1865, was controversial, and revolved not around questions of Mudd's medical treatment of Booth, but around aiding his escape and the fact that Mudd did not alert authorities to Booth's presence. Key issues during the trial revolved around Mudd's alleged foreknowledge of a plot against Lincoln and his previous association with Booth. As reported by The New York Times in 2002: Though Mudd proclaimed his innocence in the assassination plot, testimony during his trial for conspiracy revealed that he had met Booth at least once prior to the murder, and setting Booth's broken leg did him no favors. His fate sealed, Mudd received a life sentence in federal prison. Mudd was sentenced to life with hard labor at a military prison on a small island 70 miles west of Key West, Florida. While a prisoner, he was lauded for medical care he provided during an outbreak of yellow fever. Via a well-connected defense attorney, Mudd aggressively petitioned U.S. President Andrew Johnson for a pardon, which he received during the final days of Johnson's presidency, on Feb. 8, 1869, in part based on his actions during that outbreak. As reported by a New York paper, The Sun, when the news broke: The President has directed the Attorney General to pardon Dr. Mudd, who, it will be remembered, was convicted by the military commission In 1865, and sentenced to imprisonment and labor at the Dry Tortugas for life . The recommendations for the pardon of Dr. Mudd are very strong, one alone containing over 600 names, being those of every officer and soldier on duty at the Dry Tortugas. While a pardon restored some of Mudd's Constitutional rights and freed him from prison, it did not remove or overturn his conviction for participating in a conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln. His descendants have been fighting, unsuccessfully, to have the family name cleared by nullifying that conviction for decades. In response to efforts by Mudd's grandson Dr. Richard Mudd, two U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan said they agreed with Mudd's innocence but had no ability to overturn the military commission's conviction, as described in the grandson's 2002 obituary: In July 1979, Richard Mudd's efforts brought a two-page, single-spaced letter from President Jimmy Carter supporting Dr. Mudd's position on his grandfather's innocence. But Carter noted regrettably that "he had been advised the findings of guilt and the sentence of a military commission that tried Dr. Samuel Mudd are binding and conclusive judgments and there is no authority under the law, by which, I, as president, could set aside his conviction." In December 1987, Dr. Mudd received a note from President Ronald Reagan that also lamented that the law precluded changing convictions from the military court. "In my efforts to help," Reagan wrote, "I came to believe as you do that Dr. Samuel Mudd was indeed innocent of any wrongdoing." Sources: Magazine, Smithsonian. "How Samuel Mudd Went From Lincoln Conspirator to Medical Savior." Smithsonian Magazine, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-samuel-mudd-went-lincoln-conspirator-medical-savior-180954980/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023. Now, Circulating. "Dr. Samuel Mudd, Prisoner and Physician." Circulating Now from the NLM Historical Collections, 14 Apr. 2014, https://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/2014/04/14/dr-samuel-mudd-prisoner-and-physician/. "Richard D. Mudd, 101." Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/05/22/richard-d-mudd-101/1c1ef19a-ced4-4828-ae8a-a9502d5094af/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023. Seelye, Katharine Q. "Doctor Who Aided John Wilkes Booth Gains Another Day in Court." The New York Times, 4 Sept. 2002. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/04/us/doctor-who-aided-john-wilkes-booth-gains-another-day-in-court.html. "The Pardon of Dr. Mudd." Northumberland County Democrat, 12 Feb. 1869, p. 2. newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/article/northumberland-county-democrat-the-pardo/136113589/. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Sunday that Israel is not seeking war with Iran after the country launched an attack of more than 300 rockets on Saturday evening, but that the barrage has to be met accordingly, vowing a response. Iran and its proxies in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen launched about 350 rockets, including more than 100 ballistic missiles, toward Israel on Saturday in response to an Israeli strike on Iranian military leaders at a diplomatic complex in Syria last week. About 99 percent of the missiles were intercepted, the Israeli military said, with the country only suffering limited damage to some military complexes. President Biden has since warned Israel not to retaliate against Iran, as fears rise over a wider regional war in the Middle East. This was a very aggressive and brutal attack, which looks like a declaration of war, Herzog said in a CNN interview Sunday. But I also added immediately to say that we are not seeking war. We are seeking always peace. Herzog argued that Saturdays attacks were part of a wider effort by Iran against Israel, positioning any future Israeli response as a defensive action. Iran has been holding war against us for decades with its proxies, he said. We are meeting an empire of evil which wants to eradicate all values of the free world. He added that world governments must now come together against Iran in light of the attack. Its about time the world stands up to them and says, No, we wont let you. Dont, as President Biden said, Dont. And therefore, because he says dont and we all say dont, thats why they were met with a very strong response last night, Herzog said. But I think the world has to understand that this is another development in the war which Iran is waging against the free world and has to be met accordingly. Members of the Israeli war Cabinet have vowed retaliation against Iran for the missile and drone launches, despite urging from the Biden administration. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby avoided going into details Sunday when questioned about Bidens pressure on the Israeli government, following reports that Biden attempted to persuade Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against retaliation. Kirby instead focused on what he called Israels success. It was very clearly, you know, We stand with you in your self-defense, Kirby said on NBCs Meet the Press when asked about Bidens message to the prime minister. That was the main message that the president delivered to the prime minister and congratulated the prime minister and the [Israel Defense Forces] for the extraordinary job they did knocking things out of the sky. But I wont go into more detail. Again, I just go back to what the president has said time and time again: We dont seek an escalation. We dont seek a wider war in the region, he added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has described Iran's attack on Israel as a "declaration of war" and said in interview with British broadcaster Sky News that Israel is protecting Europe from this "evil" country. "We are here to protect Europe from this evil empire and it is time that this became clear," Herzog said in the Sunday interview, according to the Israeli government press office. "It's about time that the world faces this empire of evil in Tehran, and make it clear to the Iranian regime that this cannot pass by, that this is unacceptable," the Israeli president said. He also condemned the Iran-allied Houthi militia in Yemen, who, he said, are contributing to higher living costs worldwide by attacking ships in the Red Sea, and linked Iran to Russia's war on Ukraine, were Iranian drones are being used. House to act on Israel aid, but Ukraine up in the air, after Irans attack Speaker Mike Johnson is vowing to take up aid to Israel following Irans Saturday drone attacks and renewed bipartisan pressure. And that is fueling questions whether the GOP leader will also act on Ukraine aid, which comes as Ukrainian leaders warn they are running out of resources to combat Russias military aggression and as he faces ouster threats by some of his own membership. In an interview on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, Johnson said he plans to move forward with Israel aid bills this week, though he did not provide further details, noting they are looking at the options on all these supplemental issues. When asked about Ukraine, Johnson did not say when it would be taken up or whether it would be tied to Israel funding. But he cited his recent visit with Donald Trump down at his Florida-based Mar-A-Lago resort, pointing to several ideas he previously floated including sending additional money to Ukraine as a loan. Trump has "introduced the loan-lease concept which is a really important one, which I think has a lot of consensus, as well as these other ideas, the Repo Act, which is seizing the assets of corrupt Russian oligarchs to help pay for this resistance, said the Louisiana Republican, noting they will pull together their own plan and send it over to the Senate. I think these are ideas that I think can get consensus, and that's what we've been working through. Johnson has been under pressure from both sides of the aisle to hold a vote on stalled military assistance for Kyiv for months. The Senate cleared a $95 billion foreign aid bill to help arm Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan in February, while House GOP leaders have only held votes on military assistance for Israel. The drone attacks from Iran though mostly knocked down by Israeli, U.S. and other nations air defenses marked a dramatic escalation in the Middle East. And it also sparked renewed calls for the House to vote on a bill to speed military aid to both Israel and Ukraine. But unlike Israel and Taiwan aid, Johnson is facing threats to his speakership from within own ranks if he moves on Ukraine aid. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has not started the clock on a motion to vacate resolution, but she and other Republicans more privately argue that could change as his right flank waits to see how Johnson handles Ukraine. Several top Republicans including the three leaders of relevant committees argue in the wake of the attacks that Johnson must hold a vote to grant aid to both allies as well as to Taiwan and other Pacific partners. House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said that whether the Senate-passed bill comes up for a vote "is a speaker determination." He and other national security committee chairs would discuss the issue with Johnson tonight, McCaul added. We have to get this done. I would implore what I need to educate my colleagues [on] is they're all tied together, McCaul said on CBS' "Face the Nation," arguing the threats posed by Iran, Russia and China are interconnected. "I have a commitment it will come to the floor, my preference is this week," he added, warning time is running out. House Intelligence Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) on Sunday predicted a combined aid bill will finally clear the House this week with overwhelming support. I think that the speaker has been very clear: He supports Ukraine funding. He supports funding for Israel. He supports the Asia package, Turner, a top GOP supporter of Ukraine, said in an interview on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday. It's part of the national security supplemental and he has made it clear that he sees that the path is for that to come to the House for this week. And House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) told POLITICO on Sunday he 100 percent backs up this call for a full supplemental. Johnson has so far sidestepped the Senates proposal. Centrist Republicans and Democrats have floated a smaller $66 billion package that focuses funding solely on military aid and includes border security measures. One of the House bills expected to be brought up in the House this week is a bipartisan bill led by Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) that aims to make the sanctions established by the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 permanent ahead of their expected expiration in 2026, according to a Republican with direct knowledge of the matter. The bill intends to ensure the U.S. can maintain critical deterrents and apply pressure to the Iranian regime to prevent them from acquiring nuclear weapons, according to a press release after the legislation passed out of the Foreign Affairs Committee last year. In the weeks after the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, Johnson pushed through an Israel-only aid bill. The measure fell largely along party lines after Johnson opted to slash funding for the IRS, a move opposed by Democrats. Johnson talked up the approach again Sunday, and slammed President Joe Biden and House Democrats for opposing standalone Israel aid bills. Democrats, meanwhile, are insisting that Johnson simply grant a vote on the foreign aid package the Senate passed two months ago. The upper chamber approved the measure with broad bipartisan support, and the funding bill would go directly to Bidens desk if the House passed it. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, speaking on "Fox News Sunday," declined to say whether Biden would sign an Israel-only aid bill. He pushed for the Senate bill. If that bipartisan legislation gets to the floor in the House, it will pass, Kirby said, arguing it is the fastest way to help Ukraine. Theres enough votes for it. So our message to the speaker is get that on the floor, lets get it voted on so that that aid can get to Israel and Ukraine in the fastest possible way and not have to go back to the Senate for renegotiating. Its solid. The attack saw a raft of House Democrats urge votes on the bill as soon as Congress returns Monday. The world is on fire. We should stand with our Democratic allies and push back against the enemies of freedom," House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries posted Sunday. "The House must pass the bipartisan national security bill. Tomorrow." Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called the Senate measure the only thing that can pass. "The only package that we should be taking up, the only package that I will support is the package that was passed in a bipartisan way in the Senate, Meeks said on MSNBCs The Weekend. We [can] pass it tomorrow night when we get back in. It could be on the president's desk first thing Tuesday morning, he added. The House of Representatives will change its schedule to consider legislation to support Israel in light of Irans Saturday attack and to hold Tehran accountable, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said on Saturday. In light of Irans unjustified attack on Israel, the House will move from its previously announced legislative schedule next week to instead consider legislation that supports our ally Israel and holds Iran and its terrorist proxies accountable, Scalise said in a Saturday post on X. The House of Representatives stands strongly with Israel, and there must be consequences for this unprovoked attack, he continued. More details on the legislative items to be considered will be forthcoming. The statement did not provide clarity as to whether the Louisiana Republican was making a reference to the $95 billion supplemental spending bill which encompasses $14 billion for Israel or the stand-alone bill for Israel. The $95 billion supplemental also includes $60 billion for Ukraine, funds for Taiwan and humanitarian assistance. It passed the Senate in February but has yet to be put on the lower chambers floor, where the package faces resistance from some hard-right Republican lawmakers since it includes funds for Ukraine. The supplemental bill is also not supported by some progressive House Democrats who oppose sending more money to Israel as the country continues its military campaign in Gaza against Hamas. Iran launched missiles as a part of its attack on Israel on Saturday. Most of them were intercepted outside of the countrys territory by defense systems operated by Israel and its allies in the region, according to The Israel Defense Forces (IDF). A small number of hits were identified, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure, the Israeli military said on Saturday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Jeffries says America needs to stand with the people of Haiti. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Thursday demanded that Republican lawmakers immediately back the release of millions of dollars in funding for Haiti as the Caribbean nation is beset by political violence and instability. America needs to stand with the people of Haiti, Jeffries, a Brooklyn Democrat, told theGrio during his weekly presser. Jeffries said the money should have been released on Wednesday. Haiti has seen a rise in violence, deaths and kidnappings since late February as armed gangs members staged attacks to take control over large swathes of the nation and raided prisons, freeing more than 4,000 inmates. The attacks targeted the countrys airports, police stations and largest port, disrupting food supplies and destabilizing life for Haitians. Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) speaks during a news conference on January 5, 2023 in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives will continue to try to elect the next Speaker after Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) failed to earn more than 218 votes on six ballots over two days, the first time in 100 years that the Speaker was not elected on the first ballot. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images) Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who has lobbied for a United Nations-backed deployment of Kenyan police officers, remains locked out of Haiti and faces pressure to resign, according to the Associated Press. Democrats have urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to speak with Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, about the release of $40 million in security aid to address the unrest. McCaul chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Yet, McCaul and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, say they need more details before releasing the funds. Last month, the Biden-Harris administration sent McCaul and Risch their plans to assist Haiti, however neither Republican has changed their stance on releasing the funds. This is what the Republican party does, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., told theGrio on Thursday. They dont want to send funding where it needs to go, especially when theyre Black or brown countries Haiti needs funding. Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., said Haiti is experiencing some of the most horrific times in our modern, civil society. Haiti has seen an increase in unrest as gangs seeking political power have grown frustrated with the postponement of elections following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. We cannot continue to sit on the sidelines, Clarke said. Despite Republican-led efforts to block aid to Haiti, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said at a White House press briefing on Tuesday that the administration is consulting with Congress to secure funding. It is critical to get a multinational security force led by the Kenyans on the ground in Haiti as soon as possible, Sullivan said. The United States on Friday welcomed the establishment of Haitis Transitional Presidential Council, which is expected to quell the violence by deploying the Multinational Security Support mission led by Kenya and ensuring that there is a plan in place for fair elections. Much work lies ahead, and the United States remains committed to supporting the people of Haiti, U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrios newsletter. Recommended Stories The post House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calls on Republicans to release funding for Haiti appeared first on TheGrio. House Speaker Mike Johnson says he will push for aid to Israel and Ukraine this week Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump listens during a news conference, Friday, April 12, 2024, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) WASHINGTON (AP) House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday he will try to advance wartime aid for Israel this week as he attempts the difficult task of winning House approval for a national security package that also includes funding for Ukraine and allies in Asia. Johnson, R-La., is already under immense political pressure from his fellow GOP lawmakers as he tries to stretch between the Republican Party's divided support for helping Kyiv defend itself from Moscow's invasion. The Republican speaker has sat for two months on a $95 billion supplemental package that would send support to the U.S. allies, as well as provide humanitarian aid for civilians in Ukraine and Gaza and funding to replenish U.S. weapons provided to Taiwan. The attack by Iran on Israel early Sunday further ratcheted up the pressure on Johnson, but also gave him an opportunity to underscore the urgency of approving the funding. Johnson told Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures that he and Republicans understand the necessity of standing with Israel" and he would try this week to advance the aid. The details of that package are being put together right now, he said. "Were looking at the options and all these supplemental issues. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at a news conference also said that President Joe Biden held a phone call Sunday with the top Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate, including Johnson. The New York Democrat said there was consensus among all the leaders that we had to help Israel and help Ukraine, and now hopefully we can work that out and get this done next week. Its vital for the future of Ukraine, for Israel and the West, Schumer said. The White House said Biden "discussed the urgent need for the House of Representatives to pass the national security supplemental as soon as possible." Johnson has also made it clear to fellow House Republicans that he will this week push to package together the aid for Israel, Ukraine and allies in Asia and pass it through the House, said GOP Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, on NBCs Meet the Press. The speaker has expressed support for legislation that would structure some of the funding for Kyiv as loans, pave the way for the U.S. to tap frozen Russian central bank assets and include other policy changes. Johnson has pushed for the Biden administration to lift a pause on approvals for Liquefied Natural Gas exports and at times has also demanded policy changes at the U.S. border with Mexico. But currently, the only package with wide bipartisan support in Congress is the Senate-passed bill that includes roughly $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel. White House national security spokesman John Kirby called on the speaker to put that package on the floor as soon as possible." We didnt need any reminders in terms of whats going on in Ukraine, Kirby said on NBC. But last night certainly underscores significantly the threat that Israel faces in a very, very tough neighborhood. As Johnson searches for a way to advance the funding for Ukraine, he has been in conversations with both the White House and former president Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. With his job under threat, Johnson traveled to Florida on Friday for an event with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club. Trump expressed support for Johnson and said he had a very good relationship with him. He and I are 100% united on these big agenda items, Johnson said. When you talk about aid to Ukraine, hes introduced the loan-lease concept which is a really important one and I think has a lot of consensus. But Trump, with his America First agenda, has inspired many Republicans to push for a more isolationist stance. Support for Ukraine has steadily eroded in the roughly two years since the war began, and a cause that once enjoyed wide support has become one of Johnsons toughest problems. When he returns to Washington on Monday, Johnson also will be facing a contingent of conservatives already angry with how he has led the House in maintaining much of the status quo both on government spending and more recently, a U.S. government surveillance tool. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a right-wing Republican from Georgia, has called for Johnson's ouster. She departed the Capitol on Friday telling reporters that support for her effort was growing. And as Johnson on Sunday readied to advance the aid, Greene said on X that it was antisemitic to make Israeli aid contingent on aid for Ukraine. While no other Republicans have openly joined Greene in calling to oust Johnson, a growing number of hardline conservatives are openly disparaging Johnson and defying his leadership. Meanwhile, senior GOP lawmakers who support aid to Ukraine are growing frustrated with the months-long wait to bring it to the House floor. Kyiv's troops have been running low on ammunition and Russia is becoming emboldened as it looks to gain ground in a spring and summer offensive. A massive missile and drone attack destroyed one of Ukraines largest power plants and damaged others last week. What happened in Israel last night happens in Ukraine every night, said Rep. Michael McCaul, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on CBS's Face the Nation. The divided dynamic has forced Johnson to try to stitch together a package that has some policy wins for Republicans while also keeping Democrats on board. Democrats, however, have repeatedly called on the speaker to put the $95 billion package passed by the Senate in February on the floor. Although progressive Democrats have resisted supporting the aid to Israel over concerns it would support its campaign into Gaza that has killed thousands of civilians, most House Democrats have gotten behind supporting the Senate package. The reason why the Senate bill is the only bill is because of the urgency, Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said last week. We pass the Senate bill, it goes straight to the presidents desk and you start getting the aid to Ukraine immediately. Thats the only option. Many Democrats also have signaled they would likely be willing to help Johnson defeat an effort to remove him from the speaker's office if he puts the Senate bill on the floor. Im one of those who would save him if we can do Israel, Taiwan, Ukraine and some reasonable border security, said Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat. ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking contributed. Hundreds rally in Berlin in support of Israel after Iranian attack Volker Beck, president of the German-Israeli Society (DIG), walks through the city center. Andreas Arnold/dpa Several hundred people gathered at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on Sunday following a call from the German-Israeli Society to show solidarity with Israel following the Iranian attack overnight. Police in the German capital put the number at around 500 and said the event had passed off peacefully. Demonstrators held up placards reading "Hands off Israel" and "There is no right to anti-Semitism." Many carried Israeli flags, and there were also old-style Iranian flags from before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. German-Israeli Society head Volker Beck expressed sharp criticism of the Iranian attack. "This step of attacking Israel was an unprecedented escalation on the part of Iran," he said. Iran had shown that it posed a danger to peace in the region and in the world as a whole, Beck said. The German-Israeli society is an independent organization supported by the German Foreign Office. It promotes cultural, scientific and civil society ties between the two countries. An Israeli military spokesman said that 99% of some 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles launched in the attack had been intercepted by Israel and its allies, with minimal damage caused. Iran's "Operation Truthful Promise" was mounted in revenge for an airstrike on its embassy grounds in Damascus on April 1 in which two generals and others were killed. Israel is believed to have carried out the attack and has not denied responsibility. Hundreds lose power in Centre County as storm rolls through area. What to know Hundreds were without power Sunday in Centre County after high winds moved into the area. More than 1,900 West Penn Power customers were without power at about 4:45 p.m., according to the companys outages map. The outages were scattered around the county, including Benner Township (600 customers affected), State College Borough (542 customers affected), Patton Township (208 affected) and Snow Shoe Township (298 affected). At about 6:20 p.m., power to most of those was restored. State College Borough still had 498 affected customers, according to West Penn Power. At about 7:50 p.m., after a thunderstorm passed through the area, there were 1,359 West Penn Power customers affected in Centre County, including the 498 in State College and 367 in Taylor Township. Emergency responders were also called to multiple reports of trees down in the county, according to dispatch reports. The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook that warned about severe weather from 4-11 p.m. Sunday. Damaging wind gusts or 60 mph or greater are the primary threat, the advisory states, with the highest risk along the Interstate 90/99 corridor. Hail and tornadoes are also possible, the NWS said. SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE TODAY () Line of storms likely develops 4-6PM, moves south Damaging winds of 60+ mph are the most likely threat - highest risk along I-80/I-99 corridor Can't rule out a tornado or two, especially west of I-99 Severe threat ends by 11PM#PAwx pic.twitter.com/vtC2kenv5O NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) April 14, 2024 A severe thunderstorm watch has also been issued through 11 p.m. Sunday for much of Pennsylvania, including Centre County. In a Sunday afternoon Facebook post, Centre County 911 reminded residents to be prepared for possible power loss and tree damage from the storm. Officials reminded residents to call the power, telephone or cable company to report outages, rather than 911 calls that can tie up dispatch. To report outages to West Power Power, call 1-888-544-4877; to report to Penelec, call 1-888-544-4877. Check back for updates on this story. As warmer weather rolls around, its not uncommon to want to stock up on frozen treats for when that craving comes around. Unfortunately, one brand of popsicles are being recalled for a potential salmonella contamination. Helados Mexico Mini Cream Variety Pack are being pulled from shelves in 17 different states after making this discovery. Read on for more information, including exactly which products are affected by the recall and what to do if youve purchased them. Helados Mexico Ice Cream Minis Recall The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported the recall, which was issued voluntarily by Tropicale Foods of Modesto, California, the manufacturer of the product. The recall includes 5,224 units, all of which have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. The affected product has the best by date of "MO Best By 10/11/2-25," which can be found on the bottom of the box. The box is a bright blue color, with images of the ice pops printed on the front. Salmonella Contamination The variety pack includes the flavors mango, strawberry fresca, and coconut coco, and out of the three, the mango bars are the ones that may be contaminated with salmonella. The variety packs were sold in 17 different states, including Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virgina, Wisconsin, West Virgina, Washington D.C., and certain locations in Europe. No illnesses have been reported as a result of the potential salmonella contamination to date, but it's better to be safe and dispose of the ice cream bars, than to be sorry to have been infected with salmonella. Tropicale Foods is conducting an investigation to figure out exactly what caused this potential contamination so they can ensure it won't happen again. What To Do If You've Purchased Recalled Ice Cream Minis If you've purchased the Helados Mexico Mini Cream Variety Pack, it's been advised that you dispose of the box immediately, and to contact your healthcare provider if you're experiencing any adverse symptoms as a result of consuming the popsicles. Customers who wish to speak with a company representative can contact Tropical Foods at 909-563-3090, or reach out via email by contacting: info@tropicalefoods.com. An Illinois State Senator Steve Stadelman wants to strengthen the states laws to crack down on hazing. Stadelmans proposal, Senate Bill 2934, would eliminate what he calls a loophole in the law, clearing up the concept of consent in this law. Stadelman says it could be considered consent right now if someone accepts an invitation to an event or agrees to go somewhere and then gets hazed. He says that so-called loophole lets people charged with hazing crimes avoid consequences. His bill would make it clear that consent in these instances would not prevent people from being prosecuted. Stadelman pointed to recent high profile controversies in Illinois as a reason for his proposal. A recent investigation found the Eastern Illinois University swim team violated the universitys hazing policies. The bill passed the Senate and now heads to the House. For more information, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. CHICAGO Following a serious collision last year between a Chicago Transit Authority train and a snowplow near the citys border with Evanston, the Illinois Senate unanimously approved a measure on Friday that would mandate various transportation agencies to issue annual reports for the public that detail the most up-to-date federal rail-safety recommendations. All 59 state senators 40 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted in favor of the measure that would require the yearly reports from the CTA, Illinois Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation Authority and Metra that specify the safety recommendations made over a one-year period from the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as the statuses of their implementation. The reports, which would detail the recommendations and the agencies progress in following them by Dec. 31 of each year, must be viewable to the public online as well as to the Illinois General Assembly. The bill, which would go into effect on July 1 if it becomes law, now moves to the House for consideration. Rail accidents can be prevented if our rail transit systems are regularly implementing federal safety recommendations and keeping those up to date and viewable to the riding public, said state Sen. Mike Simmons, a Democrat from Chicago who represents a swath of the citys far North Side, and the main sponsor of the legislation. I want rail transit riders to feel safe as they commute. As a regular rider of CTA myself, I know how important it is that riders have confidence that the rail system is reliable and will safely and smoothly get them to where they need to be. At least 16 people were taken to hospitals, including three who were critically injured, after the Nov. 16 crash between a Yellow Line train and a snowplow that was on the tracks for scheduled training. The CTA has said seven of its employees six on the snowplow and the passenger train operator were among those hurt. The passenger train, also known as the Skokie Swift train, was approaching the Howard Street station, near the border of Chicago and Evanston, when it slammed into the snow-fighter track-plowing train. The crash also caused about $8.7 million in damage to equipment and led to multiple lawsuits. The NTSB last year said it found the trains operator tried to brake before the crash, and a system designed to reduce sliding by the trains wheels while braking had activated. The train was made up of two, nearly decade-old 5000-series cars, which is the CTAs most common model rail car. The NTSB has also said the Yellow Line signal system, which controls train movement, was old, and if it were designed today it would have to allow for a longer stopping distance for trains. The agency has also said there was residue on the tracks and that the trains wheels slipped as the operator tried to brake, and the NTSB had been examining organic material on the tracks that can include leaf debris. (Bloomberg) -- Indias ruling party pledged to focus on infrastructure and keep popular subsidies in place in its election manifesto as Prime Minister Narendra Modi bids for a historic third term in voting this week. Most Read from Bloomberg The Bharatiya Janata Party said it will focus on improving opportunities for Indias poor, women, youth and farmers. The manifesto was released just days before voting begins on April 19. Results will be released on June 4. The party titled its program Modi ki Guarantee, or Modis guarantee the idea that the prime minister is a man of his word and fulfills all promises. Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi at which top leaders unveiled the manifesto, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh described Modis guarantee as good as 24-carat gold. The party said it will turn India into a global manufacturing hub, and work on making Indias cities more livable. --With assistance from Swati Gupta and Sudhi Ranjan Sen. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon By Vivian Sequera CARACAS (Reuters) - The government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is following the "worrying events" in the Middle East, it said on Saturday, but it did not condemn Iran's retaliatory strike on Israel earlier in the day. Venezuela is an ally of Iran, Russia and China. Its communication with the United States has somewhat improved in the past two years as Maduro's government has promised the U.S. it will allow greater participation by the political opposition in upcoming elections. Peace in the Middle East could only be guaranteed once justice and international law were reestablished, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said in a statement on the X social media website, adding that this was mainly with regard to the Palestinian people and state. "As a result of the genocide in Palestine and the irrationality of the Israeli regime as well as the inaction of the United Nations, the situation of instability in the region has worsened dramatically in recent weeks," the statement said. "Venezuela advocates the construction of peace with justice as most countries in the world want." On Friday, White House officials confirmed that delegates of U.S. President Joe Biden had met secretly with representatives of the Maduro government in Mexico this week. The U.S. has lifted sanctions on the Venezuelan oil industry temporarily as a result of an agreement to give the opposition more participation in the elections this year. It will decide by April 18 whether to reimpose the sanctions in response to what it considers Maduro's failure to live up to his commitment to the agreement on the elections. Most other countries in the region condemned the Iranian attacks. (Reporting by Vivian Sequera in Caracas; Writing by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel - Amir Cohen Follow the latest updates in our liveblog. Iran launched its first ever direct attack on Israel, Operation True Promise, on Saturday night. It said the attack came in retaliation to a strike on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, Syria, on April 1 which killed seven of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers, including two senior commanders. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the April 1 attack. News of the drone attack on Israel broke on Saturday night just after 9pm. The drones launched from Iran were seen flying low as they passed over Iraq, with social media awash with clips of the weapons making a loud buzzing noise. Israeli civilians were warned to stay close to air raid shelters as sirens sounded in Jerusalem and the north of the country activated by incoming Iranian drones and missiles. In the hours following, Israels allies condemned the attack and scrambled to help intercept the drones before they could make landfall. Below is The Telegraphs live account of how the attack unfolded. 12:25 PM BST Sunak confirms RAF shot down number of Iran attack drones Royal Air Force pilots shot down a number of Irans drones during the overnight attack on Israel, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed. Mr Sunak said that the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate had Irans attack on Israel been successful. The prime minister said he had chaired a Cobra meeting with Cabinet ministers on Friday to agree a plan of action over Irans attack on Israel, and confirmed that additional RAF pilots were sent to the region. This is a dangerous and unnecessary escalation which I have condemned in the strongest terms, he told Sky Newson Sunday. Thanks to an international coordinated effort, which the UK participated in, almost all of these missiles were intercepted, saving lives notjust in Israel but in neighbouring countries like Jordan as well. Follow the latest coverage in our liveblog. 11:49 AM BST German foreign minister says Iran has taken Middle East to the edge of the precipice Iran has taken the Middle East to the edge of a precipice with its overnight attack on Israel, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock has said. She said Tehran had plunged an entire region into chaos and asked all sides to show restraint, adding that the spiralling tensions needed to end. 11:48 AM BST Iran will not hesitate to defend its interests against any new aggression, says foreign minister Iran has no intention of prolonging its defensive operations but it will not hesitate to safeguard its legitimate interests against any new aggression, foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has said on social media platform X. 11:44 AM BST Iran summons the British, French and German ambassadors Irans foreign ministry has summoned the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their irresponsible stance regarding Tehrans retaliatory strikes on Israel, the semi-official Iranian Labour News Agency reported. 11:41 AM BST Italian prime minister condemns attack Italys prime minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned Irans attack and organised a meeting with G7 leaders for later today. Il Governo italiano ribadisce la condanna agli attacchi iraniani contro Israele. La presidenza italiana del G7 ha organizzato per il primo pomeriggio di oggi una conferenza in collegamento a livello dei leader. Esprimiamo forte preoccupazione per una destabilizzazione ulteriore Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) April 14, 2024 11:00 AM BST Jordan says escalation in region would lead to dangerous paths Jordans prime minister Bisher Khasawneh has said that any escalation in the region would lead to dangerous paths and said that there was a need to reduce escalation by all parties. In remarks to the cabinet, Mr Khasawneh said the countrys armed forces would confront any attempt by any party that sought to endanger the kingdoms security. 10:38 AM BST Israel shoots down 99 per cent of Iranian missiles and drones Israel and its allies intercepted 99 per cent of the drones and missiles fired at its territory by Iran on Saturday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesman, said Iran had launched more than 300 drones along with cruise missiles and ballistic missiles but no fatalities had been reported. Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, said the bombardment had caused very little damage as a result of the impressive operations by the IDF and Israels allies. However, Nevatim Air Base, in the south of the country, was hit but its capabilities were not blunted, Mr Hagari added. A 10-year-old girl was also injured by fragments of rockets. RAF jets helped defend Israel from the barrage and are reported to have shot down drones near the Syria-Iraq border, where Iranian proxy groups are active. 10:33 AM BST Pictured: Debris of a missile in Jordan Debris of a missile that the Jordanian forces intercepted over Amman - AHMAD SHOURA/AFP via Getty Images 10:14 AM BST Most drones over Syria downed by Israeli and US jets Most of the Iranian drones flying over Syrias airspace during Tehrans strikes overnight were downed by Israeli and US jets before reaching their targets in Israel, two Western intelligence sources have said. They told Reuters the aerial interceptions shot down dozens of missiles and drones fired by Iran that flew above southern Syria in the Deraa province, the Syrian Golan Heights and several locations in eastern Syria along the border with Iraq. US air defences operated from the US base in al-Tanf, as well as along the Jordanian border and in eastern Syria, where Washington maintains hundred of troops in several air bases, one source said. He could not confirm whether US military aircraft and defence destroyers deployed in the Middle East were used in what he described as a highly prepared response based on accurate intelligence on both the timing of Irans retaliation and its scope, using a swarm of drones and missiles. 09:05 AM BST Hezbollah source says Israel struck position in east Lebanon A source within Lebanons Iran-backed Hezbollah group said Israel struck one of its buildings in Lebanons east, close to the Syrian border, as tensions soared after Iran directly attacked Israel. The Israeli strike targeted an area... near Baalbek and targeted a two-storey building belonging to Hezbollah, a source within the group told AFP, adding there were no casualties. Lebanons state-run National News Agency also reported that an enemy air strike targeted a building in the village of Nabi Sheet and destroyed it. 09:02 AM BST There will be a price tag, says Israeli source over US-led coalition defending its skies A senior Israeli intelligence source told The Telegraph that the Iranian operation was a significant setback to Tehra,n which had hoped to show its might in the wake of Israels airstrike on Irans consulate compound in Damascus earlier this month. They hadnt predicted the coalition working against them, British, French, US, Jordanians intercepting the missiles, so its something incredible when you think about the status of Israel just a week ago when we were on the verge of being branded South Africa, he said. Its a major strategic blow to the Iranians and a setback for the Iranian axis. I dont think theyll resume it as it was such a disastrous attack and a major failure. However, the US-led coalition defending the skies now puts Israel in a conundrum. There will be a price tag for that, the source said. Meaning from now on the Americans will dictate everything in this region to us and personally I am afraid that the American administration is going to cease the war. The events increase the chances of more hostage negotiations, the source suggested. Sinwar was counting on a successful Iranian attack. It gave him a boost to turn down any sort of offer so there is a better chance now for a better deal but we have to consider that the Americans dont want the war any more. Biden wants to go to the Democratic convention [in August] with Gaza behind him so I think the pressure on us to cease the war and comply with Hamas demands will be heavier. Its problematic, they said. Diplomatically, Israel has gained back some momentum from the Iranian bombardment, which it was losing in the face of a war that according to Hamas sources in Gaza, has claimed the lives of over 30,000 Palestinians. The source said: Its the best thing that couldve happened to Israel. Who would have dreamed Jordan would intercept Iranian missiles targeting Israel. Its like a fantasy. Look how America stood by us. 08:51 AM BST Ed Davey backs calls to avoid further escalation Charles Hymas, The Telegraphs Home Affairs correspondent, reports: Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, condemned the Iranian attack but backed calls to avoid further escalation. We utterly condemn Irans attack on Israel. This is a dangerous escalation in a conflict that has already caused far too much death and suffering, he said. The UK must work with the international community to stand up for Israels security and the security of our other partners in the region. We must prevent further escalation and remain focused on finally achieving a lasting peace, so that Israeli and Palestinian children both can grow up free of the horrifying cycle of violence that has endured for so long. 08:47 AM BST Protestors in Jerusalem disperse on Saturday night 08:41 AM BST Hamas says Irans attack on Israel was natural right Hamas has defended Irans attack on Israel. We in Hamas regard the military operation conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran a natural right and a deserved response on the crime of targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the assassination of several leaders of the Revolutionary Guards, said Hamas in a statement. 08:37 AM BST Pictured: Quiet streets in Jerusalem A man reads at a cafe in Jerusalem - RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images A cyclist rides in Jerusalem on Sunday morning - RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images 08:26 AM BST Jordan says it intercepted flying objects entered its airspace last night Jordan intercepted some flying objects that entered its airspace last night to ensure safety of citizens, a cabinet statement said. Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel, had readied air defences to intercept any drones or missiles that violated its territory, two regional security sources said. Some shrapnel fell in multiple places during that time without causing any significant damage or any injuries to citizens, it added. 08:25 AM BST G7 leaders to discuss Iranian strikes Leaders from the G7 will hold a video conference later today to discuss the Iranian strikes on Israel, according to Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the group. The Italian presidency of the G7 has summoned G7 leaders for a video conference early this afternoon, the government said. The G7 groups the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada. 08:17 AM BST Israeli pilots return to bases The Israel Air Force has said its pilots and planes have returned to their bases. After intercepting the threats launched against the State of Israel together with the strategic partner countries - the pilots and planes return to the air force bases, the Israel Air Force wrote on X. We continue to maintain the security of the State of Israel, in the face of any threat. - -. , . pic.twitter.com/a5p1HGNOs8 Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) April 14, 2024 08:13 AM BST Iran army says attack on Israel achieved all its objectives The Iranian army has said its drone and missile attack on Israel, in retaliation for a deadly strike on Irans Damascus consulate, has achieved all its objectives. Operation Honest Promise... was completed successfully from last night to this morning and achieved all its objectives, Mohammad Bagheri, the Iranian armed forces chief of staff, told state TV. 08:07 AM BST Iraq reopens airspace Iraq has reopened its airspace after suspending all air traffic as neighbouring Iran launched its drone and missile attack on Israel, the Iraqi aviation authority announced. Jordan, which neighbours Iraq as well as Israel, and Lebanon similarly reopened their airspace, as did Israel. The Iraqi civil aviation authority announced in a statement the reopening of the airspace and resumption of flights to and from airports across the country, saying there were no longer any security risks to civilian aircraft. Local Kurdish media in northern Iraq reported that Iranian drones had flown over the autonomous Kurdish region overnight. In Jordan, civil aviation commission chief Haitham Misto told the official Al Mamlaka channel: The Jordanian airspace has been reopened and the situation has returned to normal. 08:01 AM BST France helped defend against Irans attack, says Israeli military Israels military has said that France was among the countries involved in defending against Irans overnight attack on Israel. France has very good technology, jets, radar - and I know they were contributing in patrolling airspace, Israels chief military spokesman says. He added that he did not have exact details on whether French jets had shot down any of Irans missiles. 07:56 AM BST Israel has shown exceptional resilience Isaac Herzog said that Israel had shown exceptional resilience following a five-hour bombardment by Iran as he thanked allies for their support. The Israeli president wrote on social media: Bless you dear soldiers and commanders of the IDF and IAF. Bless the coalition of nations led by the US. Bless my sisters and brothers, the people of Israel, for their exceptional show of resilience. Together, the forces of good will overcome the forces of evil. Bless you dear soldiers and commanders of the IDF and IAF. Bless the coalition of nations led by the US and @POTUS. Bless my sisters and brothers, the people of Israel, for their exceptional show of resilience. Together, the forces of good will overcome the forces of evil. Am Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) April 14, 2024 07:06 AM BST Biden: We will defend Israel but wont attack Iran Joe Biden has reportedly warned Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will not participate in any attack by Israel on Iran in response to Saturdays air strike. NBC News reports that the US President fears being dragged into a wider Middle East conflict, while officials are anxious that Israels leadership may retaliate without considering the fallout. In a speech on Saturday evening, Mr Biden said the US and Israel had shot down nearly all of the drones and missiles launched by Tehran. American forces intercepted 70 drones and at least three ballistic missiles, according to CNN. His only reference to his conversation with Mr Netanyahu on Saturday was that US support for Israel was ironclad. Mr Biden added that he would convene a meeting of the G7 to issue a diplomatic response to the air strike. Irans bombardment, which was aided by its proxies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, caused minor damage to an Israeli military base in the south of the country, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said. One unnamed Israeli official told local media that the attack was a strategic failure, adding: Now they can get ready and not sleep in peace. 06:14 AM BST Gallant: Israel sustained very little damage Tehrans bombardment of Israel using hundreds of drones and missiles caused very little damage, Yoav Gallant said. The Israeli defence minister said in a statement: I have recently completed an operational situation assessment with senior members of Israels defense establishment. The State of Israel was attacked with hundreds of missiles and UAVs [drones], and the IDF thwarted this attack in an impressive manner. Together with the United States and additional partners, we managed to defend the territory of the State of Israel. Very little damage was caused this is the result of the IDFs impressive operations. The campaign is not over yet we must remain alert and attentive to the instructions published by the IDF and Homefront Command. We must be prepared for every scenario. Having said this, we have thwarted the most significant wave, and we did so successfully. 05:55 AM BST Israel: Hamas has rejected hostage return deal Mossad, Israels national intelligence agency, said Hamas has rejected an agreement that would have seen the return of hostages from Gaza. It said in a statement that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Palestinian group, was opposed to a humanitarian deal and was attempting to destabilise the region by exploiting tensions with Iran. Israel will continue to strive to realise the objectives of the war with Hamas with full force, and leave no stone unturned to return the 133 hostages from Gaza forthwith, it added. 05:48 AM BST We intercepted, we stopped, we will win Benjamin Netanyahu has issued his first public statement since Irans attack with a brief social media post: We intercepted, we stopped. Together we will win. 05:42 AM BST Iranian air strike hits military base in southern Israel An Iranian air strike on Israel resulted in injuries when it damaged a military base in the south of the country, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said. Although most of the Iranian barrage, made up of more than 100 drones in addition to cruise and ballistic missiles, were apparently intercepted, the IDF said that individual injuries had been reported. It said in a statement: A short time ago, dozens of launches of surface-to-surface missiles were detected that made their way from Iran to the countrys territory. The air defence fighters successfully intercepted using the Arrow system and, together with the strategic partner countries, most of the launches before they crossed the territory of the country. Individual injuries were detected, among them at a military base in the south of the country with minor damage to the infrastructure. The IDF said subsequently that its forces were prepared and continue to defend the territory of the country. Israels Home Front Command has lifted its order for residents across the country to stay close to shelters, as the immediate threat of attack lifts. 05:14 AM BST US warships shot down ballistic missiles At least three ballistic missiles launched at Israel were shot down by US warships in the eastern Mediterranean, a US official told CNN. US forces reportedly intercepted 70 attack drones in addition to the missiles, having intensified their military presence in the region ahead of the anticipated strike by Iran. 05:10 AM BST Iranian attack could mean devastating escalation, warns UN head Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, warned that Irans attack on Israel could destabilise the Middle East and lead to military confrontations on multiple fronts. I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation, he said. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East. 05:00 AM BST US defence secretary condemns unprecedented attacks Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, said the US intercepted dozens of missiles and drones fired at Israel by Iran and its proxies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. His statement continued: Our forces remain postured to protect US troops and partners in the region, provide further support for Israels defense, and enhance regional stability. We condemn these reckless and unprecedented attacks by Iran and its proxies, and we call on Iran to immediately halt any further attacks, including from its proxy forces, and to deescalate tensions. We do not seek conflict with Iran, but we will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defense of Israel. I am grateful for the professionalism and the skill of the brave U.S. troops who took part in todays actions and who continue to stand guard to prevent further conflict or escalation. I will continue to monitor the situation closely and to consult with our allies and partners. 04:55 AM BST Pictured: Police line streets as Iranians celebrate attack on Israel Police take security measures as people holding Iranian flags gather to stage a demonstration in support of Iran's attack on Israel in Tehran - Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images 04:51 AM BST Reports: Israeli official tells Iran to get ready A senior Israeli source, quoted by local media, labelled Irans attack a strategic failure, adding: Now they can get ready and not sleep in peace.. 04:36 AM BST Biden: We will defend Israel but wont attack Iran Joe Biden is said to have ruled out any US participation in strikes against Iran when he spoke with Benjamin Netanyahu, CNN reports, citing an official. Mr Biden recently said the US and Israel had shot down nearly all of the drones and missiles launched by Iran last night. 04:24 AM BST Officials: Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel Two Israeli officials told The New York Times that Iran launched more than 300 projectiles at Israel this evening: 185 drones, 110 surface-to-surface missiles, and 36 cruise missiles. They added that although most of these were fired from Iran, a small proportion were sent from Iraq and Yemen. 04:13 AM BST Rocket explodes in Katzrin A rocket landed in Katzrin, an Israeli settlement in the Golan Heights, but did not cause any injuries. It follows reports that the region had come under fire from dozens of missiles sent from Lebanon. 04:08 AM BST Israel can defeat unprecedented attacks Referring to his recent phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden said he had reaffirmed Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, he continued. 04:06 AM BST G7 to issue response on brazen attack Joe Biden said he will convene a meeting of the G7 to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. US facilities have not been targeted but they remain vigilant to all threats, he added. 04:03 AM BST US helped take down nearly all of Irans attack, says Biden US assistance meant Israel intercepted nearly all of the drones and missiles fired by Iran, Joe Biden has claimed. The US President said he had directed military aircraft and destroyers to the Middle East in the last week to help Israels defensive efforts ahead of the anticipated strike. Thanks to the deployments and extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, he said. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms, he added. Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US navy had shot down dozens of missiles that were heading for Israel. 04:00 AM BST Iran says it targeted Israeli military bases Iran said its wave of air strikes had targeted a number of Israeli military bases in response to an attack on its consulate in Damascus. Its foreign ministry said it reaffirms its commitment to the principles of international law but was determined to forcefully defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests. The... resort to defensive measures in exercise of its right of self-defense demonstrates Irans responsible approach toward regional and international peace and security, it added. 03:52 AM BST Iranian attack lasted five hours, say officials Irans bombardment of Israel using drones and missiles lasted approximately five hours, two US officials told local media. The wave of attacks now appears to have subsided, they added. 03:49 AM BST US concerned about Israels response to attack US officials are concerned that Israel could make a rash response to Irans attack that further destabilises the Middle East, NBC News reports. Joe Biden, the US President, is also said to have privately expressed concerns that Israel is trying to drag the US into a wider conflict in the region. It was reported earlier that Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, had asked Israel to provide advance notice of any retaliation to the Iranian air strike. 03:38 AM BST Pictured: Biden briefed on Irans attack on Israel Joe Biden, along with members of his national security team, receive an update on an ongoing airborne attack on Israel from Iran - Adam Schultz/The White House via AP 03:31 AM BST US asks for warning of Israeli response to air strike The US has asked Israel to warn it before it issues any response to the Iranian air strike, CNN reports. A US official told the broadcaster that Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, made the request of his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant when the pair spoke this evening. Mr Gallant, along with Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, have apparently been authorised by the Israeli security council to respond to Irans attack. 03:01 AM BST Sirens sound amid attack from Lebanon Sirens have sounded in the Golan Heights as roughly 25 projectiles were fired from Lebanon, according to reports. The IDF said sirens sounded in the settlements of Ortal and Shaal early Sunday. Residents had previously been warned to stay near protective spaces. 02:59 AM BST Sirens sound in Jerusalem as Iran fires missiles at Israel Israeli civilians were warned to stay close to air raid shelters as sirens sounded in Jerusalem and the north of the country activated by incoming Iranian drones and missiles. Rear Adm Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the IDF, reiterated guidance for Israeli civilians around shelters and urged them to act responsibly and calmly. He warned that civilians may hear explosions from interceptions or debris falling. More than 100 drones as well as missiles have been launched by Iran on Saturday night, the Israeli military said. The attacks were launched from Iran and from Syria, Yemen and Iraq by the regimes proxy groups. I remind you that no matter where the threat is launched from, when an alarm sounds you must enter the shelter and wait there for no less than ten minutes, he said. The Israeli military said sirens sounded in Kibbutz Snir, northern Israel. It also urged residents of the northern Golan Heights and the areas of Nevatim, Dimona, and Eilat to stay near protective spaces. 02:45 AM BST UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday after Iran attacked Israel with a barrage of drones and missiles. Gilad Erdan, Israels ambassador to the UN, requested the meeting in response to Irans flagrant violation of Israels sovereignty. He called on the Security Council condemn Iran for these grave violations and designate its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC) as a terrorist organisation. The meeting is expected to be held around 8pm GMT. 02:37 AM BST Netanyahu speaking with Biden Benjamin Netanyahu is now speaking with Joe Biden, according to the Israeli prime ministers office. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently speaking with US President Joe Biden, following the deliberations of the Security Cabinet and the War Cabinet. pic.twitter.com/v2oJqMSky4 Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 14, 2024 02:33 AM BST Trump: Iran attacked Israel because of US weakness Irans attack on Israel shows the need to revive American strength, Donald Trump said on the campaign trail this evening. He told the crowd in Pennsylvania, a crucial state in the upcoming election, that Tehran had been emboldened because we show great weakness. It would not have happened if I were in office, he claimed, adding: Today we are considered a joke. Its not going to be for long, believe me. 02:11 AM BST Iran must be held accountable Israels ambassador to the US said Iran must be held accountable for its unprecedented regional attack and pledged that Israel would defend itself. Michael Herzog wrote on social media: Iran has been the most destabilizing force in the Middle East for decades and is responsible for the violent escalation the region has seen, beginning on October 7th and ever since. It should - and must - be held accountable. Israel is deeply grateful to the United States for its steadfast support and ironclad commitment to its security at this critical moment. Israel will do whatever it takes to defend itself. The State of Israel has come under an unprecedented regional attack, including hundreds of missiles and UAVs, launched by Iran from its territory and assisted by its proxies. Iran has been the most destabilizing force in the Middle East for decades and is responsible for the Ambassador Michael Herzog (@AmbHerzog) April 14, 2024 02:01 AM BST IDF: Injuries reported at military base Iranian drones and missiles launched against Israel result in injuries and damage at a military base in the south of the country, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said. It said in a statement: A short time ago, dozens of launches of surface-to-surface missiles were detected that made their way from Iran to the countrys territory. The air defense fighters successfully intercepted using the Arrow system and, together with the strategic partner countries, most of the launches before they crossed the territory of the country. Individual injuries were detected, among them at a military base in the south of the country with minor damage to the infrastructure. The IDF said in a subsequent statement via social media that its forces were prepared and continue to defend the territory of the country. 01:49 AM BST Netanyahu weighs up response to Iranian attack Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with defence minister Yoav Gallant and former defence minister Benny Gantz will decide on the response to the Iranian attack, Axios reports. The full war cabinet is to convene tomorrow. 01:39 AM BST Reports: Biden and Netanyahu to speak after Iranian strike US President Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, are expected to speak shortly, Israeli media reports. A readout of their conversation will likely be released by their office shortly afterwards. 01:37 AM BST Israel at maximum readiness against further attacks Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, reportedly said that Israel is in a state of maximum readiness against further attack attempts in a phone call with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin. He also informed the secretary of defense about Israels defense actions against the Iranian attack and thanked him for standing by Israels side, according to Israeli media. 01:07 AM BST Iran will not hesitate to strike again The Iranian foreign ministry said the possibility of further attacks cannot be ruled out. If deemed necessary, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to implement further defensive measures to safeguard its legitimate interests against any aggressive military actions and unlawful use of force, it said in a statement. 12:42 AM BST How the Iron Dome protects Israel 12:39 AM BST Irans warning to the US and Israel Iran has warned against any Israeli or American retaliatory attacks after the feared Revolutionary Guards targeted Israel with missiles and suicide drones. The terrorist American government is cautioned that any involvement in harming Irans interests will elicit a decisive and remorseful response from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it warned. Furthermore, America bears responsibility for the evil actions of the Zionist regime, and if this regime, which perpetuates acts of violence against children, is not restrained in the region, it must face the repercussions. It has also warned regional countries against the use of their territories for strikes against Iran. Emphasising the policy of fostering good neighbourly relations with neighbouring countries in the region, it is affirmed that any threat emanating from the terrorist state of America or the Zionist regime, regardless of its origin, will be met with a reciprocal and proportionate response from the Islamic Republic of Iran, the statement from Iran read. 12:35 AM BST US targets Iranian drones The US is continuing to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel, a US official told CNN. In accordance with our ironclad commitment to Israels security, US forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel, the official said. Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect US forces operating in the region. 12:31 AM BST Watch: Iranian drones in the sky over the West Bank A new wave of Iranian drones entered the skies of the West Bank Happy Takbir of Palestinians living in Tubas when they see Iranian drones Pictures from Palestinian journalist, Abu Hamza al-Masri pic.twitter.com/UU3BPLTrUg IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) April 13, 2024 12:21 AM BST The moment an anti-missile system protected Israel an anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon 12:09 AM BST More RAF jets moved to the Middle East The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the UK has moved several additional Royal Air Force jets to the Middle East which can intercept airborne attacks. They said in a statement: In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks. We have moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region. These will bolster Operation Shader, which is the UKs existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq and Syria. In addition, these UK jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required. One of six Typhoon jets to arrive from the UK at RAF Akrotirii in Cyprus - JULIAN SIMMONDS 12:04 AM BST In pictures: People in Tehran celebrate the attacks People celebrate in Iran People celebrate in Iran 11:57 PM BST Israel bans gatherings and orders people to stay near shelter Israelis have been told to be alert and prepare to take shelter, as the country takes safety measures including closing schools. Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesman, warned that no matter where the threat is launched from, when an alarm sounds you must enter the shelter and wait there for no less than ten minutes. Starting tomorrow, throughout the country, there will be no educational activity, he said. Also, gatherings of over 1,000 people are prohibited. You are required to continue to vigilantly adhere to the guidelines, they may change based on the situational assessment. So far, your conduct and adherence to the guidelines has been exceptional, keep it up it saves lives. 11:47 PM BST The Shahed drone: Irans low-cost but deadly weapon of choice When Tehran launched dozens of explosives-laden drones to attack Israel, it wasnt long before they were heard and spotted over the skies of Iran. The drones launched from Iran were seen flying low as they passed over Iraq, with social media awash with clips of the weapons making a loud buzzing noise. The unmanned aerial vehicles are believed to be Shaheds Witness in Farsi. The deadly long-range drone has become known as the AK-47 of Tehran: cheap, mass produced and ready to be exported worldwide to conflict zones where the regime has a vested interest. Their lawnmower-like whirr is already very familiar for Ukrainians who are constantly under attack from Iranian-made drones launched by Russia. Read James Rothwells full story on the Shahed drone here. 11:45 PM BST British jets shoot down Iranian drones British RAF jets have reportedly shot down Iranian drones bound for Israel. Israels Channel 12 said that US and UK fighter jets shot down Iranian drones near the Syria-Iraq border. It was reported that British jets took off from Cyprus. When asked about the missile strikes, the Ministry of Defence did not comment. 11:18 PM BST Starmer: We support all measures designed to restore calm Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said we condemn the Iranian regimes decision to subject Israelis to these unacceptable attacks. The international community has been united in urging restraint and we regret that yet again Iran has chosen a different, dangerous path, Mr Starmer said in a statement. Our thoughts are with all those in the region who want peace and security not the fear and instability being generated by Iran. We continue to stand up for Israels security and that of our other partners in the region, including Jordan and Iraq. We support all measures designed to restore calm as we must do all we can to prevent a wider regional war. 10:51 PM BST Jenrick: Now more than ever, we must stand with Israel Robert Jenrick, the former Cabinet secretary, has released a statement following the attack: Now more than ever, we must stand with Israel. For over 70 years, Israel's very existence has been threatened. Tonight, Iran attacks Israel as their leaders have promised for so long. Thinking of our military personnel in the region and the people of Israel tonight. Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) April 13, 2024 10:39 PM BST Pictured: Israeli War Cabinet convenes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes his War Cabinet 10:32 PM BST Iran: Drones will reach targets soon The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC] has released a statement claiming credit for the drone attack. In response to the recent crime of the Zionist regime against the Iranian consulate in Syria, the IRGC air forces have successfully fired tens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories, the Iranian military wing said. According to Iranian-state TV, The drones flew for 50 minutes over Iran and then crossed over to Jordan and will reach the occupied territories soon. 10:29 PM BST Joe Biden returns to the Oval Office Joe Biden is back in the Oval Office after cutting short a weekend trip to his Delaware beach house to return to the White House. Earlier today, the US president was briefed on the latest developments in the region by his top national security aide, Jake Sullivan, and his principal deputy, Jon Finer, aides said. Mr Biden is due to convene a meeting with his top team later this evening in Washington. Around a dozen people will sit in on the meeting, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the US Secretary of State, the Defence Secretary and the head of the CIA. Kamala Harris will tune in by secure video from Los Angeles. 10:22 PM BST Rishi Sunak condemns reckless attack The Prime Minister has released a statement condemning the Iranian drone attack and reiterating the UKs support for Israels security. Rishi Sunak said: I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regimes reckless attack against Israel. These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. The UK will continue to stand up for Israels security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed. 10:15 PM BST Israel to close airspace Israels airport authority said its airspace will be closed from 12:30 am Sunday (21:30 GMT Saturday) as a precaution following the drone attack. In accordance with the guidance of the security system, starting at (12:30 am) the airspace of the state of Israel will be closed to international and domestic flights, the statement said. Israels El Al Airlines has cancelled 15 flights scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, the carrier said on Saturday. Foreign destinations affected include Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Milan, Bucharest, Sofia, Athens, Dubai and Moscow, the El Al statement said. Iraq also announced late on Saturday it was closing its airspace and suspending all air traffic in response to the drone attack. Iraqs airspace has been closed and air traffic has been halted, transport minister Razzak al-Saadawi told state news agency INA. The Civil Aviation Authority said the closure would last from 11:30 pm (20:30 GMT) until 5:30 am (02:30 GMT). 10:10 PM BST Israeli military: This is a severe and dangerous escalation Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesman, described the attack as a severe and dangerous escalation. He said: Iran has launched a direct attack from Iranian soil toward the State of Israel. We are closely monitoring Iranian killer drones that are en-route to Israel sent by Iran. This is a severe and dangerous escalation. Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large- scale attack from Iran. Together with our partners, the Israel Defense Forces is operating at full-force to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel. This is a mission that we are determined and ready to fulfill. 10:07 PM BST Mapped: Naval presence in the region 10:06 PM BST Iranian drones flying low to avoid detection James Rothwell reports: The drones launched from Iran were seen flying low as they passed over Iraq, with social media awash with clips of the weapons making a loud buzzing noise. That lawnmower-like whirr is already very familiar for Ukrainians who are constantly under attack from Iranian-made drones launched by Russia. The drones passing over Iraq appeared to be flying very low, in an apparent effort to avoid local radar. By launching the drones from Iran, well over 1,000km away from Israel, the regime seems to have deliberately avoided the element of surprise. It was unclear on Saturday night whether the drone salvoes would be followed by further launches of cruise or ballistic missiles. If Irans goal is to overwhelm Israeli air defences, it may have launched the comparatively slow drones well in advance of the missiles, in an attempt to ensure the weapons reach Israel at around the same time. Irans most notorious drone is the Shahed, which is being deployed en masse by Russia against Ukraine and has also been used against Israel by Houthi rebels in Yemen. 10:04 PM BST Jordan ready to shoot down Iranian aircraft that violate its airspace Jordans air defences were ready to intercept and shoot down any Iranian drones or aircraft that violate its airspace, two regional security sources told Reuters. They said the army was also in a state of high alert and radar systems were monitoring drone activity. 09:53 PM BST Very dangerous moment The Telegraphs Political Correspondent Will Hazel reports: Responding to the news of the attack, the chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Alicia Kearns, said it was a very dangerous moment. Iran often presents its activities as in response to a humiliation, in this case the bombing of its consulate, she said. Usually its response is limited to a singular activity they believe to be proportional to the slight suffered, but this feels different. Let us hope the attack is averted and no lives are lost, de-escalation is vital for the sake of the whole region. 09:51 PM BST Potential targets Iran could strike 09:49 PM BST Israel working with US to intercept Iranian drones Israel is working closely with the US to intercept Iranian drones, the countrys military said, after Tehran launched a direct attack on Saturday night. The White House said airborne attack against Israel was likely to unfold over a number of hours and vowed to support Israel against the threat. Tehran launched drones at Israel directly from within its territory, the Israeli army said, marking a major escalation between the regional foes. Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement. We are working in close cooperation with the United States and our partners in the region in order to act against the launches and intercept them, he said. Earlier on Saturday, Israel warned that Iran would suffer the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further. 09:33 PM BST Iran: Significant drone operation has started Tehran confirmed it had begun its attack, with Iranian state TV reporting: A significant drone operation by the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] against targets inside occupied territories has started. Iranian state TV in a breaking news ticker confirms that the IRGC has launched an "expansive drone operation" against Israel. https://t.co/ej3zYBgffB pic.twitter.com/mIxjuiFmEd Kian Sharifi (@KianSharifi) April 13, 2024 09:27 PM BST Iran launches major drone attack on Israel Iran has launched a major drone attack on Israel, the IDF has said, but added that it would take hours for them to reach the country. A short while ago, Iran launched UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] from within its territory toward Israel, said the IDF. Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesman, said it would take several hours before they reached Israel. The announcement came shortly after Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was prepared for a direct attack from Iran. Our defense systems are deployed, and we are prepared for any scenario, both in defense and offense. We will defend ourselves from any threat and we will do so calmly and with determination, the prime minister said. 09:26 PM BST Iran launches direct drone strikes at Israel, says Israeli army Iran launched drones at Israel directly from its territory on Saturday, the Israeli army said, marking a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes. Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a military spokesman, said in a televised statement. 08:30 PM BST Hamas says submitted response to Gaza truce mediators Hamas said it had submitted its response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on a proposed truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip, insisting on a permanent ceasefire. Truce talks started on April 7 in Cairo but have so far brought no breakthrough on a plan presented by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators. In a statement, the Palestinian militant group said on Saturday it reaffirms adherence to its demands including a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced to their areas and places of residence, intensification of the entry of relief and aid, and the start of reconstruction. 08:19 PM BST Israel shuts all schools and reinforces military over Iran threat Israel has shut all schools for the next 48 hours and reinforced its military defenses amid fears that Iran will strike the country imminently in revenge for the killing of one of its top commanders last week. The Home Front issued an alert late on Saturday cancelling all educational activities until 11pm local time on Monday. All beaches near active frontlines, including Gaza, were also closed, while outdoor gatherings in such areas were restricted. Military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the changes were made in light of the security situation in a televised statement. He added that dozens of combat planes were currently airborne as part of the state of readiness. Defence minister Yoav Gallant added: Over the last few days we have reinforced both our offensive and defensive forces, and we are determined to protect the citizens of Israel in any way possible. 08:06 PM BST Pictured: Another week of mass prostests against the Israeli government Thousands of people have turned out on the streets of Tel Aviv to demand that Benjamin Netanyahu resign and call for the release of hostages held by Hamas. The protests have gathered in intensity as the war in Gaza drags on and anger at the governments handling of the remaining Israeli hostages still held by the Islamist movement in Gaza has grown. People protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, April 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) People protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, April 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) 07:47 PM BST Washingtons support for Israel is ironclad, says Bidens national security adviser Joe Bidens national security adviser Jake Sullivan reiterated Washingtons ironclad support for Israels security in a call with his Israeli counterpart on Saturday. Mr Sullivan said: I spoke with my Israeli counterpart, National Security Advisor Hanegbi, to discuss events in the Middle East. During the call, I reiterated the United States ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. On Saturday Mr Biden cut short a weekend trip to his Delaware beach house as the US braces for a potential Iranian retaliatory strike against Israel. Anthony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, will be joining the presidents meeting with his national security team at the White House. This morning, I spoke with my Israeli counterpart, National Security Advisor Hanegbi, to discuss events in the Middle East. During the call, I reiterated the United States' ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. Jake Sullivan (@JakeSullivan46) April 13, 2024 07:35 PM BST Pictured: Defense Minister Yoav Gallant meeting with the IDF Chief of Staff in anticipation of Iranian attack Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is holding an assessment with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and other defense officials, his office says. The meeting comes amid an anticipated Iranian attack on Israel. pic.twitter.com/jvgFwIz1OQ Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 13, 2024 07:23 PM BST What Israels latest restrictions in preparation for an Iranian attack include BREAKING: Israel's Home Front Command orders all schools closed tomorrow, as the IDF anticipates further Iranian aggression. pic.twitter.com/7gPfRRSkMg Jacob Baime (@JacobBaime) April 13, 2024 06:32 PM BST Israel says monitoring planned attack against it by Iran and proxies Israel is closely monitoring a planned attack against it by Iran and Tehrans allies in the region, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Saturday, without giving further details on the threat. In the statement, Gallant said Israelis should heed any orders that might be issued by the militarys Homefront Command, which maps incoming missiles and other aerial threats so as to let the public know whether to take shelter. 06:11 PM BST Biden to return to Washington amid Iran threats against Israel Joe Biden will return to Washington on Saturday afternoon to consult with his national security team about events in the Middle East, cutting short his weekend trip to Delaware, the White House said. 05:40 PM BST Netanyahu condemns heinous murder of teenager Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the heinous murder of an Israeli teenager in the occupied West Bank as attacks on Palestinian villages intensified following news of his death. The attacks escalated in several villages on Saturday after Achimeirs body was found near the Malachi Hashalom outpost. AFP correspondents saw smoke rising from burnt houses and fields. The mayor of nearby Al-Mughayyir village, Amin Abu Alyah, told AFP: Dozens of settlers are now attacking the village and burning everything they find in front of them. They burned a house, a bulldozer and a number of vehicles. 05:07 PM BST Israel finds the body of a teen whose disappearance sparked a deadly settler attack in the West Bank The body of a missing Israeli teen has been found in the West Bank after he was killed in a terrorist attack, according to Israels army. The disappearance of 14-year-old Binyamin Achimair sparked attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages on Friday and Saturday. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a statement on social media urged people not to take the law into their own hands. On Friday, Palestinian Jehad Abu Alia was killed and 25 others were wounded in the attack on al-Mughayyir village, Palestinian health officials said. On Saturday, Israeli troops delayed for several hours the ambulance carrying the 26-year-old mans body for burial, witnesses said. Israeli settlers set fire to the properties of Palestinian villagers in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyir on Saturday - AP Photo/Nasser Nasser 04:39 PM BST Canada warns citizens against all travel to Israel and Gaza Canada has warned citizens to avoid all travel to Israel, Gaza and the West Bank in an upgrade to its risk assessmnet of the region. Due to the increased threat of attacks on Israeli territory, said Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Canadians already in the area should consider leaving by commercial means. With a heightened risk of attacks on Israeli territory, the regional security situation remains highly volatile & could escalate without notice, Ms Joly posted on X. With a heightened risk of attacks on Israeli territory, the regional security situation remains highly volatile & could escalate without notice. We have increased our risk level to "avoid all travel" to Israel+West Bank. Canadians should consider leaving by commercial means. Melanie Joly (@melaniejoly) April 12, 2024 04:15 PM BST Full story: Iranian troops hijack Israeli-linked ship in helicopter attack Here is a fuller report by Jotam Confino on the hijacking of a vessel linked to Israel: Irans Revolutionary Guards have hijacked a vessel linked to Israel in the Hormuz Strait as they said it was being transferred to Iranian territory with its 25 crew. Video shared online showed men descending from a helicopter believed to belong to Tehrans Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and boarding a ship that appears to be the MSC Aries. The Portuguese-flagged container ship is associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime, which is part of the Zodiac Group, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. Iranian state media said the IRGC had seized a foreign vessel affiliated with the Zionist regime in the Persian Gulf. Click here to read the rest 03:48 PM BST Israel urges EU to declare Irans Revolutionary Guards terrorist organisation The EU should declare Irans Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organisation, Israels foreign minister urged the bloc, after Tehrans forces seized an Israel-linked vessel earlier today. I call on the European Union and the free world to immediately declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guards corps as a terrorist organisation and to sanction Iran now, Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted on X. 03:28 PM BST Iran will suffer consequences of escalation, warns Israel Israel warned that Iran would suffer the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further as fears grew of wider conflict. The strong warning came after Iran seized a container ship linked to Israel in the Gulf, and the United States announced it was sending more troops to the region. The White House has repeatedly warned Tehran against carrying out a potentially imminent attack on Israel in response to an air strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus earlier this month. 03:11 PM BST Iran committing piracy, Israeli foreign minister says Tehran is conducting piracy and should be sanctioned for it, Israels Foreign Minister Israel Katz said, after Irans Revolutionary Guards seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The Ayatollah regime of Khamenei is a criminal regime that supports Hamas crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law, Katz said. I call on the European Union and the free world to immediately declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guards corps as a terrorist organisation and to sanction Iran now. 03:02 PM BST Israel to settlers: let security forces act As settlers launch a spate of attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank over the killing of a 14-year-old Israeli this weekend, Israeli leaders have urged their citizens not to take the law into their own hands. I appeal to the public, let the security forces act quickly in the hunt for the terrorists, said defence minister Yoav Gallant. 02:19 PM BST Ship attackers used fast-rope tactics Ambrey, a security firm, said it has observed still footage of at least three individuals fast-roping from a helicopter onto what appeared to be a container ship...[the IRGC] have previously used this method of boarding while seizing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. 02:16 PM BST Car bomb detonates in Damascus neighbourhood Syrian regime media report that a car bomb was detonated in a neighbourhood of Damascus today housing a number of foreign embassies. It is unclear what was being targeted and who carried out the attack in the Mazzeh area of Damascus, where Irans embassy and a number of other foreign embassies are located. No injuries were reported. 02:10 PM BST Analysis: Why Irans ship attack might just be the beginning of something bigger Its too early to be sure if todays ship seizure will be the last word from Iran. Attacking vessels in the Persian Gulf region is nothing new for Irans Revolutionary Guard, which has repeatedly harassed and attacked ships deemed to have a connection with Israel. And while it was a bold gesture, it does not mark a fresh escalation in this conflict for that reason. That will inevitably cause doubts that the ship seizure is the full extent of Irans retaliation, which is in turn a response to a deadly, suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria last week. Irans regime is a cautious, calculating one, and it is certainly possible that the leadership has abandoned its vaunted plans for a large-scale missile attack. Such an attack would not only run the risk of failure, if the United States and Israel intercept all incoming missiles or drones, but also carries the significant risk of plunging the region into full-scale war. The vessel seizure on Saturday could just be the first part of a multi-pronged, unconventional attack by Iran, albeit one which stops short of a direct strike on Israeli territory. Iranian leaders generally prefer to avoid direct action in their ongoing shadow conflict with Israel. They tend to rely on asymmetric, veiled attacks, using their vast network of proxies in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon. There has also been speculation that Iran, despite US media reports suggesting missile attacks are the most likely response, will opt for something less escalatory. This could, for example, consist of an in-kind response where Iran attacks an Israeli overseas consulate - mirroring the Damascus attack. Either way, it would be premature to assume that todays ship incident closes this latest grim chapter of Israels war. US intelligence assessments have indicated that the full response will come at some point over the weekend, so there is still plenty of time for a more nasty surprise to occur. 01:35 PM BST Israel in panic over looming retaliation, Iran claims An adviser to Irans supreme leader has claimed that Israel is in complete panic over a potential attack from Iran this weekend in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike last week on an Iranian consulate in Syria. It has been a week that the Zionists are in complete panic and are on alert, Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said. They dont know what Iran wants to do, so they and their supporters are terrified. The Iranian regime has given few indications as to how it may respond to last weeks attack, but placing Israel on a grinding state of high alert will likely be considered a win of sorts in Tehran. 01:19 PM BST Netherlands to temporarily close Tehran embassy The Netherlands will close its embassy in Tehran on Sunday as a precaution amid concerns that Iran is poised to carry out an attack on Israel. The foreign ministry said it would assess on Sunday whether to reopen the embassy the following day 01:16 PM BST Netanyahu condemns heinous murder Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has condemned the heinous murder of a 14-year-old boy, whose body was found in the West Bank earlier in what the Shin Bet security agency and Israeli military said was a terrorist attack. The boy, Benjamin Achimeir, had set out shepherding near the West Bank settlement of Malachei Shalom on Friday but went missing, as his sheep returned without him. 01:05 PM BST Israeli foreign minister reacts to vessel seizure The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps have seized a Portuguese civilian cargo ship, belonging to an EU member, claiming Israeli ownership, said Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz. The Ayatollah regime of @khamenei_ir is a criminal regime that supports Hamas crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law. I call on the European Union and the free world to immediately declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guards corps as a terrorist organization and to sanction Iran now. 12:27 PM BST Seized vessel is Zodiac Maritimes MSC Aries, confirms shipping company The vessel seized by Iranian forces is the Zodiac Maritime owned MSC Aries, shipping company MSC has confirmed. We regret to confirm that MSC Aries owned by Zodiac Maritime and chartered to MSC has been boarded by Iranian authorities via helicopter as she passed the Strait of Hormuz at approximately 0243 UTC this morning, MSC said in a statement. Her position when the event occurred was approximately 25 deg 41.5N : 056 deg 41.9E and she has since been diverted from her itinerary towards Iran, it added. She has 25 crew onboard, and we are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing, and safe return of the vessel. 12:06 PM BST Israel on high alert for Iranian attack, says IDF Israel is on high alert for an Iranian attack and is prepared to respond, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesman, said. Iran will bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further. Israel is on high alert, said Mr Hagari. We have increased our readiness to protect Israel from further Iranian aggression. We are also prepared to respond. Mr Hagari added that Iran is the biggest state sponsor of terror, accusing the country of fueling the conflict in Ukraine. Its network of terror doesnt just threaten the people of Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria; the regime in Iran fuels the war in Ukraine and beyond, he said. 11:08 AM BST Video shows commandos descending from helicopter Footage of the alledged helicopter attack shared on social media shows commandos rappelling down onto a stack of containers sitting on the deck of the vessel. A crew member on the ship could be heard saying: Dont come out. He then tells his colleagues to go to the ships bridge as more commandos come down on the deck. One commando can be seen kneeling above the others to provide them with potential cover fire. AP could not immediately verify the video. It was shared with the news agency by a Middle East defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. BREAKING: Iranian militants took over a Portuguese ship named "MCS ARIES" near the Strait of Hormuz - this is a ship that is partially owned by an Israeli businessman. pic.twitter.com/eDAMmiHNKe Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) April 13, 2024 10:55 AM BST Biden: Iran to attack Israel sooner, rather than later US President Joe Biden said he expects Iran to attack Israel sooner, rather than later as he urged Tehran to restrain themselves. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, the president said simply, Dont, and underscored Washingtons commitment to defend Israel. We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed, he said. President Bidens warning came as the region remains on red alert over threats of an imminent Iranian attack on Israeli soil following a deadly attack on Tehrans consular in Damascus last week. 09:51 AM BST Hunt for Israel teen resumes in West Bank after settler attacks The search for a missing Israeli teenager resumed today in the occupied West Bank, where at least one person was killed and dozens injured in settler attacks on Palestinian villages, sources on both sides reported. The Israeli army said it was still looking for Benjamin Achimeir, 14, who went missing early on Friday from Malachi Hashalom, an outpost near the city of Ramallah. With tensions already high due to the Israel-Hamas war in the other Palestinian territory of Gaza, Israeli security forces and hundreds of volunteers formed a huge search party to look for the teen. Violence erupted on Friday afternoon when Jewish settlers who were part of the manhunt raided the village of Al-Mughayyir, firing shots and torching numerous homes and cars in the village. Residents responded by throwing stones. Settlers raided the town with the excuse of searching for the missing Israeli boy, said Amin Abu Alyah, the local mayor, adding that the army arrived to back them up. 09:33 AM BST Hezbollah fires dozens of missiles at Israel Hezbollah fired a barrage of 40 rockets from southern Lebanon at Israel, as the country braced for a major attack by Iran., writes Benedict Smith. Some experts suggested the attack, which did not cause any injuries, was an attempt to deplete Israels supply of surface-to-air missiles before Tehran launches a larger strike in retaliation for last weeks air strike on its consulate in Damascus. Videos online showed Israels Iron Dome defences kicking into action in the night skies above residents in northern Galilee. An Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman said it had intercepted some of the Katyusha missiles and that no injuries had been reported. Catch up on the events from yesterday 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. On Saturday night, Iran launched a barrage of over 300 drones, cruise, and ballistic missiles toward Israel as a response to a suspected Israeli attack earlier this month on an Iranian diplomatic complex in Damascus, Syria. In what a former senior U.S. official called a performative attack, only a small portion of the missiles landed in Israel on a military base in Israels south, Israel said. A southern Israeli hospital reported that it is treating 12 patients. Israel is yet to decide on an appropriate response to the attack, although Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned of a decisive and much stronger response. In the meantime, it reopened its airspace early Sunday and lifted a sheltering order, with the expectation of no further major aerial threats in the short term. For President Biden, who had to cut his weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware short in light of the attack, this amounts to a scenario hed greatly sought to avoid since the start of the current Middle East conflict, CNN reported. Despite his tensions with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu over the war in Gaza, in light of the drone strike, NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson confirmed Bidens support of Israel is ironclad. Bidens decisions are weighed down by the importance of positioning himself favorably in the upcoming elections. His failure to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza after the events of October 7th eroded his support with key constituencies. STRATFORD JDH, a family-owned business with a legacy spanning over 137 years, recently celebrated the groundbreaking of its newest grain handling facility in Sherman County, Texas. Jefferson Hillman, JDH's CEO and fifth-generation family leader, along with Dean McIntosh, Southwest JDH general manager, and Matthew White, BNSF general director of agricultural products marketing, spoke at the ceremonial groundbreaking event. Our roots are deeply intertwined with rural America, Class I railroads and grain and commodity handling, stated Hillman in a company release. This new facility in Sherman County is a perfect fit with our core business and a proud extension of our 137-year history. JDH, a family-owned business with a legacy spanning over 137 years, recently celebrated the groundbreaking of its newest grain handling facility in Sherman County in the Texas Panhandle. JDH, a family-owned business with a legacy spanning over 137 years, recently celebrated the groundbreaking of its newest grain handling facility in Sherman County in the Texas Panhandle. The company said it shared its gratitude to the Sherman County commissioners, BNSF and other key partners for their support and collaboration. Hillman also thanked the dedicated internal team behind the project. JDH said the new facility is anticipated to strengthen its presence in the Southwest, complementing existing operations in New Mexico and Texas. This project will enhance our service capabilities to the local agricultural sector, supporting local farmers, dairies, feed yards and other producers, shared Dean McIntosh. The state-of-the-art facility will feature a double looped rail track, high-speed unloading systems and substantial storage capacity, according to the company. JDH will transport, store and process a variety of agricultural products at the site in the Texas Panhandle region. JDH, a family-owned business with a legacy spanning over 137 years, recently celebrated the groundbreaking of its newest grain handling facility in Sherman County in the Texas Panhandle. Jefferson Hillman, JDH's CEO and fifth-generation family leader, along with Dean McIntosh, Southwest JDH general manager, and Matthew White, BNSF general director of agricultural products marketing, spoke at the ceremonial groundbreaking event. JDH, a family-owned business with a legacy spanning over 137 years, recently celebrated the groundbreaking of its newest grain handling facility in Sherman County in the Texas Panhandle. Jefferson Hillman, JDH's CEO and fifth-generation family leader, along with Dean McIntosh, Southwest JDH general manager, and Matthew White, BNSF general director of agricultural products marketing, spoke at the ceremonial groundbreaking event. We are excited for this new partnership with JDH and are looking forward to the opportunities the facility will bring so we can better serve our friends in the local agricultural community, White said. With construction now underway, JDH expects the facility to be completed within the next 12 months. JDH, a family-owned business with a legacy spanning over 137 years, recently celebrated the groundbreaking of its newest grain handling facility in Sherman County in the Texas Panhandle. JDH, a family-owned business with a legacy spanning over 137 years, recently celebrated the groundbreaking of its newest grain handling facility in Sherman County in the Texas Panhandle. Founded in 1886, JDH has facilities across the United States in its role in the agricultural supply chain, ensuring the efficient and safe transportation of vital commodities for farmers, and dairy, beef and hog producers. JDH said it is committed to growth, safety and the development of strong community ties, making it a trusted partner in the agricultural sector. BNSF Railway, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is one of the leading freight transportation companies in North America. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: JDH breaks ground on new grain handling facility in Sherman County A decades-long shadow war burst out into the open overnight as Iranian drones and missiles lit up the night sky in Israel and the occupied West Bank. Tehrans operation was highly choreographed, apparently designed to minimize casualties while maximizing spectacle. This was a complex mission. Over 300 drones and missiles navigated above Irans neighbors, including Jordan and Iraq both with US military bases before penetrating the airspace of Irans mortal enemy, Israel. Israels allies helped shoot down the bulk of these weapons, but couldnt prevent what was long believed to be the Middle Easts doomsday scenario, the Islamic Republics first-ever attack on Israel. Israels fabled Iron Dome air defense system did not disappoint Israelis, many of whom took to bunkers. Only a small handful of locations were attacked, including a military base and an area in the Negev desert, injuring a Bedouin child, while the dome fended off one of the largest drone attacks in history Yet it was an operation that seemed designed to fail when Iran launched its killer drones from its own territory some 1,000 miles away, it was giving Israel hours of advance notice. The symbolism of the attack did the heavy lifting. Rather than fire from one of the neighboring countries where Iran and its non-state allies are present, this was a direct attack from Iranian territory on Israeli territory. This compromised Irans ability to damage Israel because it robbed the operation of the element of surprise. Yet for some four hours, the world held its breath as weapons whizzed through the night sky. They were balls of fire hovering overhead as onlookers across three different countries filmed images that seemed to harken the start of a cataclysmic war. An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel. - Amir Cohen/Reuters The lead time meant that Israel and its regional partners could ready Israels defenses, and the operation amounted to little more than a terrifying fireworks display. When Irans permanent mission at the United Nations tweeted that the operation had concluded, it was easy to come away from it thinking the Islamic Republic was all bark and no bite. The strike served as a retaliation against the Israeli airstrikes on Irans consulate in Damascus earlier in April that killed a top commander, and it was in keeping with US intelligence and analysts expectations. Irans leadership felt compelled to strike Israel in order to reiterate its position as a regional powerhouse and to dispel notions of it as a paper tiger. It doubled down on its show of force by launching the operation from its own territory and not by proxy in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen or Iraq. Yet Iran also needed to try to avoid sparking an all-out war. Its economy has buckled under the weight of Trump-era sanctions, and there is growing discontent on its streets over the governments repressive policies. On Sunday, Iran appeared not only to have factored in Israels robust air defense systems, but to have relied on it. The relatively high degree of US intelligence about the operation also suggests Iran may have engaged in back-channelling with Western leaders. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said he gave neighboring countries, including major US allies, 72-hour notice. To contain the fall-out of their own operation, they appeared intent to foil it. The style of attack is reminiscent of Tehrans response to former President Donald Trumps targeted killing of Irans most storied general, Qassem Soleimani, in January 2020. Tehran gave US troops 10 hours of advance warning before raining down massive ballistic missiles on US military positions in Iraq, including al-Asad airbase. The attack wreaked havoc, leaving gaping craters in the ground, but caused no known US casualties. In the process, Iranian forces accidentally shot down a commercial jet taking off from Tehran airport, killing over 100 passengers and fuelling public anger against a regime increasingly seen as incompetent. At the time, the Iranians were preoccupied with demonstrating what their military could do, rather than what it was willing to do. The US did not retaliate, averting regional war. Four years later, Irans playbook may not unfold in the same way. Israel has already vowed to respond. The US has publicly stated it would not participate in an Israeli retaliation, which may reassure Iran. Yet Netanyahus Israel has proven increasingly unpredictable. Irans threats of more severe action in case of further escalation may fall on deaf ears in Israel, to its own peril. Demonstrators wave Iran's flag as they gather at Palestine Square in Tehran on April 14, 2024, after Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel. - Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images In a future Iran strike, Tehran may not hesitate to use Israels northern border as a launching pad. A week before the attack, one Lebanese source familiar with the matter had ruled out that Hezbollah, Irans most powerful armed group partner, would be part of Irans initial retaliation to the April 1 consulate strike. However, the source warned that Hezbollah and other Iran-backed fighting forces will be prepared for the stage that comes after the Iranian response. A forceful Israeli retaliation may push Iran to take on an even more hardline position beyond its Israel policy. Conservatives have consolidated control of Irans government in recent years, and there is growing resistance to Western pressure to curb the countrys feared uranium enrichment program. There must be some satisfaction in certain circles in DC and Israel that Irans limited response reflects the imbalance of power in Israels favor, wrote Trita Parsi, DC-based Iran analyst and Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute, on X. But think further and youll realise how this episode will strengthen those in Tehran who believe Iran must go nuclear. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com US President Joe Biden meets with members of the National Security team regarding the attacks on Israel on Saturday in the White House Situation Room. - Adam Schultz/The White House For President Joe Biden, an attack on Israel launched from Iranian soil amounts to a scenario hed greatly sought to avoid since the start of the current Middle East conflict. The reprisals heighten the risk of a wider regional conflict that could directly draw in the United States, along with other countries. And they place Biden again in the tenuous position of pledging stalwart support for Israel while also trying to prevent a new conflagration from exploding with the United States involved. What comes next is unknown. In the immediate aftermath of Irans attacks, American officials acknowledged they were entering uncharted territory. One significant question mark is how proxies might potentially join Iranian efforts to target Israel and add a new layer of unpredictability. And with Israels plans for a response still being formed, Biden administration officials are expected to continue advising their Israeli counterparts with the desire for containment in mind. In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night, in which Biden told Netanyahu to consider Saturday a win because the US assessed Irans attacks had been largely unsuccessful and demonstrated Israels superior military capability, Biden made clear that the US will not participate in any offensive operations against Iran in response, a senior administration official told CNN. But in the hours following Irans attack, it became clear the president faces a severe challenge putting a lid on the flare-up between Iran and Israel and stopping a full-scale regional war breaking out. Israel will respond to Irans attack, but the scope of that response has yet to be determined, an Israeli official told CNNs Jeremy Diamond on Sunday. The official said Israel is yet to determine whether to try to break all the dishes or do something more measured. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that the confrontation with Iran is not over yet. The countrys response options are expected to be discussed in detail during a meeting of Israels war cabinet meeting on Sunday. The Commander of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami warned that Tehran would respond directly if Israel retaliates saying a new equation had been created. Biden is also operating within the fraught politics of an election year, lending outsized importance to his upcoming decisions. The eruption of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7 has hurt Biden at home, eroding his support with key constituencies as he has declined to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. One of the reasons Biden returned urgently to the White House from his beach house in Delaware Saturday afternoon was the ongoing nature of the attack, one official said, with the Situation Room better equipped for real-time monitoring of events. Administration officials saw Irans attacks on Israel Saturday as disproportionate to Israels strikes in Damascus that prompted the retaliation, a US official told CNN. That view has been an important factor in the discussions taking place in the White House throughout the day on next steps, particularly as Biden is set on preventing a full-scale regional conflict from erupting. There is also a recognition that what Israel is likely to do in response will depend on a full damage assessment, including potential casualties, so the Biden administrations advice to Israel will depend on that picture coming into focus, the official added. In the immediate aftermath of the Israeli strikes in Syria that killed top Iranian commanders, US officials monitored Iran gearing up to launch a major attack on Israel, seeing it as inevitable. As the US, in close consultation with Israel, sought to figure out exactly how, when and where exactly Iran would retaliate, administration officials never fully ruled out Iran trying to strike inside Israel as well as American personnel and assets in the region. The most likely worst case scenario, one senior administration official said in the days leading up to Irans Saturday attacks, was a direct attack by Iran on Israel, and the eruption of a state-on-state conflict that could very well prompt the beginning of a wider regional conflict that the US has been working to prevent since the immediate aftermath of Hamas October 7 attacks. Despite his current tensions with Netanyahu over the war in Gaza, Biden and his top officials have sought over the past week to diminish any daylight between the US and Israel when it comes to Israels defense against Iran. In the hours before Iran launched its attack, the US defense secretary and national security adviser spoke with their counterparts in Israel to reiterate that support. And last week, Gen. Erik Kurilla, the commander of US Central Command, was in Israel discussing contingencies with officials ahead of the expected attack. Biden kept to his Friday promise that the US is devoted to the defense of Israel, with defense officials telling CNN that the US military successfully intercepted some Iranian missiles on Saturday. Contained within the conversations about preparations for Irans attack and coordinating a response were also implicit encouragement to the Israeli government to not allow the situation to spiral out of control if Irans response was limited in nature, officials familiar with the matter said. The US also sent messages publicly and privately to Iran warning about escalating the crisis further and pressed European and Arab allies to use their own leverage with Tehran to deliver similar messages. As Irans plans to attack Israel grew clearer, American officials increasingly assessed that Tehran was not seeking direct conflict with the United States. Ahead of the drone attack launched by Iran on Saturday, US officials said they did not expect the targets to include American forces in the region. That is a change from earlier in the conflict, when Iran-backed militias regularly attacked US troops in the Middle East, including in a strike that killed three Americans stationed in Jordan. After the US launched retaliatory strikes, the attacks by Iranian proxies waned. Yet the simmering tensions between Iran and Israel have not let up. Without any direct channels of communication between the two countries, the risk of miscalculation is amplified. CNNs Oren Liebermann contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Irans diplomats warned the U.S. must stay away from the developing Iran-Israel conflict following Tehrans drone and missiles attack on Saturday. The post by the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations said the Saturday attack on Israel was a legitimate defense and a response to the alleged Israeli strike on April 1 in Damascus, Syria which struck near the Iranian embassy and killed two senior officers in Tehrans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Irans military action was in response to the Zionist regimes aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations posted Saturday on social media platform X. They warned the U.S. must stay away from the conflict between Iran and Israel. The matter can be deemed concluded, they said in the post. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY! The warning comes as Iran launched a drone missile attack on Israel on Saturday. IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the Saturday launch was a direct attack from Tehran and is a severe and dangerous escalation. Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran, Hagari said. This is a mission that we are determined and ready to fulfill. Israels Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan called on the UN to take action in the wake of the strikes, writing on X, Iran has violated the UN charter and has shown that it is a threat to global peace and security. It continued, Where is your voice?? Where is your condemnation?? Wake up!!! President Biden is being regularly updated about the ongoing situation. IDF said Israel is on high alert and the forces are constantly monitoring the situation. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has threatened Israel numerous times since the early April strike which took out multiple IRGC officials, saying Israel would be slapped. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. An anti-missile system operated after Iran launched drones and missiles toward Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel. (Amir Cohen/Reuters) Iran sent over 300 drones and missiles hurtling toward Israel on Saturday, escalating tensions across an already fraught Middle East and causing the international community to scramble to formulate a response. The attacks came in retaliation for the April 1 bombing of Iran's embassy in Syria. Iran said it now considers that matter "concluded," but also warned Israel and the U.S. against further reprisals. President Biden, meanwhile, condemned the attacks and said he would convene G7 leaders Sunday for "a united diplomatic response." It was unclear how much damage the attacks caused. Many of the projectiles were intercepted by Israel's air defense system, with assistance from the U.S. and other allies. U.S. and Israeli officials had been predicting a strike. Biden sought to dissuade Iran Friday with a simple one-word message to Tehran's leaders: "Don't." That warning went unheeded Saturday. Heres a look at how we got here, and what could happen next. Whats happening? Israel Defense Force spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Iran had launched more than 200 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles towards Israel Saturday, according to The New York Times. Hagari said one girl had been injured. The Iranian-run state news agency IRNA said Tehran had fired ballistic missiles at Israeli targets, the Associated Press reported. President Biden cut his weekend visit to Delaware short, returning to the White House on Saturday to meet with his national security team and later speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a statement, Biden affirmed that the U.S. "commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad." Biden also said he had directed U.S. military resources to the region over the past week to support Israel's defense, and that as a result "we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles." The background Tensions have long simmered and flared between Iran and Israel. Iran has been accused of providing funding and support to militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah to help facilitate attacks on Israel. But Saturday's attack came less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria. The attack killed seven of Irans military advisers, including three senior commanders. Although the attack took place outside Iran, it may as well have been a direct hit on the country. Diplomatic compounds, including embassies and consulates, are generally considered sovereign territory of the country they represent and are afforded certain protections. However, during times of war or conflict, diplomatic compounds may become targets for attacks by opposing forces. These attacks are usually condemned by the international community, and when they do occur in conflict zones, it often leads to diplomatic tensions and potential repercussions. Saturday's attack came amid the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel, although Iran does not take responsibility for aiding Hamas during its attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 Israelis. On Friday, Biden had said he expected Iran to attack sooner than later" and urged Tehran against it. The U.S. also took steps in recent days to protect Americans in Israel and prepare U.S. troops and warships in the region to defend Israel. What Iran has said Iran had blamed Israel and the U.S. for the April 1 attack and had been threatening retaliation. On Saturday, Iran's mission to the United Nations said in a statement it considered these retaliatory attacks to be a conclusion in the matter of the April 1 embassy bombing. The statement, however, warned Israel that any future reprisals would be met by a "considerably more severe" response and that "the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!" Prior to the Saturday attack, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also seized an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz in another apparent sign of aggression by Iran. What Israel has said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his war cabinet Saturday night and spoke with President Biden. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently speaking with US President Joe Biden, following the deliberations of the Security Cabinet and the War Cabinet. pic.twitter.com/v2oJqMSky4 Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 14, 2024 Israel has not publicly taken responsibility for the April 1 embassy attack, though it has not denied carrying it out either. How are other countries responding? Many nations quickly came to Israel's defense. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he condemns the Iranian regimes reckless attack against Israel. These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilizing the region, he stated. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock also strongly condemned the attack, which she said could plunge an entire region into chaos. She called for Iran and its proxies to stop this immediately, adding that Israel offers our full solidarity at this time." Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that we are following events in the Middle East with the deepest concern, adding that the country is in permanent contact with their embassies in the region, which will remain open to support Spaniards in the area. Colombia's President Gustavo Petro called the unfolding events predictable, declaring it a prelude to World War III, when humanity should rebuild its economy towards the rapid goal of decarbonization. What happens next? International leaders will meet Sunday to coordinate a response. The United Nations Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting at 4 p.m. E.T. Following a letter received from @IsraelinUN ,the Maltese Presidency of the #UNSC has scheduled an open emergency meeting of the Council tomorrow at 4pm under the agenda item The situation in the Middle East to consider the drone & missile attack by #Iran on #Israel @MFETMalta Vanessa Frazier (@_VanessaFrazier) April 14, 2024 President Biden also said he would convene a meeting with the leaders of the G7 countries, which include France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom, to discuss a unified diplomatic response. Iran and Israel have a history of enmity. What key recent events led to Iran's assault on Israel? TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Iran's dramatic aerial attack on Israel follows years of enmity between the countries and marks the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel. The hostility between the countries has only worsened in the six months since Hamas launched its attack on Israel, which set off a war that continues to threaten to drag the entire region toward a broader conflict. Here is a look at the key events leading up to Iran's assault: HAMAS ATTACKS ISRAEL Oct. 7 - Thousands of Hamas-led militants storm across the border into Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking roughly 250 captive, according to Israeli authorities. The assault triggers a devastating war that has killed more than 33,700 people, mostly women and children, according to local health officials. In launching the assault, Hamas hopes other regional enemies of Israel's will join. U.S. President Joe Biden warns Israels regional foes not to get involved and sends military support to the Middle East. HEZBOLLAH JOINS THE WAR, AT A LOW LEVEL Oct. 8 - A day after Hamas attack, the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah begins firing toward Israel, setting off months of low intensity but deadly cross-border fighting that displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border. HOUTHIS STAGE ATTACKS November - The Yemeni rebels, who are supported by Iran, launch a campaign of drone and missile attacks on shipping assets in the Red Sea beginning in November, describing their efforts as a way to pressure Israel to end the war against Hamas. They also fire missiles toward Israel, although those largely fall short or are intercepted. ISRAEL WIDELY BLAMED FOR DAMASCUS STRIKE Apr. 1 - Two Iranian generals with the countrys paramilitary Revolutionary Guards are killed in the Syrian capital in a strike on an Iranian consular building that is widely blamed on Israel, although it does not publicly acknowledge it. Iran promises revenge. IRAN LAUNCHES MAJOR AERIAL ASSAULT ON ISRAEL April 14 - Israel says more than 300 drones, cruise and ballistic missiles are launched by Iran, an extraordinary assault that is thwarted almost entirely by Israels aerial defense array and a coalition of countries repelling the onslaught. While no major damage is caused, the world braces for Israels response. Why are Israel and Iran attacking each other? History of the Middle East conflict and what could happen next The Middle East is on a precipice of a conflict that would be devastating for the region and the rest of the world, the United Nations has warned. The UN was referring to the increased hostility between Israel and Iran as world leaders urged restraint following Tehrans unprecedented attack last weekend. But in the early hours of Friday morning explosions were heard at a major military airbase and nuclear site at Isfahan, located around 250 miles south of the Iranian capital Tehran. Follow our live blog on the attack here Israeli drones are believed to have launched from over 1,200 miles away, intended to target Irans military and nuclear infrastructure. It is the latest development in a long and complex history between the two nations. With tensions rising across the region, The Independent explores the history of the conflict below and explains why Israel and Iran are attacking each other. Decades of shadow warfare Irans Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been the countrys second supreme leader since 1989 (AP) Israel and Iran have been engaged in shadow warfare for decades, with a long history of clandestine attacks by land, sea, air and cyberspace, which Tehran conducts via its various proxies and allies in the region. The two nations had formerly been allies until Irans pro-Western leader Mohammed Reza Shah was swept from power in the Islamic Revolution in 1979, which installed a new theocratic regime whose opposition to Israel was an ideological imperative. Over the following years, with Israel invading Lebanon in 1982, Irans new regime would work with fellow Shiite Muslims there to establish Hezbollah, the group Israel would eventually come to regard as the most dangerous adversary on its borders. Over the intervening decades, Israel has been unable to suppress Hezbollah even following a month-long war in 2006 as it warily eyed Tehrans moves to develop its own faltering nuclear programme. Tehrans efforts to enrich uranium, first revealed as far back as 2002, quickly set alarm bells ringing in Israel, with Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei having repeatedly described Israel as a cancerous tumour which will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed over his now decades-long rule. Black smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab, a Lebanese border village, on 4 November (AP) Israel has continued to trade fire with Iran through the guise of the latters proxies and allies, with Iran notably funding and arming Hamas, the militant group with whom Israel is now waging a devastating war in Gaza. The outbreak of that brutal conflict had heightened fears of an escalation in the region, with Hezbollah and Israel trading constant fire since it broke out in October. How have tensions flared up since 7 October? On 7 October, the militant group Hamas launched a bloody attack on Israel when they stormed the Israel-Gaza border and killed over 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages. Since then, Israel has invaded Gaza on the premise of destroying Hamas - which it compares to ISIS and is funded by Iran - to ensure a similar attack would never happen again. Up to 33,970 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to Gazas health ministry. At the same time, the Israeli military has exchanged fire with Hezbollah - another group armed and funded by Iran, in southern Lebanon. Explosions were heard near a major military airbase and nuclear site at Isfahan, Iran, on Friday morning (IRGC) Why are Israel and Iran attacking each other now? Israeli leaders often talk about cutting off the octopuss head instead of fighting its tentacles - a metaphor for Iran and its proxy militias across the Middle East. On 1 April, Israel attacked Irans embassy compound in Damascus, Syria, which killed several of Tehrans senior military commanders. The strike marked one of the most significant attacks yet on Iranian interests in Syria, where Israel has stepped up a long-running military campaign against Iran and groups it proxies. Irans Uranium Conversion Facility, just outside the city of Isfahan, in 2005 (AP) Iran vowed revenge and two weeks later launched a barrage of over 300 missiles and drones at Israel - which the Israeli military claim over 99 per cent were intercepted. Soon after, Tehrans mission to the UN said it considered the matter concluded and that it was acting in self defence. After western allies urged restraint, Israel said it would respond to the attack. On Friday morning, Iran was forced to activate its air defence system across several provinces, with three Israeli drones destroyed over the southern city. There have not been any reports of damage or casualties and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there was no impact on nuclear facilities - but called for extreme restraint. What could happen next? All eyes remain on Iran to see how it will choose to respond to the Friday attack, as western leaders called for restraint while reaffirming their commitment to Israels security. However, there are a myriad of factors that could impact how the conflict could play out over the coming months and years. With increasing calls for Benajmin Netanyahu to resign from within his own country, a less hawkish Israeli leader might cool tensions between the two nations. But he also faces calls to be more aggressive. After Fridays attack, far-right security minister Itamar Ben Gvir - who has called for the execution of Palestinian prisoners to deal with overcrowding - called it lame. And with US elections on the horizon, a Trump administration could bring a different playbook to Biden on Middle Eastern diplomacy. During his term in office, Trump controversially recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and has claimed conflicts like this would not happen with him back in office. There is also the question of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas. More than six months after the Hamas attack 130 hostages remain, and about a quarter of those are believed dead. Having threatened to exact a terrible vengeance on Israel, all that Iran appears to have achieved by launching its drone and missile attack is to reveal the true extent of the Islamic Republics military impotence. Only one of the estimated three hundred drones and missiles the Iranians fired at Israel succeeded in reaching their targets, with the Israel Defence Forces reporting that just one had lightly hit the Nevatim air force base in southern Israels Negev desert. As for the rest, the majority were destroyed long before they got anywhere near Israeli territory, intercepted by anti-missile systems deployed by an impressive coalition of allies including the US and UK that sprang to Israels defence in its hour of need. No one should be surprised that Irans much-anticipated attempt to launch a direct attack on Israel the first time the Islamic Republic has directly confronted Israel since its 1979 revolution failed to have any meaningful impact. Russias inability to achieve its war aims in Ukraine is, in part, due to the ineffectiveness of the Iranian drones that Tehran has supplied to Moscow in significant quantities, but have proved no match for the Ukrainians superior air defences, much of which is provided by the West. It was the same story with Saturday nights drone and ballistic missile attack on Israel. A combination of Israels defence systems and interceptions carried out by the US, UK, Jordanian and French militaries meant that nearly all of the 110 ballistic missiles, 30 cruise missiles and 170 drones fired by did not reach their targets, which were predominantly Israeli air and early warning bases. Thus, far from fulfilling the pledge made by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the end of Ramadan last week that Israel must be punished, all the drone and missile bombardment has achieved is to expose the fundamental weakness of Irans military threat. More than that, the Iranians have demonstrated to the rest of the world their true status as a hostile state that not only sponsors a global network of Islamist terror groups but is intent on waging war against the West and its allies. Until now, Iran has successfully managed to cover its tracks by avoiding a direct confrontation with Israel, preferring instead to rely on a deadly network of terror groups, such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, to do its dirty work. This has enabled Iran to maintain a cloak of deniability about its true intentions, one that has persuaded naive leaders in the West to engage with the Iranians in the belief that compromise was possible. It was this mindset that persuaded former US President Barack Obama with the tacit support of David Camerons government to negotiate the flawed nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, which made no meaningful provision for curbing Tehrans terrorist activities. Now the mask has slipped, and Irans attack on Israel has revealed the Islamic Republics true intent for all to see, a watershed moment that is likely to have a profound impact on how the worlds major democracies view the ayatollahs in future. Iran will no longer be regarded merely as a challenge for Western policymakers, but as a tangible threat to Western security that must be tackled head-on, whether it concerns thwarting its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons or dismantling its terrorist infrastructure, both in the Middle East and the wider world. Tehran is, after all, a central player in the developing alliance of autocratic regimes, which includes Russia, China and North Korea, that is inimical to the values of Western democracy. From now on Iran should no longer be given the benefit of the doubt when it tries to conceal its real malign activities, as has been the case with its protestations over the missile attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1, which Tehran has used as a casus belli for its failed assault on Israel. Far from being engaged in diplomatic activity, the consulate served as a command and control centre used by Irans Revolutionary Guard to supervise its nexus of terrorist activities throughout the region. This is why no Iranian diplomats were reported killed in the attack, which has been widely attributed to the Israelis. Those who died were high-ranking members of the IRGCs elite Quds Force, a unit that reports directly to Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The unit was established by the ayatollahs for the purpose of exporting Irans Islamic revolution throughout the Muslim world. To this day, a banner depicting Qasem Soleimani, the Quds Force chief assassinated in a drone strike undertaken by the Trump administration in 2020, adorns the security fence guarding the diplomatic compound. By finally finding the courage to attack Israel directly, Irans bluff has finally been called to the extent that, rather than constantly giving Tehran the benefit of the doubt, Western leaders should accept that they are now at war with Iran, and act accordingly. 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. Iran launched a retaliatory attack against Israel on Saturday that risks sparking a regional conflict that could draw in U.S. military forces. The attack marked the first time that Iran has launched a direct military attack on the Jewish state. Israeli military officials said the attack began with more than 100 Iranian drones heading toward Israel. It will take hours before the drones arrive, and Israeli officials said they hope to intercept them. A senior Biden administration official warned that the assault could also involve dozens of cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. The official said the administration expects Israeli government facilities to be targeted but not civilian or religious sites. U.S. assets in the region are also not expected to be targeted, the official said. The U.S. and Israel have been closely coordinating how to defend against the attack, the official said. Were ready. The Israelis are ready. Follow live coverage of Irans retaliatory attack on Israel Iranian state television said that in response to crimes by the Zionist Regime, Iran had launched missiles and drones on specific locations in the occupied lands. The attack came weeks after a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian consular building in Syrias capital, Damascus, killed two generals and five officers in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC. Israel did not take responsibility for that strike, but Tehran vowed revenge. White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement that Iran has launched airborne attacks on Israel. President Joe Biden is being updated about the situation in the Middle East by his national security team and plans to meet with them later Saturday at the White House, the statement said. Additionally, Bidens team is in constant contact with Israeli officials, partners and allies. The attack on Israel is likely to unfold over a number of hours, Watson said in the statement. Three U.S. officials said Washington is prepared to help defend Israel with warships in the region, including the USS Carney, a destroyer that has been involved in knocking out missiles and drones in the Red Sea fired by Iranian-backed Houthi forces from Yemen. The U.S. has signaled its support for Israel and worked to persuade Iran to stop short of a significant escalation that could spiral into a full-blown war between Iran and Israel. Iran has previously avoided a direct conflict with Israel, instead opting to damage its adversary through armed proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and elsewhere. In back-channel communications with the U.S. over the past two weeks, Iran indicated it would retaliate against Israel but wanted to avoid a massive escalation that would lead to all-out war, U.S. officials told NBC News. The question now is whether Irans attack will be interpreted in the way Tehran has planned, or trigger an unintended reaction from Israel that could escalate into an uncontrollable cycle of violence, analysts said. Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said at a prayer ceremony celebrating the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Wednesday that Israel must be punished, and it will be punished. Since the building destroyed was a consular building, he said, it amounted to an attack on Iranian soil. Growing tensions Tensions in the region have been at boiling point since Hamas deadly Oct. 7 terror attack and mass hostage taking and Israels subsequent full-scale assault on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 33,000 and pushed the population to the brink of starvation. While increasingly critical of the way Israel is pursuing the war in Gaza, Biden has pledged that Americas commitment to Israels security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Yoav Gallant, Israels defense minister, spoke to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday and said that a direct Iranian attack will require an appropriate Israeli response against Iran. Two U.S. officials told NBC News last week that the administration was considering options for how to respond to various possible retaliatory moves by Iran. The blast at the consular building killed two of Irans top commanders, including Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior member of the Quds Force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps elite foreign espionage group. His death marked the killing of the most senior Iranian official since Gen. Qassem Soleimani was targeted by an American airstrike in 2020. Zahedi was a key figure in coordinating the so-called Axis of Resistance the anti-Israel, anti-Western network of Iran-backed groups that operate with militants from across the Arab world. Tehran currently backs Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis all of which in recent months have either attacked Israel directly or conducted attacks citing resistance to Israel. Iranian General Mohammad Reza Zahedi (FARS News / AFP - Getty Images file) Hezbollah, a powerful Lebanese political party and militia, has exchanged fire with Israel across the southern Lebanon border since then in support of Hamas. More than 300 have been killed in Lebanon, according to the United Nations, including at least 54 confirmed civilians. The Houthis, a Yemen-based rebel militia, have been firing on ships in the Red Sea for months, threatening a key route for global trade. The U.S. and U.K. have organized a military coalition against the Houthis, firing on the militias sites in Yemen in January. Another Iran-associated militant group, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, struck a U.S. base in Jordan in January. Three U.S. troops were killed and 30 others were injured in the attack. The group has also claimed to have launched numerous attacks on Israeli sites since the Israel-Hamas war began. Irans military reach The IRGC, Irans immensely powerful military and political organization, has helped Tehran wage a shadow war with Israel across the Middle East for years while the two countries avoided direct conflict. Israel is widely believed to be behind a long list of drone attacks and explosions that have hit Iranian military and nuclear targets, particularly since the collapse of talks to revive Tehrans tattered nuclear deal with world powers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has faced mounting domestic and global criticism over Israels devastating assault on Gaza, has long viewed the Islamic Republic as Israels most dangerous adversary. Israel has struggled to contain and undermine Irans military reach in Syria, targeting arms deliveries bound for Tehrans Hezbollah allies in Lebanon. Since Iran came to the aid of Bashar Assads regime in Syria more than a decade ago, sending thousands of Shiite foreign fighters to Syria as well as Revolutionary Guard troops to help Damascus wage war against Syrian rebels, Israel has feared that Irans military presence across the border posed a growing threat. After the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, Israel adopted a more aggressive stance, apparently concluding its previous tactics had failed to deter Iran and its partners in Gaza. Instead of attacking arms shipments or military sites in Syria, Israel went after senior figures overseeing Irans regional proxy network. In December, Israel is believed to have killed Sayyed Razi Mousavi, a top Iranian general, in Damascus. Israel, which has nuclear weapons, a state-the-art air force and advanced air defenses, enjoys a military advantage over Iran. But Tehran has built up a formidable ballistic missile and drone arsenal, along with its proxies that can strike at Israeli or U.S. targets across the region. This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com. This article was originally published on TODAY.com JERUSALEM (AP) Booms and air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem early Sunday after Iran launched dozens of drones and ballistic missiles toward Israel in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East ever closer to a regionwide war. The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Condemnation was swift, with France saying that Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilizing activities and is risking a potential military escalation. Britain called the attacks reckless. There was no immediate word from authorities on whether any explosions were an incoming attack. Air raid sirens were reported in numerous places, including northern Israel, southern Israel, the northern West Bank and the Dead Sea near the Jordanian border. Israels Magen David Adom rescue service said it was treating a 10-year-old boy in critical condition in the Bedouin area in the Arad region but provided no details. U.S. forces downed some of the Iran-launched drones flying toward Israel, according to a U.S. defense official and two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The defense official said the effort to intercept the attack was ongoing. Israels military said over 100 drones had been fired. It didnt mention ballistic missiles, which are less easily shot down, but Iran said they were part of the attack. We are monitoring the threat, the Israeli militarys spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, announced in a nationwide television address. Iranian demonstrators wave a Palestinian flag during their anti-Israeli gathering at the Felestin (Palestine) Square in Tehran, Iran, early Sunday, April 14, 2024. Iran launched its first direct military attack against Israel Saturday. The Israeli military says Iran fired more than 100 bomb-carrying drones toward Israel. Hours later, Iran announced it had also launched much more destructive ballistic missiles. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Iran had vowed revenge since an April 1 airstrike in Syria killed two Iranian generals inside an Iranian consular building. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack. Israel hasnt commented on it. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israels six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, began attacking Israels northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel. In a statement carried late Saturday by Irans state-run IRNA news agency, the countrys paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime. In a later statement, the Revolutionary Guard issued a direct warning to the U.S.: The terrorist U.S. government is warned any support or participation in harming Irans interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Irans armed forces. IRNA also quoted an anonymous official saying ballistic missiles were part of the attack. A ballistic missile moves on an arch trajectory, heading up into space before gravity brings the weapon down at a speed several times faster than the speed of sound. Israel has missile defense systems capable of targeting ballistic missiles. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher. Iran has a vast arsenal of drones and missiles. Online videos shared by Iranian state television purported to show delta-wing-style drones resembling the Iranian Shahed-136s long used by Russia in its war on Ukraine. The slow-flying drones carry bombs. Ukraine has successfully used both surface-to-air missiles and ground fire to target them. Israel has a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. Hagari, the army spokesman, said Israel was prepared and ready. But he cautioned that the air defenses are not 100% effective and urged the public to heed safety instructions. The army ordered residents in the Golan Heights near the Syrian and Lebanese borders as well as the southern towns of Nevatim and Dimona and the Red Sea resort of Eilat to stay near protective spaces until further notice. Dimona is home to Israels main nuclear facility, and Nevatim has a major air base. The armys Home Front Command canceled school on Sunday and limited public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. Israel closed its airspace and canceled all flights. Earlier Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. In Washington, President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House. He was set to convene a principals meeting of the National Security Council on Saturday to discuss the unfolding attack, the White House said. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of the U.S. militarys Central Command, was in Israel over the weekend consulting with Israeli defense officials about the Iranian threat. The Central Command oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East. Irans mission to the United Nations issued a warning to both Israel and the U.S. Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe, it wrote online. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY! For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had threatened to slap Israel for its Syria strike. In Irans capital, Tehran, witnesses saw long lines at gas stations early Sunday as people appeared worried about what may come next. Dozens of hard-liners demonstrated in support of the attack at Palestine Square. Lebanons state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following Irans launch of drones. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched dozens of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military site in the Golan Heights early Sunday. It was not immediately clear if there was any damage. Countries in the region began to close their airspace.IRANS REVOLUTIONARY GUARD SEIZES A CONTAINER SHIP Early Saturday, commandos from Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel. Irans state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guards navy carried out the attack on the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime. Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofers Zodiac Group. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC. Geneva-based MSC acknowledged the seizure and said 25 crew members were on the ship. We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their well-being, and safe return of the vessel, MSC said. Watson, the White House National Security Council spokesperson, said the crew was made up of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals and urged Iran to release them and the vessel. IRNA said the Guard would take the vessel into Iranian territorial waters. A Middle East defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, provided video of the attack to The Associated Press in which Iranian commandos are seen rappelling onto a stack of containers on the vessels deck. The video corresponded with known details of the MSC Aries. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. Key Insights The projected fair value for Groupe Minoteries is CHF299 based on Dividend Discount Model With CHF266 share price, Groupe Minoteries appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value When compared to theindustry average discount to fair value of 35%, Groupe Minoteries' competitors seem to be trading at a greater discount In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Groupe Minoteries SA (VTX:GMI) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Groupe Minoteries What's The Estimated Valuation? As Groupe Minoteries operates in the food sector, we need to calculate the intrinsic value slightly differently. In this approach dividends per share (DPS) are used, as free cash flow is difficult to estimate and often not reported by analysts. This often underestimates the value of a stock, but it can still be good as a comparison to competitors. The 'Gordon Growth Model' is used, which simply assumes that dividend payments will continue to increase at a sustainable growth rate forever. 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 0.1%. We then discount this figure to today's value at a cost of equity of 3.8%. Relative to the current share price of CHF266, the company appears about fair value at a 11% 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) = CHF11.0 / (3.8% 0.1%) = CHF299 dcf The Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. 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 Groupe Minoteries 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 3.8%, 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 Groupe Minoteries Strength Currently debt free. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Opportunity Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine GMI's earnings prospects. Threat No apparent threats visible for GMI. Next Steps: Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Groupe Minoteries, we've put together three important aspects you should assess: Risks: To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Groupe Minoteries . 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! Other Top Analyst Picks: Interested to see what the analysts are thinking? Take a look at our interactive list of analysts' top stock picks to find out what they feel might have an attractive future outlook! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Swiss 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. Iran attack live updates: Israel vows to respond at right time as US military downs over 80 drones Israel has warned that the conflict with Iran is not over yet and vowed to exact a price as it considers its response to the 330 drones and missiles fired overnight by Tehran. The Israeli military claimed more than 99 per cent of the drones and missiles were intercepted with help from allies including the US, UK, and France. We will build a regional coalition against the threat of Iran, and we will exact a price from it in the way and at the time that suits us, Israel minister Benny Gantz said, despite Tehran insisting the matter can be considered concluded. The US military said it destroyed 80 attack drones and at least six ballistic missiles that were fired from Iran and Yemen. The statement comes after president Joe Biden warned Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will not take part in a counter-offensive against Iran. British prime minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that RAF jets had been involved and called for calm heads to prevail following the assault and ahead of a meeting of G7 leaders amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. Key Points Iran sends hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel US military says it destroyed 80 drones fired from Iran and Yemen US does not want to enter war with Iran, Kirby says Benjamin Netanyahu pictured convening war cabinet More than 99 per cent Iranian projectiles intercepted, Israel claims In pics: Missile fragments found in Iraq and Jordan 05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Iranian missile fragment found in Iraq after attacks on Israel (Anadolu via Getty Images) Parts of missiles fall in Amman during Irans attack on Israel (Anadolu via Getty Images) UN Secretary General warns against escalation 05:01 , Katie Hawkinson The Middle East is on the brink, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, addressing the Security Council. The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict, he continued. Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate. Now is the time for maximum restraint. Its time to step back from the brink, Mr Guterres later said. It is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East. Civilians are already bearing the brunt and paying the highest price. US military says it destroyed 80 drones fired from Iran and Yemen 04:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The US has destroyed dozens of drones and at least six ballistic missiles aimed at Israel that were launched from Iran and Yemen, its military said. It destroyed over 80 one-way attack drones, including seven UAVs targeted on the ground prior to launch, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said today. CENTCOM remains postured to support Israels defense against these dangerous actions by Iran. We will continue to work with all our regional partners to increase regional security, the US military said. Iran says it warned Isreal before attack 04:12 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Iraq, Jordan and Turkey officials said the nations provided wide notices, days before Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles in a retaliatory attack on Israel .Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said yesterday that Iran gave neighbouring countries and Israels ally the US a 72-hour notice before launching the strikes. Turkeys foreign ministry said it had spoken to both Washington and Tehran before the attack, adding it had conveyed messages as an intermediary to be sure reactions were proportionate. Iran said the reaction would be a response to Israels attack on its embassy in Damascus and that it would not go beyond this. We were aware of the possibilities. The developments were not a surprise, a Turkish diplomatic source told Reuters. Two Iraqi sources, including a government security adviser and a security official, said Iran had used diplomatic channels to inform Baghdad about the attack at least three days before it happened. The government clearly understood from the Iranian officials that the US military in Iraq was also aware of the attack in advance, said the Iraqi security official. WATCH: IDF releases operational footage from the Aerial Defense System protecting Israel 04:00 , Katie Hawkinson All eyes look to Israel for response to Irans attack 03:00 , Bel Trew, Kim Sengupta Israeli diplomats and security officials believe a forceful response is inevitable, although it has not been decided yet whether it will be on Iran itself, or its proxies Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shia militias in Syria and Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. The indication from DC is that the US will not join an operation directly against Iran. But apart from that they are certainly not telling us what to do, said a former Mossad officer who is temporarily back at the Interior Ministry since the Gaza war started. The priority is to ensure that we dont face such an assault again from Iran, and also deter its proxies like Hezbollah which have been regularly attacking Israel. I think the war cabinet will want to keep all options open to try and deal with the multiple threats we are facing. Israeli defence experts said amid the mounting pressure from the US, Israel wouldnt dare go for full escalation. They might do something symbolic like a specific attack on one designated target, said Amos Harel, a non-resident senior fellow at Brookings. Iran, meanwhile, assumes the US does not want a regional escalation that could lead to an all out war, said Holly Dagres, Iran expert and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. But while there is an assumption that cooler heads will prevail, Israel can and will act on its own, she told The Independent. Read more from The Independent: Israel warns Iran will pay a price for attack but US vows not to join counterstrike How Israels air defence repelled Irans unprecedented drone and missile attack 02:00 , Tom Bennett As alarm spread across the country as Irans attack, Israels high-tech air defence system mobilised to intercept the attack, whilst Israels air force - working with allies including the UK and US - launched planes to shoot down some of the incoming weaponry before it reached the country. Read more from The Independent: How Israels air defence repelled Irans unprecedented drone and missile attack Iran-Israel: Timeline of confrontation and what could happen next 01:30 , Andy Gregory Iran has launched its first ever direct attack on Israeli soil, leaving the world waiting to see how Tel Aviv will respond amid fears of a wider conflict developing in the Middle East. In a sharp escalation of the tensions roiling in the region since Israels war in Gaza erupted with Hamass attack on 7 October, Tehran launched a barrage of more than 330 killer drones, ballistic and cruise missiles towards Israel on Saturday night. Britain and the US were among several of Israels allies who helped to shoot down the missiles, and Israeli authorities insisted that 99 per cent of them were shot down without causing any significant damage. But with members of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus war cabinet vowing to exact a price from Iran, which has said it considers the matter concluded, Tel Avivs response looks set to determine whether the confrontation with its longstanding foe continues to escalate. Read The Independents timeline of what has happened so far and what could come next: Why did Iran attack Israel and what could happen next? US, Jordan speak in wake of attacks 01:00 , Katie Hawkinson US President Joe Biden spoke with Jordans King Abdullah II on Sunday, the White House said. President Biden strongly condemned the attack launched by Iran that also threatened Jordan and the Jordanian people, a statement from the White House reads. They also discussed the situation in Gaza, and reaffirmed their cooperation to increase critical humanitarian assistance to Gaza and to find a path to end the crisis as soon as possible, the statement continued. Meanwhile, Turkish, Jordanian and Iraqi officials have said Iran gave wide notice days before Saturdays attack on Israel, allowing mass casualties and rampant escalation to be averted however, a US official denied this. US leaders convene to discuss Iranian attack on Israel Monday 15 April 2024 00:38 , Katie Hawkinson President Biden convened a call this afternoon with Senate Majority Leader Schumer, Senate Minority Leader McConnell, Speaker of the House Johnson, and House Minority Leader Jeffries to discuss Irans unprecedented attack against Israel, the White House said in a statement on Sunday evening. On the call, the President discussed the urgent need for the House of Representatives to pass the national security supplemental as soon as possible, the statement continued. That national security supplemental would provide $95bn in US aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. The bill was approved by the US Senate earlier this year but has yet to be taken up by the US House of Representatives. Netanyahu in political fight for his life, says expert Monday 15 April 2024 00:32 , Andy Gregory Benjamin Netanyahu is in a political fight for his life Holly Dagres, an Iran expert and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told The Independent. The Israeli prime ministers popularity has tanked since 7 October, he is facing questions about how Hamas attack was able to happen and is standing three trials on corruption and graft charges, that he denies. US Central Command issues statement on defence of Israel Monday 15 April 2024 00:25 , Katie Hawkinson On April 13 and the morning of April 14, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces, supported by U.S. European Command destroyers, successfully engaged and destroyed more than 80 one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and at least six ballistic missiles intended to strike Israel from Iran and Yemen, US Central Command said in a statement Sunday evening. This includes a ballistic missile on its launcher vehicle and seven UAVs destroyed on the ground in Iranian-backed Houthi controlled areas of Yemen prior to their launch, they continued. Irans continued unprecedented, malign, and reckless behavior endangers regional stability and the safety of U.S. and coalition forces. CENTCOM remains postured to support Israels defense against these dangerous actions by Iran. We will continue to work with all our regional partners to increase regional security. Israel shoots down drone launched from Yemen' Sunday 14 April 2024 23:59 , Andy Gregory The IDF intercepted a drone near Eilat, stating that it assessed the UAV was launched from Yemen, according to British security firm Ambrey. Ambrey said it had also observed unprecedented levels of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS)interference off Eilat and neighbouring Aqaba, Jordan, on Sunday. These were due to electronic warfare counter-measures, the firm said. A Saar 6-class corvette successfully intercepted a UAV that approached Israeli territory from the southeast using the C-Dome Defense System earlier this evening, the IDF posted on X. Israel used its seaborne missile defence system for the first time on Tuesday to shoot down a drone approaching from the Red Sea that had set off sirens in the port city of Eilat, the military said. Eilat has been a frequent target for launches by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen as a show of support for Hamas, the Palestinian group that rules Gaza and is also backed by Iran. Time to step back from the brink, urges UN chief Sunday 14 April 2024 23:33 , Andy Gregory UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has said it is time to step back from the brink. In a speech to the UN security council, he said: It is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East. Civilians are already bearing the brunt and paying the highest price. And we have a shared responsibility to actively engage all parties concerned to prevent further escalation. As the Friendly Relations Declaration of 1970 states, acts of reprisal involving the use of force are barred under international law. We have a shared responsibility to secure an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. We have a shared responsibility to stop violence in the occupied West Bank, de-escalate the situation along the Blue Line, and re-establish safe navigation in the Red Sea. We have a shared responsibility to work for peace. Regional and indeed global peace and security are being undermined by the hour. Neither the region nor the world can afford more war. Israel wouldnt dare go for full escalation, say experts Sunday 14 April 2024 23:09 , Bel Trew, Kim Sengupta Israeli defence experts said amid the mounting pressure from the US, Israel wouldnt dare go for full escalation. They might do something symbolic like a specific attack on one designated target, said Amos Harel, a non-resident senior fellow at Brookings. Iran, meanwhile, assumes the US does not want a regional escalation that could lead to an all out war, said Holly Dagres, Iran expert and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. But while there is an assumption that cooler heads will prevail, Israel can and will act on its own, she told The Independent. G7 unequivocally condemns Iran attack Sunday 14 April 2024 22:56 , Andy Gregory Leaders of the G7 have unequivocally condemned Irans unprecedented attack on Israel and warned that the risk of an uncontrollable regional escalation must be avoided. In a joint statement following an urgent call on Sunday, countries including the UK and US said they stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives. US President Joe Biden convened a meeting of the G7 advanced democracies on Sunday to co-ordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. The language indicates that the Biden administration does not want Irans assault to spiral into a broader military conflict after Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant suggested the incident was not over yet. (Getty Images) Israels war cabinet will want to keep all options open, source says Sunday 14 April 2024 22:40 , Bel Trew, Kim Sengupta Israeli diplomats and security officials believe a forceful response is inevitable, although it has not been decided yet whether it will be on Iran itself, or its proxies Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shia militias in Syria and Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. The indication from DC is that the US will not join an operation directly against Iran. But apart from that they are certainly not telling us what to do, a former Mossad officer who is temporarily back at the Interior Ministry since the Gaza war started told The Independent. The priority is to ensure that we dont face such an assault again from Iran, and also deter its proxies like Hezbollah which have been regularly attacking Israel. I think the war cabinet will want to keep all options open to try and deal with the multiple threats we are facing. Iraq and Saudi Arabia discuss ways to stop conflict expanding Sunday 14 April 2024 22:38 , Andy Gregory Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iraqi premier Mohammed Shia al-Sudani have held a phone call discussing ways to spare the Middle East from any further expansion of conflict and efforts to mitigate risks of escalation, Iraq state media has reported. Full report: Israel warns Iran it will exact a price for attack as US scrambles to prevent regional war Sunday 14 April 2024 22:13 , Andy Gregory Israel has warned it will exact a price for Irans mass drone and missile attack at the weekend which tipped the Middle East one step closer to a major conflict. But in an attempt to lower tensions, US president Joe Biden warned Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu the US would not join a further counteroffensive, while senior White House officials said they dont seek a wider war in the region or one with Iran. Our chief international correspondent Bel Trew and world affairs editor Kim Sengupta have the full report: Israel warns Iran will pay a price for attack but US vows not to join counterstrike Iran-Israel: Timeline of confrontation and what could happen next Sunday 14 April 2024 21:58 , Andy Gregory Iran has launched its first ever direct attack on Israeli soil, leaving the world waiting to see how Tel Aviv will respond amid fears of a wider conflict developing in the Middle East. The Independent takes a look at the history of Irans relationship with Israel, and how Saturdays attack unfolded here: Why did Iran attack Israel and what could happen next? France confirms it helped Israel to intercept Irans attack Sunday 14 April 2024 21:27 , Andy Gregory France carried out interception missions during Irans overnight attack on Israel, foreign minister Stephane Sejourne has confirmed. We took our responsibilities ... we carried out interception missions, he told France 2 television channel, without elaborating. Israels chief military spokesperson said earlier on Sunday that France was among the countries involved in defending against the Iranian attack. Zelensky condemns Irans attack on Israel Sunday 14 April 2024 21:03 , Andy Gregory Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned Irans drone and missile attack on Israel and said his country needed help from its allies to fend off threats from the air, just as Israel did. Mr Zelensky again called on the US Congress to approve a vital aid package that has been blocked by political wrangling for months. Ukraines forces are facing new onslaughts from Russian troops in the east and daily attacks on cities and infrastructure from Russian missiles and drones. Irans actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russias actions threaten a larger conflict, and the obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world, Mr Zelensky said on X/Twitter. Speaking later in his nightly video address, the president said the world had seen that Israel was not alone in its defence the threats in the sky were also destroyed by its allies. And when Ukraine says allies cannot turn a blind eye to Russian missiles and drones, it means that it is necessary to act, and act strongly. Ukraines skies, he said, were not protected by rhetoric. And the fact that we in Ukraine have been waiting months for a vital support package - the fact that we are still waiting for a vote in Congress - testifies to the fact that the confidence of terrorists has also been growing for months, he said. There is no more time to be wasted. IDF releases operational footage from Israels Aerial Defence System Sunday 14 April 2024 20:48 , Andy Gregory Egypts foreign minister urges restraint in calls with Israel and Iran Sunday 14 April 2024 20:08 , Andy Gregory Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry expressed the need for restraint in phone calls with his counterparts Iran and Israel on Sunday, Egypt said. Mr Shoukry called on his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to exercise utmost self-restraint and refrain from provocations that would increase tension and instability in the region, a foreign ministry statement said. Egypt is ready to intensify its efforts to defuse the current crisis, which has begun taking a dangerous turn as it coincides with the crisis in the Gaza Strip and adds tension to other hot spots in the region, the statement added. Mr Shoukry also held a call on Sunday with US secretary of state Anthony Blinken to discuss what has become a serious threat to the security and stability of the Middle East after Iran launched drones and missile on Israel early on Sunday. Turkish, Jordanian and Iraqi officials say Iran gave them warning of attack Sunday 14 April 2024 20:07 , Andy Gregory Turkish, Jordanian and Iraqi officials have said that Iran gave wide notice days before Saturdays attack on Israel, allowing mass casualties and rampant escalation to be averted but a US official denied this. Irans foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Sunday that Iran had given neighbouring countries and Washington 72 hours notice that it would launch the strikes. Turkeys foreign ministry said it had also spoken to both Washington and Tehran prior to the attack. Iran said the reaction would be a response to Israels attack on its embassy in Damascus and that it would not go beyond this. We were aware of the possibilities. The developments were not a surprise, a Turkish diplomatic source told Reuters. But a senior Washington official rejected Mr Amirabdollahians statement, saying Washington had had contact with Iran through Swiss intermediaries but did not get 72 hours notice. That is absolutely not true, the official told Reuters. They did not give a notification, nor did they give any sense of ... these will be the targets, so evacuate them. Tehran sent the United States a message only after the strikes began, and the intent was to be highly destructive said the official, speculating that Iran was saying it had given notice in order to cover embarrassment at the attacks failure. However, Iraqi, Turkish and Jordanian officials each said Iran had provided early warning of the attack last week, including some details. Britain summons Iranian diplomat over profoundly dangerous attack on Israel Sunday 14 April 2024 19:28 , Andy Gregory Britains foreign secretary David Cameron has summoned the charge daffaires of the Iranian embassy to the Foreign Office following Tehrans profoundly dangerous attack on Israel, according to a statement from the department. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: The Foreign Secretary summoned the charge daffaires of the Iranian embassy today. The UK condemns in the strongest terms Irans direct and unprecedented attack against Israel, as well as their violation of Jordan and Iraqs airspace. At a time of great tension in the Middle East, this was a profoundly dangerous and unnecessary escalation by Iran. The UK calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the civilian ship MSC Aries and its crew, which was seized by Iranian armed forces yesterday in international waters. The Iranian authorities must take meaningful and immediate action to de-escalate and halt its reckless and unlawful behaviour. The UK will continue to stand up for Israels security and the security of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. We will also continue to work with our international partners to protect and uphold stability in the region. (AFP via Getty Images) Iran releases video it says shows missiles being fired against Israeli targets Sunday 14 April 2024 19:11 , Andy Gregory IDF accuses Iran of wanting to escalate tensions in region Sunday 14 April 2024 19:07 , Andy Gregory Asked what he believes Irans intentions were with last nights attack, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said: Last night was the proof that Iran seeks escalation. Iran launched over 350 threats ... towards Israel, and also other countries in the region could have got that threat on the way. Iran doesnt just pose a threat to Israel, Iran poses a threat to the entire Middle East. Iran yesterday seized a ship in the maritime domain. She hijacked a Western innocent cargo ship towards Iran. This is a crime, this is piracy. Iran closed the aerial space yesterday firing all those threats towards Israel. Iran, from the beginning of the war, wants only one thing to escalate the region. Until now, she worked through her proxies, but now she revealed ... trying to escalate the region herself. Attack saw 350 drones and missiles fired from Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, IDF claims Sunday 14 April 2024 19:03 , Andy Gregory Irans attack last night consisted of around 350 drones, missiles and rockets sent from Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, the IDF has said. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari told a press conference: Iran and its proxies launched approximately 350 suicide drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and rockets from Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon towards Israel, with approximately 60 tonnes of warheads and explosive materials. But the threat from Iran was met. (IDF/Sky News screengrab) Israel has plans for both the offensive and defensive, says IDF spokesperson Sunday 14 April 2024 18:55 , Andy Gregory Asked if Israel has decided to attack in retaliation, an IDF spokesperson told reporters: We are at a high level of preparedness in all sectors and were prepared for all kinds of developments. We have plans both for the offensive and the defensive. We are on the alert, but Im not going to add anything beyond that at this point. We have one job and one job only to defend the safety of Israeli citizens. Air base struck in Iran attack remains fully operational, insists Israel Sunday 14 April 2024 18:52 , Andy Gregory Israel has insisted that the air base struck in Irans attack remains fully operational, and claimed aircraft continued to use it to carry out offensive and defensive missions throughout the night. Iran wanted to harm strategic infrastructure and therefore it conducted such extensive launches while trying to target the Nevatim air force base, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari told reporters. Their plan failed. Out of hundreds of launches, only a few missiles managed to enter Israeli airspace and cause some very light damage to the infrastructure of this air force base. It continued to function as aircrafts continued to land and take off, carrying out offensive and defensive missions throughout the night and day. It is in full operational capability. And of course we are continuing to fight in Gaza as well, our forces are fighting in the central region camps and were going to call up two additional reserve brigades which will join the fighting. Even after this 24 hours and despite the operational success, we do not forget, not for one minute, the 133 hostages who are still being held captive in the Gaza Strip. Bringing back the hostages is our profound duty, we will not miss any opportunity to bring them back home. This is our responsibility. We maintain a high level of preparedness and alertness. The IDF is readily prepared for any developments, both in the offensive and defensive. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari providing updates about Iranian attack on Israel (Screengrab/IDF) Israel accuses Iran of risking entire Middle East' Sunday 14 April 2024 18:46 , Andy Gregory Israel has accused Iran and its proxies of having risked the entire Middle East with its attack last night. Speaking at a live press conference, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said it followed a very complicated and successful air fight in which the IDF, together with a very strong regional coalition, prevented and thwarted the Iranian attack. Iran and its proxies [in] Iraq, Yemen, Hezbollah and Lebanon have risked the entire Middle East and put it to a halt. Iran blocked yesterday the airspace of the countries in the region while it launched about 350 different kinds of launches. We are talking about 60 tonnes of warheads and explosives which could have created immense damage to every country in the region. The Iranian threat encountered [the] technological, operational and intel supremacy of the IDF, led by the Israeli air force. Dozens of fighter jets along with Israeli air defence systems, together with the regional coalition led by the US, Britain, France and additional countries from the region, we intercepted 99 per cent of the threats. This is the first time such an international coalition operates against the Iranian threat and its proxies from throughout the Middle East. (Reuters) G7 stands ready to respond to further destabilising initiatives by Iran Sunday 14 April 2024 18:32 , Andy Gregory The leaders of the G7 have said they unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Irans direct and unprecedented attack against Israel and said they stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives. In a statement, they said: Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack. We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security. With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. We will continue to work to stabilise the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives. We will also strengthen our cooperation to end the crisis in Gaza, including by continuing to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, and deliver increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need. Russias response to Iran attack falls short of Israeli expectations Sunday 14 April 2024 18:29 , Andy Gregory Russia has retorted spikily to the suggestion that Israel expected Moscow to condemn its ally Irans attack last night with foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, telling reporters: Remind me, when was the last time Israel condemned at least one of Kyivs attacks on Russian regions? Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, had a phone call with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Sunday, with a read out of the call from the Russian ministry stating: An further escalation of the situation in the region and dangerous new provocative actions may lead to an increase in tension. Moscow said it was extremely concerned by Iranian strikes on Israel and called on all parties to exercise restraint but said tensions would remain high until the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians was resolved. Russia noted that Tehran had said the attack was made within the right to self defence after Israels strike on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus that Moscow condemned. Russia did not condemn the Iranian strikes on Israel. Russia, which has close ties to Iran, accused the West of having blocked attempts in the United Nations Security Council to respond to the Israeli strike on the embassy compound. We have repeatedly warned that the numerous unresolved crises in the Middle East, primarily in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, which are often fueled by irresponsible provocative actions, will lead to an increase in tension, the ministry said. Iran attack feels like declaration of war, says Israels president Sunday 14 April 2024 18:15 , Andy Gregory Irans attack feels like a declaration of war, Israels president Isaac Herzog has said, adding that Israel would exercise restraint. There is an empire of evil in Tehran, which has its proxies, led all over the region and [with] cells all over the world, said Israels president, who largely holds a ceremonial role. Theyre spending billions of dollars undermining stability in the region. We were attacked last night from four corners of the Middle East with proxies shooting at us, firing missiles and ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles. This is like a real war. I mean, this is a declaration of war, he said, adding: The last thing that Israel is seeking in this region since its creation is to go to war, we are seeking peace. Watch: Rishi Sunak confirms RAF shot down a number of Iranian attack drones overnight Sunday 14 April 2024 16:02 , Lucy Leeson RAF jets shot down a number of Iranian drones, Rishi Sunak said as he warned the fallout would have been hard to overstate if missiles launched in Tehrans unprecedented attack on Israel were not largely intercepted. The prime minister called for calm heads to prevail following the overnight assault on Sunday (14 April) and ahead of a meeting of G7 leaders amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. Speaking to journalists in Downing Street, Mr Sunak confirmed RAF warplanes based in Syria and Iraq had been deployed to protect Israel, adding that lives had been saved in neighbouring countries such as Jordan as well. Analysis: Threat of Middle East war depends on Israels response to Iran attack Sunday 14 April 2024 15:26 , Athena Stavrou Tehran has said it believes the confrontation between the two adversaries concluded, writes Kim Sengupta, with Western nations urging restraint as they await Israels decision: Threat of wider Middle East war now depends on Israels response to Iran attack White House spokesman John Kirby says president has been clear the US does not want war with Iran Sunday 14 April 2024 15:10 , Athena Stavrou White House spokesman John Kirby said on NBCs Meet the Press that repelling the mass drone attack had been a incredible military achievement by Israel and its partners and had shown how Israel is not isolated on the world stage. Now, whether and how the Israelis will respond, thats going to be up to them. We understand that and respect that. But the presidents been very clear: we dont seek a war with Iran. The Islamic Republics mission to the United Nations said its actions were aimed at punishing Israeli crimes, but that it now deemed the matter concluded. Iranian army chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri warned on television that our response will be much larger than tonights military action if Israel retaliates against Iran and told Washington its bases could also be attacked if it helped Israel retaliate. Parliament must have its say on Iranian drone and missile attacks, say Lib Dems Sunday 14 April 2024 14:51 , Athena Stavrou Responding to the Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel last night, the Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson Richard Foord MP said: Liberal Democrats condemn in the strongest terms possible Irans attack on Israel. We support the action by the RAF to intercept Iranian attack drones. It is right that the UK calls for calm heads to prevail; leaders must exercise restraint and work towards a lasting peace. It is a crucial convention that Parliament should have an opportunity to approve military action, even when that action has happened already. The Government should uphold that principle by holding a debate and a vote in the House of Commons as soon as possible. Israeli war cabinet member: The event is not over' Sunday 14 April 2024 14:44 , Athena Stavrou Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz said that the event is not over as he speaks out following Irans attack on Israel. We will build a regional coalition against the threat of Iran, and we will exact a price from it in the way and at the time that suits us, he told Israeli news broadcaster Kans. Humza Yousaf calls for political and diplomatic solutions Sunday 14 April 2024 14:22 , Athena Stavrou Scotlands First Minister Humza Yousaf has called on the international community to demand players in the region abide by UN Security Council resolutions. Speaking to Sky News, Mr Yousaf said he condemns Irans attempted attack on Israel as he has all and every regional escalation. There is not going to be a military solution to the conflict we see in the Middle East, there is only going to be a political and diplomatic solution, he said. We know that violence begets violence and therefore its imperative now that the international community demand not request, but demand that all parties abide by UN security resolutions, such as a call for an immediate ceasefire (in Gaza). The First Minister added: We cant afford to see any more loss of life, because innocent civilians have already had to pay far too high a price for the actions of a number of countries and therefore we need to see de-escalation as opposed to further escalation in the region. Netherlands advises against all travel to Israel Sunday 14 April 2024 14:16 , Athena Stavrou he Dutch government on Sunday advised against all travel to Israel due to the uncertain security situation following overnight air strikes by Iran. Iran and a number of allies carried out airstrikes against Israel with missiles and drones. It cannot be ruled out that further attacks may follow, the Foreign Ministry said in an updated travel advisory. Watch: Circle of knowledge on Middle East conflict has to be very tight, says Tory minister Sunday 14 April 2024 12:50 , Lucy Leeson Tory minister Victoria Atkins has said the circle of knowledge on the conflict in the Middle East has to be very, very tight, as G7 leaders hold urgent talks after Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel. Rishi Sunak is expected to join US President Joe Biden on the call on Sunday amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. Ms Atkins was asked whether the Cabinet was consulted before RAF planes were deployed to protect Israel agains the Iran attack when she appeared on BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme today. She replied: Of course there are relevant Cabinet ministers in that (Cobra) meeting. Circle of knowledge on Middle East conflict has to be very tight, says Tory minister Iran notified neighbours of strikes Sunday 14 April 2024 12:43 , Athena Stavrou Iran notified its neighbours of its strikes on Israel 72 hours in advance, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Sunday. About 72 hours prior to our operations, we informed our friends and neighbours in the region that Irans response against Israel was certain, legitimate, and irrevocable, Amirabdollahian said at a press conference. Sunak says Iran determined to sew discord in their own back yard' Sunday 14 April 2024 12:32 , Athena Stavrou Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said of Irans attack on Israel: This was a dangerous and unnecessary attack. Its clear that Iran is determined to sew discord in the region in their own back yard, he added. If (the attack was) successful the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate. Sunak chairs Cobra meeting ahead of G7 meeting this afternoon Sunday 14 April 2024 12:22 , Athena Stavrou Rishi Sunak said he chaired a Cobra meeting with Cabinet ministers on Friday to agree a plan of action over Irans attack on Israel, as the Prime Minister confirmed additional RAF pilots were sent to the region. He said the UK already has a military presence in the Middle East as part of its operations against the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Mr Sunak said he will be meeting with G7 leaders later this afternoon. Sunak confirms RAF shot down Iranian drones Sunday 14 April 2024 12:22 , Athena Stavrou Speaking from Downing Street, Rishi Sunak said: I want to pay tribute to the bravery of our pilots. He said lives were saved not just in Israel, but in neighbouring countries such as Jordan as well. I can confirm that our pilots did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones. He said Iran sent both missiles and attack drones and did not specify how many were shot down by RAF forces. (Benjamin Cremel /PA Wire) Sunak to join G7 leaders in urgent talks after Iran attacks Israel Sunday 14 April 2024 11:07 , Athena Stavrou G7 leaders are to hold urgent talks after Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that saw RAF jets deployed to shoot down drones from Tehran. Rishi Sunak is expected to join US President Joe Biden on the call on Sunday amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. Britain and the US have offered staunch support for Israel, with the Ministry of Defence saying RAF warplanes in Iraq and Syria had been deployed to intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions. (PA Wire) Israeli war cabinet to meet at 12:30 GMT, says Israeli official Sunday 14 April 2024 10:38 , Athena Stavrou Israels war cabinet is due to meet at 3:30pm (12:30pm GMT) to discuss a response to the drone and missile attack launched by Iran overnight, an Israeli official said. Watch: Explosions light up Amman sky as Iran launches dozens of missiles and drones at Israel Sunday 14 April 2024 10:18 , Brian Alford Iran launched dozens of missiles and drones toward Israel in the early hours of Sunday morning. Residents reported seeing missiles in the sky and hearing explosions, likely from interceptions above the Jordanian capital. The Israeli military says Iran fired more than 100 bomb-carrying drones toward Israel. Hours later, Iran announced it had also launch much more destructive ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. Iran had been threatening to attack Israel after an airstrike earlier this week widely blamed on Israel destroyed Irans consulate in Syria, killing 12 people, including two elite Iranian generals. Watch here: Victoria Atkins said the circle of knowledge on the conflict in the Middle East has to be very, very tight Sunday 14 April 2024 10:14 , Zoe Grunewald The health secretary has been tight-lipped about the UK response to Iran when asked whether the Cabinet was consulted before RAF planes were deployed to protect Israel. Speaking to the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, the Health Secretary said: Of course there are relevant Cabinet ministers in that (Cobra) meeting. You will appreciate the circle of knowledge on this has to be very, very tight because of the sensitivities and the danger that is involved for everyone in the region. Asked whether the Government would proscribe the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, she said: We keep all of these issues under constant review. Ms Atkins said she is not in a position to confirm or deny whether British jets have already shot down Iranian drones. Labour backs government action in Middle East Sunday 14 April 2024 09:50 , Athena Stavrou Labour has backed the UK Government action taken overnight to help protect Israel. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: Lets be clear, we support the existing Government missions in the Middle East and continue to do so. That is important. We also think that it is important that action was taken overnight to prevent the Iranian strikes on Israel because we should be clear that if action hadnt been taken to prevent those strikes, we would have seen further escalation and further risk of widening conflict. Irish premier condemns Iran attack Sunday 14 April 2024 09:45 , Athena Stavrou Irish premier Simon Harris has condemned Irans drone and missile attack on Israel. I strongly condemn Irans reckless and large-scale attack on Israel, Mr Harris said in a statement. I urge all sides to show restraint now and to avoid any escalation in military action and the devastation that would cause. Biden wont support Israeli attack on Iran Sunday 14 April 2024 09:12 President Biden reportedly told Benjamin Netanyahu during a call on Saturday that the US wont support any Israeli counterattack on Iran, a senior White House official told Axios. Citing the official, Axios reported that Biden told Netanyahu: You got a win. Take the win. The official also reportedly said that Netanyahu said he understood Bidens position. UK very consistent in support for Israel, says Health Secretary Sunday 14 April 2024 09:01 , Athena Stavrou Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said the UK has been very consistent in supporting Israel, but said that the UK has joined with international partners and saying, actually the best thing for Israel, and for the region is for there to be an immediate humanitarian pause, so that we can get hostages outget humanitarian aid into Gaza as quickly as possible. When asked why Israel attacked Damascus, Ms Atkins said we was very cautious about daring to speculate what other international leaders may have been considering and added that there will have been many, many conversations ongoingbetween our allies and international partners. Victoria Atkins urges British nationals in the Middle East to look at the Foreign Office website Sunday 14 April 2024 08:55 , Athena Stavrou The health secretary Victoria Atkins has urged anyone who in the region to look at the Foreign Office website. Talking to Trevor Phillips on Sky, she said there are different pieces of advice for different parts of the region, but urged any travellers to look at the FCDO website. She added: Weve been quite clear for a while now as to which areas it is not safe to travel to, and so I really urge people to look at a website for the most up to date information. Ed Davey says Iran attack is dangerous escalation Sunday 14 April 2024 08:52 , Athena Stavrou The leader of the Liberal Democrats has said the UK must work stand up for Israels security and called for an end to the horrifying cycle of violence. In a statement released by the Lib Dems, Mr Davey said: We utterly condemn Irans attack on Israel. This is a dangerous escalation in a conflict that has already caused far too much death and suffering. The UK must work with the international community to stand up for Israels security and the security of our other partners in the region. We must prevent further escalation and remain focused on finally achieving a lasting peace, so that Israeli and Palestinian children both can grow up free of the horrifying cycle of violence that has endured for so long. (PA Wire) RAF jets shoot down Iranian drones Sunday 14 April 2024 08:23 , Athena Stavrou RAF jets have been used to shoot down Iranian drones after Tehran announced it had launched an attack on Israel in what threatens to become a major regional escalation. Aircraft in Iraq and Syria have been deployed to intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, the Ministry of Defence said. In a late-night statement on Saturday, the MoD said: In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks. We have moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region. These will bolster Operation Shader, which is the UKs existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq and Syria. In addition, these UK jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required. Statement from Defense Minister Yoav Gallant Sunday 14 April 2024 07:56 , Athena Stavrou The Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant issued a statement on Sunday morning upon completing an operational situation assessment following Irans overnight attack. He said: Overnight, the whole world saw the true face of Iran a terrorist state that attacked the State of Israel from a distance of 1,500 km and in doing so also attempted to employ all of its proxies. On the other hand, the world also saw the power of a coalition, and how Israel, together with the United States and additional partners, stood together and thwarted this attack in a way that is unparalleled. This morning (Sunday, 14 April 2024) Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant completed an operational situation assessment together with senior officials in Israels defense establishment. Minister Gallant: I have recently completed an operational situation assessment with senior members of Israels defense establishment. The State of Israel was attacked [by Iran] with hundreds of missiles and UAVs, and the IDF thwarted this attack in an impressive manner. Together with the United States and additional partners, we managed to defend the territory of the State of Israel. Very little damage was caused this is the result of the IDFs impressive operations. The campaign is not over yet we must remain alert and attentive to the instructions published by the IDF and Homefront Command. We must be prepared for every scenario. Having said this, we have thwarted the most significant wave [of the attack], and we did so successfully. Iran warns Israel and US against retaliation Sunday 14 April 2024 07:47 , Athena Stavrou Iran warned Israel of a larger attack on its territory should it retaliate against Tehrans overnight drone and missile attack on Sunday, adding that Washington has been warned not to back Israeli military action. Our response will be much larger than tonights military action if Israel retaliates against Iran, armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri told state TV. He added that Tehran warned Washington that any backing of Israeli retaliation would result in US bases being targeted. The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, also warned Tehran would retaliate against any Israeli attack on its interests, officials or citizens. Live: Middle East flight track after Iran launches drone and missile strike on Israel Sunday 14 April 2024 07:42 , Athena Stavrou Watch a live flight track of the Middle East on Flightradar.com today (14 April), after Iran launched a drone and missile strike on Israel. Iran launched explosive drones and fired ballistic and cruise missiles at Israel late Saturday night in its first direct attack on Israeli territory, a retaliatory strike that raised fears of a wider regional war. The attack came amid rising tensions following an attack on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus. Iran warns of larger attack if Israel retaliates Sunday 14 April 2024 07:38 , Athena Stavrou Irans armed forces chief of staff has warned that if Israel retaliates, Irans response will be larger than last nights attack, Iranian news agency Tasnim reported. Israeli military says France helped in defence against Iranian attack Sunday 14 April 2024 07:23 , Athena Stavrou Israels chief military spokesperson said on Sunday that France was among the countries involved in defending against Irans overnight attack on Israel. France has very good technology, jets, radar - and I know they were contributing in patrolling airspace, he said, adding that he did not have exact details on whether French jets had shot down any of the missiles launched by Iran. US helps Israel take down nearly all drones and missiles Sunday 14 April 2024 06:58 , Namita Singh Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken to Joe Biden, who said he had reaffirmed Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. Mr Biden said the US had helped Israel to take down nearly all of the drones and missiles. He said: I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. While we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people. ICYMI: What is Israels multilayered air-defense system? Sunday 14 April 2024 06:40 , Namita Singh The incoming attack by Iranian drones and ballistic missiles posed the latest challenge to Israels air defense system, which already has been working overtime to cope with incoming rocket, drone and missile attacks throughout the six-month war against Hamas. Heres a closer look at Israels multilayered air-defense system: Israel has deployed a multilayered air-defense system. It faces big test with Iranian drone strike. Jordan reopens its airspace after Iran attack Sunday 14 April 2024 06:39 , Namita Singh Jordan reopened its airspace after closing it late yesterday after Iran launched drone and missile attacks against Israel, state TV said on Sunday, citing Jordanian aviation authorities. Israel airspace reopens, airport authority says Sunday 14 April 2024 06:24 , Namita Singh Israel reopened its airspace as of 7.30am today, the countrys airports authority said after an overnight attack by hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones. It said flight schedules from Tel Aviv were expected to be affected and travellers should check flight times. China deeply concerned about escalation after Iran strikes Israel Sunday 14 April 2024 06:16 , Namita Singh China is deeply concerned about escalating tensions in the Middle East after Iran launched drones and missiles in a retaliatory strike against Israel, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Sunday. Irans strikes marked its first direct attack on Israeli territory, raising the threat of a wider conflict in the region where China has sought to play a role as a mediator and from where it sources a growing proportion of its energy imports. A panoramic view of Jerusalems Old City is pictured at dawn of 14 April 2024 (AFP via Getty Images) China calls on relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalation of tensions, the spokesperson said in a statement posted on the ministrys website. China calls on the international community, especially influential countries, to play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability, the spokesperson said.The Chinese foreign ministrys spokesperson said that this round of tensions was a spillover from the Gaza conflict, adding that quelling it as soon as possible was a top priority. Iran undertook a grave action pushing escalation in region, says Israel Sunday 14 April 2024 05:40 , Namita Singh Iran undertook a very grave action that pushes the region toward escalation, said Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari in a televised address. More than 99 per cent Iranian projectiles intercepted, Israel claims Sunday 14 April 2024 05:30 , Namita Singh Iran launched more than 300 projectiles at Israel overnight, the Israeli military said. More than 99 per cent of them were intercepted, it claimed. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari providing updates about Iranian attack on Israel (Screengrab/IDF) Biden pledges G7 response, US support for Israel after Iran attacks Sunday 14 April 2024 04:52 , Namita Singh President Joe Biden condemned Iranian attacks on military facilities in Israel, pledged a coordinated G7 diplomatic response and said the United States had helped Israel take down nearly all of the attacking drones and missiles. The US forces and facilities had not been hit, said Mr Biden. The president said he reiterated the ironclad US support for Israels security in a call with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom he has had strained relations over Israels handling of the war in Gaza. US president Joe Biden arrives at the White House in Washington, DC, on 13 April 2024 (AFP via Getty Images) I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks, sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, Mr Biden said in a statement released by the White House. Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack, he said. Mr Biden said he had directed the US military to move aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, he said. China calls for calm and restraint Sunday 14 April 2024 04:34 , Namita Singh China is deeply concerned about the current escalation of the situation, the countrys foreign ministry said about Irans strike on Israel. It called on all relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalation. India calls for de-escalation as Iran attacks Israel Sunday 14 April 2024 04:28 , Namita Singh The Indian government issued a statement about the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region. We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy, said the ministry of external affairs. Statement on the situation in West Asia:https://t.co/kpJzqwTVWC pic.twitter.com/cSbJQrAjCC Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 14, 2024 RAF jets deployed to shoot down Iranian drones heading to Israel Sunday 14 April 2024 04:17 , Namita Singh RAF jets have been used to shoot down Iranian drones after Tehran announced it had launched an attack on Israel. Aircraft in Iraq and Syria have been deployed to intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, the Ministry of Defense said. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said most of the drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles had been shot down outside the countrys borders with warplanes intercepting more than 10 cruise missiles. He said a few missiles had reached Israel with a seven-year-old girl critically injured in the south of the country and light damage to an army base. Report: RAF jets deployed to shoot down Iranian drones heading to Israel Biden condemns Irans attacks on Israel, plans G7 coordination Sunday 14 April 2024 04:14 , Namita Singh US president Joe Biden condemned Irans attacks against Israel and said he had spoken with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack, Mr Biden said in a statement, referring to the group of seven major develped economies. US president Joe Biden arrives at the White House in Washington, DC, on 13 April 2024 (AFP via Getty Images) Breaking: US says military shot down dozens of Iranian missiles bound for Israel Sunday 14 April 2024 04:11 , Namita Singh As well as knocking down drones, the US military shot down dozens of Iranian missiles bound for Israel in keeping with its pledge to defend its Middle East ally, three US official said. Two of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said some of the missiles were shot down by the US Navy. The US military rushed to help as Iran launched explosive drones and missiles in its first direct attack on Israeli territory, a retaliatory strike for the suspected Israeli attack on an Iranian consulate in Syria that raised the threat of a wider regional conflict. This video grab from AFPTV taken on 14 April 2024 shows explosions lighting up the sky in Hebron, Palestinian Territories, during an Iranian attack on Israel (AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images) Biden meets national security team at White House Sunday 14 April 2024 04:00 , Namita Singh Joe Biden cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team at the White House yesterday afternoon, returning to Washington minutes before Israeli officials confirmed that they had detected drones being launched toward their territory from Iran. He convened a principals meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room to discuss the unfolding situation, the White House said, before speaking with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, risking a wider regional conflict. US president Joe Biden arrives at the White House in Washington, DC, on 13 April 2024 (AFP via Getty Images) The Pentagon reported that defense secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with his Israeli counterpart to discuss urgent regional threats ... and made clear that Israel could count on full US support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies. National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washingtons ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. National security council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement that Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. She added: The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran. US shoots down Iranian attack drones Sunday 14 April 2024 03:52 , Namita Singh President Joe Biden and his national security team monitored Irans aerial attack against Israel as US forces joined efforts to down explosive-laden drones launched by Tehran. With tensions at their highest since the Israel-Hamas war began six months ago, Mr Biden pledged that American support for Israels defense against attacks by Iran and its proxies is ironclad. The US forces shot down some Iran-launched attack drones flying toward Israel, according to a US defense official and two other US officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. Demonstrators gather at Palestine Square in Tehran on 14 April 2024, after Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel (AFP via Getty Images) The US and Israel had been bracing for an attack for days after Iran vowed to retaliate for a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force. The US defense official said the effort to intercept Irans attack was continuing. Biden and Netanyahu speak by phone Sunday 14 April 2024 02:42 , Andrew Feinberg President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken by telephone. The White House said Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu spoke this evening. The Prime Ministers office also confirmed the phone call and release a photograph of Mr Netanyahu holding a telephone handset to his ear. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a telephone to his ear in a photograph released by his office (Israeli Prime Minister's Spokesperson) Biden meets with advisers in White House Situation Room Sunday 14 April 2024 02:00 , Andrew Feinberg The White House has released this photograph of President Biden meeting with advisers in the White House situation room. According to a White House official, the meeting included Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown, Director Bill Burns, Director Avril Haines, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, Counselor to the President Steve Ricchetti and National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk. Vice President Kamala Harris and White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients also joined the meeting by secure video link. President Joe Biden meets with member of the National Security team regarding the unfolding missile attacks on Israel from Iran, Saturday, April 13, 2024, in the White House Situation Room. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) (The White House) IDF says vast majority of Iranian cruise missiles intercepted Sunday 14 April 2024 01:54 , Andrew Feinberg In a statement, the Israeli Defense Force said it had identified dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches from Iran on the way to Israeli territory. The IDF said its Ariel Defense Array has successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the Arrow Aerial Defense System in concert with Israels strategic allies before any of the missiles could cross into Israeli territory. A small number of hits were identified, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure, the IDF said. The statement also said many dozens of hostile aircraft were identified and intercepted by dozens of Israeli Air Force fights which are currently operating in the area to intercept all aerial threats approaching Israeli territory. US Defence Secretary has spoken with Israeli Defence Minister Sunday 14 April 2024 01:44 , Andrew Feinberg According to the Israeli Ministry of Defence, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant recently completed a call with his US counterpart, Secretary Lloyd Austin. The ministry said Mr Gallant briefed the Secretary about Israels defensive operations in the face of Irans attack, and emphasized that the defense establishment is prepared for any further attempts to attack the State of Israel and expressed his appreciation to Secretary Austin for his leadership and for standing with Israel. The readout of the call also included this photograph of Mr Gallant holding a telephone to his ear. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant holds a telephone to his ear in this photo released by the Israeli Ministry of Defence (Israeli Ministry of Defence / Ariel Hermoni) US orders Jerusalem-based employees to shelter in place Sunday 14 April 2024 01:41 , Andrew Feinberg Citing incoming UAVs and missiles from Iran and Iranian proxies, the US State Departments Bureau of Consular Affairs has directed all US government employees and their family members to shelter in place, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter) from the bureaus official account. Jerusalem: Due to incoming UAVs and missiles from Iran and Iranian proxies, the U.S. Embassy has directed all U.S. government employees and their family members to shelter in place until further notice. For more info: https://t.co/ed0iKhhL7p pic.twitter.com/sWww45Whtp Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) April 14, 2024 Senate Republican leader calls for Biden to lead international effort against Tehran Sunday 14 April 2024 01:29 , Andrew Feinberg Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, the upper chambers top Republican, has issued a statement urging President Joe Biden to match words with actions when it comes to what Mr Biden has described as Americas ironclad commitment to Israeli security. President Biden must lead an international effort to impose sufficient costs on Tehran to compel an end to its aggression and terror, both on Israeli soil and as demonstrated with todays IRGC assault on a commercial shipping vessel around the region. Irans leaders must know the things they value most are at risk, he said. He also suggested that Mr Biden should back off his insistence that Israel allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, writing that he must also give Israel the time, space, and support it deserves to finish the job against Hamas because Tehran and its proxies are emboldened when they see divisions between the US and Israel. Mr McConnells statement also calls on the House to take action on the national security appropriations bill supported by Mr Biden, which the Senate has already passed. It will provide overdue lethal assistance to Ukraine and equip vulnerable allies and partners in Asia to deter the PRC. And it will make urgent investments in our own defence industrial base, he said. We cannot hope to deter conflict without demonstrating resolve and investing seriously in American strength. The Commander-in-Chief and the Congress must discharge our fundamental duties without delay. The consequences of failure are clear, devastating, and avoidable. IDF says vast majority of Iranian attack intercepted Sunday 14 April 2024 01:19 , Andrew Feinberg Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the spokesperson of the Israeli military, said Iran has fired a massive swarm of over 200 killer drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles towards Israel. He said Israel and its partners have intercepted the vast majority but some landed inside Israel causing minor damage to an Israeli military base and injuring a 10-year-old girl. Together with our allies and partners across the region, we are operating at this very moment to defend Israel from Irans attack. So far, weve intercepted the vast majority of incoming missiles by Israeli systems, he said in a 3am briefing from Tel Aviv. We are continuing to intercept dozens of attack drones as well as cruise missiles and ballistic missiles outside of Israels border. A number of Iranian missiles fell inside Israeli territory called causing minor damage to a military base with no casualties. Only one little girl has been hurt, and we hope she will be well, he added. He also said the wide scale attack is ongoing and a major escalation. Our planes are in the air. Tonight, [this] wide scale attack by Iran is a major escalation. Together with our allies and partners we are operating at full force to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel, he said. UK Ministry of Defence has moved RAF resources to Middle East Sunday 14 April 2024 00:24 , Andrew Feinberg A Ministry of Defence official has said the following: In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks. The official says the MOD has moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region. These will bolster Operation Shader, which is the UKs existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq and Syria. In addition, these UK jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required. We will continue to cooperate closely with our regional partners in the interest of de-escalation, the official added. Pentagon official: US forces are downing Iranian drones Sunday 14 April 2024 00:21 , Andrew Feinberg A US Defence official has said American forces in the Middle East region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel as part of the countrys ironclad commitment to Israels security. Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region, the official adds. Son of last Shah of Iran says Iranian people do not want war with Israel Sunday 14 April 2024 00:15 , Andrew Feinberg Reza Pahlavi, the former Crown Prince of Iran and the son of the last Iranian monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, has denounced the current Iranian governments attack on Israel in a statement. Mr Pahlavi, who lives in the United States, said current Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khameini is trying to start a war to save his failing regime. He wrote: While the people of Iran, inspired by our history, seek peaceful coexistence with all nations, the Islamic regime that has taken our nation hostage for 45 years seeks destructive chaos. But this is not a war that our nation wants. Iranians have made it clear: the criminal mafia occupying Iran does not represent our nation, our values, or our aspirations. The path to lasting peace and security in the Middle East is to support the people of Iran who are fighting to reclaim our country and our rightful place in the world. I call on our friends in the region and Western powers to embrace this lasting solution for our region and to empower the Iranian people, their allies for peace, he added. Trump weighs in by making Iranian attack all about him Sunday 14 April 2024 00:06 , Andrew Feinberg Former president Donald Trump has offered his own analysis on Irans attack against Israel. The disgraced ex-president, who will go on trial Monday for allegedly falsifying business records in his former home state of New York, took to his Truth Social platform to say the attack should never have been allowed to happen. He added that such an attack would NEVER have happened if I were President. The Independents Katie Hawkinson has more on the ex-presidents comments. Explosions heard above Jerusalem Sunday 14 April 2024 00:00 , Andrew Feinberg Explosions have been heard in the skies over Jerusalem. Air raid sirens have been activated there, according to the IDF. US House of Representatives will consider legislation holding Iran accountable, majority leader says Saturday 13 April 2024 23:57 , Andy Gregory The US House of Representatives will make a change in its schedule to consider legislation that supports Israel and holds Iran accountable, House majority leader Steve Scalise has said. The House of Representatives stands strongly with Israel, and there must be consequences for this unprovoked attack, he said in a statement, adding that more details would follow. Israeli military sounding sirens in south and occupied West Bank Saturday 13 April 2024 23:54 , Andy Gregory Israels military sounded sirens in multiple locations in the south of the country, as well as in parts of the occupied West Bank, Reuters reported, citing an alert app which it said warned of incoming aerial threats. Iran last year claimed to develop new drone capable of staying airborne for 24 hours Saturday 13 April 2024 23:43 , Andy Gregory Last year, Iran unveiled a new drone called Mohajer-10s which resembled Americas armed MQ-9 Reaper, and claimed the aircraft had the range to reach Israel. It is unclear whether the drones are yet operational. Iran unveils armed drone resembling America's MQ-9 Reaper and says it could potentially reach Israel US has shot down drones headed for Israel, sources say Saturday 13 April 2024 23:39 , Andy Gregory Following earlier reporting by an Israeli broadcaster that British and US warplanes had shot down several Iranian drones heading for Israel, Reuters cites three US officials as also saying that the US military has shot down Iranian drone aircraft headed toward Israel. They did not disclose how many drones were shot down or the precise locations, Reuters reports. Matter can be deemed concluded, says Irans permanent mission to UN Saturday 13 April 2024 23:32 , Andy Gregory Describing tonights attack as a response to Israels alleged aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus, Irans permanent mission to the UN said: The matter can be deemed concluded. Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Irans military action was in response to the Zionist regimes aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus, the Iranian body said. The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY! Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Irans military action was in response to the Zionist regimes aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli Permanent Mission of I.R.Iran to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) April 13, 2024 Northern Golan Heights among several locations put on standby by Israel Saturday 13 April 2024 23:29 , Andy Gregory Israels military has put the northern part of the occupied Golan Heights as well as Nevatim, Dimona and Eilat on standby for possible impact from Iranian drone launches, instructing residents to stay close to bomb shelters. The Golan was captured from Syria in a 1967 war, while Nevatim is the site of an Israeli air base. Israel has a nuclear reactor on the outskirts of Dimona, and Eilat is Israels southern Red Sea port, which has come under repeated attack by Yemen's Houthis. Jordan denies announcing state of emergency Saturday 13 April 2024 23:27 , Andy Gregory A Jordanian government spokesperson has denied the kingdom announced a state of emergency. They said media reports it did were baseless and there was no cause for concern among its citizens. Minister of Government Communications Muhannad Mubaideen told state news agency Petra that the government would take legal measures against any outlet that spread rumours or accusations that are not verified. Labour supports all measures designed to restore calm, says Starmer Saturday 13 April 2024 23:23 , Andy Gregory The Labour Party supports all measures designed to restore calm, Sir Keir Starmer has said. We condemn the Iranian regimes decision to subject Israelis to these unacceptable attacks, the Labour leader said. The international community has been united in urging restraint and we regret that yet again Iran has chosen a different, dangerous path. Our thoughts are with all those in the region who want peace and security not the fear and instability being generated by Iran. We continue to stand up for Israels security and that of our other partners in the region, including Jordan and Iraq. We support all measures designed to restore calm as we must do all we can to prevent a wider regional war. Egypts air defence on alert, sources say Saturday 13 April 2024 23:17 , Andy Gregory Egypts air defence is on alert, Egyptian military and security sources have told Reuters, amid fears of an Iranian drone attack aimed towards Israel. Egypts military General Command has formed a team to monitor the situation and make any necessary decisions regarding the countrys airspace, the sources said. British and US warplanes down several Iranian drones, broadcaster claims Saturday 13 April 2024 23:16 , Andy Gregory British and US warplanes have downed some Israel-bound Iranian drones over the Iraq-Syria border area, Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 TV has claimed, without citing sources. Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website U.S. President Joe Biden meets with members of the National Security Council regarding the unfolding missile attacks on Israel in the Situation Room of the White House on Saturday, April 13. Biden has returned to Washington a day early to consult with his national security team after both Iran and Israel announced that Iran had launched drones and rockets towards Israel. Handout Courtesy of The White House/Adam Schultz April 13 (UPI) -- Iran on Saturday launched more than 300 drones at Israel, according to Israeli defense officials. Israel Defense Forces in a statement said Iran launched unmanned aerial vehicles "from within its territory toward Israel." Alerts started to sound across Israel by 2 a.m. local time the IDF said. Israeli defense officials said they were tracking the drones and aimed to intercept them in the hours before they reach their targets. Media outlets reported bursts of rocket fire from the country's air defense system streaking across the night sky. The U.S. military reported it shot down some 70-plus Iranian drones and three ballistic missiles that night. The United States is able to shoot down incoming drones from Iran via assets in Iraq and Syria. Emergency and security personnel inspect the rubble at the site of strikes which hit a building annexed to the Iranian embassy in Syria's capital Damascus on April 1. Iran on Saturday launched over 100 drones at Israel in retaliation for the attack according to Israel Defense Forces. Photo by Syrian Arab News Agency/ UPI At around 8:20 p.m. EDT, IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said forces have "intercepted a vast majority" of the strikes from Iran. Hagari said Iran had launched more than 300 drones and missiles toward Israel by the time the barrage had ended. Virtually all of the weapons were intercepted before entering Israeli territory. A few ballistic missiles that got through only cause minor damage to one military base, Hagari said. A 10-year-old girl in the Negev region of southern Israel was injured by shrapnel from an Israeli interceptor missile, according to Israel's Magen David Adom emergency services. The MDA said the girl was taken to a hospital for treatment. There have been no reports of injuries from Iranian strikes. Iran has vowed retaliation against Israel for its airstrike on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus on on April 1, which killed 16 people including seven members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. President Joe Biden in the past few days had warned that an Iranian retaliation could happen very soon. The president on Saturday cut his weekend vacation short and returned to Washington after IRGC members earlier in the day captured an Israeli-related container ship in the Strait of Hormuz and rerouted it to Iranian waters. Biden arrived at the White House at approximately 5:04 p.m. EDT and had been convening with the National Security Council in the situation room, according to White House officials. "Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," Biden said in a post on X. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin reiterated Biden's "ironclad" commitment in a call to Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, according to a statement from the Department of Defense. Austin also said Israel can count on "full U.S. support" should Iran attack again. At 7:18 p.m. EDT, Iran's mission to the United Nations said in a post on X that the drone attack on Israel was "in response to the Zionist regime's aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus," and that "the matter can be deemed concluded." "However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe," the post read. "It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!" International leaders condemned Iran's actions on Saturday. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a post on X said he condemns the attack in "the strongest terms." "Iran has once again demonstrated that it's intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard," the post read. "The U.K. will continue to stand up for Israel's security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq." Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on X that the Netherlands and other countries had told Iran "loud and clear" not to attack Israel and that "further escalation must be avoided." German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on X that Iran's actions "could plunge an entire region into chaos." "Iran and its proxies must stop this immediately," the post read. "In these hours, we stand firmly by Israel." The United Nations Security Council plans to convene an emergency meeting at 4 p.m. EDT on Sunday per Israel's request. Iran launches drones on Israel, which has imposed restrictions and closed airspace Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces. Photo: AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Media reports indicate that Iran has launched an attack on Israel using dozens of drones while Israel is on combat alert. Source: The Times of Israel; OSINTtechnical; Axios journalist Barak Ravid; CNN BREAKING: Iran launches attack against Israel using dozens of drones, four U.S. and Israeli officials told me Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) April 13, 2024 Details: Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported, citing four US and Israeli officials, that Iran has launched an attack on Israel using dozens of drones. Iranian one way attack drone over southern Iraq this evening, presumably headed west towards Israel. pic.twitter.com/HyueNPkUto OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 13, 2024 OSINTtechnical reported that an Iranian loitering munition flying towards Israel was captured on video flying over Iraq's south. "[It] Appears to be a Shahed-136, used heavily by the Russians against Ukraine," the post said. First visual sight of an Iranian attack drone over southern Iraq, headed towards Israel. Appears to be a Shahed-136, used heavily by the Russians against Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/WXUQVzn3uj OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 13, 2024 Later, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces, confirmed in a press statement that dozens of drones launched from Iran were heading for Israel. The official noted that the Israeli Air Force is tracking the drones, which will take several hours to reach the country. Hagari warned of possible GPS disruptions as the military works to intercept the drones. State media in Iran reported that the Islamic Republic launched a second wave of drones towards Israel. The Israeli Airports Authority announced that the country's airspace would be closed due to Iran's attack. There are currently no details regarding the resumption of flights. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released a statement confirming the start of the attack on Israel, stating that it is in response to the IDF's strike on the consulate in Damascus, which resulted in the deaths of several IRGC members, including two generals, earlier this month. The IRGC claims it will target specific locations in Israel using dozens of drones and presumably cruise missiles. IDF spokesman Hagari announced new restrictions on civilian gatherings amid the threat of an Iranian attack. Educational events are banned nationwide, and gatherings of up to 1,000 people are limited. In some areas, such as near the borders of Gaza and Lebanon, there are already stricter restrictions on gatherings. Hagari also said that the Israeli air defence network is "on high alert" and "dozens of aircraft are ready in the sky". Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the United States and other allies have provided Israel with "new capabilities" to defend against and respond to a potential Iranian attack. At the same time, Jordan has temporarily closed its airspace as neighbouring Israel expects the Iranian strike. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will attend a meeting between President Joe Biden and his national security team on the situation in the Middle East, officials told CNN. After midnight on 14 April, it became known that the Israeli military identified over 100 drones launched from Iran towards Israel. ABC News stated that Iran may launch between 400 and 500 drones towards Israel. Background: Biden has come back to Washington from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Saturday to meet with his team over a possible Iranian strike on Israel. Support UP or become our patron! Iran launched more than 200 drones and ballistic missiles in an attack on Israel on Saturday night, The New York Times reports. A spokesman for the Israeli military, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said most of the aerial assault had been intercepted with assistance from allies, including the United States. Tensions between the two nations have continued to mount following the beginning of Israels war in Gaza in October, and escalated after Iran accused Israel of the attack on its consulate in Damascus, Syria on April 1, which killed 12 people, including two Iranian generals, per The Associated Press. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack. Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other Iranian leaders said earlier this week they would retaliate against Israel for the Damascus attack. Israeli aviation authorities said they closed its airspace to all flights at 12:30 a.m. local time, which is 5:30 p.m. ET. Jordan also temporarily closed its airspace at 11 p.m. local time citing growing risks in the region, Bloomberg reported. Israels war on Hamas in Gaza has ignited further tensions in the Middle East, and the Iranian attack threatens to widen the conflict within the region and increases risk that the United States will get more involved as well. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. President Joe Biden, who cut short a trip to Delaware to monitor the situation, met with the National Security Council to discuss the attack, per the White House. The Israeli armys spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the country was prepared and ready for the offensive. He added there was tight cooperation with the U.S. and others in the region. The head of the U.S. Central Command, Gen. Erik Kurilla, has been in Israel to meet with Israel about the Iranian threats. The attack Saturday is the first time Iran has launched a full-scale military assault on Israel, according to the Associated Press. Iran has primarily avoided attacking Israel, despite Israel launching targeted killings of nuclear scientists and campaigns against Irans atomic atomic locations. This is a developing story This article was updated at 11:26 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 to include the amount of drones and missiles reported in the attack and that most were reported to be intercepted. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Iran launches over 200 missiles and drones on Israel, majority downed, media says Downing of Iranian targets over Jerusalem. Photo: CNN American and Israeli military officials have announced the interception of Iranian drones, the number of which exceeded one hundred. In total, Iran launched over 200 missiles and drones towards Israel. Source: CNN; The Times of Israel Details: US officials said that US military forces shot down Iranian drones flying towards Israel on Saturday. However, the officials did not specify how many drones were shot down or where exactly. At the same time, a representative of the Israel Defence Forces stated that over 100 drones launched by Iran were shot down outside Israeli airspace. Update: Later, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israeli Defence Forces spokesperson, reported that Iran launched over 200 missiles and drones towards Israel. The Arrow missile defence system downed the majority of the missiles. Hagari stated that Iran launched dozens of ballistic missiles towards Israel, causing minor damage to a military base. Additionally, fighter jets shot down dozens of cruise missiles and drones. Background: Iran launched an attack on Israel using dozens of drones. Support UP or become our patron! Iran launched a retaliatory attack against Israel on Saturday that risks sparking a regional conflict involving U.S. military forces. The operation, which Israeli officials said included more than 300 missiles and drones, marked the first time that Iran has launched a direct military attack on the Jewish state. Of some 30 cruise missiles launched toward Israel, 25 were intercepted by Israeli fighter jets and none managed to enter the country, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, said early Sunday. A "few" of the nearly 120 ballistic missiles fired toward Israel fell inside the country, he said, causing slight damage to infrastructure on the Nevatim Air Force Base but leaving it fully operational. The assault severely injured a 10-year-old girl, but otherwise caused no casualties, Hagari said. About 31 people were treated for anxiety or injuries they sustained while heading to a protected area when sirens sounded, Israels first responder service said. Follow live updates on Israels reported strike on Iran Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement late Saturday that the U.S. military shot down dozens of missiles and drones en route to Israel from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, calling Iran's assault "unprecedented." We condemn these reckless and unprecedented attacks by Iran and its proxies, and we call on Iran to immediately halt any further attacks, including from its proxy forces, and to deescalate tensions, Austin said in the statement. We do not seek conflict with Iran, but we will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defense of Israel. Irans U.N. Mission issued a statement on X saying that Irans military action was in response to Israels attack on an Iranian diplomatic facility in Syria, an apparent reference to the April 1 bombing of an Iranian consular building in Damascus that killed two generals and five officers in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The statement said that Iran considered the matter concluded after the missile and drone strikes. But it warned that if Israel makes another mistake, Iran would deliver a considerably more severe response. Israel's Iron Dome air defense system launches to intercept missiles fired from Iran on Sunday. (Tomer Neuberg / AP) President Joe Biden said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu overnight and reaffirmed the United States commitment to the security of Israel. He also praised the countrys ability to fend off attacks as a sign to others who threaten the security of Israel. Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack, Biden said. My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israels leaders. U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, as well as American warships in the region, were part of the effort to counter the Iranian attack, U.S. officials said. They include the USS Carney, a destroyer that has been involved in knocking out missiles and drones in the Red Sea fired by Iranian-backed Houthi forces from Yemen. Through decades of tensions with Israel, Iran has previously avoided a direct conflict with the Jewish state, instead opting to damage its adversary through armed proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and elsewhere. In back-channel communications with the U.S. over the past two weeks, Iran indicated it would retaliate against Israel but wanted to avoid an escalation that would lead to all-out war, U.S. officials said. The question now is whether Irans attack will be interpreted in the way Tehran has planned, or trigger an unintended reaction from Israel that could escalate into an uncontrollable cycle of violence, analysts said. Growing tensions Tensions in the region have been at boiling point since Hamas deadly Oct. 7 terror attack and mass hostage taking and Israels subsequent full-scale assault on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 33,000 and pushed the population to the brink of starvation. The blast at the Iranian consular building in Damascus killed two of Irans top commanders, including Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior member of the Quds Force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps elite foreign espionage group. His death marked the killing of the most senior Iranian official since Gen. Qassem Soleimani was targeted by an American airstrike in 2020. Zahedi was a key figure in coordinating the so-called Axis of Resistance the anti-Israel, anti-Western network of Iran-backed groups that operate with militants from across the Arab world. Tehran currently backs Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis all of which in recent months have either attacked Israel directly or conducted attacks citing resistance to Israel. Iranian General Mohammad Reza Zahedi (FARS News / AFP - Getty Images file) How will Netanyahu respond? There is concern among top U.S. officials that Israel could quickly respond to Irans attacks without thinking through the potential fallout, according to a senior administration official and a senior defense official. Those concerns stem in part from the Biden administrations views of the approach Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have taken to Israel's war against Hamas, as well as the attack in Damascus. U.S. officials have privately expressed frustration with Israels decision to strike the Iranian consulate in Syria, saying Israeli leaders did not think through the timing and implications of the attack, including how it might affect negotiations over the release of hostages held by Hamas. I dont think they had a strategy, the senior administration official said. The Israelis dont always make the best strategic decisions. Senior leaders at the Pentagon also have privately expressed frustration at the timing of the Damascus strike, according to the senior defense official, because it had the potential to be catastrophically escalatory. In the days leading up to Irans retaliatory attack on Israel, U.S. intelligence showed that Irans leaders felt the need to respond to Israels strike in Damascus due to concern of domestic blowback if the strike went unanswered, according to the senior administration official. Biden has privately expressed concern that Netanyahu is trying to drag the U.S. more deeply into a broader conflict, according to three people familiar with his comments. While the White House believes the Israelis are not looking for a wider war or a direct war with Iran, particularly given the resources they have fighting the war in Gaza, U.S. officials cant be certain, the senior administration official said. The official described Israels approach to military operations as frenetic. Theres this urgency to act, the official said, and thats what happened in Damascus. The official said its the same frustration U.S. officials have with the way Israel is operating in Gaza. The defense official echoed that sentiment, saying the Israelis have shown they are much better at operations than they are at planning. They have surprised us with their really short-sided planning for the past few months so in that way Damascus isnt as surprising, the defense official said. Now, the U.S. is contending with a potential war between rival nation states, the senior administration official said. That would be a dramatic and dangerous expansion of the long-simmering conflict between Iran and Israel that could further destabilize the Middle East. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Following talks with his British counterpart David Cameron and France's Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz says that Iran must pay a price for its attack on Israel. He told them that it was time for them to weaken the Iranian regime, Katz wrote on the social media platform X on Sunday evening. This included classifying the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation and imposing strict sanctions on Iran's missile programme. In a further conversation with the Egyptian foreign minister, he also said that the moderate states in the region must act to stop Iranian aggression. Iran, through its United Nations mission in New York, issued a statement that appeared to offer Israel a way to prevent further escalation if it considers the conflict "concluded." "Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Irans military action was in response to the Zionist regimes aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus," the missions statement, posted on social media platform X, states. "The matter can be deemed concluded," the mission argued. "However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!" IRAN CLAIMS TO FOLLOW DRONE LAUNCH AT ISRAEL WITH BALLISTIC MISSILE BARRAGE Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran. Iran on Saturday night launched three waves of projectiles consisting of suicide drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles at Israel in response to an attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Many attribute the attack, which killed seven high-ranking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members, to Israel, but no Israeli official has taken credit for the strike. Article 51 of the United Nations charter makes clear that "nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Iran has in the past not adhered to the diplomatic protection of embassies and consulates, particularly regarding the U.S. and Israel. Iran and its chief strategic ally, the U.S.-designated terrorist movement Hezbollah in Lebanon, have been blamed for bombing the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in 1983 in which 63 people, including 17 Americans, were murdered. And dual suicide truck bombers blew up the barracks of American and French members of a multinational force in Lebanon in 1983, in which 220 U.S. Marines , 18 U.S. Navy sailors and three U.S. Army soldiers lost their lives. Fifty-eight French troops were also murdered in the terrorist attack. IRAN'S ATTACK ON ISRAEL: WHAT DRONES AND MISSILES WILL TEHRAN USE IN ITS STRIKES? Most recently, an Argentine court determined Iran, working with its proxy Hezbollah, was responsible for the bombings on the Asociacion Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) and Israeli embassy in 1994, The Associated Press reported. Radical Iranian students in 1979 seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held roughly 52 Americans hostage in what became known as the Iran Hostage Crisis. The crisis "dominated the headlines and news broadcasts" and allegedly played a significant part in hurting President Jimmy Carters image and further eroding his popularity ahead of the 1980 presidential election, which he lost in a landslide. Russias ambassador to the United Nations last week tabled a motion to condemn Israel for the Damascus strike, but the United States, Britain and France all opposed the statement and prevented its adoption. They argued too many facts about the attack remained unclear, and members failed to reach a consensus. Russia and Iran blasted members of the Security Council for failing to adopt the statement, which Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov labeled a "political killing," according to Middle East Monitor. Fox News' Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this article. Original article source: Iran offers Israel off-ramp to 'conclude' attack after launching missiles, drones on Jewish state Iran and Israel cropped flags displayed behind a wooden hourglass sand timer. Iran has launched a drone attack from within its territory towards Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari. It will take several hours for the drones to reach Israeli territory, he said. Andre M. Chang/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Iran has launched a large-scale attack on Israel, sending many dozens of drones and missiles towards the Jewish state on Saturday night in a move that was widely expected but unprecedented in its scale. The attack comes in "response to the recent crimes of the Zionist regime," according to a statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), referring to a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian compound in Syria at the start of the month that killed two brigadier generals. "The wicked regime will be punished," said Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a social media post on the platform X, formerly Twitter. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote that "Israel is strong" in a post on X, just as the Israeli army first confirmed the Iranian drone and missile attack late on Saturday. "The State of Israel is strong, the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] are strong, the people of Israel are strong," Netanyahu wrote on X, just four minutes before an army post saying that Iran had launched drones. "Together we will stand, and with God's help - together we will overcome all our enemies," he wrote. In an accompanying video message he said: "We have a clear principle: whoever attacks us, we will attack them." Israel has been Iran's declared arch-enemy since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The decades-old tensions between the two countries have escalated following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October. Israel shut its airspace overnight in response to the attack, Israeli media reported, citing the aviation authority. Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon had also closed their airspace, according government officials and local media. "We are closely monitoring Iranian killer drones that are en route to Israel," IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said. "This is a severe and dangerous escalation." He said Israel's defensive and offensive capabilities are at the "highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran." Earlier, Israel issued guidelines for the public, advising them to be close to shelters and limiting the number of people who could gather in certain places, depending on risk. School and educational activities were also cancelled ahead of a two-week Passover holiday starting on Sunday. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said earlier that the nation was prepared. "In recent days we have strengthened our defensive and offensive array and we are determined to take any measures required to defend the citizens of the State of Israel," he said, according to his office. He told the public to follow instructions issued by the army and Homeland Security that were issued on Saturday evening, entering effect at 11 pm (2000 GMT) and initially in force for 48 hours. US President Joe Biden was being kept informed of the situation and was to meet with his security team at the White House for talks, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council said. The US has been Israel's staunchest ally and biggest military supporter. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned in the strongest terms Irans reckless attack against Israel. He said Britain will continue to stand up for Israels security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. The UK and its allies were "urgently working to stabilize the situation," he said. The attack was widely expected and the US and Israel had sent additional troops into the region. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin assured Gallant of the "unwavering US support" in a call due to "acute regional threats," according to US Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder. Austin said Israel can "count on full US support" against any attacks by Iran and its proxies. The German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, urged all Germans on the ground in Israel, describing it as "a direct attack like never before." Earlier, the IRGC navy detained a container ship in the Gulf that is allegedly linked to Israel, news reports said on Saturday. Images distributed by the Iranian state news agency IRNA and Tasnim news agency, which is considered a mouthpiece of the IRGC, showed commandos rappelling from a military helicopter onto the ship's deck. The vessel was on its way to Iranian waters after being detained, according to IRNA. Passenger airlines meanwhile were avoiding Iran amid the heightened threat situation. Dutch airline KLM and the Australian airline Qantas said they had adjusted their flight routes to avoid flying through dangerous airspace. KLM said it would no longer fly over Iran and most of Israel with immediate effect, as a "precautionary measure," Dutch news agency ANP reported. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with with politicians, the Iranian government, and military officials in Tehran. Khamenei said Israel will be punished, in a social media post that came as Tehran unleashed dozens of drones towards Israel in a widely expected retaliatory attack. -/Iranian Supreme leader's Office/dpa Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement in the Knesset. "The State of Israel is strong, the IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] are strong, the people of Israel are strong," Netanyahu wrote in a post on X, just four minutes before an army post saying that Iran had launched drones. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa US President Joe Biden attends the 48th G7 Summit. Peter Kneffel/dpa Iran has made good on its threat to retaliate against a deadly strike on its consulate in Syria with a large aerial strike against Israel on Saturday. The drone and missile strikes could spark a major escalation of fighting in the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Here are some details about the attack and the response by Israels allies. How big of an attack was this? For weeks, Iranian leaders have vowed they would avenge the deaths of two top Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders who were killed in an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, on Apr. 1. Israeli officials said Saturday they had confirmed more than 100 drones had left Tehran and were heading towards Israel. Iranian state media reported that Tehran launched ballistic missiles and drones against targets in Israel. It is important to know that these attacks, unlike others in the past, are explicitly and directly coming from the Iranian government and its military. Iranian-backed proxies, including Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Hamas, have sparred with Israeli forces on and off for years, and Hezbollah has regularly fired rockets at Israeli targets since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October. Iranian-backed proxies, including Yemens Houthi rebels and Hezbollah, have launched their own coinciding strikes at Israel. When are Iranian drones arriving in Israel? Israel announced that it had detected the drone launches around 4 p.m. EST Saturday, noting that they would take hours to arrive. Social media reports and videos reviewed by POLITICO indicate that Iranian drones had already begun entering Israeli airspace and encountering Israels air defenses by 6 p.m. EST. Iran said around 6 p.m. EST that it concluded its military action, according to an X post from Tehrans mission to the United Nations. Can Israel shoot down these drones and missiles? At its disposal, Israel has the Iron Dome, an air defense system that, per its developers, has managed to intercept more than 90 percent of incoming missiles since it came into service in 2011. The system, co-manufactured by RTX and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, detects an incoming attack and can fire a Tamir counter missile to intercept a strike. Ten Iron Dome batteries are scattered throughout Israel to protect the country. Each battery is composed of three to four launchers, 20 Tamir missiles and a radar. The U.S. has allocated more than three billion dollars over the years to support the maintenance and development of the air defense system, according to the Congressional Research Service. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Israel had a plan in place to intercept the drones. Israeli officials had begun preparing earlier in the day for an attack, canceling civilian activities and summoning government officials back to Israel. The Israel Defense Forces have also been on high alert all day, monitoring all possible targets and readying naval and air assets. Israels war cabinet is also meeting tonight. The IDF said in a post on Xthat it "successfully intercepted using the 'Arrow' system and, together with the strategic partner countries, most of the launches before they crossed the territory of the country." Do we have any sense of specific targets? Officials have warned citizens across the nation about strikes. However, the IDF had specifically ordered residents in the Golan Heights, as well as the southern towns of Nevatim and Dimona and the Red Sea resort of Eilat to stay near protective spaces until further notice. Dimona is home to Israels main nuclear facility. Nevatim has a major air base. The Golan Heights are near the border with Lebanon and Syria. What kind of missiles and drones does Iran have? Despite pressure from U.S. sanctions, Iran has an extensive array of weapons at its disposal. Those weapons include increasingly precise solid-propellant and road-mobile short-range ballistic missiles and some types of medium-range ballistic missiles. Iran also has extensive drone stocks and a litany of available liquid-propellant missiles borne out of collaborations with North Korea and other allies. How is the White House responding? The White House is stressing its support for the Israeli government. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement that President Biden has been clear: our support for Israels security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran. The U.S. has also downed some of the incoming drones. A U.S. military official, granted anonymity to discuss the U.S. response, said, U.S. forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel. Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region. Biden has returned to Washington from Delaware and is expected to meet tonight in the Situation Room with members of the National Security Council, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General C. Q. Brown, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, CIA Director Bill Burns and Vice President Kamala Harris. The White House also stated that Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the strikes. Is Iran planning on attacking American troops in the Middle East? While Iran has threatened the U.S. to stay out of its ongoing spats with Israel, and while Iran and its proxies have previously attacked U.S. military bases and installations in Iraq and Syria during moments of serious tension, U.S. officials are not expecting that Iran will target American troops at this time. A U.S. official, granted anonymity to speak freely about assessments of the incoming strike, said that "indications are they're not going to come after us, adding they are very focused on Israel." What does this mean for U.S. support for Israel? Some Republicans are ratcheting up pressure on the Biden administration to increase its support of Israel in the wake of the attack. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee said in a statement, This is the moment for the United States to show we stand together with our allies. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said in a statement that the House will move from its previously announced legislative schedule next week to instead consider legislation that supports our ally Israel and holds Iran and its terrorist proxies accountable. How are Israels other allies reacting? Neighboring Jordan and Lebanon have closed its airspace ahead of the attack. Jordan has threatened to shoot down Iranian drones that transit through its airspace. Several countries, including the United Kingdom and France, have also voiced their condemnation of Irans attack. In a post on X, British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said that Additional @RoyalAirForce jets and air refueling tankers have deployed to the Middle East to bolster Op Shader, the UKs existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq & Syria. Key Insights Perdana Petroleum Berhad's estimated fair value is RM0.35 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity With RM0.33 share price, Perdana Petroleum Berhad appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value Peers of Perdana Petroleum Berhad are currently trading on average at a 13% premium Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Perdana Petroleum Berhad (KLSE:PERDANA) as an investment opportunity by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Perdana Petroleum Berhad What's The Estimated Valuation? We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. 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) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM68.2m RM71.9m RM75.4m RM78.8m RM82.1m RM85.4m RM88.7m RM92.1m RM95.5m RM99.0m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ 6.33% Est @ 5.49% Est @ 4.91% Est @ 4.50% Est @ 4.21% Est @ 4.01% Est @ 3.87% Est @ 3.77% Est @ 3.70% Est @ 3.65% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 13% RM60.5 RM56.7 RM52.8 RM48.9 RM45.3 RM41.8 RM38.5 RM35.5 RM32.7 RM30.1 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM443m 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 (3.5%) 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 13%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = RM99m (1 + 3.5%) (13% 3.5%) = RM1.1b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM1.1b ( 1 + 13%)10= RM342m 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 RM784m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM0.3, the company appears about fair value at a 6.6% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf The Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. 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 Perdana Petroleum 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 13%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.435. 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. Looking Ahead: Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Perdana Petroleum Berhad, we've compiled three relevant aspects you should look at: Risks: Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for Perdana Petroleum Berhad you should be aware of. 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! Other Environmentally-Friendly Companies: Concerned about the environment and think consumers will buy eco-friendly products more and more? Browse through our interactive list of companies that are thinking about a greener future to discover some stocks you may not have thought of! 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. Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Jerusalem DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's foreign ministry summoned on Sunday the ambassadors of Britain, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their "irresponsible stance" regarding Tehran's retaliatory strikes on Israel, the semi-official Iranian Labour News Agency reported. The three European countries have condemned Iran's drone and missile attack against Israel, which went through Saturday night into Sunday and were in retaliation for Israel's bombing of its consulate in Syria on April 1. The director for Western Europe at Iran's foreign ministry accused the three countries of "double standards" as they opposed earlier this month a Russian-drafted U.N. Security Council statement that would have condemned Israel's attack on Iran's embassy compound in Syria. "Iran's military action against the Zionist regime's (Israel) bases is well within the framework of the right to legitimate defence stipulated in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and it is in response to a series of crimes, including the recent attack on the embassy compound in Syria," the official added. The G7, which includes France, Germany and the United Kingdom, is expected to hold a video call later on Sunday to discuss Iran's recent attack. (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Michael Georgy and Alex Richardson) Hussein Amirabdollahian, Foreign Minister of Iran, takes part in an event at the World Economic Forum (WEF). Hannes P Albert/dpa Iran's regional allies were informed about its aerial attacks on Israel in advance, Tehran's Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian says. "We naturally informed our friends in regional countries 72 hours before the operation that Iran's response in the form of a legitimate defence is definite and certain," Amirabdollahian said in comments carried by the Iranian news agency ISNA. It was not clear if Iran's allies were also informed of the attack's exact timing. "We consider the security of our neighbours and the region as the security of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the minister said. "We have warned that if the United States uses the airspace or ground of certain countries to defend Tel Aviv, US military bases in those countries will be targeted." Iran and Israel cropped flags displayed behind a wooden hourglass sand timer. Iran has launched a drone attack from within its territory towards Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari. It will take several hours for the drones to reach Israeli territory, he said. Andre M. Chang/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Iran says its attack on Israel with drones and missiles is a suitable response to an attack on its embassy in Syria and warned Israel against a renewed counter-attack. "Irans military action was in response to the Zionist regimes aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded." The suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1 left two brigadier generals dead among others. If the Israeli regime takes another such step, Iran's response will be "considerably more severe," the Iranian mission to the United Nations announced on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The post said Washington should stay out of the conflict. "It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!" Iran warns US to stay away as America shoots down drone launched at Israel Iran warns US to stay away as America shoots down drone launched at Israel Iran's mission to the United Nations argued that the country's missiles and drones fired toward Israel were justified, warning the U.S. to "stay away." "It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!," Iran's mission to the United Nations said in a statement. Iran's warning came as U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News that the U.S. military is continuing to shoot down Iranian drones that are headed toward Israel. "U.S. forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel. Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region," a U.S. military official said. WHITE HOUSE SAYS US SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IS IRONCLAD,' WILL SUPPORT THEIR DEFENSE AMID IRAN ATTACK An Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the Shahed-136, is being displayed at the Azadi (Freedom) Square in western Tehran, Iran, Feb. 11, 2024, during a rally to mark the 45th anniversary of the victory of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. In a statement, Iran's mission to the United Nations argued that the attacks were justified by Article 51 of the UN Charter, which recognizes a Member of the United Nations' right to self-defense if attacked by another nation. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Iran said that the missiles and drones were launched in a retaliatory attack to an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria that left several generals dead. "Iran's military action was in response to the Zionist regime's aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus," the statement said. Domestically produced Iranian defense equipment and drones on exhibit during the Defense Industry Fair in Tehran, Iran, Aug. 23, 2023. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus. LAWMAKERS SEND MESSAGE TO WHITE HOUSE ON IMPENDING IRAN DRONE ATTACK TO ISRAEL: STAND FIRM The statement said that the retaliatory attack was in response to the strike in Syria and that, "the matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had for weeks "been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran." Netanyahu said Israel's "air defenses are deployed, we are ready for any scenario, both in attack and in defense." "I established a clear principle whoever hurts us, we hurt him. We will protect ourselves from any threat, and we will do so with coolness and determination," he said. Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz contributed to this report. Original article source: Iran warns US to stay away as America shoots down drone launched at Israel Iran and Israel cropped flags displayed behind a wooden hourglass sand timer. Iran has launched a drone attack from within its territory towards Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari. It will take several hours for the drones to reach Israeli territory, he said. Andre M. Chang/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa The Iranian defence minister has warned against any counter-attacks after Tehran unleashed missiles and drones towards Israel. Any state that attacks Iran will receive a "resolute response," General Mohammed-Reza Ashtiani said according to the state news agency IRNA. Iran has launched a direct attack on Israel, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps firing many dozens of drones and missiles towards the Jewish state. The operation, called "True Promise," was a retaliatory strike for the killing of high-ranking officers in a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian compound in Syria on April 1. Iranian state media on Sunday broadcast revolutionary songs alongside footage of people celebrating its revenge drone and missile strikes on Israel. State television aired celebratory scenes in several cities, showing crowds and even Iranian MPs gathered in the parliamentary chamber chanting Death to Israel. Im very, very happy, said one man on a state broadcast. Im proud of being an Iranian... I was counting down for it, said another. But ordinary Iranians who spoke to The Telegraph painted a very different picture amid fears of how Israel will respond Crowds gather in Tehran early on Sunday to celebrate the missile attacks - MAJID SAEEDI/GETTY People toot car horns and wave flags in Palestine Square, Tehran - ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Footage obtained by The Telegraph showed lengthy queues stretching for hundreds of metres outside petrol stations as people rushed to make emergency preparations. Highways leading out of Tehran were gridlocked with traffic as many began to evacuate on the only way out after Mehrabad airport closed and will remain so until Monday morning. Iranians in the central city of Qom, home to Fordow, the site of an underground uranium enrichment facility located at a former Iranian military base and a potential target for Israeli retaliation residents are bunkering down for an attack. I called my cousins at midnight in Fordow village and told them to leave immediately, Meysam, from Qom, told The Telegraph. We might consider leaving Qom as well. The attack is one concern, but the potential nuclear radiation is another matter entirely, he said. People are frightened, and were constantly talking with our relatives over the phone, discussing our options. Iranian lawmakers cheer during an open session of parliament in Tehran as country launched its drone attack - Icana News Agency/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock Locals celebrate as footage of the attacks is broadcast in downtown Tehran - Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Theres no sleep here, Ali, a resident of Tehran, said in a telephone interview after midnight, in the early minutes of Sunday. Even my child knows whats happening. Were packing up to flee Tehran for my parents place 200km away. People are terrified, he added. The authorities took a huge gamble. Its like a suicide. It might be their downfall, but the public will suffer most. Irans decision to strike Israel directly could lead to military confrontations on multiple fronts, said Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, and significantly destabilise the Middle East. Already the region is under stress as Israels war with Hamas hit more than six months of brutal fighting a week ago, which had prompted earlier warnings from the UK and other nations that Iran must not react. Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, claimed that the strikes were even more successful than anticipated, despite being deliberately constrained, matching the scale of aggression exhibited by the Zionist regime. Iran has not provided concrete evidence to support this, though such words suggest that the regime still has the firepower to escalate one of the many ways Tehran is threatening Israel and its allies not to engage further. Meanwhile, Tawab, a farmer startled awake overnight by the Iranian attack against Israel, said he has been preparing for this conflict for some time. A new mural picturing Iran's attack goes up in Tehran - Haydar Sahin/Anadolu via Getty Images Ive been stockpiling canned food in anticipation of potential retaliation for years now, but I never imagined they would be stupid enough to do it. We dont know what to do now and where to go, he said. Israel will not just sit and watch. War is just a few steps away from us. A presenter on state TV has urged the nation not to worry about the financial costs of the strikes, declaring the 200 to 300 missiles, we have already been paid for, referring to Saturdays seizure of a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Our guys got this Israeli ship... its a very big one... the boys will open the containers, then we will see what they have in them. After selling that, we will cover the costs of the strikes, he added. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized the Portuguese ship MCS Aries in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. The IRGC targeted the Portuguese ship MCS Aries in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday - AP Photo State media claimed Iran aimed to intimidate Israel with its attack. This attack served as a display of its military might and it could breach the collective defence efforts of the United States, Israel, France, England, and Jordan, and reach Israeli cities such as Jerusalem, Negev, Tel Aviv, or Haifa, the official IRNA agency reported. From a tactical standpoint, Irans manoeuvre may not be classified as a large-scale operation. However, targeting Israel from Iranian territory constituted its primary achievement. Israelis are currently engaged in swift efforts to rebuild their positions following the conclusion of the operation. Otherwise, there wouldnt have been such a delay in the publication of images showing Irans missile, which likely had to pass through military censorship channels. Iran effectively accomplished its dual objective of demonstration and intimidation. While the destruction of several grounded fighter planes would have potentially bolstered the strategic success rate of this operation. Recommended Live: Latest Iran-Israel news 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. Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Wolters Kluwer fair value estimate is 167 Current share price of 141 suggests Wolters Kluwer is potentially trading close to its fair value Our fair value estimate is 13% higher than Wolters Kluwer's analyst price target of 147 Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AMS:WKL) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. 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. See our latest analysis for Wolters Kluwer 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. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, 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 (, Millions) 1.33b 1.43b 1.53b 1.61b 1.67b 1.71b 1.75b 1.78b 1.81b 1.83b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Est @ 4.87% Est @ 3.63% Est @ 2.77% Est @ 2.17% Est @ 1.75% Est @ 1.45% Est @ 1.24% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 4.9% 1.3k 1.3k 1.3k 1.3k 1.3k 1.3k 1.3k 1.2k 1.2k 1.1k ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 13b After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (0.8%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 4.9%. Story continues Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = 1.8b (1 + 0.8%) (4.9% 0.8%) = 44b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 44b ( 1 + 4.9%)10= 27b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is 40b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of 141, the company appears about fair value at a 16% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf The Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Wolters Kluwer as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 4.9%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.905. 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 Wolters Kluwer Strength Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Professional Services market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the Dutch market. Moving On: Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Wolters Kluwer, we've put together three essential elements you should explore: Risks: You should be aware of the 1 warning sign for Wolters Kluwer we've uncovered before considering an investment in the company. Future Earnings: How does WKL'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 Dutch 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. Iran's attack on Israel: A look at Tehran's arsenal of drones and missiles Iran's attack on Israel: A look at Tehran's arsenal of drones and missiles Iran launched dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), also known as drones, at Israel Saturday evening after a week of threatening retaliation for an attack on a consulate in Damascus. "Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel," White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement Saturday. "President Biden is being regularly updated on the situation by his national security team and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House." Irans state-run news agency Mehr News reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had announced the start of an "anti-Zionist operation," which would hit targets in the Palestinian territories, with further details of the operation announced soon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had for weeks "been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran" and that his countrys "air defenses are deployed. We are ready for any scenario, both in attack and in defense." IRAN LAUNCHES DRONES TOWARDS ISRAEL WEEKS AFTER DEADLY SYRIA CONSULATE STRIKE An Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle, the Shahed-136, is displayed at the Azadi (Freedom) Square in western Tehran, Iran, Feb. 11, 2024. The shortest air distance between Israel and Iran is about 1,070 miles, which would require the longest-range missiles and drones in Irans arsenal. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The drones Iran has launched are reportedly the Shahed model regularly associated with the regime. Iran has sold Shahed-136 drones, self-detonating models known as "suicide drones," as well as Shahed-107 drones to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Gen. Jack Keane of the Institute for the Study of War (IFSW) on Friday told "Fox & Friends" Iran is most likely to rely on its drones and missiles in any given attack plan given it has "a weak air force a weak navy" and "not particularly well-trained or well-equipped" troops. Iran has instead heavily invested in developing and producing dozens of different models of drones, including at least 10 models of suicide drones that explode on impact and more than a dozen models of combat drones that can hit ground, sea and air targets and return to base, according to the United States Institute of Peaces (USIP) Iran Primer. Domestically produced Iranian defense equipment and drones during the Defense Industry Fair in Tehran, Iran, Aug. 23, 2023. Larger models of the combat variants, such as the Shahed-149, can hit targets up to 1,200 miles away and carry up to 1,100 pounds of munitions or electronic equipment. The larger suicide variants, such as the Arash series, can carry just shy of 600 pounds of explosives and hit targets over 1,200 miles away. BIDEN CUTS BEACH TRIP SHORT AMID POTENTIAL IRANIAN ATTACK ON ISRAEL Most of the combat drones have surveillance capabilities, able to take photos or record video to mark bombing targets. The USIP claimed several of the Iranian drones are modeled after captured U.S. drones, including the Predator, Reaper, Sentinel and ScanEagle 5, as well as the Israeli Hermes drone. In these cases, Iran has borrowed the shape of the vehicles but "not necessarily" the hardware. An Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle, the Shahed-136, is displayed at the Azadi (Freedom) Square in western Tehran, Iran, Feb. 11, 2024. The most recently introduced model, the Mohajer-10, was unveiled in August 2023, boasting both combat and intelligence capabilities and able to reach Israel while potentially carrying up to 660 pounds of explosives. IRANIAN PARAMILITARY TROOPS SEIZE PORTUGUESE SHIP WITH ISRAELI TIES AS TENSIONS REMAIN HIGH Many of the suicide drones, those Iran has reportedly launched at Israel are slower and easier to shoot down with anti-aircraft guns or missiles. For that reason, Israeli experts remain confident the countrys renowned Iron Dome system will be able to handle the potential waves of drones that will hit them in the coming hours. Missiles and UAVs are shown on the side of the road in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 11, 2024. However, Iran may also launch some of its cruise missiles, the largest and most diverse arsenal in the Middle East, according to the Washington-based watchdog Iran Watch. Former CENTCOM Gen. Kenneth McKenzie in 2022 said Iran has over 3,000 ballistic missiles in addition to its cruise missiles, and the country made "substantial improvements over the past decade in the precision and accuracy of its missiles, which make them an increasingly potent conventional threat." Iran Watch identified four types of cruise missiles in Tehrans arsenal: the Soumar, the Hoveizeh, the Ya Ali and the Paveh. The Paveh is the most recently unveiled model, introduced in 2023, and can hit targets over 1,000 miles away. Original article source: Iran's attack on Israel: A look at Tehran's arsenal of drones and missiles Palestinians, who were displaced by Israel's military offensive on south Gaza, attempt to return to their homes in north Gaza, as seen from central Gaza Strip By Nidal al-Mughrabi CAIRO (Reuters) -Iran's attack on Israel drew applause from many Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday as rare payback for the Israeli offensive on their enclave, although some said they suspected Tehran had staged the assault more for show than to inflict real damage. "For the first time, we saw some rockets that didnt land in our areas. These rockets were going into the occupied Palestine, said Abu Abdallah, referring to land that became Israel in 1948 rather the occupied West Bank and Gaza. We are hopeful that if Iran or any other country enters the war a solution for Gaza might be nearer than ever. The Americans may have to resolve Gaza to end the roots of the problem, said Abu Abdallah, 32, using a nickname rather than his full name. Many in Gaza have felt abandoned by Middle East neighbours since Israel began an offensive that has killed more than 33,000 people in response to attacks on Israeli soil by Hamas, who killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostage on Oct. 7. However support has come from Iran and its regional proxies, who are allies of Gaza's Hamas Islamist rulers. Syria and Yemen's Houthi group called the Iranian strike legitimate. Iran's ally Hezbollah in Lebanon praised the attack as "brave". Footage circulated from the enclave showed many residents, including inside displacement tents, whistling and others chanting Allah Akbar (God is the Greatest) in joy as the skies were lit up by Iranian rockets and Israeli interceptions. "Whoever decides to attack Israel, dares to attack Israel at a time when the whole world acts in its service, is a hero in the eyes of Palestinians regardless of whether we share their (Iran's) ideology or not, said Majed Abu Hamza, 52, a father of seven, from Gaza City. We have been slaughtered for over six months and no one dared to do anything. Now Iran, after its consulate was hit, is hitting back at Israel and this brings joy into our hearts, Abu Hamza added. Iran launched the attack over a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders and followed months of clashes between Israel and Iran's regional allies, triggered by the war in Gaza. NATURAL RIGHT Hamas, which has been locked in a war with Israel in Gaza since Oct. 7, defended Iran's attack, saying in a statement the assault was "a natural right and a deserved response" to the strike on the Iranian embassy compound. The Palestinian Popular Resistance Committee (PRC), an armed group that fights Israel alongside Hamas in Gaza, said the Iranian engagement could boost the Palestinian cause, saying that for Israel it was "the final nail in its coffin." Islamic Jihad, which like Hamas receives financial and military support from Iran, defended the Iranian attack and condemned countries whom it said acted as a "protective shield" for Israel. Not everyone was supportive. Some Palestinians saw the attack as an attempt by Iran merely to preserve its dignity. "Curtains down on the face-saving piece of theatre ... The Palestinian people are the only ones who pay the price with their flesh and blood," Munir al-Gaghoub, a resident of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, wrote on his Facebook page. Some others on social media said they believed the assault was agreed with the U.S. in order to cause no harm, pointing to the hours it took for Iranian drones to get close to Israel, and saying this gave Israel plenty of time to shoot them down. Meanwhile, Israel kept up its military strikes across the Gaza Strip, killing 43 Palestinians and wounding 62 others in the past 24 hours, according to the territory's health ministry. In the latest incident, a Palestinian woman was killed and 23 others were wounded when Israeli forces opened fire on dozens of people who tried to cross back into northern Gaza areas from the south, medics and residents said. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the woman's death. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by David Holmes and William Maclean) A picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on March 18, shows Iran's Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri (R) speaking during a joint press conference with Syrian Defence Minister Ali Abdullah Ayyoub, and Iraq's Chief of Staff Othman Al-Ghanimi (Bothe not pictured). -/SANA/dpa Iran's military leadership has assessed the major attack on Israel as a success. "The reason for this operation was a crossing of red lines by the Zionist regime," the ISNA news agency quoted Mohammed Bagheri, Iran's highest-ranking general as saying. The retaliatory strikes against Israel had been successful, he added. The attack, entitled "Operation Truthful Promise," came in response to the killing of high-ranking officers in Syria, in a suspected Israeli airstrike on Iran's embassy compound in the Syrian capital Damascus earlier this month. Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel has pushed the region to the edge but not past the point of no return yet, analyst says Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is considering how to respond to Iranian drone strikes on Israel. Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night. There are fears the conflicts in the region could increase further. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must weigh up the implications of escalating the conflict in the Middle East as he mulls Israel's response to Iran's attack, experts say. Israel's air defenses, with support from the US, UK, French, and Jordanian militaries, intercepted 99% of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran on Saturday night, the Israeli military said. A small number of ballistic missiles did still reach Israeli territory. Iran launched the attack in response to Israel's bombing of an Iranian diplomatic facility in Damascus earlier this month, which killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers. Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, responded to the killings by warning that the "Zionist regime will be punished." But while some believed Iran may carry out a "symbolic" attack, experts say it went much further. And depending on how Israel and Iran move forward, the countries may risk taking their yearslong shadow war into an open, regional conflict. "I don't think that we're past the point of no return, but I think we're in a new, kind of uncharted territory, and everything now depends on how the different actors decide to operate," Mairav Zonszein, a senior Israel analyst with the International Crisis Group, told Business Insider. "This was a very dangerous attack, that could easily have ended with us discussing the war to come, rather than whether Israel will respond or not," Michael Horowitz, a geopolitical expert and security analyst, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. In another post, he argued that the attack was not symbolic, as some had suggested, as Iran had attempted to "overwhelm Israel's air defenses." Zonszein agreed that the attack "wasn't symbolic" but told BI "it was calibrated in the sense that it was a larger and more powerful response" than people in Israel had anticipated. "It's a very precarious situation," Zonszein continued. "There are conflicting views on whether Israel should respond. A lot of military analysts and former officials are saying 'Israel was able to defend itself. This is a win. And we should stop here and leverage the support that Israel has gotten.'" An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles toward Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel April 14, 2024. Amir Cohen via Reuters Shashank Joshi, the defense editor of The Economist, told LBC that the hope now is that because the attack was so "calibrated" and had "such little lethal effect," Netanyahu can confine himself to striking Iranian facilities or personnel without launching a full-out attack on the Iranian regime. In spite of the minimal damage caused, the implications of Iran's actions are difficult to ignore, as it marks the first time the Islamic Republic has directly attacked the Jewish state. "At no point previously had Iran directly struck Israel in a way that violated its sovereignty, meaning directly on Israeli soil. So, while Iran may now say that the issue is closed, it would be very surprising to see the Israelis not feel the need to respond, given the extent of the escalation," Carmiel Arbit, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, told BI. Iran has since warned Israel and its allies against a counterstrike, saying it would launch an even larger attack if they retaliated. Some Sunni Arab states could unite against Iran How Israel chooses to respond is now in the hands of Israel's war cabinet, which consists of Netanhayu, defense minister Yoav Gallant, and former army general Benny Gantz. Gantz has already said that Israel will "exact a price" from Iran when the time is right, per the BBC. But the cabinet runs a serious risk of both escalating the conflict in the region and jeopardizing support from its allies, particularly from the US. Prior to the attack, President Joe Biden said the US would "do all we can to protect Israel's security" while avoiding further escalation. And the president has since warned Netanyahu that the US would not collaborate in any Israeli counterattacks against Iran, US officials familiar with the matter have said, per CNN. Meanwhile, Arbit said Iran's unprecedented action could unite some Sunni Arab states against it. "I think what was particularly interesting yesterday is that we saw Iran violate the airspace of a number of different Arab countries, including Jordan, who then participated in the response. So, on the one hand, I think you see where a coalition of moderate Sunni states find themselves, in a very tangible way, united in their interests in curbing the threat posed by Iran to the region." Read the original article on Business Insider Israel announced plans to step up its military action after Irans historic but largely ineffective attacks on Saturday, vowing both offensive and defensive action in response. IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said the plans had been authorized as part of its ongoing conflict with Iran and its proxy, the militant group Hamas. Hamas and Iran want to ignite the Middle East and to escalate the region, he said. Over the last two hours, we approved the provisional plans for both offensive and defensive action. We will continue to protect the state of Israel, and together with our partners, we will continue to build a more secure and stable future for the entire Middle East. BREAKING: Plans for both offensive and defence action has been authorised following last night's attack by Iran, says IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. Live updates: https://t.co/A5LKE8WMlC Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/PZrE7f3z4Y Sky News (@SkyNews) April 14, 2024 The announcement came after a cabinet meeting was convened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to plan for retaliation, while the rest of the world anxiously waited to see if the conflict would escalate into all-out war. Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles on Saturday in response to a deadly strike on its embassy in Syria two weeks ago, which Israel never took responsibility for but is believed by the U.S. to be behind. The vast majority of Irans artillery was intercepted by Israeli defense systems and its allies forces. One person was critically injured in the attack, a 7-year-old child from an unrecognized Bedouin village in the Negev. Israels response was expected after the attacks, and President Joe Biden has publicly expressed the U.S.s ironclad commitment to defending Israel. Yet Biden reportedly told Netanyahu in a call that the U.S. wouldnt support retaliatory strikes against Iran, against the wishes of some of Netanyahus far-right cabinet members. U.S. Must Pull Out All the Stops to Avoid a Regional War After Iran Attacks Israel 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. Iran launched an unprecedented large-scale drone and missile attack at Israel on Saturday night, in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in Syria, bringing the long-running shadow war between the two sides into the open and raising the prospect of full-blown regional conflict. More than 300 projectiles including around 170 drones and over 120 ballistic missiles were fired toward Israel in an immense aerial attack overnight, but 99% of them were intercepted by Israels aerial defense systems and its partners, according to the Israeli military. The reprisals marked the first time the Islamic Republic has launched a direct assault on Israel from its soil, marking a dangerous new inflection point in the fast widening Middle East conflict. Iran has warned that it will respond with stronger and more resolute actions if Israel retaliates over this weekends strikes, according to Tehrans ambassador to the United Nations. In a phone call with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night, US President Joe Biden made clear the US would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran as he reaffirmed Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel, a senior White House official told CNN. Biden told Netanyahu he should consider the events of Saturday night a win as Irans attacks had been largely unsuccessful, and instead demonstrated Israels remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks. The US assessed that almost all of the drones and missiles including more than 100 ballistic missiles launched by Iran had been knocked out of the sky. No cruise missile made impact and nothing of value was hit, according to the administration official. There have been no reports of injuries suffered directly through Iranian strikes, according to Israels emergency service, though it said a 7-year-old girl had been severely injured by shrapnel from Israels interceptor missile. As news of the attack broke, public shelters were opened in the northern Israeli city of Haifa and large public gatherings banned. Israel closed its airspace, as did nearby Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon. By Sunday morning both Israel and Jordan reopened their airspace. CNNs team in Jerusalem could hear explosions and sirens as apparent intercepts took place early Sunday morning local time. We are continuing to see multiple intercepts in the skies above me coming from multiple different directions. Its hard to tell what is an incoming missile and what is an intercept, CNNs Nic Robertson reported. Im hearing multiple, multiple detonations, again of what sound like interceptions. I am not hearing the sound of impacts, he said, adding that his team had already witnessed dozens of apparent intercepts. By early morning Sunday local time, Irans mission to the United Nations announced that the attack was now deemed concluded but warned of potential future escalation. Separately, more than 55 rockets were fired from Lebanon to Israel on early morning Sunday local time, according to the Israeli military. The skyline of Tel Aviv, Israel, as seen on April 13, 2024. - CNN The onslaught against Israel prompted Biden to hold a lengthy meeting with his national security team on Saturday night to assess the situation, according to a US official. Biden will also meet with G7 leaders on Sunday to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack, according to a statement released by the White House. US defensive assets moved to the region earlier this week and helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, according to the statement. US forces intercepted more than 70 one-way attack drones and at least 3 ballistic missiles Iran fired toward Israel, according to two US official familiar with the situation. The ballistic missiles were intercepted by warships in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, one of the officials said. The US Navy currently has two destroyers in that area, both are guided missile destroyers capable of intercepting missile and drone launches. US fighter jets were also part of the US response to Irans attack on Saturday and shot down drones launched towards Israel, another US official told CNN. Israeli air defenses intercept some Iranian strikes over Jerusalem early Sunday, local time. - CNN Retaliation for strike on embassy complex Fears that Israels war in Gaza could spiral into a wider regional conflict have been been rising since Iran accused Israel of bombing its diplomatic complex in Syria earlier this month. The airstrike destroyed the consulate building in the capital Damascus, killing at least seven officials including Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a top commander in Irans elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), and senior commander Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, Irans foreign ministry said at the time. Zahedi, a former commander of the IRGCs ground forces, air force, and the deputy commander of its operations, was the most high-profile Iranian target killed since then-US President Donald Trump ordered the assassination of IRGC Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020. Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel would be punished for the attack, while President Ebrahim Raisi said it would not go unanswered, state news agency IRNA reported. The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said the strike would be met with punishment and revenge. Israel has not publicly acknowledged responsibility for the strike but said it believed the building struck was a military building of Quds forces a unit of the IRGC responsible for foreign operations. Shortly after the launch of the drones on Saturday night, Irans Defense Minister, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, warned that any country that allows Israel to use its airspace or territory for attacking Iran would face a decisive response. How the world reacted In a statement released on Telegram, Irans Foreign Ministry claimed the attack showed Irans responsible approach to regional and international peace and security at a time [of] illegal and genocidal actions by the Zionist apartheid regime against the Palestinian people. However, a host of countries from the Middle East to Europe and Latin America voiced concerns over the possibility for escalation, many of them condemning Irans actions. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, saying he was deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. Regional powers Saudi Arabia and Egypt voiced similar concerns, with Egypt saying it was in contact with all concerned parties to try to contain the situation. Various European countries condemned the attack and expressed support for Israel, with the European Unions foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, describing it on X as an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security. The UK and France both reiterated their commitments to Israels security, with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying Iran had once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. The Netherlands, Austria and the Czech Republic also condemned the attack and expressed support for Israel, while Spain and Portugal called for de-escalation. China has also expressed deep concern over the escalation, calling on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent further escalations. It called the attack a spillover of the Gaza conflict and urged an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Over the past months, American officials have urged Beijing to use its leverage over Iran to help prevent a regionwide conflict. China has been Irans biggest trading partner for the past decade and buys 90% of Irans oil exports. In Latin America, Chile and Mexico both condemned the use of force, while Argentinas President Javier Milei cut short a trip to Denmark to fly back to his country and form a crisis committee. His spokesperson Manuel Adorni said the meeting was to take charge of the situation and coordinate actions with the presidents of the Western world. This is a developing story and will be updated. CNNs Paul Murphy contributed to this reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A drone is launched in an undisclosed area in Iran as Iran launches dozens of drones toward Israel. Tasnim News Agancy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Following Iran's missile and drone attacks on Israel, the Israeli Foreign Ministry says one immediate response would be to classify the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, which carried out the attacks, as a terrorist organization. According to a statement on Sunday, which Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat also posted on social media platform X, Israel would also impose "painful sanctions" on Iran, including on the area of missile development. The Iranian attack was accompanied by additional terrorist attacks by Iraqi militias, the Houthi militia in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, said Haiat. Haiat said Iran's attack proves what Israel has been declaring for years, that Iran is the biggest threat to regional stability and the source of the region's terrorist attacks. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran's elite armed forces, are supposed to protect the state ideology and, above all, prevent a coup. The unit is increasingly being criticized for its involvement in repressive measures at home. In the EU, there are legal hurdles to putting the Revolutionary Guards on the terror list, and some experts have argued that this would first require a court decision by a member state. Sanctions have also been imposed on the Revolutionary Guards. Iran has threatened to take countermeasures. There has been talk of detaining foreign oil tankers in the Gulf or even blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which lies between the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It is one of the most important shipping routes in the world, through which many oil shipments pass. From cashless concessions to branded burgers to a Chilton bar, big things are coming. Hello A-J readers! First, I'm going to give a shout out to my colleagues, Mateo Rosiles and Adam Young for taking care of the business coverage last week. There were mergers, discounted gas prices, donations and internet expansion promises, all of which were reported. Thanks to their work, I was able to return with very little to catch up on. Now, let's roll into this week's news. The Brazos Wind Farm near Fluvanna recently completed a redesign that increased capacity by 14% while lowering the amount of turbines needed. Shell Energy, which operated the farm, also contracted someone for the removal and repurposing of the 2,100 tons of fiberglass from the 160 decommissioned turbines. The material will be used "to support the creation of products for concrete, asphalt, composites, and/or bulk molding applications," the company announced in a news release. I spoke with SAVOR's Yvette Davidson, director of food and beverage, and Ashpen Sanchez, food and beverage manager, to get more details on their plans for Buddy Holly Hall and Rave On. From cashless concessions to branded burgers to a Chilton bar, big things are coming. Make sure to read the article in the coming days for the full details. As for next week, I'm excited to write a business feature on a full-time Texas Tech student who also operates three HTeaO locations. Also on the lineup will be few business openings, and some longer term projects are in the works. As always, thank you for reading and supporting the A-J. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock business news includes Fluvanna wind farm, Buddy Holly Hall plans The Israel-Hamas war has been going on for over six months now - AFP The Israeli army has announced it will be recruiting two additional brigades to serve in Gaza. Approximately two brigades of reservists will be called up for operation activities in the territory where fighting has been going on for over six months, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Sunday. Their calling will allow the continuous effort and readiness to defend the State of Israel and the security of civilians, it said. The announcement was made a week after the IDF pulled its troops from the southern city of Khan Yunis amid expectations that they could be later used for a ground manoeuvre in the southern city of Rafah, something that Israels allies have strongly opposed. It was not immediately clear if the new battalion could be used for action in Rafah - Xinhua/Shutterstock It was not immediately clear if the new battalion could be used for action in Rafah. Israel called up about 200,000 reservists at the start of the war against Hamas, most of whom are believed to have already been discharged. The unprecedented military backing against Israel received from the US against Iran, could make Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, more amenable to US demands and avoid a ground operation in Rafah, the only city in Gaza that has been spared the devastating bombing and ground manoeuvres like in the rest of the sealed-off enclave. In a possible indication of that, Israels public broadcaster Kan on Sunday evening cited unnamed officials, saying Mr Netanyahu has decided to postpone the operation in Rafah. Just a week earlier, he insisted that a date had been set for an offensive. Israel called up around 200,000 reservists at the start of the war against Hamas, most of whom already been discharged - AFP In Gaza, hundreds of civilians, most of whom had been displaced several times in the course of the war, were walking on a coastal road to the north in the hope of returning to their homes. Some of them were met by Israeli troops who responded to the procession with live fire and grenades, according to multiple media reports. One unnamed woman told the Al Jazeera TV channel she and her family had to turn back when they saw the Israeli troops opening fire at them. There were unconfirmed reports of casualties, with the Anadolu news agency citing medical sources putting the death toll at five people. Smoke billows after the Israeli army launched an airstrike on Al Mughraqa area in Gaza Strip - Anadolu The IDF said on Sunday it has not allowed the return of Palestinians to the north of Gaza yet, saying it was still a combat zone and blaming movement by Gazans on unsubstantiated rumours that the road was clear. Hamas has insisted on the return of Palestinians to the north of Gaza, which was worst-hit by fighting, as one of the conditions for a possible cease-fire deal with Israel. The Israeli delegation has so far rejected it. Meanwhile, Irans massive missile attack on Israel could expedite a US bill on wartime aid for Israel that has been stuck in Congress. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday he would try this week to advance the security package that includes funding for Israel as well as Ukraine and Washingtons allies in Asia. The package with $95 billion in aid to US allies as well as funds for humanitarian aid for Gaza has been sitting in Congress for over two months. 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. Israel can't decide on response to Iran's attack after several hours of discussions The Israeli war cabinet and top officials of the Security Service at the meeting in Tel-Aviv on 14 April. Photo: press service of the government of Israel After several hours of discussions, the war cabinet of Israel has still not decided how and when to respond to Irans large-scale drone and missile attack launched on the night of 13-14 April. Source: The Times of Israel with reference to other Israeli media outlets Details: The Channel 12 News reports that the ministers stopped the discussion without making a decision, even though they are expected to meet again shortly. War cabinet minister Benny Gantz and his National Unity party colleague Gadi Eisenkot, an observer in the war cabinet, proposed striking back at Iran. Yoav Gallant, Minister of Defence of Israel, Herzi Halevi, IDF Chief, and others firmly opposed this decision, partly due to the complexity of simultaneous actions, when the IDF was focused on intercepting Irans missiles and drones. Later, when the success of Israeli air defence systems became evident and it was clear that Irans offensive did not cause much damage, and after the conversation between US President Joe Biden and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, the idea of immediate Israeli response was discarded, Channels 12 and 13 reported. The position of Netanyahu himself in the discussions on deadlines and the nature of Israels response is unclear. In an unsourced report, Channel 12 claims that the US did not veto any Israeli response, but it has told Israel it needs to know its further steps in advance and be coordinated. The US has publicly made clear that it will not participate in any Israeli response. Channel 12 further claims that Israel is trying to ascertain whether, in return for restraint, it can attain some kind of "strategic pact" with the US against Iran, without having to make commitments on matters such as the Palestinian issue. Background: Earlier on Sunday the Axios media outlet with reference to an unnamed White House official reported that Joe Biden, President of the US, stated during the conversation with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that he did not support the Israeli attack on Iran in response to the latter's large-scale drone and missile attack. Sources of The New York Times report that during the phone conversation between Netanyahu with Biden, Israel decided not to strike back at Iran. Iran launched an attack on Israel, using dozens of drones and missiles on the night of 13-14 April. Israel Defense Forces later clarified that there were over 300 aerial targets in total, including approximately 170 attack drones, over 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles, nearly all of which were shot down. Support UP or become our patron! Israel is weighing up its actions carefully after the major attack by Iran, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in an interview with the Israeli army radio station. "We have said: if Iran attacks Israel, we will attack Iran. And this commitment is still valid," Katz said. However, he said the specific question of a possible response would be discussed in the appropriate framework under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Katz expressed confidence that the appropriate and correct decisions would be made there. Israeli television station Channel 12 and other media announced at midday that the war cabinet would meet at 3:30 pm (12:30 GMT) to discuss the next steps. Israel has chance to form strategic alliance against Iran, defence minister says JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has an opportunity to form a strategic alliance against Iran after its mass drone and missile attack was jointly repelled, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday. The attack was repelled together with the United States and other countries, Gallant said in a statement. "We have an opportunity to establish a strategic alliance against this grave threat by Iran which is threatening to mount nuclear explosives on these missiles, which could be an extremely grave threat." (Reporting by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Alex Richardson) Israel draws up plans to attack Iran in response to drone strike Israel has said it has drawn up plans to attack Iran in response to the unprecedented missile and drone strike. On Sunday night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the countrys war cabinet had approved both offensive and defensive action despite warnings from Western leaders. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, called off an immediate retaliation following intervention from Joe Biden, the US president, who asked him to think carefully about his next move. But Israel said that it reserved the right to strike Iran at a manner and time of its choosing. It later told the United Nations that Iran had crossed every red line in its attack. On Sunday night, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss Irans attack, after a request from Israel. Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, told the council: Regional, and indeed global peace and security are being undermined by the hour. Neither the region nor the world can afford more war. Speaking to the security council, Israels ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan refused to rule out a strike in retribution of Irans attack. He said: We are surrounded by Irans terror proxies. This attack crossed every red line and Israel reserves every right to retaliate. The Iranian ambassador to the UN said Tehran had an inherent right to respond proportionately if the US was to join any Israeli military operations against Iran. US defence officials said Iran fired more than 100 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones and rockets at Israel on Saturday in an attempt to overwhelm its air defences. The warheads were mostly intercepted by a combination of the Israeli, American, French, Jordanian and British fighter jets and warships. The attack, which Iran claimed was legitimate self-defence, came in response to the bombing of an Iranian consulate compound in Damascus earlier this month. Israel has pledged to respond to the strike in kind, although the exact nature and timing of its operation is not yet clear. Rishi Sunak called for calm heads to prevail, as Western leaders lined up to urge Israel to refrain from further escalation. The Prime Minister said: If this attack had been successful, the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate. Mr Biden told Mr Netanayhu in a call on Saturday night that the US would not join retaliatory strikes against Iran, and suggested he should take the win of minimal damage from the Iranian attack. The Israelis made clear to us theyre not looking for a significant escalation with Iran, a US official said, adding that the president had made very clear to the prime minister last night that we do have to think carefully and strategically about the risks of escalation. Mr Biden and Mr Sunak joined the heads of other G7 countries on a call to discuss the Wests next steps. The leaders reportedly agreed to put diplomatic pressure on Israel not to inflame tensions with Iran further, risking a full-scale war between the two countries that would engulf the region. In a joint statement, the G7 leaders said an uncontrollable regional escalationmust be avoided, adding: We will continue to work to stabilise the situation and avoid further escalation. Iran said it was not considering another strike at present but that it would retaliate again if Israel launched a counter-attack. If the Zionist regime persists in its evil actions against Iran, by any means and to any extent, it will face a response at least tenfold greater and of similar nature, the regimes Supreme National Security Council said. The attack came after days of threats by Ali Khamenei, the countrys Supreme Leader, pledging to punish Israel for the death of the consulate strike on April 1. US intelligence officials gave Israel 72 hours notice that the attack was coming, after tip-offs from other Middle Eastern countries given warning by Iran. On Saturday evening, Iran launched hundreds of drones from its territory towards Israel, followed by ballistic missiles and rockets from its proxy groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. A video released on Iranian state television showed the message we will make you regret it written on the side of one of the missiles. Mr Hagari said 99 per cent of the weapons were shot down by fighter jets and warships from Israel, the US, UK and Jordan, with help from missile defence systems on the edge of Israeli territory. One Iranian ballistic missile appeared to have been destroyed by Israel while it was outside the Earths atmosphere. The RAF deployed four Typhoon fighter jets from Cyprus, and intercepted almost a dozen of the attack drones over Iraq and Syria, The Telegraph can reveal. On Sunday, the RAF flew transporter aircraft out of a British airbase in the south of Cyprus towards Turkey, online GPS records show. Night of drama How RAF Typhoons and their pilots' bionic helmets helped repel onslaught Read more The Ministry of Defence said it had sent resources to the region to bolster Israels defence but would not send one of the UKs two aircraft carriers. US officials said American fighter jets had shot down more than 70 exploding drones and two US Navy warships had destroyed between four and six ballistic missiles. The officials said that Iran had deployed more than 300 drones and missiles, which was at the high end of what the Pentagon had expected. Mr Hagari said the weapons had a total of 60 tons of warheads and explosive materials. However, Irans notification of other countries in the region raised suspicion that it had intended for its warheads to be shot down and for the strike to be interpreted as a warning. Jordan announced several hours before the launch that it was closing its airspace. Other countries in the region followed suit. Some members of the Israeli war cabinet, including the former defence minister Benny Gantz, called for caution when weighing on a retaliation. Mr Gantz said Israel needed to build a regional coalition to make sure Iran pays the price, in the manner and time right for us. Yoav Gallant, Israels defence minister, said the incident could be used to build a coalition of allies against Iran, warning against action that would divide Israel from the West. We have an opportunity here to establish a strategic alliance against this serious threat from Iran, which threatens to put nuclear explosives on the heads of these missiles, he said. Mr Netanyahu during a war cabinet meeting at the Kirya in Tel Aviv on Sunday - Israeli Prime Minister Office/AFP via Getty Images Israels air defences remained on high alert on Sunday, while the IDF announced it had called up two reserve brigades for operational activities on the Gaza front ahead of an expected assault on Rafah. Mr Netanyahu is reportedly considering delaying the Rafah offensive in the aftermath of Irans attack on Israel, following weeks of dispute with the US about whether it should go ahead at all. The US and UK have argued that the plans would worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and make it more difficult to recover hostages held by Hamas. Israel argues that Hamas is sheltering battalions of its fighters in the south of the territory and its war on the group cannot be completed until the IDF occupies the entire strip. Calls to designate IRGC terrorists Irans offensive has also reignited calls for the UK to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organisation, after some Tory MPs and the Labour Party said it should be treated by the Home Office as a proscribed organisation. David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, said ministers should come forward with new plans to proscribe them and to deal with this issue of state actors that will behave in this appalling way that wreaks terror on a wider community. Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, said the Government keeps all of these issues under constant review, but pointed to the diplomatic value of talking directly with Iran. The Foreign Office on Sunday summoned the Iranian embassys charges daffaires and condemned Irans profoundly dangerous and unnecessary escalation, calling for an end to its reckless and unlawful behaviour. Recommended Iran's attack on Israel has thrown down the gauntlet to the West 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. TEL AVIV, Israel Israel on Sunday hailed its successful air defenses in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran, saying it and its allies thwarted 99% of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched toward its territory. But regional tensions remain high, amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. U.S. President Joe Biden said he would convene a meeting of the Group of Seven advanced democracies on Sunday to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. The language indicated that the Biden administration does not want to spiral into a broader military conflict. A top U.S. official said the U.S. had informed Israel it does not plan on striking Iran itself. Iran launched the attack in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month which killed two Iranian generals. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. By Sunday morning, Iran said the attack was over and Israel reopened its air space. Trump mocks judges in legal battles, asks who is the worst or most evil The two foes have for years been engaged in a shadow war marked by incidents like the Damascus strike. But Sundays assault, which set off air raid sirens across Israel, was the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel has over the years established often with the help of the United States a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. That system, along with collaboration with the U.S. and others, helped thwart what could have been a far more devastating assault at a time when Israel is already bogged down in its war against Hamas in Gaza and engaged in low-level fighting on its northern border with Lebanons Hezbollah militia. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran. Israeli and U.S. officials lauded the response to the aerial assault. Iran launched more than 300 threats and 99% were intercepted, said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman. That is a success. Asked if Israel would respond, Hagari said the country would do what was needed to protect its citizens. Hagari said that none of the drones and cruise missiles reached Israel and that only a few of the ballistic missiles got through. He said that of the cruise missiles, 25 were shot down by the Israeli air force. Hagari said minor damage was caused to an Israeli airbase, but he said it was still functioning. Rescuers said a 7-year-old girl was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a missile strike, though they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a short message on X, formerly Twitter: We intercepted. We blocked. Together, we will win. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also celebrated the results, thanking the U.S. and other countries for their assistance. Israel announced it reopened its airspace, loosening one restriction it had imposed ahead of the strike, although schools remained closed around the country and traffic on the first day of the Israeli workweek was lighter than usual as many people stayed home or recovered from the long night. Neighboring Jordan also reopened its airspace. Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, said the operation was over, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. We have no intention of continuing the operation against Israel, he was quoted as saying. Irans president, Ebrahim Raisi, claimed Iran had taught Israel a lesson and warned that any new adventures against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Israel may be particularly proud of the success of its defense because it stands in sharp contrast to the failures it endured during Hamas attack on Oct. 7. Facing a far less powerful enemy in Hamas, Israels border defenses collapsed and the military took days to repel the marauding militants an embarrassing defeat for the Middle Easts strongest and best-equipped army. While thwarting the Iranian onslaught could help restore Israels image, what it does next will be closely watched both in the region and in Western capitals. In Washington, Biden said U.S. forces helped Israel down nearly all the drones and missiles and pledged to convene allies to develop a unified response. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Britains air force was also involved, shooting down a number of Iranian drones. Biden, who had cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team at the White House on Saturday afternoon, spoke with Netanyahu later in the day. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, Biden said. During the call, Biden encouraged Israel to proclaim the interceptions a success against Iran and made clear the U.S. would not participate in any offensive action against Iran, according to a senior administration official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a private conversation between the leaders. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. does not seek escalation, and would hold talks with its allies in the coming days. The U.S., along with its allies, has sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalating the conflict. Leaders from the G7 will hold a video conference on Sunday early afternoon to discuss the Iranian strikes against Israel, according to Italy, which holds the presidency of the group of developed countries, which includes the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, and Canada. Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard issued a new threat against the U.S. The terrorist U.S. government is warned any support or participation in harming Irans interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Irans armed forces, said a statement carried by IRNA. See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israels six-month war against Hamas militants in Gaza, triggered by the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. On that day, militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, also backed by Iran, killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Negotiations underway, meant to bring about a cease-fire in exchange for the release of the hostages, appeared to hit a setback Sunday. Netanyahus office said that Hamas rejected the latest proposal for a deal, which had been presented to Hamas a week ago by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States. A Hamas official said the group wants a clear written commitment that Israel will withdraw from the Gaza Strip during the second of a three-phase cease-fire deal. The deal presented to the sides calls for a six-week cease-fire in Gaza, during which Hamas would release 40 of the more than 100 hostages the group is holding in the enclave in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners from Israels jails, including 100 serving long sentences for serious crimes. Hamas welcomed Irans attack, saying it was a natural right and a deserved response to the strike in Syria and urged the Iran-backed groups in the region to continue to support Hamas in the war against Israel. Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah began attacking Israels northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Air defense missiles are fired from the Israeli Iron Dome air defence system. Israeli airspace was reopened on Sunday morning following Iran's unprecedented major attack on the country, local media reported following a seven-hour airspace closure. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa Israeli airspace was reopened on Sunday morning following Iran's unprecedented major attack on the country, local media reported following a seven-hour airspace closure. Ramon Airport in the south of the country is to remain closed for the time being, the reports said. The Israeli military said it has intercepted 99% of the projectiles fired from Iran. Tehran had launched "over 300 threats of various types," Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Sunday. "The Iranian threat met the aerial and technological superiority of the IDF, along with a strong fighting coalition - which together intercepted the overwhelming majority of the threats." Hagari spoke of a "a very significant strategic achievement." Of the 170 unmanned missiles launched by Iran, "zero crossed into Israeli territory." Dozens were shot down by Israeli fighter jets, Israeli air defences and "the aerial defense systems and aircraft of our partners," he said. Of more than 30 cruise missiles fired by Iran, none had reached Israel. "Out of over 120 ballistic missiles, only a few crossed into Israeli territory, with the rest being intercepted," Hagari continued. "These fell at the Nevatim Air Force Base, causing only minor damage to infrastructure." The base was continuing to function normally, he added, musing that Iran had thought it could paralyse the base. Attacks had also been launched from Iraq and Yemen, but had not reached Israel, the spokesman said. Dozens of rockets had been fired from Lebanon at northern Israel, but no one was injured in the attacks, he added. "Over the past six months, we have been operating in close coordination with our partners, led by US CENTCOM, the UK, France, and other countries that operated last night," Hagari noted. For the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic, Iran directly attacked its arch-enemy Israel. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they had fired dozens of drones and missiles. The operation was a retaliatory strike for the killing of high-ranking Iranian officers in Syria. On April 1, two brigadier generals were killed in a suspected Israeli airstrike on Iran's embassy compound in the Syrian capital Damascus. 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. A general view of the UN Security Council meeting about the War in Gaza. Michael Kappeler/dpa Israel has requested that the UN Security Council hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to condemn Iran's attack on Israel and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization. Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan sent an urgent letter to the president of the Security Council, Vanessa Frazier, calling for the meeting. "The Iranian attack is a serious threat to global peace and security and I expect the Council to use every means to take concrete action against Iran," he posted on X, formerly Twitter. Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles targeting Israel in response to a suspected Israeli attack on an Iranian compound in Syria earlier this month which killed two brigadier generals and five other members of Iran's powerful IRGC. Israel has been Iran's declared arch-enemy since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The decades-old tensions between the two countries have escalated following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October. BERLIN (Reuters) -German airline group Lufthansa said on Sunday it was suspending flights to Amman, Erbil and Tel Aviv until Tuesday and flights to Beirut and Tehran until the Thursday at least following the latest violence in the Middle East. The group, which includes the German flagship carrier as well as Swiss and Austrian airlines, said in a statement that it was continuously evaluating the security situation in the Middle East and in close contact with authorities. The company had already said on Friday it was suspending flights to and from Tehran until April 18 and would not use Iranian airspace during that time. (Reporting by Kirsti Knolle, Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Alex Richardson) Israel said most of the Iranian missiles launched on Saturday were intercepted outside of the country by Israeli and allied defense systems. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported in a Telegram post that the vast majority of the dozens of Iranian surface-to-surface missiles were identified approaching Israeli territory and were successfully intercepted by the countrys air defenses, along with the assistance of allies, including U.S. forces. A small number of hits were identified, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure, the Israeli military said. Iranian state-run media outlets reported that Ramon air base in southern Israel was struck by seven missiles, while they also reported successful attacks on Nevatim air base, one of the largest in Israel. The U.S. has been working with Israel to intercept the Iranian missiles and drones, along with Jordans air force. Iran launched a wave of drone and missile attacks on Israel late Saturday night local time and the assault is continuing. Israel is on high alert and has deployed air force and naval assets, along with putting on full alert its Iron Dome air defense system. The Iranian attack was anticipated after Tehran made highly public threats against Israel for more than a week following an alleged Israeli strike earlier this month that killed two senior officers with Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran said hitting the consulate near the embassy was the same as striking Iranian soil and vowed to retaliate. The loss of the officers was also a major blow to Iran. The White House previously assessed earlier Saturday that Irans attack would continue for hours. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. From the heroics of the hostage families to the determination of Israelis protesting for new leadership, the past six months have demonstrated remarkable bravery as the war in Gaza drags on. But this past weekend took acts of bravery to truly heartening new heights as acts of terror big and small unfolded around the world. There was bravery in the Middle East last night as Iran unleashed volley after volley of heavily-armed drones at Israel. The Israelis, of course, were brave beyond recognition. I have personally been through three wars in Israel, but nothing could have prepared us for the onslaught that, while almost entirely neutralised by anti-missile defences, was unprecedented in its terror. The Israelis were characteristically stoic, with life mostly returning to what ever normality is possible under such horrific circumstances. But friends I spoke with in Tel Aviv were still petrified as the missiles and drones rained from the sky. Theyre still scared despite the pause in fighting, well aware that a response against Iran is inevitable as they brave a world theyre now even more convinced wants Jews dead. Death was nowhere last night despite Tehrans best intentions and much of that is also due to bravery from Israels allies. The Jordanians stood up to enormous internal pressure to take down many of the Iranian drones and missiles heading toward Israel while core US allies like Kuwait and Qatar shamed themselves by closing their air space and air force bases to the coalition effort against Iran. This was a demonstration of spectacular allyship under the most extreme circumstances imaginable. Unlike the US and Britain, which took on Iran far from home, Jordan downed the Iranian projectiles literally at their front door. Doing so likely saved Jordanian as well as Israeli lives on Saturday night, and reaffirmed the sanctity of the Jordanian-Israel peace accords signed in 1994. But it will undoubtedly expose the Hashemite Kingdom and its always-precarious leadership under King Abdullah to heavy criticism in the week ahead. Although the US demonstrated remarkable skill and execution last night over the deserts of Arabia, the White House has mostly failed the bravery test these past few weeks. All signs suggest it will continue to do so. President Biden despite his October trip to Tel Aviv and show of support for the Israelis just after the Hamas attack has increasingly capitulated to the demands of Democratic Party extremists, distancing the White House from Israels war effort. Biden wants and needs this war to end and end now while theres still time to save his flailing reelection campaign. And as he threatens to withhold arms and demands a reduction in civilian Gazan casualties, the president appears willing to let Israel suffer as a consequence. Biden has a long paper-trail of appeasing Tehran in a futile quest to keep the mullahs from going nuclear. Nearly six years after Trump scrapped Obamas nuclear deal, the nation has never been closer to securing the bomb now than it has with Biden in the Oval Office. Imagine the absolute devastation if it had one this weekend. Despite Bidens show of force last night, his bravery is already wearing thin. In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, Biden said he will not support an Israeli counter-attack on Iran which is as much Israels right as its war in Gaza to uproot Hamas following its bloody October 7 breach of Israeli sovereignty. Americas ironclad support has in reality shown itself to be remarkably contingent: when Israel is attacked, Biden sympathises, but when Israel defends itself, this sympathy is withdrawn. Ever beholden to those November votes, Biden is yet again leaving lives hanging in the balance through his reluctance to take a consistent and open stance. He supports Israel steadfastly, but doesnt believe it has a right to defend itself against Iran. He reaches out to Netanyahu amid Irans attack, but limits his willingness to ensure Israels survival. The world is in flames, and could likely erupt even further, yet Biden offers little more than impotence and indecisiveness. This isnt leadership or bravery. 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. Israel has urged allies, including Britain, to proscribe Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group following the drone and missile attacks on the country. On Sunday, Lior Haiat, spokesman for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called for a terrorist ban on the IRGC as an initial price for its large-scale and unprecedented aggression against Israel. The call will increase pressure on the Government with Tory MPs and Labour set to reaffirm their demands for a ban on Monday when Rishi Sunak is expected to give a statement on the Iranian attack to the Commons. Meanwhile Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, summoned Irans charge daffaires on Sunday. In a statement, a spokesman reiterated the UKs condemnation of Irans actions and said that the UK will continue to stand up for Israels security. Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, and Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister, have led calls in recent days for the IRGC to be proscribed in the wake of the October 7 terror attack on Israel. The US designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organisation in April 2019, but the Government has resisted such a move on the basis that it keeps open a vital channel of communication with the Iranian regime. Although the US publicly called for its allies to proscribe the IRGC after the October 7 attacks, The Telegraph understands American diplomats have privately asked the UK not to do so. The US has not had diplomatic relations with Iran since 1980 and relies on other Western allies including the UK to act as a backchannel with Iran. Some US officials have privately raised concerns that if the UK was to proscribe the group, Tehran would sever diplomatic ties with London and cut off a key diplomatic backchannel. On Sunday, Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, said IRGC proscription was kept under constant review but added: There is a point of the value of being able to have a direct conversation with the Iranian authorities in the way that has already happened, there is a value in that, to be able to land those messages directly with Iran. She also said the police, the security services and courts had the powers that they needed to target those people causing the most concern, noting that the UK had sanctioned some 400 organisations or individuals. However, Mr Haiat tweeted: Iran must pay a price for its aggression. The initial price must be the immediate recognition of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps which launched the extensive terrorist attack last night as a terrorist organisation. Mrs Braverman tweeted that the attack must mark the end of Western backsliding on Israel. Last week she said the Government needed to grow a backbone and take tough action against the IRGC as the chief sponsor of global terrorism. In an article for The Telegraph in January, Mr Jenrick said it was time the UK took the fanatical Iranian regime at their word and treated them as the zealots they openly professed to be, which would mean proscribing the IRGC. Labour also renewed its call on Sunday for the Government to proscribe the IRGC. David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, said that Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel on Saturday highlights once again the extreme danger of the IRGC. He added that it was for the Government to come forward with new plans to proscribe them and to deal with this issue of state actors that will behave in this appalling way that wreaks terror on a wider community. Mr Lammy also called for further sanctions against Iranian drone technology and said that the opposition would support such a move. He said: Its time that we stepped up sanctions on those drones, and I hope the Government will be coming forward with more plans for that tomorrow. 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. JERUSALEM (Reuters) -The Israeli military said on Sunday it will soon call up two reserve divisions for operations in Gaza, where it has been conducting a war against Islamist militant group Hamas. "In accordance with the situational assessment, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is calling up approximately two reserve brigades for operational activities on the Gazan front," the military said, though it provided no further details. Earlier this month Israel pulled some forces out of Gaza, saying troops would be preparing for further operations in the territory, including in the southern area of Rafah, where more than a million people have taken shelter. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to evacuate civilians from Rafah before any incursion aimed at crushing Hamas battalions there, but that has done little to quell international concern over the planned assault. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Susan Fenton and David Holmes) Israeli President Isaac Herzog has thanked the Israeli military, his people and the United States following the repelled Iranian attack on his country. "Bless you dear soldiers and commanders," Herzog wrote on the platform X, formerly Twitter. "Bless the coalition of nations led by the US and [US President Joe Biden]." According to the Israeli military, 99% of projectiles fired overnight by Iran were intercepted - thanks in part to US military support. The Israeli people had put on an "exceptional show of resilience," Herzog wrote. "Together, the forces of good will overcome the forces of evil," he added. "Together we will win," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X of Israel's ability to intercept the attack. For the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic, Iran had directly attacked its arch-enemy Israel. The strikes came in response to the killing of high-ranking Iranian officers in Syria, in a suspected Israeli airstrike earlier this month. Israelis in Golan Heights, Eilat told to stay close to shelters Israeli military members take part in a drill north of Qatsrin in the Golan Heights. The Israeli government urged residents in the occupied Golan Heights to stay close to shelters amid a large-scale Iranian retaliatory attack on Israel. Israeli television reported that residents of Eilat, Dimona and Nevatim in the Negev Desert received similar instructions. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa The Israeli government urged residents in the occupied Golan Heights to stay close to shelters amid a large-scale Iranian retaliatory attack on Israel. Israeli television reported that residents of Eilat, Dimona and Nevatim in the Negev Desert received similar instructions. The Golan Heights and an Israeli airbase in the Negev Desert were expected to be targets of Iranian attacks, US media reports citing Israeli representatives said. Dozens of Israeli fighter jets were sent out to intercept missiles from Iran. By Dedi Hayun Rami Amichay JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The first direct attack on Israel by arch foe Iran has shaken Israelis and left them fearful that a bigger war is looming. While the population has long been used to sirens warning of attacks from Iranian-backed Hamas, the hundreds of drones and missiles sent from Iran over Saturday night marked a new element in the over-lapping Middle East conflicts. Israel reported modest damage on Sunday after the military said it shot down almost all of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran. But the attack still rattled Israelis, whose army has fought the Palestinian Hamas for years in Gaza but never engaged in direct warfare with regional superpower Iran. Iranian weapons and interceptors could be seen flashing over the sky at night. "I think it was quite scary when in the middle of the night we started hearing booming and we didn't know what it was, I mean we knew what it was, we didn't know to what extent it would be," said Jerusalem resident Cecile Smulowitz. "But thank God the Israeli army came through, and so far it's quiet and we hope it would continue that way." Iran mounted its attack in retaliation for a suspected Israeli air strike on Tehran's embassy compound in Damascus on April 1 which killed 13 people including two Iranian generals. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied carrying out the attack but is widely believed to have done so. Following Iranian senior leader Ali Khamenei's promise to hit back, Israelis were put on high alert. Iran warned Israel and the United States on Sunday of a "much larger response" if there was any retaliation for its overnight mass drone and missile attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly told the world that Iran is an existential threat to the Jewish state, vowed Israel would achieve victory. The threat of open warfare erupting between Iran and Israel and dragging the United States into the conflict has put the region on edge. Some Israelis said they did not want an escalation but with the stakes so high they are nervous, despite having the most powerful and technologically advanced military in the region. "I really hope there won't be a big war, none of us in Israel wants a big war so I hope that's it, and I hope Iran would stop now," said Jeremy Smith, 60, a resident of Tzur Hadassah. "I imagine Israel will respond because I mean, our whole country was covered in missiles and drones. So what can you do? But we have to stop it somehow." Prior to the Iranian attack, Israeli authorities had instructed the public not to hold large gatherings, to close all schools and venues for children's camps during the Jewish holiday of Passover, and the closure of some beach and travel sites. "We didn't want the war with Hamas, they attacked us. We don't want a war with Iran, they attack us," said Jerusalem resident Amy Friedlang Morgans, 71. "We don't want a war with Iran, they, somehow they can't accept Jewish people living here. This is our homeland, it's written in the Bible." The Iranian attack took place against the background of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza in which Israeli forces have killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according the Gaza health ministry figures. The war - by far the bloodiest and most destructive of many such assaults over the years - broke out after Hamas attacked Israel in a cross-border raid on Oct. 7 and killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures. (Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Angus MacSwan) Then Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz speaks during a pre-election event at the Manufacturers Association of Israel. Gantz, a member of Israel's war cabinet, is hoping for the formation of a regional coalition to counter Iran. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's war cabinet, is hoping for the formation of a regional coalition to counter Iran. Iran will be made to pay the price for its attack on Israel "as and when it suits us," Gantz said on Sunday. "Iran is a global problem, a regional challenge and also a threat to Israel," he said. The world joined Israel in confronting this danger overnight, Gantz said, calling this a strategic success for Israel. Israel proved "that it is an anchor of military and technological strength and an anchor of security in the Middle East," he said. Israel's war cabinet met on Sunday afternoon to discuss how to proceed following the Iranian attack, which was successfully repelled, according to the Israel military, aided by the US, Britain, France and Jordan. If you're looking at a mature business that's past the growth phase, what are some of the underlying trends that pop up? More often than not, we'll see a declining return on capital employed (ROCE) and a declining amount of capital employed. This reveals that the company isn't compounding shareholder wealth because returns are falling and its net asset base is shrinking. So after we looked into Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (KLSE:MRCB), the trends above didn't look too great. Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It? For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.0067 = RM45m (RM8.8b - RM2.1b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023). Thus, Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad has an ROCE of 0.7%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Construction industry average of 7.7%. See our latest analysis for Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad roce Above you can see how the current ROCE for Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad . So How Is Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad's ROCE Trending? In terms of Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad's historical ROCE movements, the trend doesn't inspire confidence. To be more specific, the ROCE was 1.5% five years ago, but since then it has dropped noticeably. Meanwhile, capital employed in the business has stayed roughly the flat over the period. This combination can be indicative of a mature business that still has areas to deploy capital, but the returns received aren't as high due potentially to new competition or smaller margins. If these trends continue, we wouldn't expect Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad to turn into a multi-bagger. In Conclusion... In summary, it's unfortunate that Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad is generating lower returns from the same amount of capital. It should come as no surprise then that the stock has fallen 19% over the last five years, so it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. With underlying trends that aren't great in these areas, we'd consider looking elsewhere. Story continues Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad does come with some risks though, we found 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is a bit unpleasant... While Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. IU-B's faculty holding a vote of no confidence against Whitten. What does that mean? President Pamela Whitten introduces Indiana's newly announced head coach of football Curt Cignetti on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. Indiana University faculty are meeting Tuesday, April 16, 2024, to take a no confidence vote in her administration. Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the events in 2005. This Tuesday, Bloomington Indiana University faculty members will meet in-person at the IU Auditorium to vote on a historic motion to express no confidence in IU President Pamela Whitten, Provost Rahul Shrivastav and Carrie Docherty, vice provost for faculty and academic affairs. The motion, presented by Bloomington Faculty Council president Colin Johnson, is perhaps the most historic, formal show of dissent to date from members of the Bloomington faculty against an administration thats been marked by controversies about shared governance and faculty distrust. In a petition submitted March 27, signatories in the BFC said the current IU administration was encroaching on both academic freedom and shared governance. The petition cited Dochertys suspension of professor Abdulkader Sinno (which was found to violate Bloomington faculty policy), IUs cancellation of Palestinian artist Samia Halabys exhibition at the Eskenazi Museum of Art, the administrations recent attempts to sever the Kinsey Institute into a nonprofit (which IU later reversed) and the ongoing fight for union recognition from the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition (IGWC) as key examples of the administrations violation of shared governance. Still, it remains unclear if the vote, which wields no official bureaucratic power, will have any impact on Whitten, Shrivastav or Dochertys ability to serve and lead the IU administration. What is a vote of no confidence from the IU Bloomington faculty? A vote of no confidence is a motion from the IU Bloomington Faculty Council which is then voted on by the Bloomington faculty at large to formally express dissent in the leadership of an IU administrator/administrators. A motion to hold the vote is introduced by the BFC president and must receive a minimum of 50 votes in order to convene a special meeting of the faculty. The petition for the vote of no confidence introduced by Johnson garnered more than 200 signatures. Why did the faculty council initiate a vote of no confidence? In their petition for the vote of no confidence, the BFC cited the Whitten administrations suspension of Sinno, Halabys exhibition cancellation and the handling of the Kinsey Institute controversy as key motivations for the vote. Since its inception the Whitten administration has been marked by faculty and student mistrust. From an unusual appointment process to a slew of recent academic freedom disputes related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Whitten administration has become one of the most controversial IU administrations in recent memory. Fueling this mistrust from faculty and students is also a perceived flippancy from the administration toward public dissent and principles of shared governance. It seems like this administration does what it wants, and ignores what everyone else thinks it should do, said David Garner, communications chair of the IGWC. Docherty dismissed claims that she violated faculty policy by suspending Sinno without a faculty hearing, and Kinsey Institute members say the administration repeatedly left them out of their proposal to sever the institute from IU to abide by state law. Steve Sanders, an IU professor of law, said the vote of no confidence is defined by this shared governance issue. It goes to the nature of how the university is governed, Sanders said. Is it a shared process between the administration and faculty, or is it a top-down process? Abdulkader Sinno, the faculty adviser to the Palestine Solidarity committee who was suspended last semester, said the administrations controversies related to governance show the administration is unfit to lead a Research 1 university. They want to turn Indiana University into a top-down institution where they force their own vision, Sinno said. They dont understand that in a research university like ours, faculty play a major role, students play a major role, stakeholders play a major role. They dont see that. How will the vote of no confidence work? Bloomington faculty will meet at the IU Auditorium at 2:30 p.m. April 16 to vote on the motion. The meeting is not open to the public; only voting faculty, as defined in the Bloomington faculty constitution, may attend and vote. If 800 or more faculty members show up and vote, either in favor or against, the resulting vote will be considered the facultys will. The vote will count only if at least 800 faculty are present in person. If less than 800 faculty members are at the auditorium, the vote will be sent to faculty electronically. A simple majority is all that's needed either way. Bloomington has more than 2,000 full-time faculty members. Will a vote of no confidence have any impact? A vote of no confidence from the Bloomington faculty has no direct administrative impact on the Whitten administrations ability to serve in their roles, but faculty votes of no confidence are often consequential in higher academia. A survey of 150 faculty no-confidence votes since 1989 found approximately half of the targeted presidents resigned within a year. In 2005, IU's faculty convened a meeting that resulted in a vote to ask the Board of Trustees to review the university's 17th President Adam Herbert over concerns of his leadership and IUs search for a chancellor. Herbert then declined to renew his contract in 2006, and resigned once a new president was selected in 2007. Sanders said while no-confidence votes are somewhat common in academia, it's unique for a campus as large as Bloomington to hold such a vote. Its relatively rare for a Research 1 university, a university in our category, to have a vote of no confidence, so I think it will definitely get attention, Sanders said. The University of Michigan faculty passed a no-confidence vote for their president in 2020, largely over concerns about his handling over reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was removed a few months later by the board of regents for a separate incident of an affair with a subordinate. The IGWC and 12 graduate worker organizations also have lodged no-confidence votes against Whitten, and the IGWC is currently exploring a strike against the university on April 17 IU Day. Garner said he believes these expressions of dissent could lead to changes in the administration. When weve fought in the past, weve made victories, Garner said. Its my hope that a vote of no confidence might change the administrations tune about the union, or potentially a new administration that would be more favorable to union recognition." Sinno believes that if the administration doesnt respond to the vote, the campus will make their dissent known. I can assure you that if the vote passes, and no one leaves, the campus will make them feel it, Sinno said. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana University's president faces a no-confidence vote from faculty Objects are seen in the sky over Amman after Iran launched drones towards Israel TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan strongly condemned a retaliatory attack by Iran on Israel, calling it an escalation of events and saying it was deeply concerned at the situation, in a statement released by the foreign minister on Sunday. "This attack is one that further worsens the current Middle East situation. We are deeply concerned and strongly condemn this sort of escalation," the statement said. Iran launched explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first direct attack on Israeli territory, a retaliatory strike for an attack on its embassy in Syria that it blamed on Israel that raised the threat of a wider regional conflict. Peace and stability is especially important for Japan, and the government will continue to take the necessary diplomatic steps to prevent a deterioration of the situation, the statement also said. Japan relies heavily on the Middle East for its oil imports, with 95% of its crude oil coming from the region. Japan has also traditionally been a friendly nation to Iran, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meeting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi as recently as September to discuss Iran's nuclear programme. (Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) JD Vance urges US to focus on itself and close allies instead of Ukraine Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) said Sunday that the U.S. should focus more on itself and its closest allies, such as Israel, instead of sending more aid to Ukraine. Vance has been opposed to sending additional aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia, writing in a New York Times op-ed on Friday that more funding for the embattled nation will not change the outcome of the war, which he believes Ukraine cant win. He said on CNNs State of the Union that the U.S. needs to focus on rebuilding its industrial base instead. Well, I think foreign policy is not a nursery rhyme, and it should serve as a wake-up call, but it should serve as a wake-up call that we have to rebuild our own industrial base, he said. Lets take another weapon system thats really important. The Patriot interceptor system definitely, almost definitely saved a lot of Israeli lives last night. The Ukrainians want thousands of those per year. Do you know how many we manufacture in a year Jake? 550, he added. He said that the U.S. does not have the capacity to support Israel, Ukraine and itself. We cannot possibly Ive repeated this for years now. We cannot possibly support Ukraine and Israel and our own defense needs in the way that these guys demand, he said, adding that the U.S. should focus on supporting Israel because it is a closer ally in line with more of the U.S.s national security interests. He said that approving the supplemental aid request to Israel and Ukraine will actually harm Israel. But if we pass the Ukraine and Israel supplemental and send a ton of weapons to Ukraine that the Israelis need, were actually weakening Israel in the name of helping them. It doesnt make any sense, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Jewish organizations shared their "strong" support for Israel's "right and obligation" to defend themselves from the onslaught of missile and drone attacks from Iran. Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) National President Morton A. Klein said that the nonprofit organization "strongly supports" Israel's "right and obligation" to defend themselves against Iran's attacks. "ZOA strongly supports Israels right and obligation to aggressively defend itself from the attacks against it by the extremist, Jew-hating, America-hating Islamic Republic of Iran," he said. WHITE HOUSE SAYS US SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IS IRONCLAD,' WILL SUPPORT THEIR DEFENSE AMID IRAN ATTACK Morton Klein of Zionist Organization of America attends a hearing at the National Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Nov. 8, 2017. The organization's president encouraged Israel to "devastate" Iranian nuclear facilities, saying that they were "totally behind" Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7. "We also strongly support Israel taking this opportunity to destroy the Iranian nuclear facilities being developed to destroy the Jewish State and massacre millions of Jews, and others," Klein said. "Iran was totally behind the October 7th massacre nightmare. Now is the time to devastate Irans military/nuclear capabilities." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Klein urged President Biden to support Israel, to reinstate sanctions and to stop their "dangerous" policy of providing funds to Iran. "We strongly urge the Biden administration to provide any and all support that Israel needs, and even to make clear to Iran that the USA will do all it can to protect and defend its ally, Israel," he said. "The Biden administration must immediately reinstate and invoke all sanctions on Iran and stop its policy of ignoring anti-Iran sanctions." "The U.S. must also stop its dangerous policy of providing and making accessible tens of billions of dollars to the terrorist, anti-American, anti-Israel, Islamic Republic of Iran," Klein said. Jewish organizations reacted to Iran's attack on their homeland, calling for President Biden to reinstate sanctions and to continue his support. Klein warned that Israel is on the "front lines" and the rest of the west is next. "An attack on the Israeli democracy is an attack on America. As Iran always proclaims: 'America is the great Satan, Israel is the little Satan, Death to America, Death to Israel,' The U.S. and Israel and the West are in this together and are all threatened by the radical Islamic Republic of Iran, whose goal is to establish an Islamic Caliphate throughout the world. Israel is on the front line the rest of the civilized western world is next," he said. IRAN WARNS US TO STAY AWAY AS AMERICA SHOOTS DOWN DRONE LAUNCHED AT ISRAEL Similarly, the Israeli-American Council (IAC) said that they stand "in the strongest support" for Israel's right to defend themselves against Iran and its proxies. "The Israeli-American Council (IAC) stands in strongest support of Israels right to use any and all means necessary to defend itself against Iran and its proxies. Israels right to eliminate the genocidal threats facing the Jewish people is inalienable," they said. President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on April 12. The group thanked President Biden for his statement of support for Israel and for Congress' bipartisan support. "Peace and security in our world can only be built on powerful U.S. leadership and on a credible threat of force that can reestablish American deterrence," they said. "As U.S. citizens, we hope and expect that our government backs its statements with forceful action. In the meantime, we pray for the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and for the victory of civilization over the forces of darkness." HOUSE TO FOCUS JUST ON ISRAEL, IRAN NEXT WEEK In a statement, the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (JFEDLA) President & CEO Rabbi Noah Farkas said that Iran's attack "further underlines" that the people of Israel are under "constant threat." "This attack by Iran against Israel is alarming and frightening. The launch of hundreds of drones and missiles further underlines the fact that the people of Israel are under constant threat," Rabbi Farkas said. The rabbi said that JFEDLA stands in "unequivocal solidarity" with Israel. "Our Federation and the Jewish community of Los Angeles stand in unequivocal solidarity with our homeland. We are working with our partners on the ground in Israel to ensure the people of Israel have our full support and the necessary resources," Rabbi Farkas said. "Israel will survive this attack and our global Jewish family will stand together as one as we pray for peace," he added. New York City Mayor Eric Adams in Manhattan on Jan. 15. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that the Big Apple "unquivocally stands" with Israel. The mayor said that, as the mayor of the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, that the "significance of this attack for Jewish New Yorkers" was "not lost on him." "New York City unequivocally stands with the State of Israel in the face of this direct attack and escalation by Iran. Ive been briefed on the situation unfolding abroad, and we pray for the safety of all in the region," Adams said in a statement Saturday. "As mayor of the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, the significance of this attack for Jewish New Yorkers many of whom have family in Israel right now is not lost on me, especially less than 10 days before Passover begins," he said. The mayor said that while there was no "direct or imminent" threat to New York City, that they have deployed resources to Jewish communities and worship centers in the city. "While there is no direct or imminent threat to New York City at this time, we have directed the NYPD to deploy additional resources to Jewish communities and houses of worship citywide out of abundance of caution to ensure that our communities have the resources they need to feel safe," he said. An Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the Shahed-136, is displayed at Azadi Square in western Tehran, Iran, Feb. 11, 2024. "Our administration has also begun outreach to both Jewish leaders and elected officials across the five boroughs to keep them apprised of the situation," Adams said. "Our intelligence and counterterrorism teams will continue to closely monitor the situation." Iran on Saturday evening launched drones toward Israel in a retaliatory attack, the Israeli military said. The attack marks the first time Iran has launched a full-scale assault on Israel despite more than four decades of hostilities. Original article source: Jewish organizations voice support for Israel's 'obligation' to defend themselves from Iran's attacks Jewish New Yorkers blindsided by Irans attack on Israel: Im scared for my family Jewish New Yorkers were shocked and outraged by Irans missile attack on Israel Saturday, leaving many fearing for their loved ones trapped in the besieged Jewish State. Of course, Im scared for my family and their well-being, Chaim Goldstein told The Post as he left Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights. The Post broke the news of the invasion to dozens of worshippers who had not heard what happened because of Sabbath restrictions. Many worshippers leaving Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights hadnt yet heard about Irans attack on Israel. Paul Martinka One man sprinted across the busy Eastern Parkway upon hearing the news so he could check on his family in Israel. A police presence was stationed outside the synagogue as a precaution. I just pray that Hashem should take care of the Jewish people and that the hostages should be allowed to return to their home, Rabbi David Sholom Pape, 79, told The Post, describing Irans attack as a suicide mission. This is obviously something that could involve the whole world. If theyre stupid enough to do that, theyd commit suicide. They promised theyd do such and such so they had to do something or theyre just straw men. It may just be for show. One man ran across Eastern Parkway to check on his family living in Israel. Paul Martinka Despite having no knowledge of the escalation, several were unsurprised upon learning that Iran deployed hundreds of suicide drones, ballistic missiles and rockets at the Jewish state in a middle-of-the-night attack. The strike with some 200 drones marks Irans first-ever direct attack on Israel and comes after the Jewish state killed top Iranian generals in a strike on Lebanon on April 1. Catch up on the latest news of Irans attack on Israel Im not surprised but its getting serious, 26-year-old Samson said, noting that his entire family lives in Israel. We call every day to find out how theyre doing. We pray every day for our brothers and sisters in their holy land. Samson, who declined to provide his last name, chastised the Iranians in Tehran who were seen in photographs celebrating the destruction. Its horrible, he said. Celebrating genocide is horrible. Samson, a 26-year-old Brooklynite, said he wasnt surprised Iran escalated the tension between itself and Israel. Paul Martinka We dont dance around when there are missiles dropping everywhere. War is terrible. War is cruel. We want the war to stop. Anyone dancing anywhere for missiles dropping is cruel. Moshe Frank, 38, agreed claiming that the Iranian people have been brainwashed to hate Israel. Im not sure what theyre celebrating about, the Brooklynite said. I hope theres no more escalation. Goldstein, 18, moved to Crown Heights from Israel for school in September just one month before Hamas launched its Oct. 7 surprise attack that kickstarted the Middle Eastern war. With his mothers family still living in Israel, Goldstein pushed for peace and for the conflict over the Jewish State to end. I think they also believe it should stop, the missiles and the war, he said of his family. We should live in peace together, just like the Arabs and Jews lived in peace, he said. Iran deployed hundreds of suicide drones, ballistic missiles and rockets at the Jewish state in a middle-of-the-night attack. x @Toxicity_______ In spite of the destruction, Rabbi Shimmy Weinbaum, 49, stressed that God would save the people of Israel just as he had when Iraq initiated a missile campaign against Israel in 1991. The same God who protected us then is still around. He didnt go anywhere and he will protect us, Weinbaum said. The rabbis 18-year-old daughter had coincidentally traveled from Israel to Crown Heights to celebrate Passover with her father. The move marks Irans first-ever direct attack on Israel and comes after the Jewish state killed top Iranian generals in a strike on Lebanon on April 1. AP Weinbaum appeared unafraid about the prospect of her return, stating that he feels like shes more protected in Israel than she is here. Mayor Eric Adams emphasized that New York City unequivocally stands with the State of Israel as it faces fresh attacks from Iran. As mayor of the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, the significance of this attack for Jewish New Yorkers many of whom have family in Israel right now is not lost on me, especially less than 10 days before Passover begins, Hizzoner said in a statement. While there is no direct or imminent threat to New York City at this time, we have directed the NYPD to deploy additional resources to Jewish communities and houses of worship citywide out of abundance of caution to ensure that our communities have the resources they need to feel safe. Jewish leaders across New York took to social media to condemn the offense Saturday, including Sen. Chuck Schumer. Front cover of the New York Post on April 14, 2024. As Israel is under attack from Iran, we stand with Israel and its people, and the United States will do everything we can to support Israels defense against Iran, Schumer said on X. Mark Treyger, south Brooklyns former Democratic city councilmember and Jewish caucus member, said the attack on the Jewish state was a sobering reminder of Israels suffering since the outbreak of the war on Oct. 7. Through proxies, the Iranian unelected, autocratic, regime attacks Israeli civilian populations (Christians, Jews, and Muslims) almost every single day, including contributing to the October 7th massacre via their support for Hamas, he tweeted. Tonight, the autocratic regime launched an unprecedented and significant direct attack on a U.S. ally and the only democracy in the region. Very thankful for the United States armed forces support for our ally in this turning point moment in world history. Former national security adviser John Bolton on Sunday emphasized the need for Israel to decisively retaliate against Iran and said the United States has so far shown weakness when dealing with the threat of Tehran. I think its imperative that Israel strike decisively, not proportionately. Not disproportionately, to reestablish deterrence and to convince the terrorist proxies that Iran has set up in its Ring of Fire strategy, that theyre not intimidated by what happened last week, Bolton said on NewsNations The Hill Sunday. Bolton is among various past and present U.S. leaders calling for a response from either Israel, the U.S. or both to an Iranian missile and drone attack on Saturday. Israel was able to intercept the majority of the dozens of Iranian missiles with the assistance of its allies, including U.S. forces. The attack was largely expected in retaliation for an alleged Israeli strike earlier this month that killed two senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers at the Iranian Embassy in Syria. The threat that has galvanized the Gulf Arab states and Israel that the thing they see in common is Iran both the nuclear threat and the terrorist threat, Bolton said. Thats what led to the growing closeness [after the Cold War]. And its very important in todays world, the Gulf Arab States view the United States as weak and feckless. Bolton criticized the Biden administrations reported response so far. The Biden administration is putting it out that they basically said to Israel, not only are we not going to participate in retaliation, you shouldnt either because no Jews died, Bolton said. You know, this is the kind of weakness that they also displayed in not attacking Shia militia in Iraq and Syria until three Americans died. Despite 160 attacks by those militant before that. Bolton was referring to the spike in attacks by Tehran-backed proxies against American troops and bases in Iraq and Syria last year following the Palestinian militant group Hamass Oct. 7 assault on Israel. The attacks died down in early February when the U.S. launched a retaliatory assault against the militia groups after an attack by Iranian-aligned militants killed three U.S. service members at a base in Jordan in January. He later suggested the United States should proudly join Israel if the country decides to go after Irans nuclear program. President Biden later spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemning the attacks in the strongest possible terms. Axios on Sunday reported Biden told Netanyahu he will not support an Israeli counterattack on Iran and that the president and his senior advisers are concerned an Israeli response would trigger a wider regional conflict. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Jordan has emerged as an unlikely defender of Israel despite its scathing criticism of the Gaza war and recent anti-Israeli protests. After Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night, Jordan which shares a lengthy border with Israel scrambled its fighter jets overnight to shoot down many of the drones. Neither the IDF, the United States nor Jordan offered exact figures on their involvement in the taking out of 99 per cent of Irans missiles and drones but reports suggest that most if not all drones were shot down outside Israeli borders, most likely in Jordan. Jordans government said on Sunday it intercepted flying objects that breached its airspace after it was closed shortly before midnight on Saturday. Onlookers and security agents stand around debris in Jordan - AHMAD SHOURA Some flying objects that entered our airspace last night were dealt with and confronted, the government said in a statement, stressing that the military will confront anything that would expose the security and safety of the nation ... to any danger or transgression by any party. Drones were brought down in the air on the Jordanian side of the Jordan Valley that it shares with Israel and the occupied West Bank as they were heading towards Jerusalem, which triggered rare air raid sirens in the city, unnamed security officials in Jordan told Reuters. Others were reportedly intercepted closer to the Iraqi-Syrian border. Swarms of Iranian drones were sighted in the skies over the northern, central and southern parts of Jordan as well as the capital of Amman, which is a one-hour drive away from the Israeli border. Jordan has been critical of Israels war with Gaza, with its foreign minister accusing Israel of aiming to empty out Gaza, which he said meets the legal definition of genocide. The king of Jordan last week teamed up with the presidents of France and Egypt, urging Israel for a ceasefire. Israelis expressed surprise mixed with admiration for its eastern neighbour and former adversary that managed to shoot down many of the drones over its territory. Forgive me for getting personal, but the fact that my parents sat in shelters during the War of Attrition following rockets from Jordan and tonight there was the same air raid alert in the kibbutz but Jordan helped intercept them from Iran is like a hallucination, Nurit Yohanan, a reporter with the public broadcaster Kan, tweeted on Sunday. Israel has cashed the check for many smart decisions from decades ago. Jordanian King Abdullah II called for a ceasefire last week - Royal Hashemite Court/APA Images/Avalon Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst at the Crisis Group, described the Jordanian involvement especially remarkable for a generation of Israelis that remembers sheltering from attacks from Jordan. Jordan together with Egypt and the Palestine Liberation Organisation fought Israel in the War of Attrition from 1967 to 1970. It has since grown closer to Israel, along with Arab and Gulf partners like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Jordan is a crucial link to Israel as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank have to cross the land border into Jordan to travel abroad as they are not allowed to fly out of the Ben Gurion airport. The extraordinary act of solidarity, mostly likely done at Washingtons request, is likely to anger many Jordanians who have been protesting for months, demanding severing diplomatic ties with Israel. Just two weeks earlier, Jordans riot police violently suppressed a major rally and arrested dozens after the crowd tried to march towards the heavily guarded Israeli embassy in the capital Amman. Many in Jordan have Palestinian roots and feel a deep affinity with Palestinians in the West Bank and in Gaza and have seen the 1994 peace treaty with Israel as a betrayal of their Palestinian brothers. Jordanians chant slogans during a demonstration near the Israeli embassy in Amman on March 28, 2024 - Khalil Mazraawi/AFP via Getty Images Jordan has had a persistent wave of angry anti-Israel rallies, which led to a government response so harsh that Amnesty International in February called on the Jordanian government to end what it called a sweeping crackdown that has seen hundreds of people arrested for expressing their support for Palestinians or criticising the Jordanian governments Israeli policy. Whereas Jordan appears to be the only Arab nation to have taken a direct role in responding to the attack, Iran on Sunday issued a stern warning against any nations alighting with Israel. Whichever country opens its soil and airspace to Israel for a potential attack on Iran, it will receive our decisive response, Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, Irans defence minister, said in a statement on Twitter on Sunday. Recommended Live: Latest Iran-Israel news 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. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Kansas City police are searching for a missing and endangered 20-year-old man who was last seen on Saturday afternoon. Monte Fue was last seen at 1000 E. 24th St. on Saturday, April 13 at about 3:15 p.m. He was wearing an orange long-sleeved shirt, gray pants and orange shoes. See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri He has been diagnosed with anxiety, PTSD and panic disorder. Fue was recently hospitalized for suicidal ideations and left University Health Behavioral against medical advice. If located, call 911 or notify the KCPD Missing Persons Section at 816-234-5043. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Editors Note: This interview is part of the second season of Voices of Kansas City, a project created in collaboration with KKFI Community Radio and The Kansas City Star, to highlight the experiences of Kansas Citians making an impact on the community. Hear the interviews at 6 p.m. Wednesdays on KKFI 90.1 FM, or at KKFI.org. Do you know someone who should be featured in a future season of Voices of Kansas City? Tell us about them using this form. Darvius Yearwood recently sat at the presenters table in front of the Kansas City Council in a chamber full of spectators who came to hear the young man make a case for creating a youth council that would have some say in the creation of policies designed to impact the lives of young residents in the city. The 17-year-old, composed and well prepared, rattled off data about the need for youth involvement in civic decision-making. It wasnt the first time the 2023 National Youth Advocate of the Year had spoken to adult officials to support youth empowerment. Yearwood has been a youth advocate and activist since he was 12 years old. The Kansas City Star invited Yearwood, who prefers to be called DJ, to the studios at KKFI Community Radio, as part of the second season of an innovative, community collaboration project, Voices of Kansas City. Mara Rose Williams, assistant manager for race and equity at The Star, interviewed DJ about his journey into youth advocacy and his future in community activism. Their conversation, edited for length and clarity, is presented in a question and answer format to share DJs story most authentically in his own words. The Star: So DJ, tell me about your activism. What is your activism? DJ: Yeah. So Im a youth activist or youth advocate. And so what I do is I advocate for my peers. I advocate for the interests of what I see my friends and my peers need. And that can range from support in schools to civic engagement to community building, things like that. So, to be clear, how old are you, DJ? Im 17. 17 years old? And how long have you been doing this activist work? I really got started in youth advocacy when I was 12 years old. Tell me, what does youth advocacy or youth activism look like for a 12-year-old? What were you doing? Yes. So I think the first thing to really note is the magnitude of issues that even 12-year-olds face. Right? And at that age is when I really started to realize how bad substance use and tobacco usage and vaping in particular was among my peers. And so thats where my advocacy started, with addressing that issue. Are you from Kansas City? Im from California. Im from Bakersfield, California. I moved here when I was 10. And where did you move to? Did you move to Kansas City proper? Well, my family, part of my family, resides in Kansas City proper. I lived in Independence for my school. So when you were 12 and you had this notion to advocate for youth as it relates to tobacco usage, where were you going to school? I was going to William Chrisman High School. Did something happen at school? Was there something that alerted you to this issue or did this just all of a sudden come to the mind of a 12-year-old? Correction. I was going to Bingham (Middle School). Yeah, so what had happened was I had started getting engaged with the Jackson County Youth Court and I became a youth court defense attorney in the youth court system. Its a diversion court. Its a program to steer kids away from getting actual charges. Its still a real court setting except for, you know, youre represented by your peers. With that, I realized, like, we would have like 80 cases a night strictly pertaining to tobacco and vape usage. That amount is crazy. Because it makes you realize how many people from your school or the surrounding schools are getting caught using it. And thats the key thing. These 80 cases are what we see. What about the ones not getting caught? And so they range from elementary school students on up. Wow. That is a lot. So how often were you sitting in court and what was your role there? Yeah, so originally I started off as a defense attorney and I worked my way up to lead defense attorney. We were in court about every other week, bimonthly or semimonthly. And what we were dealing with was, you know, the fact that our peers were doing things that were against the law. And then it was our job to provide peer-to-peer support as a defense attorney. But also to help figure out where we can help them adjust on their own. And Ive heard, you know, criticisms of whether or not that has impact coming from peer to peer. And it actually does, because we were able to connect on such a level like friends. DJ Yearwood, right, a youth advocate, talks to a group of high school seniors including Abi Storjohann, 17, from left, Reggie Locke,18, and Piper Keltner, 18, about the KC Youth and Young Adult Commissions for the City of Kansas City during a student event with American Public Square on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at the Central Library in Downtown Kansas City.Yearwood would like to get more young adults involved in civic engagement in Kansas City Storjohann and Keltner are students at Belton High School, and Locke is a student at University Academy. Tammy Ljungblad/tljungblad@kcstar.com And thats where you saw that youth and tobacco was a major problem for young people in your age range. Correct. And the thing is youre seeing people from your own school and, you know, who you may have went to school with in elementary school, being charged with things like this. And it could range also to violence and other things. But particularly this (tobacco) was overwhelming. Its something that really grabs your attention. So you begin to work for restrictions for flavored tobacco, and I think thats really where your interests were. What happened with that? How far did you take it and what was the outcome? Yeah, so it really got to the point where, you know, where I was seeing so many cases that it was like, what is causing this, right? And what caught my attention was, I believe she was a fifth-grader, or fifth- or fourth-grader, who had been charged with being in possession of a vape device. And I asked her, Do you even know what this is? And she said, No. She thought she was just vaping flavored air. And, you know I believed her because I think that the tobacco industry itself has been very deceptive in its targeting of young people, particularly the vapes that she was hitting. It was the Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Wait, vape? Thats not marketed for a 40-year-old. You know what Im saying? And so when I realized that, I began working with the American Heart Association on a number of campaigns, particularly one here in Kansas City called the KC Flavors Campaign, to ban the sale of flavored tobacco and vape products. And in that role, did you have cause to talk to legislators? And when did you realize, Hey, Im like an advocate or an activist? Yeah. So I think the first thing that made me really want to dive deeper was I was on this call and I was really hearing about, you know, how the tobacco industry has targeted Black people, how it has targeted women, how it targeted children, all these things. And one thing that I often repeat is that these things are so normal that we dont even realize them until theyre told to us, like theyre shown in hard evidence to us. And it really, like, made me, you know, have that moment where Im like, Wow. And so I joined the KC Flavors team as a youth advocate. The first time that I was really proud of the work that I did in advocacy was when I met with the mayors (Quinton Lucas) chief of staff to discuss the mayors position on the topic. And I was calling the council offices and trying to get them to support the effort. And so that was when I began to feel, you know, legitimate. So this became a real passion for you. Right. And I think the passion lies in the fact that I dont think its right that with multiple things not even just with tobacco that industries can get away with so much in targeting young people. And theres not much that people can do about it. In other words, you want to see young people have a voice. You want to empower them to speak up and to have a voice for themselves. Absolutely. Yes. DJ Yearwood, right, a youth advocate, talks about he KC Youth and Young Adult Commissions for the City of Kansas City during a student event with American Public Square on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at the Central Library in Downtown Kansas City. The event was a recruiting event for Yearwood who would like to get more young adults involved in civic engagement. Tammy Ljungblad/tljungblad@kcstar.com Talk to me a little bit about where that comes from. I saw somewhere a quote from Barack Obama that you like to reiterate. What is that? Yes. So Barack Obamas quote that really has driven my work is that change will not wait for some other time or some other place. We are the ones were looking for. We are the change we seek. And I think that really resonates with me because he wasnt necessarily, in that speech, talking directly to anybody. But what we dont often realize is that that is particularly important for people who often have their voices snuffed out or considered less than. And so, you know, there may be demographics who feel like that quote really resonates with them. And I particularly feel that resonates with young people because we dont have voting power. We dont really. Were not really taken seriously when we approach legislators. We arent really taken seriously based on all of our experiences and perspectives. And so when we really want to do something, we have to show up in droves, right? We have to really put some power behind it to be able to, you know, accomplish anything really even small. And so I think thats why that quote particularly really just has guided my work. So were going to get to some of those things that you just mentioned in just a bit. But first, I want to ask you, as the mother of two young men myself, what do your parents think of the work you do? And did you get some of this passion and drive from them? Yeah. So I grew up with a single mom who has four kids. Shes not into, you know, politics and things like that. So she tells me all the time she doesnt know where I got it from. But I think that although its not necessarily the specific passion for advocacy that comes from my family, but its the looking out for other people. Maybe getting things done, if I know that I can do them, I learned from my uncle. And I would say, you know, theres definitely some traits in my advocacy that come from my family. Yeah. Where do you fall with your siblings? Im the youngest boy and the second youngest. So you did have some opportunity to look after a younger sibling. And watching over them and helping your mom out. Yes, there is some of that. That definitely comes from home. Absolutely. Yes. So as you were talking about some of the advocacy that you have done, you talked about what young people cannot do legally in terms of voting. You mentioned that they dont have voting rights and that it takes droves of young people to show up and be very loud and to protest to get some movement, to get people to pay attention to what their needs are. I understand that youre working towards getting young people the right to vote for certain elections. Yeah, I think that one thing that I have really used to guide the decisions that I make regarding what I advocate for and what I dont is what would be appropriate if age wasnt a factor. Right? And so would it be appropriate to say that X demographic, the entire demographic, is incompetent and they should not be able to vote because of X, Y, and Z? They dont have enough experience. They dont have enough this, whatever. No, it wouldnt be OK, right? If we were to flip it, reverse it, and we were to say, you know, that old people at some age, they become too incompetent to vote, that would not be appropriate. It would be ageist, right? And so when we look at it for my age demographic, 16, 17 years old, who are working. Theyre students at the same time, they drive cars, theyre community members, and they contribute and pay taxes, all of those things. Kenon Lofton, 17, left, a student at University Academy, talks with DJ Yearwood, a youth advocate, who spoke the about KC Youth and Young Adult Commissions for the City of Kansas City during a student event with American Public Square on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at the Central Library in Downtown Kansas City. The event was a recruiting event for Yearwood who would like to get more young adults involved in civic engagement. Tammy Ljungblad/tljungblad@kcstar.com And then there are cynics who say, you know, theyre not mentally developed enough, theyre not ready for it and all the rest. I think thats wholly inappropriate. Right? And especially to say to students that they shouldnt be able to vote in school board elections, which directly impact their everyday lives. I think we as a whole have to come to realize, at some point, that all stakeholders matter. And within schools, students are the greatest stakeholder, right? And so we have this population of 16 to 17 years old who are working and driving and paying taxes, and what Ive decided to advocate for is lowering the voting age in nonpartisan, local and school board elections. And would that be municipal elections as well as for mayor and council? Yeah. So municipal elections and school board elections. One thing thats particularly unique in Missouri is that we have nonpartisan local elections. And so this takes out any factor of, you know, creating partisanship at the local level with young people. Does that happen someplace else? Are other cities doing that? Yes. So most recently, which is very exciting, Newark, New Jersey, just lowered the voting age to 16 in their municipal elections. Takoma Park, Maryland, was the first city to do it. And they saw tremendous increases in civic engagement among their population and an increase in voter turnout over time. And so there are a lot of benefits that come with it, too. Such as? So first, we are addressing the issue of taxation without representation. Sixteen and 17-year-olds no longer feel like they have no say in how their taxes are being spent by the people who take them from them. The second thing is that were creating this civic transition, right? So particularly in Takoma Park, we surveyed some of those students who began voting and they said that they feel more prepared to vote in state and federal elections because they had the opportunity to vote locally first. To be able to evaluate those candidates, it takes a lot more work to evaluate candidates at the local level, to understand the issues at a local level. And so were providing the civic transition process between local elections to state and federal partisan elections. Would you say that given the use of social media and the fact that we have information at our fingertips, young people have all of the tools they need to make an informed decision when it comes to their school board or their municipal election? Yeah. That alludes to the fact that times are changing. Right? Information is easier to access. Its easier to become informed. However, I dont think at any point do students become unaware of whats happening in their school district. Even if social media wasnt a factor, students know how school board policies are impacting them. They know which ones they like and which ones they do not like. They know how their school administrators are carrying out those policies. This is where we get into like the school to prison pipeline where how thats exacerbated by specific administrators who may be enforcing school board policies disproportionately. And students know how these policies are impacted. They just feel helpless, like they cant do anything about it, which is something that we seek to change. When you say we, who do you mean? Yeah. So weve assembled the Vote16 group, which is youth advocates in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis so far. And weve got leadership teams across the state who are working in those areas. And what role do you play there? Im the director of Vote16MO. OK. So were you on the ground floor with the development of Vote16? Yeah. So there is a Vote16USA, which is a nonpartisan national organization supporting the work of 16 efforts around the country. And then theres Vote16MO, which is the Missouri branch of that. And I founded the Missouri branch of that. And weve been able to reach youth across the state and gain a lot of support. Wonderful. So where does it stand now and whats the goal? Yeah. So the goal is to be able to ultimately get to a point where we can lower the voting age in all of Missouris nonpartisan, local, and school board elections. We anticipated that we would have a bill sponsor to introduce it into the House. And then we were going to go through committees. Theres a lot of weird stuff happening right now. And, you know, we arent entirely aware of whats happening with the politics end of it. However, we do know that we are diverting our resources back into Kansas City because Kansas City, as part of the Missouri Constitution, has the ability to lower the voting age for its own elections itself. And so we are soon to be launching a Kansas City branch effort to lobby the City Council to pass a charter revision, which will then go to voters which will lower the voting age in Kansas Citys elections. Very good. I know that recently youve had another campaign that youre pushing in Kansas City: developing a youth council in Kansas City. And you have had some real success with that. Can you tell me a little bit more? Yes. So actually the City Council passed an ordinance that I had been working on with Councilwoman (Melissa) Patterson Hazley. I had started working on this ordinance in June of 2021 before Councilwoman Patterson Hazley had been elected to the City Council. Now we got that ordinance finally passed, which creates the Kansas City Youth Commission. This new commission has the ability to advise the City Council on matters directly relating to youth and lead the citys youth outreach and engagement efforts. There is no other design in the nation that gives the commission this much power, this much ability. And so what this means is that Kansas City leaders are taking a real listen. DJ Yearwood, a youth advocate, addresses Kansas City Councils Neighborhood Planning and Development committee in January at City Hall and advocated for a policy that would create a KC Youth and Young Adult Commission. The commission allows teens and young adults to become active in civic engagement. Tammy Ljungblad/tljungblad@kcstar.com It means that theyre really listening to the fact that weve got issues. We keep walking around saying, young people this, young people that, weve got to set these curfews, weve got to do this. But theres no real solutions being proposed. Just lets limit how the young people can do this. Lets limit that. And so with this new board, this new commission will have the opportunity to enact real change and engage in real community impact, which is much different than any other designs that Kansas City has seen. So basically what youre saying is while youre trying to make decisions for us young people, how about you ask us? Right. Absolutely. So as you go about the city, are you known by other young people? Do they know who you are? Have you made a name for yourself as a youth advocate? And how does that make you feel? I think that people can really rely on me to help out in any area where youth advocates are involved. And I think what it really makes me feel is proud that were able to build a coalition of people. That did not exist when I got started. Right? Youth advocacy was something that, you know, was really not respected. It really wasnt a thing. The American Heart Association had one youth advocate, and it was me. I remember when we launched that campaign. And so now there are teams of youth who are trained based off of the training that Vote16MO created. Theyve been trained in different parts of the state. Theyve been lobbying, lobbying at the state level, at the local level. Theyve been engaging in their school boards. And it feels really great to be able to say, you know, that the resources that were not there for me are now there, and I worked to help create them. So what are you doing now? Are you going to college? Have you graduated from high school? Yeah, I did. I graduated in December. Im early. Ill be going to college this fall. Im still deciding where. Im stuck between either going early or staying. Going to D.C. or staying here. I think what my next steps are, though, regardless, I will still be around. You know, where I can make the biggest impact in youth advocacy. Do you think politics is in your future? Absolutely. Since I was in like eighth grade, I dreamed about, you know, running for some type of office. Whats important to me is being young and running for office, because we dont see it that much. The youngest age to run for office in Kansas City or anywhere in Missouri is 25. You can run for anything up to Congress. And so Im not sure what my first step will be. Obviously, Ill have to cross that bridge when I get to it. But I do plan on running for office at a young age. Well, as a young Black man in Kansas City, doing all that you have done for advocacy and activism, it would not surprise me if someday we have DJ as the president of the United States. Are you really thinking that far ahead? Is that something youd like to do? I think personally, Im really obsessed with the executive branch itself. Like, just the way that it works. Serving in the executive branch in some capacity is my ultimate dream. I dont know if thats president. I dont know what that is. But ultimately. And your mom says what about that? You know, shes on her Facebook and she may post, My son is going to be president, or something like that. But, you know, I think she really has given me the opportunity to really decide and carve out where Im headed, and where I want to go, and what I want to do. What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment thus far? My greatest accomplishment? I think I cant pick just one. But where I felt like I was able to have the biggest reach was when I won the National Youth Advocate of the Year award last May. I was able to go out to Washington, D.C., and, you know, celebrate the award, but with other youth advocates, national youth advocates. When I was named the National Youth Advocate it was something that really recognized the fact that Ive been working really hard. But also, Ive been able to expand my reach. For example, Ive been able to go to Panama City to speak at the COP 10 (Conference of the Parties) conference and I was able to travel to 25 different states last year to do youth advocacy training. And so its just been really exciting, you know, following that. Tricia Maxfield, American Public Square program manager, speaks with DJ Yearwood, right, a youth advocate, before Yearwood addressed a group of high school students at a youth event hosted by American Public Square on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at the Central Library in Downtown Kansas City. The event was a recruiting event for Yearwood who would like to get more young adults involved in civic engagement and in the KC Youth and Young Adult Commissions. Tammy Ljungblad/tljungblad@kcstar.com Well, thank you so much for being here with us today, DJ. I mean, Im super proud of you. Thank you. And I wish you all the luck in the world. I cant wait to see the fruits of your labor, to see what comes next for you and for Kansas City, and especially for Kansas Citys youth. Thank you. KBI cancels Silver Alert after missing woman with schizophrenia found safe WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has canceled a Silver Alert after a missing woman with schizophrenia. The woman was found in McPherson County Saturday night. She is safe. OSBI has four in custody in missing Kansas women case KSN has removed any identifying information to protect her identity. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. White House national security communications adviser John Kirby on Sunday applauded Israels ability to intercept most of Irans missile attacks over the weekend, calling it an incredible military achievement. What Israel demonstrated last night was an incredible ability to defend itself. Just their own military superiority was quite remarkable yesterday. I mean, very little got through, and the damage was extraordinarily light, Kirby said on NBC Newss Meet the Press. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched dozens of missiles and drones toward Israel on Saturday. The move was largely expected in retaliation for an alleged Israeli strike earlier this month that hit the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, and killed two senior IRGC officers. Israel on Saturday night said the countrys air defenses successfully intercepted the vast majority of the surface-to-surface missiles approaching Israeli territory. The nations allies, including U.S. forces and Jordans Air Force, helped to intercept the missiles and drones. When asked if he believed the attacks could prompt a wider regional conflict, Kirby said, The president doesnt believe that it needs to move in that direction whatsoever. Also, Israel demonstrated again, as I said, that theyre not standing alone, that they have friends. So the presidents been clear, he continued. We dont want to see this escalate. Were not looking for a wider war with Iran. I think, you know, the coming hours and days will tell us a lot. President Biden is expected to hold a videoconference on Sunday to discuss a diplomatic response. Kirby noted it will be up to Israel to decide on any counterattack against Iran. Whether and how the Israelis respond is going to be up to them. Im certainly not going to get ahead of their decision-making, he said, adding later that the Biden administration will stay in touch with Israeli counterparts. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, said the Biden administration is not looking for a wider war with Iran after Tehran launched a retaliatory attack against Israel and sparked fears of a wider regional conflict in the Middle East. Asked Sunday on NBC Newss Meet The Press, if the Middle East tensions have escalated into a wider war, Kirby said, The president doesnt believe that it needs to move in that direction whatsoever. And also, Israel demonstrated again, as I said, that theyre not standing alone, that they have friends, Kirby added. So the presidents been clear. We dont want to see this escalate. Were not looking for a wider war with Iran. I think, you know, the coming hours and days will tell us a lot. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched dozens of missiles and drones toward Israel on Saturday. The move was largely expected in retaliation for an alleged Israeli strike earlier this month that hit the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, and killed two senior IRGC officers. Israel later said the vast majority of the Iranian missiles were intercepted outside of the country by the countrys air defenses and the assistance of its allies, including U.S. forces. Kirby applauded Israels defense against the attack and said very little go through, leaving extraordinarily light damage. I would ask the Americans that saw what happened last night to take heart in terms of the military capability of their forces in the region, how they are defending themselves and defending our interest in the region, he said. President Biden departed early from his Delaware home on Saturday to return to the White House and consult with his national security team. He later spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said he condemned the attacks in the strongest possible terms. Irans most recent attacks have fueled fears of a wider regional war as Israels war with Palestinian militant group Hamas continues into its six month in Gaza. Attacks by Tehran-backed proxies against American troops and bases in Iraq and Syria spiked after the start of the Israel-Hamas war but died down in early February when the U.S. launched a retaliatory assault against the militia groups. Kirby reiterated Bidens plans to call the G7 together to discuss a diplomatic response. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, said Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was very grateful for the support of the United States in a phone call with President Biden. The prime minister was very grateful for the support that President Biden offered and demonstrated in supporting Israel. And the president made it clear that the self-defense of Israel is something we take seriously, and we will continue to take that seriously, Kirby said on CNNs State of the Union with Jake Tapper. The U.S. helped Israel repel the aerial attack from Iran overnight, with the Israeli military saying it intercepted most of the missiles and drones. Biden spoke with Netanyahu on Saturday in the wake of what Biden described as a brazen attack against Israel. Kirby emphasized that Biden wanted to congratulate Netanyahu on its success in intercepting hundreds of missiles and drones headed toward Israel. I certainly wont speak for Prime Minister Netanyahu and what theyre thinking and whether and how theyre going to respond, because, really, thats up for them to decide, Kirby said on CNNs State of the Union with Jake Tapper. The purpose of the call was to check in with Prime Minister Netanyahu at the at the end of the operations. Not everything had finished getting into Israel in terms of the drones were still on the way. But we felt like we were near the end. The president wanted to congratulate Prime Minister Netanyahu for an incredible military achievement, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Kirby says Netanyahu is well aware Biden does not want to escalate the war John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, said Sunday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is well aware President Biden does not want to escalate the war. I would say that the Prime Minister is well aware that the President is not looking for a conflict with Iran, that the President doesnt want the tensions to escalate anymore, and that the President is doing everything and has since the seventh of October, to try to keep this from becoming a broader regional war, Kirby said on CBSs Face the Nation. Kirby made his rounds on several networks on Sunday to discuss Irans drone and missile attack on Israel over the weekend. The U.S. helped Israel repel those attacks overnight, but Kirby has emphasized that the U.S. is not looking for a wider war with Iran. Biden spoke with Netanyahu on Saturday to discuss the attack and to congratulate Israel on preventing most of the missiles and drones from entering the country. Kirby noted that Bidens move to reposition additional ships and an additional fighter squadron to the region in recent days helped prevent mass destruction in Israel. I mean, one of the reasons we were able to help the Israelis knocked down so many of these missiles and drones because the President made decisions in recent days to preposition additional ships in the eastern Mediterranean and an extra fighter squadron in the region that literally had a huge impact on last night to prevent a greater sense of destruction inside Israel, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A local hospital is asking for the publics help to identify a patient found in Los Angeles County. The male patient was transferred to a Dignity Health hospital from a recuperative care facility in Glendale. He has no personal belongings, documentation or ID cards to help hospital staff identify him. He has not been able to communicate his personal information to staff either. Officials need help to identify an unknown Hispanic male patient around 57 years old who remains hospitalized. (Dignity Health) He is believed to be around 57 years old and is described as a Hispanic man around 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 156 pounds. He has brown eyes and gray hair. No tattoos or other distinct physical markings were observed, staff said. Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call Dignity Health at 818-502-4739. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Los Angeles County health officials released an exposure warning Saturday regarding an unidentified traveler with measles who visited locations in the county between March 30 and April 1. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said it had received notification from the California Department of Public Health of the disease carrier. The nonresident traveler visited nearly a dozen locations those three days, mostly in Universal City and at the Sheraton hotel on West Century Boulevard near L.A. International Airport. More from Deadline The individual visited Universals trolley and several rides, the Sheratons gym, and local restaurants, according to health officials said. The complete list is linked here. Other possible exposure locations are still under investigation. Health officials said anyone visiting the exposure locations on the specified days should confirm theyve been vaccinated against measles. Measles is spread by air and by direct contact even before you know you have it and can lead to severe disease, Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis said in a news release, adding that the disease is highly contagious for those who are not immune to it. Symptoms can manifest as far out as three weeks after exposure. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. With an estimated 75,000 people unhoused in Los Angeles County, there's universal agreement among our readers that the situation in Southern California is unacceptable and deserves urgent action. Where they disagree is on what's causing the homelessness problem and how to address it. The last L.A. mayoral election, between Karen Bass and Rick Caruso, reflected that divide. It's also seen here in the letters of our readers when we asked them to weigh in. What we heard fell broadly into two camps: One with arguments focused on law and order, a traditionally conservative view; the other focused on systemic issues such as economic inequality, a traditionally liberal worldview. Whether city leaders shift toward one side or the other can make a big difference in how our region responds. Paul Thornton, letters editor A red line divider To the editor: California's housing shortage and homelessness crisis are what happens when you have politicians who have no idea of economics making laws, which have negative effects that the public must suffer. Supply and demand is the cornerstone of our capitalist system; even a child understands that. Democrats are driving California into a third-world state, and they wonder why people are fleeing this place. Marcus Kourtjian, Northridge A red line divider To the editor: Please explain to us readers how it is possible that a place such as Skid Row exists in the wealthiest and most Democratic state in the country. The very eloquent politicians have been working on this since the dawn of time, with budgets to buy small towns in the Midwest. The super wealthy of L.A. talk the liberal talk, do the spiritual work and eat the $20 avocado toasts. Yet we read about Skid Row as if it's OK to have such a place downtown. The dystopian future is here, and it has been here for years. Michele Castagnetti, Los Angeles A red line divider Democrats are driving California into a third-world state, and they wonder why people are fleeing this place. Marcus Kourtjian, Northridge A red line divider To the editor: The incompetence of our civic leaders and institutions, including the media, is why we have been dealing with homelessness for many years. It started with the failure to recognize the extent that mental illness plays a role. Commonsense observations and input from residents were either ignored or dismissed as prejudicial judgments against what many of your columnists might call a "victimized" community. This failure was part of the next major failure, which was the inability to categorize different classes of homeless populations and come up with a plan to deal with each one separately. It's somewhat akin to using the same chemotherapy regardless of the type of cancer. Encampments point to yet another failure, where politicians use court rulings as "my hands are tied" excuses. For example, one such ruling allows for "rudimentary protection from the elements" for those who sleep on the streets. Common sense, which seems to elude our politicians, dictates that should not result in massive hazmat operations when the encampments are actually cleaned up. People are getting tired of throwing money at this problem with little to show for it. That Proposition 1 barely passed shows that even the typical L.A. Times reader is slowly starting to allow fiscal responsibility to trump virtue signaling by bond measure. Jesse Goldbaum, Woodland Hills A red line divider We read about Skid Row as if it's OK to have such a place downtown. The dystopian future is here, and it has been here for years. Michele Castagnetti, Los Angeles A red line divider To the editor: Near Lawrence Middle School in Chatsworth, there has been a homeless encampment for nearly a year. People there have continually refused shelter, and many live with addiction and mental illness. Typically, you wouldn't want this close to a school. Those of us who have contacted City Hall about this have been told that little can be done until anti-camping and vagrancy laws change. Most of the areas in Chatsworth that have encampments cleared quickly get repopulated after massive cleanups. The public would like our sidewalks back. We feel unheard and extremely frustrated as a community. We want to feel safe and be able to check our mail after dark without the fear of being robbed or stabbed. Kristen Mason, Chatsworth A red line divider To the editor: I wish our political leaders would remember the rest of us in their decisions. They travel to Sacramento and Washington to solicit more funding for homeless services. What about all the rest of us who live with the consequences of this crisis? The unaddressed blight on our streets. The dying of trees in our parks. The car break-ins. Many of us mourn the loss of civic pride, which is clearly not a priority now. It is painful to witness. Why aren't our leaders doing more to clean up our streets and sidewalks, to get rid of graffiti, to keep our parks clean, maintained and the trees watered, all of which are dismissed as unimportant "quality of life" issues? We would thrive if they did that. Many of us who once felt compassion and patience for those who live on the streets are angry because our needs and concerns have been overlooked. Mary A. Fischer, Echo Park A red line divider Many heartfelt attempts by many heartfelt politicians have failed residents, who continue to face tents and trash that block sidewalks, and who fear violence by people wandering down the street. Buz Wolf, Big Bear Lake, Calif A red line divider To the editor: I live fewer than 13 miles from the greatest humanitarian crisis in our nation. Almost daily, I drive by encampments near the 110 Freeway in Highland Park. Unhoused people who illegally occupy the sidewalks, parkways and embankment terrify law-abiding residents of the area. For more than three years, I have reached out to several local agencies about this. And until recently, the situation would only get worse. But last month, because of the nonstop effort of Highland Park residents to document and report the dangerous activity on their street, combined with an L.A. Alliance for Human Rights lawsuit, I witnessed the biggest comprehensive cleanup I've seen there in three years. Litter still covers the embankment. Human waste and drug paraphernalia remain. I am guessing the unhoused people who left this area a disaster will eventually return. Recently, large numbers of L.A. voters gave their support to progressive candidates who do not believe that homeless people should be held to the same legal standards as those of us with homes. If I, as a housed citizen, smoked fentanyl on your street or screamed threats at you, I would be arrested and held accountable. If we want to live in a society that holds people accountable for their actions and protects children, in addition to sheltering the unsheltered and treating the sick, we must hold everyone to the same standards of lawful behavior. I am not criminalizing homelessness. I am criminalizing unlawful behavior that has turned Los Angeles into a mess. Tori Stover Mordecai, San Marino A red line divider To the editor: I think it is fair to say that the city and county administrators of Los Angeles have failed miserably at resolving the homelessness crisis. Many heartfelt attempts by many heartfelt politicians have failed residents, who continue to face tents and trash that block sidewalks, and who fear violence by people wandering down the street. Is it fair that the overwhelming majority of us are subjected to this? Which heartfelt politicians are looking out for us? I recall seeing a picture of a temporary but full-service Quonset hut "city" set up for returning World War II veterans in Griffith Park. They, with their families, were housed there as they waited for affordable homes to be built to accommodate them. Once homes were available, they all moved on. Why can't this arrangement be duplicated for all homeless people in the L.A. area? Since this project would provide housing and services, enhanced laws against vagrancy and camping would need to be passed and enforced. Unfortunately, this would require our current bleeding-heart politicians to step aside and for voters to support more pragmatic officials. Buz Wolf, Big Bear Lake, Calif. A blue line divider To the editor: Homelessness will remain intractable until our nation addresses economic inequality. We need moral outrage. Here in L.A., we construct tiny-home villages with 64 square feet of living space and estates in Bel-Air with 30,000. I commend the mayor's efforts, but this kind of discrepancy in living conditions has led to revolutions and land reform. Let's figure this out before it gets bloody. Lisa Dieckmann, Los Angeles A blue line divider To the editor: As rents and house prices go up, take note someone is raking in all that money. That's where our government leaders should focus their attention. As long as real estate investors are asking for higher profits, rents will keep going up, and more people will find themselves unable to afford shelter. It's the typical corporate strategy: Plunder the environment to gain all the riches, and let the public pay for the aftermath. We need to end the eviction of people from their homes so landlords and developers can build something more expensive and reap greater profits. Let's regulate the profits that real estate investors can make. We get daily information about encampments and the plight of neighborhoods and how much the public is paying to house people. We see it for ourselves. Tell us more about the other end of the scale, where the riches pile up. Sarah Starr, Los Angeles A blue line divider This kind of discrepancy in living conditions has led to revolutions and land reform. Let's figure this out before it gets bloody. Lisa Dieckmann, Los Angeles A blue line divider To the editor: Many years after recovering from homelessness and building a great life, I started working on the streets, first in San Francisco and now in Los Angeles, bringing essentials such as hygiene, laundry, haircuts and clothing to people who had lost their homes. My return from homelessness happened when I was surrounded by a community that shared my experiences and stayed with me through every mistake I made, building resilience that made it possible for me to thrive. Community is the one thing that I know works; it has worked in my life, and it has worked for millions of others. It's the inspiration for everything I do today. Community is the only way we will end homelessness in L.A. Hundreds of thousands of Angelenos are one paycheck or illness away from being unhoused. According to L.A. County officials, more than 220 people here lose their homes every day. The path back to housing for the hardest-hit has become more deadly and more treacherous. The agencies tasked with helping these people are overwhelmed. Big agencies can't do this; they never could. It will take us, the millions of Angelenos who share this beautiful place, the community groups, faith communities and neighbors, to rise up and say we will no longer accept this suffering. We know the answer is us, but can we set aside our differences and unite to end this? Paul Asplund, Pasadena A blue line divider My return from homelessness happened when I was surrounded by a community that shared my experiences and stayed with me through every mistake I made, building resilience that made it possible for me to thrive. Paul Asplund, Pasadena A blue line divider To the editor: So many studies blame the lack of affordable housing and all housing as the primary contributor to homelessness. I live in an area of single-family homes and know that zoning protecting this kind of neighborhood must end. Its not a choice between skyscrapers and single-family homes. There are many alternatives look at what Santa Monica is doing with mixed-use, mid-rise residential buildings. Additionally, we need quality care and sufficient funding for drug and mental health programs. This is a complicated problem that needs a multi-pronged approach and time to solve. Karin Costello, Santa Monica A blue line divider To the editor: What drives homelessness? In a nutshell, housing policies that reward real estate investors and developers; the scarcity of transitional housing for institutionalized individuals; consistently low wages; increasing numbers of seniors on low fixed incomes; a dearth of "affordable" housing; and the resulting mental health, substance use and medical challenges. This is not just my opinion; it's what the UC San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative study found last year. In L.A., Mayor Karen Bass' Inside Safe initiative aims to bring individuals living in encampments into hotel and motel rooms. However, because of the scarcity of low-income permanent housing (and permanent supportive housing), these people end up living in temporary shelters for years. Temporary shelters have become a revolving door, moving individuals in and out. Local agencies are not able to provide services and housing to the increasing number of individuals living on the street. So unhoused individuals become chronically homeless and have a much harder time adapting to societal expectations. Once individuals become unhoused, it is difficult for them to find housing again. Their mental health suffers as a result of the trauma of becoming homeless, and they may begin using substances to help them cope. The need for "affordable" housing has been proposed for decades. On the surface, Bass' effort to significantly streamline construction for affordable housing seems like a good idea. But Bass initiative does not provide subsidized housing, prevent displacement of low-income tenants or provide actual "affordable" housing. Rather, it caters to the myth that building housing for people at 80% of local median income will magically lower rents throughout the city. Thus, Bass' streamlining effort is another failed housing policy that will not appreciably help to increase housing production for homeless and low-income individuals. Jane Demian, Los Angeles A blue line divider The question is not how to reduce the number of homeless, but what is the forecasted growth rate in the homeless population? Ronald Stein, Irvine A blue line divider To the editor: The number of people experiencing homelessness has gone up in Los Angeles, and the city is becoming a very different place from the one in which I grew up. As a lifelong resident of South Los Angeles, I wish city and county leaders knew how the different initiatives passed by voters have been perceived by residents. We are tired of voting on ballot measures that have seemingly little to no impact. The only thing I have seen improve the situation is the Inside Safe program, which combines the knowledge of service providers with the authority of government officials to actually get people the help they need. For years on my way to work, I passed an encampment under the 405 Freeway on Venice Boulevard that grew despite the various ballot measures passed to fund housing and services. Inside Safe is the only program that truly got people into housing, connected them to services and ensured the area would not become repopulated. Alyssa Melina, South Los Angeles A blue line divider To the editor: With the average debt in this country greater than $100,000 per person (across credit cards, mortgages, auto loans and student loans), and with more than half of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, society is facing an unsustainable problem where those "financially challenged" will never pay off their continuously increasing debt. Thus, with the loss of just one paycheck, there are many millions of people on the verge of joining the growing homeless population. The question is not how to reduce the number of homeless, but what is the forecasted growth rate in the homeless population? Ronald Stein, Irvine 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. A traveler with measles visited Universal Studios and several other locations in Los Angeles County on March 30-April 1. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles County health officials issued an exposure warning Saturday after a traveler with measles visited Universal Studios and several other locations in the county between March 30 and April 1. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a news release that it had received notification from the California Department of Public Health of a nonresident traveler who had visited nearly a dozen locations those three days, mostly in Universal City and at the Sheraton hotel on West Century Boulevard near L.A. International Airport. The individual visited the following locations, according to health officials: Saturday, March 30: Sheraton Gateway hotel gym 6101 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles 90045 (5:30 a.m. - 8 a.m.) Dennys 5535 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles 90045 (time not yet determined) Universal Studios 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City 91608 Buca di Beppo 1000 Universal Studios Blvd., Universal City 91608 (approximately 12 p.m.) Cletus' Chicken Shack in Universal Studios 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City 91608 (appx. 4 p.m.) Lard Lad Donuts and EC food truck in Universal Studios 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City 91608 (time not yet determined) Jenis Splendid Ice Creams 445 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills 90210 (time not yet determined) Sheraton Gateway hotel 6101 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles 90045 Sunday, March 31: Sheraton Gateway hotel gym 6101 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles 90045 (5:30 a.m. -8 a.m.) Jack in the Box 1127 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood 90301 (approximately 11:00 a.m.) Santa Monica Pier Santa Monica 90401 Pier Gear 380 Santa Monica Pier #1, Santa Monica 90401 (time not yet determined) El Torito Mexican restaurant 13715 Fiji Way, Marina Del Rey 90292 (6 p.m. 8 p.m.) Sheraton Gateway hotel 6101 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles 90045 Monday, April 1: Sheraton Gateway hotel 6101 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles 90045 Dennys 5535 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles 90045 (time not yet determined) Possible additional exposure locations are still under investigation. Health officials encouraged anyone who was at one of the exposure locations on those days to confirm they've been vaccinated against measles, a highly infectious disease that causes a rash and other serious symptoms that may become life-threatening for certain people. Those who are not immunized and haven't had measles before are at risk of developing symptoms between one and three weeks after exposure. Measles is spread by air and by direct contact even before you know you have it and can lead to severe disease, Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis said in a news release, adding that the disease "is highly contagious for those who are not immune to it." Young children, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals are at greater risk of complications from measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more: Hundreds of people exposed to measles at California hospital, officials say Those exposed should contact their health provider, and anyone who develops symptoms should "stay at home, and avoid school, work and any large gatherings," Los Angeles health officials said. The CDC has recorded 121 measles cases so far this year, a sharp increase compared with 2023 numbers that has concerned public health experts. Eighty-two percent of cases in 2024 are among those who are either unvaccinated or their immunization status is unknown, and 56% of the cases resulted in hospitalization. California, which has some of the strictest school vaccine laws in the country, has recorded six cases in 2024. Up to 300 people were exposed at the UC Davis Medical Center this month after a child with the virus was seen at the Sacramento hospital. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Los Angeles Police Department issued a statement on X, formerly Twitter, in response to the Iran drone strikes in Israel on Saturday. Officials say theyre paying close attention to any potential threats in L.A. as the conflict in the Middle East could lead to a larger war in the region. We are closely monitoring the conflict between Israel and Iran and working with our federal and regional partners to ensure the safety of our communities in L.A. County, LAPD said in a statement. As a precaution, we are increasing patrol checks around sensitive and religious sites and engaging with our community leaders to reassure them that the LASD is taking a proactive stance. Currently, there are no specific or credible threats to L.A. County. President Joe Biden issued a statement saying the U.S. will provide unspecified support for Israels defense in the Iran drone attack. Iranian officials say they sent in the drone strikes in response to Israels military attacking what Iran calls diplomatic facilities in Damascus, the capital of Syria. TEL AVIV, ISRAEL APRIL 14, 2024: Explosions are seen in the skies of the capital, following the attack from Iran in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 14, 2024. (Photo by Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images) GAZA CITY, GAZA APRIL 14: Missiles are seen in the skies of Gaza City following the attack from Iran, in Gaza on April 14, 2024. (Photo by Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu via Getty Images) TEL AVIV, ISRAEL APRIL 14: (-EDITORIAL USE ONLY MANDATORY CREDIT ISRAELI MINISTRY OF DEFENSE ARIEL HERMONI / HANDOUT NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS-) Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (2nd R) attends the Israels war cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (not seen), held to discuss the drone attack launched by Iran in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 14, 2024. (Photo by Israeli Ministry of Defense / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images) TOPSHOT Demonstrators wave Irans flag and Palestinian flags as they gather in front of the British Embassy in Tehran on April 14, 2024, after Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel. Irans Revolutionary Guards confirmed early April 14, 2024 that a drone and missile attack was under way against Israel in retaliation for a deadly April 1 drone strike on its Damascus consulate. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images) There has been an ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Approximately 1,200 people mostly civilians were killed during a Hamas-backed attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Since then, Israeli forces have retaliated in Gaza, with at least 33,000 Palestinians killed during the military operations. Tensions have been high locally in response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. A 69-year-old Jewish man died following an altercation with a pro-Palestinian protestor in Thousand Oaks in November of last year. Last week, a shouting match between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protestors almost turned violent in downtown Los Angeles. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) held an open day on Saturday to tie in with the National Security Education Day on April 15 and to celebrate its 180th anniversary. The first National Security Education Day after enacting legislation on Article 23 of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Basic Law will fall on April 15, which is of great significance to Hong Kong, John Lee, chief executive of the HKSAR, said while addressing the event. He thanked the HKPF for being an important strength in safeguarding Hong Kong's stability and prosperity, as well as maintaining law and order and protecting the Hong Kong people since its establishment in 1844. Zheng Yanxiong, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, noted that enacting legislation on Article 23 of the Basic Law is a significant achievement of the HKSAR in fulfilling its constitutional responsibility. He hopes that the open day activities will deepen the relationship between the police and the people, enhance the awareness of the rule of law, and foster patriotism. The Correctional Services Department and the Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development also held open day activities on Saturday. 3M was one of the first companies in the country to establish a charitable foundation in 1953. But in 2022, the Maplewood-based company quietly closed its foundation, switching to control its philanthropy internally as a company, not through a separate charitable arm. In Golden Valley, General Mills did the same in 2021, while in Minneapolis, Thrivent shuttered its foundation in 2020. While all three companies say their public generosity won't shrink without a foundation, some nonprofit leaders worry the closures will decrease transparency and could result in less funding to local nonprofits, especially at a time when foundation grants and corporate giving is declining nationwide. "We find that corporations that have foundations are a lot more accountable to the public than corporations with just a corporate giving model," said Steve Paprocki of Access Philanthropy, a Minneapolis consulting firm that works with nonprofits on fundraising. "It's about transparency." Without a tax-exempt foundation, corporations no longer need to file annual tax returns with the IRS that detail who is on their board, how much money they distribute and where their money goes. As a result, Paprocki said, nonprofits won't be able to tell where a corporation has been directing its giving. "It's always better for them to know who you're giving to and where," he said, adding that he worries companies without separate foundations will give less money over time, too. Corporate giving in the U.S. has declined over the years. In 2022, U.S. corporations donated 0.9% of their pre-tax profits, down from a peak in 1986 of 2% of pre-tax profits, according to the annual Giving USA report published by the Giving USA Foundation and researched by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. In a survey last fall by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, about a third of respondents reported that donations from individuals and foundation grants or corporate giving have declined the highest number since the statewide association started tracking the data in 2020. Corporations broaden efforts Corporate foundations, which often are staffed by company employees, usually are funded by companies to give grants to nonprofits and other charitable causes. Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP), a New York-based nonprofit that researches and advises companies on employee volunteering programs and related community efforts, found that, in 2022, 80% of companies they surveyed had a foundation and, from 2017 to 2021, 5% of companies stopped reporting on or likely closed a foundation while 4% started one. Story continues Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas, CECP's chief operating officer, said the corporate foundation closures in Minnesota are an anomaly, and operating a foundation still is a popular method for companies nationwide to give back. Plus, establishing a separate legal entity allows companies to do things like give money to organizations internationally, which they can't do as a company. "For every corporate foundation that may close, there's another one opening," said Niedfeldt-Thomas, who also is the mayor of New Brighton, adding that companies that end foundations may restart them under a different CEO. "The pendulum will swing ... corporate foundations are integral to a company's community connection." Corporations also are broadening their community efforts beyond cutting checks, she said, including touting their sustainability work, bolstering diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and getting employees involved in volunteering and philanthropy. For instance, more companies offer paid volunteer time off as a benefit to attract and retain employees. The 1980s was the heyday of corporate philanthropy in the state, with companies often publicly announcing their grants, said Jon Pratt, the former executive director of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits who has researched the history of corporate philanthropy. That's not long after Minnesota corporate leaders started a "Five Percent Club," vowing to give away 5% of their company's pre-tax earnings to charity the first group of its kind in the nation. Since then, companies headquartered in Minnesota have expanded globally and face more demands now, Pratt said, so their philanthropy locally may be less visible. Foundations close Some of Minnesota's biggest corporations including Wells Fargo, Target, UnitedHealth Group and Medtronic still operate foundations that dole out millions of dollars a year. Michael Stroik, vice president of 3Mgives, which includes 3M's philanthropy, product donations and the company's matching gifts to employees donations, said the decision to close 3M's foundation was an administrative change that resulted in efficiencies saving some money. But he said it's not a significant savings or the reason for the dissolution. He said no nonprofits that were funded by the foundation lost funding this year or last year as a result of the change. The company has been plagued in recent years by layoffs, litigation and sluggish sales. Stroik said that as the company's revenue has declined, so has its philanthropy, which is contingent on the company's finances. But he said 3M is dedicating the same percentage 0.12% of its revenue to cash gifts each year with or without a foundation, more money than the industry median. That amounts to about $40 million in grants a year. In 2021, 3M was the fifth largest corporate funder in Minnesota, according to a 2023 report by the Minnesota Council on Foundations. Over the years, the foundation has funded everything from STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in local schools to the Ordway Center in St. Paul. At General Mills, spokesperson Jamie Bastian said switching the charitable giving model allows the company greater flexibility and impact and said that General Mills' charitable giving in the Twin Cities has increased by 17% since 2021, when its foundation closed. At Thrivent, spokesperson Liz Erickson said the financial services company gave more than $4 million to nonprofits in the Twin Cities and Fox Cities in northeastern Wisconsin in 2023, about the same as when it operated a foundation. Erickson added in a statement that Thrivent can "still effectively engage in philanthropy through our corporate team without operating a separate entity." Largest corporate foundations in Minnesota According to the 2023 Minnesota Council on Foundations' Giving Minnesota report, these were the largest corporate funders in the state in 2021: Wells Fargo Foundation: $198.5 millionUnitedHealth Group and United Health Foundation: $122 millionCargill, Inc. and Cargill Foundation: $106.4 millionTarget and Target Foundation: $80 million3M: $41.5 million The Latest | Israel says 99% of drones and missiles launched by Iran were intercepted Israel on Sunday praised the success of its defenses in the face of an attack by Iran involving hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles while tensions ran high over a possible Israeli counter-strike. An Israeli military spokesman said the launches numbered more than 300, but 99% of them were intercepted. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Iran fired 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. Several ballistic missiles reached Israeli territory, causing minor damage to an air base. The Iranian attack on Saturday, less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israels six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Currently: Irans attack on Israel raised fears of a wider war, but all sides in the conflict also scored gains. US helps Israel shoot down nearly all Iran-launched attack drones as Biden vows support. President Joe Biden cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team and monitor the situation in the Middle East as Iran launched an attack against Israel. Here is the latest: SECURITY COUNCIL HOLDS EMERGENCY MEETING ON IRAN ATTACK. NO ACTION TAKEN UNITED NATIONS The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting Sunday to discuss Irans attack on Israel. The meeting ended without any action by the council. Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. Now is the time for maximum restraint. Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the council: Last night, the world witnessed an unprecedented escalation that serves as the clearest proof for what happens when warnings arent heeded. Israel is not the boy who cried wolf. Iranian Ambassador Saeid Iravani said: Irans operation was entirely in the exercise of Irans inherent right to self-defense. This concluded action was necessary and proportionate. U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood said after the meeting ended, There has to be a Security Council response to what happened last night. ISRAELI MILITARY LIFTS RESTRICTIONS, SAYS SCHOOLS CAN REOPEN The Israeli military says children can return to school after lifting a series of restrictions on public activities that were imposed ahead of Sundays Iranian missile strike. The militarys Home Front command late Saturday canceled school and limited the size of public gatherings as a safety precaution ahead of the missile attack. Mondays announcement reflected the determination that the threat of further attacks has passed. The Home Front Command says the changes went into effect at midnight. BIDEN SPEAKS WITH JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH II The White House says President Joe Biden spoke by phone Sunday with Jordan's King Abdullah II about the situation in the Middle East. Biden strongly condemned the attack launched by Iran, which the White House says also threatened Jordan and the Jordanian people. Both leaders said they continue to monitor the situation and will remain in close touch over the coming days. They also discussed the situation in Gaza, and reaffirmed their cooperation to increase critical humanitarian assistance to Gaza and to find a path to end the crisis as soon as possible. ISRAEL'S PRESIDENT SAYS RESPONSE TO IRAN ATTACK SHOWED IRONCLAD ALLIANCE BETWEEN ISRAEL, US Israels President Isaac Herzog said on CNN Sunday afternoon that the last 24 hours had shown the ironclad alliance between the U.S. and Israel. Herzog was referring to the Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building. Israel and its coalition of partners, including the U.S., were able to defeat 99% of the munitions. We can argue on many things and its legitimate, Herzog said. We have our objectives and we are a small nation. The United States is a world superpower, has its interests. But at the end we must have a dialogue. Herzog, referring to the Hamas attack on Israel in October and Israel's response, said everyone who watches and analyzes Israel must understand that we have been met by an empire of evil. Its true. Its absolutely true. Our citizens were raped and butchered and burned and tortured and abducted in an unbelievably unprecedented massacre. Herzog then called it a Hamas-acre. He said Israel is working closely with the U.S. and other allies on the situation in Gaza. US SAYS IRAN'S ATTACK ON ISRAEL CLEARLY INTENDED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE, DEATH WASHINGTON Senior Biden administration officials said Sunday it was clear Irans attack on Israel was intended to cause significant damage and death, and U.S. officials had been in regular contact with their Israeli counterparts. Israel and its coalition of partners were able to defeat 99% of the munitions, a senior administration official. If the assault had been successful, this attack could have cause an uncontrollable escalation of broader regional conflict. The heads of the G7 leading industrialized nations on their call Sunday were totally united in the condemnation of Iran and need to hold Iran to account for the assault, the official said. Biden in his call with Netanyahu reaffirmed his unwavering support for Israels defense, the official said, but then told the prime minister that Israel really came out far ahead in this exchange. ISRAEL ACTIVATING TWO RESERVE BRIGADES FOR OPERATIONS IN GAZA JERUSALEM The Israeli military says it is activating two reserve brigades for operational activities in Gaza. Sundays announcement comes as Israel prepares for a ground invasion of Rafah the southern Gaza city that Israel says is Hamas last major stronghold. Israel last week withdrew most of its remaining ground forces from Gaza after six months of war, leaving its troop levels in the territory at the lowest level in months. The Rafah invasion faces stiff international opposition, in large part because over 1 million people, roughly half of Gazas population, are now crowded into the city after fleeing fighting elsewhere in the territory. They say they have nowhere else to go. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is determined to complete the Gaza operation. He says Israel has even set a date for the operation and claimed that Israel has a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah. G7 COUNTRIES CONDEMN IRAN'S ATTACK ON ISRAEL ROME Leaders of the G7 the informal gathering of industrialized countries that includes the United States, United Kingdom and France issued a statement Sunday unequivocally condemning in the strongest terms Irans direct and unprecedented attack against Israel. The statement came after the leaders met in a video conference hosted by the Italian presidency. Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack, the statement reads. We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security. The group also stressed that Iran with its actions, has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. The G7 leaders said that scenario must be avoided. We will continue to work to stabilize the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives, they said. HEZBOLLAH PRAISES IRAN ATTACK ON ISRAEL, CALLS IT A NEW PHASE IN CONFLICT WITH ISRAEL BEIRUT The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Sunday hailed Iran for its attack on southern Israel, saying its the beginning of a new phase of the conflict with Israel and the Palestinian cause. The Iranian attack came less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building. It marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. The operation precisely achieved its limited military objectives, despite the involvement of the United States, its allies, and its regional tools in responding to the stunning attack, the Lebanese group said in a statement. The long-term political and strategic objectives for this major development will be successfully apparent over time. ISRAELI WAR CABINET MEMBER GANTZ PRAISES INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO THWART IRAN ATTACK JERUSALEM Benny Gantz, a member of Israels war cabinet, praised regional and international efforts that helped thwart the Iranian missile and drone attack on Sunday. The U.S. and Britain have confirmed that they helped intercept some of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched toward Israel early Sunday. This event is not over the strategic alliance and regional cooperation system that we built and stood its significant test needs to be strengthened right now, Gantz said. Jordan, which sits between Israel and Iran, also indicated its military may have come to Israels defense, despite being at odds with its neighbor over its war against Hamas in Gaza. Jordan briefly closed its airspace and announced that some of the flying objects that entered our airspace last night were dealt with and confronted. AFGHAN TALIBAN SAYS IRANIAN ATTACK WAS LEGITIMATE SELF-DEFENSE KABUL, Afghanistan The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is part of the Taliban government, issued a statement in support of Iran. It said Israel acted in continuation of its crimes and in contravention of all diplomatic norms and international laws by the attack on April 2 on the Iranian consulate in Syria, in which 12 people were killed. In response to which the Islamic Republic of Iran exercised its legitimate right to self-defense last night, the statement said. It accused Israel of trying to divert world attention away from the genocide of over 33,000 civilians in Gaza by violating the airspace of sovereign states and provocations aimed at broadening regional insecurity. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan calls on all influential world and regional states to expedite their efforts of halting the crimes of the Zionist regime in order to prevent further escalation of the crisis, the statement concluded. IRAN SAYS IT NOTIFIED THE US BEFORE ATTACKING ISRAEL TEHRAN, Iran Irans foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, in a press conference said his country notified the United States before launching the strike against Israel. Early Sunday in a message to the White House we announced that our operation would be limited and minimalistic and aimed at legitimate defense and punishing the Israeli regime," Amirabdollahian said. Tehran's top diplomat also said the limited Iranian attacks would not target civilians or economic areas: In our response, we defined no response against civilian targets. Our armed forces targeted no economic or populated areas. Amirabdollahian said the strikes goal was to punish the Israeli regime and it was a legitimate act of defense by Iranian forces: Our goal in this legitimate act of defense is simply punishing the Israeli regime. We are not after American individuals or bases in the region, Amirabdollahian said. YEMEN'S HOUTHI REBELS SAY THE IRANIAN ATTACK WAS LEGITIMATE CAIRO The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Sunday said Irans unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel was a legitimate act that came in response to an airstrike on Irans consulate in Syria that was widely blamed on Israel. Writing on the messaging app Telegram, Mohamed Abdel Salam, spokesman for the Houthis, said Israel wont be able to escape its crimes without punishment. The Houthis, who control the Yemeni capital and much of the countrys north, have repeatedly launched attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war. They also fired missiles and explosives-laden drones towards Israel. CYPRUS PRESIDENT SAYS HIS NATION WASN'T INVOLVED IN ANY MILITARY ACTION NICOSIA, Cyprus Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides says the east Mediterranean island nation wasnt in anyway involved in any military action to thwart Irans unprecedented drone and missile attack against Israel. Christodoulides told reporters Sunday that aircraft had arrived in Cyprus from neighboring countries late Saturday. He said they would depart Sunday. Asked if the U.K. had informed the Cypriot government ahead of time that any of its warplanes from a British air base on the island would be involved in intercepting the Iranian attack, Christodoulides said there was no forewarning. The U.Ks two military bases on Cyprus including the larger air base RAF Akrotiri - are British sovereign territory and dont require the Cypriot governments permission to launch any military action. But normally, the U.K. does brief the Cypriot government of any impending action as a courtesy. The Cypriot president said his foreign minister spoke with his British counterpart only after the fact. He added that hes hoping theres no further escalation because his government doesnt believe that any problems are solved through such aggressive acts. LUFTHANSA SUSPENDS SOME MIDEAST FLIGHTS THROUGH MONDAY German airline Lufthansa said Sunday that it had suspended regular flights to and from Tel Aviv, Amman and Erbil through Monday. It said it plans to serve those destinations again starting Tuesday, but that flights to Beirut and Tehran will remain suspended until at least Thursday. Lufthansa said it was monitoring and assessing the security situation in the Middle East and was in close contact with authorities. The safety of our passengers and crews always has top priority, it said in an emailed statement. Lufthansa, Europes biggest airline group, announced on Friday that its planes were avoiding Iranian airspace. UK MOVES ADDITIONAL WARPLANES TO THE MIDEAST NICOSIA, Cyprus The British government says it has moved several additional fighter jets and refueling tankers to the region, following Irans unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel. In a statement Sunday, the British government said the air assets will bolster the U.K.s existing operation against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq as well as intercepting any airborne attacks within the range of our existing missions, as required. Asked by The Associated Press whether the additional jets have been transferred to the U.K.s air base in Cyprus, a spokesperson said a number of aircraft have been temporarily moved from Romania to bolster our existing footprint in the region. The official didnt disclose the exact location for reasons of operational security. Israel said Sunday that 99% of more than 300 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles Iran had launched were intercepted. ZELENSKYY CONDEMNS IRAN'S ATTACK KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Irans attack on Israel, drawing parallels to the war ravaging his own country where Russia has also used Iran-made drones. We in Ukraine know very well the horror of similar attacks by Russia, which uses the same Shahed drones and Russian missiles, the same tactics of mass air strikes," he said. Every effort must be made to prevent a further escalation in the Middle East. Irans actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russias actions threaten a larger conflict, and the obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world, he said in a post on X. It is critical that the United States Congress make the necessary decisions to strengthen Americas allies at this critical time, Zelenskyy said. SUNAK SAYS UK SHOT DOWN A NUMBER OF IRANIAN DRONES LONDON British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed that U.K. military jets shot down a number of Iranian attack drones" during an attack on Israel. Sunak says the Royal Air Force sent additional planes to the Middle East to help intercept airborne strikes after Tehran announced it had launched an assault on Saturday. Its clear that Iran is determined to sow discontent and destabilize the region, its own backyard, Sunak told the BBC on Sunday. If this attack had been successful, the fallout for regional security would be hard to overstate. Sunak is expected to hold an urgent call with U.S. President Joe Biden and other Group of Seven leaders later Sunday. UK Defense Minister Grant Shapps also posted on X that British warplanes intercepted and destroyed multiple one-way attack drones and that all aircraft involved "returned safely to base. GERMANY SAYS IRANIAN ATTACK BRINGS THE REGION TO THE BRINK BERLIN German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says the Iranian attack on Israel had brought the region to the edge of the abyss. With its aggressive behaviour, with which it wants to destabilize a whole region, Iran is isolated. And Israels capabilities have shown that Israel is strong, Israel can defend itself, Baerbock said in Berlin. I call on all actors in the region to act prudently. The escalatory spiral must be broken. We must together find a way to end the violence, Baerbock said. She said Germany and its allies were discussing consequences following the Iranian attack, without elaborating. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking to reporters during a trip to China, said he would take part in a meeting of G7 leaders later Sunday. We will do everything to prevent a further escalation, Scholz said. We can only warn everyone, especially Iran, against continuing in this way. Scholz is due to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday. IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER REITERATES OPERATION IS OVER TEHRAN, Iran Irans Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said his country has no intention of continuing the military operation against Israel. At this juncture, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no intention of continuing defensive operations, he posted on X, and added: "But if necessary, it will not hesitate to protect its legitimate interests against any new aggression. Amirabdollahian called the attack exercising the right of legitimate defense and said it shows Irans responsible approach to regional and international peace and security. POPE FRANCIS APPEALS TO IRAN AND ISRAEL TO AVOID A SPIRAL OF VIOLENCE VATICAN CITY Pope Francis urged Iran and Israel in his Sundays prayer to avoid new actions that could spark a spiral of violence and drag the Middle East deeper into conflict. I follow in prayer and with concern, even pain, the news that came in the last few hours about the aggravation of the situation in Israel, due to the intervention by Iran, Francis said, addressing pilgrims from the window overlooking St. Peters Square. The pontiff made another heartfelt appeal to immediately stop any action that could further intensify the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. No one should threaten the existence of others. Instead, all nations should side with peace and help Israelis and Palestinians to live in two States side by side, in safety, he added. Enough war, enough attacks, enough violence. Yes to dialogue, yes to peace." The pope has often called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking conflicting parties to follow the path of negotiations. IRAN SUMMONS 3 EUROPEAN AMBASSADORS OVER CONDEMNATION OF ATTACK ON ISRAEL TEHRAN, Iran Iran's Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned the ambassadors of the U.K., Germany and France after the three European nations condemned an Iranian attack on Israel. The ministry said on its website that the ambassadors were called in over their governments' irresponsible stances on the Iranian operation against Israel, which was in retaliation for a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month that killed two Iranian generals. RUSSIA EXPRESSES CONCERN FOLLOWING IRAN'S ATTACK ON ISRAEL Russias Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its utmost concern Sunday following Iranian strikes on Israel. It said it hoped that Middle Eastern governments would resolve their problems through political and diplomatic means. It also said that Western states had stopped the U.N. Security Council from adequately responding to the April 1 strike on Irans consulate building in Syria. We have repeatedly warned that unresolved crises throughout the Middle East primarily in the area of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are often being fueled by irresponsible and provocative actions and will lead to increased tensions in the area, the ministry said in a statement. IRAN WARNS U.S. AGAINST COOPERATION WITH ISRAEL IN ANY NEW ATTACK TEHRAN, Iran Iran has sent a message to the U.S. warning Washington against cooperation with Israel in any military operation again Tehran following its unprecedented attack on Israel. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, as saying that Tehran had communicated its message to the U.S. through the Swiss Embassy, which handles U.S. interests in Iran in the absence of diplomatic relations. President Ebrahim Raisi sent a message praising Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard for launching the attack, saying it had taught a lesson to the Zionist regime. He also warned that any new adventure against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran. State TV meanwhile broadcast interviews with people on the street who praised the Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel and thanked the Iranian military. HAMAS DEMANDS WRITTEN COMMITMENT THAT ISRAEL WILL WITHDRAW FROM GAZA CAIRO Hamas has demanded a clear written commitment that Israel will withdraw from the Gaza Strip during the second of a three-phase cease-fire deal, a senior Egyptian official and a Hamas official said Sunday. The Palestinian militant group said Saturday it submitted its response to a six-week cease-fire proposal to Egyptian and Qatari mediators. It said its still committed to its demands for a permanent cease-fire, Israeli army withdrawal from all parts of Gaza, the return of displaced people to their homes, intensifying the flow of aid and the start of reconstruction. Israel said earlier Sunday that Hamas had rejected the latest proposal for a deal submitted last week. We confirm our readiness to reach a deal regarding a serious exchange of prisoners between the two sides, Hamas said. The proposal presented to both sides calls for a six-week cease-fire in Gaza, during which Hamas would release 40 of the more than 100 hostages the group is holding in the enclave in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, including 100 serving long sentences for serious crimes. The Egyptian official said Hamas wants a comprehensive, phased deal that included ending the war, Israels withdrawal from Gaza and an agreement of all hostages in return for a large number of Palestinian prisoners. Israel says it wants to destroy Hamas military and governing capabilities. The officials said the response also included an increase in the number of Palestinian prisoners Hamas wants released from Israel. The officials from Egypt and Hamas spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to disclose details from the sensitive negotiations. They said that Hamas response included the unrestricted return of displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza through the two main south-north thoroughfares. The Egyptian official said mediators will carefully review the response before calling for another round of talks. By Samy Magdy G7 LEADERS WILL CONVENE SUNDAY IN A VIDEO CALL ROME Leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations will hold a video conference Sunday to discuss an unprecedented Iranian attack against Israel. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, whose country holds the G7 rotating presidency, wrote on X: "We express strong concern about a further destabilization of the region and continue to work to avoid it. U.S. President Joe Biden said the meeting is "to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. The language indicated that the Biden administration does not want Irans assault to spiral into a broader military conflict. JORDAN REPORTS IT BROUGHT DOWN IRANIAN OBJECTS OVER ITS TERRITORY AMMAN, Jordan The Jordanian Council of Ministers says that its forces dealt with parts of the Iranian attack that flew over its territory, to prevent them from endangering the safety of our citizens and residential and inhabited areas. It said that fragments fell in multiple places but did not cause any significant damage or injuries. The German Foreign Ministry said in a travel advisory Saturday that the Jordanian air force had shot down Iranian drones over Jordan, including over the capital, Amman. Jordan's airspace was reopened on Sunday morning. JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER CONDEMNS THE IRANIAN ATTACK TOKYO Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday condemned Irans attack on Israel as a move to worsen the ongoing Middle East situation. I am deeply concerned and strongly condemn the escalation," he told reporters. Kishida said his government will do the utmost for the safety of Japanese citizens in the region, and stressed the importance of diplomatic effort to prevent further escalation of tensions. He said there has been no report of injury to Japanese nationals so far from the attack. Kishida made the comment shortly after returning to Tokyo after a weeklong visit to the United States, where he stressed Japans role as a committed partner for the U.S. in global security and other issues. IRAN SAYS ITS STRIKE WAS MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN IT EXPECTED TEHRAN, Iran The chief of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard says the operation against Israel was more successful than expected. Gen. Hossein Salami, in an interview with state TV, said they were still collecting information but that "the part of the hits that we have detailed and documented reports from the field show that this operation was more successful. He also said the Iranian forces had carried out a limited operation that matched "the evil that the Zionist enemy had done. Salami described the Israeli air defense system as complex, multi-layered and advanced and said passing through this system was a very difficult task. It means designing an operation that can pass drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles through this space and destroy them (targets) on the ground with extremely high accuracy," he said. HAMAS LAUDS IRAN'S ATTACK ON ISRAEL CAIRO Hamas on Sunday praised Irans unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, saying it was a deserved response to the crime of a strike on Irans consulate in Syria two weeks ago. The strike on the Iranian diplomatic compound on April 1 killed two Iranian generals and was widely attributed to Israel. Hamas, an Islamic militant group backed by Iran, also appealed for continued support for its war with Israel in Gaza, now in its seventh month. Hamas directed the appeal at Arab and Islamic nations, as well as Iran-backed groups in the region. Hamas said in the statement that it is fighting for the right of our Palestinian people to freedom and independence and the establishment of its Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Hamas has been branded a terror organization by the West and has rejected a so-called two-state solution, instead seeking Israels destruction. HEZBOLLAH SAYS IT FIRED DOZENS OF ROCKETS TOWARD ISRAELI MILITARY POSTS IN GOLAN HEIGHTS BEIRUT Lebanons Hezbollah militant group says it fired dozens of rockets toward Israeli military posts in Syrias Israeli-occupied Golan Heights early Sunday after an Israeli airstrike killed one person in Lebanon. The group said the attack was in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes overnight on towns and villages in southern Lebanon that killed and wounded civilians." Lebanons state-run National News Agency said Israeli airstrikes hit areas including the border villages of Kfar Kila and Odeisseh, as well as the town of Khiam. It said the airstrike on Khiam, a few miles from the border, killed one person and wounded others. The exchange early Sunday came as Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles toward Israel in an unprecedented revenge mission for the April 1 airstrike on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital, Damascus. ISRAEL REOPENS ITS AIRSPACE AFTER IRANIAN ATTACK TEL AVIV, Israel Israel has reopened its airspace following an unprecedented attack on its territory by Iran. Israels Transportation Ministry said the countrys main international airport has resumed operations. It said domestic airports would reopen throughout the day Sunday. Israel says Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles toward its territory in the early morning attack, and that air defenses intercepted 99% of them. Minor damage was caused to an air base, the military said. The military announced measures on Saturday in anticipation of the Iranian attack, closing its airspace, canceling school and limiting public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. ISRAEL HAILS INTERCEPTION OF IRANIAN MISSILES AND DRONES JERUSALEM Israel on Sunday hailed the interception of virtually all of the more than 300 Iranian missiles and drones targeting its territory as a significant strategic success. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on social platform X: We intercepted. We blocked. Together, we will win. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant added that the Iranian attack was blocked in the most impressive way, together with our partners, the Americans and others. The Israeli army spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said that 99% of more than 300 launches, including drones, surface-to-surface missiles and cruise missiles, were intercepted outside Israeli territory. He said only a few got through, causing minor damage to an air base and injuring a 7-year-old girl in another location. The successful interceptions come at a time when Israel is bogged down in its war against Hamas in Gaza, triggered by the militants deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. At the start of the war, Israel vowed to crush Hamas and bring back hostages the militants had taken on Oct. 7. Yet Hamas, while significantly weakened, remains standing, and dozens of hostages are still in Gaza. NETANYAHU SAYS HAMAS REJECTS LATEST CEASE-FIRE PROPOSAL JERUSALEM Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said Sunday that Hamas has rejected the latest proposal for a temporary cease-fire in Gaza, which would was to include the release of about 40 hostages held by the Islamic militants. The proposal had been presented to Hamas a week ago by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States. The Israeli statement said that Israel had shown flexibility in the negotiations. It alleged that Hamas leader Yehya Sinwar continues to take advantage of the tensions with Iran and seeks a wider regional escalation. The statement came just hours after Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel early Sunday, with Israel saying 99% of the launches were intercepted. ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER CALLS IRAN A COUNTRY OF TERROR JERUSALEM Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday called Iran a country of terror after Tehran launched hundreds of drones and missiles toward Israel in an unprecedented attack. "The Iranian attack was blocked in the most impressive way, together with our partners, the Americans and others ... The entire world saw today who is Iran a country of terror, Gallant said. The attack, less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. U.N SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS AN EMERGENCY MEETING The U.N. Security Council called an emergency meeting for 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT) on Sunday, after Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles at Israel. The gravity and volume of the attacks is unprecedented, Israels U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan wrote in a letter to the council late Saturday calling for the meeting. BIDEN SAYS U.S. HELPED ISRAEL DOWN NEARLY ALL IRANIAN DRONES AND MISSILES WASHINGTON President Joe Biden says U.S. forces helped Israel down nearly all of the drones and missiles launched by Iran and pledged to convene allies to develop a unified response. Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke early Sunday, Israeli time, their governments said. Biden said in a statement that he reaffirmed Americas ironclad commitment to Israels security a departure from his harsh criticism over Israels handling of the war in Gaza. At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week, Biden said in the statement. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. UN CHIEF CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling for an immediate halt to hostilities in the Middle East. I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran this evening, Guterres wrote in a statement Saturday night. I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East, Guterres wrote. I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war. GERMANY, FRANCE, CANADA CONDEMN IRANIAN ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAEL The French government forcefully condemned the Iranian air attack on Israel. French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne said in a statement Saturday that in taking such an unprecedented action, Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilizing activities and is risking a potential military escalation. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote early Sunday on X that Germany condemns in the strongest possible terms the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos. Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately, Baerbock wrote. "We offer Israel our full solidarity at this time. Likewise, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his nation unequivocally condemns Irans airborne attacks against Israel. "We stand with Israel. After supporting Hamas brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regimes latest actions will further destabilize the region and make lasting peace more difficult, Trudeau said in a statement. "We support Israels right to defend itself and its people from these attacks. BRITAIN AND ARGENTINA RESPOND TO IRANIAN ATTACK ON ISRAEL U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said additional Royal Air Force jets and air refueling tankers have been sent to the Middle East to bolster Britains existing operation against the Islamic State Group in Iraq and Syria. He said the jets will intercept airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, but did not confirm whether RAF jets had already shot down any Iranian drones. Meanwhile, the spokesperson of Argentine President Javier Milei says the leader will cancel a trip to Denmark and return to Buenos Aires due to Irans attack on Israel. A statement from presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni said Milei was flying home to form a crisis committee in light of the latest events in Israel, to take charge of the situation and coordinate actions with the presidents of the Western world. Iran launched a missiles and drone attack on Israel on Saturday, in retaliation for the alleged Israeli strike on the Iranian embassy that took out two senior Iranian officers. The attack started late Saturday night local time in Israel. Israel has its Iron Dome air defense system on high alert, and American forces have reportedly intercepted several Iranian drones targeting Israel. Several lawmakers and officials reacted to the Iranian attack, which is expected to target the Israeli government and military sites. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said that Israel is facing a vicious attack and the U.S. must stand with its ally. Johnson accused President Bidens administration of undermining Israel. As Israel faces this vicious attack from Iran, America must show our full resolve to stand with our critical ally, Johnsons office said on social media platform X. The world must be assured: Israel is not alone. I will continue to engage with the White House to insist upon a proper response. The Biden Administrations undermining of Israel and appeasement of Iran have contributed to these terrible developments. Republican Sen. Marsa Blackburn called for the U.S. to retaliate against Iran. Iran has begun launching drone strikes on Israel, Blackburn said on X. @POTUS we must move quickly and launch aggressive retaliatory strikes on Iran. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) announced the lower chamber would change schedule for next week to consider Israel legislation. In light of Irans unjustified attack on Israel, the House will move from its previously announced legislative schedule next week to instead consider legislation that supports our ally Israel and holds Iran and its terrorist proxies accountable, Scalise posted on X. The House of Representatives stands strongly with Israel, and there must be consequences for this unprovoked attack, he continued. More details on the legislative items to be considered will be forthcoming. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), a longtime Israel ally who called for new elections in the country last month, said he stands with Israelis. As Israel is under attack from Iran, we stand with Israel and its people, and the United States will do everything we can to support Israels defense against Iran, he said on X. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) said the U.S. stands with Israel and that she will continue working to bring support for the countrys defense. The United States stands firmly with Israel and its right to defend itself against attacks from Iran and its terrorist proxies, she said on X. I will continue working in the Senate to deliver the support Israel needs to protect itself. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Lawmakers reacted after Iran launched drones from its own territory toward Israel late Saturday, calling for the White House to "stand firm" and "stop coddling Iran." Speaker Mike Johnson pledged America's "full resolve" to stand with Israel. "As Israel faces this vicious attack from Iran, America must show our full resolve to stand with our critical ally," Johnson said in a statement. "The world must be assured: Israel is not alone." Johnson promised to "insist upon a proper response" from the White House. "I will continue to engage with the White House to insist upon a proper response," he said. "The Biden Administrations undermining of Israel and appeasement of Iran have contributed to these terrible developments." ISRAELI MILITARY WARNS OF DANGEROUS ESCALATION FROM IRAN, STANDS READY TO DEFEND READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Speaker Mike Johnson speaks about an election integrity package at a press conference with former President Trump. "Now more than ever, we must stand with Israel," former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., wrote in an X post. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that the U.S. commitment to Israel is "unwavering." "This is the moment for the United States to show we stand together with our allies. Our shared enemies, including Iran and their proxies, need to know our commitment is unwavering," he said in a press release. "We must join with Israel to ensure that Irans aggression is met with resolute action and resounding strength." Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, attends a Senate Judiciary Committee markup in Hart Building, May 11, 2023, in Washingston, D.C. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned the Iran attack on Israel, while placing the blame on the Biden administration. "Iran has encircled Israel and has been attacking our Israeli allies from almost every front for months. They have launched attacks from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the West Bank, Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon, and of course the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Now they have escalated by launching attacks directly from Iranian territory," Cruz said in a statement. "These attacks are enabled and financed by deliberate policy choices made by Joe Biden and Biden officials, who have allowed roughly $100 billion to flow to Iran since 2021. Americans and Israelis have been made catastrophically more vulnerable by these policies." Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said that President Biden must "stand firm" with Israel and "stop coddling" Iran. "Iran's drone strikes show us President Biden's approach with Iran and the Middle East is backwards," she wrote in an X post. "Now as we risk entering WWIII, the U.S. must stand by Israel's commitment to democracy. The president must stand firm, and stop coddling Iran immediately." Representative Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said that the Iranian regime's "consistent" use of proxies "warrants" immediate U.S. action. "Enough is enough-the Biden administration must take concrete steps to support Israel, our closest ally," Lawler said in a press release. "This is a direct Iranian attack, after the regime has consistently used it proxies, warrants immediate U.S. action to back any Israeli response." South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem gestures as she speaks at the Calvin Coolidge Foundation conference at the Library of Congress, Feb. 17, 2023, in Washington, D.C. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem wrote that she "expects" the Biden administration to "hold Iran accountable." "We stand with the people of Israel against this brazen and callous attack," Noem wrote in an X post. "Iran hates democracy, freedom, and basic human rights making them an enemy of Israel and the United States." "I expect the Biden Administration to stand up for these shared principles and hold Iran accountable," she wrote. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., wrote that the attacks against Israel were a "direct result" of Biden's "lack of leadership." "Iran just launched drone strikes on innocent Israeli civilians. This is a direct result of Joe Bidens lack of leadership," Mast wrote in an X post. "The White House should be standing resolutely with Israel. Instead, theyve spent months kissing up to the terrorist regime in Tehran to appease a few loud, far-left, and anti-American lawmakers in Congress." President Biden boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on April 12. On Friday, Biden was asked how imminent a potential attack on Israel is from Tehran following an Israeli strike on Iran's Damascus consulate in Syria. "I don't want to get into secure information, but my expectation [is] sooner than later," he replied. "We are devoted to the defense of Israel," he added. "We will support Israel. We will defend, help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed." BIDEN CUTS BEACH TRIP SHORT AMID POTENTIAL IRANIAN ATTACK ON ISRAEL When asked what his message to Tehran was, Biden simply said: "Don't." When he was asked to elaborate, he walked away. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-M.D., echoed Biden's statement Friday, saying that Israel has America's "full support." President Biden speaks while in Israel for an Israeli war cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, Oct. 18, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. "Last week, President Biden sent a definitive message to Iran about this pending attack: dont.' I reiterate what Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made clear to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant just last week - Israel has America's full support in defending against Iranian aggression," Hoyer wrote in a press release. "We stand by our ally as it exercises its absolute right to defend itself," he said. U.S. officials have reaffirmed their countrys "ironclad" support for Israel while calling for a deescalation. "We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed," Biden said on Friday. The Pentagon and State Department have expressed similar positions. Original article source: Lawmakers send message to White House on impending Iran drone attack to Israel: 'Stand firm' SMUs terminations are foolhardy I graduated from Saint Martins University in 2016. It was the most fulfilling time of my life. My professors (and a few I never got to take classes with) were an integral part of what made it such a great experience for me. The administrations insistence that their restructuring plan wont affect students is just plain wrong. All of the affected faculty go above and beyond for their students I fondly remember many of the conversations I had with them in their offices and all the times they went the extra mile to give us the best possible experience. Not once but twice a group of professors took me and other students to Tacoma to eat at a Chinese hot pot restaurant and visit an Asian grocery store. Mind you, the first time I hadnt even taken any classes with those professors yet. One other occasion I got to go on weekend cabin getaways because the professor of a class I was taking wanted the students to bond on a writing retreat. These and many other things fostered a wonderful community where students and faculty were equals, something the administration does not seem to value. The plan to outsource the 14 affected professors with online programs will render SMU a soulless husk with no purpose beyond extracting money from students, a prime example of the Ship of Theseus paradox. I hope the administration backs out before it is too late and honors the faculty contracts and handbook. Denver Garcia, Shelton I support Thurston County Sheriff Sanders I thank Sheriff Derek Sanders for his transparency and for listening to those in the community who fear being the victim of law enforcement excess. In an attempt to fill a staffing shortage, Sheriff Sanders hired Christopher Burbank as a Lateral Patrol Deputy. Burbank is one of three Tacoma police officers involved in the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis, and who the City of Tacoma paid $500,000 each in exchange for their resignations. Many people were alarmed and expressed their concern. Sanders spoke with the new hire and the result was Burbank resigned. I appreciate Sanders handling of this issue and his apology. He still has my vote. Madeline Bishop, Olympia Abortion is allowed by some religions We are NOT a Christian nation. We have a plethora of religions. And the new abortion bans in the country are infringing on those rights. Just ask the state of Indiana that had their abortion law deemed unconstitutional because it infringed on the Jewish law that allows abortion. Jewish law says a fetus becomes a person when it is born. Edna J. Springer, Tenino Olympia must continue getting people off the streets The Olympia area suffers from a lot of homelessness, but I believe Olympia deals with this problem spectacularly, investing heavily in preventing homelessness and having affordable housing rather than using methods such as spikes and bench rails that force unhoused people off the streets with nowhere to go. Still, Olympia and its surrounding area has a long way to go until the issue is even slightly mitigated, and I think we need to put more resources into helping homeless people get off the street. It is a good look for the city as well as a morally correct thing to do. William Hicks, Olympia Life after prison brought him nothing but shut doors. He wants others to have it better Editors Note: This interview is part of he second season of Voices of Kansas City, a project created in collaboration with KKFI Community Radio to highlight the experiences of Kansas Citians making an impact on the community. Hear the interviews at 6 p.m. Wednesdays on KKFI 90.1 FM, or at KKFI.org. Do you know someone who should be featured in a future season of Voices of Kansas City? Tell us about them using this form. It seems as though Johnny Waller, a local activist who touts the motto dream big, is always smiling. Its as if he knows a little bit more about life the good side and the bad side than others do, and hes happy to now be living on the good side. That was not always the case. As a teen Waller spent several years in prison. When he got out there werent a lot of opportunities coming his way. But, he refused to give up on turning his life around. Today, knowing what he does about the challenges faced by the formerly incarcerated, even after theyve served their time behind bars, Waller is passionate about helping those men and women clear their records and seek second chances at becoming productive citizens. The Star invited Waller to join us in the studios of KKFI radio to share his story of redemption and his fight for legislative changes that would help people who have served their time in prison return to society in a productive way. He recently spoke to Mara Rose Williams, The Stars assistant managing editor for race and equity. That interview, with minor editing for space and clarity, is published here in a question and answer format to share Wallers authentic voice. Meet Johnny Waller The Star: So I know that you are involved with expungement and second chances and words like that. I know what all those things mean, but can you tell us more about what your advocacy is. What is your activism? Yeah. So expungement is a process that you go through here in Missouri under legislation. 610 140. And it pretty much is supposed to seal someone with a criminal records background. And so we do the expungement project to help people clear their background. Theres 1.8 million people in Missouri who have a criminal record. And so we want to help seal them so they can move forward with their life. So are we talking about people who, you know, have too many parking tickets or are we talking about people who maybe committed a felony? Were talking about not so much traffic tickets, but people who have more serious misdemeanors. And then, of course, yes, felony convictions like possession (of drugs) and possession with intent or something of that magnitude. Stealing, forgery, those type of crimes. So when you say we do this and we do that, whos the we youre talking about? So we have a team of me, a former dean, Ellen Suni, who was like the eighth longest serving dean at the UMKC (University of Missouri-Kansas City) Law School. Its a bunch of us. Does the group have a specific name or is it just a group of like-minded activists who come together to do this work? Well, the group is called the CMA, which is the Clear My Record project. It is currently winding down and is in transition of moving out of UMKC so we can find it a different home. But it was started by pretty much a brainchild of Dean Suni, who had been in this work for a very long time. And do you get a lot of people coming in? Tell me how it works. What do you do? So normally people would search out for the word expungement. So when you talk about mass incarceration there are a lot of people with criminal records. So a lot of people get online and the Google search or word of mouth. Especially after people have been denied housing, or denied employment, or food stamps or whatever assistance that they need. So they will either look it up or ask somebody or go to a community organization and they will normally point them towards the expungement clinic because at the time, it was the only like expungement clinic that was free for people who qualify in the income level. So basically youre sealing their criminal record. So lets say if I had some misdemeanor or felony in my history and I came to you, got that expunged and then went for a job, would I have to answer the question, Have you ever been convicted of a felony, yes? Or can I answer that question no since its been expunged? You could answer no. I could answer no. And there would be no penalty for that? No, absolutely not. So expungement just gets rid of it altogether. Its supposed to. Absolutely. Why did you say its supposed to? Well, so theres some caveats, when people run background checks. As you know, theres a lot of companies out here who do third-party background checks and they may scrape information, and the information may be old. And itll still be on there or in some cases when it comes back, they might put the word, like, expunged next to it. Like I received a pardon and when my background was checked it just came back and said, Johnny Waller, pardon. And I was like, Yeah, that doesnt do me much good because its still there. So Im still trying to expand the legislation and work it out to where when people actually do get an expungement, that its no longer visible to anybody, including those who scraped third-party information or dont update their database, because itll still reflect that that person has a criminal record. You talked about a pardon for yourself. And so I really want to get to that. But before I even go that far, let me find out a little bit more about Johnny. So are you a native of Kansas City? No, Im originally from Omaha, Nebraska. Did you grow up in Omaha? Did you grow up in Kansas City? I grew up in Omaha and I came to Kansas City probably when I was 20 years old. Tell me a little bit about your upbringing. What was that like? Well, it wasnt glorious. So I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and so my neighborhood was pretty gang infested. And it turned out I experienced some homelessness when I was young. I joined a gang, got into some altercations and got into a shootout, eventually got shot in the head. And when I was 18 years old, my goodness, I ended up in prison. You ended up in prison? What were you in prison for? Possession and possession with intent to distribute. Drugs? Yeah, distribution. How long were you there? I got two and a half to five years and 18 months. Wow. You said two and a half to five years. Yeah. So how many years did you serve? I did about three years. I went to the parole board. And they said you can get parole as long as you leave the state. And that was to leave Omaha. Yeah. Yeah, I had to leave Omaha. How old were you? I went to prison when I was 18. So I was about 21 and they gave me 24 hours to leave the state. Pack your bags and get to stepping. Right? Yeah. And I ended up in Kansas City. So what did prison do for you? Did it do anything good for you? No, absolutely not. It was it was a very horrible experience. Theres a lot of violence, a lot of abuse whether thats physical abuse, sexual abuse, things. I was a kid. I was like 18. So I didnt really understand the dynamics of prison. But I found out very quickly. And so what I will say is that them sending me out of state probably saved my life. That was probably the goal. How did you choose Kansas City and why? Well, my mother had moved down here, and so that was probably the only reason. At this point my dad, hed been smoking crack for, I dont know how long, since probably I was 11 years old or something. And so that wasnt an option. And my mom had moved to Kansas City and so she was like, You know, you can come down here. And so you get to Kansas City and what do you do with yourself here? Well, I try to, I tried to change my life at first and I applied for probably about 176 jobs. Didnt get any. Try to go to school. First they told me I couldnt get financial aid because I had a felony drug conviction. You know, I tried to get a place to live. They told me no because I had a felony conviction. And so it really became this thing of, like I really couldnt do anything. Like, I have a bunch of hopes and dreams when I got out, but they were quickly crushed. It just sounds to me like even if you do your time, its like another prison when you get out. There are no opportunities. No doors opening for you. This, this, this prison out here is way worse. Its like, its like seeing a world in a glass and youre just stuck outside with your face pressed against it and nobody to let you in. At some point I had asked my mom to ah ... I mean I had went back and got a gun and started doing some other stuff, but I just asked her like, Hey, can I just go back to prison? Like, Id rather just go back to prison. Johnny Waller, who advocates for the those formerly incarcerated, played the part of a banker and grocer during the Western Region Probation and Parole reentry simulation at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center. Showing those whove recently come out of prison how to navigate life on the outside is one of the many things Waller does as an advocate for providing second chances. Do you think that your thought, Ill just go back to prison was a thought unique to you? Or, do you think that others who experience that same kind of thing are in the same mindset: You get out, there are no opportunities, no resources, no doors opening, and youre thinking, I might as well just go back to prison? Absolutely. If you look at the recidivism rates across the country, this isnt unique to Kansas City. Thats why recidivism is so high, because you get out and then youre expected to do all these things, but you cant do any of them. And so at that point, what are you supposed to do? If you cant do anything, what are you supposed to do? And that was the situation that I felt myself. And what did you do with that? My mother, strangely enough, she ... well, not strange because shes my mother. She went up and begged the gas station owner to give me a job. They did. And but again, you know, there is a gas station. They sell liquor and they were like, You have to go get a liquor license. And I went downtown and they were like, Have you been convicted of a felony? I said, Yes. They were like, Well, youre not supposed to have a liquor license. I said, Well, listen, this is probably my last straw before something bad happens. Like I explained the whole situation to them. And they gave me an opportunity and was like hey, Im not going to say who it was, but they gave me an opportunity and I got a liquor license and then I got a job. Wow. And that made a difference? Absolutely. I got to get up and go to work. And it wasnt that much. I think I was making $8.50 an hour or something like that. But like I had a job. I was making 38 cents a day in prison. Youre making $8.50. And so, you know, I started to have a little hope. And then tell me what happened. I mean, at some point you mustve progressed from there. I did. So I got that job and Im still trying to go to school at this time. And its barrier after barrier. First is the drug thing. Then it was that I didnt sign up for the Selective Service when I was 18 years old, and I said I was I never went to high school, never graduated high school. And Im like, I didnt go to high school. And when I was 18, I was in prison. And no one in prison said, Hey, sign up for the Selective Service. So I didnt know that this is what you had to do. And so I went to go get another job and a guy he has since passed on Jimmy Woodley, with Woodley Building Maintenance, he was like, Johnny, dont work for me. You can own a business. I said, No, I cant. Hes like, Yes, you can. I said, No, I cant. Hes like, Shut up. Listen to me. Do this and you can own a business. And I started a cleaning company. Wow. And are you going to school? Did you get in? No, Im still not in school yet because theres still this ... its called a status request letter. You have to send it to the Selective Service. And you have to prove why (you did not sign up). And for me, it was easy because Im like, theres a Nebraska inmate locator. My prison number is 51451. Im on the phone with the lady and she puts it in (the computer). Shes like, Johnny, Waller? Thats you? I said, Yes. I mean, is it really that simple? And and it took them a long time, so I couldnt go to school during this time because I couldnt receive financial aid. When did you finally get the opportunity to go to school? 2013. Whoa! In 2013? Yeah. And you had been trying since when? When did you come out of prison? I had been trying for 11 years. It took you 11 years to get an opportunity to go to school? Absolutely. Because at first it was I couldnt get financial aid because if you had felony drug convictions they wouldnt give you financial aid, period. So I had to wait for the law to change, which took a couple of years. Then it was the status request letter. And that took a while. So it took me over a decade just to go to community college. I went to community college. And is that the only education you have? I assume you graduated from community college. No. I have an associates degree from Johnson County Community College. I have a bachelors degree from Rockhurst University. And then I went back and got a masters degree in organizational leadership and development from Rockhurst University. Wow. That is awesome. I guess that long wait really made you hungry for it, right? It did. Like, you know, not going to high school and all of these things, when I was finally allowed and its crazy to say allowed the opportunity to go to school I went and when I went, I spent five consecutive semesters at Johnson County on the deans list. I got an academic scholarship. Thats how I went to Rockhurst, on an academic scholarship. And so, yeah, I was pretty hungry. It took me a long time just to be able to get educated. And were you going to school while you maintained your job, your cleaning company? Well, no. By the time I got into school I had closed my cleaning company because in between I had my son. When he was 2 years old, he was diagnosed with Stage 4, high risk neuroblastoma. Well, he was probably about 1 and a half. And so I had to move to Memphis, Tennessee, to go to St. Jude Hospital. We had to stay there. So I lived there for a while. And unfortunately, my son, he caught a cold. He didnt have an immune system and he passed away five days before his fourth birthday. Im so sorry. Thank you. And so I ended up closing my business. But I promised my son before he passed away that I would finish school. Like Im going to finish school. And so thats kind of how I got on that journey. But I was working full time actually teaching workshop classes to returning citizens on a daily basis down in the historic Lincoln Building. So Im working full time and then Im going to school full time. Im, like, taking 18 credit hours and working a full-time job. You said returning citizens. Do you mean people who had formerly been incarcerated? Thats correct. Yeah. OK. So you have this education, this lived experience. And with that, do you turn that into what has become your advocacy, what has become your activism? Absolutely. Yeah. So during this course of time I was introduced to Laura McDonald at More2 (the Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity) and at first, you know, anyone who knows Laura McDonald (president of More2), she was like lets change the law. And Im like, what, what are you talking about? So people with drug convictions arent able to get food assistance, and thats just people with drug convictions. What? That sounds crazy to me. Yes, it really is. And so we worked six long years on this provision to allow people to get food assistance who had felony convictions. And you did that when? That was right after my son passed away and while I was going to school. So that was probably 2013, 2014, something like that. And so you got that law changed? Yes, we did. Johnny Waller, who advocates for the those formerly incarcerated, knows how hard it is for people with a criminal record to reenter society. Hes been there. These days he is an activists who helps expunge criminal records to make getting a job, housing and other necessary life services easier. And I bet that just made you like, OK, what else can we do now? What other kind of law can we get changed? Yeah, it did. It started this, this journey. And then we started doing ban the boxes (policies that make employers look at a job candidates qualifications first, and only ask about criminal history later). And then I start, you know, doing some other work for returning citizens. And it really just started the ball rolling because I never thought I didnt know what community organizing was or activism. I didnt know any of that. Right. Like Im, I was from the neighborhood. And so this was all new and fascinating. Im like, We can do what? And people are going to listen? And we could change stuff? And so thats kind of how I started. I do like that you say returning citizens. Thats a term I had not heard before. I had always heard folks referred to as formerly incarcerated. Is that now defunct terminology? Is the new terminology returning citizens? I mean, theres this thing where the language kind of changes, whether thats formerly incarcerated people or returning citizens. So we kind of use them interchangeably. We try to stay away from words like convict or ex-con or felon because they have this negative connotation, you know. And so people will put you in a box. And so we try to use returning citizen or formerly incarcerated person. Do you think that people today are beginning to become more receptive to the idea of returning citizenship and being more supportive of helping people like yourself get that shot they need to turn their lives around and to make a difference and to become full and active, wonderful citizens. Yeah, I think Ive seen a shift in people, you know. So I gave this presentation to the Missouri Foundation for Health on systems change, and part of it is about mental models and narratives. And so I could see some of the narratives changing. Like, you know, we at some point have to stop incarcerating so many people. At some point we have to start giving people jobs. And we have to start giving people housing. And the Department of Corrections was the first organization to sign up to this 20-30 release model ( a jobs initiative for men and women reentering society from incarceration) too, where they set standards. Like this many people have to get jobs ... And so its kind of shifting. I believe its because were realizing that we incarcerate way too many people. Yes. And a large percent of them are people of color, young men of color. Absolutely. When you and I talked earlier, you were telling me about some grassroots kind of community activism that youre involved in, in helping people get to expungement clinics held in various locations around Kansas City. I think you do one at Rockhurst University. Youre a very busy man. Can you tell me a little bit more about those functions, what those things are? Yeah. So of course I have an office at GIFT, which is Generating Income For Tomorrow. And so weve been able to take people who have been formerly incarcerated, had some form of trouble and turn them into businesses. And so I tell people I found freedom through entrepreneurialism. And so thats why I own a business now. And so I try to help people do that. So, I have an office at Uncornered. We do violence prevention and work directly with people who normally people wouldnt work with, and we provide them the resources and help that they need. I want to stop you there with Uncornered. They are a violence disrupting organization and group, right? Can you talk just a little bit more about what it does? So, as I previously stated, I was boxed in, in a corner. And so Uncornered is about how you release the potential in individuals such as myself. And so theres a very uncornered model that we all use to help people discover who they really are. We do that through love, and trust, and building these deep relationships, and letting people know youre not what people are saying you are. This is the thing that you can be. And so we just unlock the potential of people who normally people say have no potential. I would think it has something to do with what you were saying earlier about feeling like you had nowhere else to go, and so you were just wanting to go back to prison, which meant maybe committing more crime. Yeah. What were talking about is love. Like I didnt love myself, I didnt value myself. I didnt even know how to value anything. And so I did anything because it didnt matter. I thought Id be dead anyway. So it kind of didnt matter. And then I learned to love myself and then value things. And then I had stuff. And then everybody wasnt telling me I was a criminal or a gang member or a thug. People started telling me like, Hey, you could go do this, and you can go do that. And for the first time in my life, I believed them. Like, you know what? Maybe I can go do something different. I think thats important to people, because if you are, you know, if you feel like youre in a hopeless situation and you dont value or love yourself, you cant value or love any, you dont know how. And sometimes you need people to help you unlock the potential within yourself so you can go out and do what you are meant to do. Yeah, I totally get it. What else do you do? Yeah. Right now Im working with Municipal Court, shout out to Judge Courtney Wachal, who is the presiding judge. And weve been able to do some great things at the municipal level. So right now were working on getting some housing resources, getting some mental health resources to people. Hopefully itll be where we can get 100 people a month for free for mental health services, jobs, and the clearing of warrants. There are 200,000 outstanding warrants in Kansas City, which is a lot. Judge Wachal on Wednesday, she has a walk-in docket for people who have outstanding warrants so they can go ahead and walk in, get those warrants set aside, get back on the docket so they can take care of their problems. And then every month we at the Lucile Bluford Branch of the Kansas City Public Library hold the Tap In Center (for individuals in Jackson County, Missouri, who need assistance resolving warrants). And thats a partnership between us, Municipal Court, public defenders office and Prosecutor Jean Peters Bakers office. And we have people come in and we help them clear their warrants or provide resources in conjunction with the library they have been a great partner. Im working on some housing legislation. Like I said, I met with KC Tenants. And one of the proposals that I did, the Landlord Mitigation Fund, it actually has already passed. So I have got to meet with Councilman (Johnathan) Duncan so we can go through some of that. Then talk to Decarcerate KC about the PAD program, which is a pre-arrest diversion, something thats been (done) in other cities, including Atlanta. So shout out to Decarcerate KC. And so youll see that coming here very, very shortly. Theres our Housing First Initiative. I wrote the resolution for Kansas City Expungement Day, which is coming up. Its the first Friday of every June every year. And so I got a lot of stuff going. Yeah, youre very busy. But I am hearing a common thread in all that youre doing. It is all about opening doors so that people who do return to our communities have some avenue for success. It sounds like that would be really fulfilling work. Do you love what you do? Talk to me about the passion. I do. Let me say first, like I believe the perpetual punishment of people is wrong. Right? And Ive been made to feel less than a lot of my life due to some mistakes that I made when I was 18 years old. And so, yeah, I love what I do. But more importantly, it benefits the community. I believe theres an untapped resource that we overlook which are people like me, right? We have skill sets, were knowledgeable, we work hard, we have desire, we have drive. Its just that we did some things that, you know, in my case, Im remorseful. When I received my pardon I told them I was guilty and I apologize. That was a different me. I was 18 and so should I be punished for the rest of my life for something that I did when I was 18 years old? Like, I just dont think thats fair. And so now I want to help everybody who has that potential. Theres a million people just like me waiting to get that opportunity, and I dont believe people should have to go through ... Ive got a bunch of degrees and Ive changed laws, and Ive done this and Ive been here and I speak there. And someone shouldnt have to do all that to live a meaningful life. And so Ill take on that burden for them to make sure that they live a meaningful life and their kids can live a meaningful life. And they can find happiness and love and build a family and do all these things that other people take for granted. Like I want people to be able to do that. I just love what I do and I just want to help people. Wow, thats impressive. Heres a question that I like to ask people. Who is Johnny Waller? You tell me who you are. You know, Im a father, brother, lifelong learner. I love the community. Im an educator and a change agent. Thats kind of who I am. I love comic books, too. So many books and Star Trek. But thats essentially the core of my being. After my son passed away (at 4 years old), I realized that, you know, life really isnt promised. And so I wake up every day with this renewed spirit of How can I be helpful? Damon Daniel, who runs Ad Hoc Group Against Crime, told me, Im not successful unless youre successful. And Ive carried that. Ive carried that with me because I want to see my people succeed, right? Because life is short and I just want to help. I want to be helpful. I want to help people. How old are you, Mr. Waller? I am 46 years old. So youre going to be around for a long time? I hope so. I hope so. Well, thank you for what you do. I really appreciate what you do. And Kansas City should appreciate what you do. Thank you. I appreciate that. I really do. According to the Israeli Defense Forces, the only casualty of Iran's attacks against Israel was Amina al-Hasoni, a 7-year-old Bedouin girl in Israel who is now in the hospital fighting for her life. (In its initial report, the IDF said Amina's age was 10.) I think it hit her while she was running away, the girls uncle, Ismail, told the New York Times. The Hasoni family represents the roughly 300,000 Arab Bedouins in the Negev desert, most of whom live in villages unrecognized by Israeli officials, and where few bomb shelters are available for families to escape potential threats. When they heard the air strikes being intercepted overhead, Ismail said the entire family ran toward the front door. Amina nearly made it when a missile fragment fell from the sky and ripped through the houses thin metal roof, knocking her unconscious. During the attack, over 300 projectiles were fired from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen 99% of them were intercepted by the U.S., the United Kingdom, France and Jordan before making landfall. Ismail said he tracked down a car, which drove Amina to the nearest hospital 40 minutes away. The girl's father, Muhammad, described his daughter as someone who "likes to laugh and have fun all the time," and is a good student with a strong personality who doesnt always follow instructions. Muhammad has been taking turns at her hospital bedside, according to the Times. When pressed about Iran's actions, he simply called it "inhumane." JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) In 2022, the U.S. Chamber Foundation created the National Civic Bee, a competition that aims to encourage middle school students to engage in civics and be proactive in their communities. This year, Johnson City was able to take part in this event for the first time and host the qualifying round for students within the area. This year, the second year, Johnson City was lucky enough to say, You know what, we want to participate,' said Cooper Reeves, Director of Marketing and Communication for the Johnson City Chamber of Commerce. When the competition was announced months prior, students started working on a 500-word essay, highlighting an issue they see in their community and how they can use a civic principle to address it. Out of those essays, 20 were chosen to compete on Saturday. I started writing over a weekend a couple of months ago, said Eighth-grade student Ryan Rodig. Then two weeks ago, thats when I started really studying. Saturdays event began with a quiz portion, testing the students on their civic knowledge. Following two rounds of quiz questions, 5 students were chosen to present the topics of their essays. Reeves said all parts of the Civics Bee help to prepare the students to be well-versed in their local governments. They are our next generation of leaders and representatives, said Reeves. So to start them young, understanding, what are our three branches, how do they work? What is my role in that? is incredibly important. Eight-grade student Eleanor Simpson took first place in the competition. She said earning the top prize was worth all of the work it took to get there. It was kind of nice because I did work really hard to get there, said Simpson. She said being well-versed in civics is important for the future. Just so you can know and not just be blind about whats going on in your community, Simpson said. The 3 qualifying students advanced to participate in the state competition. The students, all 8th-graders, taking those three spots are: First Place: Eleanor Simpson Second Place: Ryan Rodig Third Place: Benjamin Park For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. Retail cards are often easier to get than credit cards, although these days people also can start their credit histories using secured cards or credit-builder loans, certified financial planner Liz Weston writes. (Associated Press) Dear Liz: My wife and I plan to leave our house to our four children. My concern is that one may want to sell and split the proceeds; another may want to keep the house, rent it and divide up the income; and of course there's always the real possibility that one may want to move in and live in it (we live in a nice community in California). My goal is to prevent doing anything that drives a wedge between them. Any advice on how best to approach this issue short of requiring the house be sold? Answer: Youve identified some of the complicating factors of leaving property to multiple heirs. There are many others, including changing circumstances and inclinations. The one who now wants to move into the property may be nicely settled elsewhere when the time comes. Or the one whos keen on creating a rental may decide that screening tenants, collecting rent and fielding 3 a.m. calls about plumbing problems is too much hassle. Some of the heirs may be in a better position than others to absorb the ongoing costs of maintaining the home, including taxes, insurance and repairs. Even if their financial circumstances are roughly equal, they may have trouble agreeing on the timing and cost of repairs or improvements. And thats assuming there are no reversals of fortune. Someone who is adamant about keeping the home may find themselves in need of funds later. And so on. Your life isnt immune to change either, by the way. You, or your widow, may want to downsize someday or need to sell the house to fund long-term care needs. An experienced estate planning attorney can help you sort through your options because this is a common scenario and one that can be approached in different ways, including requiring the house to be sold, creating a trust or forming a family partnership to manage the property. The attorney also can help you frame the discussion youll want to have with the kids. Knowing their current preferences and circumstances may be helpful, but given your goal, its also a good opportunity to emphasize the importance of family unity. Let your kids know you expect them to put family first and that harmonious relationships are worth more than any piece of real estate could be. Dear Liz: I am recently divorced but was married for 20 years. My ex is 12 years older and he waited until 70 to start collecting Social Security benefits. I am 62 and self-employed. My retirement benefit is greater than half of his (but not by much). It is my understanding that after his death I can collect his full benefit, provided I am at least 67 when I apply, even if I start taking my own benefit now at 62. Is that correct? Story continues Answer: Yes, but he could live a long time. Starting your own benefit now means youll get much smaller checks for years, perhaps even decades, compared with what youd get by waiting. Plus, any benefit you take before your full retirement age would be subject to the earnings test, with $1 withheld for every $2 you make over a certain amount ($22,320 in 2024). You may not have much choice, but if you do, waiting to apply is usually the best option. Dear Liz: You recently answered a question from someone who was rejected for a credit card because of a lack of credit history. Years ago, my wife was rejected for similar reasons. She signed up for a card with a local retailer, then successfully reapplied for the credit card six months later. Maybe the industry has consolidated enough that this wont work anymore, but it did then. Answer: Retail cards are often easier to get than credit cards, although these days people also can start their credit histories using secured cards or credit-builder loans. Secured cards offer a credit line equal to a deposit made to the issuing bank. With a credit builder loan, the borrowed amount is stored in a savings account or certificate of deposit that the borrower can claim after a set number of monthly payments. The original questioner already had a credit history, however, along with high credit scores. The issuer that rejected their application cited a lack of an installment loan history. In other words, there was no mortgage, student, auto or personal loan showing on their credit reports. Thats not something that typically would keep someone from getting approved for a credit card, hence the recommendation that the questioner call the issuer and ask for a reconsideration. Liz Weston, Certified Financial Planner, is a personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the "Contact" form at asklizweston.com. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A look into 4 families who lost $422K from a SC pool company HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) Sister station News13 is looking into a Myrtle Beach pool company after receiving complaints from viewers that the company was collecting payments but not finishing the job. Cascade Custom Pools is accused of digging a hole, installing some utilities, plaster or concrete and then not returning for weeks or months if ever. Its business license was suspended by the state as of April 3. Complaint after complaint from viewers, News13 has discovered at least a dozen families, many from the Grand Strand, who say their experience with Cascade cost them thousands of dollars. Many of them are still without a pool. We met with multiple contractors, multiple pool builders, and finally met with Cascade. They were actually our last company that we met with, Samantha Tipton said. , The Masters: How much does the champion earn for winning the tournament? The Tiptons said they shelled out more than $100,000 and honored Cascades contract. Shortly after signing is when the issues began. The hot tub wall was poured incorrectly with the concrete, the plumbing was done incorrectly in the hot tub, Tipton said. As the problems started piling up, Tipton says thats when communication from Cascade stalled. That is when they just completely disappear for months on it, she said. 26 weeks later, Tipton said their contract is still not fulfilled. So, were stuck in this position that weve paid at this point now, 93% of our contract, and they wont give us our papers, she said. They wont give us our pump, they wont give us our heater. For the Dascher family, they did receive their pool equipment. However, they say it was previously used. The equipment that was delivered to us was used from back in 2021, Meredith Dascher said. It had claims on its warranty already. Seven months into the project, the Daschers, like the Tiptons, say they went through similar issues. They had 97% of our money, Dascher said. And we had up to the tiling and coping, we had no decking, we had no pavers, nothing. We basically begged every day for work to be done. Six months after the construction started, the Daschers said they received an amended contract from the company saying the pool would be down in 60 days. Way past the 60 days, it still hasnt been completed. Memorial service for daughter of longtime WBT radio host Were waiting for the day that we get a letter saying You have a lien on your house because Cascade did not pay their subcontractors,' Dascher said. For the Moore family, that actually became a reality for them. On December 8, we were served by an attorney, Linda Moore said. And we have a lien on our home for over $8,000. Its $8,900. Same thing, same pattern, Dennis Moore said. Not answering emails, not answering texts. The Moores knew it was time to find someone else to finish the pool, because they had already paid Cascade $150,000. I call it a pool Ponzi scheme, OK, Dennis Moore said. They took the deposits, did minimal work and took that money to try and fix problems and take care of other projects. The Belliveau family took the same action when their level of issues reached a breaking point for them. You wake up in the middle of the night thinking, Wheres our money?' Lydia Belliveau said. How are we going to get this finished? Both the Moores and Belliveaus had to pay a new company to fix Cascades work. So, to say the least, we have had to dig into our life savings, Belliveau said. And ended up paying so much more than we ever anticipated. Its almost like paying for two swimming pools. Between all four families News13 spoke with, they are out a combined $422,000 and theyve yet to take their first swim. We went looking for answers. The Better Business Bureau said it found 13 closed complaints within the last year, but none of them were resolved. Cascade had an F rating with the BBB. News13 first started calling Cascade in March, to no answer. A reporter then went to their office on American Way in Myrtle Beach, only to find the door locked with a note saying by appointment only. Weve reached out multiple times since then. Late this week, News13 finally heard back from Cascade owner Chris Harrington, who said there are issues within the company but claimed they are actively working to find solutions. All of our homeowners are going to have an email, either by the end of the day tomorrow or Saturday at the latest, kind of what our plans are, he said. When asked why its taken this long for a response: Were just behind schedule, honestly, Harrington said. Everything just got backed up a little bit. News13 asked Harrington if the current resolution includes returning money. Its basically working with another contractor to kind of close up our open contracts right now, he said. Rowan County family cleaning up after tornados 100 mph winds destroys buildings on property Harrington did not say the name of the contractor. Theres way too many people, way too many businesses that have been affected by this and way too many individuals who have been affected by this, Dennis Moore said. We just have to stop the madness. If you have experienced similar issues with Cascade, please email news@wbtw.com or sdenton@wbtw.com. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. What Louisiana voters should know before April 27 election: Early voting times BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) The Municipal General Election is set for Saturday, April 27. Secretary of State Nancy Landry reminds residents of the early voting period before heading to the polls. Early voting for the election will be held from Saturday, April 13 to Saturday, April 20. Sunday, April 14 is excluded from this period. Voting hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Residents who decide to early vote are encouraged to use the GeauxVote mobile app to find parish early voting locations, the Election Day voting site or view their sample ballot, according to a news release. Louisiana lawmakers reject minimum wage raise and protections for LGBTQ+ people in the workplace Residents should bring their ID with them to vote, whether that is a Louisiana drivers license, Louisiana special ID card, digital license via LA Wallet or a generally recognized picture identification with name and signature, according to a news release. Latest News For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com. Love him or loathe him - can jurors be fair to Donald Trump? By Jack Queen NEW YORK (Reuters) - When prospective New York City jurors gather for Donald Trump's hush money criminal trial on Monday, it may be tough to find ones who don't have an opinion about the brash businessman-turned-politician who began building his real estate empire in Manhattan decades ago. They will be questioned by lawyers for the Republican presidential candidate and the state of New York seeking to uncover biases and possible political agendas before impaneling 12 jurors to hear what could be the only criminal case Trump faces before the November U.S. election. There is almost nobody in New York who doesnt have an opinion about Donald Trump, said trial lawyer Paul Applebaum, who is not involved in the case. A lot of people think hes either Satan incarnate or the second coming of Jesus." But even if Trump is a polarizing figure and Manhattan is a Democratic stronghold, having an opinion will not be enough to disqualify a potential juror. Justice Juan Merchan, overseeing the case, has indicated he will not disqualify people based solely on whether they lean Republican or Democratic. Political orientation is not necessarily a cause for bias," said jury consultant Melissa Gomez of IMS Legal Strategies. "But if its so strong that the person will be motivated to convict, thats a problem. At a press conference on Friday, Trump was asked about the start of his trial. "Jury selection is largely luck. It depends who you get," he said. The criminal case is one of four Trump faces and the first ever for a past or present U.S. president. While a conviction would not bar Trump from retaking office should he defeat Democratic President Joe Biden, a Reuters/Ipsos poll this week showed it could be a critical factor for voters. Some 64% of registered voters in the five-day poll, which closed on Monday, described the charges as at least "somewhat serious," compared to 34% who said the charges lacked seriousness. Trump has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records to cover up a sexual encounter that porn star Stormy Daniels says they had. Trump denies having had the encounter with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Jury selection is likely to take roughly a week in a case expected to last six to eight weeks. Potential jurors are randomly selected from voter rolls and other state records. Trump has routinely used his legal troubles to rally political support and raise funds. He frequently takes to his social media platform to lash out at Merchan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat who brought the case. Trump accuses them of carrying out a plot to thwart his election campaign. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DONALD TRUMP? There are more than a dozen questions about Trump in the list of 42 Merchan approved last week for an initial jury questionnaire. The questions include whether prospective jurors have attended a rally or campaign event for Trump, whether they follow Trump on social media and whether they have feelings about how he has been treated in the hush money case. Other questions cover broader topics such as peoples professions, educational backgrounds and hobbies. Potential jurors will also be asked where they get their news and whether they have ever supported extremist groups that include the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and Antifa. Lawyers will winnow the jury pool down in a process known as voir dire. Questioning will taken place in open court, but jurors will be able to speak to the lawyers and judge separately if they want to keep certain answers private. Merchan has ruled the jury pool will remain anonymous, citing potential harassment. But prosecutors, defense lawyers and jury consultants will be given the names of potential jurors, allowing them to trawl the internet and social media for signs of potential bias. The prosecution and defense will each be able to disqualify 10 people without giving a reason using peremptory strikes. To dismiss any other potential juror, lawyers must convince Merchan there is reason to believe they cannot be impartial. Trumps lawyers sought to move the case to a different jurisdiction, arguing he could not get a fair trial in Manhattan, where Biden defeated Trump with nearly 85% of the vote in the 2020 election. An appeals court on April 8 denied Trump's bid to delay the trial. Both sides will need to be on guard for stealth jurors who have an agenda but pretend to be neutral. That risk is especially high in Trumps case given its implications for the election, according to legal experts. The political climate in Manhattan seems to favor the government, but it only takes one juror to prevent a conviction, so thats the challenge for prosecutors, said trial consultant Jeff Frederick. Trump's legal team could use his campaign's polling data, mailing lists and voter databases to find individuals or precise demographic attributes likely to be sympathetic to Trump, Frederick said. "They know who's receptive to Trump's message and who isn't," Frederick said. Trump's camp will likely target less educated, working-class men who have negative views of law enforcement and get their news from more conservative media outlets, legal experts said. Conversely, prosecutors will likely search for people with college degrees and white collar jobs who get their news from more liberal news outlets like MSNBC. They are likely to prioritize getting women on the jury, according to legal experts. Asking people the right questions, reading their demeanor and researching their backgrounds ahead of time can go a long way, but jury selection ultimately involves a bit of luck, Applebaum said. Picking one in this case is going to feel like going over Niagara Falls in a barrel, Applebaum said. (Reporting by Jack Queen in New York; Editing by Howard Goller and Noeleen Walder) Two senior Republican lawmakers, the chairs of the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees, say their colleagues are echoing Russian state propaganda against Ukraine. Researchers who study disinformation say Reps. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and Michael McCaul, R-Texas, are merely acknowledging what has been clear for some time: Russian propaganda aimed at undermining U.S. and European support for Ukraine has steadily seeped into Americas political conversation over the past decade, taking on a life of its own. McCaul, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Puck News he thinks Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and its infected a good chunk of my partys base. Turner, chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, told CNN that anti-Ukraine messages from Russia are being uttered on the House floor. Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Mike Turner, R-Ohio, leave a House Republican Conference candidate forum (Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images file) For the past decade, since Russias first military incursion into Ukraine in 2014, Moscow has spread propaganda and disinformation in a bid to undercut U.S. and European military support for Ukraine, according to U.S. and Western officials. Some of the arguments, distortions and falsehoods spread by Russia have taken root, mostly among right-wing pro-Trump outlets and Republican politicians, researchers say, including that Ukraines government is too corrupt to benefit from Western aid and that the Biden family has alleged corrupt ties to Ukraine. Russia, in keeping with traditional propaganda techniques, seeks to make its case and tarnish Ukraine through a mixture of outright falsehoods, half-truths, inferences or simply amplifying and promoting arguments already being made by American or European commentators and politicians, researchers say. The propaganda is sometimes spread covertly, through fake online accounts, or openly by Russian officials and state media. As a result, the origin of some allegations or criticisms is often opaque, especially when a certain accusation or perception has gained wide acceptance, leaving no clear fingerprints. Early in the war, a false story boosted by Russian propaganda that the U.S. had helped Ukraine build biological weapons labs gained traction on right-wing social media and was touted by then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Russia also is conducting a parallel propaganda campaign in Europe. Belgiums prime minister said Thursday that his government is investigating alleged Russian bribes to members of the European Parliament as part of Moscows campaign to undermine support for Ukraine. Czech law enforcement officials last month alleged that a former pro-Russian member of Ukraines parliament, Viktor Medvedchuk, was behind a Prague-based Russian propaganda network designed to promote opposition to aiding Ukraine. Here are some examples of Republican lawmakers using arguments often promoted by Russian propaganda: Buying yachts When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with members of Congress behind closed doors in December to appeal for more U.S. help for his countrys troops, some lawmakers raised questions about Ukraine allegedly buying yachts with American aid money. Zelenskyy made clear that was not the case, according to Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a strong supporter of arming Ukraine. I think the notion of corruption came up because some have said we cant do it, because people will buy yachts with the money, Tillis told CNN. [Zelenskyy] disabused people of those notions. Where did the yacht rumor come from? Pro-Russian actors and websites promoted a narrative alleging Zelenskyy bought two superyachts with U.S. aid dollars. One Russia-based propaganda site, DC Weekly, published a story last November that included photos of two luxury yachts, called Lucky Me and My Legacy, which it alleged were bought for $75 million. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a vocal opponent of military aid to Ukraine, in November retweeted a post about the alleged yacht purchase from the Strategic Culture Foundation, a Russian-based propaganda outlet directed by Russias intelligence services, according to the Treasury Department. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the organization, accusing it of spreading disinformation and interfering in U.S. elections. Another outspoken critic of aid to Ukraine, Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, also made a similar claim. In a December interview with former President Donald Trumps White House adviser Steve Bannon, Vance claimed that members of Congress wanted to cut Social Security benefits to provide more aid to Ukraine, and that money would allegedly be used for Zelenskyys ministers to buy a bigger yacht. There are people who would cut Social Security, throw our grandparents into poverty. Why? So that one of Zelenskyys ministers can buy a bigger yacht? Vance said. Kiss my ass, Steve. Its not happening. Donald Trump looks as J.D. Vance speaks. (Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post via Getty Images file) The tale of Zelenskyys luxury yacht, however, turned out to be totally false. The yachts cited in the DC Weekly article remain up for sale, the owners told The Associated Press. Two academics at Clemson University, disinformation researchers Darren Linvill and Patrick Warren, found that DC Weekly ran numerous stories copied from other sites that were rewritten by artificial intelligence engines. The articles had bylines with fake names along with headshots copied from other online sites. DC Weekly appeared to be a Russian effort to launder false information through a seemingly legitimate news site as part of an attempt to undermine U.S. support for Ukraine, according to the researchers. Asked by reporters about Vances comments, Tillis said: I think its bullshit. ...If youre talking about giving money to Ukrainian ministers total and unmitigated bullshit. Greenes office did not respond to a request for comment. Vances spokesperson said the senator was making a rhetorical point about how he opposed sending U.S. assistance to what he sees as a corrupt country, but was not asserting the yacht stories online were accurate. Vances office referred NBC News to an earlier response to the BBC on the same topic: For years, everyone in the West recognized that Ukraine was one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Somehow everyone forgot that just as we started sending them billions of dollars in foreign aid. Enabling corruption Russian state media for years has painted Ukraine as deeply corrupt, and has argued that the U.S. and its allies are wasting money and military hardware by assisting such an allegedly corrupt government. This is absolutely a line that they have pushed, and then once it appears in the Western ecosystem, other [Russian] media picks it up and it gets recycled back, said Bret Schafer, a senior fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy. This line of argument has gained traction partly because Ukraine does face a genuine corruption problem. Russias effort to focus attention on corruption in Ukraine reflects a long-established propaganda method of using facts or partial truths to anchor a broader assertion or accusation, sometimes making a leap in logic, Schafer and other researchers said. Russias message amounts to: Ukraine is corrupt, therefore U.S. and Western aid will be stolen and wasted. Schafer said it was ironic for Russia, a country mired in corruption and kleptocracy, to be leveling accusations about corruption. Republican Rep. Mary Miller has said she strongly opposes more assistance for Ukraine because it amounts to sending cash to corrupt oligarchs. With Zelensky coming to DC this week to ask for more money, I will continue to vote AGAINST sending your tax $$ to corrupt oligarchs in Ukraine for a proxy war that could have ended in 22, Miller wrote in a post on X in December. The Illinois lawmaker also echoed another assertion that often appears in Russian media, that the Biden administration allegedly undermined efforts by Russia to avoid war with Ukraine. A peace deal was on the table that [Ukraine] and [Russia] were both ready to sign, but Biden said NO, she wrote. There was in fact no proposed peace agreement that Russia and Ukraine were prepared to sign before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to U.S. and European officials. As Russian troops massed on the border of Ukraine, Western governments urged Russia not to invade and warned there would be economic and diplomatic consequences. Reuters has reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a possible deal to avert a war that had been discussed with Kyiv by Russias envoy to Ukraine. The Kremlin said the report was inaccurate and has said Russia tried for years to arrive at an understanding with Ukraine. As for corruption in Ukraine, Zelenskyy has vowed to tackle the problem, sacking senior officials in some recent cases. But some civil society groups have criticized his approach and Ukrainians say corruption is the countrys second-most serious problem, after the Russian invasion, according to a poll conducted last year. In an annual survey, Transparency International said Ukraine made progress toward addressing the issue and now ranks 104th out of 180 countries on its Corruption Perceptions Index, climbing 12 places up from its previous ranking. Ukraine is not alone among countries that receive U.S. and other foreign aid but struggle with corruption. Supporters of assisting Ukraine argue it would undermine Americas influence in the world and its humanitarian efforts if Washington withheld foreign aid from every country where there were reports of corruption. Millers office did not respond to a request for comment. The Biden family and Ukraine Republicans have repeatedly alleged that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter have corrupt ties to Ukraine, and that they sought $5 million in bribes from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma to protect the firm from an investigation by Ukraines prosecutor general. There is no credible evidence for the allegations. A key source for the accusations against the Bidens is a former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, who was arrested in February on federal charges of fabricating the bribery claims. Smirnov says he was fed information by Russian intelligence. Republicans had heavily promoted Smirnovs allegations against the Bidens, seeing them as crucial to a planned impeachment effort against the president that has since fizzled. In my estimation, that is probably the clearest example of Russian propaganda working its way into the American political system, said Emerson Brooking, a resident senior fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab of the Atlantic Council. GOP Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona cited the false bribery allegations in expressing his opposition to providing assistance to Ukraine. In exchange for bribe money from Ukraine, Joe Biden has dished out over $100 billion in taxpayer money to fund the war in Ukraine. I will not assist this corruption by sending more money to the authoritarian Ukrainian regime, Gosar said in a statement in October. Gosars office did not respond to a request for comment. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com KITTERY, Maine Maine Meat has been granted the permits it needs to relocate and expand, adding a restaurant and bar. It's a project that's being hailed as key to the continued growth of the Foreside area downtown. Separately, a retail marijuana business on the Kittery traffic circle has been approved, too. The Kittery Planning Board approved both projects after a final review April 11. Maine Meat adding restaurant, taking over Best Automotive building Shannon Hill, right, gets emotional while speaking with Best Automotive owner Cissy Furbish about her selling the property to her and Jarrod Spangler, owners of Maine Meat. The three are seen at Best Automotive Monday, March 11, 2024. Maine Meat, co-owned by Shannon Hill and Jarrod Spangler, will take over and renovate the Best Automotive repair shop building at 2 Rogers Road. The existing building will be transformed into Maine Meat's new butcher shop, while a 2,076-square-foot addition will house a new 45-seat restaurant and bar. Hill and Spangler will eventually close Maine Meat's original 7 Wallingford Square location to move the business into its new home. The proposal received vocal and written support from numerous community members, including restaurateur Michael Landgarten, Hill and Spanglers former landlord at 7 Wallingford Square. Many towns have had economic revivals. Because of businesses like Maine Meat, Kittery has an economic revival with a soul. And now Maine Meat is ready to expand and grow, Landgarten, the founder and former owner of Lils Cafe and other Kittery restaurants, wrote to the Kittery Planning Board. They have wisely and fortunately for us set their sights on a critical corner in the Foreside neighborhood. Standing at the intersection of multiple well-traveled streets their meat shop and new restaurant will, once complete, serve as a hub that connects now disparate parts of downtown. It will make Walgreens, Tributary and Blue Mermaid feel closer to The Rice Public Library, Lils, et al," Landgarten added. "Suddenly Traip Academy wont feel so isolated. This will enliven that corner similar to the way the development of 7 Wallingford Square woke up the downtown. And it will do so with already established and admired local business owners at the helm making the evolution of the downtown feel organic and natural, which is rare nowadays. Best Automotive, owned by Cissy Furbish, has remained open at 2 Rogers Road for now. Marijuana shop coming to Kittery traffic circle after all Mitchell Delaney, owner of Indico medical marijuana dispensary in Kittery, reacts as he is drawn as the first winner in the town's marijuana retail shop lottery Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021 at Town Hall. Mitch Delaney, owner of the medical marijuana shop Indico, will convert a nearby State Road parcel that is currently home La Casita restaurant and a single-family housing unit into a recreational cannabis shop. The 181-185 State Road site at the town traffic circle is planned to be demolished to make way for a new, 2,000-square-foot, adult-use marijuana shop, the third one approved in Kittery. The new business would be sited in roughly the same location as the existing restaurant, and one curb-cut would be removed, project records state. The applicant proposes a one-way entrance off the traffic circle, and a one-way exit onto the spur road between the traffic circle and highway on-ramp. Parking is met in excess of the minimum requirements, and the applicant proposes sidewalks internally and along the frontage of the entire lot. The proposed development would connect to existing Town water, sewer, and electric utilities. Delaney was selected at random in a fall 2021 lottery held by the town to determine the ranking order of who could apply for a retail marijuana business license. The boards final approval Thursday caps off a multi-year effort for Delaney to bring his business model to the traffic circle, a short distance from Indicos 120 State Road storefront. During the sketch review of the proposal in late 2022, previous Planning Board members denied the plan, citing concerns over traffic the shop could bring to the roundabout and potential problems for emergency vehicles passing through. The plan was denied before Delaney and his team could offer the results of a traffic study, leading to Delaney filing an appeal in York County Superior Court. The town later deemed the board to have erred in its rejection of Delaneys proposal and agreed for him to resubmit the plan for review. The 181-185 State Road properties are both owned by Penn Concessions LLC, the registered agent for which is York attorney David Ballou, according to town property records and state business filings. Mike Sudak of Attar Engineering represented both applicants at the evening meeting. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Maine Meat's big project, Kittery pot shop both approved A dozen major news organizations shared a letter Sunday pressing President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to meet on the debate stage. With the contours of the 2024 general election now coming into clear focus, we the undersigned national news organizations urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participating in general election debates before Novembers election, the letter read. Networks including ABC News, CBS News, CNN, NBCUniversal News Group and FOX News Media, as well as media outlets The Associated Press, C-SPAN, NewsNation, Noticias Univision (Univision Network News), NPR, PBS NewsHour and USA TODAY signed onto the letter. C-SPAN joins other major news organizations to urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participate in general election debates prior to November's election. pic.twitter.com/QoQtiZku2P CSPAN (@cspan) April 14, 2024 If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high. Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation, the letter concluded. Trump has recently called for debates against Biden to happen earlier and more frequently than in 2016 although whether he actually will participate remains to be seen. President Trump is willing to debate anytime, anyplace, and anywhere and the time to start these debates is now, Trumps campaign said in a letter last week. Trump declined to debate his opponents for the Republican nomination, forcing the Republican National Committee to host primary debates without him. In 2022, the RNC voted not to participate in debates hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates after Trump complained about the timing, format, and moderators. But now Trump seems to have changed his mind. Biden has so far played coy about debates, telling ABC News in March that his participation in debates depends on [Trumps] behavior. In 2020 when the two candidates debated, Trump spewed falsehoods, frequently interrupted, refused to condemn white supremacy and cast doubt on election integrity. He often steamrolled moderators, and his actions prompted Biden to let out an exasperated, Would you shut up, man? during a September face-off. In response to Trumps recent call to debate Biden anytime, anywhere, any place, the current presidents campaign pointed to a statement the president made in February: If I were him, Id want to debate me, too. Hes got nothing else to do. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone halbergman / Getty Images/iStockphoto No matter the state of the economy, housing is always one of the biggest monthly expenditures that Americans face. However, the housing market at this time is especially inflated, due to factors rippling out from the pandemic such as early supply chain disruptions on building materials, low housing inventory and high mortgage rates. Find Out: In Less Than a Decade, You Wont Be Able To Afford Homes in These ZIP Codes Read Next: How To Get $340 Per Year in Cash Back on Gas and Other Things You Already Buy First-time homebuyers are struggling to buy a home, and existing homeowners are feeling the pinch in their mortgage payments. Its so bad that the former secretary of housing and urban development under President Barack Obama, Shaun Donovan, recently told PBS News, Ive been doing housing work for 30 years the housing affordability challenge is the worst Ive ever seen in my career. GOBankingRates set out to find out how much Americans mortgage payments have increased in each state over the past decade by getting the February 2024 and February 2014 home values for every state. Additionally, GOBankingRates sought the 30-year fixed rate mortgage averages from both 2014 (4.37%) and 2024 (6.94%) from Freddie Mac. Read on to see the effect of a decade on mortgage payments. Allard1 / Getty Images/iStockphoto Alabama February 2014 home value : $128,167 February 2024 home value : $217,961 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $512 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,153 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 125.37% Check Out: 8 States To Move to If You Dont Want To Pay Taxes on Social Security Be Aware: 7 Florida Cities That Could Be Headed for a Housing Crisis Sponsored: Credit card debt keeping you up at night? Find out if you can reduce your debt with these 3 steps brytta / Getty Images Alaska February 2014 home value : $260,819 February 2024 home value : $362,644 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $1,041 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,918 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 84.26% Discover More: 8 Places Where Houses Are Suddenly Major Bargains Arizona February 2014 home value : $192,436 February 2024 home value : $436,307 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $768 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,308 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 200.47% Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com Arkansas February 2014 home value : $117,907 February 2024 home value : $198,530 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $471 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,050 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 123.14% DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto California February 2014 home value : $384,541 February 2024 home value : $785,294 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $1,535 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $4,154 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 170.63% Story continues Colorado February 2014 home value : $253,742 February 2024 home value : $550,989 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $1,013 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,915 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 187.77% Read More: 5 Types of Homes That Will Plummet in Value in 2024 James Kirkikis / Shutterstock.com Connecticut February 2014 home value : $247,711 February 2024 home value : $409,905 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $989 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,168 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 119.30% AndreyKrav / iStock.com Delaware February 2014 home value : $218,301 February 2024 home value : $371,763 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $871 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,967 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 125.68% Wirestock / Getty Images Florida February 2014 home value : $166,288 February 2024 home value : $409,638 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $664 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,167 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 226.46% Darryl Brooks / Shutterstock.com Georgia February 2014 home value : $138,646 February 2024 home value : $323,386 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $553 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,711 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 209.10% Explore More: The Best Place To Live on a $100,000 Salary in Every State Art Wager / Getty Images Hawaii February 2014 home value : $536,391 February 2024 home value : $967,296 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $2,141 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $5,117 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 138.98% Ric Schafer / Shutterstock.com Idaho February 2014 home value : $170,896 February 2024 home value : $443,630 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $682 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,347 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 244.02% xavierarnau / Getty Images Illinois February 2014 home value : $150,696 February 2024 home value : $255,278 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $602 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,350 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 124.49% Ron_Thomas / Getty Images Indiana February 2014 home value : $115,056 February 2024 home value : $231,797 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $459 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,226 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 166.99% Learn More: Im a Real Estate Agent: These 5 Cities Are Becoming Unaffordable Laurens Hoddenbagh / Shutterstock.com Iowa February 2014 home value : $126,296 February 2024 home value : $212,618 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $504 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,125 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 123.10% DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto Kansas February 2014 home value : $118,509 February 2024 home value : $218,078 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $473 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,154 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 143.87% alexeys / Getty Images/iStockphoto Kentucky February 2014 home value : $105,366 February 2024 home value : $196,576 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $421 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,040 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 147.24% SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images Louisiana February 2014 home value : $152,998 February 2024 home value : $195,141 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $611 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,032 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 69.03% Check Out: ChatGPT Unveils: 5 Worst Cities To Buy a House in 2024 EJJohnsonPhotography / Getty Images/iStockphoto Maine February 2014 home value : $175,417 February 2024 home value : $379,011 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $700 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,005 10-year % change in mortgage payment:186.33% krblokhin / Getty Images/iStockphoto Maryland February 2014 home value : $268,462 February 2024 home value : $418,225 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $1,072 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,213 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 106.45% SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images Massachusetts February 2014 home value : $322,110 February 2024 home value : $616,983 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $1,286 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $3,264 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 153.84% Vito Palmisano / Getty Images/iStockphoto Michigan February 2014 home value : $111,270 February 2024 home value : $230,579 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $444 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,220 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 174.62% Discover More: Why Floridas Retirees Are Fleeing And Where Theyre Going Instead dreamyguy1 / Getty Images/iStockphoto Minnesota February 2014 home value : $182,986 February 2024 home value : $328,696 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $730 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,739 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 138.05% iStock.com Mississippi February 2014 home value : $108,191 February 2024 home value : $170,810 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $432 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $904 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 109.22% STLJB / Shutterstock.com Missouri February 2014 home value : $124,287 February 2024 home value : $239,144 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $496 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,265 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 154.99% Dean_Fikar / Getty Images/iStockphoto Montana February 2014 home value : $201,826 February 2024 home value : $450,517 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $806 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,383 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 195.82% Find Out: Barbara Corcoran Says, Forget About Florida, Move Here for Cheap Homes Aspects and Angles / Shutterstock.com Nebraska February 2014 home value : $131,909 February 2024 home value : $251,976 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $527 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,333 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 153.15% tobiasjo / Getty Images Nevada February 2014 home value : $193,515 February 2024 home value : $441,950 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $773 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,338 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 202.66% DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images New Hampshire February 2014 home value : $222,129 February 2024 home value : $475,398 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $887 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,515 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 183.62% Jim / Flickr.com New Jersey February 2014 home value : $292,407 February 2024 home value : $519,941 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $1,167 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,751 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 135.64% Be Aware: A $150K Income Is Lower Middle Class In These High-Cost Cities Michael E Halstead / Shutterstock.com New Mexico February 2014 home value : $162,708 February 2024 home value : $293,801 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $650 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,554 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 139.30% HaizhanZheng / Getty Images/iStockphoto New York February 2014 home value : $230,212 February 2024 home value : $428,712 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $919 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,268 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 146.79% Ryan Herron / Getty Images/iStockphoto North Carolina February 2014 home value : $153,492 February 2024 home value : $324,113 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $613 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,715 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 179.84% DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images North Dakota February 2014 home value : $198,435 February 2024 home value : $252,455 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $792 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,336 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 68.60% Read Next: How Much Household Income Will Be Considered Upper Middle Class in 5 Years? BorisVetshev / Shutterstock.com Ohio February 2014 home value : $114,204 February 2024 home value : $218,937 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $456 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,158 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 154.06% JTSorrell / Getty Images Oklahoma February 2014 home value : $112,502 February 2024 home value : $200,364 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $449 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,060 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 136.02% jmoor17 / Shutterstock.com Oregon February 2014 home value : $233,107 February 2024 home value : $494,780 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $931 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,618 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 181.29% luminouslens / Getty Images/iStockphoto Pennsylvania February 2014 home value : $153,241 February 2024 home value : $256,822 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $612 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,359 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 122.10% Check Out: How Far a $100,000 Salary Goes in Americas 50 Largest Cities lucky-photographer / Getty Images/iStockphoto Rhode Island February 2014 home value : $222,066 February 2024 home value : $448,778 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $886 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,374 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 167.82% SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto South Carolina February 2014 home value : $144,335 February 2024 home value : $289,251 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $576 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,530 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 165.58% DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images South Dakota February 2014 home value : $160,012 February 2024 home value : $293,085 February 2014 average mortgage payment: $639 February 2024 average mortgage payment: $1,550 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 142.74% benedek / Getty Images Tennessee February 2014 home value : $137,693 February 2024 home value : $310,207 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $550 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,641 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 198.56% Learn More: What Income Level Is Considered Middle Class in Your State? belterz / Getty Images Texas February 2014 home value : $146,971 February 2024 home value : $299,474 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $587 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,584 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 170.03% johnnya123 / iStock.com Utah February 2014 home value : $224,197 February 2024 home value : $519,469 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $895 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,748 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 207.06% Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com Vermont February 2014 home value : $216,671 February 2024 home value : $375,943 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $865 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,989 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 129.94% ferrantraite / Getty Images Virginia February 2014 home value : $228,844 February 2024 home value : $383,327 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $914 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $2,028 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 121.98% Read Next: Heres What the US Minimum Wage Was the Year You Were Born 400tmax / Getty Images Washington February 2014 home value : $254,897 February 2024 home value : $589,807 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $1,018 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $3,120 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 206.65% ablokhin / iStock.com West Virginia February 2014 home value : $98,985 February 2024 home value : $155,333 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $395 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $822 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 107.96% Ron and Patty Thomas / Getty Images Wisconsin February 2014 home value : $153,064 February 2024 home value : $289,236 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $611 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,530 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 150.42% RiverNorthPhotography / Getty Images Wyoming February 2014 home value : $208,744 February 2024 home value : $333,745 February 2014 average mortgage payment : $833 February 2024 average mortgage payment : $1,766 10-year % change in mortgage payment: 111.88% Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates found the February 2024 and February 2014 home values for every state as well as the Feb. 27, 2014, 30-year fixed rate mortgage average (4.37%) from Freddie Mac as well as the February 29, 2024 30-year fixed rate mortgage average (6.94%) from Freddie Mac. GOBankingRates was then able to calculate the 2024 and 2014 average mortgage payments for each state with the following assumptions: 30-year fixed rate mortgage, 20% down payment, no P&I and no HOA fees, and with property taxes excluded as a different charge. GOBankingRates then found the 10-year monetary and percent difference in average mortgage payment for every state. All data was collected and is up to date as of April 8, 2024. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Heres How Much Mortgage Payments in Your State Have Increased in the Past Decade MORGAN COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) A man was arrested after being accused of driving erratically and hitting a deputy on Sunday. According to the Morgan County Sheriffs Office (MCSO), officers from the Hartselle Police Department tried to pull a vehicle over for driving erratically but the car did not stop and drove into Decatur. After entering Dectaur, the vehicle tried to hit a Decatur Police Department vehicle. MCSO says that deputies continued to assist as the chase went back into the Hartselle and Falkville area where the vehicle hit a deputy and tried to hit multiple law enforcement vehicles. Morgan County Sheriffs Office arrests 21-year-old man on rape, incest charges As the vehicle continued to drive along Highway 36, a Priceville Police officer was able to end the chase on Perkins Wood Road. MCSO says that one male was arrested and will face multiple charges from multiple agencies. The Hartselle Police Department, Decatur Police Department, Priceville Police Department, Falkville Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and Morgan County 911 all assisted during the chase. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. Man dies after being hit by semitruck on I-10 Man dies after being hit by semitruck on I-10 EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A 39-year-old man is dead after a pedestrian crash involving a semi-truck on Saturday night, April 13 along Interstate 10 West near Vinton, according to the El Paso Police. 1 person dead in crash involving semi, pedestrian along I-10 near Vinton Police say that around 8 p.m. Saturday, officers received information about a pedestrian who was hit in the westbound lanes of I-10 West at Mile Marker 5. The preliminary information is that Michael Prendergast, 39, was operating a pickup truck eastbound on I-10 when he pulled over, according to police. Police say that Prendergast then crossed over into the westbound lanes in front of a semi-truck. The driver of the semi-truck could not stop on time and struck Prendergast, who died at the scene. The Special Traffic Investigations unit continues to investigate the case, according to police. Police say this is the 15th traffic fatality this year compared to 18 in 2023. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. YORK, Pa. (WHTM) A 48-year-old man has died from his injuries after he was involved in a motorcycle crash on Interstate 83 in Maryland. According to the York County Coroners Office, the coroner was dispatched to WellSpan York Hospital after the man died at 7:20 p.m. on Saturday night. The coroners report states that Maryland State Police is the investigating agency for the incident. According to the report, police say the male motorcyclist had been traveling south near Exit 36 with a group of motorcyclists when they entered a marked construction zone with uneven surfaces. While attempting to switch lanes, police say, the man crashed and was thrown from his motorcycle. Police say a second motorcyclist also crashed while attempting to avoid the man. The condition of that motorcyclists is not known. The coroner has not yet released the name of the man, but next-of-kin have been notified. This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more information becomes available For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. (KRON) On Thursday, Fairfield police arrested a man for owning an illegal semi-automatic firearm, the Fairfield Police Department said. Roscoe Rhodes, 42, was arrested in connection to the bust. Firetruck gets hit twice while on scene of Fremont accident Fairfield police were conducting a traffic stop at approximately 10 p.m. on Thursday near a local elementary school when they encountered Rhodes. The 42-year-old was reportedly seen with a 20-year-old woman, police said. After talking to the two individuals and obtaining probable cause to search the vehicle, police discovered that the woman, Tarisha Case, 20, had outstanding warrants for her arrest. During the vehicle search, a loaded gun was located on the rear floorboard of the car. Police said the gun was a Tec-9, a semi-automatic pistol. Semi-automatic weapons like the Tec-9 have been banned from the state of California since 1989. After finding the pistol, police arrested Rhodes for possession of the firearm, and Case was arrested for the outstanding warrants. Police said both Rhodes and Case have been booked into Solano County Jail on Thursday. This gun was taken out of the hands of someone who should not have had it. Point blank, Fairfield police said on Friday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) Virginia State Police (VSP) said a man who refused to stop for police initiated a chase from Fauquier to Prince William County on Sunday afternoon. At about 1 p.m., a VSP trooper tried stopping a Toyota Sienna that was traveling on I-66 in Fauquier County for not having a state inspection. The driver refused to stop and a pursuit started. PGPD: Officer shoots suspect in home invasion The driver continued on I-66 into Prince William County where he crashed. He was taken into custody and treated at a hospital for minor injuries. A woman who was also in the car was taken to the hospital for minor injuries as well. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. NEW YORK (PIX11) Police are looking for a man who punched a 9-year-old girl at Grand Central Terminal on Saturday morning, according to police. The young victim was standing near her mother near the dining concourse when the assailant approached and punched the child in the face in an unprovoked attack. The 9-year-old girl suffered dizziness and pain and was transported to NYU Langone Tisch Hospital for treatment, authorities said. NYC teachers aide arrested again, sent illicit texts to students: NYPD According to officials, the suspect is known to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department. Police are now searching for Jean Carlos Zarzuela a 30-year-old male. Zarzuela is 5 feet 7 inches and weighs about 150 lbs. He was last seen fleeing Grand Central Terminal to parts unknown, police said. 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). Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. The U.S. Capitol Building is seen in Washington DC on Wednesday, October 25, 2023. The U.S. Attorney's Officer said nearly 1,400 people have been charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. File photo by Pat Benic/UPI April 13 (UPI) -- A New Hampshire man on Thursday pleaded guilty to crimes linked to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Richard Zachary Ackerman, 22, of Salem, N.H., pleaded guilty to a felony offense of civil disorder and a misdemeanor offense of theft of government property. Prosecutors agreed to drop a second felony count of assaulting police and two other misdemeanors in exchange for his plea. His sentence hearing is scheduled for July 25. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, Ackerman traveled to Washington D.C. and sent a text message, which read, "will be going to see the action in these riots/protests" and "[i]f I get shot down there, just remember that I thought highly of you." While on the Capitol grounds, Ackerman picked up and put on a Capitol Police officer's helmet and then made his way to a large crowd of rioters clashing with police at the Lower West Terrace Tunnel. Ackerman reportedly picked up a water bottle and threw it at officers and was at one point sprayed with OC spray. He traveled back to New Hampshire the next morning and texted someone that he "got maced really bad," and that he "was right in the doorway of the building," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Ackerman also texted that he "stole a SWAT Team officers helmet," which he called his "war trophy." The FBI arrested Ackerman on June 20, 2023. A search of his home located the stolen helmet, which had been decorated with stickers referring to Nationalist Socialist Club 131, a neo-Nazi group with autonomous chapters in the United States and abroad. The U.S. Attorney's Office said nearly 1,400 people have been charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack, including almost 500 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. Marcus Anthony Eriz sentenced to 40 years after gunning down 6-year-old during road rage incident A road rage killer was sentenced to 40 years in prison for shooting a 6-year-old boy riding in the back seat of his mother's car along a California freeway in 2021. A man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for gunning down a 6-year-old boy during a road rage incident on a California highway. Marcus Anthony Eriz, 27, of Costa Mesa, was sentenced Friday for murdering Aiden Leos when he shot the little boy, who was riding in his car seat in the back of his mothers car while on the way to kindergarten on the 55 Freeway in May 2021. Eriz was was found guilty in January of second-degree murder and shooting at an occupied motor vehicle. An emotional Eriz apologized for killing Aiden, whom he referred to as truly one of Gods little angels, offering a prayer to the boys family, the Orange County Register reported. Im so sorry for putting everyone through this, Eriz said. I hurt everyone around me. I am responsible for everyones pain and suffering. I dont think the English language can even attempt, for anybody, to even describe what Aidens mother went through after he said ouch, Superior Court Judge Richard King countered in court. She pulls over, and her little boy dies in her arms. Marcus Eriz wipes his eyes as he reads a statement at sentencing. AP Aiden Leos was riding in his car seat in the back seat of his mothers car while on the way to kindergarten on the 55 Freeway in May 2021. AP The depth of pain of a mother desperately trying to find some way to help her little boy as he lay dying is excruciating, said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer in a statement. The day Aiden was murdered, his car seat meant to protect him from violent car crashes couldnt protect him from the bullet that ripped through the back of his car seat and through his heart. Added Spitzer: I am grateful Judge King realized that this wasnt a horrible mistake; this is a cold-blooded murderer who is more focused on his life after prison rather than the little boy whose life he ended before it even began. An emotional Eriz apologized for killing Aiden, whom he referred to as truly one of Gods little angels. Authorities said Eriz and his girlfriend, Wynne Lee, were heading to work on May 21, 2021, when Lee cut off Aidens mothers car. She responded by flipping them off. Eriz pulled out a gun, reached out the window, and fired a shot at the mothers car that went through the trunk and pierced Aidens heart, authorities said. Law enforcers searched more than two weeks for the killer. The depth of pain of a mother desperately trying to find some way to help her little boy as he lay dying is excruciating, said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. AP Prosecutor Dan Feldman shows a California jury a 9mm handgun during opening statements of the Eriz trial. AP Erizs single gunshot went through the trunk of Aidens mothers car and pierced Aidens heart, authorities said. Authorities arrested Eriz and Lee outside their apartment in the Orange County city of Costa Mesa after chasing leads to the white car she had been driving. Erizs attorney argued his client didnt mean to kill anyone, and didnt know he had until days later when a co-worker commented that Lees car looked like the one authorities were searching for. If you shoot somebody or use violence in this county, and you harm an individual, you will pay the price, Spitzer told reporters after the verdicts were read in January. Mr. Eriz is looking at 40 years to life. His life is over, and its because he took the life of this precious, innocent little boy. An arrest photo of Eriz in 2021. via REUTERS Marcus Eriz, left, is led away after his sentencing. AP Erizs girlfriend, Wynne Lee, is awaiting trial for her role in the deadly incident. REUTERS Lee, who has been charged with one felony count of accessory after the fact and one misdemeanor count of having a concealed firearm in a vehicle, is awaiting trial. She faces a maximum sentence of three years in state prison and one year in the Orange County Jail if convicted of both counts, the DA said. She is awaiting trial. With Post wires . One of the trickiest retirement-related decisions you might have to make is figuring out when to sign up for Social Security. Your monthly benefit, based on your wage history, is yours in full if you file for it at full retirement age (FRA). That age is 66, 67, or somewhere in between, depending on your year of birth. You can also sign up for Social Security ahead of FRA, and the earliest age to do so is 62. But for each month you file before reaching FRA, those monthly payments will be reduced permanently. Image source: Getty Images. On the flip side, it's possible to delay your Social Security claim past FRA. For each year you do, your monthly benefit will get an 8% boost. Once you turn 70, you can't grow your monthly benefit any longer. But if you have an FRA of 67 and you claim Social Security at 70, you'll be looking at payments that are 24% higher -- for life. And that begs the question: Is it worth it to sit tight for more Social Security income? Or should you accept a smaller benefit to get that money sooner? It's not an easy decision to make For many people, in order to be able to claim Social Security at age 70, they'll have to work until age 70. But that could prove challenging. For one thing, you may not have the energy level at age 70 to deal with a grueling commute and demanding job. Even if your job isn't stressful, you may just reach a point prior to age 70 when you feel that you'd like to be done with it. Either way, waiting until age 70 to sign up for Social Security could mean making some sort of sacrifice. Visualize what a higher monthly benefit might do for you If you're interested in delaying your Social Security claim until age 70 for the financial upside but aren't sure if the sacrifice is worth it, figure out what boost you might snag. Then, imagine what you might do with the extra money. That could lead you to the right decision. Let's say you're eligible for $2,100 a month in Social Security at an FRA of 67. Waiting until 70 to file will raise that monthly benefit to $2,604. All told, you're looking at about $500 extra per month, or $6,000 extra per year. Think about what that kind of money might do for you. If you have a nest egg worth a few million dollars, it may not do that much. If you have minimal savings, however, an extra $6,000 a year could make it possible to take one really special overseas trip each year during retirement. Or it could give you the leeway to outsource more of your home maintenance so you're able to stay in your house without worrying about handling the work. Story continues You may also decide that the extra $500 a month Social Security pays you is money you'd like to gift to your adult children or start a college fund for your grandchildren. There are so many choices for putting that extra money to good use. And figuring out what a boosted benefit might do for you could help you decide if delaying your claim is worth doing. Ultimately, you may decide to file for Social Security at FRA or even before, and that's not necessarily a poor choice. But before you make your decision, make sure you understand what you have to gain by delaying Social Security until age 70. The $ 22,924 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $22,924 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies. View the "Social Security secrets" The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Not Sure If You Should Claim Social Security at 70? Try to Imagine What It Might Actually Do for You. was originally published by The Motley Fool House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said Sunday that it bodes well for Ukraine aid that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) discussed the matter with former President Trump, noting the former president still has tremendous influence in shaping the partys policy positions. In an interview on CBS Newss Face the Nation, moderator Margaret Brennan asked whether McCaul has concerns about the effect that misinformation about the Russian war in Ukraine has on his party, noting Trump has at times platformed some pro-Russia misinformation online. Well, I think thats precisely why the Speaker went down to Mar-a-Lago, [to] talk to him about the Ukraine package, to get him to agree that, you know, this loan program for direct government assistance, like the EU does, would be acceptable, McCaul said. McCaul said he believes Trump and his allies dont want to see us lose in Ukraine, like we did in Afghanistan, noting, the repercussions are long term, a weaker America, not stronger. I dont think Trump wants to own that. I think he wants to help us get to the point where he gets in, and he can finish the job, McCaul added. McCauls remarks come as he has continued to push to get Ukraine aid to the floor for a vote, despite some backlash from his party. McCaul said he has gotten assurances from Johnson that a bill will be put to the floor for a vote, though it remains unclear what that package would look like. McCaul said he plans to talk to Johnson and other national security officials Sunday evening to discuss the matter further. On Friday, Johnson also visited Trump to discuss Ukraine aid. Johnson finds himself in a difficult position, as much of his conference has grown resistant to continuing to aid Ukraines efforts to fend off Russian aggression. While Johnson has said publicly that he intends to put some version of Ukraine aid on the floor for a vote, he could face a possible ouster vote from his position of Speaker if he proceeds down that course. Ill be honest with you, Margaret, he has tremendous influence over my conference. And thats why its important that we have these discussions with him, McCaul said when asked about the significance of Trump seemingly having to sign off on any bill for it to get support from House Republicans, even though he is not in office anymore. But we also, were all independent thinkers, we represent our own districts. I happen to think that we havent seen a threat like this since my dads World War II. And if we dont stick together, it gets these this unholy alliance that came after Afghanistan, McCaul continued. Remember Afghanistan was the turning point. And that is when the Russian Federation came into Ukraine. Chairman Xi is looking at Taiwan. Ayatollah reared its ugly head. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Kansas City Zoo has announced the metro may have another world champion in its midst, according to a press release on Sunday. The champion in question? A king penguin who goes by the name Littlefoot. Littlefoot competed head-to-head with 47 other penguins in the Penguin Internationals March of the Penguin Madness competition. After four rounds of voting, Littlefoot has made it to the final three, and he needs your help. OSBI arrests four on suspicion of murder in missing Kansas women case In order for him to be crowned the Peng-Win Champion, Kansas City needs to cast their votes on the Penguin Internationals website, Facebook or Instagram. Voting is only open for a short period of time from Sunday to Monday. Crowning the worlds favorite penguin is a fun way to educate the public, encourage people to learn more about penguins and inspire them to take action and protect them in the future, the Kansas City Zoo said. According to the release, the penguins nominated serve as ambassadors for their counterparts in native habitats. Littlefoot was nominated by the Kansas City Zoo care staff because of his inspiring story of survival, the release said. When Littlefoot hatched, he failed to absorb his yolk, lost a lot of blood and was less than half his expected body weight. The veterinary teams and specialists took care of him immediately, but he was not showing signs of improvement, said the zoos release. Thommys brace not enough in Sporting KCs loss to Inter Miami One day, however, Littlefoot had a feed response and unexpectedly showed signs of energy and a strong will to survive. For the next few weeks, Littlefoot received extensive care and frequent feedings. Today, he is one of the larger, most friendly and most curious king penguins in the colony, according to the release. To meet Littlefoot and all of the other animals, visit the Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium open weekdays from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and weekends from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information about the March of the Penguins Madness, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Iran's Attack Seems Like It Was Designed to Fail. So What Comes Next? Irans attack on Israel was dangerous, provocative and seemingly all but designed to fail. None of the hundreds of projectiles launched at Israel hit a major target. So, what was the point? The latest crisis to erupt in the region left many longtime analysts wondering what Irans real intention was whether the direct attack was mainly a face-saving exercise or a genuine effort to escalate and whether the United States can still manage to prevent what its been trying to avoid for more than six months, a full-scale regional war. Israel and Iran have been involved in a gradual, tit-for-tat escalation since Oct. 7. On April 1, the tensions worsened dramatically when Israel retaliating for attacks on Israeli citizens allegedly orchestrated by Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps along the Syrian border destroyed an Iranian consulate building in Damascus, killing Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior IRGC commander, and seven other IRGC officers. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared afterward that Israel would be punished, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. And the Iranian response on Saturday a direct hit on Israel launched from Iran marked a dramatic and very dangerous departure for Tehran, which until now has preferred to operate mainly through proxies in Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere around the region. There is a greater willingness to run risks by Iran than ever before, said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the right-leaning Foundation for Defense of Democracies and an expert in Irans missile capabilities. Until now, Iran had never directly targeted Israel from Iranian territory in an overt and attributable fashion, said Taleblu. The strike also was the first ballistic missile attack from Iranian territory against a defended target. Iran wanted to break the taboo of targeting Israeli territory, he said. After being able to support the October 7 terrorist attack and orchestrate a multi-front proxy campaign against Israel and not have to pay the price, there's no doubt Tehran was tempted to press its advantage. Until now Tehran has signaled that it doesnt want an all-out war, having restrained its Hezbollah ally in Israels north from launching more than sporadic token attacks. But Iran's government appears to have concluded that the Damascus strike was a strategic inflection point, where failure to retaliate would carry more downsides than benefits, said Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group. At the same time, Vaez added, Tehrans choice of weaponry was cautious. They could have used a much higher number of projectiles, synchronized drones and missiles in a way that would have swarmed the air defense systems, and could have fired their new hypersonic missiles, he said. They clearly wanted something spectacular but not fatal. Officials said more than 99 percent of the drones and missiles were shot down and there was only one reported injury, that of a 7-year-old Bedouin Arab girl who was hospitalized. The matter can be deemed concluded," Iran's mission to the United Nations said in a post on social media platform X hours after the start of the operation late Saturday. "However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe." U.S. President Joe Biden is now in the tricky position of persuading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his hawkish war cabinet to restrain his response to avoid all-out war. So far, Biden has aimed to deter Tehran by signaling that war with Israel also means war with the United States. In a statement, Biden said the U.S. military had moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week in anticipation of the Iranian attack, and we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. While some Republicans called for a tougher U.S. response, even some longtime critics of Biden on the right praised the presidents careful approach. I have to give the Biden administration credit. They have responded better than they did when Jerusalem whacked Zahedi in Damascus, said Reuel Marc Gerecht, a former CIA official and a Farsi-speaking scholar at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. When that happened, the White House was very quick to signal that the-Israelis-did-it-not-us; this time round, Washington ran towards Israel and has intervened on Israels behalf. This will induce greater Iranian anxiety. Does Khamenei want to escalate against Israel? Yes. Does he want to escalate against the U.S.? No, said Gerecht. Unfortunately for the clerical regime, Israel is going to respond directly against it. They have to. The only open question is the magnitude. We are in an escalatory spiral that likely favors Israel more than Tehran in great part because the White House chose not to sit this out and now will be unable to change its commitment to Jerusalem. Even so, Biden reportedly told Netanyahu during a call on Sunday that he wont support an Israeli counterattack against Iran. (Biden has said he would coordinate a diplomatic pressure campaign against Iran by the G7 nations.) Biden reportedly told Netanyahu, You got a win. Take the win, according to Axios. Despite that, Israels hard-line government is all but certain to continue its habit of defying Washington and strike back at Iran directly. Netanyahu is a leader who simply would not want to be remembered for not having responded to a direct attack from Iran, said Hussein Banai, co-author of Republics of Myth: National Narratives and the US-Iran Conflict. He added: A U.S.-led limited counterattack might be the best option in terms of escalation control; but that would mean getting to a consensus between Biden and Bibi, which may be hard to get at this time. Qantas has suspended its QF9 nonstop flight from Australia to the UK due to the situation in parts of the Middle East (Qantas ) The shortest route on the surface of the planet between Perth in Western Australia and London Heathrow airport begins with thousands of miles of Indian Ocean before making landfall over Sri Lanka. The track clips a southwestern corner of, successively, India and Pakistan, before transiting Iran from end to end eventually entering Turkey at its eastern frontier. The straightest route then crosses the Black Sea, slicing across Russian-occupied Crimea before reaching Romania and all the usual European suspects en route to the UKs busiest airport. The path taken by the daily Qantas nonstop flight from Australia to the UK, QF9, has never followed exactly this track. The weather informs the pilots about the best course to follow. Geopolitics has an increasing say in their choice: Ukraine is off-limits, of course. In the early hours of Friday morning, the flight crew took a very different route. Over northern Pakistan, the Boeing 787 headed north to keep clear of Afghanistan then flew due east to find a way through the narrow gap between northern-most Iran and southern-most Russia. The plane landed safely, about 45 minutes behind schedule. But so demanding is the route in terms of fuel that any significant diversion from the usual track can jeopardise the chances of reaching Heathrow without a pit stop for fuel. Qantas has now suspended QF9 modifying the flight number to QF209, and adding a stop in Singapore. (QF10, from London to Perth, can still make the nonstop home, due to the prevailing winds.) The Australian airline says ending the westbound nonstop is a temporary adjustment due to the situation in parts of the Middle East. But the decision has increased alarm among passengers who are likely to be flying to or through the region. Long and winding: Path of Qantas flight QF9 from Perth to London Heathrow on 11-12 April (Flightradar24) Zoe contacted me a few hours before her Emirates flight to Dubai, expressing strong concerns about safety. Would the airline re-route over Egypt and Saudi Arabia, giving a wide berth to everywhere from Israel to Iran? I dont know but I do know that Emirates, like every other airline, has a serious group of people looking at safety at all times. They are wearily accustomed to avoiding patches of airspace where conflict might flare up. A nervous flyer can point to two tragedies, both involving Ukraine, that between them killed hundreds of passengers and crew. Three months from now, the loved ones of the 298 passengers and crew aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 will mark 10 years since a heinous act of mass murder. On 17 July 2014, the Boeing 777 departed from Amsterdam on a routine flight to Kuala Lumpur on a routine flightpath over Ukraine. A Buk missile belonging to the Russian army was fired at the jet from rebel-held territory in the east of the country. Four years ago, the Iranian military shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane departing normally from Tehran to Kyiv after a chain of errors. All 176 passengers and crew aboard the Boeing 737 died. Tension in the region had risen sharply immediately before the crash, with Iran firing missiles at bases with US troops in Iraq. With tension rising once again, should travellers in 2024 be fearful? All I can say is that I entrust my safety to the men and women flying the plane and the smart, informed people who are watching the world on their behalf. Aviation is astonishingly safe, and an obsession with risk management has made it so. LUZERNE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) Part of Toby Creek in Luzerne caved in after a mine subsidence opened right underneath the creek on Sunday morning. According to Jason Tarreto, EMA Coordinator for Luzerne Volunteer Fire Department, the department was called to Toby Creek, behind Luzerne Lumber, 425 South Main Street, for a mine subsidence at 7:00 a.m. Is there a mine under your house? Luzerne Borough Fire Chief Ron Rahl stated that a sinkhole developed under part of the creek bed in Toby Creek which water started pouring into. After arriving on scene, authorities said they contacted the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Surface Mining, and Luzerne County Emergency Medical Assistance. Kingston Police Department stated in a post that the Back Mountain Rail Trail and Exit 6 on and off ramps of the Cross Valley Expressway will also be closed until further notice. Rahl said that Main Avenue is also currently closed between the intersection of Courtdale Avenue and Main Avenue and the Exit 6 on and off ramps in both directions. The creek is currently being filled in with rock by Brdaric Excavating Inc, according to authorities. Rahl also said that residents who lived between 445 Main Street, Luzerne Lumber, and 369 Main Street, Skovish Pools and Spa, were advised to evacuate, but should be allowed back in Sunday evening. The DEP Issued a statement regarding the incident Sunday evening. This is an evolving issue. DEP continues to respond to the mine subsidence on Toby Creek, Luzerne County, that has dewatered the creek from the Back Mountain area to where the creek enters the Susquehanna River. There are known abandoned mines in the area of the creek. DEP is working to stabilize the bank near the subsidence and divert the flow of water back into the creek. Colleen Connolly from the DEP This is a developing story and 28/22 News will give updates as new information is made available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) A 15-year-old girl is missing out of Box Elder County, according to the Box Elder County Sheriffs Office. Elizzibeth Rose Lanphear, 15, of South Willard, was reportedly last seen on the morning of Friday, April 12, at Box Elder Middle School in Brigham City. Four killed after train hits pickup truck in southern Idaho Courtesy of Box Elder County Sheriffs Office Police said Lanphear did not return to her home in South Willard after school. She is described as 56, 124 lbs, with strawberry blonde hair and green eyes. Police consider Lanphear to be a runaway at this time. If you have any information regarding Lanphears whereabouts, please contact the Box Elder County Sheriffs Office at 435-734-3894. No further information is available at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Mississippi on track for record education funding, but House could still derail the plan The Mississippi Houses proud proclamation earlier this session that they had voted to spend the most money in the history of the state on public education is no longer true. Now the state Senate can make that boast by a smidgen. The Kindergarten through 12th grade appropriations bill approved last week by the Senate provides about $6 million more for local schools than the House proposed earlier this session. The Senate is proposing about $256 million more than the $3.08 billion being spent in state funds for the current year. In the coming weeks, the House and Senate will have to reach an agreement on a budget for public education for the upcoming fiscal year that begins on July 1. The escalation in spending on public education is being spurred, at least in part, by the ongoing dispute between the two chambers on whether to rewrite the long-standing Mississippi Adequate Education Program, which provides state funds for the basic operation of schools. House leaders, some of whom historically have opposed MAEP because they said it provided too much money for public education, are trying desperately this session to replace it. The Senate, on the other hand, has proposed tweaks to the MAEP and has agreed to study the issue of the funding formula after the 2024 session ends in May with the intent of replacing or making changes to MAEP in the 2025 session. House Speaker Jason White, R-West, does not want to wait until next year. In an effort to entice support for his plan this session, the House proposed and touted record K-12 spending if legislators would agree to eliminate MAEP. Instead, the Senate chose to place even more money into public education but place the money in the current MAEP funding formula. The Senate proposal also includes $50 million for a teacher pay raise ($1,000 per teacher) that is incorporated into MAEP. On the surface, the oneupmanship on education spending is good for the schools, teachers and students. After all, it could lead to more funds for education. But supporters of the House plan to rewrite the MAEP say the only way they will agree to that record spending is to replace the MAEP. White seems to be saying education will not get any additional money unless MAEP is rewritten. I have clearly communicated with Senate leadership the House position that we have funded MAEP for the last time, White said in a statement. Of course, even though the House leadership does not like the MAEP funding formula, it is still the law of the land and the primary vehicle to send state funds to school districts. The bulk of funds local school districts receive and have received since at least 2003 comes through the MAEP funding formula. Theoretically, the Legislature could send all the funds to the local school districts outside of the MAEP formula. The funds could be sent to the schools based on some version of their enrollment. Of course, under that scenario, wealthy districts would benefit greatly. MAEP sends more state funds to poor districts that have less funds to contribute toward their schools. The House has contended that the intent of their funding formulas is to provide even more funds than MAEP to poor school districts. There is legitimate debate on whether the House plan accomplishes that goal. But assuming it does, it is still not the law. So, if House leaders insisted on sending the funds to the local school districts outside of the MAEP formula, they would be doing what they say they oppose providing even more money to wealthy school districts at the expense of poor districts. And, of course, if they do not appropriate any funds for education, well, that cant be very good for school children. This analysis was produced by Mississippi Today, a nonprofit news organization that covers state government, public policy, politics and culture. Bobby Harrison is Mississippi Todays senior Capitol reporter. In the United States, youth mental health has only gotten worse. In Missouri, it is a crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in every 3 high school students reported poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC also reports that suicide is now the second leading cause of death in youth ages 15-19. In Missouri, Childrens Mercy Kansas City reports seeing an average of 24 children each day for mental or behavioral health emergencies. According to data from the federal Health Resources and Service Administration, 110 of Missouris 114 counties are designated as mental health professional shortage areas, including every county in the Kansas City metropolitan area. These numbers should shock us, outrage us and concern us deeply. Parents, teachers, doctors and mental health professionals are under-resourced and unprepared to deal with this sudden influx of mental health concerns. Children and teens in Missouri desperately need solutions. Fortunately, school-based mental health interventions show promise as an effective way to support both children and families. As a former Missouri K-12 student, it was surprising to me when I discovered that many schools across the nation are already utilizing licensed mental health professionals to provide school-based therapy, support groups and resources for families. This was not an opportunity that I had available to me as I navigated the transition from childhood to adolescence. However, it would have benefited me and many of my peers greatly. Currently, many schools are forced to rely on school counselors, nurses, teachers and administrators to fill in gaps related to mental health and social and emotional learning, despite many of them receiving little training or support. This situation only exacerbates burnout among school professionals and fails to provide students with the foundation they need to be successful as adults. It is time to put concerted effort into integrating mental health into school settings and a bill introduced in the Missouri House of Representatives offers just the path to do so. House Bill 2858 was introduced in February by state Rep. Yolanda Young of Jackson Countys District 22. The bill would allow any Missouri public school to apply to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for a state financial supplement to pay for a school mental health professional. The department would have the discretion to offer funding to schools with the greatest need. Those would be defined as schools that have a mental health professional-to-student ratio above the recommendation made by the department, schools with a high percentage of students receiving Title 1 funding, and schools with a high percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunch. This is a straightforward approach targeting the most disadvantaged communities and school districts in Missouri, many of which cannot afford to pay for mental health professionals themselves. The bill would promote students access to mental health care and reduce the burden that families, school employees and medical professionals face trying to meet the ever-increasing need for childhood mental health care. I have always found that one of the greatest strengths of my hometown Kansas City is that people care deeply about their families and children. It is time to extend that care to all children across the state and meet their mental health needs with both compassion and action. Emma Kenney is a graduate student of social work with a specialization in strengthening children, youth and families. She lives in Berkeley, California, and works in a community mental health clinic. KANSAS CITY, Mo. If you havent filed your taxes yet, there is still time to beat the deadline on Monday. While local tax preparers are slammed and schedules are full, we spoke with one tax expert about what you can do if you havent filed your taxes yet. Hellcat stolen in Kansas City caught on camera, found missing engine, tires For those expecting a refund on your taxes, you wont receive any penalty if you file past the deadline. Youre only late when you owe, Rick Langtry, a certified tax return preparer at Holt Tax said. If youre typically in a refund situation and nothings dramatically changed in your circumstances, then youre probably okay if you dont file on time. If you are late and you know youre going to end up owing more money, Langtry says that filing an extension can help reduce some of the fees that you would normally incur for missing the deadline. The filing penalties can be as extensive as the late payment penalties so you can at least avoid that if you file an extension, he said. Patrick Mahomes greets Lionel Messi at Arrowhead before Sporting KC game Finally, he said that if youre in a similar situation to last year, sending a payment with your extension can help reduce some of the fees. It would be wise to submit a payment with your extension, and that would minimize any penalties you might have in the end. The late filing and payment fees will begin to rack up on Tuesday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Moms for Liberty co-founder tells American parents they have something in common with Trump Sitting in a large auditorium in the nation's capital, Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice traded the spotlight of school board meetings in a tiny Florida county to take center stage before upper crust conservative Washington elites. Justice turned to make direct eye contact with those in the crowd and delivered a stern warning: The Department of Justice is coming after parents the same way it had former President Donald Trump. Justice went on to describe calling her teenage daughter when she first found out the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled Moms for Liberty extremist and anti-government after meeting with members of the Biden administration, at the Weaponization of U.S. Government Symposium Tuesday, put on by right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation. She googles it, and she says, Mom, youre like next to the KKK, Justice said. The crowd erupted into laughter. Justice scoffed, its ridiculous. Justices appearance at the Heritage Foundation event seemed to mark a shift in focus for Moms for Liberty after its endorsed candidates won fewer than one-third of their school board elections last year. Instead of rallying around a fresh set of seats up and down the ballot, Justice sounded off talking points the crowd usually hears from the Republican partys presumptive nominee Trump. Trump has characterized his 91 felony counts spanning four criminal cases as a political witch hunt concocted by the DOJ to stop him from winning the 2024 election. Justice echoed this sentiment in her remarks accusing the Biden administration of weaponizing the DOJ against parents who speak up at school board meetings. They understand that its happening to President Trump, Justice told USA TODAY. But they are now seeing all these other things happening and are saying Woah. Wait a second. This isnt something thats happening to somebody else. This is happening to me. Justice was referencing a string of cases the Attorney General Merrick Garland referred to state and local authorities to investigate in a 2021 memo. Republicans have argued the memo targeted parents protesting at school board meetings and Justice said Tuesday that at least one of them belonged to Moms for Liberty. Garland told members of the House last year that the cases investigated threats or acts of violence. He added that they were prompted by a National School Boards Association letter which supported media reports of parents threatening school board members and district employees over pandemic policies. In response to USA TODAY's request, the FBI declined to comment. More: Trump leans into culture wars with Moms for Liberty at D.C. summit A national pivot away from school board endorsements Moms for Liberty is known for challenging school mask mandates in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, calls to ban library books, and its federal super PAC. Its members created controversy at school board meetings in 2022, citing concerns K-12 schools were supposedly teaching "critical race theory" and material related to sexuality and gender. Justice said Moms for Liberty has chapters in 48 states, and with plans to expand into Vermont, that number will soon be 49. Since its founding in Florida in 2021 by Justice, Tina Descovich, and Bridget Ziegler, one of the group's primary goals has been to get liberty-minded individuals elected to local school boards. However, a Brookings Institute report revealed that in 2023, 33% of Moms for Liberty candidates were elected in comparison to 47% in the 2022 election cycle. Moms for Liberty has yet to release a list of endorsements for 2024 and does not have plans to do so soon. Moms for Liberty co-founders Tiffany Justice, left, and Tina Descovich, greet attendees as they open the first Moms for Liberty National Summit on Thursday, July 15, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. The convention continues through Sunday, July 17th with conservative speakers and strategy sessions for members. Maurice Cunningham, a retired associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and author of Dark Money and the Politics of School Privatization, said the groups pivot away from endorsements is unsurprising. "People do not like they are very associated with book bans," Cunningham said. "People do not like the whitewashing of American history...and they don't like the constant attacks on LGBTQ children." Kit Hart, a mom of five children ages 4 to 13, runs the Moms for Liberty chapter in Carroll County, Maryland. She said her local chapter has endorsed two candidates, Greg Malveaux and Kristen Zihmer, in a board of education race this year. Their opponents, she said, are openly anti-Moms for Liberty and she has to work to counter their narrative that the group's main goal is to ban books. Moms for Liberty Carroll County chapter members hand out books to community members at an art event on March 29, 2024 to disprove its reputation that it supports sweeping book bans. From left, Kim Zentz, Beth Serio, Kit Hart, Sallie Taylor, and Shannon Hinkhaus. Hart said she thinks Moms for Liberty not releasing a public list of its endorsed candidates nationally is a "very smart move" given the organization's controversial reputation. "Luckily we don't have scared candidates. We have very brave candidates here in Carroll County. At the local level it's a different story," Hart said. Fewer voters tend to participate in school board elections because they have less information about them than other races, allowing groups like Moms for Liberty to affect the results more easily. However, the Brookings report suggested that while the organizations endorsements may have boosted voter turnout, it is possible that they drew in the wrong voters. M4L could have the opposite effect, especially in more progressive areas, Brookings researchers conclude. It could elevate the profile of local school board races in ways that turn out voters opposed to its preferred candidates. Scarlett Johnson runs the Moms for Liberty chapter in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. She said her chapter waits until one or two weeks before an election to reveal its endorsements to avoid drawing unwanted attention to the candidates. Justice said her reason for not releasing a national public endorsement list at this time has to do with safety concerns. What happened when we put out a list was the people on them got death threats. It was like putting our people on a chopping block, Justice said. President of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten said said while no one should be threatened for running for office, she suspects Moms for Liberty has other reasons for not publicly endorsing candidates this year. "It's not that they were being threatened. It's that they created this kind of environment of threats and division and people are saying to them that we want nothing of it," Weingarten said. "The public and parents are not about these culture wars. They are not about this divisiveness, so thats why theyre changing the agenda." Justice said Moms for Liberty would still like to see candidates it supports elected at all levels of government but that this year she is not giving away the playbook. More: 'Fight this battle piece by piece': Concerned moms are shaping culture wars and 2024 race Cunningham said although its somewhat surprising the group is now switching gears to attack the FBI, what he called the countrys most conservative law enforcement organization, the attack is in alignment with its overall goal to undermine institutions. Moms for Liberty now realizes it cannot prevail in many school board races, Cunningham said. It has retreated to part of its mission before. Part of its mission was always to create disruption and distrust. They're very good at that. How grassroots is Moms for Liberty? In her remarks Tuesday, Justice thanked the Heritage Foundation for its help and support over the last three years. She told USA TODAY that the Foundation helped Moms for Liberty file different Freedom of Information Act requests to learn more about the Biden administrations meetings with the SPLC. Weingarten and Cunningham said while Moms for Liberty purports to be a grassroots group, they believe it is obedient to larger right-wing forces. Weingarten alleged the group has had the political backing and financial support of Republicans like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis from the start. Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, center, is presented "The Sword of Liberty" by Moms for Liberty co-founders Tiffany Justice, left, Tina Descovich, second from right and executive director of program outreach Marie Rogerson, far right, during the first Moms for Liberty National Summit in July. The two most important moms in Moms for Liberty are not Tina Descovich and Tiffany Justice. They are Morton Blackwell of the Leadership Institute and Kevin Roberts of Heritage, Cunningham said. Republican Florida State Rep. Randy Fine disagreed. He said Moms for Liberty is a grassroots organization and that he has watched it grow since its founding in his home state. Hart and Fine said that Justices concerns over FBI investigations into parents should be taken seriously and they are glad to see Moms for Liberty shining light on bigger issues in the U.S. including what he considers a two-tiered justice system. This is a bootstraps organization. It is made up of parents who are mad, Fine said. If Im a mad parent in Florida, which both of these co-founders are, and Ive solved the issues that exist in K-12 education in Florida, I would naturally turn my attention outside of Florida. Author and expert in local campaign strategy Shawn Frost sat on the same school board as Justice and served Moms for Liberty as a media engagement consultant around the time of its founding. He said he advised the Moms for Liberty to humanize its members and attempt to turn the temperature down regarding the culture war, but that the group ultimately "did away with" him. Frost said he is not surprised to see the organization now painting the DOJ as a persecutor. "Victimhood sells. Victimhood compels. If you make people feel as though they're victims, then they will join your cause. Rather than empowering them, which is my preferred model," Frost said. "They are certainly nationally aspirational and Tiffany particularly really enjoys being celebrated in that fashion." Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, as @rachelbarber_ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Moms for Liberty targets FBI This article was originally published in Daily Montanan. A group of Montana students, teachers, librarians, and organizations representing school counselors and psychologists filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to block the 2021 law that requires school staff to notify parents 48 hours in advance if they plan to teach or discuss anything with students that involves human sexuality. The group asked a Lewis and Clark County District Court judge to permanently block the Senate Bill 99 passed during the 2021 legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte, saying it violates multiple provisions of the state Constitution ensuring rights to freedom of speech and expression, privacy, due process, equal protection and a quality educational opportunity. Without clear guidance on the issues that fall under the scope of SB 99, teachers, librarians, and others are at risk of discipline if they unknowingly violate this legislation, said Marthe VanSickle, an attorney at the ACLU of Montana, which is one of three law firms and organizations representing the plaintiffs. SB 99 has left Montana schools navigating uncertainty and vulnerability which stifles learning opportunities for students and threatens free exchange of ideas. Help fund stories like this. Donate now! In response, the Governors Office and Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen said they remain committed to the law and ensuring a parents right to know if their children are learning about explicit content at school. While the governors office generally doesnt comment on ongoing litigation, the governor remains committed to preserving a Montana parents role in his or her childs education, especially a parents right to know when a child might be exposed to sexually explicit content in the classroom, the governors spokesperson, Kaitlin Price, said in a statement. The plaintiffs include the Montana School Counselors Association, Montana Association of School Psychologists, a Billings high school English teacher, a Billings West librarian and teacher, two students and EmpowerMT, an organization that provides training to several districts in the state about how to build more inclusive school communities. They are suing Gianforte, Arntzen, her Office of Public Instruction, and the Montana Board of Public Education, alleging the laws vagueness is creating abundant issues for educators, the Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ community, and mental health professionals that work with students because the law is being weaponized to shut down discussions and lessons that some parents might morally object to. SB 99 is part of a concerted effort by the Legislature and the Defendants to erase 2S-LGBTQIA+ histories, viewpoints and curricula from public instruction, the lawsuit says. It is also part of a coordinated effort to create a climate of hostility towards 2S-LGBTQIA+ individuals. In short, SB 99 marginalizes the history, concerns, experiences, and aspirations of the 2S-LGBTQIA+ community. The group says the law has led to teachers, librarians, counselors and psychologists avoiding discussing gender identity, sexual health, and even legal decisions in lessons that are not planned in advance so they dont risk potential punishment for violating the law. They say nearly three years on, they have received little guidance about exactly when they should be notifying parents two days in advance of any lesson or discussion. Related Florida Students Seize on Parental Rights to Stop Educators From Hitting Kids The lawsuit says Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ students are also unable to learn more about those communities and that the law also subjects them to being further singled out because of their identities and subject to bullying. It says that students cannot engage in spontaneous conversations in school groups like a Genders and Sexuality Alliance without first notifying parents. And it says the law is violating the constitutional requirement for quality educational opportunities for Montana students because the restrictions surrounding sex education are not informing students of healthy practices and are paring down their opportunities to learn as much as they wish. The suit calls the law astonishingly vague and says the challenge comes in part because the Montana Legislature failed to refine definitions in the bill of what constituted providing information or maintaining a curriculum during the 2023 legislative session. Two bills that aimed to amend that section of the law both died in the process. And it says that the discussion over the bill in 2021 signaled a legislative intent to enforce Christian values in Montanas public schools that would violate the state Constitution. The educators say they have had to stop teaching certain books and topics, that classroom libraries have been shut down, that theyve had to question whether their mental health discussions with students violate the law and have faced harassment from the community for trying to teach about LGBTQ+ history and rights. SB99 gives anti-2S-LGBTQIA+ parents a potent cudgel against any teacher, counselor, school psychologist, or librarian who is dedicated to tolerance, inclusivity, and compassion in the classroom and school, the suit says. As a result, teachers, counselors, and school psychologists are likely to continue to steer clear or any instruction or counseling that might put them in the crosshairs of SB 99 and its proponents, to the detriment of public-school students across the State. For the two student plaintiffs, the suit says the law is preventing Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ students from accessing information about the community and scientific material on sexuality and gender identity. And it is keeping student peer educators from speaking with other students to better inform them about sexual health and relationships, the lawsuit says. Every student has a right to access information about human sexuality without censorship from their teachers and without fear they are running afoul of SB 99, the suit says. As a result of the hostile climate SB 99 has created, R.S. and her peers will go out into the world as adults without the quality education to which they are entitled under the Montana Constitution. It contends that school psychologists and counselors have also had to change their practices surrounding what they can say to students, even involving serious matters like suicidality, which goes against best practices for their professions. Many of those conversation are, by necessity, confidential, Montana School Counselors Association Advocacy Chairperson Erica Parrish said in a statement. SB 99 places school counselors between the proverbial rock and a hard place: we can either follow our professional and ethical obligations to our students, or we can follow SB 99s parent notification requirement. Its impossible to do both. The lawsuit claims the law violates the Montana Constitution by chilling speech, infringing on the privacy rights of students and educators, and not giving the plaintiffs due process because of its vagueness. It says the law violates the equal protection clause because it disproportionately affects Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ students, and does not afford Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ students the chance to receive a quality education. The attorneys in the case are asking a judge to find the law to be unconstitutional, to award nominal damages to the student plaintiffs, as well as attorneys fees and costs. In a statement, Arntzen, who is running in the Republican primary for Montanas 2nd Congressional District seat, said the lawsuit was an attack on her because shes a Republican who supports more parental involvement in Montana classroom curriculum. Woke organizations are once again attacking me because I am a conservative and Im standing for parental rights, she said. Government bureaucracy doesnt own our children. I stand with Montana parents who are rightfully concerned over sexual indoctrination in the classroom. Montana families have the right to know what their children are being taught and the right to opt-out of participating. I will continue to fiercely defend parental rights. This embedded content is not available in your region. Daily Montanan 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. Contact Editor Darrell Ehrlick for questions: info@dailymontanan.com. Follow Daily Montanan on Facebook and Twitter. UPDATE 4/14 9:40 A.M. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) The Virginia Department of Forestry reports the wildfire burning in the Shawnsville area of Montgomery County has been 90% contained. According to the Department of Forestrys wildfire map, the wildfire has reached up to 250 acres in size. The Virginia Department of Forestry is continuing to work with local firefighters on further containing the wildfire. VSP investigating fatal crash on Original Henry Road in Henry County Montgomery County released an update on the wildfire, saying crews anticipate the fire to be 100% contained later on Sunday. No homes or structures have been lost as of the countys latest update. WFXR News will update this story as further information is released. (courtesy, Montgomery Co. Fire-EMS) (courtesy, Montgomery Co. Fire-EMS) (courtesy, Montgomery Co. Fire-EMS) MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) Montgomery County officials say a wildfire along Fishers View Road in the Shawsville area appears to be moving away from homes. Just before 6:00, county officials told people living in the area to leave as the fire began to burn. As of 9:00 p.m. Saturday, it had affected about 100 acres of land in the mountainous, rural area and was roughly 50% contained. Officials are asking drivers to avoid the area as crews continue their work along narrow, winding mountain roads. County officials do not anticipate any further evacuation orders. Several neighbors in the area of the fire told WFXR News they saw a lot of smoke, but no flames. Winds were very gusty across Southwest and Central Virginia for much of the day Saturday. WFXR News will update this story as we learn more. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. A growing number of Americans want President Biden to encourage Israel to cease its military action in Gaza, according to a new poll. A new CBS News/YouGov poll found that 37 percent of surveyed Americans want Biden to encourage Israel to stop its military actions in Gaza slightly up from the 31 percent who said the same in February. Another 23 percent said in the new poll that Biden should encourage Israel to decrease its military actions in Gaza. Biden has amped up his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent weeks as Israel continues its war against the militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Biden said last week that Netanyahus approach to the war is a mistake. The poll found that just 12 percent of those surveyed said Biden should urge Israel to increase its military actions in Gaza. Another 28 percent said that Biden should tell Israel to keep its military actions the same, which is down from the 32 percent who said so in February. Overall, 33 percent of respondents said they approved of Bidens handling of the Israel-Hamas war, which is the lowest percentage CBS News polling has recorded since the onset of the war. That figure is down from the 38 percent who approved of Bidens handling in February and from the 44 percent who approved in October. The poll, conducted before Irans drone and missile attack on Israel, also found that most surveyed Americans did not want the U.S. to take military action against Iran if it attacked Israel. Iran launched a significant aerial attack against Israel on Saturday, but most of the attacks were thwarted with the help of the U.S. Twenty-five percent of those surveyed said the U.S. should take military action, 42 percent said the U.S. should support Israels actions but not get involved militarily and 32 percent said the U.S. should not get involved at all. The CBS News/YouGov poll was conducted among 2,399 U.S. adults between April 9-12 and has a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A drone is launched in an undisclosed area in Iran as Iran launches dozens of drones toward Israel. Tasnim News Agancy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Moscow expressed concern at escalation in the Middle East on Sunday following the Iranian overnight attacks on Israel and blamed Western powers for failing to respond to the earlier attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus. "Unfortunately, due to the position adopted by its Western members, the [UN] Security Council was unable to provide a proper response to the strike on the Iranian consular mission," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Iran was invoking its right to self-defence under the UN Charter, it added. At the time, Russia had condemned the April 1 air attack on the Iranian embassy grounds in the Syrian capital. Israel is widely seen as being behind the attack and has not denied responsibility. Moscow placed the Iranian response in the context of numerous unresolved conflicts in the Middle East, in particular that between Israel and the Palestinians. These conflicts were being "fueled by irresponsible provocative actions," it said. "We call on all parties involved in the conflict to exercise restraint," the Foreign Ministry statement said, calling for political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the problems with the help of "constructively-minded international players." Russia and Iran, both facing sanctions by Western powers, have strengthened ties over recent years. On the eve of jury selection in Donald Trumps hush-money trial in New York, it appears the former president has already been convicted of crimes in the court of public opinion. A new poll shows that the majority of voters believe he has committed serious federal crimes plural. Fifty-four percent of registered voters including 90 percent of Democrats, nearly half of independents, and 17 percent of Republicans think that Trump committed federal crimes, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll. Thirty-nine percent of registered voters said they did not believe he committed crimes, while nine percent said they werent sure or declined to answer. Trump is heading to trial facing charges that he falsified business records in order to hide that he paid $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 in exchange for her not revealing to the press that they had an affair. Trumps former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, has admitted he arranged the payment and will likely be a star witness in the trial. Trump has denied the allegations. Slightly less than half of likely voters (46 percent) said that Trump should be found guilty in the hush-money case, while 36 percent said he should not be convicted. Another 18 percent said they didnt know or did not want to answer. The survey also showed President Joe Biden closing the gap between himself and Trump. Forty-six percent of voters backed Trump, while 45 percent chose Biden, with eight percent unsure or declining to say. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WKRN) What started as a Saturday afternoon traffic stop for a window tint violation turned into the discovery of two wanted individuals in Mt. Juliet. The Mt. Juliet Police Department said the officer stopped the car near the Interstate 40/Mt. Juliet Road interchange on Saturday, April 13 when he spotted the two people. Man accused of shooting into Rutherford County home with family members, others inside According to authorities, a 39-year-old Nashville man was wanted for domestic assault; vandalism; and failure to appear for attempted first-degree murder, felony domestic assault, driving under the influence, and driving without a license. Meanwhile, a 44-year-old woman who was in possession of marijuana and prescribed pills was wanted out of Wilson County for failure to appear on misuse of registration, officials said. TBI issues Silver Alert for man last seen at Clarksville hotel No additional details have been released about the individuals identities or what happened after the officer discovered them. We are grateful for our officers who are all working hard to keep crime out of MJ, the Mt. Juliet Police Department posted on social media Saturday evening. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. A Nebraska substitute teacher is accused of sexually abusing a teenage student after they were discovered naked in the same car, officials told news outlets. Deputies responded to a call about a vehicle that was stopped on a dead end road near Omaha at about 3 a.m. Saturday, April 13, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office told WOWT. Two people were seen in the backseat, but when deputies approached, one of them quickly moved to the drivers seat and drove away, the sheriffs office told the outlet. They didnt make it far, according to deputies. Deputies say the driver, later identified as a 17-year-old Omaha Public Schools student, crashed the SUV in the yard of a home about two blocks away, KLKN reported. The boy was seen running away from the car completely naked. Meanwhile, a woman was getting dressed in the backseat, the sheriffs office told the station. They searched the SUV and found an Omaha Public Schools ID belonging to the woman, identified as 45-year-old Erin Ward, who works as a substitute high school teacher for the district, the outlet reported. She has taught at Omaha Burke High School, where the student is enrolled, investigators said. Investigators said the SUV belongs to Ward and her spouse, WOWT reported. Deputies found the teen at about 4 a.m., KETV reported. Ward later told deputies that she had sexual contact with the boy, and she has been charged with felony sexual abuse by a school employee. In a release obtained by KETV, Burke High School Principal Darren Rasmussen said Ward will not be returning to our school or any others in our district. Our top priority is always the safety and well-being of the students we serve, he said. We take this most seriously. Counselors will be available on Tuesday for students in need of support. Middle school teacher accused of raping 14-year-old after video surfaces, TX cops say Body of man missing for months found 2 miles from his abandoned car, Nebraska cops say Tearful boy missing pieces of hair reveals abuse at home to teachers, Texas cops say Missing teen never came home from school then cops get shocking call 13 years later NATO Deputy Secretary General: Ukraine joining NATO is a matter of "when" not "if" According to NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, Ukraine will definitely join NATO in the future, so long as political conditions are met. Ukraine is getting closer to NATO almost every day, he said. I cannot say when, but I know that Ukraine will be part of the Euro-Atlantic family. Preconditions for Ukraine to join the organization include having a robust military, democracy, and economy. Geoana reaffirmed the harmony among the 32 member states in their decision-making, even amidst uncertainties surrounding Hungary and Slovakias positions, given their leaders recent hesitations to provide weapons and aid to Ukraine. Of course, you see nuances from allies, but we do not see major differences in terms of continuing supporting Ukraine or investing in our own defense, Geoana said. We are dealing with the most precious thing which is national security and defense of the nation. Ukraine formally applied to join NATO in September 2022. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this during a video address on September 3o 2022, and he claimed that Ukraine should be a candidate for fast-track accession. Read also: NATO military delegation visits Kyiv for first time since start of full-scale invasion Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Key Insights The considerable ownership by private companies in Aurelius Technologies Berhad indicates that they collectively have a greater say in management and business strategy A total of 4 investors have a majority stake in the company with 53% ownership Insiders own 12% of Aurelius Technologies Berhad A look at the shareholders of Aurelius Technologies Berhad (KLSE:ATECH) can tell us which group is most powerful. With 49% stake, private companies 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. Institutions, on the other hand, account for 21% of the company's stockholders. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their ownership over time. In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Aurelius Technologies Berhad. View our latest analysis for Aurelius Technologies Berhad What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Aurelius Technologies Berhad? Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. We can see that Aurelius Technologies Berhad 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. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Aurelius Technologies Berhad's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. Aurelius Technologies Berhad is not owned by hedge funds. The company's largest shareholder is Main Stream Holdings Sdn Bhd, with ownership of 20%. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 19% and 7.8%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. Hock Loh, who is the third-largest shareholder, also happens to hold the title of Member of the Board of Directors. On looking further, we found that 53% of the shares are owned by the top 4 shareholders. In other words, these shareholders have a meaningful say in the decisions of the company. 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 is a little analyst coverage of the stock, but not much. So there is room for it to gain more coverage. Story continues Insider Ownership Of Aurelius Technologies Berhad While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. 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 Aurelius Technologies Berhad. It has a market capitalization of just RM1.1b, and insiders have RM127m worth of shares in their own names. This may suggest that the founders still own a lot of shares. You can click here to see if they have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 18% stake in Aurelius Technologies 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 49%, of the shares on issue. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company. Next Steps: I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Aurelius Technologies Berhad , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. 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. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Hundreds of thousands of free meals will be distributed to Columbus students under a program funded by a $2.5 million grant. The program will serve nearly 100,000 breakfasts, 150,000 lunches and 20,000 snacks. They will be distributed at up to 150 sites, part of Ohios summer food program that Columbus Recreation and Parks Department will run. Its open to anyone younger than 18. Best private high schools in Ohio Columbus City Council recently approved the 2024 program. Joe Brown, food services director with Columbus City Schools, said it has been in place for at least 15 years. Weve seen growth in this program over that time, Brown said. Weve also learned over that time as a district, the meals are healthier than they were back then. Weve tried to add more fresh fruits and vegetables, we try to do everything we can to make the meals things that appeal to students. Brown said the site is held at more than 100 sites around the city, with 30 up to several hundred students at any given location. Last summer, the program served 250,093 meals at 124 separate sites around the city, according to a Columbus City School representative. We understand the needs for our students, Brown said. A wellness student is better off, whether it be during the school day or whether it be during the summer, and we take that role very seriously and we do everything we can to take care of our kids. Family still hopeful 10 years after womans disappearance The meals have to meet USDA requirements, Brown said, and the councils legislation indicated the meals will be nutritionally balanced. Food, however, isnt the only thing students can benefit from at the meal sites. There might be summer school classes, Brown said. There might be some reading going on, stuff to eliminate the gap that students sometimes will have over the summer. The district is finalizing the list of 2024 sites which will be announced by the end of the school year, both through the schools and online. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Nevada City man, 64, suspected of killing his girlfriend before trying to take own life A Nevada City man is suspected of killing his girlfriend on Saturday, then fleeing the scene and attempting to take his own life in Arden Arcade, according to a Nevada County Sheriffs Office news release. Kenneth Breining, 64, is suspected in the death of 58-year-old Mary Moran, with whom he lived on the 12000 block of Half Moon Way in Nevada City. Breining underwent emergency surgery at a Sacramento-area hospital Sunday after Sacramento County Sheriffs Office deputies found him with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Nevada County deputies responded to a 911 call at 5:08 p.m. Saturday from one of Morans relatives, who had found the woman fatally shot in her bedroom, according to the news release. Breining was identified as a suspect, and investigators soon came to believe he had fled toward Sacramento. The Sacramento County Sheriffs Office then responded to a call of a shooting at around 3:45 a.m. Sunday and found Breining in a residence on Pasadena Avenue in the northeast corner of Arden Arcade, with his car parked outside. The Nevada County Sheriffs Office continued to investigate the case Sunday alongside the California Department of Justice. News organizations urge Biden and Trump to commit to presidential debates during the 2024 campaign FILE - Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, right, answers a question as President Donald Trump listens during the second and final presidential debate Oct. 22, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. Twelve news organizations issued a joint statement calling on the presumptive presidential nominees President Biden and former President Trump to agree to debates during the 2024 campaign. ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, PBS, NBC, NPR and The Associated Press all signed on to the letter. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, Pool, File) NEW YORK (AP) Twelve news organizations on Sunday urged presumptive presidential nominees Joe Biden and Donald Trump to agree to debates, saying they were a rich tradition that have been part of every general election campaign since 1976. While Trump, who did not participate in debates for the Republican nomination, has indicated a willingness to take on his 2020 rival, the Democratic president has not committed to debating him again. Although invitations have not been formally issued, the news organizations said it was not too early for each campaign to say publicly that it will participate in the three presidential and one vice presidential forums set by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high, the organizations said in a joint statement. Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation. ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, PBS, NBC, NPR and The Associated Press all signed on to the letter. Biden and Trump debated twice in 2020. A third debate was canceled after Trump, then president, tested positive for COVID-19 and would not debate remotely. Asked on March 8 whether he would commit to a debate with Trump, Biden said, it depends on his behavior. The president was visibly miffed by his opponent in the freewheeling first 2020 debate, at one point saying, will you shut up? Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita said in a letter this past week that we have already indicated President Trump is willing to debate anytime, any place and anywhere and the time to start these debates is now. They cited the seven 1858 Illinois Senate debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, saying certainly today's America deserves as much. The Republican National Committee voted in 2022 to no longer participate in forums sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The Trump campaign has not indicated it would adhere to that, but did have some conditions. The campaign managers said the commission selected a demonstrably anti-Trump moderator in then-Fox News host Chris Wallace in 2020 and wants assurances the commission debates are fair and impartial. The Trump campaign also wants the timetable moved up, saying that many Americans will have already voted by Sept. 16, Oct. 1 and Oct. 9, the dates of the three debates set by the commission. The Biden campaign declined comment on the news organizations' letter, pointing to the president's earlier statement. There was no immediate response from the Trump campaign. But on Saturday, Trump held a rally in northeast Pennsylvania with two lecterns set up on the stage: one for him to give a speech, the other to symbolize what he said was Bidens refusal to debate him. The second lectern had a placard that read, Anytime. Anywhere. Anyplace. Midway through his campaign speech, Trump turned to his right and pointed to the second lectern. We have a little, look at this, its for him, he said. See the podium? Im calling on Crooked Joe Biden to debate anytime, anywhere, any place. Right there. And we have to debate because our country is going in the wrong direction so badly and while its a little bit typically early we have to debate. We have to explain to the American people what the hell is going on, Trump said. C-SPAN, NewsNation and Univision also joined the letter calling for debates. Only one newspaper, USA Today, added its voice. The Washington Post declined a request to join. Certainly the broadcasters could use the juice that debates may bring. Television news ratings are down significantly compared with the 2020 campaign, although there are other factors involved, such as cord-cutting and the pandemic, that increased interest in news four years ago. There were no Democratic debates this presidential cycle, and Trump's refusal to participate in the GOP forums depressed interest in them. ___ Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report. A coalition of media outlets published a statement Sunday urging President Biden and former President Trump to publicly commit to debates ahead of the November election. General election debates have a rich tradition in our American democracy, having played a vital role in every presidential election of the past 50 years, dating to 1976, the news organizations wrote. In each of those elections, tens of millions have tuned in to watch the candidates debating side by side, in a competition of ideas for the votes of American citizens. The group noted that the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has sponsored the debates since 1988, has already announced dates, times, and eligibility criteria for 2024 debates, and urged the candidates to make their decision about participating now. Though it is too early for invitations to be extended to any candidates, it is not too early for candidates who expect to meet the eligibility criteria to publicly state their support for and their intention to participate in the Commissions debates planned for this fall, the outlets wrote. If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high, they added. Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation. Biden and Trump both earned enough delegates to clinch their respective primaries earlier this year paving the way for a rematch of the 2020 election. The former president has also put pressure on Biden to agree to a debate, saying he would meet any time, any place. His campaign wrote to the commission earlier this week, requesting them to move up the timeline for the planned debates. Trump, who was absent from the GOP debate stage this cycle, has argued the two presumptive nominees have an obligation to face off ahead of the election, adding that it is for the good of our country. The incumbent has not ruled out debates but said last month that his decision is dependent on Trumps behavior. In their request, the group of media outlets willed the two candidates to make their decision sooner rather than later. The outlets include ABC News, The Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, C-Span, NPR and PBS Newshour, among others. NewsNation, owned by The Hills parent company Nexstar Media Group, also signed onto the statement. Read the full post below. This embedded content is not available in your region. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. As the glare of public scrutiny intensifies on Gov. Gavin Newsoms Panera Bread corruption scandal, we are left with more questions than answers. The governor has recently chosen secrecy over transparency. He wants to leave the public in the dark about how he and his staff craft laws in the Capitol behind closed doors. Team Newsoms fingerprints are all over a purported pay-to-play scheme involving Greg Flynn, a billionaire Panera Bread franchise owner and the governors high school acquaintance. Flynn, who is also a major contributor to Newsoms political campaigns, stood to benefit from a tailored exemption for bakeries in Assembly Bill 1228, the highly contentious 2023 law mandating a $20-per-hour minimum wage for fast food chains. According to Bloomberg, the governor pushed for the exemption, which would appear to benefit Panera. The laws secret negotiations were led by the Service Employees International Union. which reportedly mandated negotiators to sign non-disclosure agreements, keeping the public in the dark about crucial details, including the bakery exemption. Opinion The situation, now dubbed Panera-gate, bring to light accusations of crony capitalism which have rightfully stirred public outcry. To restore faith in our government by adding some sunshine to this legislation, Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher and I called on State Attorney General Rob Bonta to initiate an unbiased investigation into the allegations of money influencing this legislation. To no surprise, Bonta did not respond and continues to cover for Newsom. Next, we called on Newsom to release all records related to the crafting bakery exemption and communications with Flynn. His administration was at ground zero in its creation because the legislations actual author, Assemblyman Chris Holden of Pasadena, said he was not involved in the negotiations. If Newsom truly had nothing to hide, he should have been eager to clear his name with these records. Newsoms reaction has been precisely the opposite. First, he extended his response timeline, stating that the request falls under unusual circumstances. Then, last week, he released essentially nothing. His release of records included one measly email with an article about the scandal and nothing else, citing that the other records are part of the deliberative process of the governor or his staff. Newsom is claiming that he is exempt from the requirement to release public records. He seeks to hide whether he and his staff signed non-disclosure agreements with this powerful union to work on the legislation in secrecy. Californians deserve to know if that deliberative process included pay-to-play semantics. While the governors weak response dodges accountability, it suggests that additional records exist and are being hidden from public view. To salvage his tarnished reputation, Newsom now seeks to downplay corruption allegations by asserting that Panera does not qualify for the exemption. This assertion raises more questions than answers. If not Panera, then which businesses do qualify? And why does this dubious exemption exist? Meanwhile, there have been media reports of restaurants closing their doors for good or scrapping expansion plans. Instead of securing higher wages for workers, the devastating impacts of this bill have left hundreds out of work and out of business. As restaurants grapple with increased costs, ordinary Californians are feeling the pinch at the checkout counter. Heavy price increases to offset rising costs are further straining household budgets that are already stretched thin. Amid the scandal and chaos, one thing remains abundantly clear: Californians deserve a government that prioritizes our interests over those of well-connected insiders. Until Newsom and his administration are held accountable for their actions, the publics trust in our democratic institutions will continue to erode. Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones represents California Senate District 40, which encompasses much of inland San Diego County. Proven investment New SLO County sales tax could raise $35 million a year. Will it be on the ballot? (sanluisobispo.com, April 9) New taxes win few popularity contests. Your recent article is accurate, but more context is needed. Since 2018, Ive served as senior representative on the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments transportation advisory council. Each year, we monitor the allocation of millions of dollars for transportation-related projects that help every city and unincorporated area in the county. These dollars dont fall from the sky; staff works hard to obtain and retain multiple external revenue streams. Its worth noting that citizens of 25 California counties including Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and Ventura have already approved similar cent sales taxes. In 2022, Santa Cruz used its new tax revenue to commit $32 million to county transportation. The states response? It chipped in $116 million in grant funding. By contrast, SLO could only find $12 million, to which Sacramento chipped in $36 million. Thats nice, but we left $70 million on the table. Bottom line: Local transportation works mean good jobs and long-term, recession-proof construction projects. Yes, foregoing a cent sales tax boost will save us some pennies, but the big bucks will go to our neighbors. Todd Katz San Luis Obispo Unjust sentence Families share tearful memories of SLO couple as driver is sentenced to prison, (sanluisobispo.com, April 9) Daniel Angel Saligan Patricio kills two people and their dog with his car while texting and speeding under the influence yet he only gets sentenced to five years and four months in prison? Are you kidding me? Is it any wonder with the botched SLO Police Department response? I have nothing but disappointment in the judge in this case and our police department. My condolences are with the families. May Matthew Chachere and Jennifer Besser rest in peace. Mark Swain San Luis Obispo Opinion Transformative opportunity Paso Robles Barney Schwartz Park to get bike pump track, (sanluisobispo.com, Aug. 23, 2021) San Luis Obispo County stands at the forefront of a transformative opportunity to bolster community life and outdoor activities through the establishment of an all-inclusive asphalt pump track. Such tracks, which support cyclists of every age and skill level across a wide range of equipment from BMX and mountain bikes to scooters and even wheelchairs feature a seamless circuit of rollers and banked turns for continuous riding enjoyment. Inspired by cities throughout the state, SLO County can create a recreational haven that draws visitors and supports local businesses. This initiative responds to the growing need for accessible and safe outdoor spaces, particularly critical in light of recent closures affecting recreational areas. Pump tracks not only offer a venue for physical activity and skill development, they foster community interaction and the efficient use of underutilized land. Aligned with local measures aimed at enhancing public safety and city services, a pump track can contribute to improved park facilities and community aesthetics. By embracing this project, San Luis Obispo County can counteract the isolating effects of digital devices, encouraging a culture of inclusivity, health and community connectivity. Lets pave the way for a vibrant, active community in San Luis Obispo County. Ian Journey Pismo Beach History repeats itself GOP in San Luis Obispo and Placer counties endorse Trump, (sanluisobispo.com, Dec. 1, 2023) Quick quiz: What man in history is described by the following statements: He was a skilled orator who rose to power by claiming he would make the country great again. He said immigrants were poisoning the blood of the country and called the free press the enemy of the people. He held huge rallies, allowing only those who supported his beliefs. He changed the countrys conservative political party to a nationalist party and attacked the liberal party as being controlled by socialists and communists. He started his own media network and demanded total loyalty from everyone who worked with him. He separated immigrant parents from their families and put them in camps, removed generals in the military who did not support his policies and built an armed militia who swore to fight for him. He replaced judges with those who supported his right wing policies and removed his country from treaties with other nations. He also supported leaders in other countries who operated fascist dictatorships. Who is it? These actions describe the actual history of Adolf Hitler during his rise to power in Germany in the 1930s. If another name occurred to you, its not surprising. Everyone should watch the documentary series Hitler: The Lost Tapes of the Third Reich. It provides a great look at how dictators emerge and rise to power. Today, we might be just one election away from the same fate. Alan Thomas San Luis Obispo Misleading comments SLO writers condemns supervisor support of Diablo operations, (sanluisobispo.com, April 7) At the March 26 Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg emphatically stated that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issues licenses to operate nuclear power plants for 20 years: no more, and no less. She repeated that assertion several times. She was wrong. I call your attention to NRC Code, Part 54.31 (b): A renewed license will be issued for a fixed period of time, which is the sum of the additional amount of time beyond the expiration of the operating license or combined license (not to exceed 20 years) that is requested in a renewal application.... The term of any renewed license may not exceed 40 years. In other words, the applicant for the renewed license determines the time period for the license renewal; the NRC only determines the upper limit of the license term. PG&E could have applied for a five year license extension to operate Diablo Canyon beyond its scheduled shutdown dates of 2024/2025. It chose, instead, to apply for a 20-year extension. SLO Mothers for Peace requests that Ortiz-Legg publicly retract and correct her assertion. Her misleading comments caused serious confusion among meeting attendees. Elected officials must state facts correctly when making assertions to the public. Otherwise, they lose the trust of their constituents. Linda Seeley San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace Los Osos Theyre not wrong, Trump says of supporters chanting genocide Joe at his rally Attendees of a Donald Trump campaign rally chanted Genocide Joe at the former president on Saturday evening, using a phrase associated with pro-Palestinian activists about President Joe Biden. Mr Trump was speaking at a rally in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania on Saturday evening when the chanting began. Genocide Joe, the crowd shouted, and Mr Trump paused his speech. He turned around to survey the crowd. Theyre not wrong, Mr Trump said as he turned back to the microphone. Theyre not wrong. Hes done everything wrong. The nickname for Biden has been widely used by pro-Palestinian advocates to protest his support for Israels war effort in Gaza. Since 7 October, more than 33,000 people have been killed in Israels offensive, according to the Palestinian health ministry, many of them women and children. Meanwhile, famine has already settled over Gaza, a top Biden administration official confirmed earlier this week. The attacks come in response to 7 October, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 200 people hostage. Mr Trumps apparent approval of the phrase was surprising, given his prior enthusiastic backing for Israels offensive. However, a spokesperson for Mr Trumps 2024 presidential campaign clarified his official stance. As President Trump stated last night in his speech, he believes America must stand with Israel 100 per cent, Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for Mr Trumps campaign, wrote in a statement to The Independent on Sunday. Supporters of Donald Trump chanted Genocide Joe at his campaign rally, pictured above in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening (EPA) Yet, other recent comments from Mr Trump could be interpreted as a sign that his unyielding support for Israel is not guaranteed. Youve got to get it over with, and you have to get back to normalcy, Mr Trump said in an interview with The Hugh Hewitt Show that aired earlier this month. The former president added that he wanted Israel to get back to peace and stop killing people. Just before his rally, Mr Trump appeared to blame Mr Biden for the Iranian attack on Israel on Saturday evening. ISRAEL IS UNDER ATTACK, the former president wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. This should never have been allowed to happen - This would NEVER have happened if I were President! Now is the time for maximum restraint, says UN Secretary-General Guterres United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Israel and Iran should attempt to de-escalate violence after dueling missile strikes in recent days. Iran fired about 350 rockets toward Israel on Saturday evening, raising concerns over a regional war after Israel attacked Iranian military leaders in Syria last week. Now is the time for maximum restraint, Guterres said in an emergency U.N. meeting held at the request of the Israeli delegation on Sunday. The large-scale attack by Iran is a major escalation of the conflict between the two countries, with Iran calling on the assistance of its proxy militias in Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon against Israel. The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict. Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate, Guterres said. Its time to step back from the brink. It is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East. Some Israeli leaders have vowed retaliation but have avoided calls for all-out war against Iran. Israeli President Isaac Herzog explicitly said Sunday that his country is not seeking war with Iran but that the missile barrage has to be met accordingly. President Biden has reportedly pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to not pursue a larger conflict with Iran. The comments from Guterres follow his ardent support of a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. The U.N. has been the loudest advocate for a pause in fighting, citing rampant civilian deaths and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions. He reaffirmed that commitment Sunday. Neither the region nor the world can afford more war, he said of the Israel-Hamas war. Guterres added that all U.N. member states must work toward de-escalation, calling it a shared responsibility. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The NYPD will be keeping a close watch on houses of worship across the city after Irans drone attack on Israel, officials said Sunday. In a post on its social media accounts, the NYPD said no credible threats have been made against New York City and it will continues to closely monitor events in Israel. We will continue to deploy resources to houses of worship and sensitive locations throughout the city, the departments statement adds. The Police Departments statement mirrors similar public remarks the NYPD has made after world and national events and terrorist attacks. The department didnt specify which locations it would ramp up patrols at. Iran launched hundreds of bomb-carrying drones and ballistic missiles toward Israel Saturday night after threatening revenge for an apparent Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1 that killed 12 people, including two generals. Israels anti-air defenses, with help from the U.S. and Britain, intercepted the vast majority of the Saturday attack and prevented major damage. Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up. If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Bell Equipment (JSE:BEL). While this doesn't necessarily speak to whether it's undervalued, the profitability of the business is enough to warrant some appreciation - especially if its growing. Check out our latest analysis for Bell Equipment How Fast Is Bell Equipment Growing Its Earnings Per Share? Over the last three years, Bell Equipment 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. Outstandingly, Bell Equipment's EPS shot from R4.78 to R7.99, over the last year. It's not often a company can achieve year-on-year growth of 67%. Shareholders will be hopeful that this is a sign of the company reaching an inflection point. One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. Bell Equipment maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 32% to R14b. That's encouraging news for the company! You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart. Bell Equipment isn't a huge company, given its market capitalisation of R2.4b. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength. Are Bell Equipment Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Investors are always searching for a vote of confidence in the companies they hold and insider buying is one of the key indicators for optimism on the market. That's because insider buying often indicates that those closest to the company have confidence that the share price will perform well. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don't know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions. One positive for Bell Equipment, is that company insiders spent R251k acquiring shares in the last year. While this investment may be modest, it is great considering the lack of insider selling. Story continues It's reassuring that Bell Equipment insiders are buying the stock, but that's not the only reason to think management are fair to shareholders. Specifically, the CEO is paid quite reasonably for a company of this size. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to Bell Equipment, with market caps under R3.8b is around R6.1m. The CEO of Bell Equipment was paid just R559k in total compensation for the year ending December 2023. You could consider this pay as somewhat symbolic, which suggests the CEO does not need a lot of compensation to stay motivated. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when it's reasonable, that gives a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally. Does Bell Equipment Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist? Bell Equipment's earnings per share growth have been climbing higher at an appreciable rate. Not to mention the company's insiders have been adding to their portfolios and the CEO's remuneration policy looks to have had shareholders in mind seeing as it's quite modest for the company size. It could be that Bell Equipment is at an inflection point, given the EPS growth. For those attracted to fast growth, we'd suggest this stock merits monitoring. Another important measure of business quality not discussed here, is return on equity (ROE). Click on this link to see how Bell Equipment shapes up to industry peers, when it comes to ROE. There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Bell Equipment, you'll probably love this curated collection of companies in ZA that have witnessed growth alongside insider buying in the last three months. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. NEW YORK (PIX11) The NYPD is deploying additional officers to Jewish places of worship on Sunday after Iran attacked Israel with drones and missiles. There will also be a special emergency meeting at the United Nations Headquarters about the strike at 4 p.m. In response to the attack, Mayor Eric Adams wrote on X, As mayor of the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, the significance of Irans attack for Jewish New Yorkers many of whom have family in Israel is not lost on me, especially with Passover just days away. Israel hails success in blocking Irans unprecedented attack. Biden now seeks diplomatic response I strongly condemn the attack by the Iranian government and remain concerned about the risk of further escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also wrote on X. The NYPD said there are no credible threats against Jewish houses of worship, but are taking precautions. 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. Officer slams into burger shop after being struck by suspected DUI driver in El Monte Surveillance video captured the moment a suspected DUI driver slammed into a police car, sending the vehicle crashing into a popular burger restaurant in El Monte. The crash happened Thursday night at Arts Burger located at 11629 Valley Blvd. As the El Monte officer was driving to a service call, the suspect crashed into the patrol vehicle. The violent impact sent the patrol car over the curb and into the burger shops archway, causing the roof to partially collapse. The car continued skidding and hit a second awning structure in the back. Four employees were inside the restaurant at the time and several remain shaken up by the incident, according to Alyssa Gomez, the restaurants manager. Gomez said one of the young workers, an 18-year-old, said the incident was terrifying. He remembers hearing a loud screeching noise before the building suddenly collapsed. A female employee was injured as glass and debris entered her eyes during the impact. She required medical care but is doing well and recovering, Gomez said. The major destruction caused after a DUI driver crashed into a police car, sending it crashing in Arts Burgers in El Monte on April 11, 2024. (KTLA) The major destruction caused after a DUI driver crashed into a police car, sending it crashing in Arts Burgers in El Monte on April 11, 2024. (GoFundMe) A second structure in the back was also damaged after a DUI driver crashed into a police car, sending it crashing in Arts Burgers in El Monte on April 11, 2024. (KTLA) Security video shows the moment before a police car jumps the curb and crashes into Arts Burgers in El Monte on April 11, 2024. (KTLA) The major destruction caused after a DUI driver crashed into a police car, sending it crashing in Arts Burgers in El Monte on April 11, 2024. (KTLA) Co-owner Tammy Meier and manager Alyssa Gomez survey the damage to Arts Burgers in El Monte on April 13, 2024. (KTLA) A second structure in the back was also damaged after a DUI driver crashed into a police car, sending it crashing in Arts Burgers in El Monte on April 11, 2024. (KTLA) Tons of debris leftover after the roof partially collapsed at Arts Burgers in El Monte on April 11, 2024. (KTLA) No customers were inside the restaurant as it was near closing time. The popular burger joint is a family-owned business that has been serving the local community since 1950. Gomez said the restaurant has been forced to shut down for now and they are unable to pay their employees or earn income from regular customers. We have a lot of people city council members, the El Monte Police Department, people who own large companies nearby that place large orders throughout the week, Gomez explained. Theyre hoping to reopen for business soon, but are unsure how long repairs may take or cost. Woman recalls being nearly beaten to death by Venice canal attacker For now, they are trying to find the funds to pay around 20 employees who have been forced out of work. We are trying our best to come up with a way to retain our employees, said Tammy Meier, the owners daughter who co-owns the restaurant. Would we love to pay them? Of course. But we dont have income coming in. Were trying our best to go through insurance and retain our employees. Its our top priority. The owner, Art, has been working at the restaurant since he was 15 years old in 1970. He purchased the restaurant in 1999 and renamed it Arts Burgers. Meier said some workers have been with them for over 15 years and the shop holds a very special place in her heart. The most special thing about this restaurant is that my parents met here, Meier said. So without this place, I dont exist. A lot of things have been happening these past few days but hopefully we can all come together and rebuild because everyone loves coming to Arts Burgers, Gomez said of the beloved shop. Friends and family all come and Art is a very loving, caring guy. The suspect driver, Maclovio Figueroa, 47, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. The police officer was examined at the hospital, but was not seriously injured and later released. A GoFundMe page to help support the restaurants workers and rebuilding efforts can be found here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. One year into its forgotten war, Sudan is a blood soaked playground barrelling towards famine Smoke from the fighting billows on the horizon in southern Khartoum - AFP via Getty Images Deaths in Sudan could reach 10,000 per day in the coming months if the mass displacement of people caused by a year-long civil war sparks famine. The dire projection, which represents a worst case scenario and would put the conflict on a par with the worst days of the Battle of the Somme, was being urgently debated by Western envoys and diplomats this week. Other actors, including the World Food Programme, say the estimates are exaggerated but accept that a major humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding. Monday marks the first anniversary of Sudans forgotten war; one that has been overshadowed in the western media by the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. Yet the suffering caused by the fighting is immense and the geopolitical ramifications far from insignificant. A displaced woman and her children sit in the shade of a straw hut at a refugee camp in southern Gadaref state - AFP via Getty Images It is already the worlds biggest single displacement crisis, with up to 11 million people, including four million children, forced from their homes and farms. Millions of refugees have fled into neighbouring Chad and South Sudan. And, across the region, some 25 million people are now unable to feed themselves properly, with at least five million on the cusp of famine, according to the United Nations. The UN refugee chief said on Friday that Sudanese refugees could make their way to Europe if humanitarian aid was not stepped up. The World Health Organisation meanwhile said time was running out. We are only seeing the tip of the iceberg, and the situation could be much more dire, said a spokesperson. Sudan has become a blood soaked playground for regional powers including the United Arab Emirates and Russia who are arming and backing the warring sides. The worst case of 10,000 deaths a day would put the conflict on course to rival some of the worlds worst humanitarian disasters of recent memory. A child missing a leg at the displacement camp after fleeing Khartoum - AFP via Getty Images The Ethiopian famine of the mid-1980s killed as many as one million, while war, disease and famine are estimated to have killed several million in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the turn of the 21st century. Humanitarian agencies on Friday urged caution over such a high projected death rate, but said the situation was appalling and children were already starving to death. Donors and Western governments, distracted by crises in Europe and the Middle East, have provided only a fraction of the money needed to avert disaster, they said. Dr Christos Christou, president of the aid charity Doctors Without Borders, said: Sudan is one of the worst crises the world has seen for decades. There are extreme levels of suffering across the country, the needs are growing by the day, but the humanitarian response is deeply inadequate. Dominic MacSorley, humanitarian ambassador for Concern Worldwide, said: Hunger and suffering are at unprecedented levels, and yet we know Sudan has not hit its worst level of suffering. We can use words like famine-like conditions, but to be brutally frank, this does mean children are already dying. Men sit outside a burnt-down bank branch in southern Khartoum - AFP via Getty Images War erupted a year ago from a long-simmering rivalry between the de-facto president, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagaloa, known as Hemedti. Fighting between the army and Hemdetis Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia has turned much of the country of nearly 50 million into a war zone. Diplomatic attempts to halt the fighting have since been defeated by Sudans descent into a chaotic geopolitical chessboard of competing regional powers pursuing murky agendas. Russia, Iran, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the Saudis and even Ukraine are all backing sides. Will Brown, a former Africa correspondent for The Telegraph and now a senior policy fellow on the Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said: After a year of rising middle powers using Sudan as their blood soaked playground, the country is barrelling down the road to the worst famine anyone alive has ever seen. Right now both generals in Sudan are playing us, treating humanitarian access as negotiable and threatening to ban aid organisations who work in areas they dont control. We cannot allow this to become normalised. The West needs to present a united front and treat full aid access as something already agreed on and enshrined in international law. He said Russia was understood to be backing both sides in the conflict, with the remnants of the Kremlins Wagner mercenary group having long supported the RSF militia. Refugees take shelter from the fighting in an abandoned university - AFP via Getty Images Moscow is also supporting the Sudanese army, fixing Khartoums MiG fighters and offering ammunition and four Antonov transport planes in return for gold. Analysts say Russias goals in the war are not clear. Russias involvement has in turn attracted Ukraine, which is understood to have sent small numbers of special forces to fight the RSF and its Wagner backers. Iran is meanwhile understood to have supplied its Mohajer-6 military drones to the Sudanese army. The remote-controlled aircraft are credited with allowing Khartoum to win several victories and regain territory in Omdurman in recent months. China is also thought to be supplying light arms to Khartoum. The Emiratis have been accused of supplying large quantities of military aid to the RSF via flights to neighbouring Chad. The war is brutal, devastating and shows no signs of coming to an end, said veteran Sudan expert Alex de Waal. But even if the violence stops now, the state has collapsed, and the path to rebuilding it is long and fraught, de Waal said. As many as four-out-of-five of the countrys hospitals have been forced to shut. This breakdown in healthcare means officials have very little idea how many people are dying in the conflict. Official death tolls, which are only compiled from those who make it to hospital before dying, are thought to be a huge undercount. Sudanese security forces patrol in a commercial district in Gedaref city in eastern Sudan - AFP via Getty Images The war has also rekindled targeting of ethnic African civilians in Darfur by the Arab-dominated RSF. Two decades ago, as many as 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes largely by government-backed Arab militias called the Janjaweed which have since evolved into the RSF. Renewed targeting of ethnic African residents in Darfur last year killed up to 15,000 in one West Darfur town alone, according to UN experts. What is happening is verging on pure evil, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, said earlier in the war. The fighting means many supply lines are cut and much of the countrys agricultural land is out of use. The warring sides are accused of blocking access to aid. Food prices have jumped and many of those who have fled their homes with little more than their clothes have no money to spend. Famine is meanwhile looming in Khartoum, Al-Jazira, and in the Darfur and Kordofan regions. Children carry humanitarian aid at a school near the eastern city of Gedaref now housing displaced Sudanese - AFP via Getty Images Around two million people have fled the country, mainly to Chad and South Sudan. Mary-Ellen McGroarty, South Sudan director for the World Food Programme, said the country had taken 630,000 Sudanese refugees into a nation where more than half the population was already short of food. She said since the war began, food prices had doubled in the capital, Juba. The refugees are going into refugee camps, she said. They have lost everything. Its just heartbreaking, particularly for the young. Their whole lives upended: they are out of school, out of college, trying to see some hope in the future and not seeing it. Aid agencies say Sudans crisis has been forgotten because of Western attention on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Sofia Sprechmann Sineiro, secretary-general of Care International, said: There is no shortage of humanitarian crises in the world right now and yes, absolutely, this one has received much, much less attention than it should. Humanitarian need over all has skyrocketed across the planet in many contexts around the world. Of course it is competing for attention with the War in Ukraine, Gaza and the devastation there. 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. We can expect that former president and criminal defendant Donald Trump is going to claim every day maybe even multiple times a day that his criminal trial scheduled to begin in Manhattan on Monday was orchestrated by President Joe Biden. Trump used that line of attack at a rally five days before a Manhattan grand jury indicted him on New York state charges on March 30, 2023. Trump said the imminent charges were part of the Biden regimes weaponization of our system of justice. Hes repeated the weaponization lie multiple times since then. For example, two weeks ago after a hearing in that New York state case, Trump, referring to all the trials hes facing, accused Biden of the weaponization of our government to try to knock out his political opponent. Tuesday, he said Biden has weaponized the Justice Department. A president has no authority to bring a state charge against anyone, but Trump said Tuesday that every one of these trials is run by the DOJ and the White House. Every single one. Whats been the response from the Biden campaign and other Democratic leaders to Trumps repeated lie? Mostly silence. Apparently, that is by design. When Democratic National Committee Chair Jamie Harrison appeared on my Sirius XM show Friday, I asked him if the DNC or Democratic leaders would be countering Trump lies about Biden masterminding this and other prosecutions. Harrison said Trump wants Joe Biden to get involved in his court cases and that we cant take the bait. But if Democrats dont respond, then all that some of the public will hear about the origin of these prosecutions is Trumps claim that theyre Bidens doing. If Democrats dont respond with the truth, then it will be that much easier for the public to be misled. Trumps obvious goal in lying about Bidens involvement is to convince voters to ignore any guilty verdicts any jury might return. Trump has to have seen the polls that say a conviction will hurt him badly in November. For example, a February Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll found that 53% of voters in key swing states say they wont vote for Trump if hes been convicted of a crime. According to a Politico report from last month, By a more than 2-1 margin, respondents said that a conviction would make them less likely to support Trump (32 percent) as opposed to more likely (13 percent). Notably, more than a third of independents said it would reduce their likelihood to support Trump. Of course, we know a criminal conviction is unlikely to deter the MAGA faithful, but a Reuters poll released this week says that about a quarter of Republicans say they wont vote for Trump if a jury convicts him of a felony. If Trump is convicted of one of more felonies, even if only half of those surveyed stay true to what they said in that poll, it could make it next to impossible for Trump to win in November. Consequently, Trumps No. 1 priority as his criminal trials begin is to delegitimize the cases. That is why Democratic leaders must counter Trumps lies on a daily basis. And they have the best response to Trumps made-up claim that Biden is responsible for Trumps prosecution: the ironclad fact that the case originated with Trumps own lawyer when Trump was president and that Trumps multiple attempts to thwart or delay the prosecution are why its getting started so late. Trumps own lawyer/fixer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty in August 2018 (that is, while his former boss was president) to federal crimes that included arranging the hush money payments to adult film actor Stormy Daniels on Trumps behalf in violation of federal election laws. That is when the Manhattan district attorney who preceded Alvin Bragg opened a criminal investigation. However, that investigation by the district attorney was stopped when federal prosecutors in Trumps Department of Justice said it was investigating the same conduct. When the DOJ signaled in August 2019 that the Manhattan district attorney could resume its investigation, Trump, through his lawyers, delayed that investigation with a lawsuit that ended in July 2020 with the U.S. Supreme ruling that the presidency doesnt shield Trump from a criminal investigation. And delayed it with yet another suit that ended with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the district attorney could have Trumps tax returns. Democrats should also emphasize that neither Biden nor Bragg indicted Trump. He was accused of committing 34 felonies by a group of his fellow Americans who heard testimony from people including Cohen and Stormy Daniels. Democrats should be deciding how to best counter Trumps nonstop lies about his New York trial being something orchestrated by Biden daily press releases, social media posts or videos but they shouldnt be deciding if to counter them. When Trump is lying so often, they cannot afford to remain silent. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com In watching some of the breathless coverage of Donald Trumps hush money trial, Im reminded of the 2004 quote from former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that, You go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you might want." People want the hush money case to be the big case that can take down Trump because it may be the only one that goes to trial before the election. Special counsel Jack Smiths election interference case pending in Washington is the most important of the Trump cases; it may be the most consequential court case for democracy in the history of the United States. The former president is alleged to have tried to subvert the outcome of the 2020 election through fraud, to turn himself from an election loser into an election winner. Similar damning allegations appear in the Georgia state election interference case. And the charges against Trump in a federal court in Florida for allegedly mishandling and failing to turn over classified documents are quite serious. Read more: Trump is going on trial in New York today. Here's what to expect But the hush money case that opens Monday in New York? I have a hard time even mustering a meh. Trump may not be convicted of a felony in the case, and if he is, theres a reasonable chance of an eventual reversal on appeal. Besides, the charges are so minor I dont expect they will shake up the presidential race. They may actually make that situation worse. In a nutshell, the allegations are that Trump falsified his business records, using corporate funds funneled through his former lawyer Michael Cohen to pay off adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about having had sex with Trump. These falsified business records are almost certainly a misdemeanor, and Trump as a first-time offender would be very unlikely to face jail time for them if this was all that there was to it. But New York Dist. Atty. Alvin Bragg is trying to prove that Trump committed a felony by falsifying the records to further or conceal another crime in this case a violation of election law or tax law. Although the New York case gets packaged as election interference, failing to report a campaign payment is a small potatoes campaign-finance crime. Willfully not reporting expenses to cover up an affair isnt interfering with an election along the lines of trying to get a secretary of state to falsify vote totals, or trying to get a state legislature to falsely declare there was fraud in the state and submit alternative slates of electors. We can draw a fairly bright line between attempting to change vote totals to flip a presidential election and failing to disclose embarrassing information on a government form. If every campaign finance disclosure violation is election interference, our system is rife with it. Read more: Opinion: Why the Trump indictment isn't as legally dubious as many claimed I certainly understand the impulse of Trump opponents to label this case as one of election interference that could resonate with voters and make them less likely to vote for Trump. But any voters who look beneath the surface are sure to be underwhelmed. Calling it election interference actually cheapens the term and undermines the deadly serious charges in the real election interference cases. The tax charges may be a stronger path toward turning this into a felony, though there is doubt about that too. Felony conviction based on furthering or concealing either crime turns on Trumps state of mind . Was his purpose in falsifying the records to hide other crimes or keep the information from his wife? Its possible all 12 jurors will believe he falsified records for illegal purposes. But if even one juror doesnt, it means a hung jury and no conviction. Remember that former presidential candidate John Edwards was tried on similar charges related to an affair, and it led to an acquittal on one charge and a hung jury on others. Read more: What to know about Alvin Bragg, Manhattan district attorney in Trump case Anything less than a felony conviction would only embolden Trump. He has already convinced a chunk of Republican voters that all the claims against him are a witch hunt; a hung jury or acquittal, or even a conviction on minor charges, would only feed the lie that all the indictments hes racked up are bogus. Trump also may have serious grounds for appeal in the New York case. It is far from clear that appellate courts would treat the hush money payments as legitimate campaign expenses that needed to be reported, as opposed to personal expenses . And it is uncertain that failing to report a campaign expenditure required by federal law can be a violation of New York state election law against promoting the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means. These issues may well have to be sorted out by higher courts. The Supreme Court through its timing could well deprive us of the trial we need to give voters important information about the next election whether Donald Trump tried to steal the last presidential election. The New York case is not a worthy substitute. Richard L. Hasen is a professor of law at UCLA. His latest book is "A Real Right to Vote: How a Constitutional Amendment Can Safeguard American Democracy." 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. Iranian retaliation against Israel was inevitable the moment Israeli aircraft bombed an Iranian diplomatic facility in the heart of Damascus on April 1, killing one of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) top generals and several other Iranian military advisers in the process. Irans political and religious leadership telegraphed as much immediately after the Israeli strike occurred. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called it a cowardly crime that wouldnt go unanswered. Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, used his weekly speech to declare that Israel would be punished. The Biden administration took Khameneis words seriously: U.S. government employees in Israel were ordered to stay in the major cities; Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Arab foreign ministerial colleagues and asked them to urge Iran to de-escalate; and the Defense Department repositioned two U.S. Navy destroyers into regional waters, at least one of which carries a sophisticated missile defense system. The question was never whether Iran would respond but rather how. Now we know: At the time of writing, over 100 drones and missiles were launched by Iran toward Israel. Further drone or even ballistic missile strikes by the Iranians could follow, although this is hardly assured. Either way, a tense regional situation is becoming even more fraught. The leaders of Israel and the U.S. must now weigh the risks and rewards of an Israeli counterstrike. And if counterstrikes are approved, the leaders of both countries will need to determine how long they will tolerate a dangerous escalatory spiral. This is not a low-cost scenario for the U.S. There are tens of thousands of U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East, from Syria and Iraq to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. All of these troops are within range of Iranian missile fire or Iranian proxy attacks. U.S. military installations in the region would make for tempting targets in the event of a regional conflagration, and no number of air defense systems would be able to shoot down every projectile fired their way. In January 2020, when the Trump administration assassinated Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Iraq, Iran waited five days before settling on its response (more than a dozen ballistic missiles were launched against two U.S. military facilities in Iraq). This time, Iran took more time, deliberating options over a span of two weeks. Its not difficult to see why. Iran had a number of options on the table, ranging from the symbolic to the escalatory. For instance, the Iranians could have utilized their proxy network in the Middle East as they often have against Israel and U.S. troops in the past. Tehrans conventional military is weak compared to U.S. and Israeli standards, but Iran can still do considerable damage thanks to strategic relationships with nonstate actors like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Palestinian militant groups in Gaza and the West Bank, the Houthis in Yemen, and militias in Iraq and Syria. In January, three U.S. troops were killed in northeastern Jordan after Iranian-linked militias conducted a drone strike on a U.S. base there. Alternatively, Iran could have tasked its intelligence service with attacking Israeli diplomatic facilities or Israeli diplomats abroad, as it tried to do in Azerbaijan, India, Thailand and Georgia more than a decade ago. An Iranian strike against Israeli territory was the extreme option. It is also unprecedented Iran has never before authorized a direct attack against Israel from its own soil, let alone one that included a barrage of drones. Khamenei couldnt afford not to retaliate after such a bold Israeli attack. From his perspective, doing too little or doing nothing at all would have exposed the Iranian government as weak, and may have dared Israel to execute more decapitation strikes against high-profile Iranian targets in the future. Doing too much, though, risks blowback and debilitating Israeli counterstrikes. The Iranian military establishment is already antiquated relative to its adversaries. Khamenei, Raisi, the IRGC brass and the Iranian defense apparatus writ large may be rash in their rhetoric, but they know Iran isnt ready for a full-scale conflict with the regions most capable military power, let alone one that boasts an intricate military relationship with a global superpower. Indeed, if Tehrans attack sparks even stronger Israeli military action in Iran, what exactly was the point? Now Israel has a choice. On Thursday, April 11, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli pilots that Israel was prepared for war if need be: We set a simple principle: Anyone who hits us, we hit them. Ditto Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant: We are prepared to defend ourselves on the ground and in the air, in close cooperation with our partners, and we will know how to respond. Can Netanyahu, his political career currently hanging on by a thread courtesy of an ultranationalist coalition government, afford to order the Israel Defense Forces to stand down? This will likely depend in large part on how bad the damage assessment is. From Washingtons view, Irans attack on Israel is inexcusable. President Joe Bidens frustration with Netanyahus Gaza policy may be growing, but he has been clear that the U.S. stands with Israel unequivocally in the event of an Iranian assault. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the same thing to the Israeli defense minister during an April 11 phone call, insisting Israel could count on full U.S. support. What that actually means, and whether the U.S. would join Israel in a hypothetical military operation against Iran, was left for us outsiders to prognosticate about. The implication, however, probably wasnt lost on Khamenei. Netanyahu has critical decisions to make. So does Biden. Americas instinct after this incident will be to support Netanyahu unconditionally if he in fact decides to hit Iranian soil. In this case, however, those instincts would be wrong not because Israeli action would be unjustified but rather because it has a decent chance of precipitating the very regional war Biden is ostensibly interested in avoiding. U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria have been fortunate to see a two-month downturn in militia rocket and drone attacks on their positions. During a wider war, though, this informal cease-fire could be at risk of rupturing. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A real-life Rosie the Riveter from Oregon was honored with a major congressional award Wednesday for her service during World War II. Clarice Lafreniere of Independence, who is 102, received the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal along with dozens of other women who at the time served as riveters, buckers, welders and electricians. 102-year-old Clarice Lafreniere of Independence, Oregon received the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal on Apr. 10, 2024. (Courtesy: Office of Rep. Salinas) This is the oldest and highest civilian honor given by Congress, which has since been awarded to around 16 million women. This year, 30 Rosies attended the ceremony held at the U.S. Capitol. Robot dog training to walk on the moon on Mt. Hood Lafreniere moved to Oregon in 1940. She gave birth to her daughter just hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. When the United States officially entered the war, Lafreniere joined her husband cutting and welding steel for ships at Portlands Kaiser Shipyard. She continues to remain active in the community to this day. U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (D-OR), who met Lafreniere and her family in her D.C. office on Friday, had nothing but praise for her after their introduction. A poster showing signatures of former Rosie the Riveters is seen at the offices of the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historic Park in Richmond, Calif., October 31, 2007 (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File) It was a such a joy to meet my constituent and real life Rosie the Riveter, Clarice Lafreniere, and congratulate her on receiving the Congressional Gold Medal, said Rep. Salinas. She is a living legend who has devoted her life to giving back to our community, and I am so grateful to Clarice and her family for their service to our nation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. An Orthodox Jewish man was brutally stabbed in his own driveway in Rockland County, New York, in an attack that police called a horrific assault. Elijah Dean, 23, of New City was arrested for the bloody attack Saturday evening and being held on one million dollars cash bond, according to Ramapo Police. Dean was due in court Thursday to face charges of attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon, officials said. Police had called this attack a horrific assault. Rockland Video Productions Elijah Dean, 23, of New City was arrested for the attack and is being held on one million dollars cash bond, according to police. Rockland Video Productions An Orthodox Jewish man was brutally stabbed in his own driveway in Rockland County, New York, police said. Rockland Video Productions He does not face hate crime charges, and the motive for the attack is unclear. The unnamed victim had been accosted in front of his home and stabbed multiple times about his body including his head and neck, according to cops. He was taken to the hospital in serious condition but was expected to survive his injuries. The motive for the attack, which happened in a predominantly Orthodox Jewish community, remained unclear. Dean was due in court Thursday to face charges of attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon, officials said. Rockland Video Productions The victim was taken to the hospital in serious condition but was expected to survive his injuries. Rockland Video Productions While the motive in the attack is not yet known, the Rockland County Human Rights Commission refuses to normalize any form of animus informing such inhuman abhorrence against any group, the Rockland County Human Rights Commissioner told ABC7. Let us continue using our collective voices in sending a message that hate has no home in Rockland County and such incidents are totally unacceptable. Editors note: This commentary is part of an ongoing Deseret News series exploring ideas at the intersection of faith and thought. With spring now officially here, some Latter-day Saints have no doubt reflected on Joseph Smiths First Vision, which took place in the spring of 1820. Smiths First Vision is hailed by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the beginning of the Restoration of Christs restored gospel. Like differences between the New Testament Gospel accounts, scholars have likewise had questions about the differences in the available accounts of the First Vision. The multiple accounts of the First Vision vary in detail, with Joseph Smiths earliest written account (1832) lacking some elements found in his later accounts. Most notably, this account refers to Joseph seeing the Lord Jesus Christ without specifying that he also encountered God the Father. This has led some critics to allege the inclusion of God the Father in Joseph Smiths subsequent First Vision accounts was a later, manufactured addition to the vision as first documented in 1832. However, new findings indicate that the presence of God the Father in the First Vision was already established in 1832-1833. In a recent issue of BYU Studies, we contribute to the growing body of work on the First Vision and present the evidence for the Fathers inclusion in the early accounts of the First Vision. Although the 1832 account does lack some elements found in later accounts, a number of those same elements can be found throughout Joseph Smiths translation of the Bible. Joseph Smith Translation of Psalm 14, for instance, includes a search for a correct view of the divine (Seek ye among the children of men, to see if there are any that do understand God), the condemnation of corrupt preachers (workers of iniquity) and anticipation of the restoration of the Church/Zion (O Lord, when wilt thou establish Zion?). Sometime between July 1832 and July 1833, Joseph Smith completed this inspired Bible revision. It was during this period that he recorded both his 1832 account of the First Vision (July-September 1832) and two specific passages in the New Testament. In its KJV form, John 1:18 reads, No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Smiths revision found in the JST manuscript adds a condition on which the Father can be seen: And no man hath seen God at any time, except he hath born record of the son. For except it is through him no man can be saved. In Smiths rendition, God the Father can be seen, with the proviso that he always bears record of the Son to those privileged to see him. This is as Smith would describe it in later First Vision accounts: I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the otherThis is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! (JS-H 1:17). In an exact echo of John 1:18, the KJV of 1 John 4:12 reads, No man hath seen God at any time. Smith again qualifies this with a proviso in his translation: except them who believe. In both alterations made several months before Smiths earliest recorded account of the First Vision in 1832 God the Father is made visible. And in each alteration, a condition is presented on which the Father can be seen a condition met by Smith in his own First Vision account: Before he saw the Father, he exercised faith and became one of them who believe, meeting the condition specified in JST 1 John 4:12. He also heard the Father bear record of the Son, meeting the condition specified in JST John 1:18. Given Smiths changes to these passages in each case qualifying the apparent absoluteness of the statement No man hath seen God it is intriguing that he imports this very phrase into the beginning of his revised Psalm 14, The fool hath said in his heart, There is no man that hath seen God. Because he showeth himself not unto us, therefore there is no God. Having revised the two New Testament passages to stipulate conditions on which human beings can see God the Father, the fool who denies God in Psalm 14:1 now becomes one who denies any possibility of theophany. This would include the preacher who treated Josephs own theophany with great contempt, saying it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days (JS-H 1:21). Smiths revisions to the Bible discussed here provide evidence that these supposedly late-developed elements of the First Vision may actually predate even the earliest First Vision account. Already by 1831-1832, Joseph Smiths translation of John 1:18 and 1 John 4:12 intimates that he connected his First Vision with the idea of seeing God the Father and of God the Father bearing witness of the Son. In his 1833 translation of Psalm 14, Josephs translation likewise echoes the First Vision, reinforcing that God the Father was part of the vision and weaving in further elements that will not appear in his own formal accounts for several years. Thus, Joseph Smiths translation of the Bible is yet one more element suggesting Joseph Smith was consistent in attesting to the nature of the First Vision events from the beginning of his prophetic career. Don Bradley is an independent historian and the author of The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormons Missing Stories. Walker Wright works for a public policy think tank in Washington, DC, and has published on economics, theology, and politics. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) As founding father Benjamin Franklin said, In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes. You can also be certain that as the tax-filing deadline approaches on April 15, scammers and fraudsters are still working to get their hands on your refund, through a series of different tactics including posing as agents with the IRS to try to trick people into paying up or sharing personal information. How have Ohios distracted driving rates changed with phone restriction law? IRS Criminal Investigations Special Agent Tony Westendorf said these so-called imposter scams may start with a phone call, in which the agent says you owe back taxes, and pressures you into paying with a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. And if you dont comply, they threaten you with fines, or arrest. The IRS isnt going to call and threaten you and ask for a specific method of payment, said Westendorf. And were never going to demand that you pay right away, added IRS Spokesman, Luis Garcia. Garcia said taxpayers also need to be aware of how they are contacted by the agency. He and Westendorf said any and all correspondence from the real IRS will more than likely come through snail mail. If anybody that says theyre with the IRS and contacts you and does one of those things, its a scam, Garcia said. You can hang up on them, you could close the door in their face, whatever the case may be. Westendorf added that the IRS will not send you social media messages, text messages or emails unexpectedly with links. If you do get a letter that appears to come from the IRS, make sure any contact information provided matches up with the contact information listed on irs.gov. Heres some other advice from the agency: If you get an email claiming to be from the agency, ignore it. Do not click any links, as they could contain malware. Never give any personal information over the phone. That could make you susceptible to identity theft. Report any suspicious communication to the agency and the Office of the Inspector General. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. RAMALLAH, West BankIsrael, as ever, was divided Sunday morning after a dramatic night that saw Iran fire over 300 missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation for an Israeli attack on an Iranian embassy in Syria two weeks ago, which killed seven high-ranking military officials. Israeli Spokesman Daniel Hagari said that most of the drones and missiles had been intercepted but that a seven-year-old girl from a Bedouin village near Arad, in southern Israel, was seriously wounded while minor damage was caused to infrastructure at an IDF base in southern Israel. Terrified Americans, mother and daughter Moira and Hannah Jilani, spent a sleepless night attempting to shelter in the safest room of their house. They live in the Palestinian suburb of Shuafat in East Jerusalem, which has no bomb shelters, unlike Jewish West Jerusalem. On Saturday night I heard explosions and saw the missiles and what appeared to be their interception not far above us. They seemed to be coming from different directions, including from the direction of Jordan and Lebanon, Hannah told The Daily Beast. I ran inside and yelled at my mom to go immediately into our most protected room which we use as a closet. It has no windows and has a staircase leading downstairs so we huddled under the heavy metal doorframe at the top of the stairs, she said. Moira said she had struggled to sleep and was unable to accompany a heavily pregnant friend who was rushing to hospital to give birth. I told her I wasnt going out under any circumstances with all those rockets raining down over us, she told The Daily Beast. Both the Jilani women periodically came out from under the staircase to take a quick look at what was happening in the skies overhead and at the highway below. When I looked from my balcony, which has a view of a main highway below, during the night I could see the cars were driving crazily fast to get home and to find shelter, Moira told The Daily Beast. My stomach is in a knot and Im very concerned about what will happen from now on and whether this war will go regional, said Moira. The sound of Israeli jets flying overhead, backwards and forwards, in the direction of Lebanon and elsewhere, could be heard constantly in the skies over both Jerusalem and Ramallah. U.S. Must Pull Out All the Stops to Avoid a Regional War After Iran Attacks Israel It was also a sleepless night in Ramallah but the reaction of many Palestinians in Ramallah and East Jerusalem was fairly unanimousand the opposite of most Israelis. Overnight Saturday, and during the early hours of Sunday morning, an excited crowd gathered in the streets of Ramallah and pointed to the skies and the visible trails of missiles that were flying in and being intercepted. Similar to Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem some of the crowd were shouting Allahu Akbar and pointing to each new fiery trail that flared across the sky. Several Palestinians Ramallah told The Daily Beast that they welcomed Irans retaliation. They spoke on condition of anonymity due to the high number of Palestinians arrested by the Israelis for expressing support for the resistance or even sympathizing with the suffering of Gazans. I think its great, Israel needs to leave our land, said one uniformed Palestinian policeman on duty near the Manara, or city center, in Ramallah. Israel needs to be taught a lesson because it always thinks it can attack Muslims and Palestinians without any retaliation, said another, a restaurant employee. However, the owner of the restaurant *Bassem (name changed), was less impressed. Its all just glorified fireworks. Irans attack wont change the Israelis behavior and if anything will make them more aggressive. The politics of this region do not impress me at all, he told The Daily Beast. And while international attention has been focused on Iran, Gaza and Israels northern border with Lebanon, another front is breaking out. The West Bank is on fire and burning literally. For the last two days the sounds of Israeli jets flying overhead were overshadowed by the sound of an Israeli drone circling above the Ramallah area and the sound of screaming ambulances ferrying wounded Palestinians to hospital in the de facto Palestinian capital. Two Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by live ammunition and beatings as rampaging Israeli settlers, accompanied and supported by Israeli soldiers, left a trail of death and destruction which subsequently spread to other villages near Ramallah. The Israeli military, and special forces, are hunting for the perpetrators responsible for the death of a 14-year-old Israeli settler boy, whose body was found in the vicinity of Palestinian villages near Ramallah, and have encircled and cordoned off nearby villages. Binyamin Achimair went missing on Friday morning and the Israelis believe he was kidnapped and killed by nationalist Palestinians. Dozens of Palestinian homes, cars, businesses and civil defense vehicles were set on fire by the settlers. Its extremely dangerous on the ground here, veteran Palestinian photo-journalist Jaafer Shtayyeh told The Daily Beast.We could see hundreds of Israeli settlers and soldiers heading into the village of Al Mughayyer and surrounding villages. When the settlers fired towards the journalists and at my car I knew it was too dangerous to stay and had to leave. Dr Mustafa Barghouti, head of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, which provides first aid in the field and coordinates with other Palestinian medical societies, said a number of ambulances had been attacked. They attacked one of our ambulances and threatened others. They also prevented our crew from evacuating seriously wounded Palestinians to hospital. They have no respect for medical personnel as can be witnessed by the deadly attacks on them in Gaza, Barghouti told The Daily Beast. World on Edge as Israels War Cabinet Plots Retaliation This particular settler attack has spread to many other villages and is more severe than most but attacks by settlers on Palestinians and their property have been a daily occurrence for years as they try to force Palestinians off their land. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that these attacks spiked in 2023, under the most right-wing government in Israeli history, which includes several extremist settlers in the coalition. Since Oct. 7, 2023, OCHA has recorded 727 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians. While the current rampage by settlers was sparked by the killing of the young Israeli, their ongoing daily violence is also tied to the war on Gaza. The attack by Iran is likely to further exacerbate the situation in the West Bank and embolden the settlers as the world focuses on Irans strike on Israel. Hamas leaders, meanwhile, have called for Palestinians to resist and fight the Israeli settler attacks. Dr Barghouti, who is also the leader of the Palestinian National Initiative political party or Mubadara, sees the current situation as extremely volatile. The person who is making the situation so dangerous is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his fascist government. If it wasnt for his provocations during the last few weeks we wouldnt have seen this escalation, Barghouti said. I think he wants this escalation for his own political survival and to prevent him going to jail and being imprisoned for fraud. Thats why he undertook the provocations of attacking the Iranian Consulate in Tehran and killing three sons, and four grandchildren, of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. However, former Israeli ambassador to the U.N. and prominent Likud member Danny Danon, lambasted Iran and its claims that the score between the two countries has been settled. What we experienced last night is unprecedented attack against Israel, a sovereign country. More than 300 rockets, missiles and UAVs targeted Israel, Danon told The Daily Beast. Although we were successful in intercepting most of them when you look at the intention it was a clear act of aggression and we will retaliate without saying where or when. Iran is not in a position to decide when the attacks start and when they end. 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. MORGAN COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) A person was riding an ATV in Mountain Green Friday when they were swept around 200 feet downstream by fast-moving current, causing Mountain Green Fire personnel to conduct a rescue, according to the Mountain Green Fire Protection District. A jaunt on a 44 ended with a response by the Fire Department to assist getting a person out from the middle of Dry Creek in Mountain Green tonight, Mountain Green Fire stated on social media. The person was reportedly riding a 44 when they attempted to cross a shallow creek crossing, but was instead swept around 200 feet downstream while still on the 44. The creek is full of water this time of year due to snow melt, according to Mountain Green Fire. International Olympic Committee concludes tour calling Salt Lake City a future role model Courtesy of Mountain Green Fire Protection District Courtesy of Mountain Green Fire Protection District Courtesy of Mountain Green Fire Protection District Courtesy of Mountain Green Fire Protection District When the 44 came to rest in the middle of the stream, the driver was reportedly uninjured but also unsure of the depth of the water and the stability of the vehicle. Instead of attempting to get out of the creek on their own, they wisely called for help in getting to shore, Mountain Green Fire stated. Fire units from Mountain Green Fire, Weber Fire, and Riverdale Fire responded to the scene with water rescue technicians. Upon arrival, crews found the person stranded in the creek and assisted them to shore using rope. Our thanks to all responding agencies and Weber Area Dispatch 911 & Emergency Services District for providing a positive outcome to a potentially dangerous situation, Mountain Green Fire stated. The individual was determined to be uninjured in this incident. No further information is available at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Flames consume vehicles as the Dixie fire tears through the Indian Falls community in Northern California's Plumas County in July 2021. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) A coalition of timber companies has filed a lawsuit against Pacific Gas & Electric Co. seeking roughly $225 million in damages from a 2021 fire sparked by a utility power line. The complaint, filed Wednesday by Oregon-based Collins Pine Co. and six affiliated timber businesses with property in the Collins Almanor Forest in Plumas and Tehama counties, alleges that PG&E failed to properly manage the forest and electrical equipment to prevent the devastating Dixie fire and that the businesses suffered massive financial damages as a result. A 2022 investigation by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection found that the Dixie fire, the second largest in California history, was caused by a tree contacting electrical distribution lines owned and operated" by the utility company. Read more: Dixie fire, now the second-largest in California history, has burned more than 400 structures The timber companies claimed the fire, which burned through nearly 1 million acres in Butte, Plumas, Shasta, Lassen and Tehama counties in the summer and fall of 2021, incinerated approximately 55,000 acres of their property, including "commercial-grade timber, trees of many species and ages (some over 200 years old), roads, structures, bridges, culverts, and many of the research plots." The Collins Pine Co. claimed that the fire burned through an additional 500 acres of land for which it owns timber rights and that its mill was "significantly injured" and timber supply ruined. The damages tally up to more than $225 million combined. The complaint, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, alleges that PG&E "negligently, recklessly, and willfully failed to properly, safely, and prudently inspect, repair, maintain, and operate" its electrical equipment and surrounding vegetation, including hazardous trees. Read more: Massive fire wipes out much of California town, leaving broken hearts, broken dreams "Had Defendants acted responsibly, the Dixie Fire could have been prevented," the companies wrote. PG&E spokesperson JD Guidi did not comment on the allegations, but said the company "is aware the suit has been filed but we have yet to be served. The Dixie fire burned through Northern California for more than three months, and is listed as one of the state's most destructive blazes. Drought and shifting wind conditions helped the fire erupt into a monster inferno that tore through several rural counties, incinerating the town of Greenville and blanketing the region in heavy smoke. The California Public Utilities Commission in January fined PG&E $45 million for its role in the fire, which has been attributed to a Douglas fir tree that "fell and struck energized conductors owned and operated" by the utility company. The penalty was the latest in a long string of fines, lawsuits and legislation intended to hold PG&E accountable for several fires its equipment helped ignite. Other fires tied to the company's equipment include the Zogg fire in 2020, the 2019 Kincade fire and, most notably, the Camp fire in 2018, California's deadliest. The Camp fire burned through 153,000 acres and killed 85 people, many of them in the town of Paradise. Read more: Has California addressed the failures that led to the deadly Camp fire five years ago? The utility company filed for bankruptcy in 2019 in an effort to protect itself from the tens of billions of dollars in potential liabilities. The same year, state lawmakers approved legislation that created a wildfire recovery fund of more than $21 billion for victims. 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. PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) said an officer shot a suspect during a home invasion incident Sunday morning. At about 9:55 a.m. in the 1800 block of Addison Rd. S., police were dispatched for a home invasion. The caller said that a person inside had been stabbed. When police arrived at the scene, they found two people injured, one of whom had been stabbed. The other person was holding a two-by-four. Herndon Police: Officer fires gun during domestic incident Police told the person to put the piece of wood down and one officer shot the suspect in the lower body. The suspect is in critical, but stable condition. PGPD said the victim who was stabbed is in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. Detectives are investigating the stabbing, home invasion and shooting. The officer was placed on administrative leave. He is a 30-year veteran of the department. No officers were injured in the incident. Police said there was no threat to the community. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Pinellas County husband accused of beating wife of 55 years because she wouldnt let him drive: affidavit Pinellas County husband accused of beating wife of 55 years because she wouldnt let him drive: affidavit PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) A Pinellas County man was arrested for allegedly abusing his wife of 55 years because she wouldnt let him drive their car, as he is not supposed to drive, an affidavit said. Largo police responded to the 2000 block of 8th Avenue Southwest on Friday afternoon, after the victim called and said her husband was beating her. Hillsborough County deputy shot while using taser on suspect, sheriffs office says During the call, the suspect, Walter Lee David, 78, could be heard saying, Shut up and stop it. According to the affidavit, the 78-year-old victim suffered a cut to her left eye and her nose, along with a contusion to the back of her head, which was visibly red. Officials said the living room had things tossed around and appeared to have been from a struggle. The victim told officials David wanted to drive their vehicle, but she didnt allow him to since he was not supposed to be driving. Tampa man killed in fiery motorcycle crash The woman was taken to a nearby hospital for medical evaluation. David was found to have dried blood on his leg. David was arrested on a charge of battery on a person over the age of 65. He is being held without bond. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. HOLT, Fla. (WKRG) It was a close call for a pilot coming into Holt, Florida Saturday morning. Officials with the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office posted these images of a single-engine plane that attempted to land at the Log Lake Airport in Holt. The post says a Cessna 150 Model S plane had an accident and ended with the airplane flipping upside down on its wings. They say that no one was hurt. The post does not say where the plane was coming from and does not say how many people were on board. Well continue to follow this story if there are any updates. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is showing concern over the number of confirmed poaching incidents and suspicious deaths of gray wolves in the state within the last year. A new report released Thursday from the Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management shows the states wolf population did not grow at all in 2023, remaining at 178 at the end of the year. This is first year of zero annual growth in 16 years, according to ODFW. The growth from 175 to 178 between 2021 and 2022 was also not much of an improvement, with the Center for Biological Diversity calling the stunted growth a tragedy. Robot dog training to walk on the moon on Mt. Hood Additional highlights from the report note a total of 36 known wolf deaths in 2023, with 12 known to have been killed illegally. While one killing was allegedly in self-defense when a hunter claimed to fear for his life back in November, others involved several cases in which wolves were poisoned. Frazier Mtn Pack wolves (including a pup born in 2023) caught on a trail camera in June 2023 near their den on private lands in Union County. (Courtesy: ODFW) Furthermore, three wolves were discovered dead near Bly in February and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Officials is still offering a $50,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of those responsible. The amount of poaching and other suspicious deaths is alarming, impacts our conservation goals and could affect our ability to manage wolves in Oregon, said Bernadette Graham-Hudson, ODFW wildlife division administrator. A Metolius wolf trots past a trail camera on USFS lands in Jefferson County on May, 31 2022. (Courtesy: ODFW) Eight other wolves were also killed in Oregon in 2023 for repeatedly preying on livestock, officials say. While the ODFW has outlined in its Wolf Plan that it aims to facilitate the conservation and management needs of the states growing population, while also appeasing the concerns of local farmers, it has proven challenging in northeastern Oregon in terms of managing wolf-livestock conflict. The report claims that, despite the use of non-lethal methods, livestock depredation increased by 27%. Teachers find fossils of extinct hippo-like mammals on the Oregon Coast ODFW is continually working with Oregon State Police, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement and the Protect Oregons Wildlife- Turn In Poachers partnership team to address the growing population concerns. As wolves are protected throughout Oregon, it is illegal to shoot one, except in defense of human life. Report any incident with a wolf to the police or ODFW (541) 963-2138. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Columbus police are investigating after reports of nearly 20 cars had their windows smashed at a North High Street restaurant Saturday evening. Police responded to the Rusty Bucket on the 4100 block of North High Street at approximately 5:30 p.m. for a report of cars having their windows broken. Police dispatchers said they received reports of more than 20 cars being vandalized. Photos taken at the scene show several vehicles with their windows smashed. Photo taken at the Rusty Bucket on North High Street in Columbus showing the windows smashed out of several vehicles. (JACKIE GILLIS/NBC4) Photo taken at the Rusty Bucket on North High Street in Columbus showing the windows smashed out of several vehicles. (JACKIE GILLIS/NBC4) Photo taken at the Rusty Bucket on North High Street in Columbus showing the windows smashed out of several vehicles. (JACKIE GILLIS/NBC4) Photo taken at the Rusty Bucket on North High Street in Columbus showing the windows smashed out of several vehicles. (JACKIE GILLIS/NBC4) Photo taken at the Rusty Bucket on North High Street in Columbus showing the windows smashed out of several vehicles. (JACKIE GILLIS/NBC4) Police do not have any further details as to what may have been stolen or any possible suspects at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Usually, when one insider buys stock, it might not be a monumental event. But when multiple insiders are buying like they did in the case of PCI-PAL PLC (LON:PCIP), that sends out a positive message to the company's shareholders. Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. View our latest analysis for PCI-PAL PCI-PAL Insider Transactions Over The Last Year In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when CFO, Secretary & Executive Director Thomas Good bought UK140k worth of shares at a price of UK0.56 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of UK0.63. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price. In the last twelve months PCI-PAL insiders were buying shares, but not selling. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! PCI-PAL is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Insiders At PCI-PAL Have Bought Stock Recently It's good to see that PCI-PAL insiders have made notable investments in the company's shares. In total, insiders bought UK172k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. This could be interpreted as suggesting a positive outlook. Insider Ownership Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. From our data, it seems that PCI-PAL insiders own 8.5% of the company, worth about UK3.8m. We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership. So What Do The PCI-PAL Insider Transactions Indicate? It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. On this analysis the only slight negative we see is the fairly low (overall) insider ownership; their transactions suggest that they are quite positive on PCI-PAL stock. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. To help with this, we've discovered 4 warning signs (1 is significant!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in PCI-PAL. Story continues But note: PCI-PAL 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. Police investigating after person shot in Bostons Dorchester neighborhood Boston Police are investigating a shooting that left one person injured in Dorchester Sunday evening. Officers responded to Vesta Road at approximately 5 p.m. and located an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound, police said. The victim was transported to a Boston hospital for treatment. His condition is unknown at this time. There is no word on any suspects. The investigation remains ongoing. 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 MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) Authorities blocked off a road in Murfreesboro Saturday night to investigate a shooting involving a motorist and some motorcyclists that turned deadly. At 9:05 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, the Murfreesboro Police Department announced on social media that South Rutherford Boulevard was closed from Southeast Broad Street/Manchester Highway to Church Street amid the investigation into the possible road rage incident. (Source: Murfreesboro Police Department) (Source: Murfreesboro Police Department) According to officials, during the incident which involved the driver of an SUV and a group of people riding motorcycles shots were fired and two people were hit. Both individuals were brought to the hospital. Motorists were asked to seek an alternate routes as officials continued to investigate the scene. About three hours after announcing the crash, law enforcement confirmed the road was back open. Man accused of shooting into Rutherford County home with family members, others inside On Sunday, April 14, the Murfreesboro Police Department updated its social media post, saying two motorcyclists were shot during the road rage incident on South Rutherford Boulevard, which took place just before 7:45 p.m. on Saturday. According to authorities, one of the shooting victims died, but the other is in stable condition. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Meanwhile, police said they took the SUV driver identified as 49-year-old Joseph Gann into custody. He reportedly faces multiple charges, but there is no word on the nature of those charges. Officials said detectives are still trying to determine what caused the incident. No additional details have been released about Saturday nights shooting. 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. VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) Two men were taken to the hospital after separate back-to-back shootings Saturday night in northern San Diego County, the sheriffs department reports. The San Diego County Sheriffs Department responded to the first shooting at 8:35 p.m. in the 300 block of S Santa Fe in Vista. Witnesses told deputies the shooting happened at a lowrider event. Vigil held for 16-year-old killed in wrong-way crash on I-5 According to the sheriffs department, a 22-year-old man was shot in the stomach and taken to a local hospital. The suspect fled on foot in an unknown direction. In an update Sunday, deputies said the victim is in critical condition. Authorities searching for survivors after plane crash in Southern California In another shooting at 9:06 p.m. Saturday at Mimosa Avenue and Smilax Road near SR-78 in Vista, the sheriffs department reports a teen was shot in the chest as he was walking near the intersection. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Deputies on Sunday said he is in stable condition at the hospital. According to the sheriffs department, there are no suspects in custody at this time. A lieutenant with the San Diego County Sheriffs Department Vista Patrol Station told FOX 5/KUSI in a statement Sunday evening it is unknown at this time if the shootings were related or coincidental, but the investigations are being treated as separate incidents. Both shootings remain under investigation. Anyone with information on either incident is encouraged to call the San Diego County Sheriffs Department at 858-565-5200. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Over half of young French citizens would fight in Ukraine to defend France, according to a poll cited by Le Parisien, a French newspaper, on April 12. The Institute for Strategic Studies of the Military School (IRSEM) and the General Directorate for International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS) surveyed 2,300 young people aged between 18 and 25 last summer. The bodies, which are part of Frances Defense Ministry, asked the question: If the protection of France required the country to engage in the war in Ukraine, would you be ready to defend your country? Of the respondents, 51% said yes, including 17% absolutely agreeing and 34% answering maybe yes. Young French citizens also favor deploying French troops to Ukraine more than the older generation. In the survey, 31% of youth thought positively about deploying French troops on the side of Ukraine, while only 17% of those aged more than 50 agreed. In the face of Russias nuclear threats, 69% of participants expressed fears of a nuclear war. Nearly half said it was acceptable to use nuclear weapons against a country during a major war. With Ukraine facing difficulties on the battlefield, hampered by delayed funding from the U.S. and a weapons deficit, some European countries are growing increasingly concerned that the war could spread. French President Emmanuel Macron called Russias invasion of Ukraine "existential" for France and Europe on March 14. In February, the president said that he would not rule out the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine. Estonia and the Czech Republic have also said Europe should not dismiss the idea of deploying troops for non-combat tasks. Ukraine has not asked for Western troops but is instead requesting further military aid to help Ukrainian soldiers. President Volodymyr Zelensky told French broadcaster BFMTV on March 11 that "as long as Ukraine holds, the French army can stay in French territory." Read also: NATO Deputy Secretary General: Ukraine joining NATO is a matter of when not if Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The contentious 2024 presidential primary contest between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump didnt sour Republicans on the governor in the state both men call home. In fact, more Florida Republicans view DeSantis favorably than Trump, and the governor also has a higher overall favorability rating, according to a new survey. The USA TODAY/Ipsos poll found that 90% of Florida Republicans view DeSantis favorably, compared with 80% for Trump. Among all Floridians 18 and older, DeSantis is viewed favorably by 47% and Trump 42%. Both Republicans fared better than President Joe Biden, who is viewed favorably by 34% of Floridians. The survey found Trump leading Biden in Florida by eight percentage points, which is not surprising in a state that increasingly has trended red. DeSantis coasted to reelection in 2022 by 19 percentage points. That DeSantis is more popular than Trump in their home state after being thrashed by the former president is notable, though. Ron DeSantis campaigning in South Carolina on Jan. 16, 2024. DeSantis dropped out of the presidential primary shortly after losing the Iowa Caucus, but a new poll shows he still has a high favorability rating in Florida among Republicans. Trump disparaged the governor as DeSanctimonious and mocked him relentlessly for months. DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race shortly after a distant second place finish to Trump in the Iowa Caucus and well before Floridas March 19 primary that Trump won handily over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Polls showed DeSantis poised to lose badly to Trump in Florida, noted University of Central Florida political science professor Aubrey Jewett. So while DeSantis may have broader appeal, Trump still has the hearts of many Florida Republicans. This suggests that while DeSantis popularity among Florida Republicans is wider than Trump, Trump's support is deeper than DeSantis, Jewett said. Still, DeSantis doesnt appear to have permanently damaged himself within the GOP by running against Trump. Thats despite Trump saying his MAGA base had turned on the governor for his perceived disloyalty. MAGA will never support DeSanctimonious again, Trump posted on Truth Social last year. Hard right governing could be a challenge for DeSantis in 2028 The new survey indicates Trumps voters aren't as angry about DeSantis challenging him as the former president. It sort of feels like the Republican electorate is sort of let bygones be bygones, said Ipsos pollster Chris Jackson, who noted that 87% of respondents who are voting for Trump still have a favorable view of DeSantis. DeSantis campaigned to the right of Trump, assiduously courting base conservatives. His attacks on Trump were typically limited to policy issues, or arguments about electability, and not harsh personal criticism. That might have limited his effectiveness in the Republican presidential primary, "but in the longer run he did not alienate most Florida Republicans, Jewett said. "DeSantis clearly has not harmed himself permanently among Florida Republicans by challenging Trump," Jewett said. "Most GOP voters did not want DeSantis to run right now, but they still like him and apparently are not holding it against him." However, Jackson noted that just 15% of Florida Democrats and 39% of independents view DeSantis favorably after years of hard right governing and campaigning. That could be a problem for the term-limited Florida governor should he make it to a future general election for president. It does sort of illustrate the challenges with MAGA republicanism," Jackson said. "You can be extremely popular with the base but it risks alienating everyone not part of that MAGA base and it looks like thats something DeSantis has done to himself." Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to an audience about preventing retail theft and he signs a Retail Theft Bill into law on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, from inside a Walgreens store at the intersection of Southeast Cove Road at U.S. 1 in Stuart. DeSantis rocketed to national prominence as governor with an aggressive conservative agenda, including legislation targeting how racial issues are taught in schools and a bill limiting discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom. The later measure prompted a high-profile fight with Disney. Since losing to Trump, DeSantis has remained active, traveling the state to promote tough-on-crime legislation and other bills. He is viewed as a potential candidate for president in 2028. The USA TODAY/Ipsos survey of 1,014 Floridians 18 and older was conducted April 5-7. It has 4.1 point margin of error, and 6.4 points for Republicans. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Primary feud with Trump didn't damage DeSantis in Florida, poll finds VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis urged Iran and Israel on Sunday to avoid steps that could feed "a spiral of violence" that risked plunging the Middle East deeper into conflict. Speaking to pilgrims in St Peter's Square, Francis said he had been following news of Iran's drone and missile attack on Israel with a sense of concern and pain. "I make a heartfelt appeal for a halt to any action that could fuel a spiral of violence with the risk of dragging the Middle East into an even greater conflict," he said. "No one should threaten the existence of others. All nations should stand, instead, for peace, and help Israelis and Palestinians to live in two states, side by side, in safety," he added. The pope called for a ceasefire in Gaza and negotiations to allow humanitarian aid to be provided for its people and to help free Israeli hostages seized by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel. "Enough war, enough attacks, enough violence. Yes to dialogue, yes to peace," he said. (Writing by Keith Weir; Editing by Alex Richardson) PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A Portland long haul truck driver is in the hospital after a turkey went through his windshield, causing the truck to crash near Grants Pass on Tuesday. Dave Duell, who normally commutes from Portland to Medford and back five days a week, was heading south, driving a semi-truck and triple trailer combo when a turkey came at him from a grassy median. The bird struck through the trucks windshield shattering it and hitting Duell on the left side of his face, knocking him unconscious and left through the window behind him. 1 arrested, multiple vehicles seized in Swan Island street takeover: PPB Duell then veered off into a field, hit a small tree and was Life Flighted to the nearest hospital with severe head injuries, according to the Oregon State Police. His daughter, Emily-Jean Duell, told KOIN 6 News that when she visited her father in the hospital, they both used humor as a coping mechanism. So the first thing I said to him in the hospital room was something along the lines of, So you took a turkey cannon to the face. Then he was laughing a lot, she said. Truck driver David Duell is in the hospital after a turkey went through his windshield, causing the truck to crash near Grants Pass on Apr. 9, 2024. (Courtesy: Emily-Jean Duell) Truck driver David Duell is in the hospital after a turkey went through his windshield, causing the truck to crash near Grants Pass on Apr. 9, 2024. (Courtesy: Emily-Jean Duell) Truck driver David Duell is in the hospital after a turkey went through his windshield, causing the truck to crash near Grants Pass on Apr. 9, 2024. (Courtesy: Emily-Jean Duell) Truck driver David Duell is in the hospital after a turkey went through his windshield, causing the truck to crash near Grants Pass on Apr. 9, 2024. (Courtesy: Emily-Jean Duell) Thankfully, she adds, her father is now on the mend. Hes doing really good. The swelling is as far as Im aware, down insanely. Hes able to talk clear and he has sight in his eye right now. Meanwhile, Daves coworker created a GoFundMe to raise money after the crash, with Emily-Jean saying it has the familys blessing. Oregon Court of Appeals denies motion on gun control law We thought it was an amazing gesture, so we decided to embrace it, she said. Because he is going to take a pay cut while he is on workers compensation, because normally he gets paid by the mile. And now hes at a flat rate for eight hours a day, five days a week and its definitely made a gap in paying his normal bills. Right now, Dave has been discharged from the hospital and is wearing an eyepatch ahead of surgery, which will happen sometime this week. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. A 23-year-old Sacramento State student who went missing nearly two weeks ago, and whos case topped national headlines, contacted her parents Saturday, according to the family. Kellie Lynch, the mother of Noelle Lynch, posted on Facebook that her daughter reached out to them after she abruptly left the Granite Bay familys home April 1 and went to Los Angeles without informing her family. We would like to extend our gratitude for all of your prayers for locating our daughter Noelle, Kellie Lynch wrote on Facebook. Those prayers have been answered and Noelle has reached out to us. Father Mark Lynch told People magazine his daughter left their home April 1 with a difficult state of mind. She was in a car accident in Los Angeles on April 2, Mark Lynch said. Her car was totaled in the accident, Kellie Lynch told ABC10. Attempts to reach Kellie Lynch on Saturday night were unsuccessful. The Los Angeles Police Department said previously Noelle Lynch was last seen April 3 leaving an apartment building on East Redondo Boulevard in Inglewood, according to a release. The airport is four miles west of the Inglewood apartment. The family was concerned because she left without her medication, according to The Sacramento Bees previous reporting. On April 3, Mark Lynch told People magazine they got a call from Noelle from an unknown number and she was mostly not making sense. Lynchs phone was found at Los Angeles International Airport. The LAPD said in their release Noelle Lynch left Inglewood without her property and may or may not be able to identify herself. Its unclear if Noelle Lynch has returned home. Kellie Lynch requested privacy for their family during this difficult time. And know that we will share updates with you when we can, Kellie Lynch wrote on her Facebook. Thank you for your love and support. If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. So when we looked at the ROCE trend of Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) we really liked what we saw. What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)? For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Sherwin-Williams, this is the formula: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.22 = US$3.6b (US$23b - US$6.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023). Therefore, Sherwin-Williams has an ROCE of 22%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 9.7% earned by companies in a similar industry. Check out our latest analysis for Sherwin-Williams roce Above you can see how the current ROCE for Sherwin-Williams compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Sherwin-Williams . How Are Returns Trending? Sherwin-Williams has not disappointed with their ROCE growth. Looking at the data, we can see that even though capital employed in the business has remained relatively flat, the ROCE generated has risen by 76% over the last five years. So it's likely that the business is now reaping the full benefits of its past investments, since the capital employed hasn't changed considerably. The company is doing well in that sense, and it's worth investigating what the management team has planned for long term growth prospects. What We Can Learn From Sherwin-Williams' ROCE To sum it up, Sherwin-Williams is collecting higher returns from the same amount of capital, and that's impressive. Since the stock has returned a staggering 121% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist. If you'd like to know about the risks facing Sherwin-Williams, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of. Story continues If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning high returns on equity. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Pregnant woman seriously injured after being hit by car near Independence Ave. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A pregnant female was seriously injured after a crash in Kansas City on Saturday afternoon. A silver Ford Focus was traveling westbound on Independence Ave. in the number one lane of travel. Hellcat stolen in Kansas City caught on camera, found missing engine, tires The pregnant female was on the south side of Independence Avenue as she began crossing to the north side. She was mid-block, just west of Garfield, after getting off the KCATA bus. The woman was then hit by the Ford, causing her to hit the windshield and then the front end of the Ford. She was transported to the hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the Ford was uninjured. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. The White House defended the president's handling of the newly escalated conflict in the Middle East on Sunday, amid pressure on both sides of the aisle for Congress to finally pass supplemental aid for Israel. The president has been a man of his word. We said we're going to help Israel defend itself, and we've been doing that, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Sunday during an interview on CNNs State of the Union. In multiple TV appearances, Kirby also pushed for Congress to approve supplemental aid for Israel. He was far from alone in that regard: Members of Congress from both parties pushed for additional international aid to be approved in the wake of Iranian drone strikes on Israel on Saturday though Republicans and Democrats didn't necessarily agree on the details of what the bill ought to look like. Speaking to Fox News' Maria Bartiromo, House Speaker Mike Johnson said, "We've understood the urgency of this from the very beginning," before criticizing Democrats for rejecting a previous Israel-only bill. The Senate in February approved a bill that would have bolstered aid to Israel and also provided assistance to Ukraine and Taiwan, but the legislation has been held up in the House, amid pressure from some Republican hardliners to drop aid to Ukraine. Saturday's attack on Israel most of the hundreds of incoming drones and missiles were shot down seemingly reset the discussion. "The world is on fire," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted on X on Sunday. "We should stand with our Democratic allies and push back against the enemies of freedom. The House must pass the bipartisan national security bill. Tomorrow." Enough with the stalling, @SpeakerJohnson, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) echoed on X. The United States must stand with our allies. Bring the bipartisan supplemental aid bill up for a vote. Now. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) criticized the House for dithering on the bill and urged Johnson to bring it to the floor for a vote on Monday. "That will send a strong signal by funding Israel, humanitarian support, Ukraine, Taiwan, making it clear that after months of dithering, the house will act, Coons said during an interview on State of the Union on Sunday. Multiple Republican lawmakers said they expect Johnson to do just that though the contours of the bill could change. "I expect, I don't know, but I expect the Speaker of the House will probably next week put an Israel bill, an Israel support bill on the floor of the House," Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said on "Fox News Sunday." But Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said he expects the bill to pass with support for Ukraine intact. Donald Trump has been on the sidelines saying he doesn't see that aid go to Ukraine unless it's in the form of a loan. But just very quickly, do you expect it to get a vote this week, congressman?, NBCs Kristen Welker asked Turner during an interview on Meet the Press on Sunday. I do and I expect it to pass, Turner said, adding: "Everyone has been very much on this side of understanding that we're at a critical point. Russia is beginning to gain ground. Ukraine is beginning to lose the ability to defend itself and the United States must step up and provide Ukraine the weapons that they need. And I think we're going to see overwhelming support for that in the House this week. Kirby also urged House lawmakers to bring the bill for a vote as soon as possible Sunday, saying Irans strike highlights the need for support for U.S. allies in the region. They should put it on the floor as soon as possible. I mean, we didn't need any reminders in terms of what's going on in Ukraine. But last night certainly underscores significantly the threat that Israel faces in a very, very tough neighborhood. So there's a bipartisan bill by the Senate that all the House needs to do is take it up, put it on the floor. And you and I both know the votes are there, Kirby said on Meet the Press. We're just looking for leadership out of the speaker's office: get it on the floor, get it voted on so that not only Israel can get additional resources and defend itself ... but that Ukraine can as well, Kirby added. The national security spokesman also pushed back calls from Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, for President Joe Biden to match words with actions, when it comes to U.S. support for Israel, saying the president has more than done so over the last six months. I just respectfully have to disagree with the leader there. Everything that the president has done since 7 October has proven his word as good, he added. McConnell, a staunch supporter of Israel, has previously criticized the Biden administration for trying to micromanage Israels war in Gaza. In the wake of Irans attack on Israel on Saturday, the Kentucky Republican called on the White House to take swift action against Tehran, and allow Israel to finish the job, against Hamas. President Biden has insisted that Americas commitment to Israels security is ironclad. It is time for his Administration to match words with actions. President Biden must lead an international effort to impose sufficient costs on Tehran to compel an end to its aggression and terror, both on Israeli soil and as demonstrated with todays IRGC assault on a commercial shipping vessel around the region, McConnell said Saturday in a statement. The President must also give Israel the time, space, and support it deserves to finish the job against Hamas. Tehran and its proxies are emboldened when they see divisions between the US and Israel, the statement continued. Biden was set to meet with fellow G7 leaders Sunday to discuss a diplomatic response to Iran, but Kirby said Sunday afternoon he "wouldn't expect" specific sanctions to be announced from the meeting. "The first big step for getting them together is to come out with a concerted statement of condemnation for what Iran did last night," he said during an interview on MSNBC's "Inside with Jen Psaki." Kierra Frazier and Matt Berg contributed to this report. House Republicans are facing mounting pressure to pass a Senate foreign aid bill, following the Iranian drone strikes targeting Israel over the weekend. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House coalitions are calling on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to hold a vote on the Senate-passed national security supplemental pointing to the urgency following the Iran attack. Given the events of tonight, it is even clearer that the best way to help Israel is for the House to quickly pass the Senates bipartisan national security supplemental next week, Schumer wrote in a statement following news of the attack. Schumer also reiterated the U.S.s strong support for Israel, saying, We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Israel, as he called for Iran to take immediate steps to ratchet down their recklessly aggressive behavior. McConnell delivered a similar message of solidarity with Israelis following the Iranian attack and added, Congress must also do its part. The national security supplemental that has waited months for action will provide critical resources to Israel and our own military forces in the region. It will provide overdue lethal assistance to Ukraine and equip vulnerable allies and partners in Asia to deter the [Peoples Republic of China]. And it will make urgent investments in our own defense industrial base, McConnell said in a statement Saturday night. We cannot hope to deter conflict without demonstrating resolve and investing seriously in American strength, McConnell continued. The Commander-in-Chief and the Congress must discharge our fundamental duties without delay. The consequences of failure are clear, devastating, and avoidable. In recent weeks, Johnson has faced pressure to put the Senate-passed bill on the House floor for a vote. Many lawmakers have expressed urgency in passing Ukraine aid for the war-torn country as Bidens supplemental funding request has been stalled for months in the House. Johnson has committed to putting some version of Ukraine funding on the floor for a vote, but he has not specified what that package would look like. On Sunday, he reiterated his commitment to moving forward with a foreign aid package. Yet, many onlookers have expressed concern about the House putting a separate version of the bill on the floor for a vote. If the House does not pass the Senate bill in its current version, the prospect of getting the legislation to the presidents desk would be further delayed since the bill would need to go back to the Senate for a vote. With the Iranian attack over the weekend, lawmakers have pointed to the Senate bill as the best solution to passing aid quickly. For months, New Dems have called for a vote on the essential national security funding package to protect our allies in Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan in their fights against tyranny and terror and to deliver aid to civilians in Gaza, the House New Democrat Coalition wrote in a statement. Its now imperative Speaker Johnson immediately allow the House to vote for the bipartisan national security package that passed the Senate two months ago. Its long past time that House Republican Leadership live up to their responsibilities, and uphold Americas ironclad commitment to defending our allies as they fight to defend themselves against oppressive powers. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Prince Harry wont be deported under Biden, US ambassador says The Duke of Sussex admitted taking cocaine in his book Spare - YAROSLAV SABITOV/PA Pressure on the US government to release the Duke of Sussexs visa records has intensified after campaigners seized on comments made by the American ambassador to London that Harry would not be deported while Joe Biden was president. The conservative Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington DC, which has gone to court to seek the release of the file, has submitted the remarks made by Jane Hartley as part of their case. The group has been pushing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to open the dossier on Prince Harry under Americas Freedom of Information laws. After he admitted taking cocaine in his book Spare, he faced questions over how he had been able to move to the US, where admitting drug use can block a visa application. Asked about the current position regarding the possibility of the Prince being deported in an interview on Sky News on March 25, Ms Hartley replied Well its not going to happen in the Biden administration. Her remarks were described as extraordinary by the Heritage Foundation. In its court filing, the foundation maintained the DHS had said none of the information could be released without acknowledging what Prince Harrys immigration status is or tipping our hand as to what it is. Public admission However, the foundation said, Ms Hartley had spoken publicly about some of the information which it wanted to make public. Ambassador Hartley categorically stated that the Duke of Sussex will not be deported by the Biden Administration. Thus, the Executive Branch has now categorically stated that, regardless of future circumstances, they will decline to deport the Duke of Sussex even in the most extreme of cases. Her remarks, it added, dramatically enhance the already compelling public interest in disclosure. By speaking publicly. Ms Hartley had effectively repudiated the Biden administrations case for refusing to release the information. Ambassador Hartleys statement cannot be dismissed as uninformed or idle polite speculation or conversational puffery, it added. She was speaking in her official capacity in the interview. Ambassador Hartley knew full well that the question had media and political salience, and yet she still spoke directly to the issues being litigated in this case by answering the question, it said. So far the Biden administration has refused to make the Dukes application public. Awaiting judges ruling The DHS said: Courts consistently hold that a persons visa or immigration status is private, personal information exempt from disclosure. Judge Carl Nichols, who is presiding over the case in Washington DC, has yet to make a ruling. The Dukes status in the US has been called into question after he admitted in his memoir Spare, which was published after he moved to America in 2020, that he had taken drugs in the past. They included marijuana, cocaine and psychedelic mushrooms. Under US law, anyone classed as a drug abuser is in danger of being deemed inadmissible to the United States. Celebrities, including Nigella Lawson, have been banned from the US after admitting to taking drugs. Although previous drug use does not automatically mean immigrants will be banned from the US, they are legally obliged to declare whether they have done so on their visa application. Failure to do so, or lying on the application can lead to deportation. Prince Harrys US residency has become a political issue with Donald Trump refusing to rule out deporting him if he became president. Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Centre for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, told the Telegraph that her remarks strengthened its case for the file to be made public. The US Ambassador to London speaks directly on behalf of the president of the United States. It is extraordinary that she has chosen to comment on an ongoing federal court case. This raises major questions as to why the Biden administration is going to such great lengths to prevent the release of Prince Harrys immigration records. They should release the records to the American people immediately. The Telegraph has approached the White House 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. Dont drink and drive Suspected drunk driving collision in Modesto sends one to hospital in critical condition, (modbee.com, Feb. 7) Local high school juniors and seniors now have several activities to look forward to. James C. Enochs High School, for instance, will have their prom on April 20. I missed many teenage joys, like prom, because a drunk driver hit me when I was 16 in 1992. I graduated in 1993 in a wheelchair with hearing difficulties. After 32 years, my hearing is still damaged. I am used to daily challenges, but I am trying to prevent others from facing this. No one wants to live with these difficulties I guarantee it. Believing you can drive like a pro after a beer or two is foolish. Ive been trying to make that clear for over 15 years. Unforeseen injuries or death can come to yourself and others if you are not sober when driving. Teenagers have a long road ahead of them. If you are drinking, please designate a sober driver first. It is the best choice for all. Drinking and driving can bring a dead end to their future, as well as others. Lori Martin Tracy Helping the needy Senator Says the Bible Doesnt Need Donald Trumps Endorsement, (modbee.com, March 31) If you are a MAGA Christian (an oxymoron), you have an opportunity to help defray the millions of dollars convicted sexual predator and draft dodger Donald Trump owes to his ever-growing catalog of lawyers. For $59.99, you have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase your own Trump Bible. Instead of using this money to feed the homeless, improve the schools or help the sick and elderly, take this MAGA opportunity to foolishly line the bottomless pockets of the truly needy: Donald J. Trump. Your chosen one, the orange Jesus, gives thanks to all those Christians who willingly toss their money into the narcissistic abyss of Trumps ego. Brooks Judd Turlock Opinion Think again Senator Says the Bible Doesnt Need Donald Trumps Endorsement, (modbee.com, March 31) Donald Trump the chronic pathetic liar and the biggest crook in American history who would make Al Capone look like a choirboy and who reneged on every loan made by American banks for president? The man who was caught on tape saying its okay to grab women by their genitals? Who calls Mexicans drug dealers and rapists and Muslims terrorists? The man who idealizes dictators like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un? Who wants to pull us out of NATO? Alan Seliger Turlock Life-saving actions A mom of a nonbinary teen became an anti-trans activist, fracturing a California family, (sacbee.com, April 4) I remember the whole fuss around transgender people and which bathrooms they should use during the Obama administration. My daughters comment was, they just want to pee. My response to this article is similar: they just want to be. Lily, the non-binary teen featured in this piece, is happily living their life while their mom is foaming at the mouth and claiming they were coerced into transitioning. Nobody called mom on her birthday? Well, mom should take a good, hard look in the mirror. Every person of good conscience should oppose Moms for Liberty every way they can: Run for school board; speak at board meetings; and oppose book bans. A life may depend on it. Dawn Wolfson Cameron Park Dahle doubts new technology CA goes all in on unproven offshore wind farm technology, (sacbee.com, April 5) District 1 State Sen. Brian Dahle is not ready for unproven offshore wind in California and wants us to fight it. Good thing he wasnt around to oppose airfields after the Wright Brothers; we might have lost two wars. Without public funding, the interstate highway system, strategic bridges, flood control structures, schools, hospitals and public utilities would not have been possible. He causes me to recall Congressman Doug LaMalfas insistence that solar-generated electricity doesnt work. But my all-electric 3,265 square-foot home with solar has averaged $45.23 monthly across nine years. Wind turbine technology is mature. Its advancing fast, and the offshore method has been effective in Europe for decades. What remains is to let the engineers perfect the deep water anchorage of ballasted turbines. Port development will be critical, but Dahle would kill this program in its crib. The federal government has approved it and so should we. Bill Martin Quincy Condemn Israels actions Obama aides say Biden isnt exerting enough pressure on Israel. Outrage does nothing, (sacbee.com, April 4) In continuing to arm Israel, the U.S. has become complicit in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus relentless siege of Gaza, which may include war crimes such as the killing of tens of thousands of civilians; the wholesale destruction of civilian infrastructure and forcible relocation of millions; and limiting and interfering with the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gazans, now causing widespread starvation. We must pause all arms sales to Israel. In addition, Israels bombing of another nations embassy in Damascus must be condemned as a violation of international norms. Israels attack on an Iranian consular annex building is a provocation that appears intended to provoke retaliation and a further escalation of violence in the region. If the U.S. does not condemn Israels strike, it would appear to be condoning such attacks. Richard and Maisie Conrad Rocklin Heavily damaged vehicle of the U.S.-based international volunteer aid organization World Central Kitchen after seven workers were killed in an Israeli attack in Gaza on April 2, 2024. Credit - Ashraf AmraAnadoluGetty Images After an Israel airstrike killed World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza, drawing worldwide condemnation, international humanitarian agencies say they continue to face violence and practical obstacles trying to deliver aid throughout the famine-threatened territory. UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram tells TIME in a phone call from Rafah on Sunday about a harrowing and unsuccessful attempt to get aid to north Gaza a week after the World Central Kitchen attack. The convoy she was traveling in, which had coordinated in advance with the Israel Defense Forces, was caught in crossfire while waiting at a checkpoint. Ingram says she doesnt know who fired the shots, but they seemed to come from the direction of the checkpoint, which she estimates was less than a kilometer (roughly half a mile) away. Delays. Access restrictions. Shooting. On Tuesday, UNICEF's humanitarian convoy was hit by live ammunition on the way to deliver life-saving aid to north Gaza. Our staff are safe, but the immense difficulties of delivering aid are making it nearly impossible to meet children's pic.twitter.com/dIIqKitVhn UNICEF (@UNICEF) April 11, 2024 The IDF tells TIME in a statement that after an examination, it appears its forces were not within firing range of the convoy at the time and place indicated and it was found that no fire was carried out at the vehicle by the IDF, adding the IDF works in order to prevent harm to humanitarian teams. In response, Ingram says we think it's important that an independent investigation is conducted to shed light on what happened and to ensure that in the future, we've got the necessary security to deliver aid. The need is dire. The worlds authority on food insecurity warned last month that one million people face a looming famine in Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry reported 28 children have died of malnutrition and dehydration as of April 12. Despite the needs, more than half of recent requested aid missions to north Gaza were unsuccessful, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported. Between April 6 and 12, Israel facilitated 41% of missions, with 41% denied or impeded including due to hostilities, and 17% canceled by aid groups mainly due to logistical constraints. Even coordinated missions can be dangerous, with World Central Kitchen saying it coordinated its movements with Israel before the military attacked its convoy on April 2. The resulting deaths of seven aid workers, which Israel called a grave mistake, prompted President Joe Biden to give an ultimatum to Israelincrease food aid into Gaza and take measures to protect civilians or risk losing U.S. support. Israel in response announced it would open new avenues to allow in more aid. COGAT, the IDFs humanitarian arm, tells TIME in an email Sunday that more than 1,800 aid trucks entered Gaza last week, compared to 1,327 trucks the week before that. Data from UNRWA, the U.N.s Palestinian relief agency, shows only a slight uptick (the agency counts trucks differently than COGAT, the Associated Press reported). Biden said Wednesday that the number of trucks was still not enough. On Thursday, Israel opened a new crossing into north Gaza, COGAT tells TIME. Israel continues its significant efforts to facilitate and alleviate, from its side, the efficient flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the agency says. The U.N.s head has pushed back that the real problem is that the way Israel is conducting this offensive is creating massive obstacles to the distribution of humanitarian aid, with bombardment and combat threatening workers. Since the war began on Oct. 7, 217 aid workers have been killed in Gaza, according to the Aid Worker Security Database. The increase in aid is not yet tangible, sustained or uninterrupted, Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, wrote on X. Aid also needs to reach safely all those in need. Heres what Ingram tells TIME about the challenges to delivering aid and the needs. The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. What happened on Tuesday at the checkpoint? What happened was we hit the roadwe were quite late in getting the green light to leavewe drove up toward the Salah Al-Din checkpoint on the Wadi Gaza line. We were instructed to wait in the designated holding areas for convoys, which is not unusual. While we were in that holding area, we were looking at a mechanical problem in our car, when gunfire broke out. Do you know what instigated it or where it came from? I don't know what instigated it. It seemed to come from the direction of the checkpoint, towards the south, and it seems to be towards civilians, or apparent civilians, who then turned and ran in the other direction. I would say I saw a dozen (apparent civilians). Can you describe the impacts on your convoy from the gunfire? We were a convoy of three cars and two trucks. Only one vehicle was hit, that was the one I was in. We received three bullets, one in the hood of the car, and two on the door where I was sitting, which was the back passenger door on the right hand side, one in the window and one in the door. My colleague in one of the other cars, he saw bullets ricocheting off the ground. Ahead of us at the holding point there was another U.N. convoy from the World Food Programme and the United Nations Office for Project Services. They had a bullet go through the windshield of their fuel truck. Were very fortunate that we were in an armored vehicleFortunately, we were unharmed. What happened after the gunfire ? We decided that we would continue with the mission. And basically, that just meant continuing to hold until we got the green light. Unfortunately, we held there for at least another two hours. And by that point, it was about 1 p.m., the mission was no longer feasible, because we knew that if we got the green light, we would have still had to make the journey to the checkpoint, through the checkpoint, up north, and we wouldnt have the time needed to complete the mission. So we decided that we would turn back and try another day. Today, we had our redo of our mission to the north. It was a 13-hour mission, and almost six of those hours were spent waiting for the green light. We didn't get to complete everything, and that's really disappointing. We were only able to conduct the nutrition and medical aspects of the mission at Kamal Adwan Hospital. We had 45 minutes on the ground at the hospital, thats it. We delivered a whole truck of medical and nutrition supplies. It included ready-to-use therapeutic food, which is a treatment for malnutrition, and high energy biscuits. What did you see people experiencing on the ground in North Gaza? The level of destruction is mind blowing. It includes the roads, it includes a large percentage of the buildings. There were people on the streets, but we had no issues in terms of mobbing or looting. People were actually waving and smiling at us, which I find so admirable considering that theyve been through six months of horror and war in the north of Gaza. (At the hospital) we went to the children's ward and met some mothers and some children. I met three children who suffered from malnutritiona 35-day-old baby, a two-and-a-half year old, and a seven-year-old. They all had severe acute malnutrition. The mothers were very distressed. The seven-year-old wasnt able to speak and she was very, very thin. The 35-day-old baby was one and a half kilos (three pounds). The two-year-old was four kilos (nine pounds). We evacuated that seven-year-old girl from the north to the south, we just dropped her off at a stabilization center in Rafah. Her mom said that they had run out of food and were having to eat animal fodder, and it made her daughter very sick. What do you think the warring parties and the international agencies involved need to do to ensure more humanitarian aid and also safety for aid workers in Gaza? We need more crossings open, desperately. Anything that can be done to improve the coordination process on the ground is really importantBasically, this coordination and deconfliction system is not operating properly and there is no reason why it can't. We use this system in other parts of the worldIt should be able to work here, it's just not being respected at the moment and we need it to be respected to ensure our safety, but also the safety of the people we serve. Of course it's dangerous, but to me the delays that we face are such an enormous problem. At the end of the day, our job is to deliver the aid, and its the delays that prevent us from delivering the aid. There's been a lot of conversation lately about the dangers that humanitarian workers face in Gaza, but were some of the safest and protected people in the Gaza Strip. The injuries that I have seen in the hospitals are horrific, and particularly in children, with bullet wounds, glass wounds, amputation, broken bones, and so many injuries of war. Its an important reminder that when we're talking about safety, it's also about the safety of the Palestinian people, including the kids. Contact us at letters@time.com. Raleigh police Regarding Raleigh police officers rally outside city hall to push for pay increases, (April 10): I am sure that officers are not adequately compensated for the risks they take in our service and I would hate to lose them. They are a vital part of community well-being. I have just one condition. There must be adequate transparency in their actions to ensure a healthy relationship, especially when grievous errors are made. That is why my support of a pay raise is contingent upon the release of police-camera footage of the April 7, 2021 raid of the Abboud house, when police raided the wrong home. Errors like these are costly and can ruin lives. We must, therefore, demand accountability before spending any more. Otherwise, we are throwing good money after bad. Corey Cavalier, Raleigh Michele Morrow The writer is a retired teacher. N.C. House Speaker Tim Moores shocking announcement that he will vote for Michele Morrow, the Republican candidate for superintendent of N.C. schools in November, is a blatantly indecent appeal to his Republican followers. There is no margin of acceptability for Morrows May 2020 tweet saying of Barack Obama: I prefer a Pay Per View of him in front of the firing squad. I do not want to waste another dime on supporting his life. We could make some money back from televising his death. It doesnt matter if one is Republican or not, this and other comments Morrow made should not be disregarded in a civilized society certainly not from a person who wishes to run public schools. Kristin Christensen, Raleigh White supremacy The irony behind two stories in the N&O April 4 couldnt have been richer. Republican members of the State Board of Education are fretting that the KIPP educator preparation program will teach anything related to critical race theory. At the same time, Liberation Station Bookstore, the states first Black-owned childrens bookstore, has decided to leave downtown Raleigh after receiving hate messages and death threats on the phone and social media since the store opened less than a year ago. If this isnt an example of long-entrenched racism and white supremacy culture, I dont know what is. Lise Osvold, Raleigh Virtue signaling Regarding Groups vow to dismantle white supremacy culture raises concern for some on NC board, (April 4): Can we and our kids afford to have a public school focusing on social issues? The adults involved may be happy with their virtue signaling, but it is at the expense of our kids and the fundamental education they need to succeed. Richard Ford, Durham School vouchers Ive been greatly dismayed by implementation and expansion of public funding for private school tuition. Not only does it encourage societal and class divisions, it drains critical resources from public schools. Our teachers and staff are underpaid, classroom supplies are inadequate, and building infrastructure is deteriorating. If public schools were fully funded, children with special needs of every sort could be well-served with creativity and individual attention right alongside their peers. Instead, public funds are used to undermine our founding value of equality. Parents are welcome to send their children to the school of their choice using their own funds. But taxpayers should not be expected to support an education system that works to the disadvantage of the young people who are our future business people, educators, government workers, caregivers, and most especially, our future voters. Elizabeth McCarthy, Durham Trump delays Throughout his business career and brief political career, Donald Trump has been a party to many, many lawsuits. Now he is using his team of lawyers to delay the trials that await him this year. If he is successful, then No man is above the law will no longer be a pillar of our political system. He will be above the law. With his elected supporters in the U.S. House and Senate, he has already made Congress close to non-functioning. If he wins in November, all three branches of the federal government will be under his control. What will follow next? Bob Williams, Fuquay-Varina Reagan wouldnt recognize Trump-style conservatism a look at how the GOP has changed When Mitt Romney announced his intended retirement from the U.S. Senate on Sept. 13, 2023, the Atlantic published an excerpt from his upcoming biography, in which the 2012 Republican presidential nominee told author McKay Coppins, A very large portion of my party really doesnt believe in the Constitution. This claim would have been startling 15 years ago. For decades, the Republican Party has been the party of conservatism and a champion for the Constitution. Romney is clear that Donald Trump, who leads what he calls a populist and demagogic portion of the party, is to blame. And Romney is not the only concerned Republican. Former Vice President Mike Pence, now running for the GOP presidential nomination, recently asked a crowd at a campaign event, Will we be the party of conservatism, or will we follow the siren song of populism unmoored to conservative principles? What are the conservative principles Romney and Pence spoke about? And what has happened to them since Trumps rise? As a political scientist, I spent the past five years researching ideological identity and Trumps effect on conservatism and on the Republican Party. Defining conservatism is complicated. It has taken many forms over the course of U.S. history. It reinvents itself over time. But a main tenet was summed up by President Ronald Reagan in his 1989 farewell address to the nation: Theres a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts. I focus here on features of whats called principled conservatism, the cohesive belief system that emphasizes liberty and the status quo. Here is a short inventory of these ideals and how they were violated in recent years. This is not an exhaustive list but it captures much of Reagans style of conservatism, which has been the touchstone for most Republican presidential candidates until recently. Former Vice President Mike Pence, now a GOP presidential candidate, has asked, Will we be the party of conservatism, or will we follow the siren song of populism? Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images The Constitution and limited government protect liberty Outspoken conservatives often emphasize the importance of the Constitution, which established laws to protect the liberty of citizens. First, the Constitution laid the groundwork for federalism, a system where local governments hold some level of power to ensure the national government does not have absolute control. This is where the conservative phrase states rights comes from. Second, the Constitution established checks and balances between the three branches of government to prevent any one of them from abusing power. These safeguards against tyranny are the beating heart of conservative thought. But when Trump, backed by 126 Republican legislators in Congress, tried to overturn election results of key states in 2020, it was seen as a violation of states rights by conservative lawyers and a handful of Republican legislators. When only 17 Republicans voted to impeach or convict Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, it gave the appearance that the abuse of power can go unchecked at the federal level. Government intervention should be restrained Since principled conservatism is averse to an overly active, centralized government, it typically opposes federal intervention in business, increased spending, higher taxes, public programs and subsidies. But using the bully pulpit and his presidential powers, Trump threatened retaliation against companies that moved jobs overseas, increased the national debt, instigated trade wars by raising tariffs and gave subsidies to farmers who were harmed in the trade war process. These behaviors and policies also fly in the face of conservative principles. Though Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley still considers Republicans to be a party of free trade, Trumps trade war deviated from past GOP policies with some exceptions and was mostly met with statements of discomfort. Institutions can support stable civic life In addition to protecting limited government and free markets, conservatism strives to preserve American institutions such as the military and the justice system, in the belief that they help organize and maintain the stability of civic life. Yet Trumps rhetoric persistently attacked the free press, the Department of Justice, the FBI often considered a conservative organization military leadership and the integrity of the electoral system. Some of these organizations enforce justice and hold government accountable through free speech, ideals that are embedded in the conservative principles laid out by Republican Rep. Mike Johnson for the Republican Study Committee in 2018. Conservatives in name only? Is Donald Trump solely to blame for the unraveling of American conservative ideals? Yes and no. One the one hand, he is responsible for implementing anti-conservative policies like trade wars, eroding trust in institutions through his rhetoric and inspiring candidates to run for office in his image. However, Trump is also a product of his voter base. He loses power without them and therefore often reflects what they want. What do they want, though? Heres where its handy to know some political science. One of the most cited findings in political psychology is that the average American lacks ideological sophistication. Most people simply dont structure their politics around an abstract attitude about the proper role of government. This includes many Americans who call themselves conservatives. Instead, people often form preferences by asking, How will this policy or person help me and people who are like me? How will this protect the status of my group? Positive feelings toward ones own group and positive or negative feelings toward other demographic groups hold real influence over political orientations. This is the stuff that motivates people politically consequently, there has been a disconnect between the conservative ideals promoted by elites and the attitudes of their voter base. You may hear conservative principles mentioned sporadically in the 2024 campaign. But until Republican voters reward politicians who embody them, it is unlikely actual conservative ideals do or will guide politics on the right. 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: Karyn Amira, College of Charleston Read more: Karyn Amira 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. Alan E. Mesches is the author of "The Flying Grunt, the Story of Lieutenant General Richard E. Carey United States Marine Corps, (Ret.)" and "Major General James A. Ulio, How the Adjutant General of the U.S. Army Enabled Allied Victory." On April 18, lets remember the Doolittle Raiders attack on Japan on that day in 1942. West Warwicks Omer A. Duquette served as a gunner on crew 12. Duquette was the lone Rhode Island native to serve with the Doolittle Raiders. Then a staff sergeant, Duquette was in his fourth year of military service when Lt. Col. James H. Jimmy Doolittles Raiders selected him for the mission. In February 1942, Sergeant Duquette was one of 140 volunteers who answered Colonel Doolittles call for airmen to participate in a "secret and dangerous" mission. Intense training took place at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Eglin Air Field, Florida. Doolittle chose Duquette and 78 others for the assignment. Duquette and the rest of the Raiders did not find out about their mission until just prior to boarding the USS Hornet in California. Doolittle announced to his 16 5-man B-25 crews that they would be bombing Japan. Weather conditions in the Pacific forced the airmen to launch farther out from Japan than planned. Each Raider knew that they would not have enough fuel to return to the Hornet. More: Medal mystery: Cranston soldier's WWII heroism earned military's highest honor twice Crew 12 took off about 48 minutes after Colonel Doolittles B-25 flew from the Hornet. Duquettes crew bombed a refinery, two factories, and a warehouse along the dock at Yokohama. Low on fuel, the five crew members bailed out over China where local citizens helped rescue them. Duquette broke a foot when he landed on the ground. Following the attack on Japan, Duquette was reassigned to the China-Burma-India Theater. Six weeks later, Duquette died on June 3, 1942, when his aircraft hit a mountain after bombing Lashio, Burma while returning back to China. He was 26. His remains have never been recovered. An Army Air Force B-25 bomber takes off from USS Hornet at the start of the Doolittle Raiders attack on Japan on April 18, 1942. On Sept. 29, 1943, a remembrance stone in Duquettes honor was placed in Phenix Square in West Warwick. Then-Brigadier General Doolittle attended the ceremony. Duquettes awards and decorations included the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and the Purple Heart. He earned the DFC for his actions during the bombardment of Japan. Duquettes citation reads: For extraordinary achievement while participating in a highly destructive raid on the Japanese mainland on April 18, 1942. Sergeant Duquette volunteered for this mission knowing full well that the chances of survival were extremely remote, and executed his part in it with great skill and daring. More: Alphonso Gibbs Sr.'s journey from sharecropper to Korean War hero Born in West Warwick in 1916, Duquette graduated from Notre Dame du Bon Conseil School. He joined the Army Air Force in 1938 in Providence. Prior to training for the Raiders, Duquette served at Fort Slocum, New York, Albrook Field at the Panama Canal Zone, and at Pendleton, Oregon. We cannot forget the significance of the attack on Japan. The bombing of Japan by Duquette and his fellow Raiders jolted the enemys military. The Tokyo raid began Americas comeback from Pearl Harbor. Throughout 1942, Americas military ramped up its force and manufacturers switched from making consumer goods to building armaments for war. On April 18, lets remember the heroism of the Doolittle Raiders. More importantly, lets teach young students the story of a West Warwick native and his brave fellow airmen who achieved the first major American success story of World War II. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Sergeant Omer Duquette was one of 140 volunteers who answered the call for airmen to participate in a "secret and dangerous" mission. The long-time exposure photo taken on July 25, 2022 shows a night view of China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) under maintenance in southwest China's Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua] A Chinese research team has introduced a novel method for a comprehensive analysis of the behaviors of active fast radio bursts (FRBs) in the time-energy domain and revealed the randomness of the behaviors. FRBs are intense pulses of radio emission that last just a few milliseconds. The origin of these brightest cosmic explosions in radio bands remains unknown. Based on the rich data of China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), a research team at the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) proposed a new analysis framework that is able to quantify the randomness and chaotic nature of the bursting events. The study reveals that the FRBs' behaviors in the time-energy domain are fundamentally different from those of common transient physical phenomena such as earthquakes and solar flares, and exhibit a high degree of randomness like a Brownian motion, shedding new light on the origin of FRBs. The excellent observation capabilities of FAST, combined with innovative analytical methods, will enable in-depth study of mysterious burst signals in the universe, which is expected to eventually reveal their origin, said Li Di, from NAOC, who led the study. The study was published Friday as a cover paper in the journal Science Bulletin. Social Security is broke beyond belief: Boston University prof says retirement safety net is full of holes Many Americans arent saving enough for retirement and theyre relying on Social Security benefits to get by in retirement. But that may not be a sound strategy. Social Security is broke beyond belief, Laurence Kotlikoff told The Brink, Boston University's research news website. Its unfunded liability is $65.9 trillion twice the size of official government debt. Don't miss Commercial real estate has beaten the stock market for 25 years but only the super rich could buy in. Here's how even ordinary investors can become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger Cost-of-living in America is still out of control use these 3 'real assets' to protect your wealth today, no matter what the US Fed does or says These 5 magic money moves will boost you up America's net worth ladder in 2024 and you can complete each step within minutes. Here's how The "retirement planning evangelist" and professor of economics at Boston University says that paying for all projected benefits through time requires an immediate and permanent hike in the employer-employee FICA tax from 12.4% to 17%. The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax is a combined employer-employee federal payroll tax. Without it, Social Security payments are on track to be reduced as soon as 2034. Even if Social Security benefits are still paid out in full, many Americans face complicated hurdles in the system. For far too many of Americas seniors with any but the simplest situations, negotiating the complexities and outright scams of the Social Security system on their own is nigh impossible, Kotlikoff told The Brink. Kafka could not have designed a more complex set of provisions with hidden catch-22s that can haunt you in the form of clawbacks decades after you start collecting benefits. Given these issues, it might be a good idea to reduce your dependence on Social Security and take charge of your own retirement. One way to do this is by maxing out your contributions to tax-advantaged retirement accounts, such as your 401(k). Beware the bait and switch The Brink article lists lists five tips for retirement savings, including plan within your means, maximize benefit matches, save in addition to your retirement program, use planning tools, and wait longer to collect Social Security benefits. Even after Social Security contributions, and after 401(k) contributions, they should probably be saving another 15% of their take-home pay, which is very tough, Kotlikoff says. He noted that perhaps 40% of those eligible for a 401(k) dont take advantage. Most people are saving nothing. Story continues Read more: Baby boomers bust': Robert Kiyosaki warns that older Americans will get crushed in the 'biggest bubble in history' 3 shockproof assets for instant insurance now He added that everyone who expects to "sustain their living standard through retirement" needs to do economics-based financial planning because "conventional planning is an elaborate bait and switch designed to sell you investment products that are highly expensive and overly risky." He describes the economics-based approach as determining a sustainable living standard based on your resources, and adjusting your spending as your circumstances change, so you dont outlive your savings. Given that Social Security is, in Kotlikoffs words, broke beyond belief, its worth exploring other options. It could be a good idea to consult a financial planner to determine which options are best for you. Secure your finances with retirement accounts A good place to start with retirement planning is a 401(k), if your employer offers one. Many employers will match your contributions so, for example, if you contribute 3% from each paycheck, theyll also contribute 3%. This can greatly increase the amount you save each month, so its worth contributing up to the maximum your employer will match. It also makes it easy to save, since you typically contribute through automatic withdrawals from your paycheck. So you dont have to think about it and you wont be tempted to spend that money elsewhere. Since the 401(k) is a pre-tax account, your contributions dont count as taxable income when theyre made another bonus, especially if youre in a high tax bracket. Instead, theyre taxed upon withdrawal. This works out well for many retirees, since your tax bracket in retirement is often lower than during your working years. You could also consider opening a traditional individual retirement account (IRA), which is also a pre-tax investment account. Most standard investments, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds and ETFs, are allowed, and the gains on these investments will be tax-free. A Roth IRA is an after-tax account, which means your contributions are taxed up front. But they grow tax-free and, after age 59.5, you can withdraw your contributions tax-free and penalty-free at any time so long as the account has been open for at least five years. Unlike a 401(k) or traditional IRA, there are no required distributions so you can keep the entire account until later in retirement. Or, after death, you can pass it on to your beneficiaries tax-free. The combined contribution limit for your traditional and Roth IRA accounts in 2024 is $7,000 for individuals under 50 and $8,000 if youre 50 or older. However, if youre single and earn more than $161,000 in 2024 or married and jointly earn $240,000, you cant contribute to a Roth IRA. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Rep. Bacon says there will be bigger risk of wider Middle East conflict if U.S. responds weakly Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) on Sunday warned a wider conflict could unfold in the Middle East if the United States chooses to respond weakly to Irans latest missile attack against Israel. Asked on NewsNations The Hill Sunday if there is a risk of a wider conflagration should Israel retaliate against Iran, Bacon said, Well, there is a risk. But I think theres a bigger risk if you respond weakly or if Israel responses weakly. I think it will just invite Iran to escalate because they will sense weakness on our part, or fear. And I think theyve seen that with our current president. Hes not responded forcefully too. Hundreds of attacks against American forces in Iraq and Syria and other places in the Middle East, he added. And if they sense weakness, theyre gonna keep ramping up the heat in America and Israel. His comments come a day after Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched dozens of missiles and drones toward Israel in retaliation for an alleged Israeli strike that hit the Iranian embassy in Syria. Two senior IRGC officers died in the strike. Israels air defense systems, with the assistance of allied forces, were able to intercept the majority of these missiles and drones, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed. The incident comes after more than six months of violence in Gaza between Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel. The fighting was sparked by the militants surprise assault against southern Israel on Oct. 7 that left more than 1,200 people dead and about 250 others taken hostage. Israels retaliatory campaign against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the enclave. The violence prompted a spike in attacks by Tehran-backed proxies against American troops and bases in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the U.S.s initial support of Israel. The attacks died down in early February when the U.S. launched a retaliatory assault against the militia groups after an attack by Iranian-aligned militants killed three U.S. service members at a base in Jordan in January. Bacon said going after proxies is not enough to deter Iran from violence. I think we have to respond forcefully to regain deterrence, going after proxy forcesIran doesnt care. But if you go after Iran, they do care. And there are easy targets out there, Bacon added. But Iran has to know they cant track American or Israel and get away with it. White House national security communications adviser John Kirby on Sunday said Israel will ultimately decide how it chooses to respond to Tehrans attacks and emphasized the Biden administration is working to avoid a broader regional war. NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Rep. Garamendi says ball is clearly in Israels court for response to Iran Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) on Sunday argued any action Israel chooses to take in retaliation for Irans attack will ultimately be up to the country rather than the United States. Asked on NewsNations The Hill Sunday over how President Biden will both constrain Irans escalation of the conflict and Israels military campaign in Gaza, Garamendi said, Do it exactly as hes doing it now. Be very, very clear about what is expected and not expected. Hes [Biden] made it very clear, I got to deal with the Gaza situation, which is an ongoing question of humanitarian issues there, he continued. All of these things are on his place. Well see what happens. The ball is clearly in Israels court. Hopefully they will act properly without escalation. All eyes are on Israels next moves after the country was attacked on Saturday by dozens of missiles and drones from Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The attack was largely expected after an alleged Israeli airstrike hit the Iranian embassy in Syria and killed two senior IRGC officers. The vast majority of the Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted by Israels air defense systems, with the assistance of allied forces. President Biden cut his trip home to Delaware short in the wake of the attacks, returning to the White House on Saturday afternoon to consult with his national security team. He later spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and condemned the attacks in the strongest possible terms. Israels plans for retaliation remain unclear and White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Sunday it is going to be up to the Israelis to decide how it will move forward. Axios on Sunday reported Biden told Netanyahu he will not support an Israeli counterattack on Iran. Biden has been faced with the proposition of both supporting Israels right to defend itself and advocating for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The president offered his sharpest criticism of Netanyahu earlier this month after an Israeli air strike killed a group of aid workers. He warned 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, making a notable change from Biden and his team since the war broke out last October. NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Kennedy on support of Israel: If we turn the other cheek to them, were going to get it in the neck Republican Sen. John Kennedy (La.) on Sunday pushed for the U.S. to give its full support to Israel against Iran, arguing Tehrans weekend missile attack underscores the threat the country poses to the Middle East. We need to stand with Israel. Its very clear. Were not at war with Hamas, or Hezbollah or Yemen. Those are all surrogates for Iran. Those aretheyre prostitutes, the pimp is Iran. Israel is at war with Iran. Iran hates Americans. Iran hates Jews, Iran wants to kill Americans and Jews. And if we turn the other cheek to them, were going to get it in the neck, Kennedy said during an interview on Fox News Sunday. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched dozens of missiles and drones toward Israel on Saturday after an alleged Israeli strike earlier this month that killed two IRGC officers near the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria. The majority of these missiles and drones were intercepted on Saturday night by Israels air defense systems, with the assistance of allied forces. President Biden cut his trip home to Delaware short in the wake of the attacks, returning to the White House on Saturday afternoon to consult with his national security team. He later spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and condemned the attacks in the strongest possible terms. I told him [Netanyahu] that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, Biden said. The attack comes as Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas enter its sixth month of fighting in Gaza, where more than 33,000 Palestinians have died since early October, according to the Health Ministry. Biden has become increasingly critical of Israels wartime campaign in Gaza and has repeatedly called on Israeli forces to take greater caution to protect civilian lives. Kennedy criticized Bidens shift in tone, arguing the president has gone wobbly in his support of Israel. The Louisiana Republican pointed to reports that Biden told Netanyahu the U.S. would not support an Israeli counterattack on Iran. Axios was the first to report the details Sunday morning. Let me say it again, more sheep is not going to solve the wolf problem. My advice to the president today for what its worth Mr. President, dont stop it. Support Israel. With respect, go to Amazon and buy a spine online. Peace through weakness never works, not with these hard armed men, Kennedy said. The Hill reached out to the White House for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Senators in both parties are warning that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may end up tipping the presidential election to either former President Trump or President Biden, but Democrats are expressing more worries he could be a spoiler candidate than Republicans. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), one of President Bidens most outspoken defenders on Capitol Hill, said its hard to predict how exactly Kennedy will impact the race for the White House. But she expressed concern that he will hurt Biden more because of his relationship to former President Kennedy, his uncle, and former attorney general and presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy two legendary figures in the Democratic Party. I think hes basically helping Trump, she said. I think hes being used. Democrats were shocked when Kennedy recently declared Biden is a much worse threat to democracy than Trump because he is the first candidate in history, the first president in history, that has used federal agencies to censor political speech and to censor his opponent. The claim sounded like an argument Trump would make at a political rally, Democrats said. In announcing his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, a wealthy Democratic donor, Kennedy declared the values of the Democratic Party have changed since the days of Camelot. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), who represents a key presidential battleground state, conceded Kennedys last name would have the potential of hurting Biden. At the organization level, Democrats are also signaling their concerns. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has set up a team led by former White House counsel Dana Remus to track Kennedys efforts to get on the ballot in swing states. Bidens allies at the DNC are also stepping up efforts to define Kennedy as a radical who shares Trumps embrace of the anti-vaccine movement. Stabenow argued Kennedy is more similar to Trump because the reality is that Kennedy believes in conspiracies and doesnt believe in science, and thats very aligned with Donald Trump. Trump came under fire while president for promoting a video claiming hydroxychloroquine, the antiparasite medicine, could cure COVID-19, a claim Trumps top health adviser, Anthony Fauci, debunked as false. More recently, Trump promoted the claim that his GOP primary rival Nikki Haley was ineligible to serve as president because her parents were not U.S. citizens when she was born. Before then, he famously fueled the false claim that then-President Obama wasnt born in the United States. Republican senators warn Kennedy could pull some votes away from Trump, but some also suggest he could hurt Biden more than the former president. Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) said both Biden and Trump are making sure they address him being in the race, which is smart. He may take votes from Trump, he may take votes from Biden. All in, I think he would take more votes from Biden, Hoeven said. Trump is putting out there very clearly now: Dont be confused folks, this guy is liberal, Hoeven said. My general sense is that the Democrats are more worried about Kennedy than in general Republicans are. Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis warned in a press call sponsored by the DNC last month that all [Kennedy] can do is take away votes from President Biden and make it easier for Donald Trump to win. Ross K. Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University, said it makes intuitive sense that Kennedys basic rationale for running and strategy is to evoke memories particularly of older Americans of his father and his uncle. Hes able to take advantage of people who somehow think that hes a reincarnation [of them], that hes got the Kennedy magic, he said. But Baker pointed out that many in Kennedys family have expressed opposition to his presidential bid. Four of his siblings former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D), former Rep. Joseph Kennedy II (D-Mass.), Rory Kennedy and Kerry Kennedy signed a statement calling his challenge to Biden dangerous to our country. A super PAC supporting Kennedy says it has enough signatures to get him on the ballot in several key swing states Arizona, Georgia, South Carolina and Michigan. And the Kennedy campaign says it has enough signatures to qualify in Nevada, New Hampshire and Utah. Hes trying to get on the ballot in all 50 states. Kennedys surprising traction with voters and grassroots donors is creating an unpredictable dynamic that reminds lawmakers in both parties of the spoiler role Ross Perot was thought to have played in 1992, when President Clinton defeated incumbent President George H.W. Bush. Perot won 19 percent of the popular vote that year, even though he didnt win a single state or electoral vote. He was widely credited at the time with costing Bush his reelection to the White House, though some political scientists have later questioned whether that really happened. Its difficult to know the precise impact, because analysts cant know for sure how voters who supported him would have cast their ballots if he wasnt in the race. But in key swing states, such as Georgia, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania, Perot won a considerably greater share of the vote than Clintons margin of victory. For example, in Ohio, which Clinton won with 40 percent of the vote compared to Bushs 38 percent share, Perot won 21 percent. In Georgia, Clinton barely carried the state with 43.5 percent of the vote, while Bush won 42.9 percent and Perot won 13 percent. Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who flirted with an independent bid for president earlier this year before deciding against it, said Kennedys candidacy could hurt both ways. He noted that a Kennedy campaign staffer said her No. 1 priority was to prevent Bidens reelection. The staffer, Rita Palmer, was later fired by the campaign for misrepresentation. I think its a toss of the coin, Manchin said of Kennedys impact on the race. What we dont know, Manchin added, is whether Kennedy will bring out people who wouldnt normally vote. Manchin warned the race is so close that anybody could swing the race one way or the other, including long-shot candidates Jill Stein and Cornel West. He said the angry reaction from Democrats to his potential presidential bid shows how members of his party feel a third-party candidate might affect the race. They went after No Labels like a rabid shark, he said of the barrage of Democratic attacks against the centrist group that tried to persuade him and other prominent figures, such as Larry Hogan, the moderate former Republican governor of Maryland, to run against Biden. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is ruling out a Libertarian presidential bid following swirling speculation, his campaign confirmed to The Hill on Sunday. Mr. Kennedy has many areas of alignment with the Libertarian Party, including a strong stance on civil liberties and keeping the country out of foreign wars, Kennedys spokesperson told The Hill. Mr. Kennedy, however, is not contemplating joining the Libertarian ticket. He is running as an Independent candidate and will be on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. ABC News was the first to report the decision. I think were not gonna have any problems getting on the ballot ourselves, so we wont be running Libertarian, Kennedy told an ABC News reporter on Saturday. He was speaking from Iowa, where he convened hundreds of eligible Iowa voters from at least 25 counties to gain access to the states ballot, The Associated Press (AP) reported. Utah is so far the only state that has confirmed he is on the ballot, the AP added. Speculation was raised last month over a possible Libertarian bid for Kennedy after he spoke at the partys annual convention in California. He had casually entertained a switch after seeing increasing support from party members, strategists and activists, multiple sources told The Hill last month. Kennedy, who switched from a Democratic to independent ticket last fall, is looking to appear uniformly on ballots across the map against President Biden and former President Trump. He has repeatedly argued the presumptive party nominees are unfit to continue serving. Kennedy is currently polling ahead of other third-party candidates, though his numbers when against Biden and Trump have dropped in polling aggregation by Decision Desk HQ and The Hill. He has about 7.7 percent support as of Sunday, compared to 41.8 percent for Trump and 40.8 percent for Biden. Last month, the same polling aggregates showed Kennedy with about 11 percent support. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Police officers from Belleville, Swansea to help beef up security at MetroLink stations MetroLink riders will soon see additional police patrolling metro-east stations under new agreements between the St. Clair County Transit District and local law enforcement agencies. St. Clair County, Belleville and Swansea have approved agreements for their deputies and officers to participate in the patrols, and Fairview Heights is in the process of finalizing an agreement. Transit officials said Shiloh police will also be providing patrols. Shiloh Police Department and village officials didnt immediately respond to a request for comment about the status of an agreement. A 15-person detail from the St. Clair County Sheriffs Department already patrols the MetroLink full-time. Herb Simmons, chairman of the St. Clair County Transit Districts board of trustees, said the new agreements will add a law enforcement presence to station platforms and parking lots, so those deputies can focus on patrolling the trains. The families of shooting victims have criticized MetroLink security in 2019 and again in 2023 because no police were patrolling the metro-east stations at the time the crimes occurred. Simmons described the new, stepped-up patrols as a proactive move rather than a response to any specific incident or incidents. The goal is to deter people from committing crimes and make riders feel safer, according to Simmons. Officials have been working to increase MetroLink security for years, both in response to crime on the light-rail system and in order to improve the perception of safety and make riders feel comfortable using it. Crime against passengers is relatively low compared to how many people use MetroLink to get around the St. Louis region, according to a past BND investigation of crime data. The top security official for MetroLink reaffirmed it after the most recent fatal shooting on a train in the metro-east, which occurred in July. The rate of crime per 100,000 boardings is less than 1%, according to Kevin Scott, general manager for security for MetroLink and other transportation services. Ridership is down, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the system still provides millions of trips per year. From 2016 to 2023, passengers used the MetroLink for 81 million trips to Illinois and Missouri. In that same time frame, police investigated about 27 crimes against passengers in the metro-east, according to past BND coverage. The crimes included: 11 robberies or attempted robberies. Nine shootings, three of them fatal. Four aggravated batteries. Three carjackings. Under the new patrol agreements, officers and deputies can volunteer for shifts at MetroLink stations on their days off. They will patrol in uniform and in marked police cars if vehicles are available. They can leave the voluntary patrols to respond to other emergencies and incidents in their jurisdictions if necessary, the agreements state. The St. Clair County Transit District is paying for the new patrols. The district is supported by sales taxes and state grants. Officers in Belleville and Swansea and St. Clair County sheriff deputies will be paid their overtime rates: Belleville: $58.86 per hour for officers and $65.68 per hour for sergeants. Swansea: $58.27 per hour for officers and $64.21 per hour for sergeants. St. Clair County: between about $51 per hour and $67 per hour, depending on years of service. Fairview Heights Police Chief Steve Johnson said Fairview officers will be paid at their normal rates rather than overtime rates. Base pay is between $30.61 and $45.64 per hour for officers and between $40.43 and $49.44 per hour for sergeants, according to Fraternal Order of Police contracts. When asked about the additional cost, St. Clair County Transit District Director Ken Sharkey said the county has always put a premium on security for people traveling on the system. Sharkey is also a St. Clair County Board member representing District 11, which includes Fairview Heights and OFallon. MetroLink has 11 stations in Illinois: four in East St. Louis, three in Belleville and one each in Fairview Heights, Swansea, Shiloh and Washington Park. Simmons said the agreements with St. Clair County, Belleville, Swansea, Fairview Heights and Shiloh will serve as a pilot program. Belleville and Swansea signed on for at least one year. St. Clair County signed on for at least two. Transit officials hope to eventually have MetroLink patrol agreements with police departments in East St. Louis and Washington Park as well, according to Simmons. Police chiefs in East St. Louis and Washington Park did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The St. Clair County Transit District also contracts with Chestnut Health Systems to have mental health advisors on trains to help people in need find services for issues like mental health and homelessness, which are not easily resolved by police officers. The mental health advisors connected over 2,000 riders to services in 2023, according to Chestnut. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he'll appear on Iowa ballot as he challenges Joe Biden, Donald Trump WEST DES MOINES Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he met the requirements to appear on Iowas general election ballot in November following a convention he held in West Des Moines Saturday. Thank you for getting us on the ballot here in Iowa, he told a crowd that was several hundred people strong. Kennedy is using a provision of Iowa law that allows independent presidential candidates to bypass the states standard requirement of 3,500 signatures by hosting a convention and identifying 500 eligible electors from at least 25 counties. He will need to submit paperwork to the Iowa Secretary of States office, which will still need to be reviewed. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and a leader of the anti-vaccine movement known for trafficking in conspiracy theories, is attempting to get on the ballot in all 50 states. Kennedy told the Des Moines Register in an interview hes confident he will make it onto every states ballot by July. Its a complicated and expensive endeavor, particularly for third-party candidates who dont have the sprawling resources of the two major parties. According to his campaign, Kennedy has enough signatures to appear on the ballot in Utah, Idaho, Hawaii, Nebraska and New Hampshire, as well as the battleground states of Nevada and North Carolina. But only Utah has officially confirmed his place on the ballot so far. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. uses 'convention' method to try to get on Iowa ballot In Iowa, presidential candidates typically get onto the ballot by collecting 3,500 signatures, including at least 100 signatures in each of 19 counties. But Iowa law allows for independent candidates to collect fewer signatures by filing to appear on the presidential ballot through a convention process. Through that process, Kennedy must gain the signatures of 500 eligible electors representing at least 25 counties. Those electors must be at least 18 years old, residents of Iowa and U.S. citizens. Supporters take photos with independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after a campaign event Saturday, April 13, 2024, at the Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines. At Saturdays event, the group of attendees also had to elect a convention chair and secretary, as well as a central committee. And the required certificate of nomination also requires the candidate to lay out a process to fill ballot vacancies should the candidate withdraw or otherwise be removed from the ballot. Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnsons campaign used the same pathway to the ballot in 2012, arguing that it held a caucus at the Iowa State Fair that year where they persuaded fairgoers to sign up as electors. That effort wound its way through the state objections board, which scrutinizes candidate petitions, as well as the courts before it was ultimately approved and he appeared on the ballot. Some RFK Jr. rally attendees say they want someone other than Donald Trump, Joe Biden Kennedys event Saturday drew hundreds of people, including many who said they werent fans of former President Donald Trump or President Joe Biden. Weve kind of been looking at him for a while, said Tod Holder, a 44-year-old Pleasantville resident who attended the event with his wife, Tonya. The other two have already had their chance. Lets give it to somebody else. He said he voted for Trump in 2016 but didnt vote for president in 2020. Tonya Holder, also 44, said she currently plans to support Bidens reelection, but she believes that Americans should have more than two options for president. Everything going on with Trump is pretty volatile, so weve definitely got to stay away from that, I feel like, she said. Im a Biden supporter. But I am curious about Kennedy. Ive always had an open mind. I was taught to have an open mind. Thats how I grew up. The pair heard about the event on Facebook and both said they planned to sign Kennedys petition to appear on the ballot. Could Robert F. Kennedy Jr. act as a spoiler candidate? Recent national polling of the race that includes third-party candidates shows Kennedy earning anywhere from 2% to 14% of the vote and averaging about 9%. And according to a recent Wall Street Journal poll of seven battleground states, Kennedy earns an average of 11%, getting 8% in Georgia and doing as well as 15% in Nevada. In both the national and battleground polls, Kennedy performs substantially better than Cornell West and Jill Stein, who are also running as third-party candidates. Independent Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks to the crowd during a campaign stop in West Des Moines Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Val Air Ballroom. It represents significant support for an independent presidential candidate, though its far from enough to get him elected president. Political observers are divided on what role Kennedy may ultimately have on the outcome of the presidential contest. But many Democrats increasingly view him as a spoiler candidate with the potential to harm Bidens candidacy against Trump particularly in a contest that is expected to hinge on a handful of battleground states with exceedingly close outcomes. The New York Times reported April 10 that Trump's allies are working to boost Kennedy and other independent presidential candidates in those battleground states by emphasizing qualities that could appeal to Democrats or more liberal swing voters. "I do believe that RFK Jr. will do very well, and I do believe he's going to take a lot of votes away from crooked Joe Biden," Trump said in a video released by his campaign April 11. The Kennedy campaign recently fired a ballot access consultant for saying in a presentation that her priority for the 2024 election is defeating Biden, not necessarily getting Kennedy elected. "The Kennedy voter and the Trump voter, the enemy, our mutual enemy is Biden," the consultant, Rita Palma, said in a video posted online. "Whether you support Bobby or Trump, we all oppose Biden." Kennedy distanced himself from Palma in an interview with the Register, reiterating that she had been fired. If you have a mainstream media that wants to interview everybody on our field staff about their positions on various issues or wants to catch them making a statement that is not consistent with what we believe in the campaign, theyre going to be able to do that, he said, although the video was not the result of a media interview. Supporters take photos with independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after a campaign event Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines. National Democrats are taking the threat Kennedys campaign poses seriously, hiring veteran staffers such as Lis Smith, who helped oversee Pete Buttigiegs 2020 Democratic presidential campaign, to counter the effects of potential spoiler candidates, NBC News reported. The Democratic National Committee has also hired a team of attorneys, led by Dana Remus, Biden's former White House counsel, to monitor Kennedy's efforts to get his name on ballots of key battleground states. Every day we get more proof that a vote for RFK Jr. is a vote for Trump," DNC spokesperson Matt Corridoni said in a statement Thursday. Kennedy said the Democrats were being hypocritical by trying to keep him off the ballot. The Democratic Party is supposed to be about exemplifying democracy and being a template for democracy around the world, he told the Register. And if you ask them, high-level Democratic officials, Why are you doing this? Theyll say, Well, we have to do this because Trump poses a huge threat to democracy. Well, its kind of an irony there. They are essentially arguing we have to subvert democracy in order to save it. Supporters of Independent Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a campaign event Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines. The Republican Party of Iowa has also been critical of Kennedy, with party chair Jeff Kaufmann saying in a statement that his appearance in the state is "a distraction. "He's peddling his toxic conspiracy theories instead of speaking to the problems facing Americans caused by the Biden administration," Kaufmann said in the statement. "Iowans want solutions, not distractions. President Trump will deliver on his promises to secure the border, fix the economy, and restore America's standing across the globe." Kennedy has campaigned in Iowa only briefly. He attended the Iowa State Fair and a pair of meet-and-greets in August 2023. At the event Saturday, he railed against the two-party system, presidential polling and other issues like the threat of processed foods. He argued he is the only person capable of providing complete change to the country. If you want more of the same, you should vote for Trump or Biden, he said to cheers. Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She is also covering the 2024 presidential race for USA TODAY as a senior national campaign correspondent. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: RFK Jr. says he'll appear on Iowa ballot as he challenges Biden, Trump Man accused of stabbing his mom to death in Rock Hill, family says Family members say a man in Rock Hill is accused of killing his 56-year-old mother on Saturday and fleeing to Huntersville. Police say they found Carol Love stabbed to death in a home on Brunswick Drive around 5 p.m. Saturday. They identified Shawn Marion Love, 27, as the suspect, saying he is related to her. Their family said the two were mother and son. My mama had such a good heart, said Kolby Byers. Nice to everybody, fun, outgoing. A nice, beautiful soul. Byers said his mom loved her family and enjoyed spoiling her grandkids. He said Shawn Love was her youngest son and lived with her. CMPD investigates 2nd deadly shooting of the night I want to ask him why, Byers said. Everybody want to know why, the whole family asks why. Why did you do it? What was your motive? What was your hidden agenda? Why would you do this to our mom? Family members say a man in Rock Hill is accused of killing his 56-year-old mother on Saturday and fleeing to Huntersville. Huntersville, North Carolina police arrested Love on Sunday for another incident that happened in the town less than three hours after the stabbing. It was after Loves arrest that detectives discovered he was wanted in Rock Hill. Huntersville attack Huntersville police said on Saturday around 7:45 p.m., they were called to the QuikTrip gas station at 16649 Statesville Road. There, they were told a man had assaulted a woman with a knife and tried to steal her car. Police said he was unsuccessful and reportedly left on a bicycle. Investigators said the victim was cut on her hand and had other minor injuries. She was treated by paramedics at the scene. Afterward, a Huntersville officer found the bike near the intersection of Sherill Estates Road and Statesville Road. Officers searched for the suspect that evening but couldnt find him. Detectives were able to get more information and a suspect description from surveillance video at QuikTrip. Police: No injuries after gun accidentally goes off inside Chuck E. Cheese On Sunday around 11 a.m., officers were called to Sherill Estates Road for a suspicious person, where they found and arrested Love. They discovered he was wanted on a murder charge out of Rock Hill and also matched the description of the suspect in the QuikTrip incident. For the Huntersville incident, Love was charged with one count of attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon and one count of breaking and entering a motor vehicle. A Huntersville detective found the car stolen from the scene of the Rock Hill killing on the side of Interstate 77 near Exit 23. Love will be extradited to Rock Hill to be served warrants for murder and possession of a weapon during a crime of violence. I felt he was a coward, Byers said. He waited until everybody was gone in order to do something like that to his mother. Byers said he wants swift justice for his mom. We just got to put it in Gods hands and hopefully he gets what he deserves, he said. Channel 9 also learned Carol Love worked for the City of Rock Hill until she retired in January. Carol Love served the City of Rock Hill in the Parks, Recreation & Tourism (PRT) department from November 2004 until her retirement in January 2024, a statement from the city reads. She started first at Cherry Park, then transitioned to Manchester Meadows in 2006 when it opened. David Vehaun, Rock Hill City Manager, shared, Ms. Carol took pride in her work, ensuring the grounds and facilities were in tip top shape for the many residents and guests who visit Manchester Meadows. My condolences and prayers go to her family, friends, PRT co-workers, and all those who grieve her loss. (WATCH: Senseless killings: Local groups, sheriffs office host anti-violence event) Russian forces attacked seven communities in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast, killing one person, the regional administration reported on April 14. At least 76 explosions were recorded. In the village of Krasnopillia, one person was killed as a result of Russian artillery shelling. Further details about the victim are not yet available. The communities of Khotin, Yunakivka, Bilopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Esman, and Seredyna-Buda were also targeted with Russian artillery, missiles, drones, mortar, and mines. Krasnopillia suffered the heaviest assault, with at least 26 explosions reported throughout the day. Russian attacks on Sumy Oblast have become increasingly destructive over the past month. Authorities have been working to increase evacuation efforts in the region. Shelling is a daily occurrence for the communities near Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia, with residents in the region's vulnerable border settlements experiencing multiple attacks per day. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia aims to capture Chasiv Yar by Victory Day on May 9, Syrskyi says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Key Insights Sonic Healthcare's estimated fair value is AU$53.50 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Sonic Healthcare is estimated to be 49% undervalued based on current share price of AU$27.07 Analyst price target for SHL is AU$30.69 which is 43% below our fair value estimate Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX:SHL) by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Sonic Healthcare Step By Step Through The Calculation We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$755.4m AU$990.3m AU$1.07b AU$997.5m AU$1.05b AU$1.07b AU$1.09b AU$1.11b AU$1.13b AU$1.15b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x7 Analyst x7 Analyst x7 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Est @ 1.45% Est @ 1.66% Est @ 1.81% Est @ 1.92% Est @ 1.99% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 5.8% AU$714 AU$884 AU$902 AU$795 AU$793 AU$760 AU$730 AU$702 AU$676 AU$652 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$7.6b 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 5.8%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$1.1b (1 + 2.2%) (5.8% 2.2%) = AU$32b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$32b ( 1 + 5.8%)10= AU$18b 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$26b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of AU$27.1, the company appears quite good value at a 49% 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. 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 Sonic Healthcare 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 5.8%, 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 Sonic Healthcare Strength Debt is not viewed as a risk. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Healthcare market. Shareholders have been diluted in the past year. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Australian market. Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Dividends are not covered by earnings. Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year. Moving On: Whilst important, the DCF calculation 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 instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Sonic Healthcare, we've compiled three fundamental factors you should look at: Risks: To that end, you should be aware of the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Sonic Healthcare . Future Earnings: How does SHL'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 Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Russia claims Ukraine carried out large-scale drone attack in Krasnodar Krai The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that 10 drones attacked the Russian Federation, and all of them were allegedly downed. Source: Russian Defence Ministry Details: Ukraine allegedly attacked facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation on the morning of 14 April using aircraft-type UAVs. The Russians claim that all drones have been downed. Support UP or become our patron! A Russian attack killed two civilians in Kharkiv Oblast on April 13, the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration reported on April 14. The strike destroyed a house in the village of Vesele, killing a man and a woman. Their bodies were pulled out from the rubble. Russian forces later launched an overnight drone attack on Kharkiv Oblast. Ukrainian air defense shot down all 10 Shahed drones in the region, according to Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk. Russian attacks on the regional capital Kharkiv have intensified recently, leading to speculation that the Kremlin may launch a ground offensive later this year. However, President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed on April 6 that the city is not in danger, citing the regions defensive lines and army readiness. Ukraine's military intelligence believes that Russia is fomenting a psychological operation and that there is no evidence Russia is preparing a ground offensive on Kharkiv. Read also: FT: Russia may be gearing up for large-scale offensive against Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian troops hit the village of Odradokamyanka in Kherson Oblast with an FPV drone on April 14, local authorities reported. The attack injured a 44-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman, the Kherson Regional Military Administration wrote on Telegram. "Russian troops attack civilians in Kherson Oblast with drones every day," reads the post. Earlier in the day, the authorities reported that five people were injured by waves of Russian attacks on Kherson Oblast over the past 24 hours. The attacks targeted 17 settlements and the city of Kherson, hitting port infrastructure and pre-school and damaging residential buildings. Kherson Oblast remains partially occupied by Russian troops on the left bank of the Dnipro River. Russia frequently targets Kherson Oblast and the city, regularly killing and injuring civilians. Read also: Germany to send additional Patriot air defense system, missiles to Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russians drop aerial bomb on five-storey building in Donetsk Oblast, killing one civilian photo On Sunday afternoon, the Russians dropped an aerial bomb on the town of Ocheretyne in Donetsk Oblast, hitting a five-storey building; the body of a 67-year-old woman was retrieved from the rubble. Source: Donetsk Oblast Military Administration on Telegram Details: In addition to the deceased, two other people were hurt. They have been brought to the hospital and given the appropriate medical treatment. Support UP or become our patron! According to Ukrainian intelligence information, Russian forces are planning another false flag provocation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces on Facebook Details: Ukraines General Staff, citing intelligence, reported the forthcoming provocation without specifying the details. Quote: "Russia is the only terrorist group in the world that holds a nuclear power plant hostage and is using it to blackmail Ukraine and the world. No one but Russian terrorists [forces] has put the world so close to the brink of a deliberate radiation disaster. Only in recent weeks has Russia attempted to shift blame for the use of drones to attack the ZNPP onto Ukraine. These are purposeful Russian actions that continue the Russian practice of blackmailing our country and the entire international community by risking a disaster at the ZNPP." Support UP or become our patron! SAN DIEGO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) Still havent filed your taxes? Youre not alone. San Diego County residents who have yet to file various federal individual and business tax returns still have some time to do so. Even though Monday, April 15 is Tax Day across America, those in the region do not have a midnight deadline to file to the Internal Revenue Service. Madams of money: A look at the 5 richest women in the world The cutoff has been extended due to parts of California, including San Diego County, being affected by severe storms and flooding that occurred back in January. The Federal Emergency Management Agency previously made a disaster declaration that permits the IRS to postpone certain tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the disaster area. This includes the whole San Diego region. According to the IRS, deadlines falling on or after Jan. 21 and before June 17 are granted additional time to file. This means Tax Day for San Diegans will fall on June 17, which may come as a relief to those who have yet to file. Free Dump Day approaching, just in time for spring cleaning The extended deadline also applies to affected businesses in the following ways: 2023 contributions to IRAs and health savings accounts for eligible taxpayers. Quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on Jan. 31 and April 30 Calendar-year partnership and S corporation returns normally due on March 15 Calendar-year corporation and fiduciary returns and payments normally due on April 15 Calendar-year tax-exempt organization returns normally due on May 15 Anyone who needs an additional tax-filing extension beyond the June 17 deadline for their 2023 federal income tax return are encouraged request it electronically by April 15. More information on tax relief for San Diego County residents can be found here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Russia is concentrating efforts to break through the Ukrainian defence west of Bakhmut, seize the settlement of Chasiv Yar and create conditions for further advancement to the Kramatorsk agglomeration. Source: Syrskyi at a visit to one of the sectors of the combat zone Quote: "The enemy's plans are thwarted by the heroic defence of our brigades, who dug their heels into the ground, limiting the enemy's daily attacks. Individual groups of enemy infantry entered the Novyi microdistrict, relying on numerical superiority and various motivating factors, such as executions, but were destroyed by FPV kamikaze strikes and artillery fire. At the same time, the threat remains relevant, given that the highest Russian military leadership has set the task for its troops to capture Chasiv Yar by 9 May." Details: After a two-day visit to the combat zone, Sirskyi concluded that there is a need to improve the quality of training, including the psychological component, as well as to increase the number of multi-purpose high-tech unmanned systems with trained operators, to improve the quality of asymmetric actions and reduce the Russian combat potential. Support UP or become our patron! On the morning of 14 April, the Russian forces attacked a civilian lorry with a drone in Sumy Oblast, killing the driver. Source: Sumy Oblast Prosecutor's Office on Facebook Quote: "According to the investigation, on 14 April, at around 8:00, the invaders dropped explosives from a drone onto a civilian lorry on the territory of Krasnopillia hromada of Sumy Oblast, violating international law [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories ed.]" Details: The driver of the vehicle died. The prosecutors are documenting the aftermath of the attack. Support UP or become our patron! Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, has stressed that the delays in adopting the aid for Ukraine by the US Congress and Russias capability to further evade the sanctions increase the aggressor states confidence. Source: evening address of Zelenskyy Quote: "It is not rhetoric that protects the sky, it is not opinions that curb the production of missiles and drones for terror. And the fact that sanctions against Russia are still being circumvented, and that we in Ukraine have been waiting for months for a vital support package that we are still waiting for a vote in Congress shows that the terrorists' confidence has been on the rise for months as well. We cannot waste any more time." Details: Zelenskyy added that "Russia uses every day, week and month to inflict significant damage". He noted that modern aircraft and air defence systems had demonstrated their efficiency while repelling Iran's attack on Israel on 13-14 April at night. "The whole world sees what real defence is. It sees that it is feasible. And the whole world saw that Israel was not alone in this defence the threat in the sky was also being eliminated by its allies. And when Ukraine tells its allies that unity provides the best defence, they are already well aware of its effectiveness. They are aware of it and ensure it. And when Ukraine says that its allies should not turn a blind eye to Russian missiles and drones, it means action is needed a bold one," Zelenskyy said. Support UP or become our patron! 'Initial negotiations' between UK and Rwanda countries suggest 'upwards of 30,000' migrants over the course of the scheme Rwanda is ready to take more than 30,000 asylum seekers in the first five years of the deportation scheme at a potential cost to the UK of nearly 5 billion, leaked documents show. The Home Office documents say that although the scheme will start in a tightly controlled way with as few as 500 migrants deported in the first year, the agreement is designed to incentivise Rwanda to take higher volumes. Initial negotiations between the two countries suggested upwards of 30,000 migrants over the course of the scheme set to last five years, according to the documents. This would total some 4.5 billion as it will cost the UK up to 150,000 per deported asylum seeker, according to Home Office figures supplied to the National Audit Office (NAO). This is on top of an initial 370 million for the five-year Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP) announced by Boris Johnson almost exactly two years ago. The disclosure comes as the two top civil servants in the Home Office, Sir Matthew Rycroft and Simon Ridley, will on Monday be questioned by MPs on the Home Affairs Committee on the value for money of the scheme and NAO analysis. The Safety of Rwanda Bill, which paves the way for the first flights, will also return to the Commons on Monday when MPs are expected to overturn seven amendments backed by the Lords in a series of Government defeats. Although peers may force a third round of ping-pong, it is expected to be passed by the end of this week. Meanwhile, it emerged on Sunday night that the Government is in talks to send migrants from Britain to other countries. Costa Rica, Armenia, Ivory Coast and Botswana are the focus of ministers third-country-asylum processing deal, which would replicate the Rwanda deportation scheme, The Times reported. UK will pay 150,874 per migrant Announcing the Rwanda scheme in April 2022, Mr Johnson pledged tens of thousands of migrants would be deported to Rwanda while the central African state has consistently maintained the scheme is uncapped. However, there has never been an official total figure of migrants for the five-year Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP). The Home Office document - an annexe to a report for ministers on deportation plans dating from last year - states: The MEDP is uncapped. In initial negotiations with GoR [Government of Rwanda], we talked in terms of upwards of 30,000 relocations over the five-year agreement. The structure of the funding agreements also incentivises GoR to take higher volumes. On Sunday night, sources said 30,000 remained a valid target figure although Labour has pledged to scrap the Rwanda scheme if it wins the next election, even if the scheme proves successful. Rishi Sunak has signed up to pay 370m over five years to Rwanda even if no migrant is deported, according to the NAO. It revealed the UK will also pay 150,874 per migrant for a five-year processing and integration package including housing, food, education and medical services. This would cost some 4.5 billion if 30,000 migrants were deported. Ministers argue that, if successful, the Rwanda scheme will act as a deterrent and could significantly reduce the current 5.6 billion annual cost of asylum support, resettlement and housing which includes hotels. The Home Office document says Rwanda wants a tightly controlled initial relocations phase - ie to allow them to test all of their arrangements and iron out any glitches, but then ramping up quickly when theyre confident in their arrangements.. It notes that this is in line with the Home Offices own litigation strategy where it wanted to reduce the scope for mistakes by immigration officials which would allow challenges by migrants to be reopened. It suggested there would only be 500 migrants deported in the first year with 3,000 in each of the following years, although sources claimed this was out of date, as it predated the new Rwanda Bill and Supreme Court judgement last year. Ministers have yet to enact the Illegal Migration Act, which means there is already a backlog of at least 20,000 migrants and up to 40,000 migrants who have entered the UK illegally since it got royal assent and should therefore be sent to Rwanda. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: The Rwanda scheme would only remove a fraction of these people, with nearly all of them left stuck indefinitely instead of being granted a fair hearing on UK soil. On Sunday, Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, said the first flights would take off within weeks although she was unable to say whether the Government had found an airline to transport 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. Salt Lake County GOP drops Natalie Cline, Bollinger to take her place on ballot SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Natalie Cline lost the Republican nomination to keep her seat after a vote Saturday. The Salt Lake County Republican Party Nominating Convention wrapped up Saturday afternoon with a definitive answer to the future of the controversial board member Natalie Cline. Delegates overwhelmingly sided with her challenger, Amanda Bollinger, who took home 63% of the vote to Clines 36.8%, making Bollinger the Republican nominee. When declaring candidacy in January, Cline did not submit an intent to gather signatures. She will continue to serve on the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) until the end of the term. Cline made her final case to delegates this afternoon, using the opportunity to defend her record. I have fought and I will continue to fight to my dying breath to protect the children of our state, Cline said. I have made promises and kept them at great cost to myself. Who is running for office in Utah in 2024? Cline was elected as a USBE board member in 2020. During her time serving on the board, she faced pushback in several instances, most recently in February after posting on social media appearing to question if a high school student was transgender. The incident led to the USBE condemning her behavior and several Utah officials calling for her resignation. At the time, Cline responded by removing the post and apologizing for the negative attention my post drew to innocent students and their families. However, a week after the incident she said she was being harassed by the USBE and hardened criminals get better due process. She decided to seek reelection saying the incident was in an effort to destroy her reputation with voters. Gov. Cox and Lt. Gov. Henderson, who at the time of the controversy said Cline had embarrassed the state of Utah, donated to Bollingers campaign. Cox donated $5,000 and Henderson donated $1,000. Bollinger said the vote was a step toward getting people to trust public education again. It means that people care about kids and people are willing to trust me to put the trust of public education back into our system, she said. ABC4 reached out to Natalie Cline for comment but has yet to hear back. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) For aspiring college students, what are the odds of getting into San Diego State University? Niche, a popular ranking and review site, has broken down the numbers to put into perspective what it takes to be among the Aztecs in Americas Finest City. Lets start with the test scores. Madams of money: A look at the 5 richest women in the world As far as high school GPA, those accepted and those rejected widely varied based on Niches scatterplot graph. The data was collected from Niche users and then compared across the board. Furthermore, students that typically get into San Diego State have an average SAT score between 1090-1300 or an average ACT score of 22-29, Niche data shows. With those numbers in mind, Niche said San Diego States admissions is selective with an acceptance rate of 38%. The admissions application deadline is Nov. 30 and the application fee costs $70. According to Niche, a high school transcript with GPA and college prep courses are required to be considered. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. (Reuters) - A Saudi Arabian delegation, led by foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, will visit Pakistan on Monday and Tuesday as part of efforts to boost economic cooperation, Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The visit takes place to expedite follow-up on the understanding reached between Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during their recent meeting in Makkah Al Mukarramah to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries, the foreign ministry said. Sharif met with the crown prince last week and 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. Pakistan has lately also been trying to secure Saudi investment in industries ranging from agriculture to mines, minerals and aviation. (Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Susan Fenton and Leslie Adler) The remains of a rocket booster that, according to Israeli authorities critically injured a 7-year-old girl, after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, near Arad CAIRO (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian late on Sunday, during which they discussed developments in the region after Iran launched drones and missiles on Israel, Saudi state news agency reported. "During the call, repercussions from developments in the situation in the region and the increasing escalation against the backdrop of the crisis in Gaza Strip were discussed," a statement from Saudi's foreign ministry said. Qatar's foreign minister also held a call with Amirabdollahian on Sunday, expressing deep concern over developments in the region and reiterating their commitment to support efforts at achieving stability on all levels, Qatari state media reported. (Reporting by Ahmed Tolba, Writing by Adam Makary; editing by Diane Craft) The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) foiled an assassination attempt on Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration. This was revealed at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities meeting, which President Zelensky also attended. According to SBU Chief Vasyl Maliuk, a Kherson resident planned the attempt on Prokudins life, in collaboration with Russian special services. The suspect was detained on April 10. This scoundrel carried out visual surveillance directly at the scene and adjusted the fire at Prokudins car, Maliuk said. A new model of an enemy FPV drone was launched from a depth of 12 kilometers. The SBU successfully intercepted the drone that was deployed, utilizing advanced electronic warfare systems. Read also: Some villages in occupied Kherson Oblast no longer exist, official says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Tesla Tesla and rival Lucid operate in very different ways and while Tesla used to top the electric vehicle (EV) landscape, things have recently changed in this very competitive field. This shift is partly due a lackluster Tesla delivery report earlier this month, which placed downward pressure on its stock price. Lets look at the stocks of these companies. Sponsored: Protect Your Wealth With A Gold IRA. Take advantage of the timeless appeal of gold in a Gold IRA recommended by Sean Hannity. Tesla Stock Flagging in April Tesla (as of April 11): Year-to-date: -30.86% Past year: -8.05% Past month: -3.38% On April 2, Tesla announced its first quarter deliveries, an event deemed an unmitigated disaster by Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives. We view this as a seminal moment in the Tesla story for Musk to either turn this around and reverse the black eye 1Q performance. Otherwise, some darker days could clearly be ahead that could disrupt the long-term Tesla narrative, Ives wrote in an April 2 note. Yet, CFRA Research said in an April 2 note that it maintained its Buy opinion on Tesla, noting, however, that it cut its 12-month target by $15 to $220. Despite near-term headwinds, we continue to regard Tesla as one of the markets most compelling long-term growth stories and the stock appears to be fully discounting various issues surrounding the name after a precipitous YTD drop, CFRA equity analyst Garrett Nelson wrote in the note. Lucids Stock Also Dips Lucid (as of April 11): Year-to-date: -36.14% Past year: -68.68% Past month: -11.37% While the stock has had lackluster results in the past year, the company reported first-quarter deliveries above market expectations on April 9. Price cuts helped boost demand for its luxury electric sedans, sending its shares up about 3%, according to Reuters. Lucid delivered 1,967 vehicles in the first quarter, compared with estimates of 1,745, according to eight analysts polled by Visible Alpha, Reuters added. Another driver that could help boost the stock is that in March, Lucid raised $1 billion in capital from an affiliate of Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund, according to CNBC. The latest investment by the sovereign wealth fund underscores a key advantage Lucid has in the race for survival among struggling EV startups, CNBC reported. It should be noted, however, that Lucid stock is far below its initial offering price, while Tesla remains over 13,300% higher than its initial price. Whether that means that Tesla is overpriced and saturated, or that Lucid is a bargain, is for each responsible investor to decide. Story continues More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Tesla vs. Lucid Stock: Which Is a Better Investment? Scholz Arrives in China on a Mission to Dial Down Tensions (Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will take a delicate message to China this week: Beijing has not acted on European warnings to end discriminatory business practices and failure to do so will result in an escalation in tensions. Most Read from Bloomberg Scholz arrived in the southwest city of Chongqing Sunday on his second visit to China as chancellor, China Central Television reported, describing the trip as the first by a state leader of a major Western country this year. Scholz will warn Chinese President Xi Jinping that he needs to act soon to avoid European Union tariffs meant to rebalance the trade relationship, including on electric vehicles, according to people involved in the preparations, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential planning. The EU is increasingly wary of Chinas use of massive public support in critical sectors and has been toughening its stance in recent months. That puts Scholz in a tricky position as China remained Germanys biggest trading partner last year with a volume of more than 250 billion ($266 billion) despite increasingly difficult conditions for doing business there. Scholz is due to visit Chongqing, Shanghai and Beijing, and is expected to tell Xi and Premier Li Qiang that he favors free and fair trade but will steer clear of anything that could be viewed as undermining the EUs tougher stance on commerce, the people said. Instead, hell tell Chinese officials that its in the countrys own interest to avert a possible trade war by reducing overcapacity and giving non-Chinese companies the same advantages and subsidies as local manufacturers. Read More: US Faces Pushback on More China Chip Curbs as Election Nears A survey published Wednesday by the German Chamber of Commerce showed that two out of three German com panies operating in China say they face unfair competition, which threatens to push up costs and erode profit margins. Chinese carmaker BYD Co. received at least 3.4 billion in direct government subsidies as part of Beijings push to dominate electric vehicles and other clean technologies, according to a separate study published the same day. The EU has spent the past year building up its economic leverage with China through the use of trade tools and the launch of its economic security strategy. That leverage can be undermined very quickly if the leader of Europes biggest economy sends different signals to Beijing, said Noah Barkin, a Berlin-based analyst on Europe-China relations at Rhodium Group. Thats one reason diplomats in Brussels will closely follow the talks between Scholz and Xi in Beijing on Tuesday, and those between French President Emmanuel Macron and Xi in Paris a few weeks later, Barkin said. European unity on China is on the line, according to Barkin. Read More: US Set to Ring Alarm Bells Over Chinese Industry on World Stage Among senior managers accompanying Scholz on his trip are the chief executive officers of Siemens AG, Bayer AG, Merck KGaA, BMW AG and Mercedes-Benz Group AG, according people familiar with the planning. Volkswagen AG said Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume will not be joining the delegation due to scheduling conflicts. His absence comes as Europes largest carmaker tries to stem an existential crisis about its declining market share in the worlds biggest auto market. Blume is preparing to host a capital markets presentation on China in Beijing on April 24 before attending the Beijing car show. VW continues to face scrutiny over its presence in Chinas far western province of Xinjiang, where the government has been accused of widespread human-rights abuses against the mainly Muslim Uyghur ethnic minority. VW announced in February it was considering various options regarding its operations in Xinjiang. That followed media reports that a giant car testing track it developed with its local partners in the city of Turpan was built using forced labor. Read More: VW Reviewing Xinjiang Presence After New Forced-Labor Claim The Chancellors arrival in China comes as Iran launched armed drones and missiles against Israel, marking a new and more volatile phase of the Middle East conflict. Scholz condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms, said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. In these difficult hours, Germany stands closely by Israels side. We will now discuss further reactions closely with our G7 partners and allies. Amid differing views on Russias war against Ukraine, Scholz also wants to gauge Beijings willingness to use its influence over Moscow and join international efforts for a high-level peace conference for Ukraine in mid-June. Joerg Wuttke, a former president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, expects the chancellor to make a strong case on the Ukraine war and its impact on Europe, but doesnt anticipate any shift from Beijing. The Chinese cannot move an inch away from the Russians, Wuttke said from Beijing. They cannot change horses. --With assistance from Colum Murphy, Wilfried Eckl-Dorna and Monica Raymunt. (Updates with report of chancellors arrival in second paragraph, comment on Middle East in fourth-last paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Search underway for Holland America crew member who 'purposefully' went overboard Local law enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard are searching for a Holland America crew member who was reported missing Saturday when the ship docked at Fort Lauderdale, Fla. File Photo courtesy of Holland America April 14 (UPI) -- Authorities are searching for a missing crew member who went overboard Friday from a Holland America cruise ship. Deputies with the Broward County Sheriff's Office Port Everglades District responded around 11:18 a.m. EDT Saturday to a report of a missing crew member on the Rotterdam cruise ship. The ship was sailing eastward along the Florida Keys at the tail end of a six-night Caribbean cruise when the incident happened. Holland America in a statement said closed-circuit TV footage showed the crew member "purposefully" went overboard around 9:45 p.m. Friday. The crew member was noted missing when the ship docked at Fort Lauderdale Saturday. "All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the team member's family at this difficult time," the cruise line said in a statement. The sheriff's office homicide and crime scene units were dispatched to Port Everglades to investigate. The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting the search at sea for the crew member. HIGHLANDS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) A large brush fire caused some Sebring residents to evacuate their homes Sunday afternoon, the Highland County Sheriffs Office announced. Around noon, the 55-acre fire rapidly spread, causing all homes on Granada Boulevard between Edgewater Driver and Ortego Street, which was roughly about 20 homes, to be evacuated. Nearly 500 acres on fire, and growing, in Mulberry: PCFR All impacted residents were sent to the community center in Sun n Lake. The evacuation order was lifted at 4:25 p.m. Fire crews remained on the scene until 5 p.m., wetting fire lines close to some homes. The Florida Forest Service Okeechobee District remained on the scene to monitor and investigate the cause of the fire. Highlands County Fire Rescue Highlands County Fire Rescue Highlands County Fire Rescue Highlands County Fire Rescue Highlands County Fire Rescue Highlands County Fire Rescue Highlands County Fire Rescue Highlands County Fire Rescue Highlands County Fire Rescue Highlands County Fire Rescue Highlands County Fire Rescue Highlands County Fire Rescue The sheriffs office said there were no injuries or property damage. Officials said residents can expect to see lingering smoke overnight. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. See Four Seasons' upcoming ultra-luxury cruise with a $350,000-a-week suite bigger than most homes Four Seasons says it will begin sailing an ultra-luxury yacht cruise in January 2026. The 222-guest vessel would have 95 spacious suites and 11 dining options but food wouldn't be free. The largest suite would have four floors and bedrooms, a spa, and a price of $350,000 per sailing. Four Seasons plans to expand its high-end hotels and resorts portfolio with a luxury 222-guest cruise ship. The company says the 95-suite vessel will debut in January 2026 and cost a minimum of $20,000 per weeklong sailing. For that price, the luxury hospitality giant says travelers would enjoy a one-to-one guest-to-staff ratio and massive suites spanning as many as four floors. If all goes as planned, the 679-foot-long Four Seasons I could become one of the most expensive and opulent options in the cruise industry. The ultra-plush 14-deck Four Seasons I is scheduled for 19 voyages in 2026 to more than 130 Caribbean and Mediterranean ports. Reservations for the ship, shown in a rendering, started as invite-only, exclusive to repeat Four Seasons guests and travel partners. Four Seasons Reservations opened two weeks ago. Those interested can register to join a waitlist or book through a travel agent. So far, "sales have been very encouraging, and the demand is exciting to see," Thatcher Brown, chief commercial officer and head of joint operations for Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings, told Business Insider in a statement. The company is a joint owner and operator of Four Seasons Yachts. Renderings make the Four Seasons I look as opulent as the brand's land-based properties. The smallest suite, shown in a rendering, would have one king bed. Four Seasons Four Seasons says its vessel will have 95 suites ranging from 537 to 9,975 square feet, some with three bedrooms. The smallest suite starts at $19,700 for a five-night roundtrip voyage to Athens, Greece. No windowless interior cabins here: Like other ultra-luxe cruises, the suites would all have terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows. Modular walls would allow suites to be combined to span more than 13,000 square feet. The Portofino Suite, shown in a render, would 4,219 square feet. Four Seasons Customers could expect upscale amenities like a walk-in closet, down-filled duvets and pillows, and marble dual vanity bathrooms, per Four Seasons. The most premium suites would also feature additional accommodations for "personal assistants," such as au pairs or security personnel. Some options, like the 7,952-square-foot Loft Suite, could be adjoined with seven other cabins to accommodate up to 20 people. A rendering shows the Loft Suite, which would have a pool, three outdoor showers, and an outdoor gym. Four Seasons Without connecting cabins, the Loft Suite would already have three bedrooms and bathrooms, a powder room, and a sauna. Others, like the largest Funnel Suite, would have its own spa and kitchen. Four Seasons says the Funnel Suite, shown in a rendering, would sleep up to five adults and one child. Four Seasons Four Seasons says the 9,975-square-foot mansion, partially perched in the ship's glass-lined funnel, will span four floors, four bathrooms, three bedrooms, and three powder rooms. Not to mention the private elevator, pool, and $350,000-a-voyage price tag. Accommodations of this price and size are generally unheard of in the cruise industry. Regent Seven Seas' latest Seven Seas Grandeur flexes a $6 million art collection with original Pablo Picasso prints and a custom Faberge egg. Brittany Chang/Business Insider Luxury operator Silversea says the largest suite on its upcoming 728-guest Silver Ray will be 1,324 square feet. Competitor Regent Seven Seas' new Seven Seas Grandeur debuted in 2023 with a more expansive six-guest 4,443-square-foot option. Both suites' sizes and prices Regent's starts at $42,000 per person for a total of $252,000 at maximum occupancy would be stunted by Four Seasons' promise of a 9,975-square-foot, $350,000 floating mansion. But cabins with six-digit prices aren't unheard of. Icon of the Seas' Ultimate Family Townhouse can accommodate up to eight guests. Brittany Chang/Business Insider While not a luxury cruise line, Royal Caribbean's popular three-floor townhouse on the new Icon of the Seas is being booked at an average of $100,000 a week although it's about four times smaller than Four Seasons' largest. Royal Caribbean and other mass-market cruise lines are beloved, in part, for their unlimited complimentary food options. Dining options include Mediterranean and "comfort food favorites," according to the future cruise operator. Its upcoming vessel is shown in a rendering. Four Seasons Regent Seven Seas' all-inclusive fare also covers caviar, foie gras, and Champagne. But don't expect any of these to be free on the Four Seasons I. Breakfast would be complimentary. Lunch, dinner, and booze would not. The first 19 voyages of the Four Seasons I shown in a rendering include 10 itineraries from late January 2026 to mid-June. Its first Caribbean cruises would spend a week sailing to islands like St. Barts, Nevis, the Grenadines, and Curacao. Four Seasons The vessel's 11 restaurants and lounges would be priced similarly to Four Seasons' on-land properties. (A dinner entree at its resort on the Caribbean island of Nevis also one of the ship's destinations ranges from $34 to $163.) The pricing structure may sound odd to most cruise traditionalists. (Hey, at least WiFi would be "free.") The "watersport offerings" at the marina, shown in a rendering, would be complimentary. Four Seasons But some of the ship's amenities could look familiar: Like most cruise liners, the Four Seasons I would have a pool, spa, and clubs for children and teens. The company also promises a lounge and marina that will open onto the water, giving guests direct access to activities like snorkeling or windsurfing. Four Seasons Yachts plans to take delivery of its $399 million vessel, now being built by famed Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, in late 2025. Fincantieri has built ships for companies like Silversea, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Disney Cruise Line. The 65-foot-long pool it is building on the Four Seasons I, shown in a rendering, could be lifted to level the deck, turning it into a large open-air venue space. Four Seasons A second Fincantieri-built ship would join the hospitality company's fleet the following year. The next vessel would cost more than 400 million euros, about $429.2 million, Four Seasons says. This isnt Four Seasons' first foray into itinerary-based vacations. Four Seasons' custom Airbus A321neo private jet flexes a lounge for in-flight workshops, a physician, and a chef. Four Seasons The company has also found "tremendous success" in its private jet-based "cruises," Alejandro Reynal, the president and CEO of Four Seasons, told BI in a statement. Its 2024 vacation-by-air itineraries started at $135,000 for a 16-day Asia tour. Demand has been growing, he said, "signaling that luxury travelers are looking for immersive, exclusive, end-to-end travel journeys that allow them to explore the world with their favorite brands." But its new ultra-luxe cruise arm would be entering an increasingly crowded luxury market, soon to be dominated by like-minded hospitality giants. Ritz-Carlton's Evrima, shown in a rendering, flexes a marina similar to what Four Seasons promises on its first vessel. The Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection High-end Aman Resorts and Orient Express plan to launch their own luxury cruises in 2027 and 2026, respectively. Staying ahead of the competition, Ritz-Carlton debuted its first 149-suite Evrima yacht cruise in 2021, with a second 224-cabin ship scheduled to begin sailing later this year. Its least expensive itinerary is currently $5,100 per person for a six-night voyage from Barbados to Puerto Rico in early 2025. Interested in a hotelier-owned vacation at sea but don't want to pay the luxury price tag? Margaritaville's cruise is an affordable $75 for two nights. Read the original article on Business Insider Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said Sunday that last weeks Arizona Supreme Court ruling banning nearly all abortions in the state is a result of actions former President Trump took while in office. Let me start by saying this has been a disaster for women in Arizona. Theyve lost a fundamental right to abortion, and its all because of Donald Trump, Kelly said in an interview on CBS Newss Face the Nation on Sunday. Donald Trump owns this. He said just yesterday that he broke Roe v. Wade, and because he did that, this enabled our court to bring back this draconian 1864 law to take away this right, send doctors to jail, Kelly added. On Friday, Trump said there was no need for a federal law limiting abortion because we broke Roe v. Wade and states were working brilliantly in their restricting access to abortion. His comments come as he faces backlash for saying on Monday that abortion should be left up to the states to determine policy, while appearing to say he would not sign a federal ban. Trump has particularly been on defense since the Arizona Supreme Court ruling upheld an 1864 law and made performing the procedure a felony. The century-old law makes abortion a felony punishable by two to five years in prison for anyone who performs or helps a woman obtain an abortion. It includes an extremely narrow exception allowing for an abortion when it is necessary to save a pregnant persons life. The former president said the court went too far with its ruling, and earlier Friday he urged Arizona lawmakers to act as fast as possible to adjust the states abortion policy, even as Republicans in the state Legislature blocked attempts by Democrats to repeal the 1864 law. Kelly in the Sunday interview said he hopes to get a ballot initiative securing the right to abortion this coming November. But either way, he said that he expects the ruling to turn Arizona voters out to the polls. My first concern is women in Arizona and their health, and women could die from this 1864 ruling that once again was enabled by the former president. So thats my biggest concern, he said. Were going to have an election in November. I imagine were going to have large turnout because of this issue. I also want to point out that I dont think this represents who we are in the state of Arizona. This is a moment in time, were gonna get through this. We have an opportunity to fix this in November, he said. Reached for a response, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung referred The Hill to the former presidents earlier statement on the Arizona abortion ruling, saying the states Supreme Court went too far by enacting and approving an inappropriate Law from 1864, and labeling Democrats as the extremists on the issue of abortion. So now the Governor and the Arizona Legislature must use HEART, COMMON SENSE, and ACT IMMEDIATELY, to remedy what has happened. Remember, it is now up to the States and the Good Will of those that represent THE PEOPLE. We must ideally have the three Exceptions for Rape, Incest, and Life of the Mother. This is important! Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social. Story updated at 3:11 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sen. Kennedy advises wobbly Biden to get tough on Iran after Israel attack: 'Go on Amazon and buy a spine' Sen. Kennedy advises wobbly Biden to get tough on Iran after Israel attack: 'Go on Amazon and buy a spine' Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., called on President Biden to take a stronger stance against Iran after his administration reportedly advised Israel not to launch a response after Tehran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at the Jewish state on Saturday. Kennedy addressed Irans attack during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," criticizing Bidens support of Israel as less than ironclad. "In the past 60 days, we have seen President Biden go wobbly in his support of Israel," Kennedy said. "With respect, go to Amazon and buy a spine online. Peace through weakness never works, not with these hard, armed men." Iran launched some 300 drones and missiles from its own territory toward Israel, though the vast majority were intercepted by air defenses. LIVE UPDATES: BIDEN CALLING FOR G7 MEETING IN RESPONSE TO IRAN'S BRAZEN ATTACK Kennedy said that peace through weakness won't work against Iran and advised Biden to "buy a spine" at online retailer Amazon. Israel responded by sending fighter jets to strike multiple Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including a major weapon-manufacturing site. While Israel has yet to announce plans for a large-scale retaliation, The New York Times reported that the Biden administration has advised Israel not to retaliate against Iran. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Kennedy accused Biden of "being influenced by the Hamas wing of the Democratic Party" and called on the president to shore up his support of Israel. JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS VOICE SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL'S OBLIGATION TO DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM IRAN'S ATTACKS "The American people may be poor under Biden, but they're not stupid," Kennedy said. "We need to stand with Israel." Biden has also drawn criticism over his failed attempt to deter Iran from carrying out an attack against Israel. On Friday, Biden said simply, "Don't," when reporters asked about his message to Iran ahead of an expected attack against Israel. Kennedy warned that the U.S. must stand strong against Iran and its surrogates. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Israel's not at war with Hamas or Hezbollah or Yemen," the senator said. "Those are all surrogates for Iran, they're prostitutes. The pimp is Iran. Israel is at war with Iran. Iran hates Americans. Iran hates Jews. Iran wants to kill Americans and Jews. And if we turn the other cheek to them, we're going to get it in the neck." Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report. Original article source: Sen. Kennedy advises wobbly Biden to get tough on Iran after Israel attack: 'Go on Amazon and buy a spine' Yesterday, the U.S. stood with our ally Israel to help it defend against Iranian attacks. We should continue to do so, just as we have played a key role in helping Ukraine defend itself against Russias illegal invasion. As part of those efforts, the House should finally act to pass the Senate-passed security bill to bolster the defenses of Israel and Ukraine. We must also continue to work with all nations to protect innocent civilians and deescalate violence throughout the region, by continuing to press for a deal between Israel and Hamas to release hostages and establish a significant ceasefire in Gaza. The safety of Americans and our servicemembers will always remain my top priority. I am grateful for the U.S. servicemembersincluding many from Virginiawho are working with our allies in the region, and I will do all I can to resist any effort to push the United States into another unnecessary war in the Middle East. They were searching KC for missing college student. They found a body, but no answers The hunt for TMontez Hurt, a 19-year-old college student from St. Louis who went missing in Kansas City in February, brought out nearly a dozen volunteers on Saturday. They spent the afternoon searching along Troost Avenue, combing the area for any sign of the missing student. Its not the first weekend the group KC Discover organized such a search for Hunt, who hasnt been heard from since a troubling phone conversation the morning of Feb. 1, in which Hurt sounded drugged and distressed, according to his grandmother Tecona Sullivan. When the group reached the area near Troost and 81st street, they looked around the foundation of a former apartment building, which had burned down about three years ago. There, they found a bone they believed looked like a human knee and called 911. The knee appeared to have been severed. A bone was found near Troost Avenue and 81st Street by a group looking for a missing person April 13, 2024. Police found a decomposing body nearby and a death investigation is ongoing. Kendrick Calfee Kansas City police arrived about ten minutes later and searched the area. Soon after, they closed it off with crime scene tape. Homicide and missing persons detectives arrived shorty thereafter. Police said they could not confirm if the bone was human. But they did confirm they found a decomposing body in a vehicle on the north side of the building. It was not yet known if the bone and the body were connected in any way. The investigation could take a while to develop, Kansas City police detective Aaron Fischer said. Its possible this person couldve died of natural causes, but we will not know much until later. A police officer searches the area of Troost and 81st Street in Kansas City after a 911 call about a bone that looked human. The group was looking for missing person TMontez Hurt close to where he was last seen. Kendrick Calfee Police thanked the searchers, pointing out their efforts would help some family get answers and find closure. Thank God for people like you, because we dont know about the bone. Its clean-cut on both sides. Its something the medical examiner would know.... but, in searching farther, they found an abandoned vehicle that has a deceased, decomposed individual, explained KCPD Captain Thomas Clark to the group, asking the searchers to stick around to answer questions as the investigation proceeded. Police said that at this point they dont know much of anything about the deceased person. Police looked at fliers the group had with Hurts picture and missing person information, and police said they do not believe the body they found is him. We just know we have a deceased individual in a car. We dont know male or female. We dont know age. We dont know anything at this point, Clark said. A group of around a dozen people showed up to the area on Troost Avenue where missing person TMontez Hurt was last seen to search for him and spread awareness April 13, 2024. Kendrick Calfee Police explained its standard procedure to carefully process the scene whenever theres a death, in case it turns out to be a homicide. These cases are generally determined by the medical examiner for cause and manner of death, said Capt. Jacob Becchina, a spokesperson with the Kansas City police. We will process the scene and recover any evidence to assist in whatever investigation is applicable. But, for now, police can only say its a death investigation. Steven Wright and Denisha Jones hang fliers along Troost Avenue with information about missing person TMontez Hurt. He has been missing since Easter. Kendrick Calfee Its considered a death investigation at this point, until the medical examiner determines .. if they were to determine the cause was homicide... then we would classify it as a homicide investigation. But its a death investigation at this point, Becchina said. If they come back and for some reason they determine that this person was murdered, then we have all the evidence and we can proceed from an investigative standpoint, he added. As the police investigation proceeded, the group which set out that day looking for Hurt waited, strategizing the next steps in their search. Another search will take place next Saturday near 86th and Troost. Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. (NYSE:HVT), is not the largest company out there, but it saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NYSE, rising to highs of US$36.57 and falling to the lows of US$30.58. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Haverty Furniture Companies' current trading price of US$30.67 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Haverty Furniture Companiess outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. Check out our latest analysis for Haverty Furniture Companies What Is Haverty Furniture Companies Worth? Good news, investors! Haverty Furniture Companies is still a bargain right now according to our price multiple model, which compares the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. In this instance, weve used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stocks cash flows. we find that Haverty Furniture Companiess ratio of 8.84x is below its peer average of 15.71x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Specialty Retail industry. Whats more interesting is that, Haverty Furniture Companiess share price is quite volatile, which gives us more chances to buy since the share price could sink lower (or rise higher) in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market. What does the future of Haverty Furniture Companies look like? Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. With profit expected to grow by a double-digit 12% over the next couple of years, the outlook is positive for Haverty Furniture Companies. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation. What This Means For You Are you a shareholder? Since HVT is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to increase your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic profit outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as capital structure to consider, which could explain the current price multiple. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on HVT for a while, now might be the time to make a leap. Its buoyant future profit outlook isnt fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means its not too late to buy HVT. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed assessment. In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Haverty Furniture Companies and you'll want to know about this. If you are no longer interested in Haverty Furniture Companies, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Israel fended off a furious attack on Saturday with the help of powerful allies in the region and around the world. Multiple countries came together to help fend off over 300 drones and missiles launched at Israel from Iran, with the Israeli Defense Forces claiming that roughly 99% of the attack had been thwarted by their forces and allies. "At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles," President Biden said in a statement condemning the Iranian attack. But the U.S. was not the only country to step up in the defense of Israel, with France, Jordan and the United Kingdom also playing roles in intercepting the attack. BIDEN CALLING FOR G7 MEETING IN RESPONSE TO IRAN'S 'BRAZEN' ATTACK Senior French officials told Fox News Sunday that several of the Iranian projectiles had been intercepted by French forces over Iraq and Jordan. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "France has ground-air defense elements in the region to protect its forces. They were used to neutralize what flew over our rights," confirmed a source familiar with the matter. The U.K.s Royal Air Force also participated in the defense, according to a Times of Israel report, with RAF fighters intercepting an unknown number of drones in the region bound for Israel and vowing that its jets in the Middle East "will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required." Thick smoke billows from an explosion on the Israel-Gaza border, as seen from Sderot. Meanwhile, a Jordanian security source confirmed to Reuters that its forces intercepted and shot down dozens of Iranian drones that had violated the countrys airspace en route to Israel. The country also indicated that it was stepping up reconnaissance flights in the area and had briefly closed its airspace Saturday as a precautionary measure. WORLD LEADERS COLLECTIVELY CONDEMN IRAN'S 'RECKLESS' ATTACK AGAINST ISRAEL: 'WE SUPPORT ISRAEL' "The relevant authorities took the decision to close the airspace for precautionary reasons as a result of the surrounding security situation," Jordan's government spokesperson Muhannad Mubaideen told Reuters. Israel itself has sophisticated air defenses it used to fend off the Iranian attack, including the countrys famed Iron Dome and Davids Sling. FILE PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes the weekly cabinet meeting at the Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 7, 2024. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool/File Photo "Israel has a multilayered air defense system consisting of the Iron Dome, Davids Sling and the Arrow as well as other undisclosed assets. It will likely also get ballistic missile support defense from the United States, as the two militaries have been training on for years," said Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, according to a Times of Israel report. The Arrow Missile Defense System, which is made up of Arrow 2 and Arrow 3, is capable of intercepting missiles fired from close to 1,500 miles away, including above earths atmosphere, while Davids Sling is designed to intercept planes, drones, tactical ballistic missiles and medium- to long-range rockets and cruise missiles fired from ranges of 25 to 190 miles. JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS VOICE SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL'S 'OBLIGATION' TO DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM IRAN'S ATTACKS Before Saturdays attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his countrys forces had for weeks "been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran." "Air defenses are deployed, we are ready for any scenario, both in attack and in defense," the Prime Minister said. On Sunday, the Israeli military carried out a series of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in response to the attacks, though it remained unclear what kind of response the country might launch against Iran directly. The Biden administration, meanwhile, has reportedly advised Israel against a strike against Iran while affirming U.S. support for the longtime ally. "Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attack, sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel," Biden said after the attack. Original article source: Several countries come to Israels aid to stop Iran barrage Shadow war no more: Hostilities between Israel and Iran have strayed into direct warfare is there any going back? For decades, Iran and Israel have been engaged in a shadow war. Falling short of direct military confrontation, this conflict has been characterized by war through other means through proxies, cyber attacks, economic sanctions and fiery rhetoric. Events over the last few weeks in the Middle East have, however, changed the nature of this conflict. First, Israel it is widely presumed broke diplomatic norms by bombing an Iranian mission in Syria. The operation, in which 12 individuals were killed including seven officials from Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp Quds Force ratcheted up the stakes. It also crossed a new threshold. Never before had that many Quds Force or other Iranian military officials been killed in a single attack by Irans adversaries. Almost immediately, rhetoric from leaders in Tehran indicated Iran would respond swiftly and dramatically. Then, on April 13, 2024, Iran responded by crossing a line it had, to date, not crossed: launching a direct attack on Israeli soil. Irans attack against Israel was also qualitatively and quantitatively different than anything Tehran had directly attempted before. Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that it consisted of at least 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 surface-to-surface missiles. The attack was launched from positions in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. In physical terms, the barrage caused little damage. Hagari said that 99% of the projectiles sent by Iran were intercepted by air and missile defenses, and that only one person was injured. For now, it appears that Tehran is content with its own response; the Iranian Mission to the United Nations posted a message on social media following the attack indicating that the operation had concluded. But as an expert on national security and the Middle East, I believe the Iranian attack was not about inflicting physical damage on Israel. It was more about Iran attempting to restore deterrence with Israel following the Damascus incident and showing strength to its domestic audience. In so doing, Tehrans leaders are also conveying the message that should Israel conduct more aggressive actions against Iranian interests, they are willing to escalate. Friends, then longtime foes Iran and Israel have been adversaries virtually since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, when the Shah of Iran fled the country to be replaced by a theocracy. New leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini broke the former regimes ties with Israel and quickly adopted a strident anti-Israel agenda both in words and policy. In the decades since, Israel and Iran have inflicted harm on the others interests in both the physical and virtual worlds. This has included major terrorist attacks backed by Iran against Israeli interests in Argentina in 1992 and 1994, Tehrans backing of Hezbollahs grinding insurgency against Israel in southern Lebanon, and the major operational support provided to Hamas that in part enabled the attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have blamed Israel for the killing of senior military officials and scientists related to Irans nuclear program in Iran or elsewhere in the region. The lack of open acknowledgment by Israel of the killings was to create the illusion of plausible deniability and implant doubt about who was actually responsible. In recent years, Iran has relied heavily on its axis of resistance militant groups in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and Gaza that share some of Tehrans goals, notably in regard to countering Israel and weakening U.S. influence in the region. In the monthslong conflict sparked by the Oct. 7 attack, Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq network have repeatedly attacked Israeli and U.S. interests. A clear message So what comes next? A lot will depend on how Israel and the U.S. respond. Officially, U.S. President Joe Biden has stated that in repelling the Iran missiles and drones, Israel had sent a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten [its] security. But there are reports that Biden has warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Israel should take the win and could not rely on the U.S. supporting any offensive operations against Iran. President Joe Biden and his national security team discussing Irans attack on April 13, 2024. Adam Schultz/The White House via AP A number of factors will determine whether Iran and Israel continue to launch more attacks against each other out in the open, or revert to shadow warfare. These include how each side reads domestic sentiment. Netanyahu is already facing pressure based on his handling of the war in Gaza and previous domestic concerns regarding attempts to influence the Israeli Supreme Court, among other matters. Likewise, inside Iran, the United Nations reports that two years after major public protests inside the country based on socio-economic conditions, the regime in Iran continues to ruthlessly suppress dissent. Apart from domestic considerations, both Iran and Israel will also weigh the risks of more open confrontation against their current operational capabilities. Here, it seems clear that neither Iran nor Israel can decisively win a prolonged military campaign against each other. Israels powerful military certainly has the ability to launch air and missile strikes against Iranian interests in the region, as they have already demonstrated in Syria and Lebanon for many years. And Israel probably could do the same for a short period of time directly into Iran. But Israel would face major challenges in sustaining a prolonged combined arms campaign in Iran, including the relatively small size of the Israel Defense Forces compared with Irans military, and the physical distance between both countries. Israel has openly conducted military exercises for years that seem more focused on simulating air strikes and perhaps special operations raids against a smaller number of targets inside Iran, like nuclear facilities. Moreover, launching a new front by directly attacking Iran risks diverting Israeli resources away from more immediate threats in Gaza, the West Bank and its northern border with Lebanon. Of course, Israel has fought and won wars with its regional adversaries in the past. But the conflicts Israel fought against its Arab neighbors in 1967 and 1973 took place in a different military age and prior to the development of drone warfare, cyber operations and support to Iranian-backed proxies and partners in Israels immediate neighborhood. Wary of further escalation A similar type of campaign against Iran would be unlike anything Israel has faced. Israel would no doubt find it difficult to achieve its objectives without a high-level of support from the United States, and probably Arab countries like Jordan and Egypt. And there is no indication that such backing would be forthcoming. Iran, too, will be wary of further escalation. Tehran demonstrated on April 13 that it possesses a large and perhaps growing inventory of ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles. However, the accuracy and effectiveness of many of these platforms remains in question as evidenced by the seeming ease in which most were shot down. The Israeli and U.S. air and missile defense network in the region continues to prove reliable in that regard. Given the realities and risks, I believe it seems more likely that Iran will seek to revert back to its unconventional warfare strategy of supporting its proxy axis of resistance. Overt attacks, such as the one carried out on April 13, may be reserved for signaling resolve and demonstrating strength to its domestic audience. The danger is now that war has come out of the shadows, it may be hard to put it back there. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Javed Ali, University of Michigan. Read more: Javed Ali 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. She cleaned Phoenix mayors' offices for a decade. Then she was fired over her uniform Leer en espanol Maria Sanchez cleaned the offices of Phoenix mayors, council members and top executives for more than a decade. She took care of their plants during the pandemic, shared her home-cooked food with them and knew some of their children. But when she was fired for uniform violations in March, city leaders said there was nothing they could do. Sanchez didn't technically work for the city. She worked for a company that worked for the city. City officials played no role in her termination. Documents from 3H & 3H, Sanchez' former employer, say Sanchez was fired because she violated dress code policies three times: once by wearing similarly colored clothing but not the actual uniform, and twice by wearing a black vest that covered the company logo. She was terminated March 25, the day of the third violation, and told not to return the next day. Sanchez said she believes her firing was retaliation. She had been working to unionize her colleagues since 2022 and had been warned by her supervisor to stop, she said. Sanchez wanted better wages, more paid sick time, vacation days and benefits. She had worked for multiple different contractors doing the same job at City Hall for roughly 11 years. But she made $14.40 an hour, 20 cents less than city employees' minimum wage and 5 cents above Arizona's minimum wage. Maria Sanchez protests her own termination outside Phoenix City Hall, April 10, 2024. Sanchez cleaned the offices of mayors, council members and city managers for a decade. She was fired for dress code from 3H & 3H, a city contractor. She found it hard to get days off and didn't like being told by supervisors not to speak with Phoenix council members or employees, she said. Sanchez brushed shoulders with city employees every day and shared the same hallways. Councilwoman Laura Pastor said, "She's like family to us on the floor. She knows our kids. We shared with her. It was as if she was one of us ..." Representatives from 3H & 3H did not respond to multiple requests for comment and questions sent by The Arizona Republic. But Sanchez was not guaranteed the same conditions or rights as city employees. A contract between the city and her employer made clear the distinctions. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99, a union that does not officially represent Sanchez but has been assisting her, said the termination was wrongful and demonstrates the need for Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council to pass new protections. "What's important is that the city of Phoenix review all of these contracts and say, 'Are we creating a second class of employee?'" said Rana Lashgari, an attorney for UFCW. Councilman Jim Waring, who said he was shocked by her firing because she did a good job and was well-liked, said there better have been a "compelling" reason. "Ultimately, she works in our building. And so we're sort of signing off on this," he said. On April 10, UFCW organizers joined Sanchez outside City Hall. They protested her termination and called for her reinstatement. Their drum banging and megaphone chanting just barely could be heard on the 11th floor, near the mayor's balcony. "What do we want?" organizers chanted. "Justice!" A couple of city employees who passed by touched Sanchez' shoulder in support and offered smiles. It was UFCW's 10th day of protests. A handful of union members had showed up every day since Sanchez's firing. A city official warned them not to tape signs to the building exterior, so they taped the signs to tripods or held them. Security guards in the lobby on the ground level reminded each other not to let Sanchez in the building as she picketed outside. She had refused to give up her badge, they said. They wondered if she would try to come in. On the 11th floor, employees and council members chatted quietly in the hallways as the demonstration went on. They described Sanchez as kind, hard-working and always on time. "I liked her," Vice Mayor Debra Stark said. "I know. I did too," Waring replied. Councilmembers Betty Guardado and Pastor encouraged UFCW organizers to request meetings with City Manager Jeff Barton. Drake Ridge, a union spokesperson, said UFCW was in the process of scheduling them. Phoenix's contract with 3H & 3H expires Dec. 31. It was first signed in January 2022, with five one-year extension options. Unless the mayor and City Council say otherwise, the staff will renew it. Gallego, in a statement given to The Republic, signaled a willingness to switch contractors. "Everyone deserves to work and be compensated fairly, and when the contract is up for a rebid within the next few months, I am in favor of exploring options to prioritize companies who provide fair wages for their employees," the mayor said. Arielle Devorah, the mayor's spokesperson, said Gallego also had expressed concerns about the termination to Barton. Public Works spokesperson Spencer Blake said the city needed to solicit proposals for new contractors by June or July to replace 3H & 3H by the December deadline. Phoenix pays the company $1.3 million per year to clean 10 facilities. Cleaning for City Hall, where Sanchez had worked, was priced at $512,000, or nearly $43,000 a month, according to the 2024 agreement. UFCW filed an unfair labor practice charge against 3H & 3H with the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB's investigation could take months, or longer. Sanchez said she's feeling calm and putting her faith in God, but she is frustrated, too. Money is tight and she wants her job back, she said. What does Maria Sanchez's employer say? Representatives from 3H & 3H did not respond to questions from The Republic, but union officials provided the "Cure Notice" sent to Sanchez explaining the company's rationale. The letter says Sanchez wore a "similar colored non-3H & 3H uniform" and was asked to wear the company-issued apparel by her manager on March 21. The next day and four days later, Sanchez was found wearing a black vest that covered the company logo on the shirt in violation of 3H & 3H's rules. Sanchez was cited for not complying with work orders and dress code. The company also said Sanchez violated official city rules that require employees to wear uniforms that clearly display a company logo. This embedded content is not available in your region. City spokesperson Stephanie Barnes told The Republic no Phoenix employees had been disciplined over uniform violations in the past several years, according to internal records. None had been terminated, though it is possible some employees received notices, she said. UFCW previously accused 3H & 3H of quashing union organizing UFCW's charge against 3H & 3H for unfair labor practices after Sanchez' termination was not its first. The union filed a charge Jan. 23, 2023, claiming the company was intimidating employees who were trying to organize a union. According to UFCW Organizing Director Martin Hernandez, the company disciplined and threatened to discipline employees and "interrogated employees about their union activity." Workers were left with the impression supervisors were surveilling them, Hernandez wrote. Sanchez said the intimidation heightened after she organized a walkout with her colleagues in 2022. Their pay was going to be late, she said. Sanchez had dealt with bounced checks with previous contractors, she said, but the conditions with 3H & 3H were the worst she had experienced. It was hard to get a sick day, and when others took them, the company did not provide substitute workers, meaning more work for her, she said. Parking was not paid for, so she had her husband drop her off. Forty-seven dollars for parking felt like a lot when her take-home pay every couple of weeks was roughly $1,000 after taxes. What particularly bothered Sanchez was being told not to speak with council members. She didn't understand the point. She said a supervisor questioned her after seeing her walk with a UFCW organizer. Now, she believes her termination was backlash. The Republic sent 3H & 3H detailed questions about Sanchez's claims. A representative for the company first declined to comment, then suggested someone might respond but did not. Why can't the city do anything? Asked about the city's reaction and ability to intervene in Sanchez's termination, city spokesperson Dan Wilson said the matter was between Sanchez and her employer. Phoenix's contract with 3H & 3H makes clear in a disclaimer that the company's workers are not considered city employees and are not afforded the same benefits. The agreement requires 3H & 3H to follow all city, state and federal laws but says "the City bears no responsibility for the contractor's acts." Wilson said contract workers were needed to help run "the many aspects of the 5th largest city in the country." "City leadership values the contributions of Maria and all contract employees that work on behalf of the city," he said. "Staff spoke with the company to express concerns about the incident raised by Marias co-workers." This embedded content is not available in your region. Stronger contracts wanted A few sections of the contract outline the city's right to terminate the agreement, with or without cause, and to suspend work if the agreement was violated. One clause says 3H & 3H "shall not discriminate against any worker ... nor otherwise commit an unfair employment practice." Wilson said the matter would need to be "handled by the appropriate agency," which would be the NLRB. Then, "if necessary, the city would review the impact of any possible outcome on the contract." But Lashgari, UFCW's attorney, said the city needed to better align its policies with its values. City leaders "pride themselves on being responsible employers and put a lot of effort into making sure that Phoenix employees are treated well, that there are sufficient benefits and pay protection in place," Lashgari said. "It really should apply to everybody." Lashgari said she believes terminating Sanchez was a violation of the contract, both the provision requiring 3H & 3H to follow federal laws, and the provision banning unfair employment practices. But she also said it was "bigger than Maria." The City Council needs to pass a comprehensive policy to prevent "a second class of employment" from existing, she said. Specific language added to individual contracts that reinforces protections for union organizing could also "send a very strong message ... that what happened to Maria will not be tolerated," Lashgari said. Ridge, the UFCW spokesperson, said the union was laser-focused on getting Sanchez reinstated and hopes City Hall leaders help. "At the moment, there is not a specific ask of how we want them to intervene on Marias behalf," Ridge said. "Our focus is to present Marias situation to leaders, explain why we believe her termination to be unjust and work out a solution on how to reinstate her." Councilwoman Pastor said she wants to change future contracts to include provisions that improve working conditions, including a "livable wage." She also wants a formal complaint process for contract workers. Blake, from Public Works, said currently there is no specific method or process for a worker to report a suspected contract violation. "They would just have to independently reach out." Blake said. Sanchez has shown up to the City Hall protests multiple times. On other days, she stays home to cook food she can sell for money. Asked if she would seek another job, Sanchez said she wanted to keep fighting for this one. She'll continue protesting because she wants justice for her 3H & 3H colleagues, she added. Taylor Seely covers Phoenix for The Arizona Republic / azcentral.com. Reach her at tseely@arizonarepublic.com or by phone at 480-476-6116. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Contracted Phoenix City Hall custodian fired, claims retaliation She Was Separated from Her Mom for 3 Weeks After Hurricane Katrina as a Toddler. How PEOPLE Helped Them Reunite (Exclusive) Kalise Barrows, then just 20 months old, was separated from her mother, Keishall, after the chaos of the hurricane in 2005 Alex Ross Kalise Barrow, now 20 Keishall Barrow was just 22 years old when she lost her husband in a tragic car accident and suddenly became a single mom to three small children. So, when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, Barrow, like many residents of New Orleans, wasnt prepared for just how much devastation the disaster was going to bring. At the time, Barrow was working and going to school, and each of her children 2 year old Kenya, 20 month old Kalise and 10 month old Kalin were all residing with different loved ones. Some 24 hours after the hurricane was over, Barrow began what would become a three-week search to find missing daughter Kalise. courtesy alex ross Kalise Barrow, now 20 years old The hurricane hit. We didnt know it was going to be as bad as it was, so we were all scrambling. Everything was flooded. Everybodys crying, Barrow recalls. The next morning I told my aunt, I have to go to the [New Orleans] Superdome. I have to see if I see my mom, my son and [daughters]. Two days later, Barrow arrived at the Superdome, where she signed in upon arrival. Related: How PEOPLE Changed My Life And I turned around, and my mom and son are standing right behind me. They had just got rescued off the boats and just made it there at the same time as me, she says. I remember I just started crying and just screaming and hollering. It was an emotional moment. Safely reunited with her mother and son, Barrow still needed to locate her two daughters. Her search took her next to Houston, Texas, where she searched the Astrodome for Kenya and Kalise. I break down crying, and my phone rings in that moment. It's my kid's auntie. Kenya was with them," Barrow explains of the news she received while in Texas. "She says, Sister, we're in Atlanta. Everybody is fine.' " (Photo by Jerry Grayson/Helifilms Australia PTY Ltd/Getty Images) Houses lie flooded from Hurricane Katrina September 11, 2005 in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. Still, Barrow couldn't locate Kalise. The toddler wasn't anywhere in Houston at the Astrodome nor was she with her sister, Kenya. At this point I have my son. I have my mom. I know that Kenya is okay. She's just in Atlanta. And I'm like, Okay, what about Kalise? says Barrow, getting choked up as she revisits the memory. Unbeknownst to the mother of three, deep in her search for her daughter, a PEOPLE story was already in the works: Kalise was safe in Mississippi and PEOPLE published a call to help identify the child and locate her guardians. People The Sept. 2005 story that ran in PEOPLE about Kalise while she was separated from her mother, Keishall Barrow After Barrow had returned home from the Atstrodome, desperate to find her daughter but still with no answers, her phone once again started ringing, this time "off the hook." That day was the day that Kalise came out front page, People Magazine: Who is this child? she says. "People began to match the names with the story. The first lady that called me, Ill never forget her, she said, 'Keishall? Kalise is in Mississippi. Call the sheriffs department. They know where your daughter is. Barrow rushed to book her bus ticket to Mississippi. Not only did the sheriff know who Kalise was, they had been buying diapers and milk and everything for her, the sheriff and his wife. They really knew her, says Barrow. And when Kalise saw me walking in, she had fire in her feet. She said, Mama! and took off running to me. People The Oct. 2005 story that ran in PEOPLE after the mother and daughter were reunited PEOPLE published a follow-up story on the reunited mother and daughter, which ran in October 2005. For more on our 50th Anniversary, check out our special digital issue, and pick up the latest copy of PEOPLE, on newsstands April 12. Fast forward almost two decades and her daughter Kalise, now 20, is studying at California State Dominguez Hills to become a journalist herself, says Barrow. She adds, I say, Kalise, tell your story. Because what are the odds you were in PEOPLE, and now here you are? Youre going to be telling other peoples stories, but guess what? You already have a story to tell, baby. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Significant drop in temperatures as winds, rain blanket Fresno area. Whats next? Many parts in the Fresno area saw a big temperature drop during the early Saturday afternoon after a cold front moved into the area. Winds gusts up to 44 mph around 1 p.m. as temperatures dipped from 70 degrees at noon to 52 degrees just after 1 p.m. Thats a pretty significant drop, Meteorologist in Hanford Jim Bagnall said. Change of air masses and a frontal system pushing into the area. Oakhurst even had some mixture of rain and snow as temperatures kept dropping throughout the day. The California Highway Patrol were enforcing chain control at 40500 Redbud Drive. Rain will continue overnight and into the morning, Bagnall said. On Sunday, unsettled weather will continue with showers and thunderstorms developing into the afternoon. Bagnall said he is not expecting severe thunderstorms, but small hail is possible. Temperatures on Sunday are expected to be 61 degrees. Mostly clear skies will return to the Fresno area Monday. Temperatures will rise again with an expected high of 82 degrees by Wednesday. BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) A fifth-generation Baldwin County farm has won the Alabama Farmers Federations 2024 Farm of Distinction Award. Mobile Catholic priest arrested, archdiocese confirms Joel and Patti Sirmon, of Sirmon Farms in Belforest, were recognized during the April 11 Farm-City Awards Program in Auburn, according to the Alabama Farmers Federation. The 2024 Farm of Distinction is Sirmon Farms of Baldwin County. Pictured from left are Joseph Fureigh of First South Farm Credit; Tiffany Lester of Alabama Farmers Cooperative; Patti and Joel Sirmon; Shannon Norwood of TriGreen; Neal Stanford of SunSouth; and Alfa Insurance and Alabama Farmers Federation President and CEO Jimmy Parnell. (Courtesy: Alabama Farmers Federation) According to a video feature on the farm posted by the federation, Joel inherited the farm from his father, who put down roots in Baldwin County. The farm has been in business for generations and transitioned from a dairy farm to growing vegetables in 1990. Now, the Sirmons grow cotton, peanuts, corn, and sweet potatoes, on their 4,500-acre farm. Although it is a lot of work, the couple says it doesnt feel like it. Joel Sirmon said, This is my way of living. The business received an engraved sign from the federation and ALFA insurance; a John Deere Gator from SunSouth, TriGreen, and John Deere; a $1,000 gift from AFC; and a $1,000 gift from First South Farm Credit; according to a press release. Citronelle High School prom king, queen honored after car accident (photos, video) Now, the farm will represent Alabama during the Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year contest in the fall. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. "Sister in arms with whiskers": National Guard's story about cat becoming part of military unit photo The cat not only boosted the fighters' morale, but it was also helpful in the fight against vermin. Photo: National Guard of Ukraine. Military unit 3055, Rivne/Facebook Servicemen from Ukraine's National Guard spoke about the cat Kotusko, which boosted their morale and performed "strategic tasks" near their positions. The military unit 3055 of the National Guard told the animal's story. The soldiers brought the small pussycat, which was wandering around their positions, to their dugout. There, she was fed and given the nickname Kotusko. The "sister in arms with whiskers" showed her gratitude for the national guards for saving her life. The cat ended up in good hands: the soldiers took the animal in and gave her a nickname Photo: National Guard of Ukraine. Military unit 3055, Rivne/Facebook "The cat began to perform one of the strategic tasks, cleaning the dugouts from the mice and rats invasion," says the soldier with mom de guerre Sova. She also sensed the soldiers emotional state and charged them with optimism and tranquillity when the warriors needed it. "Sometimes you go on a mission for a day or a few days, but you know you'll be back and that the cat will be waiting for you. It feels like home. It made me feel calmer. Even in the most terrible situations, our cat maintained a positive attitude. Despite the incessant shelling and loud explosions, she remained calm," adds Sova. When the national guardsmen returned from Ukraine's east, Kotusko joined them. Now she lives with Sova's family. In a comment to Ukrainska Pravda. Life, the military unit stated that the new house was first confusing for the cat: as soon as she was released from the leash, Kotusko attempted to flee to the national guard's car. She eventually grew accustomed to the soldier's home. Currently, Kotusko lives in the family of the National Guard officer Sova Photo: National Guard of Ukraine. Military unit 3055, Rivne/Facebook The cat is quite attached to the soldier, therefore she and her owner will most likely return to service in Rivne Oblast after their vacation is over. The military unit also said that their soldiers frequently shared dugouts with cats. "Once, residents of Donetsk Oblast gave the National Guardsmen a puppy in exchange for assistance in animal rescue. It still lives with the troops," unit 3055 reports. Support UP or become our patron! Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, has reported on the aggravation of the situation in the combat zone, especially on the Donetsk front, over the past few days. Source: evening address of Zelenskyy Quote: "The situation in the combat zone during such an intense war has always been complicated but over the past few days it has aggravated, especially on the Donetsk front." Details: Zelenskyy thanked the soldiers who "do everything to protect our positions and kill the occupiers". "Over the past week the 58th Motorized Brigade, the 68th Jaeger Brigade, 148th Artillery Brigade has deserved special praise since its soldiers are constantly efficient. I visited its members this week. I am grateful to you, guys, thank you! I am also grateful to the 55th Artillery Brigade. Well done! The efforts of the soldiers from the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine should also be noted, specifically those from the Kraken and Artan special units and the 9th DIU Department. I am proud of you!", Zelenskyy said. Background: On 13 April Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that the situation on the eastern fronts had escalated significantly in recent days due to Russia's significant intensification of offensive operations since the presidential election. Syrskyi said that Russia is concentrating efforts to break through the Ukrainian defence west of Bakhmut, seize the settlement of Chasiv Yar and create conditions for further advancement to the Kramatorsk agglomeration. Support UP or become our patron! The situation with medicine supplies is critical in Luhansk Oblast which the Russians occupied in 2022. There is no centralised delivery of medicaments there so people seek medicine through paper announcements at the entrances of residential buildings. Source: Artem Lysohor, head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration, in the broadcast of Suspilne, Ukraine's public broadcaster Details: Lysohor indicated that the Russians had destroyed medical facilities and pharmacies in the occupied territories back in early 2022. Then the occupiers distributed medicine to people only when Russian Kremlin-aligned media came there to shoot footage about it. "At the moment the aggressor is not rebuilding anything, and the situation with medicine has aggravated because the purchasing power of locals has obviously shrunk. Retired people are no longer able to pay for the delivery of needed medicine," Lysohor explains. He adds that the Internet and mobile connection are absent in most settlements. For example, residents of the temporarily occupied settlement of Rubizhne put up paper announcements at the entrances of residential buildings about the medicine some of them need. "There are some volunteers who sometimes deliver medicine but there is no coordinated access to medicine on the territory of about 60 km from the collision line. This is a huge problem, and the enemy is not going to solve it in any way," Lysohor states. Read more: Russians reassign Ukrainian language teachers to teach Russian in occupied Luhansk Luhansk Oblast State Administration also reported that in 2023, the so-called LPR did not use 99% of the funds that were supposed to be used for medication under the reimbursement programme (LPR, Luhansk People's Republic, is the part of Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast currently occupied by the Russians and pro-Kremlin collaborationists ed.). People were supposed to receive these medications on preferential prescriptions, including free of charge. "They didn't use them (the funds) because they didn't want to. Due to the inactivity of the local 'ministry of health', the population that had been participating in the reimbursement programme for many years had to buy the medicines they needed for their lives at their own expense. They were left with no choice," says the Luhansk Oblast State Administration. Support UP or become our patron! (NewsNation) Put off by student debt and white-collar job insecurity, data shows members of Gen Z are opting for skilled trade work over cubicles and corporate ladders. Trade schools are often viewed as a more affordable fast-track to the workforce, linking students to industries unlikely to be pushed out by AI and other job security threats. A survey conducted by the tech company Thumbtack suggests that 47% of young adults are interested in a trade profession. About 83% said learning a skilled trade could be a better pathway to economic security. Those sentiments coincide with the growth in vocational training enrollment and declining registration at community colleges and four-year universities. Here is what you need to know about trade school and whether going to trade school is the right decision. What is a trade school? Trade schools are programs with courses that prepare students directly for their intended job without a bachelors or more advanced degree from a four-year university. Common vocational program structures include apprenticeships, preparation for certification or licensure, associate degrees and hands-on training, according to Edvisors.com. Labor crisis: Why is there a shortage of plumbers and electricians? How is trade school different than college? Trade schools may not require ACT and SAT test scores and other elements of what can be a lengthy application process that universities require, Indeed.com explains. Students often work while they learn, and because coursework in a vocational program is trade-specific, students may not need to register for general education courses that fall outside their desired career. Trade schools typically have smaller class sizes of about 10-25 people, according to Prism Career Institute. Upon completion of their program, instead of graduating with an associates or bachelors degree like students at a two- or four-year college program, trade school students typically earn a trade certification. Whats the difference between trade school and an apprenticeship? According to Indeed, an apprenticeship is an industry-based education program that allows people to receive full practical training while also earning an income. A trade school is an educational institution that provides the hands-on experience and learning necessary for the specific trade. An income is not provided. Some trades, like carpentry, often have both a trade school portion and then an apprenticeship as part of the full training. What can you go to trade school for? Students can go to trade schools for a wide range of vocational training to become plumbers, HVAC technicians, certified nursing aids, truck drivers, auto technicians and hair stylists, among other career opportunities. Some of these career opportunities can pay more than $80,000 per year. Story continues Students will have to enroll in specific vocational training for the trade they are interested in, as these trades require specialized knowledge and hands-on learning. How long is trade school? Trade school programs vary but tend to range from eight months to two years, according to Scholarships360.org. The highest-paying trade jobs no college degree required For example, an electrician certification program can be completed in a year or less, but the majority of the training is completed in a paid apprenticeship that can last up to five years, according to Scholarships360. Other trades, like cosmetology, take less than two years to complete a program, but many states require cosmetologists pass an exam and obtain a license after they complete their program. Can I attend a trade school online? Online trade schooling is an option, but some programs may still require hands-on training, according to Edvisors.com. Some trade students opt for online training because of the flexibility of remote learning. To find out if a school is accredited, you can visit the Department of Educations website. Do I need a high school diploma to go to trade school? Many (but not all) programs require a GED or high school diploma. Trade education in fields such as cosmetology or massage therapy, or skilled jobs like welding may not require a high school education, according to Indeed. Applicants, however, may need a GED or high school diploma to become licensed in their trade, depending on the state and industry. Do I need a college degree to go to trade school? Some vocational programs for careers such as nursing may require applicants to achieve an associates degree in a related subject, though many programs for other fields do not. Trade school leads to more success than 4-year college: Contractor Whether an additional degree is required before attending a trade school will vary by industry and desired career path. How much is trade school? Trade school is often considered a more affordable alternative to a four-year university. As of 2023, public trade schools cost an average of a little more than $12,000, according to data from the career website Zippia. Alternatively, nonprofit trade schools cost an average of $16,500, while for-profit trade schools cost an average of $20,000. Tuition costs and other expenses such as textbooks and industry-specific tools or equipment are wide-ranging and vary across industries and program types. The targeted industry can also dictate tuition costs and related expenses. Studying to be a motorcycle technician, for example, costs an average of $5,100, while studying to be an auto technician costs an average $22,300, according to Zippia research published in October 2023. Students may qualify for federal student loans to help cover costs. How do you get into trade school? Trade schools, like universities, require students to apply. The process, however, is often less intensive, since vocational programs train students specifically for their intended job, and therefore tend to have fewer prerequisites. Some schools have a minimum age requirement of 18 and may require proof of completed standardized testing, according to Indeed. Depending on the program, applicants may also need to take an entrance exam or a skills assessment. While not all programs require transcripts from other educational programs, personal essays or letters of recommendation, some do. How much could I earn in a trade? Earnings in a trade job vary by industry, location and experience. The median annual salary for barbers, hair stylists and cosmetologists, for example, is about $29,000, according to Scholarships360.com. Other occupations such as elevator and escalator installers and repairers can earn a median annual salary of $99,0000 one of the top-earning trade occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Is there a labor shortage with trade workers? America could be potentially facing a skilled labor shortage with tradesmen aging out of the workforce. Some 1.9 million manufacturing jobs over the next decade could go unfilled if the talent conundrum isnt resolved, according to a new study from the Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte. Some trades like plumbing are expected to be 550,000 workers short by 2027, Bloomberg reported. Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs, said he believes a shortage is forthcoming. Mike Rowe: Cookie-cutter advice limiting workers opportunity For every five trades people who retire, two replace them. And its been that way for over a decade, Rowe said on NewsNations CUOMO. I talk to people every day who are making close to $200,000 plumbers, steamfitters, pipefitters, electricians. What is job security like for trade workers? About 95% of skilled trade workers are optimistic about their job security and dont think theyll be replaced by AI, according to the 2023 Thumbtack report. That said, some trade industries are expected to employ fewer people throughout the next decade. Power plant operator jobs, for example, are projected to see a 10% decline from now until 2032, with an anticipated numeric loss of 4,700 jobs, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Other careers such as transportation, storage and distribution managers could see faster than average growth. What else should I know? The Federal Trade Commission warns that although many vocational schools and certification programs are legitimate, some may present misleading information about salaries, job availability, qualifications of school staff and connections to businesses and industries. Applicants should never sign anything they dont understand and should avoid schools that guarantee employment after graduation. The FTC also encourages anyone who is considering trade school to research the programs accreditation and accreditors. (To find out if a school is accredited, visit the Department of Educations website.) Attending an unaccredited school may prevent students from accessing potential federal financial aid, transferring credits to an accredited school and getting a job in their field, according to guidance from (but not specific to) the state of New York. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. Sorry I didnt know you were police, says gunman after firing two shots in raid Bodycam footage shows Met officers being shot at by a man as they raided a house only for him to apologise saying he didnt realise they were police. Officers from the Territorial Support Group (TSG) stormed Koby Haiks home in Enfield, north-east London, in April last year. A clip shows the 31-year-old standing at the top of the stairs armed with a baseball bat before firing two shots as police entered the property in Southgate. As officers moved in to restrain him, he said: Im sorry, I didnt know it was police. The imitation firearm used by Koby Haik - Metropolitan Police/swns Haik was arrested and the recovered weapon was found to be an imitation firearm containing blank rounds. He was later linked to a drugs import ring and was jailed for seven years at Isleworth Crown Court. Det Chief Insp Inderjit Kaur said: This investigation highlights some fantastic detective work by Met Police officers to identify and uncover a dangerous group involved in drugs importation and supply, which we know can have a terrible effect on local communities. We also saw incredible bravery and professionalism from TSG officers who were shot at as they arrested one of the suspects. Thankfully, only blanks were fired, but thanks to this investigation, a dangerous weapon is off the streets and a group of dangerous criminals are now behind bars. An investigation was launched after two women flying into London from Los Angeles reported their suitcases and passports had been stolen while waiting for a taxi at Heathrow on January 11 last year. Using CCTV footage detectives traced the suspects a man and woman back to a car registered to Eleanar Attard, 45. Just two days after the theft, officers attended her home in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, where they arrested Attard, along with her husband, Nicholas Panayiotou, 43. When officers examined Panayiotous phone, they found evidence that the theft was part of a wider conspiracy to smuggle 130lb of cannabis into Britain from the United States and then steal it from the two female drug mules recruited to import it. Customs plot Panayiotou and his wife were to pose as customs officers and pretend to seize the suitcases and passports from the women soon after they arrived in the UK. Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology also showed Panayiotou and his wife travelled to a hotel and then on to their restaurant A Touch of Greek in Chingford, east London, after the thefts. Three videos found by detectives on Panayiotous phone also showed large quantities of cannabis. Meta-data analysis showed they were taken the day after the luggage was stolen and filmed at the restaurant. Panayiotou was jailed for four years and one month for conspiring to supply and steal cannabis and his wife was imprisoned for eight months over the theft of the suitcases and passports. Koby Haik has been jailed for his part in the drug smuggling ring and shooting blanks from an imitation firearm - Metropolitan Police/pa Haik was identified as being a member of Panayiotous WhatsApp group along with two other men. Constantinos Zavros, 34, of Southgate, was found to be linked to those supplying the drugs in the US and was jailed for six years and 11 months. Luke Wileman, 32, of Horsham, West Sussex, advised the gang on how to sell the drugs and suggested suitable clothing for Panayiotou and Attard to wear in order to pose as customs officers. He is due to be sentenced on May 9. 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. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Southbound Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard has reopened following a two-vehicle crash Sunday morning. The Lansing Police Department told 6 News that the crash happened around 10:41 a.m., took out a light pole, and resulted in one vehicle leaning on its side while on the bridge across the Grand River. A two-car crash near MLK and Olds avenues Sunday morning caused police to shut down southbound traffic for a time. (WLNS) One person sustained a minor injury because of the incident near the intersection of southbound MLK and Olds Avenue. LPD added that the incident caused the road to be shut down for a short amount of time while officials got things cleared up. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. Man that fled from SWMO authorities arrested in Joplin, police say Update NOEL, Mo. Joplin police say they took Jordan Michael Jennings into custody early Tuesday morning. They arrested him without incident at a home near 16th St. and Grand Ave. around 2:40 a.m. Monday morning JPD found the stolen 2015 Ford F-250. Investigators say Jennings stole it Sunday while fleeing from law enforcement in McDonald County. Hes wanted for warrants out of Newton County and resisting arrest. Were working to find out how investigators were able to track down Jennings. Original Southwest Missouri officials search for man they say is armed and dangerous NOEL, Mo. The Noel Marshals Office is urgently seeking the publics assistance in locating a man they say is armed and dangerous. Jordan Michael Jennings, seen here in a photo provided by the Noel Marshals Office, was last seen in the vicinity of the Bellaire Apartments in Noel. Jennings is described as 508 weighing approximately 250 lbs. The Marshalls Office says Jennings might have a white dog with him named Stella. Police say Jennings stole a 2015 white Ford F-250, four-door truck, with a black bed cover. The vehicle was later found in Joplin at 31st St. & Ohio Ave. on Monday, April 15. Officials add they believe that Jennings is armed with a semi-automatic handgun. Jennings has outstanding warrants for traffic violations out of Newton County and now police say he resisted arrest when he ran from them today (4/14). Officials say if you see him, do not approach and call 911. The Noel Marshalls Office urges anyone with information regarding Jennings whereabouts to come forward immediately or call the office at 417-475-3777. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. A drone is launched in an undisclosed area in Iran as Iran launches dozens of drones toward Israel. Tasnim News Agancy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called on all international leaders to show responsibility and restraint following the Iranian attack on Israel. Madrid had "always condemned all forms of violence against the safety and wellbeing of innocent civilians and will continue to do so," he said in a post on X. Madrid has been a sharp critic of Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attacks. Sanchez called for lessons to be learned from history and for diplomatic ways to be found to resolve conflict and avoid further escalation. Sanchez recently announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state. The Israeli government has categorically rejected a move of this kind. The Spectrum: Trans activists speak out; State of the State The Spectrum: Trans activists speak out; State of the State COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) This week on The Spectrum: A Lutheran deacon and his non-binary child are speaking out as a bill restricting gender-affirming care for minors is set to go into effect this month. This is not a political issue for most, said parent Nick Bates. It is a personal issue. Two bills introduced by state lawmakers to combat squatting in Ohio Even just thinking about that is terrifying, said his child Sam. Hear their message to lawmakers who are considering more restrictions for transgender children. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine delivered his annual State of the State address this week. This is our time to meet the challenges I have laid out today, to do the hard things that matter, DeWine said during the address. Ohio bill to ban cellphones in schools receives pushback Learn the initiatives he wants lawmakers to take action on and why they may not have the support needed in the general assembly. Ohio House Minority Leader Rep. Allison Russo calls out what she says is corruption at the highest levels of state government. I think were at a real crossroads here in Ohio, Russo said. Ohio lawmakers considering law to allow execution by nitrogen hypoxia Hear what she said needs to happen to enact meaningful change at the Statehouse. Republican strategist Terry Casey and Democratic strategist Brian Rothenberg join the roundtable to discuss friction at the Ohio Statehouse as new claims of corruption and extremism come the same week DeWine calls for unity and action. Follow NBC4s The Spectrum on Twitter for the latest political news you need to know. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Squatters have taken over Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in London and are threatening legal action Squatters have taken up residence in one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants in London. The squatters hung a sign outside, warning they'd take legal action against trespassers. Local police told BI they're "aware" of the situation and would "take action when appropriate." Squatters have taken over one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants in London, saying they aim to create a "community space" for everyone in one of the city's wealthiest areas. At least six people have taken up residence in York & Albany, an eatery and hotel in Camden Town, The Sun and BBC reported. York & Albany was temporarily closed while the celebrity chef finalized a new lease, The Sun reported. Gordon Ramsay's hotel and restaurant York & Albany on April 15, 2024, as squatters occupy it. Grace Dean/Business Insider London's Metropolitan Police department told Business Insider it was "made aware of squatters at a disused property" on April 10. It's unclear when the squatters first arrived. The news outlets reported that the group had locked themselves inside, boarded up the windows, and threatened legal action against anyone who attempted to remove them. A "legal warning" was taped outside the building when BI visited on Monday. "Take notice that we occupy this property and at all times there is at least one person in occupation," the notice read. It added that "any entry or attempt to enter into these premises without our permission is therefore a criminal offence as any one of us who is in physical possession is opposed to such entry without our permission." A legal notice taped to the outside of York & Albany, Gordon Ramsay's restaurant and hotel in Camden, London, on April 15, 2024, as squatters occupy it. Grace Dean/Business Insider The warning said the group would take legal action against those who "enter by violence" or "threaten to enter by violence." The notice read, "LASPO does NOT apply," referring to the 2012 Legal Aid, Sentencing, and Punishment Offenders Act. Under LASPO, occupying a nonresidential building is not a crime. The squatters claim the law allows them to be there. Gordon Ramsay in April 2024. Stu Forster/Getty Images Ramsay called local authorities about the property but has so far failed to have the squatters removed, according to reports. Police told BI that this issue "is a civil matter and so police did not attend as an emergency call out." However, the department said it was "in the process of identifying if any subsequent offences have occurred, and will take action where appropriate." Representatives for Ramsay and York & Albany did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI. Two Instagram accounts Autonomous Winter Shelter and Camden Art Cafe have described it as a "new squatted community space." In a statement posted on the Camden Art Cafe Instagram account, the group said it planned to open the doors regularly to visitors. The group said that since Camden has one of the biggest wealth disparities in London, "it seems only fitting that 13 million properties that most locals would never be able to afford to visit should be opened up to all." A view of the front door of Gordon Ramsay restaurant York & Albany on April 15, 2024, as squatters occupy it. Grace Dean/Business Insider "At a time when Camden market has been bought out by a billionaire and many longstanding local businesses are being evicted from their units, it's even more important that we all band together in all the forms of resistance that we know and can," the post said. Camden Art Cafe's Instagram appeared to share photos of the restaurant's interior. "An autonomous cafe in the heart of Camden committed to providing free food and creating a space for the community," the account bio reads. Ramsay on "Kitchen Nightmares" in June. FOX/Getty Images Ramsay became attached to the property in 2007 when the actor and director Gary Love leased it to him on a 25-year term with a yearly rent of 640,000, or about $797,000, the outlets report. In 2014, Ramsay's restaurant empire announced an almost $8 million loss, attributing much of it to York & Albany and associated legal costs, the trade outlet The Caterer reported at the time. Ramsay tried to get out of the lease in 2015 but lost the legal battle. The property was listed for sale in late 2023 for 13 million, or more than $16 million, according to media reports. A view of the entrance to Gordon Ramsay's restaurant and hotel York & Albany, London, as squatters occupy it on April 15, 2024. Grace Dean/Business Insider The restaurant-hotel is close to a busy junction near Regents Park, a bustling tourist hot spot. A 2020 review in The Telegraph described the hotel as a "chic" space with rooms designed by the British fashion designer Russell Sage. The high-ceilinged, 19th-century rooms were decorated with contemporary pieces, the review said. When BI visited, the building looked like a derelict hotel on the outside, with the lights off and windows partially boarded up. A BI reporter and another journalist attempting to speak to the squatters were the only people on the street. Signs announcing the new "cafe" were small and could be easily overlooked. Two handwritten signs taped to the door of York & Albany, Gordon Ramsay's hotel restaurant in Camden, London, on April 14, 2024, Grace Dean/Business Insider BI's reporter was eventually invited into the building but was not allowed to conduct interviews, record audio, or take pictures. It was calm inside, with an art workshop underway. Participants worked on pieces inspired by the neighborhood. One person went out to buy clay. People there said the aim was to create a sense of community a place where people could be creative and discuss issues facing the area. The squatters were offering free food and drinks, as well as free sanitary products. Other stories about squatters have made headlines this year. In New York City, a couple has been unable to move into the $2 million home they purchased because a squatter has refused to vacate the property. The couple sued the squatter to evict him, but he countersued for harassment. New York Magazine published a story last month about squatters who'd lived in a Beverly Hills mansion for five months. The group was evicted but did not face any criminal charges. Read the original article on Business Insider NEW YORK (PIX11) New York state Sen. John Liu joins PIX11s Dan Mannarino to discuss the extension for the budget deadline, mayoral control of New York City schools, the migrant crisis and more. Watch the video player for more on this story. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attend a video meeting with G7 leaders to discuss the Iranian attack on Israel at the White House in Washington ROME (Reuters) - Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations issued the following statement on Sunday after a video call to discuss Iran's attack on Israel. "We, the Leaders of the G7, unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Iran's direct and unprecedented attack against Israel. Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack. We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security. With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. We will continue to work to stabilize the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives. We will also strengthen our cooperation to end the crisis in Gaza, including by continuing to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, and (to) deliver increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need." (Compiled by Keith Weir) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a meeting during his visit to the Kharkiv region. Zelensky condemned Iran's aerial attack on Israel, saying his country was all too familiar with this form of threat. -/Ukrainian presidency/dpa Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Western countries to do better in implementing sanctions to prevent Russian "terrorism" in Ukraine. Every missile that hits Ukraine contained components that were sourced from companies in other countries and imported via the territory of Russia's neighbours, Zelensky said in his evening video address on Sunday. "All of this must and can be stopped: the connivance at terror, the ability of terrorists to seek accomplices around the world, and all forms of Russian terror itself." Zelensky called for more support from the West in the defence against Russian air and missile attacks and pointed to the largely successful defence against Iranian attacks on Israel on Saturday night. "The whole world sees what real defense is. It sees that it is feasible," Zelensky said. The world also saw that Israel was not alone in its defence and was supported by allies. "And when Ukraine says that its allies should not turn a blind eye to Russian missiles and drones, it means action is needed a bold one." "Unfortunately, assistance to Ukraine is still limited, and the Russian state still has access to critical components needed to produce missiles and drones," he said. The longer help is delayed, the more confidence the Russian military gains, he added. "Ukraine, the Middle East, and all other parts of the world equally deserve a just and lasting peace." Ukraine's cities continue to endure aerial attacks, with several more deaths and injuries reported over the weekend. In the city of Nikopol, at least four people were injured by Russian artillery fire and several houses were reported to have caught fire. In the Dnipro region in south-east Ukraine, 15 people were injured on Sunday by falling debris from a Russian cruise missile that was brought down. Some 30 residential buildings were also damaged, the regional military administration said on Telegram. The reports came after Russian overnight drone attacks on Ukraine that focused on the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, continuing a pattern seen over recent weeks, Ukrainian authorities reported earlier. "Kharkiv is a danger zone. The city is coming under attack from Shahed drones," city mayor Ihor Terekhov posted on Telegram shortly before midnight on Saturday. On Sunday, the Ukrainian air force reported that all 10 Russian drones over the Kharkiv region had been intercepted. The air attack had targeted critical infrastructure of the city, which lies some 40 kilometres south of the Russian border, Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. National public broadcaster Suspilne reported power cuts in some parts of the city. Before Russian launched its all-out invasion in February 2022, Kharkiv was Ukraine's second-largest city and had a population of around 1.5 million. Russia has intensified its attacks on the city since mid-March, hitting power supplies in particular. Given its proximity to the Russian border, the aerial attacks come with little advance warning, and there are fears that the city could gradually become uninhabitable. The village of Vesele, which lies in the region close to the Russian border, suffered a hit. A couple were found dead in their bombed-out home. In Moscow, the Russian Defence Ministry reported on Sunday that 10 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted in the early hours over the Krasnodar region in the south of the country. Details about possible targets were not released. A homeless man freed without bail after randomly breaking a womans nose went on to sucker-punch a 9-year-old girl in the face in Grand Central Station, MTA officials said. Jean Carlos Zarzuela, 30, was busted after he allegedly socked the youngster as she stood next to her stunned mom in the stations dining concourse at about 11:50 a.m. Saturday, MTA police said. Medics took the girl to NYU Langones Tisch Hospital for treatment. Zarzuela was caught on video inside the transit hub, and the MTA released his name and photos to the media shortly after the Saturday attack. MTA cops knew Zarzuelas last known address was a homeless shelter on E. 125th St, so they headed to the E. 125th St. subway station on Lexington Ave. Saturday evening and asked a pair of NYPD transit cops for help, according to law enforcement sources. Sure enough, the NYPD cops recognized his photo and said they had seen him about 10 minutes earlier. NYPD transit cops found Zarzuela and took him to the MTA police officers, who made the arrest at about 10:20 p.m. Zarzuela is also accused of punching a 56-year-old woman in Grand Central Station on April 4. MTA cops initially charged him with felony assault, but prosecutors in Manhattan dropped that down to a misdemeanor. Sources familiar with the case said the decision came after police and prosecutors did not receive a supporting deposition from the victim in the case, which is required by law within five days if theres bail set. Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Pamela Goldsmith ordered him held on $2,500 cash bail or $10,000 bond. Records show he had a bench warrant out for assault cases in Manhattan and Brooklyn. On Tuesday, he appeared before Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Laurie Peterson, according to the court systems online docket. She released him without bail just four days before the attack on the young girl. It doesnt make any sense that this guy who recently was released after being charged with randomly punching someone else and breaking that victims nose should be back in a public space where he can attack others, especially children, MTA Communications Director Tim Minton said. The people responsible for the criminal justice system need to learn from this episode before more innocent people become victims. Zarzuela was awaiting arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on Sunday evening. His lawyer declined to comment. The attack comes less than four months after another recidivist criminal was accused of stabbing two teen sisters visiting New York from Paraguay at Grand Central on Christmas morning. Steve Hutcherson, 36, who also uses the name Esteban Esono-Asue, allegedly stabbed a 16-year-old girl in the back and her 14-year-old sister in the thigh in an unprovoked attack. Hes also accused of slashing another Rikers Island inmate as he was held without bail in the attack. In an interview with the Daily News, Hutchersons ex-girlfriend said his mental health began deteriorating in June 2021, when he told her he suffered from paranoia, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. For decades, retail investors have looked to Wall Street's brightest and most successful investors for inspiration -- and occasionally a free ride. Thanks to quarterly filed Form 13Fs with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which provide a snapshot of what top-tier money managers have been buying, selling, and holding, everyday investors have the opportunity to ride the coattails of investing greats like Warren Buffett, Bill Ackman, and Carl Icahn, just to name a few. But it's not just billionaire asset managers who have been outperforming Wall Street on a fairly consistent basis. Dozens of elected officials on Capitol Hill have been cleaning up, as well. Image source: Getty Images. Congress is cleaning up on Wall Street Collectively, lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have outperformed the benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) in each of the past three years. According to a report published at the beginning of the year by Unusual Whales ("2023 Congressional Trading Report"), members of Congress may have made up to $1 billion in aggregate stock and options trades last year, which was up from $788 million in estimated trades in 2022. Regardless of party affiliation, most members of Congress cleaned up. Republicans on Capitol Hill averaged an 18% return last year, while elected Democrats closed out the year with an average gain of more than 31%. As you might imagine, technology stocks were behind some of the most robust gains for lawmakers in 2023. Rep. Brian Higgins' (D-NY) portfolio is believed to have more than tripled in value, largely thanks to a stake in the infrastructure backbone of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, Nvidia. However, it's former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), along with her husband, who've truly dazzled Wall Street. For example, on Dec. 21, 2023, Pelosi filed a periodic transaction report that noted her venture capitalist husband purchased 50 call options for Nvidia on Nov. 22, 2023. These calls have a $120 strike price, with an expiration date of Dec. 20, 2024. Using historic trade data, I was able to locate a purchase price of $377.35 per contract. Today, these same contracts go for $765, equating to an unrealized gain of almost $1.94 million. Pelosi's timing, along with that of a handful of other lawmakers, has been almost too good to be true. BREAKING I have just released the full report on politicians trading in 2023. Like every year since 2020, US politicians beat the market. And many in Congress made unusually timed trades resulting in huge gains. Here are the top performers of 2023. pic.twitter.com/ykf9VICsBw -- unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) January 2, 2024 An unlikely alliance in the Senate calls for an end to individual stock trading for lawmakers When elected officials head to D.C., their constituents expect them to work on legislation that'll better the American people. But the growing net worth of select lawmakers, such as Nancy Pelosi, suggests some may be using their positions to fatten their pocketbooks. In 2012, the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act ("STOCK Act") became law. It prohibits members of Congress and their immediate family members from using non-public information (like insider information) to privately profit from investments. It also requires members of Congress and their immediate families to report their trades above $1,000 no later than 45 days after they're completed. With quite a few elected officials sitting on committees whose legislation can affect the individual stocks lawmakers and their immediate family members hold in their personal portfolios, you can get a feel for how this could be a problem. While the STOCK Act does draw a clear line that prohibits trading on insider information, it can be incredibly difficult to prove that lawmakers on committees are investing with or without non-public information. Thus enter Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Josh Hawley (R-MO). You can probably count on one hand how many issues Gillibrand and Hawley see eye-to-eye on. However, one matter of importance they stand together on is the prospect of banning individual stock trading for members of Congress, the president, the vice president, the president's cabinet, and all spouses and children of these elected officials. In July 2023, this unlikely duo introduced the "Ban Stock Trading for Government Officials Act." In addition to halting individual stock investment to remove any perceived conflicts of interest, the penalties for violating the rules would be steep. Executive branch officials would forfeit their profits and face a penalty totaling 10% of the value of their investment(s). It also increases the penalty for failing to report transactions, as required under the STOCK Act. Gillibrand notes that 1 in 7 members of the 117th Congress failed to report their trades properly under the STOCK Act. What's more, the American public overwhelmingly supports banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks. A survey conducted by the University of Maryland on the same day Gillibrand and Hawley introduced their legislation found that 86% of respondents favored banning members of Congress from purchasing stock in individual companies. Image source: Getty Images. Lawmakers can still get rich without buying individual stocks -- and so can you! Despite the American public strongly favoring legislation that would ban stock trades in individual companies for lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Gillibrand's and Hawley's bill hasn't advanced. But if future legislation does gain traction and our elected officials are banned from buying stakes in individual companies, you can rest assured that they (and you!) will still have a clear path to potential riches. Professional and everyday investors spend countless hours each year reading financial reports and news releases to find the next great company that can outperform Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500. All the while, we often overlook or forget that the S&P 500 and its corresponding index funds have been surefire moneymakers for patient investors. As its name implies, the S&P 500 is comprised of 500 of the largest publicly traded companies. It offers representation from virtually every sector and industry, thereby providing unrivaled diversification. It's also a solid indicator of the health of the U.S. economy. What makes the S&P 500 and its tracking indexes so special is that they're able to take advantage of disproportionate periods of growth in the U.S. economy. Since the end of World War II in September 1945, the U.S. economy has worked its way through a dozen downturns. Nine of these economic drawdowns were over in less than a year, while none of the remaining three surpassed 18 months. In comparison, almost every economic expansion has stuck around for multiple years, with two periods of growth topping the 10-year mark. As top-tier businesses grow in lockstep with the U.S. economy, Wall Street's benchmark indexes benefit. ^SPX Chart But you don't have to take my word for it. The analysts at Crestmont Research have released an extensive data set that examines the rolling 20-year total returns, including dividends paid, of the S&P 500 dating back to 1900. Even though the S&P 500 didn't officially come into existence until 1923, researchers were able to locate its components in other major indexes in the 23 years prior to its creation. As a whole, this yielded 105 rolling 20-year periods of total return data (1919-2023). Here's the jaw-dropper: All 105 rolling 20-year timelines generated a positive total return. In plain English, if you were to have, hypothetically, purchased an S&P 500 tracking index at any point since 1900 and held that position for 20 years, you'd have made money every single time. Furthermore, the average annualized total return spanning these 105 years is close to 10%. This means the typical investor would be doubling their money every seven years or so. If lawmakers and long-term-minded investors want to grow their wealth, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT: SPY) have a lengthy history of doing just that. While both index funds attempt to mirror the performance of the S&P 500, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has the lower net expense ratio of the two (0.03% versus 0.09% for the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust). Over the course of a decade or two, six hundredths of a percent on an annual basis can add up. Dont miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then youll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a Double Down stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If youre worried youve already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before its too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Amazon: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2010, youd have $20,963 !* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, youd have $33,315 !* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, youd have $335,887!* Right now, were issuing Double Down alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon. See 3 Double Down stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of April 8, 2024 Sean Williams has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. An Unlikely Duo in Congress Aims to Ban Lawmakers From Buying Individual Stocks: Here's How Lawmakers Can Still Get Rich was originally published by The Motley Fool Students and parents gathered Saturday at Davenport North High School to discuss the current state of public education in Iowa. During an interactive forum, they voiced their concerns to their legislators. Iowa State Rep. Ken Croken is concerned about the future of public education. I want them to understand that de-funding public education will have long-term effects on the Iowa economy and the quality of life of our children. and nothing should be more important to us, Croken said. Volunteers helped students register to vote at the forum. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. (This April 14 story has been refiled to remove an extraneous word in paragraph 23) By Yazan Kalach, Khalid Abdelaziz and El Tayeb Siddig CAIRO/PORT SUDAN (Reuters) - After fleeing from the war in Sudan to Egypt, Mohamed Ismail says his ambitions are limited to putting food in the mouths of his five children from a meagre monthly salary of about $100 earned at a paper factory in Giza. One seven-year-old son sleeps in his arms because of the trauma of hearing explosions before they fled from the outskirts of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, in January. A year of war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has driven more than 8.5 million people from their homes, creating the world's largest displacement crisis and uprooting families multiple times as people struggle to escape to neighbouring countries with economic and security problems of their own. Financial challenges have led some to return to the war-stricken capital. "Being safe somewhere is the most important thing," said Ismail, 42. "We're not even thinking about education because the economic situation doesn't allow that. As a parent that really impacts you, but we are helpless." Sudan's war erupted on April 15, 2023, over a planned political transition under which the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, were competing to protect their interests. Fighting tore through the capital and unleashed waves of ethnically-driven violence in the western region of Darfur, before spreading to other areas including Gezira state, an important farming region that became an aid hub where many had sought refuge. When the RSF entered the state's main city Wad Madani in December, looting and occupying neighbourhoods as they had done in the capital, many were uprooted for a second time. 'LOST EVERYTHING' Ahmed, 50, who had fled with his wife and four children from the capital when the war began, said RSF troops pulled them from a car as they tried to escape Wad Madani in order to seize the vehicle. They headed east to al-Gedaref, where his 75-year-old mother-in-law died after the arduous, three-day journey. They then paid smugglers to come to Egypt, which suspended visa-free entry for women, children, and men over 50, as Sudanese poured across the border last year. "Because of Al-Burhan and Hemedti, our lives were completely shattered. We lost everything we owned," said Ahmed, speaking by phone from Cairo. He asked to be identified by his first name to avoid problems with Egyptian authorities. Within Sudan, more than three million were already homeless from previous conflicts before the current war, mostly in Darfur, where the RSF and its allies have been accused of widespread abuses in violence over the past 12 months that they have blamed on their rivals. Though parts of the country, Africa's third largest by area, remain relatively unscathed, many displaced rely on charity as conditions worsen and nearly 5 million people face extreme hunger. Sudan's health system has collapsed, allowing outbreaks of diseases including measles and cholera. Aid agencies say the army restricts access for humanitarian relief, and what little gets through is at risk of looting in RSF-controlled areas. 'EXTRAORDINARY SUFFERING' Both sides have denied impeding aid efforts. But on the ground, volunteer-run "emergency rooms" linked to the pro-democracy networks from the uprising that toppled autocratic former leader Omar al-Bashir in 2019, have been left to provide minimal food rations and keep some basic services running. Ismail Kharif, a 37-year-old farmer living in a camp for displaced people near al-Fashir, capital of North Darfur, said people there were at risk from fighting and subject to reprisals by both sides if they tried to move, while being cut off from healthcare, regular food supplies, and phone networks. Across the country in Port Sudan, tens of thousands have sought shelter under army control but wonder what lies ahead. "You cannot imagine that one day you will be living like this," said Mashaer Ali, a 45-year-old mother of three from the capital, living in a displacement centre in the Red Sea city. "Is this reality?" she said. "It's very, very difficult." The war has created "one of the worst displacement and humanitarian crises in the world, and one of the most neglected and ignored almost, although its implications, its repercussions and the suffering of the people are quite extraordinary," Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said in an interview. He warned that more Sudanese refugees might head to Europe if aid was not provided. The displacement crisis continues as intervention by powers including the United Arab Emirates and Iran risks prolonging the conflict and destabilising the region around Sudan. Hundreds of thousands have crossed in Egypt, Chad and South Sudan, with smaller numbers fleeing to Ethiopia and the Central African Republic. Recently South Sudan's oil exports, which are piped through Sudan and an important source of income, suffered stoppages due to the war. That led to a surge in prices, said Imad Mohieldin, a guitar player known in Sudan as Imad Babo, struggling like others to make a living in South Sudan's capital, Juba. "My profession and my life is music ... (but) there is no place for music in wartime," he told Reuters by phone. "Now we're searching for hope in the unknown." (Reporting by Yazan Kalach in Cairo, Khalid Abdelaziz in Dubai, and El Tayeb Siddig in Omdurman and Port Sudan; Additional reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber, Cecile Mantovani, and Nafisa Eltahir; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Sunday Morning Matters: Fong on the ballot, state money for homelessness lost, Salas in studio Sunday Morning Matters: Fong on the ballot, state money for homelessness lost, Salas in studio FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE) Assemblymember Vince Fong convinces a Sacramento appeals court to allow him to stay on the ballot in the race for Californias 20th congressional district. Also in Sacramento, an audit finds California has spent more than $20 billion to address homelessness in the state but has not consistently tracked the success of that spending. Click here for more Sunday Morning Matters In the Central Valley, Madera Community Hospital is given a lifeline thanks to a state loan. All of that is on this weeks Sunday Morning Matters. Watch in the video player above. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. Sununu says he supports Trump despite believing he contributed to Jan. 6 insurrection New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) said he supports former President Trump despite believing he contributed to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Sununu went back and forth with co-anchor George Stephanopoulos on ABCs This Week on Sunday to explain why he is backing Trump despite condemning his actions leading up to Jan. 6. Stephanopoulos pressed Sununu on his statement released after the Jan. 6 attacks that stated Trumps rhetoric and actions contributed to the insurrection. Sununu, who has endorsed Trump, said Sunday that he stood by his statement. I think he his actions absolutely contributed to that. Theres no question about that. I hate the election denialism of 2020. Nobody wants to be talking about that in 2024, he said. He said that while he believes Trump contributed to the attack, he is backing Trump to elect a Republican to the White House. Because for me, its not about him as much as it is having a Republican administration Republican secretaries, Republican rules, a sense where states rights come first, individual rights come first, parents rights come first, he said. Its not about Trump with me, he added. Sununu supported former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley during the Republican presidential primaries before she dropped out of the race last month. He has frequently criticized the former president and said last year he would work to narrow the 2024 GOP field in an effort to defeat Trump. Stephanopoulos continued to press Sununu on his support for the former president on Sunday. And you believe that someone you believe that a president who contributed to an insurrection should be president again? he asked. As does 51 percent of America, George. I mean, really, Sununu responded. I understand youre part of the media. I understand youre in this New York City bubble or whatever it is, but youve got to look around whats happening across this country. Theyre not its not about just supporting Trump. Its getting rid of what we have today. Sununu later reiterated that it is about the party ticket, not Trump. I know youre shocked that the Republican governor is supporting a Republican president and the Republican ticket, but its about the ticket. Its about up and down the ballot, right? he said. I want Republican governors and senators and congressmen, and that type of culture, if you will. I keep going back to that because thats exactly what it is. Thats the change America is looking for, he added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. It is the "sleeper" case that could upend the most closely watched criminal prosecution in the nation. And how the U.S. Supreme Court decides the fate of an obscure Capitol riot defendant will have immediate legal and political implications for the former and perhaps future president. The justices on Tuesday will hold oral arguments in the appeal of Joseph Fischer, one of more than 300 people charged by the Justice Department with "obstruction of an official proceeding" in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington. That charge refers to the disruption of Congress certification of Joe Biden's 2020 presidential election victory over Donald Trump. Special counsel Jack Smith has also brought an obstruction charge against Trump, which is among four counts the 2024 presumptive Republican presidential nominee faces. His trial in that case was slated to begin March 4, but the Supreme Court's decision to hear this case and a separate dispute over Trump's claim of presidential immunity has delayed proceedings indefinitely. THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO MAYORKAS' IMPEACHMENT TRIAL Donald Trump, left, and Jack Smith A federal judge earlier dismissed the obstruction offense against three Jan. 6 criminal defendants, ruling it did not cover their conduct on the Capitol grounds. Those defendants are onetime police patrolman Fischer, Garret Miller of the Dallas area and Edward Jacob Lang of New Yorks Hudson Valley. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Fischer's appeal was the one the high court accepted for final review. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a 2019 Trump bench appointee, determined prosecutors stretched the law beyond its scope to inappropriately apply it in these cases, ruling a defendant must have taken "some action with respect to a document, record or other object" to obstruct an official proceeding under the law. He concluded the statute in question focused on tampering with evidence and did not apply to those allegedly engaged in "assaultive conduct" like participating in a riot. The Justice Department challenged that ruling, and a federal appeals court in Washington agreed with prosecutors that Nichols interpretation of the law was too limited. "The vast majority of courts interpreting the statute have adopted the natural, broad reading" of the provision, the three-judge appellate panel wrote, "applying the statute to all forms of obstructive conduct that are not covered" specifically under that provision. Other defendants, including Trump, are separately challenging the use of the charge, but not as part of the current Supreme Court appeal. The relevant statute 18 U.S. Code Section 1512(c)(2) of the Corporate Fraud Accountability Act, part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, states: "Whoever corruptly obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both." Congress passed the law in 2002 after the Enron financial and accounting scandal. Executives at the Texas-based energy company were charged with fraud, and the company eventually went bankrupt. Judge Nichols in his ruling in the Miller case cited then-Sen. Biden, who referred to the new provision at the time as "making it a crime for document shredding." President Biden speaks at a campaign event at Pullman Yards March 9, 2024, in Atlanta. Both the government and Fischer, who was a North Cornwall Township Police officer in Pennsylvania at the time, offer contrasting accounts of his actions on Jan. 6, 2021. His lawyers in their high court appeal say Fischer "was not part of the mob that forced the electoral certification to stop; he arrived at the Capitol grounds well after Congress recessed." And while he admits entering the Capitol building and pushing his way through the crowd, Fischer claims he also helpfully returned a pair of lost handcuffs to a U.S. Capitol Police officer. After being pepper-sprayed by law enforcement, the defendant then says he left the complex just four minutes after entering. But the Justice Department says Fischer "can be heard on the video yelling 'Charge!' before pushing through the crowd and entering the building. Once inside, petitioner ran toward a line of police officers with another rioter while yelling" a profanity. And the government points to text messages he sent just before attending the "Stop the Steal" rally where President Trump spoke and the subsequent march to the Capitol. "Take democratic congress to the gallows," he said in one post, and, "Can't vote if they can't breathe.. lol." Fischer has pleaded not guilty to several charges, including disorderly and disruptive conduct; assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers; civil disorder; and the obstruction count. His trial is pending. His legal team argues hindering or affecting an official proceeding is too ambiguous, as applied to Fischer's conduct on the Capitol grounds. "That definition encompasses lobbying, advocacy, and protest, the very mechanisms that citizens employ to influence government. These are all forms of political speech that the First Amendment protects." But the government says Congress in enacting the statute meant it to be applied widely, to include "corruptly engaging in conduct to obstruct court, agency, and congressional proceedings." MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE'S RED LINE ON SPEAKER JOHNSON "The proof in this case would show that on January 6, 2021, petitioner and other rioters corruptly sought to prevent Congress from counting the certified votes of the Electoral College in the joint session," said government lawyers. Some legal scholars say the conservative high court may be wary of giving the government too much leeway. "Prosecutors love obstruction statutes, and they love conspiracy statutes, because those statutes are so broad and can be applied in a variety of circumstances to encompass all sorts of conduct," said Thomas Dupree, a leading appellate attorney and former top Bush Justice Department official. "The Supreme Court is going to look at what was Congress trying to do when it criminalized these things? Did Congress really intend these laws to sweep so far? And can you take a statute that was enacted to address, for example, corporate crimes and apply it to what happened on Jan. 6?" How a Supreme Court ruling in the Fischer case would affect Trump's separate prosecution for alleged election interference is unclear. If Fischer prevails, the former president could then ask the federal courts to formally dismiss his own obstruction charge. That could prompt a new round of separate legal appeals that might go back to the Supreme Court for final review. Nine days after oral arguments in the Fischer case, the justices will hold a public session to debate whether Trump enjoys absolute immunity from prosecution for conduct in office when allegedly seeking to overturn the 2020 election results and certification. That has paused Trump's criminal conspiracy and obstruction trial indefinitely. The separate challenge over the obstruction charge would also likely push the schedule well into next year. The pending high court case is Fischer v. U.S. (23-5572). A ruling is expected by early summer. Original article source: Supreme Court to debate 'sleeper' case that could affect Trump federal prosecution WASHINGTON In the weeks before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, Joseph Fischer wrote a text message talking about his desire to take Democratic members of Congress to the gallows and predicted politicians would be dragged out of the Capitol and hung after a mob trial, according to the government. Cant vote if they cant breathe..lol, Fischer, then a police officer in Pennsylvania, wrote in a message on Dec. 16, 2020, authorities say. Fischer subsequently joined the mob on Jan. 6 in a bid to block former President Donald Trumps electoral defeat. He now faces seven criminal charges, one of which is the focus of a Supreme Court case being argued on Tuesday. Fischer is asking the court to throw out one charge hes facing: obstruction of an official proceeding. But its not just Fischers charge that hangs in the balance. Trump has been charged with violating the same law, and a conspiracy provision. As such, the Supreme Court ruling could affect his prosecution too. Authorities say on Jan. 6, Fischer joined the crowd breaching the Capitol from the east side. Charge! he yelled again and again, the government says, before pushing forward toward a police line while yelling, Motherf-----s! He and other rioters then fell to the ground. After other rioters lifted him up, video disclosed as evidence in other Jan. 6 trials shows that he tried to appeal to officers protecting the Capitol, telling them that he was an officer too. Joseph Fischer at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (U.S. District Court) Its our f------ house, brother! the video appears to show Fischer saying that day. After an officer tells Fischer to turn around and leave, he appears to appeal to the officer to stand with them as a patriot. Take a knee! Take a knee! members of the mob chanted as Fischer recorded on his cellphone. Fischer, who is yet to go to trial, also faces charges for assaulting a police officer and entering a restricted building, among others. Those charges will not be affected by how the court rules on the obstruction count. Trump has cited the Fischer case, including in his most recent filing at the Supreme Court concerning his bid to obtain presidential immunity for his actions seeking to overturn the election results. Oral arguments in that case take place on April 25. Paying attention In Fischers case, the law at issue is Title 18, Section 1512(c)(2), of the U.S. Code, which criminalizes any effort to corruptly obstruct, influence or impede any official proceeding. Conviction can result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years. The government says about 330 Jan. 6 defendants have been charged with violating that law. Republican lawmakers including Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, filed a brief in Fischers case saying the Justice Department is using the law as an all-purpose weapon against perceived political opponents. The provision was enacted in 2002 as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, a bill passed in the aftermath of the Enron accounting scandal. As such, defendants say it was written to address evidence tampering and was never intended to apply to an incident such as Jan. 6. Fischers lawyers argue that the provision is limited in scope to evidence tampering, pointing to language in another part of the statute referring to records and documents. It therefore should not apply to Fischers actions, such as the alleged assault of a police officer. Joseph Fischer at the Stop the Steal rally. (U.S. District Court) Trumps lawyers have made similar arguments that his alleged conduct is not covered by the obstruction law, saying in their brief in the immunity case that the statute is stretched far beyond its natural meaning when applied to Trump, who faces four charges in total. In describing Trumps alleged criminal acts, the election interference indictment focuses on his broad scheme to stay in power by urging Congress to reject election certifications that confirmed Bidens victory. Trump and his allies instead sought to submit substitute certifications crafted by what have been dubbed fake electors. Prosecutors argue Trumps actions fit within the statute because he made false statements to members of Congress and others and submitted false documents. Special counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting Trump, said in his latest brief in that case that no matter how the court rules in the Fischer case, the Section 1512 charges in this case are valid. That is because unlike in Fischers case, Trumps prosecution does involve an alleged conspiracy to tamper with documents, namely the effort to use fraudulent electoral certifications rather than genuine ones during the congressional proceeding to certify the outcome, Smith said. Smith also referenced the brief filed by Fischers lawyers in the case being argued on Tuesday. They seek a narrow reading of the law that would ensure the charge against their client would be dismissed but appear to leave open the option of someone being prosecuted for making false claims or offering false testimony. If the Supreme Court were to embrace that approach, Fischer could win, but Trumps own charges could remain unaffected, said Richard Bernstein, a lawyer who filed a friend-of-the-court brief backing the government. All the parties in the Fischer case agree that the statute applies to submitting false statements and false documents. If the court agrees with that it doesnt matter for Mr. Trump how they rule on Fischers particular case, he added. Fritz Ulrich, a federal public defender who is one of Fischers lawyers, said the language cited by Smith was merely aimed at buttressing their argument limiting the scope of the statute. We have not been paying attention to the prosecution of the former president, he added. Broad application of the statute The incident at the heart of Fischers case happened around 3:25 p.m. on Jan. 6, at a point when police were beginning to regain some control of the building. Fischer, the government says, later bragged about his effort to push past the police line. Police line was 4 deep. I made it to level two, Fischer allegedly wrote. The government also said Fischer was enflamed and defiant when he was arrested weeks after the attack and had to be physically restrained by his son after an FBI special agent showed up to a hearing Fischer attended. Fischers lawyers claimed that Fischer was only inside the Capitol for a short period of time, and that he was mostly interested in getting cellphone footage. Mr. Fischer did not attack anyone on January 6. He was inside the Capitol for a total of four minutes, his attorneys wrote in a court filing last year. In lower courts, various Jan. 6 defendants have echoed Trump and Fischer in saying the obstruction law has been applied too broadly. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who is overseeing Fischers case, initially dismissed the charge. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled for the government last year, prompting Fischer to appeal to the Supreme Court. Two other Jan. 6 defendants, Edward Lang and Garret Miller, brought similar appeals, the outcome of which will be dictated by the ruling in Fischers case. The Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, has often pushed back on the Justice Departments broad application of criminal statutes. One beneficiary of that approach was a Florida fisherman whose conviction under another provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley law was thrown out in a 2015 ruling. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Kherson was the first major city to fall to Russian forces in the days after President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine began. Few people had time to flee before the city fell to the Russians, including members of Khersons government, who remained trapped under occupation with a target on their backs. Now, Kherson is once again a frontline town where attacks happen most days. With no new aid from the U.S. and a low supply of weapons, the authorities who remain fear the return of fighting on the streets, and the trauma of Russian occupation is constantly on their minds. One man who asked to be referred to as Ihor told The Daily Beast that many people in Kherson resisted Russian soldiers by protests, working in underground networks, or sending information to Ukraines military when the city was occupied two years ago. Ihor and his wife had been attending anti-occupation protests for months and keeping up with Ukrainian news on their hidden cellphone. During the summer of 2022, Ihor said his brother-in-law asked him to pass along any information he found about Russian collaborators, which he agreed to do. On Aug. 7, 2022, Russian soldiers pulled up to Ihors driveway in a large transportation van. He knew that he would be taken prisoner. Despite never being charged with a crime, Ihor was taken into custody and shunted around a series of prisons. New Plot Striking the Heart of Russia Is Nightmare for Putin He said the prison cells were filled with mold and so small that he and his eight fellow prisoners felt that they could not breathe. There was no air, no water, no food, no medical aid, he said. Ihor says he has a weak heart, and the conditions of the prison made things worse. We were just using one bottle as a toilet with the other people with whom we were in the cell, he said. For the first 23 days of his incarceration, Ihor says he did not eat, and each night, the men in his cell took turns lying down to sleep. Ihor said that the Russians controlling the prison also sexually assaulted the men, inserting wires into their genitals and zapping them with a current. They called this Bidens Call, he told The Daily Beast. Another former prisoner of war, Andrii Andriuschenko, told The Daily Beast that he had also suffered Bidens Call, which he described as the next step of torture after a method called Zelenskys Call, where Russian soldiers wrap a cable from a field phone to a persons ears or genitals and make a phone call, which sends a blast of electricity to the targeted area of the body. The Call to Biden is the second state, when a cable is inserted into the anus and a person is electrically shocked this way, said Andriuschenko. Kateryna Girniak, a communications officer at the U.N.s Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), told The Daily Beast that similar horrific assaults have been recorded as part of Russias arsenal of abuse during this conflict. HRMMU documented electric shocks as a form of torture in some instances, including by using a TA-57 military telephone (known as TAPik), she said. Electric shocks may be categorized as sexual violence in some instances, for example if applied to genitals or breasts. Leading from Underground Trapped alongside the citizens of the Kherson region were some of the politicians, leaders and mayors of towns that fell quickly under Russian control. Yurii Sobolevsky, the First Deputy Chairman of the Kherson Regional Council, said officials attempted to work until the last minute when they were pressured to collaborate with Russian soldiers, or labeled enemies of the Russian state. Many of them fled. Left behind were a few local officials, many of whom were arrested, and two years later, some are still prisoners of the Kremlin. A small group of authority figures stayed behind and shifted their work to focus on humanitarian aid. I couldnt just leave all the people in this region. My phone was exploding with calls, said Sobolevsky, who remained in Kherson for the first three months of the occupation. Alongside other local authorities, Sobolevsky delivered humanitarian aid throughout occupied Kherson and neighboring Mykolaiv, which was also under occupation. At the time, the residents of Kherson were fighting back by holding protests and working underground to help Ukraines military, according to multiple sources who spoke to The Daily Beast. Sobolevsky stayed in Kherson until he was labeled as a state criminal by the Russians and forced to fleehe was smuggled out of his home city. I was afraid. The ones who say they are not afraid or such things are crazy or lying he told The Daily Beast. When I went to bed, I was still fully dressed because I knew I could be arrested at any moment. You realize that there is a risk of being killed, but you have to do your duty. Within the first few days of the war, Sobolevsky and other civilians in Kherson began to gather in masses to protest against occupation. They told Russian soldiers to Go Home, graffitied Slava Ukraini (Glory to Ukraine) on buildings and waved yellow and blue flags. Sobolevsky turned to a local tailor who once worked for Khersons local administration, Oleg Akimchenkov, to create yellow and blue ribbons that could be distributed to the people who attended the protests. Oleg Akimchenkov in custody. Courtesy of Oleg Akimchenkov Akimchenkov had already created a defense network of fellow civilians who tried to minimize looting and petty crimes among local residents who were struggling under the duress of war. Russian soldiers got to know Akimchenkov from his defense network and his work as a Red Cross volunteer. For months, Akimchenkov and two other men traveled in a bulletproof van throughout both occupied and free Ukraine, passing through an average of 30 Russian checkpoints to deliver aid. However, what Russian soldiers did not know was that he was working with Ukraine, passing information about the occupiers military positions, and smuggling people out of Kherson. We were taking journalists, volunteers, former soldiers who didnt have time to leave, and the families of soldiers because repressions started; they were caught. We were [helping] everyone we could, Akimchenkov told The Daily Beast. Why Some Ukrainians Think Trump WILL Save Them From Putin On a routine trip on Aug. 5, Akimchenkov said that he and one of the volunteers he traveled with were arrested by Russian soldiers, who imprisoned them for no apparent reason. Although they did not charge Akimchenkov with any crime, he was transported through multiple jails in occupied territories for months. Repeatedly throughout the initial interrogation process, Akimchenkov added that he and his fellow volunteer were beaten while Russian soldiers screamed at them What did you do in Kherson? After hours of this treatment, they were thrown into a prison cell with nine other men, some of whom were aid workers, local administration workers, former soldiers, and civilians. For two months, Akimchenkov was moved around prisons in occupied territories, and despite repeatedly being tortured, he said he refused to give any information about his work or that of Ukrainians who were also helping their countrys military. Akimchenkov and Ihor remained in Russian prisons until October 2022. By the time of their release, both men had lost a significant amount of weight and had deteriorating health. One month after they were freedon Nov. 11Kherson city was liberated. When it was safe, Sobolevsky returned to work. Although the city has now been liberated for nearly 18 months, some of the towns and villages in the region are still under occupation, and currently, the southern frontline is just over three miles outside the city limits. Sobolevsky said that Khersons government is not planning for another occupation. Over this last year and a half, we stay believing that our army is best and they will not let Russians occupy here again soon. There is nothing worse than being under occupation, he said. A fire burns after a Russian strike in the Kherson ship yards on Nov. 24, 2022. Kherson was the only regional capital to be captured by Russia following its invasion on Feb. 24. Chris McGrath/Getty Images Wild Accusations Khersons government has tried to return to a pre-war normal, but it is missing one of its most influential peoplemayor Ihor Kolykhayev, who has been a Russian prisoner since May 2022. His son Sviatoslav told The Daily Beast that he has received no information or proof of life since September 2023. Sviatoslav Kolykhayev has had to piece together what happened to his father from men who were in the same prison. He has heard accounts of Russians using psychological torture on his father. He was put in a single cell for more than 120 days without any human activity. Not a single point of contact from the outside world, said Sviatoslav. There have been accusations by some Ukrainians that Ihor Kolykhayev was a Russian collaborator, an allegation that his son strongly denies. Before his arrest, Kolykhayev had worked to distribute humanitarian aid to residents of Kherson. Sviatoslav and his mother were evacuated from Kherson during the occupation. He said his father could have saved himself from it [imprisonment] by fleeing with his family. But he was a person who was keeping his word. He was giving his word to his people, that he would remain in Kherson despite threats to his life. Sviatoslav believes the Russians might have tried to recruit his father, and when Kolykhayev refused to collaborate, he was arrested. Sviatoslav has no proof of this. Sviatoslav said that in September 2023, he was informed that his father was on an official prisoner exchange list created by Russian officials. Although he stressed that he has tried to contact Ukraines government multiple times to facilitate some agreement for his fathers return, his requests have been ignored. Why [in] the country where my father was living, why they [government] dont protect him? he said, adding that he constantly tries to move the prisoner exchange forward. They dont show any interest in contact with me and my family. They dont show any interest in this situation, he added. The residents of Kherson know that if the Russians return to occupy the land, these tales of cruelty, mistreatment and torture will be heard all over again. For Ihor Kolykhayev, it might be too late, no one knows if he is in a Russian prison being tortured, or if he is dead. Sviatoslav said he feels that some of the people protecting human rights in Ukraine do not get enough attention for their work. He believes that in Ukraine, people do not acknowledge the sacrifices his father has made, adding that he does not know what the next stage for his fathers prisoner exchange would be. I dont see the real way to solve it. But I would use any opportunity to save his life now, 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. Editors Note: This article has been updated with new information from El Cajon police. EL CAJON, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) Two men and a woman were arrested after allegedly stealing from a Dicks Sporting Goods store in El Cajon Saturday night, authorities said. Lt. Eric Thornton with the El Cajon Police Department said in a press release that the two men entered the store and removed the anti-theft tags from items totaling about $909. They then left the store with the items and got into a truck that was driven by a woman. Free Dump Day approaching, just in time for spring cleaning The suspects were located less than a mile from the store in the truck while fleeing the area, police said. All of the stolen merchandise was recovered along with burglary tools. One of the men also had a concealed knife in his possession. According to the police department, both men had a list of personal identification information for other unknown people, including social security numbers, credit card numbers and IDs. The woman was found to have multiple separate bags containing drugs, along with some cash, police said. All three suspects were arrested and booked into jail. They were identified as follows: Jeremy Jobes, 38, from Spring Valley William Stillwagon, Jr., 46, from San Diego Kathryn Pillman, 35, from El Cajon Police said both men have an extensive criminal history. Pillman has also been arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and a DUI. Jail records show Stillwagon is the only suspect of the three that is currently being held in a San Diego County jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday. Anyone with information about these crimes is encouraged to contact the El Cajon Police Department at 619-579-3311 or Crime Stoppers at www.sdcrimestoppers.org. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Sydney stabbing: Familys tribute to mother killed while saving baby, as more victims are identified Ashlee Good was stabbed while trying to protect her baby daughter - Good family handout The mother who died trying to save her baby from a knifeman in a Sydney shopping centre was remembered by family as an outstanding human, as the identities of other victims were confirmed. Ashlee Good, a 38-year-old osteopath, died in hospital on Saturday evening after she and her daughter were stabbed by a man at Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre. Her nine-month-old baby remained in a serious condition in hospital on Sunday. In a statement, Dr Goods family said that they were reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all round outstanding human. We appreciate the well-wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed an outpouring of love for Ashlee and our baby girl, they said. Four other women and a male security guard were killed in the rampage. Among the victims named on Sunday morning was Dawn Singleton, a 25-year-old e-commerce assistant who was the daughter of Australian millionaire John Singleton. Mourners have been laying flowers outside the crime scene - Lisa Maree Williams/Getty A Sydney mother-of-two was also identified as one of the victims however her family requested her name not yet be released. The security guard was a man in his 30s, police said. Anthony Cooke, the Assistant Commissioner of New South Wales Police, said officers were contacting families to provide support. Two (of the victims) would appear to have no family in Australia so we are working through and with agencies overseas to attempt to reach out to the families, Mr Cooke said. Killer was known to authorities Police on Sunday identified the attacker as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, a mentally unwell man who had recently moved to Sydney from Queensland. Police believe Cauchi, 40, had lived with schizophrenia and had used drugs including methamphetamine and psychedelics. His family had reportedly held concerns about his interest in knives and other weapons. Mr Cooke confirmed investigators had searched a storage container used by Cauchi but would not detail whether any items of significance had been found. We are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage it will appear related to the mental health of the individual, Mr Cooke said. There is still to this point nothing no information we have received, no evidence weve recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation, ideology or otherwise. Family thanks witnesses who helped baby Dr Good was walking through the shopping centre when Cauchi stabbed the baby in her pram, before turning the weapon on the mother. She desperately tried to save her daughters life by handing her to nearby strangers. She handed us the baby and said please help, help, a witness told Channel Nine at the scene. She was bleeding from her head, her face the baby was bleeding. Dr Good was rushed to St Vincents hospital in a critical condition, but died soon after arriving. Her daughter underwent surgery at Sydney Childrens Hospital. We are so grateful for the expert care and attention of the medical team, the statement from Dr Goods family read. We would also like to thank the New South Wales Police for their kindness and diligence in this tragedy and emergency services for getting our baby the care she needed as quickly as possible. To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not - words cannot express our gratitude. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The Russian military leadership set a goal to capture the town of Chasiv Yar, just west of the Russian-occupied Bakhmut, by May 9, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on April 14. On May 9, Russia celebrates Victory Day, a heavily militarized holiday marking the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in the World War II. Syrskyi's statement comes after his warning that the situation on Ukraine's eastern front "significantly deteriorated in recent days" as Russia has intensified its offensives in the east since last month's presidential election, which saw Russian President Vladimir Putin handily win another six-year term in office. Russian troops are concentrating their efforts to break through west of occupied Bakhmut, Syrskyi said. He explained that they are trying to reach the Siversky Donets canal, an artificial waterway south of the river its named after, and seize Chasiv Yar to advance further toward Kramatorsk agglomeration. "The enemy's plans are being hampered by the heroic defense of our brigades, who have literally dug themselves into the ground, holding off the enemy's daily attacks," Syrskyi said. Chasiv Yar, a nearly-emptied and heavily damaged town located around 10 kilometers (six miles) west of Bakhmut, appears to be Russia's next goal. Russia ramped up its offensive on Chasiv Yar after capturing Avdiivka, which lies about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southward, and its tempo of advance declined in early March. Russia sees Chasiv Yar as a crucial milestone for further advances toward Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk, the Ukrainian military said. About 800 people remain in Chasiv Yar, according to local authorities. Earlier on April 5, Moscow's proxies claimed that Russian troops had entered Chasiv Yar's suburb, but Ukraine's military later refuted that statement. Read also: Intense fighting, lack of resources leave wounded soldiers on their own Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. For the past two winters, Ukraine has withstood a barrage of Russian airstrikes seeking to disable its energy infrastructure, plunge its citizens into darkness and use the freezing temperatures as a weapon of war. Ukraine survived the assault thanks to Western air defense systems and energy-saving measures taken by its citizens, as families cooked on camping stoves and doctors performed surgery by flashlight. While Ukraine weathered this winters storm, Russia has renewed its onslaught in recent weeks, striking Ukraines power grid with an intensity and in a manner not seen during more than two years of war. Their tactics have changed unfortunately, not for the better for us, Svitlana Grynchuk, Ukraines deputy energy minister, told CNN. In the first two years of war, Russian attacks were more scattered, firing salvos of missiles to target large swathes of Ukraines energy system. Now, the strikes are becoming more precise and concentrated, with dozens of missiles and drones raining down on a single target. In such a short period of time in a few weeks of these massive Russian attacks almost all of our year-long efforts to rebuild and repair were destroyed in a few days, in a few attacks, Grynchuk said. The turning point came in late March, Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Kyiv-based Energy Industry Research Center (EIRC), told CNN. On that day, Russia launched one of its largest missile and drone attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure, targeting at least 10 of the countrys regions and briefly leaving more than 1 million households without electricity. On March 22, Russia began to implement its new strategy of attacks, Kharchenko said. The new strategy consists of massive missile attacks on specific targets, when a large number of missiles and drones simultaneously focus on a very limited number of targets. Russia has since pummeled Ukrainian power stations across the country, and on Thursday completely destroyed the Trypilska Thermal Power Plant the largest plant in the Kyiv region. DTEK, Ukraines biggest private power company, also said Thursday that Russia had caused serious damage to two of its plants, and that approximately 80% of the power-generating facilities it runs had been destroyed by Russian strikes. Rather than continuing to focus their attacks on Ukraines transmission systems, from late March Russia began launching massive attacks on our energy generation infrastructure, Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, told CNN. Unfortunately, the enemy has evolved his tactics and is using high-precision weapons. The result is a huge increase in its destructive effectiveness compared to 2023. Given Ukraine keeps energy in storage, the strikes on thermal power plants have not caused immediate, prolonged blackouts. Thermal plants are mostly used to balance overall need particularly during intense heating periods in winter when consumption spikes. As well as the intensity and concentration of the attacks, their timing has also changed. Previously, the bulk of Russias strikes came in the buildup to winter. Now, they have come in an unusually warm spring. There are two reasons why Russia may have waited until spring to launch its new strategy. Workers check a transformer which was damaged by a Russian missile attack at DTEK's power plant in Ukraine, on Monday, April 1, 2024. - Evgeniy Maloletka/AP First, Russia needed time to build up the weapons and intelligence needed to conduct the strikes, Kharchenko said. This strategy was clearly a long time in the making, they spent a lot of time developing it, they clearly gathered intelligence and prepared very carefully for these attacks, Kharchenko said. Second, Russia may have waited until Ukraines power plants were less protected by air defenses, an increasingly scarce resource after two years of war, and with aid from the United States stalled for months by Congress. My assumption is that Ukraine had protected its energy infrastructure quite well before winter, because we expected that such attacks would take place, Olena Pavlenko, president of the Ukrainian energy think-tank DiXi Group, told CNN. But, having emerged from winter, Pavlenko said, some of the air defenses may have been relocated for instance, to Ukraines front lines. Its not a mistake, its just prioritization. We thought that if the winter ends, probably we can use the air defense system in other places, she said. Ukraines northeastern Kharkiv region has been the worst hit, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said. More than 200,000 people were left without power after Russian attacks Thursday. With the city lying so close to Russia, hypersonic missiles can reach it in seconds. Due to the proximity to the border, terrorists have the opportunity to use various types of weapons in large numbers, Halushchenko said on Ukrainian television. Repair or defend Ukraine has shown a remarkable ability to repair damage to its power grid. Some of its high-voltage substations key nodes that reduce the voltage of electricity so it can be transferred through power lines to homes and offices have been restored more than 10 times, Kharchenko said. Dozens have been restored at least three or four times. They are attacked and restored, and then attacked again. If they were not restored, a significant part of the regions would already be without electricity. And the pace of repairs has shot up, Maria Tsaturian, head of communications at Ukrenergo, Ukraines state-owned grid operator, told CNN. In peacetime, it took a month to replace a damaged large autotransformer with a new one. Now we do it in less than a week, she said. But Ukraine is now confronting a wholly different task: repairing not just substations, but entire power plants. While substations can be protected with sandbags, anti-drone nets and other safeguards, large plants can only be protected by air defenses. While such restoration work is possible, it may be pointless. People sit on a bench as they check their smartphones in a street during a blackout following Russian attacks in Kharkiv, on April 8, 2024 - Roman Pilipey/AFP/Getty Images We can restore everything. We have a very good and highly motivated team, said Andriy Gota, CEO of Centrenergo, which runs the now-destroyed Trypilska plant. But again, without a sufficient number of missiles for air defense, it will be a useless exercise, to put it mildly. Instead, Ukraine, too, may be considering a change in tack. Rather than rebuilding large and, without air defenses, vulnerable power plants, it may shift how it produces its energy. Instead of 20 large power plants that concentrate high production capacity and have a significant share in the energy balance, there should be 150-200 small power plants scattered across the country that can power a city if one of them goes down, Tsaturian said. Kharchenko said Kharkiv needed a similar system urgently. It is now clear that Kharkiv needs to bring gas-piston engines in large numbers, install them secretly, and protect them There is no alternative to this. Any larger facility will simply be destroyed by attacks. While the next winter is months away, Ukraines energy grid may come under strain during the summer months, when air conditioning use causes consumption to spike. To offset that, Grynchuk said Ukraine has an additional mechanism to balance the system and maintain stable operation imports. She said Ukraine is petitioning its European allies to increase the 1.7 gigawatt import limit. But the priority, she said, is receiving air defenses. Without air protection, we see the tragic consequences and destruction that Russian attacks can cause. That is why we really need air defense. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Wasting our time and money The Tarrant County Election Board approved using pre-numbered ballots in the November general election. (April 8, 1A, Tarrant County approves pre-numbered ballots in election) This makes the ballots less secure, according to legal, political and computer science experts. And it requires printing and most likely throwing away about $13,000 worth of excess ballots. The Tarrant County Elections Integrity Task Force cannot identify instances of voter fraud or voter interference during primary voting on Election Day or during early voting. This looks as if the election board is working on fixing a problem that does not exist and will continue to work on that problem until it is broken. - John Patrick Nolan, Arlington Teaching kids all that matters I appreciate the news about state oversight of the IDEA Public Schools charter school network. (April 2, 2A, IDEA charter schools conservatorship different from takeover) IDEA officials released a statement that read, in part: With the additional oversight, IDEA is prepared for a measured and pragmatic approach to future growth while continuing to uphold its record of nearly 100% college acceptance and matriculation. This sounds fantastic compared with our public schools. It would be newsworthy to have other details on how they are stacking up against the public system. I couldnt care less if the schools leaders lease a plane or buy a hotel if they properly educate our kids. How many such trips, cars and other amenities do public schools provide? - Ben Loughry, Fort Worth Would pro-voucher be indicted? Regarding the indictment of two Denton school district employees on electioneering charges, one must note that Attorney General Ken Paxton probably is pursuing this only because public school officials were spreading the word about standing up for public education funding. (April 7, 9A, Denton ISD employees indicted on illegal electioneering charges) They encouraged school associates to vote to fight the governors school voucher program. One must wonder: If someone were instead endorsing vouchers, would Paxton prosecute them or turn a political blind eye? - Gary Hogan, Fort Worth Dan Cogan still right for Beford One candidate for Bedford mayor is taking the race seriously. One candidate is on a farewell tour again. Dan Cogan has provided proven leadership as the Place 2 City Council representative and current mayor. As mayor pro tempore, he stepped in at a difficult time after the previous mayor resigned. Cogan was the right man then, and he is the right man now. - David Ross, Bedford Honor these Texas WWII heroes April 18 marks the 82nd anniversary of the Doolittle Raiders attack on Japan. The 80 B-25 bomber airmen who flew off the USS Hornet included 13 Texans. But Texas high school history students are not taught about the mission that took place 132 days after Pearl Harbor. Texans respect the military. Installations across Texas train service members. Nearly 1.5 million veterans call Texas home. The National Medal of Honor Museum will open next year in Arlington. National cemeteries in Dallas, El Paso, Kerrville and Houston provide final resting places for Texas heroes. We dont teach Texas students about the mission that jolted Japans military and began Americas comeback in the Pacific. When we dont include the Doolittle Raiders in our states public school history curriculum, students never learn about their heroics. - Alan E. Mesches, Frisco Welcome to TechCrunch Fintech! This week, were looking at how two fintech companies serving the underserved are faring, and more! To get a roundup of TechCrunchs biggest and most important fintech stories delivered to your inbox every Sunday at 7:00 a.m. PT, subscribe here. The big story PayJoy is an example of a company with positive unit economics and a mission to help the underserved. Its not often that we see those two things intersect, so when we do, we get pretty excited. I wrote about the companys milestone of achieving $300 million in annualized revenue and profitability last year, while also managing to land $150 million in Series C funding. The companys model is unique: It helps people build credit through pay-as-you-go financing for smartphones. Once the phones are paid off, customers can apply for loans through PayJoy using their devices as collateral. Read all about its growth here. Analysis of the week Petal is another fintech company that aims to help the underserved build credit, not debt. Last May, TechCrunch wrote about the companys $35 million raise and plans to spin off its data unit. Last week, Empower Finance announced its plans to acquire Petal, which apparently began looking for buyers last year when it was short on cash, according to Fortune. A spokesperson for Petal told me via email: Like Petal, Empower uses cash flow underwriting for its suite of credit products. With the Petal acquisition, it will soon have a family of credit cards to complement that offering. Will we see more M&A in 2024? Im eager to see. Dollars and cents TransferGo, the U.K.-based fintech best known as a consumer platform for global remittances, has raised a $10 million growth funding round from Taiwan-based investor Taiwania Capital, with a view to expanding in the Asia-Pacific region. It last raised a $50 million Series C funding round in 2021. TransferGo claims its growth, combined with the new investment, doubles its valuation. What else were writing Brazilian startup Salvy, a mobile carrier for businesses, was the only company based in Latin America in Y Combinators latest batch, the accelerator confirmed to TechCrunchs Anna Heim. Thats a significant drop compared to cohorts that went through the accelerator during COVID when it was remote, but also more recent classes. For example, there were 33 Latin American companies in Y Combinators Winter 2022 batch. Could the overall state of the fintech sector be partly to blame? Historically, around one-third of the 231 Latin American companies that went through YC focused on fintech. And with fintech funding on the decline, this could perhaps partly explain YCs lack of LatAm interest. High-interest headlines Investors circle most hated fintech and e-commerce sectors Stride and Utah set new precedents in benefits for independent workers US startup Parafin lands $125M warehouse facility from SVB and Trinity Capital Tabs secures $7M seed funding to enhance AI-driven accounts receivable platform UAEs fintech Fortis secures $20M in a Series A round Anrok hits a $250M valuation with a mundane idea: calculating Want to reach out with a tip? Email me at maryann@techcrunch.com or send me a message on Signal at 408.204.3036. You can also send a note to the whole TechCrunch crew at tips@techcrunch.com. For more secure communications, click here to contact us, which includes SecureDrop (instructions here) and links to encrypted messaging apps. 12 people, including a 15-year-old teenager, have been wounded due to the fall of missile debris in the city of Dnipro and the Lyubymivka hromada on Sunday (hromada is an amalgamated territorial unit, which consists of a town, a village and adjacent settlements) Source: Ukraines Air Force; Serhii Lysak, the Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram , Telegram Photo: Serhii Lysak on Telegram Quote from Ukraines Air Force: "A unit of the Skhid (East) Air Command destroyed a cruise missile in the Dnipro district at 17:50." Quote from Lysak: "Air defence forces destroyed an enemy missile in the Dnipro district. Several private houses in the city of Dnipro were damaged by the missile wreckage. Two civilians are so far known to have sustained injuries. Theres smoke in the Liubymivka hromada. Details will be reported later. Details: Lysak also said that four people sustained injuries in Russian attacks on the city of Nikopol on Sunday. , Telegram Photo: Serhii Lysak on Telegram Updated: Lysak later said that the number of casualties of the missile wreckage crashing in Dnipro has risen to five, including three men, a woman, and a 15-year-old boy who sustained shrapnel wounds and a contusion. Nine private houses were also damaged. Photo: Serhii Lysak on Telegram Missile wreckage also damaged a car in the Liubymivka hromada and injured three civilians, all of whom refused to be hospitalised. Updated: Lysak later said that there were 12 casualties in Dnipro and the Liubymivka hromada. A total of 33 private houses, 10 cars and a piece of loading equipment were damaged in Dnipro. Support UP or become our patron! There have been times since the atrocities of October 7 that someone unversed in Middle Eastern politics could be forgiven for thinking the most disruptive force in the region was Israel. Mass demonstrations have taken place denouncing the Jewish states response to the attack on its territory. Its leaders and people are forever being entreated to avoid escalation and to act proportionately. They are hectored, lectured and told to act responsibly. No other country in the world is required to behave in this way when it is attacked by states that want to wipe it off the face of the earth. Once again Israel has been subjected to an onslaught only to be told not to retaliate, to follow a diplomatic route and, above all, not to make things worse in an already volatile region. Yet it is not Israel that has caused all of this trouble, but Iran. It is the ayatollahs in Tehran who bankrolled Hamas and encouraged its murderous pogrom last autumn, killing more than 1,000 people and taking hundreds hostage. It is Iran who arms and funds Hezbollah in Lebanon, where thousands of missiles - provided by the Iranians - are targeted at Israel. It is Iran who supports the Houthis in Yemen currently subjecting the worlds shipping to the threat of drone and missile attacks, forcing vessels away from the Suez Canal. It is Iran who is sponsoring assassination attempts on foreign soil against critics of the regime. Where are the protest marches against Iran, against its deliberate destabilising of the region, its treatment of women and minorities, its efforts to arm itself with nuclear weapons, its extra-judicial killings, all in the name of isolating Israel and spreading Shia Islam? Why is a brutal, theocratic autocracy that keeps its own people under the yoke considered somehow deserving of greater latitude than a democracy responding to attacks on its territory? There may well be questions for Israel to answer about some of their activities in Gaza but they would not be there at all were it not for Iran. There would be no potential famine or wrecked towns if Tehran had not funded and encouraged Hamas to attack Israel. The democratic world stood alongside Israel at the weekend when it came under fire from hundreds of rockets, missiles and drones from Iran. The defences and air forces of a number of nations, including the US, the UK and France, helped repulse the onslaught. Damage was negligible apart from some damage to an airfield. The Iron Dome held and all that was exposed was Irans weakness since its attempts to degrade Israels air defences failed utterly. Now President Biden, Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron and the rest are urging Israel to leave it there. Their argument seems to be that since the Iranians were taking revenge for an Israeli raid on Damascus earlier this month, which killed two leading generals in Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), tit-for-tat should be avoided. But there is no equivalence here. The IRGC is actively seeking Israels downfall, urging Hezbollah to enter the fray with its experienced troops, battle-hardened by years of involvement in Syrias civil war. The Damascus strike can be seen as pre-emptive action against the chief perpetrators. Israel wants to be left in peace but its enemies refuse to do so. Arguably, Iran should have been dealt with years ago yet since arriving in the White House, President Biden has failed to recognise Tehran as the cause of all the trouble and has even sought to negotiate with the ayatollahs. They have no interest in a rapprochement with the West and have made alliances with Russia and China. The reason western leaders are so jittery about Israels likely reaction to the weekends attack is because they fear this can no longer be contained within the Middle East and has the capacity to spread. Indeed it already has. Russia has been using Iranian drones to strike energy infrastructure in Ukraine, depriving millions of power, heat, and critical services. People in Ukraine are dying as a result of Irans actions. The question, therefore, that confronts western planners is not how to rein in Israel but what to do about Iran. No-one should any longer harbour illusions about its malign role in the Middle East. Its hand can be detected in all of the regions most dangerous crises. The only way to deal with Tehran is from a position of strength. Allowing the ayatollahs to continue with their campaign of mayhem is no longer an option. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The Republican-controlled Tennessee Senate passed a bill Thursday that would make it a felony to help a transgender youth obtain gender-affirming care. Read broadly, the bill could apply even to those providing information about healthcare resources and laws in other states to youths in Tennessee. The bill borrows old language from anti-gay rhetoric of decades past around recruiting to further clamp down on information given to transgender youth about healthcare. It signals a new phase in the fight over transgender care in the United States, potentially having nationwide repercussions and pitting the state against others that have passed shield laws protecting patient healthcare from out of state investigations. The bill is Senate Bill 2782. The language of the bill was amended before its passage Thursday, stating that any adult who "recruits, harbors, or transports" a minor in Tennessee for the purpose of gender-affirming care could be guilty of a Class C felony, which carries a prison sentence of three to 15 years. Read broadly, it could prohibit discussing healthcare options available in other states with transgender youths or providing maps of "safe states" for transgender healthcare to a transgender youth, though some legal experts say that this reading is constitutionally dubious and could violate first amendment protections. The bill is not the first to target transgender people, although it is the first to specify that it applies over state lines. Some gender affirming care bans in the United States have also banned aiding and abetting gender affirming care, such as in Mississippi and Iowa. Those bans have sparked concern that even counselors, voice therapists, and LGBTQ+ organizations could be targeted for aiding and abetting transgender youth obtaining care. The Tennessee bill was passed alongside an abortion bill that would make it illegal for adults to help minors obtain abortions without parental consent, also dubbed an "abortion trafficking" law. If passed, Tennessee would become only the second state to enact such a law after a similar one in Idaho was blocked in court. The Idaho law uses identical language, barring "recruiting, harboring, or transporting" a pregnant minor seeking an abortion. Together, these laws represent the latest in the cross-pollination between attacks on gender-affirming care and reproductive freedom that have become increasingly common in recent years. This has in turn led to several states passing "safe state," "shield," or "sanctuary" laws for transgender people and those seeking or providing abortions or gender-affirming care. Currently, 15 states have enacted legislation or policies declaring themselves "sanctuary states" for gender-affirming care and reproductive healthcare. These shield laws assert that other states cannot subpoena healthcare legally provided within their borders, and that they maintain jurisdiction over their own territories. These shield laws have already made an impact; Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recently attempted to subpoena medical records from Seattle Childrens Hospital, which informed him that it could not comply due to Washingtons shield law. The fight over transgender rights is spilling into a battle over jurisdictional issues that have not been litigated in over a century and a half. In response to a recent proposal in Maine to pass a shield law, 16 Republican attorneys general signed a letter authored by the AG of Tennessee stating their intention to sue Maine if they pass a law that would bar complying with requests for patient healthcare information from across state lines. A similar letter, written by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and signed by 18 Republican AGs, announced similar opposition to shielding abortion records. In response, the Maine Legislature passed LD227, making it the potential 16th state to enact such a shield law, despite legal threats from Republican states like Tennessee. The Tennessee bill is slated for a subcommittee hearing on April 16th. If the bill passes, there could be a showdown between the state and other states that have acted to protect their transgender citizens and citizens seeking abortions. Likewise, there could be an enormous chilling effect on providing information about transgender healthcare to minors in the state. This article originally appeared on Erin in the Morning. Amarillo auction professional earns industrys top designation Auctioneer Donda Cordova, of Double S Auctions, recently completed her training at the prestigious Certified Auctioneers Institute (CAI). Developed by the National Auctioneers Association (NAA), the CAI program is the industrys premier training program for auction professionals, according to a news release. The three-year designation is an intensive, executive development program offering professional auctioneers instruction and coursework in business planning, operations, development and structure. The NAA conducts CAI every year in March at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. CAI candidates join auction professionals from across the world to learn from some of the nations most distinguished and respected industry leaders. Cordova has been in business for nine years, since 2015, and started a company under Double S Auctions. They specialize in estate and business liquidations as well as selling real estate at auction. Cordova has her designation as an AMM - Auction Marketing Management as well as CAI - Certified Auction Institute. She is also a licensed auctioneer in the state of Texas and a licensed Realtor. To learn more about Cordova, please call (806) 452-9100, email donda@doublesauctions.com or visit www.doublesauctions.com. For more information on CAI, contact the NAA at (913) 541-8084 or visit auctioneers.org. The City of Amarillo announced Katrina Owens as its new finance director during Tuesdays city council meeting. Owens named city of Amarillo finance director The City of Amarillo announced Katrina Owens as its new finance director during Tuesdays city council meeting. Owens comes to the city with significant experience, having worked as an external auditor on city finances since 2012. Katrina comes with extensive knowledge of city financials, said Assistant City Manager and Chief Financial Officer Laura Storrs. She will fit in seamlessly to her new role as finance director and the city is fortunate to have someone with her experience in this important position. Owens has more than 25 years of private and public experience in accounting. She has a bachelors degree in Business Administration and a masters degree in Professional Accounting from West Texas A&M University. In addition, Owens is a licensed certified public accountant. For more information, contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager David Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov. Kinetic sends poles to help rebuild town's infrastructure after wildfire FRITCH In the aftermath of the wildfires that swept through the Texas community of Fritch, Kinetic assisted the local community through infrastructure donations to help rebuild. Story continues According to a news release, on Thursday, Feb. 29, in a heartening display of community solidarity and responsive action, Mike Hunsucker, Kinetics vice president for Government Affairs, reached out to Brittany Gomez, director of Public Works in Fritch, extending a hand of assistance beyond just financial aid. Understanding the critical needs of the community during this challenging time, Gomez requested support in the form of new utility poles to replace those destroyed by the fire. Kinetic placed two of the three requested poles within 36 hours. The generous assistance Kinetic has provided to Fritch during and after the wildfires has been a tremendous help to our community, said Gomez. We are grateful to Kinetic and their skilled technicians with the delivery and replacement of the utility poles to help rebuild after the wildfires. John Blackwell, a Kinetic construction manager and a resident of Fritch, met with Gomez to assess the situation and coordinate the efforts. This personal involvement underscores the deep connection Kinetic employees have with their communities, especially in times of need. The Fritch community and Kinetic stand together, demonstrating that together, recovery is not just possible but is already underway, said Blackwell. Kinetic is proud to be part of the Fritch communitys journey towards rebuilding and will continue to support in any way we can. This initiative is part of Kinetics broader commitment to the communities it serves, not only as a broadbandprovider but also as a partner in recovery and progress. For more information about Kinetic and its initiatives, please visit www.gokinetic.com. Thomas E. Hutson, D.O., Pharm.D., an internationally recognized leader in the field of urologic cancers, has been named chief of the Hematology Oncology Division in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine, the university announced April 10. Hutson named TTUHSC Hematology Oncology Division Chief and UMC Cancer Center Director Thomas E. Hutson, D.O., Pharm.D., an internationally recognized leader in the field of urologic cancers, has been named chief of the Hematology Oncology Division in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine, the university announced April 10. As a Texas Tech Physician, Hutson will be involved in the research, clinical and educational components associated with the Hematology Oncology Division. He will also serve as medical director of the future UMC Cancer Center. We are eager to have someone of Dr. Hutsons caliber join the TTUHSC team, TTUHSC President Lori Rice-Spearman, Ph.D., said. In West Texas, the cancer incidence rate is 8% to 12% higher than the national occurrence for all types of cancer and the survival rate is much lower than in urban areas. Dr. Hutson will play a crucial role as we work to develop a comprehensive academic cancer center in partnership with UMC. This specialized cancer center will also advance TTUHSCs pursuit of achieving the National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center, opening new doors to groundbreaking research, innovative treatment options and greater access to care for the people of West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. Hutson, who has spent the last 21 years at Baylor University Medical Center as director of the Genitourinary (GU) Oncology Program and co-director of the Urologic Cancer Research and Treatment Center, is regularly invited to speak at medical venues worldwide. He has served as the clinical lead investigator on several international research trials and in leadership roles for various national research groups, including the Sarah Cannon Research Institute, where he continues to serve on the GU Research Executive Committee and coleads the Phase 1b/2 clinical trial program. Hutson said UMCs cancer center will seek to optimize the clinical care it provides by matching up the physicians and their staff and providing them the best support they need to deliver the leading medical care to patients coming from West Texas and beyond. We want this to be a destination cancer center so patients feel they're getting the highest level of quality and there's no need to drive to other areas because they are receiving highly specialized and excellent care close to home, Hutson added. Hutson also will oversee an existing fellowship program at TTUHSC that trains new physicians in hematology and medical oncology. He wants to expand the fellowship program to train health care professionals working in other disciplines. The UMC Cancer Center really is multidisciplinary; it's not just medical oncology and hematology, but all the surgical subspecialties that are involved, Hutson explained. We want it to be a training center of excellence for physicians that are involved in every aspect of the treatment of cancer. And then it comes down to research; the future of cancer cure is research. Lukman Tijani, M.D., will continue to serve as the interim division chief until Hutson officially begins Aug. 1, 2024. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area business news and developments for April 14, 2024 Scott Sherman is the mayor of Winona, Minnesota, a small city on the banks of the Mississippi. "There's just something about Winona that keeps pulling you back," he told "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant. "Living here in Winona is really cool." It's so cool that TV and film star Winona Ryder is named for the town, as she told the world in a 2020 Super Bowl ad: "There's something about this place, something that feels so me " Madeline Madeline Kingsbury, 26, also felt that certain "something" about Winona. So, when Mayor Sherman heard that she had gone missing, he wanted to help. "I felt that Maddi was a daughter of Winona," said Mayor Sherman. "She was a bright young woman working through school, working a a job in Rochester and raising kids all at the same time, that's a lot. So, I had respect for Maddi. And Sherman thought he could help because, as an avid bicyclist, he rides the woodsy paths around Winona all year long. "You know the back roads of this area?" Van Sant asked. "I do," said Sherman. "And you went out yourself," said Van Sant. "I did," Sherman replied. But as mayor, Sherman felt his first job was to support Maddi's distraught mother Krista Naber when she arrived at the search command center. "She gave me a hug that I will never forget the rest of my life," Sherman said. "It was a hug that showed fear, concern." "And so what were what message were you sending with that hug?" Van Sant asked. "I'm here for you. We will do our damndest to find her," said Sherman. WHERE'S MADDI KINGSBURY? Maddi's family first began worrying about her late in the afternoon of Friday, March 31, 2023, when Naber realized she had not heard from her daughter for nearly the entire day. Krista Naber: Something in my gut just didn't feel right. Peter Van Sant: Mother's intuition? Krista Naber: Right. Naber contacted Megan, Maddi's older sister, but Megan said she was not overly concerned. Megan Kingsbury: I sent her a couple of text messages anyway "Hey mom, hasn't heard from you. Can you call her? Can you text her back? She's concerned." and she didn't reply to that. At the time, Maddi was living with Adam Fravel, the father of their children. The two had met in college at Winona State University. Megan Kingsbury: He was outgoing, and seemed interested in getting to know us, and he seemed very, almost infatuated, I guess, with Madeline. Maddi Kingsbury and Adam Fravel / Credit: Fravel family While still in college, Maddi and Adam learned they were expecting their first child and decided to settle in Winona. Theresa Sis Mejia: He manned up, he manned up. Theresa Sis Mejia, Fravel's sister, says Adam quit school to support his new family. Theresa Sis Mejia: He knew he was gonna be a dad. He went and got a job and he had that job up until COVID, and then he got laid off while he let Maddi continue college so that she could graduate and she did. She graduated and he supported her. After graduation, Maddi began working at the Mayo Clinic and became a clinical research coordinator. And Maddi's father David Kingsbury said she recently had begun studying for an advanced degree. David Kingsbury: She was a graduate student in a master's program at the University of Minnesota Had just completed her first semester there and was doing very well. Fravel, who had studied computer science in college, began taking flying lessons with an eye toward getting his pilot's license. Theresa Sis Mejia: When he was taking pilot lessons like that, he felt so accomplished It made him feel good. And I was so proud of him for doing it, for doing something for himself. Krista Naber: I enjoyed being around him I could tell that he really cared for Madeline. On the evening of March 31, Megan Kingsbury was hours away from Winona when she reached out to Fravel, who said he was concerned. Megan Kingsbury: He said I got home today and she was gone Fravel and the children were at his parents' home in Mabel, an hour south of Winona. That's when Megan Kingsbury messaged Maddi's close friend Katie Kolka, who lived in Winona: "My parents and I haven't been able to get in contact with Maddi all day ..." Katie responds: "I'm on my way over there right now." The house was eerily silent, and it was at that point Kolka called the Winona police. Peter Van Sant: And you want this missing persons report to be filed, but what did they tell you? Katie Kolka: They told me that I wasn't able to report it because it hadn't been 24 hours yet. Megan Kingsbury: I was pacing in my kitchen. I was getting really really worried. So was Maddi's father who tried to reach her. David Kingsbury: Where are you? What's going on? The next morning, with Maddi now missing nearly 24 hours, the Kingsbury family filed a missing persons report. And then Fravel went to Facebook asking for help. His post read in part: "If anybody has seen Maddi please contact the Winona PD, me or any of her family members Please help me find the mom to our 2 beautiful kids." Mary Fulginiti | "48 Hours" consultant: The police went to great lengths, I have to say, to try to find Maddi quickly because they know that there's a ticking clock on these things. And the investigation took off. Mary Fulginiti: It's extraordinary what they did. "TIKTOK, I NEED YOU TO DO YOUR THING " The news that Maddi was missing spread quickly through Winona and beyond. Hailey Scott, one of Maddi's sorority sisters, wanted to help. Hailey Scott: I reached out to our sorority I reached out to news outlets I was grasping at straws. At the same time, detectives reached out to Adam Fravel. According to police reports, Fravel told them how on the morning of March 31, the couple dropped off their children at the daycare center. Maddi Kingsbury is seen with Adam Fravel and her children on daycare surveillance video the morning of March 31, 2023, / Credit: Friend of Maddi Kingsbury Investigators confirmed the drop-off after speaking to the daycare provider who gave police security video. This video has never been seen by the public until now. It was one of the last times Maddi is seen on video before she vanished. Police say Fravel told them he and Maddi returned home after the drop-off and she went to her office in the basement to do a little work before heading to the Mayo Clinic. Mary Fulginiti: I have taken a look at all the evidence that we have thus far in the Maddi Kingsbury case. Mary Fulginiti, a former prosecutor and defense attorney, is a "48 Hours" consultant. She says that in his police interview, Fravel told detectives he left Maddi his car and borrowed her blue minivan to haul some boxes. Mary Fulginiti: He proceeded to put some boxes in the van that he was going to move to his parents' house He said he didn't see Maddi again He drove to his parents' house on Highway 43. Police say Fravel told them he got as far as the township of Choice, Minnesota, when he realized he had made a mistake. Mary Fulginiti: The boxes that he had in the van were ones that he actually wanted to put in storage. So he turned around and he went back to the home. Police say Fravel told investigators he arrived back at his Winona home around 11:30 a.m. and saw his car still in the driveway. Mary Fulginiti: He said he had texted her a few times, asking about dinner and whether or not she was gonna pick up the kids There was no response. Adam Fravel is seen on surveillance video returning to the daycare center alone to pick up the children later in the day. / Credit: Friend of Maddi Kingsbury Police say Fravel told them he'd assumed Maddi had carpooled to work and when he did not hear from her, he went alone to do that pick up of the kids. Again, the video from the daycare appears to corroborate that part of Fravel's story. Mary Fulginiti: So he ultimately picked up the children around 4:20 or 4:30, um, from daycare and brought them to his parents' house in Mabel, Minnesota. During a police interview, investigators noted that Fravel had "fresh scratches" on his face the day after Maddi disappeared. Fravel's sister says he told her the scratches came from a friend's dog. On Saturday, April 1, police searched the Winona house where Fravel lived with Maddi. Investigators reported they saw no overt signs of foul play. Mary Fulginiti: But what was in the house was her purse, her jacket, her credit cards, um, but no Maddi. Two days later, an anxious Megan Kingsbury rushed out of her shower and alerted her TikTok followers to what was going on. MEGAN KINGSBURY TIKTOK POST: TikTok. I need you to do your thing. I need your help. This is my sister Madeline Kingsbury. Um, she's missing Megan Kingsbury: I wasn't thinking about the fact that I was in a towel. The post eventually had over a half million views. MEGAN KINGSBURY TIKTOK POST: Help us find her. She's got two kids. She's my best friend, she's my little sister. We need to get her back. Please help us. Peter Van Sant: You're obviously in terror here The look on your face. But you're reaching out for help and people wanted to help. Megan Kingsbury: Yes. CBS MINNESOTA | NEWS REPORT: So many people have asked to help look for Madeline Kingsbury that it allowed law enforcement to expand their search Hailey Scott: There's no guidebook on how to search for a missing loved one and searching for her was easily one of the most traumatic things I've ever experienced in my life. Megan Kingsbury was spreading the word about Maddi Kingsbury's disappearance wiith posts on social media, mostly TikTok. / Credit: Megan Kingsbury/TikTok By the end of the weekend, there was no sign of Maddi. Day by day, Megan Kingsbury continued to post updates to TikTok. MEGAN KINGSBURY TIKTOK POST: It's Tuesday the 25th ... still no Madeline now next week is May. We're still in this hell Megan Kingsbury: I feel like all of us, like every night, we would look out it's cold. It's dark. Is she like laying out there somewhere? Is she like trapped somewhere? and you just you don't know what to do. Behind the scenes though, investigators began taking a harder look at Fravel, especially after Maddi's friends came forward with some disturbing stories. Hailey Scott: Madeline called me shortly after an incident happened between her and Adam where he had told her that if she wasn't careful, she was going to end up just like Gabby Petito. The Gabby Petito case fixated the nation in the fall of 2021, after the young woman from Long Island was found dead one month after she seemingly vanished from the face of the earth. Hailey Scott: I told her you need to get out and you need to get it get out now. That's not an empty threat. A FATHER'S WARNING: "HE IS GOING TO KILL YOU" Years before Maddi vanished, her sister Megan Kingsbury says the on-again, off-again relationship between Maddi and Fravel seemed to be headed for a bad ending. Megan Kingsbury: He just wasn't nice to her He didn't act like he loved her. He didn't help take care of the kids. He didn't clean. Peter Van Sant: And honestly, did you reach a point where you you advised your sister, you know, perhaps it's time to move on in your life from him? Megan Kingsbury: Many times. Maddi's father David said it pained him to see how shabbily Fravel treated Maddi. David Kingsbury: I think she literally poured out a river of love for him and she got nary a drop in return. Maddi's stepmother Cathy Kingsbury says Maddi often called, saying Fravel was of no help with the children. Cathy Kingsbury: She'd be just sobbing miserably that Adam's not helping. I hate this. But Maddi's family and friends say there was more than just tearful arguments. About three years before Maddi went missing, Hailey Scott says she witnessed Fravel slap Maddi during a video call. Scott and Maddi were talking, Scott says, when Fravel appeared in the background and began shouting at Maddi. Hailey Scott: He yelled, "I don't understand why this house is such a f****** mess" and she said, "I don't know, maybe you should help me," um, to which Adam turned, and he slapped her with an open hand across the face. And in September 2021, some 18 months before Maddi disappeared, she told Scott about Fravel's dark fascination with the Petito story. Hailey Scott: Adam had an infatuation, and I would call it an obsession, with the Gabby Petito case. The Gabby Petito case fixated the nation in the fall of 2021, after the young woman from Long Island, NY, was found dead one month after she seemingly vanished from the face of the earth. Scott says Maddi had told her that one night, after she and Fravel watched a news special about the Petito murder, his obsession turned threatening. Hailey Scott: He had actually turned and grabbed her by the throat and pinned her down and told her that if she wasn't careful that she would end up just like her. Katie Kolka says she tried to get Maddi to do something. Katie Kolka: And I begged her and begged her, please go to the hospital, document it yourself, do whatever you need to do. You need to get this documented so you can get out of there safely with those kids. But Kolka says Maddi never reported anything to the police. Katie Kolka: She was more scared that Adam was gonna get arrested. Peter Van Sant: She wanted to protect him. Katie Kolka: She was protecting him. Maddi did, however, tell her father David and stepmother Cathy about the choking incident. Cathy Kingsbury: She was like, horribly afraid. She'd been choked and she was very, very scared and wanted help. Cathy Kingsbury says she and David drove to Maddi's house and got her and the children out of there. David Kingsbury: She came with us. We went to the house so she could get some of her things and some of the clothing for the kids and whatnot and put the kids in the van and followed us back to our home in Farmington. But Cathy Kingsbury says Maddi stayed in the Kingsbury house only three days before returning to Fravel because he was "upset" that she'd left. David Kingsbury: I did tell her at some point, he he is going to kill you. Peter Van Sant: You said that to Maddi. David Kingsbury: Yeah. Peter Van Sant: You felt there was enough danger that you had to say to your own daughter, I think he may kill you. And how did she respond to that statement, or did she? David Kingsbury: Honestly, I mean, she became a pro at minimizing things, and it came back to, well, he was he was joking. She told me he was joking, and she wanted to believe that When Maddi went missing, her friends and family reported those incidents to police. According to a search warrant, detectives interviewed Fravel and asked if he and Maddi had ever had any "physical altercations." "He said, 'oh no.'" When detectives asked about those Petito comments, police say Fravel admitted them, but "claimed he was trying to make a joke." But according to a search warrant, investigators found an old screen shot Maddi had saved of some texts she'd exchanged with Adam: MADDI KINGSBURY TEXT: You know I'm not really okay with or over the fact that you put your hand around my neck and pushed me down in front of the kids earlier so don't Not okay with it at all but especially with them there. ADAM FRAVEL: You'll adjust MADDI KINGSBURY: The f*** I will Detectives wanted to know everything about what Fravel did the day Maddi went missing and began collecting surveillance videos from homes and businesses. Police say a blue minivan that looked like Maddi's was videotaped on Highway 43 the road Fravel told police he'd taken that morning. But according to a search warrant, the timestamps do not match Fravel's timeline. The cameras tracked the blue minivan until around noon, police say. Mary Fulginiti: And then there's a 45-minute gap. That gap occurs around Choice, Minnesota. Police say that is where Adam told them he realized he took the wrong boxes, turned the van around and drove straight back to Winona. According to that warrant, "there is a 45-minute window that Fravel could not be tracked." Mary Fulginiti: Where was he during those 45 minutes? I mean, that was the big, you know, the big question, right? Megan Kingsbury, left with her mother Krista Naber. For 68 days, Kingsbury documented her sister's disappearance on TikTok. / Credit: CBS News But with no direct evidence and no sign of Maddi, investigators did not arrest Fravel, and he continued to live at his parents' home with the children. Meanwhile, Megan Kingsbury continued her updates on TikTok. MEGAN KINGSBURY TIKTOK POST | April 14, 2023: Madeline still has not been located, unfortunately. Um, so we're still plugging along and looking for her. As detectives continued to investigate, they uncovered a new lead a romantic relationship Maddi had been having with another man, an Army veteran named Spencer Sullivan. Spencer Sullivan: I'm Spencer Sullivan and I was dating Madeline Kingsbury at the time of her disappearance. And now police were interested to know Sullivan's whereabouts the day Maddi went missing. A NEW LOVE INTEREST FOR MADDI KINGSBURY In the spring of 2023, Maddi knew her relationship with Fravel was falling apart, and she was brutally honest with her father. David Kingsbury: She says, you know, dad I know that I'm in a bad relationship. I know my family knows it. I know my friends know it. And I'm embarrassed about it, but I don't know what to do about it. But Maddi had joined Tinder, which is where she reconnected with Sullivan, who she knew from college. Spencer Sullivan: We were friends on Facebook, so I knew that she had kids I wasn't sure what the status of the relationship was exactly with, uh, Adam Fravel. As it turns out, Sullivan also knew Fravel from Winona State. Spencer Sullivan: He was in the same fraternity as I was. Peter Van Sant: Tell me about the Adam you knew back then. Spencer Sullivan: He and I didn't really talk all that much. Maddi told Sullivan that she and Fravel had reached the point of no return. Maddi and Sullivan began dating, but quietly. Spencer Sullivan: We both kind of agreed to keep it secret between us until she was on her own. Mostly, the relationship was a secret from Fravel. Maddi's family and girlfriends knew about it, and they told police about Sullivan when Maddi went missing. That's when investigators called Sullivan in for an interview. Spencer Sullivan: They were just kind of asking me general questions about when we had started dating. where were you at this point, what were you doing at this point? Peter Van Sant: What were you doing on March 31st, 2023? Spencer Sullivan: Uh, that morning I was at work. Sullivan surrendered his phone while investigators checked out his alibi. As they looked into his story, they also learned from Maddi's friends and family that only six days before she disappeared, she finally had told Fravel about Sullivan. Megan Kingsbury: She didn't want to lie and she just it bubbled up inside of her the this guilt. Peter Van Sant: Is it true that Maddi told Adam about Spencer? David Kingsbury: Yeah. Peter Van Sant: That's a pretty gutsy thing to do. Cathy Kingsbury: Uh, we wish she had not. It all came pouring out and Megan Kingsbury says Maddi told Fravel she was leaving him and looking for an apartment where she would live with their children. Peter Van Sant: And did she tell you how Adam reacted to the news? Megan Kingsbury: I think she said he cried, and he was really hurt at the time. Theresa Sis Mejia: I'm sure he was personally hurt and heartbroken all of a sudden, you find out she has feelings for somebody else and it's over. Ryan Fravel and Theresa Sis Mejia / Credit: CBS News Fravel's sister Theresa, as well as his brother Ryan, say news of the break-up hurt them as well, because Maddi was a cherished member of their extended family. Ryan Fravel: Maddi was a sister to all of us, and our hearts are broken. We lost a close family member. They point out that, although Adam Fravel and Maddi always had an on-again, off-again relationship, they stayed together for seven years. Theresa Sis Mejia: I was completely shocked when I learned that she was dating Spencer behind my brother's back. Maddi's best friend Katie Kolka says tensions between Maddi and Fravel were sky high after her revelation about Spencer. It was the day before she disappeared. Katie Kolka: She called me crying and she asked if she could come work at our house She said that Adam was hovering over her while she was working and making comments about some other man raising his kids and, you know, are you really gonna leave me for another man? She felt very threatened. Maddi left her house and went to Kolka's before ending up at Sullivan's home, also in Winona. Spencer Sullivan: She came over to celebrate my birthday with me she brought a couple donuts that we could split with each other. She had a gift for me. It was a little LEGO set, a little Star Wars LEGO set. I got a card from her and it was a Star Wars card. Peter Van Sant: That last time you saw her person to person. Spencer Sullivan: I remember she's standing at my front steps. She turned around and smiled at me and waved and (sighs) that was the last time I saw her. Within days of his interview, police confirmed Sullivan's alibi and returned his phone. Eventually, police say, he was cleared. Maddi's friend Hailey Scott says Spencer was the best thing to happen to her in a long time. Hailey Scott: Spencer showed her that she deserved so much more than Adam. Spencer Sullivan / Credit: CBS News Sullivan says he was devastated in the wake of Maddi's disappearance. Spencer Sullivan: I thought to myself, like, stuff like this doesn't doesn't happen here, you know. we were talking about her moving into her new place and She wanted me to come over and help her decorate, do stuff and then the next day she's gone. He says he couldn't stop thinking about the birthday card Maddi had given him. Spencer Sullivan: I think I re-read that card at least a hundred times (sighs) that like all I could think was this this (LEGO) kit sorry. (emotional). Four days after Maddi vanished, her parents were given temporary custody of her children. MEGAN KINGSBURY TIKTOK POST: My niece and nephew are no longer in the custody of their father. you know we appreciate the concern for them but they're they're in good hands. When Maddi's friend, Lauren Debois, thought about Maddi's children, she recalled a conversation she'd had with Maddi a month earlier and she reported it to police. Lauren Debois: She told me that she needed me to know that if anything were to happen to her or her children, that Adam did it. She would never leave her children for anything under any circumstances. Ten days after Maddi disappeared, police had received a tip that Fravel had been seen riding near his parents' home with a shovel in his family's utility vehicle. Police seized his vehicle and, according to a search warrant, cadaver dogs alerted to a scent in the vehicle and on the shovel. Mary Fulginiti: You know, it's my understanding that they are trained and specifically trained to find human human remains. Two days later, Adam put out a statement through his attorneys. It read, in part: "I have cooperated with law enforcement at every turn ... I did not have anything to do with Maddi's disappearance. I want the mother of my 5-year-old and 2-year-old to be found and brought home safely. I want that more than anything." Maddi had been missing 35 days when Kolka and others gathered to remember her at a local church. KATIE KOLKA (crying): "She was the kindest most beautiful soul even on the brightest days, it still feels dark and gloomy without her here. David Kingsbury, center, and Cathy Kingsbury, right. / Credit: WCCO David Kingsbury addressed the crowd. DAVE KINGSBURY: We know that Madeline is around her somewhere. She just didn't vanish. Someone knows something. Somone saw something. Make this your battle cry. "Where's Madeline? Where is she?" Make it loud and don't stop until she's found. NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CASE For Megan Kingsbury, June 7, 2023, started out like every other day since Maddi disappeared. MEGAN KINGSBURY TIKTOK POST | June 7, 2023: Hey TikTok. Good morning. Happy Wednesday. ...Maddi's still missing Please continue to spread the word about my sister, Madeline But hours later 68 days after Maddi disappeared a sheriff's deputy found human remains along a lonely country road. David Kingsbury: While it hadn't been certified by the medical examiner, they're fairly certain that it was my daughter. Megan Kingsbury: I was on the floor and like screamed, crying you know what do you say when somebody tells you something like that? There's nothing that you can say. A doorbell camera captures Katie Kolka as she is comforted by her husband after learning that Maddi Kingsbury's remains were found. / Credit: Katie Kolka For Maddi's best friend Katie Kolka, the news was shattering; her reaction captured on her video doorbell camera. The very next day, Maddi's friends heard the news from Winona's police chief. POLICE CHIEF TOM WILLIAMS (to reporters): Law enforcement has confirmed the remains are those of Madeline Kingsbury. Krista Naber: You can't ever prepare yourself for one of your children, um, to to die, much less be found somewhere outside, found as she was. Megan Kingsbury: She was wrapped in, um, a gray fitted bed sheet that had black duct tape around the ends. And, um, there was a towel wrapped around her head. Adam Fravel / Credit: Winona Police Department Adam Fravel was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. The grey bed sheet wrapped around Maddi, according to a criminal complaint, seemed to match a set found in Maddi's home. And the isolated road where Maddi's remains were found, according to that criminal complaint, had been maintained by the Fravel family at one point. This area is also close to the township of Choice, where, police believe, there are 45 minutes unaccounted for in Fravel's timeline. Maddi's body was found in a culvert. Maddi's autopsy listed her cause of death as "homicidal violence" nothing more. In October 2023, Adam Fravel was indicted on additional first-degree murder charges. Fravel's possible motive for murder? In a warrant, investigators allege Fravel was in distress due to "his financial dependence" on Maddi and was upset about "the end of their relationship." Investigators also learned that Maddi had a "death benefit of $170,000" but had not listed a beneficiary. Mary Fulginiti: She was his his meal ticket she was the one who provided for them. According to a search warrant, when police entered the couple's house, they noticed that surveillance cameras inside the home had been removed. Former prosecutor Mary Fulginiti says it's the way they appeared to have been taken down that caught detectives' attention. Mary Fulginiti: They found that the surveillance cameras that he had installed have been ripped out, that they were no longer there so all of those are indicators of, you know, he's up to something in consciousness of guilt. Theresa Sis Mejia: He had those down weeks before they were in the process of moving. Fravel's sister and brother say at one point, before Maddi and Adam broke up, the couple was planning to move together to Adam's parents' home. Ryan Fravel: We want people to know that there are two sides to the story. Take, for instance, those cadaver dogs alerting to the utility vehicle and shovel. Fravel's family says that's because on the previous weekend their dad used that shovel to move a dead raccoon. Peter Van Sant: A raccoon. Ryan Fravel: A raccoon. Theresa Sis Mejia: They used a shovel to pick it up. Theresa Sis Mejia: every time we would try to clarify anything to the investigators, we were just treated with that. Like like we're just delusional. Theresa Sis Mejia: I believe Adam 150 percent that he is innocent he would never harm Maddi, the mother to his children, you know, he'd never do such a thing. Fravel's defense team has asked a judge to suppress Adam's police interview because they claim he wasn't read his Miranda rights. It's the interview where he admitted making comments about Gabby Petito but said he was only joking. In preliminary hearings, his lawyers also say there is not enough evidence to warrant the first-degree murder charge. Fravel's siblings insist authorities should take a closer look at Spencer Sullivan. Ryan Fravel: We're trying to trying to expand, uh, the investigator's eyes that something else could easily have happened. Peter Van Sant: What do you think of that? Spencer Sullivan: I mean, they're trying to protect Adam they kind of need to come to terms with the fact that my personal opinion, uh, they got the right person. David Kingsbury: There is a presumption of innocence in our legal system, of course, that everybody is entitled to But there is also a court of common sense. And in the court of common sense, all roads lead to Adam Fravel. The Kingsbury family is speaking out now in hopes of saving someone else. David Kingsbury: That's the reason why we're here and that's the reason why we're talking about this because we don't want it to happen to anybody else. Peter Van Sant: This is emotionally very powerful right now for you. Are you you don't blame yourself for this. Do you? Cathy Kingsbury: I think we all blame ourselves to some degree. When I would talk to her, I didn't push, you know. I wanted her to be able to say things when she was ready to say things. David Kingsbury: He had his hooks in her, and the kids make it really difficult. For Maddi's father, whatever the jury decides, there is a larger truth that haunts him. David Kingsbury: I'll always be the father of a murdered girl. Spencer Sullivan told "48 Hours" he too feels haunted by a conversation he and Maddi had weeks before she vanished. Spencer Sullivan: She told me that she was in love with me And unfortunately, I was too chicken s*** to say it back, but (sighs). Peter Van Sant: Does that bother you? Spencer Sullivan: Every day. Spencer Sullivan: I saw a future with Maddi and it felt like somebody just ripped the next 60 years out of my life. Megan Kingsbury, right, pictured with Maddi. For Megan Kingsbury, who was so close with her little sister, she still can't imagine a future without Maddi. Megan Kingsbury: I feel like even just saying that we're sisters doesn't describe being the closeness that we had. We were confidants for each other. Peter Van Sant: How do you want Maddi to be remembered? David Kingsbury: Somebody that mattered. And I think everything we've seen and heard from people really affirmed that she mattered to many, many people all of her friends said "she's my best friend." She was everybody's best friend. Adam Fravel's trial is expected to begin in the fall of 2024. His defense team has asked for a change of venue. "48 HOURS" POST MORTEM PODCAST Go behind the scenes with Peter Van Sant and Producer Jordan Kinsey as they discuss how TikTok mobilized a Minnesotan community to find Maddi Kingsbury. The team discusses how they were on the case from day one and the evidence that might be presented at Adam Fravel's upcoming trial. This embedded content is not available in your region. Produced by Paul LaRosa and Jordan Kinsey. Mike McHugh producer-editor. Mike Loftus is the associate producer. Michelle Sigona and Ryan N. Smith are the development producers. Greg McLaughlin and Jason Schmidt and Michelle Harris are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. Social Security Administration updates overpayment policy | 60 Minutes Search ongoing for extinct Tasmanian tiger amid efforts to revive species | 60 Minutes Vision changes could be early indicator of dementia, study finds Emergency service workers are seen near Bondi Junction after multiple people were stabbed inside the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre in Sydney SYDNEY (Reuters) -Young Sydney mother Ashlee Good, who cradled her nine-month old daughter Harriet, was one of the victims of a random shopping mall stabbing attack which killed six people, her family confirmed in a statement on Sunday. Five women and a male security guard were killed in the Saturday attack in the Sydney suburb of Bondi, police confirmed on Sunday, adding that 12 people remained in hospital. Good, 38, was among the dead. Police said her daughter was in a serious, but stable, condition in hospital. "We are reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend an all round outstanding human and so much more," the family said in the statement, which was reported by local media. "We can report that after hours of surgery yesterday our baby is current doing well," the family said. Witnesses told local media Good had been seen cradling her daughter and had sought help from passers-by following the attack. Good, an osteopath who described herself on LinkedIn as an "articulate and driven" professional, had posted last month about "what a privilege it is to become a parent", alongside a photo of her with her daughter Harriet. In Bondi, several people lay flowers at the entrance of the shopping mall where the attack took place. "It's such a tragic and shocking event," said John Tognolini, 65, who came from Katoomba, a town around 90 km (56 miles) from Sydney, to lay flowers. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday he had received condolence messages from around the world, and in the Vatican, a top cardinal said Pope Francis was "deeply saddened to learn of the violent attack in Sydney". "He sends the assurance of his spiritual closeness to all affected by this senseless tragedy, especially those who are now mourning the loss of a loved one," the Vatican telegram said. (Reporting by Sam McKeith, Scott Murdoch and Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Miral Fahmy) Trump addresses Iran attack on Israel at Pennsylvania rally: 'Would not have happened if we were in office' Trump addresses Iran attack on Israel at Pennsylvania rally: 'Would not have happened if we were in office' Following Iran's attack on Israel, former President Trump shared a heated message to those in attendance at his rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, vowing it should not have happened. "Before going any further, I want to say God bless the people of Israel. They're under attack right now. That's because we show great weakness," Trump said to open his speech. "The weakness that we've shown is unbelievable, and it would not have happened if we were in office. You know that. They know that, and everybody knows that." Trump continued, saying that America is praying for Israel and is sending absolute support to everyone in harm's way. "This is an attack that wouldn't have happened. I mean to think about, to think about what you have to go through," he said. "Ukraine would have never happened. Israel [being] attacked both October 7th and today would have never happened." LAWMAKERS SEND MESSAGE TO WHITE HOUSE ON IMPENDING IRAN DRONE ATTACK TO ISRAEL: 'STAND FIRM' President Donald Trump, left, arrives with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israel Museum to speak in Jerusalem, May 23, 2017. Trump joined other GOP politicians in voicing their concerns about the Biden administration and the attacks. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "As Israel faces this vicious attack from Iran, America must show our full resolve to stand with our critical ally. The world must be assured: Israel is not alone," House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X. "I will continue to engage with the White House to insist upon a proper response. The Biden Administrations undermining of Israel and appeasement of Iran have contributed to these terrible developments." Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said that President Biden must "stand firm" with Israel. "Iran's drone strikes show us President Biden's approach with Iran and the Middle East is backwards," she wrote in an X post. "Now as we risk entering WWIII, the U.S. must stand by Israel's commitment to democracy. The president must stand firm, and stop coddling Iran immediately." IRAN WARNS US TO STAY AWAY AS AMERICA SHOOTS DOWN DRONE LAUNCHED AT ISRAEL Former President Donald Trump speaks during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16, 2024. Biden was asked Friday how imminent a potential attack on Israel is from Tehran following an Israeli strike on Iran's Damascus consulate in Syria. "We are devoted to the defense of Israel," he added. "We will support Israel. We will defend, help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed." When asked what his message to Tehran was, Biden simply said: "Don't." When he was asked to elaborate, he walked away. Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report. Original article source: Trump addresses Iran attack on Israel at Pennsylvania rally: 'Would not have happened if we were in office' An attorney for former President Trump brushed off the significance of his first criminal trial, which is scheduled to begin Monday, saying the case is merely a six-week-long media extravaganza. Trumps criminal hush money trial will start jury selection on Monday in Manhattan, where prosecutors claim the former president illegally covered up payments made to hide a previous affair during the closing days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Jury selection is going to be difficult, attorney Will Scharf said in a Fox News Sunday interview with Shannon Bream. I have a lot of faith in our team up there, that theyre going to be able to get the best possible jury. At the end of the day, what were talking about here is a show trial, he continued. Its a six-week-long media extravaganza in the media capital of the world where the only realistic consequence, even if President Trump were convicted, is frankly a talking point for the Biden campaign. Scharf also gave no indication as to whether Trump will take the stand himself after Bream noted his history of speaking out of turn in courtrooms in his previous civil cases. The former president has already clashed with Judge Juan Merchan in this case, going after the judges daughter and being hit with a gag order. I think thats going to be a decision for President Trump and the trial team depending on how the trial progresses, he said. I would say that I think if he does take the stand, President Trump will be a compelling witness. He did nothing wrong here. The truth is absolutely on his side, he continued. So, thats a decision thats going to have to be made down the road. But one way or the other, I have full confidence in both President Trump and the team that he has around him. The trial is expected to last around six weeks and marks the first of four criminal cases against the former president. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In a joint statement issued Sunday, a dozen major media outlets demanded that President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to agree to debate one another. The statement follows apparent reluctance from each side about debates, with Trump dodging any primary season debates while also calling on Biden for early general election debates. The joint statement includes the major cable news, network news and several other large mainstream news outlets. That includes cable news outfits CNN, Fox News and MSNBC parent NBCUniversal News Group. The outlets urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participating in general election debates before Novembers election. They note the history of presidential debates, pointing to the fact that theyve been a regular part of our electoral cycles for 50 years. Theyve also occasionally been a key factor longer than that, including John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixons infamous televised 1960 debate where radio listeners were TV viewers were more likely than radio listeners to believe Kennedy won. But there were no more presidential debates until 1976. The outlets also cite the fact that the Commission on Presidential Debates has hosted presidential debates since 1988. Though it is still too early for presidential candidates to be officially invited to debate ahead of this years election, with neither officially their partys nominee until this summers party conventions, it is not too early for candidates who expect to meet the eligibility criteria to publicly state their support for and their intention to participate in the Commissions debates planned for this fall. The joint statement concludes that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high and insists that debate is the only way for the American public to understand each candidates perspective and beliefs. As they put it, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation. The statement is signed by ABC News, The Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News Media, NBCUniversal News Group, NewsNation, Noticias Univision (Univision Network News), NPR, PBS NewsHour and USA Today. GOP candidate Trump skipped all four Republican primary debates in 2023 and 2024, but has said he will debate Biden anytime, anywhere, any place ahead of the November election. They debated in 2020, but the second of three debates was canceled after Trump contracted COVID-19 before vaccines were available. Biden has expressed less enthusiasm at the idea of debating Trump this year and told reporters in March that a debate against Trump depends on his behavior. The Commission on Presidential Debates has debates scheduled for Sept. 16, Oct. 1 and Oct. 9. The letter is the final version of a draft obtained by the New York Times on Tuesday. The post Fox News, NBC and 10 Other Major Media Outlets Demand Trump-Biden Presidential Debates appeared first on TheWrap. Trump blames Biden for Iran strike on Israel: It would not have happened if we were in office Trump blames Biden for Iran strike on Israel: It would not have happened if we were in office Former President Trump on Saturday ripped into President Biden over Irans recent attack against Israel, arguing it would not be occurring if were still in the Oval Office. I want to say God bless the people of Israel theyre under attack right now, Trump said Saturday during a rally in Schnecksville, Penn. Thats because we show great weakness. This would not happen. The great weakness that weve shown is unbelievable, and it would not have happened if we were in office. You know that, they know that, everybody knows that, he added. The rally was held shortly after Iran launched an attack of drone and missile strikes on Israel on Saturday, sparking fears of a wider regional conflict in the Middle East. Israel later said the vast majority of the Iranian missiles were intercepted outside of the country by the countrys air defenses and the assistance of its allies, including U.S. forces. Trump on Saturday said America prays for Israel, telling the crowd, We send our absolute support to everyone in harms way. This is an attack that would not have happened. I will revive American strength abroad, and we will restore American strength at home, he continued. He echoed the argument on Truth Social, writing earlier in the day, ISRAEL IS UNDER ATTACK! This should never have been allowed to happen This would NEVER have happened if I were President! Biden returned to the White House on Saturday in the wake of Irans attacks to consult with his national security team. He later spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said he condemned the attacks in the strongest possible terms. Ive just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel, Biden said. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. The former president has repeatedly claimed ongoing tensions abroad would not have occurred under his leadership. In October, Trump said there would be zero chance Hamass surprise assault on Israel would have happened, arguing the attacks were a result of the U.S. being seen as weak and ineffective. In a statement to The Hill, White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said Biden is the only American president to directly defend Israel. President Biden is the only American President to have directly defended Israel, as he ordered the American military to last night, Bates said. He is also the only American President to have set foot on in Israel during wartime, in support of our ironclad commitment to their security. Unlike others, he did not attack Israel in the days after 10/7 and has never praised Hezbollah. Updated at 9:43 pm. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former President Trumps legal troubles and his 2024 White House campaign are fully colliding this week, with Trumps trial in New York City over an alleged hush money scheme set to begin Monday. While Trump is set to spend four days a week in court for the next several weeks, his campaign is planning to use virtual appearances, in-person campaign stops on the weekends and an expected flood of media attention on the proceedings to sustain enthusiasm among supporters in the face of what Republicans have decried as a partisan ploy to prevent him from running again. Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrats failing election interference strategy is to try and keep President Trump away from campaigning by confining him to a courtroom, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to The Hill. Unfortunately for Crooked Joe, voters see that President Trump is the strongest candidate to lead our country and nobody fights back harder than he does, she added. President Trump will continue to fight for truth in the courtroom and to share his winning message on the campaign trail. Trumps trial in Manhattan on Monday comes after a series of efforts last week to delay its start date. The former president is charged in the case with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to reimbursements to his then-fixer, Michael Cohen, who paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 just before the 2016 election to stay quiet about an alleged affair with Trump, which he denies. Trump has denied wrongdoing, framing the case as a partisan, political hit job led by Democratic District Attorney Alvin Bragg. In a Truth Social post days before the trial began, Trump decried the trial as Election Interference at its Best. But Trump aides downplayed the threat to his campaign for the White House and have already mapped out ways to maximize the former presidents time on the trail over the coming weeks. One Trump ally argued the New York City trial may also be less bothersome to Trumps campaign because of the timing. If youre going to have a trial, better to have it in the spring than in September, the Trump ally told The Hill. The Trump ally also noted that the former president saw his lead in the GOP primary expand after his indictments last year in New York City, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C. A Trump campaign official said they will take advantage of off days from court on Wednesdays and the weekends. Trump is already slated to attend a fundraiser in North Carolina on April 20, a Saturday. The official said Trump would also use the intense media attention on him to drive his message that he is a victim of a politically motivated case. Every time the president is in court, all of the focus is on him and the message hes driving, the official said. While we wish he were not going through this sham trial and believe it should be dismissed, President Trumps ability to dominate the airwaves has proven to be undefeated. Trump and his campaign are expected to attack Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, for his decision to bring the case at a time when New York City has dealt with its share of violent crime. Trump himself has repeatedly highlighted a viral incident from February in which migrants were recorded brawling with police officers in Times Square. While crime is trending down nationally, New York leaders deployed state troopers and National Guard members into subway stations following a number of high-profile violent incidents. But there are still signs the trial itself could spell trouble for Trump in the long run, especially if hes found guilty. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published Wednesday found 64 percent of surveyed voters viewed the hush money charges as at least somewhat serious, compared to 34 percent who did not consider the charges in the case to be serious. But the New York trial was viewed as being less serious than Trumps other three criminal cases. For example, 75 percent of surveyed voters viewed the case against Trump in Washington, D.C., for attempting to overturn the 2020 election as at least somewhat serious. A Politico/Ipsos poll conducted March 8-10 found 50 percent of respondents believe Trump is guilty of the alleged crimes in the Manhattan case, and 36 percent of independents said a conviction in the case would make them less likely to support Trump. Trump being forced to sit in a New York courtroom will also give the White House and Biden campaign a chance to draw a contrast, with the president free to hit the road as he pleases to visit battleground states. The president will travel to Pennsylvania for three days this week, visiting Scranton, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. And his campaign was quick to highlight Bidens robust travel schedule throughout the month of March, when he visited every battleground state, while Trump held only a few public campaign events. In a sign Biden hopes to draw a split screen with Trump by focusing on policy issues, the campaign said his Scranton event will drive home a simple question: Do you think the tax code should work for rich people or for the middle class? The President has made it clear what he thinks the answer is, and so has Donald Trump. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former President Donald Trump already appears to have a good idea of who might be on his economic team if he wins this November. The ongoing semipublic floating of candidates from the former president is new in that it is starting much earlier than in elections past. What's familiar is that Donald Trump is once again embracing both loyalists and the wealthiest and most well-known figures from the worlds of Wall Street and Washington. "I love all people, rich or poor, but in those particular positions, I just don't want a poor person," Trump memorably said in 2017 of his criteria for selecting officials to oversee the economy. More recently, a picture of Trump's possible economic team has begun to emerge through public comments and signals as well as leaks to the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson appears to hold, for now at least, a prime position in the effort to become Treasury Secretary among a variety of finance figures. On the Fed, an array of Trump loyalists appear to be in the mix for the multiple slots that could become open in a second Trump term. Former President Donald Trump, right, stands with Melania Trump, second from right, as they are greeted by John Paulson, left, and Alina de Almeida, second from left, at a massive GOP fundraiser on April 6 at Paulson's home. (Lynne Sladky/AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) It's a process that so far at least has evoked Trump job searches of the past with a similar mix of evergreen Trump loyalists and a special focus on billionaires, some of whom may not even want the job. Much of the process so far has been distinctly Trump, but other dynamics offer echoes of years past. The Treasury, for example, has often been open to D.C. outsiders such as Robert Rubin and Henry Paulson who are able to jump straight from Wall Street to the Treasury's headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue. Fed chairs, by contrast, have often required years of time in D.C. or academia before they can steer the economy from that side. Trump aides have often tried to publicly downplay the validity of the various names being bandied about and didn't respond to a Yahoo Finance request to confirm who might be under consideration. Here is a deeper look at some of the most oft-mentioned names and how the process has played out similarly or differently than Trump job searches of years past: Treasury Apparently atop the list at the moment is John Paulson, the billionaire hedge fund billionaire who recently co-hosted a massive fundraiser for Trump at his Florida home. Trump has even publicly floated Paulson for the job. In January, Trump told a New Hampshire crowd that Paulson "makes a hell of a lot of money," adding: "You know what? Put him at Treasury. You want to make a little money?" Story continues Reporters at the recent fundraiser which Trump said raised $50.5 million even asked for an update on Paulson's likelihood as Treasury Secretary to no avail. Paulson appears to be far from the only finance-world figure under consideration. There is Scott Bessent, a former Soros Fund Management investing chief, who co-hosted the recent fundraiser. Also on the various lists are Stephen A. Schwarzman, the Blackstone CEO, and Jeff Yass, the billionaire known for his giant stake in TikTok. All have crossed paths with Trump over the years but have not had extended working relationships with the former president. "I said hello to him, and his wife was lovely," Trump recently said of a meeting with Yass that he said was about education. Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives at the Atlanta Airport on April 10. (Megan Varner/Getty Images) (Megan Varner via Getty Images) The pattern was similar in 2016, with Trump largely focusing on high finance names when it came to filling that job. Former BB&T CEO John Allison was reportedly in the running back then, as was Jonathan Gray of Blackstone. Trump ultimately settled, of course, on Steven Mnuchin, with his resume that included 17 years at Goldman Sachs. The one name on lists both then and now is someone who has said repeatedly he would never take the job: JPMorgan Chase's (JPM) Jamie Dimon. The powerful CEO did raise some eyebrows with recent comments that Trump was right on some key issues, but the longtime Democrat has repeatedly ruled himself out of consideration. He also released a shareholder letter recently that was notable for doubling down on the politically contentious issue of diversity, equity, and inclusion and outlining a foreign policy that appeared more aligned with Biden than Trump. Then-President Donald Trump greets JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, left, and others at the beginning of a policy forum at the White House in 2017. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images) For Trump, perhaps the main difference between then and now is timing. His most aggressive name-dropping for Treasury in 2016 occurred right as that campaign wound down, with a political reaction evident to a candidate who ran as a populist outsider looking to rich financiers for his most prominent economic positions. "It is difficult to see how a second-generation Goldman Sachs partner would secure such a prominent position in an administration delivered by a populist wind," Compass Point analyst Isaac Boltansky noted to POLITICO at the time about Mnuchin, who indeed ended up getting the job. This time around, Trump is apparently more comfortable floating these names, while these figures are, not incidentally, able to help fund his cash-starved campaign. The Fed When it comes to the Fed, the most oft-mentioned names in news reports and elsewhere have tended to be Washington insiders and loyalists who have worked more closely with Trump over the years. One is former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh. He appears to be on the shortlist and was reportedly in contention last time to be Fed chair, but the then-47-year-old was hampered according to a 2017 Wall Street Journal account by seeming "too young." It was a process back in 2017 that ended with Trump picking Jerome Powell for the spot. This time around, all the names floated so far are very familiar to Trump. In addition to Warsh, names that have come up include Kevin Hassett, who worked as a senior adviser to Trump, and David Malpass, whom Trump picked to head the World Bank. Kevin Hassett, then the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, speaks about the economy as Donald Trump and Mike Pence look on at the White House in 2018. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images) (NICHOLAS KAMM via Getty Images) Two other names include Arthur Laffer, whom Trump awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and Judy Shelton, whom Trump unsuccessfully tried to nominate to the Fed in 2020. As with the Treasury deliberations, Trump's Fed trial balloons have come much earlier this time around in contrast to 2016 and 2017, when lists were apparently narrowed down only once Trump was in office. Likely accelerating the timeline is Trump's now-antagonistic relationship with Chair Powell. As for his deliberations, Trump has been clear on only one thing: He won't reappoint Powell, though he hasn't signaled whether he'd look to oust Powell before his term as chair expires in May 2026. 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 Former President Donald Trump on Saturday endorsed the Senate campaign of Republican Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania after initially being reluctant to endorse the former hedge fund executive who is challenging Democrat Bob Casey in a critical Senate battleground. I am officially giving my endorsement to David McCormick tonight. Hes a good a man. He wants to run a good ship. Hes a smart guy, who was a very successful guy. Hes given up a lot to do this, Trump told supporters at a rally in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, his last official campaign event before jury selection in his criminal hush money trial in New York begins Monday. McCormick, who announced his campaign for Senate in September, is running unopposed in the April 23 Republican primary. Ill tell you what: Hes the nominee of the Republican Party, David McCormick. Go out and vote for him because Casey doesnt do a damn thing, Trump said. As CNN previously reported, people close to the former president said Trumps resistance to weighing in early on the Senate race in Pennsylvania was not entirely surprising: Trump and McCormick have a fraught history, dating back to McCormicks failed 2022 primary bid for the states other Senate seat against celebrity heart surgeon Mehmet Oz. McCormick was not at Saturdays rally. His campaign told CNN the candidate had a previously scheduled family event, a commitment he made long before Trump announced his planned rally. McCormick thanked Trump for the endorsement in a social media post after the rally, saying, Together we will deliver a big win for Pennsylvania and America in November. The former president has now endorsed all candidates backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the major swing states, except Nevada. (And while he has not yet formally backed a candidate in the Senate race in Nevada, he posted on social media Friday that Republican hopeful Sam Brown and the former president himself were the Clear Choices of Nevadas Republican Voters and Donors.) Swing state success Trumps visit to Pennsylvania on Saturday comes as his team looks to replicate his stunning 2016 victory in the Keystone State on his way to winning the White House. The result, combined with his wins in Michigan and Wisconsin, created a seismic crack in the so-called blue wall of states Democrats had relied on in every election going back to 1992. Joe Biden flipped all three states in 2020. Trump and Biden remain locked in a close race for the presidency, with registered voters nationwide splitting 46% for Trump to 45% for Biden, according to a new poll from The New York Times and Siena College. At the start of his rally Saturday, Trump acknowledged Irans launch of a wave of strikes toward Israel in retaliation for last weeks deadly Israeli strike on an Iranian embassy complex in Syria. God bless the people of Israel. Theyre under attack right now. Thats because we show great weakness, Trump said. Its unbelievable, and it would not have happened if we were in office. Shortly after, shouts of Genocide Joe broke out among some rally attendees positioned behind Trump. The former president stopped his speech to turn around and look at them, before saying, Theyre not wrong. Theyre not wrong. Hes done everything wrong. The slogan Genocide Joe has been used in recent months by some Biden critics to denounce his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. It was unclear Saturday whether the Trump rallygoers were using the slogan to convey the same message. Biden has faced fierce criticism and condemnation from pro-Palestinian activists including protests and interruptions at public events in the past several months over his response to the Gaza conflict. Hush money trial Saturdays rally was Trumps last scheduled campaign event before jury selection begins Monday in his New York hush money trial. Following the rally, Trump was expected to fly straight to New York City, where he will be prepared by members of his legal team on Sunday on court protocol and messaging, a source familiar with his plans told CNN. Trump spent a lengthy amount of time Saturday railing against the case, but he told supporters he was proud to do it for you. He also claimed once again that the case represented election interference and had no merit. Its a joke all over the world, but when I walk into that courtroom, I know I will have the love of 200 million Americans behind me, Trump said. And I will be fighting for the freedom of 325 million Americans. As his trial commences, the former president will have to juggle his time between the courtroom and the campaign trail at a crucial period for his general election bid. He is required to be present in court the entire time every weekday, except Wednesday with the schedule set by the court. Trumps team is working around the limitations to keep him interacting with voters and donors. His next scheduled campaign appearance after jury selection starts is on April 20, when he is expected to go to North Carolina for a campaign event and fundraiser. This story has been updated with additional information. CNNs Kristen Holmes and Shania Shelton contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Former U.S. president Donald Trump said that the unfolding Iranian attacks on Israel are the result of the Biden administration exhibiting weakness on the world stage at his Pennsylvania rally Saturday night. Before going any further, I wanna say: God bless the people of Israel. Theyre under attack right now, because we show great weakness, Trump said. The remarks come as Tehran has launched a barrage of missile and drone strikes toward Israel on Saturday in retaliation for a deadly attack on an Iranian embassy in Damascus earlier this month. Tehran has blamed the embassy attackwhich killed a top Iranian commanderon Israel, which has yet to publicly claim responsibility for the assassination. While U.S. forces have been helping to intercept the attacks on Israel, the full extent of the damage from the bombardment remains unclear. That did not, however, stop Trump from declaring that the attack that would not have happened if he were still in office. Blasts and Sirens Ring Out in Israel Amid Iranian Attack The crowd in Schnecksville, Pennsylvaniawhich waited almost an hour for Trump to come on stagebroke into a genocide Joe chant shortly thereafter. Theyre not wrong, theyre not wrong, Trump said. Hes done everything wrong. Over the course of his rally, Trump repeatedly bashed Biden as crooked Joe, calling him a tyrant and even going so far as to say everything he touches turns to shit. Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, has previously urged the country to hurry up its war with Hamas and criticized the militarys killing of civilians because he thought it amounted to bad optics. The former presidents anti-Biden screed on Saturday wasnt limited to foreign policy. After addressing the Iran strikes, Trump moved onto another tangent about electric vehicles. I mean, to think about what we have to go through, and the things we put up with, with the border, with no energy independence, Trump said, despite domestic oil production reaching all-time highs under President Joe Biden, with all electric carswould anybody like to buy an electric car for the rest of your life? Trump then ranted about being stuck in court as jury selection begins in the Manhattan hush money case, describing his legal woes as a symptom of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Were going communist, dont kid yourself, Trump said at another point. If we dont win this election, this country is finished. 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. WASHINGTON While former President Donald Trump is in his hometown of New York this week for the start of his criminal trial on charges of falsifying business records, President Joe Biden plans to campaign in his birthplace of Scranton in battleground Pennsylvania. Bidens counterprogramming itinerary includes three days of economy-focused events in Scranton, Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia area, while his campaign keeps a spotlight on Trumps position on abortion. The result will be dueling visuals of the two candidates that Biden allies hope speak volumes to voters even as the president stays silent about his GOP rivals legal troubles. Were really just kind of leaving it alone, a Biden aide said of Trumps trial beginning this week. Bidens campaign speech in Scranton on Tuesday pivots off Tax Day on Monday, Biden aides said. They said the president will argue that Trump, if elected, would provide tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the middle class. We think Trump is pretty vulnerable on that, one Biden aide said. But its the differences between the two candidates on abortion that the Biden team sees as a decisive factor that could put him over the top in Novembers election, according to Biden allies. The campaign thinks the abortion issue is the margin of victory they need, one Biden ally said. Nearly all of the ads the Biden campaign is currently airing mention abortion, according to a campaign official. Bidens team also moved more quickly than usual this past week to respond to Trumps comments on abortion. On Monday, when Trump said the issue should be left to the states and took credit for the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Biden carved out time in his schedule that morning at an uncharacteristically early hour to prerecord a response that would be ready to go. You dont get Joe Bidens time that early, one campaign official said to emphasize how important the issue is to the president. After Trump said Friday that we broke Roe v. Wade and the decision to leave the issue to states is working very brilliantly, Vice President Kamala Harris swiftly added a response to her planned campaign speech in Arizona, which she delivered on the heels of the states Supreme Court ruling that a near-total ban on abortion from 1864 is enforceable. Now, Bidens team is planning how to mark Floridas six-week abortion ban going into effect in the next few weeks, according to a Biden aide. The aide said voters also will hear more directly from the president on abortion, with statements and events. Harris has been the most vocal member of the administration on abortion, a strategy thats expected to continue. While Biden aides are determined to make sure Trump fails in any effort to moderate or carve out a murky position on abortion now that he faces a general electorate, they also want to try to put the former president on the defensive on economic issues while hes preoccupied. Bidens campaign has long believed the most effective strategy against Trump is to focus on him only as a candidate for president, not as a candidate at the center of a legal drama. Biden aides say that wont change this week, even with the expectation that there will be blanket media coverage of the start of the first of several potential trials Trump will face. The contrast that President Biden will drive is that hes got your back, and if that is the message that breaks through, thats what moves the needle, a Democratic strategist close to the White House said. And hes helped profoundly by the fact that Donald Trump is in court defending himself. Not all Biden allies agree with the silent approach to Trumps criminal trial. Its outdated thinking to rely on these old norms and recycled cliches of communicating like dont give it oxygen or stay out of the way while an opponent self-implodes, another Democratic strategist said. Biden should go on offense, engage and pre-empt the Trump circus. Former President Donald Trump Travels To Atlanta, Georgia (Megan Varner / Getty Images) Trumps New York trial is expected to last from six to eight weeks. He is required to attend in person every weekday except Wednesdays, when the trial wont be held. Trump campaign officials have said the former president plans to hold rallies and campaign events on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In the run-up to the start of the trial, the Trump campaign has been fundraising off his legal troubles, warning in a text message to supporters on Saturday that in 48 hours, AMERICA WILL CEASE TO EXIST. While in Scranton, Biden will revive a major economic argument of the 2020 campaign that he is focused on the needs of Americans like those in Scranton while Trump is trying to deliver for those who can afford to live on Park Avenue in Manhattan. During a town hall-style event near Scranton in the closing weeks of the 2020 campaign, Biden argued that guys like Trump who inherited everything and squandered what they inherited are the people Ive always had a problem with. On Tuesday, hell highlight measures in his 2025 budget proposal that the White House says would benefit the middle class, such as raising taxes on billionaires, according to the Biden aides. To underscore his point, the Biden aides said he is expected to again highlight Trumps remarks to donors at a recent private dinner that hell keep their taxes low. The president will deliver different versions of that message during his other stops in what he and his campaign see as potentially the linchpin state in the 2024 election. Pennsylvania, as well as Wisconsin and Michigan Democrats so-called blue wall helped put Biden over the 270-electoral vote threshold four years ago. Its all about the blue wall, a Biden campaign official said. If we cant win those states, we lose. After Tuesdays event in Scranton, Biden will hold an official White House event focused on manufacturing in the Pittsburgh area, which the president has long seen as the home base for his union-focused economic policy. Hell end the week with a campaign event in the Philadelphia area, a place that has often been where he focuses on what he believes is at stake for American democracy in November. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Trump just made a 2024 endorsement in this Eastern WA congressional grudge match Former President Donald Trump has endorsed a MAGA challenger to U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse in a notch against the Sunnyside, Wash., Republican who voted to impeach Trump follow the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Newhouse has to go, Trump wrote in a Friday post to Truth Social. Jerrod Sessler is MAGA all the way, and has my complete and total endorsement he will never let you down. Jerrod Sessler Trump also called the incumbent a weak and pathetic RINO, or Republican in name only. Newhouse plans to run for a sixth term in Congress this year. The Tri-City Herald reached out to his campaign for comment but has not heard back yet. Sessler is a businessman, U.S. Navy veteran and fellow Republican from Prosser. He previously told the Herald that hes running to clinch up the purse strings of Congress and unseat Newhouse, who he says doesnt represent the conservative values of central Washington voters. Dan Newhouse While hes never held public office, Sessler considers himself a political firebrand. His time in the public spotlight also has been mired with controversies, including threats made against a Benton County code enforcement officer who visited his home in 2022 and tiffs against another candidates campaign manager that same year. #Honored, Sessler wrote in a short post to X/Twitter that included a screenshot of Trumps endorsement. This year will be Sesslers second try at ousting Newhouse. Sessler and five other Republicans tried in 2022 to unseat the Fourth District congressman, but a crowded Republican field divided conservative votes and allowed the Sunnyside farmer to surf to an easy reelection victory. He placed fourth in the August 2022 top-two primary election, earning 12% of the vote. Sessler was ultimately beaten out by Democrat Doug White, who received 25% and advanced alongside Newhouse to the general election. Sessler is a businessman, U.S. Navy veteran and fellow Republican from Prosser. Loren Culp, the Trump-backed candidate in that primary, also outdid Sessler with 22% of the vote. Newhouse was the only pro-impeachment Republican to defeat a Trump-endorsed primary challenger that year. But Republicans appear to be going for a more unifying strategy this cycle. When they meet next week in Spokane for their state convention, Republican delegates for the first time will vote to endorse a single candidate running in each of the major federal and statewide offices. The Fourth Congressional District encompasses central Washington, stretching from the U.S.-Canada border down to the Columbia River. It includes Omak, East Wenatchee, Moses Lake, Yakima, the Yakama Indian Reservation and the Tri-Cities. Its also Washingtons most conservative-leaning congressional district. The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index rated it R+11 in 2022. WASHINGTON Would Donald Trump ever have become president if he hadnt paid off porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet in the days before the 2016 election? The answer is impossible to know, but the premise of the question forms the basis of the very first criminal trial of a former president in American history: whether Trumps scheme to keep Daniels claim of a 2006 affair with him under wraps was, in fact, a crime for which the coup-attempting former president should be punished. While hush money case has become the shorthand to describe the first of Trumps four criminal cases to go to trial, particularly among Trump defenders who wish to diminish it, that is not how it will be described to prospective jurors Monday at the scheduled start of jury selection. Judge Juan Merchans first sentence of a 223-word summary describing the case to jurors reads: The allegations are, in substance, that Donald Trump falsified business records to conceal an agreement with others to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the 34-count indictment against Trump just over a year ago, will argue that the ledger entries and other business documents Trump created claiming that he was paying lawyer Michael Cohen for legal services when in reality he was repaying him for the $130,000 check he delivered to Daniels, were felonies under New York law. The core is not money for sex, Bragg told New Yorks public radio affiliate last year. We would say its about conspiring to corrupt a presidential election and then lying in New York business records to cover it up. Trumps campaign did not respond to HuffPosts queries for this report. He has primarily argued on social media and in his campaign speeches that the case was brought to hurt his efforts to regain the presidency, another piece of the witch hunt that he claims the deep state is conducting against him. He repeated those claims Friday during a brief news conference. Its not even a crime, he said. Its very unfair that we have this judge who hates Trump. Its unclear precisely how long the trial will last or even how many days it will take to seat a jury, although estimates suggest it could stretch into June. Merchan, in an April 8 letter to prosecutors and defense lawyers, noted the logistical challenges involved in trying a former president and presumptive major party nominee who travels with a substantial Secret Service detail. In a case where security concerns are implicated every time anyone enters or exits the courtroom, or mingles around the corridors, moving the entire jury panel is no simple task, Merchan wrote. Braggs filing accompanying the indictment lays out the plan Trump and his ally David Pecker, publisher of the National Enquirer, developed to catch and kill stories that could hurt Trumps presidential campaign. The scheme also involved paying off a doorman at a Trump building, who claimed Trump had a fathered a child outside his marriages, as well as a Playboy model, Karen McDougal, who also claimed shed had an affair with Trump in 2006 and 2007. Neither of those payments, though, were made by Cohen, and the actual indictment only involves Trumps reimbursements to him. Former President Donald Trump attends a hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on Feb. 15 ahead of a trial on charges that he illegally covered up payments made before the 2016 election that were intended to keep porn star Stormy Daniels from speaking out about an alleged affair with Trump. BRENDAN MCDERMID/POOL/AFP via Getty Images To what extent Trumps successful pre-election silencing of Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, played a role in his narrow 2016 win is unclear. Trump lost the national popular vote by 2.9 million ballots but won Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania by a combined 77,744 votes, which gave him a healthy Electoral College victory. After watching his poll numbers crater after the Oct. 7, 2016, release of the Access Hollywood tape, in which he bragged that his celebrity allowed him to grab women by the genitals, Trump slowly recovered over the coming weeks as Russias spy agencies and their ally, Julian Assange, on a near daily basis released stolen emails designed to hurt Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. A shift back to a discussion of Trumps attitudes toward women could easily have swayed the relatively small number of voters needed in those three states to have altered the outcome, said Josh Schwerin, a Democratic consultant who worked on Clintons campaign that year. Its certainly true that the 2016 election was close enough that you can point to just about anything as being enough to swing it one way or the other, he said. Some Republicans are unconvinced. If Trump on tape saying what he liked to do to women didnt move voting women away from him, their stories certainly wouldnt, said Michael Steele, a former Republican National Committee chair who is now a prominent Trump critic. Daniels and McDougal would just be two women he paid to grab em by their private parts. Sad. David Kochel, who worked for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bushs presidential campaign in the 2016 primaries, said he also doubted that Daniels story coming out in the final weeks of the campaign would have crippled Trump. It was all priced in to his bad-boy, playboy brand, he said. Whether it would have cost Trump the election, of course, does not matter in terms of his criminal trial. Prosecutors must only prove that Trump had Cohen make the payment to Daniels for the purpose of influencing the election and that he subsequently created fake business records to disguise the purpose of the reimbursements. I think the case is strong as a matter of both evidence and New York law, said Norm Eisen, a White House lawyer under former President Barack Obama who recently published a book about the New York prosecution. If Bragg proves that theory of the case, and I think he will, he will establish this was no minor hush-money peccadillo but a serious democracy crime. Trump faces three other felony criminal prosecutions two of them based on his attempt to remain in power despite having lost reelection in 2020. A federal indictment could go to trial as early as late August, depending on the timing of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on his claim that he is immune from prosecution. A Georgia state prosecution based on his attempt to overturn his election loss in that state could also start later this year. An unrelated second federal prosecution based on his refusal to turn over secret documents he took with him from the White House to his South Florida country club has not yet been set for trial. And in a separate civil case, a New York jury last year found that Trump had sexually penetrated writer E. Jean Carroll against her will in an incident in the 1990s, finding him liable for sexual abuse. The federal judge in the case later clarified that Trumps actions were rape in the common modern parlance. Related... Former President Donald Trump is backing Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania after throwing his support to a different candidate during McCormick's first run for the Senate two years ago. "I am officially giving my endorsement to David McCormick tonight. Hes a good a man. He wants to run a good ship. Hes a smart guy, who was a very successful guy. Hes given up a lot to do this," Trump declared on Saturday, as he spoke at a large rally in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. McCormick, a former hedge fund executive, West Point graduate, Gulf War combat veteran and Treasury Department official in former President George W. Bushs administration, launched his second Senate bid last year. He's running unopposed in the crucial battleground state's April 23 primary and will face off in November against longtime Democratic Sen. Bob Casey Jr. "Ill tell you what: Hes the nominee of the Republican Party, David McCormick. Go out and vote for him because Casey doesnt do a damn thing," Trump emphasized. FIRST ON FOX: MCCORMICK SHOWCASES MAJOR FUNDRAISING HAUL IN KEY SENATE SHOWDOWN Casey, the son of a popular former governor, served a decade as Pennsylvania's auditor general and then treasurer before winning election to the Senate in 2006. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The Senate race in Pennsylvania is one of a handful across the country that will likely decide if the Republicans win back the majority in the chamber. Democrats currently control the U.S. Senate with a 51-49 majority, but Republicans are looking at a favorable Senate map this year, with Democrats defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs. Three of those seats are in red states that Trump carried in his 2020 election defeat to President Biden Ohio, Montana and West Virginia, where Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin is not running for re-election. And Pennsylvania is one of five key general election battlegrounds where the Democrats are defending seats. Democrats may also have to worry about holding the open Senate seat in blue Maryland, where former GOP Gov. Larry Hogan is running. TRUMP, BIDEN, MAKE DUELING TRIPS TO THIS CRUCIAL BATTLEGROUND STATE McCormick was not at Saturdays rally. His campaign told Fox News the candidate had a previously scheduled family commitment that he made long before Trump recently announced his rally in Schnecksville, which is located in the Lehigh Valley, a highly competitive part of the northeastern swing state. Following the rally, McCormick thanked Trump for the endorsement in a social media post. "Thank you, President Trump,", he said. "Together we will deliver a big win for Pennsylvania and America in November." Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick launches a campaign bus tour, in Lititz, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 10, 2024 McCormick was part of a crowded and combustible battle for the 2022 GOP nomination. He ended up losing the nomination by a razor-thin margin to celebrity doctor and cardiac surgeon Mehmet Oz, who secured a primary victory thanks to a late endorsement from Trump. Oz ended up losing the general election to Democrat John Fetterman . "I dont know David well, and he may be a nice guy, but hes not MAGA," Trump said of McCormick at the time, as he referred to his legions of Make America Great Again loyalists and supporters. This time around, McCormick faces no major opposition in the GOP primary. He is backed by longtime Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and the Pennsylvania GOP, and was encouraged to run by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the party's Senate campaign arm. McCormick endorsed Trump early last month after the former president scored major victories in the coast to coast Super Tuesday contests and Nikki Haley Trump's last remaining rival for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination dropped out of the White House race. Trump's visit to Pennsylvania is his third this year. He made a Feb. 9 stop in Harrisburg to address NRA members gathered at the group's Great American Outdoor Show. Days later, he made an unusual stop in Philadelphia at Sneaker Con a major trade show to hawk new Trump-branded sneakers. Pennsylvania is one of six battleground states where Biden narrowly edged Trump in the presidential election four years ago to capture the White House. Most of the latest public opinion polls in Pennsylvania suggest a close contest between Biden and Trump for the state's 19 electoral votes. The president returns to the state where he was born on Tuesday, for three days of events in Pennsylvania, where his political advisers say Biden aims to spotlight his plans to raise taxes for the wealthiest Americans and corporations as he paints contrasts with Trump on economic issues. President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at Strath Haven Middle School in Wallingford, Pennsylvania, on March 8, 2024. (Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images) Biden kicks off the three-day swing with a speech in Scranton, where he spent part of his childhood. The president has repeatedly returned to the working-class city in northeastern Pennsylvania as he's made populist pitches to Americans. The president will head to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, followed by a campaign event Thursday in Philadelphia. Biden's swing through Pennsylvania will come as Trump makes history as the first current or former president in the nation's history to go on trial. Trump's hush-money trial will get underway Monday in a New York City courtroom. The former president who is being tried on 34 state felony charges is accused of falsifying business records in relation to hush-money payments during the 2016 election he made to Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about his alleged affair with the adult film actress. Trump has repeatedly denied falsifying business records as well as the alleged sexual encounter with Daniels. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub Original article source: Trump makes major endorsement in crucial Senate race in key battleground state In April 2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced that his office had charged Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The case is historic. It is the first ever prosecution of an American president (current or former), and one of the most important trials of alleged election wrongdoing in American history. My book, Trying Trump: A Guide to His First Election Interference Criminal Trial, is a complete guide to understanding what will happen and why it matters. As DA Bragg has explained, the Manhattan case charges Trump with conspiring to corrupt a presidential election and then lying in New York business records to cover it up. The trial will center on Trumps alleged efforts to conceal a hush money payment made to Stephanie Clifford, an adult film star also known as Stormy Daniels, for the exclusive rights to her story of a sexual encounter with Trump. As part of an alleged catch and kill scheme orchestrated by Trump with his fixer Michael Cohen and David Pecker, the former CEO of American Media, Inc. (AMI), which published supermarket tabloids including the National Enquirer, Cohen paid Daniels $130,000. Trump reimbursed Cohen, and Trump and Cohen allegedly falsified their business records to conceal the true nature of those payments, which the District Attorneys Office alleges should have been claimed as a campaign-related expense. The 34 counts consist of one count for each of the 11 checks to reimburse Cohen, also for 11 fake corresponding invoices and 12 corresponding false ledger entries. Make no mistake: The Manhattan case is not just about hush money. According to the presiding judge, Justice Juan Merchan, the charges arise from allegations that Defendant attempted to conceal an illegal scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election. As Bragg described it, the core of the case is not money for sex... Its about conspiring to corrupt a presidential election and then... lying in New York business records to cover it up Thats the heart of the case. Bragg and his team built the case as a clear-cut instance of election interference, in which a candidate defrauded the American people to win the White House in 2016. Alvin Braggs Case Against Trump Is Stronger Than You Think The timing of the scheme establishes its connection to the election. The hush money arrangement with Daniels occurred just after the Access Hollywood scandal, when Trump boasted about committing sexual assaults, and was consummated on October 27, 2016, 12 days before the election. As described in the charging documents, Trump initially directed Cohen to delay the payments to Daniels until after the election, because at that point it would not matter if the story became public. However, with pressure mounting and the election approaching, Trump ultimately agreed to the payoff. The catch and kill scheme was squarely aimed at influencing voters perceptions. When Cohen pleaded guilty to eight charges in 2018, the Department of Justice (DOJ) explained that the hush money payments made to Clifford and another woman were intend[ed] to influence the 2016 presidential election. Similarly, in its non-prosecution agreement with the DOJ, AMI admitted that the hush money paid to another woman (former Playboy model Karen McDougal) was intended to prevent her from publiciz[ing] damaging allegations about Trump before the 2016 presidential election and thereby influence that election. And as I explained for The New York Times, it is entirely possible that the alleged election interference might have altered the outcome of the 2016 contest, which was decided by just under 80,000 votes in three states. Coming on the heels of the Access Hollywood disgrace, the effort to keep the scandal from voters may have saved Trumps political prospects. Trump and his defense team dismiss the case as simply a revenge prosecution by a partisan Democratic district attorney. As with his two impeachments, three other criminal prosecutions, and multiple civil suits, Trump has denounced this case as a witch hunt. In addition to Trumps denunciations, the charging decision was met with early and ongoing skepticism. Some observers have criticized the case as unlikely to succeed because it is too political or legally convoluted. But those criticisms are misplaced. As explained throughout this volume, DA Bragg has built a robust case along a narrowly tailored theory of prosecution: falsifying business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information during the 2016 presidential campaign. Despite the historical significance of being the first indictment of a former president, the core allegations of falsifying business records are routine. The overarching theme of the coming trial will be DA Braggs argument to the judge, the jury, and the court of public opinion that this case is about our democracy. In America, we value our freedomsincluding our freedom to elect leaders who govern in our name. The legitimacy of American governance rests upon the honesty of our elections, and when information is withheld from voters, as Bragg alleges happened here, that undermines democracy. Indeed, the alleged 2016 campaign corruption and cover up may be viewed as setting the pattern for Trumps presidency and its culmination: his alleged 2020 election interference. For these reasons, we believe the trial is deeply important to our democracy, and so worth understanding in depth. My book is our effort to help readers do just that. Excerpted from Trying Trump: A Guide to His First Election Interference Criminal Trial, edited by Norm Eisen, SDDF Books. Copyright 2024 by SDDF Books. Reprinted with permission. 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. Trump says Iran attack on Israel would never have happened if I were president Donald Trump weighed in on Irans airstrike against Israel on Saturday evening. ISRAEL IS UNDER ATTACK, the former president said on his social media platform, Truth Social. This should never have been allowed to happen - This would NEVER have happened if I were President! Mr Trumps comments come after the Israeli Defense Forces announced Iran had launched dozens of drones against Israel, set to arrive Saturday evening. President Joe Biden has since pledged his support for Israel. Donald Trump, pictured on 2 April, said President Joe Biden is to blame for Irans attack on Israel (REUTERS) President Biden has been clear: our support for Israels security is ironclad, National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said on Saturday. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran. The former presidents proposed policy on Israels offensive in Gaza, meanwhile, has been hazy at best,The Independents Richard Hall previously reported. In the days after Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 200 people hostage, Mr Trump offered his enthusiastic backing for Israels retaliatory offensive in Gaza. However, more recent comments from Mr Trump, coming after more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, could be interpreted as a sign that his unyielding support for Israel is not guaranteed. Youve got to get it over with, and you have to get back to normalcy, Mr Trump said in an interview with The Hugh Hewitt Show that aired earlier this month. The former president added that he wanted Israel to get back to peace and stop killing people. On Truth Social, Mr Trump also inexplicably attacked Mr Biden for using a taped speech to address the people. However, Mr Biden has not addressed the nation since Iran launched their attack, and he is not expected to make any remarks on Saturday evening. AFTER READING MY TRUTH, BIDENS HANDLERS CONVINCED HIM NOT TO RELEASE HIS TAPED SPEECH ON ISRAEL, Mr Trump wrote. HELL NOW ATTEMPT TO DO IT LIVE, PROBABLY TOMORROW. HE DOESNT WANT TO LEAVE HIS HOUSE, WITH THE CORVETTE, IN DELAWARE!!! Mr Biden had already left Delaware his home state, where he was slated to spend the weekend as of Saturday evening, cutting his trip short to handle the Iran crisis. The president is now in the White House, where an administration spokesperson said he would meet with his national security team. President Joe Biden, pictured arriving at the White House on 13 April 2024, cut his trip to Delaware short (AFP via Getty Images) Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson a staunch ally to Mr Trump has also attempted to pin Irans attacks on Mr Biden. The Biden Administrations undermining of Israel and appeasement of Iran have contributed to these terrible developments, Mr Johnson said in a statement on Saturday evening. Tensions between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Biden have been on the rise in recent weeks. This week, the president called for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians. However, he still appears poised to make an $18bn sale of fighter jets to Israel a deal which the administration says has been in the making for years. The Independent also exclusively reported this week that eight internal dissent memos were sent by US State Department staff during the first two months of the Gaza war, highlighting the widespread opposition within the department to the Biden administrations support for Israels war in Gaza. The former president is expected to speak at a campaign event in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania on Saturday evening, where he may comment further on the Iranian attacks. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a bilateral meeting in New York. Fidan called for de-escalation following Iran's attack on Israel, in a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart. Michael Kappeler/dpa Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for de-escalation following Iran's attack on Israel, in a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart. Fidan told Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian that Turkey did not want any further escalation in the region, state news agency Anadolu reported on Sunday, citing diplomatic circles. Amirabdollahian assured Fidan that Iran would not carry out any further attacks as long as Israel does not launch a counterattack. But if it does, Iran's response would be stronger than before, Tasnim news agency reported. Relations between Israel and Turkey have deteriorated since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. Turkey imposed trade restrictions on Israel on Tuesday and accused Israel of a "massacre of Palestinians." That comes after a period of better relations, with Israel having been Turkey's twelfth most important foreign trading partner last year. Turkey also maintains good trade relations with Iran, however, and Ankara has no clear interest in a wider regional conflict, not least for economic reasons. Two men shove boulders off ancient rock formation in Nevada, wrecking it, video shows A video posted to social media shows two men rolling boulders over a cliff at an ancient rock formation in Nevada, National Park Service rangers reported. Dont fall, daddy! a girl screams in the video, posted by KVVU, as the men wrestle rocks to the dropoff at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The boulders raise clouds of dust as they crash to the ground. Rangers are trying to identify the two men in the video, believed to have been taken on the evening of Sunday, April 7, at the Redstone Dunes Trail, an April 13 news release said. They ask anyone in the area at the time who might have information to call 888-653-0009 or email nps_isb@nps.gov. You dont have to tell us who you are, but please tell us what you know, rangers wrote. John Haynes, public information officer at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, told KVVU the apparently random destruction almost feels like a personal attack. Why would you even do something like this, like why on Earth would you do this? Haynes asked, calling the trail one of his favorite parts of the park. Its pretty appalling. More than 7 million people visit Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which covers 1.5 million acres, each year, the National Park Service said. The reservoir, created by Hoover Dam, became the nations first national recreation area in 1964. It is about a 30-mile drive southeast from Las Vegas. Womans dog attacks her when she tries to stop dogs from mating, California cops say Accused drunk driver evading police plunges into ocean with 3 in pickup, CA cops say 13-year-old playing with Nerf guns mistakenly killed with real gun, Arizona cops say When is someone too old to work or too old to get hired? According to many employers, 62 is the cutoff for working, and 58 for hiring. It begs the question: What planet are they on? Many employers are focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion, but they may be overlooking age in their hiring efforts, said Catherine Collinson, CEO and president of Transamerica Institute and the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, which conducted the recent study. Roughly 1 in 5 Americans age 65 and older were employed in 2023, four times the number in the mid-1980s. That chalks up to around 11 million workers. Theyre working more hours, on average, than in previous decades. Today, 62% of older workers are working full time, compared with 47% in 1987, according to the Pew Research Center. And theyre more likely to have a four-year college degree than in the past. Older workers want and need to work beyond traditional retirement age, Collinson said. Theyre not financially ready to retire, and they may enjoy what they do. However, they can only succeed if employers are welcoming and supportive. Thats a stumbling block because workers of all ages need to be consistently honing and adding skills to keep up with new technologies in order to stay on the job. "What has been left unaddressed is how we are going to ensure that this part of the workforce is prepared for the never-ending changing nature of work," Ramona Schindelheim, WorkingNation editor in chief, told Yahoo Finance. "Training and upskilling are still targeted toward a younger generation." More than half of employers say that their company culture "emphasizes professional growth and development among employees of all ages, including those age 50 and older," per the Transamerica data, yet a fraction 2 in 10 emphasize it a "great deal." "Without thought to this part of the labor force, I fear that these older workers wont have the opportunity to advance in their jobs and will be relegated to lower-wage, lower-skill work," Schindelheim said. Source: Transamerica Institute (Transamerica Institute) Low unemployment among workers 55 and older Historically, employers recruiting practices have overlooked older workers, but among those with job openings last year, more than half said they gave a great deal or quite a bit of consideration to job applicants ages 50 and older, according to the Transamerica Institutes Workplace Transformations report. Thats encouraging. The word consideration doesnt necessarily translate to landing a position, but theres new evidence that hiring is up for workers in this age cadre. The unemployment rate for workers 55 and older fell from 2.8% in February to 2.6% last month, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report. Thats the lowest point since last July. Story continues Not to be too cynical, but that may have had more to do with a relatively tight labor market that still has employers scrambling to fill open jobs with workers who can get the job done right now, over a change of heart about hiring someone viewed as pushing their expiration date. Retaining and hiring older workers has become critical to our organization because it is more difficult in the rural environment to find qualified workers, Suzanne Cooner, 68, CEO of Audubon County Memorial Hospital and Clinics in Audubon, Iowa, told Yahoo Finance. To make the workplace age-friendly, the hospital reduced the biweekly number of working hours to qualify for full-time benefits from 72 hours to 60 hours and now offers job sharing, phased retirement, and retire-to-rehire opportunities and retraining. Al Comito, 62, the hospitals chief information officer, was hired last year. For Comito, its not about the income. Ive been planning for retirement for a long time, and I am to the point where I feel financially secure, he told Yahoo Finance. If I wasnt enjoying what I do, I would not be doing it. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction and purpose. At Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, finding qualified workers to fill open positions hit a bad patch. We had to start thinking about looking for candidates in places we previously had not explored, Maureen De Armond, executive director of human resources, told Yahoo Finance. In the hiring process, for example, we are now much more thoughtful about really whittling down our list of required qualifications. We may not need new employees to arrive with every skill set, so long as they are eager to learn, she said. Transamerica Institute (Transamerica Institute) Age-friendly or not? Then again, while almost 9 in 10 employers consider themselves to be age-friendly, according to the Transamerica report, fewer workers agree: Only 7 in 10 workers consider their employers to be age-friendly. The most frequently cited programs they offer include traditional and/or reverse mentorships (50%), job training (44%), internships for individuals starting their careers or individuals reentering the workforce (40%), and professional development programs (35%). Where they lag behind is providing work arrangements that can keep older employees working and earning longer. These include a phased retirement option, flexible work schedules, letting employees dial back hours and shift from full-time to part-time, or allowing them to take on jobs that are less stressful or demanding. That adaptability matters because the bulk of the baby boomer generation is rolling into retirement with Generation Xers on their heels, and many are expecting a gradual transition into retirement as opposed to a cold stop. Nonetheless, the majority, roughly 6 in 10 employers, don't offer a formal phased retirement program for workers who want to transition into retirement. Only half of employers are willing to adjust to flexible work schedules to help employees transition into retirement. And a fraction, 3 in 10, are up for shifting older workers who want to stay on the job to work thats less stressful or demanding. Age-friendly employers offer programs that include traditional and/or reverse mentorships (50%), job training (44%), internships for individuals starting their careers or individuals reentering the workforce (40%), and professional development programs (35%), according the the new Transamerica Institute report. (Getty Creative) (track5 via Getty Images) An aging workforce rises Ageism is deeply rooted in so many companies and their hiring mojo that one wonders what it will take for hiring managers to realize that older workers are their future. Demographic changes demand it. The pace of population aging is much faster than in the past, according to data from the World Health Organization. In 2020, the number of people aged 60 years and older outnumbered children younger than five years. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world's population over 60 years will nearly double from 12% to 22%. Between 2022 and 2032, the labor force participation rate of the 55-to-64 age group is projected to increase by more than three percentage points, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the same goes for those 65 to 74. The big jump is expected in the 75-and-older age group a projected 9.9% in 2032. People in this group will be twice as likely to work as they were 40 years earlier. During the same time period, the younger workers on the job will likely decline. Marlene Heuertz, a benefits specialist at Drake, has clocked in for more than two decades at the university and doesnt feel too old to keep working. I enjoy my job, the 64-year-old told Yahoo Finance. Even as I begin to contemplate retirement, the people are what keep me at Drake. Kerry Hannon is a Senior Columnist at Yahoo Finance. She is a career and retirement strategist, and the author of 14 books, including "In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in The New World of Work" and "Never Too Old To Get Rich." Follow her on X @kerryhannon. Click here for the latest personal finance news to help you with investing, paying off debt, buying a home, retirement, and more Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Iran launched an attack on Israel Saturday that was apparently designed by Iran to be both dramatic and ineffective. It was dramatic, because in the long decades of enmity between the two countries, Iran had never directly launched an attack from Iran against targets in Israel. But it was also deliberately ineffective, employing tactics and utilizing weapons that were almost certain to be stopped by the sophisticated air defenses of Israel and its allies like the United States. Israeli and U.S. reports indicate that the vast majority of incoming Iranian weapons were neutralized. Israel: We Shot Down Most of Irans Drones and Missiles The Iranians indicated the aerial bombardment was their response to Israels attack on Irans consulate in Damascus two weeks ago that killed two senior Iranian generals. However, shortly after the onset of the attack, Iran also sent an official message that it was their hope that the attack can be the end of itquid pro quo for the consulate attackand said as much in an official statement. Their words were: The matter can be deemed concluded. However, they do go on to say, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe. In short, while Saturdays onslaught may have been more messaging than attack, how it is received by the Israelis will determine how damaging it really becomes. That is why in the days ahead the focus of the Biden administration and the international community will be on persuading Israel not to enter an escalatory spiral that could plunge the entire Middle East into the kind of region-wide war that it has managed to avoid in all the years of unrest and conflict it has seen. The Biden administration closely coordinated with the Israelis and with other regional powers and helped orchestrate an unprecedented defense of Israel that reportedly included the active involvement of the U.S., the U.K., and regional actors like Jordan. That Israels neighbors, like Jordan, intervened to help defend it could be another of the most significant developments that came out of the unprecedented direct attack on Israel from Iranand one that sent a strong signal to Iran that in the new Middle East, they were largely isolated. The Biden national security teamwhich met at the White House Saturday, after President Joe Biden returned from his vacation home in Delaware because of the deteriorating security situation in the Middle Eastmobilized U.S. assets across the region to help defend Israel. Biden stated via Twitter that the U.S. commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. While Biden has received criticism, including from me, for his unwavering support of Israel despite the horrific devastation it has wrought on Gaza, administration officials have noted privately to me, that support was partly because the U.S. remained concerned about the threat posed by Iran. The attack today was a demonstration of what they were concerned about. Trump Endorses Genocide Joe Chant During Attack on Israel Donald Trump, predictably, posted on his Truth Social site, ISRAEL IS UNDER ATTACK! This should never have been allowed to happenThis would NEVER have happened if I were president. Of course, Israel has been under attack by Iranian proxies for decades and during Trumps time in office, in the wake of the U.S. killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, Iran did launch direct attacks on U.S. troops stationed in the region. Trumps hypocrisy is compounded further by the fact that it was he who pulled America out of the Iran nuclear accords which, in turn, have enabled Iran to significantly advance its nuclear capabilities. In the words of a recent Washington Post piece, experts fear that a bomb could be a short dash away. Furthermore, of course, Trump is a prominent serial supporter of the Russian regime that is Irans most important international ally. Not to mention the fact that during Trumps first year in office he revealed to Russian officials highly classified Israeli intelligence. Given the incredibly precarious global situation we face at the moment, and the degree to which Trump and his allies have made it even more dangerous, and given the experience and cool heads of Biden and his team, the U.S. and the world are lucky that the current administration is in power. A Marine stands outside the West Wing of the White House as President Joe Biden meets with members of his national security team after Iran said it launched dozens of attack drones at Israel on April 13, 2024. Bonnie Cash/Reuters That is doubly true given that IsraelAmericas ally under attack from Iranis led by a man of profoundly questionable judgment. Benjamin Netanyahu didnt just leave Israel vulnerable to the Oct. 7 attacks while propping up Hamasthe terror organization that committed those attacks. He subsequently oversaw the monstrous Israeli invasion and destruction of Gaza, a situation which remains profoundly precarious for the starving residents of that narrow, devastated strip of land. And he okayed the Israeli attack on Irans consulate in Damascus which triggered Saturdays aerial attack on Israel. Even many Israelis consider his behavior consistently reckless and dangerous. (Heres a good analysis, well worth reading). Netanyahu has long been an extreme Iran hawk, and Irans backing of Hamas isnt the only reason its gotten more extreme. Prolonging Israels current emergency is in the Israeli Prime Ministers interestsfor a number of reasons. And polls among Israelis indicate little support for Bibi staying in power after the warwhenever that is. That is a disincentive for Netanyahu to embrace the kind of cooling off period with Iran that is going to be a top priority for the U.S. and the international community. Hamas Oct. 7 Attack Wasnt Mainly About Israel, It Was About Defeating Its Palestinian Political Rival Expect the Biden team to work hard, along with its allies, to seek to stop further regional destabilization and potential escalation. If Saturdays action can also be used to motivate the MAGA Republicans in the House of Representatives to release aid not just for Israel but also for Ukraine, that could be helpful advancing our interests in what is now effectively a two-front conflict between the U.S. and its allies and Russia, Iran, and their friends. Facing such a two-front proxy war makes this situation as dangerous as any the world has faced since the end of the Cold War. For the U.S., it is made all the more complicated by the stark differences between the two major parties. President Bidens party clearly supports America and its allies, while Trump and the GOP have been doing work on behalf of the other side for many years now. 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. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Lake Mead National Recreation Area and U.S. Park rangers are searching for two suspects accused of vandalism. In a now-viral video that Lake Mead said was recorded on the evening of Sunday, April 7, the two men are seen toppling natural rock formations at the Redstone Dunes Trail, according to a social media post by Lake Mead. If you were on the Redstone Dunes Trail on the evening of April 7, or if you have information that could help identify the suspects, you can submit a tip by calling the NPS-wide tip line at 888-653-0009 or online. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. U.S. should proudly join Israel if they go after Irans nuclear program U.S. should proudly join Israel if they go after Irans nuclear program Former national security adviser John Bolton on Sunday called on the United States to join Israel if they choose to go after Irans nuclear program in response to Tehrans attack. Speaking on NewsNations The Hill Sunday, Bolton criticized Irans failed missile and drone strikes over the weekend, arguing Israels interception of the attack makes the regime look weak. [Iran] looks like fools today. They launched the last number I heard was 320 its up to 400. Whatever it is, 300 plus drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles and maybe three or four got thorough. So, whos the fool in this posture right now? Who looks weak? The regime in Iran looks weak, Bolton said in an interview on NewsNations The Hill Sunday. And a way to pin that down is for Israel to go after Irans nuclear weapons program, which I think it can destroy or disable a very substantial part, if not totally, he continued. Israels plans for retaliation against Irans weekend attack remain unclear, although White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Sunday it is going to be up to the Israelis to decide how it will move forward. Bolton argued joining Israel should they target Irans nuclear weapons is in Americas interest. I think Israel needs to put a stop to it. And thats not just in Israels interest, its in Americas interest, Bolton said. Iran is a nuclear proliferator, is a threat to us. Just like North Korea is. Frankly, if Israel is prepared to go after Irans nuclear program, the United States should proudly join them. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday launched dozens of missiles and drones toward Israel in retaliation for an alleged Israeli strike that hit the Iranian embassy in Syria. Two senior IRGC officers died in the strike. The majority of these missiles and drones were successfully intercepted later Saturday by Israel and their allied forces, including the U.S., the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed. President Biden later spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemning the attacks in the strongest possible terms. NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed that Royal Air Force aircraft helped shoot down attack drones during Irans attack on Israel on the night of 13-14 April. Source: Rishi Sunak on X, as reported by European Pravda Quote from Sunak: "I can confirm that our planes did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones." Details: Sunak said Irans attack on Israel was a "dangerous and unnecessary escalation" which he has condemned "in the strongest terms". He said that had Irans attack been successful, it would have had dramatic effects on stability in the region. Meanwhile, UK Defence Minister Grant Shapps thanked the British armed forces for "responding so quickly and effectively to such a serious threat". Shapps added that all British aircraft returned to base safely after the operation. Background: Iran launched an attack on Israel using dozens of drones and missiles on the night of 13-14 April. Israel Defense Forces later clarified that there were over 300 air targets in total, including approximately 170 attack drones, over 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles, nearly all of which were shot down. Israel said earlier that the UK and France helped it repel the Iranian attack. Support UP or become our patron! British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak records a statement on the Iranian attacks on Israel overnight, inside 10 Downing Street in central London British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak records a statement on the Iranian attacks on Israel overnight, inside 10 Downing Street in central London LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday that British military jets shot down drones launched by Iran in its attack on Israel and called for "calm heads to prevail" to avoid an escalation of the conflict. "I can confirm that our planes did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones," Sunak told broadcasters. "If this attack had been successful, the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate. We stand by the security of Israel and the wider region, which is of course important for our security here at home, too. What we now need is for calm heads to prevail." Sunak was due to join discussions between Group of Seven leaders later on Sunday. "It's important that we coordinate with allies and we'll be discussing next steps at that moment," he said. (Reporting by William Schomberg; Editing by Alex Richardson and David Goodman) New UK laser weapon could be used against Russian drones in Ukraine, British defense secretary says New UK laser weapon could be used against Russian drones in Ukraine, British defense secretary says The UK's new laser weapon could be used in Ukraine, the UK defense secretary said. The laser, dubbed DragonFire, was originally scheduled for deployment in 2027. Grant Shapps hopes to speed up the roll out so it could be put to use on Ukraine's frontlines. A new high-tech laser weapon developed by the UK that is capable of shooting down enemy drones and missiles could be sent to Ukraine. The weapon, dubbed DragonFire, was originally slated for deployment by 2027, but Grant Shapps, the UK defense secretary, said he hoped to "speed up" production so it could be put to use on Ukraine's front line. Speaking to journalists on a visit to the Porton Down military research hub in Salisbury, England, Shapps said he would look to see if the pace can be increased even further "in order for Ukrainians perhaps to get their hands on it." "I've come down to speed up the production of the DragonFire laser system because I think given that there's two big conflicts on, one sea-based, one in Europe, this could have huge ramifications to have a weapon capable particularly of taking down drones," Shapps said. The comments come after a trial of the laser successfully hit an aerial target in January. Following the release of a video showing it in action in March, Ukrainian politician Oleksiy Goncharenko told Newsweek his country was "ready to test" DragonFire on the battlefield . Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, said at the time in a post on X that Ukraine was "ready to take and test the operation of such a laser complex in combat conditions." Britain's Ministry of Defense has shown footage from tests of the DragonFire long-range laser weapon.@DefenceHQ says that such advanced weaponry can "fundamentally change the battlespace." Ukraine is ready to take and test the operation of such a laser complex in combat pic.twitter.com/EI11lr0gRZ Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) March 12, 2024 And Shapps seemed to agree with the Ukrainian position. "Let's say that it didn't have to be 100% perfect in order for Ukrainians perhaps to get their hands on it," he said. "It's designed to not wait until we have this at 99.9% perfection before it goes into the field, but get it to sort of 70% and then get it out there and then develop it from there," Shapps added. "But 2027 is still the date as of this moment," he continued. DragonFire can hit a 1 coin from a kilometer away The state-of-the-art weapon works by shooting a hexagonal array of 37 channels of 1.5kW laser beams, combined with mirrors to increase the power, at a target, The Telegraph reported. Tim Kendall, a Defence Science and Technology Laboratory senior laser physicist who helped build DragonFire, told The Telegraph that this creates "a perfect laser beam" that can be fired through a telescopic lens. The MoD said the weapon could hit an object the size of a small coin from a kilometer away. The weapon itself is invisible as the wavelength of the light is so small it cannot be seen by human eyes. The weapon cost 100 million, or around $125 million, to develop, the MoD said. It added that the weapon could provide a long-term, low-cost alternative to other air defenses, as "firing it for 10 seconds is the cost equivalent of using a regular heater for just an hour." The UK is by no means the only country to be developing laser weapons. The US is already rumored to be deploying them in the Middle East to stop drone and missile attacks , though it's unclear whether they've been used yet. Russia has also said it has used laser weapons to take out Ukrainian drones, though their effectiveness has at times been hampered by the weather . Read the original article on Business Insider UK Royal Navy recruits no longer need to know how to swim as enlistment problems mount, report says UK Royal Navy recruits no longer need to know how to swim as enlistment problems mount, report says The UK's Royal Navy has relaxed its entry requirements due to recruitment problems. New recruits no longer need to prove swimming proficiency prior to joining. This change aims to streamline enlistment, but internal critics called it a "race to the bottom." The UK's Royal Navy has relaxed its entry requirements for new recruits, no longer requiring them to demonstrate swimming proficiency prior to joining, Sky News reported. A source within the defense community told the publication that the change was "a sign of true desperation to increase recruitment numbers" to the service, which was once the world's most powerful navy. It exemplifies how the Royal Navy, the most feared world sea power in the 19th and early 20th centuries, is struggling to stay fit for purpose in the 21st century. A Royal Navy spokesperson rebuffed claims of lowered standards, telling Sky News that all recruits would still undergo a swim test during training. The spokesperson said the adjustment aims to remove barriers for non-swimmers or weak swimmers, streamlining the enlistment process without compromising operational readiness. But the Sky source argued that such a move could lead to prolonged training periods. Concerns have also been raised about the potential need for additional swimming instructors to accommodate the influx of recruits requiring remedial training, the UK news outlet reported. "I absolutely get that there is a growing issue around young people being able to swim and therefore, maintaining the swim test could be seen as reducing the 'pool of eligible candidates,'' but at what point do we say enough is enough?" they continued. They added that there was "outrage, unadulterated utter outrage" over the move internally. "It's a race to the bottom literally the bottom." Business Insider contacted the Royal Navy for comment. One UK politician told British ministers in March that falling levels of recruitment in the British armed forces presented a national security crisis. "We need to get back towards 80,000, 90,000 regular forces, we need to grow the reserve force 30,000 is not enough even if that 30,000 were real, which I don't believe it is we have to significantly grow the reserve force," MP Danny Kruger said. Embarrassing setbacks HMS Queen Elizabeth British Royal Navy Alongside struggles to recruit new candidates, the Royal Navy's fleet has suffered several recent setbacks. In February, the Royal Navy's flagship, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, was forced to withdraw from NATO Exercise Steadfast Defender, the alliance's largest military exercise since the Cold War, after an issue with one of its propellers was discovered at the last minute. In 2022, its sister ship, the HMS Prince of Wales, broke down around the Isle of Wight off mainland England's south coast after experiencing a similar problem. Meanwhile, the UK is stretching its naval capabilities by providing protection to vessels in the Red Sea targeted by Houthi rebels . "There is a dissonance between the UK's military ambitions and its capabilities," Richard Barrons, former head of Britain's armed forces, said, per the Financial Times. "The risk is that we get drawn into a conflict and can't sustain our presence, and this exposes a strategic weakness Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraines Foreign Ministry on April 14 condemned Irans massive overnight attack on Israel and warned of escalation in the region. The ministry said the attack was unacceptable and irresponsible" and called for efforts to prevent a larger regional conflict. This attack once again demonstrates the importance of mobilizing all the forces of the free world to defend the global frontiers of democracy, the ministry wrote. Israels Defense Forces (IDF) said on April 14 that Iran launched 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles. The overwhelming majority were downed outside Israel. A few ballistic missiles entered Israeli territory, causing minor damage to the Nevatim Air Force Base, according to IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari. The attack was in response to Israels strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1 as part of the broader Israel-Hamas war. In turn, Israel targeted the Iranian consulate in response to attacks by Iran's proxies Hamas and Hezbollah on its territory. The House of Representatives will consider a bill in support of Israel next week, according to Republican House majority leader Steve Scalise. He noted that further details will be announced at a later date. U.S. Congressmen have been considering either combining aid for Israel and Ukraine in one bill or considering them separately. Hagari said that the U.S., France, and the U.K. helped down Iranian missiles and drones. Jordan also participated in Israels defense, according to Jordanian government spokesperson Muhannad Mubaideen. Although Western countries have provided air defense to Ukraine, none have participated in the downing of missiles and drones flying into Ukraine. Poland refused to shoot down a Russian missile that entered its airspace last month, citing fears that falling debris would injure civilians. Iran has provided Russia with its Shahed drones which Moscow frequently uses to attack Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Ukraines military intelligence agency (HUR) said that Iran and Lebanons Hezbollah train Russian drone operators in Syria for deployment in Ukraine. Read also: Another 47 Ukrainians evacuated from Gaza Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. 'We in Ukraine know very well the horror': Zelensky condemns Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 14 condemned Iran's massive aerial attack on Israel, saying that Ukraine is familiar with "the horror of similar attacks" and calling on allies to do more to prevent a further escalation in the Middle East. Israels Defense Forces (IDF) said on April 14 that Iran launched 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles. The overwhelming majority were downed outside Israel. A few ballistic missiles entered Israeli territory, causing minor damage to the Nevatim Air Force Base, according to IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari. The largest drone attack ever is said to have involved Iranian-designed "Shahed" drones, which Russia has unleashed against Ukraine daily across the country, Al Jazeera reported, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "The sound of 'Shahed' drones, a tool of terror, is the same in the skies over the Middle East and Europe," Zelensky said in a statement on X. "This sound must serve as a wake-up call to the free world, demonstrating that only our unity and resoluteness can save lives and prevent the spread of terror worldwide." "We in Ukraine know very well the horror of similar attacks by Russia, which uses the same 'Shahed' drones and Russian missiles, the same tactics of mass air strikes," Zelensky said. Zelensky's statement comes a few hours after Ukraines Foreign Ministry condemned Irans attack on Israel and warned of escalation in the region, calling for efforts to prevent a larger regional conflict. Read also: How Russia uses Iranian drones to try to overwhelm Ukraines air defense The attack was in response to Israels strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1 as part of the broader Israel-Hamas war. In turn, Israel targeted the Iranian consulate in response to attacks by Iran's proxies Hamas and Hezbollah on its territory. Zelensky called for "tangible assistance" to strengthen international security and "resolutely counter all those who want to make terror a new normal." "The world cannot wait for discussions to go on," the president emphasized. "Words do not stop drones and do not intercept missiles." "It is critical that the United States Congress make the necessary decisions to strengthen America's allies at this critical time." Though the U.S. Senate approved the delayed $95 billion foreign aid package in February, which includes $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel, the Congress has yet to greenlight it. The House of Representatives will consider a bill in support of Israel next week, according to Republican House majority leader Steve Scalise. He noted that further details will be announced at a later date. U.S. Congressmen have been considering either combining aid for Israel and Ukraine in one bill or considering them separately. Read also: Zelensky: Ukraine will lose war if US Congress fails to deliver aid funding Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. From the outside, and even the inside, a U.S. Bank location just north of downtown Phoenix doesnt look all that much different from any other branch in the companys network. There is some subtle rainbow-themed signage on the windows, plus interior artwork that includes a collage with a same-sex couple. The bank branch, however, places a special emphasis on welcoming LGBTQ+ people. Staff members represent and understand the community's needs, according to the bank. Anyone can bank at the branch, but the company is offering a special invite to members of the LGBTQ+ community. It is subtle, but if youre not used to seeing anything, it makes a big difference, said Dom Sims, a U.S. Bank regional leader focused on the LGBTQ+ community. Bank works to appeal to specific communities The location at 3800 N. Central Ave. is U.S. Banks first branch in Arizona focused on LGBTQ+ people, but the company operates 10 other locations around the nation focused on specific communities. In addition to LGBTQ+ people, branches are geared toward Black people, military personnel and veterans, and Asian Americans, Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. All of these branches are in the Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago or Seattle areas. U.S. Bank is planning to open more branches focused on particular communities, including those focused on Latinos. U.S. Bank has been operating the Central Avenue branch since 1999. The company evaluated the needs of the LGBTQ+ community before transforming the branch, which Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego visited this week as part of a quick tour offered by company executives. I love it that anyone can feel welcome in this branch, she said. The branchs proximity to the Melrose District several blocks to the west, with its many businesses oriented to LGBTQ+ people, was cited as a factor in giving it a community focus last year. A few other banks also have opened branches targeted to subgroups, though most focus on Latino or Black customers. However, Chase does have a branch in the Greenwich Village section of New York City, featuring rainbow awnings, thats located around the corner from the Stonewall Inn, the site of a 1969 riot that marked a turning point for LGBTQ+ rights. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 8% of the population belongs to the LGBTQ+ community. A Gallup survey cited by U.S. Bank estimated that bisexuals account for 57% of this group, gay men 21% and lesbians 14%, with transgender people and individuals of other sexual orientations or gender identities making up the rest. Many of the same financial concerns A view of US Bank at 3800 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix on April 10, 2024. A U.S. Bank report issued in 2022 found that LGBTQ+ people reported financial achievements and progress similar to, and in some cases better than, the non-LGBTQ+ population. Story continues For example, 69% of the LGBTQ+ people surveyed reported that they manage their debts well or have no debts at all, compared to 67% of non-LGBTQ+ respondents. Also, 60% of LGBTQ+ people reported having good credit scores, compared to 52% of non-LGBTQ+. LGBTQ+ people were also slightly more likely to own a home, openly discuss financial matters with others and feel comfortable taking financial risks. Still, the report cited some situations that a dedicated branch might be better equipped to address. Transgender and nonbinary people face unique challenges when interacting with financial institutions, the U.S. Bank report said. Having to utilize an incorrect name or gender while carrying out financial transactions is dangerous for transgender customers, and changing those things on financial accounts can be a costly, difficult process that often requires legal paperwork. Even when banks allow people to use their chosen names on accounts or cards, according to the report, bank databases sometimes dont update the information throughout, meaning transgender people might see their former names listed, which can prove unsettling, or hear them spoken, which can be potentially dangerous. When a transgender person is conducting bank transactions online, there's little risk the use of their former name will out them to other people, but in-person transactions are a different story, the report continued. Other customers might hear and put the transgender customer's personal safety at risk. Name changes can also affect credit scores. When people change only their last name a common practice in marriages or divorces credit reporting agencies automatically update their credit file, U.S. Bank said in its report. However, when people change both first and last name, they often experience a drop in their credit score, signaling a built-in industry bias that works against financial equality for trans people. Estate planning another focal point Another relevant financial issue involves estate planning, which includes instructions for transferring assets and property to others at death. Creating a robust, bulletproof estate plan can be an important measure for LGBTQ+ persons," as unsupportive family members might try to block their intentions, said J.P. Morgan in a report. Working with attorneys, J.P. Morgan suggests LGBTQ+ people include no contest clauses, clear beneficiary designations and medical letters attesting to a person's state of mind when they drafted the plan. These can be wise precautions for anyone. Reach the writer at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why bank launched a branch in Phoenix geared toward LGBTQ+ community Ukraine war latest: Russia aims to capture Chasiv Yar by 'Victory Day' on May 9, Syrskyi says Key developments on April 13-14: Syrskyi: Russia set a goal to capture Chasiv Yar by 'Victory Day' on May 9 Syrskyi: 'Situation on eastern front has significantly deteriorated in recent days' Germany to send additional Patriot air defense system, missiles to Ukraine Russia claims 10 Ukrainian drones downed in Krasnodar Krai Governor: Russian aerial bomb attack kills 1, wounds 2 in Donetsk Oblast. The Russian military leadership set a goal to capture the town of Chasiv Yar, just west of the Russian-occupied Bakhmut, by May 9, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on April 14. On May 9, Russia celebrates Victory Day, a heavily militarized holiday marking the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Syrskyi's statement comes after his warning that the situation on Ukraine's eastern front "significantly deteriorated in recent days" as Russia has intensified its offensives in the east since last month's presidential election, which saw Russian President Vladimir Putin handily win another six-year term in office. Russian troops are concentrating their efforts to break through west of occupied Bakhmut, Syrskyi said. He explained that they are trying to reach the Siverskyi Donets canal, an artificial waterway south of the river its named after, and seize Chasiv Yar to advance further toward Kramatorsk agglomeration. "The enemy's plans are being hampered by the heroic defense of our brigades, who have literally dug themselves into the ground, holding off the enemy's daily attacks," Syrskyi said. Chasiv Yar is a nearly-emptied and heavily damaged town located around 10 kilometers (six miles) west of Bakhmut. Russia ramped up its offensive on Chasiv Yar after capturing Avdiivka, which lies about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southward, and its tempo of advance declined in early March. Russia sees Chasiv Yar as a crucial milestone for further advances toward Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk, the Ukrainian military said. About 800 people remain in Chasiv Yar, according to local authorities. Earlier on April 5, Moscow's proxies claimed that Russian troops had entered Chasiv Yar's suburb, but Ukraine's military later refuted that statement. Read also: Intense fighting, lack of resources leave wounded soldiers on their own Germany to send additional Patriot air defense system, missiles to Ukraine Berlin will provide Ukraine with one more Patriot air defense system to fend off increased Russian attacks, the German Defense Ministry announced on April 13. As Moscow intensified its attacks on Ukraine during the spring, the shortage of air defense systems in Ukrainian cities and villages is being felt more acutely. Russia's recent strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure destroyed several thermal power plants across the country, including the Trypillia plant, the main electricity supplier to Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy oblasts. Kyiv has ramped up its calls on allies to provide Ukraine with more air defenses, in particular, with U.S.-made Patriot systems that can intercept ballistic missiles. "Russian terror against Ukrainian cities and the country's infrastructure causes immeasurable suffering," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said. The ministry said another Patriot will be handed over to Ukraine "immediately" in addition to the other systems already provided and pledged. President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, saying that Berlin had also pledged to deliver missiles to the air defense systems that Ukraine already has in service. "This is a true sign of support for Ukraine at a critical time for us. I urge all other leaders of our partner countries to follow the example," Zelensky said after a phone call with Scholz. According to Zelensky, Ukraine needs 25 Patriots to protect the entire country from Russian attacks, but Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he is for now focused on securing seven to protect Ukraine's largest cities. Kyiv is negotiating with its allies to receive two additional batteries of Patriot and one long-range SAMP/T anti-aircraft missile battery, Kuleba said. Initially a hesitant partner, Berlin has become Ukraine's second-largest military donor after the U.S., although Scholz is still reluctant to supply some key capabilities, namely Taurus long-range missiles. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Germany has supplied Ukraine with 17.7 billion euros (around $19 billion) in military assistance as of April. Read also: What we know about hypersonic Zircon missiles Russias latest threat Russia claims 10 Ukrainian drones downed in Krasnodar Krai Russia's Defense Ministry reported on April 14 that its air defense had downed 10 Ukrainian drones over Krasnodar Krai. The drones were recorded at 7 a.m. local time in the region, according to the Defense Ministry. Kyiv has not publicly commented on the attack, and the Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims. Krasnodar Krai is located next to occupied Crimea. Ukraine has reportedly launched waves of drones in recent months, targeting oil refineries and industrial facilities in Russia, often in regions close to the Ukrainian border. On April 12, Russia's Defense Ministry reported downing four drones over Rostov Oblast and one over Belgorod Oblast in an overnight attack. Later on April 12, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have downed nine Ukrainian drones over Belgorod Oblast. The Russian independent outlet Meduza reported that Ukraine damaged a building belonging to Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom in Belgorod Oblast. Read also: Ukrainian drones hit one Russian oil refinery after another Governor: Russian aerial bomb attack kills 1, wounds 2 in Donetsk Oblast Russian troops launched an aerial bomb attack on a village in eastern Donetsk Oblast, killing one person and wounding two, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported on April 14. The attack hit a five-story building in the village of Ocheretyne, located an hour-and-a-half drive northwest of Russian-occupied Avdiivka. Rescuers had retrieved the body of a 67-year-old woman from the rubble, according to Filashkin. The wounded were hospitalized, he added. Russia's deadly attack on the village comes as Russia steps up its offensives in the east. Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on April 13 that the situation on Ukraine's eastern front has "significantly deteriorated in recent days," with Russian troops increasing armored assaults in the areas of Bakhmut, Lyman, and Pokrovsk. "Now I call: dont risk your life! Evacuate!" Governor Filashkin said in his Telegram post, urging civilians remaining in Donetsk Oblast to evacuate. Throughout Russia's full-scale war, Russian troops have launched deadly attacks against civilians across Ukraine, with especially intense attacks in the east and south leaving remaining residents in front-line areas at grave risk. At least 604 Ukrainian civilians were killed or injured in March, representing a 20% increase from the previous month, the U.N.'s human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine said in a report released on April 9. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the U.N. said that at least 10,810 civilians have been killed and at least 20,556 injured. But it emphasized that the true figure of civilian casualties is likely much higher, as the true toll on Russian-occupied territories remains unknown. Read also: Why does everyone have 2 legs but me? Children learn to live with prosthetics after being injured by Russias war Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Men previously deemed "partially fit" for military service will have to undergo a repeat medical examination from mid-May onwards. Source: Ivan Havryliuk, Deputy Defence Minister of Ukraine, during a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities on 12 April Quote from Havryliuk: "Amendments to Order 402 (Order of the Ministry of Defence On Military Medical Examinations in the Armed Forces of Ukraine ed.) are currently being decided upon. We will start reviewing whether people previously deemed partially fit for service are in fact fit for service from mid-May." Details: Havryliuk also said that the Defence Ministry has "rebooted" the Oberih [Lucky Charm] online system that stores individuals data at various points of the mobilisation campaign in digital form. The Oberih system is integrated with the State Tax Service, the Ministry of Justice, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education, the State Migration Service, and the Court Administration. The Defence Ministry has made 23 million requests to update the data stored in the system. As of today, information regarding men of conscription age across all 24 regions of Ukraine who could be mobilised is available digitally. Havryliuk said that 10 new military recruitment centres have been opened in five of Ukraines oblasts since 11 February 2024: one each in Lviv, Poltava and Zaporizhzhia, two in Kharkiv, and six in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. "Another 22 [recruitment] centres will be opened across Ukraine by the end of July. As of today, the recently opened centres have received over 1,000 appeals, and more than 200 people have already been hired. We expect that these recruiting centres will enable us to increase the number of contracts we sign to 4,000-5,000 contracts a month," Havryliuk added. Background: On 3 April 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed into action the law under which the status of being "partially fit" for military service will be removed. The law will come into effect on 4 May 2024 and stipulates that men who had been previously declared partially fit for military service will have to undergo a repeat medical examination within nine months of the law coming into effect, by 4 February 2025. Ukraines Ministry of Defence said that after the law comes into effect, the government will adopt new legislation stipulating which health conditions would qualify someone as fit for or exempt from military service within three months. Support UP or become our patron! The State Emergency Service of Ukraine has reviewed its response protocols which concern the work of rescuers, as well as using engineering and special equipment. Source: Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, at the 24/7 joint newscast Quote: "We have completely reviewed the instruction of using the capacities of the State Emergency Service. This concerns engineering equipment, special equipment and our rescuers. We have increased the number of rescuers who are in charge of high-altitude work: if there were 150 of them at the beginning of the year, and now there are already 500. We are also increasing the so-called "fountain" units which eliminate the consequences at oil and gas sector facilities." Details: Klymenko stated that these rules change due to the mistakes committed while working, including the cases of deaths among the rescuers. Quote: "We have completely changed all response protocols, starting with which armoured vests our rescuers should wear. At the beginning of the war and even a few months ago, we lost several rescuers because the vests did not cover their torsos entirely. It is uncomfortable to work in a large vest but it is a matter of safety, a matter of life and death." More details: Klymenko revealed that the State Emergency Service of Ukraine is also helping local authorities build the second and third defence lines. Background: On 15 March, the Russians struck civilian infrastructure of the city of Odesa with missiles. After the first strike the Russians launched another attack on the emergency service members while they were eliminating the consequences and providing aid to the people injured. As a result, 21 people were killed and more than 70 were injured. During a visit to Odesa, Ihor Klymenko, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, instructed his ministry to review the emergency services approach to emergency response, taking the situation on the ground into account, and to amend this approach wherever necessary. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's top commander says Russia aims to capture Chasiv Yar by May 9 A Ukrainian CV-90 infantry fighting vehicle is driven near the frontline town of Chasiv Yar By Tom Balmforth KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine's top commander said on Sunday Russian forces aimed to capture the town of Chasiv Yar by May 9, setting the stage for an important battle for control of high ground in the east where Russia is focusing its assaults. The fall of the town west of the shattered city of Bakhmut by the date Moscow marks the Soviet victory in World War Two would indicate growing Russian battlefield momentum as Kyiv faces a slowdown in Western military aid. Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who warned this weekend that the situation in the east had deteriorated, said Russia was focusing its efforts west of occupied Bakhmut to try to capture Chasiv Yar before moving towards the city of Kramatorsk. Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region lies 5-10 kilometres (3-6 miles) from Bakhmut, the devastated city captured by Russian forces in May last year after months of bloody fighting. Kyiv's brigades were holding back the assaults near Chasiv Yar for now and had been reinforced with ammunition, drones and electronic warfare devices, he said in a statement on the Telegram messenger. "The threat remains relevant, taking into account the fact that the higher Russian military leadership has set its troops the task of capturing Chasiv Yar by May 9," he said, without elaborating. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, writing on Facebook, said he visited Ukrainian units on the eastern front on Sunday and described the situation as "tense", with Russia trying to make headway in areas west of Bakhmut. "Despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, we effectively disrupt these plans thanks to the courage, training and professionalism of the defenders," he wrote. Russia marks May 9 with a big military parade on Red Square overseen by President Vladimir Putin who won a new six-year term in the Kremlin at a tightly-controlled election in March. ATTACKS ON THE ENERGY SYSTEM The war has escalated in recent weeks with Russia staging three massive air strikes on Ukrainian power plants and substations, raising fears over the resilience of an energy system that was hobbled in the war's first winter. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Ukrainians in his nightly address on Sunday: "The situation at the front during such a hot war is always difficult. But these days - and especially on the Donetsk front - it's getting harder." The Ukrainian leader has warned the Kremlin may be preparing to launch a big offensive in late spring or summer. It is unclear where that attack would come, but Russia has focused its attacking efforts in the Donetsk region. Ukraine has this year tried to find a pressure point to strike back against the Kremlin, using domestically-produced long-range drones to bomb oil facilities deep inside Russia. Ukraine now faces manpower challenges and artillery shell shortages. Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, a think-tank in Philadelphia, said on X that Chasiv Yar would likely prove an important battle. "Chasiv Yar is located on defensible high ground. If Russia takes the (town), they could potentially increase the rate of advance deeper into Donetsk (region) as part of an expected summer offensive," he said. "Russian forces will still have to cross the canal to take the (town), but they have now reached the canal southeast of the (town). Immediate increased deliveries of ammunition could prove critical." (Reporting by Tom Balmforth; Editing by David Holmes and Diane Craft) KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday condemned Iran's drone and missile attack on Israel and said his country needed help from its allies to fend off threats from the air, just as Israel did. Zelenskiy again called on the U.S. Congress to approve a vital aid package that has been blocked for months by political wrangling. Ukraine's forces are facing new onslaughts from Russian troops in the east and daily attacks on cities and infrastructure from Russian missiles and drones. Writing on the social media platform X, Zelenskiy said: "Iran's actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia's actions threaten a larger conflict, and the obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world." Speaking later in his nightly video address, the president said the world had seen that "Israel was not alone in its defence -- the threats in the sky were also destroyed by its allies. "And when Ukraine says allies cannot turn a blind eye to Russian missiles and drones, it means that it is necessary to act, and act strongly," he said. Ukraine's skies, he said, were "not protected by rhetoric. "And the fact that we in Ukraine have been waiting months for a vital support package - the fact that we are still waiting for a vote in Congress - testifies to the fact that the confidence of terrorists has also been growing for months," he said. "There is no more time to be wasted." Mike Johnson, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said on Sunday that he would try to secure passage of aid to Israel this week after Iran's attack, but he did not say whether the legislation would include assistance for Ukraine and other allies. Iran has supplied thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones to Russia throughout its invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022. They have been used to exhaust Ukrainian air defences and hit infrastructure far from the front lines. Zelenskiy for months has urged Ukraine's Western allies, particularly the United States, to summon the "political will" to provide the air defences and weaponry Ukraine needs. Zelenskiy on Saturday said Germany would supply a U.S.-made Patriot air defence system and air defence missiles to Ukraine at a "critical time". Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, speaking on national television on Sunday, said negotiations were proceeding on securing more Patriot systems, but he expressed a measure of frustration at the slow pace of acquiring them. "With all my due respect and gratitude to the United States of America, do you believe that the U.S. Army does not have one spare Patriot battery that it can transfer to Ukraine?" he said. (Reporting by Max HunderEditing by David Goodman, Ron Popeski and Leslie Adler) Explosions in the Russian-occupied city of Luhansk. Screenshot The Air Force has carried out a confirmed strike on a Russian command post in occupied Luhansk. Source: Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of Ukraines Air Force Details: It is noted that the Ukrainian Defence Forces have successfully struck the command post of the Russian Centre military grouping in occupied Luhansk. Quote: "Having held the pause [needed to keep relevant information from the Russians ed], I would like to thank the pilots of the Air Force for a successful, and most importantly, an effective strike on an enemy facility in Luhansk Oblast on 13 April 2024. The Ukrainian pilots did an excellent job and returned to base. There will be more such strikes on the enemy's rear when Ukraine receives more missiles from our Western partners." Background: On 13 April, two explosions were heard in the Russian-occupied city of Luhansk, with photos and videos of smoke over the city emerging online. Support UP or become our patron! By Daphne Psaledakis and Patricia Zengerle (Reuters) -United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday warned members not to further escalate tensions with reprisals against Iran, while the U.S. warned the Security Council it would work to hold Tehran accountable at the U.N. Guterres, speaking to a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, told member states that the U.N. charter bars the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state as he also condemned Iran's attack on Israel. Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles on Saturday in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation. The attack was in response to a suspected Israeli strike on Iran's embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders and followed months of clashes between Israel and Iran's regional allies, triggered by the war in Gaza. "The Middle East is on the brink. The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict. Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate," Guterres told the meeting, which was called after Iran's attack. Robert Wood, deputy U.S. ambassador to the U.N., called on the 15-member body to unequivocally condemn Iran's attack, as he said the Security Council has an obligation to not let Iran's actions go unanswered. "In the coming days, and in consultation with other member states, the United States will explore additional measures to hold Iran accountable here at the United Nations," he said, without providing specifics. "Let me be clear: If Iran or its proxies take actions against the United States or further action against Israel, Iran will be held responsible," he said. Iran's U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, said his country's action was necessary and proportionate, and he said that while Tehran does not seek an escalation or war in the region and has no intention of engaging in conflict with the U.S., it reaffirms its right to defend itself. "If the U.S. initiates military operations against Iran, its citizens, or its security and interests, Iran will use its inherent right to respond proportionately," he said. Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, accused Iran of violating international law at the meeting and played a video on a tablet that he said showed Israel's interception of Iranian drones above Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound, one of Islam's holiest sites. "Here, you can look at it," he gestured with the tablet and told the Iranian ambassador, who was also seated in the Security Council chamber. Erdan called on the Security Council to condemn Iran, reimpose sanctions and designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards a terror organization. "The snooze button is no longer an option. The only option is to condemn Iran and utilize every means necessary to make them pay a heavy price for their horrible crimes," Erdan told the meeting, which he requested on Saturday. (Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler) UN Security Council to meet Sunday on Iran attack after Israel request (Reuters) -The United Nations Security Council is set to meet on Sunday after Israel requested the council condemn Iran's attack on Israel and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization. The meeting will take place at 4 p.m. ET (2000 GMT), according to a schedule released late on Saturday. Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, requested the council hold an emergency meeting in a letter on Saturday to the council's president. "The Iranian attack is a serious threat to global peace and security and I expect the Council to use every means to take concrete action against Iran," Erdan wrote in a post on X. Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation as the United States pledged "ironclad" backing for Israel. (Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis) Welcome to your Under the Dome newsletter, governors race edition. Dawn Vaughan here, The News & Observers Capitol bureau chief. The latest poll on the race for governor between Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson shows Stein with a decent lead compared to previous polls that have the two candidates in a close race. The Quinnipiac University poll out this week shows Stein leading Robinson 52% to 44% in a head-to-head race, or 48% to 41% if you include third-party candidates. Those polled were also asked to rank 11 issues that determine how theyll vote for governor. What each sees as most important differed, as youd expect, by political party. For Republicans, most picked the economy as their primary issue, with 40%, followed by immigration with 16% and preserving democracy in the United States with 11%, according to Quinnipiac. For Democrats, preserving democracy led their issues with 24%, followed by education with 14% and the economy at 12%. Independent voters went with the economy first with 30%, then education with 15% and democracy with 13%. The polls methodology shows that 1,401 people who said they are registered voters were called by a live person on a mobile or landline phone number across the state during a survey period of April 4-8. Robinsons taxes With Tax Day near, an ABC News report renewed interest in Robinsons previous financial problems. According to the network, citing documents from Robinsons most recent bankruptcy in 2003, he did not file tax returns from 1998 to 2002. Robinson was compelled by the IRS to file his back taxes. Robinsons campaign spokesperson, Mike Lonergan, told ABC it was old news and that Robinson has made no secret about the financial challenges in his past. Even before he was elected in 2020, The News & Observer reported that Robinson failed to pay taxes as recently as 2012, was hit with IRS liens, and filed for bankruptcy three times in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Since Robinson has taken office, WRAL has reported that Robinson had unpaid vehicle taxes and an eviction in his background, in addition to seven years of unpaid federal income taxes. Under the Dome podcast, live If you read our Under the Dome newsletter, youre probably also a listener to our weekly Under the Dome politics podcast, which I host along with our politics team and guests. So we hope youll join us at Under the Dome: Live!, a special live recording of an episode. Were giving you first dibs on a seat in our audience at the North Carolina Museum of Historys Daniels Auditorium. My guests will be two senators, one from each political party, as the General Assemblys short session gets rolling. Come watch our live podcast recording with Sen. Vickie Sawyer, an Iredell County Republican, and Sen. Natalie Murdock, a Durham Democrat. Save the date for April 30 at 5 p.m. and RSVP at underthedomelive.eventbrite.com using the code: domelive. Each week, join Dawn Vaughan for The News & Observer and NC Insiders Under the Dome podcast, an in-depth analysis of topics in state government and politics for North Carolina. Stay informed Dont forget to follow our Under the Dome tweets and listen to our aforementioned Under the Dome podcast to stay up to date. On our Under the Dome podcast episode posting Monday morning, I talk with higher education reporter Korie Dean about what legislation we might see in the upcoming session about defunding campus DEI which stands for diversity, equity and inclusion programs on campuses. Plus, we talk about the state Capitol building reopening soon and if theres a chance to get some of that old copper from the dome. You can sign up to receive the Under the Dome newsletter at newsobserver.com/newsletters. Want your friends to get our email, too? Forward them this newsletter so they can sign up here. Story at a glance The United States is projected to experience a shortage of 5,000 OB-GYNs by 2030. This is expected to cause already overworked doctors to further struggle to meet demand and continue widening maternal and infant health disparities. An aging workforce, an aging population, high rates of burnout and abortion restrictions are all contributing to the shortage. The United States is facing a shortage of obstetrician-gynecologists that is only expected to worsen moving forward. There were about 50,800 OB-GYNs practicing in the U.S. in 2018, already too few to meet the countrys rising demand. Roughly 3,000 fewer OB-GYNs will be practicing in the country by 2030, while the need for those doctors will continue to increase, federal officials projected in a 2021 report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Some of the reasons for this shortage, like an aging physician workforce, are similar to those causing the nations overall healthcare worker shortage. But some, like the Supreme Courts Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision, are unique to the specialty. The number of doctors is in part falling short of demand because older physicians are retiring and leaving the workforce more quickly than younger doctors can replace them. Almost half of the countrys working physicians are 55 years old and older, according to the American Medical Association. And a sizeable portion 35 percent will reach retirement age in the next five years. Older doctors arent working for as many years as they used to, said Stella Dantas, president-elect of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. My mom is a physician seeing patients well into her 70s, she told The Hill. Thats just not the generation now. Instead, Dantas added, physicians are more likely to retire in their mid-60s. High rates of burnout among doctors are also fueling the countrys physician shortage, and OB-GYNS are no exception. The increase in doctors administrative duties compared to past generations is in part contributing to this issue. Theres a lot of regulatory things that we need to do during our workday that are not necessarily within our scope, Dantas said. All physicians, OB-GYNS included, now spend their days not only seeing patients, diagnosing conditions or delivering babies, but also filling out, signing off and sending mountains of paperwork. This, when coupled with struggles to get reimbursement for services from health insurance providers like Medicare and Medicaid, makes for a perfect environment for burnout. On top of this, OB-GYNS also deal with the added stress of lawsuits and rising malpractice insurance. OB-GYNS are the second most frequently sued class of physicians in the country, resulting in exorbitantly high malpractice insurance rates, according to a Medscape Physicians and Malpractice Report published last year. In states like Florida, Illinois and New York, OB-GYNS pay upwards of $170,000 a year in malpractice insurance premiums alone, according to NerdWallet. Obstetrics comes with its challenges of hours and liability issues, so we see people dropping the obstetrics part of their practice a little earlier and then doing what is called GYN-only practice, said Dantas. In other words, doctors are opting to not treat pregnant people or help with deliveries. Another factor contributing to the OB-GYN shortage is the changing legislative landscape, which shifted significantly as a result of the Supreme Court overturning federal protections for abortion in its 2022 Dobbs decision, according to Dantas. Most OB-GYNs did not provide abortion services prior to the ruling, and that has remained true in the years since, according to a KFF 2023 National OBGYN Survey. Before 2022, about 20 percent of OB-GYNs offered any type of abortion service in office. That number dropped to 18 percent last year. But the Supreme Courts decision appears to be having an impact on medical students interest in entering the specialty. Data from the National Resident Match Program shows about 2 percent fewer senior medical students studying to be doctors of medicine or doctors of osteopathic medicine applied for an OB-GYN residency in 2023 compared to 2022. Applications to OB-GYN residency programs dropped far more significantly in the 13 states that enacted complete abortion bans after the Dobbs ruling, according to American Medical Association research. Research also shows that abortion restrictions are influencing where medical students are choosing to do their residency programs. About 77 percent of third-year and fourth-year medical students included in a 2023 study said that the Dobbs decision would impact where they would consider applying for residency. This is because many medical students fear they would not get an adequate reproductive healthcare education in a residency program in a state where abortion is banned, according to Ariana Traub, co-author of the study and medical student at the Emory University School of Medicine. The thought of practicing in a state where the law against evidence-based medical care is a challenging pill to swallow so early in your career, said Traub in an email to The Hill. Traub added that many of the states that have passed full abortion bans also have the highest maternal and infant mortality rates and major gaps in access to reproductive healthcare. With increasing restrictions and the potential for further departures of OBGYNS to states with fewer restrictions, this gap has the potential to widen even further, leaving those most vulnerable even further behind, Traub said. Updated April 15 at 11:35 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. At the suggestion of a friend, I met with Johnny Waller late last year over coffee at Equal Minded Cafe, a cool coffee shop and meeting space on Troost Avenue in Kansas City. I was blown away by this mans story of perseverance, redemption and service. Waller, who holds several degrees from area colleges and universities, told me that as a teen he had been shot in the head while hanging out with a rough crowd on the streets of Omaha, Nebraska. Later he was arrested on drug charges there and finally spent several years in prison. But its what happened when he got out that led him on the path to becoming an advocate for the formerly incarcerated and an activist when it comes to changing legislation, policies and minds. Waller is all about creating opportunities for what he calls our returning citizens. Right away, I thought, people need to know more about Waller, what he does, and why. So I invited him to participate along with seven other Black Kansas City activists in the second season of Voices of Kansas City, a community-conversation collaboration between The Star and KKFI Kansas City Community radio station. Each of the voices we highlight including Wallers story will be published by The Star in a question and answer format to capture the conversations in their own words. Their exchanges with Star journalists also will air at 6 p.m. Wednesdays for the next four weeks on KKFI 90.1 FM. radio. Voices of Kansas City originally was created by The Star in partnership with KKFI and Kansas City GIFT (Generating Income for Tomorrow), a Black-founded nonprofit that supports Black-owned businesses. The Kansas City Stars Mara Williams, assistant managing editor of race and equity and J.M. Banks, culture and identity reporter talked with Mark Manning, host of KKFI Kansas City Community Radios Wednesday MidDay Medley, about this years season of Voices of Kansas City a Star project done in partnership with KKFI. In the first season, Star reporters focused on Black-owned small businesses and interviewed eight business owners. They included a teacher turned author who has written books with characters who are Black and brown like most of her students, a young health care worker who during the pandemic left her job to start a small moving company, and an urban farmer who turned a parking lot into a small farm on the southwest corner of Kansas Citys Historic Jazz District near 18th and Vine streets. The owner of Equal Minded, the coffee spot where I met Waller, was also among the featured businesses. Today we are launching our second season of Voices. In this season, using print, video and radio broadcast platforms, we are giving the mic to Black grassroots activists like Waller. The Star is partnering again with KKFI, an independent, noncommercial nonprofit and volunteer-based community radio station. Our mission to amplify more Black voices with this project aligned well with the stations mission to reflect the diversity in our local communities and provide a broadcast that gives voice to the voiceless. Because the station has such a broad audience, working with KKFI gives us and them an opportunity to reach audiences we otherwise might miss. Interviews with each activist will be done by Voices hosts: yours truly, Mara Rose Williams, The Stars assistant managing editor for race and equity, and J.M. Banks, The Stars reporter for culture and identity issues. The project is part of a promise we made more than three years ago. After publishing the Truth in Black and White project in December 2020, in which The Star apologized for decades of poorly representing the stories and voices of Black community members, we said we would commit to more projects that properly highlight those voices and stories. Voices of Kansas City is one of those. Mark Manning, host of KKFI Community Radios Wednesday MidDay Medley show, interviewed Kansas City Stars culture and identity reporter J.M. Banks, left, and Mara Rose Williams, assistant managing editor of race and equity recently. The two talked about the new season of The Voices of Kansas City a Star and KKFI radio project collaboration. This years episodes show case Black Kansas City actiists. Yes, its a move that potentially helps attract more readers to The Star and listeners to KKFI. But introducing new voices to readers and radio listeners across the Kansas City region is also a community unifier. And then theres this: Business owners who were featured in the first Voices said it gave them exposure and confidence. Its an honor, said Damesha Cook, owner of Dash Delivery Services, one of last years featured businesses. No one has ever reached out to me and offered me such an opportunity. It meant a lot to me. Cooks business is in its third year. After being featured in The Star and interviewed on KKFI, Cook was contacted by several residents of an Overland Park senior living area. They told her they needed furniture moved and worried about who they might let into their homes. But they liked Cooks story and trusted her because they met her on the radio and in the pages of The Star. Damesha Cook, owner of Dash Delivery, started her small metro area business in the midst of the COVID pandemic and after being featured in The Stars Voices of Kansas City project last year, she is growing her business and has bought a new house for her and her children. Also, Cook said that since Voices she has purchased a 6-foot box truck, increasing her business fleet to three vehicles. And the big news is that her business growth put her in the right economic spot to, with the help of Habitat for Humanity, move with her three children out of their one-bedroom apartment into a two-bedroom house. Cook says she was also inspired by the other Voices stories. She said she wants her business to expand in a way that, I can be helping the community. We connected with a variety of organizations and attended a lot of community events to meet the grassroots activists for this years Voices project. But we were introduced to Cook and the other business owners last year by GIFT CEO and co-founder Brandon Calloway, who also has said he was thrilled to have been part of the projects first season. I think it is good for the city to see and hear about the gems we have here, Calloway said. I couldnt agree more with Calloway. Thats exactly why we are investing in a second season of Voices and bringing to the Kansas City region more stories about the lives and work of people whose voices are not often given a platform. Nominate a neighbor We are planning future Voices of Kansas City seasons and want to hear from you about the Kansas Citians who you think more folks in the metro area should know about. We are looking for individuals or groups who are making a positive impact on our community. Maybe there is a teacher in your childs school who is changing their approach to learning. Or a neighbor who is rallying everyone on the block to support each other when times are tough. We are especially interested to hear about individuals or groups who come from backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented by The Star. Have questions about this effort? Reach out to Mara Rose Williams, The Stars assistant managing editor for race and equity issues, at mdwilliams@kcstar.com. Tell us about someone you know by filling out this form. The US Army's ability to maneuver rapidly on the battlefield may be over The days of rapid tank and infantry advances deep into an enemy's territory may be over. The US Army must be prepared more for fights that resemble WWI, an Army veteran argues. Any advancing force must move with a defensive bubble against enemy firepower, he argued. Modern weapons have become so accurate and lethal that soon armies will not be able to maneuver rapidly on the battlefield. Instead, they will trudge forward under the protection of defensive "bubbles" designed to stop drones and missiles. According to this vision, swift battlefield maneuvers will be replaced by grinding wars of attrition where victory goes to the side that has the most firepower as well as the most resources to replace losses. It's a grim vision of warfare that has more in common with the slaughter of the First World War than the mechanized blitzkriegs of World War II and Desert Storm, where infantry and armor backed by airpower seized vast territory. But it's a future the West must prepare for, warns Alex Vershinin, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel, in an essay for Britain's Royal United Services Institute think tank. The Ukraine war has demonstrated that at least for now firepower dominates maneuver. Russian and Ukrainian have painfully learned that with surveillance and attack drones constantly overhead, emerging from cover is dangerous and slow. Long-range guided missiles and shells can decimate armored columns that dare to thrust through minefields and layered defenses covered by artillery and airpower. Instead of sweeping offensives, the Ukraine war has become a largely static conflict where immense preparations are made for attacks that might gain an obscure village or a few square miles of territory before the attacker halts to dig in and regroup. "It is easier to mass fires than forces," Vershinin said in the RUSI analysis. "Deep maneuver, which requires the massing of combat power, is no longer possible because any massed force will be destroyed by indirect fires before it can achieve success in depth. Instead, a ground offensive requires a tight protective bubble to ward off enemy strike systems." "Shallow attacks along the forward line of troops are most likely to be successful at an acceptable cost ratio; attempts at deep penetration will be exposed to massed fires the moment they exit the protection of the defensive bubble," said Vershinin. The Patriot air defense system was test-fired during a 2017 training in Greece. Anthony Sweeney/US Army This moving shield would consist of layers of defense systems, including air defense against drones and missiles, as well as electronic warfare to jam those drones and missiles by flooding their control frequencies with electronic noise. But this protection comes at the cost of rapid maneuver. That bubble must be carefully set up to provide interlocking coverage against multiple types of threats, and move in lockstep with the column. "Moving numerous interdependent systems is highly complicated and unlikely to be successful," Vershinin said. Coordinating all these different weapons and jammers also requires skilled staff work that even advanced armies may lack. "Integration of these overlapping assets requires centralized planning and exceptionally well-trained staff officers, capable of integrating multiple capabilities on the fly," said Vershinin. "It takes years to train such officers, and even combat experience does not generate such skills in a short time." As an example, Vershinin cites a hypothetical advance by a platoon of 30 soldiers. This would require multiple jammers to disrupt enemy drones, guided rockets, and communication systems. Engineers will have to clear a path through any minefields, and the infantry will have to coordinate with friendly artillery and drones. Failure to do this could be catastrophic: Russia is now firing 10,000 artillery shells per day, and this year it has already dropped 3,500 big GPS-guided glide bombs that have devastated Ukrainian positions. "All these systems need to work as an integrated team just to support 30 men in several vehicles attacking another 30 men or less," Vershinin said. The preparations needed for a brigade- or division-sized attack the kind that are needed to achieve decisive victories on the battlefield can only be imagined. All of this raises a deeper problem, especially for the West. Without maneuver, war becomes a battle of attrition, like the First World War, or siege warfare as with the Union and Confederate armies in front of Richmond in 1864. These kinds of wars are fought over years and cause slaughter on a massive scale. "The West is not prepared for this kind of war," Vershinin said. "To most Western experts, attritional strategy is counterintuitive. Historically, the West preferred the short 'winner takes all' clash of professional armies." To some extent, all wars are attritional: what ultimately destroyed the Third Reich wasn't a few defeats like Stalingrad and Normandy, but the cumulative losses from six years of relentless fighting. However, sustaining a war of attrition requires an emphasis on production, mobilizing resources for the long haul, and the ability to continuously replace losses. Victory goes to the side that can wear down the enemy while maintaining its own strength. "The military conduct of war is driven by overall political strategic objectives, military realities and economic limitations," said Vershinin. "Combat operations are shallow and focus on destroying enemy resources, not on gaining terrain." One question is whether the Western public will tolerate this mode of warfare. Vladimir Putin and his generals may not lose any sleep over suffering nearly 500,000 casualties in two years. But the average American or European may feel differently. Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds an MA in political science from Rutgers Univ. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn. Read the original article on Business Insider President Bidens supporters and former U.S. officials are expressing frustration and confusion over the White Houses Ukraine strategies and see growing divisions within the administration over how to balance politics with long-term backing of Kyiv. The White House recently pushed back against proposals that would give NATO and Western allies a greater leadership role moving forward, even as U.S. aid to fight against Russian troops has been stalled for months in Congress. There is a disagreement in the U.S. government about this, and I wont predict how it comes out, said Ivo Daalder, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO and president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The coming weeks could be decisive, with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) promising to bring a new Ukraine aid package to the floor. But its unclear how robust the package will be, or whether Johnson can navigate opposition from many within his own party. If it fails or comes up short of Democratic demands, Biden could face growing pressure to embrace a less U.S.-centric coalition backing Ukraines fight against Russia. Daalder, along with former Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried, pitched in an article in Foreign Affairs a proposal that NATO take over the U.S.-led Ramstein group to coordinate weapons deliveries for Kyiv, among other ideas that NATO is now discussing ahead of the alliances July summit. The United States needs to get off the high horse that we know everything, Daalder said, answering a question from The Hill at a summit hosted by Georgetowns Center for Security Studies. There are elements in the U.S. government who strongly oppose this, mainly because they think theyre better at it when it comes to coordinating than NATO. Donfried, in an interview with The Hill, said that the point of her and Daalders proposals was to help take the administrations current policy and follow it further down the road to craft concrete actions in the face of uncertainty about long-term U.S. commitments. It ensures continuity at a time where you have a political election looming, said Donfried, who retired from the State Department in March 2023. Everything that was in this article gets shared with the administration, and not for them to say, Oh great, yeah, we agree with this. My view was, its really hard when youre in government, to have time to think longer term about issues because theres just the drumbeat of the urgent, it takes up all your time. The situation is desperate for Ukraine. U.S. military officials have told Congress that Ukrainians are rationing artillery in the absence of more American support, putting them even more at a deficit against Russias war machine. The Institute for the Study of War said Friday that Russian forces have inflicted increasing and long-term damage to Ukrainian energy infrastructure this spring, and that the Russians have been so successful, in part, because Ukraine is running out of U.S.-supplied air defenses. This is alarming because it suggests that absent a rapid resumption of U.S. military aid, Russian forces can continue to deal severe damage to Ukrainian forces and infrastructure even with the limited number of missiles Russia is likely to have available in the coming months, the group wrote in its assessment. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pleading with supporters to follow through on commitments. It is critically important that each partner deliver on its promises regarding the supply of weapons and ammunition, as well as our agreements on co-production, he said Thursday. Every day Russian missiles strike, and every day the number of promises increases. Every day, Ukrainian soldiers on the front line endure the brutal pressure of Russian artillery and guided bombs. The reality must finally start to match the words. While Donfried and Daalder call for Congress to follow through on delivering Bidens request for aid to Ukraine immediately, they are also putting pressure on the administration to secure Ukraines future. Part of this includes getting the U.S. to clarify and make concrete language surrounding Ukraine joining NATO. They are critical of ambiguous promises made at NATOs 2023 summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, where NATO leaders agreed Kyiv can join the alliance when conditions are met. I thought that was confusing, and so I just think we owe it to the Ukrainians to be clear about what those conditions are, Donfried said. They also call for the U.S. and NATO allies to consider supplying Kyiv with weapons that are currently off the table, such as U.S. ATACMS and German Taurus long-range missiles. While the United Kingdom and France have sent Ukraine long-range missiles, the Biden administration has maintained its opposition to sending ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile Systems, over what it says is concern of triggering an escalation from Moscow. The administrations guidance for Ukraine is to not use American-made weapons to hit inside Russia with the understanding that Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory can be carried out with other weapons. But Donfried said that over two and a half years of war, the time is right for the administration to lean further forward. That fear of escalation often needs to be tempered by faith and deterrence, she said. We feel that weve learned some lessons over the past two and a half years. We were hesitant on sending other weapons systems. We have done so and we have not seen an escalation now it is the moment for the U.S. and the Germans to join the British and the French in sending those long-range missiles to Ukraine. But, Donfried cautioned, is that where the White House is gonna land? I dont know. Confusion about the White Houses path forward on Ukraine is raising anxiety among Kyiv and its supporters, who are newly frustrated by the administrations position criticizing Ukraine for hitting Russian oil refineries. National security adviser Jake Sullivan reportedly told Kyiv last month to stop hitting Russian oil refineries over fears of driving up oil prices, an argument raised by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin earlier this week in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. And comments earlier this week from Celeste Wallander, assistant secretary of Defense for international security affairs, saying the Kremlin-connected refineries are not legitimate military targets has further sowed confusion. We have concerns about striking at civilian targets, Wallander said about the Russian oil refineries. But, she added, they are owned by private Russian citizens who are part of the Putin regime. That is correct. One person who lobbies the administration for more support for Ukraine said some U.S. officials have been clearly embarrassed over questions about the pushback on hitting Russias oil infrastructure one of its main funding streams for its war. That speaks to differences within the administration, but it has not affected policy, the person said. Ukraines supporters say comments like these are pulling the U.S. further away from positions of other allies. The U.K., while not addressing specific Russian targets, has routinely responded that Ukraine has the right to self-defense. And French President Emmanuel Macron has appeared to ratchet up his rhetoric by calling for Ukraines supporters to not be cowards and suggesting Western troops may have to fight on the ground. One European official, requesting anonymity to speak candidly, called the Biden administrations comments about the oil refineries perverse. It is perverse to tell a party at war not to attack the war machine of the aggressor party while also not delivering military aid to help the victim protect its own infrastructure, residential buildings, maternity wards, and kindergartens, the official said. The administrations pathological fear of escalation and of Ukrainian success is one major reason for the death of so many Ukrainians. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The United States rebuked claims Sunday that Iran gave other countries in the region a warning that it would be launching a significant aerial attack against Israel on Saturday. Iran did not warn other countries in the region that it would be attacking Israel on Saturday, a senior administration official said in a briefing to reporters Sunday. When asked to confirm claims that Iran gave a 72-hour warning about its attack, the official said that was absolutely not true. They did not give a notification, nor do they give any sense of, you know, these will be the targets, so evacuate them. They were clearly intending to destroy and to cause casualties. That was their intent, and the fact that they didnt, I think they might want to now say that, Well, we didnt need to,' the official said. Iran launched a wave of drone and missile attacks toward Israel on Saturday, but most of them were thwarted with the help of U.S. forces overnight. Iran said that its attack was in response to a strike earlier this month that killed members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Sunday in a televised meeting that the country had warned its allies and neighbors in the region about the attack 72 hours in advance, The Wall Street Journal reported. The senior administration official said this was not the case, noting that Irans goal was to harm Israel. And so no, there was no such forewarning or anything like that. They were very clear that they would be responding, and that was clearly going to happen. The level, scope of it was something that was discussed throughout the week, the official said. But no, there was no kind of like, warning as a way to kind of fire missiles but somehow not hurt anybody. That was not that was not their intent, he said. The White House sounded the alarm last week that Iran was expected to launch a retaliatory attack on Israel in response to an April 1 attack on its embassy in Syria. President Biden warned Friday that an Iranian attack would likely come sooner than later. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The U.S. military shot down dozens of missiles and drones Saturday that were fired at Israel from Iran and its proxy forces in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Iran launched its first-ever direct assault on Israel Saturday, less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building. An Israeli military spokesman said Sunday that Iran and its proxies had fired more than 300 ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles at Israel, but that 99 percent of them were intercepted. At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week, President Joe Biden said in a statement late Saturday. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a statement said the U.S. took out dozens of the attacks but did not provide details on ships or aircraft involved in the operation that commanders had been preparing for over the past two weeks. We condemn these reckless and unprecedented attacks by Iran and its proxies, and we call on Iran to immediately halt any further attacks, including from its proxy forces, and to deescalate tensions, Austin said. We do not seek conflict with Iran, but we will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defense of Israel. With regional tensions at their highest since the Israel-Hamas war began six months ago, Biden pledged on Saturday that American support for Israels defense against attacks by Iran and its proxies is ironclad. The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, risking a wider regional conflict. Biden made clear in a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. would not participate in any offensive action against Iran, according to a senior administration official who was not authorized to publicly discuss the private conversation and spoke on condition of anonymity. US forces shot down over 75 Iranian missiles and drones in its biggest air-defense battle of the Middle East crisis Iran launched an unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel this weekend. The IDF said 99% of the 300 or so Iranian munitions were shot down. US forces destroyed more than 70 of them, according to American officials. US forces engaged and shot down more than 75 of the missiles and drones that Iran fired at Israel this weekend, marking its biggest air-defense battle of the six-month-long Middle East crisis. Iran and its proxy militias launched a barrage of 170 attack drones, 120 ballistic missiles, and 30 cruise missiles at Israel in a massive and unprecedented attack on Saturday night local time, according to the Israel Defense Forces. It was the first-ever direct attack on Israel from Iranian soil. About 99% of the threats were intercepted by Israel and its partners, the IDF said, and most of them did not even cross into Israeli territory a remarkable air-defense success. US forces in the region eliminated more than 70 of the Iranian munitions, a senior US military official told reporters on Sunday. An Israeli fighter jet intercepts a drone. IDF screengrab via X Two US Navy destroyers operating in the eastern Mediterranean Sea the USS Arleigh Burke and USS Carney engaged and destroyed between four and six ballistic missiles, and a Patriot air-defense system shot down one ballistic missile above Iraq, an official said. A majority of the remaining ballistic missiles were engaged by Israel's Arrow 2 and 3 systems, which make up the top echelon of the country's sophisticated air defense network. A few of the ballistic missiles entered Israeli territory and struck targets, including an IDF base, causing minor damage, the military said. US fighter jets also shot down more than 70 Iranian one-way attack drones, the American military official said. They would not say how many aircraft were involved in the interceptions. President Joe Biden said he directed the US military to move aircraft and ballistic missile defenses to the region over the past week. "Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles," he said in a statement. The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke. US Navy photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Pittman "Our forces remain postured to protect US troops and partners in the region, provide further support for Israel's defense, and enhance regional stability," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement after the attack. Britain's defense minister, Grant Shapps, confirmed that the UK also intercepted multiple drones. None of the drones or cruise missiles launched by Iran crossed into Israeli territory, according to the IDF. The attack marked the US military's biggest air-defense battle of the ongoing and widespread Middle East crisis, which began with Hamas' October 7 terror attack across southern Israel, sparking an outburst of violence across the region. Since October, US forces have engaged aerial threats launched by Iran-backed militias above Iraq and Syria, and also the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The largest of these attacks involved more than 20 drones and missiles carried out by the Yemen-based Houthis earlier this year. Damage from a missile impact at an Israeli airbase. IDF Tehran's attack against Israel, meanwhile, came in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic facility in Syria at the start of April. The strike killed several military officials, including two generals in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Following the incident, Iran vowed revenge and telegraphed that it would retaliate against Israel. The Middle East had been on heightened alert over the past two weeks as it braced for a possible response from Tehran, which was unclear in terms of size and scope. The attack on Saturday was met with resounding international condemnation, with world leaders blasting Iran as "reckless." The leaders of the G7 which is made up of the US, UK, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, and Japan said they expressed solidarity with Israel and are committed to the country's security. "With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation," the leaders said in a statement. "This must be avoided." For now, Israel appears to be calibrating a response to the Iranian attack, although it is unclear at this time what that may look like. Read the original article on Business Insider Colorado Springs police are investigating two shooting incidents on the east side of the city on Saturday, officials said. Investigators determined that dozens of rounds were fired, but no injuries were reported in either incident. At about 6:20 p.m. on Saturday, officers responded to calls about a shooting in the 1300 block of Inverness Drive, near South Academy and East Fountain boulevards. When they arrived, they learned that two groups of people exchanged gunshots at the scene. At about 9:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 700 block of Sequoia Drive, roughly two miles west of the first incident. Witnesses told police that three unidentified males walked up behind a vehicle and began shooting, eventually firing more than 40 rounds that hit several vehicles and at least one residence. Neither shooting appeared to be random, police said. No arrests were announced. US House to consider pro-Israel bill next week, lawmaker says after Iran attack U.S. House of Representatives meet to choose new Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol in Washington WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. House of Representatives will make a change in its schedule to consider legislation that supports Israel and holds Iran accountable, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said in a statement on Saturday. "The House of Representatives stands strongly with Israel, and there must be consequences for this unprovoked attack," he said in a statement. More details will follow, he said. Scalise's office did not immediately respond to an inquiry seeking clarification of what legislation would be considered. It was unclear whether Scalise was referring to a stand-alone bill to aid Israel, or the $95 billion supplemental spending bill that includes $14 billion for Israel, in addition to $60 billion for Ukraine, support for Taiwan and billions of dollars 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. The package 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. U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell released a statement on Saturday evening urging the House to move forward with the larger aid bill that includes funds for Ukraine and Taiwan. "The national security supplemental that has waited months for action will provide critical resources to Israel and our own military forces in the region," the statement said. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Doina Chiacu and Mike Stone; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Jonathan Oatis) U.S. forces overnight in Israel helped its ally thwart a significant aerial assault by Iran, helping to intercept hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles and severely mitigating their damage. The attack from Iran and its allies on Israel appeared to cause little damage, and Israeli forces said most of the projectiles had been successfully thwarted. The question now is how Israel will respond to an attack from Iranian soil on its territory. Israels war Cabinet was set to meet Sunday to discuss the matter. The attack by Iran was in response to a strike earlier this month on an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, that killed members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran had vowed to respond to that attack, but by telegraphing Saturdays strikes, they may have done so in a way intended to avoid triggering a wider war with the United States and Israel. In a statement Saturday, President Biden emphasized U.S. support for Israel but also noted the success U.S. and Israeli forces had enjoyed in thwarting the attack. At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week, Biden said. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. The New York Times reported early Sunday that Biden administration officials were advising Israel against a retaliatory attack on Iran given its successful defense. Fears the Iran strikes could trigger a wider war emerged immediately after news broke about the assault. A shadow war between Iran and its allies, including the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah, and Israel has taken place for years, but it greatly ramped up with the unprecedented Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel that killed 1,200 Israelis, many of them civilians. That brazen attack triggered an all-out assault by Israel on Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, that has killed more than 32,000 people. The war has led to an international outcry against Israel, isolating the country and contributing to fraying ties between the Biden administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government. Biden in recent weeks has stepped up his criticism of Netanyahu, arguing Israels response to the Hamas attack had gone over the top and urging the ally to do more to protect civilians and aid workers in Gaza. Biden is likely to come under more pressure domestically after the Iran attacks to show support for Israel. Meanwhile, in an early signal of GOP intentions, one Republican lawmaker on Saturday called on the U.S. to strike Iran in retaliation for its actions. At the same time, the administration has consistently sought to prevent the Israeli war in Gaza from breaking out into a wider conflict, and it is expected U.S. efforts will continue to move in that direction. U.S. officials on Saturday night said they would continue to offer support for Israel if there were more strikes from Iran. Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region, a U.S. official said. Biden spoke with Netanyahu on Saturday and reaffirmed U.S. support. Ive just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel, Biden said. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. The British Royal Air Force has also deployed to the Middle East and are prepared to intercept any Iranian drones headed to Israel, said the U.K.s Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps. I strongly condemn the senseless airborne attacks Iran has launched on Israel, Shapps said in a statement. Iranian Minister of Defense Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned that there will be a decisive response to any country in the region that assists Israel in downing Iranian drones and missiles, according to state-run media channel Press TV. Israel was on high alert to defend itself for a possible Iranian attack, and the U.S. had already positioned forces in the region in anticipation of Iranian action. This story was updated at 7:56 a.m. Sunday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FILE - Libya's Khalifa Hifter, the commander of the self-styled Libyan National Army, is seen at the International Defense Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. A U.S. judge tossed out a series of civil lawsuits, Friday, April 12, 2024, against Hifter, who used to live in Virginia and was accused of killing innocent civilians in that country's civil war. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell, File) ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) A U.S. judge has tossed out a series of civil lawsuits against a Libyan military commander who used to live in Virginia and was accused of killing innocent civilians in that country's civil war. At a court hearing Friday, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said she had no jurisdiction to preside over a case alleging war crimes committed in Libya, even though the defendant, Khalifa Hifter, has U.S. citizenship and lived for more than 20 years in the northern Virginia suburbs of the nation's capital as an exile from the regime of Moammar Gadhafi. The ruling was a significant reversal of fortune for Hifter. In 2022, Brinkema entered a default judgment against Hifter after he refused to sit for scheduled depositions about his role in the fighting that has plagued the country over the last decade. But Hifter retained new lawyers who persuaded the judge to reopen the case and made Hifter available to be deposed. He sat for two separate depositions in 2022 and 2023 and denied orchestrating attacks against civilians. Once a lieutenant to Gadhafi, Hifter defected to the U.S. during the 1980s. He is widely believed to have worked with the CIA during his time in exile. He returned to Libya in 2011 to support anti-Gadhafi forces that revolted against the dictator and killed him. During the country's civil war, he led the self-styled Libyan National Army, which controlled much of the eastern half of Libya, with support from countries including Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. He continues to hold sway in the eastern half of the country. In the lawsuits, first filed in 2019, the plaintiffs say family members were killed by military bombardments conducted by Hifters army in civilian areas. The lawsuits also alleged that Hifter and his family owned a significant amount of property in Virginia, which could have been used to pay off any judgment that would have been entered against him. While the lawsuits were tossed out on technical issues over jurisdiction, one of Hifter's lawyers, Paul Kamenar, said Hifter denied any role in the deaths of civilians. He's not this ruthless figure that everyone wants to portray him as, Kamenar said in a phone interview Sunday. Faisal Gill, a lawyer for plaintiffs in one of the three lawsuits that Brinkema tossed out Friday, said he plans to appeal the dismissal. Mark Zaid, lawyer for another set of plaintiffs, called Brinkema's ruling perplexing and said he believes that the court's jurisdiction to hear the case had already been established at an earlier phase of the case. A U.S. citizen committed war crimes abroad and thus far has escaped civil accountability, Zaid said Sunday in an emailed statement. In court papers, Hifter tried to claim immunity from the suits as a head of state. At one point, the judge put the cases on pause because she worried that the lawsuits were being used to influence scheduled presidential elections in Libya, in which Hifter was a candidate. Those elections were later postponed. - This story has been updated to correct Hifters first name to Khalifa, not Khailfa, in the second paragraph. The United States learned that the Iranian strike on Israel was completed through Swiss channels, a senior administration official said Sunday. A senior administration official told reporters in a briefing Sunday that the U.S. had a series of direct communications through the Swiss channel with Iran leading up to the attack. The official said Iran communicated through the Swiss channel that its strike on Israel was complete as the attacks were ongoing. We received a message from the Iranians as this was ongoing, through the Swiss. This was basically suggesting that they were finished after this, but it was still an ongoing attack, the official told reporters. Iran launched a drone and missile attack against Israel on Saturday in response to a strike earlier this month that killed members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria. Israel, with the help of the U.S. and other partners, was able to intercept 99 percent of those munitions, the official said. The official also rejected claims that Iran gave a 72-hour warning about its attack on Israel. They did not give a notification, nor do they give any sense of, you know, these will be the targets, so evacuate them. They were clearly intending to destroy and to cause casualties, the official said. The attack did not cause any significant damage. The Biden administration has emphasized that it is not seeking a wider war with Iran in the wake of the attack as the world waits to see how Israel may respond. President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday amid the ongoing attack. Ive just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel, Biden said in a statement following the phone call. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. US Marine arrested in Texas after stealing over $500,000 in jewelry, authorities say US Marine arrested in Texas after stealing over $500,000 in jewelry, authorities say A U.S. Marine was arrested in Texas on Thursday after authorities say he stole hundreds of pieces of jewelry worth over $500,000 in two separate heists. Marcelo Majeed Hernandez, 18, was identified as a suspect in the two heists that occurred in Houston at David Yurman Jewelry on October 13, 2023, and at Helzberg Diamond on April 5, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 said. In the first burglary, deputies discovered that a masked suspect had smashed through the front door with a sledgehammer, smashed display cases and stolen over 200 pieces of jewelry valued at over $380,000. During the second burglary, over $170,000 dollars worth of jewelry was stolen. MEMPHIS COP-KILLING TEEN SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS OFFICIALS CALL FOR TOUGHER SENTENCES Marcelo Majeed Hernandez was arrested Thursday in connection with two jewelry heists in the Houston area. The constable said that Hernandez had been identified after a "very thorough investigation." Deputies located him on Thursday, less than a week after the latest heist, and took him into custody. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Marcelo Majeed Hernandez, 18, was charged with two counts of first-degree felony theft. During his arrest, deputies found three handguns, $11,000 in cash, and $500,000 worth of jewelry, which included diamonds, in his car, a Mercedes-Benz GLA, FOX26 Houston reported. Stolen jewelry, cash and three handguns were found in Hernandez's Mercedes-Benz GLA, authorities said. The car had stolen license plates and was captured on surveillance video during the burglaries, Constable Mark Herman told the station. Detectives traced the vehicle to Hernandez. THIEVES STEAL $30M IN CASH ON EASTER SUNDAY IN ONE OF LARGEST HEISTS IN LOS ANGELES HISTORY Most of the stolen jewelry has been recovered, according to the constable, and deputies are working to locate the last few pieces. As investigators took Hernandez into custody, his dog tags fell out, and he told deputies that he was in the U.S. military, Herman told FOX26 Houston. "Actually, he just recently finished his boot camp in the Marine Corps about a week before one of our cases," Constable Mark Herman told the station. Hernandez was identified as the masked suspect who smashed into two jewelry stores and stole over half a million in jewelry. The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) told Fox News Digital in a statement that it was aware of the allegations against Hernandez and was in contact with local authorities. Hernandez, a private first class reserve Marine with 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment in Houston, was not in a "drilling status" at the time when the alleged crimes occurred, the USMC said. "The Marine Corps does not condone the type of behavior alleged in the incident," the USMC said. Herman said that Hernandez appears to still live with his parents in the Cypress neighborhood near where the heists took place. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Hernandez was charged with two counts of first-degree felony theft. Online records show that he is in custody with a bond amount set at $500,000. Original article source: US Marine arrested in Texas after stealing over $500,000 in jewelry, authorities say US military shoots down 'dozens' of Iranian drones fired at Israel, as Jewish state air defense system excels US military shoots down 'dozens' of Iranian drones fired at Israel, as Jewish state air defense system excels Israelis breathed easier in the early hours of Sunday, after an unprecedented air attack from Iranian drones and missiles largely fizzled in the face of the Jewish state's powerful air defenses with assistance from the U.S. military and other allies. A senior U.S. official told Fox News that the U.S. military has shot down "at least dozens" of Iranian drones en route to Israel early Sunday local time, adding that U.S. military engagement is ongoing. "U.S. forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel. Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region," a U.S. military official told Fox News. Israel's layered and advanced air defense systems intercepted 99% of the missiles fired by Iran, a senior Israeli official said. "The [Israeli] response will be unprecedented," he said. ADVANCED AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS PROTECT ISRAEL FROM DRONES, MISSILES Officials added that the U.S. military assets in the region will shoot down any missiles or drones that are fired and may threaten the U.S. or its allies. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "The U.S. will not strike, but it will defend its allies. If things are in the air we will shoot them down," a senior U.S. military official said. IRAN CLAIMS TO FOLLOW DRONE LAUNCH AT ISRAEL WITH BALLISTIC MISSILE BARRAGE Streaks of light are seen as Israel's Iron Dome air defense system intercepts rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, April 7, 2023. Fox News also confirmed the U.S. closely coordinated with Jordan and Egypt, as Jordan played a key part in downing projectiles fired at Israel. Officials say that the use of airspace will also be something to watch and that they monitor. Iran said earlier Sunday that its attack "can be deemed concluded" but warned it would respond decisively to any nation that lets Israel use its airspace to attack Iran. Original article source: US military shoots down 'dozens' of Iranian drones fired at Israel, as Jewish state air defense system excels US Navy warship commander mocked for holding assault rifle with scope the wrong way US Navy warship commander mocked for holding assault rifle with scope the wrong way The US Navy was criticized for posting a photo of an officer firing a rifle with the scope backward. Cmdr. Cameron Yaste had been firing at a naval target balloon, the Navy said. The Navy acknowledged the error and removed the picture. The US Navy has been slammed on social media for posting a photo of a sailor holding an assault rifle with its scope on backward. In an image posted to Instagram, which has since been deleted, Cmdr. Cameron Yaste, the captain of the USS John S. McCain, was aiming the weapon, with the scope's lens cap still attached, at an unseen target. The caption accompanying the photo read: "From engaging in practice gun shoots, conducting maintenance, testing fuel purity and participating in sea and anchor details, the #USNavy is always ready to serve and protect." A press release from the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service said the captain had been firing at a "killer tomato," a Navy term for a target balloon. Viewers were quick to point out his mistake. One X user wrote: "US Navy just killing it on Instagram" alongside laughing and crying emojis. Another said: "U.S. Navy's Cameron Yaste (left pic) thinks he's gonna dazzle 18-year-olds into joining navy with cool photoshoot on board ship but forgot that his scope's mounted backward." Mike Collins, a Republican congressman from Georgia, also weighed in on the photo, posting a photo on X, formerly Twitter, of a pistol with its barrel back-to-front. "Navy's newly issued sidearm," he joked in the caption. The US Navy said in a statement: "Thank you for pointing out our rifle scope error in the previous post. Picture has been removed until EMI is completed!" EMI, or "extra military instruction," is defined by the US Navy as instruction in a "military duty in which an individual is deficient" to correct the deficiency. "It is a bona fide training technique to be used for improving the efficiency of an individual within a command or unit through the correction of some deficiency in that individual's performance of duty," the Navy says. According to Yaste's official biography, he graduated from the Naval Post Graduate School with a master's degree in astronautics before going on to serve aboard ships such as the USS Bataan and the USS Hopper. The biography said he's also won multiple awards, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. Read the original article on Business Insider Joe Biden has said it will depend on Donald Trump's behaviour whether he will debate him this year - MORRY GASH/AP Twelve American news organisations including bitter rivals Fox News and CNN have issued a joint call for Joe Biden and Donald Trump to agree to debate each other to preserve a rich tradition. While Mr Trump did not participate in debates for the Republican nomination, he has indicated a willingness to take on his 2020 rival. However, Mr Biden has not committed to debating his opponent. Although invitations have not been formally issued, the news organisations said it was not too early for each campaign to say publicly that it will participate in the three presidential and one vice-presidential forums set by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarised time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high, the outlets said in a joint statement. Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation. The Associated Press, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, PBS, NBC and NPR have all signed the letter. Mr Biden and Mr Trump debated twice in 2020. A third debate was cancelled after the then-president Trump tested positive for Covid-19. Asked on March 8 whether he would commit to a debate with Mr Trump, Mr Biden said: It depends on his behaviour. The president was visibly miffed by his opponent in the freewheeling first 2020 debate, at one point asking, will you shut up? Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita said in a letter this past week that we have already indicated president Trump is willing to debate anytime, anyplace and anywhere and the time to start these debates is now. They cited the seven 1858 Illinois Senate debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, saying certainly todays America deserves as much. The Republican National Committee voted in 2022 to no longer participate in forums sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The Trump campaign has not indicated it would adhere to that, but did have some conditions. The campaign managers said the commission selected a demonstrably anti-Trump moderator in then-Fox News host Chris Wallace in 2020 and wants assurances the commission debates are fair and impartial. The Trump campaign also wants the timetable moved up, saying that many Americans will have already voted by September 16, October 1 and October 9, the dates of the three debates set by the commission. The Biden campaign declined to comment on the letter, pointing to the presidents earlier statement. There was no immediate response from the Trump campaign. But on Saturday, Mr Trump held a rally in northeast Pennsylvania with two lecterns set up on the stage: one for him to give a speech, the other to symbolise what he said was Bidens refusal to debate him. The second lectern had a placard that read, Anytime. Anywhere. Anyplace. Midway through his campaign speech, Mr Trump turned to his right and pointed to the second lectern. We have a little, look at this, its for him, he said. See the podium? Im calling on Crooked Joe Biden to debate anytime, anywhere, anyplace. Right there. And we have to debate because our country is going in the wrong direction so badly and while its a little bit typically early we have to debate. We have to explain to the American people what the hell is going on. C-SPAN, NewsNation and Univision also joined the letter calling for debates. USA Today was the only newspaper to add its voice. Television news ratings are down significantly compared with the 2020 campaign. There were no Democratic debates this presidential cycle, and Mr Trumps refusal to participate in the GOP forums depressed interest in them. Polls narrowing Mr Biden has slashed Mr Trumps poll lead according to the latest batch of opinion polls. A new survey by the New York Times and Siena College over the weekend put Mr Trump on 46 points and Mr Biden on 45. In February just before he became the Republicans presumptive nominee, Mr Trump held a five-point lead over his successor, with the backing of 48 per cent of respondents compared with Mr Bidens 43 per cent. The presidents recovery appears to be a result of Democrat voters returning to the fold with Mr Biden now backed by 80 per cent of those who voted for him in 2020. A YouGov-Economist poll also gives Mr Trump a one-point lead over Mr Bidens 42 per cent, and A Morning Consult poll, puts the former president at 44 per cent and Mr Biden at 43 per cent. A Redfield & Wilton Strategies has the two candidates level pegging on 41 per cent and and two Ipsos polls for Reuters put Mr Biden ahead by four points and one point respectively, Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The military forces of the United Kingdom and France, alongside the USA, assisted Israel in repelling the large-scale aerial attack from Iran and pro-Iranian forces in the neighbouring countries on the night of 13-14 April. Source: CNN, citing Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israeli Defence Forces spokesperson, as reported by European Pravda Details: "We are working closely with the US, UK and France who acted tonight. This partnership has always been close, but tonight it manifested itself in an unusual way," Hagari said. He didn't provide details about the nature of their involvement. The Times of Israel notes that Jordan also assisted in shooting down Iranian drones, despite harshly criticising Israel for its methods of operation in the Gaza Strip. In an official statement, they explained that intercepting targets in their airspace was done "to ensure the safety of its citizens." US President Joe Biden publicly stated that US forces in the region helped shoot down some of the drones and unmanned aerial vehicles launched by Iran at targets in Israel. Unofficial reports indicated that the US shot down over 70 air targets, utilising fighter jets and missile defence systems aboard guided-missile destroyers. Background: American and Israeli military officials announced the interception of Iranian drones, the number of which exceeded one hundred, during the attack on the night of 13-14 April. In total, Iran launched over 200 missiles and drones towards Israel. Over 100 drones launched by Iran were shot down outside Israeli airspace. Later, it was clarified that there were over 300 air targets in total, including approximately 170 attack drones, over 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles, nearly all of which were shot down. Pro-Iranian forces in Iraq and Yemen carried out some of the launches. In response to the attack, US President Joe Biden convened the US security team for discussion and had a conversation with the prime minister of Israel. Additionally, he announced that he would convene an extraordinary meeting of the Group of Seven leaders on 14 April to coordinate a diplomatic response to Iran's attack. Support UP or become our patron! The U.S. warned that Iran will be held responsible if it attempted further military action against Israel or the U.S. during an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Sunday. The United States is not seeking escalation, said U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood. Our actions have been purely defensive in nature. The U.S. called on the Security Council to condemn Irans attack on Israel on Saturday . Wood echoed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who briefed the council during Sundays emergency session. Its time to step back from the brink, Guterres said. We have a shared responsibility to actively engage all parties concerned to prevent further escalation. Russia and Iran criticized the calls for de-escalation as hypocritical, pointing out that the U.S., U.K. and France blocked a Russian-penned Security Council press statement earlier this month that would have condemned Israels apparent airstrike on Irans consulate in Syria. Were witnessing a display of hypocrisy and double standards which is almost embarrassing to watch, said Vasily Nebenzya, Russias United Nations envoy. The emergency session did not yield an official statement from the Security Council, but Vanessa Frazier of Malta, which holds the UNSC presidency this month, told reporters after the meeting that she believed the session contributed to deescalating heightened tensions in the region. The message around the Council table was very, very clear that there should be no further escalation, Frazier said. Irans long-anticipated airstrike on Israel on Saturday ratchets up tensions in the region, as the U.S. tows a line between its support for Israel while avoiding an escalation in the region. American officials are urging Israel to exercise restraint in its response , with President Joe Biden telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. would not join an Israeli counter-strike. Irans Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani said on Sunday that Tehran wants to avoid the expansion of conflict, but would defend itself if the U.S. initiated military operations against Iran. Irans airstrike was almost entirely thwarted by Israels air defense systems, which were bolstered by its collaboration with allies the U.S., Britain and France. Jordan also intercepted drones and missiles that went into its airspace, Reuters reported . Some U.S. officials saw the attack as a way for Iran to save face and that Tehran did not want an escalation. The United States condemned the overnight attacks against Israel by Iran and Tehrans allied proxy groups across the Middle East overnight Saturday into Sunday morning, but stated firmly that the Biden administration remains committed to avoiding a regional war. Nearly 300 drones and missiles were reported over the skies of Israel Saturday evening as Iran and its allies launched what has been reported to be the largest single drone attack in history. Israeli air defences intercepted the vast majority of the incoming fire, according to initial reports, and no deaths have been reported. The Israeli Iron Dome air defence system was launched to intercept missiles fired from Iran on Saturday night (Tomer Neuberg/AP) President Joe Biden released a statement shortly before 11pm local time, calling the drone strikes that were largely intercepted by Israeli air defences a brazen attack against a US ally. He added that he had reaffirmed his support for Israels defence in a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, said the president. He added that he told Mr Netanyahu that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. WATCH: Biden has criticized Israels actions in Gaza does the U.S. trust Netanyahus judgment in response to Irans attack? @kwelkernbc asks. NSCs John Kirby: Were going to continue to work with him, advise him. The [U.S.] will continue to help them defend themselves. pic.twitter.com/6QF8bU05rT Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 14, 2024 As Washington woke up to the news, however, the White House clarified the presidents words to underscore that the US would not be drawn into direct conflict with Iran. John Kirby, spokesman for the national security council, told NBCs Meet The Press that the administration was not looking for escalation after the attack and was asked by moderator Kristin Welker about reporting indicating that Mr Biden had told Mr Netanyahu in their conversation Saturday night that his administration would not support an Israeli counterattack. You got a win. Take the win, Mr Biden reportedly told the Israeli prime minister. Mr Kirby responded that the US president had stated his support for Israels self-defence, while not elaborating further: I won't go into more detail. Again, I just go back to what the president has said time and time again: We don't seek an escalation. We don't seek a wider war in the region. Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu (via REUTERS) Later on Sunday, the leaders of the G-7 (including the US) released a joint statement on the attack. We, the Leaders of the G7, unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Irans direct and unprecedented attack against Israel. Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack, it read. We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security. The leaders statement continued: With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. We will continue to work to stabilize the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives. We will also strengthen our cooperation to end the crisis in Gaza, including by continuing to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, and deliver increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need, the statement concluded. The Iranian strike comes at a time of deteriorating relations between the Biden administration and Mr Netanyahus government; the US president has been reported to be increasingly frustrated with the scope and scale of Israels assault on Gaza, while unwilling to leverage US military aid in a meaningful manner in an effort to change Mr Netanyahus policies. At the same time, the Biden administration is showing more willingness to criticise Israels actions, including the killings of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers. In his interview, Mr Kirby seemingly confirmed that some level of backchannel communications were occurring between the US and Iran amid the rise in hostilities across the Middle East. Such communications, if they are transpiring, are a positive sign for those in the White House seeking to avoid that broader potential conflict. He added that in the administrations dealings with Iran, the US would continue to make clear what we would do, and how we would continue to defend Israel, and also how seriously we would take any potential threat to our personnel and our facilities in the region. Talk among conservatives, meanwhile, veered sharply towards calling for retaliatory strikes against Iran conducted by US forces. Washingtons hawkish right has long argued that strikes by Iranian forces and their proxies, even those that do not not inflict meaningful damage, should be met with overwhelming force. Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton warned on CNN that unless Iran sees a powerful response, that risk [of another attack] will continue. Mr Bolton, long known for his advocacy of US force against Iran, went on to call President Joe Biden an embarrassment for his de-escalatory rhetoric in the CNN interview; he also suggested Israel look at Saturday nights attack as an opportunity to strike Irans nuclear programme. Senator Marsha Blackburn, another longtime Iran hawk, added on Twitter: we must move quickly and launch aggressive retaliatory strikes on Iran. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) cautioned Sunday that there is a real fear of escalation amid Irans missile and drone attack on Israel over the weekend. Vance said that he agreed with Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) on Sunday, who also appeared on CNNs State of the Union and suggested that there could be further escalation amid the Iranian attack on Israel. Well, I certainly think there is a real fear of escalation. Senator [Chris] Coons is right about that. Part of the reason why we have a fear of escalation, Jake, is because our deterrence is so weak. And why is it so weak because the world sees the United States thats stretched so thin, he said on State of the Union. The U.S. helped Israel thwart drone and missile attacks launched by Iran over the weekend. Israeli officials are meeting Sunday to discuss how the country should respond to the attack as the U.S. has said it is not looking for a wider war in the region. Vance said that the U.S. should first focus on its manufacturing capacity and ensure it has enough to support its troops and closest allies. I think if we want to reestablish deterrence, the most important thing is not how we or Israel respond to this attack. Its how we focus on the long term on rebuilding our country. People arent worried that were not thumping our chest enough. I know thats the John Bolton response to this, he added. He said that while he will not advise Israel on how to respond, he believes the U.S. should help prevent the issue from becoming a larger conflict and also continue to support Israel. Its great to actually see bipartisan leadership from across the aisle saying that we certainly stand with our friends in Israel. Im not going to pretend to counsel Israel on their strategic response to this, Vance said. I think the most important thing for the United States here is to one, prevent this from becoming a broader regional conflict because were already stretched very thin, and two, to support our Israeli allies. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelas government arrested two high-level energy officials on Sunday following the detention of a former oil minister amid an investigation into billions of lost Petroleos de Venezuela SA revenue. Most Read from Bloomberg Vice minister for oil Erick Perez and vice minister for gas Juan Santana were arrested on Saturday, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation but who requested anonymity because the information has not been made public. The arrests follow the detention of Maduros former oil minister Tareck El Aissami on Tuesday, a year after his resignation. El Aissami has been charged with treason and money laundering in connection with an alleged scheme in which billions of dollars in oil proceeds disappeared. The countrys oil ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the detentions. READ: Venezuela Detains Former Maduro Confidantes in PDVSA Probe (1) The arrests come just months before the presidential election set for July 28, which has been highly criticized by the international community for unfair conditions and the shunning of candidate Maria Corina Machado, the winner of the opposition primaries in October. Nicolas Maduro, running for a third consecutive term, proposed on Saturday a constitutional reform to allow life sentences and political bans against anyone found guilty of graft, treason and crimes against the people, as he campaigns on anti-corruption promises. The Venezuelan constitutions maximum penalty is 30 years in prison. Former finance minister Simon Zerpa and businessman Samark Lopez were also arrested on treason, appropriation and money laundering charges. More than 50 people have been detained so far, including judges, elected officials, business people and the head of the crypto oversight agency. The US has said its willing to let an important oil and gas license expire on April 18 if the socialist government doesnt take steps toward democratic elections. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A Venezuelan national was arrested and charged in a stabbing in far East El Paso on Saturday, April 13, that started off as a domestic dispute, the El Paso County Sheriffs Office said. According to the Sheriffs Office, the deputy assigned to University Medical Center was notified by hospital staff about a possible aggravated assault. Deputies then met with the victims brother who told the investigating officers that the victim had been stabbed at their residence along the 13000 block of Bachimba Dr. in far East El Paso. Deputies said that through further investigation they learned that the suspect, who was only identified as a Venezuelan national, and his wife were involved in a domestic assault when the victim tried to intervene. During the altercation, the suspect stabbed the victim, according to the Sheriffs Office. The suspect was taken into custody and placed under arrest for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and assault/family violence, according to the Sheriffs Office. No details were released about how badly injured the victim was. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Jessica Ebbighausen had become a police officer just months before the fatal crash Vermont State Police/AP Jessica Ebbighausen A Vermont man was placed behind bars after being charged with aggravated murder for allegedly striking a 19-year-old police officer with his car. The crash that killed Jessica Ebbighausen occurred in July 2023 in Rutland, according to reports from WCAX, NBC 5 and VTDigger. The outlets report, citing authorities, that Tate Rheaume was initially charged with grossly negligent operation with death resulting and eluding police and was released on $100,000 bond. But nearly a year after the crash, his charges were upgraded, and he could now face life in prison. Authorities claim that Rheaume was fleeing police who were pursuing him on July 7 when he struck Ebbighausens cruiser head-on with his pickup truck, the outlets report. Gordon Dristchilo/The Rutland Herald/AP Tate Rheaume Because of the upgraded charges, Rheaume was remanded to jail to be held without bail, VTDigger reported. The outlet reported he has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. It is unclear if he's retained an attorney to speak on his behalf. The facts of this particular case support that charge, Rutland police Chief Brian Kilcullen said to WCAX. We absolutely support holding Mr. Rheaume accountable to the highest degree that we can. 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. Ebbighausen had just become a police officer before she was killed, which fulfilled a long-time dream. WCAX reported that she had joined the department two months before and was undergoing training. Her family started a GoFundMe to raise money for her family. Since Jessica was 9 years old she dreamed of becoming a Police Officer, the organizer wrote. At the young age of 19, her dreams came true when she was able to wear the Rutland City Police Officer uniform. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. On May 31, 1937, Virginia Gardner, realized that while some journalists work for a paycheck, others have a love affair with truth. A star Tribune reporter, she was known for her exposes of quack doctors. In one story, her writing sharply skewered a defense attorney whose expert-witness tactic backfired. Pointing to an exhibit labeled healing ointment, the attorney asked the doctor he brought to court what purpose it served. To sell, the witness replied. But on this occasion, Gardner picked up a copy of the paper on her way to work, anxious to see the coverage of a strike at the Far South Side. The cops killed 10 workers on a picket line. The Tribunes front page was unbelievable, she recalled in an unpublished memoir, Ruminations on a Long Life. The idea was that it was all the strikers fault. Instead of their making a peaceful march before they struck Republic Steel, the Tribune had them making a frontal attack! When she arrived at Tribune Tower, a photographer came out of the darkroom and tearfully said: Come here, Miss Gardner. I want to show you something. Insidewe were alone in the darkroomhe showed me the pictures he had madewhich the Tribune hadnt used. All showed the brutality of the police actions. But the Tribune, under the control of archconservative publisher Robert McCormick, offered coverage more sympathetic to the police, with a story carrying the sub-headline, Police Repulse Mob Attack on S. Chicago Mill. The important thing is that it was on that day in 1937, Memorial Day, I decided that the thing I must do was to join the Communist Party, she wrote. I had no illusions that Id change things. If I could make Col. McCormick and his like a mite less comfortable I wanted to do it. In fact, her decision changed the whole trajectory of Gardners life, notably with the demise of her marriage. Her husband, Marion Red Marberry, was a Socialist, and Communists and Socialists were at odds despite their mutual abhorrence of capitalists. He showed little sympathy for her dismay over the Tribunes strike coverage, she recounted in her memoir. So what? he sneered. Do you expect the Colonel to come to Jesus suddenly? Gardner was born in 1904 in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, and grew up in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Her father was a well-to-do banker, with a hint of youthful radicalism. Having worked briefly for a newspaper, he tried steering her away from journalism. But as children will, she declined to heed his advice. She enrolled in the University of Missouris Journalism School. Jerry Butler, a young man who sat next to her in an economics class, asked her to a fraternity dance. He wooed her by explaining the difference between bourgeois economics and Marxism. As if it was an entirely commonplace statistic, he said, Of course I am a Socialist, she wrote in her unpublished memoir, which was provided to the Tribune by New York Universitys Tamiment Library. Butlers ideology was free form, as she noted: Being a Socialist meant for Jerry voting for Norman Thomas every four years and reading Marx because, as he said, it helped when he played the stock market. Thomas was a perennial presidential candidate, running unsuccessfully as a Socialist six times beginning in the late 1920s. Gardner was hired by the Tribune in 1929, somewhat reluctantly. A Tribune editor, about to show her the door, asked about her schooling. Knowing old-timers frowned on college graduates, she hemmed and hawed before giving her credentials from Missouri. You certainly made it hard for me, he replied. The Colonel has just put through an order that no one is to be hired for the editorial department who isnt a journalism school graduate. She started as a general assignment reporter at $65 a week. Two weeks later, the stock market crashed and hard times followed. The effects of the Depression were all around us, she recalled. As she left the the Tribune Tower after work, she saw those effects firsthand. On a the ledge there, surrounding the lower part of the Tribunes front, lay stretched the unemployed, wrapped in newspapers tied against the winda mass of men as close together as sardines in a can. Her assignments were wide-ranging and often sobering, given the times. In 1932, she wrote about the Bread Line Frolics, a show mounted by performers living in homeless shelters. Feet that havent tapped the boards in many a month and voices that have grown a little husky since they sang in tent shows and burlesque houses years back, are being heard in daily rehearsals in the Majestic Theater, she reported. When Gardner surreptitiously organized a Tribune chapter of the Newspaper Guild, management cracked the secret code by which members identities were hidden. Even worse, a 1938 Tribune article named her as one of the picketers arrested during a clash between police and striking workers of the Chicago Evening American and the Herald American. She was fired, but the National Labor Relations Board helped her get reinstated. McCormick was furious and ordered the papers copy desk to strip her stories of a byline. But Cardinal George Mundelein admired her spunk and gave her a big scoop: Mother Cabrini was going to be beatified. A front-page story about a Chicago nun demanded a byline, and McCormick relented. Newsroom wits quipped that incident left Mother Cabrini just one short of the two miracles required for elevation to sainthood. In 1940, Gardner left the Tribune and became a wandering journalist. She searched for truthas she saw it, not as some editor insisted she report it. She was the Washington correspondent of the New Masses, a Marxist publication she left in 1947 to work for the Peoples World, the Communist Partys West Coast newspaper. In 1951, she was fired by the Peoples World, moved to New York, worked in a meatpacking plant, and was hired by the Daily Worker, the Communist Partys East Coast newspaper. She chronicled and was a victim of the 1950s Red Scare, a hysterical search for Soviet agents supposedly burrowed into educational institutions and government agencies. The inquisitions supporters and opponents were fired up by the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of stealing Americas nuclear formulas. Gardner thought them innocent and lambasted congressional investigators for outing people as members of leftist groups theyd long since left. A second stool pigeon was produced by the Un-American Activities Committee in its hunt for some pretext on which to make the ghoulish claim that the Communist Partys coffers were enriched by the movement around clemency for the martyred Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, she reported in the Daily Worker. Meanwhile, she seems to have had her own doubts about her political choices. Californias Tenney Committee identified her as a Revisionist, whereupon a hard-line Communist publication suggested she was a stool pigeon. Those intraparty battles were intensified the by the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchevs 1956 revelations about Josef Stalin. Long hero-worshipped by American leftists, in reality, he was a cruel dictator with an ocean of blood on his hands. In 1959, Gardner resigned from the Daily Worker and left the Communist Party in 1962. Unable to find other assignments, she wrote a biography of Louise Bryant, a feminist and Communist, and worked on her own autobiography. Gardner died in San Diego in 1992. Her Tribune obituary included a line that made clear she wasnt a political theoretician with her head in the clouds and manicured fingernails. While writing for the Daily Worker and other radical and communist publications, the obit noted, she worked in New York factories. Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Ron Grossman and Marianne Mather at rgrossman@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com. An Iron Dome and exoatmospheric strikes: The technology Israel used to take out Irans drones Extraordinary footage appeared to capture Israel shooting down a ballistic missile outside of the Earths atmosphere as it deployed its most advanced defences against Iranian drones and rockets. Images showing what is thought to be an exoatmospheric interception were among visuals circulated on Sunday morning following the unprecedented barrage of missiles fired directly at Israel from Iran for the first time. One Israeli official described the countrys response as the most complex air defence events recorded, according to Kan, the Israeli public broadcaster. Israel claims it shot down with the help of the US and the RAF - 99 per cent of the more than 330 drones, cruise and ballistic missiles fired from Iran. According to the army, Iran launched 30 cruise missiles, 120 ballistic missiles and 170 drones. The attacks were launched from Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, marking the most serious multi-front attack against Israel in decades. At least one of the ballistic missiles was shot down by the Arrow Weapon System (AWS) which is the worlds first operational, national, stand-alone ATBM (Anti Tactical Ballistic Missiles) defence system. The Arrow 3 is the latest and most advanced system, with an exoatmospheric hypersonic anti-ballistic missile to shoot out targets that are due to drop on a target from outside the Earths atmosphere. Israel also deployed its famous Iron Dome missile system, the most well-known. It has protected Israel against rockets from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah since it became operational in 2011. It also used Davids Sling, which became operational in 2017 and protects against large-calibre rockets, short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft and drones. Combined, this umbrella of missile defence systems has protected Israel against incoming missiles, drones and rockets since Oct 7. According to Giora Eiland, former head of the Israeli National Security Council, the missile defence system is but one of many important elements which contributed to the unprecedented success in shooting down the missiles and drones from Iran. Eiland told The Telegraph how Israel, the UAE, Jordan, US and Saudi Arabia worked on establishing one large command and control system between them a little over four years ago, following a large drone attack on Saudi oil facilities. Israel was deeply engaged in secret negotiations with Gulf states at the time to normalise ties, after years of covert cooperation. Eiland described how the control system works: If something is detected in Jordan or Saudi Arabia its automatically transferred to Israel and the US Centcom. So we have one picture of the Middle East. That is very important because it also reflects a strategic cooperation that was totally ignored in the past six months due to the dispute over Gaza. And now, because of this attack, all the relevant parties returned to work together and shared information in real-time. It looks as if the command and control system, which is very complicated, worked very well, Eiland added. While the IDF is yet to release data on exactly which types of cruise and ballistic missiles were fired at Israel, and from where, Eiland said that a fair assumption to make is that many of the drones and cruise missiles were shot down by Israeli F-35 fighter jets. The fact that you can begin the engagement far from Israels borders is one of the reasons why the result was so good. So even if you miss, you have another shot at shooting them down again. And if that fails, you have the missile defence system in Israel, he said. Eilands assessment correlates with a report by Reuters on Sunday, saying most of the drones flying over Syrias airspace were downed by Israeli and US jets, citing two Western intelligence sources. The former national security chief added that he wasnt surprised with the success rate, but that it isnt easy to detect cruise missiles at night due to their high speed, low altitude and ability to manoeuvre between mountains. As for the 120 ballistic missiles, Eiland pointed at two challenges in shooting them down, one of which he said he couldnt disclose. Because a fighter jet cant down a ballistic missile, you are left with one shot; the Arrow missile defence system. And that limits your options, he said. The US and Jordan also deserve praise for their abilities to stop Irans attack, Eiland said. I know of course that Jordan has advanced radars as well as air-to-air missiles and F-16 fighter jets, which are capable of shooting down drones but I didnt know if the Jordanian pilots could operate effectively at night. And they proved that they can. Thats quite promising. The main US contribution is intelligence, in particular their prediction about what would happen and, of course, sharing it. It was extremely precise. 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. Water in gas causes couples vehicle to break down; what to do if this happens to you LITTLETON, Colo. (KDVR) The FOX31 Problem Solvers are investigating what officials are calling contaminated gas sold here in the Denver metro area. A viewer posted his story on social media about a breakdown after a fill-up at the Valero gas station on Belleview Avenue in Littleton. Gas in Denver is among the cheapest nationwide: AAA The owner of the station told FOX31 he believes the water entered the underground storage tank likely due to the snowstorm a few weeks back. While part of the problem has been resolved, the owner said he hopes all fuel should be fully operational by next week. When you go to a gas station you expect youre filling up with fuel, not something like water thats going to damage your engine, Mark Trinquero told FOX31. It wasnt the case for his wife, Dyllin Trinquero, last Saturday when she stopped to fill up with premium fuel. In less than probably 2 miles down the road her car completely stopped working in the middle of the road, Trinquero said. Luckily a bystander helped push it out of harms way. Very shortly after they came back and told us they have never seen that much water in someones fuel tank, Trinquero said. His wife showed FOX31 the amount of water her mechanic pumped out of her fuel tank The next day the couple called a tow truck to get it towed into a shop, costing them around $200. Trinquero called a state inspector who came out the next day to inspect the tanks at the gas station. Car insurance rates are rising in Colorado Heres why The report showed 11.5 inches of water was found in the premium tank, and a half inch was found in the diesel fuel. The owner says he put up out of service signs, but they were blown off during the wind storm last weekend. I have a little bit of concern with that twofold. One, if you willingly know if your fuel is contaminated, you need to shut off the pump. A sign is nice but we also have confirmed by the state inspector that those signs blew off in that massive amount of wind we had last Saturday, Trinquero said. So, there were no signs, so as a consumer you dont know. Colorado is one of a few states that offers 85-octane gas: Heres why Our mechanic made a really good point. It was negligent that they didnt have the covers over the pumps itself, bags over the pumps, theyre supposed to do that, Dyllin Trinquero said. A real pain at the pump for the Trinqueros, who now have to pay hundreds of dollars in repairs. Still waiting for a final total but its looking at least upwards of $600 to $700 worth of damage, not including the towing bill, Trinquero said. I saw on Google reviews were not alone. Ive seen at least one other person posts about water in the tank from this location. Now the couple is awaiting answers to see if the station owner will compensate them for the repairs. I asked the inspector, he says the best route to go is to work with the store owner. He says more often than not thats what they are willing to do but unfortunately, we havent had any progress on that front, Trinquero said. The end goal here is nothing more than to help reimburse us for these costs that we accrued and the damage done to her vehicle. Right now the gas station can only sell regular and diesel fuel. The Division of Oil and Public Safety has to obtain new samples that pass in the laboratory before premium gas can be sold again. State officials say if this happens to you, its a good idea to keep a copy of your gas receipt and receipts for towing and repairs, that way you can have all that information when dealing with the store owner directly. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Video above: Floridas first Wawa drive-thru opens in the Tampa Bay area TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Wawa is celebrating a big milestone, and they are inviting their loyal fans to celebrate with them! For one day only, the retail business is offering customers free, any-size hot coffee all day from the self-serve coffee bar in vintage cups that reflect designs through the past six decades. Counties with the lowest cost of living in Florida Coffee and Wawa lovers can get in on this offer on Tuesday, April 16, as the company expects to hand out over 1.5 million cups of coffee nationwide. In addition to a free cup of joe, all Wawa locations will select a Day Brightening customer, who can score a sash, mug, and a weeks worth of coffee. Customers will also be able to cash in on special deals, like 60-cent promotions including birthday cake donuts, teas, juices, and lemonade! The store will be decked-out in 1960s fashion and offer vintage decor cups, hoagie paper and special tumblers. On April 16, 1964, Wawa, Inc. opened its first store in Folsom, Pennsylvania. Fast-forward 60 years, Wawa now has over 1,000 stores nationwide. As we celebrate this momentous 60th anniversary milestone, we want to thank our customers and associates for creating the unforgettable connections that have propelled us through the years and have allowed us to continue to go beyond filling orders, to fulfilling lives every day, Wawas CEO, Chris Gheysens, said. On April 16, we invite our customers to celebrate our history and our future, and toast with us as we celebrate the countless day-brightening moments that we have had together through the years. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Trump Compares Himself to Jesus, Al Sharpton Shocked Everyone With Surprised Celeb Guests, Donald Trump's Cringey Chick-fil-A Photo and More Political News Donald Trump (Left), Sunny Hostin (Right) - Photo: Alon Skuy / Jamie McCarthy (Getty Images) Conservatives on social media have been dunking on The View co-host Sunny Hostin for her recent comments about the solar eclipse, earthquakes in NYC, climate change, and the raptureand how she believes its all connected. - Jessica Washington Read More NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 11: Rev. Al Sharpto speaks during the National Action Networks Womens Empowerment Luncheon at the Sheraton New York on April 11, 2024 in New York City. - Photo: John Lamparski (Getty Images) Rev. Al Sharpton hosted the National Action Network conventions annual Womens Empowerment Luncheon in New York on Thursday. The star-studded honorees included voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski and Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, and Whoopi Goldberg. But there was one surprise honoree who wasnt listed on the invitation. - Jessica Washington Read More WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 20: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) speaks during a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol March 20, 2024 in Washington, DC. Democratic members of Congress held the press conference to introduce the Protected Time Off Act. - Photo: Win McNamee (Getty Images) Congresswoman Jazmine Crockett (D-TX) is receiving heat for her comments about reparations on The Black Lawyers Podcast, last week. The Freshman Congresswoman is no stranger to going viral, but conservative media is dragging her over her off-the-cuff remarks about tax breaks and reparations. While on the podcast, Crockett recounted hearing a celebrity say that in place of cash payments as reparations, Black Americans could receive a temporary break from paying taxes. - Jessica Washington Read More ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 10: Former U.S. President Donald Trump meets employees during a visit to a Chick-fil-A restaurant on April 10, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Trump is visiting Atlanta for a campaign fundraising event he is hosting. ( - Photo: Megan Varner (Getty Images) Former President Donald Trump made a visit to an Chick-fil-A in Atlanta on Wednesday, in his latest bid to pander to Black voters, but not everyone looked pleased to see him. - Jessica Washington Read More For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Bars in front of the Iranian embassy in Berlin. For the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic, Iran had directly attacked its arch-enemy Israel during the night. Fabian Sommer/dpa Western European leaders condemned Iran's direct overnight attack on Israel in sharp terms on Sunday, while issuing warnings of an escalation in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. French President Emmanuel Macron said the attack threatened to destabilize the region. "France is working along with its partners for de-escalation and calls for restraint," he posted on X. Macron expressed solidarity with the people of Israel and emphasized the significance of Israeli security for France. According to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari, France contributed to warding off the Iranian aerial attacks by providing airspace monitoring. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted on X, formerly Twitter: "We are extremely concerned about a further destabilization in the region and are continuing to work to prevent this." Italy, which currently chairs the G7, has arranged a video conference of G7 leaders for Sunday afternoon. The comments follow German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who condemned the Iranian airstrikes on Israel "in the strongest possible terms" upon landing in China for an official visit. "Iran is risking a regional conflagration with this irresponsible and unjustifiable attack," government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said after the chancellor's arrival in the economic metropolis of Chongqing. "In these difficult hours, Germany is standing closely by Israel's side." Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte described the situation in the Middle East as deeply worrying, and also expressed concerns about a possible escalation. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called for restraint on all sides. "Iran is a known sponsor of state terrorism," he posted on X. De Croo called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the region. Belgium has been increasingly critical of Israeli policy in the Gaza Strip. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris termed the Iranian attack "reckless" and urged all sides to show restraint and avoid escalation. Ireland has been among the sharpest critics of Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip. Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin has called for a two-state solution and indicated that Ireland is preparing to recognize a Palestinian state, a move that is rejected by Israeli leaders. Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister, makes a statement at the Federal Foreign Office following the Iranian attack on Israel. For the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic, Iran had directly attacked its arch-enemy Israel during the night. Fabian Sommer/dpa A drone is launched in an undisclosed area in Iran as Iran launches dozens of drones toward Israel. Tasnim News Agancy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Where did a Beverly Hills thief take $480,000 of diamond goods? An Aventura pawn shop A thief who ripped off almost an estimated $2 million of goods from Brazilian guests at a high end Beverly Hills hotel brought two pieces of diamond jewelry appraised at $484,000 to a high end Aventura pawn shop. Jobson Marangoni De Castro aka Jobs Marangoni got $50,000 from Diamond Banc Aventura, 19790 W. Dixie Hwy, on May 18 of last year. De Castro will also get federal prison time after pleading guilty in Los Angeles federal court last week to interstate transportation of stolen property. Diamond Banc Aventura Market Director Xammany Vongratsamy directed Herald questions about the purchase of stolen goods to Diamond Banc Vice President Kyle Cook. Cook didnt return a phone message from the Herald. As for the 38-year-old De Castro, his sentencing will occur after an April 30 evidentiary hearing on the property value. Beverly Hills Thief What follows comes from the criminal complaint: On May 5, The couple whom De Castro victimized checked into room 222 at The Peninsula Beverly Hills, where the cheapest room for two adults runs $985. They planned a week-long stay around a May 9 fashion event. De Castro at dinner at the hotel bar on May 9 and charged the meal to the couples room by writing the names of the man and woman on the receipt. He returned the next day at 5:55 p.m. in an Uber. The FBI Special Agent who wrote the complaint said thieves and fraudsters often keep profiles of potential victims that include Social Security numbers, birthdates, drivers license numbers, passport numbers and alien registration numbers. This could give De Castro what he needed to fool a front desk clerk at The Peninsula when he fraudulently claimed he was a guest staying in Room 222 and he had left his key and personal items in the room. After asking security questions, which De Castro was able to answer, the clerk gave De Castro a key to Room 222. With one of the couple napping in the room, De Castro left and came back at 8:16 p.m. A human-empty room greeted De Castro, who then emptied the room of six suitcases, five black Tumi suitcases and a silver Rimowa carry-on bag. He used an Uber to ferry himself and the suitcases away. Jobson De Castro with six suitcases of stolen goods in an elevator at The Peninsula Beverly Hills. The original list of stolen property and estimated value Beverly Hills police received from the victimized couple put the suitcases alone at $6,000; a Flavia Vetorasso diamond necklace at $200,000; other jewelry at $300,000; a white Chanel dress with embroidered silk Jacquard at $14,900; and $285,000 of other clothes and shoes. A more detailed appraisal by Brazilian high-end jewelry designer Flavia Vetorasso Sciarra placed the white gold multi-shape diamond necklas with 35.24 carat diamonds at $395,000 and the total value of all the stolen pieces at $1.479 million. The victims attorney turned over that as well as a Certificate of Origin from Swiss watchmaker Chopard and a Chopard retailers $89,400 appraisal for a white gold Chopard LHeure du Diamantwatch. The total estimated value of the stolen property was $1,844,615. Aventuras Premier Jewelry Buyer & Lender De Castro arrived in Miami on May 12, and slid into the Instagram DMs of Diamond Banc Aventura, Aventuras Premier Jewlery Buyer & Lender it brags on its website. De Castro dangled that he had a 40 ct necklace to sell. Six days later, on May 18, De Castro...told Diamond Banc that he was in South Beach, that he wanted to sell the jewelry, and that he did not have papers because his mother passed away and he had found the necklace and watch in her safe box, the complaint said. A necklace with 35.24 carats of diamonds and a Chopard LHeure du Diamantwatch had appraised values of $395,000 and $89,000, respectively. De Castro said he was hoping to get 100k for the necklace. Diamond Banc told him to bring the goods in for in-person inspection. Using the name Jobs Marangoni, De Castro showed up at Diamond Banc and was wired $50,000 later that day. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alexander S. Gorin. This embedded content is not available in your region. Whether Speaker of the House can pass legislation and keep his job is unclear Whether Speaker of the House can pass legislation and keep his job is unclear Members of Congress returned to work on Capitol Hill this week. One of the priorities Speaker of the House Mike Johnson promised to address is the support package for Ukraine. Its been languishing there after the Senate authorized help for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the border. The speaker keeps getting threats hell lose his job from hard-right Republicans if he OKs the deal for Ukraine. Some Democrats say they would have the Republicans back. Host Jim Niedelman returns with Democratic political consultant Porter McNeil and former Iowa Republican Party Chair Steve Grubbs. The problem is that you have a House caucus rule that allows one member to call for a vote on removing the Speaker of the House, McNeil said. Republicans have a math problem, Grubbs said. You have 218 Republicans, 213 Democrats . You can only lose three votes. To hear more from our panelists, click on the video. Local 4 News, your local election headquarters, is proud to present 4 The Record, a weekly news and public affairs program focused on the issues important to you. Its a program unlike any other here in the Quad Cities. Tune in each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as Jim Niedelman brings you up to speed on whats happening in the political arena, from Springfield, Des Moines, Washington, D.C. and right here at home. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. White House on Iranian attacks: 'We don't want to see this escalate' A drone is launched in an undisclosed area in Iran as Iran launches dozens of drones toward Israel. Tasnim News Agancy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa The US seeking to avoid further escalations in the Middle East following Iran's attack on Israel, White House spokesman John Kirby said. "We dont want to see this escalate. We are not looking for a major war with Iran," Kirby, communications director of the US government's National Security Council, said on Sunday, adding that the US president had been clear he was not seeking war with Iran. The US would continue to help Israel defend itself, Kirby said, but said that how Israel responds now will be "up to them". The US has been Israel's staunchest ally and biggest military supporter and has repeatedly reiterated its support as tensions escalated between Israel and Iran. It was unclear on Sunday whether Israel would respond to Iran's unprecedented direct attack the previous day, involving some 300 missiles and drones in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike at the start of the month. Iran's "Operation Truthful Promise" was mounted in revenge for an airstrike on its embassy grounds in Damascus on April 1 in which two generals and others were killed. Israel is believed to have carried out the attack and has not denied responsibility. Israel has been Iran's declared arch-enemy since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The decades-old tensions between the two countries have escalated following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October. Whitmer remains silent on protesters' 'Death to America' chants while weighing in on war in Israel, election Whitmer remains silent on protesters' 'Death to America' chants while weighing in on war in Israel, election Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer remained silent on protesters recently chanting, "Death to America" at an anti-Israel protest in her home state, but did weigh in on whether President Bidens handling of the war in the Middle East could cost him the battleground state in November. "The state of Michigan is always going to be a close race, no matter what, under what scenario. I will share, though, as I've had conversations with people both in my Jewish community and in the Arab American and Muslim and Palestinian community, that a lot of people are hurting right now. A lot of people are one degree of separation from someone who's lost their lives, whether it was on October 7, or is in the war in Gaza," Whitmer told NBCs "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker on Sunday morning when asked whether Bidens handling of the war in Israel could cost him Michigans vote in the general election. "And so I'm trying to keep an open dialogue to stay focused on how we support these beautiful diverse communities here in Michigan." BIDEN CAMPAIGN: WE DON'T WANT THE VOTES OF 'DEATH TO AMERICA' PROTESTERS IN MICHIGAN Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer speaks to supporters at a rally at the Crofoot Ballroom on November 6, 2022, in Pontiac, Michigan. Whitmers response came after Welker highlighted to the governor that Michigan has the largest population of Arab-Americans, and that nationally, polling shows that less than 20% of Arab-Americans would vote for Biden as war continues raging in the Middle East. WHITE HOUSE CONDEMNS 'DEATH TO AMERICA' CHANTS IN MICHIGAN, REP. RASHIDA TLAIB AND GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER MUM READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Earlier this month, viral video circulated online showing protesters at an Al-Quds Day rally in Dearborn chanting, "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." Whitmer has remained silent on condemning the chants, while the Biden administration condemned "these abhorrent and antisemitic remarks in the strongest terms" in comment to Fox Digital last week. Local activist Takek Bazzi The Biden campaign responded "No" when Fox Digital asked last week whether they still want votes from people who chanted at the rally on April 5. 'DEATH TO AMERICA,' 'DEATH TO ISRAEL' CHANTS POUR OUT OF MUSLIM PROTESTERS IN MICHIGAN ON LAST DAY OF RAMADAN Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud also publicly denounced the chants, calling them "unacceptable and contrary to the heart" of Dearborn. Abdullah H. Hammoud, mayor of Dearborn, speaks during an interfaith prayer vigil for Aaron Bushnell outside the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn, Michigan, on March 3, 2024. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP) (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images) "Over the weekend, video emerged of a rally in Dearborn where some attendees were chanting statements that were unacceptable and contrary to the heart of this city," he said. Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a member of the Houses left-wing Squad, has declined to condemn the chants, even when confronted by a Fox Business reporter last week. ACTIVIST WHO SPURRED 'DEATH TO AMERICA' CHANTS CALLED FOR ISRAEL'S 'ABSOLUTE ANNIHILATION' IN UNEARTHED VIDEO Most columnists floated Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., as a good replacement for Vice President Harris on Biden's re-election ticket. Welker did not specifically ask Whitmer about the protest earlier this month or the chants, but her lack of condemnation on the matter for more than a week has resulted in critical op-eds and outrage from state Republicans . Fox News Digital reached out to Whitmers office again Sunday, asking whether she condemns the chants, but did not immediately receive a reply. The governors office previously did not return Fox Digitals other requests for comment as videos of the protest first circulated online. DEARBORN MAYOR SAYS BIDEN CAMP'S TRIP TO MICHIGAN WAS 'DEHUMANIZING,' PURELY FOR 'POLITICAL MEANS' During her "Meet the Press" appearance, Whitmer was also pressed on whether she agrees with some Democrats who have described the war in the Middle East as a "genocide" on Gaza, but she declined to weigh in on terms that "divide us." "I'm not gonna weigh in where I know that a lot of these terms are used to inflame and divide us. I'm gonna stay focused on being productive and hoping that we can have some peace very soon," she responded. Fox News Digital's Michael Lee contributed to this report. Original article source: Whitmer remains silent on protesters' 'Death to America' chants while weighing in on war in Israel, election Irans attack on Israel has thrown down the gauntlet to the West Irans direct attack on Israel late on Saturday night is a high-stakes gamble of the worst possible kind. The assault itself was well telegraphed in advance and despite the large numbers of projectiles involved was self-contained. This was not, it would seem, a nation hurling itself into all out war, or not yet. If Tehran had really wanted to inflict massive damage on its arch enemy, there would have been no warning and Hezbollah, its proxy and ace card in the region, would have been ordered to launch a simultaneous blitzkrieg of its own from Lebanon. The terrorist group, which makes Hamas look like a minnow, is thought to have more than 100,000 missiles pointed at Israel, a good proportion of which are precision guided. Instead, Iran was sending a message: that it will no longer allow esteemed members of its Revolutionary Guard to be assassinated without direct reprisal. The scale of the assault involving more than 300 drones and missiles also makes clear to Israel that it is reliant on US and other Western support for protection. Its Iron Dome air defence system is good but is still more than capable of being overwhelmed, it seems. Irans attack also throws down the gauntlet to the West: should it risk all-out war in the region or might it be better trying to rein in Israel? Finally, Iran is signalling to its own people that it is not impotent in the face of Israeli aggression. This is important for a regime that is struggling to maintain legitimacy at home in the face of a severe economic downturn and mounting civil unrest. The mullahs will hope the drone swarm is just enough to demonstrate vigour without prompting a horrendous counter attack on Iran itself. But preventing an escalation and all-out war is not going to be easy. Irans UN mission said on Sunday that the attack was a legitimate act of self-defence under the UN charter and the matter can be deemed concluded. Israel, on the other hand, characterised the Iranian action as a major escalation and was reported to have informed the US and other counties in the Middle East that it will have to respond. There seems little doubt the West will try and prevent a counter attack but Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not a man who is easily constrained. Just like Irans leaders, his position at home is precarious and if he fails to react he could be pushed out by the religious fanatics on which his coalition government depends. The Americans certainly sound like they will push hard to stop the conflict escalating. Almost as soon as Israels skies fell silent on Sunday morning, US president Joe Biden indicated that he would be seeking a diplomatic solution. He said he would co-ordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack, while warning Iran that America remains vigilant to all threats in the region. The message was quickly echoed by London, with prime minister Rishi Sunak said to be intent on de-escalating the crisis. All of our efforts at the moment are on de-escalating this. We do not want a miscalculation or an escalation in events because we know that that will take its toll, said Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, when asked for the Governments position. The same message was propagated by nations as diverse as Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, France and the United Arab Emirates. Russia, which has close ties to Iran, urged restraint and expressed extreme concern over another dangerous escalation in the region. China added: The conflict must end now. China calls on the international community, especially countries with influence, to play a constructive role for the peace and stability of the region. These are not just words. Diplomats the world over can see the risk. If a full-scale war breaks out between Israel and Iran, it will almost certainly drag large parts of the rest of the world in with devastating consequences. But can Mr Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) be restrained? A show of defiance from Iranian political elite in Tehran's parliament, but will it backfire - Zuma Press / eyevine/Icana News Agency Already the Iranian military is goading them, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claiming on Sunday that its strikes were even more successful than anticipated. He also claimed that the attack was deliberately constrained, matching the scale of aggression exhibited by the Zionist regime. Israel too is posturing. A senior Israeli intelligence source told The Telegraph the Iranian operation was a significant setback to Tehran. They hadnt predicted the coalition working against them, British, French, US, Jordanians intercepting the missiles... Its a major strategic blow to the Iranians and a setback for the Iranian axis, he said. If there is hope, it resides in the fact that a very significant number of the projectiles fired by Iran on Saturday were brought down by western military assets and not the IDF. This should, say experts, give Biden and other western leaders real clout over Israel. There will be a price tag, the Israeli intelligence source told The Telegraph. From now on the Americans will dictate everything in this region to us and, personally, I am afraid that the American administration is going to cease the war. Many will hope that he is right, albeit with very different sentiments about the ongoing conflict in Gaza. 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. Why is logging going on at Delaney Road Exit on Interstate 5? A fence shows the separation between private property and ODOT land where trees have been cleared near the Delaney Road exit along the southbound lanes of Interstate 5. This is part of an ongoing series answering "Why is that?" questions about Salem and the Mid-Valley. The question: Why are trees being felled just before the Delaney Road/Turner Exit south of Salem? We have at least part of the answer. But first, a little history. The background: Exit 248 south of Salem will take you to the quaint suburb of Turner, named after a well-known pioneer and flour mill owner, Henry Turner. The town was established in 1871 when the railroad went through his property but did not incorporate until 1905. Today, Turner is most famous for being home to an award-winning winery and a beloved seasonal theme park, both highly visible as you travel northbound on Interstate 5. Take a left off the Delaney Exit, then a quick right on Enchanted Way, and you can't miss either destination. Willamette Valley Vineyards was founded in 1983 by Jim Bernau, who cleared an old pioneer plum orchard in the hills underneath scotch broom and blackberry vines to plant Pinot Noir grapes. The Enchanted Forest was created by Roger Tofte, who built the theme park. The first section, Storybook Lane, opened in 1971. Trees have been cleared on private property and ODOT right-of-way land along southbound Interstate 5 near the Delaney Road Exit. Signs at Exit 248 have only in recent years been marked Delaney Road. The exit used to be known as Sunnyside/Turner. Sunnyside Road SE is on the west side of I-5, running parallel to the freeway. Delaney Road is named after Daniel Delaney, a wealthy pioneer farmer who was murdered in 1865 outside the front door of his home just west of Turner. But that's another story. The Delaney House was built in 1845 and still stands. The National Register of Historic Places recognized the house in 2004, before it was moved to its current location still on the original property and restored and renovated. Passersby can glimpse the third-oldest house in Oregon on the south side of the road heading toward Turner. Trees and branches are piled along the guardrail of the Delaney Road Exit off southbound Interstate 5. Why is there logging going on at the Delaney Road Exit? Regular southbound I-5 travelers may have noticed trees and brush being removed alongside and atop a ridge as you approach Exit 248. Some clearing activity started last year on private property to the west, revealing a chain link fence and leaving trees closest to the freeway and on Oregon Department of Transportation right-of-way property vulnerable to wind. ODOT hired a contractor to begin hazard tree removal in mid-February, work indirectly related to Phase 1 of an upcoming I-5 widening project in that area. A view from the Delaney Road Exit shows piles of cleared trees in an area where an Interstate 5 widening project will begin this year. A section of southbound I-5 will be widened to three lanes to address the freight bottleneck and traffic congestion created when trucks climb the hill just north of the Battle Creek Road bridge to Delaney Road. Most of the widening will occur toward the inside median between the southbound and northbound lanes, helping reduce impacts to residential communities to the west and reduce the project cost. The Delaney off-ramp will be rebuilt and realigned, with ODOT planning to use the existing lane as the third travel lane on I-5. Vehicles in the off-ramp lane will no longer share the lane with faster-moving through traffic. Construction is scheduled to begin late summer, early fall and take approximately two years to complete, according to the FAQ section of the project homepage. Trees have been cleared on private property and ODOT right-of-way land along Interstate 5 near the Delaney Road Exit. The contractor who did the work for ODOT removed marketable trees and left scattered branches and remnants along the ridge and stacks of larger branches heaped against the exit guardrail. ODOT has no plans to clean up the debris until construction begins, which may involve the removal of more trees along I-5 and cutting into the hillside to make room for the new lane. ODOT says it will only remove trees necessary to build the project. Phase 1 of the I-5 widening project with an estimated cost of $50.5 million does not include widening the northbound lanes in the same area because ODOT does not have the additional funding needed. The Oregon Department of Transportation plans to widen southbound I-5 to create a dedicated lane for the Delaney Road off-ramp just south of Salem. Oh, by the way ODOT completed a noise study to look at current sound levels in the project area, comparing it to future estimated levels and determining the need for sound walls. Sound walls are barriers constructed between the highway and neighboring properties to maximize noise reduction, and Salem has many of them paralleling I-5. ODOT found three locations in the Kuebler-to-Delaney stretch that met the criteria for a sound wall, voting to include two in the project. Both will be on the west side, near the 55+ gated community Terrace Lake Park and along the southbound Commercial Street on-ramp. I-5 and other road construction will soon be in full swing with summer approaching. Stay up-to-date by signing up for project alerts from ODOT, and always use Tripcheck.com before you travel. Capi Lynn is a senior reporter for the Statesman Journal. Email your "Why is that" questions to her at clynn@statesmanjournal.com. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Why is logging going on at Delaney Road Exit on Interstate 5? The wife of a former Harvard Medical School morgue manager has pleaded guilty to a federal charge after investigators said she shipped stolen human body parts including hands, feet, and heads to buyers. Denise Lodge, 64, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania to a charge of interstate transportation of stolen goods, according to court records. Federal prosecutors last year announced charges against Lodge, her husband Cedric, and five other people in an alleged scheme in which a nationwide network of people bought and sold human remains stolen from Harvard and a mortuary in Arkansas. Prosecutors allege that Denise Lodge negotiated online sales of a number of items between 2028 and March 2020 including two dozen hands, two feet, nine spines, portions of skulls, five dissected human faces and two dissected heads, PennLive.com reported. Authorities said dissected portions of cadavers donated to the school were taken between 2018 and early 2023 without the schools knowledge or permission. A Pennsylvania man, Jeremy Pauley of Thompson, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty last year to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property. Denise Lodges attorney, Hope Lefeber, told WBUR in an interview in February that her clients husband was doing this and she just kind of went along with it. She said What happened here is wrong but no one lost money and the matter was more of a moral and ethical dilemma ... than a criminal case. Bodies donated to Harvard Medical School are used for education, teaching, or research purposes. Once they are no longer needed, the cadavers are usually cremated and the ashes are returned to the donors family or buried in a cemetery. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) accused President Biden of allowing Hamas to rearm amid the increased pressure the commander-in-chief put toward Israel in the last two weeks. Johnson again stressed that Israel needs to wipe out Hamas to ensure its safety and that giving time to the opposition could lead to a worse outcome. Its not tenable for them to continue to live with Hamas on their border, Johnson said in an interview with radio talk show host John Catsimatidis on WABC 770 AMs Cats Roundtable. Theyve got to destroy Hamas and the Biden administration should allow them to do it, try and get this war over as quickly as possible so that what youre saying is happening now been start happening. So again, you give your enemies time to regroup, time to rearm, its just going to make the final results even bloodier. The Wisconsin senator went after Biden, accusing the president of abandoning Israel in light of his increased criticism of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus handling of the war in Gaza. Johnson added that he does not know to what extent Israel has been affected by the Biden administrations fecklessness. So, basically, President Biden is abandoning, been betraying Israel, Johnson said. War is hell, thats why Hamas never should have broken the ceasefire with their horrific slaughter on October 7. I dont know to what extent Israel has been hampered by President Biden and his administrations fecklessness, but you know, war is hell and the sooner you can get over the better. Biden has been increasingly critical of Netanyahus handling of the ongoing conflict. Following the strike that killed several aid workers from World Central Kitchen who were tasked with getting aid to Palestinians in Gaza, Biden had a phone call with the Israeli leader, warning him that the U.S. would reconsider its policy toward the conflict if Israel did not do more to curb civilian casualties. Johnson also scrutinized Biden for not bringing enough support to get Russias President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and that the Kremlin will not lose the war against Ukraine, which has been fending off the invasion for over two years. My concerns has been that Biden never provided the type of support and weaponry to really put the kind of pressure on Putin to get to the negotiating table, Johnson said. I dont know what happenedshortly after the war started, sounds like they were moving toward a peace agreement and the Biden administration and Boris Johnson air mail in there and kind of blow those negotiations, he said. The GOP senator stated that Russia will not lose, pointing to its higher number of troops and the expanding defense production which has grown since the start of the invasion in 2022. Russia will not lose this war, he said. They have four times population, theyre actually growing their military industrial base. Theyre getting stronger. I mean, oil prices are up. Sanctions havent worked against Russia. So I dont know how anybody thinks that Russia is going to lose this war as much as we all sympathize with the courageous people of Ukraine. Some point time, you have to recognize that reality and stop fueling the same flames of a blaze stalemate. Unfortunately, we dont have policymakers, certainly not in the Biden ministration that are willing to recognize reality and act accordingly. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Woman Who Died After Australia Mall Stabbing Was Mom of 9-Month-Old Baby Injured in Attack: Reports Friends of Ash Good told a local Australian outlet that she was a beautiful human and the worlds best mom Ashlee Good/Instagram Ash Good died April 13 in a mall stabbing A young mother who reportedly tried to save her baby daughters life has been identified by multiple outlets as one of the deceased victims in the April 13 stabbing attack at an Australian mall. Ash Good, a 38-year-old mom whose 9-month-old daughter reportedly was also injured in the attack in Sydney, died in the hospital after the stabbing, according to News.com.au, The Telegraph and The Independent. The New South Wales Police Force told PEOPLE on April 13 that it is unable to confirm the identity of people involved. News.com.au reported that the woman died while protecting her daughter during the attack that left six others dead including the alleged attacker, who was shot by a responding police officer. The outlet notes the woman died shortly after being rushed to St Vincents hospital. Good's friend told News.com.au that she was a beautiful human and the worlds best mom. DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Paramedics respond to stabbing attack at Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall in Sydney, Australia, on April 13. Related: Video Shows Man Confronting Apparent Attacker on Escalator During Australian Mall Stabbing The New South Wales Police Force confirmed that emergency services responded to the Westfield Bondi Junction Shopping Centre around 3.30 p.m. local time on April 13, after the attacker fatally stabbed six people and injured several others. An officer attached to Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command attended and was allegedly confronted by a man with a knife, a statement read. The man allegedly lunged at the officer, before he was fatally shot. New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb said in a news conference, per 7News Australia, that authorities were waiting to formally identify the attacker, describing him as a 40-year-old man who was acting alone. Webb also said at the time that the infant child injured in the attack was taken to a local hospital for surgery, and that one of the victims who outlets now report was Good later died in the hospital. A man outside the mall during the incident spoke to 9News Sydney about how he attempted to help when the baby got stabbed. As he explained, the mother came over with the baby and threw it at me, with this hole in the baby, it looked pretty bad. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty NSW police vehicles arrive at Westfield Bondi Junction on April 13 Related: 7 Dead and 9-Month-Old Baby Stabbed as Man Carries Out Knife Attack at a Mall in Australia Footage from the attack, shared by multiple outlets, has since shown a shopper confront the alleged attacker who appeared to be holding a knife on an escalator by walking toward him with a shopping bollard. A critical incident team comprised of State Crime Commands Homicide Squad and the Central Metropolitan Region will now investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. The investigation will also be subject to an independent review," police said in a release. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he was briefed by the AFP on the devastating events at Bondi Junction. Tragically, multiple casualties have been reported and the first thoughts of all Australians are with those affected and their loved ones, he said. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Woman last seen sleeping in U-Haul nearly 2 weeks ago at Gwinnett hospital HAVE YOU SEEN HER? Snellville police are searching for a 65-year-old woman who was last seen sleeping in a U-Haul. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On April 8, at Piedmont Eastside South Campus on Fountain Drive was the last time Amelia Clark, 65, was seen. According to police, Clark was sleeping in a U-Haul with Arizona tag AH41453. Clark and the U-Haul were discovered missing by a family member the following day. TRENDING STORIES: Family members told police that Clark may have early onset dementia and other mental health conditions, but does not take medication. Authorities said Clark does not have a phone or identification with her. Family members state that Clark can care for herself if prompted or by following notes. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A Matties call has been requested from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Clark or the U-Haul is urged to call 911 or the Snellville dispatch center at 770-985-3555. IN OTHER NEWS: UPDATE 4/14/24, 2:40 p.m. The Metropolitan Police Department said the woman was later pronounced dead. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) DC Fire and EMS and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) rescued a woman out of the water at the Georgetown Waterfront on Saturday night. In a post made just after 8 p.m., DC Fire and EMS said crews were in the area of the 3000 Block of Water St. NW for an active water rescue. Northwest DC streets to close for IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings (DC Fire and EMS) (DC Fire and EMS) (DC Fire and EMS) Officials said a woman was taken to the hospital with critical life-threatening injuries. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. A woman who suffered a brain injury after a fall lost out on $750,000 compensation after a judge branded her 'dishonest' A woman who suffered a brain injury after a fall lost out on $750,000 compensation after a judge branded her 'dishonest' A woman who suffered a brain injury after falling from a pier lost out on $750,000 in compensation. The judge said she had been "thoroughly dishonest" and dismissed her claim. Insurance fraud costs businesses insurers and consumers billions each year A woman who suffered a brain injury after falling from a seaside pier lost out on $750,000 in compensation after a judge found that she was "thoroughly dishonest" in her claim. Kirsty Williams-Henry, 33, sustained multiple injuries after falling from Aberavon Pier in the UK in 2018 when she went to observe bioluminescent plankton that had been spotted in the sea. While returning to the shore, she fell between 12 and 15 feet onto the rocks and sand below there had not been any safety barriers along the pier. She sued the pier's owner, Associated British Ports Holdings Ltd, for damages. She sought more than 2.5 million, about $3.1 million, in a case heard by Andrew Ritchie, a judge on the High Court of England and Wales. The company responded, saying that it believed Williams-Henry was entitled to around 370,000, but that the claim should be dismissed. It alleged Williams-Henry had been dishonest about the extent of her injuries and how they affected her daily life. Ritchie, in a ruling issued Wednesday, agreed. "I have come to the conclusion that both the claimant and her mother have been thoroughly dishonest in their presentation of the claimant's symptoms and disabilities," he wrote. He said they "sought to mislead clinicians, medicolegal experts and this court about the claimant's health, functioning, activities of daily living and her work abilities." In the US, an estimated $308.6 billion annually is lost to insurance fraudulent insurance claims, according to Forbes. Healthcare insurance fraud (including Medicaid and Medicare insurance fraud) is the most common type, estimated at $105 billion annually. In the UK trial held over 11 days in Cardiff last month, Williams-Henry said that she had not received proper rehabilitation since the incident and that she had "good days and bad days" because of her injuries, which caused her difficulties at home and work. She denied ever lying about her injuries, with her mother, Christel Williams, claiming that her daughter had "no life" due to her conditions. Ritchie said that he would have awarded Ms Williams-Henry 596,704 ($743,000) in damages for her "genuine'"injuries but dismissed her claim as she was a "regular liar." Justice Ritchie concluded that Williams-Henry had suffered a "moderately severe" brain injury from the fall as well as skull and other bone fractures and went on to suffer from depression, anxiety, and mild post-traumatic stress disorder after spending eight days in intensive care. But Ritchie said that "overall" he found Williams-Henry to have been "dishonest and manipulative," so he could dismiss the case. "I know it looks like a large sum of money to deprive a genuinely injured person of, but Parliament sought to stamp out dishonesty, which is fundamental in personal injury claims, and the claimant has breached this law," he said. Correction: April 15, 2024 An earlier version of this story included an outdated description of Andrew Ritchie's role on the High Court of England and Wales. Read the original article on Business Insider Women in wealthy areas are twice as likely to get access to HRT, official data shows The figures show an average of 1633 prescription items issued per 1,000 women aged 45 to 60 in the most affluent areas - OLEKSANDRA TROIAN Women in wealthy areas are twice as likely to get access to HRT, official data shows. The figures, which suggest that the middle-classes are benefitting the most from the Davina effect, has prompted the NHS first national director for womens health to call for action. Dr Sue Mann said women should not have to be sharp elbowed to obtain therapy, calling on GPs in all parts of the country to respond promptly if female patients came to them for help. Health service data covering the period from December 2022 to November 2023 shows twice as many HRT prescriptions issued in the richest areas, compared with the poorest. Most affluent areas The figures show an average of 1633 prescription items issued per 1,000 women aged 45 to 60 in the most affluent areas, while 841 were issued in the poorest places. The wealthiest parts of England are spending 27,000 per 1,000 middle-aged women on HRT, while the poorest areas spent an average of 13,500. Wealthy areas scoring highly include Bath, and Wokingham South, both in the top ten per cent most affluent areas, each spending more than 35,000 per 1,000 middle aged women on HRT. At the bottom of the rankings were areas of Birmingham which spend less than 3,000 per 1,000 women, with spending of between 3,800 and 6,000 in parts of Bradford and Bolton. The figures also show that those in the least diverse areas are most likely to access HRT, with Somerset West, an area in the lowest 10 per cent of the country for ethnic diversity, having some of the highest prescribing levels, while Barking and Dagenham has some of the worst. Health chiefs said prescribing of HRT has risen sharply in the last year, with a 29 per cent rise in women taking HRT. Access to care Dr Mann, who has just been appointed as the NHS first national clinical director for womens health, said the rising number of prescriptions being issued reflected a sharp rise in awareness of menopause. But she suggested the variation across the country, with far more provision in middle-class areas, showed there was far more to do to provide fair access to care. Dr Mann said: Women shouldnt have to be sharp elbowed when it comes to accessing support for something which affects half of the population and that can make a real difference to their daily lives when going through menopause. The consultant in reproductive healthcare said the NHS was rolling out womens health hubs as part of efforts to boost care. She said: Access should be equal for all women and every GP should be following clinical guidance on menopause and ensuring that when a woman presents with symptoms, a conversation about menopause happens first time. Documentaries by TV presenter Davina McCall about the menopause have been credited with raising awareness of the help on offer for women struggling with symptoms. But prescribing data shows that middle-class women are far more likely to be benefitting from the shift, prompting warnings of a cruel lottery in provision of menopause care. Short-changed Menopause specialists have said women struggling with debilitating hot flushes, sleepless nights and insomnia were too often short-changed, if they were not prepared to fight for access to therapy. NHS figures show the number of women prescribed HRT has risen by 29 per cent in a year, with 2.34 patients receiving the therapy in 2022/23, up from 1.8m in 2021/22. The number of items prescribed has risen by 47 per cent over the period, amid rising awareness of different combinations of therapy. Shortages of HRT while demand rose saw several products rationed in recent years, with some women turning to a black market in desperation, and bartering and swapping of medicines on social media groups, as supply failed to keep up with demand. The NHS prescribing data is contained in a report by Theramex UK and Ireland, a pharmaceutical company which specialises in womens health. Cruel lottery Tina Backhouse, the companys general manager, said: It is not right that women face a cruel lottery for essential care. Over the past five years demand for Hormone Replacement Therapy has soared. Unfortunately access has not met demand and too many women are still having to fight to get the treatment they need. All women should expect to be able to choose when it comes to their menopause treatment whether HRT is the right option for them or not. Whilst HRT may not be suitable for every woman, for others, without HRT they will struggle to live well, hold down their job or manage their daily life. Highlighting the lottery in access, she said: Menopause is still too often seen as an issue for White, middle-class women; due to deeply ingrained cultural and sometimes language barriers, womens access to basic care is defined not by their need but by the community they live in. Janet Lindsay, chief executive officer of charity Wellbeing of Women, said: While HRT is not right for everyone, women deserve the opportunity to receive whichever form of support is best for them. Crucially, women need access to facts not fearmongering when it comes to HRT, so that they can make the right decision for 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. Workplace fatalities on the rise: These are the top 10 most dangerous jobs in America Nearly 5,500 people died as a result of workplace injuries in the United States in 2022 meaning someone died on the job every 96 minutes, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Thats the highest level since 2007, when workplace deaths fell by 20% in two years as the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession slowed down the manufacturing and construction industries, two of the most hazardous sectors of the U.S. economy. But after another decrease in deaths during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace fatalities are on the rise again up 5.7% from 2021. It is undeniable that some jobs carry more inherent risks than others. To figure out which jobs are the deadliest in the 2020s, FVF Law Firm examined data from the BLSs 2022 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries to identify the 10 occupations with the highest rates of fatal injury. On-the-job deaths on the rise after dropping during pandemic Workers are still much safer than they were in previous decades, thanks in part to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, which established the first national collection of data on workplace injuries (information on fatal injuries was not collected until 1992). The data collected allowed regulators to implement policies designed to keep workers safe on the job regardless of industry. Fatal injury rates are determined by measuring the number of workplace deaths per 100,000 full-time worker equivalents, which controls for the fact that different jobs have different schedules by looking at the total number of hours worked in an occupation and dividing by 200,000,000 the number of hours that would be worked by 100,000 workers on standard 40-hour schedules with two weeks off per year. That means that the total number of workplace deaths for an occupation can be significantly larger or smaller than the fatality rate, depending on the total number of hours worked. It also means that there tends to be wider year-to-year variance in fatality rates in less common occupations. Truck driving and construction are dangerous jobs but logging is the most hazardous Below are the 10 occupations with the highest number of deaths per 100,000 full-time workers. #10. Miscellaneous agricultural workers 20 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers Fatality rate up 22% compared to 2017 Total fatal work injuries in 2022: 146 Agricultural workers face one of the widest arrays of on-the-job hazards of any occupation. They work with heavy-duty equipment, are exposed to potentially dangerous chemicals in fertilizers and pesticides, and sometimes deal with large animals. #9. Underground mining machine operators 20.1 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers Fatality rate up 72% compared to 2017 Total fatal work injuries in 2022: 8 The underground mining occupation is relatively small, which is how the job can end up on a list of dangerous occupations despite only having eight fatalities in a year. But there are many risks on an underground job site; in addition to the direct risk of operating heavy-duty mining equipment, these workers also face the possibility of cave collapses and underground explosions. #8. Structural iron and steel workers 21.3 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers Fatality rate down 36% compared to 2017 Total fatal work injuries in 2022: 14 Youve seen the classic picture of workers enjoying their lunch while sitting atop a skyscraper beam, many stories above New York City. But the workers who construct the frameworks of skyscrapers and other buildings dont just head up to high beams when its time for a midday meal; they spend their days in the air, which is why about two-thirds of their workplace deaths are related to falls. #7. Refuse and recyclable material collectors 22.6 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers Fatality rate down 35% compared to 2017 Total fatal work injuries in 2022: 22 Waste collectors are most commonly killed in transportation incidents, a category that includes motor vehicle crashes, collectors being hit by their trucks, or falls from moving vehicles. #6. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers 30.4 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers Fatality rate up 13% compared to 2017 Total fatal work injuries in 2022: 1,115 No single occupation had more fatal injuries on the job than truck drivers, who made up 20% of total workplace deaths. A stunning 4 in 5 of those deaths were attributed to transportation incidents, more than double the national average. Commercial truck accidentsincluding collisions between cars and semi-truckscan be some of the most serious causes of serious or even fatal injuries. #5. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers 35.9 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers Fatality rate down 26% compared to 2017 Total fatal work injuries in 2022: 72 Almost every workplace death in this sector was attributed to a transportation incident. About three-quarters of the people who died on the job were commercial pilots. Construction workers see highest increase in fatal injury rate since 2017 #4. Helpers, construction trades 38.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers Fatality rate up 145% compared to 2017 Total fatal work injuries in 2022: 20 No occupation has had a bigger spike in fatality rate since 2017 than construction helpers, who clean and prepare job sites, help set up equipment, and dispose of waste, among other tasks. Falls, slips, and trips and exposure to harmful materials are the most common causes of death. #3. Fishing and hunting workers 50.9 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers Fatality rate down 35% compared to 2017 Total fatal work injuries in 2022: 16 The most dangerous job in America in 2020, commercial fishers and hunters often face brutal working conditions without easy access to medical care. As of 2020, 30% of commercial fishing fatalities involved a worker falling overboard from a ship. #2. Roofers 57.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers Fatality rate up 27% compared to 2017 Total fatal work injuries in 2022: 105 With the highest fatal accident rate in the construction industry, roofers face numerous hazards on the job. Most roofing deaths, about 90%, involve workers falling, either directly from a roof or off of a ladder. But they also face environmental risk from working outside and being exposed to the sun on hot days, which can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. #1. Logging workers 100.7 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers Fatality rate up 19% compared to 2017 Total fatal work injuries in 2022: 54 Approximately 80% of fatal logging injuries involve contact with objects or equipment, according to the BLS data. With logs that can weigh thousands of pounds, tools designed to cut through such giant logs, and jobs that require climbing to high heights in order to cut off branches, loggers are surrounded by potential hazards all the time. This story was produced by FVF Law Firm and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. 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. Zelensky: World has everything it needs to stop Russias Iranian drones Volodymyr Zelenksky has complained war in Israel detracts from Ukraine's fight against Russia - TOMS KALNINS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Volodymyr Zelensky has said the world has everything it needs to stop Russia using Iranian drones against Ukraine after dozens were downed over Israel on Saturday night. Moscow has been using cheap kamikaze drones to attack Ukraines power network, grain storehouses and other urban targets. Fitted with warheads of up to 50kg and with a range of up to 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles), they have become a mainstay of Moscows arsenal and on Saturday, comprised the bulk of Irans unprecedented attack on Israel, with dozens fired by the Islamic republic. Also on Saturday, Russia deployed the drones in a strike on Kharkiv in an attack that killed six people and wounded at least 10 others, emergency services said. Speaking after the attacks Mr Zelensky said Ukraine is in desperate need of help to repel these attacks. The world has everything it needs to stop any missiles, Shahed drones and other means of terror. The world needs only solutions that can bring back real, reliable security, he said. Mr Zelenksky has previously complained that the war in Israel has detracted from his own fight, and of waning Western support in general. On Saturday Israels key allies Britain and the US came together to shoot down dozens of Iranian drones and missiles in the process. Ukraine can stop Russian terror, can protect life, the life of all of Europe and other regions around the world from the spread of evil. It is for this that we need the support of our partners, and every day of delay in aid is another destroyed house and destroyed lives, he said. Russia began using the easy-to-build Shahed drones to attack Ukrainian cities towards the end of 2022 and conserve its more valuable missiles. They have become easily identifiable by the noise they make in-flight, with comparisons drawn to mopeds and lawnmowers. On Sunday, Ukrainian officials said that 10 Shahed drones attacked Kharkiv overnight but that the citys air defence systems had shot them all down. Kharkiv, which lies around 160 miles from the frontline, has become a priority target for the Russian army in the past few months as it takes the initiative across battlefields. Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraines top commander, has said that the situation for Ukraines soldiers had significantly deteriorated because they are heavily outgunned. On Sunday, he said the Kremlin wants to capture the town of Chasiv Yar by May 9, which is Victory Day in Russia. Measures were taken to significantly strengthen the brigades [defending Chasiv Yar] with ammunition, drones, and electronic warfare equipment, he wrote on Facebook after a trip to the frontline. Workers inspect Kharkiv's combined heat and power plant damaged by Russian shelling - Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images Chasiv Yar lies roughly 10 miles west of Bakhmut, which Russian forces captured last year. It is considered strategically important because control of the town will give the Russians a launchpad for attacks on four Ukrainian fortress cities behind it. Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russian officials said that Ukrainian shelling of the occupied town of Tokmak on Saturday had killed 16 civilians. Separately, Ukrainian officials said that they had hit a command centre for a Russian army group in Luhansk, a town in Ukraines Donbas region that Russia has controlled since 2014. The Ukrainian pilots did an excellent job and returned to base, said Gen Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force. There will be more such attacks on enemy rear lines when Ukraine receives more missiles from our Western partners. Russia has not confirmed the strike but the War Observer Russian military blog on Telegram highlighted claims that Storm Shadow missiles had hit Luhansk with videos of a huge explosion in the city. Storm Shadow missiles are British-French air-to-ground cruise missiles fired by the Ukrainian military at priority targets. 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. International world leaders collectively condemned Iran's drone and missile attacks on Israel, calling for peace in the Middle East. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he condemned Irans "reckless" attack against Israel. "I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime's reckless attack against Israel," Sunak said in a statement. "Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard." "The UK will continue to stand up for Israels security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq," he added. "Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilize the situation and prevent further escalation." "No one wants to see more bloodshed," Sunak said. LAWMAKERS SEND MESSAGE TO WHITE HOUSE ON IMPENDING IRAN DRONE ATTACK TO ISRAEL: STAND FIRM READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed the UK's leaders, saying that the country "unequivocally condemns" Iran's attacks. "Canada unequivocally condemns Irans airborne attacks against Israel. We stand with Israel," he said. "After supporting Hamas brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regimes latest actions will further destabilize the region and make lasting peace more difficult." "These attacks demonstrate yet again the Iranian regimes disregard for peace and stability in the region," Trudeau said. "We support Israels right to defend itself and its people from these attacks." JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS VOICE SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL'S OBLIGATION TO DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM IRAN'S ATTACKS Trudeau added that he is receiving regular updates and is monitoring the situation closely. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock makes a statement at the Federal Foreign Office together with her Chilean counterpart. Baerbock released a statement on Saturday evening condemning Iran's attack on Israel. Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Iran's attacks had the "potential to plunge the entire region into chaos." "We strongly condemn the ongoing attack, which has the potential to plunge an entire region into chaos," Baerbock said in a translated X post. "Iran & its proxies must stop this immediately. Our entire solidarity goes out to Israel in these hours." Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Ambassador Michael Herzog, said that Iran "must be held accountable" for the missile and drone attacks. "Iran has been the most destabilizing force in the Middle East for decades and is responsible for the violent escalation the region has seen, beginning on October 7th and ever since," Herzog said in a X post. "It should - and must - be held accountable." "Israel is deeply grateful to the United States for its steadfast support and ironclad commitment to its security at this critical moment," he said. "Israel will do whatever it takes to defend itself." In this handout photo provided by the White House, US President Joe Biden meets with members of the National Security team regarding the unfolding missile attacks on Israel from Iran, on April 13, 2024 in the White House Situation Room in Washington, DC. On Saturday night, President Biden announced that the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region this past week. BIDEN SAYS HE IS CALLING A G7 MEETING IN RESPONSE TO IRAN'S BRAZEN ATTACK "Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles," Biden said. "Ive just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel," Biden said. US President Joe Biden arrives at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 13, 2024. Biden said that he will convene with leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom to discuss a "united diplomatic response." "Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack," he said. "My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israels leaders. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people." Original article source: World leaders collectively condemn Iran's 'reckless' attack against Israel: 'We support Israel' I served 44 years, 3 months and 17 days in prison for a crime I did not commit. The City of Concord apologized for the misconduct that led to my wrongful conviction, and Gov. Roy Cooper granted me a Pardon of Innocence. It seems that everyone recognizes that I was railroaded by the State of North Carolina at my 1976 trial everyone except N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein. Stein recently appeared on a national radio show and was asked about his offices conduct in my case. While I was wrongfully imprisoned, the attorney generals office went to great lengths to keep me there despite the lies and deceit by law enforcement officers and prosecutors that led to my conviction. As described by Judge James Wynn of the U.S. Court of Appeals, in his separate opinion in my case, ...the State has maintained (my) guilt even while concealing evidence showing otherwise. Ronnie Long stands for a portrait in his backyard, on Wednesday, Apr. 7, 2021, in Durham, N.C. When that evidence was finally disclosed, the attorney generals office undertook a misinformation campaign to excuse the states conduct rather than acknowledge it. This campaign included arguments that the officers did not lie, but were simply mistaken, that the concealed evidence was irrelevant to my conviction, and that I knew of the evidence all along. The A.G.s Office advanced these arguments because it could, not because there was any support for them. Despite all this, when radio host Clay Cane asked Stein whether he had any regrets about how his office handled my case, he firmly replied, I dont, I dont. In explaining his offices actions, Stein said that there are cases where people look at the facts and come to different conclusions. That is true, but it should be deeply disturbing to the citizens of North Carolina that, in this of all cases, Stein doubled down on the actions of his office that unnecessarily caused me, an innocent man, to languish in prison. Worse, the actual perpetrator of the sexual assault I was convicted of was never brought to justice. Does Stein regret that his office aggressively defended my wrongful conviction while the true assailant remained free? Does he regret that the victim died believing a lie told to her by the corrupt police officers that his office defended? Stein is now running as the Democratic nominee for governor. He must answer for his record in wrongful conviction cases, mine included, before moving on to the highest office in the state. At minimum, he should be asked about his record at his campaign events and debates. If he insists that he still has no regrets, then he must be held accountable. At the very least, Stein should acknowledge that I was wrongfully convicted and the harm such cases do to peoples trust in the criminal justice system. During the radio interview, Stein pointed to his role as co-chair of North Carolinas Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice to establish his commitment to fairness in criminal cases. This is all fine and well, but pointing to work on a task force is far different than doing the right thing when having the opportunity to do so. In my case, Stein and his office had numerous opportunities to do the right thing. They did not. Ronnie Long was exonerated in August 2020 with the help of the Duke Law Wrongful Convictions Clinic. Gov. Roy Cooper granted him a Pardon of Innocence in December 2020. Young girl continues to raise money for local police departments, holds event in Harrison Township A young girl who is on a mission to support local police officers held one of her largest fundraisers yet in Allegheny County. Kaley Bastine, 11, has been raising money for local police officers for years. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Girl spends Saturday raising hundreds of dollars for a new police K-9 PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Girl raising money for police gets big donation PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Proud to be from Pittsburgh: 8-year-old raising thousands of dollars for police Her mission continued during this years Kaleys Kops event at the Harrison Township VFW Saturday evening. A custom guitar made in memory of Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire was auctioned off as part of this years fundraiser. Her mother said Kaley raised 16,004 dollars this weekend. Her total now exceeds $76,000 raised for local police. The family said Justin Melanson made the custom guitar. Local artist Larry Klukaszewski also donated some work to be raffled off. A live band played music and baskets were also up for auction. The Bastine family said seven different businesses donated pizza for the event. The money will go towards the Harrison Township Police Department this year. In the past, Kaley has also raised money for the New Kensington and Lower Burrell police departments. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Man killed, another man injured in shooting at Allegheny County bar 1 person killed, 1 injured in Washington County shooting Unmanned barge hits Sewickley Bridge, prompts hours-long closure VIDEO: Chartiers-Houston Youth Softball League fields destroyed in flooding DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Military aid for Ukraine is limited, while Russia continues to have access to "critical components needed to produce missiles and drones," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on April 14. "Each missile targeting Ukraine contains at least dozens of components electronics, chips supplied by companies from other countries and imported through the territory of Russia's neighbors," Zelensky said. "All of this must and can be stopped, including the tolerance of terror, the ability of terrorists to seek allies around the world, and Russian terror itself, in all its manifestations," he said. Zelensky added that the fact that "sanctions against Russia are still being circumvented" and that Ukraine has been waiting for the U.S. military aid for months "shows that the terrorists' confidence has been on the rise for months as well." "We cannot waste any more time," he said. 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. Ukraine is facing an ongoing ammunition shortage in the absence of further support. In the same address, Zelensky also said that the current situation on the front line in Ukraine is increasingly difficult, especially in the direction of Russian-occupied Donetsk. Earlier in the day, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russian military leadership set a goal to capture the town of Chasiv Yar, just west of the Russian-occupied Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, by May 9. On May 9, Russia celebrates Victory Day, a heavily militarized holiday marking the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Russian troops are concentrating their efforts to break through west of occupied Bakhmut, Syrskyi said. He explained that they are trying to reach the Siversky Donets canal, an artificial waterway south of the river its named after, and seize Chasiv Yar to advance further toward Kramatorsk agglomeration. "The enemy's plans are being hampered by the heroic defense of our brigades, who have literally dug themselves into the ground, holding off the enemy's daily attacks," Syrskyi said. "I thank every brigade, every soldier, and every commander who are doing everything to defend our positions and who are destroying the occupier," said Zelensky. Read also: Zelensky: Ukraine will lose war if US Congress fails to deliver aid funding Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a meeting during his visit to the Kharkiv region. Zelensky condemned Iran's aerial attack on Israel, saying his country was all too familiar with this form of threat. -/Ukrainian presidency/dpa Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Iran's aerial attack on Israel, saying his country was all too familiar with this form of threat. "We in Ukraine know very well the horror of similar attacks by Russia, which uses the same 'Shahed' drones and Russian missiles, the same tactics of mass airstrikes," he said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday. Every effort must be made to avoid further escalation in the Middle East, he said. Iran is a threat to the entire Middle East, just as Russia threatens a larger conflict, Zelensky said. "The obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world." He said it is "critical that the United States Congress make the necessary decisions to strengthen America's allies at this critical time." Moscow's forces carry out airstrikes on Ukraine almost every night using dozens of Iranian Shahed combat drones, some of which are supplied by Iran, while Russia produces others. Ukraine does not have sufficient weapons to fend off the attacks, partly because new supplies are being blocked by a domestic political dispute in the US. Ukraine is in negotiations with Germany to secure an additional IRIS-T air defense system, as well as missiles for existing air defence systems, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his evening address on April 13. Zelensky's comments come as Berlin announced earlier in the day that it will provide Ukraine with one more Patriot air defense system to fend off increased Russian attacks. As Moscow intensified its attacks on Ukraine during the spring, the shortage of air defense systems in Ukrainian cities and villages is being felt more acutely. Russia's recent strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure destroyed several thermal power plants across the country, including the Trypillia plant, the main electricity supplier to Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy oblasts. Kyiv has ramped up its calls on allies to provide Ukraine with more air defenses. Zelensky said on April 6 that Ukraine needed 25 Patriot air defence systems to cover the country's skies from Russian attacks. Germany has previously provided IRIS-T air defense systems to Ukraine, including three IRIS-T SLM systems, with range of up to 40 kilometers, and one IRIS-T SLS, with range of up to 12 kilometers. According to Germany's summary of transfers, the country has also delivered two Patriot systems, 52 Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns for Ukraine's air defense, Reuters reported. Initially criticized for its sluggish delivery of military aid to Ukraine following the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Germany has become the second-largest provider of military equipment after the U.S. "Germany's leadership is truly felt, and thanks to this leadership, we will be able to save thousands of lives and give Ukraine more protection from Russian terror," Zelensky added. Read also: Germany to send additional Patriot air defense system, missiles to Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Following Iran's strikes on Israel, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the United States to support its allies. Source: Zelenskyy on Twitter Quote: "Ukraine condemns Iran's attack against Israel that involved the use of Shahed drones and missiles. We in Ukraine know very well the horror of similar attacks by Russia, which uses the same Shahed drones and Russian missiles, the same tactics of massive airstrikes. The sound of Shahed drones, a terror weapon, may be heard across the Middle East and Europe. This sound should serve as a wake-up call to the free world, emphasising that only unity and determination can save lives and prevent the spread of terror worldwide." Details: Zelenskyy emphasises that discussions do not halt drones or shoot down missiles, and assistance is required for that to happen. Quote: "Only tangible assistance can accomplish this. We are waiting for help. We must increase security and resolutely repel those who seek to make terror the new normal. It is vital that the United States Congress take the appropriate steps to reinforce America's allies at this critical moment." Previously: Iran launched an attack on Israel using dozens of drones. US forces in the Middle East intercepted more than 70 attack drones and at least three ballistic missiles from those fired on Israel by Iran and its proxies on the night of 13-14 April. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) reported they had shot down almost all of the more than 300 aerial targets used by Iran to attack Israel. Support UP or become our patron! Right place, right time, with an eye for opportunity, a commitment to economic growth for all, and a will to get things done. Thats entrepreneur Kameale Terry, co-founder of ChargerHelp, a Los Angeles startup. Shes tackling a modern problem the sorry state of electric vehicle public charging stations while training an often-overlooked workforce for jobs in a growing sector of the economy. Billions of dollars are flowing into building out a national EV charging network, with billions more in California. Outside of Teslas supercharging network, however, the equipment deployed by several charging companies has proven unreliable, with more than 20% of chargers overall out of order at a given time. Without reliable public chargers, persuading people to buy EVs to fight climate change and cut pollution will be tougher. Charger companies say theyre working hard to fix the reliability problem, boosting their own repair and maintenance capabilities, doing more training, and turning to third-party companies like ChargerHelp. The charger sector is overflowing with young companies hoping to score in a fast-growing market. ChargerHelp, with $21 million in venture capital funding, has developed software programs for charger maintenance and repair. Unlike many competitors, the company also trains workers for network operations and field repair, with a focus on people and communities long overlooked during earlier periods of economic and technological change. ChargerHelp is creating great jobs, with an orientation on general and racial diversity, said Daniel Epstein, chief executive at Unreasonable Group, which links startup companies with investors. But ChargerHelp isnt just a do-gooder organization, he said. They have a great business model from a cash flow perspective. Like many entrepreneurs in whats come to be called cleantech, the opportunities came somewhat as a surprise. Terry's story counts as an example of good luck favoring the prepared mind. Read more: Can California pull off the epic transition to EVs? Read our coverage here She grew up in South L.A. Her large family put strong weight on commitment and hard work. It paid off. Shes risen quickly in any organization shes become part of. Motivated by the idea of financial success, she took a job with a bank near Philadelphia. Starting out as a part-time teller and ending up as a business-bank manager. She loved Philly. One of the greatest things is that there are so many black people, she said on the Founders Unfound podcast not long after ChargerHelp was founded in 2019. She visited her cousin Ray who worked in Washington, D.C., on Capitol Hill. Everybody was like a geek, and it was wild to see black wealth concentrated in such a way, she said. It was inspiring. Her mothers recurring cancer brought her back to L.A. in 2016. Saving her energy for caretaking, she took relatively easy job handling customer support calls at EV Connect, a small company that makes software for charging stations. Before long, the growing company asked her to set up a call center and customer experience department. The charging stations would just be having these wonky issues, she said. At the time, charger companies depended heavily on expensive electricians to fix what turned out to be software issues, on equipment for which they were not trained. There was, practically speaking, little awareness of the need for a job called electric charger technician. It would be super cool to have a workforce who wants to do that, she said. She left to work as a consultant to Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, where she started ChargerHelp. Her first contract was with Southern California Edison to work on electric school bus chargers. The company blasted off from there. Terry is a superstar who is able to share a vision for people to rally around and make things happen, said Matt Petersen, the incubator's chief executive. Her story and Evettes story is a heros journey for us. Evette is Evette Ellis, a workforce development expert Terry met at LACI and with whom she felt an immediate rapport. After watching Ellis in action, Terry brought her on at ChargerHelp, and was so impressed she made Ellis a company co-founder. ChargerHelp's founders are Southern California natives Evette Ellis, left, grew up in Compton and Kameale Terry in South L.A. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times) Ellis, who grew up in Compton, wasnt sure at first. These clean science-y white folks are good people, and theyre going to save the world, but I didnt necessarily see myself in that space. But she fit right in. In the podcast interview, Terry said that executives in cleantech talk about equity a lot, and thats really cool to be part of. As a young teenager, Ellis recalls, she watched a woman behind the counter at a pool park day care center who was obviously in charge and told other people what to do. That was my first introduction to the idea that theres work, and then theres the people that provide the job. She asked to be hired and by the end of the summer had became a program coordinator. Ellis earned her job-training chops at the federal Department of Labors Job Corps program, whose historic mission is training people who dont plan to go to college for jobs in the trades. Like Terry, she joined LACI as a consultant. At ChargerHelp, Ellis set about creating a certified training program for charger technicians, working closely with SAE International, the standards-setting organization for the motor vehicle industry. Training takes roughly six weeks before field deployment. Beyond the technical material, Ellis emphasizes the importance of attitude. Graduating from a training program into a new job is a major step that not only affects the newly employed but future grads as well. If youre not giving it your all, you really are burning a huge bridge, she says. A field technician neednt know software code to do the work. Whats needed is a basic understanding of how electricity works, how EV chargers work, how electric vehicles work, how to handle software programs on a computer or smartphone in concert with remote experts at a network operations center. Federal government certified safety training is an important part of the program, Ellis said. The kind of job ChargerHelp trains for combining familiarity with computer software, basic knowledge in electricity and electronics, and a reasonable degree of manual dexterity will become increasingly common as software continues to infiltrate hardware in everyday life, from Ring doorbells to personal robots to apps on a cars dashboard screen. High school grads can do it; so can those who graduate from college but may be lacking skills that match what employers are looking for. Heaven Holmes of Fresno graduated from Cal State Dominguez Hills in psychology and criminal justice last year and was back home job hunting when her mother saw Terry being interviewed by local TV news. Her mom said theres an African American woman on TV hiring here. Something about charger repair. Holmes applied, got trained, and became a technician at ChargerHelp. I didnt know what to expect, but Im curious and Im always going to want to gain more knowledge, she said. Every day is a new challenge, she said. She's happy to be in an industry with a future and a chance to move up the ladder. The world is changing, and these jobs arent as low profile as youd think. People are excited when they see a charger thats been broken down for months is working. EV charger field technicians earn $20 to $60 an hour, concentrated in the $35 to $40 range. Certified electricians make even more. So far, ChargerHelp has trained 1,000 workers and recently began a program to train the trainers for other companies and workforce development organizations. ChargerHelp, of course, is far from the only company developing charger software and training workers to use it. Charging network companies such as Flo, ChargePoint, and Electrify America are expanding training programs of their own. So are charger manufacturers, including ABM. Its important to build awareness around the trades in general across America, said Mark Hawkinson, ABMs president of technical solutions. Were seeing a depletion of skill sets on how to maintain critical infrastructure. Our schools dont teach shop anymore. We need to get back to those basics. Even companies that have relied for decades on fossil fuel dispensation have been moving swiftly into electric vehicle charging, including gas pump installer and maintainer Owl Services. Weve seen an uptick in the call for technicians, particularly in the Los Angeles market, said Owl vice president Dave Patrick. L.A. represents the highest growth potential for the company right now. Marcus Glenn of Detroit was recently trained by ChargerHelp but is keeping his options open. He was employed at an automobile heating and air conditioning supplier when he signed up to learn about charger repair. He successfully finished the course but is sticking with his current job for now. The auto industry is undergoing drastic change, and layoffs are constant threat. Glenn likes knowing hes prepared for the future. Its nice to have some form of stability. Ill be looking for those opportunities and see where this leads. He recommends the move to others. If youre curious about it, be a curious cat. Go find out. Theres a lot of ways to get into this industry. There is always going to be work. Read more: Broken chargers, lax oversight: How California's troubled EV charging stations threaten emission goals This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. New Delhi: A thrilling three-way contest is unfolding in the political arena of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. While Shashi Tharoor stands for Congress, Rajeev Chandrasekhar contests from Bharatiya Janata Party and Communist Party of India (CPI) pitches Pannyan Raveendran. Here's all you need to know about each candidate: Shashi Tharoor: Tharoor is famous for his literary achievements. He has had a tenure as a United Nations diplomat. With his unique brand, Tharoor appeals to a broad demographic by blending religious outreach. Dominating the constituency since 2009, Tharoor appeals to a wide range of voters with a stance that resonates with both caste Hindus and Hindutva supporters. Despite the fame, Tharoor faces discontent in coastal regions, particularly in Vizhinjam, due to perceived pro-Adani stance during fisherfolk agitation. Rajeev Chandrasekhar: A wealthy industrialist and Union minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, Rajeev appeals to the techies and caste Hindus. Representing a challenge to Tharoor's candidature, Rajeev's stature could sway voters. Pannyan Raveendran: Representing the Communist Party of India (CPI), Raveendran relies on grassroots connection and anti-fascist political stance. Offering a relatable alternative, Pannyan capitalizes on local roots and grassroots support. Raveendran could attract support from coastal regions. New Delhi: Amid the increasing tension, the Indian embassy in Israel has advised its residents to remain composed and adhere to the safety guidelines provided by the local government. The advisory came after Iran's initiation of explosive drone and missile attacks, marking its first direct attack on Israeli soil. The embassy assured that it is actively observing the situation and maintaining communication with both the authorities and the Indian community to guarantee the safety of its people. In the advisory embassy furnished its round-the-clock emergency helpline and urged Indian citizens who haven't already done so to register with the embassy. The registration form requires details such as passport number, name, email address, mobile number, occupation, and residential address in Israel, among other information. The advisory further assured that the embassy is closely monitoring the situation and actively engaging with both the Israeli authorities and members of the Indian community to safeguard the well-being of all Indian nationals. Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel shortly after its consulate in Syria was targeted by missiles. Tehran justified its attack as retribution for what it termed 'Israeli crimes'. Israel refrained from confirming or denying involvement in the strike, which resulted in the deaths of high-ranking commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. New Delhi: The accused of the murder of the Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan Sarabjit Singh, Amir Sarfaraz Tamba was shot dead on Sunday by unidentified gunmen in Lahore. A close aide of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit founder Hafiz Sayeed, Tamba was attacked by motorcycle-borne assailants in the Islampura area of Lahore in Pakistan and was rushed in critical condition to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the sources said. A group of Pakistani prisoners had attacked Singh with bricks and iron rods. Singh had been allegedly found guilty of taking part in several bombings in Pakistan's Punjab province in 1990 and was given the death penalty. Sarabjit Singh, 49, died of cardiac arrest in Jinnah Hospital Lahore in the wee hours of May 2, 2013, after being comatose for nearly a week following a brutal assault by inmates including Tamba, inside the high-security Kot Lakhpat jail. New Delhi: New Delhi: An Indian student was shot dead inside his car in Canada. 24-year-old Chirag Antil was found dead inside his vehicle in South Vancouver, reported the local police. According to an official statement released by the Vancouver Police Department, police was called after residents in East 55th Avenue and Main Street heard the gun shots. Reaching the spot, the police found Antil dead inside his car. "No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing," the police stated. According to the media reports, Chirag's brother Ronit said he seemed happy when they spoke on the phone in the morning. Chirag later took out his Audi to go somewhere. That was when he was shot dead. According to local media reports, Antil's family is raising money through the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe to repatriate his body to India. Chirag Antil went to Vancouver in September 2022 after he finished his MBA at the University Canada West, and recently got his work permit. New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Sunday and took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of the ship, MSC Aries, seized by the Gulf nation. The two leaders also discussed the current situation in the region and stressed the importance of avoiding escalation. In a post on X, Jaishankar wrote, "Spoke to Iranian FM @Amirabdolahian this evening. Took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of MSC Aries. Discussed the current situation in the region." "Stressed the importance of avoiding escalation, exercising restraint and returning to diplomacy. Agreed to remain in touch," he added. Earlier today, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister Jaishankar to ensure the safety of Indian nationals, including those from Kerala, onboard the Israel-linked ship 'MSC Aries' in the Strait of Hormuz. CM Vijayan in his letter to the External Affairs Minister, said that, as per reports that are available, three among the crew, namely Shri Sumesh, PV Dhanesh and Syamnath, have been confirmed to be natives of Kerala. "I am writing to you to share my government's concern regarding the safety and welfare of Indian nationals who are the crew members of the ship MSC Aries, which was seized by Iran's Revolutionary Guards near the Strait of Hormuz. As per the reports available, three among the crew, namely Shri Sumesh, PV Dhanesh and Syamnath, have been confirmed to be natives of Kerala," he wrote in the letter. Saying that the ship's seizure has caused great concern, he stated that the "collective objective at this point of time is the safe repatriation of all our nationals, including those from Kerala, back to India without any delay." Israel-linked cargo ship 'MSC Aries' seized by Iran on Saturday near the Strait of Hormuz had 17 Indian nationals onboard, according to the sources. "We are aware that a cargo ship 'MSC Aries' has been taken over by Iran. We have learned that there are 17 Indian nationals onboard," the sources said. Sources are in touch with Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and in Delhi. "We are in touch with the Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and in Delhi, to ensure the security, welfare and early release of Indian nationals," the sources added. Notably, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized the Israel-linked MSC ARIES container ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, The Times of Israel reported, citing an Iranian news agency. The MSC Aries was last seen on Friday, sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Dubai, according to The Times of Israel. The ship is currently sailing through the Persian Gulf, according to the ship-tracking site, Marine Traffic. Tensions escalated between Iran and the West amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Iran launched its first direct attack on Israel on Saturday night, launching a barrage of 300 attack drones and missiles from its territory towards the Jewish state, triggering air raid sirens throughout Israel on Sunday morning as the military tried to intercept the Iranian projectiles, the Times of Israel reported. The onset of the assault was confirmed by IDF spokesman Hagari at 11 pm. Kerala Lottery Results Sunday 14-04-2024 Live: The Kerala lottery "AKSHAYA AK-647" Result, on behalf of the Kerala government, will be announced today, April 14, 2024, at Gorky Bhavan Near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala State Lotteries department, which releases the lottery in 12 series (subject to change), will draw the result. Each week, 108 lakh tickets are made available for purchase, and the series may vary. The first-place winner stands to receive a substantial 70 Lakh Rupees as the bumper prize. For those eagerly awaiting today's draw, the AKSHAYA AK-647 outcome for April 14, 2024, can be checked on this website. Stay tuned to ensure you don't miss the live results of Kerala Lottery AKSHAYA AK-647. Kerala Lottery Result 14-04-2024 Apr: FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR AKSHAYA AK-647 LOTTERY LUCKY NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 70 LAKHS IS: AC 193350 LUCKY NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 5 LAKHS IS: AE 808916 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 1 Lakh ARE: AA 131060 AB 467417 AC 127119 AD 544683 AE 188772 AF 416609 AG 393516 AH 537167 AJ 328564 AK 311097 AL 195050 AM 501981 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE: AA 193350 AB 193350 AD 193350 AE 193350 AF 193350 AG 193350 AH 193350 AJ 193350 AK 193350 AL 193350 AM 193350 (For The Tickets Ending with The Following Numbers below) LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE: 0819 0950 1855 2537 2561 3208 3731 3772 4806 5025 5892 5911 7391 7459 7747 7797 9551 9893 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE OF RS 2,000 ARE: 1200 2685 6104 6831 6946 7167 7625 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE: 0010 0335 1044 1133 1606 2085 2575 2670 3255 3272 3412 3576 3753 3958 4640 4817 5195 5391 5866 6560 6684 7629 7946 8806 9604 9991 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE: 0025 0090 0395 0528 0539 0566 0601 0659 0948 1098 1410 1514 1537 1923 1949 2328 2354 2375 2404 2425 2435 2436 2437 2661 2773 2998 3069 3094 3222 3603 3624 3713 3890 4051 4266 4295 4620 4904 5008 5113 5208 5320 5401 6130 6194 6259 6704 6901 7185 7539 7589 7675 7786 7898 8002 8143 8304 8381 8460 8599 8667 8729 9129 9136 9419 9482 9497 9550 9595 9729 9922 9942 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 8TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE: 1000 7092 7771 2508 1157 9821 1860 7905 6021 4636 9820 8955 1159 7381 7210 0497 0931 8112 1477 6529 3307 3118 4207 8456 9763 3519 5687 8713 1659 2365 1152 1401 2212 5016 1658 7879 8835 9095 0838 4268 8645 4143 1769 1699 9059 4797 2010 1361 2387 6579 1590 9450 0936 6025 1337 1830 6475 4989 6640 8146 0423 2817 1350 7217 1101 4524 9765 3383 8435 0900 7086 5780 8655 4826 8138 5004 7850 5198 9082 5702 7011 2568 3487 8268 7961 8821 8957 2815 6414 3971 KERALA LOTTERY RESULT 14-04-2024 March TODAY: AKSHAYA AK-647 LOTTERY PRIZE DETAILS 1st Prize: Rs 70 Lakhs 2nd Prize: Rs. 5 lakhs 3rd Prize: Rs. 1 Lakh 4th Prize: Rs. 5,000 5th Prize: Rs. 2,000 6th Prize: Rs. 1,000 7th Prize: Rs. 500 8th Prize: Rs. 100 Consolation Prize: Rs. 8,000 (NOTE: Lottery can be addictive and should be played responsibly. The data provided on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice or encouragement. Zee News does not promote lottery in anyway.) New Delhi: With the country poised for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, all eyes are on the electoral battlegrounds, including the vibrant discussions surrounding Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand. Here, the BJP has put forth its seasoned leader, Anil Baluni, into the political fray. Baluni's candidacy has stirred considerable public interest, evident from pre-election surveys. Pauri, historically significant for Uttarakhand, has been a cradle of leadership, contributing five Chief Ministers to the state. In this political fervour gripping Uttarakhand, the Pauri Lok Sabha seat remains a focal point. Since the election announcement, BJP's candidate, Anil Baluni, has been actively engaging with constituents, addressing their concerns and aspirations. Remarkably, prevailing political dynamics overwhelmingly favour Baluni in Pauri Garhwal, solidifying his standing as a beloved leader among the populace. Electoral Dynamics Favour BJP In Pauri Garhwal The pulse of the electorate, as reflected in the survey conducted by Matrize News Communication, underscores Baluni's ascendancy. BJP's vote share is on an upward trajectory, while Congress faces a decline. Pauri Lok Sabha encompasses 14 assembly constituencies, each pivotal in shaping the electoral landscape. Examining the projected voter turnout across these constituencies provides insights into the shifting political tides leading up to the elections. According to Matrize News Communication's survey data, the BJP is projected to receive 65.02% of the vote in the Badrinath assembly constituency, with Congress expected to secure 30.09%. Other parties are estimated to receive 3.09% of the vote. Similarly, in Tharali, the BJP's projected vote share stands at 66.08%, compared to Congress's 28.07%. In Karnaprayag, the BJP is expected to lead with 71.07% of the vote, while Congress trails with 25.04%. Notably, across all three constituencies, the BJP's vote share appears to be on the rise, while Congress faces a decline. Gharwal, Badrinath, Tharali And Karnprayag Kedarnath, Rudraprayag, Deoprayag And Narendra Nagar Yamakeshwar, Pauri, Srinagar And Chaubattakhal The 5 millionth vehicle of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd is seen in Tiexi district of Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning province, in February 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will soon pay an official visit to China, his second since taking office. The upcoming visit is expected to inject new momentum into the positive trajectory of bilateral relations. During Scholz's inaugural visit to China as German chancellor in 2022, amidst a hullabaloo of "decoupling," significant strides were made in bolstering mutual understanding and trust between the two nations. That diplomatic endeavor not only fortified bilateral relations, but also fostered global peace and development during a period marked by uncertainty and flux. Back then, over 100 German companies applied to join the visit, with a dozen shortlisted. This time, enthusiasm also runs high, with prominent German companies vying to be included in the visiting delegation. The keen interest from the business sector underscores the cooperative nature of China-Germany ties. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-Germany comprehensive strategic partnership. Practical cooperation between the two countries has always been a "ballast stone" for bilateral relations and is bringing benefits to the people in both countries. With strong economic interdependence, China and Germany, as the world's second-largest economy and the EU's largest economy respectively, should continue to ride the irreversible tide of closer and mutually beneficial cooperation in the era of globalization, jointly injecting momentum into global economic recovery. According to the German Economic Institute, direct investment from Germany to China reached a record high of 11.9 billion euros ($12.7 billion) in 2023, a 4.3 percent increase compared to the previous year. One prime example of successful collaboration between China and Germany is the automotive industry. German carmakers see cooperation with aspiring Chinese electric vehicle (EV) companies more as an opportunity than as a threat. During an interview with Xinhua last year, Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume said cooperation with China upholds Volkswagen's business all around the world and "makes the company even stronger." German carmakers recognize that market competition can yield positive outcomes for all involved. They view the achievements of Chinese EV companies, driven by technological innovation and a well-established production and supply chain infrastructure, as beneficial to the global new energy automotive ecosystem. The rise of the Chinese EV industry helps German carmakers to "become faster," Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Germany-based CAR Center Automotive Research Duisburg, told Xinhua during an earlier interview. It is encouraging to witness German carmakers eschew "overcapacity" rhetoric that distorts the new energy technology market. Instead, they prioritize innovation and progress, striving to provide consumers with high-quality and affordable products amidst the worldwide drive for energy transition. In an increasingly interconnected world, China and Germany's partnership stands out as a model of cooperation. By leveraging their respective strengths and fostering a spirit of openness and cooperation, these two nations can play a pivotal role in shaping a more prosperous and sustainable future for the global community. New Delhi: A 32-year-old married woman was allegedly paraded naked by a group of around 10 individuals on Friday. The shocking incident was reported from Samdari village in Balotra, Rajasthan. According to police, the attack was motivated by allegations of the woman engaging in an extra-marital affair. Superintendent of Police Kundan Kawaria revealed that the victim was ambushed by the group, believed to be her neighbors, while she was on her way to someplace. The assailants proceeded to assault her before subjecting her to the humiliating act of being paraded semi-naked through the village streets. A video circulating on social media captured the horrifying ordeal, showing several women dragging the victim while others verbally abused her and pulled her hair. One of the perpetrators was heard threatening to inform the woman's father about her alleged affair with a married man from the village. While eight individuals, including two women, have been detained based on the survivor's complaint and the circulated video, authorities are working to identify others involved in the incident, including the person who recorded the video, reported PTI. In response, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed under the supervision of Siwana Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Neeraj Sharma to probe the matter thoroughly. As per reports, the victim is receiving psychological counselling, and authorities are interrogating the detained individuals to ascertain the motive behind the attack. Since 1985, Iran and Israel have been locked in a continuous proxy conflict. Although the recent escalation began six months ago. However, Iran launched its first-ever direct military strike against Israel on Saturday, prompting questions about its prior silence. What has prompted this shift from a defensive stance to asserting presence upfront on the battlefield? Iran had been threatening to attack Israel as they believed Israel bombed their consulate in Syria, which caused the deaths of 12 people, including two elite Iranian generals. Iran had vowed to retaliate for what they labelled as an Israeli attack on their consulate in Damascus on April 1st. Meanwhile, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the consulate attack. Current Status Of The War According to the Israeli military, Iran deployed over 200 drones armed with bombs aimed at Israel. Shortly after, Iran declared it had also unleashed significantly more potent ballistic and cruise missiles. Last night, Tehran unleashed more than 200 explosive drones towards Israel. Warning sirens continued to blare across Israel, prompting people to seek shelter in bomb shelters amidst reports of blasts. However, in a statement issued earlier today, Israel's military revealed that the 'majority' of missiles launched from Iran were successfully intercepted before reaching Israel's borders. United States On Toes The development has escalated tensions in the Middle East, with the President of the United States, Joe Biden, analysing the situation closely. Yesterday, in a press statement, Biden reiterated the US commitment to support Israel. As per reports, President Biden cut short his weekend getaway at Delaware Beach House to convene with his national security team and keep a close eye on the situation in the Middle East following Iran's attack on Israel. How The World Reacts In a statement released from the Ministry of External Affairs of India on Sunday, the central government urged for a prompt de-escalation in the region. It also voiced apprehensions regarding the escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran, warning of potential threats to peace and security in the region. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, in a message posted early Sunday, conveyed Germany's condemnation of the ongoing attack, expressing concern about the potential chaos in the region. Baerbock urged Iran and its proxies to cease the attacks immediately and extended full solidarity to Israel. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau affirmed his nation's unequivocal condemnation of Iran's airborne attacks on Israel. The French government strongly condemned the Iranian air attack on Israel, according to a statement from French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne on Saturday. Sejourne stated that Iran had crossed a new threshold with its destabilising activities and risked potential military escalation. New Delhi: The Congress leadership nominates Manish Tewari on Saturday. The incumbent MP from Anandpur Sahib and a lawyer, Tewari is all set to contest against Sanjay Tandon of the BJP. During a meeting held in Delhi, the Congress' Central Election Committee announced Tewari's candidacy, among 15 others. Tewari, along with former Chandigarh MP Pawan Kumar Bansal and Chandigarh Congress president Harmohinder Singh Lucky, had been contending for the party ticket from Chandigarh. Congress' 'New Face' In Chandigarh Tewari stands as a joint candidate as Congress is in a seat-sharing agreement with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). His supporters have advocated for a change in representation, citing Bansal's previous electoral defeats to Kirron Kher. BJP Replaces MP Kirron Kher BJP preferred to replace its incumbent MP Kirron Kher with first-time candidate Sanjay Tandon. About Manish Tewari Born and raised in Chandigarh, Tewari received his education locally before pursuing higher studies. Despite previous attempts to contest from Chandigarh in 2009 and 2019, Tewari was fielded from other constituencies and emerged victorious. He comes from a family deeply-rooted in the city's fabric, with his parents being prominent figures in academia and public service. Tewari's longstanding connection with Chandigarh residents, coupled with his family's legacy in the city, has bolstered his candidacy. His active involvement in local issues, despite representing another constituency, has earned him support among voters. The elections are scheduled for June 1 in Chandigarh. New Delhi: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is coming to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India. Elon Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he is looking forward to meeting PM Modi in India. According to reports, Elon Musk will be in India on April 21 and 22. The billionaire will be in the country for 48 hours. Musk will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other government officials as well as industry representatives. Why Tesla-Led Elon Musk Is Keen On India Entry? Elon Musk's interest in entering the Indian market with Tesla is fueled by multiple factors. From India's growing interest in electric vehicles to its vast market potential, Musk sees a golden opportunity. But what exactly draws him to this South Asian giant? As we all know, interest in electric cars is rapidly increasing in India, but the market is still small. Last year, only 6 electric cars were sold out of 100, while in China, the figure is 22. In India, 80,000 cars were sold last year, while Tesla alone sells 1.8 Lakhs cars. The potential is massive in India. This promising opportunity is a significant factor driving Elon Musk's decision to expand Tesla's presence in the Indian market. (Also Read: Mahindra XUV 3XO: How Will This SUV Differ From XUV300?) Earlier, Tesla was not interested in exploring the Indian market due to heavy duties on electric cars. India has been imposing 100% import taxes on electric cars, meaning a Tesla priced at Rs 29 Lakhs rupees would cost around 60 Lakhs rupees in India. Now, the government has changed its policy. Any company investing 500 million dollars and setting up a factory as well in India can sell cars by paying a 15% import tax. There is hope that Tesla's cars will be available for around 35 Lakhs rupees. To recall, Elon Musk and PM Modi met in New York in June. Tesla asked India many times to reduce import taxes on electric cars. Reportedly, Tesla might invest $3 billion to build a factory for making affordable electric cars in India. These cars, possibly the Model 2, could cost around Rs 25 lakh. Elon Musk may also reveal intentions to introduce Starlink, offering satellite internet in India. However, the regulatory approvals for Starlink are in the final stages, and the company is likely to receive a license soon. (Also Read: 2024 Hyundai Creta Surpasses 1 Lakh Bookings, 71% Bought Sunroof Models) Tesla currently has two vehicle manufacturing facilities outside the US near Berlin (Germany) and in Shanghai (China). Tesla's entry into India gives the country's Make-in-India project a big boost after it got another mega brand Apple to manufacture iPhones in India. Gunshots were heard outside Salman Khan's Mumbai residence in Bandra early on Sunday. Police confirmed that more than three rounds were fired by unidentified assailants. According to officials, two individuals fired more than three rounds outside Galaxy Apartments in the Bandra area, where the actor lives, around 5 am. Police stated that the attackers, wearing helmets, were being pursued using CCTV footage from the area to apprehend them During preliminary investigation , Police report indicates that two unidentified assailants on bikes fired more than three rounds outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan's Galaxy Apartment in Bandra . Salman Khan, under Y-plus category security, was present at home during the incident. The Bandra police are currently filing a First Information Report (FIR), while local police crime branch officials have initiated a parallel investigation. In March of the previous year, Khan's office received an email threatening him, prompting the Mumbai Police to file an FIR against gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar. The local police and the crime branch have launched an investigation into the incident, with a team of forensic science experts also arriving at the site, confirmed the police. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had a telephone conversation with Salman Khan after two unidentified men opened fire outside the actor's residence in Bandra, Mumbai. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had discussions with the Mumbai Police Commissioner and suggested pic.twitter.com/1y0Eo5EjNF ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2024 Bandra Police of Mumbai is registering a case against an unknown person in the case of firing outside the house of actor Salman Khan. Police started searching for the accused, and formed several teams to catch the accused. Mumbai Police officer said that Salman Khan was present #surveillance #CCTV footage of alleged shooters involved in firing at Salman Khan's house pic.twitter.com/4stNNxrP8H D T (@dharamtiwari) April 14, 2024 Shooters On Motorcycle Make Escape After Firing Outside Salman Khan's Home. The security has been beefed up outside the actor's residence, and a forensic team is also present at the spot. We are checking the CCTV footage from the area and the surrounding locality to identify the accused, the police said. Further information is awaited regarding the incident. New Delhi: Artificial Intelligence (AI) will lead the US Presidential elections in 2032, said Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. He said this on Saturday at the 10th annual Breakthrough Prize ceremony -- the world's largest science award for major advances in fundamental physics, life sciences, and mathematics. The Press asked the tech billionaire, who attended the event clad in a classic suit with a bow tie, about the 2024 US Presidential election winner. Who will win the White House in 2032? Which type of AI? Transformers or fusion? replied Musk, sharing a hearty laugh. (Also Read: Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Deploys 40K Team to Secure Global Elections Online) The billionaire also made funny poses for the Press. Last week, in an interview on X Spaces, Musk predicted that AI will turn smarter than humans by 2026. Last year, raising concerns about the influence of AI in elections, Musk noted: If AI is smart enough, it could undermine democracy. (Also Read: Apple Simplifies iPhone Self-Repair For Consumers; Read Details) Meanwhile, the ceremony also saw Microsoft Co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, who recently visited India. He was seen with Paula Hurd, the widow of late Oracle CEO Mark Hurd. Breakthrough Prize, which celebrates advances in fundamental science, was founded in 2012 by Sergey Brin (co-founder of Google), Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook), Priscilla Chan (co-founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative), Julia and Yuri Milner (technology investor and science philanthropist), and Anne Wojcicki (co-founder of 23andMe). Each year, the ceremony awards at least five $3 million prizes for major contributions to physics, life sciences, and mathematics. New Delhi: In yet another shocking incident day after a stabbing rampage at Australia's Sydney Mall, a mass shooting attack unfolded in the United States' Chicago. Eight individuals, including a young girl, were shot, with the girl losing her life, in what Chicago police suspect to be gang-related violence on the city's South Side. A 7-year-old girl whose identity remains undisclosed, was fatally shot in the head. Two other children, a 1-year-old boy and a 7-year-old boy, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and are currently in critical condition, informed Deputy Chief Don Jerome of the Chicago Police Department to news agency AP. Mass shooting in Chicago just happened. 8 people shot including 5 adults and 3 kids. While everyone is focused on Israel and Iran, there's still constant bloodshed happening on the streets of Democrat-led cities in the U.S.pic.twitter.com/rE0OMMZgDX - Paul A. Szypula __ (@Bubblebathgirl) April 14, 2024 The shooting occurred on 52nd Street near Damen Avenue, where the victims had gathered for a family event. Upon receiving reports of gunfire, law enforcement rushed to the scene. The individuals were taken to nearby hospitals by the Chicago Fire Department. Deputy Chief Jerome addressed the media, stating that witness testimonies indicated the presence of two assailants on foot. While investigations are ongoing, authorities are treating the incident as likely gang-related. The remaining victims, whose ages range from 19 to 40 years old, sustained injuries in the gunfire. Irked with the Israel-Hamas war and Israel allegedly carrying out an air strike at Syria's Damascus killing seven officers including two senior commanders belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Tehran last night launched over 200 explosive drones at Israel. Warning sirens kept blaring across Israel with people running to bomb shelters while blast sounds were also being reported. This is first ever direct attack by Iran on Israeli territory despite the United States extending 'ironclad' backing for the Jerusalem. Officials reported that a 7-year-old girl sustained critical injuries. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for Israel's military, stated that Iran launched numerous ground-to-ground missiles including around 10 cruise missiles towards Israel, the majority of which were successfully intercepted before reaching Israeli territory. Israelis reality in the last hours: pic.twitter.com/VXeHM8WqJi Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 14, 2024 Iran's Warning To Israel, US Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reposted his April 10 warning on social media site X saying that Israel 'must be punished' for attacking the Iranian embassy compound in Syria. Iran's permanent mission to the UN said on X, "Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defence, Iran's military action was in response to the Zionist regime's aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded. However should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!" Israel Warns Of Significant Response According to officials, the attack had caused light damage to one Israeli military facility. Israel said there would be a 'significant response' to the attack. While Iran cited the Damascus attack to retaliate against Israel, Jerusalem had neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the consulate attack. The Israeli Defence Forces claimed to have intercepted most of the missiles outside its borders. "Over the past few hours, many dozens of hostile aircraft, as well as dozens of cruise missiles, from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory and intercepted. Dozens of IAF fighter jets are currently operating to intercept all aerial threats approaching Israeli territory. The IDF is deployed on all fronts, prepared, and continuing to defend Israeli territory," said the IDF. The IDF said that its Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the 'Arrow' Aerial Defense System, together with Israel's strategic allies, before the launches crossed into Israeli territory. "A small number of hits were identified, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure," it said. Israel received support from the US and British warplanes in shooting down the drones over the Iraq-Syria border area. Tension Escalates In The Region According to Reuters, Israel and Lebanon closed their airspace on Saturday night. On the other hand, Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel, readied its air defences to intercept any drone or missile violating its territory. Syria, an ally of Iran, said it was putting its ground-to-air defence systems around the capital and major bases on high alert. British maritime security company Ambrey said that drones were also reportedly launched against Israel by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group. Iran's main ally in the region, the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah that it has also fired rockets at an Israeli base. The ongoing Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas, now entering its seventh month, has heightened tensions in the region. The conflict has expanded to involve Lebanon and Syria, with long-range attacks targeting Israeli interests originating from as far as Yemen and Iraq. These escalating clashes threaten to escalate into a direct confrontation between Iran and its regional allies against Israel, supported by the United States. Egypt, a regional power, is urging all parties to exercise "utmost restraint." While Israel and Iran have been longstanding adversaries, their conflict has typically played out through proxy battles or by targeting each other's forces in third-party nations. World Leaders React To Attack United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed strong condemnation of Iran's attack, emphasizing his deep concern about the significant risk of a widespread escalation throughout the region. The European Union, along with individual nations such as Britain, France, Mexico, Czechia, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands, also condemned Iran's actions. President Biden, echoing these sentiments, delivered a clear message to Iran, stating, "Don't." He further affirmed the United States' commitment to Israel's defense. Hours after firing a barrage of missiles at Israel, Iran said that its retaliatory action against Jerusalem's alleged provocation is over and it doesn't wish to continue the operation. Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri said that if Israel escalates further, then Iran would respond strongly. He said that Israel conducted the operation because the 'Zionist regime had crossed Iran's red line and it was unacceptable'. Baqeri said that Israel's air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus led to Tehran's military response earlier today. Iranian Army's Statement "The Zionist regime's act to target Iran's consulate in Damascus and to martyr the Iranian legal advisors who were present in that country upon the invitation of the Syrian government was crossing red lines that all countries except two or three supporters of the Zionist regime condemned," said Major General Mohammad Baqeri, adding that Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Khamenei had said 'this punishment must be done'. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a stern warning on Sunday through a second statement, following drone and missile attacks on military sites in Israeli-occupied territories. These strikes were in retaliation for the regime's assault on the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1. The IRGC cautioned the US against supporting or engaging in actions detrimental to Iranian interests. It pledged a proportional response to any American or Israeli threats, regardless of their origin. Israel's Response To Attack Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that his country has long been ready for a direct assault from Iran and will retaliate against any entity that poses a threat to Israel. Netanyahu thanked the United States, Britain and France for standing alongside Israel. "We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination," said Netanyahu in a statement. What Iran's 'Operation Over' Message Indicates? Hours after firing missiles at Israel, Iran sought no further escalations. There was growing anger among the Iranians following Israel's repeated strikes against the IRGC. Iran was appearing weak by not taking any action against Israel. Thus, the Khamenei government appears to have taken a calculated risk by firing missiles at Israel after issuing a warning beforehand. Iran is well aware of Israel's air defence system and knows that most of the Iranian missiles would get intercepted and destroyed mid-air. But it will send a strong political message to the home crowd that the ruling government is not weak. Notably, after Iran's attack, people went on celebratory mode in Tehran and other parts of the Islamic republic. They were holding Iranian flag and shouting slogans. Iran Attacks Israel Following Israel's alleged air strike at Iran's consulate in Damascus killing several top officials of the IRGC, Iran had warned of retaliatory action. Iran today fired around 300 drone explosives and cruise missiles at Israel. While Israel claimed to have intercepted 99% of the missiles, some landed on its territory causing minor damage to military installations. New Delhi: Iran launched drones towards Israel on Saturday night in response to the air strike on its embassy in Syria. Retaliating to the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country has been bracing for a potential direct assault from Iran for years and will retaliate against anyone who threatens them. Netanyahu emphasized Israel's readiness, stating, "In recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran. Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong." On Saturday, Iran launched a barrage of explosive drones and missiles targeting Israeli territory, reportedly, in response to the bombing of Iran's embassy in Damascus earlier this month. , " , . , ' - . pic.twitter.com/XwdHlLzyNK Benjamin Netanyahu - (@netanyahu) April 13, 2024 Unsettlement In Jerusalem Post Iran's attack, there were sirens blaring in various areas and explosions were being heard above Jerusalem early Sunday morning. Iran had earlier threatened retaliation against Israel following an airstrike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1. The consulate attack resulted in the deaths of seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel, including two generals. The United States had repeatedly warned of impending reprisals. Expressing gratitude for the support of the United States, Britain, France, and other nations, Netanyahu said, "We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination." World Reaction The US, Canada and the UN have condemned the Iranian air attack on Israel, with President Joe Biden reaffirming Americas "ironclad commitment" to the Jewish nation and vowing to convene a meeting of the G-7 leaders on Sunday to develop a coordinated response to the brazen assault. The United States condemns Irans attack on Israel. As the President said, our commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran is ironclad. Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 14, 2024 Israel said it and its allies have intercepted the vast majority of more than 200 drones and missiles launched by Iran. Biden said "We helped Israel take down nearly all" of them. His comments came as American forces joined efforts to down drones and missiles launched by Tehran. "Earlier today, Iranand its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraqlaunched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms," Biden said after his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday. Iran today claimed that its explosive drones and cruise missiles successfully defied the Iron Dome system and hit targets in Israel. On the other hand, the Israeli Defence Forces said that most of the incoming missiles were destroyed successfully using Iron Dome and Arrow Aerial Defence System while some caused minor damages to defence installations. While Iran warned the United States to stay away from the conflict, Israel is reportedly planning a massive retaliatory action. Unverified viral videos on social media show some missiles landing in Israel while many being destroyed in the sky. Watch: Israeli' Interception Of Iranian Missiles The IDF said that its Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the 'Arrow' Aerial Defense System, together with Israel's strategic allies. Israel received support from the United States and British warplanes in shooting down the drones over the Iraq-Syria border area. WATCH: Israeli interceptions near Jerusalem amid Iranian attack pic.twitter.com/8rAunEpc93 i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) April 13, 2024 Watch: Iran Claims To Penetrate Israeli Defence System On the other hand, Iran claimed to have hit several targets in Israel including Nevatim Air Base. It claimed to have penetrated the Iron Dome missile defence system. Iran's state media shared a video of missiles landing in Israel. The moment #Iran's ballistic missiles landed at the Nevatim Air Base in northern Negev pic.twitter.com/6pXxddKn4E April 14, 2024 After Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah that it has also fired rockets at an Israeli base, the IDF launched a powerful strike in Lebanon's Iqlim al-Tuffah. Powerful zionist airstrike on the Iqlim al-Tuffah area in south Lebanon minutes ago pic.twitter.com/yqO6JLLozo War Monitor (@WarMonitors) April 14, 2024 After Iran launched drone and missile attacks on Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond defensively and offensively, saying that Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran for years. Flash Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of China's National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Pyongyang, the DPRK, April 13, 2024. Zhao is heading a Chinese party and government delegation on an official goodwill visit to the DPRK. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) Zhao Leji, chairman of China's National People's Congress Standing Committee, met with Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) here on Saturday. Zhao, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, is heading a Chinese party and government delegation on an official goodwill visit to the DPRK. Zhao extended to Kim the kind regards and good wishes of General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping. Zhao said that appointed by General Secretary Xi and the CPC Central Committee, he is heading the Chinese party and government delegation to pay an official goodwill visit to the DPRK and attend the opening ceremony of the "China-DPRK Friendship Year," and that he was warmly received by the WPK and the DPRK government. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the DPRK, and the journey of the past 75 years epitomized good neighborliness and friendship as the two countries stood side by side, fighting together and sharing a common destiny and common development, he said. Under the new situation, China is ready to work with the DPRK, in accordance with the lofty will of the top leaders of both parties and both countries and common aspirations of the two peoples, to push the China-DPRK relationship for greater development, Zhao said. Zhao pointed out that the China-DPRK friendship, established and cultivated meticulously by the elder generations of revolutionists of both parties and both countries, has withstood various tests of the changing international situation and is an invaluable asset of the two countries. Zhao said that the CPC and the Chinese government have always treated the China-DPRK relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, and it is China's unwavering policy to maintain, consolidate and develop the China-DPRK traditional friendly and cooperative relations. China is willing to work with the DPRK, under the strategic guidance of the top leaders of both parties and both countries, to promote bilateral practical and mutually beneficial cooperation to attain new achievements, continue to strongly support each other and safeguard the shared interests of the two countries, he said. China stands ready for close coordination with the DPRK to ensure the success of all activities of the "China-DPRK Friendship Year," he added. China, in accordance with the strategic plan laid out at the 20th CPC National Congress, is comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, Zhao stressed. Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of China's National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Pyongyang, the DPRK, April 13, 2024. Zhao is heading a Chinese party and government delegation on an official goodwill visit to the DPRK. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) China is willing to intensify coordination in development and deepen bilateral cooperation with the DPRK, and to continuously enrich China-DPRK relations, he said. Kim asked Zhao to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to General Secretary Xi. Kim said that appointed by General Secretary Xi and the CPC Central Committee, the Chinese party and government delegation's visit to the DPRK and attendance at the opening ceremony of the "DPRK-China Friendship Year" fully demonstrate General Secretary Xi's friendliness over DPRK-China relations and strongly demonstrate the profound and unbreakable foundation of bilateral ties. Kim extended his warm congratulations over the development achievements that China has made in the pursuit of its socialist cause under the strong leadership of General Secretary Xi and the CPC. He stressed that the DPRK-China relations have boasted a profound historical tradition, having withstood various tests and been passed on from generation to generation. Kim said that it is the unwavering policy of the WPK and the DPRK government to consolidate and develop the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries. The DPRK-China relationship is continuously developing to new and higher stages in line with the demands of the new era, he added. This year marks the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and the "DPRK-China Friendship Year," and the DPRK stands ready to work with China to strengthen cooperation in various fields, increase exchanges of experience in state governance, deepen traditional friendship, and write a new chapter for bilateral ties, he said. Upon leaving Pyongyang, the Chinese party and government delegation was seen off at the airport by officials including Choe Ryong Hae, a member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK and chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK. On Saturday afternoon, Zhao visited and extended his regards to staff members of the Chinese embassy and representatives of overseas Chinese in the DPRK. Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. His column appears Sundays in Colorado Politics. Pius Kamau, M.D., a retired general surgeon, is president of the Aurora-based Africa America Higher Education Partnerships; co-founder of the Africa Enterprise Group and an activist for minority students STEM education. He is a National Public Radio commentator, a Huffington Post blogger, a past columnist for Denver dailies and is featured on the podcast, Never Again. Flash This photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows flares from explosions in the sky over Jerusalem as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts missiles and drones from Iran. A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) A combined attack of dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones from Iran triggered air raid alerts across Israel early on Sunday, the Israeli army said, as residents reported multiple bombings were heard. The projectiles triggered sirens in Jerusalem, the Negev Desert and the Dead Sea in the south, the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in the north as well as the occupied West Bank. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed during a press briefing that Israel was under attack by ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran, noting that aerial defense systems have intercepted some of the missiles. Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that about 100 drones, out of about 400-500 that have been launched, were intercepted before reaching Israel by allied countries, including the American, Jordanian and British forces. Israel's Maged David Adom rescue service said in a statement that a 10-year-old boy from a Beduin village in the Negev was seriously injured. A projectile or parts of a projectile fell near Umm Al Fahm, an Arab city in northern Israel, causing no injuries. Israel is planning to launch a "significant response" to the Iranian aerial attack, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported early on Sunday, citing an anonymous senior Israeli official. "The fact that Iran fires for the first time from its territory at Israel requires a significant response. It will come soon," the official said. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed in a broadcast statement Saturday night that it had launched missile and drone attacks on Israel. Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that the drones were launched from Iran as well as from other countries allied with Iran. The Israeli military said earlier in a statement that "the IDF Aerial Defense Array is on high alert, along with Israel Air Force fighter jets and Israeli Navy vessels that are on a defense mission in Israeli air and naval space." Meanwhile, two Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Xinhua that several cruise missiles were also launched from Iran toward Israel. Israel has been on heightened alert over the past few days following Iranian threats to avenge the killing of seven Iranian officers in its consular building in Damascus, Syria, earlier in April, which was carried out by Israel, according to Iran. FILE - Firearms are displayed at a gun shop in Salem, Ore., on Feb. 19, 2021. An Oregon court decided Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, that local governments can't declare themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries and ban police from enforcing certain gun laws within their borders. The opinion was the first court test of the concept, which hundreds of U.S. counties have adopted in recent years. The former owner of the Return to Nature Funeral Home, Jon Michael Hallford, is facing allegations that he lied to the court about his relationship to his stepchildren and their whereabouts in order to lower his bond from $2 million to $100,000 as he awaits trial on multiple felony charges related to the nearly 200 decomposing bodies found at his business. Hallford, who was out on bond heading into the recent weekend, could potentially return to the El Paso County jail following prosecutor Rachel Powells argument that his bond should be increased if the claims of Hallfords false testimony are proven. The Gazette spoke with Hallfords stepson and also with the young man's biological father, who is the ex-husband of funeral home co-owner Carie Hallford. Both said the children have not lived in Colorado Springs since June 2023. Editor's note: Jon and Carie Hallford were back in El Paso County jail on Sunday, according to jail records. Hallfords stepson, 19-year-old Benjamin Morrison, described a chaotic and abusive family life that prompted him and his 17-year-old sister to leave for his biological fathers home in Florida in June last year, months prior to the Oct. 4 discovery of the 190 improperly stored bodies at the Penrose funeral home. Additionally, when the siblings arrived in Florida, father Jeremy Morrison said he discovered that Jon Hallford had been sexually grooming his daughter. Its always been completely about (Jon) Michael, and even saying that is an understatement, Benjamin Morrison said. Every day was different, at least regarding his attitude. Some days he would be normal, some days he would be super on edge. He would take everything personally, as a knock against him," Benjamin Morrison added. Benjamin Morrison said life at home became worse leading up his high school graduation. It was the week before the actual day of graduation, and thats when they broke the news to us that they needed to move ASAP, Benjamin Morrison said. They were acting like the rug got pulled out from under them, they said they were having money and business troubles. Im assuming now it had to do with the Penrose location. Benjamin Morrison said he and his sister spent the week leading up to his graduation packing up the Hallford residence in Colorado Springs into a storage unit and moving some items into an Airbnb the couple had rented. When the rest of the family showed up to my graduation, thats where we were, in this tiny Airbnb. Benjamin Morrison said he and his mother spent the morning scrambling around the Airbnb and their storage unit in a last-minute attempt to locate the proper clothes for his ceremony, which were never found. At his graduation, my son was wearing old shoes and a tie for a belt. He just had a breakdown, said Jeremy Morrison. , Ben just broke out in tears and said he couldnt do it anymore (live with Jon and Carie) and asked if he could come and live with us in Florida, said Jeremys partner, Nicole Wilson, whos been in the childrens lives since 2010. After my graduation, I was like, Im not going back (to Colorado), Im going to live in Florida with my dad, Benjamin Morrison said. To me, it wasnt a hard choice. There was no way I was going back (to Colorado). According to the family, when the siblings arrived in Florida Jeremy Morrison discovered Jon Hallford had been sexually grooming his daughter. He has since proceeded to press charges, which was confirmed by Colorado Springs police . The daughter had originally wanted to return to Colorado to finish high school, but ultimately decided to stay in Florida due to fear of Hallford, the family said. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Text screenshots between Jon Hallford and the girl, 17, provided by Jeremy Morrison, show a series of texts and pictures sent to the girl by Hallford. According to Jeremy Morrison, the behavior and messages began when his daughter was 15. In one text, Jon Hallford addresses his stepdaughter as baby, and sends a message reading, We can go anywhere and do anything. You know I dont give a f***. Im trying to get you into a bar, if a friend is working, Im waiting for a response. Additional text chains between Jon Hallford and his stepdaughter show shirtless images of Jon Hallford, and images of him in his underwear. On several occasions in the text conversations obtained by The Gazette, Jon Hallford comments on his stepdaughters body and appearance, requests her to join him in bed and cuddle, and keep their text conversations private, even going as far as himself labeling the relationship as inappropriate. We already have a pretty inappropriate relationship, which I f***ing LOVE, so yea Id say its probably safe to never show anything to anyone! a text message from Jon Hallford to his stepdaughter reads. He was grooming (her) to sexually abuse her, Nicole Wilson alleged. Colorado Springs police spokesperson Ira Cronin confirmed the case number provided to The Gazette by Jeremy Morrison to be an active case involving Jon Hallford. According to Cronin, the case is in the process of being assigned a detective from the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, who will continue the investigation to determine what charges should be filed. The Gazette attempted to reach out to the Hallford's legal team for comment on the abuse and grooming allegations and received no response. Jeremy Morrison's daughter confirmed to The Gazette that she had received the text messages from Hallford. In Jon and Carie Hallfords last court appearance on March 22, prosecutor Rachel Powell requested to readdress Jon Hallfords bond over allegations that he lied to the court. Powell stated that it became known to the district attorneys office that Jon Hallfords son was no longer enrolled in school in Colorado and was living in Oklahoma with his grandparents. She went on to argue that if the court considered the validity of the childs school enrollment as a factor of bond, then the court should raise Jon Hallfords bond. Adam Steigerwald, Jon Hallfords attorney, claimed that Powell was misinformed and that when he made that request he was referring to Hallfords 17-year-old daughter who originally was enrolled in school in Colorado, but due to the publicity of the case she now resides and attends school in Florida. According to Jeremy Morrison, his daughter did not leave Colorado due to the publicity of the case, but rather a fear of Jon Hallford. (She) chose to stay here (in Florida), Jeremy Morrison said. (The defense) made it sound like Jon and Carie had made (her) leave to protect her because of the trial. (She) left to get away from Michael for her safety, Morrison continued. Court records obtained by The Gazette show that Carie Hallford authorized educational guardianship to Jeremy Morrison over his daughter on Sept. 5, 2023, a month before news broke of the situation at the Penrose funeral home. According to Jeremy Morrison and Nicole Wilson, his daughter has lived with the couple in Florida, along with her brother, Benjamin, since June 2023. Judge William Moller did not rule on raising Jon Hallfords bond during their March 22 appearance. Rather, Moller stated he would give Steigerwald 14 days to respond to the peoples motion before determining if a new hearing on bond would be scheduled. The 14-day period lapsed on April 5. News on whether or not a revocation hearing will be scheduled to reconsider Jon Hallfords bond has not been announced. Jon and Carie Hallford are scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment hearing on June 6. Flash China called on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent further escalations after Iran's military strike on Israeli territory, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday. The spokesperson made the remarks when asked to comment on the report that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched military strike on April 14 against Israeli territory using ballistic missiles and drones. China expresses deep concern over the current escalation and calls on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent further escalations, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson noted that the ongoing situation is the latest spillover of the Gaza conflict. There should be no more delays in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2728, and the conflict must end now. China calls on the international community, especially countries with influence, to play a constructive role for the peace and stability of the region, the spokesperson added. () Take a walk through Guam history by visiting the brand new permanent exhibit at the Senator Antonio M. Palomo Guam Museum and Chamorro Educational Facility in Hagatna. This 6,200 square foot (576m) gallery, located on the second floor of the Guam Museum, is the first of its kind on the island, featuring interactive, state-of-the-art technology and the most complete display of Guams history and culture in the Chamorro language to date. The exhibit is designed to educate and entertain audiences of varying ages, backgrounds, and languages. Over 300 curated artifacts, thousands of images, multiple audios, and short films have been carefully pieced together in seven different galleries to guide visitors through the historical, Chamorro narrative of Guam. Descriptive panels are written in English and Chamorro and are accompanied by QR codes that translate the text into Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Korean. () () () () () () () In Galleries 1, 2 and 3, the journey through time begins in the Queuing Room. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling mural of Fona Creating the People of Guam, is a gallery filled with local artwork, in various mediums, depicting notable eras from Guams history, culture, and society. A video of Governor Eddie Calvo greets visitors as they make their way through the artwork toward the Orientation Theater. The short film shown in the mini theater transports you instantly into ancient Chamorro past, beginning with an animated creation story of Guam, and then transitions to live action, to show how the seafaring Chamorros came to settle on the island. Once the film ends, the doors to the second gallery open into an immersive exhibit of Guams ecosystem and how the earliest settlers interacted with it over time. Some of Guams oldest artifacts, including slingstones, pottery sherds, and pounding stones are displayed. Gallery two transitions seamlessly into gallery three, which introduces the ancient Chamorro way of life with reproductions of the sakman (seafaring outrigger canoe), guma higai (pole-and-thatch hut) and guma latte (latte house). In Galleries 4 through 7, Chamorro life on Guam takes its most striking turn with the arrival of the Spanish and then the Americans in the fourth gallery. Flashing timelines, an animated short film, paintings, artifacts, touch screens, and corresponding audio fill the space, detailing the start of modernism and Western influence on Chamorro culture and society. Gallery five introduces the devastation of World War II with artifacts, pictures, sets and sound effects, starting with the Japanese Occupation and finishing with the American Liberation of the island. In gallery six, sound booths with the voices of war survivors tell personal and unforgettable stories of the Occupation and Liberation. This is also where a display of the effects of Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi, a Japanese soldier who hid in the jungle for 28 years after the war, can be viewed. Beginning in the sixth and ending in the seventh galleries, comes the commentary, artifacts, and census stations of postwar Guams economic, political and architectural reconstruction and population transition. Finally, a large, interactive touch screen with more information about Guam, and a changing gallery of locally-crafted 2D and 3D artwork conclude the exhibit. Google has made its opposition clear to a California bill aimed at making the company pay for using news snippets, threatening to delete links to news sites in what it calls "a short-term test for a small percentage of California users". The company issued a blog post on Friday written by Jaffer Zaidi, vice-president of Global News Partnerships announcing the measure. Wrote Zaidi: "A pending bill in the California state legislature, the California Journalism Preservation Act, would create a 'link tax' that would require Google to pay for simply connecting Californians to news articles. "We have long said that this is the wrong approach to supporting journalism. If passed, the CJPA may result in significant changes to the services we can offer Californians and the traffic we can provide to California publishers." Google used similar tacticsback in 2021, when the government introduced a News Media Bargaining Code but later ended up striking deals with some media companies after the government negotiated with the company. Last year, when Canada introduced a law to get big tech firms to pay for news, Google reached a deal to avoid blocking news feeds before the Online News Act took effect at the end of the year. Zaidi claimed the company was helping all news outlets to find news stories and thus increase their audiences. "[The] CJPA would up-end that model," he said. "It would favour media conglomerates and hedge funds whove been lobbying for this bill and could use funds from [the] CJPA to continue to buy up local California newspapers, strip them of journalists, and create more ghost papers that operate with a skeleton crew to produce only low-cost, and often low-quality, content." He said Google had helped publishers navigate the changing digital environment. "Weve rolled out Google News Showcase, which operates in 26 countries, including the US, and has more than 2500 participating publications. Through the Google News Initiative weve partnered with more than 7000 news publishers around the world, including 200 news organizations and 6000 journalists in California alone," Zaidi added. No date has been given for passage of the California bill. Zaidi said Google had been engaging with publishers and lawmakers during the legislative process and had proposed reasonable and balanced alternatives to CJPA. "A healthy news industry in California will require support from both the California Government and a broad base of private companies," he added. "This support should involve predictable, broad-based contributions, structured in ways that do not harm smaller, local publishers to benefit the largest players and hedge fund owners. It must also maintain the principles of the open Web, which is critical to ensuring news publishers can connect with people for free." Theres a reason the roughly 98 acres near 14th Street and Saltillo Road, not far from a South Beltway exit, have never been annexed or developed. In short, its complicated. The city has no plans to extend sewer and water to the area for at least a decade, but it requires land zoned as commercial and industrial to be inside city limits. One swath of land abuts Wilderness Park, creating environmental issues, and much of it is in the floodplain. Its been a sleepy area for a long, long, long time, said Kent Seacrest, the attorney representing C.J. Guenzel, one of the property owners. Guenzel, one of the lead partners in a limited partnership called FOG, and R.C. Krueger Development Co., hope to change that. FOG wants to annex and rezone as industrial nearly 74 acres just east of South 14th Street, land that abuts Wilderness Park, as part of Jamaica North Business Park. Krueger wants to annex and rezone as commercial about 24 acres west of South 14th Street and just east of U.S. 77 for Saltillo Express Business Park. Weve been working on this for two and a half years to get it right, Seacrest told the City Council on Monday. It might be the longest process I've been engaged in. I gotta give C.J. great credit for his patience, perseverance, and his ability to compromise, making it a win-win for the community and Wilderness Park. The process began more than two years ago with the creation of a master plan for the area. As a result of that, Guenzel whose land abuts Wilderness Park agreed to put 20 acres in a conservation easement that will be designated wetlands, near state-owned wetlands to the north created to replace wetlands lost during South Beltway construction. Guenzel also agreed to transfer another 5 acres that abuts Wilderness Park to the city. That land, said City Planner Steve Henrichsen, will remain undeveloped and could either be incorporated into the park or remain as a buffer to the park. As part of the agreement, Guenzel will adhere to the citys new flood-prevention requirements and maintain a larger open space along a flood corridor than required by those rules to help control drainage into the park. Adam Hinz, president of Friends of Wilderness Park, commended the work done to protect the park. Early on, Hinz said he was involved in meetings with city watershed and parks personnel as well as developers that resulted in a plan and process he hopes can be a model going forward. The real difference is C.J. (Guenzel) was willing to educate himself and make decisions beneficial to everyone. Hes a person who cares about his legacy and how that affects community life and nature, Hinz said. Thats why Im hoping in the future this can be seen as an example of whats possible along Wilderness Park and other sensitive areas. If it can be done here it can be done in other areas of Lancaster County. The process is in stark contrast to the controversy that erupted over the Wilderness Crossing housing development near First Street and Pioneers Boulevard, adjacent to Wilderness Park and across the street from a Native sweat lodge. Hinz said his organization is stronger now, and he wonders whether, if conversations about environmental protections had started earlier, the outcome might have been better for everyone in that case. The City Council will vote Monday on annexation of the land, as well as zoning changes and changes to the city-county Comprehensive Plan needed for the projects at 14th and Saltillo to move forward. Since the South Beltway opened, the nearby interchange is the only one with a commercial area around it, Seacrest said, and once annexed it will generate more sales tax revenue for the city. It's needed in that part of town. South Lincoln has been growing and we just havent been keeping up, he said. Another complicating factor for the area is that the city isnt planning to extend water and sewer there for at least a decade and its unusual for the city to annex land in such cases. Much of the surrounding area none of which is within city limits has had commercial and industrial development dating back to the 1970s, before the land was in the 3-mile jurisdiction of Lincoln, Henrichsen said. Outdoor Solutions, Shoemakers South Truck Stop, Magellan Pipeline Co. and a Sesotris Shrine social hall are among businesses in the area. Now that the land is within that 3-mile city jurisdiction, Lincolns longstanding policy that commercial, industrial or urban residential land needs to be inside city limits comes into play. So to be rezoned, it must be annexed. The idea behind the policy, Henrichsen said, is that those types of high-end uses should add to the tax base of cities, either Lincoln or other Lancaster County cities or towns. The agreement is similar to another area just south of Saltillo between 21st and 25th streets that was annexed in 2007 but does not yet have sewer and water, he said. The city is planning to extend sewer and water services to the South Beltway between 27th and 40th streets within the next five years, but its harder to get water service farther west because city water is divided into various districts, and 14th Street is in a different district. Private wells and septic systems will work in the area because the property owners are looking primarily at contracting and industrial uses, Henrichsen said. The city also has a longstanding policy of annexing land only when its contiguous to existing city land. In this case thats Wilderness Park. The land being annexed by FOG touches Wilderness Park. The FOG land touches the Krueger land, which means it has to be annexed in order for the Krueger land to be annexed. Guenzel, who was a trust officer with First Nebraska Trust Co. and is now on the board of directors and who opened a plant-based restaurant in Omaha called Rooted Table with his wife, said hes not an experienced developer. His family owned the land and ultimately he wanted to be a good steward of it, he said. His family also owned land just to the south that was acquired by the state including a family home as part of the South Beltway construction. Guenzel said he relied heavily on Seacrest and his experience about how best to proceed including a collaborative approach and appreciated the citys willingness to work with them. It was nice affirmation that he was doing the right thing when Krueger, an experienced developer, got involved. From my standpoint its about stewardship and being a good steward of resources, he said. I have kids ages 6, 9 and 10. I hope in 20-30 years when we drive by that area we can say this is something were proud of.' Top Journal Star photos for April 2024 BURLINGTON A homicide defendant has pleaded not guilty in the January shooting death of Burlington resident Jason Taylor. William E. McCoy, 29, is being held in the Milwaukee County Jail on a charge of first-degree reckless homicide with modifiers for use of a dangerous weapon and party to a crime. If convicted, he could face up to 65 years in prison. McCoy is accused of killing Taylor, 43, of Burlington, who was found dead about 4 a.m. Jan. 9 on Milwaukees north side. Prosecutors allege McCoy and Taylor were in a group driving together, and that McCoy shot Taylor in the head after someone told the McCoy that Taylor had been talking about him. McCoy was arrested Jan. 17 on an unrelated charge, and the Milwaukee County district attorney charged him Feb. 19 in connection to Taylors death. Milwaukee County Circuit Court records show McCoy pleaded not guilty Thursday following a preliminary hearing. Circuit Court Commissioner Barry Phillips ordered McCoy to be held for trial on the reckless homicide charge. Bond was set at $150,000. McCoy will have a scheduling hearing May 7. National Gun Violence Awareness Day rally held in Downtown Racine, in photos Pastors share prayer and opening remarks at National Gun Violence Awareness Day Park High School Pantherette Step Team Ladies of Virtue, Jerstad-Agerholm poms dance team Nakeyda Haymer Carmen Lerma Ring sales Ring sales Shopping Visiting resource tables Raymond Ellison Raymond Ellison Ladies of Virtue Jump Shania Harris and Niyaa Banks Niyaa Banks The Ladies of Virtue The Ladies of Virtue Park High School Pantherette Step Team Pantherettes 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. 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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 KEARNEY Empowering. Thats how University of Nebraska at Kearney senior Olivia Longmore describe the past three years. Freshman year was terrible for me health-wise, but the people on campus were so helpful and accommodating, she said. That was so empowering. While I was struggling, everyone at UNK helped me pick myself up and offered me opportunities to succeed. They never viewed me differently from other students. A Gering native, Longmore has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a blood circulation disorder that causes dizziness, fatigue and fainting, along with a related condition that leads to seizures. Although she often uses a cane, walker or wheelchair, Longmore has never been interested in slowing down. In Gering High School, she was involved in band, color guard, show choir, musicals, speech, mock trial, National Honor Society, Key Club, German Club and Girl Scouts, while also serving as senior class president and maintaining a nearly perfect GPA. Longmore was also a foreign exchange student in Germany during her junior year. She enrolled at UNK in fall 2021 as an Honors Program scholar, but her health declined so significantly during that first year on campus that she thought it might end her education. UNK Disability Services for Students helped me so much, Longmore said. Part of the Academic Success Offices, UNK Disability Services works with students, staff and faculty to ensure all Lopers can fully participate in the educational experience. This includes both academic and physical accommodations, such as wheelchair-accessible buildings and rooms, adaptive equipment, preferred seating in classrooms, extended time for assignments and exams and other support. Longmore also receives assistance from Sky, a service dog she trained herself. Theyve been together for a year. Helping others A double major in social work and psychology, Longmore plans to pursue a career that allows her to help people overcome the same kinds of challenges she has faced. In my hometown, there are a lot of mental health and behavioral health problems and a lot of substance use disorders, said Longmore, whose foster brother died by suicide when she was 14. Thats when she became interested in helping people with mental health issues. Theres a huge need for mental and behavioral health providers in Nebraska, she noted. Nearly one in five Nebraskans have a mental illness, yet access to behavioral health resources remains extremely limited in much of the state. All but five of the states 93 counties are designated as mental health professions shortage areas, and 29 counties have no behavioral health providers at all. The suicide rate for farmers is among the highest for any occupational group in the U.S. In a rural community, everyone kind of thinks that you need to keep your mental health issues to yourself, Longmore said. Theres still a stigma attached. And if you try to get into a therapy service, most of them have a lengthy waitlist. Despite the physical limitations, Longmore views her disability as a strength. It opened such a weird, new door for me, she said. If I didnt have my disability, I would probably go into a different type of social work. But I can use this to help people come to terms with their own disability and accept who they are and where they are. A problem-solver Nadine Stuehm, a senior lecturer in the UNK Department of Social Work, describes Longmore as a problem-solver whos always upbeat and positive, even during difficult situations. Shes inspired me with her tenacity and positive attitude, Stuehm said. She will bring empathy and an understanding of how health problems can impact all aspects of an individuals life to the mental health profession. Krista Fritson, a licensed clinical psychologist and professor in the UNK Department of Psychology, calls Longmore a compassionate, caring individual who serves as a great role model for all students, especially those with barriers to conquer. Olivia has already demonstrated her dedication to professional growth and promoting the success of others through her service and campus engagements, Fritson said. Her intelligence and academic skills, combined with her work ethic, motivation and servants heart, give every indication that she will be a significant asset to the mental health field now and in the future. As director of the UNK location of the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska, Fritson oversees a new pilot program launched last summer to increase the states mental and behavioral health workforce. Longmore is one of six UNK students selected for the inaugural cohort of The Behavioral Health Opportunities Program, which recruits and trains students interested in behavioral health careers in Nebraska. BHOP scholars receive BHECN-funded financial assistance. They are also eligible for funding to support conference travel and other professional development activities. They receive one-on-one mentorship from licensed behavioral health professionals currently working in the field. Longmore is currently interning with Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation in Kearney, a state program that helps people with physical, emotional or mental disabilities prepare for, obtain and maintain employment. I love it, she said. Im able to find out what Im really good at and what I need help with, and somebody is there to support you. A former peer health educator on campus, Longmore graduates from UNK in May. Then shell start the clinical mental health counseling masters program this fall. She plans to begin her career in Nebraska. I want to help people with their everyday difficulties, the ones that other people might not see or recognize, the struggles behind closed doors, Longmore said. I want to empower individuals and make sure that they feel seen and heard. Natasha Iverson's mind went blank. Alerted by a phone call from her fiance that an active shooter might be on their town of Albion property last Wednesday evening, the mother of four shouted for her 16-year old daughter and her 2-year-old son to go up to a bedroom on the second floor and lock the door. Her other two children, 16 and 19, were away. Running through the house, Iverson locked the rest of the doors, an unusual precaution in their otherwise quiet rural property on a 37-acre lot that includes a pole barn, a fenced area where the family keeps horses and Iverson's pet boarding and grooming business, Quarry Kennels. "You go into panic mode," Iverson said. But nothing could prepare her for what happened next. Pushing back the curtain to check the lock on the sliding-glass door of the walk-out basement at the back of the house, Iverson saw the gunman, Alexander Grunke, just outside her door. Her body in shock, Iverson ran for her life as Grunke raised his weapon and fired into the home. For more than 30 minutes, Iverson huddled with her two children on the second floor with the gunman in her house. While her daughter called 911, Iverson desperately tried to calm her unsettled toddler and keep him quiet, for fear the gunman might find them. As police closed in on the house, Iverson dropped the toddler from the second-story window to waiting law enforcement officials below. She and her teenage daughter then dropped down, also to be caught and whisked to safety. "You just keep moving," Iverson said. "You don't know how you're feeling." The family had not spoken publicly about the ordeal until Sunday, when Iverson, her fiance, Chad Gallagher, her 19-year-old son, Austin, and one of her twin daughters joined family friend Dawn Lenio as she read a statement and answered some questions. It would be some time before the family could make sense of what had happened. But by then, police already had a good idea what they were dealing with. Earlier that day, police say, Grunke, 38, of Middleton, had killed his former girlfriend, Tana Poppe, 32, outside of Dubuque and left with her 13-year-old daughter and 5-month-old infant. After dropping the infant off at the home of an acquaintance, Grunke and the 13-year-old were spotted by Dane County authorities in a black Ford Escape. As deputies tried to pull it over, the vehicle fled, and both Grunke and the girl fired weapons at pursuing officers, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said last week. After using a tire deflation device to stop the vehicle in the town of Albion, the two ran into a wooded area toward the home Iverson shared with her children and Gallagher. A lifesaving phone call It was about that time that Gallagher, who works as a mechanic and had spent the previous two days out of town on a job, was on his way home. "The State Patrol officer told me I couldn't go that way" because there was an active shooter in the area, Gallagher said. "He's screaming at me." Gallagher begged the officer to tell him what was going on. He then called Iverson. "If not for Chad's panicked call, this story may have ended with much more tragedy," said Lenio during the briefing at Halverson's Everything Nice restaurant in Stoughton on Sunday. "The lower level of their home is where Natashas daughters bedroom was, and where she was relaxing as Grunke approached," Lenio said in her statement. "If not for Chads call, she would have still been in that room when Grunke made entry moments later. Not only is her sense of security destroyed, her bedroom is destroyed. Her safe place, her home." Safely away from the house, the family would be spared what came next. After Grunke barricaded himself in the basement, negotiators tried unsuccessfully to contact him for several hours. Chemical agents were deployed, and a robot was eventually sent into the house where Grunke was found dead of an apparent suicide. The 13-year-old would also be found dead in a wooded area outside the house. Authorities have not revealed a cause of death, but Barrett said no firearms were found near her and she had no obvious signs or wounds. Waiting to go home For days since the shocking series of events, family members have leaned on the help of friends and community. The family is staying in a hotel while they wait for their home, now a crime scene, to be professionally cleaned and aired out from the chemical agents law enforcement officials used in trying to flush Grunke from the house. There are bullet holes in the walls and broken glass, Lenio said. Lenio, who said she's known Iverson since they were 13, has started a GoFundMe page to help the family with medical bills for trauma therapy, food, clothing and other essentials until they can be back in their home. As of Sunday, there were 150 donations totaling $9,540, beyond the $5,000 goal. Iverson said Sunday that the outpouring of support from loved ones and the rest of the community has been overwhelming. The family also thanked the law enforcement officials who helped them on the night of the invasion. "You helped this family on the worst night of their lives," Lenio said in her statement. "And with the trauma they will never forget, they will also never forget your acts of bravery that saved their lives." There is a strong smell that comes off Ratna Rajus farm in the southern Andhra Pradesh state of India. The smell comes from a mixture of natural materials, like cow urine and unrefined sugar. Raju says the natural materials help grow and protect crops in an area often hit by extreme weather and heat. Farmers like Raju say natural materials protect their crops from climate change because the soil can hold more water. And they say the crops stronger roots help plants deal with strong winds. Supporters say natural farming is successful in the state because of government support. Now, they say these methods should be expanded across Indias agricultural lands. They point to climate change and decreasing profits that have led to several farmers protests this year. Without government support for natural farming, most Indian farmers still use chemical pesticides and fertilizers. That puts them at risk when extreme weather hits. Many farmers are calling for greater federal and state investment to help them deal with climate change. Raju has seen the gains of using natural methods. Last December, a storm called Cyclone Michaung brought heavy rainfall across Indias southeastern coast. It flooded towns and fields. Early studies showed more than 240,000 hectares of crops were destroyed in Andhra Pradesh state. Raju said, the rainwater on our farms seeped into the ground in one day. The soil can take in more water because it is less dense than soil with pesticide. Soil with pesticide is dry. He added that planting different crops throughout the year helps keep the soil healthy. But his neighbor Srikanth Kanapalas farm was flooded for four days after the storm. Kanapala uses chemical pesticides and fertilizers on his farm. And he said after seeing Rajus crops hold strong while his failed made him want to learn about other farming methods. Kanapala estimates that he lost up to $600 because of the storm, a sizeable amount for a small farmer in India. For the next planting season, I plan to use natural farming methods too, he said. Rythu Sadhikara Samstha is a government-backed organization launched in 2016 to support natural farming. It found that government support has resulted in an estimated 700,000 farmers changing to natural methods in Andhra Pradesh. And the state hopes that all of its six million farmers will use natural farming by the end of 2030. Meerabi Chunduru is one of the first in the area to start using natural farming. She said she changed to the methods after her husbands health worsened. She believes his health worsened because of extended exposure to harmful pesticides. Health effects of different pesticides have not been studied in detail. But farmers around the world have long claimed extended exposure has caused health problems. In India, 63 farmers died in the western state of Maharashtra in 2017. It is believed to be linked to a pesticide containing the chemical Diafenthiuron. It is currently banned in the European Union, but not in India. Natural farming supporters say many officials still trust farming methods that use chemical fertilizers and pesticides to produce the most crops. This year, the Indian government has set $20 billion in fertilizer financial support. But it only set aside $55 million for natural farming. Chunduru hopes that will change. She said, with natural farming, we can provide nutrient-rich food, soil and physical health to future generations. Im Gregory Stachel. Shawn Sebastian and Sibi Arasu reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. ________________________________________________ Words in This Story urine n. the waste liquid that collects in the bladder and that you pass from your body pesticide n. a chemical that is used to kill animals or insects that damage plants or crops seep v. to flow or pass slowly through small openings in something exposure n. the fact or condition of being affected by something or experiencing something The cost of attending a top college in the United States could be as much as $95,000 this year. That total includes tuition as well as meals and living space at the school. But college officials say they are helping students with financial support. And those from poor families may be required to pay only 10 percent of the costs. Wellesley College, a private womens school near Boston, Massachusetts, will cost $92,000 for 2024-2025. The colleges famous graduates include former First Lady Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and television broadcaster Diane Sawyer. Philip Levine is an economics professor at Wellesley. Levine said the figure clearly is a lot of money, and it catches peoples attention, for sure. He added, But for most people, that is not how much theyre going to pay. Wellesley says nearly 60 percent of its students receive financial aid. And the average amount of aid is $62,000, cutting the total cost by two-thirds. For American students, the amount of financial aid makes a difference. This year, however, many are concerned because the U.S. Department of Education is having major problems with a new online form, called the FAFSA. The document helps students apply for financial aid. One concern is that American-born children of undocumented immigrants must provide information about their parents. But the parents may not have the needed identity documentation or may be worried about showing themselves to the government. Mark Kantrowitz is a financial aid expert. He called the new online process an absolute disaster. Kantrowitz said the problems might prevent students from applying for aid. That, in turn, could lower the number of students going to college and force some schools to close. Levine of Wellesley said his research has shown that students from lower-income families have been receiving more financial aid over the past six years. But he worries that the difference between the advertised cost and the actual cost will keep some students from applying to top colleges like Wellesley. Levine said, People should be making educational decisions based on the actual cost they have to pay Schools on the list of the most costly include the University of Southern California, Harvey Mudd College of California, the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, Dartmouth College and Boston University. Other top colleges, including Columbia University and the University of Chicago, have not listed their cost of attendance but they could turn out to be over $90,000 as well. Harvard University says its cost of attendance will be $91,000 next year. But the school notes that the average cost for families is only $13,000 and many pay nothing at all. Harvard can support many of its students because its endowment is more than $50 billion, the largest of any university in the U.S. The College Board is a nonprofit education organization that conducts the SAT college admission test. The groups research shows the average cost at private colleges and universities last year was $60,000. At public colleges and universities, the cost was $29,000 for students from the same state; it was $47,000 for out-of-state students. Kantrowitz said that although many receive financial aid, most students still need an additional $10,000 for college each year. So families are forced to borrow that money or come up with that money from some other source, he added. Even with the rising costs, Kantrowitz said he believes college is still a good investment as long as borrowing does not get out of control and students complete their studies. He warns, if you drop out, you have the debt, but not the degree that can help you repay the debt. Im Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press. Quiz - Top US Colleges Will Cost $90,000 or More; Most Students Pay Less Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ______________________________________________ Words in This Story tuition n. the cost paid for the classes given at a school graduate n. a person who received a degree from a school apply v. to provide documents in order to be considered for entry to a school absolute adj. the highest or greatest amount without a debate income n. the amount of money earned by a person or family in a year or period of time endowment n. the money a university or other organization has in order to fund its operations and investments admission adj. describing the process of letting someone into a school or club drop out v. to leave a school without completing a study program and getting a degree We want to hear from you. Do you think students in the U.S. should still try to attend colleges like USC and Brown? More than 60 years have passed since the destruction of the old Triangle, also known as the Greenbush. Richard Harris remembers it. He was in his teens when the city of Madison, in pursuit of urban renewal, announced plans to demolish hundreds of homes on the patch of land bordered by West Washington Avenue, Park Street and Regent Street. His friend Betty Banks, now in her 70s, saw her family move from the Triangle to Dayton Street when she was still a child before the neighborhood was leveled. Madison had a very small, close-knit Black community, Banks recalled. There were three Black churches, but we were close. If something happened, we immediately came together. The destruction of the old Greenbush still lingers as a landmark moment in the citys relationship with Black residents. Back then, the Triangle was the citys only multi-ethnic, working-class neighborhood. Its Jewish and Italian residents, who lost their businesses, houses and cultural institutions, managed to find homes and community in other neighborhoods. Black residents faced discrimination in their search for new housing and little support in relocation, according to historians like Harris and accounts from city officials at the time, such as neighborhood center director Chester Zmudzinski, who worked on the redevelopment project. In acknowledgement of that long-ago displacement, the Bayview Foundation and the citys Community Development Authority have pledged not to displace any residents in this current redevelopments in the neighborhood. Preserving this history of Madisons Black community has been a lifelong passion for Banks and Harris. Banks has worked with the Stony the Road project, an effort to chronicle the history of Madisons first Black settlers that is set to be displayed in the Public Market upon its opening. In 2012, Harris published his book Growing Up Black in Madison: Economic Disenfranchisement of Black Madison. The books final pages contain a list of hundreds of names of those who lived in the old Triangle. In the book, Harris includes a plea to any descendants to seek compensation. Since he published the book, Harris said three people have reached out to him to say they received compensation from the federal government for their familys lost property. I keep thinking about how these people were cheated out of their property, Harris said. All of them. Whenever I drive through that area, I see these new buildings that are going in and I think of all those families. They didnt get anything. Harris and Banks talked to the Wisconsin State Journal about the neighborhood and their memories of it. Their answers have been edited for length. How did your families arrive in Madison? Banks: My grandparents came here at the turn of the century and they settled on East Dayton Street and my grandfather ended up working for Gov. Bob La Follette. They were followers and friends to W.E.B. DuBois. They were a part of the talented 10th that DuBois put together. He was a lawyer. She was a teacher. So they had a rich history of social justice of lifting up Black people. But when they came here, she couldnt teach school and he couldnt be an attorney. Harris: Her mother and her aunt helped start the Madison branch of the NAACP. Banks: My grandparents started the original and then in the 40s, right, my mother helped bring it back. Harris: My mother and her family were chased out of Georgia. My father came out of Danville, Kentucky. He was working with a moving company called Zimmerman. One time they had to go to Green Bay and he when he came back through Madison he really liked Madison and thought the people were friendly. He came back and met my mother. She was working at Madison General Hospital. What strikes me reading about the old Greenbush is that it was a city within a city. You could go out, walk down the street and get everything you needed. Banks: People connected in such a way. My mother, during the war, worked at a place and my dad would go to meet her because she worked at night. A group of his Italian friends said: Ernie, you dont need to do that. Well make sure thats she safe. Thats such an example of how that neighborhood operated among families and people. What are the memories that stand out to you when you think about the old Greenbush neighborhood? Banks: I remember Brittingham Park. There used to be carnivals there. Vilas Park was where the Fourth of July fireworks would be. There was St. Martin House on West Washington Avenue. Neighborhood House. Whitefront Grocery. It was a neighborhood where people connected. We talk about building community, and that was a community that was built. Did we have problems? Of course we did. But we worked them out in different ways. Harris: When I think about the Bush, or the Triangle, I remember one day in church with Deacon DJ Morton. I remember I was sitting in the back of the church. I was about 15 years old. (Morton) said Were going to have a real big problem down in the Bush. He said a bunch of white people are going to be buying that property and theyre going to get it through the Madison Redevelopment Authority. We didnt know what the MRA was. He said were going to have to either find a place for people to live or fight this. They didnt have any money to fight. It was a losing cause. The MRA cheated. They cheated Italians. They cheated Blacks. They cheated Jews. They gave them half of what the property was worth. If you go down to the state Historical Society, you can see it. I remember seeing a ladys name: Genevieve Tortorici. She wanted I think $17,000 and they gave her $9,000. Some landlords didnt even tell (the residents), and here come the city wreckers to tear the buildings down. Fortunately, enough people had bought property out there in South Madison. But they couldnt go anywhere else to buy property. When I think about being in high school, my friends, their parents were going through this. I used to ask my mom and dad about it and they said its rough. I tell my kids and my grandkids and my great-grandkids. Madison has not been kind to Black people, especially in the economic area. They cheated those poor people down in the Bush. When I just think of the people that used to come to my church crying. What do you think the long-term impacts of this have been for Madisons Black residents? Banks: Thats really something to think about because Madison has really got a complicated history with its Black community. Youve got to look underneath and behind and look at what Madison is. Is Madison probably got a better quality of life than other places? Of course it does. But Im not excited about what Chuck Taylor called a renaissance. I think gains have been made. Its hard to talk about it because of what it looks like. It looks like a lot of things. It looks really good and people come here and are able to gain employment. I think this newest generation has benefited from the work that was done by generations before them. Do I think that they really understand some of the history? Im not sure. I think some of them do. Its hard to talk about Madison, because, until you get banks and loan companies and all these people who are decision makers to make some dramatic changes the struggle is going to continue. CaracasVenezuela on Saturday said it strongly rejects a new oil concession Guyana has granted to US giant ExxonMobil in waters disputed by the two South American neighbors. ExxonMobil announced Friday that it received the green light from Guyana for exploitation in the Stabroek block, an offshore area with huge deposits. - Advertisement - The project, known as Whiptail and with an estimated investment of $12.7 billion, will bring the countrys production capacity to approximately 1.3 million barrels per day, ExxonMobil president Liam Mallon said in the statement. ExxonMobil said production at Whiptail would likely not come online until in 2027. Venezuela strongly rejects the illegal oil production license granted by Guyana to oil companies in the Stabroek Block, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said in a statement. Any concession that Guyana grants or intends to grant in the areas in question is unacceptable, since it violates international law and Venezuelas sovereignty, he added. The discovery of oil in the disputed waters in 2015 intensified the already long-standing boundary dispute between Venezuela and Guyana. Venezuela claims ownership over the Essequibo region, which has been administered by Guyana for over a century and makes up two-thirds of its territory. Last week, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro enacted a law that considers as a province of Venezuela. With AFP The Department of Agriculture (DA) said over the weekend it lifted the temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds from Belgium and France after both countries were cleared by the World Animal Health Organization of Animal Health as bird flu-free. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. issued on April 11, 2024 two separate memorandum orders to lift the ban on products like poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen. - Advertisement - The DA received reports that there were no additional bird flu outbreaks in Belgium since Feb. 21, 2024 and in France since Feb. 24, 2024. Belgium and France announced outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 strain, prompting the DA to issue the import bans to protect the multi-billion-peso poultry industry and ensure food safety. The lifting of the ban in the two European countries followed similar actions by the DA on American poultry. The DA recalled import restrictions on the states of Iowa and Minnesota in March 2024, but it maintained the poultry ban on the states of California and Ohio. Iowa and Minnesota poultry were refused entry starting 2023 due to AI outbreak in the two US states. The US continues to be a major source of poultry products for the Philippines with total exports of poultry meat and products reaching $180.5 million in 2023. Meanwhile, the DA recently declared the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Benguet free of bird flu in early 2024. The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) continues to monitor the remaining eight provinces afflicted with AI including Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, Kalinga, Cagayan and Bataan. Iranian strikes caused minor damage to an Israeli base, army spokesman Daniel Hagari said Sunday, after Irans state media reported heavy blows to the base from its missiles. Only a few missiles fell in the territory of the state of Israel with slight damage to a military base in the south, with only slight damage to the infrastructure, Rear Admiral Hagari said in a statement. - Advertisement - Irans official IRNA news agency had reported earlier that the most important Israeli air base in the Negev was the successful target of the Kheibar missile. Images and data indicate that the base sustained heavy blows, it said. IRNA said the air base in the Negev was used by Israel to hit the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1, the deadly air strike that Iran said it was reponding to with its drone and missile attacks early on Sunday. Iranian state television said half of the missiles launched from Iran against Israel have successfully hit their target. The Israeli army said the vast majority of Irans missiles were intercepted but added that the attack was still ongoing. Beijing expressed deep concern on Sunday over Irans missile and drone attack on Israel, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said. China expresses deep concern over the current escalation and calls on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent further escalations, the unnamed spokesman said. - Advertisement - Iran on Saturday launched more than 200 drones and missiles at Israel in an unprecedented attack, the Israeli army announced, in a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes. Tehran had repeatedly threatened to strike Israel in retaliation for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular annexe and Washington had warned repeatedly in recent days that the reprisals were imminent. China calls on the international community, especially countries with influence, to play a constructive role for the peace and stability of the region, the foreign ministry spokesman said. Beijings embassy in Tehran earlier advised Chinese nationals to strengthen safety precautions over the local situation in Iran becoming more severe and complex. Israels Mossad spy agency said on Sunday that Palestinian militant group Hamas had rejected the latest proposal by international mediators for a truce in the war in Gaza. The rejection of the proposal proves that (Hamas chief in Gaza Yahya) Sinwar does not want a humanitarian deal and the return of the hostages, is continuing to exploit the tension with Iran and is aiming for a general escalation in the region, Mossad said in a statement released by the Israeli prime ministers office. JERUSALEM Irans unprecedented overnight attack on Israel has been foiled, the Israeli military said Sunday, with hundreds of missiles and drones intercepted with the help of the United States and allies. The attack which began late Saturday marks a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes, and comes against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. - Advertisement - Meanwhile, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Sunday over Irans unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel, the bodys president said. The meeting is aiming to be held at 4:00 pm on Sunday and is at Israels request, a spokesperson for Malta, which holds the rotating presidency this month, told the media Saturday evening Irans proxies and allies also carried out coordinated attacks on Israeli positions as sirens sounded in many places and AFP correspondents heard blasts in the skies above Jerusalem early Sunday. Iran had repeatedly threatened to retaliate against Israel for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular building, and Washington had warned in recent days that the reprisals were imminent. Late Saturday, the Israeli army said Iran had launched a massive swarm of over 200 killer drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. The army said it had scrambled dozens of fighter jets to intercept all aerial threats, and was working with the US and other allies to stop the launches. People in Jerusalem sought cover, while some residents stockpiled water. As you can see its empty, everybody is running home, said Eliyahu Barakat, a 49-year-old grocery shop owner in Jerusalems Mamilla neighborhood. Early Sunday, the Israeli army said that 99 percent of the launches had been intercepted. The Iranian attack was foiled, military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement. US President Joe Biden reiterated Washingtons ironclad support for Israel after an urgent meeting with his top security officials on the spiraling crisis. Irans Revolutionary Guards confirmed a drone and missile attack was launched against Israel in retaliation for the Damascus strike which killed seven Guards, two of them generals. The Guards said ballistic missiles were fired almost an hour after the slower moving drones. Hundreds of Iranians gathered in Tehrans Palestine Square waving Iranian and Palestinian flags in a show of support for the military action against Israel. Irans allies in the region joined the attack, with Yemens Tehran-backed Huthi rebels also launching drones at Israel, according to security agency Ambrey. Lebanons Hezbollah movement announced it had fired rockets at Israeli positions in the annexed Golan Heights around the same time, as well as a second barrage hours later. Tehrans official IRNA news agency said the attack had dealt heavy blows to an air base in the Negev desert, but the Israeli army said there had only been minor damage. The Iranian mission to the United Nations warned Washington to keep out of Irans conflict with Israel. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY! it said. It added that it hoped Irans action to punish the strike on its diplomatic mission would lead to no further escalation and the matter can be deemed concluded. But despite Tehrans warning not to get involved, US forces took part in shooting down drones aimed at Israel. Biden said in a statement that the United States had helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. The US president later said he told Netanyahu during a phone call that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. News outlet Axios said Biden had told Netanyahu that he would oppose an Israeli counterattack against Iran and that he should take the win. Before Tehran launched its attack on Saturday, the Israeli military warned Iran it would suffer the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Irans reckless action and pledged his government would continue to stand up for Israels security. France echoed the commitment to Israel, with Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne saying Iran has reached a new level of destabilisation. Egypt, which regularly acts as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, said it was in direct contact with all sides to the conflict to try to contain the situation. And regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia urged parties to exercise restraint and spare the region and its peoples from the dangers of war. China, meanwhile, characterised the attack as the latest spillover of the Gaza conflict and called for the implementation of a recent UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian territory, saying more than six months of fighting must end now. The Security Council was to meet at around 2000 GMT Sunday to discuss the latest crisis at Israels request, its current president Malta said. Biden said he would also convene his fellow leaders of the G7 group of wealthy nations on Sunday to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. Earlier on Saturday, Irans Revolutionary Guards seized an Israeli-linked container vessel in the Gulf earlier on Saturday, putting the whole region on alert. Indian officials said there were 17 Indian citizens on board the Aries, while the Philippine government said that four of its nationals were also aboard. The April 1 strike in Damascus, which killed 16 people, including two Iranian generals, had been widely blamed on Israel. Iran had repeatedly vowed to hit back, but had not specified how. Shortly before the launches, Netanyahu said Israel was prepared for a direct attack from Iran. Israel has closed its airspace but reopened it at 0430 GMT, according to its airport authority. Schools nationwide did not open on Sunday. Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon also announced they were temporarily closing their airspace. Fighting in Gaza meanwhile has ground on, with Israels military saying Saturday it had struck more than 30 Hamas targets across Gaza. The war began with the unprecedented Oct. 7 attack by Hamas against Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Israels retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,686 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the territorys Hamas-run health ministry. Hamas said it had submitted its response to a truce plan presented by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators at talks in Cairo this week. Israel described the Hamas as a rejection of the latest proposal, with the Mossad spy agency saying the Palestinian group does not want a humanitarian deal and the return of the hostages. Hamas has said it was sticking to its previous demands, insisting on a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of the (Israeli) occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip. Mossad accused Hamas of continuing to exploit the tension with Iran and aiming for a general escalation 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: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Middle-aged Americans are lonelier than their European counterparts. That's the key finding of my team's recent study, published in American Psychologist. Our study identified a trend that has been evolving for multiple generations, and affects both baby boomers and Gen Xers. Middle-aged adults in England and Mediterranean Europe are not that far behind the U.S. In contrast, middle-aged adults in continental and Nordic Europe reported the lowest levels of loneliness and stability over time. We used survey data drawn from over 53,000 middle-aged adults from the U.S. and 13 European nations from 2002 to 2020. We tracked their reported changes in loneliness every two years across the midlife years of 45 to 65. This span provided us data from the so-called silent generation of people born between 1937 and 1945; baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964; and members of Generation X, born between 1965 and 1974. Our study makes clear that middle-aged Americans today are experiencing more loneliness than their peers in European nations. This coincides with existing evidence that mortality rates are rising for working-age adults in the U.S. We focused on middle-aged adults for several reasons. Middle-aged adults form the backbone of society by constituting a majority of the workforce. But they also face increasing challenges today, notably greater demands for support from both their aging parents and their children. Following the Great Recession from late 2007 to 2009, middle-aged adults in the U.S. reported poorer mental and physical health compared to same-aged peers in the 1990s. Compared to several European nations, U.S. middle-aged adults currently report more depressive symptoms and higher rates of chronic illness, pain and disability. Why it matters The desire to belong is an innate and fundamental need. When this is lacking, it can have downstream consequences. You can be lonely even when surrounded by people. Loneliness is bad for your health. Researchers have found that loneliness is as dangerous as smoking. Loneliness increases one's vulnerability to sickness, depression, chronic illness and premature death. Loneliness is considered a global public health issue. The U.S. surgeon general released an advisory report in 2023 documenting an epidemic of loneliness and a pressing need to increase social connection. Other nations, such as the U.K. and Japan, have appointed ministers of loneliness to ensure relationships and loneliness are considered in policymaking. What still isn't known Why are middle-aged Americans exceptional when it comes to loneliness and poorer overall mental and physical health? We did not directly test this in our study, but in the future we hope to zero in on the factors driving these trends. We think that the loneliness Americans are reporting compared to peer nations comes down to limited social safety nets and to cultural norms that prioritize individualism over community. Individualization carries psychological costs, such as reductions in social connections and support structures, which are correlates of loneliness. Relative to the other nations in our study, Americans have a higher tendency to relocate, which is associated with weak social and community ties. One of the reasons why we chose countries from across Europe is that they differ dramatically from the U.S. when it comes to social and economic opportunities and social safety nets. Social and economic inequalities likely increase one's loneliness through undermining one's ability to meet basic needs. Generous family and work policies likely lessen midlife loneliness through reducing financial pressures and work-family conflict, as well as addressing health and gender inequities. Our findings on loneliness in conjunction with previous studies on life expectancy, health, well-being and cognition suggest that being middle-aged in America is a risk factor for poor mental and physical health outcomes. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. 16:58 The Congress on Sunday trashed the Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha poll manifesto as a 'jumla patra' full of rhetoric, with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge saying that Modi's guarantee is a 'warranty of jumlas' as he has failed to fulfil the promises made in the past. The Congress also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not fulfilling promises made on the issue of jobs, doubling of farmers' incomes and tackling price rise and inflation, and alleged that he was now shifting the goalposts by talking about 2047 instead. Kharge charged that the prime minister did not do any major work during his tenure which would have benefited the people, youth and farmers of the country. Modi released the BJP's Lok Sabha poll manifesto at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Sunday. The manifesto has a special focus on the poor, youngsters, farmers and women. Kharge said the youth are protesting for jobs and prices of food items have skyrocketed due to inflation and people are troubled by it, but the manifesto has nothing to say on it. Modi has only increased unemployment and inflation in the last 10 years, he charged. 'No accountability for old guarantees, just empty jugglery of words! 'Modi ki Guarantee' equals 'warranty of jumlas (rhetoric),' he said in a post in Hindi, posing 14 questions to the PM. Addressing a joint press conference, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said in his 2014 manifesto, Modi had promised to bring back black money by forming a special task force, but electoral bonds came instead. He also promised to strengthen law and order in the North East, but today violence is continuing in Manipur, on which PM Modi is maintaining silence, Khera claimed. Khera also alleged that Modi promised that poverty in 100 districts will be eradicated through a special package, but the figures of the Hunger Index reveal the truth. The BJP had promised to build 100 new smart cities but they were never made and instead China is building 'smart villages' on the border, the Congress leader said. "The public is fed up with these promises of Narendra Modi and is extremely angry," he claimed. "We have strong objections to the name of BJP's 'Sankalp Patra', it should be named 'Maafinama'. Modi ji should have apologised to the Dalits, farmers, youth and tribals of the country," Khera said. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, "This is not a manifesto but a jumla patra." She said while the Congress set up its manifesto committee in December and collected suggestions from a cross-section of people across the country, the BJP's manifesto committee was set up 13 days ago and presented their manifesto without any consultations. "PM Modi, after 10 years of rule, has started befooling people. The claim that 25 crore people were taken out of poverty is hollow and no third party has confirmed it. The truth is that every hour two farmers and two youth are committing suicide in the country. "In a country where there is maximum joblessness, the mention of jobs comes only twice in the BJP manifesto. There is no mention of legal guarantee to MSP in the manifesto. There is no mention of Manipur or China in the BJP's manifesto," she alleged. "People are saying enough of your jumlas, it is time to bring another government," Shrinate added. -- PTI BJP in its Lok Sabha election manifesto, promised to support farmers to make India a Global Nutrition Hub. Sree Anna programme will be promoted to help over 2 crore small and marginal farmers who can produce millets at minimal investment and earn better prices. India is a hub of millets. India produces all nine commonly known traditional millets, viz. Sorghum, Pearl Millet, Finger Millet, Foxtail Millet, Proso Millet, Little Millet, Barnyard Millet, Browntop Millet and Kodo Millet. Millet is a common term for categorising small-seeded grasses that are often called Nutri-cereals. "We have ensured that Millet gets global recognition and will now promote it as the global superfood," BJP manifesto read. Farmers will be supported to make India self-reliant in the production of pulses and edible oil, the commodities which the country imports substantially to meet its growing demand. India is a large consumer and grower of pulses and it meets a portion of its consumption needs through imports. India primarily consumes chana, Masur, urad, Kabuli chana, and tur. India is the world's second-largest consumer and number one vegetable oil importer, and it meets 60 per cent of its needs through imports. A large part of it is palm oil and its derivatives, which are imported from Indonesia and Malaysia. India majorly consumes mustard, palm, soybean, and sunflower-derived edible oils. The BJP manifesto particularly mentioned about augmenting production of tur, urad, masoor, moong and chana among pulses and mustard, soybean, sesame, and groundnut among edible oils. "The dignity and empowerment of farmers is one of our top-most priorities. We have empowered our Kisans through a variety of measures including soil health card, micro-irrigation, crop insurance, seed supply, and direct financial assistance under PM Kisan Samman Yojana," the BJP manifesto released here on Sunday stated. The party in power said it had increased MSP multi-fold and it is committed to support famers and empower them to lead better lives. The party aims to make agriculture a remunerative occupation. The manifesto also mentioned about strengthening PM Fasal Bima Yojana, a crop insurance scheme. The party said it will further strengthen the PM Fasal Bima Yojana through more technological interventions to ensure speedy and more accurate assessment, faster payouts and quicker grievance resolution. On MSP, it said it had ensured unprecedented increase in MSP for major crops, and will continue to increase MSP from time to time. Besides edible oils and pulses, the party in its manifesto said it will set up new clusters for vegetable production and storage. "We will support Annadatas with requisite farming inputs to increase the production of nutritious vegetables by establishing new clusters for the production of essentials like onion, tomato, potato etc," the manifesto read. Further, BJP said their government will launch the National Mission on Natural Farming to promote nature-friendly, climate-resilient, remunerative agriculture. Stating that the BJP-run government at the Centre incentivized crop diversification with appropriate price support strategy, it said the party is committed to further expand crop diversification to make agriculture sustainable and remunerative. (ANI) Noting that unemployment and rising prices were the real issues in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that the polls were also for saving the constitution and democracy in the country "which were under continuous attack from the BJP and the RSS". He said if INDIA alliance government comes to power, they will remove poverty from India with a single stroke by providing Rs one lakh every year to every poor family across the country. Addressing a rally here, Rahul Gandhi said "berozgari, menghai aur bhagidaari" were the main issues facing the country, which were not being highlighted in the media. The former Congress president alleged that Prime Minister Modi was working only for a few billionaires and "was handing over everything to them". He said there was so much discrimination in the wealth distribution in the country that 22 people owned as much of wealth as 70 crore Indians. Gandhi accused the BJP of attacking the religion and the culture of the tribals and giving away their land, forests and water. He talked about 'Panch Nyay' with 25 guarantees that the Congress has promised in its manifesto. Noting that unemployment was the most important issue, he said thirty lakh vacancies pending in various government departments will be filled immediately. Like the Congress had brought MGNREGA, it will now bring the Right to Apprenticeship Act. This, he said, will guarantee a one-year job for all the graduates and diploma holders in the first year after completing their degrees/diplomas. He said apprenticeships will be provided in the public sector, private sector and the government departments. The youth will get Rs one lakh in the first year. This means every educated youth in India, who has completed his degree or diploma will immediately get a guaranteed job in the first year, he said. The Congress leader said a woman in every poor family across the country will get Rs one lakh every year. Besides women will get 50 percent reservation in government jobs and the monthly remuneration of the Asha and Anganwadi workers will be doubled, he added. For farmers, he announced that there will be a legal guarantee for the MSP of crops. He also said the Congress government will waive off their loans. Gandhi alleged that 90 percent of the country's population, consisting of backwards, Dalits, adivasis, minorities and the poor from general castes, had just 6.1 percent decision making powers. He said Congress and INDIA alliance will conduct a caste census if voted to power. Bastar will go the polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha election on April 19. (ANI) Ruling YSRCP leader and the party's candidate for the upcoming assembly polls from the North constituency, KK Raju, on Saturday led a protest against the alleged stone pelting at Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy at Vijaywada. Leading the line at the protest along with hundreds of supporters of the ruling party, Raju, who is also the chairman of the Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (NREDCAP), staged a sit-in and chanted slogans condemning the attack on the chief minister. Claiming that the principal Opposition force in the state, the TDP, along with its NDA partners, the BJP and the Jana Sena Party of actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan, orchestrated the stone pelting, the YSRCP leader told reporters, "The TDP and its allies (BJP and JSP) were behind this attack. They pelted stones at Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's convoy." "The CM has been striving day and night for the last five years for the welfare of the poor. Jagan Reddy stood for the state's poor, upholding and safeguarding their interests. This was a cowardly attack on him. Instead of targeting him this way, the Opposition alliance should fight him in the elections. I urge the police to take necessary action and bring the culprits to book at the earliest," he added. State IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath also condemned the attack on CM Jagan Reddy in Vijayawada during the 'Memantha Siddham' roadshow. "YSRCP activists all over the state and the supporters of Jaganmohan Reddy all across the world have come out condemning this attack on our CM. If you (TDP) think that Jagan is scared of Chandrababu (party chief and former CM N Chandrababu Naidu) and the old-fashioned attacks orchestrated by him and his allies, you are mistaken. The TDP, which was responsible for the murder of Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga in the same Vijayawada area, orchestrated the stone pelting at CM Jagan today," the minister alleged. He claimed that the TDP couldn't stomach the tremendous response to the CM's ongoing roadshow ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state. "Worried that the (Opposition) alliance isn't drawing public support, Chandrababu is taking such provocative actions against our leader and chief minister. He fears defeat in the upcoming elections. This was a dastardly attack. However, the people will give a fitting reply to this and the rule of law and democracy will prevail. On June 4 (the counting day for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls), the people will take the onus on themselves to throw the TDP out of the state," Amarnath said. Earlier, in the evening, Jagan was injured in a stone-pelting attack during the 'Memantha Siddham' bus yatra in Vijayawada. According to sources in the YSR Congress, an unidentified individual hurled a stone at the chief minister, leaving a deep gash on his left eyebrow. The party informed that he was administered first-aid on the bus itself. Thereafter, CM Jagan continued his bus journey, party sources added. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the stone-pelting attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Saturday, while wishing him a speedy recovery and good health. Taking to his official X handle, PM Modi posted, "I pray for the speedy recovery and good health of Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Garu." Earlier, on Saturday evening, CM Jagan was left with a deep gash under his eyebrow after a stone-pelting attack during the 'Memantha Siddham' bus yatra in Vijayawada. According to sources in the ruling YSR Congress, an unidentified individual hurled a stone at the chief minister, leaving him with an external injury on his left eyebrow. The party sources further informed that the CM was immediately administered first-aid on the bus. CM Jagan continued his bus journey after receiving first aid, they added. Meanwhile, ruling YSRCP leader and the party's candidate for the upcoming assembly polls from the North constituency, KK Raju, on Saturday led a protest against the alleged stone pelting at Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy at Vijaywada. Leading the line at the protest along with hundreds of supporters of the ruling party, Raju, who is also the chairman of the Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (NREDCAP), staged a sit-in and chanted slogans condemning the attack on the chief minister. Claiming that the principal Opposition force in the state, the TDP, along with its NDA partners, the BJP and the Jana Sena Party of actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan, orchestrated the stone pelting, the YSRCP leader told reporters, "The TDP and its allies (BJP and JSP) were behind this attack. They pelted stones at Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's convoy."State IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath also condemned the attack on CM Jagan Reddy in Vijayawada during the 'Memantha Siddham' roadshow. "YSRCP activists all over the state and the supporters of Jaganmohan Reddy all across the world have come out condemning this attack on our CM. If you (TDP) think that Jagan is scared of Chandrababu (party chief and former CM N Chandrababu Naidu) and the old-fashioned attacks orchestrated by him and his allies, you are mistaken. The TDP, which was responsible for the murder of Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga in the same Vijayawada area, orchestrated the stone pelting at CM Jagan today," the minister alleged. Significantly, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), BJP and the Jana Sena Party (JSP) announced earlier that it would contest the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state jointly. The state has 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 assembly constituencies. The assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled to be held simultaneously on May 13, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4. For a party to form the government on its own in the state, it is required to win 88 of the 175 assembly seats. (ANI) Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini expressed confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi returning to office for a third term after the Lok Sabha elections, adding that the BJP will post handsome wins in all 10 constituencies in Haryana. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, CM Saini said, "In 2014, the BJP won 282 seats across the country and upped its tally in the Lok Sabha to 303 in the 2019 general elections. This time, the BJP will go comfortably over 370 seats, while the NDA will cross 400 seats. PM Modi will return to office for a third term on the back of a resounding mandate. In Haryana, too, we will win all 10 Lok Sabha seats." Hitting out at the Congress, CM Saini accused the grand old party of bagging votes in previous years through intimidatory tactics. "Over the last 10 years, the Centre and the Haryana government have worked in sync to serve the people with the utmost humility, honesty and sincerity. During their tenures at the Centre and the state, the Congress used to collect votes by resorting to intimidatory tactics. PM Modi has worked to build an India free of all the ills from the Congress years. A new history has been scripted in the last 10 years by PM Modi," the Haryana CM said. Listing out the key takeaways of the Centre under the leadership of PM Modi, he said in the last 10 years, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was stripped off its constitutional privileges under Article 370, while the Bodo militants in Assam laid down their arms and enterd into a truce pact with the government and the Ram Temple was built in Ayodhya, marking the fulfilment of a 500-year-old dream. "PM Modi gave new thrust to development activities across the country over the last 10 years. During the Covid-19 pandemic, ration was provided free of cost to 80 crore households by our government. We also provided vaccines free of cost. We also shipped our homegrown vaccines to more than 100 countries. Deep down, even Congress leaders know that Narendra Modi will win a third mandate," Saini added. The Lok Sabha elections for the 10 parliamentary constituencies of Haryana are going to be held in a single phase on May 25. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the state, the BJP swept the state, capturing all 10 seats. In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 7 seats, while the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) won 2 seats and the Congress secured only one seat. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tributes to the architect of the Indian Constitution, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, on his birth anniversary, saying "he is an inspiration for various backward-class people." "Tributes to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on his Jayanti. Jai Bhim!" the Prime Minister posted on X. "Babasaheb Ambedkar is an inspiration for various people belonging to the backward classes. He made us realise that to achieve anything, it's not necessary to be born into a wealthy family. Instead, in India people born into poor families can also dream and work hard to fulfil their vision," PM Modi said in the video posted on X. "There were times when people tried to stop him and strived that a poor man belonging to a backward class would not move forward. However, the image of the new India is completely different. This India belongs to Babasaheb Ambedkar, to the poor, to the backward class," he added. Highlighting different initiatives, the Prime Minister said that the dream of industrial power that Babasaheb Ambedkar dreamt of is an inspiration for the people of India. "Today, the Make in India campaign is running successfully in the country. Ambedkar Ji's dream of industrial power is an inspiration for us. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar believed in urbanization. He strongly believed in self-reliance, AatmaNirbharta. Today initiatives such as Mudra Viswas, Startup India, and Standup India are inspiring our young innovators and entrepreneurs. On behalf of nation and the all the countrymen, I pay my tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar," PM Modi said. Ambedkar was born on April 14, 1891, and so every year on this date, India celebrates Ambedkar Jayanti. Babasaheb's birth anniversary is a public holiday across the country, where schools, banks and some public sector organisations remain closed. Fondly known as 'Babasaheb', Ambedkar was the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and so is also called the 'Father of Indian Constitution'. Not only was he the creator of the Indian Constitution, but Ambedkar was also the first Law and Justice minister of free India. Babasaheb was born into an impoverished Dalit Mahar Family in Madhya Pradesh. He fought tirelessly for the equal rights of marginalised sections of society. He was a part of active movements since 1927 against untouchability. Later he was revered as a 'Dalit Icon' for his contributions towards their rights. (ANI) President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid floral tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar on his 134th birth anniversary. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar also paid tribute to the architect of the Constitution at his statue in the Parliament premises. President Murmu, in a post on X, said, "On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution and one of the most eminent nation builders, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens." Vice President Dhankhar, while paying his tribute to BR Ambedkar said that the latter pioneered social change to build an egalitarian India, through a constitutional framework promoting the rule of law, civil liberties, gender equality, and empowerment of marginalized sections. "Humble tributes to Dr. BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary today. Babasaheb, a great son of Bharat, was not only the architect of the Indian Constitution but also a champion of social justice. He pioneered social change to build an egalitarian India, through a constitutional framework promoting rule of law, civil liberties, gender equality, and empowerment of marginalized sections. Let us embrace the ideals laid by Dr. Ambedkar and work towards realizing his vision of a just and equitable society. #BRAmbedkar," the Vice President said. Born on April 14, 1891, Baba Saheb Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, politician, and social reformer who campaigned against social discrimination towards Dalits and supported the rights of women and workers. He died on December 6, 1956. Baba Saheb Ambedkar was a prolific student, earning doctorates in economics from both Columbia University and the University of London. In 1956. He led a satyagraha in Mahad to fight for the right of the untouchable community to draw water from the main water tank of the town. On 25 September 1932, the agreement known as the Poona Pact was signed between Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malaviya. Due to the pact, the depressed class received 148 seats in the legislature, instead of the 71 as allocated earlier. He was also one of the seven members of the committee that drafted the Indian Constitution after independence. In 1990, Ambedkar was conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. Baba Saheb Ambedkar died in his sleep on 6 December 1956, at his home in Delhi. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to address public rallies in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka today to drum up support for BJP in ensuing Lok Sabha polls. PM Modi will address a rally at Pipariya town in Madhya Pradesh's Narmadapuram district as well as Karnataka's Mysuru today. Narmadapuram, formerly known as Hoshangabad, is part of the Hoshangabad Lok Sabha constituency. PM Modi will be addressing a public gathering in Narmadapuram district at around 12:45 pm, which will target four parliamentary seats in the state, which include Hoshangabad, Betul, Chhindwara and Mandla. Chhindwara is a hot seat in the state and it is considered a stronghold of former chief minister and veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath. The former CM's son, Nakul Nath, is contesting the seat and it was the only seat that the Congress managed to win in the previous 2019 general elections in the state. The BJP has fielded a new face, Darshan Singh, from Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh, against Congress nominee Sanjay Sharma, a former MLA. Hoshangabad will go to the polls on April 26. 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, 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. A public meeting will be held in Mysuru at around 5.00 pm on Sunday, followed by a roadshow in the coastal city of Mangaluru later that evening. This will be the first rally by PM Modi ahead of the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 in 14 constituencies of Karnataka on April 26. Karnataka is going to the polls in two phases. While 14 Lok Sabha segments in the southern parts of the state will vote on April 26, the remaining 14 constituencies in the northern parts will vote in the second phase on May 7. (ANI) Morning Aarti was performed at Shri Aadya Katyayani Shakti Peeth temple at Chhattarpur in Delhi on the sixth day of Navratri on Sunday. Several devotees gathered at the Chhatarpur Temple to offer their prayers and seek the blessings of Goddess Durga. The sixth day of Navratri is dedicated to Maa Katyayani. This year, the Navratri festival, spanning nine days, commenced on April 9 and is set to conclude on April 17. Throughout this period, people have been venerating Maa Durga and her nine manifestations known as the Navadurgas. On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the countrymen on the fifth day of the festival. On the fifth day of Chaitra Navratri, Panchmi, Goddess Skandmata is worshipped by the devotees. "On this day of Navratri, devotees of the goddess worship Goddess Skandamata, the fifth form of Goddess Durga. I pray to the Goddess, the provider of consciousness, to always bestow her blessings on all my countrymen," he stated in a post on social media platform X. The nine-day festival, which is also known as Rama Navratri, ends on Rama Navami, Lord Ram's birthday. During Chaitra Navratri, people also fast and worship the goddess Durga. They also perform Ghatasthapana, the invocation of goddess Shakti, which is a significant ritual followed during the period. Navratri also celebrates calmness and peacefulness in the form of Maha Gauri Mata. The festival also marks the start of the Hindu New Year as per the Luni-solar calendar, and people in Maharastra celebrate it as Gudi Padwa, while Kashmiri Hindus observe it as Navreh. (ANI) The AIMIM chief said that he spoke to YSRCP MP Mithun Reddy on the incident where the Andhra CM was "cowardly attacked" and has inquired upon the matter. "Spoke to @MithunReddyYSRC, inquired about the incident where@ysjaganwas cowardly attacked & conveyed my best wishes to my friend@ysjagan," posted Owaisi on X. Reactions from well wishers, supporters and party workers poured in right after Chief Minister Jagan Reddy was left wounded by an attack during the 'Memantha Siddham' bus yatra in Vijayawada on Saturday evening. "CM Jagan was left with a deep cut above his left eyebrow, narrowly missing his eyes, after an unidentified person hurled a stone at the chief minister during the 'Memantha Siddham' bus yatra in Vijayawada," said sources. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the stone-pelting attack on the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister on Saturday, while wishing him a speedy recovery and good health. Taking to his official X handle, PM Modi posted, "I pray for the speedy recovery and good health of Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Garu." Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president Chandrababu Naidu also condemned the attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and demanded the Election Commission of India (ECI) for an "impartial and unbiased" inquiry into the incident. Ruling YSRCP leader and the party's candidate for the upcoming assembly polls from the North constituency, KK Raju, on Saturday led a protest against the alleged stone pelting at Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy at Vijaywada. Leading the line at the protest along with hundreds of supporters of the ruling party, Raju, who is also the chairman of the Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (NREDCAP), staged a sit-in and chanted slogans condemning the attack on the chief minister. State IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath also condemned the attack on CM Jagan Reddy in Vijayawada during the 'Memantha Siddham' roadshow. According to sources in the YSR Congress, an unidentified individual hurled a stone at the chief minister, leaving a deep gash on his left eyebrow. The party informed that he was administered first-aid on the bus itself. Thereafter, CM Jagan continued his bus journey, party sources added. (ANI) To encourage voting among the people, police launched a public awareness campaign in the naxal-hit Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The campaign started by police aims to raise public awareness about voting and conduct 100 per cent voting in the area. To maintain peaceful elections in the area, a huge force has been deployed to conduct peaceful elections. The police also urged people living in the Naxal-affected villages to cast their vote. Speaking to ANI, Sub Inspector Govind Khating said, "The objective of this awareness campaign is to encourage the voters to fulfil their duty to keep our democracy alive. The voting which is going to take place on April 19 in the upcoming polls will be a victory for democracy. We have deployed a huge force in the area so that voting can be conducted in a safe and smooth manner." Elucidating the fear in the minds of the people in the Naxal stronghold, the SI said, "There is only one fear in the minds of the people that the Naxalites may launch blasts or attacks on them if they go for voting." "The naxals target people who are close to the administration, that's why police forces have been deployed to protect them and facilitate the procedure of casting votes," said the official. The official further said, "Under the initiative, we are also trying to provide home-voting facility to elderly citizens and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). We are receiving a huge response from the people and they are cooperating and supporting us in our initiative." Meanwhile, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police, Neelotpal, said, "For the past 15 days, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been requesting everyone in Gadchiroli to come out and vote in large numbers without any fear. The Gadchiroli police are spreading awareness on the significance of voting and appealing everyone to come out and vote." 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 the undivided Shiv Sena. 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 undivided NCP, part of the opposition alliance, contested 19 seats and won four. Following the split in 2022, the Shiv Sena, which had earlier formed a coalition government with the Congress and NCP, saw Eknath Shinde break away from the party with his loyalists and align with the BJP. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 23 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 18 seats. (ANI) According to the police statement, a convicted prisoner identified as Rohit (29), a resident of Gangol village under the Partapur police station of the district, died under suspicious circumstances inside the jail hospital on Saturday. As per sources, it is being speculated that the inmate died of strangulation. Following the incident, four of the jail officials identified as Head Jail Warder Harishankar Tripathi, Ravindra Singh, Jail Warder Sanjay Singh and Jail Sanoj have been suspended with immediate effect. Later, SP City Meerut also visited the site where the inmate died. Director General Jail, Lucknow instructed that the case would be investigated by Deputy Inspector General, Jail, Meerut Zone, Subhash Chandra Shakya, added the police statement. A correspondence has also been made from the prison level for a judicial inquiry into the matter. The FIR has also been lodged in the incident and further investigation is underway. (ANI) President Biden also extended his wishes for other festivals being observed across the world. "To all those gathering around the world in celebration of Baisakhi, Navratri, Songkran, and the incoming New Year this week, Jill and I wish you warmth, community, and joy. Happy Bengali, Khmer, Lao, Myanmarese, Nepali, Sinhalese, Tamil, Thai, and Vishu New Year!," President Biden posted from his official X handle. Baisakhi is a festival marking the beginning of the harvest season and the establishment of Khalsa Panth. It is a time to gather, pray, and celebrate with love and happiness. https://x.com/POTUS/status/1779208054153605490 Baisakhi (Vaisakhi) is an important festival for the Sikh community, as it also marks the beginning of the Sikh New Year. The spring harvest festival is majorly celebrated in the northern states of Punjab and Haryana, bringing positive vibes filled with warm wishes people offer each other. On the occasion of Prakash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh-Ji, on January 9, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that December 26 would be marked every year as 'Veer Bal Diwas', to mark the martyrdom of the Sikh guru's two young sons--Sahibzadas Baba Zorawar Singh-Ji and Baba Fateh Singh-Ji. Chaitra Navratri begins on the first day of the Hindu Luni-Solar calendar. This year the festival started on April 9 and will end on April 17. All nine days of Navratri are devoted to honouring the nine incarnations of the goddess 'Shakti'. The occasion also marks the start of the Hindu New Year as per the Luni-solar calendar, and people in Maharastra celebrate it as Gudi Padwa, while Kashmiri Hindus observe it as Navreh. (ANI) Shortly before Iran launched drones towards Israel in response to its air strike on the latter's embassy in Syria, Jordan temporarily closed its airspace for all incoming, departing and transit aircraft, The Times of Israel reported, citing state-owned Al Mamlaka news on Saturday. Two flights from the Emirati airline Fly Dubai turned back towards the United Arab Emirates after taking off en route for Israel, ostensibly due to concerns over an Iranian threat or the decision by Jordan to close its airspace, The Times of Israel reported, citing local media outlet Channel 12. In a similar response amid fears of a further escalation of tensions in West Asia, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announced Saturday that the country's airspace will be temporarily closed for all incoming, departing and transiting aircraft, effective 11.30 pm (local time) until 5.30 am on Sunday, CNN reported. The closure is a precautionary measure aimed at ensuring the safety and security of civil aviation within Iraqi airspace, the report added. The authority said the decision follows a thorough risk assessment conducted by Iraqi authorities and added that the closure may be extended based on further developments in the region. Earlier, in response to the heightened tensions resembling a wartime scenario between Iran and Israel, Indian airlines opted to avoid Iranian airspace and utilise alternative routes to ensure the safety and security of their operations. Indian Airlines were altering flight paths for Europe and the Middle East due to escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. Air India and Vistara, two major carriers, have opted to avoid Iranian airspace following the Indian government's advisory urging citizens to steer clear of travel to Iran. As a result, they are now taking longer routes to ensure passenger safety and operational stability. Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized the Israel-linked MSC ARIES container ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, The Times of Israel reported, citing Iranian news agency. The ship in question was the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship owned by Zodiac Maritime, based in London. Zodiac Maritime is a division of Zodiac Group, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. The MSC Aries was last seen on Friday, sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Dubai, according to The Times of Israel. The ship is currently sailing through the Persian Gulf, according to ship tracking site, Marine Traffic. Tensions escalated between Iran and the West amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Amid fears of the ongoing hostilities in Gaza devolving into a larger Middle-Eastern conflict, US President Joe Biden said earlier today that he expects Iran to attack Israel 'sooner than later'. "I don't want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner than later," Biden told reporters when asked how imminent an Iranian attack on Israel would be. As has been reported globally, Tehran vowed revenge after Israel launched airstrikes on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus, taking out three top military generals. The US has been on high alert for a significant Iranian retaliatory attack on Israel in recent days, as fears grow of a wider regional war. There remains a "real, credible and viable" threat of Iran launching strikes, the White House said on Friday, following Israel's attack on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria last week, killing three Iranian generals. (ANI) In a major escalation amid the ongoing military offensive on Hamas in Gaza, Iran launched several drones and missiles towards Israel in retaliation to the air strike on its consulate in Syria that resulted in the killing of three top generals, The Times of Israel reported. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement confirming its launch of an attack on Israel, saying it was in response to the Israel Defence Force's (IDF) strike on a consular compound in Damascus in which several IRGC members were killed, including two generals, earlier this month. The IRGC says it will hit specific targets in Israel with dozens of drones and missiles, apparently cruise missiles. This comes nearly two weeks after Israel carried out an air strike on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus, killing seven members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including three top generals. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) also confirmed the launch of Iranian drones towards their territory, saying they were on high alert. "Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel," Israel's army's spokesman, Daniel Hagari, said late on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported. "We are on high alert and ready," he added, speaking in a televised address, saying the drones would take several hours before reaching Israel's airspace. The Times of Israel reported the launch of Tehran's promised reprisal for the consulate strike, citing viral footage circulating on social media, purportedly showing an Iranian Shahed 136 drone streaking the skies over Iraq en-route to Israel. Israel has been on heightened alert since its strike on Damascus on April 1, while not issuing any public or official statement on the attack. Iran vowed revenge, raising fears of a further escalation in tensions in West Asia amid the fierce offensive on Hamas in response to the terror attacks in southern Israel on October 7, last year. Earlier, on Saturday, Iranian armed forces seized a container ship linked to Israel near the Strait of Hormuz. Responding to the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country was prepared for a "direct attack from Iran". Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel was "closely monitoring a planned attack" against it by Iran and its allies in the region. (ANI) Hamas on Saturday submitted its response to Israel's hostage deal negotiations and ceasefire and rejected the latter's proposal, sticking to its original demands, Xinhua reported. The terror group said it was sticking to its original demands for a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the entirety of Gaza, the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and other areas, a surge in humanitarian aid and the start of the Strip's reconstruction. According to Xinhua, Hamas, in its statement, emphasised its readiness to conclude a "serious and genuine" prisoner-hostage exchange deal with Israel that the faction had received on April 8. Later, the Israeli Prime Minister's office said it rejected the 'unfounded demands' of Hamas for an end to the Gaza war and a complete withdrawal of its troops from the enclave. In an immediate response to Hamas' remarks, the office noted that the Israeli cabinet and the security forces were united in their opposition to these demands, Xinhua reported. The office said political instruction given to negotiations focuses on "achieving the release of our hostages and maintaining Israel's security". It argued that the only obstacle to obtaining the release of the Israeli hostages is Hamas and "not any factor on the Israeli side," and that Hamas "has refused any deal and any compromise proposal." On Monday, Cairo hosted a new round of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, in a new attempt to reach agreements leading to a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange. Palestinian sources told Xinhua that the mediators presented a new proposal in the Cairo talks, including a three-stage ceasefire, without specifying a complete withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip. The first stage enables the return of 'non-armed' displaced civilians to the northern Gaza Strip, without specifying their numbers, the opening of the Rashid and Salah al-Din streets with Israel's forces stationed 500 metres away. It also includes entering 500 aid trucks daily into all areas of Gaza and releasing 900 Palestinian prisoners, including 100 with life sentences. The proposed second stage initiates the release of all Israeli prisoners and the conclusion of negotiations for a sustainable calm. Qatari and Egyptian mediators, in addition to the US, seek to reach a deal for a prisoner exchange and a second truce between Israel and Hamas, following the first one that lasted a week until the beginning of December, last year. (ANI) US President Joe Biden would meet his national security team at the White House shortly and was being briefed regularly on the escalating tensions in West Asia after Iran launched drones towards Israel in response to the air strike on its embassy in Syria, the White House informed on Saturday. In the statement, White House National Security Council Spokesperson, Adrienne Watson said President Biden's team was in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners, adding that American support for Israel's security remains 'ironclad'. "Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. President Biden is being regularly updated on the situation by his national security team and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House. His team is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies. This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours. President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel's security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran," the statement read. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, too, issued a statement on the growing tensions in the region, saying that he spoke with his Israeli counterpart to discuss the ongoing situation and reaffirmed US support. "This morning, I spoke with my Israeli counterpart, National Security Advisor Hanegbi, to discuss events in the Middle East. During the call, I reiterated the United States' ironclad commitment to the security of Israel," Sullivan posted from his X handle. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the meeting of his war cabinet in Tel Aviv, in the wake of Iran's response to the embassy strike that killed three of its top military generals. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently convening the War Cabinet, at the Kirya in Tel Aviv," the Israeli PM's office posted on its official X handle. Meanwhile, soon after Iran's reprisal, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the 'reckless' attack on Israel, saying that Iran has demonstrated its intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. "I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime's reckless attack against Israel. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. The UK will continue to stand up for Israel's security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq," Sunak posted from his X handle. "Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed," he added. In its initial statement to the Iranian attack, Israel Defence Force (IDF) confirmed the Iranian attack, saying that the forces were on high alert and constanty monitoring the operational situation. "Iran launched UAVs from within its territory toward Israel a short while ago. The IDF is on high alert and is constantly monitoring the operational situation. The IDF Aerial Defense Array is on high alert, along with IAF fighter jets and Israeli Navy vessels that are on a defense mission in Israeli air and naval space. The IDF is monitoring all targets," IDF posted on X. IDF spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari said the Israeli military was operating at full force to defend Israel and its people, "Together with our partners, the IDF is operating at full force to defend the State of Israel--and the people of Israel. This is a mission that we are determined and ready to fulfill." IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on the current attack from Iran," he said. In a major escalation amid the ongoing military offensive on Hamas in Gaza, Iran launched several drones and missiles towards Israel in retaliation to the air strike on its consulate in Syria that resulted in the killing of three top generals, The Times of Israel reported. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement confirming its launch of an attack on Israel, saying it was in response to the Israel Defence Force's (IDF) strike on a consular compound in Damascus in which several IRGC members were killed, including two generals, earlier this month. (ANI) After drone and missile strikes by Iran to avenge the Israeli air strike on its Syrian consulate, Labanese group Hezbollah launched dozens of Katyusha rockets targeting the air defence headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Kaila barracks area of the Golan Heights, CNN reported. In a statement, Hezbollah declared its support for the Palestinian people in Gaza and their resistance to Israeli attacks on civilian areas. Hezbollah said that the attack was carried out at 12.35 am (local time) on Sunday. Signalling a further worsening of the situation in West Asia and the broadening of the ongoing conflict in the region, Yemen's Houthi rebels also launched drones towards Israel in coordination with Iran, Reuters reported, citing security agencies. "We can now report that Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched multiple drones at Israel in coordination with Iran," Al Jazeera quoted security firm Ambrey as saying. The company added that the projectiles were likely timed to reach Israel simultaneously. "Unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs] were reportedly launched by the Houthis toward Israel. The UAVs were launched in coordination with Iran," Ambrey stated. "Israeli ports are assessed to be potential targets," it added, warning of 'collateral damage' to shipping assets in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, CNN reported, citing two US officials, that the country intercepted several Iranian drones en route to Israel, adding that its air defence systems in the region were operating in response to the attack. The sources, however, did not specify how the US intercepted the drones and where. It also reported that the UK was not actively deploying assets for the purpose of intercepting Iranian drones, but providing backfill for US assets that have been redeployed from counter-ISIS operations in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, according to a source familiar with the developments. If an Iranian drone or missile went straight into that territory, UK would operate there, but the source said this shouldn't be seen as a joint operation. An Israeli military official informed at a briefing on Saturday night that more than 100 drones had been launched towards Israel from Iran, CNN reported. Their approach towards Israel was being tracked and all necessary steps were being taken to defend the country, the official added. The official said Israel was watching other 'apparatus' that Iran potentially could be launching as well. "We are following the other launch capabilities that Iran has at this at this time. I can't confirm anything positive regarding other munitions beyond the drones, explosive drones that Iran has launched at us," the official told CNN. The official said the drones were expected to strike the country in the following hours, adding that more waves of drones were possible as time went by. In preparation for what might follow in the wake of Iran's reprisal for the embassy air raid, Israel conducted some GPS scrambling, while also closing its airspace, the official added. "We have a very strong defensive posture in order to address anything flying towards Israel," the official said. Earlier, in a post on X, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the launching of drones by Iran, saying, "Iran launched UAVs from within its territory toward Israel a short while ago. The IDF is on high alert and is constantly monitoring the operational situation. The IDF Aerial Defense Array is on high alert, along with IAF fighter jets and Israeli Navy vessels that are on a defence mission in Israeli air and naval space. The IDF is monitoring all targets." (ANI) After Iran launched drones into Israel in retaliation to the air strike on its embassy in Syria, the UK moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region, the country's Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Sunday. It said the deployed jets will intercept airborne attacks within range of the UK's existing mission. "In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks," the statement read. "We have moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region. These will bolster Operation Shader, which is the UK's existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq and Syria. In addition, these UK jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required. We will continue to cooperate closely with our regional partners in the interest of de-escalation," it added. Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Saturday that Israel "intercepted a vast majority" of the strikes from Iran. IDF estimates that Iran launched over "200 different kinds" of drones, including killer drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, Hagari said in response to a question, CNN reported. "Our planes are still in the air intercepting targets and we are ready for any threat that will come to Israel," Hagari said, adding, "We will do everything we need, everything to defend the state of Israel." Earlier, on Saturday, Tehran, in response to Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria that left three of its top military generals dead, launched an unprecedented aerial attack from its soil, escalating already boiling regional tensions to new levels. Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) announced Saturday that they had fired dozens of drones and missiles toward Israel; an Israeli official put the number of drones at more than 100. As of early Sunday, it appeared that many of the projectiles were intercepted by the Israeli and US militaries, CNN reported. According to CNN, the launch marked the first-ever attack on Israel from Iranian territory. The two countries are enemy states, but neither had ever launched a direct and overt attack on the other's soil, though Israel's April 1 strike on Iran's consulate in Damascus took place on what is technically considered to be sovereign Iranian territory, as per diplomatic convention. For 12 days, the regime vowed revenge, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appearing before a crowd wielding a rifle as he vowed to retaliate. US officials said they anticipated Iran's response to be calibrated to avoid an all-out war, but Tehran is also seeking to reassert itself as a regional force--a tightrope that it has sought to walk since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, the report noted. (ANI) Sirens and loud booms were heard in the sky over Jerusalem after Iran launched attack drones, Israeli news agency, TPS reported. Sirens are also in northern Israel and the Negev. Following Iranian attack on Israel, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned Iran's large-scale attack on Israel, CNN reported. Guterres called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, expressing deep alarm over the potential for a devastating region-wide escalation. "I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation," Guterres said. "I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East." After drone and missile strikes by Iran to avenge the Israeli air strike on its Syrian consulate, Labanese group Hezbollah launched dozens of Katyusha rockets targeting the air defence headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Kaila barracks area of the Golan Heights, CNN reported. In a statement, Hezbollah declared its support for the Palestinian people in Gaza and their resistance to Israeli attacks on civilian areas. Hezbollah said that the attack was carried out at 12.35 am (local time) on Sunday. Signalling a further worsening of the situation in West Asia and the broadening of the ongoing conflict in the region, Yemen's Houthi rebels also launched drones towards Israel in coordination with Iran, Reuters reported, citing security agencies. "We can now report that Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched multiple drones at Israel in coordination with Iran," Al Jazeera quoted security firm Ambrey as saying. The company added that the projectiles were likely timed to reach Israel simultaneously. "Unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs] were reportedly launched by the Houthis toward Israel. The UAVs were launched in coordination with Iran," Ambrey stated. "Israeli ports are assessed to be potential targets," it added, warning of 'collateral damage' to shipping assets in the Red Sea.Meanwhile, CNN reported, citing two US officials, that the country intercepted several Iranian drones en route to Israel, adding that its air defence systems in the region were operating in response to the attack. The sources, however, did not specify how the US intercepted the drones and where. It also reported that the UK was not actively deploying assets for the purpose of intercepting Iranian drones, but providing backfill for US assets that have been redeployed from counter-ISIS operations in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, according to a source familiar with the developments. If an Iranian drone or missile went straight into that territory, UK would operate there, but the source said this shouldn't be seen as a joint operation.An Israeli military official informed at a briefing on Saturday night that more than 100 drones had been launched towards Israel from Iran, CNN reported. Their approach towards Israel was being tracked and all necessary steps were being taken to defend the country, the official added.The official said Israel was watching other 'apparatus' that Iran potentially could be launching as well. "We are following the other launch capabilities that Iran has at this at this time. I can't confirm anything positive regarding other munitions beyond the drones, explosive drones that Iran has launched at us," the official told CNN. The official said the drones were expected to strike the country in the following hours, adding that more waves of drones were possible as time went by. In preparation for what might follow in the wake of Iran's reprisal for the embassy air raid, Israel conducted some GPS scrambling, while also closing its airspace, the official added. "We have a very strong defensive posture in order to address anything flying towards Israel," the official said. (ANI) Devyani Khobrogade, the current Indian ambassador to Combodia, who was at the centre of a controversy that fueled tensions between India and the US earlier, surfaced on social media on Saturday in an image from a photoshoot in traditional Cambodian attire. It turns out that the Indian envoy dressed up as a 'Khmer Apsara' to extend her wishes to Cambodians on the occasion of Khmer New Year. The diplomat, who, according to post on the X handle of the Indian Embasy in Cambodia, has a deep understanding and admiration for Khmer culture and tradition, dressed up 'elegantly' to mark the country's New Year. "Ambassador Devyani Khobragade has a deep admiration for Khmer culture and tradition. Embracing the spirit of Khmer New Year, she elegantly dressed as a Khmer Apsara, embodying the rich bond of our civilizations. Wishing all our Combodia friends a joyous Khmer New Year celebration," read the post on the official X handle of the Indian Embassy in Combodia. Khobragade was drafted into the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1999 and went to serve the country in the capacity of a diplomat at Indian missions in Berlin, New York, Islamabad and Rome. However, it was her diplomatic tenure in New York that came into the media spotlight for all the wrong reasons, as she was arrested on charges of visa fraud and giving 'false' statements in the matter. She was charged by the US attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) on December 12, 2013. In a separate controversy, she was also alleged to have paid her domestic help below the minimum wage limit in the US. However, she contested the charges, claiming them to be 'false and baseless'. The charges were subsequently dismissed by a US court, citing diplomatic immunity. India turned down the US's request at the time to waive off her diplomatic immunity at the time. Thereafter, Khobragade flew back to her homeland. The row over Khobragade saw the diplomatic ties between India and the US hit a rocky phase, as New Delhi downgraded the privileges of certain categories of US diplomats in the country. To this, the US responded by pulling out one of its diplomats from the country. (ANI) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently in talks with US President Joe Biden, following meetings with the Security Cabinet and the War Cabinet, after Iran launched drones towards Israel on Saturday night in response to the air strike on its embassy in Syria. https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/1779321541320142918?t=Xpn_qQUxsmgRqpQsaPxf1Q&s=08 "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently speaking with US President Joe Biden, following the deliberations of the Security Cabinet and the War Cabinet," as announced in a recent update on X. Meanwhile, in a stern warning for Israel's closest ally, Iran asked the US to stay away from the ongoing conflict with Israel, adding that its response will be more severe if Israel made 'another mistake'. "However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!," it added. Further, Israel Defence Forces disclosed on X, that,"Dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory." https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1779311780675682477?t=_Bj-XA7lpH8RpnIeYYRkxA&s=08 "The IDF Aerial Defence Array successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the Arrow Aerial Defense System, together with Israel's strategic allies, before the launches crossed into Israeli territory. A small number of hits were identified, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure," IDF added. Additionally, the IDF revealed in their post on X, that many hostile aircraft and cruise missiles were approaching Israel on Saturday. "Many dozens of hostile aircraft, as well as dozens of cruise missiles, were identified approaching Israeli territory from Iran and intercepted over the past few hours. Dozens of IAF fighter jets are currently operating to intercept all aerial threats approaching Israeli territory." the post on X stated. "The IDF is deployed on all fronts, prepared, and continuing to defend Israeli territory." IDF highlights its readiness to be prepared for its defence amid Iran attack.(ANI) US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has stressed that the US does not seek conflict with Iran but will not hesitate to act to protect their forces and support Israel's defence. US Defense Secretary further highlighted that the US forces, at the direction of President Joe Biden, intercepted dozens of missiles and UAVs en route to Israel. "At the direction of President Biden, U.S. forces in the Middle East on April 13 intercepted dozens of missiles and UAVs en route to Israel, launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Our forces remain postured to protect U.S. troops and partners in the region, provide further support for Israel's defense, and enhance regional stability," Austin said. US Defense Secretary further condemned the "reckless and unprecedented attacks" by Iran and its proxies on Israel. https://x.com/SecDef/status/1779358455444161001 "We condemn these reckless and unprecedented attacks by Iran and its proxies, and we call on Iran to immediately halt any further attacks, including from its proxy forces, and to deescalate tensions," he said. US Defense Secretary Austin added, "We do not seek conflict with Iran, but we will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defense of Israel." Moreover, Austin commended the bravery of US troops who stood guard to prevent further conflict or escalation. "I am grateful for the professionalism and the skill of the brave U.S. troops who took part in today's actions and who continue to stand guard to prevent further conflict or escalation. I will continue to monitor the situation closely and to consult with our allies and partners," he said. Earlier today, US President Joe Biden condemned Iran's attack on Israeli soil, adding that he will convene G7 leaders on Monday to coordinate a united diplomatic response. "Earlier today, Iran--and its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq--launched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms," Biden said, according to the White House statement. US President Biden also held talks with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and reaffirmed the US's "ironclad" commitment to Israel's security. "I've just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks - sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel," he said. Moreover, Biden reaffirmed that the US will be in close touch with Israeli leaders. (ANI) United Nations General Assembly President Dennis Francis said while expressing deep concerns on Sunday in response to the Iran's attack on Israel, that this vicious cycle of attack and counter-attack will lead nowhere, but inevitably, to more death, suffering and misery. Francis said in a press release, "I am deeply concerned about the unfolding situation in the Middle East, involving the launch by Iran of drones and missiles against Israel." "The Iranians have explained their action in the context of Article 51 of the UN Charter, following the recent Israeli attack on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus," the release added. The Iranian response compounds the already tense and delicate peace and security situation in the Middle East. Futher, UNGA president said, "I strongly call upon all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid further escalation of tension in the region. This is a moment that calls for wise and prudent judgement, in which the risks and extended risks are very carefully considered." "I expect that the Iranian authorities will honour their word that by their action today, the matter can be deemed concluded," he added. Dennis Francis affirmed after Iran launched a retaliatory attack on Israel with hundreds of drones, and missiles that, "A vicious cycle of attack and counter-attack will lead to nowhere, but inevitably, to more death, suffering and misery." "Dialogue and diplomacy represent the sole path to peacefully resolve differences," emphasized UNGA President. Iran came out and attacked Israel in retaliation on Saturday in response to an attack on its consulate in Syria, saying that the "matter can be deemed concluded" by attacking with more than 200 projectiles, including dozens of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks with US President Joe Biden, following meetings with the Security Cabinet and the War Cabinet. However, in a stern warning to Israel's closest ally, Iran asked the US to stay away from the ongoing conflict with Israel, adding that its response would be more severe if Israel made 'another mistake." "Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter about legitimate defence, Iran's military action was in response to the Zionist regime's aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded," Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York posted on X." "However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!!," it added. US forces have been shooting down drones launched by Iran towards Israel, a defence official told reporters on Sunday. (ANI) A 1-year-old infant in their stroller was stabbed in a random attack in Philadelphia A 1-year-old infant in their stroller was stabbed in a random attack in Philadelphia An infant is one of two victims in a series of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania stabbings on Saturday. A series of two stabbings struck the Philadelphia area on Saturday, Philadelphia Police Captain Frank Banford said. Local police have since arrested a suspect: 29-year-old Takeira Hester. The woman has previously been arrested for aggravated assault and currently has a warrant out for her in New York City for the same charge, Mr Banford said. The incidents began at 8 am in the Center City neighbourhood, when police say Ms Hester charged a 24-year-old woman and stabbed her twice before leaving. Just a few hours later, police say Ms Hester then approached two parents pushing twin one-year-olds in a stroller, stabbing one of the infants in each arm before fleeing again. One of the parents then pursued the suspect for some amount of time, Mr Banford said. The infant is at a local hospital in stable condition, the police captain told reporters on Saturday evening. He did not provide an update on the 24-year-olds condition. Mr Banford also said these attacks were random. Police cordoned off the stroller at the scene of the attack (WCAU) [The suspect] runs up, quick stab, runs, he told reporters. And the second thing was the same thing, nothing was said and it was a completely random act. Philadelphia had already faced a challenging week in local violence. On Wednesday, three people were shot at an Eid al-Fitr festival in west Philadelphia. Police arrested five suspects. The victims included two juveniles one of whom was shot by a police officer and a 22-year-old man. No lives were lost. One of those arrested, 21-year-old Kahbir Oglesby Hicks, has been charged in connection with the shooting, local outlet Fox29 reports. Emergency personnel respond to the scene of a shooting in Philadelphia (REUTERS) Gun violence is never acceptable, but to see it victimize people who gathered for a Ramadan event or any religious event is especially heartbreaking, Congressman Dwight Evans, who represents the area, said in a statement earlier this week. We must all continue working for change, because thoughts & prayers are not enough, he continued. The Supreme Court on Monday enters its home stretch, the final period of oral arguments before the justices turn their full attention to completing all the rulings expected to be issued before the end of June. Over the next two weeks, the court will consider abortion in emergency rooms, criminal charges against Jan. 6 rioters and the scope of presidential immunity, among other high-profile issues. Heres what you need to know about the four most notable cases on the Supreme Courts April schedule: Fischer v. United States Oral arguments : Tuesday, April 16. Key question : Was it legally sound to charge hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters with violating a federal law prohibiting obstructing or impeding official proceedings? Lower court ruling : More than a dozen lower court judges have ruled that it was appropriate to use that federal statute to charge Jan. 6 rioters. But in Fischer v. United States, a district court judge ruled that the law shouldnt apply in the context of Jan. 6 since it was designed to address evidence tampering. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit then reinstated the charge, per SCOTUSblog. Why it matters: If the Supreme Court rules that the federal statute in question should not apply to Jan. 6 rioters, prosecutors across the country would likely need to revisit more than 100 cases and change their approach to hundreds of others. Such a ruling would also affect the election interference case against former President Donald Trump, who, among other things, is charged with conspiring to and actually obstructing the certification of the election, according to The Washington Post. City of Grants Pass v. Johnson Oral arguments : Monday, April 22. Key question : Do bans on public camping become cruel and unusual punishment when theyre enforced against men and women who are involuntarily homeless? Lower court ruling : The lower courts ruled against the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, saying that its anti-camping law amounts to cruel and unusual punishment because there arent enough beds at shelters in the area to serve the homeless population. Why it matters: The case could affect how cities nationwide respond to homelessness. Moyle v. United States Consolidated with : Idaho v. United States. Oral arguments : Wednesday, April 24. Key question : When a states near-total abortion ban conflicts with federal law regarding emergency treatment for pregnant women, which policy wins out? Lower court ruling : The Biden administration, which claims that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act outweighs Idahos abortion law, initially won in front of a federal district court, which put Idahos law on hold. But then federal officials lost in front of a three-judge panel at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, before winning again when the full court considered the issue. Why it matters: In January, the Supreme Court agreed to weigh in on the dispute and overturned the existing stay, allowing Idahos abortion ban to take effect. The courts eventual decision will hold significant consequences for abortion policy nationwide, potentially deepening the significance of the June 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and returned policymaking power to the states. Trump v. United States Oral arguments : Thursday, April 25. Key question : Can former President Donald Trump be prosecuted for his alleged role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election? Lower court ruling : A federal district court and the D.C. Circuit rejected Trumps claim that a former president cannot be prosecuted unless he has first been impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate, per SCOTUSblog. Why it matters: This case on the scope of presidential immunity holds significant consequences not just for ongoing lawsuits against Trump but also for the 2024 presidential election and American politics as a whole. Trumps camp has argued that a ruling against him would disrupt future presidents ability to do the job well, while the former presidents opponents say its essential to hold him accountable for his alleged misdeeds. Citing bias in the admissions formula used by most of the states vocational and technical high schools, lawmakers representing Gateway Cities have filed legislation that would install a blind lottery to ensure students in protected classes have the same access to the institutions as more affluent youngsters, especially those who are on a college-preparatory track. We want to bring awareness to this issue that has been unrecognized and unaddressed for decades, said Rep. Michael Kushmerek, D-Fitchburg, who sponsored the bill with Sen. John Cronin, D-Lunenburg. We want to make sure that students in the protected classes receive offers at the same rate as students from higher-income backgrounds, said Cronin. Superintendents (of vocation, technical and comprehensive high schools) denying this problem exists do more harm. Sen. John Cronin, D-Lunenburg, filed a bill to revise the admissions process for vocational and technical schools from competitive entry to a blind lottery. The lottery system would consolidate student applications to the schools and offer students a spot in the school of their choice through the random drawing, ensuring all have equal access and opportunity to land a coveted placement. At issue is the lack of capacity at many of the schools. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education estimates that the waiting lists for the 64 institutions in Massachusetts can range between 6,000 and 11,000 youngsters a year. In addition to the vocational technical schools, some high schools, like Somerville and Medford, offer Chapter 74 programs and are called comprehensive high schools. There are 52,623 Massachusetts youngsters enrolled in Chapter 74-approved programs. Another 11,037 are enrolled in other vocational and technical programs, according to the state. Their high graduation rate, close to 100% at some schools, which tops the overall 91% graduation rate for the states traditional high schools, coupled with their academic proficiency, on par with traditional high schools, makes them an attractive alternative to the local public high school. Competition to secure a spot is fierce. What criteria do career training schools use for admission? Students apply from middle school and must present their academic grades, their attendance and disciplinary records, secure a recommendation from their guidance counselor and complete an interview with the target schools admissions officer. Points are ascribed to each category. More points are awarded for higher grades, for infrequent absences and lack of disciplinary problems. Some schools ascribe 30 to 35 points for the five-question interview, for a total of 100 points. And dress and presentation matter in the interview. Pushed aside in the admissions process, activists claim, are students in the protected class those who identify as of color, English-language learners, students with disabilities and those from low-income households. These are the very students, they argue, that could benefit from as many ways to access education as possible. Activists suggest the academic success of the vocational/technical institutions can be attributed partially to the schools ability to offer spots to those students who already excel academically, based on their admissions policies. Gavin Forrest of Worcester and fellow freshmen learn to set up keyless lamps in the Electrical and Renewable Energies Department at Worcester Technical High School. The Vocational Education Justice Coalition, a coalition of education, civil rights and union groups represented by Lawyers for Civil Rights and the Center of Law and Education, filed a civil rights complaint against the state in February 2023 with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights on behalf of four students from Chelsea and Gardner. The ball is in the federal court. We hope to push this forward and not spend another school year where the protected classes if students are being left behind, said Mirian Albert, an attorney with the Lawyers for Civil Rights. Steps have been taken to revise the system and collect data on its effectiveness. In June 2021, the state adopted new regulations for admissions to ensure transparency for students, families and sending districts. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is committed to ensuring all students have equitable access to career technical education and continues to work with districts to expand capacity through new programs and career-connected learning, said Jacqueline Reis, a spokesperson for DESE. The state routinely reviews schools that offer career and technical education. It collects and analyses data and reviews policies and procedures for compliance with federal guidelines and to ensure that all students have equitable access to career technical education. Which schools has DESE identified as out of compliance with fed regulations? After recent DESE reviews, the state will be offering its technical assistance at four schools: Bay Path, Montachusett Regional, Greater Lowell Tech and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Tech. Freshman Denazha Buchanan of Worcester is taught to make a joint box by carpentry teacher Mike Cormier at Worcester Technical High School. Issues at Greater New Bedford, such as imbalances in student makeup, could result in corrective action that may include changes in admissions policies or practices. These discrepancies could be attributed to the lack of recruiting possibilities in the New Bedford District, with most students attending being drawn from Dartmouth and Fairhaven, two predominantly white Bristol County communities. As part of its review process, DESE has earmarked $2 million in federal grants over the last three fiscal years to help districts build culturally and linguistically sustainable systems for recruitment, admissions and student success. The agency anticipates having additional funding available in fiscal 2025. The state also provides data tools, professional development and technical assistance, as well as guidance to support districts in implementing new regulations regarding admissions. Steve Sharek, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators, said a blind lottery would not increase the number of open slots nor the percentage of protected class students offered a spot in Chapter 74 programs. The whole lottery idea is oversimplified, Sharek said, adding that it hasnt even been tested as a pilot program. Sharek predicted it could also wreak havoc with funding formulas determined decades ago and in place for the schools and school districts. Freshmen learn to set up keyless lamps in the Electrical and Renewable Energies Department at Worcester Technical High School. Districts share capital and operating costs for regional technical schools, and changes in apportioning slots could create financial imbalances. Further disturbances in a districts financial health are affected by students attending vocational schools when they are removed from the local district rolls. What changes has Worcester made? How have they helped? Worcester Technical High School, affiliated with the Worcester Public Schools and serving just the citys youth, changed its admission process in the 2021-22 school year, adopting a tiered lottery (not a blind lottery) admissions process. According to the district's website, applicants must have earned a grade of 65 or better in English language arts and math. Tiers one through three are determined using attendance top tier: 10 or fewer unexcused absences in the seventh and eighth grades; tier two: no more than 21 unexcused absences; and tier three: more than 22 unexcused absences. Discipline and safety records are also considered tier one: no more than one long-term suspension; tier two: no more than two; and tier three: three or more long-term suspensions. These are for offenses related to drugs, firearms and in-school assaults and violence. According to DESE, the numbers of protected students attending the Worcester tech programs have increased across the board since the change in admissions from 2020-2021 through this academic year. These increases are reflected in the numbers on the DESE website: Students identified as non-English as a first language: 53.5%; 54.8%; 59%. Students identified as English-language learners: 6.3%; 8.1%; 9.9% Students identified as low-income: 50.3%; 64.5%; 65.9% Students with disabilities: 12.5%; 15.7%; 15% High needs students: 62.5%; 71.7%; 72.4% Despite the pressure to change admissions policies, Sharek believes the interview is a necessary part of the process. We want to know whether they are applying because they have a boyfriend or girlfriend in the school, whether they are fleeing from disciplinary issues, gang violence, or because mom or dad told them to apply, Sharek said. Its important, he said, to ascertain whether the student has the determination, ambition and commitment to be successful in the vocational technical school setting. Its not like a traditional school students focus on academics one week, practical learning the alternate week. We ask why they want to go to a vocational technical school and consume precious funds and teacher time, Sharek said. Post-high school surveys conducted by DESE indicate that the majority of graduates of career training programs, 98.2%, are in positive placements. This includes 50% who go on to further educational opportunities, and others in postsecondary education that also includes apprenticeships and technical training. Kushmerek likened using career training programs as a step up to college as a misappropriation of funds using services intended to launch students into the workforce as an entry into college. The maneuver also deprives the Massachusetts workforce of skilled laborers at a time when employers are desperate for workers. Both Cronin and Kushmerek suggest that many parents use the vocational system as a steppingstone to enhance their childs college applications. They have become the school of choice for the children of doctors and lawyers in Central Massachusetts, Cronin said. And its not just anecdotal. Lewis Finfer, director and community organizer for the Massachusetts Action for Justice and also with the Vocational Education Justice Coalition, said the head of a carpentry internship program asked 10 of his students what they planned to do with their careers when they graduated. All 10 said they were planning to go to college, Finfer said. The admission criteria skews in favor of certain applicants those with the parental support systems and tradition of scholarly achievement that prepares them for academic success. There are racial and class biases, Finfer said. More privileged students are more likely to be prepared for the admissions process and supported through it and throughout their academic careers by their parents, Finfer said. Kushmerek said both his in-laws were products of the vocational school system. My father-in-law was struggling, on the verge of dropping out of a traditional high school. He found a path through the vocational system, Kushmerek said. The man graduated at 18, a union laborer, with a shot for the first time at a middle-class life. Hes still a union laborer. The system operated as it should. Even as Sharek suggests using a surgical approach to changing the admissions policy targeting those school that are out of compliance, and others advocate a lottery, everybody agrees the solution is to expand the number of slots available to students who seek to attend vocational technical high schools in Massachusetts. The solution? Expand capacity Sharek suggests funding expansion efforts to $100 million a year over three years in districts with waiting lists and where the labor market is desperate for an infusion of skilled workers. Gateway Cities would be prioritized, and students would be connected to jobs. The targeted grant program to expand capacity where it is most needed would go a long way to resolving issues with admission policies as well as reinforcing workforce development. Even where the budget is tight, the state could find funds in a $58 billion budget for a targeted grant program, Sharek said. Expansion would ease the pressure on the system, reduce waiting lists and direct workers into the labor market. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Admissions process to Mass. voke schools biased, advocates say This is the moment that many of us have been warning about for so long. After years of shameful American obsequious towards Iran, the emboldened theocratic pariah has launched an attack on Israel, threatening to draw us into war. The full extent of the hostilities are still unfolding, but two conclusions are certain. First, this is the culmination of years of American appeasement. Second, it carries the danger of escalation into a global conflict that would involve Britain. In fact, to these we can add a third: If intelligence assessments about Irans nuclear programme are wrong and the regime already possesses an operational warhead, all bets are off. Looking at how things could escalate is easier than finding the narrow path to sustained peace. For example: Iran is joined by the formidable Hezbollah and its other proxies in the war, overwhelming Israeli air defences with swarms of drones and following that with missiles. Houthi rockets block the Red Sea, destabilising the global economy. As America, Britain and other democracies dispatch forces to the eastern Mediterranean, China attacks Taiwan, forcing the White House to divert assets to the Indo-Pacific. Seeing an opening, Putin attacks Estonia, a Nato state, and fires missiles at London. Next steps could include nuclear warheads and North Korea. How would Britain fare? Look at us. Depleted armed forces, a few weeks supply of ammunition at best, Trident missiles that plopped into the sea at the last test, a 3 billion aircraft carrier with a rusty propeller and a society that for decades has wilfully undermined its own patriotism. The Defence Secretarys warning in January that we were living a pre-war world had little effect on our decadent and peace-fattened public. At next weeks London Gaza march, I wouldnt be surprised to hear a new chant: Iran, Iran, make us proud. Very soon, our self-righteous finger-wagging over Israeli self-defence will give way to panic when we feel the heat ourselves. Speaking of decadence and naivety and sheer incompetence this crisis has been facilitated by Joe Biden. His administrations attitude towards Tehran has been one of abject appeasement. And when facing interlocking adversaries like China, Russia and Iran, appeasing one emboldens them all. The wests sole weapon against the Iranians has been economic. But as Rich Goldberg, former director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction for the White Houses National Security Council, has noted, the Biden administration has been undermining its own sanctions, releasing $16 billion in frozen funds to Tehran in the leadup to October 7. That vast sum included $6 billion to secure the release of five American captives in September, a historic ransom that could only have encouraged the taking of further hostages. The deal avoided congressional oversight by being rushed through in the summer recess. Does anyone believe that American efforts to earmark this money for humanitarian purposes have worked? It sounds preposterous, but the State Department has also been turning a blind eye towards sales of Iranian oil to China, enabling Tehran to export over a million barrels daily, and has allowed Iraq to trade oil for Irans gas. These economic sweeteners started as part of a failed effort to revive Barack Obamas nuclear deal, from which Donald Trump withdrew in 2018 in favour of maximum pressure. The talks, led by the ultra-dovish Robert Malley, were woeful. So soft were the Americans that it was left to British negotiators to toughen things up, a diplomat involved in the talks told me. In the event, the Iranians simply played for time while accelerating towards a bomb. All the crucial milestones, including achieving enrichment at 20 per cent, then 60 per cent, and so forth, were reached in this period of dithering. Tehran is now thought to be a week away from having enough nuclear material for one warhead. This could be weaponised within months. To achieve this, with the eyes of the world on Gaza, the Ayatollahs have been building an underground facility in Natanz deep enough to evade any Western airstrike. One bomb alone will not destroy the world, but the clock stands at a minute to midnight. Is it finally about to chime? The heart of the problem is that the west has no theory of mind about the Iranian regime. Our diplomatic class projects the principle of enlightened self-interest onto the Ayatollahs, when in truth, despite their sophisticated strategising, they are driven by religious fanaticism. As anyone educated in regime schools will confirm, they believe that an apocalyptic war will herald the return of a messianic figure called the Mahdi. Along with 313 of his most loyal fighters, he will conquer the world and usher in a new age. The regimes strategy for the endtimes involves three components: ballistic missiles, proxy militia and nuclear weapons. Israel is the target. We are in the crosshairs, too. There have been at least 25 foiled Iranian assassination attempts in Britain in the last two years. Last month, an Iranian dissident journalist was stabbed in London in a suspected regime attack. A security official told me that of all the threats facing our country, Iran was the one that kept him up at night. It is too late to demand for Britain to re-arm. It is too late for the Americans to get tough. This is war. We are what we are, and we must gather our courage. Jake Wallis Simons is the author of Israelophobia 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 boomer who moved to Panama after years as a bartender in the Hamptons and New Mexico outlines the pros and cons of living in Central America George Stumpp, a retired bartender, lives comfortably in Panama after moving from New Mexico. Stumpp rents two properties as Airbnbs, supplementing his income in a country with good healthcare. He said Panama has robust infrastructure, a lower cost of living, and many of the same stores as the US. George Stumpp, 65, worked as a bartender and bar supervisor in Long Island and New Mexico for decades. Realizing his retirement savings could go further in a different country, he settled in Panama. In 2006, he and his wife bought a property on the outskirts of Panama City for $37,000 in cash, traveling back and forth until his retirement. After 15 years of going back and forth, he settled there permanently in 2021, renting out two casitas as Airbnbs to supplement his income. He's enjoying retirement in a country with a lower cost of living and high-quality healthcare, and he said he's enjoyed adapting to Panamanian culture. "One of the reasons I chose Panama over other Central American countries is because we've got better infrastructure than anyplace else," Stumpp told Business Insider. "It's a thriving country, and a lot of that is based on income that they get from the Panama Canal." George Stumpp said it's taken him time and effort to get acquainted with Panamanian culture George Stumpp As the cost of living continues to increase, driven by elevated housing costs and still-high grocery bills, many American retirees are looking abroad for retirement. Some recent retirees previously told BI they're living much more comfortably in places like Colombia, Thailand, and St. Maarten. Leaving the US Stumpp grew up in the Hamptons on Long Island and eventually worked as a bartender for 15 years. He worked at rock 'n' roll clubs in the 1970s then found work at more upscale bars and restaurants. As Long Island got more expensive, he decided to relocate to Sante Fe, where he had a cousin at the time. In 1993, he moved to Santa Fe with his then-girlfriend and her two kids. He got a job at a luxury hotel downtown, working his way up the ranks to bar supervisor. For years, he managed the bar, from creating schedules to ordering inventory. As his kids got older, he started to vacation in Central America, traveling to Costa Rica, Belize, and Panama. His parents had retired to a lakefront cottage in Ontario, Canada, so he knew he wanted to retire abroad. In the mid-2000s, he started looking into purchasing a property in Belize, a predominantly English-speaking nation, although he and his wife ended up passing on it after noticing it wasn't as peaceful as they wanted it to be. After reading more about Panama and seeing more Americans moving there, they took a lengthy trip searching for potential properties. He noticed he could get cheaper prices by calling the number on hand-painted signs outside homes instead of going through real estate websites, which would upcharge nonlocals. Buying a home in Panama He settled on a nearly half-acre property for $37,000 back in 2006 located three minutes from the beach, giving his Sante Fe home to his stepdaughter. The property had an old home that was falling apart, and he and his wife built a smaller house toward the back of the property with a bedroom, small kitchen, bathroom, and front porch. They split the old house in two as rental units. He owns his property outright with no mortgage, and his annual property tax is less than $100. George Stumpp purchased a nearly half-acre lot for $37,000. George Stumpp "We literally just took it apart it was wired with extension chords, and it was in sad shape," Stumpp said. "We took it apart, put it back together again, and turned it into these two cute little Airbnb rentals. I'm not making a million dollars, but it's supplemental income." After moving back and forth between Panama and the US for work for several years, he finally decided to retire and put his Santa Fe house on the market in 2021, noticing his home increased over $100,000 in value from the year before. He sold his convertible and bought an SUV, drove around the US for four months visiting friends and seeing national parks, and then flew back to Panama with his dog. Moving to Panama permanently He said over the last two decades, Panama's infrastructure has become much more robust than many other Central American countries. He said the city has good healthcare, a thriving financial scene, and plenty of big-box retailers and large chains. Within 15 minutes of his house, he said there are four grocery stores, a Home Depot-like retailer, and many restaurant chains similar to those in the US. George Stumpp lives a short drive from the beach. George Stumpp "Anything I can buy in the States I can buy here. You might pay a little bit more for certain things, but then again, there's always alternatives," Stumpp said. "I can buy Kellogg's cornflakes and pay a lot of money, or I can buy the local cornflakes for a lot less." Because he's over 60, he gets discounts on his utilities, doctor visits, public transportation, flights, and even movie theaters. He's seen many large condominium complexes built along the beach that sell for about $300,000 with monthly maintenance fees of between $150 and $250. In his area, which has fewer tourists and expats, home prices are much lower, though he said sometimes houses can stay on the market for years without buyers. His electricity fees are about $50 a month, while WiFi is $40 a month. His water bill is a miniscule $5 a month, and he rarely uses air conditioning, which keeps costs down. Still, he estimates his grocery bills are comparable to what he spent in the US, though going out to eat is slightly less. "As more and more North Americans come down, prices on certain things like services have gone up," Stumpp said. "When I first got here, a hand carwash was $2, but now it's $10." He loves the weather and living by water, and he's enjoyed becoming integrated into Panamanian culture over the past few years. Still, he said he's noticed a lot of Americans moving down to Panama who don't adapt to the culture, noting that some have left recently citing cultural differences. He said Americans should understand that they're guests in Panama and respect their neighbors, even if it means having to listen to loud music during a party. "If you come down here to retire, it's not going to be like back home, and you're going to have to be flexible," Stumpp said. "There's some other old-timers here, and those are the ones that can adapt to life here, but there's those that can't." Have you recently left the United States for a new country? Have you recently moved to a new state? Reach out to this reporter at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com . Read the original article on Business Insider TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Thursday barring local governments from requiring heat protection for outdoor workers. Rather than sign the bill at a press conference, as DeSantis usually does, the Florida governor opted to quietly sign the controversial bill and announce it during a Thursday night press release alongside nine other bills. DeSantis signs bill stripping local citizen oversight boards from investigating police The bill, passed by the Florida Senate in March 2024, makes it so local governments can not require companies to meet or provide heat exposure requirements beyond those required by law. Miami-Dade County commissioners took up an ordinance last year that would require employers to provide access to water and breaks in the shade on especially hot days, but it was deferred to this spring. The ordinance was the culmination of a years-long campaign from local workers rights groups in response to heat-related illnesses and deaths in industries such as construction and agriculture. Currently, there are no federal or state laws ensuring protection from heat exposure for those working outdoors. The intent of the bill is to ensure that employers have the ability to govern themselves and make sure they create the best working environment for their employees, said bill sponsor Sen. Jay Trumbell (R-Panama City). The bill met opposition from citizens, many stating local governments should have the power to set their own standards based on the weather in their local area. Lets face reality. We have bad actors out there. Dont kid yourself, Sen. Victor Torres (D-Kissimmee) said, before adding, OSHA can only do so much. Is OSHA everywhere in the state, to where you can say a phone call will have somebody respond to that location? No. They dont have enough manpower. The new law comes after 2023 was the hottest year in recorded history, with the southern portions of the United States suffering weeks of oppressive humidity and triple-digit temperatures. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Earth's 4.5 billion year geological history is full of death and rebirth, mass extinctions and explosions of biodiversity, with different periods often marked by cataclysmic changes that radically reshaped environments and climates. Whether it was major ice ages or meteor impacts, these changes encompass everything from the shape of our continents to the composition of our oceans. One of the biggest ongoing debates in science is whether or not human activity, such as burning fossil fuels and triggering climate change, has had enough of an impact to create what can be considered a new geologic era. After all, scientists repeatedly remind us that our rapidly-heating planet is sending us into "uncharted territory" as we regularly break heat records and seem to be triggering a mass extinction some have called a "biological holocaust." The scientific consensus is that people have lived in the Holocene epoch for roughly 11,700 years, but some scientists argue human activity like mass extinctions, climate change, plastic pollution and nuclear fallout have fundamentally altered the planet, creating a new geological epoch in the process. Will our devastation ripple through the future for millions or even billions of years? Some argue yes, and this new era has been dubbed the "Anthropocene." But other experts have pushed back against this label, suggesting it's too soon to say whether or not our carbon footprints will be washed away in the waves of time. In March 2024, the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) aroused controversy when they voted down a proposal to officially call our evolving geological epoch the Anthropocene. The IUGS decision provoked heated debate within the scientific community about its accuracy. While an overwhelming majority of experts agree that climate change is anthropogenic that is, human-caused not everyone is so certain our influence is as dramatic or influential as some make it out to be, at least on geological timescales. In 2001, atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen was first to dub this alleged new epoch the Anthropocene, and by 2009 a multidisciplinary team of scientists known as the Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) was formed to determine whether Crutzen's theory is correct. After 14 years of research, the AWG decided that humanity began living in the Anthropocene starting in 1952, a year they chose because a stratotype section at Crawford Lake, Canada revealed a sharp upturn in sedimental plutonium concentrations from thermonuclear bomb testing occurring all over the world at that time. But the IUGS disagrees this constitutes enough global impact to be a formal unit of the Geologic Time Scale. "It is extremely disappointing that 14 years of research and the data compiled by the AWG and included in our submission were overlooked by many of the voting members of SQS [the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy]," Dr. Colin Waters, who chaired the AWG and is an honorary geography and geology professor at the University of Leicester, told Salon. He alleged that the voting process was so flawed as to be "illegitimate," arguing it should have been suspended until suitable reforms were implemented. Indeed, Waters argues that seemingly unprofessional behavior continues to this day. "We believe that our official Anthropocene Working Group has been disbanded by ICS [the International Commission on Stratigraphy], though again they have not felt it of importance to notify us of this," Waters said. "A proposal can be submitted at a future date only if a new working group is established by the governing bodies. There is no time limit on when this can be done, but it does require those bodies to be sympathetic to the idea of investigating this further in the future." Waters expressed hope that, when the current executives of the IUGS' various bodies leave their offices, their replacements will be more sympathetic. "Irrespective of the vote, the AWG stands fully behind its proposal," Waters said. The AWG demonstrated "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the "relatively stable interglacial conditions" that existed since the start of the Holocene Epoch 11,700 years ago no longer exist because of human activity; that the changes are irreversible; that geological strata associated with these changed conditions are "distinct from Holocene strata"; and that the plutonium concentrations from the stratotype section at Crawford Lake, Canada have been confirmed by precisely similar results in strata around the world. "All these lines of evidence indicate that the Anthropocene, though currently brief, is we emphasize of sufficient scale and importance to be represented on the Geological Time Scale and terminating the Holocene," Waters said. Dr. Martin Head, a professor of Earth sciences at Brock University, said that the IUGS decision is "very strange," characterizing it as occurring through a seemingly "illegitimate process" that he "must accept but cannot approve." Head said he was puzzled by the objections to formalizing the term "Anthropocene." Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter Lab Notes. "The main objection seems to be that the Anthropocene as a new epoch is too short (at around 72 years) and that the future is not geological time (which starts with the present and extends backwards)," Head said. "These are both true of course. But the future will surely become geological time and we have firm evidence from Earth System science that conditions outside of Holocene norms will persist for tens of thousands of years." Head also observed that "professional jealousy" seems to be a factor in this debate, as "the Anthropocene attracts a great deal of attention because of its links to climate change. My sense is that other stratigraphers working in deeper time feel eclipsed." Regardless of the other stratigraphers' feelings, though, Head is convinced that the Anthropocene concept is both scientifically valid and socially useful. "The Anthropocene as a new unit of the time scale formally acknowledges that our planet has been forced into a new functioning trajectory," Head said. "It left the old trajectory in the mid-20th century as a result of overwhelming human impacts. Without acknowledging this, humans risk not taking ownership of the problem and doing too little to ameliorate our future footprint." Dr. John Vidale, a geophysicist at the University of Southern California, also told Salon that "an Anthropocene epoch makes good sense." Vidale said that "etching mankinds impact on the environment with a term that would gain popularity and be backed by a scientific definition would highlight the bad (and good) changes in our planet, some of which are by choice. The existence of the Anthropocene would make it harder to deny or push under the rug." Dr. Erle Ellis, a professor of geography and environmental systems at the University of Maryland, told Salon the Anthropocene is a "critical concept for science communication about anthropogenic global change, so it really matters how it is portrayed." He told Salon that the people who care about the evidence already accept that humanity is changing the planet irreversibly, and an "official" label will not alter public perceptions. "In fact, the hardest thing to explain to people is why 1952 is relevant to this or why a dozen centimeters of sediment in a lake in Canada can represent the Anthropocene better than all the other evidence," Ellis said. "In other words, in the end, this discussion about a formal epoch is a dead end. It's time to move on with the science of the Anthropocene. And most of the public never knew this discussion existed just like most of the public don't know what epoch they officially live in (the Holocene) because it doesn't really matter." At the same time, even Ellis acknowledges that the concept of an Anthropocene is useful for scientists, though he argues if it should not be formalized as a geological epoch. "It is really important right now to clarify that the Anthropocene remains an important scientific concept and that geologists accept it (as a geological event)," Ellis said. "The only thing that happened with the vote is that the 'Anthropocene epoch' was not formally defined in the Geologic Time Scale. 'The Anthropocene' remains just the same as it was before the vote." The President of the IUGS, professor John Ludden CBE, said essentially the same thing in the statement shared with Salon about their decision. "Despite its rejection as a formal unit of the Geologic Time Scale, Anthropocene will nevertheless continue to be used not only by Earth and environmental scientists, but also by social scientists, politicians and economists, as well as by the public at large," Ludden said. "It will remain an invaluable descriptor of human impact on the Earth system." These reassurances seem to be cold comfort to people like Waters, who characterized attempts to play Devil's Advocate by understanding the IUGS position as efforts "to defend the indefensible." "There are many examples of previous paradigm shifts in science, such as evolution and plate tectonics, where some geologists have proved reluctant to accept the overwhelming evidence," Waters said. "Darwin was fortunate that he did not have to get his theory approved by committee." Liz Truss book - latest: Ex-PM claims she was too busy to back Brexit as she endorses Trump Liz Truss has claimed she was too busy to back Brexit as she backs Donald Trump to win Novembers US presidential election. It comes as Ms Truss, Britains shortest-serving prime minister, said the world was safer under Trumps presidency as she criticised incumbent Joe Biden. The former PM, who was in office for 49 days, suggested she may have backed Vote Leave if she had time for more existential thinking. Ms Truss said wanting to leave the EU was considered quite a far out, fringe position. But she added: Had I spend more of my time thinking about it during those years, I might have come to share that view but I had been busy as a minister, knee-deep in floods and other distractions. Ms Truss also launched into a scathing attack on President Joe Biden saying it has to be Donald Trump to win. I dont think (President Joe) Biden has been particularly supportive to the United Kingdom. I think hes often on the side of the EU. And I certainly think I would like to see a new president in the White House, she told LBC. Key Points Liz Truss tried to cancel Cop26 climate conference Liz Truss claims it is very stupid to say she crashed the economy Liz Truss says she would have backed Brexit but was too busy' Liz Truss details meeting with Queen Liz Truss refuses to rule out another run as Tory Party leader 14:20 , Barney Davis Liz Truss could run for leader of the Conservative Party again saying its never wise to rule anything out in politics, is it? The Tory former prime minister claimed she had unfinished business at the top of politics, as she toured the media ahead of the publication of her book, Ten Years To Save The West. Her tenure in Downing Street lasted just 49 days, after the mini budget, which included unfunded tax cutting measures, triggered mass market turmoil. Asked by LBC if she would want to return to frontline politics in the event the Conservatives lose the coming general election, Ms Truss said: I definitely have unfinished business. Definitely. And I think the Conservative Party has unfinished business. I think, if were honest with ourselves, we havent done enough to reverse the Blair legacy. Ms Truss insisted she had not written her book to run a leadership campaign, but wanted to build support for her political ideas. But pressed if she would rule out standing for the Tory leadership in future, she said: Well, its never wise to rule anything out in politics, is it? (Getty Images) Liz Truss explosive new memoir Ten Years to Save the West is out now heres where to buy 13:40 , Barney Davis Having famously been outlasted by an iceberg lettuce in a blonde wig, Trusss new book is an attempt to explain the failures of her time in office including her radical free-market policies that crashed the British economy. If youre interested in getting your hands on a copy Daisy Lesters writes: Where to buy Liz Truss new book Ten Years to Save the West 'Liz Trusss memoir is ludicrous and shows how unworthy of office our shortest-serving PM was 12:38 , Barney Davis Read Sean OGradys scathing one-star review of Liz Truss self-serving and poorly composed Ten Years to Save the West, in which she recaps her doomed, disastrous 49 days in office. Liz Trusss ludicrous memoir shows how unworthy of office our shortest-serving PM was 14 years to ruin a nation Labour mock Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak on fake book cover 12:20 , Barney Davis The Labour Party are having fun mocking Liz Truss memoir by splicing an image with Rishi Sunak on the front and changing the title on her publication day. The ex-Tory leader, who took over from Boris Johnson in the summer of 2022, has offered a look behind the scenes in her memoir Ten Years to Save the West. But Labour changed the title to 14 years to ruin a nation in a dig at Tory rule adding tongue-in-cheek quotes from Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and Rishi Sunak. Labour having fun with Liz Truss publication day pic.twitter.com/X1UeljhKOb Jason Groves (@JasonGroves1) April 16, 2024 Liz Truss only offered 1.5k advance on memoir 11:52 , Barney Davis Liz Truss was paid just over 1,500 for her advance on the UK rights to her memoir 10 Years to Save the West. On her register of interests for 7 March 2024, it says she received 1,512.88 from Biteback Publishing Ltd as an initial advance on a book. She was received 6,161.40 from Regnery Publishing for the US rights. In comparison, Nicola Sturgeon got the first of 4 75,000 advances totalling 300,000 for her deeply personal and revealing memoir, after a bidding war between nine publishers. Liz Truss called for National Insurance to be scrapped - in 1997 11:20 , Archie Mitchell Liz Truss has revealed that she called for National Insurance (NI) to be scrapped in 1997, a pledge which Rishi Sunak has adopted in recent weeks. As senior Labour figures including Wes Streeting warn that a vote for Rishi Sunak is a vote for Ms Truss, the ex-PMs book reveal that she called to abolish the tax at Tory conference in front of Margaret Thatcher 27 years ago. It was a fake tax, claiming to be an insurance against unemployment and sickness. In fact, it was just another way of fleecing the British public, she said. Mr Sunak said last month it is his long term ambition to scrap the levy, describing it as a form of double taxation. Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said Mr Sunak was drawing from the Liz Truss playbook and risked making the same mistakes as the ex-PM, who sent mortgage rates soaring. Partygate investigator Sue Gray gave Liz Truss a hug 11:12 , Archie Mitchell Sue Gray hugged Liz Truss after the ex-PM was demoted from justice secretary to chief Treasury secretary by Theresa May, the memoir reveals. Ms Truss has described being taken by Ms May into the Margaret Thatcher study and told that she was being demoted to the more junior post outside the cabinet. The then deputy cabinet secretary Ms Gray was on hand for consolation, however. Ms Truss wrote: Before I left Downing Street, I had to see the Cabinet Office official responsible for the mechanics of ministerial appointments, Sue Gray. To my surprise, she took it upon herself to commiserate with me by giving me a hug, before telling me that as a result of my demotion, my salary was being cut. I didnt welcome her unsolicited embrace I am not a hugger but given how delicate I was feeling, she got off lightly. Ms Gray went on to author the daming Partygate report into Boris Johnsons No10 during lockdown and now works as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmers chief of staff. Liz Truss mixed up Emmanuel Macron and Joe Bidens wives 10:54 , Archie Mitchell The former PM said she mixed up US first lady Jill Biden and Emmanuel Macrons wife, Brigitte. Writing about an event at the Ukrainian Institute of America, Liz Truss said: Across the room I saw a blonde lady I recognised. I called out Hi, Dr Biden! to the woman I believed was the US First Lady. As she got closer, I realised it wasnt her at all, but French President Macrons wife, Brigitte. I hope she didnt hear. Liz Truss warns Donald Trump that the deep state is out to get him 10:35 , Barney Davis Liz Truss has warned Donald Trump that the deep state will try to bring him down if he is victorious in the election. The administrative state undermined Mr Trumps first term and undermined my tenure as Britains prime minister, forcing me out of office after 49 days, she writes in the Wall Street Journal. I assumed that I would be able to drive through the agenda on which I was elected. How wrong I was. The opaque British bureaucratic state undermined my proposed reforms, and their American equivalents will have Mr Trump in their sights if he is victorious in November. The deep state will attempt to undercut him even more than it did in his first term. Liz Truss endorses Donald Trump for US President: The world was safer Liz Truss wing of the Tory party fighting against smoking ban - Labour shadow minister claims 10:07 , Barney Davis Wes Streeting has accused the Liz Truss wing of the Conservatives of trying to choke off the smoking ban that is due to be debated today. He posted on X: Rishi Sunak might be weak but Labour will not allow the Liz Truss wing of the Conservative Party to choke off the Smoking Bill today. We will give our full support to this Bill so that the next generation are even less likely to smoke than they are to vote Conservative. Liz Truss says she was too busy to back Brexit 08:55 , Archie Mitchell Liz Truss has said she was too busy to back Brexit during the 2016 referendum campaign. The ex-PM, who campaigned for Remain in the run-up to the Brexit vote, said she may have backed Vote Leave if she had time for more existential thinking. Ms Truss said wanting to leave the EU was considered quite a far out, fringe position. But she added: Had I spend more of my time thinking about it during those years, I might have come to share that view but I had been busy as a minister, knee-deep in floods and other distractions. She also said she was reluctant to back the Leave campaign because she did not think it could win and out of loyalty to David Cameron and George Osborne who had put me where I was. Liz Truss tried to cancel Cop26 climate conference 08:17 , Archie Mitchell Liz Truss has admitted she tried to scrap the Cop26 climate conference, hosted in Glasgow in 2021. The former PM was chief secretary to the Treasury at the time and, in her memoir, says she strongly questioned whether the jamboree should be a priority for the government - pointing to the 200m+ price tag. Ms Trusss predecessor and then boss Boris Johnson said Cop26 was a summit that proved the doubters wrong, hailing it as a success that drew 120 heads of state to Britain and saw the world unite in calling time on coal. Ms Truss wrote in her book that she was in a minority of one in questioning the conference, which she described as environmental virtue signalling. She added that, after trying to ditch Cop26, then environment secretary Michael Gove described her as the Grinch who wants to stop Christmas. Tory minister not planning to read Liz Truss book 07:49 , Archie Mitchell A senior Tory has said she is not planning to read Liz Trusss memoir, describing it as an attempt for the former PM to vindicate her time in office. Laura Farris, the minister for victims and safeguarding, said I perhaps dont agree with everything that she has to say. Asked by Sky News about the Liberal Democrat claim that Ms Truss is a national embarrassment, Ms Farris said she would not get into personal criticisms. She added: I know that she has an account of her time in office, what she thinks happened I have always been very supportive of the prime minister [Rishi Sunak]. Liz Truss claims unconscious racism was more important than reading and writing at school 07:06 , Archie Mitchell Liz Truss has said lessons about unconscious racism were more of a priority at her school than ensuring everyone could read and write properly. The ex-PM, who went to a state secondary school in Leeds in the late 1980s and early 1990s, said political correctness pervaded everything it did. She said she did not want to describe it as a sink school, but that it was simply not particularly bad and not particularly good either. Ms Truss wrote: What wound me up was the political correctness that pervaded everything it did, and the sense that lessons on unconscious racism seemed more of a priority than ensuring that everyone could read and write properly. Nick Clegg much better suited to California and Facebook, Truss says 06:59 , Archie Mitchell Liz Truss has added ex-Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg to the growing list of figures she has attacked for thwarting her Conservative ideas. Attacking his June 2013 decision to block a package of childcare reforms she was attempting to champion, Ms Truss said Sir Nick would rather be popular than do the right thing. He has now found a much more appropriate home in California and is working for Facebook, she added. Sir Nick is the president of global affairs at Facebooks parent company Meta. Truss reveals Tories saw Lib Dems as spies in coalition 06:52 , Archie Mitchell As well as moaning about uncooperative civil servants, Liz Truss used her book to complain about the headaches of coalition government. I also had to deal with the fact that back then we Conservatives were serving in a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats, she wrote. She added: Each government department had a Liberal Democrat minister working alongside the Conservatives (known to us as spies). Ms Truss accused the party of seeking to score political points with the progressive left and said it was the way of life for education ministers to bypass the Lib Dems and the rather wet Conservatives in No10. I was branded a martinet by civil servants, Truss claims 06:45 , Archie Mitchell Liz Truss has hit out at civil servants for delivering her reforms too slowly, and claimed she was branded a martinet for phoning them directly to ask why deadlines had been missed. Writing about her first government job, as a junior minister in the Department for Education, Ms Truss said she felt like a child emperor. Your every whim about how you would like your coffee served or your papers stacked is pandered to, she said. But she added that when it came to her challenging the way the system operates, there were endless ways requests could be evaded. The ex-PM said civil servants were not impressed when she began phoning them directly to ask why deadlines had not been met, while friends across government had quiet words with her about the approach. Articles appeared in the press describing me as a martinet (a strict disciplinarian), she added. And all just for asking officials to do things and adhere to deadlines! she exclaimed. Liz Truss: Very stupid to say I crashed the economy 06:08 , Archie Mitchell Liz Truss has said those who accuse her of crashing the economy with her disastrous tax-cutting budget are either very stupid or very malevolent. The former PM, whose so-called mini budget helped wipe around 425bn from UK pension funds in 2022, said those who make the claim are not telling the truth. In a Daily Telegraph interview to promote her book Ten Years to Save the West, Ms Truss said: The people who claim I crashed the economy are not telling the truth. Theyre either very stupid or very malevolent. Because its clearly not true so they should be ashamed of themselves. Labour has repeatedly accused Ms Truss of having crashed the economy with the September 2022 financial event. Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has accused Ms Truss of making a twisted victory lap to promote the memoir, repeating the claim that the Conservatives under Ms Truss crashed the economy. Closing blog Saturday 13 April 2024 15:53 , Athena Stavrou We are closing this liveblog for now. You can see the latest news on Liz Truss here. Pictures: Liz Truss meeting with the late Queen Saturday 13 April 2024 14:00 , Athena Stavrou (Getty) Liz Truss book (PA) (PA) Liz Truss thought why me, why now? after Queens death, new memoir reveals Saturday 13 April 2024 13:00 , Athena Stavrou Liz Truss has revealed she thought why me, why now? when she learned the Queen had died just two days after she was sworn in as prime minister. In her new book, Ten Years to Save the West, Truss admitted she went into a state of shock when told of Queen Elizabeth IIs death in 2022. Of her historic meeting at Balmoral in Scotland, which occurred just two days before the monarchs death, Truss says the 96-year-old Queen seemed to have grown frailer since she had last been in the public eye. Read more: Liz Truss thought why me, why now? after Queens death, new memoir reveals Truss says husband predicted premiership would all end in tears Saturday 13 April 2024 11:45 , Athena Stavrou In an excerpt of her new book, former prime minister Liz Truss revealed how her husband predicted her premiership would all end in tears. In her memoir, Truss describes the moment she learnt that her predecessor, Boris Johnson, was forced to resign. She was in Bali at the time as foreign secretary and said: As I walked along the beach in Indonesia I started crying. Even Hugh [her husband], who predicted it would all end in tears, accepted that this was the moment I was expected to run and that if I didnt, people would say I had bottled it, Truss writes. (PA) Liz Truss blames Boris Johnsons dog for fleas in No 10 Saturday 13 April 2024 09:45 , Athena Stavrou Liz Truss has suggested Boris Johnsons dog left fleas in No 10 in extraordinary extracts from her new book. The bombshell revelations include that she spent several of her six weeks as prime minister itching because Downing Street was infested with the pests. The place was infested with fleas, she wrote. Some claimed that this was down to Boris and Carries dog Dilyn, but there was no conclusive evidence. In any case, the entire place had to be sprayed with flea killer. I spent several weeks itching. (PA Archive) Liz Truss defends approach to tenure Saturday 13 April 2024 09:41 , Athena Stavrou Liz Truss served in office for just 49 days, making her Britains shortest-serving prime minister. Many attribute her downfall to the governments radical tax-cutting policy agenda that tanked the pound. But the MP for South West Norfolk defended her approach in her memoir, suggesting the pro-Remain Treasury, Bank of England and Office for Budget Responsibility were barriers to our plans. She said she had been considering whether to appoint new senior leaders in the Bank of England and Treasury but admitted this would have amounted to a declaration of war on the economic establishment. It would also have taken time we didnt have, she said. (PA) Saturday 13 April 2024 09:36 , Athena Stavrou In her new memoir, Liz Truss said that the machine kicked into action when word reached Number 10 that the Queen would not able to join a planned meeting via videolink, as planned. My black mourning dress was fetched from my house in Greenwich, south London. Frantic phone calls took place with Buckingham Palace. I started to think about what on earth I was going to say if the unthinkable happened. On Thursday, we received the solemn news that the Queen had died peacefully at Balmoral. To be told this on only my second full day as Prime Minister felt utterly unreal. In a state of shock, I found myself thinking: Why me, why now? (AFP/Getty) Full extract of Truss meeting with the Queen Saturday 13 April 2024 09:32 , Athena Stavrou In an extract published on Mail+ of her memoir Ten Years to Save the West, Ms Truss said: That Tuesday, September 6 2022, she was standing up as she greeted me in her drawing room. I was told shed made a special effort to do so but she gave no hint of discomfort throughout our discussion. This was only my second one-on-one audience with her. On the previous occasion, after Id been removed from a different job in the Government, shed remarked that being a woman in politics was tough. For about 20 minutes, we discussed politics and it was clear she was completely attuned to everything that was happening, as well as being typically sharp and witty. There simply wasnt any sense that the end would come as quickly as it did. (Getty) Liz Truss details meeting with Queen Saturday 13 April 2024 09:26 , Athena Stavrou Liz Truss has detailed her short tenure in Downing Street including her meeting with the late Queen in her new memoir. In the first excerpt of her book, titled Ten Years to Save the West, the former prime minister said that she asked, why me, why now? when Queen Elizabeth II died just two days into her premiership. Of her historic meeting at Balmoral in Scotland in September 2022Truss says the 96-year-old the Queen seemed to have grown frailer since she had last been in the public eye. We spent around 20 minutes discussing politics. She was completely attuned to everything that was happening, as well as being typically sharp and witty, she writes in Mail+. Ms Truss, whose tenure in Downing Street lasted just 49 days after her disastrous mini-budget unleashed economic chaos, also revealed the late Queen told her to pace yourself. Maybe I should have listened, the former PM said. Leaders across the European Union have condemned Iran's overnight attacks on Israel. Writing on X, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "I strongly condemn Irans blatant and unjustifiable attack on Israel. And I call on Iran and its proxies to immediately cease these attacks." "All actors must now refrain from further escalation and work to restore stability in the region," she added. Tehran launched some 300 drones, ballistic and cruise missiles against Israel between Saturday and Sunday, though Israeli air defences intercepted the vast majority. The attack was in retaliation to a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month that killed 12 people. Among the dead were two senior Iranian generals. EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola called Iran's attack a "major escalation". She said the EU condemned the missile and drone strikes and would "keep working to de-escalate and stop the situation spiralling into more bloodshed." Similar condemnation was echoed in EU capitals. "I deplore in the strongest possible terms Irans unjustified attack against Israel," said Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. "The top priority should be stopping any further escalation in the region," she continued. France's number one Emmanuel Macron blasted Tehran's attack, saying it threatened to "destabilise the region". "I express my solidarity with the Israeli people and France's commitment to the security of Israel, our partners, and regional stability," he wrote on X. French military forces, along with those from Britain and America, helped Israel stave off Iran's attack last night, according to the Israeli Defence Force. These three Western countries have also been key suppliers of arms to Israel as it wages war against Hamas in Gaza. G7 leaders are due to meet on Sunday via video call to discuss their response to the attack - the first time Iran has ever directly struck its arch-regional rival. In a statement sent to Euronews, Julien Barnes-Dacey, Director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations said: "Iran felt compelled to respond to Israels attack on its consulate in Syria in an escalatory fashion and direct Iranian attacks on Israel are an unprecedented step in a steadily deepening and ever more direct regional war." "But the strikes were very well telegraphed in advance and Iran made clear, even as the attacks were unfolding, that it wanted to avoid unleashing a wider conflict. This was about demonstrating a firm response and yet holding it sufficiently in check to avoid provoking direct war, which is still Irans core aim." "The nature of the attacks may strengthen an Israeli perception that Tehran is on the back foot, lacking the willpower and capacity for deeper engagement, and that now is the moment for Israel to inflict a long sought after deeper blow on Iran and its regional proxies," he added. Even EU member states that typically go against Brussels' line joined the chorus of criticism against Tehran. Hungary's far-right leader Viktor Orban said he would "pray for the safety of the Israeli people." People of all ages turned out Saturday at Percival's Island for the 2024 Lynchburg Heart Walk. The American Heart Association event raises money in the fight against heart disease and stroke. For more information about the fundraiser, go to www2.heart.org. TOKYO, Apr 14 (News On Japan) - Japan is leading the support for mine clearance efforts in Ukraine, providing advanced equipment such as high-performance metal detectors that can see underground with radar and large mine-clearance machines that can remove mines quickly. Japan is also advancing human resource development, including conducting training sessions in Cambodia, where the effects of mines have persisted for a long time, to impart skills to Ukrainian demining workers. On April 4, in conjunction with International Mine Awareness Day, Japan provided 570 mine detectors and 475 protective suits through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Estimates suggest that clearing the widespread mines could take several hundred years, and Japan plans to continue technical cooperation to promote the production of necessary equipment and the development of human resources within Ukraine. Kuninori Matsuda, the Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine, stated, "Mine detection and clearance is an area where Japan has the most experience and know-how. We want to challenge new areas of support, such as developing and producing equipment together within Ukraine." the threat of anti-personnel mines known as "petal mines" is causing serious harm to Ukrainian soldiers. According to Ukraine's State Emergency Service, the area potentially affected by mines, including those laid due to the military invasion, is approximately 156,000 square kilometers, which corresponds to over a quarter of the country's territory. The number of soldiers killed or injured by mines has not been disclosed, but the damage is believed to be significant. Civilians are also affected; as of this month, 258 people have died and 626 have been injured due to mines and other explosives. The threat of "petal mines," which are small, about 12 centimeters in size, and scattered from the air using rocket-propelled grenades, is particularly emphasized at the front lines. These mines activate minutes after hitting the ground and are difficult to detect as they blend in with grass and other vegetation. Touching or stepping on them can cause the liquid inside to leak out and explode. The State Emergency Service notes that these mines are distinctive for their widespread dispersal; over 300 can be loaded into a single rocket, and a multi-launch rocket system can scatter nearly 5,000 mines over an area of 150 hectares. Last year, as the Ukrainian army pushed forward with a counteroffensive, the Russian army heavily used these mines, leading to consecutive injuries among Ukrainian soldiers in the eastern Donetsk region and the southern Kherson region. Ivan Shepelyev, head of the mine clearance division at the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, emphasized the threat of "petal mines," stating, "The most dangerous and cunning mines are the 'petal mines.' If one soldier steps on a mine, his comrades attempting to help are also at risk from the many mines around them." Ukrainian soldier Dmytro Mykhailovsky (40) suffered a severe injury last September at the front line in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, losing part of his right leg to a "petal mine." Mykhailovsky recalled being ordered to move at midnight to avoid Russian detection and stepping on a "petal mine" while navigating in the dark with the guidance of a radio. He said, "It wasn't a loud explosion but a muffled 'pop.' There was no shock, just pain. When I fell, someone said, 'Your leg is gone.' That's when I realized it was a 'petal mine.'" Earlier that day, Mykhailovsky had seen Russian forces launch rockets scattering "petal mines," and soon after, he heard screams from another group operating nearby. When he was taken for treatment after being injured, there were two other soldiers who had also lost parts of their legs. Mykhailovsky underwent six surgeries to fit a prosthetic leg to the lost part of his limb. He is now working on rehabilitation at a facility in the western Vinnytsia region to return to everyday life. "Petal mines" are causing numerous injuries in Ukraine, with many people losing parts of their limbs. At a facility in Vinnytsia that manufactures prosthetics and offers rehabilitation support, Valentin Sarmatov, the facility's director, said that before the Russian military invasion, most of their clients were people who lost their legs due to accidents or illness, but now nearly 30% are victims of mines. Particularly since the Ukrainian army's counteroffensive, the number of soldiers visiting the facility with injuries, many of whom speak of the threat of "petal mines," has increased. Sarmatov shared, "When the front line shifts to an offensive, soldiers come out of their cover to attack enemy positions. According to the soldiers, there are places heavily mined by the enemy, and that's where they get injured." The facility's doctors note that injuries from "petal mines" are characterized by the loss of specific body parts, such as toes or heels, rather than fatal wounds. It is challenging to create prosthetics that adapt to such partial injuries, often requiring amputation surgery to fit a prosthetic leg for walking. Dr. Volodymyr Danylyuk, a physician at the facility, explained, "There are not many types of prosthetics. It is not easy to select and adapt the right prosthetic for the injured part." Source: NHK TOKYO, Apr 14 (News On Japan) - Nippon Steel's proposal to acquire American steel giant U.S. Steel has been approved at a special shareholders' meeting, with the focus now shifting to regulatory reviews for finalization. The acquisition has stirred political controversy, as labor unions within the steel industry express opposition. In the midst of a presidential race, both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who are courting union support, have shown caution regarding the takeover. At the emergency shareholders' meeting held on the 12th, the proposal was approved by a majority. CEO Britt remarked that the acquisition is "the best path to enhance the competitiveness of the domestic steel industry." The acquisition now faces scrutiny from authorities concerned with national security, leaving the outcome uncertain. Nippon Steels Vice Chairman Moritaka expressed optimism about the milestone, stating, "It's gratifying that a significant step toward completion of the acquisition has been taken. We look forward to progressing as the leading global steelmaker alongside U.S. Steel." Source: NTV NEWS KYOTO, Apr 14 (News On Japan) - Kyoto City is set to implement a system that allows even non-working parents to place their children in daycare, aiming to enhance the child-rearing environment. This move addresses the needs of those who have previously been ineligible due to not meeting work-hour requirements. Starting in July, 13 facilities in Kyoto will begin accepting children under this new system, which allows parents to enroll their children in daycare for specified hours, regardless of employment status. This pilot initiative, part of a national effort to combat declining birth rates, will officially start in the 2026 fiscal year. Despite the optimistic outlook from parents who appreciate the flexibility, the scheme increases the burden on childcare providers. Daily adjustments are required for children who are not accustomed to group settings, particularly for those with allergies, which presents a significant challenge when care is infrequent. Securing enough qualified childcare professionals remains a critical issue. With a continuing shortage of caregivers, the sector is under pressure, and the city's stringent budget constraints make substantial improvements difficult. However, Kyoto aims to gradually address these challenges, although comprehensive solutions are still needed. The discussion around this policy highlights the need for societal involvement in childcare and raises concerns about the potential for generational divisions. As discussions continue, the implementation of this policy will require careful consideration of its impact on both families and childcare providers. Source: KTV NEWS TOKYO, Apr 15 (Kabuki In-Depth) - This video focuses on the popular stage tricks known as keren. Although some of them go back to the Genroku period, they are representative of the final stages of the Edo period. TOKYO, Apr 15 (News On Japan) - The Myanmar community in Tokyo gathered in Koto Ward on Sunday to celebrate the Myanmar New Year, marked annually on April 17th. The festival, known as "Thingyan," attracted around 10,000 participants this year, including both the local Myanmar population and Japanese guests. Women dressed in vibrant traditional attire performed customary dances that are a staple during the New Year celebrations in Myanmar. The festival also offered an array of homemade dishes, allowing attendees to savor the flavors of Myanmar. One of the visitors commented, "It's a lot of fun. It feels like I've returned to Myanmar. It would be even more enjoyable with the water-throwing tradition, but even here, you can really feel the spirit of Myanmar." In Myanmar, the Thingyan festival also took place on April 14th, where the throwing of water is a central element. This act symbolizes washing away the misfortunes and dirt of the past year to welcome the new one. The organizers expressed their hopes to deepen cultural understanding through the festival's continued celebration in Japan, bringing together traditions and people in a vibrant and meaningful exchange. Source: ANN TOKYO, Apr 15 (Kyodo) - A man arrested for allegedly stealing a pure gold tea bowl priced at around 10 million yen ($65,000) has told police he "thought of drinking tea" with the bowl, an investigative source said Sunday. Masaru Horie, 32, who was arrested Saturday, said he first thought he could use the bowl stolen from a major Tokyo department store as a vessel to drink tea from but ultimately decided that "it was better to sell it for cash." He sold the bowl for around 1.8 million yen at a shop in Tokyo that buys goods from customers, police said, adding that they are searching for the bowl as it is no longer at the shop and is believed to have been resold. Source: Kyodo A faded U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sign is shown at Winnebago Bend Wildlife Area. The corps seized the land from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska in the 1970s for a recreation project that never came to fruition. A number of efforts have since been made to return control of the land to the tribe. A group of US senators introduced a bill to renew AGOA trade program with 40 nations in Sub-Saharan Africa, to help them maintain duty-free access to the US market ahead of the deals expiration next year. The legislation, first enacted in 2000, is expected to be extended until 2041, news agencies reported. Bidens administration has expressed support for the pact as more than $10 billion worth of African exports entered the U.S. duty-free under the program in 2022, according to the U.S. Trade Representatives office. Through this scheme, the US seeks to lower its dependence on Chinese commodities amid fierce competition over Africas critical minerals. However, despite longstanding bipartisan support from U.S. lawmakers, who view AGOA as critical to countering the influence of China in Africa, there are divisions in Washington over the need for updates. Kenya has offered Ethiopia and Somalia a maritime treaty as a solution to a standoff that sparked when Adis Ababa signed a deal with breakaway Somaliland. Landlocked Ethiopia had signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland providing for access to the sea in return for an official recognition of the independence of the separatist region. This has irked Somalia which ordered Ethiopias ambassador to leave the country and close all consular representations. Kenya fears the build-up of tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia would further destabilize a horn of Africa that is beset with terrorism and civil-wars and instability. Kenyas proposal involves Djibouti and aims to organize access to the sea for landlocked countries in the region. Ethiopia has often described access to the sea as an existential issue for the nation. The country has so far relied on a Djibouti port for imports and exports. An image grab from a video taken early on Sunday shows rocket trails in the sky above the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. Photo: Screencap/AFP via Getty Images Overnight Saturday, Iran conducted an unprecedented direct attack on Israel, launching a barrage of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles at Israeli military targets. Israel says it and its allies, including the U.S., almost entirely intercepted the air assault, and that the strikes caused only minor damage to one Israeli military base. So far, theres been one reported injury, a 7-year-old Bedouin girl struck by shrapnel from one of the interceptions. The attack was in retaliation for Israels April 1 air strike on Irans Consulate in Syria, which killed two Iranian generals and five other military officers. Irans government has signaled that it now views the matter concluded, but its not yet clear if, how, or when Israel will respond. The White House has reiterated that U.S. support for Israel remains ironclad, while President Joe Biden has reportedly told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the U.S. will not support a retaliation on Iran. Meanwhile, theres no question that the dramatic escalation in violence between the two countries risks triggering a wider and potentially destabilizing regional war, far beyond the ramifications of whats already happening in Gaza. Below is a running look at how various analysts, experts, and other commentators are responding to the news and what theyre saying about what might or should happen next. Twenty-one years ago, the U.S. and its allies invaded Iraq in the erroneous belief that the country possessed weapons of mass destruction and was allied with al-Qaida, the terror group responsible for the 9/11 attacks. The U.S. created an occupation authority, but failed to restore order and helped spawn the insurgency that bedeviled it by dismissing the entire Iraqi military and the most experienced civil servants. Coalition troops fought a losing battle, regained their footing with the 2007 troop surge, and finally departed in 2011. U.S. troops returned in 2014 to fight the Islamic State and they remain there to this day, though ISIS was largely eliminated by 2019. In January 2020, Iraqs parliament voted on a nonbinding measure to remove the U.S. troops from Iraq, but the Americans remain at the request of the Iraqi government. However, in response to the parliaments 2020 vote, Iraq and the International Coalition changed the mission of the troops from a combat mission to one of advisory and training. Iraqs prime minister, Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani, will meet U.S. President Joe Biden on April 15, primarily to discuss the U.S. troop presence. Though the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission is reviewing the troop presence issue, will the U.S. side stall fearing it may have to agree to a smaller presence and constrained operations? Possibly, so Sudani may want a public commitment from Biden to force the march to a constructive, timely decision. Related: South Africa Seeks $21 Billion Funding for Major Grid Expansion Aside from the troops issue, Sudani wants to strengthen Baghdads ties with Washington, which he considers Iraqs top bilateral relationship, and to add an economic dimension to Iraqs ties with America. When Americans think of Iraq in economic terms its all about the oil, but in November 2023 ExxonMobil, Americas biggest oil company, exited Iraq with nothing to show for a decade-long effort. The departure will lower the expectation of other U.S. companies, but Sudani wants to revitalize economic ties, and he will be accompanied by many of the countrys top businessmen. U.S.-Iraq trade has room for growth. In 2022, the U.S. exported $897 million in goods, the top product being automobiles. Iraq, in turn, exported $10.3 billion in goods, most of it crude oil. A key economic objective of Iraq is the $17 billion Development Road, an overland road and rail link from the Persian Gulf to Europe via Turkey, that will host free-trade zones along its length. Biden and Sudani should consider the shape of the future U.S.-Iraq relationship, which has to now been governed by military considerations, and has become the best example of The Meddlers Trap, a situation of self-entanglement, whereby a leader inadvertently creates a problem through military intervention, feels they can solve it, and values solving the new problem more because of the initial intervention. A military intervention causes a feeling of ownership of the foreign territory, triggering the endowment effect. Iraq is the only real democracy in the Arab world, and many young Iraqis want a separation of religion and state, something that should resonate with Americans and, Iraqis hope, cause the U.S. to deal with Iraq as Iraq, not a platform for operations against Syria and Iran, or to support Washingtons Kurdish clients. Washington damaged itself in Iraq by killing Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in January 2020. Baghdad had moved the PMF, once a militia, into the government in 2016 (no doubt with American encouragement), so the killing of Muhandis, then a government official, increased popular support the PMF. What are some clouds on the horizon for the U.S. and Iraq? Corruption. Pervasive corruption in Iraq has slowed economic development and subjected Iraqi citizens to ineffective governance. The 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International ranked Iraq 154 of 180, a slight improvement from 2022 when it ranked 157 of 180. Iraq was previously described by TI as: Among the worst countries on corruption and governance indicators, with corruption risks exacerbated by lack of experience in the public administration, weak capacity to absorb the influx of aid money, sectarian issues and lack of political will for anti-corruption efforts. Sudani has not ignored corruption, calling it one of the countrys greatest challenges and no less serious than the threat of terrorism. Elizabeth Tsurkov. Tsurkov is a Russian-Israeli academic who was kidnapped in 2023 by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-influenced Iraqi militia. Tsurkov, a doctoral student at Princeton University in the U.S., entered Iraq with her Russian passport and did not disclose that she was an Israeli citizen and Israeli Defense Forces veteran. (A 2022 Iraqi law criminalized any relations with Israel.) Tsurkovs family wants the Biden administration to designate Iraq a state sponsor of terrorism for failing to secure her release. Sudanis office announced an investigation into the matter and the issue may arise when Sudani meets Biden, though the best outcome for Iraq and the U.S. is a Russia-brokered deal between Israel and Iran. If Biden designates Iraq a state sponsor of terrorism that will irreparably damage the relationship and open the door for China. China. The U.S. is Iraqs top relationship, but not its only relationship. China will respond to the ostracism of Baghdad by extending invitations to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, the latter of which can fund infrastructure projects through the New Development Bank. PetroChina replaced ExxonMobil in West Qurna 1, one of Iraqs biggest oil fields, and is ideally positioned for further expansion. And Iraq was the leading beneficiary of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative investment in 2021. Sudani has said Iraq should not be a cockpit of conflict for the U.S, and Iran, but when Iran is concerned it, in Washington, is always 1979. Though Sudani has many challenges to face, Biden has more: he must reorient his government away from its colonial mentality in West Asia, recognize that Baghdad must reach a modus vivendi with Tehran that may not be to Washingtons pleasure, and not smooth the way for Beijings greater penetration of West Asia. By James Durso for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A man and a teenage boy were injured by gunfire early Sunday in South Omaha. An Omaha police spokesman said James Fuertes, 17, and Alexis Mendoza-Urzua, 21, sustained gunshot injuries in the area of 27th and F Streets. Officers were called to the area about 1 a.m. for a report of shots fired. Omaha Fire Department medics transported Fuertes and Mendoza-Urzua to the Nebraska Medical Center with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Police are investigating what led to the shootings, the spokesman said. Douglas County Court records show that an arrest warrant had been issued for Mendoza-Urzua on Thursday. He is accused in the warrant of pointing a gun at Furertes 18-year-old sister, his former girlfriend. A substitute teacher with the Omaha Public Schools was arrested Saturday after she was found in the back seat of her SUV with a 17-year-old, according to authorities. Deputies with the Douglas County Sheriffs Office were responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle parked on a dead end road near Bennington at 2:49 a.m. when they saw Erin Ward and a 17-year-old boy in Wards Honda Pilot, according to a release from the Sheriffs Office. As deputies arrived, the 17-year-old quickly moved into the drivers seat of the Honda and drove northbound away from the deputies until crashing into a yard approximately two blocks away, according to the release. The teen, who was not wearing clothes, fled on foot. Deputies could not immediately locate him, the release said. Deputies then confronted Ward, who was putting on her clothes in the back seat of the Honda. Ward admitted to having sex with the teen, whom she identified as a 17-year-old student at Burke High School, according to the release. Deputies found an Omaha Public Schools employee ID in the Honda, and Ward confirmed she was a substitute teacher at Burke and other schools in the metro area, the release said. The Honda was determined to be owned by Ward and her spouse. Ward was taken to the Douglas County Department of Corrections on suspicion of felony sexual abuse by a school employee, according to the release. Deputies located the 17-year-old at approximately 4 a.m. in the nearby Newport Landing neighborhood wearing only boxers, a T-shirt and socks, the release said. He was transported to be interviewed. Both Ward and the 17-year-old were given minor medical attention following the crash and the victims flight on foot, according to the release. President Muhammadu Buhari Revelation into why President Muhammadu Buhari failed to inject fresh hands into his cabinet for a straight four-year term, despite subtle pressure from a cross section of Nigerians, emerged on Wednesday, just as the president hosted his team to a valedictory session at the State House, Abuja. Buhari, who said heated debates sometimes characterise their weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings, also said they enable them make rational decision on the long run. But contrary to the expectation of Nigerians, the president failed to dissolve his cabinet on May 22, hinging it on the unique skills and strength that each of the ministers has. He said the diversity in thought of the ministers were a reflection of the diversity of the entire country, hence every opinion mattered and needed to be considered thoroughly. Although we all had a common vision, we frequently had heated debates in this room on the best way to achieve our goals. These differing views are what made the decisions we took all the more rational. It is this quality that made me retain my cabinet for the full term. Each of you in this room has a unique skill and strength. We are a reflection of the Nigeria we aspire to achieve. A diverse but tolerant nation where no one is silenced and where every opinion should be heard and considered, the president stated at the valedictory session. While mandating the ministers to continue to hold brief in their respective ministries and submit their handover notes to their permanent secretaries on May 28, which happens to be the eve of his official swearing-in for a fresh four-year term, Buhari said they ought to be proud of contributing their quota to the development of the country, especially with the initial challenges that trailed the current administration. Buhari said, Although today is our last council meeting, I expect all of you to continue working until Tuesday, May 28, 2019, when you will officially hand over your schedules to your respective permanent secretaries. Your handing over letters should be submitted to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. I want you all to leave this meeting proud to have served your nation to the best of your ability. You should be proud to have been part of the government that liberated the local government areas previously under Boko Haram rule. You should be proud to have contributed to our food security and economic diversification agenda which led to the revival of our rural agrarian economy. You should be proud to have been part of the team that developed the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan which led Nigeria exiting its worst recession in decades. You should be proud to have introduced the social investment programme that enhanced livelihoods of millions of Nigerians. You should be proud to have participated in settling outstanding pensions of many senior citizens abandoned by previous governments while supporting state governments to meet their salary arrears. And of course, you should all be proud to have overseen the most ambitious road, rail and airport rehabilitation programmes in the history of our country. I must put on record that your achievements in the last three and a half years has guaranteed your position in the history books of this nation. You have certainly built the foundations for an improved economy and a more purposeful government. The president, however, regretted that Minister of State for Labour and Employment, the late James Ocholi, who died along with his wife and son in a ghastly motor accident along Kaduna-Abuja expressway was not around to witness the valedictory session. Our first meeting in this chamber was in November 2015. Over the past three and a half years, we worked together to deliver our campaign promises. I strongly believe that it is this team work that led to the successes recorded during our first term. Some of our colleagues, with whom we started this journey, unfortunately are not here to join us in celebrating our successes. Specifically, I must recognise our late brother, James Ocholi (SAN), who passed away in a fearful motor accident with his wife, Blessing and son, Joshua, only four months after being sworn in as a minister. I want us to all put him, and indeed his family, in our memory. He was a true patriot committed to our change agenda. I wish you the very best of luck and pray for your successes, for your families and our country in the years ahead, he stated. Apart from a few ministers who resigned their appointments to pursue political ambitions, Buhari will go down history as the president that retained his cabinet members for a straight four-year term. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who held forth for President Buhari on several occasions, especially during his health challenges, however, said many Nigerians are ignorant of the humorous nature of the president. He also said while serving in acting capacity, Buhari never for once faulted his decisions, a development that has endeared him to the president. Among ministers that resigned from the cabinet include former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and current governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi; former Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jubril; Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Aisha Alhassan; Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadija Bukar Abba-Ibrahim and Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed. The valedictory session also afforded each of the ministers the opportunity to reflect on the journey so far, with some of them recounting their experiences. Constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome has revealed the real reason behind President Muhammadu Buharis executive order on withdrawal of licensed guns of Nigerians. According to the senior lawyer, the Presidents order was aimed at curtailing the self-determination aspiration of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and Niger Delta Militants. Ozekhome, however, noted that the order exposes innocent Nigerians to the murderous activities of herdsmen, kidnappers and Boko Haram terrorists. This was contained in a statement he entitled President Muhammadu Buharis Executive Order Withdrawing Gun Licences: The Legal and Social Consequences. Ozekhome pointed out that Ordinarily, one would have readily applauded President Muhammadu for signing an Executive Order banning possession of guns, having regard to the unbridled proliferation and possession of small and medium scale politically motivated and banditorily-induced arms currently in circulation. A statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo on Saturday by Amotekuns public relations officer, Olusola Idowu, hinted that the suspect was caught in the act of removing an air conditioner unit in the residence he was employed to guard. A 25-year-old security operative, Micheal Eze, has been arrested by the Amotekun Corps in Osun State over the alleged theft of nine air conditioners in Osogbo. The suspect, who worked as a private security guard at a residence in the Government Reservation Area, G.R.A, in the state capital was said to have stole the items in the building he was guarding. A statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo on Saturday by Amotekuns public relations officer, Olusola Idowu, hinted that the suspect was caught in the act of removing an air conditioner unit in the residence he was employed to guard. He was said to have sold nine units of split air conditioners worth N400,000 each to scrap buyers at N5,000 each. Osun Amotekun Corps Commandant, Brigadier-General Bashir Adewinmbi, rtd., stated that the operatives arrested the suspect after complaint was lodged against him by persons of interest over the matter. He (Eze) was arrested around 7:30am on Monday in the residence he was guarding inside the G. R. A. while attempting to disconnect another air conditioner unit. He confessed to committing the crime, he gave up his buyers and two air conditioner units were recovered from the buyers, the statement added. Meanwhile, the suspect has been handed over to the Department of State Security for subsequent interrogation and prosecution. The criminal elements that abducted Mrs Abigail Orbunde, the wife of Terwase Orbunde, a former Chief of Staff to the immediate past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, alongside their housemaid, Patience Ogute, are demanding a ransom of N100 million for their release. Tahav Argezua, a close ally of Orbunde, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday. Eyewitnesses said Orbunde, his wife, and the house help had gone to inspect the weeding of their farm located close to the road. After paying the workers, five gunmen attacked them and ordered their victims to follow them to an unknown destination, but discarded bleeding Orbunde who was too slow to keep pace. The abductors warned both victims would be killed if the ransom was not paid. His words, The abductors of wife and cook of former Chief of Staff to the Benue State Governor, Terwase Orbunde, yesterday evening have demanded N100m ransom for their release. Argezua added that Orbunde, who is currently receiving treatment for gunshot wounds at an undisclosed hospital in Makurdi, stated that the abductors communicated with him through the captives at around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. He added, The former Chief of Staff said his wife and cook were very calm when they spoke with him. He revealed that during the attack, which took place at about 6 p.m. yesterday, the gunmen spoke Fulani among themselves and communicated with him in Hausa, saying they would contact him on the phone. The former Chief of Staff said they told him that he should be prepared to send money to them and that if he failed to do that, they would kill his wife and cook. LAWMA Academy, the educational arm of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, has welcomed a fresh set of candidates, for its one-month internship for the month of April. The interns were all recent graduates of various universities in the country, across different academic disciplines. Addressing the interns, the Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, congratulated them for making the internship programme, as it would assist them, to learn as much as possible about waste management and inherent benefits. He noted that waste was really not waste but resource, urging them to embrace the business opportunities offered by the circular economy value chain, where so-called waste becomes wealth and blessing, to individuals, society and the environment. According to him, This internship will go a long way in exposing you to the positive and rewarding side of waste management. I am sure you are aware that nothing is a waste until you waste them. What used to be waste is now a resource that can be harvested to make money and improve lives. Indeed, its a long value-chain you can tap into, depending on your area of interest. It is a promising and highly rewarding venture. Speaking further, the LAWMA boss urged them to pay good attention to the practical aspects of their training and arm themselves with determination, to become change agents and champions of environmental sustainability. Speaking in the same vein, the Executive Director of LAWMA, Mr. Kunle Adebiyi, urged the interns to maximize the knowledge gained, to leverage their areas of interest along the value-chain, for personal enterprise and good reward. He said, This is a good opportunity for you to acquire knowledge and make money from modern waste management initiatives. What is important for you here, is to pay attention to the various things you will be taught, so that you can decide where to key in, for future enterprise and handsome financial rewards. Similarly, LAWMA Academy had last month ran a one-month internship programme for some graduate and post-graduate candidates, representing the first batch of interns for this year. The candidates who enjoyed in-depth training in modern waste management from various departments of the agency, received completion certificates, after presenting their group final project, an illustrative diagram on circular economy, relating to manufacturing industries, to the LAWMA boss. LAWMA Academy, has since the beginning of this year, taken environmental advocacy to more than 5,000 pupils of public schools across the state, in Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Mushin, Ijora Olopa, Agege, Victoria Island, and other areas. The pupils were enlightened on LAWMAs diverse operations, effects of indiscriminate waste dumping, making money from recyclables, usage of trash bags and cans, shunning cart pushers and the need to patronise assigned PSP operators. The founding objective was to expand the frontiers of knowledge on waste management, by teaching it as much as possible, to the younger generation for new cultural orientation and perception of waste management, for environmental sustainability. It is the basis for stretching the dragnets to bring in as many young people as possible into the fold, to form the vanguard of environment ambassadors, for a new culture and orientation, for a people-friendly environment. LAWMA Academy Internship, is a monthly programme of environmental and waste management education, for willing candidates. By Chuks Eke The Anambra State chairman of Christians Association of Nigeria, CAN, Ven. Joseph Nweke, has accused some officials of Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency, ARTMA of attacking him and looting his vehicle at the Dennis Memorial Grammar School, DMGS round-about axis in Onitsha on Friday afternoon in the name of traffic control. He alleged the ARTMA officials gave him several blows and battered him for questioning their identity when they pounced on him for allegedly committing a traffic offence. He confirmed that the officials, acting in a commando style, took away his car battery, plate number, money, among other valuables on the process and they quickly zoomed off to avoid reprisal attack by sympathizers who rained curses on them for attacking a cleric. Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the attackers, Ven. Nweke said, I escaped being killed eight hours to my Diamond jubilee celebration, (60 years birthday, billed for today, Saturday by hoodlums who claimed to be working for the state government. I invited Governor Charles Soludo to the celebration which I will play host to guests who will come from all walks of life as it is a celebration of my stay on earth for now and service to God and humanity, he stated. My problem started with them when I was driving after the DMGS round-about and a tricycle in front of me was stopped by the gang that were on plain clothes. On the process one of them rushed to me and asked me why I was blocking the road and I told him that the tricycle they stopped was the cause as it was in front of me. He immediately started dragging with my car key and on the process his members started looting my car, they removed the battery, plate number, all that were in the pigeon hole, including a huge amount of money which I cannot estimate the value for now. They quickly rushed and put on their aprons when sympathizers were shouting that they were criminals and fled the scene. I have reported the incident to the Onitsha Police Area Commander, Mr. Gregory Itobore and the Inland Town Divisional Police Officer, Mrs Tina Okeke who asked her men to ensure the safety of the car that was abandoned at the scene of the incident, he stated. Confirming the incident, the DPO, Mrs. Okeke told newsmen in her office that she had heard several negative stories against the ARTMA officials in terms of assaulting and occasioning harms on road users in the name of checkmating traffic offences. Related The Senate has commenced probe into the financial records of 774 federal agencies based on the queries raised against them in the 2019 report of the Auditor General of the Federation. The Chairman, Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC), Senator Aliyu Wadada, who represents Nasarawa West on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), disclosed this in Keffi, Nasarawa State, while speaking with newsmen., on Friday. Wadada said, We have since started work on the 2019 Auditor Generals report before us. Under my chairmanship of this sensitive and strategic committee, I have repeatedly said it that we are not out to witch-hunt or pull down anybody. Our ultimate objective vis-a-vis the primary focus of the committee is to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public funds. Wadada also disclosed that the 10th National Assembly with the support of President Bola Tinubu and critical stakeholders in the nations economy would soon embark on the amendment to the 2007 Procurement Act so as to curb financial infractions before they take place. He said his committee was not out to witch-hunt any one but pledged that members of the panel would discharge their responsibilities diligently in the best interest of the country. The Senator appealed to leaders at all tiers and heads of government institutions at the federal, state and local government levels to embrace self-discipline and fear of God in the discharge of their responsibilities. Taraba state governor, Dr Agbu Kefas, has condemned the recent Tsukundi security upriding, warning government will continue to deal decisively with all criminals and acts of criminality no matter where they are happening in the state. In a statement issued and signed by the Special Adviser Media and Digital Communications to Governor Kefas, Mr. Emmanuel Bello stated Dr Kefas, was reacting to the recent attacks in the southern parts of the state, where he assure that his administration has zero tolerance for violence and ethnic restiveness. He noted that tribes can live together in harmony if they are honest and have mutual respect. He added that the security agencies are fully equipped to speed up dealing with all troublemakers and sufficiently empowered to enforce law and order irrespective of who is involved. According to Governor Kefas, criminals killing in the name of any tribes are on their own and would be treated as violators of the law., stressing, If any tribe has any issues, there are ways to go about settlement and not through taking the laws into their hands. There are dialogue machineries in place. We have the justice departments. We have community leaders and elected leaders. These are three methods of conflicts resolution avenues to settle scores. Criminals are criminals and those hiding under the guise of seeking justice for their tribes by violent means shall be fetched out and dealt with. According to him, the law enforcement agents have been fully briefed to deal with criminals of all kinds. He said all tribal warlords advocating the use of force shall soon meet their Waterloo. Speaking further on the security of the state, the governor said he has partnered with the top echelon of the nations security architecture to support the state in the area of overall security. He stressed that the administration has continued to work with local authorities, especially the traditional rulers and local government chairmen to arrest the situation. He said, When we came in they said I should just appoint caretakers. I said no. We would have elections. I have given the elected chairmen their marching orders. I would hold them responsible for any breach of peace in their domains. I told them to work closely with the traditional authorities. We are equipping them with funding, vans, and other supports to help them secure their communities. Relatedly, Dr Kefas said trans-border security has been tightened to stem the tide of intra-border encroachment of criminal elements from neighboring countries. Taraba state shares large swathes of boundaries with Cameroon. It would be recalled that security heads in the state recently recounted the massive support they have received from the government, especially more vehicles to aid movements. Dr Kefas is also always meeting with them to review the situations. Dr Kefas, a security expert in his own right, stressed that the protection of lives and properties has remained his topmost priority. He assured the state of his commitment to continue to deal with criminality in any part of the state. Related Akwa Ibom Governor, Umo Bassey Eno is calling for the repatriation of the remains of a make-up Abigail Fredrick, for a dignified burial. Abigail, a talented makeup artist, tragically lost her life in a boat accident that also claimed the life of Nollywood actor, Junior Pope Odonwodo. Abigails body was discovered on Thursday, April 11, and hastily buried along the riverbank without the consent or knowledge of her grieving family. It is alleged that the villagers, acting on superstition, insisted on her burial by the river as punishment for her familys failure to appease the river deity with a sacrificial offering before relocating her remains. The Akwa Ibom state government vehemently opposed this disrespectful act and demanded justice for Abigail, insisting on her bodys return to her family for a proper burial. Inn official statement, Governor Umo Eno expressed deep sorrow over Abigails passing and assured her family, the Nollywood community, and friends of the states solidarity during this difficult time. He emphasized that the government was not informed of the circumstances leading to her burial and has directed that her body be returned to her family for a respectful farewell. The Statement reads; REMAINS OF LATE AKWA IBOM BORN NOLLYWOOD ARTISTE TO BE BROUGHT HOME His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno, Governor, Akwa Ibom State, is aware of the tragic boat mishap, which occurred a few days ago, on River Nigeria, involving some Nollywood actors and other supporting crew members while on a trip to a movie location. One of the victims of that accident, Ms. Abigael Edith Frederick, was a quintessential example of our young people who have harkened to our clarion call for them to Arise and shine. She was a 24 years old graduate of Theatre Arts, who had found her passion as a make- up artiste. We are deeply saddened by her painful passing and on behalf of the Government and people of AKwa Ibom State, we sympathize with her family, the Nollywood community and her friends and colleagues over this sad loss. We have also followed and read the reportage, especially on the social media platforms surrounding her burial and wish to state categorically that, government was not informed of the circumstances that led to her burial. His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno, has consequently directed that her body be brought back to her family for a proper and decent burial. As the famous theme song of the Liverpool Football Club goes, the bereaved family will not walk alone. May her soul rest in peace. KanyiDaily recalls that Junior Pope, 39, died in a boat accident on Wednesday, April 10, after attempts to resuscitate him proved unsuccessful. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered Vice-Chancellors of universities and all other heads of tertiary institutions to ensure full implementation of the new guidelines on financial management recently approved by the Federal government following the exception of lecturers from the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS). He said the guidelines developed by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and approved by the Federal Executive Council meeting on the 26th of January 2024, would guarantee probity, good governance and proper financial management in public instititutions in the country. Tinubu who is the Visitor, spoke at the 13th Convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), where he promised to strengthen the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode of education delivery in Nigeria. A total of 22,175 students across undergraduate and postgraduate levels and diverse disciplines were graduated during the convocation ceremony. The Convocation ceremony was preceded by the Investiture of the Oba of Benin, His Majesty Oba Ewuare II, as the new Chancellor of NOUN. His investiture was earlier scheduled to hold on Thursday least week but was shifted to Saturday because of the one day extension of public holiday for Eid el-Fitr celebration. The Open University, also on Saturday conferred honorary doctorate degrees on two distinguished Nigerians, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma and Hajiya Hafsatu Abdulwaheed. Chukwuma is a renown entrepreneur and founder of Innoson Motors, one of Nigerias top automobile companies, while Hajiya Hafsatu who was the first female novelist in northern Nigeria, prominent activist and philanthropist. Represented by Dr. Noel Biodun Saliu, Deputy Executive Secretary (Academics), National Universities Commission (NUC), President Tinubu also charged universities and other tertiary institutions to come up with research efforts that would help in addressing the challenges in Nigeria and globally. Tinubu said: At the Federal Executive Council meeting on 13th December, 2023, the Federal Government approved the policy for exempting lecturers educational institutions from IPPIS. Following this approval, the Federal Ministry of Education and its relevant stakeholders developed a guideline for good governance and proper financial management in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria, which the Federal Executive Council approved on the 26th of January 2024. Having circulated the circular or the guidelines, all tertiary education institutions are enjoined to ensure full implementation to guarantee that good governance and proper financial management are enshrined in our instititutions of higher learning, he said. He reiterated that education forms the integral part of the current administrations renewed hope and agenda and as such government would continue to provide the needed support towards making the educational institutions nationally relevant and globally competitive. He congratulated Dr Innocent Chukwuma and Hajia who were conferred with honorary doctorate degree awards. He also congratulated the students and told them to be good ambassadors of NOUN any wherever they found themselves. Speaking on the effort to improve quality, access and affordability of higher education, Tinubu noted that available statistics have shown that the deployment of the open and distance learning approach, particularly in the tertiary education sub sector is the major link to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SGD 4) by the year 2030. This administration will continue promote the open and distance learning approach as one of the strategies to improving access to higher education. Government is therefore, committed, through the federal ministry of education and NUC to provide the enabling environment to ensure a good delivery of this mode of education in Nigeria. Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Professor Olufemi Peters, said a total of 22,175 students were graduated across undergraduate and postgraduate levels and diverse disciplines. He explained that out of the figure 15,768 achieved undergraduate qualification, while 6,407 earned postgraduate qualifications. Giving further breakdown, Peters said at the undergraduate level, a total of 22 graduated with a first-class; 1,885 with second class (upper division), 8,434 with second class (lower) division, 3786 with third class, and 169 with Pass degrees. Of the 6,407 students who graduated at the postgraduate levels, 2,362 students obtained the Postgraduate Diploma, 4,039 students, the Master degree and 6 students obtained the PhD degrees. I am also happy to announce that 4 of the doctoral graduates are from our flagship World Bank assisted Africa Centre for Excellence for Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL). The Centre offers MSc and PhD programmes in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, and Management Information System (MIS). Through our IT-driven Open and Distance eLearning (ODeL) system, these graduates have acquired essential ICT skills that are indispensable and will undoubtedly propel them toward success in their future endeavours, he stated. The Vice-Chancellor revealed that since inception, NOUN has provided scholarships to about 83 inmates in Correctional Centres, exemplified by a current PhD student in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution. Olufemi Peters said: Our dedication to the Universitys mission is unwavering. We take pride in offering education that is both flexible and qualitative, yet affordable and accessible. Oba Ewuare II, on his part, said as he stepped into the role of Chancellor, he was acutely aware of the weight of responsibility that accompanies it. My vision for the National Open University of Nigeria is one of excellence, innovation, and inclusivity. It is my fervent aspiration to leverage my position as a traditional ruler to enhance the fortunes of this esteemed institution, he said. A handout picture provided by the Iranian Army media office on October 28, 2023 shows missiles being launched during a military drill in the Isfahan province in central Iran. (Photo by Iranian Army office / AFP) ALBAWABA In a statement released by the Iranian news agency, Iran has issued a direct threat to Jordan, warning that the country has placed itself in the line of fire due to its interception of Iranian missiles and drones. Iran stated, Jordan has positioned itself for our strikes, and it must not rule out being punished for its actions tonight. This threat comes in response to a series of direct confrontations with Iranian missiles and drones, as reported by eyewitnesses in Jordan. The Jordanian government has emphasized that the penetration of its airspace by missiles and drones poses a threat to its national security. The government stated that repelling these attacks is the duty of the Jordanian Armed Forces to maintain security and safety within the country. # pic.twitter.com/q7vA4mjHzQ khaberni (@khaberni) April 13, 2024 One of the intercepted missiles fell in the Marj Al-Hamam area in the Jordanian capital, Amman, after being brought down by the Jordanian Armed Forces. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but the incident drew large crowds around the missiles location. In the course of the week, I had cause to be at the Akure, Ondo State-home of the Afenifere Leader, Reuben Fasoranti, and I saw modesty in its raw form. From Fasorantis symbolic bungalow which has played host to presidents, governors and other creme-de-la-creme of the society in their monstrous agbada or Babarigas, to the information gleaned from Nigerians in and around his residence, yours sincerely couldnt stop marveling at the Spartan lifestyle of this 97-year-old Awoist. Anyway, thats a story for another day! Well, the threatening truth is that Afenifere is down and the progressive camp is beaten! So, when will Yorubaland laugh and when will the progressive camp shout uhuru? When will our land smile again and when will Yoruba leaders wake up and face reality? When will they appropriate the social capital as it was in the days of Egbe Omo Oduduwa, whose existence wasnt structured around tea party or owambe? Right now, the Yorubas are behind in terms of capital formation, financial intermediation and allied stuff. Of course, we have never been this behind in a century and a half! Even at the time of the Kiriji War, the Lagos Colony was very advanced, vis-a-vis the rest of Africa, save for South Africa. For now, what Yorubaland refers to as strength is just the property values of a few capital cities like Lagos and Ibadan. Take that away, what remains is zero capital strength, compared to what obtained in the 1920s and the 1940s, up to the 1960s. So its like basking in the euphoria of past glories! Take, for example, the Banks created by our heroes past were not just Banks but strategic financial institutions. Had successful generations of Yoruba leaders stayed faithful to the cause, National Bank and Wema Bank would have become the biggest, dominant financial institutions in Africa outside of Standard Bank in South Africa for, whereas Central Bank of Nigeria is talking about N500 billion naira paid-up capital, Standard Bank of South Africa already has a paid-up capital of $13 billion, which of course makes ours a joke. So, how can Afenifere restore the strength of the Yorubas and let their eyes receive sight and how can the progressive camp make everything perfect at its time? Interestingly, while the former seems to have been demobilized by political partisanship, the latter, as it is, is walking on its knees and somebody needs to create a positive narrative before players in the sector completely hijack its ideological relevance. Talking about the progressive camp, yours sincerely wasnt a small boy during the June 12 crises and the roles played by Frank Ovie Kokori and other prominent Nigerians, all in a bid to bequeath a lasting democracy to Nigeria. The then Secretary General of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) was hounded into prison and could only heave a sigh of relief after death struck Sani Abacha like a thief in the night. Thereafter, Kokori lived unsung and died like a pauper, which was a devastating indictment on the progressives. When he launched his book, Frank Kokori: The struggle for June 12 in 2014, reports had it that only Segun Osoba attended the event among the ensemble of characters who led the famous June 12 struggle. Others simply slept beside their wives in the comfort of their homes, which was a disgrace of monumental proportion to the bent. Its even on record that when Kokori was in Bama Prison in Borno State, only Osoba was paying regular visits and rendering financial assistance to his (Kokoris) family. Yes, thats the kind of progressive class we are dealing with in Nigeria! But Kokori wasnt alone in this progressive embarrassment. Ola Oni! Akin Makinde! Chima Ubani! And others! Theyre an unforgettable part of the struggles that eventually brought Nigeria to where she is. But didnt the country they served with all their strengths abandon them when they needed it most? I doubt if any of the friends in power even remembers the likes of Alfred Rewane, Babatunde Elegbede, Olu Omotehinwa, Bisoye Tejuosho, Suliat Adedeji, Shola Omosola and Bagauda Kaltho who paid the ultimate price for us to get to this pass! Abiola and Kudirat, his wife, are only lucky that they have some few monuments named after them; and the reason is simple! We are even hearing that Governor Ademola Adeleke is planning to rename MKO Abiola Airport in Ido Osun, Osun State after Isiaka Adetunji, his late brother and former governor of the state. Well, Nigerians hope its fake news; and it had better be! In sane climes, the progressives are supposed to be the main drivers of social change. But is that happening in this part of the world? If we couldnt honour people like Kokori for their active, frontline roles while they lived, it only goes to show that everything about democracy in Nigeria is self-centered, half-hearted and transactional. Had Kokori for example been honoured, maybe the man would still be alive today! John McCain was an American senator who had his own distinct mind. He went to school. He also maintained tradition. He was a soldier of soldiers who fought for his fatherland. In the process, he was captured and almost killed. But, as fate would have it, McCain graduated to a Prisoner of War (POW). After his release, he came back to the USA, again, to serve his fatherland until death. Even, in death, the Senator from Arizona remained justified for the actions he took while he lived. Now, look at McCains children and what they are achieving for selves and fatherland? In the considered opinion of this writer, this is not the time to forget those who risked what they had for what the country needed but now lack the voice and the mobility because of dispensational factors or nature of their creation. To get out of the woods therefore, Afenifere has to set out the real development agenda with the ferocious finesse that will define its very boundaries and prescribe the landscape of institutional democracy for the Yoruba nation. It is unfortunate that the region is falling so behind, especially in times of credit and this is not too good for us! So, we need a leadership that will celebrate not only the generations of love among us but also the legacy, inspiration and the testimony of our founding fathers. More than ever, the Yoruba nation needs an established culture of political consciousness that can demand and stand for its rights and a Development Agenda that can truly negotiate the future, capture the interests of the race, synthesize and stick to the needs of the people, and entrench a system of democratic awareness in the people. Again, this is where DAWN Document and Yoruba Academy come in! Let Afenifere rethink its vision and work with the state governments in the region on how to make things happen! As a Yorubaman, President Bola Tinubu has an important role to play in ensuring that the race doesnt go extinct and this is a historic opportunity for him to spearhead a federalist agenda, which was what Awolowo and, indeed, most of his colleagues from the other regions, had always believed in and fought for. A proper federalism is what is of utmost benefit to Yorubaland and everything will fall into place! Of course, thats the biggest legacy Tinubu can bequeath to Nigerians! Last of all, isnt there an urgent need for the progressive icons in Nigeria to call a solemn assembly for the revival of the hopes of their forefathers? May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria! *Concluded. *KOMOLAFE wrote in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk) Related A suspected robber who hijacked a trailer truck conveying 35 tons of groundnut oil valued at approximately N30 million, has been arrested by the Bauchi State Police Command. The Command said the Toro Divisional Police Headquarters received a distress call concerning the theft of the truck parked at Maraban Jos trailer park in Kaduna State on April 12, 2024. Spokesman of the Bauchi Command, SP Ahmed Wakil, in a statement on Sunday, said the stolen truck, a DAF CF 85 model, was coming from Umuahia in Abia State heading to Kano State when it was stolen in Kaduna State. According to the statement, preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the truck had stopped around the Maraban Jos trailer park to take his bath only to return later and discover that the trailer was missing from where it was parked. The statement further revealed that the Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State Command, CP Auwal Muhammad, has directed that a discreet investigation be carried out by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) on the theft of the truck. The Police said the suspect would be charged to court upon completion of investigation of the incident. Seven illegal refining sites have been destroyed by the air component of Operation Delta Safe, at different locations in Rivers State. Equally, a total of four boats loaded with illegally refined products heading southwards were bombed by military aircraft deployed for the operations. The Director of Public Relations and Information for the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, in a statement on Sunday stated that the operations were conducted on April 12 and 13, 2024, in Idama, Ogbomkiri, Arugbana, Ivy Island, and Samkiri communities in River State. PUNCH Online reports that a strike conducted by the air component of Operation Delta Safe in December 2023 destroyed six illegal oil refining sites at Opu Arugbana in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers. Gabkwet said, Air strikes by the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe have continued to record tremendous successes against the activities of economic saboteurs operating in the Niger Delta Region. Specifically, air strikes carried out from April 12 to 13, 2024 at some locations in Rivers State have significantly diminished the capabilities of oil thieves to continue in their nefarious efforts at bursting and siphoning crude oil. In the Idama community, for instance, an active illegal refining site was observed and engaged. Also, armed reconnaissance undertaken over Yellow Island and Cawthorne Channel revealed four boats loaded with illegally refined products heading southwards. The boats were subsequently engaged and destroyed. Gabkwet noted that at Arugbana, oil thieves were attempting to establish an illegal refining site, adding that upon spotting the approaching aircraft, they quickly fled for safety. He said, Similar reconnaissance missions were conducted over Ogbomkiri, Arugbana, Ivy Island, and Samkiri. While over Ogbomkiri, an active illegal refining site was identified and engaged accordingly. At Arugbana, oil thieves were seen trying to set up an illegal refining site and, on sighting the approaching aircraft, scampered for safety. Several illegal sites were also observed at SAMKIRI and were engaged and destroyed. In all, about 7 illegal refining sites and 4 boats were discovered and destroyed within the two-day operation. The Divisional Police Officer of Nwaorieubi Police Division in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, are presently in trouble following the arrest, detention and fraudulent sale of the properties of one Chima Ekugba who they allegedly sent to the Tiger Base Unit of the Imo State Police Command on trumped up charges before looting and selling his properties, an action they have finally confessed to. The four police men attached to the Nwaorieubi Police Station, having confessed that they actually looted and stole some of Chimas properties are being detained at the Tiger Base Unit of the Imo State police command where they are pleading to refund the proceeds of the fraudulent sale of the victims property. Comrade Princewill Okorie, National President, Association of Public Policy Analysis while commenting on the matter said, why did the DPO of Nwaorieubi Police Division and the Traditional ruler of Obinoha, Eze Ali who invited Chima to the station subsequently arrest and sent him to the Tiger Base Unit without allowing him to write a statement? Why and how did a case that initially bordered on buying stolen fowls suddenly metamorphose into a case of unlawful possession of firearms and killing of police officers which led to the transfer of the suspect to the Tiger Base Unit where he spent 3 days and almost died without first of all being compelled to make a written statement at Nwaorieubi Police Station. Again, when the matter was eventually brought to the knowledge of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Hon Frank Onwumere and the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma who ordered the Nwaorieubi DPO to bring all the parties to his office, why did the DPO and the traditional ruler flout the directive for several weeks until the CP sent his men to go and effect their arrest. As God may have it, the couple who bought one of the stolen pigs which the police had earlier denied knowledge of confessed that it was the 4 policemen that sold the pigs to them. The detained policemen also confirmed to the Tiger Base that they sold the pig for #120,000 which the buyers remitted the money to them through two vigilante operatives namely Kingsley Onyekama and Felix Azuwuogu who were also arrested and detained at the Tiger Base Unit as accomplices and later granted bail. When contacted, the victim, Chima said, he has been a victim of all kinds of harassment, intimidation, unlawful arrest and detention for a very long time, but this last incident was from all indications designed to kill him and take over his land but God, in his infinite mercy intervened, hence he is still alive. I am a struggling man.I own a farm which was vandalized by the policemen and vigilante operatives while I was in detention at the Tiger Base Unit. Some of the things removed from my farm and house, include 4pigs, out which the police have confessed that they stole and sold one at the rate of #120,000, 7 goats out which one is at the Nwaorieubi police station, while one is now in my house. The rest 5 are yet to be seen, solar panels, iron doors, gas cylinder, plastic chairs, tables etc. They made me a homeless and jobless fugitive who has been in hiding to avoid being killed, hence, all my businesses have been paralyzed. The police and members of the vigilante who vandalized my house and looted my property have told me in confidence that some members of the Elders Council who were contracted by those who want to forcefully acquire my land paid them to deal with me. He further alleged that the Nwaorieubi police station have sent some people to beg him to collect the sum of #200,000 and close the case but he turned down their offer because what he lost in terms of physical, emotional and psychological trauma, in addition to his looted property and the cash of over seven hundred thousand naira (#700,000) that was removed from his house is not less than five million naira (#5M). When also contacted,the Imo state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Okoye assured he would get back to our reporter if hee confirms the development which he never did uptil the time of going to press. Some residents of the community who pleaded anonymity accused the DPO of Nwaorieubi, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) Okey, and the traditional ruler of Obinoha autonomous community, Eze Ali of compromise, and vested interest. They also wondered why the DPO did not investigate the matter thoroughly before sending a suspect who was initially accused of buying stolen fowls to the Tiger Base Unit for allegedly killing police officers and unlawful possession of fire arms. Related Kidnappers have killed an uncle of Sen Ishaku Abbo and taken away his stepmother. A witness said the kidnappers stormed Abbos country home in the early hours of Saturday and killed Abbos uncle for raising alarm as they were taking away the senators stepmother identified as Rifikatu Ishaku. The development will further distress Abbo, the senator representing Adamawa North District in the National Assembly, battling the embarrassment of being rebuked nationwide for slapping a woman in an Abuja sex toy shop. The witness to the killing and abduction story said the gunmen struck the family house of the senator in Muchalla ward of Mubi North Local Government Area of the state around 1am on Saturday and seized Madam Rifikatu Ishaku, who had a child a couple of weeks ago. The witness explained on arriving Muchala, the gunmen went straight to Abbos family house and abducted the stepmother. He said as they were taking her away, Abbos uncle came out of his room and shouted on sighting the gunmen. The gunmen opened fire on him (the uncle), leading to his death, and they went away with the victim unchallenged, the witness said. Confirming the incident, the Adamawa State Police Public Relations Officer, Sulaiman Nguroje, put the time of the incident at just before the dawn of Saturday, and assured that efforts were being made to get at the gunmen and free Abbos uncle. He said the Commissioner of Police had since deployed specially trained anti-kidnapping officials and they were on the trail of the kidnappers. The killing and kidnapping in Abbos household is coming barely a week after a Permanent Secretary in the Adamawa State Civil Service was kidnapped and a N25 million ransom later demanded. Femi Fani-Kayode Former Aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Friday condemned the murder of Rev Fr Paul Offu, a Catholic priest, by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Enugu. Offu hailed from Okpatu in Udi LGA of Enugu State and was until his death, the parish priest of St. James the Greater Parish, Ugbawka A terse statement Fani-Kayode sent to DAILY POST in reaction to the incident said the insecurity situation was getting out of hand. It provides yet another example of the barbaric nature and homicidal disposition of those that perpetuated the act, Fani-Kayode said. I wonder how Catholic priests who appear to consistently defend the atrocities of the Fulani terrorists like Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and Father Ihejike Mbaka feel about this latest act of barbarity and wickedness? Those who target women, children and clerics for slaughter are nothing but cold-blooded killers, ravenous beasts and wholesals cowards who are too timid and scared to take on real men in open battle. The killing of the priest was announced on the Facebook page of the Diocese. The post read: With a deep sense of sorrow, the Catholic Diocese of Enugu announces the tragic death of REV FR PAUL OFFU who was shot dead this evening (1st August 2019) by some hoodlums suspected to be the notorious and murderous Fulani herdsmen, along Ihe-Agbudu Road in Awgu LGA. Speaking at a press presentation of the latest edition of his best seller, Warning to the Nations, the 2019/202 and Beyond Edition, the servant of God revealed the parties that will likely win the forthcoming governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Edo states. According to him: For the election in Bayelsa in November, if it is free and fair, PDP will win. In Kogi State , it is going to be volatile; if PDP wants to get it right and win, Dino Melaye should be the best candidate for them; otherwise Governor Yahaya Bello will retain that seat. In Edo State , PDP cannot get it. If PDP dont want to waste their money, let them wait for the next four years because APC will still retain that seat. I appeal to Governor Obaseki of Edo State to align with his boss, Adams Oshiomhole, continue with his developmental projects, that will help him coast to victory. At the moment PDP cannot take Edo State, it will still be maintained by APC.Primate Ayodele has been publishing prophesies since 1994 and has always given insights to the happenings going on in various arms of government all over the world and a number of his prophecies have been proven to come to pass at various points in time. Speaking also at the press conference, the Primate warned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar not to continue in pursuit of his mandate at the tribunal as it will not come to fruition. For Atiku and Buhari tribunal, Atiku should step down. The money he is using to hire lawyers to go for further court cases should be used to help the poor in our society because it will be a waste for him to continue. He can still pursue his cause later in the next election but he cannot win at the tribunal or even at the Supreme Court. As for the Kano case at the tribunal, PDPs governorship candidate will win it but it will be maneuverer. The Primate did not give a positive prediction concerning the economy, saying the country is likely to go into another recession if care is not taken. We are still going to face another recession if we are not careful enough because Nigeria is broke; thats whats God said to me. Buhari should not take the security issues for granted thinking he can handle it. He should sack all the service chiefs because they dont know what they are doing again. He should put the right people there so that the country can move forward. Buhari should also change his economic team and put competent hands so that the poor will not continue to stone the rich, he said. The All Progressives Congress (APC) youths in Remoland, Ogun State, on Tuesday, staged a solidarity demonstration in Abeokuta in support of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The group, under the aegis of Remo APC Youths during the event accused some desperate cabals of plots to humiliate the vice president and strip him, of his garment of honour. The APC youths described Osinbajo as an upright man with unblemished integrity and asked those allegedly plotting for his downfall to desist from their awful plots. The coordinator of the group, Adetowubo Adebayo, regretted what he described as campaign of calumny against Osinbajo over the 2023 presidency. He said that Osinbajo had over the years shown his leadership capacity in piloting the affairs of Nigeria alongside President Muhammadu Buhari. He therefore called on the evil perpetrators to refrain from actions that could trigger unrest in the country. He added, There are coordinated attacks at bringing down our man, the pride of Ogun State, from the seat he occupies. We unequivocally state that the vice president is an upright man with unblemished integrity, and he would not have indulged in corruption that can bring his hard-earned name into disrepute. It is quite appalling that the desperate cabals are behind this mischievous act of calumny to strip the vice president of his garment of honour. We are happy the guerrilla campaign holds no water in the face of right-thinking Nigerians, who have stood in solidarity with him. A former minister of works has ranked the APC national leader Bola Tinubu the most prominent politician the south-west has ever produced. According to Adeseye Ogunlewe, Tinubu has achieved more than the late Obafemi Awolowo and MKO Abiola, acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. Awolowo, many Yoruba leaders bealive, was the foremost sage of the southwestern dominant tribeuntil Ogunlewes proclamation. He (Tinubu) is the most prominent Yoruba person that has paid his dues and is knowledgeable about the politics of Nigeria. I am confident he can lead Nigeria well if he becomes president, he told the Daily Independent in an interview. The former minister denied saying the north will not allow Tinubu get the presidency and that the APC leader may end up like Abiola who was killed in the course claiming his mandate. How can I say that the north will deny Tinubu and he will end up like MKO Abiola? All these people are enemies of progress Hasnt he (Tinubu) done more than MKO Abiola? Hasnt he done more than Awolowo? He noted that may not be in terms of performancebut as far as skills and tactics go. .Look at the number of people he has been able to promote from nothing to be governors, ministers and even Vice-President: Believe it or not, whether you like him or you dont like him, you must give him credit. All those saying negative things are not knowledgeable about Nigerian politics. If you are knowledgeable about Nigerian politics, you should know that you cannot remove the mans achievements from him. Ogunlewe has been granting interviews declaring out loud how qualified Tinubu is to contest the 2023 presidential election that the two leading parties might zone to the southwest. PV: 0 Evidence for impeaching US President Donald Trump for misconduct in office is overwhelming, according to the panel leading the impeachment inquiry. The president placed personal political interests above the national interests of the United States, it states in a key report to House lawmakers. He did so by trying to solicit foreign interference from Ukraine to help his 2020 re-election bid, it says. The report is designed to lay out the case to remove Mr Trump from office. He denies any wrongdoing, and has described the inquiry as a witch-hunt. Before the draft report was released, the Republican president attacked the Democrat-led investigation as very unpatriotic. Following publication, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said the Democrats utterly failed to produce any evidence of wrongdoing and that the report reflects nothing more than their frustrations. The report now goes to the House Judiciary Committee, which will begin proceedings on Wednesday and consider formal impeachment charges against Mr Trump. What does the report say? as made public on Tuesday by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. It says the inquiry uncovered a months-long effort by President Trump to use the powers of his office to solicit foreign interference on his behalf in the 2020 election. President Trumps scheme subverted US foreign policy toward Ukraine and undermined our national security in favour of two politically-motivated investigations that would help his presidential re-election campaign, it says. The president demanded that the newly-elected Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, publicly announce investigations into a political rival that he apparently feared the most, former Vice-President Joe Biden, and into a discredited theory that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Evidence of misconduct is overwhelming and so too is the evidence of his obstruction of Congress, the report says. Phone records shed new light Anyone who listened to Adam Schiffs extended, extemporaneous closing statement at the impeachment hearings two weeks ago probably wouldnt be surprised by the summary of the Intelligence Committee report released on Tuesday. Buried within the pages of the 300-page document, however, were some striking new details. The telecommunications company AT&T provided committee investigators with Rudy Giulianis mobile phone records and those records shed new light on the timing and breadth the communications Donald Trumps personal lawyer had with the White House. Starting in April of this year, Giuliani had multiple phone conversations with numbers listed for the White House and, in particular, the Office of Management and Budget the government agency ultimately responsible for putting a hold on the congressionally authorised US military aid to Ukraine. While the details of these communications arent known, their simple existence undercuts the contention of some presidential defenders that Giuliani was operating independently of senior administration officials. Multiple witnesses, including US Ambassador to the EU Gordan Sondland, have testified that Giuliani was directing them, at the behest of the president, to pressure Ukrainian officials to open investigations that would be politically advantageous for Mr Trump. Now the line between Giuliani and the White House has become more certain. What happens next? The intelligence committee voted 13 to 9, along party lines, on Tuesday to approve the report and send it to the House Judiciary Committee. The judiciary panels hearings will begin with four constitutional scholars, who will explain how impeachment works. The White House has refused to participate in the hearings, citing a lack of fairness. Among formal impeachment charges expected to be considered are abuse of power, obstruction of justice and contempt of Congress. Democrats are keen to hold a vote on impeachment in the House of Representatives before the end of the year, with the prospect of a trial in the Senate perhaps as early as January. Source: BBC Angry Muslim youths have reportedly burnt down a Police station as well as seven cars, two motorcycles and a generator all parked in front of the station in Kusada town in Katsina State. The incident happened on Saturday when the youths were protesting that the police prevented them from observing their prayers on Friday in compliance with the the state government directive on checking the spread of Coronavirus. We leant that a dusk-to-dawn curfew has been imposed on the town while arrests have been made by the Police. Religion IMAM DEFIED ORDER This happened in Kastina after police place banned on Friday prayer, In Kusada Katsina state an Imam who defied order banning large gathering and led friday prayers has His followers attacked and razed police station and other government buildings.. pic.twitter.com/WJVTdXJROq Usman Okai Austin (@Oma_igala1) March 29, 2020 How do I explain to someone that Islam is a Religion of peace after all the evil agenda by Northern Muslim. How can human have such dark heart and want to always lead Godly people. This is not different from terrorist attack and its carried out by Islam group in kastina pic.twitter.com/3P9iVfq8ht WORLD GREATEST CHAMPION (@dange_apex) March 29, 2020 If you are an Igbo man/Southner in Kastina, please be safe. Some animals have started burning police station because their imam was arrested for breaking the law. They will soon come for you when they think there is no more a police station to destroy. Mazi Waltz (@EduWaltzChuka) March 29, 2020 El-rufia tested positive while the muslim youths of Kastina state are burning police station because they stopped them from saying prayer #WhenCoronaVirusIsOver we will talk about how illiteracy is costing our dear lives in this country Your Fav Uncle (@Stan_Desmond) March 29, 2020 Imagine what the kastina youth did happened in the Eastern part of Nigeria.. The people that called us Vulture would have been all over twitter now, Soldiers would have been deployed , police would have arrested and killed some youths. But it happened in kastina pic.twitter.com/BbYzWQ4zOz anuoluwapo (@babyface2000ad) March 29, 2020 When will the fate of illiteracy and uncivilization be elevated from the northern part of Nigeria#Kastina pic.twitter.com/lOxNvDoknB Ayomide Kolawole (@ayojuwonlo) March 29, 2020 BLOOMINGTON As a junior at Bloomington High School, Jillian Gorham has spent her spring semester pursuing college credit without having to leave campus. I absolutely would recommend dual credit, especially if we're talking about this course, Gorham said of Tom Watersons English class. I use skills that are taught in this class in all of my other courses. Having already taken Advanced Placement courses, she said prefers the guarantee of earning college credit in a dual credit course, compared to having to take a test to determine whether or not students receive college credit. The dual credit courses are on par with their AP counterparts with an appropriate amount of coursework that puts students on a path towards higher education, Gorman added. She also said she would like to see more dual credit offerings at her school, including options like genealogy. "There's a lot of useful tools, and I always tell my friends to do dual credit because it's fun and I think it's an appropriate amount of work," Gorham said. "Having that opportunity for college credit when you are putting yourself on a path of rigorous work, I think it's deserved." In Springfield, state lawmakers are considering a bill aimed at expanding the possibilities of dual credit education opportunities. The measure would alter partnerships between community colleges and high schools participating in programs, which give students credit for both high school and college, and change the requirements for teaching those courses. House Bill 5020 was filed during this session of the General Assembly to amend the Illinois Dual Credit Quality Act, which passed in 2010 and was revised in 2018 to establish guidelines for high school students taking college-level courses for dual credit, accounting for both their high school and college transcripts. The new bill, sponsored by state Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock, D-Villa Park, aims to expand the options for students seeking to enroll in dual credit classes by allowing high schools to college shop outside their community college district if their community college partner can not provide a certain course. The existing law requires community colleges to enter an agreement with high schools within their district when asked, and courses are taught by high school teachers unless the school does not have a qualified teacher present, in which case the community college partner is allowed to supply one. Blair-Sherlock has introduced multiple versions of the amending bill, and the latest includes a change to instructor credentials that would require they hold a masters degree to teach dual credit classes. However, proponents of the bill have been met with some opposition, including faculty unions at Heartland Community College in Normal that say expanding dual credit has led to a decrease in faculty positions and concerns for the quality of education being approved under the colleges name. Blair-Sherlock said she has had conversations with representatives of all stakeholders affected by this bill and spent the better part of 60 hours during the statehouses week off engaging with faculty members, union representatives and college administrators. Were trying to work on a lot of the minutia and were trying to address as many concerns as we can, Blair-Sherlock said. Based on conversations already with the unions, the new revisions are all going to be neutral, but I cant possibly make faculty at all 48 of the community colleges in the state of Illinois happy. Blair-Sherlock, who resides in the Chicago collar county of DuPage, said while the possibility of college shopping for high schools can be seen as a problem for some community colleges, in other parts of the state, this can be a real asset for high schools. The lawmakers noted the suburban public schools in her district love this idea because it would allow them to utilize the next available community college without involving private institutions. Blair-Sherlock also said it would be highly unlikely for a high school to contract a community college out of state for dual credit programs unless they are in a border district. If I didnt think this was good for kids, I would have washed my hands, Blair-Sherlock said. Im just trying to do whats best for kids and whats best for families. Education is a great equalizer. Its how I got out of poverty, and I want other people to have the same opportunity. Opposition in Central Illinois Since the Dual Credit Quality Act went into effect, Heartland has made partnerships with 17 high schools and three career centers which include Bloomington Area Career Center, Lincolnland Technical Education Center and Livingston Area Career Center, where college-level courses are taught to high schoolers. Despite opposition from Heartland Community Colleges two faculty unions Heartland Faculty Association and the Heartland Adjunct Faculty Association and a task force created from the unions, the bill was approved in the Illinois Houses Higher Education Committee last week, keeping it alive for a full House vote at a later date. State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, who serves on the Higher Education Committee, was the only Democrat to oppose the bill during the committees 7-5 vote on April 3 after she had met with members of the task force. Chung told The Pantagraph she knew the bill had seen pushback from community college faculty, and her conversations with Heartland educators led her to vote against it in committee. She said she appreciated the work done by those who proposed the bill and what they are fighting for, and a lot of these things are things that I believe in, but given the concerns that Heartland faculty had, I had to vote no on it in committee, Chung said. Hopefully the intention is that the bill with the second amendment will be brought back to the committee at some point. The Heartland task force collected more than 500 signatures and compiled a report finding the college has seen losses in enrollment and faculty positions from 2018 through 2023 as dual credit programs increased. The task force also found discrepancies in how Heartlands College Now program evaluates teachers who provide instruction of college-level courses to high school students. College Now is a program for high school students seeking early college opportunities at the college, including earning dual credit coursework at the college, online or in a high school classroom. In the last five years, the number of College Now teachers increased by 35% while the number of full-time faculty decreased by 8% and part-time faculty by 7.5%, according to the task forces report. This decrease was largely driven by a 14% reduction in full-time faculty and a 47% reduction in part-time English faculty. According to a statement from the Heartland Faculty Association, English, math and history are subjects of particular concern as they relate to decreasing staffing at the college. In addition to the loss of jobs, Bachelor said faculty members are primarily concerned with the quality of dual credit courses being taught in high schools and ensuring the syllabi of these courses match their counterparts still being taught at Heartland. We just want it done with quality at the forefront; we want it done in a way thats going to help the teacher shortage and stop our own losses from happening at the community college and actually prepare students for real college-level coursework rather than just the high school class taught in their high school with their high school classmates with their high school teacher and just getting a stamp of approval from Heartland, said task force member Jeremy Bachelor. He said the task force has shared the potential solution of assigning adjunct faculty to dual credit courses in high schools to ensure the quality of the courses and help address the teacher shortages. We would love our full-time and part-time faculty members to be teaching more of these courses because at the end of the day, according to the law, they are our courses, we just dont get to decide that much about them, Bachelor said. So many of them would have been willing to go in and teach a course in the high school rather than lose the course that theyve been teaching for so long as a part-time instructor at Heartland. Blair-Sherlock said sending in community college faculty members to high schools to teach dual credit programs would not be simple since union contracts most likely prevent them from filling positions that would normally be provided to high school instructors. College shopping could also affect the range of quality for dual credit courses offered in high schools, and the curriculum might not align with Heartland or another higher education institution when the course credit is transferred after high school, said Bachelor, an associate Spanish professor and a member of the Heartland Faculty Associations leadership team. Sarah Diel-Hunt, vice president of enrollment and student services at Heartland, said the college is also concerned about the quality of the dual credit courses and how well students are able to transition to a college or university. If the only kinds of credits (students) are getting are those taught in the high schools, its not that those credits are bad, but its that we want to have those transition points and they are also taking courses taught on the college campus by the college faculty, Diel-Hunt said. Thats an important kind of dual credit, not just to deal with the teacher shortage and not just to have community college faculty teaching those courses, but its important for the students' transition." Earning an associates early? Diel-Hunt said neither the Heartland administration nor the task force want to see high school students completing enough dual credit courses to receive an associate's degree, essentially making them almost finished with college versus being college-ready. The Heartland administrator said she does not believe the state legislature intended for high school students to be able to earn a complete associates degree or finish the first year or two of college in only the high school environment, but that is where the state may be heading. I think that sets the student up for failure because then that student potentially has never stepped foot on a college campus or taken a class by a college instructor before theyre a junior in college, Diel-Hunt said. I think thats going to be problematic if they keep pushing that model and that model exclusively for dual credit. Blair-Sherlock said it would be unlikely for a high school student, with their workload of classes and extracurricular activities, to be able to complete the required number dual credit courses to achieve an associates degree before they finished high school, but she would like to know if a student has been able to do it. Where dual credit is working Waterson, Gormans college English teacher at Bloomington High School who teaches English 101 and English 102 dual credit courses, said Heartland has been a good partner in guiding him and other teachers who are qualified to teach dual credit to ensure their courses align with the college's curriculum. Bloomington District 87 has been cognizant in providing as many opportunities to students for dual credit and allowing students to transition from high school to a college or university while getting accustomed to the workload of college level courses, said Waterson, now in his sixth year teaching dual credit. Though instead of the traditional college design in which students attend classes part of the week, his students meet five days a week with an instructor they know and are comfortable with when taking these courses, Waterson said. It's a nice transition between experiencing the support that a high school level class is able to provide but then also experiencing the rigor of a college class like Heartland provides, Waterson said. We get a little bit of freedom, but the assessments and things are pretty universal. Nicole Rummel, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning at District 87, said the district has been able to meet students needs through its partnership with Heartland. Although District 87 does not have a teacher on staff qualified to teach a dual credit course in communications next year, administrators are working with Heartland staff to still provide that opportunity. I feel like we have qualified staff and when we do, I'd like for them to teach the dual credit courses. They have the relationship with our kids, they're here on campus, they know our procedures, our routines and our expectations, Rummel said. With our focus on offering the general core classes, we've been able to successfully partner with Heartland in meeting those needs. Dan Lamboley, director of secondary education at McLean County Unit 5, said the relationship between Heartland and the high schools has been very beneficial and easy to navigate. The district had 744 students enrolled in one or more dual credit courses in the 2022-23 school year. Recently, Unit 5 has been able to add an introduction to animal science course for dual credit through Heartland for students interested in agriculture, and the administration has been working on ways the district can introduce more of the courses related to career pathways that Heartland offers, Lamboley said. If we have a new request for a dual credit course, (Heartland has) been very open and listening to us and trying to see if they could accommodate those requests, Lamboley said. For me and my perspective, when I work with Heartland I feel it's been a very good partnership. Blair-Sherlock said in the end she wants to make sure students are given the opportunities they need to succeed and are safe, but there is always something new to consider when changes are brought forward by faculty or other interested parties. "I want to take their concerns into consideration," Blair-Sherlock said. "They are the boots on the ground, I was a faculty member and I get it and I'm trying to do that but it is a process because every time we change something, let's say because faculty likes it, now administration doesn't." Who was honored? Photos from Heartland's Presidents Medallion Awards ceremony Presidents Medallion Honorees Mary and John Penn Presidents Medallion Honorees Larry and Marlene Dietz Presidents Medallion Honorees Jerry and Carole Ringer Presidents Medallion Honoree Bob Brucker Bob and Julie Dobski, Karen DeAngelis, Cindy Segobiano, visiting Rotarians from India Sukhi and Kirandeep Julie Dobski, Al Bedell, Dee Frautschi Mark and Dianna Johnson, Charlotte and Joe Talkington Merriann and Dave McGee Camille and Ron Springer Sandra and Gordon Bidner Mary Campbell, Julie Dobski Presidents Medallion Roosmarijn and Interim ISU President Andover Tarhule, Julie Dobski Patty McManus, Chris Downing, Steve MacManus Peg Doran, Joan Bullard, Janet Hood Jim and Phyllis White John Penn, Mike Matejka, Hank Campbell Mary and Dennis Feicke Jerry Ringer, Pat Grogg, Carole Ringer Jean-Marie Taylor, Jennifer and Stan OConnor Penn family table Alauna McGee, Kym Ammons Scott Lidia Halder, Wendy West, Raegan Rinchiuso, Larissa McIlvain, Gena Glover Heartland Community College Vice President, External Relations, Kelli Hill Crowd enjoys the beautiful night Heartland Foundation Board Chair Kirk McCullick Heartland Community College President Keith Cornille Heartland Board of Trustees vice-chair Janet Hood Jim White Presidents Medallion Honoree Jerry Ringer President's Medallion honoree Carole Ringer Janet Hood, Presidents Medallion honorees Carole and Jerry Ringer, Jim White, HCC President Keith Cornille Julie Dobski Presidents Medallion Honoree Marlene Dietz Presidents Medallion Honoree Larry Dietz Presidents Medallion Honoree Larry Dietz Janet Hood, Julie Dobski, Presidents Medallion honorees Larry and Marlene Dietz, HCC President Keith Cornille Nancy Evans Janet Hood, Nancy Evans, Bob Brucker, HCC President Keith Cornille Mary Campbell Presidents Medallion Honoree John Penn HCC President Keith Cornille congratulating John Penn Coronavirus vaccine maker Moderna is pausing plans to build a manufacturing facility in Kenya. It had planned to start filling doses of its Covid-19 vaccine on the continent as early as 2023, but Moderna says it has not received any vaccine orders for Africa since 2022. The firm says there has been a decline in demand for Covid-19 vaccines, and that it is resizing its manufacturing network to cut costs. Moderna is spending about $4.5bn (3.6bn) this year in research and development of other, new vaccines including for HIV, malaria and cancer. Profits are higher for cancer treatments, which require more doses per patient than coronavirus vaccines. 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 An aid agency working in Sudan has warned levels of hunger and malnutrition after a year of civil war are much worse than previously thought. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and other organisations say the breakdown of governance and infrastructure mean a famine is now almost inevitable. The United Nations, meanwhile, has said Sudan could become "the world's worst hunger crisis". Aid to the troubled Darfur region has been largely blocked by the war. In addition, the country is not in a position to begin planting crops for the new growing season in May. MSF said one child was dying every two hours at a camp in North Darfur where it screened tens of thousands of displaced people. It says conditions could be much worse in remoter areas. 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 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will on Wednesday, 17th April, 2024 commission Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Plant to address the energy crisis. The commissioning of the Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Project will improve power supply in Kumasi and the Northern parts of Ghana by boosting voltage system and thus improving overall system stability, according to Volta River Authority (VRA). The President will be supported by Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and CEO of the VRA, Ing. Emmanuel Antwi Darkwa at this event to be held at Anwomaso Kumasi, the project site. In a brief by the Authority, the move comes on the back of a grid impact study undertaken by the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) and recommending that a minimum of 250MW of power generation is required in the Ashanti Region to guarantee reliability and stability in the national grid. The VRA expounded that the siting of a power plant in Kumasi would ensure that electricity consumers in the middle and the northern parts of the country receive quality and reliable power. The project, according to the VRA, also aims at efficient use of the national asset. It will also ensure the utilization of gas resources in the Western part of the country and further create job opportunities in Kumasi and its environs. The Authority added that aside from the opportunities this creates especially for KNUST, Kumasi Technical University and other technical Universities to carry out practical training for their students on thermal power operations, the project is also expected to reduce system transmission losses by an estimated 30MW. Background The Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Project came into being after the expiration of the Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) agreement between Ameri Energy Limited and the Government of Ghana. In 2022, the plant was handed over to the government and subsequently transferred to the VRA. Accordingly, the Ministry of Energy together with the VRA took a strategic decision to relocate the plant to Kumasi and since then, the project has been named the "Kumasi 1 Thermal Power" project and funded entirely from the VRAs IGF. The project is executed in two phases; the first phase which is being commissioned on Wednesday commenced in May 2023 and involved the relocation of the first six (6) TM2500 units with a total generation capacity of 150MW. The second phase will be completed in June 2024 to increase the plants capacity from the 150MW to 250MW. The project is executed by VRAs in-house team of engineers with support from some selected service providers. This is a testament of Ghanaian ingenuity and the belief of the NPP government in Ghanaian capacity. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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: Ceramic sherd selection. Photographs: Steve Morton. Credit: Quaternary Science Reviews (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108624 Pottery was largely unknown in Australia before the recent past, despite well-known pottery traditions in nearby Papua New Guinea and the islands of the western Pacific. The absence of ancient Indigenous pottery in Australia has long puzzled researchers. Over the past 400 years, pottery from southeast Asia appeared across northern Australia, associated with the activities of Makassan people from Sulawesi (this activity was mainly trepanging, or collecting sea cucumbers). Older pottery in Australia is only known from the Torres Strait adjacent to the Papua New Guinea coast, where a few dozen pottery fragments have been reported, mostly dating to around 1700 years ago. Why has no evidence been found of early pottery use by Aboriginal people? Various explanations have been proposed, including suggesting that archaeologists simply weren't looking hard enough. Well now, we've found some. In new research published in Quaternary Science Reviews, we report the oldest securely dated ceramics found in Australia from archaeological excavations on Jiigurru (in the Lizard Island group) on the northern Great Barrier Reef located 600km south of Torres Strait. Our analysis shows the pottery was made locally more than 1,800 years ago. Finding pottery at Jiigurru Back in 2006, several pieces of pottery were found in Blue Lagoon on Jiigurru, 33km off mainland Cape York Peninsula. Finding pottery at Jiigurru raised some big questions. How old was it? Was it made by local Aboriginal communities? Or was it traded in from elsewhere? If so, where did it come from? Was it from a European shipwreck? Or was it made by the famous Lapita people who colonized the islands of the southwest Pacific? Our team excavated several more pieces of pottery from Blue Lagoon in 2009, 2010 and 2012. Preliminary analyses showed most of the pottery was made from local materials. However, despite a lot of work, our efforts to determine the age of this pottery were inconclusive and we were no closer to working out how old it is, or who made it. In 2013 we went back to Jiigurru to excavate a shell midden on a headland near where the Blue Lagoon pottery was found. A shell midden represents a place where people lived, containing food remains (shells, bones), charcoal from campfires, and stone tools left behind. Radiocarbon dating showed people started camping at this place some 4,000 years ago, making it the oldest site then known at Jiigurru. But no pottery was found. A broader search By 2016 the team had reached a dead end in investigating the few pieces of pottery we had. Instead, working in partnership with Traditional Owners, we turned the research program to the extraordinary Indigenous history of the whole of Jiigurru and began surveying all the islands. In 2017 we began excavating a large shell midden at Jiigurru located during the surveys. To our amazement, around 40cm below the surface we began to find pieces of pottery among the shells in the excavation. We knew this was a big deal. We carefully bagged each piece of pottery and mapped where each sherd came from, and kept digging. The pottery stopped at about 80cm depth, with 82 pieces of pottery in total. Most are very small, with an average length of just 18 millimeters. The pottery assemblage includes rim and neck pieces and some of the pottery is decorated with pigment and incised lines. The oldest pottery But we had another surprise waiting for us. The deepest cultural material was found nearly two meters below the surface, in levels we radiocarbon dated to around 6,500 years ago. This is the earliest evidence for offshore island use on the northern Great Barrier Reef. The reef shells eaten and discarded in these lowest levels had been buried so quickly that they still have color on their surfaces. Archaeological sites of this depth and age are uncommon anywhere around the Australian coast. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal and shells found close to the pottery shows that it is between 2,950 and 1,815 years old, making it the earliest securely dated pottery ever found in Australia. Analysis of the clays and tempers shows that all of the pottery was likely made on Jiigurru. What does it tell us that we didn't already know? The findings are clear evidence that Aboriginal people made and used pottery thousands of years ago. The archaeological evidence does not point to outsiders bringing pottery directly to Jiigurru. Instead, the evidence shows that Cape York First Nations communities were intimately engaged in ancient maritime networks, connecting them with peoples, knowledges and technologies across the Coral Sea region, including the knowledge of how to make pottery. They were not isolated or geographically constrained, as once conceived. The results also demonstrate that Aboriginal communities had sophisticated watercraft and navigational skills in using their Sea Country estates more than 6,000 years ago. What else don't we know? The Jiigurru pottery gives us new insight into Australia's history and the international reach of First Nations communities thousands of years before British invasion in 1788. Very little research has been conducted anywhere on eastern Cape York Peninsula. We think it is very unlikely that Jiigurru holds the only secrets to our country's peopled past. What other cultural and historical surprises await to be found? More information: Sean Ulm et al, Early Aboriginal pottery production and offshore island occupation on Jiigurru (Lizard Island group), Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Quaternary Science Reviews (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108624 Journal information: Quaternary Science Reviews 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: A Bonobo at animal park Planckendael in Muizen, near Mechelen, Belgium. Humankind's two closest primate relatives are often said to embody contrasting sides of our nature: peace-loving bonobos versus violence-prone chimpanzees. But a new study out Friday in Current Biology says it's not that simple. Male bonobos in fact fight each other more often than male chimps doand the bonobo "bad boys" who have more dust-ups also see greater mating success. Lead author Maud Mouginot of Boston University told AFP she decided to investigate the question of aggression among bonobos after prior research revealed a "reproductive skew" among males, meaning some fathered far more offspring than others. "So the question was, if bonobos are not that aggressive, how can they have such a high reproductive skew?" she said. Since their recognition as a species distinct from chimpanzees, bonobos have been romanticized for their free-spirited nature. Part of their reputation as "hippies" stems from how they use sex as a means of conflict resolution and often have same sex couplings, especially among females. They're also more likely to share food than chimps. Researchers had previously attempted to compare aggression between the two species, which share 99.6 percent of their DNA with each other, but these studies were limited because they used differing methods in the field. Mouginot and her colleagues focused on three communities at the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and two chimpanzee communities at Gombe National Park in Tanzania. By tracking the individual behavior of 12 male bonobos and 14 male chimpanzees over two years, the team was able to compile data on how often each engaged in aggressive interactions, who these encounters involved, and whether there was physical contact such as biting and pushing or simply charging at a rival. Surprisingly, the researchers discovered that male bonobos exhibited higher levels of aggression than chimpanzees. Specifically, bonobos engaged in 2.8 times as many aggressive encounters and three times as many physical altercations as did their chimpanzee counterparts. "That's, I think, the big finding of the paper," said Mouginot. "And the other thing is, we actually found that more aggressive male bonobos win more copulation with what we call 'maximally tumescent females,'" meaning females whose genitals have swollen because they are ovulating. More time with females? Male bonobos almost exclusively reserved their aggression for other males, while male chimpanzees were more likely to become aggressive with females. Both these findings aligned with expectations. Bonobo females are often leaders in their groups and form alliances to stop lone males who may attempt to coerce them sexually, so it makes little sense for males to challenge them. Conversely, chimpanzees are strongly male-dominant societies, and it's the males that band together, coercing females into sex or punishing male adversaries that challenge their authority. The fact that male bonobo disputes are overwhelmingly one-on-one, rather than one-against-many, might explain why they happen more often, said Mouginot, as the stakes are lower. Bonobos have never been reported to kill each other. Chimpanzee altercations, on the other hand, involve multiple males and can result in fatalitieseither within their own group, or in territorial battles against rival groups. The greater costs associated with chimp combat might therefore limit how often it occurs. As for why "nicer" bonobo males fared worse with females"it's possible that those aggressive males can also spend more time with females" by vanquishing rivals, said Mouginot, but this would require further confirmation. But Mouginot, who now focuses her anthropological work on humans, is skeptical about whether "bad boy" tropes in peoplethe idea that men who are troublemakers tend to attract more womenmap directly onto bonobos. Female bonobos, she emphasized, wield significant power and won't hesitate to shut down male aggression when directed at them. But it's possible they might find it attractive when it is directed at others. 2024 AFP SPRINGFIELD Illinois lawmakers are seeking to place guardrails on sale of hemp products that fall outside the tightly regulated cannabis industry, including placing a temporary ban on synthetic THC intoxicants such as delta-8. The legislation, filed this week by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood, would create a regulatory framework for hemp consumer products by establishing licensing, testing and labeling standards that are similar to the states cannabis regulation laws. Lightfords bill would also temporarily ban synthetic THC intoxicants, such as delta-8, for further study and review of the products safety. This study would be conducted by a committee of state public health officials, doctors, scientists and research experts, who would report on the products safety and offer potential manufacturing standards for the legislature and state regulators to consider. Lightfords bill joins a trio of bills from state Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Chicago, and state Sen. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago House Bill 4193, House Bill 5306 and Senate Bill 3790 that would regulate hemp but would not ban delta-8. Right now, delta has none of those regulations. You dont have to go to the state regulators to open up a delta shop," Ford said. "Theyre popping up everywhere. Theyre not labeling them, and people dont know exactly what level of potency theyre getting. When people buy products from cannabis dispensaries in Illinois, they can read labels and determine the level of potency to make decisions about how much they can consume, he said. With delta, you dont need a license to sell it, theres no regulations, theres no testing requirements and theres no labeling," Ford said. "Therefore, we need to make sure we do that. The call for hemp regulation in Illinois comes as the products have grown increasingly popular across the state and nation. Hemp is similar to cannabis but can have different effect levels. Cannabis is intoxicating no matter the strain whereas hemp isnt in its original form. But when hemp is naturally synthesized, it can be a much more intoxicating product such as delta-8, a mildly intoxicating sibling of delta-9 THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana. The products popularity has skyrocketed since the passage of the federal governments 2018 Farm Bill, which defined hemp as a product separate from cannabis and removed it from the controlled substances list. Since then, dozens of states have approved regulations and others, such as Iowa, Missouri and Illinois are considering legislation to address the regulatory vacuum. In Illinois, delta-8 products can be sold anywhere with no age restrictions. Over the last several years, theres been a proliferation of unregulated THC products, said Tiffany Chappell Ingram, executive director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois. These products can be found in corner stores and gas stations and bakeries, and even unlicensed retailers that hold themselves out to be dispensaries. That creates a lot of consumer confusion. Proponents of regulation note that some items come in packaging that is nearly identical to other products that can be found at these stores, such as Fritos, Skittles and Airheads. Theres no guarantee whats in the package, (and) theres no guarantee whats in the product. Our legislation seeks to address that, said Chappell Ingram, who supports Lightfords bill. Under the proposal, current hemp retailers would be able to continue selling non-intoxicating hemp products. But the bill would require retailers that want to continue selling intoxicating hemp products to apply for a cannabis dispensary license. The Illinois Department of Agriculture would be charged with enforcing the regulations and will allow them to investigate and inspect places that are not in line with those regulations. Lightfords legislation, which goes further than Ford and Collins bills by temporarily banning delta-8, has bipartisan support from lawmakers in both chambers. These predatory market practices would never be allowed with any other product, said state Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Macomb. Cannabis products sold in dispensaries have very strict labeling standards. Knowing that these (hemp) products contain nearly the same or certainly the same intoxicants but they can be disguised is frankly quite terrifying to me. Its time for us as policymakers to intervene and to protect the consumers, but especially to protect Illinois children. Ford and Collins bills would offer a similar level of regulation for hemp products. House Bill 5306, sponsored by Ford, would put limitations and penalties in place regarding the unlawful use of the substance. It also addresses licensing and registration of hemp, loans and grants, packaging and labeling of the product, lab approvals, testing requirements and taxation, among other things. Collins' Senate Bill 3790 is identical to this bill. House Bill 4193 would ban the sale of hemp products to people under 21. It would also establish specific details about hemp retailer licenses, such as who can sell the products and what the standards are for issuing these licenses. Collins, the Senate sponsor, said regulating the substance would target bad actors in the industry and put in place safeguards that protect consumers and generate tax revenue for the state. Ive talked to a lot of the hemp (and) delta-8 owners throughout my district and throughout the city where Im from who show great concern separating themselves from the bad actors because there were kids actually getting a hold of some of these products and there were stories written about them, Collins said. (The bill) would actually put some restrictions in place for the safeguards where were not only protecting consumers, but they know whats in the product (and) also generates another revenue tax. However, Chappell Ingram, the leader of the association that advocates for the states heavily taxed and regulated cannabis industry, said Ford and Collins bills dont go far enough. We just dont think Fords legislation goes far enough, but we do appreciate his efforts in this space, she said. Despite this, Collins and Ford on Thursday renewed their call to move their proposals forward to protect consumers and help taxpayers by fairly taxing these products. We begin by requiring licenses for everyone who sells delta hemp products in Illinois, Ford said in the statement. If a merchant doesnt comply with the rules and regulations we put in place, they lose their licenses. In addition to ensuring that hemp products already being sold at thousands of retail and hospitality locations throughout Illinois are safe, taxing these products could bring in tens, maybe even hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax revenue annually. At a time when the state budget is very tight, we could do a lot of good with those resources. All the bills in question are either in the gatekeeping House Rules Committee or Senate Assignments Committee. NEW DELHI, April 14 (Xinhua) -- India on Sunday expressed serious concern over the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, calling for de-escalation and restraint. New Delhi's voicing of concern came hours after Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel in a retaliatory attack. "We are seriously concerned over the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region," India's foreign ministry said in a statement. "We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy." Armed man arrested from bar had outstanding Tulum murder and kidnapping warrants Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Q.R. A man escorted to hospital by police after being shot in the knee has been arrested on outstanding warrants. Ricardo N was kept in police custody after being hospitalized Friday night. He was shot in the knee by municipal police officers who were confronted by an armed Ricardo N Friday night while responding to the report of gun fire inside a bar. At the bar, police were threatened by the now-detained man who, they later found out, had two outstanding arrest warrants. According to the State Attorney General, Ricardo N was wanted for homicide and kidnapping in Tulum. The State Attorney Generals Office reports that in coordination with the Municipal Police of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, they captured Ricardo N, a priority objective, a generator of violence in the municipality of Tulum who had two arrest warrants for his probable participation in crimes of homicide and kidnapping, they detailed in a statement. The arrest was carried out when the Felipe Carrillo Puerto Police responded to a report about alleged firearm detonations in an establishment located on 50th Street in the Lazaro Cardenas neighborhood. Upon arriving at the scene, the agents were attacked by Ricardo N, who was wounded in the left knee by a gunshot when the municipal agents repelled the attack. Ricardo N was shot in the knee by police Friday night. Photo: April 12, 2024. During the routine search, the detainee was seized with a firearm. He was transferred to the municipality of Othon P. Blanco, where he received medical attention, they said. Authorities also said that field, cabinet and technological investigations related Ricardo N as a hitman leader of a criminal group that operates in the municipality of Tulum. The group is trying to expand its presence toward Playa del Carmen, carrying out illicit activities such as drugs, extortion, kidnappings and homicide. Ricardo N was found with two outstanding arrest warrants, one for qualified homicide of two people which occurred on July 5, 2023 in the municipality of Tulum. The second for qualified homicide and deprivation of personal liberty of a man that occurred on August 18, 2023, also in Tulum. Cancun distributor road to close during Nichupte bridge connection work Cancun, Q. R. Cancun road distributor traffic will be affected Monday due to work on the Nichupte bridge. On April 15, the road distributor, which transports more than 70,000 vehicles a day, will be closed, the SICT has reported. The Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) announced that starting Monday the 15th, the road distributor will be closed while workers join the roundabout of the Old Airport Tower with the mangrove area as part of the construction of the Nichupte Bridge. The project includes two junctions, the first located to the west or Urban Zone and that connects with the Kabah road distributor where Bonampak, Rodrigo Gomez (Kabah) Avenues and Luis Donaldo Colosio Boulevard converge. The second junction is located to the east or Hotel Zone and connects with Kukulcan Boulevard at around kilometer 13. During the closure, traffic will be diverted along Kabah Avenue for those going from Cancun to the airport. In the opposite direction from the airport to the city, traffic will be diverted under the bridge over 16 de Abril Avenue to rejoin the Colosio roundabout and Bonampak Avenue. The agency has not said how long the construction of the section will take to complete. What has been announced is that the project as a whole is more than 40 percent advanced. Construction company Ingenieros Civiles Asociados (ICA) reports that despite some delays, they have begun the placement of the slab in an initial section of the bridge. The first slab casting of the lagoon area was completed between supports 61 and 62.5, and these are the first two supports that enter the lagoon on the Tajamar side, Ingenieros Civiles Asociados (ICA) reported in a social media update. It is not known how long the connection project will take and when the Cancun road distributor will be reopened to traffic. However, the bridge project as a whole is expected to be complete before the end of the year. Bridge construction began in the second half of 2022 and was initially set for operation in April of 2024, however, delays have set that operational date to August of 2024. The finished bridge will offer an 8.8 kilometer short cut overpass to connect the Cancun Hotel Zone with the mainland. More linear meters of sargassum barrier confirmed for Mahahual Mahahual, Q.R. Authorities in Mahahual have confirmed the installation of more linear meters of sargassum barriers of its coast. Raul Andrade Angulo, President of the Asociacion de Hoteles del Centro y Sur de Quintana Roo, reported that during a recent meeting with the Ministry of the Navy, state officials and local Mahahual businessmen, an agreement was reached to optimize both material and human resources. We had been requesting to meet with authorities of both the Navy Secretariat and the state government to propose modifying some points where the anti-sargassum barrier is placed year after year. Our goal is that there be better results and that the impact is lessened because of the experience we have had in past years. The meeting finally happened a few days ago and the most notable thing is that the navy agreed to work on a new strategy to optimize material and human resources and that the anchorages are made where there is more sargassum. He explained that taking into account previous experience, this season, local businesses recommended 1,450 meters of barrier from north to south. In addition, the government will allow them to repair (old mesh from last year) and install another 500 meters of barrier where deemed appropriate. The additional 500 meters will be placed according to the sargassum impact in previous years. Old mesh will be repaired and placed in the sea, adding another 500 meters of protection. Photo: April 12, 2024. It was agreed that the business sector repair and rescue another 500 meters of barrier so that it can be installed where it is considered most convenient, based on the impacts that sargassum has had in previous years. These are 20 meter sections. A minimum of one anchor is needed for every 10 meters of barrier so we are going to try to join forces to repair the mesh because in the end the benefits will be for us. The group met recently to discuss more sargassum barriers for the coast of Mahahual. Photo: April 12, 2024. Andrade Angulo commented that navy authorities said that for 2025, an additional 300 meters of barrier will be extended to the south to protect other hotels and restaurants and they will be able to join forces to support the repair of the barrier and/or location of the anchors, he said. He highlighted the importance of coordinated work this season so that the installation of the sargassum barriers in Mahahual fulfills its purpose. Mountain View Humane in Christiansburg is set to receive a $10,000 grant to help increase access to veterinary care for pets in the community. The investment is from national nonprofit Petco Love in support of their lifesaving work for animals in Virginia, according to a Mountain View news release. The Mountain View Humane grant is part of $1.5 million recently announced by Petco Love for more than 100 spay/neuter clinics and other low-cost veterinary care providers to help increase access to veterinary care for pets, according to the release. The lifesaving investments are also being granted to reduce economic euthanasia, and the surrender of pets to shelters when families are not able to afford needed veterinary treatment. Petco Loves investment will provide 150 high-quality, affordable spay/neuter surgeries for companion pets and 125 wellness vaccines at Mountain View Humanes Christiansburg, Virginia, clinic, said Laurie Gibbons, executive director of Mission Delivery, Mountain View Humane. Petco Loves investment in our community will allow us to offer reduced rates to families struggling to provide healthcare for their pets, empowering them to afford lifesaving services for their pets in need. This will help eliminate pet overpopulation. Mountain View Humane is honored to be a part of the Petco Love family of partners and looks forward to impacting the lives of hundreds of pets in southwest Virginia. For more information about Mountain View Humane, contact Laurie Gibbons at lgibbons@mvhclinic.org or (540) 676-5498. Learn more about Petco Love here: petcolove.org. Mountain View Humane has performed nearly 100,000 spay/neuter surgeries and also operates transport vehicles when there are potential barriers to travel and veterinary services. - The Roanoke Times Thousands were in attendance Saturday to say goodbye to Roanokes Wasena Bridge as the city prepares for its demolition and eventual replacement in the coming years. The Wasena Bridge Bonanza, organized by members of the community, gave the public one last chance to walk across the 82-year-old bridge and to visit its burgeoning business community. The bridge is scheduled to close April 22 with a goal of having its replacement in place by the spring of 2026. The $50.3 million project will include tearing down the old bridge and the construction of a new one over the Roanoke River. In that time, a vital connection between southwest and downtown Roanoke will be severed. When it is finally completed the new bridge features will include designated bike lanes, wider sidewalks, improved lighting above and below and a roundabout at the three-way intersection of Ferdinand Avenue to improve traffic. Riker Bennett and his wife Lonna sat outside on the front lawn of their home on Winona Avenue and watched the people pass by throughout the day on Saturday. He is looking forward to the construction of the bridge after years of delays. Bennett said he doesnt expect to be too inconvenienced using alternate routes once construction begins in the coming weeks. Other than going downtown, its not going to be that out of the way, he said of taking detours. Jean Stump also visited Saturday to say goodbye to the bridge. She lived in the Wasena community for 45 years before moving in 2011 to another part of the city. At 95, Stump said she could recall when the bridge was first completed in 1938. She said her late husband used to tell her about how he ran over the bridge to his family when he heard Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. The city of Roanoke joined with the Wasena Neighborhood Forum to throw Saturdays bonanza that featured food and craft vendors, live music and the opportunity for visitors to write chalk messages on the bridge. The entire length of Wasena Bridge and much of the community was closed to traffic for Saturdays event. We wanted to give the community a party because they are going to be inconvenienced for the next two years, said Molly Hunter, neighborhood services coordinator for the City of Roanoke. Hunter said the city will continue working with the community for the next few months to organize videos to spotlight businesses in the community that will be impacted by the bridges closure and to let people know of detours. Those detours are expected to add more than three miles to the commute of anyone trying to visit one of the businesses. James Settle, a member of the Wasena Neighborhood Forum and resident for 25 years, said a major reason for the festival Saturday was to invite the surrounding communities in for a chance to visit the local businesses. He said shops and restaurants there have sprung to life in recent years. Our business community has grown exponentially in the last eight to ten years and we want them to survive this, Settle said. Kind Baking Company, located on Main street just a short distance from Wasena Bridge, was one of several businesses that saw an influx of customers on Saturday as people walked the closed streets. Owner Bryn McDaniel said the turnout exceeded expectations. The small bakery has only been open for a little more than a year, but McDaniel said it has seen sales increase in that time. She has been handing out flyers letting people know of alternative routes to the community and the business once the bridge closes later this month. I hope people continue to seek us out like they do now, McDaniel said. PARAMARIBO, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Nestled deep within the embrace of the Amazon rainforest lies Botopasi village, right in the heart of Suriname. Getting there from the capital city of Paramaribo takes five and a half hours -- two and a half hours by car and another three by boat along the Suriname River. Besides the underdeveloped transportation infrastructure, villagers in the region were also unable to connect to the national electricity grid, thus lacking a continuous power supply for long periods of time. The diesel fuel provided by the government only generates a five-hour electricity supply per day. Having stable access to electricity had been a wish of Botopasi villagers for long, but the absence of electricity and other inconveniences have compelled many of them to relocate to the capital in recent years, resulting in a decline in the village's population. In 2019, Suriname's Ministry of Natural Resources signed an agreement with Power Construction Corporation of China (Power China), hoping to jointly solve the electricity problem for villagers in this area. Suriname's Minister of Natural Resources David Abiamofo said the rural microgrid photovoltaic project is in line with the country's energy strategy and has improved the lives of people in disadvantaged inland areas. Currently, Suriname is one of the three carbon-negative countries in the world, Abiamofo said. "Our goal is to make sure that our footprint becomes increasingly ecological." After studying more than 10 villages, Xiong Zekun, project manager of Power China of Surinam Villages Micro-grid Solar Project, and his team presented a plan to build photovoltaic stations and install transmission lines in each village, forming a microgrid in each region. Following the approval of the plan by the Surinamese government, Power China began construction. Six months later, it delivered the first phase of the project, the Goejaba microgrid, in 2020, which has since supplied the village with uninterrupted electricity. Xiong recalled the night when the first phase of the project was inaugurated. "After turning on the lights and leaving the station, I passed by a house and saw a child studying under a lit lamp. This scene made me feel that all the efforts for this project were worth it," he said. The successful operation of the first phase of the project has prompted the government of Suriname to authorize Power China to build microgrids in more villages. In October 2021, the second phase of the project was officially launched. The village of Botopasi, where the camp for the second phase of Power China's project is located, is one of the nine villages set to benefit from the five complexes of the second phase. Once completed, these complexes will provide uninterrupted clean energy to more than 3,000 residents. Born and raised in the village of Botopasi, Harry Wens Potter has been assisting the Power China team as an interpreter since the beginning of the second phase. "I love working to help Chinese company communicate with people from my village because electricity is so important for us," Potter told Xinhua. "We live in the rainforest and have always lived in harmony with nature. The photovoltaic technology promoted by the Chinese will not harm local natural environment, which is exactly what we need," Porter said. Suriname was one of the first Caribbean countries to sign the Belt and Road cooperation plan with China, for which Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi has repeatedly expressed support. "China is taking leadership in the world and supporting other countries. One of the examples is the Belt and Road Initiative. My country is also benefiting from this development," Santokhi told reporters during his ongoing state visit to China. " " A bitcoin sculpture made from scrap metal is installed outside the BitCluster cryptocurrency mining farm in Norilsk, Russia, on Dec. 20, 2020. Norilsk now hosts the arctic's first crypto farm for producing new bitcoins. Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg/Getty Images There's a lot of buzz these days about cryptocurrencies, a sort of private-sector digital version of money that's protected from theft by cryptography and counted through blockchain technology, which creates a multitude of digital ledgers on computers scattered far and wide. In addition to being used to buy things, cryptocurrencies can be bought or sold by investors. In April, 2021, according to CNBC, the global market for cryptocurrencies grew to over $2 trillion for the first time ever, with bitcoin, the biggest digital asset, accounting for more than 50 percent of that value. Advertisement But scientists and others worry that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies might pose a danger to the planet. That's because their blockchains require computers all over the planet to solve complex equations in order to verify transactions. That practice, called mining, can be lucrative, because the people who do it earn bitcoins as a reward, as we explain in more detail here onhow to mine dogecoin. The problem, critics say, is that all those calculations needed to solve the equations for mining cumulatively consume large amounts of electricity. Bitcoin already uses 149.63 terawatt hours annually, more than entire countries such as Malaysia and Sweden, according to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index. Microsoft co-founder and global philanthropist Bill Gates recently told journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin that bitcoin "uses more energy per transaction than any other method known to mankind." " " OregonMines is a hardware hosting service for cryptocurrency miners located in The Dalles, Oregon. The business, which continually powers nearly 3,000 computers, benefits from cheap hydropower in the Columbia Gorge. Natalie Behring/Getty Images It's difficult to determine exactly how much of that electricity is generated by burning coal and gas, whose emissions contribute to climate change. But since nearly two-thirds of the world's total electricity is produced by plants that use fossil fuels, it's not hard to imagine how some cryptocurrencies increasingly could contribute to climate change. A study published in the journal Nature Climate in 2018 concluded that the growth of bitcoin could produce enough emissions by itself to raise global temperatures by 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) as soon as 2033. (Other researchers have argued that this projection overestimates the problem.) In many ways, the study's timing couldn't be more perfect, as it aligns with current global efforts around ecological restoration. One example is the Trillion Trees Vision, which seeks to restore 1 trillion trees by 2050. Another is the Bonn Challenge, which is a partnership between the government of Germany and the U.N.'s International Union for Conservation of Nature that aims to restore 371 million acres (150 million hectares) degraded and deforested landscapes into restoration and 864 million acres (350 million hectares) by 2030. You might be thinking, well, that sounds pretty easy. Let's all roll up our sleeves and save the planet by planting one tree at a time right? But some experts say the situation is actually a little more complicated than that rosy picture. Especially if most nations don't chip in to help. Advertisement "Implementation of forest restoration on the scale discussed in this paper is not as straightforward as it might seem," says Jim Hallett, chair of the board of directors for the Society for Ecological Restoration. "By 2018, there were commitments of over 420 million acres (170 million hectares) by 58 nations, which exceeds the Bonn Challenge goal. Current estimates indicate that around 29 percent of the committed lands are now under restoration, but most of this work has been done by a few countries." As of 2021, the Bonn Challenge has surpassed its goal of restoring 371 million acres, and has pledges from more than 60 countries to restore 518 million acres (210 million hectares) deforested lands. Hallett cites major challenges to implementing restoration on such a global scale, "including financing, governance, land tenure and ownership, [and] capacity to do the work." Hallett concludes, "there is ample evidence that, in some contexts, if the benefits of restoration are not equally shared, the project will fail. So incentive programs have to be carefully developed." Although Hallett agrees that forest restoration is important to addressing climate change, restoration alone will likely not be enough. It takes time, after all, to implement such big restoration projects and also for these trees to store carbon. And Hallett stresses that "the possibility of future restoration should not be used as an excuse for degrading intact lands." " " Every 15 minutes around the world, an area of forest the size of the National Mall is lost. Alan Belward/Cornell University Library and Powerhouse Museum/HowStuffWorks Hollie Adams/Pool/Reuters Shenanigans at court A senior courtier bypassed official procedures while King Charles III was recovering from cancer treatment to get his candidate appointed to a senior role, the Mail on Sunday has claimed. The appointment is now being reversed, the paper says, after the intrigue was compared to the goings-on at a medieval court. Garter King Of Arms David White is alleged to have directly contacted the king, nominating the candidate when Charles was in London for cancer treatment, and staff were under orders not to bother him. King Charles Attends Easter Service With Scaled-Back Royal Family A source told the Mail on Sunday: Its like a trick from the Middle Ages. Theres been a huge row behind the scenes. Some people believe that David White deliberately tried to get to Charles behind their backs so that he could get his preferred candidate into the role. What David may not have realized was that the King was tired. In other words, he was at his most vulnerable, which is why proper procedure exists. The Mail on Sunday alleges that White got his letter of recommendation in front of the king by giving it to the husband of one of his assistants who works for the king. When contacted by the MoS by telephone, White declined to comment, but the paper alleged he made incriminating comments after he thought he had hung up. Buckingham Palace reportedly declined to comment. Another link between Harry and William is broken A charity that represented one of the last joint causes of estranged brothers Prince William and Prince Harry is being wound up after over two decades. The London Sunday Times reports that the parents of their old friend Henry van Straubenzee are finishing up their work with a foundation established in his honor after he was killed in a car crash at the age of 18. The families were friends and became even closer after Alex and Claire van Straubenzees three sonsThomas, Henry, and Charlieand William and Harry were all born within six years of each other. The boys went to the same schools and shared holidays in Cornwall in the summer. Prince William and Prince Harry attend the opening of the Greenhouse Sports Centre in central London, April 26, 2018. Toby Melville/Pool/Reuters The two surviving brothers, Thomas, 41, and Charlie, 35, have remained friends with both brothers despite the fracturing of their own relationship. Indeed, one of William and Harrys last joint pieces of work was for the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund (HvSMF), which builds schools in Uganda. They issued a joint written tribute in December 2022 on the 20th anniversary of Henrys death. Though their final visit to Uganda is tinged with sadness, Claire told the Sunday Times: It feels right to quit while were ahead. Story continues Harry and Meghan: polo glamor Meghan Markle kissed husband Prince Harry at a polo matchas she presented him with the prize cup for his Royal Salute Sentebale team at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge event held at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida. Harrys team won the match (against the Grand Champions, led by his good friend Nacho Figueras) 3-1, with Harry reportedly scoring the opening goal. Netflix cameras were following Harry and Meghan for one of their next projects about polo. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kiss as they attend the Royal Salute Polo Challenge to benefit Sentebale, a charity founded by him and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to support children in Lesotho and Botswana, in Wellington, Florida, U.S., April 12, 2024. Marco Bello/Reuters William and Kate post message after mass stabbing Prince William and Kate Middleton posted a message on X in the wake of the mass stabbing at a Sydney shopping mall, which resulted in the deaths of six people, including the assailant who was shot dead by a cop. The message read: We are shocked and saddened by the terrible events in Sydney earlier today. Our thoughts are with all those affected, including the loved ones of those lost and the heroic emergency responders who risked their own lives to save others. W & C. King Charles also sent a message of sympathy after the killings. Inside Peter Phillips break up The Daily Mails Richard Kay says that Peter Phillips split from his girlfriend Lindsay Wallace has come as a surprise and that the two remain friends and no third party is involved. Kay says that the family are saddened by the news, particularly because observers had described the pair as incredibly happy and some thought a wedding might be in the offing. However, Kay says that a succession of business deals apparently trading off the family name have exposed him to public scrutiny and that PeterPrincess Annes sonwill now to reinvent himself in the wake of the split. Prince Edwards new military title Prince Edward is set to become Colonel of the Scots Guard in a ceremony today, Sunday, taking over from the Duke of Kent. Edward, who, as the Daily Mail points out, quit the Royal Marines in 1987 after four months (and entering a professional career in the arts and media after that), was appointed to the role by brother King Charles. Of the appointment, Edward said, The Duke of Kent has been an extraordinary Colonel of the Scots Guards. Quite apart from his depth of knowledge and keen understanding of the Regiment and all those who serve, past and present, he has been a tireless and passionate advocate. It is a distinct honor to be asked and entrusted by His Majesty to serve as the next Colonel. However, I accept with a degree of trepidation as I will undoubtedly be measured against the formidable record and reputation of my predecessor. I can only promise to do my best. Britain's Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, on behalf of King Charles III, looks on at 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. Victoria Jones/Pool via Reuters The Duke of Kent said: Serving as Colonel of the Scots Guards since 1974, the longest anyone has spent in this role, has been a true honour and one which will forever fill me with great joy. Through those years, I have seen the work of the Scots Guards during peacetime and war and witnessed their bravery, selfless courage and devotion to duty. To my fellow Scots Guardsmen, I am immensely proud to have served you all. I am delighted that His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will continue to champion all that you do and work towards preserving your great legacy. This week in royal history Prince Philip was laid to rest on April 17, 2021, having died on April 9. Only about 30 guests attended the burial ceremony at St. Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle because of Covid restrictions. Queen Elizabeth was pictured seated alone. Britain's Queen Elizabeth is seen during the funeral of Britain's Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth, who died at the age of 99, at St George's Chapel, in Windsor, Britain, April 17, 2021. Yui Mok/Pool via Reuters Unanswered questions What will Prince Williams return to royal duties look like? How are King Charles and Kate Middleton progressing with their respective cancer treatments? 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 response to recent drone attacks by Iran on Israel, leaders from around the world have issued a strong wave of condemnation. The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said that the European Union strongly condemns Iran's attacks on Israel. "This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security," Borrell wrote on this X account. US President Joe Biden, who returned early from a weekend trip to monitor Middle East events from the White House, reiterated his support for Israel. He mentioned that he had convened a meeting with his national security team to discuss the latest developments. In a post on X, Biden said, "I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad." UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate cessation of these hostilities. "Neither the region nor the world can afford another war" he warned in his statement. "I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East," the statement said. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, "I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime's reckless attack against Israel. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard", minutes after news of the Iranian attack. French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said, "France condemns in the strongest terms the attack launched by Iran against Israel. By deciding on such an unprecedented action, Iran is taking a new step in its destabilizing actions and taking the risk of a military escalation." Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani mentioned that he is in close contact with the ambassadors in Tehran and Tel Aviv, adding, "We have spoken with the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister. The government is prepared to handle any scenario." The acting Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, said the situation in the Middle East is very concerning, noting, Earlier today, the Netherlands and other countries sent a clear message to Iran to stop attacking Israel. "The Netherlands strongly condemns Irans attack on Israel. Further escalation must be avoided. We continue to monitor the situation closely," Rutte added. "We strongly condemn the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos. Iran and its proxies must stop this immediately. Israel offers our full solidarity at this time." said Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Likewise, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his nation unequivocally condemns Irans airborne attacks against Israel. "We stand with Israel. After supporting Hamas brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regimes latest actions will further destabilize the region and make lasting peace more difficult, Trudeau said in a statement. "We support Israels right to defend itself and its people from these attacks. TEHRAN, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Sunday that Iran, at this moment, no longer sought to continue its retaliatory military operation against Israel. He made the remarks in a post on social media platform X while elaborating on the missile and drone strikes launched by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) against targets in Israel in response to the deadly Israeli attack on April 1 on the consular sections of the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus that killed seven Iranians, including two veteran commanders. Amir-Abdollahian said, "Iran at this moment no more seeks to continue its defensive operations, but if necessary, it will not hesitate in protecting its legitimate interests against any new aggression." Exercising its right to self-defense is indicative of Iran's responsible approach toward regional and international peace and security, the foreign minister added. The IRGC said in two separate statements early Sunday that it had launched "tens of missiles and drones" and "successfully hit and destroyed" important military targets belonging to the Israeli army in response to "numerous Israeli crimes." The IRGC also warned that any threat by the United States and Israel from any country would receive a reciprocal and proportionate response from Iran. Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here. Dear Care and Feeding, I have been with my partner for five years (were gay men, 27 and 36), and I have been trying to get him to become more involved in the parts of my life that exist outside of our (strong, queer) community. We live in a major city; many of my friends and family live elsewhere. Now my brother-in-law is coming for a visit and invited us out to dinner with him and a friend of his. My BIL has expressed his excitement about the trip (arranged by my sister) as a chance for us to get to know each other better, and in particular for him to get to know my partner. As I was expecting, my partner is pushing back: He is uncomfortable around straight men. He grew up overseas and has a lot of trauma in this regard. But the thing is, my BIL is a strong ally, with many gay and queer friends, and a very supportive uncle to a trans tween. Im having trouble dealing with the fact that my partner cant or wont try to work past his trauma, no matter the context, and it is having a negative effect on me, on our relationship, and on my relationships with my family and non-queer friends. This upcoming visit from my sisters husband is only one example (and truthfully my partners social anxiety plays a significant role in relationships even within our own queer community). How can I approach this in the hopes of starting to build my partner more fully into my WHOLE world, not just in our gay enclave? Caught Between Worlds Dear Caught, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think you may be missing the forest for the trees. That is: Your partners trauma is his to work through, if he can, for his own sake. Framing this as a problem for him to fix so that you can build him more fully into your world is worrisome to me. And if you have framed it that way in conversations with him over the five years youve been together, I would not be surprised if it got his back up. (Youre asking him to push past his lived experience and just try to hang out with straight men, as long as you vouch for them?) His anxiety about being around straight people (and his social anxiety in general) is not a choice hes making. I think you know that, and Id also like to give you the benefit of the doubt and conclude that what seems like a lack of empathy on your part is just your frustration with the current situation seeping into your letter. Ill assume that what you meant to say was, how can I help my partner, whom I love dearly, have a fuller and happier life? (Because, after all, if he is happier, your relationship will be happierand then you will be, too.) Advertisement Advertisement If your partner is not interested in therapy of any kind, or if hes had unsuccessful experiences with it and is reluctant to try againor if he is in therapy and it isnt helping in the way you hoped it wouldthe truth is there isnt anything you can do. You really have two choices, in that case: Accept him as he is, because you love him and want him in your life, you dont want to force him into situations that make him anxious, and you realize that its possible for you to have relationshipsand hang out withpeople without him. Your other choice is to end your relationship with him, because it isnt giving you what you need. Advertisement Advertisement In the interests of full disclosure (though its by no means a perfect match of circumstances), I have been married for going on four decades to someone who suffers from severe social anxiety and who gets no pleasure from (for example) going out to dinner with friends. So I go out to dinner with friends. I go to parties without him (and I have fun!). I visit my family without him. I have whole relationships with people I feel close to that hes not a part of. He isnt rude to them when they come over (I do invite people overI just warn him beforehand, so that if he wants to, he can stay out of the way), and there are even a few people in my world of whom hes become fond over the yearsin his own time and manner. But there are also people Ive known for years whove never met him. To my way of thinking, the fact that were married doesnt mean we have to do everything together (what we do together are things we both want to do and anything that involves our daughter). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, I know perfectly well that this arrangement wouldnt work for everyone, that it works for us because of our temperaments. So Ill be blunt: If you want a partner who fully participates in every aspect of your life, you are probably with the wrong partner. And so is he. Want Advice on Parenting, Kids, or Family Life? Submit your questions to Care and Feeding here. Its anonymous! (Questions may be edited for publication.) Dear Care and Feeding, I am a high schooler and am at odds with my parents about my sleeping schedule. When I get home from school, at around 4 p.m., I have a snack and then start my homework. Sometimes I find myself getting really sleepyusually because its the first time all day that Ive sat down calmly without something immediate to doand I want to take a short nap. This doesnt happen all the time, only occasionally, but when I do, I wake up feeling refreshed and a little more clear-headed. Advertisement Advertisement My parents, however, refuse to let me sleep. They believe that taking a nap after school means I will stay up too late at night. Ive explained that when Im tired I cant think properly, and then it takes me even longer to get my work done (so I end up going to bed late anyway). Still, my parents wont let me nap. The other day, I was asleep after school and my dad barged into my room, turned the lights on, and ripped my blanket off me. We got into an argument and he called me arrogant for trying to explain how this works for me. Its so frustrating! Im almost an adultI will be going to college next year. It seems absurd that I cant take a nap without my parents approval, even if they have good intentions. Is there anything I can do? Sleepy After School Dear Sleepy, Advertisement Advertisement I dont know if there is. Parents of teenagers dont always act rationally. (Obviously, neither do teenagers.) Its a fraught time for everyone. My guess is that at least part of the explanation for their forbidding you to nap before you finish your homework is that theyre trying to instill what they think are the right habits (for you to take with you when you leave for college). But even if thats soand even if not taking a nap from which you wake up refreshed and better able to get your work done was a good habit to establishthere are plenty of other reasons theyre getting all worked up over this. One of them is that you are growing up and getting ready to leave home, which scares them. (They wont have any control over you at all! They wont be able to keep you safe and healthy! They wont know what youre doing or not doing!) Advertisement Advertisement If you can, try cutting them a little slack. (I know, I know: Why should you, when theyre not giving you that courtesy? Do it for your own sake, because having some insight into their behavior will help you feel less frustrated.) They are also absolutely sure they know more than you do and it is infuriating to them that you insist otherwise. The fact is, they do know more than you do about a lot of things. But you know more than they do about yourself. Advertisement Advertisement Since discussion of this isnt getting you anywhere, try writing it outcalmly and rationally, without any snide asides like, You think you know best BUT YOU DONT and with a recognition of where theyre coming from and why. Maybe this will helpif they read it; make sure to hand this letter to them during a period of calm, not right after a fight. Good luck. If they stand firmno naps!soon enough youll be making your own decisions, about naps and many other things. This may not be a battle worth continued fighting. Advertisement Catch Up on Care and Feeding Missed earlier columns this week? Read them here. Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group! Dear Care and Feeding, I love to travel and am finally at a point in my life when I can do it easily. I usually travel with one or more of my sisters. My sister-in-law constantly complains that she is not included on these trips, but whenever I make a suggestion, like, Lets go to Chicago in May, or Lets take a train trip to Canada, I get radio silence from her. I have even sent her catalogs for cruises, circling which ones I like, and then followed up with an emailand still she does not respond! I finally emailed my brother telling him that he needs to talk to his wife. I told him I am tired of her complaints and snide remarks when she makes zero effort. She is welcome to join me on a trip, I said, but I am not dragging her along. I heard nothing back. What Ive learned from the family grapevine is that she is so hurt, her family is dropping out of our family reunion at the beach this year. I havent seen my brothers kids for three years because of their school schedules and I was looking forward to seeing them. What do I do? When I call either my brother or my sister-in-law, it goes to voicemail. Family Trouble Dear Trouble, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Your only mistake, it seems to me, was emailing your brother to complain about his wife. This was between you and your sister-in-law, and by putting him in the middle of it, you made him choose a side. I dont know what you thought would happen. But whats done is done. If I were you, Id leave voicemails, apologizing; Id send them both emails, apologizing. Not for the mess between you and your sister-in-law (who sounds like a piece of work), but for overstepping. You should have been a grownup and worked it out with her yourself. I cant promise theyll change their minds about the family vacationor that your sister-in-law will stop ignoring your invitations and then complaining about being excludedbut perhaps if (along with the apology) you stop expecting her to behave differently than she has been behaving all along, and refuse to get yourself worked up about it (if she complains, she complains; who cares? Ignore it!), youll be happier. Who knows why she doesnt respond to email or postal mail invitations or suggestions? Who knows why she feels the need to be aggrieved? None of this is your problem. As to the kids you were looking forward to seeing, youre going to need to develop relationships with them that are not so tightly tied to their parents. (It can be done, even with young childrenIve done it myself.) And if they are old enough and those school schedules are college schedules, feel free to invite them to visit you. But please step away from the family drama, which does no one any good. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dear Care and Feeding, I am 15. There are loads of things that other 15-year-olds are allowed to do that I am not. My sister is 18, my stepbrother is 19 and has been with us since I was 10, and they both agree Im being treated unfairly. Just for instance: School is 25 minutes away on foot, our town doesnt have school busses, and literally every other kid is allowed to walk home. My own sister was, when she was my age, even when it would have been dangerous for her to. Ive been walking since I was a toddler! I have a cellphone, so if anything came up, I could call them (or 911 for that matter). Also: My parents dont like it when Im friends with boys, other than the ones I meet in a single specific context: events for other kids with similar disabilities to mine. Advertisement Advertisement I was born with a condition called proximal focal femoral deficiency (PFFD) in my left leg and with limb differences in my right hand. My leg was amputated when I was a year old and Ive had several surgeries in my hand and leg since. My mom has coddled me since I was born and my stepdad has taken her lead. I also have ADHD (like, diagnosed), but I dont take medication because I am doing perfectly fine without it. But I do have anxiety that my parents dont believe I have (my closest friend thinks its a combination of my ADHD and my moms overprotectiveness) and because of that I dont have a ton of friends, but Im really close to and happy with the friends I do have. So basically I am OK. But when I ask my mother to loosen up a little, she always says I just dont understand how hard its been for her to have a daughter who has gone through so many surgeries. (But seriously, one of my friends lost his leg to literal cancer and had almost two years of chemo and his parents arent nearly as protective of him as she is of me.) Its true that because of my anxiety, I sometimes seem to rely on her and my siblings a lot. But I am used to having one leg and doing things with 1.5 hands. Walking on my prosthetic is normal for me, as Ive had limb differences my whole life. Does it impact me every day? Sure, but Im used to it. I wish she was. Enough Coddling Dear Enough, Advertisement The next time you make a plea for a little less coddling (making sure not to raise your voice, make accusations, report your friends diagnosis of the root of your troubles, or whine), when Mom tells you you dont understand what its like to be the mother of someone with your disabilities, tell her that, by the same token, she doesnt understand what its like to be you. Then tell her what its like to be you. Tell her all the things youve told me (but without making comparisons to your older siblings or other 15-year-oldsthat never works on parents). You might point out that in just a few years youll be off to college (I hope you will!) and you need to start practicing the skills youll have to rely on then. That might get her attention. Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, do everything you can to demonstrate to her that you can be self-sufficient. Then, if this first conversation gets you nowhere, you can point to all the things you do manage to do on your own successfully. And while youre at it, although I know its hard, spare a tiny bit of your brainspaceand your heartfor your mother. It has been hard for her, for different reasons and in different ways than its been for you. Perhaps you both could take a beat to try to imagine what it feels like to be the other. Michelle More Advice From Slate We recently had a picnic with another couple and their 15-month-old. My 2-year-old son was sitting with me and did something cute, so I pulled out my phone to get a quick pic, and my son was delighted to see himself and me on the selfie screen. At the same time, the other baby came toddling up behind us to investigate, and I thought it might make her smile too, so I held up the phone for her and did the look at that cute baby! routine. Warm weather sees people flock to revamped Druzba in city centre. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share With the arrival of warm weather, Bratislava has started turning on fountains. The first of these to start operating have been the Druzba fountain on Namestie Slobody Square and the Ganymede Fountain on Hviezdoslavovo Square, both in the city centre. In total, 36 fountains will be gushing with water this season. Lost in Bratislava? Impossible with this City Guide! (Source: Spectacular Slovakia) The Druzba fountain was revamped last year as part of an extensive refurbishment of the whole Namestie Slobody Square, which included the introduction of a trampoline and lowered lawns. A large playground, hammock pegs and swings will be added by summer. However, the fountain has come in for some criticism with visitors complaining of a lack of toilets. Surrounded by government and university buildings, the only toilets are at a bistro and cafe by the fountain and users have to pay. Other restaurants are too far from the square. The city would like to make the restrooms of the private cafe and bistro accessible to the general public. If this plan fails, they may build public toilets. When the fountain was re-launched last year, visitors praised the general quiet at the location, as the area is large and surrounded by trees around its perimeter. The square has also seen several larger protests and a Pride march. It has hosted dance classes, yoga classes and last summer the Philharmonic Orchestra played there. The Gerlach club, which focuses on the personal development of young boys, also meets there every Friday. Several other fountains have also been turned on in the city: Woman with a Jar Fountain on Frantiskanske Square, Maximilian's Fountain on Main Square, Lion with a Coat of Arms Fountain outside the Old Market Hall, as well as Girl with a Deer Fountain on Hviezdoslavovo Square. Related article Related article Disfavoured Bratislava fountains have aged very well, architect says Read more The municipal organisation MARIANUM Funeral of the City of Bratislava now manages municipal fountains: 38 fountains, 13 drinking fountains, 3 wells and 1 fountain with a fog effect. There are more than 150 fountains in the city, but many of them belong to city districts, owners of hotels, shopping centres and other legal entities. SNS official flew low over Mala Fatra area where rare eagles and falcons nest. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share On April 5, 2024, Filip Kuffa, who is a state secretary (i.e. deputy minister) at the Environment Ministry and a Slovenska Narodna Strana (SNS) nominee, flew in a Robinson R44 Raven helicopter, registration OK-STR, over the Mala Fatra National Park, the Dennik N news website reports. The flight has caused indignation among environmentalists because it was carried out at low altitude and directly over an area that is strictly regulated to protect nesting birds of prey, including rare eagles and falcons. The helicopter probably took off near Terchova and later hovered over the Snilovske Sedlo saddle and Velky Rozsutec peak. Dennik N reported that the helicopter is owned by the Czech firm Industry-logistik s. r. o., based in Ostrava, making it effectively a transnational incident. "The leadership of the ministry should avoid flying with companies that fly in a way that raises questions as to whether this company has committed a misdemeanour or a criminal offence when violating species protection," ornithologist Jozef Ridzon pointed out. Kuffa, who's been under scrutiny for allegedly attempting to influence the management of the Tatras National Park (TANAP) with his brother, was identified from a video filmed from inside the helicopter. Disturbing birds of prey Environmentalists and conservation experts are concerned about the impact of such low-altitude flights on the wildlife in the area. The flight route and altitude reportedly did not comply with the regulations in force, which stipulate specific guidelines to prevent disturbances in such ecologically sensitive zones.The ongoing presence of closed paths within the national park during the breeding season, mandated since 2005, underscores the critical nature of these habitats for wildlife conservation. According to Jozef Ridzon, a noted ornithologist from the Slovak Ornithological Society/BirdLife, breeding eagles and falcons could have been seriously disturbed by the noise and proximity of the helicopter. "According to our data, there is one pair of bald eagles and three peregrine falcons at the affected location," said Ridzon. The breeding season is critically sensitive, and disturbances can lead to birds abandoning their nests, which in turn can result in failed breeding cycles for these protected species. A few years ago, newly hatched chicks died of starvation in six falcon nests in Mala Fatra after a helicopter flew over them. The parents did not return to them out of fear. Ministry's reaction Dennik N also contacted the Environment Ministry with several questions, but received no response. "I don't know where he was," Minister Tomas Taraba told the press on April 12. "We'll file a motion to investigate whether Kuffa was driving the helicopter or ordering it," the minister added. The absence of any contractual links between the government and Industry-logistik, as per the state contract registry, raises questions regarding the authorization and purpose of the flight. Moreover, there appears to be no radar records about the flight, suggesting a non-standard approach to flying by the pilot. In this way, the pilot did not have to identify himself and state the location. Kuffa, on the other hand, filmed another video in which he questioned the claim that he had even used a helicopter. The deputy minister commented: "Even if I did go there by helicopter, there is an official heliport. It's not true that flights are banned; flights over national parks do occur; there are certain regulations that must be adhered to." In the video he neither confirms nor denies travelling by helicopter, but implies that he did not. Kuffa also denies that a protected eagle nests in the area in question. On April 13, he said that if he needs to travel to regions due to the zoning plans of national parks, he'll get back into the helicopter and will disregard all the levels of nature protection. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/escalation-in-middle-east-to-expedite-joint-assistance-package-for-ukraine-israel---expert-1117923641.html Escalation in Middle East to Expedite Joint Assistance Package for Ukraine, Israel - Expert Escalation in Middle East to Expedite Joint Assistance Package for Ukraine, Israel - Expert Sputnik International The newest escalation in the Middle East would likely expedite providing by the United States a joint assistance package for Israel and Ukraine, retired US Army Lt. Col. and former Vice President of the Eurasia Group, Earl Rasmussen, told Sputnik on Saturday. 2024-04-14T06:52+0000 2024-04-14T06:52+0000 2024-04-14T06:52+0000 world earl rasmussen antonio guterres sergey lavrov israel iran ukraine revolutionary guard corps palestine-israel conflict iran-israel row https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/0c/1117881783_0:194:2951:1854_1920x0_80_0_0_14882bcd5456e3bba94099da756a8f2f.jpg The newest escalation in the Middle East would likely expedite providing by the United States a joint assistance package for Israel and Ukraine, retired US Army Lt. Col. and former Vice President of the Eurasia Group, Earl Rasmussen, told Sputnik on Saturday.Rasmussen pointed out that the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus provoked the escalation. He called that development an act of war against Iran. The question is whether Israel will learn a lesson or escalate again, and whether the US will blindly continue to support Israel and drag the entire region into conflict, Rasmussen added. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement earlier in the day, strongly condemning Iran's attack on Israel. He called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized the deadly Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/iran-says-retaliation-strike-on-israel-concluded-attack-hit-designated-targets-1117921963.html israel iran ukraine 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 the newest escalation in the middle east would likely expedite providing by the united states a joint assistance package for israel and ukraine, retired us army lt. col. and former vice president of the eurasia group, earl rasmussen, told sputnik on saturday. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/iran-says-retaliation-strike-on-israel-concluded-attack-hit-designated-targets-1117921963.html Iran Says Retaliation Strike on Israel 'Concluded,' Attack 'Hit Designated Targets' Iran Says Retaliation Strike on Israel 'Concluded,' Attack 'Hit Designated Targets' Sputnik International Irans mission to the United Nations has stated that its retaliatory attack on Israel is concluded. 2024-04-14T06:33+0000 2024-04-14T06:33+0000 2024-04-14T08:26+0000 world iran iran-israel row israel palestine-israel conflict israel defense forces (idf) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/0e/1117921785_0:131:2501:1537_1920x0_80_0_0_4ff962a1ec30d0882cc736b5dcb4402e.jpg Irans mission to the United Nations has stated that its retaliatory attack on Israel has concluded.Tehrans military action was a response to Israels aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus, it said in a post on the social media platform X, adding:However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched the drone and missile assault as an act of self-defence in retaliation for the numerous crimes of the Zionist regime including the strike on the consulate section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus and martyrdom of a number of military commanders and advisers in Syria." The IRGC stated that Tehrans attack hit certain designated targets inside Israel.In an official statement, the IRGC clarified that it took offensive actions after more than 10 days of silence and negligence by international organizations, especially the United Nations Security Council, in condemning the Israeli attack on its consulate in Damascus, Syria.Here is a recap of what is known about Iran's attack against Israel.The Israeli military was cited as saying later that Iran had launched over 200 killer drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, but the majority of them were intercepted outside the countrys borders. It added that a small number of hits were identified, including at a base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure. There were no reports of fatalities.Israels Home Front Command lifted its order for citizens to stay near bomb shelters at about 00:00 GMT Sunday.Due to the Iranian airborne attack, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel temporarily closed their airspace, with several airlines suspending flights in the region.No decision has yet been made regarding an Israeli response to the Iranian missile and drone attack, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel. It was added that a potential response would be discussed at a war cabinet meeting set for later on Sunday. Israel's response to the Iranian attack will be coordinated with its allies, The New York Times reported earlier, citing an Israeli official. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asked Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to notify the US in advance of any possible response to Irans attack on Israel, CNN reported, citing a US official.US President Joe Biden issued a statement on Irans attack against Israel after he conversed on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms. He added that US forces deployed in the region aided Israel in downing nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. POTUS reaffirmed Washingtons ironclad commitment to help support Israels security. Biden added that there were no attacks on US forces or facilities on Saturday, but the US will remain vigilant to all threats. Joe Biden stated he will convene a meeting of G7 leaders on Sunday.Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US does not seek escalation, but will continue to support Israels defense. I will be consulting with allies and partners in the region and around the world in the hours and days ahead, he added.As regional powers including Saudi Arabia and Egypt called for restraint amid the escalation, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East.The United Nations Security Council is to meet on Sunday in response to a request from Gilad Erdan, Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations. The meeting is scheduled for 4 pm local time (8 pm GMT), as announced by the UN Department of Global Communications. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240412/iran-warns-it-will-attack-us-forces-in-mideast-if-it-helps-defend-israel---reports-1117896412.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240413/game-over-persian-gulf-powers-reportedly-refuse-to-give-us-access-to-bases-for-anti-iran-strikes-1117907501.html iran israel Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko 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 Svetlana Ekimenko iran strikes israel, iran carries out retaliatory attack on israel, iran's airborne strike on israel, iran attacked israel with drones and missiles, iran attack hit designated targets in israel, what targets did iran's attack on israel hit, did iran's attack on israel cause damages, UN Calls Secretary-General Against Use of Force Against Territorial Integrity, Diplomatic Premises Following the escalation between Iran and Israel, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged states to avoid any use of force against other states. "I remind all Member States that the Charter of the United Nations prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations," Guterres said at a UNSC emergency meeting. The secretary-general added that it was vital to avoid any type of escalation which could lead to big confrontations in the Middle East. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/moscow-expresses-utmost-concern-about-potential-escalation-in-wake-of-irans-self-defense-strikes-1117925202.html Russia Expresses 'Utmost Concern' About Potential Escalation in Wake of Iran's Self-Defense Strikes Russia Expresses 'Utmost Concern' About Potential Escalation in Wake of Iran's Self-Defense Strikes Sputnik International Iran launched a massive missile and drone barrage Saturday night targeting military facilities across Israel in retaliation to Tel Aviv's unprovoked April 1 attack on the Iranian Embassy compound in Damascus, Syria. 2024-04-14T09:08+0000 2024-04-14T09:08+0000 2024-04-14T10:31+0000 iran world middle east hossein salami mohammad baqeri benjamin netanyahu israel islamic revolutionary guard corps (irgc) russian foreign ministry iranian foreign ministry https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/03/1c/1117618882_0:152:3039:1861_1920x0_80_0_0_69f76c8107a5a2afafc7bbad330f5dcc.jpg The Russian Foreign Ministry responded to Iran's overnight strikes inside Israel Sunday, citing the Islamic Republic's right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, but warning that numerous "unresolved" crises in the Middle East, and the behavior of Western powers, could lead to a further escalation in the region."Unfortunately, due to the position of its Western members, the UN Security Council was unable to adequately respond to the attack on the Iranian consular mission," the ministry added.Iran's 'Lesson' for IsraelIran's mission to the United Nations announced Sunday that its overnight retaliatory attack on Israel had "concluded," but warned that "should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe."The mission also warned Israel's US allies, stressing that the conflict between Iran and "the rogue Israeli regime" is one "from which the US MUST STAY AWAY!"Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said later in the day Sunday that the "zealous and courageous children of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, with the cooperation and coordination of all the defense and political sectors of the country, turned a new page in the history of Iran's authority and taught the Zionist enemy a lesson."IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami urged Israel to "stop its past behavior and learn from" Iran's overnight attack, warning that "if the Zionist regime shows any response, our reaction will certainly be much harsher based on this new experience we have gained" from testing Israel's capabilities.Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri echoed Salami's sentiments, saying the Iranian punitive action, dubbed Operation True Promise, had accomplished its objectives, which were restricted to military targets.Commenting on the Iranian attack in a television appearance on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to to retaliation, saying "whoever hurts us, we will hurt them."However, the Biden administration has sent signals to Tel Aviv that it will not be taking part in any retaliatory Israeli attacks on Iran, with Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin taking to X to stress that the US does "not seek conflict with Iran, but will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defense of Israel."Axios reported Sunday citing a senior White House official that President Joe Biden had privately told Netanyahu that the US wouldn't support "any" Israeli counterattack against Iran. If true, it would make a direct Israeli aerial attack on Iranian soil more difficult, since its warplanes cannot reach the Islamic Republic and make it back home without the assistance of US tanker aircraft. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/iran-says-retaliation-strike-on-israel-concluded-attack-hit-designated-targets-1117921963.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/regional-war-in-mideast-unavoidable-if-israel-continues-strikes-on-iran---ex-iranian-envoy-1117923813.html iran israel Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov 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 Ilya Tsukanov what did russia say about iran's attack on israel, what does russia think of iranian attack on israel https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/regional-war-in-mideast-unavoidable-if-israel-continues-strikes-on-iran---ex-iranian-envoy-1117923813.html Regional War in Mideast Unavoidable If Israel Continues Strikes on Iran - Ex-Iranian Envoy Regional War in Mideast Unavoidable If Israel Continues Strikes on Iran - Ex-Iranian Envoy Sputnik International A regional war in the Middle East will be unavoidable if Israel continues strikes against Iran, former Iranian Ambassador to Germany Seyed Hossein Mousavian told Sputnik. 2024-04-14T07:15+0000 2024-04-14T07:15+0000 2024-04-14T07:15+0000 world iran-israel row palestine-israel conflict seyed hossein mousavian middle east iran israel sputnik revolutionary guard corps https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/02/1117700719_0:69:3072:1797_1920x0_80_0_0_75c424a15a96a2935487cacba3d06884.jpg Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles toward Israel on Saturday night after threatening to retaliate for a deadly airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria that killed seven members of the elite Revolutionary Guard Corps last week. Israel has said Iran's retaliatory attacks on Saturday will not go unanswered. The United States and Iran have been engaging indirectly through mutual Arab countries as a means to prevent a regional war, according to media reports. The United States is reportedly demanding that Israel must consult with US officials before making a decision on any potential response to Iran's retaliatory strikes. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/escalation-in-middle-east-to-expedite-joint-assistance-package-for-ukraine-israel---expert-1117923641.html iran israel 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 a regional war in the middle east will be unavoidable if israel continues strikes against iran, former iranian ambassador to germany seyed hossein mousavian told sputnik. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/russia-slams-unsc-for-ignoring-attack-on-iranian-consulate-calls-for-end-to-bloodshed-1117933653.html Russia Slams UNSC for Ignoring Attack on Iranian Consulate, Calls for End to Bloodshed Russia Slams UNSC for Ignoring Attack on Iranian Consulate, Calls for End to Bloodshed Sputnik International Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia criticized the UN Security Council for failing to act on the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria as he urged an end to bloodshed in the Middle East during an emergency UNSC meeting on Sunday. 2024-04-14T22:36+0000 2024-04-14T22:36+0000 2024-04-14T22:36+0000 world iran-israel row russia israel iran un security council (unsc) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/02/18/1107779824_0:0:1876:1055_1920x0_80_0_0_1d9b798d0abacf06619747806b0f8a8a.jpg "It is regrettable that unlike the meeting today, you did not propose to bring it to brief the Council on the 2nd of April," he said, adding that Russia called an emergency briefing to discuss the Israeli strike against the consular premises in Damascus. Nebenzia criticized Israel for not complying with the UN Security Council resolutions, which he said was "an obvious disrespect shown to the Council, to all of you who are here in the members seats, and a complete disregard to the decisions made by the Security Council." Iran's attack on Israel did not happen in a vacuum it was a response to the shameful inaction of the UN Security Council, the Russian ambassador stressed.On April 3, the US and UK refused to discuss Russia's proposed draft UN Security Council statement on the Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. London and Washington then cited the fact that there was no unity in the meeting's assessment of what happened. On Sunday, an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council is taking place in connection with the retaliatory strike that Iran carried out on the territory of Israel. Meanwhile, shortly before that, Iran's mission to the UN said that if the Security Council had condemned the Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate and brought the perpetrators to justice, the need for Iran to punish the Israeli side "could have been eliminated."Russia calls for restraint on all sides involved in the incident with Iran's attack on Israel, Russia's permanent representative to the UN highlighted. Russia calls on Israel to follow the example of Iran, which has said it does not want further escalation, Nebenzia said. russia israel iran 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 vasily nebenzia, vassily nebenzia, vassily nebenzya, vasily nebenzya, russian ambassador, un security council, emergency meeting, iran's drone, missile attack on israel, iran's operation, true promise, iran israel relations, iran strikes israel, iran carries out retaliatory attack on israel, iran's airborne strike on israel, iran attacked israel with drones and missiles, iran attack hit designated targets in israel, what targets did iran's attack on israel hit, did iran's attack on israel cause damages, middle east tensions, iran islamic revolutionary guard corps, iran israel war, israeli airstrike, iran-israel war, iran-israel relations https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/russia-to-insist-that-talks-on-transcaucasia-not-be-held-in-switzerland-1117924557.html Russia to Insist That Talks on Transcaucasia Not Be Held in Switzerland Russia to Insist That Talks on Transcaucasia Not Be Held in Switzerland Sputnik International Russia will insist that the Geneva Discussions on Security and Stability in Transcaucasia should be held in another country, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik. 2024-04-14T08:34+0000 2024-04-14T08:34+0000 2024-04-14T08:34+0000 world maria zakharova russia geneva abkhazia the united nations (un) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/03/14/1117438850_0:133:3012:1827_1920x0_80_0_0_cdab946e2be725047d12c5b44a190278.jpg On April 5, the 60th round of the Geneva Discussions took place. The Russian delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin. There are several countries which could host the talks, the spokeswoman added. It is hard to guess the outcome of the ongoing talks on the issue, Zakharova said. Russia intends to continue the efforts on finding an agreement on the matter with the support of its allies from Abkhazia and South Ossetia, she added. The Geneva International Discussions is a multilateral forum that was launched to address security and humanitarian consequences of the 2008 conflict between Georgia, its breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and Russia. The two self-proclaimed republics are recognized by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria, while Georgia and the vast majority of UN member states have not recognized them. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240228/eu-created-fund-interfering-in-georgias-elections---parliament-speaker-1117044599.html russia geneva abkhazia 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 russia will insist that the geneva discussions on security and stability in transcaucasia should be held in another country, russian foreign ministry spokeswoman maria zakharova told sputnik. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/scholz-goes-to-beijing-in-vain-attempt-to-drive-wedge-between-russia--china---lawmaker--1117928862.html Scholz Goes to Beijing in Vain Attempt to 'Drive Wedge' Between Russia & China - Lawmaker Scholz Goes to Beijing in Vain Attempt to 'Drive Wedge' Between Russia & China - Lawmaker Sputnik International German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will attempt to use his visit to China to try and drive a wedge between Beijing and Moscow, but he has little chance of achieving success, noted Russian lawmaker Alexey Pushkov. 2024-04-14T15:34+0000 2024-04-14T15:34+0000 2024-04-14T15:34+0000 world germany china olaf scholz https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/0e/1117928545_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_79bab821b8f34c4f31d93d1573d209b8.jpg German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will attempt to use his trip to China to drive a wedge between Beijing and Moscow but has little chance of achieving success, noted Russian senator Alexey Pushkov.The Russian politician recalled that the US has been pushing the China threat narrative, designating Beijing as a strategic challenge. He said that in such a situation, succumbing to pressure from the West would only go against Russia's interests.China has played host to several Western leaders over the past few months, all of them trying to balance their own trade concerns with their stated geopolitical agenda. Olaf Scholz is the latest, arriving on Sunday in China with a bulky delegation of German business representatives in his wake.Olaf Scholz's visit coincides with the arrival of Daniel J. Kritenbrink, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs to the People's Republic of China.He will be accompanied by Sarah Beran, US President Joe Bidens top China adviser on the National Security Council. The visit is "part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and to responsibly manage competition, according to a statement from the US State Department.The flurry of diplomatic outreach heavily doused with belligerent rhetoric comes as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, sending a strong message to the West that the two countries will not deviate from their strategic partnership. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240410/china-sending-message-that-it-has-russias-back-if-west-escalates-1117838001.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240411/incompetent-western-leaders-better-think-twice-before-provoking-china-1117859229.html germany china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko 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 Svetlana Ekimenko german chancellor visits china, russia china relations, china west relations, global south, new alliances, world politics, us china relationship https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/scoop-iran-may-have-used-new-hypersonic-missiles-to-pierce-israeli-air-defenses-1117930117.html Scoop: Iran May Have Used New Hypersonic Missiles to Pierce Israeli Air Defenses Scoop: Iran May Have Used New Hypersonic Missiles to Pierce Israeli Air Defenses Sputnik International IRGC chief Hossein Salami said Sunday that the Operation True Promise missile and drone barrage against Israel was more successful than expected, with projectiles managing to piece Israels advanced, multilayered air defense system. The IDF said it intercepted 99 percent of incoming Iranian projectiles. 2024-04-14T16:39+0000 2024-04-14T16:39+0000 2024-04-14T16:39+0000 military hossein salami mohammad hossein bagheri israel iran syria islamic revolutionary guard corps (irgc) israel defense forces (idf) f-35i middle east https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/0e/1117929934_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_87767967a190591609233bb68288274c.jpg Iran may have fired its brand new Fattah 2 hypersonic missile at targets inside Israel during Saturdays overnight attack on Israeli military facilities, Dr. Ali Hamie, a Lebanese academic and national security expert, told Sputnik Arabic on Sunday.The Lebanese expert suggested that Israels foolish decision to target the Iranian Embassy compound in Damascus on April 1 which triggered the Iranian retaliation Saturday night, could culminate in combined attacks against the Jewish State from Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, which Tel Aviv would have difficulty withstanding.If the United States intervenes, the war may not be limited to the region, but will expand beyond it, Hamie warned, pointing to the presence of not only Iranian but Russian forces in Syria on a counterterrorism mission.Dr. Hamie did not elaborate on the source or nature of his information regarding the Fattah-2s possible use in Saturday nights attacks, with Iranian officials and military commanders staying mum when it comes to the weapons used. Footage posted to social media showed Iranian Shahed-series drones flying low to the ground to evade radar, but the missiles involved in the strikes have yet to be confirmed, with the Islamic Republic known to possess a broad array of domestically-developed long-range missiles capable of hitting Israel from Iranian soil.Commenting on this information, Tehran University Professor Mohammad Marandi said there was no information to confirm that Iran used its fledgling hypersonic capabilities in Saturday night's strikes.Irans Primary TargetWhether or not hypersonics were used, what is known for certain about Saturdays overnight strikes is that despite the Israeli militarys assurance that 99 percent of the 300+ Iranian drones and missiles launched were intercepted, at least some are known to have made it through, with the IRGC saying designated targets, including the strategic Nevatim Air Base situated in the Negev Desert, had been hit. The IDF confirmed light damage to the facility, which is known to host F-35I jets. However, the Iran in Arabic news agency has reported that Nevatim is also a permanent Mossad base, and that at least 44 intelligence officers were killed in Iranian attack.Israeli media have not commented on this claim, but the Times of Israel did confirm that Nevatim was one of the primary targets of Saturdays attacks. Social media footage showed Iranian missiles touching down in the base's vicinity after bypassing Israels air and missile defenses.Israeli media further indicated that Netanyahus official plane, the Wing of Zion, had taken off from Nevatim several hours before the attack to prevent being targeted.The IDF assured that the base was in tip top shape in an X post Sunday morning, posting a video of an F-35I coming in for landing at Nevatim as confirmation that the facility was operational, but not providing footage of the bases structures.Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri told media Sunday that Irans attack targeted to sites: the Nevatim Airbase hosting the F-35 planes that were used for targeting our consulate in Damascus, and an Israeli intelligence-gathering facility in the Jabal al-Shaykh heights in Israeli-occupied Lebanese territory.Iranian media reported that at least seven missiles had also struck Israels Ramon Airbase, also situated in the Negev Desert, and hosting Israeli F-16I jets. Israel has not confirmed this information.In an after-action report early Sunday, IRGC chief Hossein Salami confirmed that Irans limited strikes had targeted Israeli military facilities in the Golan Heights and the Negev Desert. So far, we have not collected all the data relating to the strikes, but detailed, documented reports from the scene show that the operation was more successful than we expected, the commander said.Nevertheless, Salami said, dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles managed to break into deep layers of Israels seemingly safe air defense system, impact the aerial coalition between the US, France and Israel and reach the designated targets. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/live-updates-iran-and-israel-to-speak-at-urgent-unsc-meeting-on-sunday---source-1117929563.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/infographics-irans-operation-true-promise-launched-on-israel-1117926406.html israel iran syria Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov 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 Ilya Tsukanov did iran use hypersonic missiles against israel, does iran have hypersonic missiles, what kinds of hypersonic missiles does iran have https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/scott-ritter-irans-retaliatory-attack-reestablished-deterrence-to-hold-israel-us-in-check-1117924882.html Scott Ritter: Iran's Retaliatory Attack 'Reestablished Deterrence' to Hold Israel, US in Check Scott Ritter: Iran's Retaliatory Attack 'Reestablished Deterrence' to Hold Israel, US in Check Sputnik International By launching its retaliatory drone- and missile- assault at Israel, Iran reestablished deterrence, former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter told Sputnik. 2024-04-14T10:28+0000 2024-04-14T10:28+0000 2024-04-14T10:28+0000 analysis iran-israel row middle east israel iran palestine-israel conflict benjamin netanyahu joe biden https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/0e/1117924251_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_51426efa2401cc6e6ac87c167547d8b1.jpg By launching its retaliatory drone and missile attack on Israel, Iran reestablished deterrence, former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter told Sputnik.As Israeli military officials survey the damage done to their bases, they understand the following: that Iran deliberately chose not to inflict extremely lethal action against Israel, the analyst remarked.Irans strike was designed to send a signal to Israel and the United States, that it could do what it did in Nevatim, at Ramona, anywhere in Israel, anywhere in the Middle East, and there was nothing the United States or Israel could do in response.US President Joe Biden issued a statement on Irans attack against Israel after he spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The POTUS condemned the strike in the strongest possible terms. He also reaffirmed Washingtons ironclad commitment to help support Israel, and added that there were no attacks on US forces or facilities on Saturday, but that the US will remain vigilant to all threats. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US does not seek escalation, but will continue to support Israels defense. I will be consulting with allies and partners in the region and around the world in the hours and days ahead, he added.Weighing in on the flurry of talks between US and Israeli leaders, Scott Ritter said:The question uppermost at the moment is, what will Israel do? Ritter noted.He recalled that at the time, Iran launched over a dozen missiles against the Al-Asad air base in Iraq, but Tehran gave Washington advance notice that that base was going to be struck. Thus, Iran ended up destroying empty buildings, Ritter recalled.But it demonstrated to the United States that it had the capacity to strike any American base in the region with extreme precision and kill as many Americans as they wanted if they wanted to do that. And America was deterred against future action of that sort. Will Israel be deterred? the analyst wondered.After Irans unprecedented strike, Tel Aviv understands that any escalation could mean the destruction of Israel, Scott Ritter noted. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/iran-says-retaliation-strike-on-israel-concluded-attack-hit-designated-targets-1117921963.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/regional-war-in-mideast-unavoidable-if-israel-continues-strikes-on-iran---ex-iranian-envoy-1117923813.html israel iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Scott Ritter on Iran-Israel connflict Sputnik International Scott Ritter on Iran-Israel connflict 2024-04-14T10:28+0000 true PT4M12S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko iran's retaliatory attack on israel, iranian drone and missile assault on israel, iran reestablished deterrence, iran strikes israel, iran carries out retaliatory attack on israel, iran's airborne strike on israel, iran attacked israel with drones and missiles, iran attack hit designated targets in israel, what targets did iran's attack on israel hit, did iran's attack on israel cause damages https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/strike-on-israel-just-a-slap-in-the-face-previewing-irans-true-capabilities-1117931030.html Strike on Israel Just a Slap in the Face Previewing Irans True Capabilities Strike on Israel Just a Slap in the Face Previewing Irans True Capabilities Sputnik International Iran launched a massive drone and missile barrage into Israel Saturday night targeting military facilities, including an air base hosting jets Tehran says were used in the April 1 attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Iranian and Israeli officials have voiced conflicting narratives about whether Saturdays attack was a success or failure. 2024-04-14T18:38+0000 2024-04-14T18:38+0000 2024-04-14T18:38+0000 analysis middle east mohammad marandi fuad izadi benjamin netanyahu iran israel un security council (unsc) iran-israel row https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/17/1113605685_0:158:3081:1891_1920x0_80_0_0_bd53a01753d4e66dcbc955d48901e43e.jpg Iran had the legal right under international law and the strategic motivation to mount its overnight strikes against Israel, and the scale of the attack was just a taste of the Islamic Republics military capabilities, Tehran-based academics and geopolitical affairs commentators Mohammad Marandi and Foad Izadi have told Sputnik.Irans drone and missile capabilities are very advanced, and the Iranians only used a handful of their advanced missiles. The rest were decoys that forced Israelis to use up $1.3 billion worth of anti-missile missiles. So, the Israelis know that if theyll continue this, then the Iranians will hit them much harder, the academic said, citing the assessment of Gen. Ram Aminach, a former economic advisor to Israels chief of staff, who estimated Sunday that Israel had spent nearly ten times more to shoot down the incoming Iranian missiles and drones than what they cost to manufacture.The Iranians felt that they had no option but to punish the [Israeli] regime, and they did so. And the very fact that the Americans want this to end shows that it did not end well for Israel. And if the Israelis continue, then the Iranians will hit much harder, Marandi warned.Dr. Izadi, an associate professor in the department of American studies at Tehran University, echoed Marandis sentiment that Iran had a right to respond.Regarding Irans motivation and whether it was a good idea to take this step and actually use this right of self-defense, the professor said that from his assessment of the calculus of Irans leadership, the answer is it was, because the Israelis have been attacking Iranian sites in Syria and other places for some time.Latest Chapter in Decades-Old Shadow WarSaturday nights drone and missile barrage was the first-ever Iranian attack on Israeli soil, but only the latest act of a decades-long shadow war between the regional archenemies which has included back-and-forth cyberattack and sabotage operations, the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists, and efforts to target one anothers military, intelligence and diplomatic personnel abroad.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Sunday that whoever hurts us will be hurt back, with War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz saying Israel will retaliate to Irans attack in a manner and time thats right for us.Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri warned Tel Aviv that Saturday nights operation was just a preview of what would happen if Israel dared respond. Their population and economic centers were not hit, so that the criminal and aggressive Zionist army would realize that their action wont remain unanswered, Bagheri said, warning that Iran could launch an attack tens of times as potent in the event of an escalation.President Biden stated Saturday that he had reaffirmed to Netanyahu in a phone call Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. Privately, however, US officials told American media Biden had informed the Israeli leader that Washington would not take part in any offensive action against Iran should Tel Aviv choose to respond.Iran has a well-established track record of not backing down from the pursuit of its perceived security interests, regularly launching strikes against terror targets in Iraq and Syria, and conducting a similar attack against terrorist and separatist forces in neighboring Pakistan earlier this year. In 2020, Iran responded to the US assassination of IRGC Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani by lobbing ballistic missiles at Iraqi bases hosting US troops. In June 2019, Iran shot down a US spy drone which flew into its airspace over the Hormuz Strait, but spared a manned reconnaissance aircraft that was also in the area during the incident to avoid unnecessary escalation. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/live-updates-iran-and-israel-to-speak-at-urgent-unsc-meeting-on-sunday---source-1117929563.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/scott-ritter-irans-retaliatory-attack-reestablished-deterrence-to-hold-israel-us-in-check-1117924882.html iran israel Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov 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 Ilya Tsukanov why did iran attack israel, will israel respond to iran's attack https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/strike-on-israel-shows-us-bases-near-iran-are-achilles-heel---analyst-1117924035.html Strike on Israel Shows US Bases Near Iran Are 'Achilles Heel - Analyst Strike on Israel Shows US Bases Near Iran Are 'Achilles Heel - Analyst Sputnik International Irans retaliatory attack on Israel from its own territory is a sign that it could all escalate out of control, Michael Maloof, a former senior security analyst in the office of the US secretary of defense, told Sputnik. 2024-04-14T11:42+0000 2024-04-14T11:42+0000 2024-04-14T11:42+0000 analysis iran israel palestine-israel conflict israel defense forces (idf) iran-israel row https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/0e/1117922810_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_d9a9266cec90a2d0ea96792030a8e6f9.jpg Irans massive retaliatory attack on Israel from its own territory is a sign that the conflict could escalate out of control. Michael Maloof, a former senior security analyst in the office of the US secretary of defense, told Sputnik that the first ever direct Iranian attack on Israel set a dangerous precedent.Irans assault, which it stated was an act of self-defense after the Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus, was originally intended to be a limited one, said Maloof.Iran first sent in swarms of drones with lights on as a sign of psychological warfare, but sending in cruise and ballistic missiles by Tehran was a distinct escalation, said Maloof.The scale of Irans attack on Israel suggests that Tehran was sending a message, demonstrating that it possesses extraordinary capabilities, said Maloof."They have built up their missile capabilities extraordinarily, they have drones, cruise missiles, and some of the most accurate ballistic missiles in the region right now," he added."I think that if Israel were to retaliate, then I think they would engage the more sophisticated missiles and hypersonics, potentially, if they have them," He added. "Then you're talking some very serious escalation in the entire region. It's already unprecedented, but this escalation could be even ratcheted up that could conceivably bring in other and extend beyond just this region."All signs point to the potential of a larger regional war erupting, Maloof warned, adding that everything now depends on Israel's reaction. "Is this a tit-for-tat, a one-on-one, or a further escalation?" he asked. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prepared to continue an endless war in the region, suggested Maloof, adding that he knows he had the US backing, and could opt to strike now, taking advantage of this "window of opportunity."He may not get such an opportunity under a potential Trump administration coming in [after the US elections in November]," said the expert.Looking at possible scenarios for Israels response, he noted that Tel Aviv had already stated publicly an intention to "go after the nuclear sites in Iran."That is going to be exceedingly difficult, plus I dont know that they have the power projection to do that on any consistent basis, and secondly, I dont believe they have the so-called bunker busters that would be needed to be able to drill down through the mountains to reach those facilities. The US has been reluctant to give Israel these bunker buster [munitions]," said Maloof.As for the US, it has already gotten sucked into this, Maloof noted.There is already a call in Congress to put on fast-track the legislation to approve new ordinance, and the $14 billion for Israel, said the pundit. He remarked that the Pentagon might empty its stockpiles to provide support to Israel, and recalled that besides giving Israel bombs and artillery, the US supports its Iron Dome air defense system, whose missiles will need to be replenished.According to the ex-Pentagon analyst, much now also depends upon what stockpiles Iran has and "with what consistency they can keep sending these wave after wave of drones and ballistic missiles... Ultimately, if they have them, the hypersonics... and there's no defense against hypersonics. Not even Israel's Arrow system, which is designed to deal with ballistic missiles... And apparently, that's been engaged tonight, as well as the Iron Dome."The United Nations (UN) Security Council is to meet on Sunday in response to a request from Gilad Erdan, Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations. The meeting is scheduled for 4 pm New York time (2000 GMT), as announced by the UN Department of Global Communications.I'm hoping that the UN Security Council can take this up and maybe some adult supervision could begin to intervene in this and maybe try to bring it to a halt for now," Maloof said. "But right now, this minute, it doesn't look like it. And again, it's going to depend upon the response from the Israelis if they go directly into Iran in response."The current media frenzy surrounding the Iran strike is disproportionately amplified compared to the actual events transpiring on the ground, Dr Ahmed Al Ibrahim, a Riyadh-based political analyst, told Sputnik.He added that any true aftermath of Iran's strike will be discernible after a thorough assessment. He expressed skepticism that any Middle Eastern countries would willingly entangle themselves in the unfolding chaos. Arguing that Iran's capacity to directly threaten Israel is limited by geographical constraints, Ibrahim agreed that there is potential for escalation. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240413/khamenei-aide-iran-wearing-israel-down-in-psychological-war-as-panicky-tel-aviv-awaits-strikes-1117916795.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/iran-says-retaliation-strike-on-israel-concluded-attack-hit-designated-targets-1117921963.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/escalation-in-middle-east-to-expedite-joint-assistance-package-for-ukraine-israel---expert-1117923641.html iran israel Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko 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 Svetlana Ekimenko iran israel relations, iran strikes israel, iran carries out retaliatory attack on israel, iran's airborne strike on israel, iran attacked israel with drones and missiles, iran attack hit designated targets in israel, what targets did iran's attack on israel hit, did iran's attack on israel cause damages, middle east tensions, iran islamic revolutionary guard corps, iran israel war, israeli airstrike https://sputnikglobe.com/20240414/us-unconditional-support-emboldens-netanyahu-unrest-will-escalate---ex-imf-official-1117920610.html US Unconditional Support Emboldens Netanyahu, Unrest Will Escalate - Ex-IMF Official US Unconditional Support Emboldens Netanyahu, Unrest Will Escalate - Ex-IMF Official Sputnik International The United States' unconditional support for Israel emboldens Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take high risks which may escalate the growing unrest in the region, an ex-IMF official said. 2024-04-14T00:25+0000 2024-04-14T00:25+0000 2024-04-14T00:25+0000 world benjamin netanyahu joe biden israel iran syria revolutionary guard corps sputnik middle east israel-gaza conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/03/13/1117417429_0:0:2117:1191_1920x0_80_0_0_b48aefcc19f16521bcc6cd4f669fb65a.jpg Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles toward Israel on Saturday night after threatening to retaliate for a deadly airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria that killed seven members of the elite Revolutionary Guard Corps last week. Askari said he fears Netanyahu will do something to bring the United States into the conflict directly. Netanyahu is unhinged and it's "madness" that the United States continues to support Israel with no conditions, Askari added. A US defense official told Sputnik in an earlier statement that US forces are shooting down Iranian drones targeting Israel and stands ready to provide additional defensive support. israel iran syria 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 israel iran war, israel gaza war, iran strikes israel, Jillian Jiggs came to Flamboro Downs on Saturday, April 13 and picked up where she left off after a successful March in London, where she had won four straight at The Raceway at Western Fair District. Despite starting from post five in the evening's first race and being parked around the first turn, Jillian Jiggs glided to the lead on the approach to the first quarter, pacing to fractions of :28.1, :57.4 and 1:26.4, then finishing a length and a half ahead of 43-1 shot All She Can (Ryan Desroche) for the 1:57.3 score. Dangerous Curves (Jason Ryan) was third. Trainer Jodie Cullen and driver Travis Cullen co-owns the daughter of All Bets Off out of the Usher Hanover mare Millbanks Ariel with Ronald Cullen. The win was the fifth in nine starts in 2024 and the eighth lifetime victory for Jillian Jiggs, who has now earned $23,300 in 2024 and $42,400 since starting her career last year. The victory for Arrakis in race four was the 50th lifetime win for the 12-year-old brown trotting gelding. Travis Henry guided the son of Federal Flex out of the Worthy Bowl mare Kawartha An Worthy to the lead from post six, clearing to the lead before arriving at the opening quarter in :29.2 and leading through a half of 1:00.4. Arrakis led to three-quarters in 1:29.2 and drew off to win by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:59.2, defeating Magics Lucky Charm (J Harris) and Electro Long Legs (Natasha Day), who had been second and third, respectively, at each point of call. Trainer Francis Guillemette co-owns Arrakis with Robert Bernicky. Of the 50 lifetime wins, two have come this season, along with 2024 earnings of $23,233. The classy veteran has banked a lifetime haul of $650,833. Jillian Jiggs and Arrakis each paid $2.40 to win, and were among seven winning favourites on the 10-race card. To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Flamboro Downs. (Standardbred Canada) Shenandoah National Park recently announced five Artists-in-Residence for the annual immersive experience in the great outdoors, including a UVA alumna. The program, supported by the Shenandoah National Park Trust, gives artists an opportunity to creatively explore rich natural and cultural resources while pursuing their art. Participants will spend three weeks one each from May to October living in Shenandoah and create an original piece reflecting their experience, to donate to the park. Artists will also present public programs during the residency, according to a park release. Artist-in-Residence programs exist at various National Park Service sites to inspire artists to create and share art that motivates and encourages millions of people to visit and explore, and helps build awareness and develop stewardship of the beautiful public lands, the release stated. Participating in Shenandoahs 2024 Artist-in-Residence program will be: Lia Pikus, a cellist, composer and multidisciplinary artist whose practice centers around arts ability to cultivate experiences of connection, both within community and in dialogue with the natural world. The Thomas J. Watson fellow has researched this connective power on a global scale, exploring the role of art in fostering community. Her current explorations of live looping as a form of meditative ritual is the central focus of songs on Ritual, released in February. Pikus will be in the park from May 1-22. Ohio artist and educator Megan Evans uses her art to investigate nature, specifically the way in which mathematical concepts are represented according to the park release. She has always been interested in the recurring shapes seen within the natural environment. Through repetition of shape and natural elements, her paintings reflect elements of the world in a nontraditional way. A teacher with Columbus City Schools for 25 years, Evans exhibits throughout Ohio. She will be in Shenandoah from July 8-29. A University of Virginia creative writing graduate, Jo Clark is interested in all the threads that weave through nostalgia and the simultaneous refuge and ruggedness of the natural world, according to the park release. She is a Master of Fine Arts candidate at Syracuse University where she teaches undergraduate writing and works for Salt Hill Journal. Clark is an Elizabeth George Foundation grant recipient and a finalist for Shenandoah magazines Graybeal-Gowen Prize for Virginian poets. She will be in the Shenandoah from Aug. 5-26. North Carolina artist Susan Patrice is a documentary and contemplative photographer focused on the Appalachian landscape and its people. Since 2016, her work has primarily explored the nature of visual perception and its impact on feelings of kinship with the natural world, according to the park release. She engages in intimate conversations with the land through the use of hand-built cameras designed in response to place. Patrice is director of Makers Circle and a co-founder of the Kinship Photography Collective. She will be in the Shenandoah from Sept. 9-30. Musician Aimee Bobruk spent 15 years in Austin, Texas, learning to write and perform songs until love took her to the edge of the Baltic Sea where she now resides on an island in Denmark. In her own words, I write to make sense of the world and my place in it. Her upcoming album, Malybanchia, is inspired from her journey along the Mississippi River and residency at the childhood home of American author, Carson McCullers. Bobruk is launching an online global songwriting club for teens, called Tuneagers, and created the 2018 documentary, Borderlanders, where she rode the Texas/Mexico border on a motorcycle and interviewed locals about life in the region. During her residency, she will be writing songs inspired by nature and the stories she encounters from park visitors. Bobruk will be in the Shenandoah from Oct. 3-24. The Scottsbluff Rural Fire Department hopes to wrap a new group into its fold younger members. Like many fire departments, it has struggled in recent years to keep its ranks growing. According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2020, the number of volunteer firefighters in the U.S. reached a low while call volume had tripled. Moreover, more than a third of volunteers in small communities were over the age of 50, compared with 15.9% in 1987. About three months ago, the Scottsbluff Rural Fire Department decided to try a junior cadet fire program, Fire Chief Carissa Schank-Grubbs said. Other Nebraska departments, including Gering Volunteer Fire Department, have such programs. We are trying to reach more younger people to get them interested in fire service, Schank-Grubbs said. The department allows young adults to join the department age 20. We decided to open up our junior cadet program to those 17 to 19, as a way to reach the younger generation and get them interested in volunteering. Hopefully, by the time they finish that program, they can progress into joining us as a firefighter. With it being a newer program, Schank-Grubbs said the decision was to start small, allowing four junior cadets at a time. The program got to a quick start when two local teens, Brody Burgess and Ayris Gonzales, joined. Schank-Grubbs explained that the junior cadets complete a task book, learning different skills and attending training alongside firefighters. Because they are young, we dont want them getting injured, so we have to limit their training with us, she said. They cant drive, because they arent 21, and some other tasks, but other than that they can train with us and get that training in a live setting. Once they are signed off on their task book, they can go on calls with us. When they go on calls, it will be more of an experience where they are doing things, like going and getting this or that. Burgess, 17, had explored marksmanship and pilot training courses through the high school ROTC program and had even taken a weeklong vacation to get scuba diver certification. As a student, Burgess said, he knows that he doesnt want to go into a career thats a sit-down kind of thing. Im more into the action, physical stuff. His dad was a corpsman in the U.S. Navy, and his mother worked as a nurse before changing to a paralegal career. As a junior in high school, he is taking classes in WNCCs EMT program, so he thought applying for the junior cadet program would be a good fit. I thought this would be a really good experience, he said. I was just trying to get a wide range of experience. Ayris Gonzales, 18, has already graduated from high school, and like Burgess, she is attending WNCCs EMT program. Because Im in EMT school, being a cadet just interested me, she said. I also wanted to help out the community more. Gonzales has been working through the task book, which she said she thinks is a good tool. It helps us prepare, she said. It also brings to light an important point that Burgess also noted: Firefighting isnt like you see in the movies. In the movies, firefighters are jumping in, going into houses and saving people, she said. But thats not really how it (fire response) happens. You have to make a plan, and communication is key. You have to think about your personal safety and the safety of others. Among the tasks and skills they have tried, the two have received training on using the extrication tool, the Jaws of Life. Burgess said it was a fun experience to use the tool to play a game of Jenga and pick up eggs. They also have learned to do and help with equipment checks. At a recent fire, Burgess said, he got to try out the fire hose, which he described as being different than you see in the movies. I expected it to be like pushing me, but it was manageable. Depending on the cadet, Schank-Grubbs said, she anticipates it will take them about six months to complete the task book they have been assigned. In the meantime, the firefighters of the Scottsbluff Rural Fire Department have been welcoming to the potential recruits. Theyve really been receptive to it, Schank-Grubbs said. Some have really taken the cadets under their wing. Weve got a good group of firefighters, and willing cadets. In recent months, the department has recruited new members, which is regularly in process. There are two cadet spots currently open. As the program evolves, Schank-Grubbs said she expects the department will add more spots as its able. For more information on being a volunteer firefighter or about the cadet program, contact Schank-Grubbs, 308-631-9674. Former Lower Columbia College professor and counselor Mary Stone has released her first short story collection of historical fiction. In The Innocents at HomeChildren of the 1940s, Stone tells the story of war, internment, disease, loss, resiliency, and normalcy amid the abnormality of childhood during this decade in the United States, Poland, Germany and France, states a press release about the book. Stone researched for her book at the Longview Public Library during her LCC lunch hours, then read old Life and Saturday Evening Post magazines on the weekends, the press release states. The Castle Rock author says historical fiction lovers and baby boomers will enjoy the book, which can also be used in college or secondary school classes for an English/history integrated studies. The collection can be purchased in paperback or e-edition on Amazon. Stone, who has faculty Emeritus status at LCC, continues to write at marystonewriter.com. Thousands of Aggies and their families flocked to Texas A&M Universitys campus this week to participate in a tradition that has become foundational to the heritage-rich institution. Grant McIntosh, a Class of 2025 geographic information science and technology junior, was among the 6,300-plus to line up outside the Clayton W. Williams Jr. Alumni Center to retrieve their Aggie Ring. Being a second-generation Aggie and a member of the Corps of Cadets, McIntosh said the feeling was unreal. I remember coming here as a freshman for Fish Orientation Week and [thinking] Dang, I got a long road to go, McIntosh, a member of Squadron 17, said Friday. Now, Im finishing my junior year and its like, its already here. I got the ring and I got one year left. Its really quick, but its really awesome. Grants squad mate, Class of 25 construction science junior Jackson Mills, also received his ring Friday and said he had dreamed of becoming an Aggie since childhood. I always remember growing up, my dad always had his on and I was like, I want to do that someday, he said. Its finally happening; its a blessing. Troy McIntosh, Grants father, said presenting his son with his own ring was akin to a religious experience. It almost felt like a baptism, Troy, Class of 1993, said. It was just an honor to be able to be here with him today and to put it on his hand. We talked about it from the time he was kind of little. It just happened so fast. Anne McIntosh, Grants mother, is also an Aggie and graduated in 1994. She said she and Troy met while at Texas A&M and that it has been great to see their son attend the same school. Its a dream for me as a mom, she said. Just walking this journey with him and kind of reliving our days through him, except that hes exceeded our expectations. Its just been the best thing ever. Im very proud. Although the first Aggie Ring was made for the Texas A&M College Class of 1890, it wasnt until nine years later that the ring adopted its now iconic design, which has remained relatively unchanged for 125 years. Today, whether or not students opt for the large or small size, all Aggie Rings share the same standard design. To qualify for a ring, students must complete 90 hours of undergraduate coursework or meet predetermined graduate coursework milestones. According to the Texas A&M Association of Former Students, 94% of eligible undergraduates order a ring. Brig. Gen. Patrick R. Michaelis, A&M Corps of Cadets Commandant, also was present during Fridays Ring Day and personally handed several students their new rings. This is my first opportunity to sit here and see Aggie Ring Day, he said. Which is completely different than how we picked up our rings 35, 30 years ago. This is happening with all these different small groups that exist within this larger family called Texas A&M. Whats not to love about this? Michaelis, A&M Class of 1993, said receiving the ring is an important symbol of achievement. I think Aggies more than anybody see this ring as a sense of pride and accomplishment and that culture and character of what it means to be at Texas A&M, he said. You think about what theyve done so far and what they have left to do and you go, Yep, you made it. Youve done this. You earned it. Annasofia Scheve covers trending news for the Express-News. She can be reached at Annasofia.Scheve@express-news.net. Annasofia has bachelor's degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Missouri. She is an Ohio native, and wrote for Cincinnati Magazine and the Cincinnati Enquirer before joining the Express-News in 2023. A 6-year-old and a 10-year-old were injured Sunday after their father crashed into the back of an San Antonio Police Department patrol vehicle, police said. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images Two children were injured Sunday after their father crashed into the back of a San Antonio police patrol vehicle, police said. The crash happened around 3 a.m. on the South Side near the intersection of South Zarzamora Street and SW Loop 410. Police said the father was driving a white Kia Rio down Zarzamora Street when he crashed into the back of a San Antonio Police Department patrol vehicle that was stopped at a red light. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The patrol car was then pushed into the back of a Chevy Tahoe, police said. Two children, a 6-year-old and a 10-year-old, were inside the Kia at the time of the crash, police said. Both were injured and were transported to the hospital by EMS. Police said the 6-year-old received a more serious injury. The SAPD officer received a minor injury and refused treatment from EMS, police said. No one in the Chevy Tahoe was injured. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper inspects the scene of a fatal school bus crash on Texas State Highway 21 near Caldwell Road on Friday, March 22, 2024, in Bastrop, Texas. Texas authorities say a school bus with more than 40 pre-K students collided with a concrete truck and rolled over while returning from a field trip, killing a boy on the bus and a man in another vehicle. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP) Jay Janner/Associated Press Six families connected to the deadly school bus crash in Central Texas that killed two people filed a lawsuit against the driver of the concrete pump truck and the company he worked for. The lawsuit comes after a pre-K teacher who was injured in the crash filed a lawsuit against the driver, Jerry Hernandez, 43, and the concrete company, F.J.M. Concrete. The crash resulted in the deaths of Hays County preschooler Ulises Rodriguez Montoya, 5, and Ryan Wallace, 33, a Bastrop resident and University of Texas at Austin doctoral student. Hernandez was arrested one week after the crash and was charged with criminally negligent homicide. Advertisement Article continues below this ad According to CBS Austin, six families who had children on the bus say the crash forever altered the courses of all lives of those on the bus. The lawsuit cites Hernandezs criminal history, alleged drug use, lack of sleep and the company allowing Hernandez to drive while his license was prohibited, as reasons for the lawsuit, according to CBS Austin. Authorities say Hernandez veered into an oncoming lane on Texas 21, hitting a bus that was carrying 44 preschoolers from Budas Tom Green Elementary and 11 adults. They were returning from a field trip to the Bastrop Zoo. Wallace was driving a 2024 Hyundai behind the bus and also was hit by the concrete pump truck, Texas DPS Sgt. Deon Cockrell said. Records show that Hernandez had failed two drug tests in the past two years, and his employer had not verified his status with a federal clearinghouse for drug and alcohol violations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad According to a search warrant, Hernandez told an officer that he smoked marijuana the night before the crash and was operating on little sleep. He also said he had consumed cocaine the morning of the crash, according to the search warrant. Vietnam, Sweden celebrate 55 years of ties with culinary bonding event By Minh Anh Sun, April 14, 2024 | 2:35 pm GMT+7 A culinary bonding event organized by the Swedish embassy in Hanoi Saturday was part of events celebrating the 55th anniversary of Vietnam-Sweden diplomatic relations. Titled Taste of Sweden - Qua chieu, at the Daewoo hotel aimed to foster cultural exchanges and celebrate a shared passion for cuisine. Attendants at the Taste of Sweden - Qua chieu gastronomic event in Hanoi, April 13, 2024. Photo courtesy of the Swedish embassy. The gastronomic event highlighted the profound influence of food on the cultures of both nations. It also offered a unique opportunity to explore fusion food and exchange culinary practices. Around 300 Vietnamese students aged 10-15 savored a combination of Swedish delicacies known as "Mellanmal" and their Vietnamese counterparts called "Qua chieu" (afternoon snacks). Both "Mellanmal" and "Qua chieu" refer to light meals enjoyed between main courses, typically in the afternoon or midday. Visitors got to enjoy an array of dishes and beverages prepared under the guidance of renowned Swedish chef Erik Videgard in collaboration with the head chef of the Daewoo hotel Nguyen Dang Linh. Organizers said the event promoted awareness of traditional cooking methods and create spaces for cultural exchanges between Sweden and Vietnam. Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Ann Mawe (right) speaks at the Taste of Sweden - Qua chieu gastronomic event in Hanoi, April 13, 2024. Photo courtesy of the Swedish embassy. Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Ann Mawe said event reflected robust bilateral diplomatic relations and mutual appreciation for gastronomy and cultural exchange. "Through the celebration of culinary traditions, we deepen our cultural understanding and forge stronger bonds. I am delighted to witness the fusion of Swedish and Vietnamese flavors, Mawe said. The Swedish embassy will host cultural and other events and exchanges throughout the year to promote mutual understanding, cooperation, and friendship between the two nations, the ambassador added. San Antonio police arrested a man accused of drunken driving and causing a car crash on the highway. kali9/Getty Images/iStockphoto San Antonio police arrested a man accused of drunken driving and causing an accident on the highway late Friday. An unidentified man was traveling northbound on Interstate 35 when he crashed his gray Toyota Matrix into a center median near Southcross Boulevard. He then exited the crashed vehicle and fled the scene on foot, police said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The man left his vehicle on the highway, and shortly after, a tour bus carrying 26 passengers didnt see the car. The bus swerved to the right to avoid hitting the vehicle, which caused it to hit a white Chevy Silverado and a white Toyota Corolla. The Chevy took most of the damage as it hit a wall and rolled over onto its side. A passenger in the truck sustained a serious bodily injury and was taken to a local hospital by EMS. Police said the passenger is currently in stable condition. Following the incident, patrol officers found the alleged driver from the initial crash. He was charged with intoxication assault and failure to stop and render aid causing serious bodily injury. Utilities across South Carolina face hundreds of millions of dollars in costs to cleanse drinking water of harmful forever chemicals now that the federal government has finalized a rule to make water safe from the potentially cancer-causing toxins. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule, issued this past week, will for the first time restrict the level of certain forever chemicals in drinking water. The drinking water limits are expected to reduce forever chemical exposure for about 100 million people across the country, prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses, the agency said. Proposed last year, the EPA measure establishes individual limits on five types of forever chemicals, including the most common ones that are showing up in water systems nationally and in South Carolina. Forever chemicals, used widely by industries for decades, are a class of compounds of increasing concern because of their health threats. Studies have linked exposure to the chemicals to some types of cancer, thyroid disease, birth defects and depressed immune systems, a condition that can make people more susceptible to illnesses. The chemicals have a variety of uses, including as ingredients in non-stick frying pans, waterproof jackets and stain resistant carpets. They are called forever chemicals because they linger in the environment and do not break down easily. An array of sources, including industrial plants, are the suspected causes of PFAS pollution in rivers and groundwater that supply drinking water. Drinking water contaminated with PFAS has plagued communities across this country for too long, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a news release. That is why President Biden has made tackling PFAS a top priority, investing historic resources to address these harmful chemicals and protect communities nationwide. Under the proposal by the EPA, drinking water systems would have to keep the level of the most common forever chemicals at below four parts per trillion. The EPA says the limits are needed to safeguard the public from long-term exposure to the chemicals, also known as per and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Lake Marion Regional Water Agency: Project expands reach of safe water HOLLY HILL Orangeburg and Berkeley county officials are celebrating the start of a project designed to bring clean drinking water to rural residents and promote economic development. The most common forever chemicals are known as PFOA and PFOS. Three other types of forever chemicals Gen X, PFNA and PFHxS must be kept below 10 parts per trillion, according to the final federal rule. All told, more than 50 South Carolina utilities that draw water from the ground or from rivers and lakes exceeded one or both of the limits on PFOA and PFOS, according to data released last year by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. Those included drinking water systems in Columbia, Cayce and West Columbia, as well as Camden, Charleston, Greenwood, Florence, Georgetown, Gaffney and Myrtle Beach. Most of the readings were between the four parts per trillion standard and 10 parts per trillion, although Gaffneys was higher, at 12 parts per trillion for PFOA and 16 parts per trillion for PFOS, according to charts provided by DHEC. While the goal of the rule is to protect public health, the cost of complying with the EPAs standard has many utility officials and politicians worried about the expense. Columbias costs alone could top $150 million to $200 million, city officials have estimated. The American Waterworks Association has said the cost nationally of removing the two most common types of forever chemicals could top $3.8 billion annually. Lawyers representing water systems have won a settlement with the manufacturers of PFOA and PFOS that tops $13 billion, attorneys say. Big costs for Columbia But cities like Columbia, which could have earned $12 million from the settlement, say that wont be enough to serve local needs because so many water systems will be seeking a piece of the pie. Federal money is also limited, officials say. The city decided not to take money from the $13 billion settlement and is considering filing its own lawsuit against the manufacturers for damages after hiring outside legal counsel. City officials have expressed worries that they would have to raise water rates to help pay for the federal requirement. $1.9M expansion proposed for water treatment facility in eastern Orangeburg County The Lake Marion Regional Water Agency has voted to pursue a significant expansion of its water treatment plant on Lake Marion just east of Santee. We opted out because we are looking at the bigger picture, Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said via email Tuesday. We are ready to look at the real costs of the finalized PFAS rules and then go on to take our own legal action soon. The city of West Columbia, another major drinking water supplier in the area, also faces higher costs. Unlike Columbia, West Columbia has not opted out of the $13 billion legal settlement, a spokeswoman said. The city of Cayce, adjacent to West Columbia, has previously said it would not opt out of the settlement. Columbia, which has one of the states largest water systems, says it faces potentially millions of dollars in annual costs to clean up its water, in addition to the estimated $150 million to install filters on Columbias water. In March, the city approved a $185,300 contract with the Black and Veatch Corp. to conduct a study on treatment alternatives to comply with the EPAs rules. That study may last up to 36 weeks. Rickenmann called the federal limit on forever chemicals an unfunded mandate that will test cities like Columbia. The costs researchers are anticipating are prohibitive, he said. From estimates, the costs would equal our entire general budget for water. Yeah, there are a lot of mayors and water systems concerned. 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 Rickenmann recently spoke out against the federal rule, saying it needed more study because of the projected expense of complying with the strict standards. A DHEC chart released last year shows Columbias PFAS levels between four and five parts per trillion at its canal drinking water plant. More recent testing by the city in October 2023 found PFOS and PFOA coming into the canal plant on the Broad River at almost seven parts per trillion. Treated water was registering at 4.9 parts per trillion for PFOS and 6.3 parts per trillion for PFOA. Despite Rickenmanns concerns, the EPA says it will provide time and financial assistance to help water systems test for PFAS and clean up the water. Water systems would have access to $9 billion to address PFAS contamination. Part of the $9 billion also could be used to help owners with private wells polluted by PFAS. The agency said it has another $12 billion available for general drinking water improvements through the federal bipartisan infrastructure law that could go toward PFAS cleanup. Public water systems will have three years to conduct monitoring for the chemicals. Utilities have five years to install measures to reduce PFAS in drinking water, the EPA said. Military bases and sewer sludge Officials at the Environmental Working Group, which has called for PFAS controls for nearly a quarter century, said the PFAS drinking water limits are needed to protect public health. Water utilities have known about this for years and the proposal has been out for more than a year, said Melanie Benesh, the groups vice president for government affairs. What comes next is implementation. EPA Administrator Regan was traveling to Fayetteville, N.C., this week to announce the forever chemical limits. The Cape Fear River, a major drinking water source in eastern North Carolina, was found to have been contaminated heavily by forever chemicals in 2017 from a manufacturing plant. Forever chemical pollution in public water systems is part of a larger concern in South Carolina and across the country. The hazardous compounds have been found in virtually every river and creek checked by state regulators, in addition to many private wells. Some of the major suspected sources are industrial plants, particularly old textile factories, as well as military bases that used foam to fight fires; leaking landfills; and farm fields fertilized with sewer sludge. Relatively little was known publicly for decades about PFAS, even though the chemicals had been developed in the 1940s. Manufacturers and distributors did not reveal the results of in house studies. Only when a West Virginia farmers cows began to die in the late 1990s, did forever chemicals gain wider attention nationally, in part because of the efforts of a diligent lawyer. Today, we can celebrate a huge and long overdue victory for public health in this country, lawyer Rob Bilott said in a statement. Bilotts story inspired the movie Dark Waters. Sewer sludge has been a potential source of PFAS in South Carolina, as well as pollution from industrial plants. The State reported last year on the plight of families and farmers in Darlington County, whose water was polluted with PFAS. Many private wells were near farm fields that once used PFAS-tainted sludge from a local industrial plant as a low-cost fertilizer, and some of those who drank the water for years complained of illnesses, the newspaper reported in its series Toxic Deals. Farm fields across the state have relied on sewer sludge through the years, the newspaper reported. PFAS from Shaw Air Force Base near Sumter also is suspected of polluting wells at surrounding mobile home parks. (TBTCO) - Trong bai viet Chong lang phi viet thang 10/2024, Tong Bi thu, Chu tich nuoc To Lam khang inh: e nam bat co hoi, ay lui thach thuc, gia tang manh me nguon luc cham lo cho nhan dan, lam giau cho at nuoc trong giai oan cach mang moi, xay dung tuong lai tot ep, cong tac phong, chong lang phi can uoc trien khai quyet liet, ong bo voi nhung giai phap huu hieu, tao su lan toa manh me, tro thanh tu nguyen, tu giac cua moi can bo, ang vien va nguoi dan, van hoa ung xu trong thoi ai moi; chu trong mot so giai phap trong tam. A Trinity University campus police officer was nearly struck by a vehicle driven by a teen, according to San Antonio police. Staff file photo An 18-year-old suspected of drunken driving was arrested Sunday after nearly hitting a Trinity University police officer with their vehicle, according to San Antonio police. The incident happened just after 3 a.m. in the 500 block of Kings Court near Trinity Universitys campus. Police said a Trinity police officer was doing their usual campus checks when they saw the 18-year-old man standing in a parking lot on campus. The officer attempted to speak to him but he got into his vehicle instead, police said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Police said the officer identified himself as a campus police officer but the man refused to listen to his commands and sped off in the officers direction, nearly hitting him. The man crashed in front of the Trinity police substation, police said. Officers were able to arrest the man and he was charged with evading arrest and driving while intoxicated. Police did not release his name. 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. Police arrested Robert Frink, 23, and charged him with aggravated robbery. Bexar County Sheriff's Office Police arrested Marcelino Moreno, 18, charged them with aggravated robbery. Bexar County Sheriff's Office Two men accused of pulling a knife on a 28-year-old man and stealing his vehicle on the South Side were arrested late Friday. San Antonio police said officers responded to an aggravated robbery around 8 p.m. in the 2800 block of West Hutchins Place. Assisting officers searched the area and found the mans vehicle abandoned. With the help of the Eagle helicopter unit, police located both suspects not far from the incident location near Southwest Loop 410 Access Road. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Both men were seen walking away from the abandoned vehicle. Police arrested Marcelino Moreno, 18, and Robert Frink, 23, and charged them with aggravated robbery. Both men were booked into the Bexar County jail late Friday. Morenos bail was set at $60,000. Frinks bail was set at $62,000 after he was additionally charged with evading arrest. Q: What is deed fraud? A: Maybe you have heard of criminals using deed fraud to steal someones home and you are wondering if your home is at risk. Deed fraud is on the rise. Generally, this starts with some kind of identity fraud. Someone claims to be the owner of the home and claims the deed. In the well-known case of Arizona resident Deb Gottlieb, a 30-year-old California man assumed the identity of her deceased father, acquired the deed for the home and sold it using his own drivers license for ID. Gottliebs father was in his 80s no one noticed the age difference on the drivers license. They did not verify his identity. By the time Gottlieb got to the home to inspect it, the many family heirlooms, pictures and treasures had been pitched and a new owner was in the home. Could this happen to you? Yes! Even the smartest among us can be out-smarted. Rosie-certified Vikki Gorman with Realty Executives gives us some cautionary tips to help protect our property. How to keep an eye on your property and land Go to your county recorders website. Pima County has a free property fraud notification program at recorder.pima.gov/FraudGuardInfo. You can set an alert for your individual or business name, and when a document is recorded with your name on it, you will be notified via email. Not all Arizona counties have this feature but, all counties are to have this type of search available by 2025. Create a Google alert for your property using your parcel ID number when you purchase the property. Are you buying or selling a home? Always use a reputable realtor and title agency when buying or selling a home. As in all industries, not all operate the same. A competent realtor will check your county tax records. They will also check ID to assure that the person they are working with is who they say they are. The realtor will have a title company they recommend and trust. The title company will search the property for any liens held against it, easement records and encumbrances (which would include infractions against zoning laws or HOA regulations.) In addition, the mortgage lender will order a title search from the title company. Public records including, mortgages, divorce deeds, court judgments, tax records and child support orders are routinely searched. What about title insurance? Gorman recommends title insurance for further protection of your property. Title Insurance, good for as long as the buyer owns the home, is a form of indemnity insurance that protects lenders and homebuyers from financial loss sustained from defects in a title to a property. It is a policy that covers third-party claims on a property that dont show up in the initial title search and arise after a real estate closing. What else should you keep an eye out for? Gorman tells us that she sees wire fraud as something more threatening than deed fraud. Thieves have gotten way too good at diverting large sums of money that are wired into their own accounts rather than to the title agency and the mortgage company. One very common way wire fraud is committed is through email fraud. Here are some tips to keep email fraud and wire fraud from happening to you: Talk to your lender, title agency and realtor. How should you expect to hear from them? What will they be asking you for by email, by phone or by text? How will money be sent and received? Gorman says that she, nor any other realtor, is ever the recipient of money during a real estate sale. She shared a situation where her email signature was copied. An email with that signature was sent to one of her clients urging them to wire money quickly to close a real estate deal they were working on. The man sent the money to a fraudulent recipient. Thanks to quick action on Gormans part and a call to the FBI and city police, they were able to recover the money. If your agents tell you they will not ask for money by email, dont open any email with their name on it that is asking for money. If you are not sure, if you question at all, call the sender before taking any action. Never click on an email that you are unsure of. Always check the email sender address. JaneDoe@gmail.com is not a legitimate email address for a professional lender or realtor. Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Thats what youll be asking yourself when you take a bite out of Keith Powells unforgettable paninis, transporting you to a cheesy, flavorful world fit for a rockstar. Since 2022, Powell has been running Under Pressure Grill, a food truck serving up paninis inspired by Queen and David Bowie songs. The flavor combinations and ingredients used mesh together perfectly, just like the collaboration between the iconic musicians. Opening a food truck was always in Powells cards. Since he was a teenager, he knew he eventually wanted to open one, developing a love for cooking at a young age. Powell attended culinary school for a bit but decided to leave and work in restaurants instead. Eventually, he got the opportunity he had been waiting for: the chance to open a food truck with a friend. With the help of friends, Powell was able to transform a trailer into a mobile panini joint, making him one step closer to fulfilling his dream. All that was needed was the perfect name. Luckily, inspiration came from one of the most revered rock bands. Paninis are pressed and put under literal pressure from the panini press, which inspired Powell to name his new food venture Under Pressure Grill. Under Pressure is also the title of a very popular Queen and David Bowie song, which made the name a million times better to a pun lover like Powell. All my sandwiches are named after puns on David Bowie or Queen names, Powell said. We have Mayan Love, which is kind of based off of the song Modern Love or Mother Love. And of course, we have Bulgogi Rhapsody. Under Pressure features seven paninis on the menu such as I Want It Meat Free and Fat Bottomed Grill. Powell likes to put his own unique twist on his paninis for example, he uses a French roll for the bread and incorporates flavors from different cuisines, morphing them into a sandwich. He also makes fresh-cut fries and fried plantains to go along with your panini of choice. Creating the sandwiches is what I enjoy doing, Powell said. One of the reasons we did paninis is that I wanted to be able to use flavors from around the world, not just doing just Chinese food or or a specific cuisine of food. I can pick from all the different cuisines as long as I can find a way to translate it into a panini. One of the favorites on the menu is the Mayan Love, which brings in various Southern Arizona flavors. Biting into the sandwich, you instantly notice the bread is perfectly pressed, keeping it crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Spilling out the sides of the sandwich is Powells slow-braised pork, aka the star of the show. The pork, which takes six hours to cook, is juicy and tender, absorbing the flavor and spice of the cumin lime vinaigrette, making it taste similar to barbacoa. The bell peppers and pickled red onions help elevate the sandwich, tying all the flavors together nicely. Finally, you get a bite of the gooey melted cheese which is the icing on top of the cake. The Mayan Love is actually one of Powells favorites. He also has a soft spot for the Bulgogi Rhapsody, made of grilled sirloin beef, kimchi, green onion and Monterey jack cheese. It's really a tough one between the Bulgogi Rhapsody and the Mayan Love, Powell said. The Mayan Love has your earthy and savory flavors with little tiny hints of spice in there. The Bulgogi Rhapsody isn't super spicy but it's like a sweet and spicy which is one of my favorite flavors. The key to creating Powells tasty sandwiches: the bread and cheese. The bread has to be grilled to perfection, that way you get the crust on the outside without burning it. It is also essential that the cheese is melted inside the sandwich, creating that gooey cheese pull we all dream of. Typically, you can find Under Pressure Grill parked outside of Casa Video and Film Bar, serving up paninis for the lunch rush. Powell also takes his sandwiches to various breweries for dinner, making sure no one goes home hungry. Check out their Instagram page to see where they'll be next. So dont stop me now, Im having such a good time ... eating Powells delicious paninis. President Joe Biden announced Friday a new round of loan forgiveness that will cancel $7.4 billion of student debt for hundreds of thousands of Americans. Evan Vucci, STF / Associated Press The Biden Administration said Friday it will cancel $7.4 billion of student debt in another round of loan forgiveness that will benefit 277,000 borrowers. The debt relief will be delivered to Americans enrolled in the SAVE Plan or approved because of updates to income-driven repayment plans and public service loan forgiveness, according to a news release from the White House. From day one of my administration, I promised to fight to ensure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity, President Joe Biden said in a statement. I will never stop working to cancel student debt no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stop us. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The U.S. Department of Education said borrowers began receiving emails on Friday to alert them of their loan discharges. The relief will be processed in the following weeks. The decision brings the total loan forgiveness approved by the Biden administration to $153 billion for nearly 4.3 Americans, more than any other president, the White House said. Adjustments to income-driven repayment plans and public service loan forgiveness will bring more than 70,000 borrowers closer to forgiveness. Around $3.6 billion of the debt relief will go to borrowers enrolled in the Biden administrations SAVE plan with smaller loans for their postsecondary studies. According to the Department of Education, those who have made at least 10 years of payments if they borrowed $12,000 or less for college can receive relief, with each $1,000 in borrowing adding 12 more months until forgiveness. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Todays announcement shows once again that the Biden-Harris Administration is not letting up its efforts to give hardworking Americans some breathing room, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement. As long as there are people with overwhelming student loan debt competing with basic needs such as food and healthcare, we will remain relentless in our pursuit to bring relief to millions across the country. Nearly eight million people have signed up for SAVE since it launched last year. Touted by the White House as the most affordable repayment plan ever, SAVE currently faces legal challenges from two groups of Republican-led states who argue that it is no different from the loan forgiveness plan rejected by the Supreme Court in June. Last week, the Biden administration outlined a series of new proposals to replace the sweeping student debt relief program struck down by the Supreme Court. If adopted as proposed, the new plan would fully eliminate accrued interest for 23 million borrows, 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 starting in the fall. Advertisement Article continues below this ad James D. Watts Jr. Tulsa World Scene Writer Follow James D. Watts Jr. 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 Its a legend that has been told around the Fort Gibson area for close to 150 years, about the woman buried in Gravesite 2119 of the Fort Gibson National Cemetery. This grave is located in the cemeterys Officers Circle, an area reserved for those who have distinguished themselves in military service. The white headstone is engraved with only a cross, the name Vivia Thomas, and the date of her death, Jan. 7, 1870. The story behind that gravestone is that of a young woman who came from Boston to Fort Gibson in pursuit of the army lieutenant who jilted her shortly before they were to marry, saying he wanted a life of adventure rather than being confined to the high society of Boston. As a woman traveling alone would be a prime target for all manner of nefarious attention, Vivia Thomas disguised herself as a man to make the journey, and once in Oklahoma, enlisted as a soldier to keep an eye on the man who had humiliated her. The legend states that when Thomas learned her one-time fiance was courting a young woman from the Cherokee Nation, she lay in wait and shot the lieutenant, killing him. Thomas was never charged with the murder, but it was said that her guilty conscience made her visit his grave repeatedly where one day she herself was found dead, most likely of pneumonia. Beth Brannon has lived in Fort Gibson for most of her life but had never heard the story of Vivia Thomas until, as an English teacher at the towns high school, she assigned her students to write an essay about some ghost story or legend associated with the town. Im an old-school sort of person, and I thought they would approach their grandparents, or other people who have been around a while, for stories, Brannon said, laughing. But this was the early days of the internet, so all my kids went online, searched for Fort Gibson legends, and found this story. I got all sorts of papers retelling Vivia Thomas story. It turned out that a lot of my relatives were aware of the story I guess it kind of skipped my generation, she said. But once I heard it, it kind of stuck in my mind, because there were some aspects of the story that really bothered me. Brannon got the chance to deal with those troubling elements of the Vivia Thomas story when the school superintendent thought it would be a good idea for the high schools Tiger Theater Company to present a show tied to the towns bicentennial this year. Vivia will debut this weekend, with performances April 18, 20 and 21, at the Fort Gibson High School auditorium, 500 S. Ross Ave. Brannon wrote the shows book and lyrics, with fellow Fort Gibson native Brad Henderson composing and arranging the music. Melanie Wicks is the shows director. Senior Emma Perdue will portray Vivia Thomas in the musical, with Addison Rause, the current Junior Miss Cherokee, as Tsula, the Cherokee woman who caught the eye of Vivia Thomas former fiance. Henderson, a Worship Associate at First Baptist Church in Tulsa, has worked as an arranger and conductor for such ensembles as the Signature Symphony at Tulsa Community College, Bartlesville Symphony, the Cherokee Nation Youth Choir, Up with People, jazz artist Grady Nichols and more. Like Brannon, he was not aware of the Vivia Thomas legend until he was approached to work on the musical. I knew Beth from when we were in school together, and this seemed like a worthwhile project, he said. She had come up with the melodies for the songs, and sang them into her iPhone, and sent the files to me. I would transcribe what she sent, and then began to work out arrangements. There has been a lot of back-and-forth between us to get this into shape, Henderson said, laughing. We were changing things two days, because one of the songs as it stood really didnt fit the mood of the scene it was in. But Beth has been a jewel to work with shes open to my ideas, but shell stand her ground if she feels strongly about something. Henderson said the score incorporates a number of musical styles, from jazz and pop to rock and swing, which will be performed by an ensemble that includes members of the Signature Symphony, along with well-known Tulsa artists Shelby Eicher on fiddle, Pat Savage on guitar and Dean Demeritt on bass. As for how Brannon is telling the story of Thomas in the musical Vivia, she said it was how the legend concludes that always troubled her. The fact that archetypal story has her grieving herself to death over the man she killed never seemed right to me, Brannon said. Heres a young woman who has to be incredibly brave and daring even to think of disguising herself as a man and traveling to what was then practically the edge of civilization, only to grieve herself to death over a man who had made her angry enough to kill. Someone once said to me, Ill bet that story was started by a man, Brannon said, laughing. So were trying to tell this story as if Vivia herself had a voice, so that she can set the record straight. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Sometimes an exhibition of artwork happens outside of the normal gallery or museum setting. It happened this way at the beginning of the Blue Dome Festival that started with an artist, Virginia Harrison, holding the first show in her front yard, and the event grew to the place where she had to ask Michael Sager to host the event in the Blue Dome District. And the event grew, until it outgrew the neighborhood. Right now, the Maple Ridge Happening is still manageable and is about to happen again on April 20. Four years ago, the world changed. With the onset of COVID, Tulsa artists experienced the sudden shutdown of galleries, art shows, fundraising events and restaurants. They went from having so many options to show their art to very few options. Artists were staying inside under quarantine but most were still creating and and continuing to build their body of work. After a couple of months of shutdown, local artist Pam Watson decided to gather 10 of her friends and hold a gallery show from her driveway, where people could either drive by in their cars or walk around in the open-air exhibit. In May 2020, the Maple Ridge Art Happening was born. Since then, Watson has held eight shows, and the roster has grown to nearly 50 artists exhibiting their work. Everything you would find at an art fair, you will find at the Maple Ridge Happening. Paintings, fiber art, ceramics, mosaics, sculptures, fashionable clothing, jewelry and baskets will be on exhibit. The neighborhood and community has welcomed this event and is looking forward to the next show on Saturday, April 20. Among the artists featured are husband and wife team Pamela and Randy Smith. The Smiths are among the 10 original artists to participate in the event. Pamela has had her Scuttle pots business for 20 years and over time taught Randy the techniques on mosaic creation. Both retired, Pamela and Randy have separate studio space in their home to allow for a zone all their own. You can find them most weekends at the Tulsa Farmers Market, but, as Pamela says, Maple Ridge Art Happening is our favorite art event of the year. A transplant from Houston, Tim Lincoln is making a splash in the Tulsa art scene with his cubist expressionism style paintings. Originally, Lincoln was a landscape designer, but his true love is painting. He paints every day, all day. Lincoln started participating in the MRH last year after meeting Watson at an art opening. Since then, he has participated in other community shows and just finished a solo show at Price Gallery. Timothy Nevaquaya, a Comanche and Chickasaw/Choctaw artist and musician, found his signature painting style by accident. After working on a piece using his normal method, he smudged the paints on the canvas, which created a whole new look. I saw a different abstract appearance in my work, Nevaquaya said. So began his journey with his latest style of his personal expression of movement and form in contemporary Native American art. Nevaquaya has performed and shown his work in places such as the American Indian dance theater, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the Gilcrease Museum of Western Art, Philbrook Museum and in galleries in New Mexico and Oklahoma. New to the show is Gina Alusi, a full-time mixed-media artist residing in Tulsa. Alusi, originally from Colombia, moved to the U.S eight years ago. My passion lies in experimenting and continuously creating, Alusi said. Her subjects focus on her love for animals and empowerment of women, symbolizing themes of love, kindness and strength. Currently, Alusi has a solo show at the Deco Lounge and recently exhibited at the She Makes Art show at Liggett Gallery. The Maple Ridge Happening will be held from 8 a.m to 4 p.m. April 20 at 215 E. 29th St. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. The middle of Oklahoma is a long way from Salem, Mass., and it had been more than 200 years since the witch trials. But an elderly Seminole Indian woman was condemned to death as a sorceress in Wewoka in 1880 and came within two hours of facing a firing squad. She had been accused of causing a long-sick woman to choke to death -- by blowing on a piece of bread given to the ill victim, who tried to eat it. The story of the Oklahoma witchcraft case was told in the 1923 memoirs of former mission teacher Antoinette C. Snow Constant, who saved the condemned woman from death. The story of the "witch" trial was published in the Tulsa World shortly after Constant wrote her memoirs and was recently recounted in the book "Alice and J.F.B." by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Vance Trimble of Wewoka. The young white teacher watched every morning as the old Indian "witch" was led stumbling on foot to the Council House by a light horseman (an officer riding a pony) for her trial. Her long gray hair falling over her shoulders gave her a weird appearance, Constant recalled in her hand-written memoirs. The trial lasted several days before the old woman was found guilty and sentenced to death. Members of her "Clan of the Wind" were not allowed to speak in the woman's defense or to attend the trial. Constant wrote that she appealed to everyone she could think of, including the Rev. William Ramsey, a Presbyterian missionary who founded the mission where she taught 50 students, and John Franklin Brown, a half-white man who was the most formally educated man in the tribe's leadership. "We can do nothing," the missionary told her. "And besides you will lose your position if you interfere with the Indians' affairs." Brown condemned the trial and sentence but said he could do nothing. "I fear her fate is settled beyond the reach of any aid I might be able to render." Chief John Chupco, whom Constant had considered a friend, had visited in her home many times. Though he had asked her to "never leave my people," he refused to talk with her and didn't respond to a written plea for the woman's life. He had already signed the death warrant and had set the execution for 2 p.m. June 8, 1880. "There is no such thing as a witch," the teacher had written to the chief, urging him to "stay the hand of the executioner." Chupco ignored the letter. On the Sunday before the execution was scheduled, Ramsey announced from his pulpit, "For all who wish to watch the execution of the witch, I can tell you that it will take place on the Council House grounds on Tuesday at two in the afternoon." People began to assemble early Tuesday awaiting the event, Trimble wrote in his book. The "witch" arrived at noon, calm and resigned to dying. She was in her family's wagon sitting on a rough pine coffin lined with muslin -- while awaiting her date with the firing squad. Two young light horse privates had been selected for the firing squad and their rifles had been "purified" by a medicine man. Meanwhile, the teacher had sent an appeal to Maj. A.W. Tate, the U.S. Indian agent headquartered in Muskogee, whose response arrived barely two hours before the execution was scheduled: a letter to the teacher and an order to Chief Chupco to stay the execution. The "witch" was sent home and, as was predicted by the missionary, Constant was fired from her job as a teacher. In spite of Chief Chupco's earlier plea that the teacher "never leave my people," he now ordered the missionary to "get another teacher." The old woman whose life was spared was grateful. When the girls in the mission school took her to meet Constant the next day, she threw her arms around the teacher and wept with joy. "I could only point heavenward and say to her (in Seminole) 'God has saved your life.' " A few months later Constant returned to Kansas with her husband and children. She later moved to Edmond, where she lived until her death. Never again was a "witch" put on trial in the Seminole nation. Photograph research by Rachele Vaughan. Like this column? Read all the columns in the Only in Oklahoma series from the Tulsa World Archive. Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today In the money: Third District Congressman Frank Lucas put his name in the hat for the chairmanship of the Financial Services Committee. The current chairman, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, is retiring at the end of the year. If successful, Lucas would become the rare member to chair three committees. He currently leads Science, Space and Technology and formerly chaired Agriculture With 30 years of experience on the Financial Services Committee in addition to my more than two decades of Committee leadership experience across multiple House committees, I am well positioned and well equipped to lead the Committee, Lucas said in a written statement. Financial Services oversees banking, financial markets and related areas. Hospital-ity: U.S. Sen. James Lankford renewed his attack against federal restrictions on physician-owned hospitals and took some shots at Medicare Advantage during Senate Finance Committee hearing. The Affordable Care Act curbed physician-owned hospitals, at the urging of the American Hospital Association, on the assertion that they tend to cherry-pick patients. Lankford and others dispute that, and Lankford repeated his belief that allowing new physician-owned hospitals could help rural health care access. In a similar vein, Lankford said some doctors and hospitals have stopped accepting Medicare Advantage patients because of excessive preauthorization requirements. The president of the Oklahoma Medical Association asserted a similar claim in a press call last week. Child support: First District Congressman Kevin Hern introduced legislation to allow states to continue current practice in the use of contractors to collect child support payments. The bill also has ramifications for tribal governments enforcing child support. According to Herns office, the Internal Revenue Services has for years suspended enforcement of laws limiting the access of contractors and tribes collecting child support to Federal Taxpayer Information. Beginning Oct. 1, however, the IRS will discontinue that access. Herns bill would block that change. Congress should be in the business of strengthening families to ensure our children have a supportive environment to grow. Im proud to introduce this bipartisan bill with my colleagues, Hern said in a press release. Hard no: Second District Congressman Josh Brecheen was the only member of Oklahomas House delegation to vote against reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act reauthorization. I could not support this two-year reauthorization that continues the status quo of allowing the federal government to unlawfully spy on Americans in violation of our Fourth Amendment rights, Brecheen said in a written statement. Brecheen supported an unsuccessful amendment that would have required warrants if the surveillance involved American citizens. Dots n dashes: U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin was among three original authors of legislation to make health care specialists more accessible to rural patients through a virtual specialty care provider network. Lankford wants Customs and Border Patrol to reconsider its decision to now longer automatically disqualify applicants with histories of marijuana use. An Oklahoma Farm Bureau contingent of about 50 lobbied Oklahomas congressional delegation in Washington. Will McPherson, a member of 4th District Congressman Tom Coles staff since 2015, was named chief of staff. Josh Grogis, Coles previous chief of staff, moved to the Appropriations Committee as senior advisor. Lankford and Delaware Democrat Chris Coons urged the U.S. State Department to do more to support religious freedom internationally. Cole was among appropriators to express their dismay at the Admiral Lisa Franchettis testimony that the U.S. Navy expects its active fleet to shrink from 293 to 286 ships next year. Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Eight years ago, when Kyle Hilbert won his first term in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, he was one of the youngest members of the Legislature. He still is. At 30, the Creek County Republican who is set to become the next speaker of the House is the third-youngest member of that chamber and younger than all but one state senator. So how did the young whippersnapper move to the head of the class? Two predecessors, former speaker and now Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett and former Rep. Skye McNiel, gave Hilbert advice he said hes tried to follow. If you want to be effective at the Capitol, it really comes down to three things, he said before speaking to the Tulsa Regional Chamber recently. Be a person of integrity. Integrity matters. Its a small state. Everything goes around. Hard work pays off, Hilbert continued. People notice that. And also, finding your passion. You find your area of expertise, and you lean into that. Thats really what Ive tried to do. Be an honest person, work hard and be focused on my area, which has been budget and workforce development, for the most part. Hilbert grew up in Depew, a town of about 400 along historic Route 66. Recently he and his wife, Alexis, and their two small girls moved into what he calls the big city of Bristow. Hilbert is the latest in a line of Creek County power players that most immediately includes Hiett and McNiel. All three were elected from House District 29, which is primarily Creek County but for many years has included parts of Tulsa Countys western panhandle. In 2004, Hiett became the states first Republican speaker in 80 years. McNiel served eight years in the House and is now executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education. Across the Capitol rotunda, Sapulpas Brian Bingman was Senate president pro tem from 2011 to 2017 and later Oklahoma secretary of state. As a student, Hilbert was a prominent figure on the Oklahoma State University campus. His first experience as a political candidate in the wider world, though, was a bit of an awakening. I went into the Ethics Commission in November of 2015 to file my (campaign finance) paperwork, and they said, Oh, are you here to apply for a scholarship? I was very young, but I think it helped me in the long run because it made me work that much harder, Hilbert said. I knew any meeting I came to, I needed to be well-studied. I knew I needed to have already looked at all the spreadsheets. I needed to have done my homework. And I knew if I was going to speak up it needed to be really, really important. Hilbert said he was young and dumb enough to volunteer to work on the budget during his first term, which coincided with one of the states most severe revenue shortfalls in decades. Hilbert soon became vice chairman of the Appropriations and Budget Committee and then, last year, speaker pro tem, a position second in line to the speakership. With current speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, terming out, the Republican caucus chose Hilbert its speaker-elect for the 60th Legislature, which begins next February. Because the Republicans are guaranteed a majority even if Democrats win every contested seat in November, Hilbert is as sure of becoming speaker as it is possible to be. He will be the youngest speaker in state history and one of the youngest nationally. Although he had just finished a year as OSUs student body president and fostered an interest in politics, Hilbert said he was certainly not angling for the speakers chair when he decided to run for the Legislature. There were some folks who really recruited me and encouraged me to run, Hilbert said. They said, Kyle, we think youd make a great candidate. I appreciated that, but I dont want to just fill a seat. When you look at politics, particularly in Washington, D.C., we have a lot of people who are good candidates, but that doesnt mean theyre good legislators. That doesnt mean theyre good at their job. It just means theyre good at being elected. Moments later, speaking to the Tulsa Chamber, Hilbert laid out some of his views on legislating. For 100-plus years, all of the complex issues of the state have been debated on the House floor, he said. At times those debates get passionate and they get heated, because we are debating for our friends, our neighbors, our family. For those of us at the Capitol, were fighting for our loved ones. You could have two legislators, one from Broken Arrow and one from Broken Bow. They could be fighting on an issue and have separate positions, but theyre both doing the right thing, because theres a decent chance that whats good for Broken Arrow isnt good for Broken Bow. Sometimes, he said, differences can appear much larger than they are. Referring to the recent eclipse, when the much smaller moon blocked out the much larger sun, Hilbert said: Sometimes, with those issues at the Capitol, we need to just take a step backward and get a different perspective. He returned to the idea that Oklahoma, with 4 million people, is really a small community in which most people are 2 or 3 degrees of separation removed. In a small state, its really about relationships, Hilbert said. As a single legislator, there are really only two things you can do by yourself. Some people do them at the same time. And thats make the news and get in trouble. But if youre going to make law, you need relationships. <&rule> The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. A decade after Cliven Bundy and his supporters faced federal agents in an armed standoff over cattle grazing on public land in Nevada, his cattle are still roaming the range, according to a report. A decades' long dispute between Bundy, a cattle rancher, and the Bureau of Land Management over at least $1 million in unpaid rent and fees led to a tense confrontation on April 12, 2014, before about 380 cattle that had been impounded were set free. "Since then, we've relatively lived in peace," Ryan Bundy, eldest among 14 Bundy siblings, told the Associated Press in a telephone interview. "The BLM doesn't contact us, talk to us or bother us." Asked about Bundy cattle still grazing in the Gold Butte National Monument area and the more than hefty rent, fees and penalties the BLM said Bundy owed in 2014, spokesman John Asselin responded that the BLM "does not have any comment on this subject." Bundy, 77, told the wire service "we're still doing the same thing: ranching." About 700 Bundy cattle still graze the 160-acre ranch and in the publicly owned Gold Buttle space, an area about half the size of Delaware. Ian Bartrum, a University of Nevada, Las Vegas, law professor who has studied the standoff and land policy, said the Bundys prevailed. "I think we can safely say, 10 years later, the Bundys won that fight, and federal regulators don't seem at all eager to try again," he told the AP. "We have bigger problems than cattle on public land at this point." Japans Meiko Electronics Co. Ltd. has turned the first sod at an electronic printed circuit board (PCB) factory in Hoa Binh Province with a total investment of US$200 million, the fifth of its kind established by the company in Vietnam. The firm conducted a broundbreaking ceremony for the PCB factory in Bo Trai Song Da Industrial Park in the namesake city of the province on Saturday, in the presence of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Meiko Electronics director and executive vice-president Atsushi Sakate, and other participants. Covering an area of 9.2 hectares, the factory will be built at an estimated cost of VND4.66 trillion ($200 million), according to Meiko. The factory, the first of Meiko in Hoa Binh, will produce electronic PCBs for peripheral devices, computers, electronics, audio-visual equipment, solar cells, microprocessor chips, and controllers, among others. Meiko, known for its expertise in designing and manufacturing PCBs and related electronic components, plans to conduct trial operations at its new facility in the second quarter of this year before commencing official production, as reported by Vietnam Television (VTV). Upon reaching full operational capacity in 2030, the factory is projected to employ approximately 3,000 workers and contribute around $8 million to the state budget annually, the company said. So far, Meiko has built and operated four other electronic circuit plants in Vietnam, VTV said. Addressing the ceremony, PM Chinh congratulated the Hoa Binh administration and Meiko on the new factory building and expressed his belief that local authorities will offer the best possible facilitation to the project while the investor will comply with its relevant commitments, VTV reported, citing the Vietnamese leader. The prime minister directed local authorities to promptly address any obstacles to the project, ensuring it progresses on schedule and operates with high efficiency. This will create job opportunities for the local population and contribute significantly to the overall development of the province. Vietnam's relevant agencies are prepared to attentively listen to and resolve any issues or obstacles encountered by foreign investors as they conduct business in the country, the Vietnamese government chief said. VTV quoted Meiko leader Sakate as stating that the company's decision to invest in Hoa Binh was significantly influenced by the messages emphasizing stable energy and accelerating green transformation conveyed by PM Chinh during a meeting with top Japanese enterprises as part of his trip to Japan in late 2023. With five factories in Japan and two others in China, along with subsidiaries and representative offices around the globe, Meiko is one of the world's leading corporations in manufacturing and assembling electronic circuits, Voice of Vietnam reported. According to the Hoa Binh administration, the province occupies a crucial gateway position in the northwest region, serving as a link between Hanoi and other localities via the Ho Chi Minh Highway, other national highways, the Hoa Binh - Hanoi expressway, and the under-construction Hoa Binh - Son La freeway. Authorities also highlighted Hoa Binh's potential for development in agriculture, forestry, tourism, supporting industries, manufacturing, and processing. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Department of Education and Training in Ho Chi Minh City suggested that Google provide five million free accounts for local students and teachers at a seminar held in the city on Saturday. The provision of such Google accounts will enable the citys education sector to build an adequate data ecosystem to better serve teaching and learning activities, said the departments chief of staff Ho Tan Minh at the seminar on how to digitally transform education with AI and data. With Google accounts, students can utilize Google tools for learning and will be warned against spending too much time browsing the Internet for leisure or visiting inappropriate channels. For teachers, useful Google tools will enable them to create a more vibrant learning environment. Minh added that the department will collaborate with Google to analyze, evaluate, and personalize the said data ecosystem before coming up with more effective learning and teaching plans for the sector. Elementary school students take part in a tech-powered class. Photo: My Dung / Tuoi Tre At the event, a Google Educator Vietnam community, which gathers educators who pioneer the application of Google technology to teaching, was launched. With more than 300 members from eight Vietnamese provinces and cities, the community serves as a knowledge- and experience-sharing platform in education. Members of the community will also support each other in applying AI and other technologies to teaching and updating the latest information about Google technology solutions. In related news, the citys education department has deployed Google for Education solutions via the website at https://hcmdoet.edu.vn. This digital education platform will connect close to 3,000 schools and educational facilities as well as two million students and teachers nationwide. The platform supports users in carrying out various teaching and learning activities anywhere and anytime. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The night rain battered the dilapidated house, threatening its collapse. Each droplet soaked the mud walls, rendering the interior as sodden as the outdoors. Concerned neighbors rushed to rescue the three children, who are half-orphans, huddling in fear in a corner. Nguyen Thanh Long, a sixth grader at Lang Quan Middle School in Yen Son District, Tuyen Quang Province, northern Vietnam trembled as he recalled the previous nights rain. The following morning, neighbors united to hastily mend the dilapidated pigpen of Longs aunt, providing temporary shelter for the three siblings. Their former home, unable to withstand the elements, had succumbed to wind and rain. Pigpen replaces house Longs younger sister, Ngoc Hoa, a third grader, gazes emptily at the remnants of their old houses foundation. Dads gone. I dont know moms whereabouts, she chokes out, tears mingling with the cold mountain rain. The current abode for the Ngoc Hoa siblings is their aunts makeshift pigsty. Patched with leaves and tarpaulin, it provides scant shelter. One corner, suspended from bamboo poles, serves as their sleeping quarters, while another is designated for cooking. We had no other choice but to repair this pigpen, Ly Thi Lien, the aunt of the children, said with a heavy heart. Though the thatched roof leaks, the columns are sturdy enough to withstand strong winds. Since their father passed away, we've brought the children home to share meals together. In the village, the Long siblings family used to stand as the poorest. With the childrens father deceased and their house collapsing, their aunts family, also their next-door neighbors, assumed the title of the most impoverished in the local community. Struggling under the weight of their circumstances, the aunt now bears the additional burden of caring for the three young children. Liens modest house, built with a government loan of VND20 million (US$800) five years ago, still lacks funds for essential repairs. The wooden doors are secured tightly with ropes to prevent them from swinging open in the wind. Not long ago, Liens family maintained a small pig herd, providing a modest source of income with each litter sold. However, a disease outbreak claimed the pigs lives, and the family, unable to afford replacements, repurposed the pigsty into a makeshift shelter for the children. Needy helping needy The sudden calamity left the three siblings emaciated and bewildered. Despite enduring poverty in the past, their family home provided a sanctuary where the chill of the wind penetrating the walls failed to evoke shivers. Long, accustomed to shouldering household chores ahead of his peers due to their financial struggles, once found solace in the presence of his parents. Despite their hardships, Long excelled academically, earning certificates of merit annually. During parent-teacher meetings, his father would lovingly stroke his head, his smile offering reassurance. That evening, the meal shared in their tattered home would radiate the sort of warmth that transcended their usual hardships. However, tensions escalated last year, marked by increasing arguments among the parents. Often, the three siblings sought refuge behind the house, where Lien and her husband found and welcomed them with open arms and meals. The following morning, they silently would quietly return home to retrieve their schoolbooks and supplies before heading for school. On one occasion, returning home from school, the siblings discovered their mother absent, while their father was drinking alone. Long, perceptive beyond his years, grasped the situation -- their mother had departed. Meanwhile, the younger siblings, yearning for their mothers presence, sought solace under blankets, tears silently streaming down their cheeks. At the end of last year, the family received a charitable gift of VN8 million ($320), a sum that may have been the largest the childrens father ever held. With plans to repair the roof, purchase proper clothing for the children, and enjoy a cozy Lunar New Year holiday, hopes were high. Then, the childrens mother returned; and joy filled the air. Thanh Long, Ngoc Hoa, and Minh Tan with their deceased father when he was still alive. Photo: Supplied Yet, amidst their parents new arguments and eventual separation, tragedy struck -- the father took his own life with a rope, leaving the three children bewildered and adrift in life. Liens family took on the responsibility of arranging funeral services for her brother-in-law and providing meals for the three children. After the 49-day mourning period, the deceased mans siblings visited, but eventually leaving the children alone in their old, dilapidated home. Now, each day, they attend school in the morning, dine at Liens residence, and return home in the evening to huddle together in their aging dwelling. Hoang Dinh Thu, head of Village 21 in Lang Quan Commune, Yen Son District, Tuyen Quang Province, said that the local government previously included Thanh Longs family in a program aimed at assisting households with the construction of new, temporary homes to replace deteriorated ones. However, this program required families to prepare some independent funds, which Longs father, when still alive, failed to arrange due to financial hardship. As a result, their house remains as it is. In the wake of the fathers passing, the village came together to support the children. Contributions ranged from rice and monetary donations to vegetables and bamboo shoots. However, they could not afford repairs to the childrens old house, which is in a state of disrepair, posing a safety risk. Eventually, the community deliberated and arranged for the children to move into their aunt's home. Enough schooling desire Every morning, Long rises early to assist Lien with cooking, preparing a simple meal of white rice accompanied by salty dried fish and a bowl of sweet potato leaf soup or, on more fortunate occasions, a packet of instant noodles cooked in ample water to serve as broth. Afterward, Long escorts his youngest brother Minh Tan, a first grader, to school, while his third-grade sister makes her own way there. In the afternoon, the trio assists their aunt with household chores before heading to the stream to forage for vegetables. I fear I wont be able to attend school anymore or even have rice to eat, Long confessed, his voice choked with emotion. The rice my father bought has long been depleted, so now I rely on the rice from my aunts household. The boy timidly clasped his slender, blue-veined hand to his knee, his worn pants sporting a hole in the center from prolonged decay rather than a mishap. Beside him in the pigpen, Hoa and Tans trousers bore similar tears. Hoas gaze remained distant and melancholic, while Tan treasured two photos of his mother, one of which had lost its protective plastic covering. Often, when alone, Tan would tenderly gaze at his mothers photo. Lien revealed that witnessing Hoas solitary bouts of tears was heart-wrenching, while Tan spent many nights pining for his mother, frequently asking, When will mom come home? As for Long, he displayed resilience, consoling his younger sibling in the pigpen, Stop crying, mom cant hear you! Despite her tears, Lien found solace in her nephews and nieces education. Each year, Long earned academic honors. Since their fathers passing and their mothers departure, teachers had encouraged Liens family to prioritize Longs schooling. In Lang Quan Commune, a struggling community, exemplary students like Long are rare. Both Hoa and Tan had once garnered praise from their teachers, but their academic performance had waned since their familys separation. However, Long endeavors to help his siblings with their studies each evening. He harbored no lofty ambitions, merely yearning for sufficient food, clothing, and enough schooling for all three. To support the children, readers can make transfers to the following account: Recipient: Tuoi Tre Newspaper Account number: 113000006100 Bank: Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) Branch: Branch 3, Ho Chi Minh City Please include the following content in your transfer reference: Assistance for the children in the April 12, 2024 print issue. We will ensure the funds are promptly delivered to the children. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A faster and vastly more effective treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis is being rolled out in the Asia-Pacific region, raising hopes of a "new era" in tackling one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases. The region had most of the world's estimated 10.6 million new TB cases in 2022, and more than half of the 1.3 million deaths, World Health Organization (WHO) figures show. While TB can be successfully treated with antibiotics, more than three percent of new TB patients are resistant to commonly prescribed drugs. Until recently, treatment for these patients involved daily painful injections or a fistful of pills for 18 months or longer, while some endured severe side effects such as nausea and, in extreme cases, blindness. Many people prematurely quit their treatment, which had a success rate of 63 percent or lower. Now, a new drug regimen involving fewer pills and side effects is being rolled out in the Asia-Pacific, including the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, where trials have shown a more than 90 percent cure rate after six months. The treatment, known as BPaL, combines the antibiotics bedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid, and has received regulatory approval in more than 60 countries since 2019, according to the non-profit TB Alliance, which developed it. The WHO updated its guidelines in 2022 to allow BPaL to be used with or without a fourth antibiotic called moxifloxacin. BPaL has been life-changing for Filipino cook Efifanio Brillante, who was diagnosed with drug-resistant TB in June 2022 and initially went on an older form of treatment. Brillante, 57, was swallowing 20 tablets a day, but it left him feeling so nauseous that he could not work or eat. He stopped the medication after two weeks even though he knew the decision could be fatal. "It's very difficult. You're always in bed," Brillante told AFP about his experience of having TB. "Sometimes I couldn't even breathe." The following month, Brillante joined a BPaL trial at the Jose B Lingad Memorial General Hospital in Pampanga Province, north of the Philippine capital Manila. He took between three and seven pills a day and was cured after six months. "I'm very thankful that I was healed," Brillante told AFP in his home. "If I didn't take that BPaL, I might already be buried in the cemetery." 'A curable disease' TB, once called consumption, is caused by a bacteria that primarily attacks the lungs and is transmitted through the air by infected people, for example by coughing. While it is found in every country, poorer people living and working in overcrowded conditions are at higher risk of the disease. Eight countries accounted for two-thirds of new TB cases in 2022: India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of Congo. One of the biggest challenges of treating drug-resistant TB has been getting patients to take the full course of their medication. Even in countries where treatment is free, patients face crippling travel costs to hospitals and loss of income, or even their job, due to the illness and side-effects of the drugs, leading many to stop taking their pills. In Vietnam, most people diagnosed with TB are from low-income families, Hoang Thi Thanh Thuy from the Vietnam National Tuberculosis Program told AFP. Nearly everyone with drug-resistant TB endured "catastrophic" expenses over the period of their treatment, she said. "All of these difficulties can affect patient compliance and lead to poor treatment and increasing drug resistance," Thuy said. Identifying people with TB is also a challenge. In Indonesia, some healthcare facilities are still not able to properly diagnose the disease, said Imran Pambudi of the health ministry. Fear of social stigma from a positive diagnosis is also common. "We're trying to educate them that TB is a curable disease," said Irene Flores, who led the BPaL trial at the Jose B Lingad Memorial General Hospital in the Philippines. "If they come early, we can prevent complications." More investment needed After years of decline, the number of people falling ill with TB and drug-resistant tuberculosis began increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted diagnosis and treatment, the WHO said previously. After gargantuan global efforts to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus, the WHO has called for increased funding to fight TB. "As TB stopped being a high income-country problem, motivation to invest in research and development for new TB drugs dried up," said Sandeep Juneja, senior vice president of market access at the TB Alliance. To help accelerate the rollout of BPaL, with or without moxifloxacin, the TB Alliance has set up a "knowledge hub" in Manila to provide training and assistance to other countries. In India, where BPaL has been approved, there is growing impatience for it to be introduced into health clinics given the country's world-beating caseload. "BPaL should be rolled out soon because it will spare patients a lot of headaches and provide psychological relief too, besides reducing cost of treatment in the long run," said Ravikant Singh, founder of advocacy group Doctors For You. Juneja said the new regimen meant treating drug-resistant TB was no longer a guessing game of whether a patient would survive or not. But more is needed to be done, he added. "I hope this is... just the beginning of a new era of TB treatment where they will be even simpler, even shorter." Humankind's two closest primate relatives are often said to embody contrasting sides of our nature: peace-loving bonobos versus violence-prone chimpanzees. But a new study out Friday in Current Biology says it is not that simple. Male bonobos in fact fight each other more often than male chimps do -- and the bonobo "bad boys" who have more dust-ups also see greater mating success. Lead author Maud Mouginot of Boston University told AFP she decided to investigate the question of aggression among bonobos after prior research revealed a "reproductive skew" among males, meaning some fathered far more offspring than others. "So the question was, if bonobos are not that aggressive, how can they have such a high reproductive skew?" she said. Since their recognition as a species distinct from chimpanzees, bonobos have been romanticized for their free-spirited nature. Part of their reputation as "hippies" stems from how they use sex as a means of conflict resolution and often have same sex couplings, especially among females. They are also more likely to share food than chimps. Researchers had previously attempted to compare aggression between the two species, which share 99.6 percent of their DNA with each other, but these studies were limited because they used differing methods in the field. Mouginot and her colleagues focused on three communities at the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and two chimpanzee communities at Gombe National Park in Tanzania. By tracking the individual behavior of 12 male bonobos and 14 male chimpanzees over two years, the team was able to compile data on how often each engaged in aggressive interactions, who these encounters involved, and whether there was physical contact such as biting and pushing or simply charging at a rival. Surprisingly, the researchers discovered that male bonobos exhibited higher levels of aggression than chimpanzees. Specifically, bonobos engaged in 2.8 times as many aggressive encounters and three times as many physical altercations as did their chimpanzee counterparts. "That's, I think, the big finding of the paper," said Mouginot. "And the other thing is, we actually found that more aggressive male bonobos win more copulation with what we call 'maximally tumescent females,'" meaning females whose genitals have swollen because they are ovulating. More time with females? Male bonobos almost exclusively reserved their aggression for other males, while male chimpanzees were more likely to become aggressive with females. Both these findings aligned with expectations. Bonobo females are often leaders in their groups and form alliances to stop lone males who may attempt to coerce them sexually, so it makes little sense for males to challenge them. Conversely, chimpanzees are strongly male-dominant societies, and it's the males that band together, coercing females into sex or punishing male adversaries that challenge their authority. The fact that male bonobo disputes are overwhelmingly one-on-one, rather than one-against-many, might explain why they happen more often, said Mouginot, as the stakes are lower. Bonobos have never been reported to kill each other. Chimpanzee altercations, on the other hand, involve multiple males and can result in fatalities -- either within their own group, or in territorial battles against rival groups. The greater costs associated with chimp combat might therefore limit how often it occurs. As for why "nicer" bonobo males fared worse with females -- "it's possible that those aggressive males can also spend more time with females" by vanquishing rivals, said Mouginot, but this would require further confirmation. But Mouginot, who now focuses her anthropological work on humans, is skeptical about whether "bad boy" tropes in people -- the idea that men who are troublemakers tend to attract more women -- map directly onto bonobos. Female bonobos, she emphasized, wield significant power and won't hesitate to shut down male aggression when directed at them. But it's possible they might find it attractive when it is directed at others. JERUSALEM/DUBAI -- Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation as the United States pledged "ironclad" backing for Israel. Sirens wailed and Reuters journalists in Israel said they heard distant heavy thuds and bangs from what local media called aerial interceptions of explosive drones. Authorities said a seven-year-old girl was critically injured. Israel's military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Iran launched dozens of ground-to-ground missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted outside Israeli borders. They included more than 10 cruise missiles, he said. The Iranian salvo amounted to more than 200 drones and missiles so far, Hagari said, and had caused light damage to one Israeli military facility. The Israeli military said later that it was not advising any residents to prepare to take shelter, revising an earlier alert in what appeared to signal the end of the threat. Israel's Channel 12 TV cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying there would be a "significant response" to the attack. Iran had vowed retaliation for what it called an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1 that killed seven Guards officers including two senior commanders and said its strike was a punishment for "Israeli crimes". Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the consulate attack. "Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe," the Iranian mission to the United Nations said, warning the U.S. to "stay away". However, it also said Iran now "deemed the matter concluded". United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Iran's attack, saying he was "deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation." The U.N. Security Council aims to meet at 4:00 pm ET (2000 GMT) on Sunday, a diplomat said on condition of anonymity, after Israel requested it condemn Iran's attack and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization. U.S. President Joe Biden, who on Friday had warned Iran against an attack, cut short a weekend visit to his home state of Delaware. He returned to Washington and met national security advisers, including his secretaries of defence and state, in the White House Situation Room. He pledged to stand with Israel. "Our commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," he said on X after the meeting. The Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas, now in its seventh month, has ratcheted up tensions in the region, spreading to fronts with Lebanon and Syria and drawing long-range fire at Israeli targets from as far away as Yemen and Iraq. British maritime security company Ambrey said in a statement that drones were also reportedly launched against Israel by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group. Those clashes now threaten to morph into a direct open conflict pitting Iran and its regional allies against Israel and its main supporter, the United States. Regional power Egypt urged "utmost restraint". While Israel and Iran have been bitter foes for decades, their long feud has mostly unfolded via proxy forces or by targeting each other's forces operating in third countries. U.S. and British warplanes were involved in shooting down some Israel-bound drones over the Iraq-Syria border area, Channel 12 reported. Two U.S. officials said the U.S. military had shot down dozens of drone aircraft headed for Israel. Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Jerusalem April 14, 2024. Photo: Reuters Escalation Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose official jet took off shortly after the attack began, convened the war cabinet at a military headquarters in Tel Aviv, his office said. Israel and Lebanon said they were closing their airspace on Saturday night. Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel, had readied air defences to intercept any drone or missile that violated its territory, two regional security sources said. Residents in several Jordanian cities said they heard heavy aerial activity. Syria, an ally of Iran, said it was putting its ground-to-air defence systems around the capital and major bases on high alert, army sources there said. The European Union, Britain, France, Mexico, Czechia, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands all condemned Iran's attack. Israel had been bracing for an Iranian response to the Damascus consulate strike since last week, when Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel "must be punished and shall be" for an operation he called equivalent to one on Iranian soil. Iran's main ally in the region, the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah that has been exchanging fire with Israel since the Gaza conflict began on October 7, said early on Sunday it had fired rockets at an Israeli base. Iranian flag flutters on a new Iranian consulate building after Iran's consulate in Damascus was targeted in a suspected Israeli attack on Monday April 1, in Damascus, Syria April 8, 2024. Photo: Reuters Iranians celebrate on a street, after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran, Iran, April 14, 2024. Photo: Reuters Iranians celebrate on a street, after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran, Iran, April 14, 2024. Photo: Reuters Chinas Yunnan Province stands ready to further promote economic and trade cooperation with Vietnamese localities, to encourage its companies to invest in and set up shop in Vietnam, and to import Vietnamese agricultural and seafood items of high quality, said a Yunnan official on Thursday. Wang Ning, secretary of the Yunnan Party Committee, made the statement during his meeting with top Vietnamese legislator Vuong Dinh Hue. The meeting was part of Hues official visit to China from Sunday to Friday this week. Wang affirmed that Yunnan attaches importance to its friendship and cooperation with Vietnam, and stands ready to facilitate the exchange of all-level delegations and boost cooperation mechanisms. Yunnan will also strengthen cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, green and modern agriculture, green energy, healthcare, culture, education, and tourism, as well as enhance customs clearance efficiency. Speaking highly of the cooperation mechanism among the five secretaries of the provincial Party Committees of Vietnam and China, Wang announced that he would chair a meeting on this cooperation mechanism next month. Vietnams National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (first row, R, 2nd) and a Vietnamese delegation attend a meeting with Wang Ning, secretary of the Party Committee of Yunnan Province, China, April 11, 2024. Photo: Vietnam News Agency For his part, the chairman of the Vietnams National Assembly (NA) hailed the positive outcomes of the cooperation among Vietnamese agencies and Yunnan over the past years. NA Chairman Hue reaffirmed Vietnams policy on further deepening ties and elevating the Vietnam-China traditional friendship, comprehensive strategic partnership, and a community with a shared future. Vietnam pledged to provide favorable conditions for its localities to establish and develop their cooperation ties with Chinese partners, especially those sharing the borderline with Vietnam such as Yunnan. The Vietnamese legislature is willing to offer tremendous support to Vietnamese localities and Yunnan to achieve stronger growth. The NA chairman suggested both sides should promote exchanges between local leaders and continue to effectively implement the existing cooperation agreements between Yunnan and Vietnamese locales. Hue stressed the need for both sides to cooperate in border patrols, couter-terrorism activities, and transnational crime prevention. He called for further collaboration efforts in key sectors like railway, tourism, and people-to-people exchange. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Read what is in the news in Vietnam today: Society -- A person died and dozens were injured following a frontal crash between a passenger car and a tractor-trailer in Kon Tum Province, located in the Central Highlands region, on Saturday, a local official said the same day. -- A landslide inside Bai Gio Tunnel in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam has disrupted a North-South railway section through the province and neighboring Phu Yen Province since Friday afternoon. -- The High Command of Coast Guard Region 4 under the Vietnam Coast Guard has detached a vessel to transport over 350,000 liters of fresh water to Ca Mau, the southernmost province of Vietnam. -- The administration in Ho Chi Minh City has sought the prime ministers approval for the 51-kilometer Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai Expressway connecting the city and neighboring Tay Ninh Province. The first phase of the project requires an estimated investment of some VND19.6 trillion ($783.4 million) and is expected to be commenced in April next year. -- Police in Ho Chi Minh City have cracked down on a ring transporting 184 bricks of heroin from the southern metropolis to Taiwan, arresting three suspects, including two foreigners. Business -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Saturday attended the groundbreaking ceremony for an electronic printed circuit board factory in Hoa Binh Province, northern Vietnam. The factory, developed by Japan's Meiko Electronics, carries a price tag of VND4.66 trillion (US$186.3 million). Education -- The Department of Education and Training in Ho Chi Minh City suggested that Google provide five million free accounts for local students and teachers at a seminar held in the city on Saturday. Lifestyle -- The Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival 2024 wrapped up on Saturday evening with The Gospel of the Beast by 23-year-old Filipino director Sheron Dayoc honored as the best Southeast Asia film. -- A pod of some 150 dolphins was spotted swimming off Mui Dien Cape in Phu Yen Province, south-central Vietnam on Saturday morning. World News -- One person was killed and 10 others injured in the southern Turkish province of Antalya when a cable car cabin collided with a broken pole, prompting a massive operation that rescued a further 174 passengers, Reuters reported, citing Turkish officials. -- An attacker who fatally knifed six people in a Sydney mall was shot dead by police in the beachside suburb of Bondi on Saturday, as hundreds fled the scene, Reuters quoted police as saying. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The High Command of Coast Guard Region 4 under the Vietnam Coast Guard has detached a vessel to transport over 350,000 liters of fresh water to Hon Chuoi Island off Ca Mau, the southernmost province of Vietnam, which is facing a shortage of fresh water amid prolonged droughts. The island no longer has fresh water reservoirs and wells. Local residents had to use rainwater. Thus, the assistance provided by Coast Guard Region 4 enabled the local residents to access water for their daily needs. The Coast Guard Region 4 expected to ease residents difficulties amid the ongoing drought and set their mind at rest so that they could continue to contribute to the countrys economic development and sovereignty protection. Officials of the Navy Region 5 Command transport 130,000 liters of fresh water to Hon Chuoi Island. Photo: Van Dinh / Tuoi Tre The Navy Region 5 Command also dispatched a vessel to transport 130,000 liters of fresh water from Phu Quoc Island off southern Kien Giang Province to Hon Chuoi Island on March 24 and 25. Hon Chuoi Island is nearly 32 kilometers west of the mainland and some seven square kilometers in area. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday said they had arrested three suspects, including two foreigners and one Vietnamese, after busting a drug trafficking ring that attempted to bring 184 bricks of heroin from the city to Taiwan. The municipal police department has yet to announce the personal particulars of these suspects as their investigation remains underway. The drug trafficking case was uncovered recently when a police team raided a rented room in a lodging facility in the citys downtown District 1 after receiving tip-offs from different sources. During the swoop, the team detected two foreigners living in the room without carrying out temporary residence registration procedures. Police officers discovered 184 bricks of heroin concealed within suitcases, along with equipment and tools for processing, dividing, and packaging drugs hidden in the kitchen. They also found empty cylindrical batteries intended for containing drugs. The team confiscated all the heroin and related devices, and escorted the two foreigners to the police office for interrogation. The suspects confessed that they had entered Vietnam via road border gates in the southwestern Vietnamese province of An Giang on March 15, and then moved to the city where they received the 184 bricks of heroin from an unknown member of their racket. The foreigners said they had intended to stash the drugs in the empty batteries to avoid detection by customs officers at entry and exit points. They told investigators that a Vietnamese had arranged the temporary residence for them in Ho Chi Minh City while they were waiting to receive the drugs. After summoning and questioning the Vietnamese suspect, the citys police also detained that person for investigation. The municipal police are expanding their probe into the case and are hunting for the unidentified lynchpin. In January-March, Ho Chi Minh City police discovered 813 drug cases and apprehended 2,019 individuals, nearly double the figures for both the number of cases and the quantity of detainees compared to the same period of the previous year. Police officers seized 15.63 kilograms of heroin, more than 64 kilograms of marijuana, and 249.4 kilograms of synthetic drugs, along with 14 guns and many other related exhibits from these cases. One of the three suspects in a transnational drug trafficking ring busted by police in Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Police Department Some of the equipment and tools for handling drugs seized by police in Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam from a transnational drug trafficking ring. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Police Department Heroin bricks found in a suitcase of the two foreign suspects of a drug trafficking ring busted by police in Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Police Department Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Southern Californian Marcus Anthony Eriz has been sentenced to 40-years-to-life in prison for the road-rage murder of a 6-year-old boy traveling to kindergarten. It was the maximum sentence allowed. Eriz of Costa Mesa was a passenger in a Volkswagen driven by his girlfriend that cut off driver Joanna Cloonan along State Route 55 in a near miss in 2021. When Cloonan flipped off the couple, the Volkwagen chased down her vehicle, and Eriz fired, fatally striking Cloonan's son, Aiden Leos, who was in a car seat in the back. The bullet pierced Aiden's liver, lung and heart, and he died a short time later in a local hospital Eriz was arrested two weeks later during an "intense manhunt" by the California Highway Patrol. Superior Court Judge Richard King said in a video of the sentencing that Aiden was the "most vulnerable victim that you can even imagine, going to kindergarten being driven by his mom." He added: "I don't think the English language can even attempt, for anybody, to even describe what Aiden's mother went through after he said 'ouch,'" King said. "She pulls over, and her little boy dies in her arms." Earlier Eriz had told the court: "He was a son, a little brother and a friend to others. He looked as if he brightened up the world everywhere he went and truly one of God's little angels." Eriz added: "I am so sorry for ever hurting him and for the pain that he went through because of me. He never deserved it. And neither did his family." Eriz's girlfriend, Wynne Lee, is still awaiting trial. She's charged with one felony count of accessory after the fact, and a misdemeanor count relating to a concealed firearm in a vehicle. She has pleaded not guilty. This week Rafael Bonachela invites Virginia Trioli to see what a contemporary dance choreographer does. Creative Types also features an interview with Kylie Minogue. Rafael rehearses with his dancers at the Walsh Bay studios and feels the inspiration of Sydney Harbour under his feet. In his apartment, he shares the story of his early years: the eldest of four, he says he was born to dance, making up dances in the streets of his town La Garriga in Spain. His dancing caused tension in the home from the start. His brother, Ivan, says their father never understood Rafaels dancing and was very hard on him. He left to study in Barcelona, and won an audition and a scholarship to Rambert Dance Company. He graduated to choreography but received cutting reviews. He gave choreography one more try and that show was seen by Kylie Minogue. She asked him to choreograph her now iconic 2002 performance at the BRIT Awards and then her entire Fever world tour. Kylie says she loved his work from the very start. This was his first brush with Australia, but then Sydney Dance Company came calling seeking a new artistic director. His vision for the dancers was an energetic, youthful company that spoke to the expansive light and beauty of his new home. His success has been immense: record crowds, a profitable company but his fathers approval always eluded him. His latest work, Somos, is the first that directly draws on his Spanish heritage. His brother Ivan says Rafael is the inspiration he shows his own boys in their quest to find their own path. 9pm Tuesday on ABC. Aussie Hoa Xuande stars alongside Sandra Oh & Robert Downey Jr. as a refugee in LA who learns that his spying days arent over. 8:30pm Monday on Showcase / Binge Paramedics Four Corners Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here 9-1-1 Media Watch Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Iran launches missiles, drones on Israel; All intercepted, shot down, say US Irans IRGC late in the night Saturday launched hundreds of missiles and drones on Israel retaliating the Israeli airstrike on its Consulate in Damascus two weeks ago. Sunday April 14, 2024 12:00 PM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies [File Image] Tehran/Tel Aviv: Irans IRGC late in the night Saturday launched hundreds of missiles and drones on Israel retaliating the Israeli airstrike on its Consulate in Damascus two weeks ago. The United States while confirming the Iranian attack on Israel said all but few missiles and drones were intercepted and shot down. The Israeli military officials in Tel Aviv on the other hand said the barrage of Iranian missiles and drones could do nothing except minor damages. 'A swarm of explosive drones, missiles' Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation as the United States pledged ironclad backing for Israel. Sirens wailed and journalists in Israel said they heard distant heavy thuds and bangs from what local media called aerial interceptions of explosive drones. The ambulance service said there was no immediate word of casualties. The Nevatim air base in occupied territories, which houses US F-35 fighter jets used in Tel Avivs genocidal assaults on Gaza, has been successfully targeted by Iranian missiles. pic.twitter.com/d8KdxbrQvX Press TV (@PressTV) April 14, 2024 Daniel Hagari, the spokesperson for the Israeli military, has said that Iran launched more than 200 projectiles at Israel and that the vast majority of them have been intercepted with air defence systems and assistance from partners. A number of Iranian missiles fell inside Israeli territory, causing minor damage to a military base with no casualties. Only one little girl has been hurt, and we hope she will be well, he said. Hagari, however, stressed that the attack is ongoing and said the Israeli military is operating at full force to fend it off. US President Joe Biden said America helped Israel take down "nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles", according to the White House. US and British warplanes were involved in shooting down some Israel-bound drones over the Iraq-Syria border area, Channel 12 reported. Three US officials said the US military had shot down drone aircraft without disclosing the exact number. The Reuters news agency said Jordanian forces also shot down Iranian drones flying across northern and central Jordan heading in the direction of Jerusalem. Numerous unverified videos circulating online meanwhile purport to show several projectiles making it through Israeli anti-aircraft defenses, hitting targets on the ground. Iran cites self-defence In a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and UN Security Council (UNSC) President Vanessa Frazier, Tehran has emphasised that its attack on Israel is a legal and justified act of self-defence against Israeli aggressions. Iran has invoked Article 51 of the UN Charter to justify its attack on Israel. The provision which grants countries the right to self-defence if they come under attack. Iranians shout slogans in support of the country's retaliatory strikes on occupied territories pic.twitter.com/5NZGkV4ZB8 Press TV (@PressTV) April 14, 2024 The Iranian mission to the UN decried the Security Councils failure to condemn the deadly Israeli air raid on the countrys consulate in Damascus on April 1. As a responsible member of the United Nations, Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and international law and reiterates its consistent position that it does not seek escalation or conflict in the region, the letter said. At the same time, Iran warned that it will defend its people and interests against any threats. UNSC Meeting Today Meanwhile, Israels UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan has written to the President of the Security Council formally requesting an emergency meeting on Irans drone strikes against Israel. The Iranian attack is a serious threat to global peace and security and I expect the Council to use every means to take concrete action against Iran, Erdan said in the letter. The UN Security Council (UNSC) in response has called a meeting at 04:00 pm New York time (20:00 GMT) Sunday, the councils current president, Malta, said. Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement strongly condemning the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran this evening. Guterres described the attack as a serious escalation and called for an immediate cessation of these hostilities. I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation, Guterres added. I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war", he said. The latest Iranian attack on Israel came a day after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship MSC Aries . Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Iranian attacks could dampen efforts to restrain Israel in Gaza: Analyst Amid the media hype over the Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel that concluded with little or no impact, experts fear that Tehran's military (mis)adventure could backfire on effort to restrain the Zionist genocidal run in Gaza. Sunday April 14, 2024 5:52 PM , ummid.com News Network [Video clips show Israeli air defence system intercepting Iranian missiles over the Al Aqsa Compound in the Occupied Jerusalem.] Washington: Amid the media hype over the Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel that concluded with little or no impact, experts fear that Tehran's military (mis)adventure could backfire on efforts to restrain the Zionist genocidal run in Gaza. Iranian attack on Israel The Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) late in the night Saturday launched hundreds of missiles and drones towards Israel in what it said retaliation to the Israeli attack on its Consulate in Damascus, Syria. The Israeli military officials and US President Joe Biden said almost all the missiles and drones were successfully intercepted and shot down. The latest escalation between Iran and Israel comes in the midst of the Israel and Palestine war started on Oct 07, 2023. In the war that entered in its 7th month in April, the Israeli occupied forces have killed more than 33,000 civilians majority of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry of Palestine. More than six months of Israeli military campaign has also levelled to the ground over 40% of Gaza Strip. Besides, the Israeli blockade has left close to 1.4 million Palestinian in the besieged enclave to starvation. Worried by the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, first the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and later International Court of Justice (ICJ) and UN Security Council (UNSC) have called for immediate ceasefire in Gaza. These efforts however are at the risk of being derailed because of the Iranian attack on Israel , the analysts feel. Talking to Doha based broadcaster Al Jazeera, David Des Roches, an Associate Professor at the National Defense University in Washington DC, said he was surprised that Iran used a direct attack on Israeli territory. What the Iranian attack indicates to me is that there are considerations of pride and prestige that are divorced from strategy and tactical utility that may indicate a more dangerous era than we thought, Des Roches, who is also a former US army officer and official, said. He added that Iran may not have really counted the possibility its attack on Israel could take the focus off Gaza, saying that the pressure that had been building on Israel to restrain from further actions in Gaza, that may have been lifted as a result of this attack. Israel could potentially gain leverage with the US by offering to avoid an expanded regional conflict in return for achieving its strategic goals in Gaza, he added. Two options for US Mouin Rabbani, co-editor of the online publication Jadaliyya, said that the US can either push to de-escalate tensions in the region or continue to give Israel a free hand to do whatever it wants. This is all tied directly to the Israels genocidal onslaught in the Gaza Strip, Rabbani told Al Jazeera. And so long as the United States refuses to say dont to Israel and end that, the possibility of further regional escalation which the US consistently says it is trying to prevent becomes very real. New test for Israel Al Jazeera correspondent, Rory Challands, reporting from Occupied East Jerusalem, said analysts over the last couple of hours have been saying that Irans attack appears carefully calibrated, to make a point but not to cause so much damage that it escalates the situation into a wider conflict. What we have seen in Israel is that the damage has been relatively minor. So far, damage has been reported to an air base in the south and only a couple of casualties and no confirmed fatalities, he said. What this means is there is another test for Israel. That test is what is its response going to be? he asked. The Israeli war cabinet has been authorised to respond in some way to Iran. But is that retaliation going to be carefully calibrated too? And what is the US going to say to Israel? Is it going to say, dial down that response, and say to everyone involved, Thats enough, lets calm things down? he opined. Some analysts are also of the view that the way Hamas and other Palestinian Resistance Groups fought with the Israeli occupation forces in the last more than six months have made Iran and its proxy Hezbollah irrelevant. The latest escalation between Iran and Israel is hence also seen as an attempt to scale Iranian stakes in the region. Another group of experts, who are aware of the Iranian-Israeli nexus in the Middle East, are of the view that except killing civilians, Netanyahu has failed to achieve any of his target in Gaza. Israeli attack on the Iranian Consulate and the IRGC retaliation Saturday is a plot to bail out the Israeli Prime Minister who is facing imminent defeat at the hands of the Palestinian Resistance Fighters and anger from his own people back home. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home MHT CET Admit Card 2024 (PCB) Released, Download Now MHT CET 2024 for students opting Physics, Chemistry and Biology(PCB) will be held on 22-April , 23-April , 24-April , 28-April , 29-April and 30-April 2024, as per the Maharashtra CET Revised Schedule. Sunday April 14, 2024 12:57 PM , ummid.com News Network MHT CET Admit Card PCB 2024: Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test Cell (CET) has released Saturday April 13, 2024 on its official website cetcell.mahacet.org the Hall Ticket, also called as Admit Card, of the PCB group candidates who have regsitered for MHT CET 2024 Examination. MHT CET PCB 2024 Admit Card MHT CET 2024 for students opting Physics, Chemistry and Biology(PCB) will be held on 22-April , 23-April , 24-April , 28-April , 29-April and 30-April 2024, as per the Maharashtra CET Revised Schedule . The Maharashtra CET Cell released the Admit Card of candidates registered for PCB Group on its official website which is available for download via candidate log-in. Direct Link to download MHT CET PCB Admit Card 1. Click here to go to the official website: cetcell.mahacet.org . 2. Under 'CETs' in Menu bar, click on 2024-25. 3. Log-in using Registered Email ID and Password. 4. Click on the box marked as "Sign in' and log-in to download your admit card. 5. Your Hall Ticket and MHT CET 2024 Admit Card should appear on screen. Download and take a printout. Candidates registered for the MHT CET should check their name, photograph and other details correctly printed on the hall ticket. Candidates should also check entrance exam date, time, shift, name and address of exam center clearly mentioned in the admit card. MHT CET PCM Admit Card The Maharashtra CET Cell has not so far confirmed the release date of MHT CET 2024 PCM Admit Card. According to CET 2024 Schedule, MHT CET 2024 PCM Group will be held on 2-May, 3-May, 4-May, 5-May, 9-May, 10-May, 11-May, 15-May and 16-May 2024. MHT CET is compuslory entrance test for admission in first year engineering and medical courses. The entrance exam is held every year in online mode at different centres across Maharashtra. MHT CET Paper Pattern MHT-CET 2024 will consist of 3 question paper of Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) and each paper will be of 100 marks. The MHT CET PCM and PCB both will be held in two shifts. "Morning shift will be from 09:00 am to 12:00 pm and afternoon shift will be from 02.00 pm to 05.00 pm. The candidate will have choice of appearing any one or both examination", the CET Cell said. "There will be no Negative Marking, however difficulty level will be at par with the JEE (Main) for Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and difficulty level for Biology will be at par with NEET", the Maharashtra CET Cell said. The MHT CET Exam Centre will be mentioned on admit card and hall ticket. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. HA NOI More than 300 students enjoyed a taste of Sweden on Saturday thanks to renowned Swedish chef Erik Videgard. The youngsters, aged 10-15, were part of the culinary event Taste of Sweden - Qua chieu. Organised by the Embassy of Sweden to celebrate 55 years of diplomatic relations with Viet Nam (1969 2024), the activity aimed to foster cultural exchanges and celebrate the shared passion for cuisine between the two nations. The gastronomic event served as a platform to showcase the rich culinary traditions of Sweden and Viet Nam, highlighting the profound influence of food on their respective cultures. It offered a unique opportunity for the fusion and exchange of Sweden-Viet Nam culinary practices. At the event, participants had the pleasure of savouring a combination of Swedish delicacies known as "Mellanmal" and their Vietnamese counterparts called "Qua chieu". Both "Mellanmal" and "Qua chieu" refer to light meals enjoyed between main courses, typically in the afternoon or midday. While the specific dishes may vary, both concepts emphasise the importance of taking breaks and relishing light bites during the day. Under the guidance of chef Videgard, in collaboration with the head chef of the Daewoo Hotel, Nguyen ang Linh, visitors had the unique opportunity to witness the preparation of an array of enticing dishes and beverages such as Vietnamese banh mi with Swedish meatballs, sliders with chopped veal-burger wallenberg (Swedish breaded meatballs) and beetroot salad or banh xeo with shrimp mayo and sausage. The culinary creations incorporated locally sourced ingredients. Swedish Ambassador to Viet Nam, Ann Mawe, said the event was a testament to the robust diplomatic relations between the two nations and their mutual appreciation for gastronomy and cultural exchanges. She said: "The Taste of Sweden Qua chieu event signifies a significant milestone in the enduring friendship between Sweden and Viet Nam. Through the celebration of culinary traditions, we deepen our cultural understanding and forge stronger bonds. I am delighted to witness the fusion of Swedish and Vietnamese flavours, and I believe this event will leave a lasting impression on all participants, fostering a deeper appreciation for our shared culture and heritage." Videgard, Sweden's leading restaurateur and culinary pioneer, expressed his enthusiasm about his first-time visit to Viet Nam. He said: "I am thrilled to be a part of this unique culinary event that celebrates the cultural exchange between Sweden and Viet Nam. Food possesses the incredible power to bring people together, bridging gaps and fostering mutual understanding. I am honoured to share my passion for cooking and contribute to this meaningful event." With a career spanning over four decades, Videgard has established himself as a trailblazer, introducing new flavours and cuisines to Swedish palates. Starting from his early days as a sound engineer and tour manager for renowned musical artists, Videgard's passion for food gradually took center stage. In the early 1990s, he made a groundbreaking move by introducing Asian, including Vietnamese cuisines such as nem cuon (fresh spring rolls) and banh mi (Vietnamese baguette), to Sweden when they were relatively unknown in the country. "I love to see the children love my food. I feel fantastic," said Videgard who plans to travel to Hue, a Nang and Hoi An to taste the local cuisines after spending a week exploring Ha Noi's street food. Ha Thuy Duong, a 7th grader at the Truong Cong Giai Secondary School in Cau Giay District said: I feel very happy and excited to be here, to learn more about Vietnamese and Swedish cuisines, particularly to meet with Mr Erik, the world-known Swedish chef. "I tried almost dishes served and they tasted quite good. I love the Swedish sausage wrapped in banh xeo." Sweden became the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with Viet Nam in 1969. This year, the two countries celebrate the 55th anniversary under the theme of innovation, sustainability and openness. VNS HA NOI Within the framework of the ongoing Viet Nam International Travel Mart (VITM) in Ha Noi, discussions on training and enhancing high-quality human resources have been brought up at the international workshop titled "Training and Utilising International Standard Tourism Human Resources in the Current Period". Limitations affecting human resources A recent report from the Tourism Development Research Institute highlights the concerning disparity in labour productivity within Viet Nam's tourism and hotel industry. Shockingly, labour productivity in Vietnamese hotels pales in comparison to that of neighbouring countries, standing at just a fraction of Singapore, Japan, and Malaysia's figures. The influx of foreign workers poses a looming threat to local tourism workers in Viet Nam. With countries like Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia competing fiercely, many Vietnamese workers find themselves displaced. In fact, foreign workers, particularly from the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore, dominate the staff of numerous four and five-star hotels across Viet Nam. Despite being a key player in the region's tourism scene, Viet Nam struggles with the overall quality of its tourism services, especially in major tourist hubs. The shortage of skilled and adequately trained tourism personnel significantly impacts service standards, hindering the country's tourism potential. Recognising the critical role of a skilled workforce in enhancing tourism competitiveness, Viet Nam urgently needs a comprehensive human resource development strategy. Such a strategy is vital for upholding service standards and preserving the country's tourism brand amid increasing international competition. The ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Skills Standards opens doors for labour mobility within the ASEAN bloc, allowing Vietnamese workers to seek opportunities abroad while attracting skilled professionals to fill crucial roles at home. This mutual exchange could bridge the gap in Viet Nam's tourism workforce, addressing skill shortages and bolstering industry competitiveness. Pham Van Thuy, deputy director of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, acknowledges the commendable traits of Vietnamese workers, such as diligence and eagerness to learn. However, he stresses the urgent need for synchronised, systematic, and standardised training to harness their potential effectively. Thuy emphasises the necessity of aligning training with industry needs to cultivate a workforce capable of meeting the demands of Viet Nam's evolving tourism landscape. Higher standards needed Pham Trung Luong, president of the Viet Nam Tourism Training Association, underscores the urgency of reforming the training policy framework. He advocates for measures such as attracting qualified lecturers from prestigious educational institutions worldwide, enhancing professional qualifications, and integrating teaching with research activities. Luong stresses the importance of a non-discriminatory approach towards educational institutions to foster inclusive growth. Luong points out the lack of innovation in the current training model, which remains outdated and bureaucratic, failing to align with market demand and global advancements. He calls for a paradigm shift towards a more dynamic and forward-thinking approach to training. Analysing the weaknesses in tourism workforce training, Duong uc Thang, head of the Tourism Department (ong A University of Technology) also believes that traditional training methods are no longer suitable for the increasingly high standards and demands of the tourism industry. "At present, tourism personnel not only need to be proficient in foreign languages but also proficient in technology, have skills to develop products according to high-quality standards. However, many tourism students trained in tourism departments upon graduation are not even competitive with foreign language students due to poor communication skills with foreigners. This is a sad reality," said Thang. At the workshop, experts also raised the issue of needing specific standards for international-standard tourism workforce training so that educational institutions can develop suitable training methods. Pham Hong Long, dean of the Tourism Department at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Viet Nam National University, suggests that Viet Nam adopt international training accreditation regulations, such as those endorsed by the network of universities in Asia and Europe, to align with global standards. "It is impossible for 100 per cent of graduates to work in their field after graduation, and only about 20-25 per cent are engaged in the profession, while the rest switch to other careers. There must be truly passionate professionals to improve the quality of training according to international standards. We suggest that management agencies orient the tourism profession according to specific standards, so that schools can build quality training models," said Long. Proposing solutions to improve the quality of human resources amidst many difficulties, Nguyen Van Luu, former official of the Viet Nam National Tourism Administration, calls for a restructuring of the human resource development network, particularly in tourism education institutions. Luu advocates for diversifying facilities to nurture Viet Nam's tourism talent amidst prevailing challenges. VNS A clever orca calf, stranded in a remote lagoon in British Columbia, managed to outmaneuver a 50-member rescue team who used boats, divers, nets and advanced underwater detection equipment to try and save her life. Despite the unsuccessful attempt Friday, rescue officials are considering other methods for capturing and transporting the two-year-old female, including using a seine net and a larger vessel. "This is a very smart animal, and we're going to have to look at other options," Paul Cottrell, Fisheries Department marine mammal coordinator, told the Vancouver Sun. Rescuers said they were planning to net the orca calf in the lagoon's deep waters instead of using the net to guide the animal into a large sling in the shallows, as they did on Friday. However, Cottrell noted that this strategy poses risks to both the calf and the rescuers in the water but they are keeping all options open. The team tried to guide the calf to a shallow area of the three-kilometer (almost two-mile) lagoon so she could be placed in a sling, lifted onto a transport vehicle, and taken to the open ocean. An indigenous war canoe was also in the water, with paddlers singing and maintaining a steady drum beat. The Ehattesaht First Nation named the young orca "kwiisahi?is" (Brave Little Hunter) after she and her mother entered the tidal lagoon off northwest Vancouver Island through a shallow channel last month. Sadly, the pregnant mother got stranded on a rocky beach at low tide and died. Cottrell is hoping that the calf will be freed and might be able to reunite with its family of Bigg's killer whales. "There's a very high likelihood that in a short amount of time there will be some sort of interaction or reunion, and that's what we're hoping for," he said. KHANH HOA After a landslide inside a railway tunnel on Friday, a senior executive has revealed it is difficult to predict when train services will resume. Le Quang Vinh, director of the Phu Khanh Railway Operation Branch, has stated that it's currently impractical to predict when trains will operate through the eo Ca railway tunnel in ai Lanh Commune, Van Ninh District in the southern province of Khanh Hoa. Around noon on Friday, about 100 cubic metres of rocks from the ceiling of the eo Ca Tunnel collapsed onto the tracks, completely blocking the tunnel entrance and halting the North-South railway section passing through Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa provinces. After the landslide incident, forces and hundreds of workers made efforts to clear the landslide debris and temporarily reinforce the tunnel ceiling with concrete to reopen the tunnel as soon as possible. Steel bars were transported into the tunnel for reinforcement. Many workers used various means such as excavators and towing vehicles to transport soil and rocks out of the tunnel. However, during the landslide incident handling process on Saturday night, about 40 cubic metres of soil and rocks continued to fall, causing the entire reinforced tunnel ceiling to collapse, posing difficulties for the resolution work. Vinh said that currently, workers are still removing soil and rocks from the tunnel. At the landslide point, soil and rocks continue to fall, and numerous cracks appear on the tunnel. The authorities have not yet determined the time for the tunnel to reopen. Vinh added that the ground layer above the tunnel has been weathered for many years and is now breaking apart, leading to landslides occurring at any time. A worker inside the tunnel said that throughout Friday night, workers made efforts to clear soil and rocks to reopen the tunnel by Saturday morning. However, after completing the repairs, the soil and rock continued to fall, causing the reinforcement system to collapse. Currently, workers are urgently dealing with the situation. Since the landslide incident occurred, the railway sector has had to implement shuttle transfers using passenger buses for nearly 3,000 passengers on ten trains on the North-South route and vice versa when trains arrive at stations near the incident site. The Khanh Hoa Province Traffic Police Department has mobilised dozens of officers and soldiers to be on duty around the clock at two checkpoints at the foot and top of eo Ca Tunnel to divert traffic. Currently, there are still eight passenger trains that have to stop at stations along the route near the landslide area. Over 1,700 passengers on these trains have been transferred by road through the landslide site to continue their journey. VNS by Nguyen My Ha Leading up to next month's Grand Celebrations commemorating the"world-shaking" battle victory of a mostly barefoot army against a fully-equipped French Far East Expeditionary Corps (CEFEO), the whole country has been discussing the victorious ien Bien Phu battle 70 years ago. Domestic tourists sign up for trips to ien Bien, spontaneous travellers drive up to the northwestern city, which takes about 6 hours by car from Ha Noi, and youths ride their motorbikes with cameras on their foreheads to the spot of the famous victory in the war for independence. An expanded and upgraded ien Bien Airport was inaugurated in December 2023 and received large aircraft A321 for the first time, and Viet Nam Airlines operates daily flights from Ha Noi to ien Bien and three flights from Ho Chi Minh City. All roads, by air and on land lead to ien Bien this spring. Travellers today use all vehicles possible to go to the northwestern valley and revisit the old battlefield, but none would want to try to walk, or go on a bicycle, heavily loaded with a few hundred kilogrammes of rice in jute bags, going uphill and down to bring food to our soldiers, from as far away as Thanh Hoa Province. Today Google map estimates the direct path from Thanh Hoa to ien Bien at about 485km, but 70 years ago, the men and women from Thanh Hoa walked, mostly barefooted, a full 1,500km winding and up-down hill dirt roads in the early months of 1954. They went in their thousands. According to archives of Thanh Hoa Museum, the authorities of the province mobilised 182,124 volunteers to carry rice, ammunition and other supplies on their shoulders, and 11,000 volunteer porters to push pack-bicycles and self-made carts to transport supplies to ien Bien. In all, Thanh Hoa contributed 1,061,593 journeys of people going to ien Bien, i.e. half the province's population at that time. The whole campaign was served by 261,000 volunteer porters in total, but those from Thanh Hoa Province accounted for the majority. Along with them went dozens of thousands of volunteers and self-made carts. According to Thanh Hoa Museum, from the end of 1953 until March 1954, two shifts of volunteers carried 2,352 tonnes of staple food and a further 265 tonnes of other edible goods. The people of Thanh Hoa mostly used bicycles in serving the campaign. The Viet Minh (the League for Independence of Viet Nam founded in 1941) would not have its own army until 1944, when in a forest among the mountains of Cao Bang Province, 34 militiamen got together in three teams under the leadership of Vo Nguyen Giap, a law-graduate-turned-teacher-turned soldier. The group included 29 people of ethnic minorities and only five from the Kinh: 19 were Tay, 8 were Nung, one Mong, and one Dao. On the other side, The French Far East Expeditionary Corps was a colonial expeditionary force of the French Union Army, initially set up in French Indochina in 1945. The CEFEO was largely made of enlisted indigenous tirailleurs from the French Union colonial or protectorate territories. The French Foreign Legion consisted mainly of mercenaries from Europe and the rest of the world. According to French archives, nearly half of the total personnel of the corps were French professional soldiers, mostly serving with paratroopers, artillery and other special units. During the ien Bien Phu Campaign, the bicycles carrying goods were a laughing matter for the seemingly far superior French army. Dubbed the iron wall that shall not be broken, the French entrenched military base ien Bien valley was made into a special shield so that not a bullet could get through. During the campaign, the Viet Nam People's Army mobilised more than 20,000 bicycles as goods transporters to each carry at least 100kg of goods. The "iron packhorses" were named "King of the Battlefield" for their minimalist size and weight, as well as fantastic mobility. They carried large goods dismantled in parts and didn't need oil and gas to function. The bicycles were easy to repair, easy to hide and could move in any climate conditions. From the Luoc Wharf in Tho Xuan District of Thanh Hoa, thousands of people and vehicles embarked to supply ien Bien soldiers. The place has become historic for seniors who still cherish the memory seeing their family or relatives pushing fully loaded carts and bicycles towards victory at ien Bien. Standing in front of a bicycle in ien Bien Phu Victory Museum recently, I read that the bicycle was used to carry over 300 kilos of rice to the battle field. Trinh Ngoc from Thanh Hoa Province alone carried 345.5 kilograms, far higher than the designed capacity a simple bike could carry. The highest record belonged to the bicycle of Ma Van Thang who could carry 352 kilos of supplies, proving that a normal person is capable of extraordinary deeds when called upon. Today, his bicycle has been put on display in Phu Tho Province Museum. But not only bicycles were used to carry goods. Other vehicles included self-made carts, people carrying goods with shoulder poles, ox or horse carts, boats and cyclos. One of the carts is on display in ien Bien Phu City Museum. The cart's wheel was made from two placards of wood, one of which was cut and shaped from a family's lacquered wood altar. The wood wheel was not just any wheel, it was the iron will of the people who gave up their spiritual belongings for the common cause of the nation so that the people would not lose what was a historic battle. Ultimately, millions of people's homes were deserted as they abandoned the populous areas to retreat into the mountains and jungles to build up during the long nine years of resistance from 1946. The final win did justice to many people who died fighting, mostly barefoot, using their iron will to bring freedom to the country. VNS The world's oldest conjoined twins died earlier this month after living more than twice as long as their doctors had expected. Lori and George Schappell of Reading, Pennsylvania, were 62, according to online obituaries. "When we were born, the doctors didn't think we'd make 30, but we proved them wrong," Lori Schappell told the Sun in 2011, when they turned 50. "We have learned so much in the last 50 years and will continue living life to the full." Oldest living conjoined twins, Lori and George Schappell, die at 62 https://t.co/cGnt7ZOkCx The Associated Press (@AP) April 13, 2024 The identical twins, born Sept. 18, 1961, had been the oldest living conjoined twins, according to Guinness World Records. It's unclear who now holds the title, according to the Associated Press, which said the oldest ever were Ronnie and Donnie Galyon, who died at 68 in 2020. The Schappells died April 7 of undisclosed causes at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, according to Leibensperger Funeral Homes, which has two locations in the state. The obituary for George Schappell, who came out as transgender in 2007, used his birth name. The Schappells were craniopagus twins, which means they shared a skull. But each had their own brain and they pursued separate careers, interests and relationships, according to AP. The twins opted against risky separation surgery, with Lori Schappell telling AP in 2002: "You don't mess with what God made, even if it means you enjoy both children for a shorter time." George Schappell also said, "Why fix what is not broken?" Former TV talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael posted a photo of herself with the twins on X, formerly Twitter, calling their deaths "sad news." Just heard the sad news that conjoined twins Lori & George (aka Reba, aka Dori) have passed away. They were frequent guests on the show and always an inspiration for all. RIP pic.twitter.com/VbPS4SgwY6 Sally Jessy Raphael (@SJRaphael) April 12, 2024 "They were frequent guests on the show and always an inspiration for all. RIP," she wrote. George Schappell had spina bifida, couldn't walk and was four inches shorter than his sister, who wheeled him around on a special stool. Their obituaries said it was "very important" for each twin to "live as independently as possible," and Lori Schappell, who was engaged to be married before her fiance died in a car crash, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. "When I went on dates, George would bring along books to read," she said. In a 1997 documentary, they also said they had different bathing schedules and showered one at a time. Lori Schappell worked for six years in a hospital laundry but gave up the job in 1996 so her sibling could become a country musician. Survivors include their father and six siblings. A police officer in South Carolina has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a driver who was attempting to speed away after a confrontation with the off-duty cop outside a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Summerville. Summerville police officer Anthony DeLustro, 64, allegedly shot 39-year-old Michael O'Neal in a parking lot March 20 after the two men had a physical altercation, according to a statement from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Witnesses said DeLustro initiated the argument, according to a police affidavit. "Do you want to do this?" O'Neal repeated several times to DeLustro, recounted one witness. "Come on, you f------ f-----," DeLustro responded, using a gay slur, according to witnesses. Both men got out of their cars and exchanged kicks and punches as bystanders tried to intervene, the HuffPost reported. As O'Neal tried to leave, DeLustro told him he was under arrest and presented his police credentials, according to witnesses. DeLustro's wife then reportedly tried to block O'Neal from climbing into O'Neal's car. But the off-duty cop got into the passenger side of O'Neal's car, and allegedly shot him as O'Neal tried to drive away. Berkeley County Coroner Darnell Hartwell said the bullet entered O'Neal's right arm and traveled to his chest, killing him. Before his arrest Wednesday DeLustro reportedly investigators he acted in self-defense and shot O'Neal because he thought his legs were trapped under the moving car. In a video call from jail Wednesday evening, DeLustro asked a judge to show him mercy as he and his wife are the primary caretakers of their two granddaughters following their mother's death in 2021. DeLustro served as an officer for the New York Police Department from 1980 to 2003. He retired before a review board could investigate a complaint filed against him. He had previously been cleared of two separate accusations of misconduct. In a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his parents, O'Neal's cousin, Amy Nail, said that his father had been a police officer in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for over 30 years. "This is a family that has a great deal of respect for law enforcement in general, yet is fully aware that no profession is free of bad actors," she wrote. Woodway leaders and city staff will hold additional workshops in the next several weeks to complete the citys next comprehensive plan to guide development and redevelopment. The Woodway City Council approved on April 8 additional joint workshops between the council, Planning and Zoning Commission and urban planning consultants from Dallas to complete work on the Woodway Forward Comprehensive Plan, so that that the plan can be adopted by the council. The initial cost of the workshops would be $16,500, including the consultants traveling to Woodway. Interim City Manager Adam Niolet will see if a lower price can be arranged for meetings by audio-video link with urban planning consultants from Kimley-Horn in Dallas, including Haley Carruthers who addressed the Planning and Zoning Commission on March 26. The commission tabled the plan that day after discussion and did not endorse its approval to the council. Some Planning and Zoning Commission members received the plan prior to the March 26 meeting and read it, while others did not receive it. Either way, commissioners needed more time to read it understand it and bring questions to city staff and Kimley-Horn consultants. The current comprehensive plan was adopted in 2004. Woodway and the Waco region as a whole have changed a great deal since then, including enormous growth of hundreds of homes along the Ritchie Road corridor, one end of which is at Highway 84 near First Woodway Baptist Church. City and urban planners say that comprehensive plans should be updated every four to six years to account for changing conditions. The current version of the Woodway Forward plan is called a draft, but its the complete plan, Carruthers told commissioners on March 26. We called it a draft because we can make adjustments to it, if you or the city council need adjustments made. Woodway Forward - draft comprehensive plan Read the draft plan, before amendments requested by the Planning and Zoning Commission (PDF) The plan has been in development for about a year, with two public meetings and an online survey conducted to get input from residents. I think we got a good cross-section of the population in the meetings and surveys, with seniors and young families, and those in between, Carruthers told commissioners. Council Member John Williams, a member of the committee that drafted the comprehensive plan, said its meant to be a guide, not a stricture. Every few years, we need to think carefully about what we want our communities to look like 25 years into the future, and develop a guide to get there, Williams said by phone Friday. Thats what the Woodway Forward plan is. Its a guide to keep the things the public said they want to keep and grow the things they said they want to grow. Williams said the comprehensive plan calls for a goal of commercial, industrial, retail districts and residential neighborhoods to stay generally where they are. No one is going to try to put a major commercial development in the middle of a neighborhood, Williams said. We encourage commercial and industrial in the corridor along Highway 84 where it already is. But what we might change on the edges of the commercial and industrial areas that are close to neighborhoods, would be some low-density multifamily housing or light retail, to make a smooth transition between land uses. He said the plan talks about goals for making the city more walkable and more bikeable. The plan document itself recommends goals for several other sub-plans to also be created, including master plans for streets and for trails. Other sub-plans would set standards for historic preservation and set appropriate density of development and how large signs can be. Woodway Forward also lays out actions for city staff and council to take if the council wants get grants for public art, or streets, water and other infrastructure. And it has checklists for accomplishing these goals. It has recommendations in it for community centers and activities for all generations, council member Janell Gilman, who chaired the committee that developed the plan, told the commission during debate. About a year ago, the Woodway Economic Development Committee chaired by Gilman began work on the Woodway Forward update. Public meetings to seek resident input for the plan were held May 17 and July 27, 2023. An online survey ran from May through July as well. Woodway has paid Kimley-Horn $220,500 for their work on the plan so far, Finance Director Brenda Hernandez said in an email Friday. This includes the travel of urban planners from Dallas to Woodway for prior public meetings as well as the work they did from the office or via audio-video link with the committee. According to the Woodway City Charter, the Planning and Zoning Commission not only has the duty and responsibility to approve recommendations to the city council for zoning and development, but also long range plans. John Bolton, national security adviser under President Donald Trump, says Israel and the United States have failed to deter Iran from attacking Israel after it fired a massive barage of drones and missiles at Israel. An attack by Iran had been anticipated by Israel and its allies in retaliation for an attack on Syria two weeks ago that killed 13 people. Israel has not claimed responsibiity for that assault. Without going into details on what he thinks they should have done, Bolton told CNN Saturday night. "I think it is incumbent on Israel and the United States to reestablish deterrence in a major way." He went on to say, "I think that means, by definition, Israel's response, and there should be a response, should not be proportionate. It should be far stronger." Bolton says that Israel is lucky that Iran didn't use any nuclear weapons in the bold attack on Israel that included hundreds of drones and missiles. "You never can tell when the next firing, next salvo of ballistic missiles might contain a nuclear warhead." Bolton called for Israel to destroy Iran's nuclear weapon program as a response to the retaliatory attack and says President Biden should not try to dissuade Israel from taking out Iran's nuclear program. He further emphasized his opinion that if Iran ever used a nuclear weapon against Israel, "history will know who to blame." Ken Foxe The Department of Justice described the States deportation system as highly litigious, with one asylum seeker having to be flown back to Dublin after injunction proceedings began while they were airborne. A briefing for Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said that, as a rule of thumb, only one out of every four cases selected for deportation is likely to be successful. The department said charter flights for deportations which the State is planning to resume were financially burdensome, with a high risk the aircraft would depart Ireland with a much lower passenger contingent than desired due to legal challenges. The briefing for Ms McEntee, which was created ahead of a meeting of the EUs Justice and Home Affairs Council last autumn, said each charter flight was likely to cost in the region of 350,000 for a long-haul trip. Actual deportations are carried out as a measure of last resort when the persons concerned have not removed themselves from the State or engaged with the International Office for Migration (IOM) to avail of assisted voluntary return measures, the department added. The briefing said Ireland was not a member of Frontex, the EU agency for border management, and therefore its charter aircraft would not land in Dublin. It said Ireland could fly failed international protection applicants to a city in Europe where a Frontex flight was leaving, but that realistically Ireland required its own means for larger-scale deportation operations. Legal challenges The document also spoke of how the deportation process was highly litigious, and legal challenges could and were being made right up until the point the person departs the State. In one case this year, an individual secured injunction proceedings as his plane departed and the state was required to fly him back, the briefing document stated. It said there were also difficulties in getting cooperation from receiving states, that is the country to which a deportee was being returned. It cited a long list of nations where there were such problems, including Nigeria, Russia, Pakistan, Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt. Reasons vary, including pandemic related issues, dysfunctional administrative capacities, and outright unwillingness to cooperate. Ms McEntee was told this was forcing a rethink at EU level on whether the deportation process was an adequate solution to returning individuals to their country of origin. The main difficulty Ireland experiences is in securing travel documents so that individuals can be permitted on flights and removed. It is the case that some embassies can be slow to cooperate, the document explained. It said so-called voluntary return seemed to be a more straightforward alternative and that assistance and resettlement grants were offered as an enticement to engage with the process. Pandemic The briefing also provided figures on how deportation had been ramped up following Covid-19. With a moratorium in place due to the pandemic, there were just 33 deportation orders signed and 38 carried out in 2021. By 2022, that rose to 528 signed and 118 removals, while in the first 10 months of last year, there were 713 orders signed off and 57 deportations carried out. In 2022, 20 deportations were to Nigeria, 18 to Pakistan, 14 to Albania, and 13 to Georgia. Of the deportations that took place up to the end of October last year, eight were to South Africa, seven each to Brazil and Georgia, and six to Pakistan. Asked about the records, a spokesperson for the department said: Working to ensure that an effective returns process is in place is a key focus in discussions on migration management at EU level. 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25 Jan (19) 11 Jan - 18 Jan (35) 4 Jan - 11 Jan (23) 28 Dec - 4 Jan (27) 21 Dec - 28 Dec (28) 14 Dec - 21 Dec (23) 7 Dec - 14 Dec (22) 30 Nov - 7 Dec (19) 23 Nov - 30 Nov (22) 16 Nov - 23 Nov (19) 9 Nov - 16 Nov (15) 2 Nov - 9 Nov (17) 26 Oct - 2 Nov (10) 19 Oct - 26 Oct (12) 12 Oct - 19 Oct (13) 5 Oct - 12 Oct (19) 28 Sep - 5 Oct (14) 21 Sep - 28 Sep (17) 14 Sep - 21 Sep (19) 7 Sep - 14 Sep (22) 31 Aug - 7 Sep (15) 24 Aug - 31 Aug (14) 17 Aug - 24 Aug (9) 10 Aug - 17 Aug (5) Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation 13 April 2024) The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation. In Avdeyevka direction, as a result of active and self-sacrificing actions, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have liberated Pervomayskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). In addition, eight counterattacks by assault groups of 25th airborne, 59th motorised infantry, 68th jaeger, 23rd, 24th, and 115th mechanised brigades of the AFU have been repelled close to Umanskoye, Pervomayskoye, Krasnogorovka, Berdychi, and Leninskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were up to 235 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces have occupied more favourable lines and defeated manpower and hardware of 79th air assault and 46th airmobile brigades of the AFU near Krasnogorovka and Antonovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Two attacks by enemy assault groups south of Novomikhailovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic) have been also repelled. The AFU losses were over 500 soldiers, one tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, 23 motor vehicles, and one Strela-10 surface-to-air missile system. During counter-battery warfare, two U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzers, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer have been hit. In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces have improved the situation on the front line, defeated a formation of the 54th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU near Kupyansk (Kharkov region) and repelled three attacks by assault groups of the 12th AFU Special Forces Brigade near Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were up to 25 soldiers, three pickup trucks, one Polish-made Krab 155-mm self-propelled artillery system, one Akatsiya 152-mm self-propelled artillery system, one D-20 152-mm howitzer, and one Nota electronic warfare station. In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces have improved the tactical position and defeated formations of the AFU 58th Motor Infantry Brigade and the 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Staromayorskoye and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were more than 110 soldiers, four pickup trucks, one Polish-made Krab 155-mm self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made M777 155-mm howitzer, and one Nota electronic warfare station. In Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have inflicted a fire defeat on manpower and hardware of 121st and 126th territorial defence brigades close to Mikhailovka and Ivanovka (Kherson region). The AFU losses were up to 65 servicemen, three motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 155-mm howitzer, one UK-made FN-70 155-mm howitzer, and one Polish-made Krab 155-mm self-propelled artillery system. Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Groups of Forces have neutralised manpower and military hardware in 112 areas. Air defence facilities have shot down 222 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, eight HIMARS and Vampire multiple-launch rocket systems projectiles, and one JDAM guided bomb. In total, 583 airplanes and 270 helicopters, 20,826 unmanned aerial vehicles, 501 air defence missile systems, 15,767 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,266 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,849 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 20,960 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. Tags: WtR Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel will win, after Iran's unprecedented attack on the Jewish State, and in warnings just before the barrage. "I established a clear principle whoever hurts us, we will hurt them," Netanyahu said before the attack. "We will defend ourselves from any threat and we will do so calmly and with determination." Israel and the US intercepted nearly all of an Iranian barrage of some 300 drones and missiles over Israel and the West Bank overnight, Israeli officials said Sunday. It was the first time in history Iran has launched a widescale direct military attack from its soil on Israel. After the attack, Netanyahu posted a message on X saying, "We intercepted. We blocked. Together, we will win." The Iranian armed forces said the operation was over, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. Israel's response to the attack will be closely watched by allies and foes. President Biden says the U.S. would not participate in any offensive action by Israel against Iran. Reaction to Iran's attack on Israel has been swift with warnings of the risk of a spiraling crisis. Germany's foreign minister said that Iran's massive attack on Israel has brought the entire region to the "edge of the abyss." Iran launched a barrage of some 300 drones and missiles at Israel overnight. The Israeli Defense Forces and its allies, including the United States, downed most of them before they could hit their targets. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters: "With its aggressive behavior, with which it wants to destabilize a whole region, Iran is isolated." She called for a de-escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran. "We call on Iran to refrain from further attacks, including via proxies. A regional conflagration would have incalculable consequences. I call on all actors in the region to act prudently," she told reporters, according to the news outlet Anadolu. She said Germany and its allies were discussing "consequences," but didn't explain what those might be, the Associated Press reported. "We can only warn everyone, especially Iran, against continuing in this way," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said while on a trip to China. "It's clear that Iran is determined to sow discontent and destabilize the region, its own backyard," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the BBC on Sunday. He warned that if the attack had been successful, the fallout for the region would be dramatic. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also condemned the attack and linked it to his country's own fight. "Every effort must be made to prevent a further escalation in the Middle East. Iran's actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia's actions threaten a larger conflict, and the obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world," he posted on X. Ukraine condemns Irans attack on Israel using Shahed drones and missiles. We in Ukraine know very well the horror of similar attacks by Russia, which uses the same Shahed drones and Russian missiles, the same tactics of mass air strikes. Every effort must be made to prevent Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) April 14, 2024 Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said officials have "utmost concern" over the attacks. "We have repeatedly warned that unresolved crises throughout the Middle East primarily in the area of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are often being fueled by irresponsible and provocative actions and will lead to increased tensions in the area," the ministry said in a statement. Investigators in Escambia County, Fla., are searching for a 19-year-old Pensacola resident who is wanted for negligent manslaughter in the shooting death of a 16-year-old. The Escambia County Sheriffs Office said deputies responded to a residence on Wishbone Road Friday on a report of shots fired. When they arrived, they found the 16-year-old male, dead from an apparent gunshot wound. Preliminary investigation determined a large gathering had taken place that night, during which 19-year-old Ethan OBrien was showing off a firearm. The firearm discharged, striking the minor. OBrien fled the scene before deputies arrived. Anyone with information on OBriens whereabouts is asked to contact the ECSO at 850-436-9620 or Crimestoppers at 850-433-STOP. After an undercover investigator shot and killed Tristan Clark in Tuscaloosa last year, officials promised change and got to work on a policy to require all city police officers to wear body cameras. But, theres an exception: police in investigative units do not have to use bodycams when working undercover, two city councilmembers told AL.com. There was a situation where someone wasnt wearing one, said Councilman John Faile. They were working undercover. And still, if youre working undercover, they wont be wearing them. Now, Brent Blankley, the Tuscaloosa police chief, is updating the departments policies to require investigative units, including the team that killed Clark, to wear body cameras, according to Sarah Bridger Gilmore, spokeswoman for the city. Our body camera policy has not changed, Bridger Gilmore said in an email. However, Chief Blankley has initiated an update of TPDs Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for investigative units, such as narcotics, which will increase the types of situations when non-uniformed officers would wear body cameras. The city declined to respond to a question about how the new policy would address situations like Clarks, where undercover investigative officers conducted a traffic stop. City attorney Scott Holmes and Chief Blankley declined requests for interviews. As mentioned previously, public safety cameras are a security sensitive item, Holmes said in an email. The City has no additional comments. Faile said that some of the citys investigative officers, including members of the SWAT and narcotics teams, have started to wear cameras specifically, helmet cameras for the SWAT team. Two members of the narcotics team were working undercover when one shot and killed 24-year-old Clark during a traffic stop on Dec. 20, a shooting that was not recorded on bodycam or dashboard footage. A grand jury declined to charge the officer. Clark was in the backseat of a car police said they pulled over for a window tint violation. Police statements so far have said that Clark had outstanding warrants, and pulled out a gun after an officer told him not to. Reginald McDaniel, attorney for Clarks mother, has disputed those claims, saying that two eyewitnesses who were in the car told his legal team that Clark never reached for a gun and his hands were raised when the officer shot him. In early March, investigators with the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit showed Clarks mother and her attorney body camera footage from city police officers who arrived on the scene after the shooting, McDaniel said. Per the attorney, the footage showed Clarks lifeless body laying in the back seat of the car before he was moved to the street, as well as the undercover officers involved in the shooting explaining to other officers what happened. Councilman Faile said that exempting officers who are working undercover from using bodycams means the policy change likely wouldnt have made a difference in Clarks shooting. He also said he understands the reason for not requiring undercover police to wear cameras. If you were an informant, you wouldnt talk to someone on camera, he said. After police killed Clark, the local NAACP called on city leadership to require that all officers wear bodycams. Speaking at the city council meeting on Jan. 4, Lisa Young, president of the Tuscaloosa chapter, said the community deserved more transparency in case another police shooting happens again. When families come to me looking for me to advocate on their behalf, its real disheartening, Young told the city council. As a mother, that answer, no body cam footage would not sit well with me, and I would not accept it. In response, Councilman Cassius Lanier said that the city was working on updating the policy. That council meeting was the first after Clark died. Lanier said in an interview with AL.com that he hopes to have a date to share soon about when all Tuscaloosa officers will be body camerad up. He said the funds are set aside and the city is moving toward it. Tuscaloosas current budget allocates nearly $42 million to the police department the highest dollar amount to any one agency and more than 20% of the general funds budget. Everybody should have body cameras sooner than later, Lanier said. I think going forward if we have those body cameras, were able to be fully transparent with the public. And this is not an indictment of the officers or Tristan, but just saying that body cameras tell the story. McDaniel said he hoped that the policy change would require all officers to turn on their bodycams and help prevent another deadly shooting without video. Once Ms. Clark found out that that was going to take place, it didnt give a relief, but we know his death was not totally in vain. This may prevent somebodys young man from getting killed in the future. At the same time, this shouldve already been in place, and if it had been we would have known exactly what took place, he said. But it didnt change what happened to Tristan. Young, the local NAACP president, said shes had multiple conversations recently with local law enforcement, including Chief Blankley, through her work with Leadership Tuscaloosa, a local professional organization. She said those talks left her distrustful of their willingness to hold themselves accountable. Its my opinion that police and law enforcement should be held to a higher standard of accountability, Young said in an interview. If we go back over history and look at the history between violence and the Black community, we have no reason to trust what the police say. Young told AL.com that she planned to show up at another recent city council meeting to get an update on the policy but then she received the news of a woman who was shot and killed by Tuscaloosa police in her apartment on March 25. It speaks volumes, she said. It seems as if every time that theres an allegation of excessive force, the use of excessive force or the use of deadly force, disproportionately, its an African American. Tuesdays runoff for the Democratic nomination in Alabamas new 2nd congressional district could have historical consequences. The winner could become the second Black and second Democrat in the states seven-member delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives. The race pits Shomari Figures of Mobile, who worked for the Obama administration and the Justice Department, against Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels of Huntsville. They were the top finishers in a race that drew 11 Democratic candidates in the redrawn district, which takes in all or part of 13 counties from Montgomery to Mobile, from the Georgia line to the Mississippi line. Figures led the field in the March 5 primary with 24,825 votes, or 43%. Daniels finished second with 12,774 votes, 22%. Tuesdays winner will face the winner of the Republican runoff between Dick Brewbaker and Caroleene Dobson in the Nov. 5 general election. Figures and Daniels appeared together in a recorded forum that aired on television last week. There were no fireworks or sharp disagreements on issues. The main differences are in experience - Figures is an attorney who has worked in federal government, while Daniels has been a leader in the Alabama Legislature. Both say their work has prepared them to be effective in Congress. Daniels was elected to the Legislature in 2014. He has served as House minority leader since 2017. Daniels said he has made important contributions even though the Democrats hold only one-fourth of the seats in the House. Last year, he sponsored a bill to exempt overtime pay from the state income tax, which passed with support from Republicans and took effect in January. Ive had the ability to negotiate and find areas of common ground in order to drive through, push through legislation thats meaningful, and thats impactful to the citizens within the state of Alabama, Daniels said. Thatll be the same approach that I take in Congress, finding areas of common ground that both parties can agree with, and move legislation thats meaningful. Daniels said he does not expect partisan stalemates in Washington to end, but said he thinks his ability to work with Republicans can make a difference. Ive also had the experience of working across the aisle and getting things done, Daniels said during his closing statement in the forum. And so if Im in a super minority in the Legislature in the state of Alabama, imagine what I could do when the numbers are close or the Democrats are in charge. I can deliver. I have the experience and and the track record of delivering for the people the state of Alabama. Figures worked on Barack Obamas presidential campaign and in the White House and served as deputy chief of staff and counselor to Attorney General Merrick Garland in the Justice Department. He is the son of longtime state Sen. Vivian Davis Figures of Mobile and Michael Figures, who served 18 years as a state senator until his death in 1996. Listen, we have a choice of who we can send to to Washington D.C., Figures said. And I always want to err on the side of experience. And Ive been there. I know what it looks like to prioritize issues. I know what priorities look like in a White House. I know what priorities look like in a federal agency. I know what priorities look like in Congress. I know what the committees look like. I know what the members look like. I know what the staff looks like. I know what its like to work with them because I have been in the trenches with them working on almost every issue that we have discussed here tonight. At the end of the day, one luxury that we do not have is time. We need someone that can hit Washington running, that can hit the ground running full speed ahead. In October, a federal court approved a new Congressional map for Alabama that changed the 2nd District from one that was solidly Republican to one where a Democrat can win. The Black voting age population in the district is 49%. An analysis submitted to the court showed that Black-preferred candidates, Democrats, received more votes in the district than their Republican opponents in 16 of 17 recent elections. The new map came after organizations and Black voters prevailed in their lawsuit that said the congressional map Alabama had used for decades, with marginal changes, violated the Voting Rights Act. It had six heavily white districts and one that was majority Black in a state where Black residents make up more than one-fourth of the population. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the decision. A Democratic flip would be important nationally because Republicans hold a narrow 218 to 213 majority in the current Congress. But although the district was drawn to favor Democrats, turnout in the March 5 primary indicated the race will be close. Almost exactly the same number of Republicans voted in the primary as Democrats. Daniels, who lives in Huntsville, was one of several candidates in the March 5 primary who lives outside the 2nd District. The constitution requires members of Congress to live in the state they represent, but not the district. Daniels grew up in Midway, which is in Bullock County in the 2nd District, and graduated from Bullock County High School. He said if hes elected he will move his family and businesses to the district. I know this district because its where Im from and I have continued to serve this district in the legislature as House Minority Leader, Daniels said. Figures, who moved back to his hometown to run for the office, said he thinks voters care about the residency issue. I think being from the district and being raised in the district, educated in the district, growing up in church in the district, I think it matters, Figures said. I think its something that voters do certainly care about significantly. The candidates have raised and spent similar amounts on their campaigns, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. Daniels had raised about $457,000 as of his last report, filed April 4. Figures has raised about $415,000 as of his report filed April 12. Both candidates received most of their contributions from individuals, as opposed to political committees. However, Figures has received substantial help from a super PAC, or independent committee. Protect Progress PAC, has spent $2.6 million on ads supporting Figures and opposing Daniels. Protect Progress PAC, formed in August 2023, advocates on behalf of companies involved in blockchain technology, which is a system businesses, including the cryptocurrency industry, use to store and share information. The PAC calls for a clearer regulatory and legal framework for the companies. In a statement about the support of the Protect Progress PAC, Figures said he has no ties to the PAC or the industry it supports. Protect Progress is an outside organization and no candidate in this race can control how any outside organization spends its money thats why theyve been deemed independent by federal law, Figures said. I do not have any sort of special relationship to the cryptocurrency industry or to Protect Progress. As Congressman, I would support the development of frameworks that address regulatory concerns around cryptocurrency and encourage reasonable regulation to protect consumers, investors and our economy. Following the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, pro-segregationist Gov. George Wallace supported a slate of unpledged Democratic electors in that years General Election and had President Lyndon Johnson and Vice President Hubert Humphrey kept off the Alabama ballot. That was the last time in the United States that a major political partys candidate was kept off the ballot. Republican Barry Goldwater easily won Alabama, one of only six states he won in that years election. Sixty years later, history could repeat itself in Alabama if President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are kept off the general election ballot. 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 Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen said on Tuesday he will not accept a provisional certification that would be updated once Biden is formally nominated, citing a 49-year-old Alabama state law that establishes the certification date no later than the 82nd day ahead of the election. The only resolution, aside from a lawsuit: The Alabama supermajority GOP will have to support legislation during the waning days of the session that changes the deadline to 74 days. Disenfranchisement The situation, if unresolved, could get sticky for Alabama and resurrect painful reminders of the states past of Black voter disenfranchisement that led to omitting Johnson in 1964, and Harry Truman in 1948. Before then: Abraham Lincoln was omitted from the 1860 ballot. Once again, Alabama is going to pull down its political pants and moon the nation, said Alabama political historian Wayne Flynt, a professor emeritus at Auburn University. There really never has been anything beautiful about the performance. Just a bunch of drunk fraternity boys mooning sorority houses. Alabama, where Donald Trump will swamp the November ballot and perhaps win by the largest margin of any state, now proposes to do so by cancelling the ballot of a significant portion of the population. He added, What exactly will Republicans accomplish by this other than confirm a widely distributed stereotype that stealing minority votes is part of Alabamas political DNA? Derryn Moten, chairman of the history and political science department at Alabama State University in Montgomery, said the unpledged electors who kept Johnsons name off the 1964 ballot loom large as a history lesson over what could unfold in Alabama. In this context, (Allens) pledge to keep President Bidens name off the November 2024 ballot is a sad reminder of the states past poll tax, voter intimidation, white primaries, and one person and one vote, Moten said. Allen, on Tuesday, responded to the criticism that he simply intends to abide by existing law, no exceptions. On January 16, 2023, I took an oath to uphold Alabama law and that is what I am going to do, Allen said. My office will accept all certifications that comply with Alabama code section 17-14-13(b). That statute does not provide for provisional certifications or any other exceptions. Some Democratic officials are confident that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will have their names appear on the ballot, including the president himself. Former Democratic U.S. Senator Doug Jones of Alabama said in a social media post Friday he doesnt believe the efforts represent a nefarious plot by Republicans to keep the incumbent presidential candidate off Alabama ballots. Bernard Simelton, the Alabama State NAACP president, told AL.com on Friday that while he believes Allen is trying to flex his muscle, hes confident of the names will ultimately be placed on the ballot through a legislative action. Legislation supported by state Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Birmingham, and Rep. Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, would change the states deadline for the certifications to allow Biden on the ballot this year. The legislation would be similar to bills that got little fanfare, but which made one-time exceptions to adjust the certification timing in 2003 and 2015. Richard Winger, publisher and editor of Ballot Access News, said there have been about a half-dozen states with similar issues since 2004. In every instance, he said, state lawmakers quickly passed a bill that says for this coming year only, the deadline is moved. Winger said, It seems that partisanship is so intense in this country we might not get this same result. 2020 comparison Former Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Alabama last had the issue arise in 2020, and Democratic officials are pointing to how Republicans OKd legislation to allow then-President Donald Trump on the ballot, and efforts by then-Republican Secretary of State John Merrill to allow for a provisional certification. The Alabama Legislature passed a bill making a one-time change of the deadline for 75 days, which accommodated the Democratic Party in 2020, that wrapped up its convention on Aug. 20 that year. But the GOP did not finish its convention until Aug. 27, missing the 75-deadline. Merrill, in comments to AL.com on Thursday, said that Allen and Michael Jones both of whom were in the Alabama House at the time voted to support the legislation granting provisional ballot access for Trump and Pence. He said the best course of action this year is what the Legislature did in 2020. Merrill said he contacted then-state Rep. April Weaver, a Republican, about sponsoring legislation to allow the president to have his name submitted on a provisional certification. The obvious thing is what they did four years ago and get a legislator in the House and Senate and make it the same way for the Democratic Party, Merrill said. We took it to the Legislature to pass the bill. And thats what we did. Allen, in response, said he wasnt the officeholder in charge of elections in 2020, and that he took an oath to uphold Alabama law and that is what Im going to do. He said there is no such thing as a provisional certification under Alabama law. The fact that my predecessor, John Merrill, chose to accept a provisional certification when no such document exists under Alabama law, is irrelevant to my decision-making process, Allen said. I am guided only by the law as it exists today. Ohios influence Secretary of State Frank LaRose speaks at an Ohio Statehouse news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. Behind him stand state Rep. Thomas Hall, a Butler County Republican, and state Sen. Michele Reynolds, a Columbus-area Republican. (Jeremy Pelzer, cleveland.com) Alabama, unlike 1964, isnt alone this time. In fact, Ohio was the first to raise the issue last week. The timing of Allens letter on Tuesday to Alabama Democratic Party Chair Randy Kelley informing him about the law, came five days after GOP Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose cited a law in his state that requires presidential candidates be nominated no later than 90 days before the general election. LaRose is urging Ohio lawmakers to pass a bill to give Biden ballot access because certification of his nomination is Aug. 7. David Niven, a political science professor at the University of Cincinnati, said that is not an easy task in a state engulfed in political in-fighting. At this point, the Ohio legislature would have trouble crossing the street together when the walk sign comes on, much less action in a timely way to preserve democracy, Niven said. Allen denies what happened in Ohio influenced his letter on Tuesday. He also said that neither the Trump campaign nor anyone else influenced his decision. This issue was discovered internally, he said. A third state also discovered a state law with a certification deadline that doesnt match up with the conventions start dates. But Democratic Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said he will allow for provisional certification so Biden can remain on the ticket which that state has done previous elections for both Republicans and Democrat. Down ballot concerns Don Siegelman, the former Alabama governor who was Secretary of State during the 1980s, said he believes the biggest concern with keeping Biden off the ballot could be in affecting turnout for down-ballot races, particularly in Alabamas 2nd congressional district race that could be a close contest between the Democratic and Republican candidates. Alabama rarely has contested congressional races, but the U.S. Supreme Court ordered for the redrawing of Alabamas congressional map last year to give Black voters an opportunity to have a second representative in the U.S. House. Alabamas 7th congressional district has long been represented by a Black member of Congress and is a safe Democratic district. The 2nd district primary runoffs are occurring on Tuesday featuring a Democratic contest between Shomari Figures and Daniels. On the Republican side, former state Sen. Dick Brewbaker is opposed by Caroleene Dobson. The Alabama Congressional District 2 candidates running in the two primary runoff races on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. From left to right: Republican Caroleene Dobson, Republican Dick Brewbaker, Democrat Shomari Figures and Democrat Anthony Daniels.John Sharp Daniels, in comments Thursday, called the legislation allowing Biden ballot access the right thing to do for Alabama voters. Figures said there is precedence from four years ago to allow Trump on the ballot. If state lawmakers do not do so for Biden this time, he said it will be yet another blatant example of the extreme actions they will take to suppress votes and disrupt the democratic process in a second consecutive presidential election. Thomas Shaw, a political science professor at the University of South Alabama, said that if Biden is off ballots, it will require a massive get-out-the-vote effort for Democrats to overcome the ingrained strengths Republicans have in Alabama. Democratic voters consist of only about 26% of Alabamas population. If this issue creates enough drama to get Democrats that excited to go to the polls, then it will likely be such a big issue that both Republicans and Democrats will show up in large numbers thereby again nullifying Democratic efforts to get out the vote, he said. Court action Winger, with Ballot Access News, said he doesnt believe it will get to that point. If needed, he could see the matter in Alabama and Ohio winding up before the U.S. Supreme Court, which has struck down efforts to keep major party candidates off ballots. That includes the March 4 decision in Trump v. Anderson in which the court determined that Colorado, or any state, could not determine the eligibility for federal office under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Said Winger, It seems that the Alabama Democratic Party could get that deadline declared unconstitutional. But the entire scenario seems implausible to older political observers who can recall a less polarized era when meeting obscure deadlines to certify a presidential candidate was considered formality. From 1956-2020, in 12 of the past 17 prior presidential elections, at least one of the major parties held its convention entirely in the second half of August, or early September. Siegelman, the Secretary of State from 1979-1987, said he cannot recall anyone quibbling over kicking Ronald Reagan off the 1984 ballot despite the Republican National Convention occurring 76 days before the general election that year. Reagan, with strong support in Alabama, trounced Democratic challenger Walter Mondale that November. In the old days, we just were not concerned about partisanship, said Siegelman. We just let things be and allowed voters to have their voice. Imagine you are a mouse a placid little creature living in a labyrinth. You dont know its a labyrinth; its just where you live. You follow a well worn path, meandering along, chasing the red button. The red button provides you with food or whatever makes you happy. But youve started to notice that things are changing. Its not as good as it used to be in the labyrinth, not as easy to get to the button. And the payoff when you get there isnt as good anymore. Youre anxious, but youre not sure what to do. Youre starting to wonder about things. Its been dawning on you that following the path isnt getting you anywhere, and you may even be going backwards. Suddenly youre presented with a choice: keep running along the same path, or exit the labyrinth. Will you head for the door? Are you nodding yes? Will you do it? What will it take for you to lift up your head and leave the comfortable confines of the labyrinth? In a recent Substack article, the online commentator Kulak wrote that history is divided into alternating periods of the centralizing or decentralizing of political power, noting that we have been in a period of centralization from 1700 to 1945. That seems about right, although things took a turn for the worse in the short-term after 1945 with the rise of the gargantuan state. Now the cracks in the foundation are beginning to show. In fact, dont tell anybody from the Deep State, but decentralization is happening now. The grand bargain the American people made with an expansive federal government is falling apart. The people tolerated big government for a lot of free stuff, but now the government is undermining the bargain it made for greater power with its ham-fisted use of it and over-the-top spending. The centripetal pull in bureaucratic governance, after accelerating with World War I and blossoming into the New Deal, is petering out. Centralization of power is accepted by the people when it confers benefits, but when those benefits diminish, as they are doing presently, the relationship of the people with its government will change. When people are free, they will get the government they desire, despite what the powers-that-be might want. As a large, centralized federal government becomes unable to deliver its promised benefits, the rulers relationship with the ruled will break down. The people will stop accepting the governments authority in their lives. If people get what they expect, theyll ignore the things that bother them. But when benefits are threatened, as we are starting to see now, the relationship will change. Take education, for example a paradigmatic service people expect from government. People are openly challenging public schools, which spend more on racial and sexual ideology than on reading, writing, and arithmetic. On crime prevention, perhaps the number-one benefit derived from government, problems abound. Crime is surging. Progressive no-bail policies are releasing offenders the same day they are arrested. Terrorists and criminals are flooding across our borders unvetted. At the federal level, were more vulnerable to attack than we have been in decades because we redirect defense spending from war-fighting to DIE seminars. If you are a low-wage worker, open borders allow illegal aliens to pour in and take your job. The government is not keeping its end of the bargain. Insecurity is the word of the day. Will the people demand a new relationship with their government? In Hartford, Connecticut, armed groups of black residents made the news recently when they gathered together to clean up their neighborhood since the local government and police werent helping. In other cities, people are banding together to evict squatters because courts and the police wont protect their property. Were seeing this changing attitude toward government writ large in Donald Trumps evolving relationship with black and Hispanic voters. Part of the undeniable movement of traditional Democrat voters to Trump in the polls is their rejection of the paternalistic relationship the Democrats have created with minorities for decades. They dont want top-down solutions that dont fit their problems. They want empowerment. They want change, not excuses. They are ready to renegotiate the old bargain, but Democrats get what they want from the old deal votes and they have no incentive to change it. In addition, people are demanding a new relationship with government power in school boards across the country, ending liberal governance in many locales due to an extreme transgender and LGB agenda. Pressure is being applied on soft-on-crime district attorneys, whose no-bail policies are making our streets less safe. Change is percolating. The only thing that can stop the approaching decentralization of government power is force. Thats why bureaucrats everywhere, including in Washington, and especially authoritarian entities like the U.N., WHO, and WEF, look to China as their model. They dont look to America and its traditional model of consensus-building; they look to totalitarian structures, where the people are controlled by force through the threat of violence and the denial of benefits. Thats government hard power. The other way governments force compliance, and we see this more broadly today in the developed West, is through information. The governments manipulation of information is soft power. It is a bending of the will of the people to the governments will through withholding or manipulating information. This type of soft government power got a big boost during the COVID scare. However, the tide is turning on that as well, as court cases move through the system to hold government actors accountable, and the skepticism of expertise grows. A turning point is approaching in the culture, too. A recent article in The Spectator by Justin Brierly talked about a subtle but noticeable movement toward Christianity among younger people in the U.K. It is inevitable that such a turn will happen throughout the West. The human person can take only so much lying and nihilism, as the Soviet Union demonstrated. Eyes are opening, at least for those willing to look. Western society generated surplus prosperity that enabled the construction of grand cathedrals of government, and it had the Christian impulse to make life better for people. Unfortunately, that impulse has been tossed out the window, along with the Christianity, and the only goal now of the powers-that-be is power itself. But dont give up hope. Open your eyes and renegotiate this failed bargain. Decentralization is coming soon to a government near you. Image: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 (cropped). In a previous essay, I broached the topic of popular nullification in the context of rejecting the States propaganda. Citizens are increasingly seeing through the lies Western governments regularly tell their populations in order to buttress their authority and maintain effective social control. As awful as COVIDs lockdowns and other rank authoritarian mandates were, they proved salubrious in educating the public as to how government institutions (including health agencies) fabricate scientific evidence and betray basic medical ethics in pursuit of broader totalitarian agendas. Part of the heightened pushback to expensive green energy directives and farming regulations stems from enhanced public awareness that Western governments flood the information space with fake news meant to justify more expansive and intrusive government control. For critical thinkers who are cognizant of governments longstanding use of psychological and sociological dark arts to manipulate their own citizens, the publics awakening may seem too late, slow, or insignificant. On the contrary, it is accelerating. Shattering existing paradigms is like escaping from an intellectual prison. For most people, that prison is all they have ever known. A lot of lone escapees look back at their former cages from a distance and presume that those who remain locked up will never find the strength to break free. The problem, however, is not a lack of strength, but a paralyzing misapprehension that the prison trapping so many minds represents the limits of what is possible. Right now the rate of intellectual liberation seems slow because inmates escape one at a time. When enough critical thinkers are able to demolish prison walls with the force of their reason, no government lie will be able to stop those who wish to be free. Every social revolution begins with a trickle and ends with a downpour. Its a good time to invest in wellies and raincoats. Popular nullification of prevailing paradigms occurs when a critical mass of the population refuses to play by the current rules. Respect for the rule of law is usually the first to go. Up to this point in time, TPTB have been lucky in that the vast majority of Westerners have been unwilling to break the law in pursuit of personal political aims. In times of relative civic peace, people who identify as good citizens generally refrain from committing criminal acts. If governments enforce reasonable laws in an impartial way, conscientious citizens will dutifully comply. The criminal code becomes an integral part of the social mores that guide an individuals behavior and expectation of behavior from others. When law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and courts are instead seen as applying criminal statutes in an unequal, discriminatory, and malicious fashion, then the legal system is understood as nothing more than a partisan political weapon. Once such legitimacy is lost, it is not easily restored. In fact, corrupt legal systems tend to produce a Robin Hood effect, in which the moral stigma of being an outlaw disappears. The U.S. and other Western governments have so eroded the publics trust in their respective criminal justice systems that they risk mobilizing Robin Hood resistance forces on a national scale. Throughout the West, significant budget expenditures are utilized to aid and abet illegal immigration. Government offices assist foreign nationals in skirting existing work rules, identification requirements, and other domestic laws. Meanwhile, when law-abiding citizens object to such flagrant criminality, police officers and prosecutors in too many jurisdictions direct their resources toward punishing the locals for violating some vague prohibition against hate speech. Dissent is criminalized so that officers of the law can participate in ongoing criminal conspiracies without the burden of exerting any effort to conceal their culpability. When the government is in cahoots with a foreign criminal class and intimidates honest people for noticing, respect for the rule of law vanishes quickly. Just as an immoral law is no law at all, an unjust legal system requires moral people to seek justice elsewhere. Denver, Colorado is the latest crime-supporting enclave to announce that it will defund police and fire departments and divert those critical tax dollars toward services and housing for illegal aliens. A dispassionate observer might conclude that State agents are involved in a criminal conspiracy meant to keep blue-collar wages low, while sustaining hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballot recipients who may influence public policy by voting illegally. Democrat politicians in Denver parrot the same Orwellian language used in other crime-sponsoring jurisdictions by insisting that illegal aliens be called newcomers. When government agents employ euphemisms to hide their own criminal activities, honest citizens take note. Police and fire departments feel the pain of remaining silent while the political class engages in indefensible criminality. Because venal government agents put the publics safety at risk, law-abiding citizens learn that they cannot stake their families lives on the defunct rule of law. The fact that public officials break the law so shamelessly adds to the widespread perception in the United States that elections are rigged. For decades, American citizens have called for secure elections that ensure that only legally permitted voters cast ballots. Instead, politicians and election officials in too many states have worked to limit photo identification and signature verification requirements. They have transformed Election Day into Election Season providing political operatives the time to collect ballots for weeks both before and after important contests. And they have taken advantage of COVID hysteria to normalize the use of mail-in ballots. With many states running elections as nothing more than ballot-gathering operations in which political partisans print and mail millions of untracked ballots for their political allies to fill out and return, elections have never been more vulnerable to fraud. Unlike elections outside the United States, American elections are not transparent, timely, or reproducible. In an electoral system that invites fraud, tens of millions of illegal aliens provide criminal conspirators with ample opportunity to sway elections in battleground states that routinely come down to a few thousand votes. Adding insult to injury, states that help illegal aliens break the law are perversely rewarded by receiving additional Electoral College representatives for their inflated populations. Its a rigged game, and American voters know it. When hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens showed up in D.C. to protest for free and fair elections on January 6, 2021, however, the same criminal officials who condone fraudulent elections abused their powers to torment and imprison conscientious Americans. As writer Dave King recently noted, if you peacefully enter the Capitol Building, you go to jail, but if you are a Muslim immigrant shouting, Death to America in Michigan, President Biden and Democrats will join your side and celebrate the terrorists in Hamas. That kind of grotesque double-standard creates a profound Robin Hood effect. Where is all this heading? The social order will continue to disintegrate as respect for the rule of law withers. Because those who have been entrusted to enforce the law have instead chosen to become criminals, law-abiding citizens will learn to protect and police themselves. As the stigma of being branded an insurrectionist, extremist, or domestic terrorist disappears, more and more Robin Hoods will openly defy the State. There is substantial evidence that such popular nullification of the States authority is well underway. The corrupt FBI and DOJ have taken unprecedented steps to imprison President Trump for the rest of his life. These Gestapo forces have persecuted Trumps allies, ordinary conservative voters, Christians, pro-life advocates, and parents attending school board meetings. Instead of effectively demonizing or intimidating their targets, however, the goose-stepping thugs providing muscle for the federal governments criminal empire have only emboldened Americans to support the villains more vigorously. When outlaws have more honor than governments, paradigms come crashing down, and widespread prison breaks begin. Image via Picryl. The current wars in Israel and Ukraine look like highly complex, multidimensional events. However, proper historical context can significantly simplify the analysis of both bloody conflicts. Lets start by recalling the World War II-era Waffen SS. What was the SS in Nazi Germany? It was a military organization beyond the states control. The SS was not part of Germanys government and never followed government orders. It was an armed force directly subordinated not to the state, but to the party the National Socialist German Workers (Nazi) Party. Its chain of command ran parallel to the Third Reich. It was a private army that served not the state, but the partys interests. The SS carried out Nazi party ideology, and its inner workings resembled the Nazi party. For example, SS members referred to one another as comrades (similar to all left-wingers). Nazi party meetings were frequently regarded as a platform for making operational decisions, where SS officers, sergeants, and privates, as party members, had an equal voice in any matter. That equal say practice irritated the traditional German army (Wehrmacht) to the core. It was a source of irreconcilable tensions between the SS and the Wehrmacht. It is widely known that mercenaries have existed since pre-biblical times. They have never shown allegiance to any particular ideology. That ideological setup triggered many imitators in the left-wing circles, who further developed the idea. Recall Antifa and BLM in 2020. They were legionnaires organized and controlled by Democrat party operatives. They promoted left-wing ideology and their pedigree roots in Germanys Brownshirts and Italys Blackshirts. A comparable situation exists in Iran, where the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) is a parallel military force that reports to the ruling religious leader, the ayatollah (also commander-in-chief of the regular Iranian army). Being occasionally creative, the left-wingers came out with something novel shortly after World War II: subordination of an entire faraway country to party rule. Consider Israel before Netanyahu it was a semi-colony of the Democrat party. Israel was never a full-fledged colony of the United States, but Democrats always kept Israel on a short leash. Netanyahu began a shift to the right, decolonization of Israel, and disengagement from the Democrat party. As a result, Israel is currently facing the sort of Color Revolution that the American left excels at. Five left-induced elections in Israel in the last three years are a testament to that. The American left is not willing to leave its quasi-colony without a fight. Since President Clinton, leftists have tried to delegitimize Israels conservatives and remove Netanyahu from office. After the October 7, 2024 Hamas attack, the Biden administration, after some hesitation, decisively sided with Hamas. From now on, many Democrats must not identify themselves as Somename (D); they should use Somename (D-Hamas) instead. It looks as though post-WWII Democrats cannot lead a war to a decisive win. Ideologically, 21st-century Democrats are not structurally conditioned to win long-term, absolute triumph. So they are working hard to prevent anybody in their orbit from overpowering enemy armed forces. Biden has accepted Hamass positions and demands that Hamas stay in power and keep hostages while Israel backs down. Thus, Democrats have morphed into Surrendercrats. It seems that Israel lost this round by submitting to Bidens demands. Thanks to the Democrats, Hamas almost won. Recently, Hamas rejected yet another ceasefire, even with Biden shamefully decoupling the issue from hostage releases. However, Hamas, saved by the Democrats, will not enjoy the fruits of this Pyrrhic victory for long. Another victim of Bidens policies toward Israel is no surprise here Biden himself. Six months before the November election, he guaranteed himself a loss in Florida by selling out Israel. Earlier this week, Democrats announced they were pulling resources out of Florida, funneling money to other states. Most likely, Bidens strategic blunder will galvanize Jewish support for Trump across the United States. In the same way, Ukraine has become a Democrat party colony since Obamas first term in office. It remains a colony of the party, not the United States. Recall that Ukraines colonizer-in-chief was thenvice president Joe Biden. However, he was not a state-sponsored actor. He was a party-sponsored player. Of course, asserting control over an outside country was not unusual for a non-government entity. The novel phenomenon was that a single political party extended its power across the border. Since then, Ukraine has had a new president, who, like his predecessor, is entrenched in colony-level politics with now-president Biden. Unfortunately, Biden misleads Ukrainians into believing that Russia is their sole adversary when, in reality, they must confront two alien colonizing forces simultaneously. Nobody told them they must fight off two external colonizing forces at once: Russian aggression and the Democrat party of America. Neither the American people nor their representatives in Congress realize that, too. Democrat colonizers would be happy to lose the existing slice of about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory to Russian colonizers. They would continue to milk Ukrainian wealth jointly with Russia under an 80-20 apportion. The same 80-20 split worked fine for Democrats and Russia in Georgia (the European Georgia, not the American one) and Moldova. Under Obama and Biden, the Democrat party utilized the 80-20 partition to transform the colonized territories into giant money-laundering machines. In conclusion, here we have two countries Israel and Ukraine fighting four wars. Each country fights an anti-colonial war against the Democrat party and, at the same time, repels invaders from abroad. Many Republicans find the issue confusing. They are unwilling to help Democrats keep their crown money-laundering jewel, thus unwittingly delivering Ukraine into the hands of another colonizer, Putin. So many misguided Republicans perceive aiding Ukraine strictly as helping Democrats. Unfortunately, they cannot comprehend that this European country needs help to defend itself on two fronts: against the Kremlin and the DNC. The only hope for these unfortunate countries is Donald Trump, who is willing to untangle state-level colonialism and party-level colonialism simultaneously by using the American hydrocarbon arsenal. Trump-47 plans to bankrupt Russia and the rest of the oil and natural gasproducing countries by unleashing the mighty American energy industry and flooding the world market with American oil and gas. Neither Israel nor Ukraine requires massive material and financial injections from the United States to triumph. The time for quick solutions, thanks to Democrats, is over. Instead, Israelis and Ukrainians must hold their ground for nine months until Trump changes his postal address. Gary Gindler, Ph.D. is a conservative columnist at Gary Gindler Chronicles. Follow him on Twitter/X. His new book Left Imperialism (Paragon House, April 2024) is available for purchase. Image: The Presidential Administration of Ukraine via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. You don't have to be Latino to find the latest substitute word for it, 'Latine,' put out there by wokester academia as an alternative to the very unpopular 'Latinx' just a little icky. After all, what does it sound like? What can it be confused for? What can one little typo turn this identity politics term into? Why the heck is a new word needed at all? But leave it to Axios to tell us the popularity of the woke new word is "surging": "Latine," a gender-neutral way to describe or refer to people with Latino origins, is surging in popularity on university campuses, in museums, and among researchers and media. The big picture: Catch-all terms like Hispanic or Latino have come under scrutiny for blurring important nuances and presenting a large part of the U.S. population as a monolith. Latine is "part of a movement centered on wanting to build and foster an inclusive community," says Carlos Zavala, vice president at consulting firm Whiteboard Advisors, which has used the term in reports from its work with tech and education groups. 41% of U.S. Latinos in the latest Axios-Ipsos Latino poll in partnership with Noticias Telemundo say they are comfortable with Latine. Flashback: The increased use of Latine comes as Latinx has been phased out by some organizations or banned by officials. Latinx had been pushed by U.S. academics as a gender-neutral option for Latinos but was criticized for using the letter "x" in a manner that's unnatural to Spanish speakers. As with the term 'Latinx,' which was a colossal bust among real Latinos, there were some polls saying that young Latinos liked it. They liked it all right, because their professors liked it, but when it was time to come home from college to be with their real familias, they went back to 'Latino' before mamacita could get out the chancleta. According to a 2021 Pew Research study: A 2020 study based on interviews with 34 Latinx/a/o students from the US found that they "perceive higher education as a privileged space where they use the term Latinx. Once they return to their communities, they do not use the term". Nobody wanted that, so Latino stuck. But the social engineers from the left continued with their brainchild, which was to siphon out all gender references within the Spanish language into an English-style gender-neutral language, which only English and a few Nordic languages have. The idea this time was to accommodate transgender and nonbinary people of Latin American and Hispanic heritage. Cultural imperialismo, anyone? Axios noted that the leftists running Chile have already done it, but that isn't a great argument. Axios didn't bring up what the public approval ratings of these same leftists were, which in fact are very, very low and the group stands to get thrown out of power in the next election. Axios, though, tweeted this and got ratioed by Latino and Latina of every kind: "Latine," a gender-neutral way to describe or refer to people with Latino origins, is surging in popularity over terms like "Latinx" on university campuses, in museums, and among researchers and media.https://t.co/LeHMntZxrU Axios (@axios) April 11, 2024 Sure, the term is popular in academia, the media, and in museums. That's exactly the same people who liked the term 'Latinx,' the people of privilege who sought to still be victims of some kind. Most Latinos I know don't even like the term 'Latino.' Do Argentinians have in lot in common with Haitians? Not much. That's why most prefer to be called Argentinians or Argentinian-Americans, and Haitians and Haitian-Americans, same as Germans, Italians, and Irish people prefered to be called by those names as immigrant Americans rather than 'Europeans.' Lumping everyone together like that is obnoxious no matter what the region or time, as this essayist at NBC writes: Its no secret. Weve spoken out repeatedly. Pew polling over nearly two decades consistently shows our preference. We want to be identified by our nationalities, each with individual histories, traditions, customs, languages and dialects. We are Mexican Americans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Salvadorans, Puerto Ricans, Brazilians, Hondurans and so on. Axios is confident the term will catch on, though. I say 'no.' Any word that sounds like 'latrine' will go down like 'Latinx.' Image: Twitter screen shot For a long time, a Hispanic was accused of treason and racism (racista) for supporting border enforcement or respect for immigration laws. Well, he was accused by left-wing Hispanics who favor open borders. The same is true for those of us who opposed sanctuary cities. That was then, and this is 2024. According to Byron Yorks post, a little cambio or change is going on: GROWING LATINO SUPPORT FOR BORDER WALL, STRICT ENFORCEMENT. A new poll by Axios and Noticias Telemundo found that 42% of Latino Americans support building a wall or fence along the entire U.S.-Mexico border. When pollsters asked the same question in December 2021, the number was 30%. Thats a significant increase as the border crisis created by President Joe Bidens policies worsens. Its also a more severe action than virtually anyone is now proposing. The border is about 2,000 miles long, but some of that is physically impassable and does not need a wall. Former President Donald Trump proposed building a wall on about 1,000 miles. That was enough for many Democrats to unite in hysterical opposition. Now, the Latino voters polled say they would like to see a wall or fence along the entire 2,000-mile border. The new poll also found that 64% of those surveyed support giving the president the authority to shut U.S. borders if there are too many migrants trying to enter the country. And 38% of those surveyed support sending all undocumented immigrants in the U.S. back to their country of origin. In 2021, that number was 28%. Honestly, this is not a shock to me. Let me tell you why. First, most of us came here legally, and that includes non-Hispanics such as Europeans fleeing communism and Indians who came to work in the tech sector and others. These immigrants understand why people want to live in the U.S., but they further understand that the rule of law is what separates the world from the American way. Second, the border Hispanics are seeing firsthand the insanity of chaotic immigration. Just spend a day or two in El Paso, Nogales, or Tucson. Ask Hispanic police chiefs what they think of the chaos. Dont be surprised if they sound like Trump. Finally, is this why Hispanic support for Trump is growing? It feels that way, although dont overlook the economy and growing Democrat fascination with wokeness. PS: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos. Image: woodleywonderworks via Flickr, CC BY 2.0. The world has watched in wonder as Israel demonstrated remarkable military prowess by intercepting virtually all the drones and missiles thrown against them. This feat is not just a testament to Israel's advanced defense capabilities but also a reflection of its steadfast commitment to safeguarding its citizens against external threats. However, the response from the Biden administration to these events has sparked considerable controversy and concern, particularly among astute observers. President Joe Biden's directives against Israel waging a counterattack on Iran, following an unprecedented direct attack by Iran, raise significant questions about the U.S.'s stance on defending its allies and upholding the principles of national sovereignty and self-defense. By preventing Israel from taking necessary actions to secure its borders and deter future attacks, the Biden administration is perceived as undermining Israel's right to defend itself against clear and present dangers. Furthermore, the demand from the Biden administration that Israel should provide humanitarian aid and support to those who have openly declared hostility against it is seen as an unreasonable expectation. It is one thing to advocate for humanitarian principles and the protection of civilian lives, which Israel has shown commitment to, even given the fact that Hamas terrorists have hijacked more than 200 trucks per day that have been entering Gaza with humanitarian aid. Weve seen with our own eyes Hamas terrorists on top of each truck, hijacking them to bring all the food to the terrorists. If there is anything left, they sell it at very high prices to civilians. The criticism and shaming of Israel for its defensive measures, especially in the international media and on U.S. college campuses, are deeply concerning. The narrative that demonizes Israel for defending its sovereignty and citizens against aggression, while romanticizing the actions of its adversaries, is not only biased, but dangerous. The chants of "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free," heard on college campuses (most of whom have no idea which river and which sea they are talking about), echo a call for the eradication of Israel. This rhetoric, left unchecked, fosters an environment where antisemitism can flourish under the guise of political activism. The situation presents a distorted picture where the victim of aggression is blamed for defending itself, while the aggressor is portrayed as the victim. This narrative fails to acknowledge the existential threats faced by Israel. This ignores the historical reality that Israel is the only country that has even been sovereign in the land of Israel, which much of the world mistakenly calls Palestine. It is essential to recognize that peace and security in the region cannot be achieved by undermining the right of any nation to defend itself or by ignoring the legitimate security concerns of Israel. This begs the question: What if Israel had not intercepted all those missiles and drones? What if they hit their intended targets? Israel, the size of New Jersey, would be devastated. So, why is the world expecting Israel to end this war prematurely and not to fight back? That is only giving their enemies time to figure out a way to penetrate the Iron Dome or to have a massive ground assault, or worse, a possible nuclear backpack suicide detonation, killing 99% of the population of Israel. Even then, you'd likely see historically ignorant college students demonstrating, calling for the finishing off the remaining 1% of Jewish Israelis who would be glowing in the dark. What is wrong with this picture? What is causing such visceral blind hatred toward Israel? Perhaps its the ingrained hatred of radical Islam towards any presence of the Jewish people in the Middle East. Or could it possibly be the jealousy of the world toward the people who brought the Ten Commandments as the moral compass for the world? Yes, its uncomfortable to raise such questions, but those who take historical accuracy seriously and have a moral compass of their own, can no longer hide their head in the proverbial Middle Eastern sand. About David Rubin David Rubin, former Mayor of Shiloh, Israel, is the author of seven books, including his latest, Confronting Radicals: What America Can Learn from Israel. Rubin is the founder of Shiloh Israel Childrens Fund, established after he and his then three-year-old son were wounded in a terror attack. He can be found at IsraelChildren.org or DavidRubinIsrael.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Jerry McGlothlin 919-437-0001 or jerry@specialguests.com Image: Yair Aronshtam, via Wikimedia Commons (margin added) // CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED According to Psychology Today, 34% of adults have admitted to engaging in bondage play. The survey respondents were apparently Norwegians, so Im not sure precisely how those results would translate to Americans, but the point, I suppose, is that sort of thing is more common than many might imagine. So common, in fact, Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)what an academic mouthfulthought teaching all about it was a good idea. It turns out it really wasnt: Graphic: Slaves in Bondage (1937). Wikimedia Commons. org. Public Domain. Campus Reform reported this February that Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) abruptly canceled an Introduction to Bondage workshop after facing strong opposition online. Now, internal records obtained by Campus Reform show that the university spent more than $100 on various supplies ahead of the event, including nylon rope. Well, if youre going to teach a vital academic discipline, you need appropriate supplies. The university paper The Collegiate Commons reported that the planned bondage workshop was upcoming, and revealed that the event instructor, Fynch, is the author of pornographic stories, including at least one story involving a graphic description of gang rape. Fynch also has an account on a website with ties to child pornography, per the outlet. So, obviously a highly qualified, contemporary, scholar. The Office of Health and Wellness had scheduled the event as part of its Healthy Relationships Week open to all students. The Indiana University School of Social Work (IUSSW) also reportedly promoted the event. Far be it from me to disparage what consenting adults do behind bedroomor whereverdoors, but the Campus Reform article does at least partially, potentially, answer one vital question: within which legitimate academic discipline does bondage fall? Its all too easy these days to attack academia for its deviation from traditional academic disciplines into all manner of studies navel gazing. Its also rational, accurate and fun. Might bondage fall under STEM? We know math, and everything else productive is racist, so presumably one should avoid buying white nylon rope, and science might reasonably be involved in figuring angles, load bearing, calculating stresses, measuring lengths of non-white nylon rope, and the scientific possibilities are endless. Computers, of course, might be involved in any number of ways, particularly where child porn is involved. English too, though academics dont much like that word anymore, might have a place in documenting the techniques, theory, and philosophy of bondage. And of course, in preserving all manner of pornographic stories for posterity. I shudder to imagine what music might accompany such things. Wagner, perhaps? Atonal music? Art, whether sculpture, drawing, watercolor or painting would surely have a role. Interpretive dance might be a bitconstrained. History might be a fertile field, though most of that would inevitably involve recitations of slavery, torture and oppression, so maybe not. Social work does seem to be nearly perfect as these days, schools of social work are constantly tying themselves up in knots trying to be more woke than any other department or college. Im a little confused, however, about how an Office of Health and Wellness might be involved. Healthy relationships? Again, I suppose if everyone was willing, even eager, such practices might be healthy in some way, but another vital question might be: do sexual practices, even those involving 34% of Norwegianswho knew they were so naughty?--belong in a university curriculum? In Indiana? When I took my undergraduate degreeEnglish and music, not bondageway back when, woke was not yet awakened. To be sure, among some faculty, there were stirrings, but no one would have imagined such a workshop, even one taught by such a renowned scholar, appropriate and for three reasons: (1) sexual practices/preferences werent discussed in polite society, or for that matter, in college. (2) Anyone suggesting such things a part of any legitimate academic discipline would be mercilessly ridiculed. (3) Theres no time. Thats perhaps the biggest reason it would never have happened. In learning any genuinely academic discipline, there is never sufficient time to learn everything one ought to learn and should want to learn. How priorities have changed. Now, and then, bondage is pretty much a matter of on-the-job training. Particularly now, any bit of information one might want to find on such things, American or Norwegian, is available with the click of a mouse. Sadly, it appears western, or at least Indiana, civilization has lost an opportunity to advance academic knowledge: Graphic: Campus Reform screenshot Oh well. Maybe they can return the rope for a full refund, or just keep it for the faculty lounge Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor. Andrew Scott said fellow Irish actor Paul Mescal has continued to be a wonderful friend after they starred together in a romantic fantasy film. They starred in Bafta-nominated All Of Us Strangers, released in January, about an adult dealing with the grief of losing both his parents when he was a child. I adore Paul, Scott told the Sunday Times. Obviously its been a tough time recently and he just continues to be a wonderful friend. Its everything. Andrew Scott (left) and Paul Mescal at the Bafta Film Awards in February (Ian West/PA) The more I work in the industry, I realise, you make some stuff that people love and you make some stuff that people dont like, and all really that you are left with is the relationships that you make. I love him dearly. The fantasy film was critically well received and a feature of awards season. While Scott was not nominated in this years Baftas, the film also failed to win in categories including outstanding British film, Normal People star Mescal as supporting actor, Claire Foy as supporting actress or Andrew Haigh as best director. At the British Independent Film Awards (Bifa), All Of Us Strangers was named best movie and best screenplay, with Haigh winning best director and the best supporting performance for Mescal, although Fleabag star Scott was beaten to best lead performance by Mia McKenna-Bruce in How to Have Sex. Scott said filming parts of All Of Us Strangers was painful but also cathartic because of his own experiences as a young gay man. Speaking of how his character tells visions of his dead parents that he is gay during a return to his childhood home, Scott said of his experiences of coming out: Of course, so in a sense it was painful, to a degree, but it was cathartic because you are doing it with people that you absolutely love and trust. Scott has just starred in Netflixs Ripley (Ian West/PA) I felt that it was going to be of use to people and I was right, it has been. The reaction to the movie has been genuinely extraordinary it makes people feel and see things, and that isnt an easy thing to achieve. The Dublin-born has previously given a menacing performance as the criminal mastermind James Moriarty in BBC series Sherlock and recently starred in Netflix thriller Ripley as the title character. Scott is set to attend the Olivier Awards on Sunday at the Royal Albert Hall, where he is nominated for best actor for one-man play Vanya. An art gallery in Edinburgh is inviting the public to add their own work to the walls. Edinburgh Printmakers, which was the first, open access, print studio in the UK when it was established 57 years ago, is based in a former factory in Castle Mills, Dundee Street, Fountainbridge. A new event, Castle Mills: Then & Now, Whose Gallery is it Anyway?, will open up the space to aspiring artists who want to put their own artwork on the walls, or curate existing work. It will be running from April 19 to June 30, and is described as a real-time, in-person interactive experience. A gallery assistant helps to prepare the exhibition space at the Edinburgh Printmakers (Jane Barlow/PA Wire) A spokesperson said: The rules are simple: anyone can add work and/or choose to co-curate the exhibition by moving artworks in the space in ways that make sense to them. A variety of mediums will be exhibited including printmaking, drawing, textile, sculpture, and performance, and contributors are expected to include community groups, local schools or visitors. However, it was warned that a member of the public can move an artwork, or put it into a box out of sight. Staff from Edinburgh Printmakers will be on hand to assist in placing works as well as giving insights and advice on art curation. The heritage project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, in a bid to diversify community heritage activities to widen reach and engagement, and to generate ideas for new activities. A series of talks will also be held. The Edinburgh Printmakers studio in Fountainbridge (Jane Barlow/PA Wire) Edinburgh Printmakers has hosted works by Eduardo Paolozzi, Sam Ainsley, John Byrne, Victoria Crowe, Alasdair Gray, Rachel MacLean, John Bellany and Alberta Whittle, among others. Ilaria Casini, heritage engagement officer, said: This exhibition will bring together perspectives and stories from Edinburgh Printmakers history and heritage. We will ask questions about mark-making, art curation and the relationship between artist and audience by giving people and communities agency to take over our large, light-filled, street-facing gallery space. We want everyone to learn and talk about art in a friendly and welcoming environment, informally through chatting, and via talks and tours over the duration of this project. As the public continuously modifies the exhibition, it will never remain exactly the same, prompting a reflection on printmaking and the visual arts that goes beyond a single curators selection. Were looking forward to the conversations, artistic discoveries and celebration of creativity that lies ahead. Edinburgh Printmakers chief executive Janet Archer said: This landmark building was once a thriving hub as thousands of people came through its doors each day. This heritage aligned with our own as an active membership providing open access, printmaking facilities since it opened in 1967. Whose Gallery is it Anyway? is the next step in our social role as a hub for a new community collectively shaping future heritage through sharing stories and charting them through visual expression of all kinds. A professional ballerina gave up her career to research how dance benefits patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), with the findings hailed as ground-breaking by experts. Emily Davis, 27, worked with the world-renowned Philadelphia Ballet company for six years while also studying for a biology degree at the University of Pennsylvania. She moved to Scotland in 2021 to start a PhD in dance health, and forged a partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), in collaboration with Scottish Ballet. While working in America, Ms Davis was a volunteer researcher in neurorehabilitation at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, and she chose to focus on MS in Scotland, which has one of the highest incidence rates of the disease in the world. Professional ballerina Emily Davis is now researching how ballet can help MS patients (Garry McHarg/PA) More than 15,000 people in Scotland have the neurological illness which can affect the brain and spinal cord. Levels of MS are particularly high in the north of the country. A study of north-east Scotland found the level per 100,000 people in 2009 to be 229 in Aberdeen, 295 in Shetland and 402 in Orkney. Ms Davis PhD study includes Dance for Multiple Sclerosis A Systematic Review, which was hailed the sixth most read research paper in the International Journal of MS Care in 2023. Her research was funded with a Thouron scholarship. She worked with Professor Lorna Paul, a rehabilitation expert in allied health science at Glasgow Caledonian University, and RCS senior lecturer and doctoral degrees co-ordinator, Dr Bethany Whiteside, to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of dance therapy. Ms Davis also noted improved psychological wellbeing, sense of belonging and enriched social relationships. She said the research was inspired by English National Ballets programme Dance for Parkinsons, described as a very well-established global model, but said applying the same theory to MS was a novel area of both practice and research. Ms Davis said: When I looked at dance for other neurological conditions, I found that there were only 13 studies on dance for MS, so there was only limited research in this area, and we are aware of really only a handful of dance programmes around the world. We know that movement, especially rhythmic movement like dance, can be really beneficial for movement disorders like Parkinsons disease. Scottish Ballet is at the forefront of dance for MS in the UK and globally, so its been the best place to start. Scottish Ballet, here performing The Snow Queen, supports Emily Daviss work and runs classes for MS sufferers (Jane Barlow/PA) My research is looking at their SB Elevate classes here in Glasgow, where the programme first began development in 2018, and then looks at their more recently implemented SB Elevate classes further north in Perth and Orkney to find out what benefits the dancers with MS are experiencing. Im also looking at how these classes are being implemented, recognising a city is very different from an island community. The end result is really hoping to evidence and understand how these classes work and can support people living with MS, as well as to inspire future research using different creative methods. Prof Paul said: Emilys ground-breaking research has provided evidence on potential benefits of ballet for people with MS for the first time. People with MS can have problems with movement and balance which can be helped with exercise. Ballet is a form of physical activity which may be more expressive, fun and with a stronger social component than traditional forms of rehabilitation. Emilys PhD has been the catalyst for the successful collaboration between Glasgow Caledonian, RCS and Scottish Ballet, and this collaboration will continue to grow and strengthen thanks to Emilys work. Now in the third year of her PhD, Ms Davis is continuing to study the SB Elevate programme, with the support and supervision of Professor Paul and Dr Whiteside, who also sit on the Scottish Ballet health research committee. Dr Whiteside said: Emily Davis PhD, focused on the perceived impact and experience of dancing for individuals living with multiple sclerosis, through engaging with Scottish Ballets Elevate programme, will make a necessary contribution to the limited pool of existing research. Scottish Ballets senior dance health manager, Lisa Sinclair, said: Scottish Ballet are delighted to have supported Emily Davis during her innovative Dance for MS PhD study, which makes a significant contribution to the global field of dance for health. The Duke of Kent was cheered and applauded by troops as he attended his final Black Sunday parade as Colonel of the Scots Guards, handing over the role to the Duke of Edinburgh after 50 years of service. Edward, Duke of Kent, was appointed to the position in 1974 after nearly two decades of military service, starting his career as a Second Lieutenant with the Royal Scots Greys in 1955. The 88-year-old member of the royal family who officially relinquished the title after the event concluded on Sunday afternoon had earlier paid tribute to the bravery, selfless courage and devotion to duty of the Scots Guards. The duke, who was a cousin of the late Queen, attended a morning service at the Guards Chapel in central London to begin Black Sunday, the regiments annual day of remembrance for its fallen servicemen and their families. The Duke of Kent watched the march past outside the Royal Military Chapel in Westminster, London (Victoria Jones/PA) The service was attended by both active members of the Scots Guards, wearing the regiments distinctive red tunic, and veteran Guardsmen. A procession made up of the Scots Guards band, pipes and serving troops then marched from the chapel to the Guards Memorial, which is dedicated to members of the Guards Division who died in both world wars and conflicts since. They were flanked by dozens of veteran Guardsmen, many wearing medals from their service. The Duke of Kent officially relinquished the title after the event concluded on Sunday (Victoria Jones/PA) The Scots Guards are one of the five Regiments of Foot Guards within the British Armys Household Division alongside the Irish, Welsh, Grenadier and Coldstream Guards who carry out ceremonial duties such as taking part in major state events in support of the monarch. When not protecting the King or participating in Trooping the Colour, the Guardsmen are also fighting soldiers who are deployed on operations or training exercises around the world. The duke attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial which lasted about half-an-hour and was watched by hundreds of members of the public from St Jamess Park. Afterwards, he took the salute as Guardsmen and veterans marched past him to a performance of The Colonel, a new composition by Pipe Major John Mitchell written as a tribute to the former colonel. The 88-year-old royal was applauded as he left the Black Sunday parade (Victoria Jones/PA) Back in barracks, the duke informally met soldiers and their families, and was presented with a framed pipe banner. On handing over the colonelcy, the duke said: Serving as Colonel of the Scots Guards since 1974, the longest anyone has spent in this role, has been a true honour and one which will forever fill me with great joy. Through those years, I have seen the work of the Scots Guards during peacetime and war and witnessed their bravery, selfless courage and devotion to duty. To my fellow Scots Guardsmen, I am immensely proud to have served you all. I am delighted that His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will continue to champion all that you do and work towards preserving your great legacy. Military veterans also took part in the event (Victoria Jones/PA) As the duke departed, his route was lined with serving Guardsmen from various companies, the regiments band and association veterans who cheered loudly and applauded to a performance of the Scots Guards regimental march Highland Laddie. Regimental Lieutenant Colonel James Leask praised the dukes long tenure, saying he was able to offer wisdom and perspective as well as being a constant in a rapidly changing world. The dukes second-in-command said of his conversations with the former colonel: He could offer a little bit of wisdom to tell me how we have tackled (a given) problem in the past. He added that the duke was an important part of the regimental mental system which was based in a long history of tradition, ethos (and) culture. The Duke of Kent said serving as Colonel of the Scots Guards had been a true honour (Victoria Jones/PA) Formed as King Charles Is personal bodyguard in 1642, the regiment has since played key roles in major conflicts around the world from the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, both world wars, the Falklands War and deployments to Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and Iraq. The Duke of Edinburgh, who is the regiments 27th colonel, praised his predecessors tireless and passionate service. He said: The Duke of Kent has been an extraordinary colonel of the Scots Guards. Quite apart from his depth of knowledge and keen understanding of the regiment and all those who serve, past and present, he has been a tireless and passionate advocate. It is a distinct honour to be asked and entrusted by His Majesty to serve as the next colonel. However, I accept with a degree of trepidation as I will undoubtedly be measured against the formidable record and reputation of my predecessor. I can only promise to do my best. Leaders of the G7 have unequivocally condemned Irans unprecedented attack on Israel and warned that the risk of an uncontrollable regional escalation must be avoided. In a joint statement following an urgent call on Sunday, countries including the UK and US said they stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier confirmed that British RAF jets shot down a number of Iranian drones after the country announced it had launched retaliatory action on its long-standing enemy. The statement released shortly after the talks on Sunday afternoon said: We, the leaders of the G7, unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Irans direct and unprecedented attack against Israel. Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack. We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security. With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilisation of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. Leaders from the Group of Seven advanced economies, which comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the US, demanded Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, adding: We stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives. The statement continued: We will also strengthen our co-operation to end the crisis in Gaza, including by continuing to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, and deliver increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and at least 120 ballistic missiles in an assault that set off air raid sirens across the country. (PA Graphics) By Sunday morning, Tehran said the attack was over and Israel reopened its air space having intercepted along with its allies 99% of the projectiles launched towards its territory. The assault was launched in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month, which killed two Iranian generals. It is the first direct military attack launched by Tehran on Israel despite enmity dating back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The latest development brought years of shadow war between the two foes out into the open as the conflict in Gaza inflames decades-old tensions in the Middle East. Speaking to journalists in Downing Street on Sunday morning, the PM described the strikes as dangerous and unnecessary, warning that the fallout in regional stability would have been hard to overstate if they had been successful. (PA Graphics) Lord David Cameron later summoned the charge daffaires of the Iranian embassy to the Foreign Office and formally condemned the attack in a call with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. He also demanded Tehran release the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofers Zodiac Group, which was seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The UK was one of several countries which helped to counter Saturdays attack, with additional RAF warplanes deploying over Iraq and Syria, where armed forces were already operating as part of the Operation Shader mission against the so-called Islamic State. Rescuers said a seven-year-old girl was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a strike, although they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne and German foreign minister Annlena Baerbock joined a growing chorus of western leaders urging against escalation. US President Joe Biden said he had convened the G7 meeting on Sunday to co-ordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. The language indicates that the Biden administration does not want the assault to spiral into a broader military conflict after Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said the country would collect a price for Tehrans action. A top US official said the US had informed Israel it did not plan on striking Iran itself. All eyes will be on the response from Benjamin Netanyahus government, with countries in the region and elsewhere urging restraint to avoid intensifying the conflict. Meanwhile, Labour called on the UK to impose further sanctions in response to the attack following the G7 call on Sunday afternoon. Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy suggested the Opposition had been kept abreast on Privy Council terms of the Governments action overnight but said it was important for the PM to give a statement to Parliament on Monday. Police would have 24 hours to decide whether to pursue court orders designed to immediately protect victims after domestic violence incidents under Labour proposals aimed at ensuring swifter safeguarding. The party said it would impose strict time limits on forces to weigh up whether to use the measures quickly after offences are reported. A new system joining up police and court databases would also be rolled out to allow officers to live-track whether a person has been made subject to an order rather than waiting to be informed, Labour has said. The plans are designed to prevent cases like that of Raneem Oudeh, 22, who was killed alongside her mother, 49-year-old Khaola Saleem, by her ex-partner 11 days after obtaining a non-molestation order against him. Labour says measures such as domestic violence protection orders are chronically underused despite having the potential to save lives. The party says its plans would ensure forces have to account for why protective tools have not been deployed in relevant cases as there is currently no statutory duty on officers to formally consider whether such orders would be appropriate. It is the latest in a series of announcements about the partys promise to introduce Raneems Law, which is aimed at transforming the way the police handle cases of violence against women and girls. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said she is sick and tired of women and girls facing the same threats of violence and abuse, generation after generation. Labour is warning that Britain has become desensitised to stories about dead women following a spate of high-profile murders in recent years, including those of Sarah Everard, Zara Aleena, Sabina Nessa, Ms Oudeh and Ms Saleem. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said governments have been treating violence against women and girls as an inevitability (Maja Smiejkowska/PA) Ms Cooper said: For too long, governments have treated violence against women and girls as an inevitability instead of the emergency that it is. Week after week we see stories of women being killed, appalling failings by organisations charged with keeping them safe, and weak assurances that lessons will be learned yet nothing is changing, and families across the country are being utterly devastated as a result. After Sarah Everard was killed, women across the country demanded action, but too little has changed. After Raneem Oudeh was killed, we expected major overhauls in policing and the criminal justice system, but barely anything was done. The passive response from the Government to these terrible crimes is just hopeless. She said there are continued failings across police and the criminal justice system which must be fixed. She said a Labour government would overhaul every aspect of societys response to these heinous crimes and ask police to strain every sinew and use every tool in their arsenal to pursue dangerous perpetrators who pose a risk to women and to keep victims safe from harm. Other pledges previously announced by the party include the introduction of specialist rape and sexual assault units in every force, domestic violence call handlers in every 999 control room and a new perpetrator programme to target the 1,000 most dangerous abusers and sex offenders who pose a risk to women. A Conservative spokesman said: No woman or girl should ever feel unsafe at home or in public, and whilst we have reduced violent crime by 51%, we have a plan to do more to end this abuse. We are implementing our Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, toughening up sentences for offenders, requiring Chief Constables to deal with VAWG as a national threat and launching support in the community for victims. We have 20,000 more police officers on the street and we have cut crime by 55%, and we are sticking with the plan to drive down crime further to ensure our streets and communities are a safer place to live and raise a family. The reality is where Labour are in power, you are 40% more likely to be a victim of crime, because they are soft on crime and dont have a plan to tackle it. A Texas woman faces child endangerment charges after police officials said she left her young children alone so she could go on a cruise. Harris County Constable Precinct 5 says Lakesha Woods Williams, 29, was arrested last week. They say she left her 6-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son alone in her high-rise apartment complex April 4. On April 9 deputies found the children alone in the apartment, and they told deputies their mother was on a cruise. Paramedics and CPS were called to the scene to check on the kids' health and safety after neighbors expressed concern. "The apartment was in complete disarray and had trash and left-over food all over the unit," and had a "very potent smell of urine" a criminal complaint reported. The children had a phone and a webcam to communicate with their mother while she was away, according to the complaint. Other residents said this was not the first time that Williams left the children alone, the charging document stated. Williams returned to the apartment on the night of April 10 and was arrested the following day. "We are still putting together the facts and circumstances of how these children were left alone for several days," said Constable Ted Heap. "The important thing is they are safe now and those responsible should be held accountable for leaving these kids in an unsafe situation." Both children are now in the care of a relative, authorities said. Williams is being held on $25,000 bail according to Harris County Jail records. She is due back in court on Monday. Pep Guardiola believes his Manchester City players are thriving under the pressure of the title run-in. City enjoyed an outstanding weekend in their quest for a fourth successive Premier League crown as an emphatic victory over Luton, coupled with defeats for rivals Liverpool and Arsenal, put them top of the table. Guardiolas side are now not only clear favourites to retain their title but in a strong position to secure an unprecedented second treble in succession. Mateo Kovacic celebrates with team-mates Julian Alvarez and Matheus Nunes after scoring Citys second goal against Luton (Martin Rickett/PA) They like to play the pressure, said City manager Guardiola, speaking after Saturdays 5-1 hammering of the Hatters. They like it when you are dead or alive. That doesnt mean we are going to do it but I am pretty sure we will be there until the end because I know them, I see their faces in the meetings before games and how they prepare. That means well be Premier League champions? No, no. I am not saying that. But we will compete, that is for sure. City now head into two decisive knockout games against Real Madrid in the Champions League and Chelsea in the FA Cup over the coming week in good heart. Real are the first up at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday for the second leg of a quarter-final tie that is evenly poised at 3-3 after a pulsating game in the Spanish capital last week. Full-back Kyle Walker, who has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury sustained on international duty last month, could return after being an unused substitute against Luton. Kyle Walker is close to a return for City (Martin Rickett/PA) Guardiola said: He feels much better but he was injured, so now we will see in the next days. But he is good, he feels good. Maybe he can help with minutes because it is a final but I dont want to lose him for a long time if he gets injured. He will train a bit more now and we will decide. I know how important Kyle is against the players from Real Madrid but he was not in Madrid and Manu (Akanji), Josko (Gvardiol), John (Stones) and Ruben (Dias) played incredibly well. We will see. Fellow defender Stones should be fit despite being left out of the squad altogether on Saturday as a precaution. Guardiola said: He had some problems, some niggles, but hes fine. He is not injured but he felt uncomfortable and we didnt want to take risks. That is all. A Cabinet minister was unable to say whether the Government has found an airline to send asylum seekers to Rwanda despite suggesting that flights would take off within weeks. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins insisted the Home Office is ready to go in implementing the scheme as a Bill aimed at saving the stalled deportation policy makes its way through Parliament. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has repeatedly said flights to Kigali will take off by spring, but refused to name a specific date. It comes after reports suggested that Rwandas state-owned airline turned down a UK Government proposal to transport asylum seekers because it wanted to avoid being associated with the controversial scheme. Speaking to Sky News Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Ms Atkins said: We want them to take off as quickly as possible We very much plan to have it within weeks. Asked whether the Government had an air carrier ready yet, Ms Atkins said: The Home Office is working on this, and so believe you me, the Home Office is ready to go. They havent got one, have they? Sir Trevor asked her. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said the Rwanda scheme was one part of the Governments overall plan to cut illegal migration (Jeff Moore/PA) We have seen some real progress in the last year with the reduction in small boat crossings by a third but this is one part of our overall plan to cut illegal migration, Ms Atkins replied. Elsewhere on Sundays morning broadcast round, deputy Tory Party chairwoman Rachel Maclean appeared to suggest a carrier had still not been confirmed. Im sure that we will have a carrier in place, she told Times Radio. And this is all part of operationalising the plan. We need this plan because we need to have the deterrent effect. Mr Sunaks Safety of Rwanda Bill, which aims to protect the Governments troubled deportation scheme from further legal setbacks after the UK Supreme Court ruled against it, will return to the Commons next week. As well as compelling judges to regard the east African country as safe, the legislation would also give ministers the power to ignore emergency injunctions. But the Lords has insisted on an amendment to restore the jurisdiction of domestic courts in relation to the safety of Rwanda and enable them to intervene. The Financial Times last week quoted a Home Office insider as having said RwandAir said no because of the potential damage to their brand. Government sources have insisted to the PA news agency that securing planes to carry asylum seekers would not be a problem when the time came to put the scheme into action. Mr Sunak has pinned the success of the scheme on the Bill passing Parliament, telling reporters last Wednesday: First of all, we need to get it through Parliament where the Labour Party has been blocking it for a long time. Once its up and running, Im confident well be able to operationalise the scheme, get people on flights Im confident that once the Bill is passed, we will be able to get the scheme up and running. Terrance, the California two-spot octopus, became a member of the Clifford family - TikTok/Tik Toktopus A family found themselves caring for 51 octopuses after they unwittingly bought a pregnant one, mistakenly thinking it was male. Cal Clifford had been obsessed with the creatures since he was two and his dentist father, Cameron finally acquiesced. Mr Clifford, a 36-year-old dentist from Oklahoma, duly bought a 60-gallon tank as part of a surprise for Cals Ninth birthday. He then bought a California two-spot octopus from a local aquarium. It came by post swimming inside a bag of water, and Terrance became a member of the family. Dad Cameron bought his son Cal (first left) a pet octopus after his son's obsession with them began when he was three-years-old Initially, the Cliffords thought Terrance was a male. Within a few weeks, they discovered that they were mistaken. The tank in Cals bedroom in Edmund, Oklahoma was packed with dozens of eggs. Mr Clifford had assumed the eggs were not fertilised, but Terrance had mated before being caught by a diver. When Mr Clifford picked one up a blob popped out and started swimming around the tank. I just screamed my wifes name, Clifford, 36, told The Washington Post. That started the whole stress of it because now we felt this immense responsibility of taking care of these babies. Baby number one was named Pearl. Then came Seaonce, Jay Sea, Swim Shady, Squid Cudi, Bill Nye the Octopi and Champ. Within a matter of weeks, the Cliffords were caring for 51 of the creatures. The Cliffords got off lightly. A giant Pacific octopus can produce more than 50,000 eggs, according to biologist Jim Cosgrove. But caring for Terrances massive brood has proved rather expensive. The remaining 23 baby octopuses are living in the lap of luxury, each having its own plastic container - Cameron Clifford There has been a bill for individual homes for each of the offspring. Feeding them did not come cheap, with the family spending several thousand dollars for snails, clams and crabs. The Cliffords have also had to pick up the tab for fixing water damage and a small fire. Do not get a pet octopus unless youre ready to lose sleep and your kids college fund simultaneously, Mr Clifford told USA Today. The tale of Terrance and her children has gone viral with Mr Cliffords TikTok videos being watched by 400,000 people. Its something that I think a lot of people need because theres so much bad news in the world, Mr Cifford added. Having an octopus is hard. Its laboursome and expensive. Its wet. Its all of the above. So you shouldnt do it if youre not prepared to follow through. Mr Clifford enlisted the help of Tim Tytle, an 80-year-old retired radiologist - whose own menagerie includes two octopuses along with geckos, sea horses and venomous lizards. Some of the baby octopuses died while being taken to Mr Tytles home. The remaining 23 babies are living in the lap of luxury, Each has its own plastic container and is being fed live mysid shrimp, which are specially imported from the US East Coast. Harriet Wistrich, founder and director of the Centre for Women's Justice - Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph So much of the time the law, the police and the criminal justice system seem to fail women. Last Saturday it was Kulsama Akter who was the victim, stabbed to death in front of her five-month-old son on a shopping trip in Bradford. West Yorkshire Police has since referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as it had prior contact with Akter before she died. Each week in the UK two women are killed though that number rose during the pandemic. This week was no different. On Monday, police forced their way into a 3 million Grade II-listed house near Hyde Park where they found Kamonnan Thiamphanit, 27, known to her friends as Angela, stabbed to death. On Thursday, in the latest horrifying case, the Old Bailey heard how Sarah Mayhew, a 38 year-old from Croydon, was killed before her body was sliced up using power tools and dumped in a park. Some of her remains are still missing. Meanwhile rape convictions are at such an all-time low that it feels as though the offence is all but decriminalised. With the shadow of Sarah Everard offering a constant reminder that the police itself is home to monsters like her murderer Wayne Couzens, as well as serial rapist David Carrick, what hope is there that anything will change? I found hope, unexpectedly, in reading Sister in Law, by the eminent lawyer Harriet Wistrich, 63. For while it is a history of her three-decade career, peppered as it has been by some of Britains most significant cases of violence against women, it is also a reminder of how she battled, often successfully, for significant change, challenging the police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), government departments and even the prison system to think again about the brutality women endure. On the way, Wistrich confirms, shes come across some absolutely gut-wrenchingly terrible police while the CPS, she says, is in many ways the worst institution immune from accountability. Policing of rape ought to be so obvious, she notes. You get the evidence on the suspect rather than getting it [on] a victim. But in this as in so many cases of violence against women, she says, the onus is the other way round. In the most extreme cases, she adds, victims of domestic abuse [who strike back] end up being prosecuted because police and CPS cant tell the difference between a victim and a perpetrator. Which brings us, inevitably, to the case of Sally Challen, who killed her abusive and controlling husband Richard in 2010 by bludgeoning him to death with a hammer. She was subsequently convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 22 years, despite the couples two sons supporting her in her claims that she had been provoked beyond endurance. Sally Challen, flanked by her two sons, leaving the Old Bailey in 2019 after hearing she will finally walk free - Yui Mok/PA Wire It was not until five years into her term that coercive control was recognised in law as a form of domestic abuse and not until two years after that, in 2018, that she was given leave to appeal, before finally walking free in June 2019 when her conviction was quashed and prosecutors accepted a manslaughter plea instead. Sally Challen changed the law and put coercive control on the map, says Wistrich, who was at Challens side during the appeal. But the impact of the campaigning solicitor, who founded the Centre for Womens Justice, hardly ended there. When the victims of taxi driver turned serial rapist John Worboys took the Metropolitan Police to court for their failure to investigate him properly, they chose Wistrich to act for them. Ultimately the police came to suspect that Worboys the Black Cab rapist, who in 2009 was told he would not be released while he remained a danger may have attacked more than 100 women. Wistrich outside the Royal Courts of Justice in 2018 after representing the victims of John Worboys - Fiona Hanson And when it came to representing women who had been manipulated into long relationships with undercover policemen operating under the pretext that they were infiltrating political groups the so-called Spy Cops scandal? Again, it was Wistrich who took on their cases. They are cases that can take years, often spent swimming against the establishment tide, journeys that bond her to her clients. If you get a case that lasts over years, youre taking somebodys life in your hands sometimes. Youve got to keep them on the journey somehow. Not that her rich legal pedigree has cloaked Wistrich in the formality or starchiness that so often attends her profession. Quite the contrary. Her manner is unassuming and when she opens the door of her home in north London her new dog Ruby an accidental cross breed that needed a home jumps all over me. Wistrich at her London home with Ruby - Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph Ruby is clearly the new love in Wistrichs life. Her longer-term love is her partner the writer and activist Julie Bindel who makes coffee, tells a few salacious stories, then takes the excitable Ruby out for a walk. Left alone, the dynamic changes. Wistrich is an observer, a great listener rather than someone who dominates a conversation. But woe betide anyone who confuses her reticence for passivity. This is a woman who sees that the law is not fit for purpose and has spent three decades doggedly and persistently challenging it. There is steel behind her crystal blue eyes. She was born in 1960 into a liberal north London Jewish family. My dad [Ernest] grew up in Poland but luckily got here just before the war, but my Mums [Enid] family were also from Eastern Europe so there was a lot of Holocaust history in the family, close relatives that had had all been killed in the Holocaust. It was something we grew up with. My grandmother had survived the war in hiding. It was a history that girded Wistrich for a career spent around those who endured torment. Ive never run away from dark areas. I mean, I immersed myself in Holocaust history so I was already used to engaging with the worst side of humanity. Her own first experience of tragedy came early, in 1971, when her older brother Matthew, who was disabled, died aged 14. A year later, her family gave a home to an Asian family caught up in the dramatic expulsion by Idi Amin of Ugandas Indian minority. It was pretty horrific and [my parents] just thought we actually had quite a big house so we could take a family for a while. Enid was an academic who chaired the Greater London Council Film Viewing Board, battling Mary Whitehouse over censorship and writing a book on the subject: I Dont Mind the Sex Its the Violence. Today, however, Wistrich feels that pornography has inextricably linked the two. I think its unfathomable, she says of the aggression that permeates a great deal of sex portrayed online. The impact in the real world, she says, is undeniable. Whats going on among young teens with strangulation [during sex]? she asks, despairingly. I mean when we were girls you might feel like you couldnt say no to having sex. But there would never be a question about being strangled or being anally penetrated as something youd be frigid to say no to. Not that, as a girl, Wistrich found attitudes to sex anything other than unreconstructed. You were either a lesbian or a slag, she recalls. And lesbian was a really, really dirty word. She went out with boys. But after going up to Oxford University, where she read Philosophy, Politics and Economics, she came out as gay. Being a lesbian was seen as positive whereas at school it was something really negative. Rather than focus on the law, she devoted herself to performing street theatre and a few plays. All with very feminist themes. We were called The Ugly Sisters. From there she moved around and got into filmmaking, but funding had begun to run out by the late 1980s. Instead, she gave more attention to campaigns to free women from prison who had killed after years of terrible abuse or under threat of rape or assault. Wistrich began to see such unrelenting abuse as cumulative provocation. But the Law did not agree. We believed [the law] was designed for men who kill in anger, not for women who kill out of fear, she recalls. A key case was that of Sara Thornton, who in 1989 was jailed for life for killing her violent, alcoholic husband, Malcolm, an ex-policeman who repeatedly assaulted both her and her 10 year-old daughter despite Saras repeated appeals to the police. Finally, in 1996, on appeal, Thornton was found not guilty of murder. By that time, Wistrich had formalised her campaigning instinct taking a law conversion course and becoming a solicitor. She had also met Bindel. Despite their evident differences We disagree and have very different styles. Julie is very outspoken and goes in hitting hard. Im much more considered and take a bit of time to reach my opinions she fondly recalls that it just kind of gelled. At this point Julie bounces back into the room. Wistrich demurs when I suggest that the radical campaigners of old have become a new establishment power couple. But their relationship has provided a stability for Wistrich to engage with the violence which many would rather not think about. Together they have created a home of exuberant dinner parties, studded with wine, gossip and late-night disco dancing. I dont go clubbing any more but you know I like to have a groove, she laughs, before returning to more serious matters. I am not interested in law for the sake of it, she tells me. I am interested in justice. That is why, she says, she chose not to become a barrister. Doing so would have meant defending men charged with violence against women. That is a lot of criminal law and I would find it morally compromising to represent or advise in those circumstances. How has she coped with living alongside countless real-life tales of abuse, rape and murder? Ive never done [therapy]. I havent needed to do it. Instead, what keeps Wistrich awake at night is frustration when she loses a case. The things that really upset me are one or two of the court of appeal cases where weve lost, where I just thought this really, really unjust decision. That sort of injustice sends me into a rage. Thats really, really painful. Above all, she says, it is the case of Eleanor de Freitas that haunts her. A trainee accountant, the 23-year-old killed herself three days before facing trial for making a false accusation of rape against Alexander Economou, the wealthy son of a Greek shipping magnate. De Freitas, who had bipolar affective disorder was not seen as a reliable enough witness due to her erratic behaviour. Economou then brought a 200,000 private prosecution against her for making false claims, even threatening to prosecute police officers involved in the case which was taken over by the CPS. De Freitas became further destablised by his threats and in 2014 took her own life. At the inquest, her father David de Freitas said: The coroner has accepted the prosecution was a significant stressor which led to my daughter Eleanor taking her own life.We are therefore disappointed the coroner did not allow us to explore what we believe are serious failings by a state body the CPS. This was a case, says Wistrich, that made me more angry than anything because of how he [Economou] just kept needling me. I did actually feel a boiling rage about him. Most of Wistrichs cases, she says, are fought around policing hence her doggedness in holding the Met to account for its failure to investigate John Worboys. What was it like seeing him in court? She smiles. He looked like a very unassuming poor chap, you know. He was very good at playing his role, wasnt he? Despite such failures, however, it is not the police who most frustrate Wistrich. In a way, she says, theyre easier to hold accountable. Whereas the CPS is very, very immune from that. Because theyre lawyers. They just feel like they cant be held to account and there arent mechanisms to hold them to account. She insists her work will never be done, pointing to recent cases such as that of Penny Jackson, who last summer lost her bid to appeal her life sentence. Jackson, a retired accountant, stabbed her husband to death after 24 years of physical and emotional abuse. I feel a bit despairing about that, says Wistrich. Were still seeing so many [abused] women being convicted of murder. For a moment the enormity of the task seems to daunt even her. For despite her criticisms, she is aware of the staggering pressures the justice system is under. If you were going to actually prosecute, investigate and prosecute all the rapes that happened, all the rapes that were reported I mean, [todays few cases] already take up a lot of the very, very small criminal justice capacity. The criminal justice system has almost completely collapsed. I dont think that can ever be radically changed. What would spark real change, she thinks, is an effective system that showed that if you were arrested and investigated and you had raped somebody that you were likely to be held accountable as opposed to getting away with it. That, she says, is still why most women report rape. Most of the women I work with report it because they dont want it to happen to someone else or because they think this man should be held accountable. They think the man is dangerous and he should be stopped. Yet too often, her career suggests, such men are not stopped. Then tragedy begets tragedy. As she knows only too well: Men kill out of anger, she repeats, women out of fear. Sister in Law: Fighting for Justice in a System Designed by Men (Torva) is published on 2nd May Isaiah Haastrup died aged just 12 months after suffering from severe brain injuries as a result of being starved of oxygen during birth Two families in end-of-life cases are set to battle in the Supreme Court against gagging orders which they say prevent them from holding doctors to account. The parents of Zainab Abbasi and Isaiah Haastrup were banned from naming the medics treating their children after they became the centre of life support treatment disputes in the Family Division of the High Court in London. Last year, both families won an appeal court battle which lifted the restrictions, allowing them to tell the story of how their children were treated before their life support was withdrawn and they passed away. But that decision was put on hold as on Monday the two NHS Hospital trusts involved are taking the case to the Supreme Court in an attempt to preserve the anonymity of their staff. Whilst reporting restrictions normally end when a child dies, the orders made in both cases and a number of other end-of-life battles remain in place forever in order to protect the NHS staff. We were rendered powerless Zainab, who was born with a rare and profoundly disabling inherited neurodegenerative condition, died aged six at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital in September 2019 after doctors asked a judge to allow them to withdraw life-sustaining treatment against her parents wishes. Her parents Rashid and Aliya Abbasi, who are both doctors, have said that there was a toxic environment surrounding her medical care which even led to her fathers arrest at her bedside in intensive care. They said: Our family has suffered so much due to the actions of the hospital. As doctors ourselves we were aware of the medical gaslighting and the appalling mistreatment our daughter was subjected to but we were rendered powerless to take effective action by the injunctions the hospital obtained which served only to protect a toxic culture which puts doctors interests before those of their patients. The transparency which the Court of Appeal has endorsed will ensure proper accountability within the medical profession and help restore ethical standards and public trust in the NHS. They allege that they have been gagged from revealing the inappropriate attitude of medics, the lies told by some clinicians giving evidence and details of how a senior physician refused to meet with consultants employed by the family. Justice for our son Isaiah Haastrup, who suffered severe brain injuries after being starved of oxygen during birth, died when he aged just 12 months in March 2018 after a judge gave Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust permission to just provide palliative care. His father Lanre said: We were very encouraged by the Court of Appeal ruling and had hoped that we would finally be able to receive justice for Isaiah, and to be able to tell his story. Through this case, we have always wanted to shine the light of truth on what happened to Isaiah to seek justice for him and ensure that in future other families will not have to suffer what we went through as his parents. Mr Haastrup says that the original gagging order prevents him from revealing details of negligence during his sons birth, of the financial motivation for taking the end of life route and the circumstance of his last day alive. According to the Court of Appeal the essential case of both NHS trusts is that if the parents of Zainab or Isaiah name any of the relevant staff, that might precipitate a groundswell of online harassment from interested third parties which could spill over into physical confrontation or even danger. But the judges found that there were no ongoing issues at either hospital related to the cases, and concluded that the risk to their privacy was low. An incredibly difficult time The court ruled in March last year that the risk to privacy was outweighed by the parents rights to freedom of speech in being able to tell their story. Mondays Supreme Court case, in which the families are supported by Christian Concern and the Free Speech Union, could have widespread implications for reporting on cases in the family courts. A spokesman for Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: We understand this has been an incredibly difficult time for the family and we extend our condolences to them. Our priority is always to act in the best interests of our patients, and the entire clinical team involved in Zainabs care did their best to support her and her family. Its important to emphasise that there have been no findings of fault against any member of staff involved. As an employer, we have a duty to protect the wellbeing and safety of our clinical teams who work tirelessly to support their patients. Kings College Hospital Trust could not be reached for comment. The Trust has previously settled a medical negligence claim and apologised to the family for events surrounding Isaiahs birth, saying that a number of improvements have been made in our maternity service since then. Iran launched hundreds of drones as well as cruise missiles towards Israel, in the Islamic Republics first ever direct attack on the Jewish state, in response to the 1 April strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in the Syrian capital, Damascus, which killed a senior figure in Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards and eight other officers. Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet, said that Israel will exact a price from Iran in response to its mass missile and drone attack when the time is right. His comments came ahead of a war cabinet meeting alongside Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the countrys defence minister, Yoav Gallant. Tehran has warned it will strike again with greater force if Israel or the US retaliate for the Iranian strike on Israel by more 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night. The air raids, the Islamic Republics first ever direct attack on the Israeli state, brought a years-long shadow war into the open and threatened to draw the region into a broader conflagration as Israel said it was considering its response. However, the attack, mostly launched from inside Iran, caused only modest damage in Israel as most were shot down with the help of the US, Britain and Jordan. An air force base in southern Israel was hit, but continued to operate as normal and a seven-year-old child was seriously hurt by shrapnel. There were no other reports of serious damage. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said that 99% of the launches had been intercepted. Most of the Iranian drones flying over Syrias airspace during Tehrans strikes overnight were downed by Israeli and US jets before reaching their targets in Israel, two western intelligence sources told Reuters. The UN security council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday at the request of Israels ambassador to the UN, the councils president said in a statement. Iran informed Turkey in advance of its planned operation against Israel, a Turkish diplomatic source has told Reuters. The source also said that the US conveyed to Iran via Ankara that its operation must be within certain limits. These reports come after Irans foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, said in a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Tehran that Iran had informed the US that its attacks against Israel will be limited and for self-defence only. John Kirby, the White Houses top national security spokesperson, told ABCs This Week programme on Sunday that the US will continue to help Israel defend itself, but does not want war with Iran. We dont seek escalated tensions in the region. We dont seek a wider conflict, Kirby said. News outlet Axios reported that Joe Biden, the US president, had told Netanyahu that he would oppose an Israeli counterattack against Iran and that the prime minister should take the win. UK Royal Air Force fighter jets and refuelling aircraft were also involved in Israels defence, taking off from bases in Cyprus. Their role, according to the UK Ministry of Defence, was to fill in for the US air force in the sorties against Islamic State normally carried out over Iraq and north-eastern Syria, but also to intercept Iranian drones if they came into the UK area of operations. Benjamin Netanyahu (centre) during an Israeli war cabinet meeting at the Kirya in Tel Aviv on Saturday to discuss Irans drone and missile attack. Photograph: Israeli Prime Minister's Office/AFP/Getty Images Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday night, in the Islamic Republics first ever direct attack on the Jewish state, bringing a years-long shadow war into the open and threatening to draw the region into a broader conflagration. Israel, with the help of key western allies including the US, UK and Jordan, claimed to have intercepted some 99% of the launches during the mass strike, but added that some ballistic missiles had reached Israel, damaging the key Nevatim air base in southern Israel which remained operational. As the UN security council prepared to convene an emergency session, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said more than 350 missiles were launched during the attack from Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, and called the interception rate a significant strategic success. Related: Fate of Middle East hangs in the balance as Israel mulls its next steps Commenting on Israels response to the attack, Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, posted on X: We intercepted, we repelled, together we shall win. The Iranian attack was foiled, Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement adding that no drones or cruise missiles that had entered Israeli territory, and only a few ballistic missiles reached Israel. Although Israel moved to reopen its air space, officials said the incident was not yet over. As of Sunday morning, Israeli officials indicated no decision had been made about an Israeli response to the Iranian attack, as an official said any potential response would be discussed at the war cabinet meeting. Israeli war planes, however, were reported to be bombing Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. On the Gaza front of the fast expanding regional war, Netanyahu said Hamas had rejected a ceasefire proposal and that Israel would continue pursue its conflict there with full force. While many of the missiles and drones were brought down outside Israels airspace others were intercepted over Israeli territory by the Iron Dome air defence interceptor system, which lit up the night sky with multiple detonations, while air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities. The roar of Israeli air force jets could be heard across the country in the early hours of Sunday. Some projectiles penetrated the defensive shield. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed a direct hit on an airbase in southern Israel that caused minor damage to infrastructure though the base remains fully operational. One young girl is in emergency care after the attack, he said. When asked about possible retaliation by Israel, Hagari said: We have plans, the situation is still ongoing, we are assessing the situation, we are showing the cabinet the plans, and we are ready to do what is necessary for the defence of Israel. The New York Times cited Israeli intelligence sources as saying the main targets appeared to be Israeli military installations in the occupied Golan Heights, in the far north, and the Negev desert, in the far south. Tehrans ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah, fired volleys of rockets at the Golan at the same time as the Iranian bombardment, and the Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, claimed they had also joined the attack. Earlier on Saturday, Irans state-run IRNA news agency reported that the countrys Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had boarded a ship in the Strait of Hormuz by helicopter assault and taken it into Iranian waters. The cargo ship, the MSC Aries, is Portugese-flagged but linked to an Israeli company. Through its mission at the UN, Iran declared the mass aerial attack, which Tehran dubbed Operation True Promise was a retaliation for the bombing of an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus on 1 April, and that it now considered the matter closed, unless there was further action by Israel. The matter can be deemed concluded, the statement said. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe, the statement on the X social media platform said. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US must stay away! Netanyahu spoke by phone for 25 minutes with US president Joe Biden at 4am Israeli time, as the aerial attack appeared to peter out. After the call, Biden said he had reaffirmed to Netanyahu Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, Biden said, adding that on Sunday he would convene G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israels leaders, Biden said. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people. An IDF officer said the Israeli leadership would consider its response early on Sunday, and meanwhile Israel called for an emergency session of the UN security council to condemn the attack. The meeting is expected at 4pm on Sunday (9pm BST). In the days leading up to the assault, US officials had predicted it would be an unprecedented operation launched from Iran on Israeli territory. They said that if it did not cause mass casualties, Washington would urge Israel to moderate its own response, to prevent tit-for-tat escalation spiralling out of control, drawing in other countries and the US itself. Biden interrupted a weekend break at his house on Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and arrived back at the White House just after the first drones had been launched, and met his top security officials in the underground situation room. US surveillance planes in the region tracked the incoming attack, and US fighter jets shot down incoming drones and missiles. The Jordanian air force was also reported to have intercepted some of the projectiles over its territory, and the UKs Royal Air Force said it was contributing fighters and refuelling planes, mostly to fill in for the US in conducting aerial patrols over Iraq and Syria as part of its campaign against the Islamic State, but the defence secretary, Grant Shapps, said British planes could also intercept airborne attacks within range of our existing missions. There had been nearly two weeks of speculation about when, where and how Tehran or its proxy forces would respond to the 1 April strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in the Syrian capital of Damascus which killed Gen Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior figure in Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards, and eight other officers. Israeli officials almost never claim responsibility for attacks carried out on foreign soil. Tehran has blamed Israel for the strike. Since the war in Gaza began six months ago, there have been near-daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border that have threatened to escalate into full-blown conflict. A direct attack by Iran on Israel, however, was not believed to be on the cards: Tehrans leaders have previously made clear that they are not seeking a war with Israel, which could also draw in the US. Iran has never responded with such force to previous attacks, including many covert Israeli operations on its soil, or the US assassination of the powerful Quds Force leader Qassem Soleimani in Iraq in 2020. The 88-year-old Duke of Kent is clapped out as he steps down as Colonel of the Scots Guards after 50 years The Duke of Kent said he is immensely proud to have served as he bowed out as colonel of the Scots Guards after 50 years in a final ceremony on Sunday. Edward, Duke of Kent, was appointed to the position in 1974 after nearly two decades of military service, starting his career as a Second Lieutenant with the Royal Scots Greys in 1955. The 88-year-old royal who officially relinquished the title after the event concluded on Sunday afternoon had earlier paid tribute to the bravery, selfless courage and devotion to duty of the Scots Guards. The duke, who was a cousin of the late Queen, attended a morning service at the Guards Chapel in central London to begin Black Sunday, the regiments annual day of remembrance for its fallen servicemen and their families. The Duke of Kent takes the salute at Wellington Barracks on Sunday - GUY BELL/SHUTTERSTOCK The service was attended by both active members of the Scots Guards, wearing the regiments distinctive red tunic, and veteran Guardsmen. A procession made up of the Scots Guards band, pipes and serving troops then marched from the chapel to the Guards Memorial, which is dedicated to members of the Guards Division who died in both world wars and more recent conflicts. They were flanked by dozens of veteran Guardsmen, many wearing medals from their service. The Scots Guards are one of the five Regiments of Foot Guards within the British Armys Household Division alongside the Irish, Welsh, Grenadier and Coldstream Guards who carry out ceremonial duties such as taking part in major state events in support of the monarch. Members of the Scots Guard salute at the Black Sunday Parade - CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY When not protecting the King or participating in Trooping the Colour, the Guardsmen are also fighting soldiers who are deployed on operations or training exercises around the world. The duke attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial which lasted about half an hour and was watched by hundreds of members of the public from St Jamess Park. Afterwards, he took the salute as Guardsmen and veterans marched past him to a performance of The Colonel, a new composition by Pipe Major John Mitchell written as a tribute to the former colonel. Back in the barracks, the duke informally met soldiers and their families and was presented with a framed pipe banner. A Scots Guard member helps his colleague fix her uniform ahead of the Black Sunday Parade - VICTORIA JONES/PA On handing over the colonelcy, the duke said: Serving as Colonel of the Scots Guards since 1974, the longest anyone has spent in this role, has been a true honour and one which will forever fill me with great joy. Through those years, I have seen the work of the Scots Guards during peacetime and war and witnessed their bravery, selfless courage and devotion to duty. To my fellow Scots Guardsmen, I am immensely proud to have served you all. I am delighted that His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will continue to champion all that you do and work towards preserving your great legacy. As the duke departed, his route was lined with serving Guardsmen from various companies, the regiments band and association veterans who cheered loudly and applauded to a performance of the Scots Guards regimental march Highland Laddie. Regimental Lieutenant Colonel James Leask praised the dukes long tenure, saying he was able to offer wisdom and perspective as well as being a constant in a rapidly changing world. The dukes second-in-command said of his conversations with the former colonel: He could offer a little bit of wisdom to tell me how we have tackled [a given] problem in the past. He added that the duke was an important part of the regimental mental system which was based in a long history of tradition, ethos [and] culture. The band parades at The Guards Memorial in Westminster on Sunday - VICTORIA JONES/PA Formed as King Charles Is personal bodyguard in 1642, the regiment has since played key roles in major conflicts around the world from the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, both world wars, the Falklands War and deployments to Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and Iraq. The Duke of Edinburgh, who is the regiments 27th colonel, praised his predecessors tireless and passionate service. He said: The Duke of Kent has been an extraordinary colonel of the Scots Guards. Quite apart from his depth of knowledge and keen understanding of the regiment and all those who serve, past and present, he has been a tireless and passionate advocate. It is a distinct honour to be asked and entrusted by His Majesty to serve as the next colonel. However, I accept with a degree of trepidation as I will undoubtedly be measured against the formidable record and reputation of my predecessor. I can only promise to do my best. It is understood that the RAF jets shot down somewhere between 10 and 20 Shaheed 'suicide' drones Four RAF Typhoons based in Cyprus were scrambled as soon as it became clear late Saturday evening that Iran had launched an unprecedented drone swarm attack against Israel. The pilots, all of whom had taken part in numerous sorties as part of the UKs Operation Shader Mission against Islamic State, had been briefed and were on standby. Even before the aircraft were airborne, they had been given legal clearance - signed off by Rishi Sunak at a Cobra meeting in Downing Street - to engage hostile enemy drones en-route to Israel. Using signals intelligence supplied by the secretive Joint Service Signal Unit based at Ayios Nikolaos, in Cyprus, which monitors much of the Middle East, the aircraft headed for the Iraq-Syria border. The Typhoon FGR4 multi-role fighter jets were deployed over Iraq and Syria, but not Israel, the Ministry of Defence said. It is understood that the RAF jets shot down somewhere between 10 and 20 Shaheed suicide drones. Each aircraft has the capability to carry six medium-range and two short-range air-to-air missiles. Their precision was aided by the Helmet-Mounted Symbology System (HMSS), a bionic helmet and support system that lets the pilot see through the body of the aircraft, giving them a vital advantage when it comes to split-second decision-making. Conventional systems mean pilots have to point the aircraft in the direction they want to fire to get the enemy in a field of view before they engage their weapons. The helmet system allows the pilot to let his helmet do the pointing without having to waste vital time manoeuvring the aircraft - giving a big advantage in combat. The RAF were joined in the skies by Jordanian, US and Israeli forces. Footage released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shows their fighter jets picking off Iranian drones and missiles one by one. Israel and its allies, including the UK, were preparing for 10 days for an Iranian attack, according to a senior US military official. Israel claims 99 per cent of the more than 330 drones, cruise and ballistic missiles fired from Iran were shot down. One Israeli official described their countrys response as the most complex air defence events recorded. Most of the intercepts of the ballistic missiles were reportedly carried out by Israeli systems. Rare footage appeared to capture Israel shooting down a ballistic missile outside of the earths atmosphere known as a exoatmospheric interception. According to the army, Iran launched 30 cruise missiles, 120 ballistic missiles and 170 drones. The attacks were launched from Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, marking the most serious multi-front attack against Israel in decades. At least one of the ballistic missiles was shot down by the Arrow Weapon System which is the worlds first operational, national, standalone ATBM (Anti Tactical Ballistic Missiles) defence system. The Arrow 3 is the latest, most advanced system, with an exoatmospheric hypersonic anti-ballistic missile. Israel also deployed its Iron Dome missile system, the most well known of its defences that has protected the country against rockets from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah since it became operational in 2011. The Iron Dome protection system is activated on Saturday - Xinhua / Alamy Live News The Israeli military also used Davids Sling, which became operational in 2017 and protects against large-calibre rockets, short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircrafts and drones. Combined, this umbrella of missile defence systems has protected Israel against incoming missiles, drones and rockets since Oct 7. While the IDF is yet to release data on exactly which types of cruise and ballistic missiles were fired at Israel, and from where, experts say that many of the drones and cruise missiles were shot down by Israeli F-35 fighter jets. Israeli Air Force F-15 Eagle is pictured at an air base after an interception mission of an Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel Most of the drones flying over Syrias airspace were downed by Israeli and US jets, citing two Western intelligence sources, according to Reuters. Early warning The first clue for civilians that something was afoot came in the skies above Iraq. At around 8pm local time, flights were criss-crossing overhead in typical fashion, but by 10pm they had cleared completely as the airspace was closed abruptly. Soon, drones were spotted travelling from Iran towards Israel, where sirens sounded warning Israelis to seek immediate shelter. In western Kermanshah, near Irans border with Iraq, civilians were jolted awake by the buzzing of drones overhead and the ominous whirr of missiles. At first, I suspected a problem with the electricity in my home, but then I heard the panicked cries of people outside, said Tawab, an Iranian farmer. I rushed outside and just heard the sounds. It felt like our worst nightmare came true. I rushed outside and just heard the sounds, he said. It felt like our worst nightmare came true. For nearly two weeks, Israel had been on high alert, bracing for a retaliatory attack after a suspected Israeli air strike killed seven Iranian military officers in Syria. As the skies darkened on Saturday evening, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his war cabinet at the Kirya, or The Campus, in Tel Aviv. Dressed sharply in a suit, one picture released by the government showed Mr Netanyahu surrounded by his top military and political advisers gathered around a long table. Thousands of miles away, Joe Biden cut short a weekend beach trip to rush back to the White House. The president took off from Reheboth Beach, Delaware, in Marine One, the helicopter used for his personal transport, and landed at Joint Base Andrews on the outskirts of Washington DC to meet with his national security team. He then travelled back to the White House by motorcade and met top members of his Cabinet in the situation room. The meeting included Lloyd Austin, the defence secretary, Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State, and William Burns, the director of the CIA. Netanyahu attending a meeting of wartime cabinet at Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel - Xinhua/Shutterstock Joe Biden met with members of the National Security team on Saturday night Also at the meeting were Jake Sullivan, Mr Bidens national security adviser, and Gen Charles Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Kamala Harris, the vice-president, joined via video call. The Iranian onslaught was supported by its many armed proxy groups in the Middle East. A slew of drones were reportedly fired from Yemen by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. And a volley of rockets, as many as 55 in just one hour, were shot into northern Israel by Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group also linked to Iran. Iran later claimed in state media that half of the fired missiles hit their designated targets, including exploding on Israeli air bases. Neither Irans claim, nor the Israeli claim to have destroyed most of the drones, have been independently verified. Flurry of calls from Washington Either way, by the time the sun rose on Sunday, the sky seemed clear, at least for now. A whirlwind of condemnation of Iran had swept in overnight, including from Mr Sunak who said that Irans reckless attack would prompt Britain to stand up for Israels security. These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region, said the Prime Minister. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. For Israel, there will be no other option but to respond. On Sunday night, a spokesman for the IDF said plans had been drawn up for both offensive and defensive action against Iran. But Mr Netanyahu will have to decide on just how to do that. The State of Israel is strong, the Israel Defence Forces is strong, the people of Israel are strong, Mr Netanyahu said. Together we will stand, and with Gods help, together we will overcome all our enemies. He will also need to consider whether Israel will be forced to act alone, as Mr Biden has reportedly already told him that the US will not participate in any offensive against Iran. That message was delivered in a flurry of calls between the US and Israel overnight between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Biden and between Mr Austin and the Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant. Mr Netanyahu called his US counterpart at around 3am Israel time while with his war cabinet. Mr Biden received real-time updates in the situation room according to a senior US administration official For Iran, the regime is crowing of a major win against the terrorists of Israel and America. The cover of the state-run Tehran Times warned: Next Step Will be Fiercer. Iranians celebrate the missile attacks - ATTA KENARE The enthusiasm was not shared by all. As one commentator on social media put it: The regimes bluff of huge victory and revenge was called by its total failure to hit anything inside Israel. In reality, the 300 missiles and drones hit the pockets of our people, making them poorer and causing another free fall in the value of the rial. Sean Rayment is the Defence and Security Editor of National Security News Humza Yousaf, First Minister, at the launch of the Building a New Scotland prospectus paper, at Atlantic Quay, Glasgow - Robert Perry/PA The SNPs controversial independence papers are costing taxpayers up to almost 11 for each person who reads them, figures have revealed. One report produced by the Scottish Government regarding proposals for the marine sector in a sovereign Scottish state has been downloaded or viewed online just 1,295 times, but cost more than 14,059 to produce, equating to 10.85 per each view. Other papers in the series include proposals for a formal Scottish constitution, which cost 2.71 per read, while plans for a benefits system cost 20,271 but were downloaded or viewed fewer than 4,000 times, resulting in a cost of 5.20 per view. The papers were designed to rejuvenate the case for Scottish independence but have been criticised for failing to credibly tackle difficult unanswered questions in areas such as currency, trade and borders. When the first papers were published, under Nicola Sturgeons leadership, they attracted significant attention. However, recent publications have made little impact. A large team of 24 civil servants are working in the Scottish Governments constitution division, resulting in separate staffing costs to the taxpayer of around 1.4 million per year. Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Independence - SST / Alamy Live News Jamie Hepburn, the SNPs dedicated independence minister, receives an annual salary of 81,449. Since the SNP-Green Government embarked on this exercise, the chief criticism has been that it is a disgraceful waste of money, Pamela Nash, chief executive of the Scotland in Union campaign group, said. Taxpayers cash shouldnt be used to promote nationalist propaganda. It would seem, judging by the number of people accessing these reports, that the public agrees. Ministers must explain why spending several pounds for every person downloading a report, as was the case with some of these papers, is good value for money. The costs relate to the design, print and translation costs of the papers and do not include separate staffing costs. The first paper in the series, Independence in the Modern World, was downloaded 64,160 times, translating to a cost of 30p per view. The first nine papers in the series were downloaded 210,207 times overall and cost 150,467 to produce. A spokesman for the Scottish Government said it had a clear mandate from voters to provide the people of Scotland with the information they need to make an informed choice about their future across a range of topics. He added: There continues to be strong public interest in these papers, which is evident in the media coverage surrounding their publication and engagement on social media. Former President Donald Trump blamed Iran's unprecedented attack against Israel on President Joe Biden and claimed that he would have prevented it if he were America's commander in chief. "The great weakness that we've shown is unbelievable and it would not have happened if we were in office," Trump told supporters during a campaign rally Saturday, according to the Hill. "You know that, they know that, everybody knows that." Trump also pledged that if elected in November: "I will revive American strength abroad, and we will restore American strength at home." Trump echoed the message in a post on Truth Social. Israel said Sunday that it and its allies intercepted nearly all of the 300-plus drones and missiles that Iran launched in response to an April 1 attack on its embassy in Syria, where two Iranian generals were killed by airstrikes widely blamed on Israel. During Trump's Saturday's rally in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, the presumptive Republican nominee said that America "prays for Israel," adding, "We send our absolute support to everyone in harm's way." Trump's appearance in the battleground Keystone State was his last campaign event before he goes on trial Monday in New York City over accusations he tried to influence the 2016 election by paying hush money to adult film actor Stormy Daniels, who claims they had an affair in 2006. Trump, the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges, denies the allegations and has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts. Trump also faces incdictments in Washington, D.C., Florida and Georgia over allegations involving the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, his hoarding of classified documents and efforts to overturn the results of the 2022 election he lost to Biden. Joel Cauchi was shot dead after stabbing shoppers and a security guard The man who murdered six people in a busy shopping centre was a teacher turned male escort who was known to authorities because of previous concerning behaviour including an unusual interest in knives. The attacker has been identified as Joel Cauchi, a 40-year-old who was sleeping rough after moving from Queensland to Sydney where he was shot dead on Saturday. In a statement released on Sunday, his parents Andrew and Michele, described their sons actions as truly horrific. We are absolutely devastated by the traumatic events that occurred in Sydney yesterday, they said. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims and those still undergoing treatment at this time. We are in contact with both the NSW Police Force and Queensland Police Service and have no issues with the police officer who shot our son as she was only doing her job to protect others and we hope she is coping alright. Ashlee Good handed her baby to bystanders after she was stabbed - Good family handout Inspector Amy Scott shot Cauchi after he lunged at her with the knife he had already used to wound 17 people inside Westfield in Bondi Junction among them, a baby girl who was being pushed by her mother, Dr Ashlee Good. Dr Good, an osteopath who was remembered by family as an all round outstanding human died in hospital on Saturday night. Her daughter remained in hospital on Sunday after undergoing surgery. Five other victims four women and a male security guard were killed inside the shopping centre. They include architect Jade Young, 47, and Dawn Singleton, 25, who worked as an e-commerce assistant, and the daughter of millionaire businessman John Singleton. Faraz Tahir, 30, from Pakistan, was on his first shift at Westfield when he was fatally stabbed. Cauchis family contacted police after seeing news footage of the attacker, who police said would only occasionally text his mother with an update as to where he was. Dawn Singleton was shopping for makeup for her wedding - UNPIXS As Australians reeled from the deaths, questions turned to the mans motivations and past interactions with authorities and psychiatrists. Anthony Cooke, the assistant commissioner of New South Wales Police, said: There is still to this point nothing no information we have received, no evidence weve recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation, ideology or otherwise. Cauchi did not have a criminal record. But he was known to police and government health agencies because of periods of alarming behaviour since being diagnosed as schizophrenic at age 17. Queensland police assistant commissioner, Roger Lowe, said officers in that state last recorded interacting with Cauchi during a street check in the Gold Coast in December. In a separate incident, officers were called to his house in 2023 after he had a dispute with his family. Cauchi had been in possession of knives and made allegations his family were abusing him by trying to take them away, the Courier Mail newspaper reported. Joel Cauchi had expressed interest in surfing, astronomy, art and weapons A man who owns a knife-sharpening business said about three years ago Cauchi had asked the business to sharpen his two everyday knives. Which I thought was weird, the owner told the Guardian. He wasnt a chef or a butcher. Cauchi tried to organise meet-ups with people who like to shoot guns, social media posts show. Unemployed and drifting between hostels, Cauchi had turned to online sex websites to advertise his services as a male escort. But none of his recent online activities raised alarm bells with authorities. In a backpacker group, he asked fellow travellers to join him in a road trip to explore New South Wales. In April he put out a call to go surfing at the world-famous Bondi Beach. It was in Bondi on Saturday that Cauchi stopped to eat his last meal at a Vietnamese restaurant, at 10am. But he seemed confused, staff reported, and didnt have money to pay. He came back at midday to purchase a red curry with rice. By 3.30pm he had pulled a knife from his backpack, and committed one of the most devastating crimes in recent Australian history. Donald Trump speaks after hearing at New York criminal court on 25 March 2024. Photograph: Spencer Platt/AP A defiant Donald Trump continued to attack the prosecutor, judge and a key witness in the New York hush-money criminal trial against him, a signal that the former president will continue to embrace bombast as jury selection in the case begins on Monday. Trump described what will be the first criminal trial against a former US president as a communist show trial, during a rally in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. He also described his indictment as a badge of honor and cast himself as a martyr for his supporters. Im proud to do it for you, he said. Related: Donald Trumps hush-money trial: a timeline of the case On Monday in New York City, I will be forced to sit, fully gagged, he added. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection to a $130,000 payment he made in 2016 to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, to keep quiet about an alleged affair. The charges were filed last year by Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney. Despite his legal travails, Trump is the almost certain Republican presidential nominee for the November presidential election. Polling between Trump and Joe Biden is close, with Trump regularly showing a narrow lead in head-to-head surveys and performing strongly in key swing states. After repeated attacks, Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the hush-money case, issued a gag order prohibiting Trump from speaking about witnesses, jurors, lawyers, court staff and the families of Merchan and Bragg. The order does not prevent Trump from attacking Merchan or Bragg directly. Trump appeared willing to test the boundaries of that gag order as late as Saturday, tweeting about Michael Cohen, his former lawyer who facilitated the payments to Daniels and is a star witness in the case. Cohen paid Daniels through a shell company and then was repaid a total of $420,000 by Trump over the course of 2017. Trump organization officials falsely listed the payments as legal expenses, even though Cohen had no legal retainer with Trump or the Trump organization. Has Mark POMERANTZ been prosecuted for his terrible acts in and out of the DAs Office. Has disgraced attorney and felon Michael Cohen been prosecuted for LYING? Only TRUMP people get prosecuted by this Judge and these thugs! A dark day for our Country. MAGA2024!!! he wrote in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform. Trump issued a series of other posts on Saturday seeking to undermine the credibility of the trial by attacking Bragg, a Democrat, and Merchan. WHY DIDNT THE MANHATTAN DA BRING THIS RIDICULOUS & LAMBASTED CASE SEVEN YEARS AGO? Because they are corrupt and wanted to use it for purposes of Election Interference against Crooked Joe Bidens Political Opponent! he posted. Bragg was elected Manhattan district attorney in 2021. Braggs predecessor, Cy Vance, started investigating Trump in 2019, but was more interested in bringing charges based on Trumps falsification of business records. Bragg reversed on that strategy when he took office and chose to move ahead on the hush-money case. Braggs approach angered two prosecutors, Mark Pomerantz and Carey Dunne, who resigned in 2022 over how Bragg was handling the investigation. Trump also sought to attach the case to Biden, who has no jurisdiction over the Manhattan district attorneys office. The trial is far from a slam dunk for Bragg. Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor in New York state and is only elevated to a felony if there is an intent to commit another crime. Bragg has said Trump intended to violate campaign finance and tax laws with his scheme, a somewhat novel legal theory. Trump faces three other criminal cases, but has successfully delayed all of them. That has forced the New York case and the paper crimes at the heart of it to take on increased importance since it may be the only case to go to trial before the 2024 election. Bragg has sought to reframe the case not just as a matter of falsifying business records, but a matter of election interference, saying Trump was trying to conceal critical information from voters on the eve of the 2016 election. This chalk figure near Osmington was carved in 1808 as a tribute to George III. All photographs: Nick Dawe Photograph: Nick Dawe No one appreciated the rural English landscape more than a certain corn merchants son from Suffolk. John Constable made it his business to paint bucolic splendour, and perhaps no one has ever done it better. And when he went on holiday, on his honeymoon no less, he chose one particular village. Im standing there, by the old, ivy-clad church wall in Osmington, Dorset, surveying the thatched roofs ahead and the rising slope of the chalk hill beyond. Through a gateway I spot a blue plaque on the old vicarage wall: John Constable, English Romantic Painter, 1816, lived here for three months. Im not sure the information is entirely accurate. The honeymoon lasted six weeks and, although Constable did sleep and eat in the vicarage, most of the newlyweds holiday must have been spent standing in front of his easel at various locations within easy walking distance of this spot. Not very romantic, Id say; certainly not from the point of view of his bride, Maria Bicknell. Their host, the Rev John Fisher, had trimmed any expectations she might have entertained, describing his home life in the invitation: My wife is quiet & silent & sits & reads without disturbing a soul. Mrs Constable may follow her example. When Constable came, smuggling across the Channel was at its lucrative peak brandy in those days, not people Osmington is still a quiet place, easily reached across the fields from our start point in nearby Osmington Mills. Next door to Constables honeymoon home is the 12th-century St Osmunds church, where the gravestones give the flavour of days gone by on this coast: plenty of drownings. When Constable came, the whole area must have had the appearance of a duck crossing a pond: serene on top, frantic underneath. The smuggling across the Channel was at its lucrative and dangerous peak brandy in those days, not people. Walking down through the village, my partner, Sophie, spots a bottle buried in the wall, said to be placed there by a smuggler, pointing the way to some stash, perhaps. The path leads us across soggy fields by the River Jordan towards the village of Sutton Poyntz. The rivers name may or may not be biblical, but the water here certainly had magical qualities, emerging from springs under the Dorset Ridgeway and serving several mills. Sutton Poyntz is a lovely village with its beck running down the centre and a pub, the Springhead, if you need refreshments before the hill climb ahead. From there, we hike uphill on to the ridge, where its blowing a gale and we are grateful for the ragged hawthorn hedge shelter. Up on the hill is a huge figure of a man on horseback, 98 metres tall, carved into the chalk in 1808. It was cut as a tribute to George III, who loved nearby Weymouth, although one local legend is that he hated the hillside tribute for showing him riding away from the town. The views are spectacular. Related: Of Thomas Hardy and PJ Harvey: on the trail of Dorsets inspirational powers This is part of the Hardy Way, a long-distance footpath that loops out of Dorchester for more than 200 miles, ending in Stinsford churchyard, where the authors heart is buried. (A fate contrary to his wishes. The nation carried the rest of him off to Poets Corner in Westminster Abbey.) The ridge holds many ancient barrows and hill forts along its length, including Maiden Castle, just south of Dorchester. Up here on the countys wind-battered spine, Hardys world feels close the author did plunder the area for inspiration. Down to our right is Poxwell Manor, which appears in the novel The Trumpet-Major, and when we get over the hills and down to the sea we reach Ringstead, which appears as Ringworth in his Wessex Tales. A trio of roe deer skitter away as we arrive at the mixture of shingle and sand, and sink gratefully into a little stony sun trap, out of the wind. There is a choice now: follow the beach west, on to increasingly large rocks, or head along the safer coastal path. We check the tides and choose the beach, hunting out the seam of fossil shells where an entire generation of molluscs perished, caught out by some climatic change. How fortunate that humans are rational, scientific creatures who could never make a similar mistake. Further along, the beach throws up dozens of strangely rounded boulders that appear like stranded turtles from a distance. On closer examination, however, they look more like a form of beach bum. They tricked a customs man into hiding up the chimney, then lit the fire so he fell out coughing and choking It was somewhere just beyond this point where John Constable set up his easel in 1816, painting the distant Portland Island tethered to the mainland by Chesil Beach, and a few wooden boats, which were quite likely to have been smugglers vessels. (The original painting is in the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts.). You could continue along the coast to Weymouth from here, passing the spot where he painted a second seascape (this one is in the National Gallery in London; other local drawings are in the V&A). Our path, however, leads up the cliff to Osmington Mills and the Smugglers Inn. Google map of the route Start and finish Smugglers Inn, Osmington Mills Distance 8 miles Time 3.5 hours Total ascent 396 metres Difficulty moderate GPX track of route at Ordnance Survey website The pub The first thought that occurs to me as I gaze down at the Smugglers Inn is: What a champion spot to hide away in. The entire establishment is tucked away from view in a narrow little gorge and blends in very well. Its therefore no surprise to learn that this ancient drinking den spent much of its long career dodging excisemen and secreting large casks of illicit French spirits about its person. Despite several name changes, the pub could never quite shake off its pursuers. The landlords were all seasoned smugglers who seem to have had a lot of fun, particularly Emmanuel Charles, who was contraband king in the early 1800s, and a man of some charm and nerve. His importation business was ably supported by an extended family of 27, all at different times convicted of smuggling. The legends are of sharp wits and wily subterfuges: one story tells how they tricked a customs man into hiding up the chimney, then lit the fire so he fell out coughing and choking. The truth may have been rather less picturesque: one son was shot dead, a brother drowned, while Charles himself was said to have died in poverty in Weymouth. The big stone fireplace is still there, and with an impressive cast iron ships cannon too, but the current landlords have replaced the genuine flames with an electric. There are, however, still plenty of cosy corners to hide away in, and the low beamed ceilings and stone floors with rugs maintain that original atmosphere. I like the black-and-white photographs on the walls, a reminder that smuggling was only one part of what was largely a farming, fishing and seafaring community: shipwrecks on local beaches and pictures of bluefin tuna piled on a ships deck. The pumps deliver local Badger Brewery ales. Food is sturdy pub fare delivered with local flourishes and culinary flair. I cant resist the steak and Tangle Foot pie, but it means giving up on the Brixham hake and the Devon crab. Fortunately, Sophie gets those, so I try them anyway both excellent. I like the dessert option too an affordable mini-portion with coffee. The rooms Rooms hit the right tone for a smuggling den, with plenty of nautical artefacts and antiques, but all the necessary equipment to relax after a decent walk, namely tea and coffee tray (with biscuits), a proper-size bath for a long soak, and a comfortable bed (doubles from 122). smugglersinnosmingtonmills.co.uk Authorities in Oklahoma booked four people on suspicion of kidnapping and murder in connection with the March disappearance of two women who are still missing. The four, arrested and booked Saturday, were identified as Tad Bert Cullum, 43; Tifany Machel Adams, 54; Cole Earl Twombly, 50; and Cora Twombly, 44. They were booked into the Texas County Jail in Oklahoma on suspicion of first-degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit murder, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement Saturday. State court records did not appear to show charges had been filed, and the suspects names were not yet listed among active inmates. It wasnt clear if the suspects had legal representation. Authorities werent saying what may be behind the the disappearance, only that the four were arrested in Texas and Cimarron counties in the westernmost section of the Oklahoma panhandle. The OSBI and local law enforcement are still currently working to locate the two victims, the bureau of investigation said. Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, were the subjects of an endangered missing advisory issued by Texas County authorities on March 30 after a vehicle they were traveling in was found abandoned in a rural part of Texas County south of Elkhart, Kansas, the bureau said. OSBI special agents immediately began investigating the vehicle and determined there was evidence to indicate foul play, it said in Saturdays statement. Bureau spokesperson Hunter McKee said previously that Texas County Sheriffs Office deputies first came upon the vehicle. They approached the vehicle, but these women are gone and theyre nowhere to be seen, he said. The investigation was challenged by just how remote the area was, he said, with few if any homes and businesses where authorities might typically find security cameras. Investigators didnt reveal exactly what evidence suggested the possibility that a crime had taken place. The two were en route to pick up children, though it wasnt clear if the children belonged to one, both or neither of the women. McKee said investigators believe the two are friends. Butlers stepmother, Guadalupe Torres, said in an interview that Butler was in the midst of a heated custody dispute. Court records show she is a party to a custody claim that was first filed in 2021. Though the bookings connected to the investigation included allegations of murder, authorities have so far stopped short of saying theyre searching for bodies. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the women is asked to contact the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation at tips@osbi.ok.gov or 1-800-522-8017. By Joseph Ax (Reuters) - Thousands of reproductive rights supporters rallied on Saturday in Florida to support a voter referendum that would enshrine abortion protections into the state constitution, an effort Democrats hope will boost their chances to win the Southern state in November's presidential election. Activists in Arizona where a similar ballot measure campaign is ongoing have announced a rally on Sunday in Scottsdale to protest the decision from the state's highest court on Tuesday reviving a 160-year-old abortion ban. The weekend events cap a whirlwind few days that thrust abortion back to the forefront of the presidential campaign between Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump. Arizona is likely to be a crucial swing state in November's vote, and the state will also host one of the country's most competitive U.S. Senate contests. The issue of abortion has bedeviled Republicans since 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority including three Trump appointees reversed five decades of precedent and eliminated a nationwide right to abortion. Democrats this week immediately seized on the court's decision, which found that an 1864 near-total ban should supersede a 15-week limit that Republican state lawmakers passed in 2022. The Biden campaign dispatched Vice President Kamala Harris to Arizona on Friday, where she said Trump bore responsibility for the ruling. Trump has sought to distance himself from the decision, saying the court went too far and urging the Republican-controlled legislature to repeal the 1864 ban. But Republican leaders blocked a Democratic effort to do so on Wednesday, noting the law would not take effect for weeks and saying they did not want to rush. At Saturday's rally in Orlando, one speaker after another offered emotional accounts of their experiences with abortion. Derick Cook, a Florida resident, described how his wife finally got pregnant after multiple miscarriages. But a complication at 16 weeks meant her fetus would not survive and threatened her life. Florida had enacted a 15-week abortion limit a few weeks before. "The doctor told us that because of the ban, there was nothing he could do to help," Cook said, even though the law allows abortions when the mother's life is at risk. Cook's wife, Anya, delivered the fetus in a hair salon the next day and nearly died at the hospital from blood loss, he said. The story, which Cook has previously shared publicly, was reminiscent of a hard-hitting advertisement the Biden campaign began airing this week, featuring a Texas woman who almost died after being denied an abortion and blaming Trump. Most state bans, including in Arizona, contain exceptions to protect the mother's life. But reproductive rights advocates say doctors are reluctant to test those exceptions in cases that are not clear-cut emergencies. In Florida, the state Supreme Court earlier this month cleared the way for a six-week abortion ban to take effect on May 1. While Florida has voted Republican in recent elections, the Biden campaign has argued that abortion has put the state back in play for November. (Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Daniel Wallis) Connecticut is the latest state to allow voters to cast their ballots early and in person. Saturday was the final day for early voting in the state before the presidential primary slated for Tuesday. It is the first election in the state to offer early voting. This is a historic moment for Connecticut, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas said in a statement earlier this week. We now have so many more opportunities for people to go out and vote. If you have a last-minute emergency or a childcare issue, you no longer have to worry. You can have your say, your day. There is not a lot on the line since both President Biden and former President Trump have accumulated the needed number of delegates to be the presumptive nominees of their respective parties. Thomass office said they have not had any major systematic or legal issues regarding the the new voting option. Now just four states Alabama, Delaware, Mississippi and New Hampshire do not allow early, in-person voting. Those four states do have some options for absentee voters. There are only four days for early voting in this primary, but the general election will have 14 days to choose from. That came after the voters in 2022 approved a constitutional amendment and both state legislatures passed and clarified the text last year. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Editors Note: If you are in the US and you or a loved one have contemplated suicide, call the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to connect with a trained counselor. Outside the US, a worldwide directory of resources and international hotlines is provided by the International Association for Suicide Prevention, and you can turn to Befrienders Worldwide. Jaime Puertas 16-year-old son Daniel died four years ago after taking a counterfeit oxycodone pill made with pure fentanyl, the illicit opioid drug, that he purchased from a dealer he found on Snapchat. In 2022, Puerta sued Snapchat in a wrongful death lawsuit. At the time, his lawsuit was one of the first to accuse social media of posing a danger to childrens health. Now there are hundreds of such lawsuits against social media platforms, alleging teenagers across the country have been harmed from exposure to social media, according to Matthew Bergman, the founder of the Social Media Victims Law Center, from where many of these lawsuits have been filed. In some of the cases, families allege their children used social media to buy drugs; in other cases, parents say their teens saw dangerous content and harmed themselves. There is a range of harms and heartbreak alleged in the filings. Meta, TikTok and Snapchat outline on their websites that they prohibit content that promotes self-harm and the sales of prescription and opioid drugs. The platforms also have tools that allow parents to set time limits for their teens on the apps, verify user ages and restrict who they can message. The lawsuits against various tech companies are still pending. - Koukichi Takahashi/Adobe Stock We want to reassure every parent that we have their interests at heart in the work were doing to help provide teens with safe experiences online, a Meta spokesperson told CNN. These are complex issues but we will continue working with experts and listening to parents to develop new tools, features and policies that are effective and meet the needs of teens and their families. The social media companies filed motions to dismiss some of the cases under the First Amendment and Section 230, which states that tech companies cannot be held liable for some of the content that users post to their platforms. However, some cases, including with Puertas lawsuit, have already been approved to move forward in the court of law. All cases are still pending. Snap did not comment on the status of some of the lawsuits but directed CNN to its community guides. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment. But with little movement in the courts or from lawmakers and drawn-out battles with regulators against Big Tech, some of those grieving families are looking elsewhere for progress. Instead of waiting for others to act, they are now teaming up with nonprofits, starting their own organizations and connecting with each other to try to save children across the country. All I am is a bereaved father who wants to make sure this doesnt keep happening, Puerta told CNN. My son made a mistake [on social media] but it shouldnt have cost him his life. Soon after Daniel died, Puerta founded an organization called VOID Victims of Illicit Drugs which offers parents and educators resources about the dangers of fentanyl-laced drugs and social media. Jaime Puerta said he has met with police departments, government agencies and schools to discuss the dangers of social media platforms. - Courtesy Jaime Puerta He said he has met with the Los Angeles police department, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Homeland Security and other government agencies to address the topic. He also hosts student assemblies at high schools where he screens a short film that follows four families, including his own, who lost children to fentanyl-laced drugs purchased on social media platforms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 80,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the US in 2022, many of which came from fentanyl and other synthetic drugs. Some drug traffickers advertise on social media platforms often via 24-hour disappearing posts, along with code words and emojis to evade law enforcement and platform algorithms, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Federal prosecutors are reportedly investigating Meta for its role in the sale of illicit drugs on Facebook and Instagram, according to a Wall Street Journal report published last month. In a response to the report, the company told CNN it proactively cooperates with law enforcement authorities to help combat the sale and distribution of illicit drugs, which is against its policies. The government wasnt being proactive enough, so I knew I had to be, Puerta told CNN. The stigma of overdose and drugs makes you think that person must have been a drug addict or used too much. But what most people dont understand is that fentanyl is taking the lives of non-addicted first-time users. The making of a movement The motivation to reach lawmakers is common among families who say their childrens lives were lost due to social media. Gail Flatt, who sued Snapchat and Meta in 2022 alleging her 14-year-old daughter Sarahs addiction to the platforms led to sleep deprivation, anxiety and ultimately death by suicide in 2019, has been meeting with lawmakers over what she describes as problems with the sites algorithms. The lawsuit, which is pending in a Northern District of California Court, states Sarah constantly checked Snapchat and Instagram and fell down rabbit holes that ultimately led her to thoughts of suicide and self-injury. Flatt recently met with Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee to support the development of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, which would give kids more online protections, such as opting out of algorithmic recommendations and ensuring higher privacy settings for young users. She was also invited by Sen. Blackburn to attend President Bidens State of the Union address last month, in which he discussed the need to minimize the risks of social media for kids. (L to R): Senator Marsha Blackburn meets with Gail Flatt to support of the development of legislation that aims to place more guardrails on social media. - Office of Senator Blackburn And when Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized to the families whove suffered because of his platform during a recent congressional hearing, Flatt was among the parents who held up pictures of their deceased children as he spoke. Im trying to help save other childrens lives, said Flatt, noting she wants her daughters face to serve as a warning that more children could be hurt until changes are made. I want companies to know, as a mother, what my son went through with depression, comparing himself to others and doing the challenges he saw on social media that were exposed to him by the algorithms, she told CNN. Norma Nazario, whose 15-year-old son Zackery died last year in a New York subway surfing accident after he found videos of the trend on social media, said she feels similarly. When New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently announced the city is suing five social media companies, alleging their platforms designs exploit young users mental health and cost New York $100 million in related health programs and services each year, Nazario stood next to him during the press conference. Mayor Eric Adams makes announcement on lawsuit against social media companies at City Hall in New York City. Norma Nazario, whose 15-year-old son Zackery died last year in a New York subway surfing accident after he found videos of the trend on social media, stands by his side, holding a picture of her son. - Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty Images She has a wrongful death lawsuit pending against TikTok, its parent company ByteDance and Meta, which alleges the platforms algorithms were responsible for what the lawsuit describes as her sons social media addiction. Next, she said she wants to work with lawmakers to help increase the age requirement to access social media sites. Last month, Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law banning children under age 14 from having their own social media accounts. (Fourteen and 15-year-olds will be allowed to have accounts with parental consent). A mother featured in the same film as Jaime Puerta Amy Neville, whose 14-year-old son Alexander died after taking a pure fentanyl pill she believes was purchased on Snapchat in 2020 also travels across the US to show the documentary to students. She screens several other films shes been involved with too, including one that examines the reported drug market Snapchat has made available to kids. Neville helped fund the production for one of the films. I do this because it keeps me connected to Alexander and lets me talk about him, she said. Its an overwhelming thought that it could happen to someone else. If I can do something to help them, I will. Amy Neville is the founder of the Alexander Neville Foundation, which offers resources about the fentanyl crisis in the United States. - Courtesy Amy Neville She also founded the Alexander Neville Foundation, which offers resources about the problem, and started a course called the Parent Connections Academy in her local community to empower parents with more information about fentanyl. Neville said she has submitted a proposal to Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota to create a new national holiday in June called Social Media Victims Remembrance Day. Sen. Klobuchar did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Finding community Families whove been shaken because of their childrens use of social media are coming together to find a sense of community, too. Sabine Polak, a mother from Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, first spoke publicly about how her daughter struggled with social media addiction back in 2021. In an interview with CNN at the time, she revealed her 14-year-old daughter was working through depression and had contemplated suicide. The teen ultimately received treatment in a rehab institution, after an intervention with her school counselor, and has made great progress, according to Polak. Sabine Polak, a mother to a teenage daughter who struggled with social media addiction, now runs a nonprofit that encourages schools to ban phone use during school hours. - Courtesy Sabine Polak But that period changed the trajectory of Polaks life. When another mother in her town, Mileva Repasky, read about Polaks story on CNN, she reached out; her son also struggled with social media addiction. It brought her to tears because she was going through something so eerily similar with her teenage son, even with that call from the counselor out of nowhere, Polak said. We both couldnt believe that not only were we in the same area but our kids were in the same school district. They eventually launched a nonprofit called the Phone-Free Schools Movement, which meets with administrators to help schools restrict or ban phone use during the school day as a way for students to disconnect, focus on classwork and cut down on cyberbullying, cheating and other distractions. We are receiving a lot of messages from parents wanting to start a movement in their own schools, and even administrators asking for resources on how to implement a phone-free policy, Polak said. She said connecting with Repasky gave her motivation to draw more attention to a crisis that not everyone is willing to discuss. But its not just parents who are advocating for change and finding support in their local communities. Nineteen-year-old Cece Neltner from Independence, Kentucky who filed a lawsuit in July 2022 against Meta alleging Instagram pushed her toward harmful content on the platform without her consent joined a student-led discussion group with neighboring high schools to talk about the damage social media can inflict on teenagers mental health. Nineteen-year-old Cece Neltner has filed a pending lawsuit against Meta alleging Instagram pushed her toward harmful content on the platform without her consent. - Courtesy Cece Neltner At age 12, Neltner said she signed up for Instagram as a way to stay connected with her mother while she stayed part-time at her fathers home. The two started sharing recipes, but over time, she says, Instagram pushed her toward posts about anorexia and bulimia. After the platform connected her with users, groups, videos and posts with tips and tricks on how to hide the fact that she was not eating, she went into heart failure and was hospitalized for anorexia nervosa, according to the lawsuit. The [discussion] group gave me the biggest sense of perspective, said Neltner, who became a group leader. You talk to different kids that you may sit next to in class but learn a lot about them, their mental health and whats affecting them. It made me feel less alone and like I want to do more. Meanwhile, Donna and Chris Dawley who claimed in a 2022 lawsuit that social media sites played a significant role in the decision of their 17-year-old son CJ to end his life said they initially didnt know other families who were facing the same hardships. Now we know so many, Donna Dawley told CNN. Over the last two years, the Dawleys have spoken at various conferences and events to share their story, including at the Archewell Foundation Parents Summit on World Health Day. They are also part of a network of families affiliated with a charitable organization, founded by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, that provides counselors and resources to parents who have experienced tragic loss connected to their childs social media use. Donna and Chris Dawley have attended conferences, events and Congressional hearings to raise awareness about social media addiction. - Courtesy Donna Dawley We are so grateful to have found other families speaking out about whats happening, Donna Dawley said. Its like having an extended family. We always text each other to see if someone is having a bad day and send support. But she said it still hurts to hear new stories of children losing their lives to the dangers associated with social media. Weve been talking so much about this, but it makes me feel like we havent done enough, even though I know we cant do everything, she said. If social media companies would just fix these algorithms, there wouldnt be more grieving parents. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Drivers in the U.S. reported over a million motor vehicles stolen in 2023, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Thats roughly the same theft rate as 2022, but part of an ongoing spike in auto theft since 2019. The latest auto theft statistics available from NICB, the FBI and other expert sources indicate that technological vulnerabilities are a major driver of motor vehicle theft in 2024. Key auto theft statistics In 2023, 1,020,729 vehicles were reported stolen, up from 1,008,756 in 2022. (NICB) California remains the state with the most vehicles stolen in 2023 (208,668), but Colorado has the highest theft rate (NICB) Maryland and the District of Columbia saw the biggest percent increase in thefts from 2022 to 2023. (NICB) Theft claim frequency for 20032023 Hyundai and Kia models was almost 7 times higher than for all other makes in the first six months of 2023. (IIHS-HLDI) The average claim severity for stolen cars other than Hyundai and Kia models was $21,681 in the first half of 2023. (IIHS-HLDI) Motor vehicle theft is the third most common property crime in the United States. (U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics) In 2022, over 85 percent of stolen vehicles were recovered, with 34 percent recovered the same day. (NICB) How often do cars get stolen? Car theft is increasingly common in the U.S. In 2023, 1,020,729 vehicles were stolen, compared to 1,008,756 in 2022 and 794,019 in 2019, according to the NICB. Thats an increase of 28.5 percent in just four years. According to the latest data from the FBI, the motor vehicle theft rate per 100k people in the U.S. was 282.7 in 2022. The FBI also found that: In 2022, 45 percent of auto theft victims were between the ages of 20 and 39. 12 percent of offenders in 2022 were teenagers. Only 23 percent of auto thefts were committed by offenders confirmed to be known to the victim. 33 percent of stolen vehicles were taken from a residence, compared to 25 percent from a highway or street and 23 percent from a parking lot or garage. In other words, while rates of car theft are up across the country, youre more likely to experience this crime if youre a young driver parking your car somewhere other than a home garage. Where do the most cars get stolen? In 2023, the three states with the highest motor vehicle theft rates per 100k people were the District of Columbia, Colorado and Nevada. The top metropolitan statistical areas by theft volume were Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin. The five states with the greatest increase in auto theft rate from 2022 were District of Columbia (64 percent), Maryland (63 percent), Connecticut (33 percent), Nevada (18 percent) and Massachusetts (16 percent). The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area saw the largest increase in thefts compared to 2022 (52 percent). The Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area saw the largest decrease in auto thefts from 2022 to 2023 (-22 percent). San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas-Fort Worth saw major spikes in auto thefts (28, 19 and 13 percent). California, Texas and Florida remain the three states with the highest overall number of cars stolen in 2023 due to high population numbers, but none of these saw a major increase in theft rates from 2022 to 2023. Car theft statistics by state The NICB hasnt yet released its full auto theft report for 2023, but 2022 data points to states in the West and the Washington, D.C., area as key areas for motor vehicle theft, while New England states like Maine and New Hampshire see the lowest rates of auto theft overall. State Theft rate per 100k people Thefts Colorado 731.28 42,706 District of Columbia 700.06 4,703 Washington 603.54 46,990 Oregon 540.88 22,934 New Mexico 540.57 11,424 California 520.17 203,018 Missouri 482.60 29,815 Nevada 480.81 15,279 Texas 350.10 105,133 Tennessee 337.95 23,830 Minnesota 311.90 17,832 Illinois 307.57 38,699 Oklahoma 298.70 12,007 Louisiana 297.11 13,638 Arizona 294.79 21,694 Kansas 292.39 8,588 South Carolina 290.48 15,345 Arkansas 269.76 8,216 Maryland 260.94 16,086 Ohio 258.26 30,361 Nebraska 257.02 5,058 Michigan 256.65 25,753 South Dakota 248.29 2,259 Alaska 245.64 1,802 Georgia 243.86 26,612 Kentucky 226.43 10,217 Indiana 225.96 15,440 North Dakota 224.57 1,750 Montana 223.71 2,512 North Carolina 220.36 23,576 Utah 209.48 7,082 Alabama 209.21 10,616 Mississippi 209.18 6,150 Florida 206.88 46,020 Wisconsin 198.71 11,709 Connecticut 195.55 7,091 Delaware 184.51 1,879 Hawaii 183.24 2,639 New Jersey 174.54 16,165 Pennsylvania 172.73 22,407 Iowa 168.07 5,379 Rhode Island 164.21 1,796 Virginia 164.17 14,256 Vermont 160.57 1,039 New York 143.94 28,323 Wyoming 132.44 770 West Virginia 115.26 2,046 Massachusetts 101.46 7,084 Idaho 91.08 1,766 Puerto Rico 84.89 2,735 Maine 68.14 944 New Hampshire 53.75 750 What vehicles are stolen most often? Data from the NICB and HLDI show that full-size pickup trucks, older Honda sedans and Hyundai and Kia vehicles from 2011 to 2022 are the most-stolen vehicles in the U.S. today. Full-size Chevrolet pickups top the NICBs list of most stolen vehicles for 2022 with 49,903 total thefts that year. Two more large pickups the Ford F-150 and GMC Sierra also made the top 10. The other vehicles on the list were primarily sedans. Vehicle Total annual thefts Most-stolen model year Full-size Chevrolet pickup (e.g. Silverado) 49,903 2004 Full-size Ford pickup (e.g. F-150) 48,175 2006 Honda Civic 27,113 2000 Honda Accord 27,089 1997 Hyundai Sonata 21,707 2013 Hyundai Elantra 19,602 2017 Kia Optima 18,221 2015 Toyota Camry 17,094 2021 Full-size GMC pickup (e.g. Sierra 1500) 16,622 2005 Honda CR-V 13,832 2001 Used cars are also more likely to be stolen than new cars, according to NICBs research. With the exception of the Toyota Camry, the most-stolen model year for the top 10 models was at least five model years old. Hyundai and Kia thefts account for huge 2023 increases Stealing Hyundai and Kia vehicles was more than a crime trend in 2023. It was also a social media trend, driven by a notable crack in the makes technological armor. While most cars manufactured in the 2010s included immobilizers passive security systems that require a programmed key fob to match the cars security system before the vehicle can be turned on Hyundai and Kia didnt include these devices in many of their cars manufactured between 2011 and 2022. Only 26 percent of Hyundai and Kia vehicles from the 2015 model year came with immobilizers, compared to 96 percent of cars from other manufacturers. TikTok users discovered this technological security oversight and sparked an explosive auto theft fad, leading theft claims for Kia and Hyundai users to increase dramatically in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, insurance claim frequency for Hyundai and Kia users was 364 percent higher than the claim frequency for all others makes; in the first six months of 2023, it jumped to 681 percent. Model years from 2011 to 2021 saw the most severe increases. Colorado and Wisconsin were among the first states to see a spike in Hyundai and Kia thefts, according to HLDI. In 2023, Marylands rising auto theft rates were driven in large part by Hyundai and Kia thefts, leading the city of Baltimore to file a lawsuit against both automakers in May 2023. Does car insurance cover theft? Your car insurance handles theft and loss in a few different ways. The comprehensive portion of your insurance policy typically covers the theft of your vehicle. It also can cover the cost of repairs, such as broken windows, locks or ignition. If you dont have comprehensive coverage on your policy, however, you wont be able to file a theft claim with your insurance company. Your comprehensive coverage only covers the vehicle itself, not the items inside, so your personal belongings are not typically covered by your car insurance. However, if you have homeowners insurance or renters insurance, the personal belongings in your vehicle would likely be covered through that policy. This means that when it comes time to report your losses, you would likely need to file both a car insurance claim and a home insurance claim. Vehicle theft rates are one of many rating factors considered by car insurance companies. If you have a model that is often stolen or susceptible to theft, youll likely pay higher coverage rates as a result. For example, some insurers will not issue policies to Kia or Hyundai drivers with a model from 2011 to 2021 due to the high theft rates for these cars. How to prevent car theft Car theft methods are increasingly technologically advanced, as thieves learn how to exploit modern vehicle security systems. Keyless entry hacks, reprogrammed vehicle software and key codes linked to VINs all allow easy entry for thieves, making car security a moving target. To maximize your vehicles security (and potentially earn an extra insurance discount), consider the following measures: When Los Angeles voters approved an extra tax last year on home sales over $5 million, officials projected annual revenue of $700 million to help alleviate the city's rampant homelessness crisis. But a year in, LA's mansion tax has fallen far short of expectations generating barely a quarter of the promised revenue and has arguably put a chill on high-end home sales as wealthy homeowners stay put rather than pay the six-figure tax bill. "Given the high-interest rate environment we find ourselves in and now this exorbitant tax on top, if you don't need to sell, why would you?" Jon Grauman, founder of Grauman Rosenfeld, a luxury real estate firm in LA, told Yahoo Finance. All the while, homelessness has worsened. Theres now a movement to repeal LA's mansion tax in November, and similar measures around the country are meeting mixed results. Chicago voters recently rejected their mansion tax, while Berkeley has found some success in the policy. A handful of municipalities spread across California, New York, Illinois, Connecticut, Maryland, and New Mexico have implemented some form of a mansion tax. But what once seemed a promising populist answer to worsening home affordability could now be compounding the problem. Read more: Mansion taxes are on the ballot. How do they work? Los Angeles sellers pull back from high taxes The citys mansion tax, known as the United to House LA (ULA) measure, imposes a 4% real estate transfer tax on properties selling for between $5 million and $10 million and 5.5% on properties selling for over $10 million. That means home sellers pay a one-time tax of $200,000 on a $5 million property sale. The ballot measure passed with 58% voter approval last April. But since its implementation, transactions for homes in this price range cratered. Only 230 homes over $5 million have sold in Los Angeles since ULA was enacted, a 60% decline from the 570 homes sold in the previous 12-month period, data from Redfin shows. The demand for housing remains its the sellers unwillingness to list their homes that caused the decline. The number of home listings over $5 million declined 27% in the past year to 800 properties. Most people just think that it's incredibly unfair and inequitable, Grauman said. I sit down with homeowners almost every day in their living rooms and walk them through this and illustrate for them the impact that this is going to have on their bottom line. [City officials] have created a massive disincentive for homeowners to sell, Grauman added. To be clear, even someone selling for less than what they paid would be liable for the tax. Eric Sussman, adjunct professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, questions how taxing more would reduce housing affordability when similar policies haven't worked in the past. "It's a terrible rule. It was just another nail in the coffin with the higher rates, said Sussman, noting that the city previously funded more than $1 billion to reduce homelessness. Both experts also questioned setting the threshold at $5 million, arguing that these homes are only sometimes a luxury in Los Angeles and definitely not mansions. "It's sort of weird and crazy to think that a $5 million home is not ultra-luxury. It isn't," Sussman said. "In Los Angeles, a million dollars gets a shoebox." Current listings show that nearly 1 in 5 listed homes is priced over $5 million. The median home sale price is around $1 million for 1,330 square feet, according to Realtor.com. Read more: Why are home prices so high? Berkeley declares rare win on homelessness Cities typically set mansion tax thresholds above their median home prices in order to exempt average households. Berkeley, Calif., passed a progressive mansion tax in 2018 that adjusts for market fluctuation annually. It tracks and taxes the top third of the highest-dollar transactions. Berkeley has seen signs of its initiatives working. The city's homeless population dropped 5% for the first time in 2022, according to its latest official count. Mansion tax revenues provide an average of $10 million in funding annually, supporting services like permanent housing, improved street conditions and hygiene, and emergency shelters. One major drawback is that the housing market is volatile, and the revenue stream could dry up during a bad year. But Andy Boardman, a local policy analyst at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, remains optimistic. "Mansion tax can be a way to achieve a better overall balance when the economy is growing, inequality is growing, and folks at the top are doing really well, and you are able to capture that," Boardman told Yahoo Finance. Sussman countered that taxing 33% of home sales is doing a disfavor to the state. Californians already pay the highest state taxes in the country, driving some people and businesses to leave. We're still running a deficit, Sussman said. We can keep taxing, taxing, taxing, thinking that's going to get us out of this. No, it's not. Chicagoans reject the referendum Brian Rodgers participates in a rally on Feb. 14, 2024, prior to a court hearing on a Chicago ballot measure that would raise a one-time tax on luxury properties to fund services for homeless people in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Fourteen US cities enacted the mansion tax starting in 2014, an explosive trend compared to six cities over the previous 40 years. Multiple communities in Massachusetts, including Boston, are eyeing similar adoption. Yet just last month, about 53% of voters in Chicago rejected the citys proposed 2% real estate transfer tax on properties over $1 million and 3% on properties over $1.5 million. Many voters feared that a new tax would have a negative ripple effect the extra costs would intensify commercial real estates financial stress, forcing the government to pass off revenue burdens on residents by raising property taxes without solving the city's affordability problem for the middle class. Our concerns about growth, housing stock, and our dwindling supply of affordable housing which, in my ward, is largely built by private developers resonated with voters," Bennett Lawson, a Chicago councilman, told Axios. Rebecca Chen is a reporter for Yahoo Finance and previously worked as an investment tax certified public accountant (CPA). Click here for the latest personal finance news to help you with investing, paying off debt, buying a home, retirement, and more Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance By Steven Scheer JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli airlines said operations were returning to normal on Sunday after an overnight attack by Iranian missiles and drones closed the airspace and led to flight cancellations. Israel reopened its airspace as of 7:30 a.m. (0430 GMT) on Sunday, though flight schedules from Tel Aviv were expected to be affected and travellers were advised to check flight times before going to Ben Gurion International Airport. Flag carrier El Al said it had resumed operations and was "working to stabilise the flight schedule as soon as possible". "El Al will continue to operate as much as possible to preserve the air bridge to and from Israel," it said. The airline had cancelled 15 flights to Europe, Dubai and Moscow scheduled for Sunday while flights that had taken off from Bangkok and Phuket were forced to return. Smaller Israeli carrier Arkia said it was making adjustments to its flight schedule after initially postponing flights to Athens, Milan and Geneva. According to the airports authority, most flights of foreign carriers have been delayed, including Sunday flights to London by Wizz Air, to New Delhi by Air India, to Madrid by Iberia and to Marseille by Air France. El Al's flights to London, Frankfurt, Berlin, Bucharest, Athens, Paris and Rome, and Ethiopian Airline's flight to Addis Ababa were able to take off. Flights into Israel were also disrupted. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways cancelled flights to Jordan and Israel on Sunday, the airline said in a statement. DELAYS TO FLIGHTS Swiss International Air Lines has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice, the airline said in a post on X on Sunday. Swiss, owned by German carrier Lufthansa, said all of its planes were avoiding the airspaces of Iran, Iraq and Israel, causing delays to flights from India and Singapore. In addition to Swiss, Lufthansa said its flights and those of Austrian were also suspended to Tel Aviv, Amman and Erbil until Tuesday. Air India also reportedly has temporarily halted flights to Israel. With the Jewish festival of Passover next week, El Al said it was offering rescue flights from Athens, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Madrid, New York and Miami for Israelis stranded abroad by other carriers. Its Sun Dor subsidiary is offering flights back to Israel from Larnaca, Rhodes, Warsaw and Krakow. Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon reopened their airspaces on Sunday after closing them late on Saturday. United Airlines cancelled Saturday's planned flight from Newark to Tel Aviv, the airline said in a statement. United is the only major U.S. airline to have resumed flights to Israel since the attacks by Hamas on Israel in October last year. (Reporting by James Mackenzie and Steven Scheer; Additional reporting by Joe Brock; Editing by Miral Fahmy and David Holmes) "It was awesome," Wyatt Carlson tells PEOPLE of girlfriend Emma Lihs' promposal Courtesy of Wyatt Carlson Emma Lihs asks boyfriend Wyatt Carlson to prom using her pet cow One Iowa high school student thought of a moo-ving way to ask her boyfriend to prom. Late last month, Emma Lihs, a junior at Bondurant-Farrar, asked her boyfriend Wyatt Carlson, a senior at Dowling Catholic, to the annual event by writing "prom?" on the side of her pet cow. "It was awesome," Carlson tells PEOPLE of Lihs' creative promposal. "I live in the city but have always loved agriculture and livestock, and she knew that." "I was shocked to say the least. It was awesome and of course I said yes," he adds. "Having a cow in your front yard is pretty uncommon, but always welcome." 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. Courtesy of Wyatt Carlson Emma Lihs asks boyfriend Wyatt Carlson to prom using her pet cow Related: Guy Fieri Reveals Son Ryder Asked His Girlfriend to Prom with a Restaurant Menu: 'Such the Romantic' According to Lihs, coming up with the idea to write "prom?" in white chalk on the side of her beloved pet cow named Fern was a no-brainer. "I saw an idea of the poster on social media and decided that it definitely needed a cow to create the grand gesture," she says. "You can say Fern and I share Wyatt. Im pretty convinced she likes him more than me. She was totally on board to get dressed up to surprise our boyfriend," Lihs jokingly adds. Getty A stock image of a prom Carlson later returned the favor to his girlfriend not long after when he brought a horse to her house to ask her to prom at his school, holding up a sign that read: "I am not horsin' around this time, join this cowboy at prom!" When the couple's events take place later this month, Carlson tells PEOPLE that he will be wearing a dark navy tuxedo with black accents and a bow tie to Lihs' prom, while she will wear a red sparkly dress with black heels. During Lihs' prom, she will then wear a black sparkly dress and cheetah-print heels, while Carlson will be wearing all black with a cheetah-print sport coat. Courtesy of Wyatt Carlson Wyatt Carlson asks girlfriend Emma Lihs to prom using a horse Related: Celebrity Kids at Prom Carlson tells PEOPLE that he and girlfriend Lihs met through the National FFA Organization, which is a nonprofit career and technical student organization that teaches agricultural education to middle and high schoolers. "He was a 2023-2024 officer, and I am now a 2024-2025 district officer," Lihs says, noting: "Wyatt and I honestly just clicked right off the bat and have been loving every moment since." "We have a common love for agriculture and growing the community," Carlson adds. "We both are outgoing and love to try new things." As for their future plans, Carlson says he and Lihs will be continuing to focus on all things animal-related. "We will be showing cow calf together at the county fair," he tells PEOPLE. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. For President Joe Biden, an attack on Israel launched from Iranian soil amounts to a scenario hed greatly sought to avoid since the start of the current Middle East conflict. The reprisals heighten the risk of a wider regional conflict that could directly draw in the United States, along with other countries. And they place Biden again in the tenuous position of pledging stalwart support for Israel while also trying to prevent a new conflagration from exploding with the United States involved. What comes next is unknown. In the immediate aftermath of Irans attacks, American officials acknowledged they were entering uncharted territory. One significant question mark is how proxies might potentially join Iranian efforts to target Israel and add a new layer of unpredictability. And with Israels plans for a response still being formed, Biden administration officials are expected to continue advising their Israeli counterparts with the desire for containment in mind. In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night, in which Biden told Netanyahu to consider Saturday a win because the US assessed Irans attacks had been largely unsuccessful and demonstrated Israels superior military capability, Biden made clear that the US will not participate in any offensive operations against Iran in response, a senior administration official told CNN. But in the hours following Irans attack, it became clear the president faces a severe challenge putting a lid on the flare-up between Iran and Israel and stopping a full-scale regional war breaking out. Israel will respond to Irans attack, but the scope of that response has yet to be determined, an Israeli official told CNNs Jeremy Diamond on Sunday. The official said Israel is yet to determine whether to try to break all the dishes or do something more measured. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that the confrontation with Iran is not over yet. The countrys response options are expected to be discussed in detail during a meeting of Israels war cabinet meeting on Sunday. The Commander of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami warned that Tehran would respond directly if Israel retaliates saying a new equation had been created. Biden is also operating within the fraught politics of an election year, lending outsized importance to his upcoming decisions. The eruption of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7 has hurt Biden at home, eroding his support with key constituencies as he has declined to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. One of the reasons Biden returned urgently to the White House from his beach house in Delaware Saturday afternoon was the ongoing nature of the attack, one official said, with the Situation Room better equipped for real-time monitoring of events. Administration officials saw Irans attacks on Israel Saturday as disproportionate to Israels strikes in Damascus that prompted the retaliation, a US official told CNN. That view has been an important factor in the discussions taking place in the White House throughout the day on next steps, particularly as Biden is set on preventing a full-scale regional conflict from erupting. There is also a recognition that what Israel is likely to do in response will depend on a full damage assessment, including potential casualties, so the Biden administrations advice to Israel will depend on that picture coming into focus, the official added. In the immediate aftermath of the Israeli strikes in Syria that killed top Iranian commanders, US officials monitored Iran gearing up to launch a major attack on Israel, seeing it as inevitable. As the US, in close consultation with Israel, sought to figure out exactly how, when and where exactly Iran would retaliate, administration officials never fully ruled out Iran trying to strike inside Israel as well as American personnel and assets in the region. The most likely worst case scenario, one senior administration official said in the days leading up to Irans Saturday attacks, was a direct attack by Iran on Israel, and the eruption of a state-on-state conflict that could very well prompt the beginning of a wider regional conflict that the US has been working to prevent since the immediate aftermath of Hamas October 7 attacks. Despite his current tensions with Netanyahu over the war in Gaza, Biden and his top officials have sought over the past week to diminish any daylight between the US and Israel when it comes to Israels defense against Iran. In the hours before Iran launched its attack, the US defense secretary and national security adviser spoke with their counterparts in Israel to reiterate that support. And last week, Gen. Erik Kurilla, the commander of US Central Command, was in Israel discussing contingencies with officials ahead of the expected attack. Biden kept to his Friday promise that the US is devoted to the defense of Israel, with defense officials telling CNN that the US military successfully intercepted some Iranian missiles on Saturday. Contained within the conversations about preparations for Irans attack and coordinating a response were also implicit encouragement to the Israeli government to not allow the situation to spiral out of control if Irans response was limited in nature, officials familiar with the matter said. The US also sent messages publicly and privately to Iran warning about escalating the crisis further and pressed European and Arab allies to use their own leverage with Tehran to deliver similar messages. As Irans plans to attack Israel grew clearer, American officials increasingly assessed that Tehran was not seeking direct conflict with the United States. Ahead of the drone attack launched by Iran on Saturday, US officials said they did not expect the targets to include American forces in the region. That is a change from earlier in the conflict, when Iran-backed militias regularly attacked US troops in the Middle East, including in a strike that killed three Americans stationed in Jordan. After the US launched retaliatory strikes, the attacks by Iranian proxies waned. Yet the simmering tensions between Iran and Israel have not let up. Without any direct channels of communication between the two countries, the risk of miscalculation is amplified. CNNs Oren Liebermann contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Israeli jets returned to their air bases after intercepting Iran's first ever direct attack on the country - Twitter Irans massive attack, which included hundreds of drones as well as missiles according to state TV, was an unprecedented escalation in this conflict. Mr Netanyahus next moves will hinge above all on how damaging Saturday nights attack proves to be and what exactly has been targeted by Iranian leaders. Only a small number of the hundreds of drones and missiles launched by Tehran slipped past air defences on Sunday morning. An Iranian air strike did damage a military base in the south of the country, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said. Hitting only a few military targets may have allowed Iran to feel it has made its point without plunging the entire region into war. Such a result may be within the limits of what Mr Netanyahu is prepared to tolerate at this stage. He presumably thought carefully about the consequences of launching the consulate attack in Damascus the cause for Irans retaliation before he approved it. Bold, choreographed attack This might have been precisely what Tehran was aiming for: a bold, choreographed attack that it can claim has restored deterrence against Israel but that stops short of triggering all-out war. Or, Mr Netanyahu may launch an in-kind response in which Israel carries out air strikes on targets in Iran, similar to those which may be in the firing line in Israel, such as military bases or government buildings. Other obvious options for Israeli retaliation would be air strikes on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters or its bases around Iran. Some analysts say this round of hostilities could last a few days or weeks. At some point, the two sides might cease hostilities, with both feeling they have made their stand. Nightmare scenario If things escalate, however, there remains a grim possibility of full-scale war between Iran and Israel, a nightmare scenario that would carry enormous cost to human life on both sides and probably drag the United States and potentially Britain into the fray. Joe Biden, the US President, reportedly warned Mr Netanyahu on Sunday morning that the US will not participate in any attack by Israel on Iran. Another key factor is Irans nuclear programme, which Israel has been working for years to dismantle via covert strikes. This new crisis might prove an opportunity to destroy the nuclear programme once and for all. There are a few reasons to doubt that Iran truly wants war with Israel. Experts say it would be ill-prepared militarily, and it is already under crippling Western sanctions. There is also massive internal opposition to the Iranian regime, as reflected in 2022s enormous protest movement. But this attack was launched directly from Iranian territory and, the regime claims, includes missiles, not just drones. This does not fit the pattern of Irans previous conduct, in which it has launched covert attacks on Israel or relied on regional proxies to do its bidding. That means Israel and the West is now in uncharted and dangerous territory. 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. Father Antonio Maria Cossu, known as Don Totoni, preaches outside a bar in Bitti - Debora Carru Photography A Sardinian priest has found a novel way to spread the gospel amid waning interest in the church by doing it over a beer. Father Antonio Maria Cossu, known as Don Totoni, has been parish priest in the small town of Bitti for the past seven years. Though attendance at his church remains healthy, the 67-year-old admits many of the faithful are absent and only come for special religious festivals, weddings or funerals. Rather than badger them into attending, Mr Cossu started holding evening sermons in nearby bars promoting them with leaflets entitled Evangelical Half Pint, Talking Jesus. My vision of religion has never been one of operating behind the closed doors of a sacristy or to wait for people to start coming to Mass, he told The Telegraph. I have always wanted to be in the middle of people, not separated. You have to be in church but you also have to get out where people live. Don Totoni sets up an altar outside a bar in Bitti - Debora Carru Photography Since starting his 7.30pm sermons two years ago 10 bars in Bitti have signed up to the initiative. People have welcomed this proposal, they listen to me with sympathy and respect for 40 minutes or so and at the end we have one or two beers together, he said. The Gospel plants the seed and God does the rest. I thank the baristas of Bitti and all the people who welcome me, for their hospitality and the opportunity they give me to bring them the word of Jesus, said Mr Cossu. I am optimistic that our town will retain its faith. Mr Cossu, who was born in Sardinia, has been a priest for 44 years. Before arriving in Bitti he worked in other parts of Italy and also served as a missionary in Argentina where he met Pope Francis. I remember him, but I dont know if he remembers me, he laughed. According to a Pew Research Centre survey in 2023, 78 per cent of Italians say they are Roman Catholic. But the statistics agency, Istat, says only 19 per cent attend services at least weekly while 31 per cent never attend. 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. Arizona's Supreme Court this week reinstated a 160-year-old law that bans nearly all abortions, sending shockwaves throughout the nation as the state joins a list of dozens of others where the procedure is banned or restricted. Democrats and some Republicans slammed the decision, which outlaws abortion from the moment of conception unless the pregnant persons life is at risk and doesnt include exceptions for rape or incest. The White House called the move devastating, and the decision prompted Vice President Kamala Harris to visit the Grand Canyon State on Friday. Even former President Donald Trump, who takes credit for the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, said it went too far. Abortion providers in Arizona vowed to continue with services until theyre forced to stop, which could be within two weeks of Tuesdays ruling. Heres what else you may have missed in abortion news this week. Protesters shout as they join thousands marching around the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix after the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision on June 24, 2022. (Ross D. Franklin/AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Colorado Even in states like Colorado, where abortion laws are not as restrictive compared to those of other states (like Arizona), supporters of abortion access arent leaving anything to chance. The Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom coalition is working to enshrine abortion rights in the states constitution by gathering signatures to get an amendment on the November ballot. The organizers said Friday they had collected over 225,000 signatures, surpassing the required 124,238 signature threshold to get the proposal on the ballot. The group says its getting close to fulfilling the other requirement, which is to collect enough signatures 2% of total registered voters in all 35 state Senate districts. The news of Arizona's near-total abortion ban ultimately exposed just how vulnerable every state is, and will remain, without passing legislation that constitutionally secures the right to abortion, Jessica Grennan, Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom campaign manager, said in a statement. Maine Lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled Maine legislature greenlit a bill on Friday that would shield the states health professionals who provide abortion and gender-affirming care from being targeted by legal action from other states that have bans on those treatments. If the measure is signed by Gov. Janet Mills, Maine would join several other states that have passed these types of shield laws protecting abortion and gender-affirming care. Meanwhile, voters in Maine likely wont have the opportunity in November to weigh in on a proposed amendment to the states constitution to protect the right to an abortion. On Tuesday, the Maine House voted 76-68 in favor of the proposal, but it failed to pass because it fell short of the required two-thirds majority. The same thing happened last week in the Maine Senate, which voted 20-13 in favor of the amendment but fell short of the requirement. The proposed amendment, known as LD 780, must be supported by each chamber in order for it to be placed on the ballot, which would allow Maine voters to weigh in on whether or not to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. The state House and Senate will get a final vote on the proposal, which is scheduled for next week, though it appears its likely to fail in the House without having received any Republican support from the initial vote. Maine already has some of the least restrictive abortion laws in the U.S., allowing for the procedure up until viability. The proposed amendment to the state constitution was an effort to get ahead of any future debates on the issue in the legislature and to record lawmakers positions on abortion in an election year. Florida Florida is preparing for its six-week abortion ban to take effect on May 1. Until then, abortion remains legal in the state until 15 weeks. Last week, the conservative-leaning Florida Supreme Court upheld the 15-week ban on the procedure, which was enacted in 2022. That decision triggered a six-week abortion ban, signed last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis, to go into effect 30 days from the decision, which is May 1. The six-week ban makes exceptions for rape and incest and for when the life of the mother is in danger. In an Emerson College poll conducted this week, a majority of Floridians (57% of poll participants) think that a six-week abortion ban is too strict. Fifteen percent said the ban isnt strict enough, and 28% think the ban is on point. Come November, Floridians will get the chance to invalidate the six-week ban at the ballot box when they decide on a measure that would guarantee the right to an abortion before viability by amending the states constitution. But the caveat is that a 60% supermajority of voters need to vote in favor for this to happen. According to the poll, only 42% said they plan to vote in favor of a ballot amendment. Kansas This week Kansas lawmakers in the Republican-controlled legislature pushed through a bill that would make it a crime to coerce someone into having an abortion. People in the state who make physical or financial threats against other people to force them into getting an abortion could face penalties such as a year in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The measure goes to the desk of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, a strong abortion rights supporter, who is expected to veto any such anti-abortion measures. However, both the state House and Senate appear to be close to having the two-thirds majority needed to override her veto, according to the Associated Press. Iowa The Iowa Supreme Court heard arguments on Thursday over whether the states most recent abortion law, which bans most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, should go into effect. Abortion is currently banned at 22 weeks of pregnancy in Iowa, and the state requires patients to make two in-person visits: one for in-person counseling and one 24 hours later for the procedure, which must be provided by a physician, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights. The attorney for the state of Iowa asked the court to uphold the so-called heartbeat law, which limits abortions after the time around when a fetal heartbeat could be detected through an abdominal ultrasound, or around six weeks. But thats also at a point in pregnancy when women often dont even know theyre pregnant. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood is suing Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds over the heartbeat law. An attorney for Planned Parenthood argued for the court to uphold a lower district court ruling that said the fetal heartbeat bill was unconstitutional. NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) Cyprus said Saturday its suspending processing all asylum applications by Syrian nationals because large numbers of refugees from the war-torn country continue to reach the island nation by boat, primarily from Lebanon. In a written statement, the Cypriot government said the suspension is also partly because of ongoing efforts to get the European Union to redesignate some areas of the war-torn country as safe zones to enable repatriations. The drastic step comes in the wake of Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides visit to Lebanon earlier week to appeal to authorities there to stop departures of migrant-laden boats from their shores. The request comes in light of a 27-fold increase in migrant arrivals to Cyprus so far this year over the same period last year. According to Cyprus Interior Ministry statistics, some 2,140 people arrived by boat to EU-member Cyprus between Jan. 1 and April 4 of this year, the vast majority of them Syrian nationals departing from Lebanon. In contrast, only 78 people arrived by boat to the island nation in the corresponding period last year. On Monday, Christodoulides and Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on the European Union to provide financial support to help cash-strapped Lebanon stop migrants from reaching Cyprus. Just days prior to his Lebanon trip, the Cypriot president said that he had personally asked EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen to intercede with Lebanese authorities to curb migrant boat departures. Although the EU should provide substantial EU support to Lebanon, Christodoulides said any financial help should be linked to how effectively Lebanese authorities monitor their coastline and prevent boat departures. Lebanon and Cyprus already have a bilateral deal where Cypriot authorities would return migrants attempting to reach the island from Lebanon. But Cypriot Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou has said that Lebanon is refusing to hold up its end of the deal because of domestic pressures. Lebanon which is coping with a crippling economic crisis since 2019 hosts some 805,000 U.N.-registered Syrian refugees, of which 90% live in poverty, the U.N.s refugee agency says. Lebanese officials estimate the actual number is far higher, ranging between 1.5 and 2 million. Many have escaped the civil war in their country which entered its 14th year. Ioannou this week visited Denmark, Czechia and Greece to drum up support for a push to get the EU to declare parts of Syria as safe. Doing so would enable EU nations to send back Syrians hailing from those safe areas. The Cypriot interior minister said he and his Czech and Danish counterparts to draft an official document for the EU executive to get a formal discussion on the Syrian safe zone idea going. Additionally, Ioannou said he hand his Czech counterpart agreed on a sending joint fact-finding mission to Syria to determine which areas in the country are safe. However, U.N. agencies, human rights groups, and Western governments maintain that Syria is not yet safe for repatriation. ___ Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration An empty bed at a hospital in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in 2021. Photograph: Houston Cofield/Bloomberg via Getty Images Medical debt is the most common form of debt in collections in the US. But forgiving that debt once it has gone to collections may provide fewer health and financial benefits than once hoped. A new study by researchers who partnered with RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit that buys and forgives medical debt, found disappointing results when peoples bills were purchased and forgiven, with little impact on peoples credit scores and willingness to go to the doctor. Our hope was that this would be a cost effective intervention, said Raymond Kluender, lead author on the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) report which partnered with RIP Medical Debt, and an assistant professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. Related: He was a human being: US prisoners are dying from treatable conditions We find no real benefits on peoples household finances or their mental health or utilization of healthcare in our study, Kluender said. However, he added, he doesnt think any of the authors on the project would not say medical debt is not a huge issue. Instead, Kluender said, Our interpretation is you have to intervene upstream, which essentially means it might be more effective to provide people with financial assistance or universal, affordable healthcare the sort that might prevent bills from accumulating rather than forgive one bill at a time. What we do doesnt solve the problem, but it removes some of the burden, said Allison Sesso, president and CEO of RIP Medical Debt. Government policy change one that provides universal healthcare is a better answer but were not holding our breath for that to happen. The findings are likely to disappoint legislative leaders. At least 15 states and local jurisdictions have worked with RIP Medical Debt to relieve debts for their constituents. Many, such as Arizona and Connecticut, used millions in federal pandemic relief aid to forgive debt. If youre intervening only after the debt has been sent to collections or after the hospital has been collecting on it for a year, theres very little benefit, said Kluender. The results contrast with surveys done by RIP Medical Debt, which found medical debt dramatically impacted peoples mental wellbeing and self-worth, and with the positive effects of upstream relief from hospital financial assistance programs. Although more than 90% of US adults have health insurance, individual medical debt has become an important way US healthcare is financed, particularly in the last decade. Most Americans make monthly payments toward insurance (premiums) and large upfront payments (deductibles) before insurance kicks in. For the average worker with only one person on a plan, the average annual deductible in 2023 was more than $1,700. Unexpected medical bills can accumulate quickly when insurance denies claims, when small upfront payments (co-pays) are required regularly, or when people use doctors or services not covered by their health insurance (out-of-network). All of those cash payments are collected by providers. When people cant pay those bills, they become debt, and those providers send bills to collectors. Thats how medical debt became the most common form of debt in collections in 2021 representing 58% of all debt on credit reports. Those bills are important health indicators for several reasons. First, people will avoid the doctor if they have large upfront payments. There is also evidence to show people cut back on food, medicine, clothes and other household expenses when they have medical debt. Out-of-pocket expenses can push some Americans to delay having kids. On the population level, places where people have more medical debt also tend to have worse overall health outcomes. Seeking to study the effects of debt forgiveness, researchers conducted a study with RIP Medical Debt that sorted more than 83,000 people with $169m in medical debt into three camps. One group had debt purchased directly from a for-profit hospital with operations across eight states in the mountain west and south and forgiven. That debt was younger and more expensive, at 5.5 cents for every $1.00 of face value. Another group had debt purchased directly from a debt collection company. This debt was generally older and was less expensive RIP was able to buy this debt for less than one penny for every $1.00 of face value. A third group was allowed to go through collections. Researchers then surveyed those people about a year later for impacts on mental, physical and financial health changes. Researchers found that medical debt forgiveness did not dramatically affect peoples overall financial health, but that it did increase credit availability for a small subset of people who otherwise had clean credit reports. They also found debt relief slightly reduces payment of other medical bills (by $14 or about 7.2% on average), researchers believe because people may have then expected relief. They also found debt relief did not positively impact mental health. However, the research did appear to show a widespread positive effect from a change in the credit landscape. In the middle of the experiment, the nations three large reporting agencies voluntarily stopped reporting most medical debt. I think the research is well done there, said Breno Braga, an economist at the Urban Institute. The results are at first counterintuitive, but after you read the results they make sense. Debt forgiveness is, a very specific program that has been done to deal with medical debt, and one that authors show is not as positive as one would imagine. But, Braga added, I dont think you can conclude from there that medical debt is not important. Editors note: This report has been updated to clarify the Saudi sovereigns advisory panel position on giving funds to Jared Kushners firm. Former Obama deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said President Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner engaged in a level of corruption that weve just never seen when talking about his firms recent investments overseas. Rhodes made the comment when asked about The New York Timess recent reporting that detailed that 99 percent of Kushners investment funds money came from foreign sources. The outlet also reported Kushner is working on developing hotels in the Balkans, specifically in Serbia and Albania, and noted that the firm has taken money from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. I mean, look, this is not subtle corruption that were looking at, Rhodes told MSNBCs Alex Wagner during his Wednesday appearance on Alex Wagner Tonight. This is a guy, Jared Kushner, who had no expertise, no qualification whatsoever to be in the White House while he was there. He made it his account to work in the Gulf Arab states. He basically helped lead the cover-up for [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman]. Get him in from the cold after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Rhodes said Kushner securing a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia six months after leaving the White House is a way for Crown Prince Mohammed to exert influence on U.S. foreign policy if Trump returns to the Oval Office after the November election. Basically, what we can take from that investment is that in a second Trump term, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and around the world will be made entirely with the interests of Mohammed bin Salman in mind, Rhodes said. Kushner oversaw Middle East policy during his time in the Trump administration. The investment was scrutinized after the Times reported in 2022 that the Saudi sovereigns advisory panel was opposed to giving funds to Kushners firm, noting his inexperience, but the decision was reversed by a bigger board headed by the crown prince. He chose to work on issues in the Middle East, and he chose to work with the Gulf Arab states, knowing that the payout would be on the back end, Rhodes said, pointing to the impeachment inquiry into President Biden by House Republicans, who allege his son, Hunter, used access to his father for profit. And here we have the presidents son-in-law, who worked in the White House unlike Hunter Biden whos collected $2 billion on the back end of his service. Now hes got his father-in-law running for president, Rhodes said. Right? This is not only unusual, this is unprecedented. Kushner defended himself and his firms action regarding conflicts-of-interest allegations when asked by the Times. Following the laws and the rules is something we always do, he told the outlet. Perception, Ive learned that from my time in politics, is important. But I cant control what everyone is going to write or say about me. House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said back in August that Kushner crossed the line of ethics by accepting a $2 billion investment. This is just putting a price tag on American foreign policy, Rhodes said. This is a level of corruption that weve just never seen, and its hiding in plain sight. Updated on April 12 at 7:23 a.m. ET For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Manuel Rocha, the former US ambassador to Bolivia who acted as a secret foreign agent of Cuba, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges Friday a judge telling him, you turned your back on this country. Rocha, 73, pleaded guilty in Miami to one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government and defrauding the United States. He also pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government without notice to the US government. Prosecutors have alleged the former American diplomat acted as a covert agent of Cubas intelligence services for decades. I take full responsibility, Rocha said. He also told family and friends he was deeply sorry for his actions. Judge Beth Bloom told the defendant: You turned your back on this country over and over again. Bloom sentenced Rocha 5 years for conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government and 10 years for acting as a foreign agent to be served consecutively. Charges for lying to investigators and wire fraud were dropped under the plea agreement. During the three-and-a-half hour hearing Bloom suggested prosecutors had not done enough to investigate possible victims. The US government is the only victim, federal prosecutors said. For 53 years, information was provided, Bloom told prosecutors. I dont know if there are victims. I dont know if you know. Bloom also asked prosecutors why Rocha, a naturalized US citizen from Colombia, was not stripped of his citizenship. Rocha pledged allegiance to the US during a naturalization ceremony in the 1970s while working for an enemy of the state, Bloom said. Rochas citizenship is a benefit, a privilege, an honor that was obtained by fraud, Bloom said. Why was that not important to the United States? she asked prosecutors. Assistant US Attorney Jonathan D. Stratton said the government considered stripping his citizenship but prioritized that Rocha admit his guilt. We are not making concessions or foregoing the civil division going after denaturalization as part of its case. We are just not mandating it, Stratton said. At Rochas age, Stratton noted, a 15-year term is tantamount to a life sentence, with little benefit to stripping him of his citizenship when hes 88. The plea agreement was then updated to include that the government may seek to denaturalize Rocha in a civil proceeding. It also leaves open a window for newly identified witnesses to seek restitution At a hearing in Miami in February, Rocha announced his intention to plead guilty, according to the court docket. Rocha had pleaded not guilty to all charges earlier that month. Rocha referred to US as the enemy Manuel Rocha, appears during an interview with an FBI undercover employee in Miami, in an undated still image from video contained in a US Justice Department indictment. - U.S. District Court/Reuters Rocha served as the US ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002 and as the deputy principal officer of the US Interests Section in Cuba in the 1990s. He also worked for the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic in the 1980s as well as the US Consulate in Italy, and he served in different roles for US embassies in Mexico and Argentina. His role as the political officer at the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic gave him special responsibility for Cuba, prosecutors alleged. Rocha described being in charge of what he called the knock down of the small planes which prosecutors believe to be an incident during Rochas tenure working for the State Department in Havana when Cuba shot down two unarmed airplanes operated by members of Brothers to the Rescue, a US-based group opposed to Castros government, killing four men. In several meetings with an undercover FBI employee posing as a member of Cuban intelligence, Rocha repeatedly referred to the US as the enemy and praised Cuban revolutionary and politician Fidel Castro, according to court documents. My number one concern; my number one priority was any action on the part of Washington that would - would endanger the life of of the leadership, or the or the revolution itself, Rocha allegedly told an FBI undercover employee, according to a recording of a meeting cited in court documents. CNNs Hannah Rabinowitz and Katelyn Polantz contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Indian government said it was rescuing its citizens who were lured into employment in Cambodia and were being forced to participate in cyber fraud schemes. The Indian embassy in Cambodia is working with Cambodian authorities and has rescued and repatriated about 250 Indians, including 75 in the last three months, India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement on Saturday. Jaiswal was responding to Indian news reports that stated more than 5,000 Indians are trapped in Cambodia and being forced to carry out cyber frauds on people back home. "We are also working with Cambodian authorities and with agencies in India to crack down on those responsible for these fraudulent schemes," Jaiswal said. The Indian government and its embassy in Cambodia have issued several advisories informing them about such scams, the spokesperson said. The Cambodian embassy in India did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Sunday. (Reporting by Krishn Kaushik; Writing by Nikunj Ohri; Editing by Jamie Freed) Zoomie is now living his best life. The 5 year old mix was adopted in March after spending 699 days at the League City Animal Shelter. League City Animal Shelter Zoomie reminded Cathy and Richard Barido of their beloved Iggy, who died in October 2023. The couple adopted Zoomie from the League City Animal Shelter in March 2024. League City Animal Shelter After 699 days at the League City Animal Shelter, Zoomie, was only supposed to spend last Christmas break with his foster family and will now stay forever. The a five-and-a-half-year-old shelter mix was the shelter's longest-stay dog before he finally found a home. Cathy and Richard Barido of League City told shelter officials they'd lost their beloved pet Iggy in October and had been following Zoomie on the shelters Facebook page, and that holiday break turned into a bonding experience. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He reminded them of the pet they had lost, said Lynette Bodmer, the shelters supervisor. When the holidays were over, they couldnt bring him back. The family adopted Zoomie on March 6, nearly two years after the stout blonde arrived at the shelter as a stray with a slight limp in his step. BAY AREA INSIDER: Must-read local news from League City, Clear Lake and other Bay Area communities Zoomie had become a staff favorite, but had gone mostly unnoticed by visitors, according to Bodmer. Even with his one floppy ear and the other one cropped because of a cut, Zoomie couldnt get a break, she said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the shelter world we see really great animals that just get overlooked, Bodmer said. Two years in a kennel can be a stressful experience for some dogs and cats, said Bodmer, and that can lead to behaviors that delay their adoptions. Zoomie had been on the shelters F.O.C.U.S. (Finding Creative Unique Solutions) list, a program that puts highlights the shelters pets most in need, whether its due to special health and behavioral issues or age. League Citys facility is the only no-kill shelter in Galveston County. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER PARK MAKES LIST: The Houston park is among the top hidden gem dog parks in the U.S., according to survey According to Bodmer, Zoomie would occasionally erupt in a fit of the zoomies, would hyperfocus on his toys, but was mostly one of the quieter dogs at the shelter. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He would be just hanging out waiting when people walked by the kennels, and so maybe he didnt stand out as much as the dog that was jumping at the kennel door to lick your fingers, Bodmer said. I also think his limp may have scared people away. Staff vets were able to determine that Zoomie had previously injured his knee and it had been repaired which indicated that he had previously been cared for. There are currently 22 dogs highlighted in the shelters F.O.C.U.S category, with names like Silly Billy, Temperance, and Godiva. They all have a story of how they ended up at the shelter, and a personality to match their name, said Bodmer. In video posted on the shelters Facebook page, the Baridoses said Zoomie had come into their life when they were still mourning Iggy and became part of their healing. He is now enjoying car rides, loves company and has his own bed in every room in his new home. "I believe is signs, and a lot of his traits are Iggy's traits and its Iggy talking to us, 'Here, this is going to help you get over me' - and it has," said Cathy Barido in the video. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Zoomies adoption, said Bodmer, is proof that long stays can have something to offer outside a shelter kennel if given a chance. American middle distance runner Athing Mu poses in Nike's Team USA uniform for the 2024 Olympics, which were unveiled Thursday. (REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq) (REUTERS / Reuters) Nike revealed the Team USA track and field kits for the 2024 Olympics on Thursday. They weren't well received. One picture of the women's kit in particular fomented a fierce backlash from female athletes, as the bottom of the kit showed a large amount of the pelvic region on a mannequin. Critics immediately accused Nike of making on overly skimpy uniform. BREAKING: Here's your first look at the new @Nike kits that will be worn by the U.S. track and field team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. pic.twitter.com/XPWOnBrwsv CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) April 11, 2024 Nike responded to the backlash via Reuters in an article published Saturday, noting that it was offering unitard options to athletes with both a brief-style bottom and shorts. Sha'Carri Richardson, who runs the 100 meters, had modeled the shorts look Thursday. That is apparently an improvement from the Tokyo Games kit, in which only briefs were offered. Of course, that one picture of the mannequin made for easy fodder on social media, with several athletes skewering the look. Hurdler Queen Harrison Claye: "Hi @europeanwax would you like to sponsor Team USA for the upcoming Olympic Games!? Please and thanks" Steeplechaser Colleen Quigley: I mean I still wanna make the team but Sprinter Katelyn Hutchison: April fools was 10 days ago. Paralympian Jaleen Roberts: This mannequin is standing still and everythings showing imagine MID FLIGHT. Former U.S. champion Lauren Fleshman: "This is a costume born of patriarchal forces that are no longer welcome or needed to get eyes on womens sports. A dissenting voice was 2020 Olympic pole vaulter Katie Moon, who actually wore the kit and said on X that she "didnt feel worried aboutthingspopping out," adding that it might have been more an issue with the mannequin. Moon expanded on those thoughts Friday, noting that female athletes had the option to wear the men's kit and claiming that attacks on the brief-style kit could actually be damaging for the female athletes who choose to wear them: I want to be clear and start by saying that what was shown on the mannequin was concerning, and warranted the response it received. But l've also seen people making comments like, "Why can't they just make the men's uniform for the women?" I absolutely love people defending women, but we have at least 20 different combinations of a uniform to compete in with all the tops and bottoms available to us. We DO have the men's option available to us if we want it. When you attack the buns and crop top saying something along the lines of it's "sexist" (which if that was our only choice, it would be), even if it's with the best of intentions, you're ultimately attacking our decision as women to wear it. And if you honestly think that on the most important days of our careers we're choosing what we wear to appease the men watching over what we're most comfortable and confident in, to execute to the best of our abilities, that's pretty offensive. I personally like the buns because I want as little fabric clinging to me when I'm hot and sweaty (which I am at 99% of meets I compete in). The point is we DO have the choice of what to wear, and whether we feel the best in a potato sack or a bathing suit during competitions, we should support the autonomy. This is the second major blowback Nike has seen as an official supplier of uniforms this year, as the company and its partner, Fanatics, saw massive criticism for its new MLB uniforms ahead of the 2024 season. No one was a fan of the smaller lettering used for athlete names on the back of the tops, and the bottoms looked noticeably see-through. In the latter case, Nike has said it's working on potential solutions. An off-duty Summerville Police Department officer has been charged with murder in the killing of a 39-year-old man in South Carolina after authorities say he fired shots following a confrontation with the victim. On March 20, Anthony DeLustro, 64, allegedly got into a confrontation with Michael ONeal, 39, at a Chick-fil-A parking lot on 1312 North Main St., according to a press release from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Police said DeLustro and ONeals verbal confrontation escalated to blows between the two. DeLustro was described by eyewitnesses as the primary aggressor, as bystanders attempted to separate the men. The warrant said DeLustro broke free from restraint and threatened to kill ONeal if he fled the scene after eyewitnesses claimed to hear ONeal say he wanted to leave the situation. Evidence then showed that the victim then disengaged and retreated from the physical altercation with Anthony DeLustro and returned to his vehicle, the warrant read. As the victim began to drive away, Anthony DeLustro, while still partially seated in the passenger seat of the victims vehicle, fired a single shot from his handgun. Michael ONeal was shot and killed at the scene. WCSC obtained a statement from DeLustro, who pleaded for leniency during an April 10 court appearance. My entire life was public service. I never did anything wrong, I never had one substantiated complaint in the 35 years Ive been in law enforcement, DeLustro said. I just ask you for mercy so I can help my wife with the girls while we go through this. Michael ONeals family has since launched a GoFundMe page and raised more than $26,000. The page says ONeal was the son of a police officer. Former Trump White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said the U.S. must gird for when his ex-boss loses in November. I think the country has to gird for when he loses in November and hes gonna lose in November, Scaramucci told anchor Abby Phillip during a CNN NewsNight appearance Friday a clip highlighted by Mediaite. Hell claim that the election was rigged, and hell try to foment the same type of violence that he fomented on the sixth of January in 2021. Trump made comments last month at an Ohio rally that seemed to imply violence, were he to lose the 2024 presidential election. The remarks came when Trump at one point warned China against attempting to open up factories in Mexico to sell cars to the U.S. No, were going to put a 100 percent tariff on every single car that comes across the line, and youre not going to be able to sell those cars if I get elected, Trump said. Now, if I dont get elected, its going to be a blood bath for the country. Thatll be the least of it. But theyre not going to sell those cars, theyre building massive factories. The former president received over the blood bath comment from top Democrats such as President Biden and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Its clear this guy wants another January 6, Biden said in a post on the social platform X in response to the remark. But the American people are going to give him another resounding electoral defeat this November. Scaramucci, who has repeatedly criticized the former president more recently, labeled him as most un-American presidential nominee in U.S. history last month. We have to focus on Mr. Trump being the most un-American presidential nominee in U.S. history, Scaramucci during an interview on CNNs The Source with host Kaitlan Collins. And we have to go through the things that hes saying hes going to do, as it relates to being the American president. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Scott Sherman is the mayor of Winona, Minnesota, a small city on the banks of the Mississippi. "There's just something about Winona that keeps pulling you back," he told "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant. "Living here in Winona is really cool." It's so cool that TV and film star Winona Ryder is named for the town, as she told the world in a 2020 Super Bowl ad: "There's something about this place, something that feels so me " Madeline Madeline Kingsbury, 26, also felt that certain "something" about Winona. So, when Mayor Sherman heard that she had gone missing, he wanted to help. "I felt that Maddi was a daughter of Winona," said Mayor Sherman. "She was a bright young woman working through school, working a a job in Rochester and raising kids all at the same time, that's a lot. So, I had respect for Maddi. And Sherman thought he could help because, as an avid bicyclist, he rides the woodsy paths around Winona all year long. "You know the back roads of this area?" Van Sant asked. "I do," said Sherman. "And you went out yourself," said Van Sant. "I did," Sherman replied. But as mayor, Sherman felt his first job was to support Maddi's distraught mother Krista Naber when she arrived at the search command center. "She gave me a hug that I will never forget the rest of my life," Sherman said. "It was a hug that showed fear, concern." "And so what were what message were you sending with that hug?" Van Sant asked. "I'm here for you. We will do our damndest to find her," said Sherman. WHERE'S MADDI KINGSBURY? Maddi's family first began worrying about her late in the afternoon of Friday, March 31, 2023, when Naber realized she had not heard from her daughter for nearly the entire day. Krista Naber: Something in my gut just didn't feel right. Peter Van Sant: Mother's intuition? Krista Naber: Right. Naber contacted Megan, Maddi's older sister, but Megan said she was not overly concerned. Megan Kingsbury: I sent her a couple of text messages anyway "Hey mom, hasn't heard from you. Can you call her? Can you text her back? She's concerned." and she didn't reply to that. At the time, Maddi was living with Adam Fravel, the father of their children. The two had met in college at Winona State University. Megan Kingsbury: He was outgoing, and seemed interested in getting to know us, and he seemed very, almost infatuated, I guess, with Madeline. Maddi Kingsbury and Adam Fravel / Credit: Fravel family While still in college, Maddi and Adam learned they were expecting their first child and decided to settle in Winona. Theresa Sis Mejia: He manned up, he manned up. Theresa Sis Mejia, Fravel's sister, says Adam quit school to support his new family. Theresa Sis Mejia: He knew he was gonna be a dad. He went and got a job and he had that job up until COVID, and then he got laid off while he let Maddi continue college so that she could graduate and she did. She graduated and he supported her. After graduation, Maddi began working at the Mayo Clinic and became a clinical research coordinator. And Maddi's father David Kingsbury said she recently had begun studying for an advanced degree. David Kingsbury: She was a graduate student in a master's program at the University of Minnesota Had just completed her first semester there and was doing very well. Fravel, who had studied computer science in college, began taking flying lessons with an eye toward getting his pilot's license. Theresa Sis Mejia: When he was taking pilot lessons like that, he felt so accomplished It made him feel good. And I was so proud of him for doing it, for doing something for himself. Krista Naber: I enjoyed being around him I could tell that he really cared for Madeline. On the evening of March 31, Megan Kingsbury was hours away from Winona when she reached out to Fravel, who said he was concerned. Megan Kingsbury: He said I got home today and she was gone Fravel and the children were at his parents' home in Mabel, an hour south of Winona. That's when Megan Kingsbury messaged Maddi's close friend Katie Kolka, who lived in Winona: "My parents and I haven't been able to get in contact with Maddi all day ..." Katie responds: "I'm on my way over there right now." The house was eerily silent, and it was at that point Kolka called the Winona police. Peter Van Sant: And you want this missing persons report to be filed, but what did they tell you? Katie Kolka: They told me that I wasn't able to report it because it hadn't been 24 hours yet. Megan Kingsbury: I was pacing in my kitchen. I was getting really really worried. So was Maddi's father who tried to reach her. David Kingsbury: Where are you? What's going on? The next morning, with Maddi now missing nearly 24 hours, the Kingsbury family filed a missing persons report. And then Fravel went to Facebook asking for help. His post read in part: "If anybody has seen Maddi please contact the Winona PD, me or any of her family members Please help me find the mom to our 2 beautiful kids." Mary Fulginiti | "48 Hours" consultant: The police went to great lengths, I have to say, to try to find Maddi quickly because they know that there's a ticking clock on these things. And the investigation took off. Mary Fulginiti: It's extraordinary what they did. "TIKTOK, I NEED YOU TO DO YOUR THING " The news that Maddi was missing spread quickly through Winona and beyond. Hailey Scott, one of Maddi's sorority sisters, wanted to help. Hailey Scott: I reached out to our sorority I reached out to news outlets I was grasping at straws. At the same time, detectives reached out to Adam Fravel. According to police reports, Fravel told them how on the morning of March 31, the couple dropped off their children at the daycare center. Maddi Kingsbury is seen with Adam Fravel and her children on daycare surveillance video the morning of March 31, 2023, / Credit: Friend of Maddi Kingsbury Investigators confirmed the drop-off after speaking to the daycare provider who gave police security video. This video has never been seen by the public until now. It was one of the last times Maddi is seen on video before she vanished. Police say Fravel told them he and Maddi returned home after the drop-off and she went to her office in the basement to do a little work before heading to the Mayo Clinic. Mary Fulginiti: I have taken a look at all the evidence that we have thus far in the Maddi Kingsbury case. Mary Fulginiti, a former prosecutor and defense attorney, is a "48 Hours" consultant. She says that in his police interview, Fravel told detectives he left Maddi his car and borrowed her blue minivan to haul some boxes. Mary Fulginiti: He proceeded to put some boxes in the van that he was going to move to his parents' house He said he didn't see Maddi again He drove to his parents' house on Highway 43. Police say Fravel told them he got as far as the township of Choice, Minnesota, when he realized he had made a mistake. Mary Fulginiti: The boxes that he had in the van were ones that he actually wanted to put in storage. So he turned around and he went back to the home. Police say Fravel told investigators he arrived back at his Winona home around 11:30 a.m. and saw his car still in the driveway. Mary Fulginiti: He said he had texted her a few times, asking about dinner and whether or not she was gonna pick up the kids There was no response. Adam Fravel is seen on surveillance video returning to the daycare center alone to pick up the children later in the day. / Credit: Friend of Maddi Kingsbury Police say Fravel told them he'd assumed Maddi had carpooled to work and when he did not hear from her, he went alone to do that pick up of the kids. Again, the video from the daycare appears to corroborate that part of Fravel's story. Mary Fulginiti: So he ultimately picked up the children around 4:20 or 4:30, um, from daycare and brought them to his parents' house in Mabel, Minnesota. During a police interview, investigators noted that Fravel had "fresh scratches" on his face the day after Maddi disappeared. Fravel's sister says he told her the scratches came from a friend's dog. On Saturday, April 1, police searched the Winona house where Fravel lived with Maddi. Investigators reported they saw no overt signs of foul play. Mary Fulginiti: But what was in the house was her purse, her jacket, her credit cards, um, but no Maddi. Two days later, an anxious Megan Kingsbury rushed out of her shower and alerted her TikTok followers to what was going on. MEGAN KINGSBURY TIKTOK POST: TikTok. I need you to do your thing. I need your help. This is my sister Madeline Kingsbury. Um, she's missing Megan Kingsbury: I wasn't thinking about the fact that I was in a towel. The post eventually had over a half million views. MEGAN KINGSBURY TIKTOK POST: Help us find her. She's got two kids. She's my best friend, she's my little sister. We need to get her back. Please help us. Peter Van Sant: You're obviously in terror here The look on your face. But you're reaching out for help and people wanted to help. Megan Kingsbury: Yes. CBS MINNESOTA | NEWS REPORT: So many people have asked to help look for Madeline Kingsbury that it allowed law enforcement to expand their search Hailey Scott: There's no guidebook on how to search for a missing loved one and searching for her was easily one of the most traumatic things I've ever experienced in my life. Megan Kingsbury was spreading the word about Maddi Kingsbury's disappearance wiith posts on social media, mostly TikTok. / Credit: Megan Kingsbury/TikTok By the end of the weekend, there was no sign of Maddi. Day by day, Megan Kingsbury continued to post updates to TikTok. MEGAN KINGSBURY TIKTOK POST: It's Tuesday the 25th ... still no Madeline now next week is May. We're still in this hell Megan Kingsbury: I feel like all of us, like every night, we would look out it's cold. It's dark. Is she like laying out there somewhere? Is she like trapped somewhere? and you just you don't know what to do. Behind the scenes though, investigators began taking a harder look at Fravel, especially after Maddi's friends came forward with some disturbing stories. Hailey Scott: Madeline called me shortly after an incident happened between her and Adam where he had told her that if she wasn't careful, she was going to end up just like Gabby Petito. The Gabby Petito case fixated the nation in the fall of 2021, after the young woman from Long Island was found dead one month after she seemingly vanished from the face of the earth. Hailey Scott: I told her you need to get out and you need to get it get out now. That's not an empty threat. A FATHER'S WARNING: "HE IS GOING TO KILL YOU" Years before Maddi vanished, her sister Megan Kingsbury says the on-again, off-again relationship between Maddi and Fravel seemed to be headed for a bad ending. Megan Kingsbury: He just wasn't nice to her He didn't act like he loved her. He didn't help take care of the kids. He didn't clean. Peter Van Sant: And honestly, did you reach a point where you you advised your sister, you know, perhaps it's time to move on in your life from him? Megan Kingsbury: Many times. Maddi's father David said it pained him to see how shabbily Fravel treated Maddi. David Kingsbury: I think she literally poured out a river of love for him and she got nary a drop in return. Maddi's stepmother Cathy Kingsbury says Maddi often called, saying Fravel was of no help with the children. Cathy Kingsbury: She'd be just sobbing miserably that Adam's not helping. I hate this. But Maddi's family and friends say there was more than just tearful arguments. About three years before Maddi went missing, Hailey Scott says she witnessed Fravel slap Maddi during a video call. Scott and Maddi were talking, Scott says, when Fravel appeared in the background and began shouting at Maddi. Hailey Scott: He yelled, "I don't understand why this house is such a f****** mess" and she said, "I don't know, maybe you should help me," um, to which Adam turned, and he slapped her with an open hand across the face. And in September 2021, some 18 months before Maddi disappeared, she told Scott about Fravel's dark fascination with the Petito story. Hailey Scott: Adam had an infatuation, and I would call it an obsession, with the Gabby Petito case. The Gabby Petito case fixated the nation in the fall of 2021, after the young woman from Long Island, NY, was found dead one month after she seemingly vanished from the face of the earth. Scott says Maddi had told her that one night, after she and Fravel watched a news special about the Petito murder, his obsession turned threatening. Hailey Scott: He had actually turned and grabbed her by the throat and pinned her down and told her that if she wasn't careful that she would end up just like her. Katie Kolka says she tried to get Maddi to do something. Katie Kolka: And I begged her and begged her, please go to the hospital, document it yourself, do whatever you need to do. You need to get this documented so you can get out of there safely with those kids. But Kolka says Maddi never reported anything to the police. Katie Kolka: She was more scared that Adam was gonna get arrested. Peter Van Sant: She wanted to protect him. Katie Kolka: She was protecting him. Maddi did, however, tell her father David and stepmother Cathy about the choking incident. Cathy Kingsbury: She was like, horribly afraid. She'd been choked and she was very, very scared and wanted help. Cathy Kingsbury says she and David drove to Maddi's house and got her and the children out of there. David Kingsbury: She came with us. We went to the house so she could get some of her things and some of the clothing for the kids and whatnot and put the kids in the van and followed us back to our home in Farmington. But Cathy Kingsbury says Maddi stayed in the Kingsbury house only three days before returning to Fravel because he was "upset" that she'd left. David Kingsbury: I did tell her at some point, he he is going to kill you. Peter Van Sant: You said that to Maddi. David Kingsbury: Yeah. Peter Van Sant: You felt there was enough danger that you had to say to your own daughter, I think he may kill you. And how did she respond to that statement, or did she? David Kingsbury: Honestly, I mean, she became a pro at minimizing things, and it came back to, well, he was he was joking. She told me he was joking, and she wanted to believe that When Maddi went missing, her friends and family reported those incidents to police. According to a search warrant, detectives interviewed Fravel and asked if he and Maddi had ever had any "physical altercations." "He said, 'oh no.'" When detectives asked about those Petito comments, police say Fravel admitted them, but "claimed he was trying to make a joke." But according to a search warrant, investigators found an old screen shot Maddi had saved of some texts she'd exchanged with Adam: MADDI KINGSBURY TEXT: You know I'm not really okay with or over the fact that you put your hand around my neck and pushed me down in front of the kids earlier so don't Not okay with it at all but especially with them there. ADAM FRAVEL: You'll adjust MADDI KINGSBURY: The f*** I will Detectives wanted to know everything about what Fravel did the day Maddi went missing and began collecting surveillance videos from homes and businesses. Police say a blue minivan that looked like Maddi's was videotaped on Highway 43 the road Fravel told police he'd taken that morning. But according to a search warrant, the timestamps do not match Fravel's timeline. The cameras tracked the blue minivan until around noon, police say. Mary Fulginiti: And then there's a 45-minute gap. That gap occurs around Choice, Minnesota. Police say that is where Adam told them he realized he took the wrong boxes, turned the van around and drove straight back to Winona. According to that warrant, "there is a 45-minute window that Fravel could not be tracked." Mary Fulginiti: Where was he during those 45 minutes? I mean, that was the big, you know, the big question, right? Megan Kingsbury, left with her mother Krista Naber. For 68 days, Kingsbury documented her sister's disappearance on TikTok. / Credit: CBS News But with no direct evidence and no sign of Maddi, investigators did not arrest Fravel, and he continued to live at his parents' home with the children. Meanwhile, Megan Kingsbury continued her updates on TikTok. MEGAN KINGSBURY TIKTOK POST | April 14, 2023: Madeline still has not been located, unfortunately. Um, so we're still plugging along and looking for her. As detectives continued to investigate, they uncovered a new lead a romantic relationship Maddi had been having with another man, an Army veteran named Spencer Sullivan. Spencer Sullivan: I'm Spencer Sullivan and I was dating Madeline Kingsbury at the time of her disappearance. And now police were interested to know Sullivan's whereabouts the day Maddi went missing. A NEW LOVE INTEREST FOR MADDI KINGSBURY In the spring of 2023, Maddi knew her relationship with Fravel was falling apart, and she was brutally honest with her father. David Kingsbury: She says, you know, dad I know that I'm in a bad relationship. I know my family knows it. I know my friends know it. And I'm embarrassed about it, but I don't know what to do about it. But Maddi had joined Tinder, which is where she reconnected with Sullivan, who she knew from college. Spencer Sullivan: We were friends on Facebook, so I knew that she had kids I wasn't sure what the status of the relationship was exactly with, uh, Adam Fravel. As it turns out, Sullivan also knew Fravel from Winona State. Spencer Sullivan: He was in the same fraternity as I was. Peter Van Sant: Tell me about the Adam you knew back then. Spencer Sullivan: He and I didn't really talk all that much. Maddi told Sullivan that she and Fravel had reached the point of no return. Maddi and Sullivan began dating, but quietly. Spencer Sullivan: We both kind of agreed to keep it secret between us until she was on her own. Mostly, the relationship was a secret from Fravel. Maddi's family and girlfriends knew about it, and they told police about Sullivan when Maddi went missing. That's when investigators called Sullivan in for an interview. Spencer Sullivan: They were just kind of asking me general questions about when we had started dating. where were you at this point, what were you doing at this point? Peter Van Sant: What were you doing on March 31st, 2023? Spencer Sullivan: Uh, that morning I was at work. Sullivan surrendered his phone while investigators checked out his alibi. As they looked into his story, they also learned from Maddi's friends and family that only six days before she disappeared, she finally had told Fravel about Sullivan. Megan Kingsbury: She didn't want to lie and she just it bubbled up inside of her the this guilt. Peter Van Sant: Is it true that Maddi told Adam about Spencer? David Kingsbury: Yeah. Peter Van Sant: That's a pretty gutsy thing to do. Cathy Kingsbury: Uh, we wish she had not. It all came pouring out and Megan Kingsbury says Maddi told Fravel she was leaving him and looking for an apartment where she would live with their children. Peter Van Sant: And did she tell you how Adam reacted to the news? Megan Kingsbury: I think she said he cried, and he was really hurt at the time. Theresa Sis Mejia: I'm sure he was personally hurt and heartbroken all of a sudden, you find out she has feelings for somebody else and it's over. Ryan Fravel and Theresa Sis Mejia / Credit: CBS News Fravel's sister Theresa, as well as his brother Ryan, say news of the break-up hurt them as well, because Maddi was a cherished member of their extended family. Ryan Fravel: Maddi was a sister to all of us, and our hearts are broken. We lost a close family member. They point out that, although Adam Fravel and Maddi always had an on-again, off-again relationship, they stayed together for seven years. Theresa Sis Mejia: I was completely shocked when I learned that she was dating Spencer behind my brother's back. Maddi's best friend Katie Kolka says tensions between Maddi and Fravel were sky high after her revelation about Spencer. It was the day before she disappeared. Katie Kolka: She called me crying and she asked if she could come work at our house She said that Adam was hovering over her while she was working and making comments about some other man raising his kids and, you know, are you really gonna leave me for another man? She felt very threatened. Maddi left her house and went to Kolka's before ending up at Sullivan's home, also in Winona. Spencer Sullivan: She came over to celebrate my birthday with me she brought a couple donuts that we could split with each other. She had a gift for me. It was a little LEGO set, a little Star Wars LEGO set. I got a card from her and it was a Star Wars card. Peter Van Sant: That last time you saw her person to person. Spencer Sullivan: I remember she's standing at my front steps. She turned around and smiled at me and waved and (sighs) that was the last time I saw her. Within days of his interview, police confirmed Sullivan's alibi and returned his phone. Eventually, police say, he was cleared. Maddi's friend Hailey Scott says Spencer was the best thing to happen to her in a long time. Hailey Scott: Spencer showed her that she deserved so much more than Adam. Spencer Sullivan / Credit: CBS News Sullivan says he was devastated in the wake of Maddi's disappearance. Spencer Sullivan: I thought to myself, like, stuff like this doesn't doesn't happen here, you know. we were talking about her moving into her new place and She wanted me to come over and help her decorate, do stuff and then the next day she's gone. He says he couldn't stop thinking about the birthday card Maddi had given him. Spencer Sullivan: I think I re-read that card at least a hundred times (sighs) that like all I could think was this this (LEGO) kit sorry. (emotional). Four days after Maddi vanished, her parents were given temporary custody of her children. MEGAN KINGSBURY TIKTOK POST: My niece and nephew are no longer in the custody of their father. you know we appreciate the concern for them but they're they're in good hands. When Maddi's friend, Lauren Debois, thought about Maddi's children, she recalled a conversation she'd had with Maddi a month earlier and she reported it to police. Lauren Debois: She told me that she needed me to know that if anything were to happen to her or her children, that Adam did it. She would never leave her children for anything under any circumstances. Ten days after Maddi disappeared, police had received a tip that Fravel had been seen riding near his parents' home with a shovel in his family's utility vehicle. Police seized his vehicle and, according to a search warrant, cadaver dogs alerted to a scent in the vehicle and on the shovel. Mary Fulginiti: You know, it's my understanding that they are trained and specifically trained to find human human remains. Two days later, Adam put out a statement through his attorneys. It read, in part: "I have cooperated with law enforcement at every turn ... I did not have anything to do with Maddi's disappearance. I want the mother of my 5-year-old and 2-year-old to be found and brought home safely. I want that more than anything." Maddi had been missing 35 days when Kolka and others gathered to remember her at a local church. KATIE KOLKA (crying): "She was the kindest most beautiful soul even on the brightest days, it still feels dark and gloomy without her here. David Kingsbury, center, and Cathy Kingsbury, right. / Credit: WCCO David Kingsbury addressed the crowd. DAVE KINGSBURY: We know that Madeline is around her somewhere. She just didn't vanish. Someone knows something. Somone saw something. Make this your battle cry. "Where's Madeline? Where is she?" Make it loud and don't stop until she's found. NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CASE For Megan Kingsbury, June 7, 2023, started out like every other day since Maddi disappeared. MEGAN KINGSBURY TIKTOK POST | June 7, 2023: Hey TikTok. Good morning. Happy Wednesday. ...Maddi's still missing Please continue to spread the word about my sister, Madeline But hours later 68 days after Maddi disappeared a sheriff's deputy found human remains along a lonely country road. David Kingsbury: While it hadn't been certified by the medical examiner, they're fairly certain that it was my daughter. Megan Kingsbury: I was on the floor and like screamed, crying you know what do you say when somebody tells you something like that? There's nothing that you can say. A doorbell camera captures Katie Kolka as she is comforted by her husband after learning that Maddi Kingsbury's remains were found. / Credit: Katie Kolka For Maddi's best friend Katie Kolka, the news was shattering; her reaction captured on her video doorbell camera. The very next day, Maddi's friends heard the news from Winona's police chief. POLICE CHIEF TOM WILLIAMS (to reporters): Law enforcement has confirmed the remains are those of Madeline Kingsbury. Krista Naber: You can't ever prepare yourself for one of your children, um, to to die, much less be found somewhere outside, found as she was. Megan Kingsbury: She was wrapped in, um, a gray fitted bed sheet that had black duct tape around the ends. And, um, there was a towel wrapped around her head. Adam Fravel / Credit: Winona Police Department Adam Fravel was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. The grey bed sheet wrapped around Maddi, according to a criminal complaint, seemed to match a set found in Maddi's home. And the isolated road where Maddi's remains were found, according to that criminal complaint, had been maintained by the Fravel family at one point. This area is also close to the township of Choice, where, police believe, there are 45 minutes unaccounted for in Fravel's timeline. Maddi's body was found in a culvert. Maddi's autopsy listed her cause of death as "homicidal violence" nothing more. In October 2023, Adam Fravel was indicted on additional first-degree murder charges. Fravel's possible motive for murder? In a warrant, investigators allege Fravel was in distress due to "his financial dependence" on Maddi and was upset about "the end of their relationship." Investigators also learned that Maddi had a "death benefit of $170,000" but had not listed a beneficiary. Mary Fulginiti: She was his his meal ticket she was the one who provided for them. According to a search warrant, when police entered the couple's house, they noticed that surveillance cameras inside the home had been removed. Former prosecutor Mary Fulginiti says it's the way they appeared to have been taken down that caught detectives' attention. Mary Fulginiti: They found that the surveillance cameras that he had installed have been ripped out, that they were no longer there so all of those are indicators of, you know, he's up to something in consciousness of guilt. Theresa Sis Mejia: He had those down weeks before they were in the process of moving. Fravel's sister and brother say at one point, before Maddi and Adam broke up, the couple was planning to move together to Adam's parents' home. Ryan Fravel: We want people to know that there are two sides to the story. Take, for instance, those cadaver dogs alerting to the utility vehicle and shovel. Fravel's family says that's because on the previous weekend their dad used that shovel to move a dead raccoon. Peter Van Sant: A raccoon. Ryan Fravel: A raccoon. Theresa Sis Mejia: They used a shovel to pick it up. Theresa Sis Mejia: every time we would try to clarify anything to the investigators, we were just treated with that. Like like we're just delusional. Theresa Sis Mejia: I believe Adam 150 percent that he is innocent he would never harm Maddi, the mother to his children, you know, he'd never do such a thing. Fravel's defense team has asked a judge to suppress Adam's police interview because they claim he wasn't read his Miranda rights. It's the interview where he admitted making comments about Gabby Petito but said he was only joking. In preliminary hearings, his lawyers also say there is not enough evidence to warrant the first-degree murder charge. Fravel's siblings insist authorities should take a closer look at Spencer Sullivan. Ryan Fravel: We're trying to trying to expand, uh, the investigator's eyes that something else could easily have happened. Peter Van Sant: What do you think of that? Spencer Sullivan: I mean, they're trying to protect Adam they kind of need to come to terms with the fact that my personal opinion, uh, they got the right person. David Kingsbury: There is a presumption of innocence in our legal system, of course, that everybody is entitled to But there is also a court of common sense. And in the court of common sense, all roads lead to Adam Fravel. The Kingsbury family is speaking out now in hopes of saving someone else. David Kingsbury: That's the reason why we're here and that's the reason why we're talking about this because we don't want it to happen to anybody else. Peter Van Sant: This is emotionally very powerful right now for you. Are you you don't blame yourself for this. Do you? Cathy Kingsbury: I think we all blame ourselves to some degree. When I would talk to her, I didn't push, you know. I wanted her to be able to say things when she was ready to say things. David Kingsbury: He had his hooks in her, and the kids make it really difficult. For Maddi's father, whatever the jury decides, there is a larger truth that haunts him. David Kingsbury: I'll always be the father of a murdered girl. Spencer Sullivan told "48 Hours" he too feels haunted by a conversation he and Maddi had weeks before she vanished. Spencer Sullivan: She told me that she was in love with me And unfortunately, I was too chicken s*** to say it back, but (sighs). Peter Van Sant: Does that bother you? Spencer Sullivan: Every day. Spencer Sullivan: I saw a future with Maddi and it felt like somebody just ripped the next 60 years out of my life. Megan Kingsbury, right, pictured with Maddi. For Megan Kingsbury, who was so close with her little sister, she still can't imagine a future without Maddi. Megan Kingsbury: I feel like even just saying that we're sisters doesn't describe being the closeness that we had. We were confidants for each other. Peter Van Sant: How do you want Maddi to be remembered? David Kingsbury: Somebody that mattered. And I think everything we've seen and heard from people really affirmed that she mattered to many, many people all of her friends said "she's my best friend." She was everybody's best friend. Adam Fravel's trial is expected to begin in the fall of 2024. His defense team has asked for a change of venue. "48 HOURS" POST MORTEM PODCAST Go behind the scenes with Peter Van Sant and Producer Jordan Kinsey as they discuss how TikTok mobilized a Minnesotan community to find Maddi Kingsbury. The team discusses how they were on the case from day one and the evidence that might be presented at Adam Fravel's upcoming trial. Produced by Paul LaRosa and Jordan Kinsey. Mike McHugh producer-editor. Mike Loftus is the associate producer. Michelle Sigona and Ryan N. Smith are the development producers. Greg McLaughlin and Jason Schmidt and Michelle Harris are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. Social Security Administration updates overpayment policy | 60 Minutes Search ongoing for extinct Tasmanian tiger amid efforts to revive species | 60 Minutes Vision changes could be early indicator of dementia, study finds Donald Trumps message underscores how quickly he is willing to escalate tensions with foreign leaders during moments of conflict. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Donald Trump responded to Irans Saturday attack on Israel by reposting a 2018 all-caps tweet in which he threatened the president of Iran and said the US would not stand for DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS! read the 2018 tweet. Trump posted a screenshot on his social media platform, Truth Social, of the Florida senator Rick Scott praising the message. While US president, Trumps foreign policy was often chaotic and upended many traditional norms of US and international diplomacy. He was frequently criticized for his closeness to authoritarian figures such as the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un, and for undermining traditional pillars of western power such as Nato. Trump originally tweeted the message in 2018 amid escalating tensions with Iran. It came after the then Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, warned the US that a war with Iran would be the mother of all wars. Trumps message underscores how quickly he is willing to escalate tensions with foreign leaders during moments of conflict. Joe Biden had warned Iran not to attack Israel following a 1 April airstrike in which Israel killed a top Iranian military commander in Syria. Biden is reportedly urging Israel not to respond to Saturdays attack with force and has said the US will not participate in a counterstrike against Iran. Trump also addressed Irans attack on Israel during a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday. Theyre under attack right now. Thats because we show great weakness, he said during a rally in Schnecksville, in Pennsylvanias Lehigh Valley. The weakness that weve shown is unbelievable, and it would not have happened if we were in office. As conflict has roiled Israel for months, Trump has said little publicly about how he would handle the issue if he gets a second term in the White House. Trump has previously said the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, let us down before the US killed a top Iranian commander in 2020. Trump has also praised Hezbollah, the Iranian-aligned group in Lebanon designated terrorists by the US, as very smart. The White House vowed Saturday that the United States' support for Israel's security is "ironclad," pledging to stand with the Jewish state and "support their defense" after Iran launched an aerial drone attack towards the country Saturday afternoon. Iran launched drones from its own territory toward Israel late Saturday, days after its Supreme Leader warned it would hit back in response to an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria that left several generals dead. "Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel," White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement Saturday. "President Biden is being regularly updated on the situation by his national security team and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House." The White House said the president's team "is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies." "This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours," Watson said. "President Biden has been clear: our support for Israels security is ironclad," Watson continued. "The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The president is expected to meet with national security officials to discuss the events in the Middle East in the White House Situation Room Saturday evening. The officials will likely include Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown, CIA Director Bill Burns, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and more. The president was briefed earlier in the day by his national security team. Earlier in the day, Sullivan said he spoke his Israeli counterpart, National Security Advisor Hanegbi. Sullivan said that during the call, he "reiterated the United States ironclad commitment to the security of Israel." Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant to "reiterate unwavering U.S. support for Israels defense." "The United States stands with Israel amid threats from Iran and its regional proxies," Austin said Saturday. Saturday afternoon, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed that Iran had "launched a direct attack from Iranian soil toward the State of Israel." "We are closely monitoring Iranian killer drones that are en-route to Israel sent by Iran," Hagari said. "This is a severe and dangerous escalation. Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large- scale attack from Iran." Hagari added that "together with our partners, the Israel Defense Forces is operating at full-force to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel." "This is a mission that we are determined and ready to fulfill," he said. Earlier Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had for weeks "been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran." Netanyahu said Israel's "air defenses are deployed, we are ready for any scenario, both in attack and in defense." "I established a clear principle -- whoever hurts us, we hurt him. We will protect ourselves from any threat and we will do so with coolness and determination," he said. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Original article source:White House says US support for Israel is 'ironclad,' will 'support their defense' amid Iran attack A New York man was scheduled to appear in court Monday after being accused of murdering a friend and helping to store his dismembered body in a refrigerator for nearly two years. Nicholas McGee, 45, has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include murder, robbery, tampering with evidence and concealing a corpse. He was scheduled to appear in court for a hearing on Monday, according to court records. McGees pleas came in Kings County Supreme Criminal Court in Brooklyn on Friday, when a judge ordered him held without bail, the records state. His wife, Heather Stines, 45, was also charged in connection with the case. She is charged with concealing a corpse, hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence, and was also being held without bail. Lawyers for both defendants did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday night. The office of Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez alleges that McGee stabbed the victim, 39-year-old Kawsheen Gelzer, as he slept on a sofa in McGees apartment in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn in March 2022. The victim awoke and fought back, but he succumbed to stab wounds as well as wounds from a hammer that McGee grabbed as the two struggled, the office said in a statement. Afterward, McGee allegedly took drugs out of Gelzers pocket, the office said, and then used a saw and a hammer to dismember the victims body before putting the head and torso in a refrigerator, it said. Arms and legs were stored in the freezer, the office said. It wasnt until almost two years later, in late January, that the remains were found, the DAs office said. Someone told the organization Crime Stoppers that Stines was allegedly storing the body parts in her refrigerator, according to prosecutors. She was taken into custody upon the discovery, and McGee was arrested in Chesapeake, Virginia, and returned to Brooklyn on Friday, the DAs office said. McGee had been imprisoned in Virginia on an unrelated crime, NBC New York reported. This was a gruesome and horrific murder that we allege began with an attack on the victim as he slept, Gonzalez said in the statement from his office. We will now seek to hold the defendant accountable for this senseless crime. Prince Andrew was never on the centrestage of the monarchy. Like Prince Harry, he was unlikely to be King, so he was allowed to play the field, marry the fun-loving Sarah Ferguson, and carry on his merry way content to be known as Randy Andy. He was the Queens favourite son, however, and that got him through life without being irreparably scalded, till he met Jeffery Epstein. Now that relationship with the convicted sex offender is the centrestage of Scoop, a Netflix film, which frankly evokes pity for him along with outrage. Like many wealthy but not very intelligent men of influence, Prince Andrew was obviously used by Epstein (through his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell) to further his career. And again his propensity to talk walks him into the trap set carefully by the clever BBC journalists looking for the defining scoop which eventually leads to the removal of Prince Andrew from public duties as a royal. Yes, there was anger when this interview came out in 2019: The fact that Prince Andrew may have had sex with the underage Virginia Giuffre (never publicly admitted) and that he continued to meet Epstein even after he had been convicted as a sex offender made us question his judgement as well as of those who were advising him. And so this re-enactment of that moment in a film holds no surprises. But it does add another sorry chapter in the life and times of the royals, especially when the makers of the film project him as a slightly dim, self-obsessed man who still has stuffed animals on his bed, and appears to get more upset when they are not properly arranged, than he does with the interview with Emily Maitlis, the BBC journalist who gets him to admit his connection with Epstein, on air. Maitlis herself comes across (played by the marvellous Gillian Anderson) as a diva created by a powerful show Newsnight coiffed hair, stilettos, skinny pants and dog on a leash teetering across BBC. None of it looks like BBCs finest hour. Well it seems a rival scoop on this story will come out on Amazon in a three part series. Scoop is certainly not earth shaking stuff and the only revelation that has got people excited is Prince Andrews bare backside revealed when he gets out of a bathtub. But even that is actually is a prosthetic used by the actor playing the Prince. But before Labour comes to power in the next election it is helpful to remind ourselves that they were not exactly scandal free, even in the past. Harold Wilson became Prime Minister in his 40s and dominated British politics in the 60s and 70s. His secretary Marcia Williams was an astute and politically powerful personality who ended up in the House of Lords upon Wilsons retirement. It was rumoured that this was because of an affaire de coeur. Now we learn that it was not Marcia but someone younger Janet Davies who was assistant to Joe Haines, Wilsons press officer, who was the person in question. Wilson died in the 90s. But Janet was alive till last year. So Joe Haines (himself in his 90s) kept the secret gallantly and only now has let the real name drop. It seems Janet was a great source of strength for Wilson through difficult times. We will never know whether Mary Wilson, his wife, knew and what she thought of the affair as she is no more. One former Prime Ministers wife who has successfully reinvented herself is Samantha Cameron or Sam Cam as she was known when David Cameron was Prime Minister. He has now refashioned himself as the foreign secretary and she as a very successful fashion designer with some very practical and pretty dresses to wear the whole day through. Opening a store called Cefinn in Belgravia appears very brave at a time when everything is being bought online till one finds out that she has some staunch Tory backers for her labe But to be honest, the designs are very wearable and both she and Akshata Murty have been seen in them, so all success to her! Varada Sethu is not yet a household name in India but watch out for her. The Kerala-born actress is breaking into big shows in the UK and the latest is in the long-running TV series, Dr Who which is becoming an ode to diversity in many ways. The lead actor, Ncuti Gatwa, playing Dr Who, is Black, and he will now have two adventurous justice seekers by his side Millie Gibson from Coronation Street and Varada. Following the success of Bridgerton, and One Day its great to see more actors of Indian origin, especially women, land leading roles. by Sara Toffano Archbishop Gallaghers meetings in Hanoi brought to the fore the unique relationship between Vietnams Catholicism and the countrys rulers, a topic revisited a few weeks ago in Paris in an interesting conference by Prof Claire Tran at the headquarters of the MEP. It all started with the instructions given by Pope Alexander VII in 1659 to the first apostolic vicar Pierre Lambert de la Motte. Paris (AsiaNews) The visit to Vietnam by the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Richard Gallagher, which ends today, has been a moment of great joy for the countrys Catholic community. It also opened a new chapter in a long and singular relationship between the Holy See and the countrys rulers. An interesting conference on this topic was held a few weeks ago in Paris at the headquarters of the Missions Etrangeres de Paris (MEP). Claire Tran, Associate Professor at Paris Cite University where she teaches History of Southeast Asia, spoke about Religions and Powers in Vietnam: The Case of Catholics (19th-20th Centuries), based on research she did at the Vatican Apostolic Archives. Prof Tran underlined the strong Catholic presence in the Southeast Asian country. Thanks to its large Catholic community, Vietnam is quite unique if compared to neighbouring Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. At seven million, Vietnamese Catholics represent the fifth-largest Catholic community in Asia (preceded only by the unique case of the Philippines as well as more populous countries like India, China, and Indonesia). How can we explain Catholicisms strong presence in Vietnam? One reason is the complex relationship that developed over time between the country's Catholic minority and the authorities. In the scholar's opinion, that relationship is currently going through a promising period thanks to three factors: a national Church well versed in dialogue with the communist state, a very active and innovative Vatican diplomacy underpinning this dialogue, and Vietnams own diplomatic efforts in favour of greater openness in religious matters to support a more open economy. In this sense, the early years of the Catholic presence in Southeast Asia region were quite interesting. Prof Tran cited a 1659 letter from Pope Alexander VII to the first apostolic vicar of what was then Cochinchina, Fr Pierre Lambert de la Motte, a MEP missionary. The missive shows not only that the pontiff urged respect for the countrys traditions, but also for those who ruled it. "To the people," he wrote, "preach obedience to their prince; pray to God with all your heart for their prosperity and salvation. Absolutely refuse to sow the seeds of any Spanish, French, Turkish, Persian, or other party. Do not use any argument to convince these peoples to change their lives and their culture, unless it is clearly contrary to religion and morals; do not introduce our ideas among them, but [our] faith. This does not mean that relations with local authorities were easy. From the start, the missionaries came up opposition since they refused to promote the cult of the emperor and ancestor worship. The authorities gaze on Catholics constantly wavered from an interest in a mediating presence to repression of a potential danger. To complicate matters, starting in the 19th century, France who justified its colonial presence to save the missionaries from a hostile regime and then the powers involved in the Cold War, who, to legitimise the fight against communism and the defence of the free world, looked to Western foreign missionaries as a Western Trojan horse to enter the empire. This resulted in martyrdom for the Church in Vietnam with as many 300,000 Catholics killed for their faith. About 117 martyrs have been beatified, including bishops, priests, seminarians, catechists, and lay people: 96 Vietnamese, 11 Spanish and 10 French, including eight MEP missionaries. But, as early as 1919, after the First World War, the Vatican welcomed the first six Vietnamese seminarians sent to Rome for training with the aim of establishing a native Church that was not simply seen as an adjunct of Western powers. Soon enough the first bishop was appointed at a time when the Vietnamese did not have access to the highest positions in the country's political system. The very presence of an apostolic delegate from 1924 onwards went in this same direction, even if this journey ended tragically in 1975 with the expulsion by the communist government at the end of the war. Now, the relationship has been revived with the arrival in Hanoi last December of Archbishop Marek Zalewski as the Papal Resident Representative in Vietnam, a process made possible precisely by the vitality of the Vietnamese Church. For Prof Train, it is no coincidence that in his letter to Vietnamese Catholics in July 2023, Pope Francis insisted on two points: the social role of the Church, which must participate in all sectors of the country's life, and the commitment for Vietnamese Catholics to be good Christians and good citizens. ECCLESIA IN ASIA IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN ASIA. TO RECEIVE A WEEKLY UPDATE EVERY SUNDAY, CLICK HERE. Elizabeth Sander is a Suburban Education Reporter at the Houston Chronicle covering ISDs, private and charter schools. She can be reached at elizabeth.sander@houstonchronicle.com. Previously, Elizabeth was a Hearst fellow covering education, local politics and breaking news for the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News. People joined the Students for Justice in Palestine to protest the Baker Institute's 30th Anniversary Gala at Rice University on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in Spring. Rice University is grappling with a D rating on the ADL's antisemitism report card, which several rabbis have also flagged as sending an incomplete picture of Jewish life at the college. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Rice University is grappling with a D rating on the Anti-Defamation Leagues antisemitism report card, which several rabbis have also flagged as sending an incomplete picture of Jewish life at the college. The ADL named the private institution alongside a couple dozen colleges and universities that have taken what the anti-hate organization considers a deficient approach to antisemitism. Speech issues remain contentious at Rice and campuses across the country as the Israel-Hamas war has spawned repeated student protests supporting the Palestinian people and calling for a cease-fire. We appreciate the work of the ADL and its work to combat antisemitism on college campuses, Rice University officials said in a statement. While we are disappointed with the grade and plan to provide supplemental materials outside of their methodology, we are encouraged by an upcoming opportunity to meet with the ADL Southwest regional director to share the totality of our work against antisemitism at Rice. Advertisement Article continues below this ad HIGHER ED: Rice University denounces antisemitic speech after Penn fallout from Congressional hearing That work has included a faculty-led educational series on topics surrounding the Middle East; ongoing feedback from many in the Jewish community; a policy strongly denouncing antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of hatred; and a reporting process that has yielded timely investigative responses, officials said in the statement. Rabbi Shmuli Slonim, of Chabad at Rice University, said the letter grade does not reflect the state of Jewish life on campus. While many students feel their concerns are not being heard, Slonim said he does not believe they feel that Rice is comparable to other universities that received Ds. The university administration has remained supportive, even though it should still do more to support Jewish students, Slonim said. And student life isnt as dark as a D would suggest: Chabad has engaged with close to 90% of Jewish students on campus and has held 100 events this semester alone, he said. Every parent is of course asking the same question, and my answer is: Jewish life at Rice is stronger than ever, Slonim said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The ADL began its report by selecting top national and liberal arts colleges as well as colleges with the highest Jewish student populations. The ADL estimates almost 200 undergraduate students at Rice are Jewish, about 5% of the school population, and 25 graduate students are Jewish, which is less than 1% of the population. Campuses then answered a short questionnaire and were graded on 21 criteria, categorized more broadly by administrative policies and actions, incidents and Jewish life on campus. Some incidents informing the Rice grade included regular anti-Israel rallies taking place, an LGBT group cutting ties with Hillel last fall over Palestinian students concerns, and recent anti-Zionist student government activity. The Rice Student Association in December passed a resolution affirming support for a faculty statement in solidarity with Palestinians, and the organization most recently put forward a resolution to boycott and divest its funds which it diverts to student groups from Israel-aligned companies. (The Student Association tabled the resolution under advisement from the equal opportunity office after a student filed a discrimination complaint with the university, the Rice Thresher reported.) One professor also received an antisemitic note after publishing an op-ed in a local publication, according to the report. Moshe Vardi, who identified himself as the faculty member, said the note contained tropes that were indisputably antisemitic. But he said he has yet to see Rice take action more systemically against the use of other phrases heard at pro-Palestinian rallies on campus, which he said call for violence against Jews. Perhaps theyre concerned about the legal side, Vardi said. But in the meantime they are losing the PR side. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rice reiterated its position on Friday that calls for violence or genocide against Jewish students or any other group violate university policy and are evil, wrong and immoral. But claims that universities are allowing antisemitism have been hard to quash: At the heart of the issue are differing interpretations of the protesters slogans, and resulting questions of whether anti-Zionism equates to antisemitism, said Dov Waxman, the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair of Israel Studies at UCLA. Waxman said he questions the ADLs methodology in determining letter grades, in part because he worries that it conflates anti-Zionism for antisemitism. That approach is simplistic, he said, but so is assuming that anti-Zionism is never antisemitic. Some of the phrases in question are Globalize the Intifada and From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free. Many anti-Zionist protesters view those phrases as legitimate political speech, and others interpret them using historical references that call for violence, Waxman said. Given the fact that theres such disagreement about this, university administrators are reluctant to crack down on peaceful political protests, he said, adding that universities have generally shown they are willing to crack down on disruptive protests. Menachem Z. Rosensaft, adjunct professor of law at Cornell Law School, said he recognizes that speech condemning the actions of Israel is political speech. But language matters, and the line between what constitutes antisemitic speech as a delicate one, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad You have virulently anti-Israel student groups, they engage and their rhetoric or their behavior will cross the line, Rosensaft said. Then it becomes a question of, how does one restrain them and what does one do? Universities are generally fearful of infringing on their students constitutional rights to speech, and only some have gone so far as to prohibit certain pro-Palestinian groups from protesting on campus, said Sahar Aziz, distinguished professor at Rutgers Law School. Those approaches are dangerous and limit educational progress, she said, and the same applies to classifying language that some people find offensive as valid civil rights complaints. Phrases employed by pro-Palestinian protesters have more than one interpretation, the professor said, and the result of infringing on that sort of speech also means that Muslim and Arab students might feel unwelcome and under attack by their administrations. The intent of the speaker matters, said Sahar, who wrote a book called The Racial Muslim. The intent of these students that are engaging in political activism on college campuses is to stop what they believe is a genocide being committed by Israel. Jewish communities who are staunchly pro-Israeli are claiming that the intent is to harm Jews. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Waxman agreed that many pro-Palestinian students might not know the histories behind certain slogans they use, or they might simply use them as rallying cries in support of Palestinian people. But its also reasonable to ask student activists to be mindful of the affect their language has on others, he said. We have to recognize that is the experience of some Jewish students, Waxman said. At Rice, advocates in the Jewish community said they are continuing to work with administrators on the issue. But the situation is complex, and not represented fully by a metric on a report card, said Rabbi Kenny Weiss, executive director of Houston Hillel. The work of creating a campus climate in which Jewish students feel both physically and emotionally safe is an ongoing process, he said. Its not something that you say, 'OK, were done.' 14 April 2024 20:10 (UTC+04:00) By Talya Iscan, AZERNEWS This expression, known for centuries, symbolizes the idea of distrust of supposedly friendly gestures by those who may be hiding secondary intentions or dangers. The South Caucasus is becoming a new platform for confrontation and clashes, which is worrying. The recent special meeting in Brussels between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan underscores the attention that major world powers are paying to Armenia, a nation of just 2 million people in the South Caucasus. This interest may come as a surprise to some, but not to those familiar with recent Western movements in this peace-seeking region. It is obvious that Azerbaijan has expressed its dissatisfaction with this initiative, interpreting it as an attempt to incite in Armenia and divide the South Caucasus, including the isolation of Azerbaijan. Also interesting was the quick and direct reaction of another regional power, Turkey, which called the meeting an attempt to undermine the neutral approach that should be the basis for solving complex problems in the region. Turkey has warned that any initiative that excludes Azerbaijan risks turning the South Caucasus into a zone of geopolitical confrontation instead of serving peace. Following these reactions, both Blinken and von der Leyen rushed to call Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev to explain that the initiative was not aimed at Azerbaijan and that the goal was to help Armenia's economy. Is the meeting masquerading as a meeting on economic interests truly aimed at cooperation or is it just divisive rhetoric tearing the region apart? Do we hear Europe talking about alarming scenarios, which in fact do not exist, in order to arm Armenia and push it away from Russia, in order to control the South Caucasus zone under the influence and interference of the West? However, it is difficult to believe in selfless feelings on the part of the West, especially after the daring actions of French President Macron, both in support, including military, of Armenia, and in his aggressive statements about the deployment of French troops in Ukraine to openly confront Russia. This is confirmed by social media posts by the French ambassador in Yerevan, who stated that France has military weapons that everyone wants to have, and France is providing them to Armenia, demonstrating Frances overly aggressive position in the Caucasus. At the same time, some European countries see these positions as dangerous and recognize the important role of Azerbaijan as a partner of the EU, especially in the energy sector as a key partner. For example, Italy's deputy foreign minister acknowledged the importance of Azerbaijan and criticized his French counterpart's statement as unhelpful, suggesting that it would be more appropriate and necessary for the French minister not to jeopardize the efforts of many who are moving intelligently toward a final peace settlement in the region. It is clear that the West's attempts to alienate Armenia from its historical and most important ally, Russia, are creating another area of tension between major Western countries and Russia. In turn, the Armenian government is trying to benefit from this situation, positioning itself as a potential Western outpost against Russia and Iran. Russia's reaction was not long in coming, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calling the Armenian Prime Minister's statement about freezing its participation in the CSTO (a collective security organization controlled by Russia) an unfriendly step that jeopardizes the allied relations between the two countries. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, noted that the EU mission in Armenia, which they describe as a civilian mission to control the borders of that country, is in fact a NATO mission, since Canada is also included in it. Although the reaction from another regional power and long-term ally of Armenia, Iran, has not been as visible, there are many signs indicating that the Iranians have categorically warned the Armenian government against this Western offensive. After Azerbaijan regained control of its territories that had been under Armenian occupation for decades, the region has seen new and real hope and development towards long-term peace. New regional cooperation platforms such as the 3+3 (Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia, Russia, Turkey and Iran) are emerging and first meetings are being held, while the final peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia is still being negotiated. While Armenia still must overcome legal and constitutional obstacles to renounce territorial claims against its neighbors and achieve final peace, recent events and Western attempts point to a very dangerous trend toward fragmentation of the South Caucasus region as the scene of yet another confrontation between the West and Russia, with subsequent possible Syrianization of Armenia, which means undermining Armenian sovereignty. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 11:23 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more A scientific meeting called "Shusha Summit of Cardiovascular Surgeons" was held in the city of Shusha, organized by the Society of Cardiovascular Surgery of Azerbaijan, with the support of the Ministry of Health, TABIB and the State Agency for Compulsory Medical Insurance. This event is the first scientific meeting held in our territories freed from occupation after the restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Azernews reports, citing Azertag that at the opening ceremony, the National Anthem of Azerbaijan was played and the memory of the martyrs was commemorated at the meeting attended by the representatives of relevant state institutions, doctors working in the field of cardiovascular surgery and cardiology in our country. Speaking at the event, Honorary Chairman of Azerbaijan Heart and Vascular Surgery, Professor Kamran Musayev emphasized the importance of the scientific medical meeting held for the first time in our cultural capital Shusha. He said that cardiovascular surgeons are proud, like every citizen of Azerbaijan, thanks to the great Victory won under the leadership of the President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Muzaffar Ilham Aliyev. Emil Iskanderov, head of the Department of Continuing Medical Education of the Department of Medical Education and Innovations of TABIB, said in his speech that the scientific meeting of cardiovascular surgeons will make an important contribution to doctors discussing scientific innovations and exchanging experience. Ramil Aliyev, chairman of the Azerbaijan Heart and Vascular Surgery Society, pointed out that the program of the meeting includes the speeches of cardiovascular surgeons and cardiologists, and that both the speeches and discussions will be useful for the participants to update their knowledge and exchange experience. The meeting continued with panel discussions. Speakers "Minimally invasive techniques in the surgical treatment of congenital heart defects", "LAA closure in atrial fibrillation: for whom and when?", "Surgical approach to gunshot injury of the aortic arch", "Asymptomatic lower extremity peripheral arterial disease and intermittent claudication: 2024 year clinical practice guidelines", "Minimally Invasive valvular surgery: for whom and when?", "Diagnosis and drug treatment in functional mitral regurgitation", "Modern approach in the treatment of deep venous thrombosis" and "ECMO after open heart surgery: timing and tactics" made presentations and discussed the topics. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 14:18 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Defense Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov paid an official visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry Within the framework of the visit, Colonel-General Z. Hasanov met with Major-General Yusif Ahmed Al-Hnaiti, Chairman of the Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces. First, an official welcoming ceremony was held. After passing in front of the honor guard, in accordance with the protocol, Colonel-General Z. Hasanov signed the visitor's book. Cooperation in the military and military-technical fields, as well as other issues of mutual interest, were discussed at the meeting. At the end of the meeting, an Agreement on cooperation in the field of defense was signed. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 14:39 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan is deeply concerned about the growing tension between Iran and Israel. According to Azernews, this was poted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan on the ministry's official "X" social account. Azerbaijan is deeply concerned over the rising tensions between Iran and Israel. We call on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid dangerous escalation that would further destabilize the situation in the Middle East. MFA Azerbaijan (@AzerbaijanMFA) April 14, 2024 "We call on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid a dangerous escalation that will further aggravate the situation in the Middle East," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 15:37 (UTC+04:00) The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov, visited the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center as part of his official visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Azernews reports, citing Defense Ministry.of Defense. A meeting was held with the Director General, Colonel Nael Alshgirat, and a wide range of opinions were exchanged on a number of issues. Colonel-General Z. Hasanov got acquainted with the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center. The Minister of Defense was given detailed information about the main activity of the center and the conditions created here. The Defense Minister later arrived at the Royal Air Force Command. Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov met here with the commander of the Royal Air Force of Jordan, Major-General Muhammad Hyasat. At the meeting, prospects for the development of military, military education and military technical cooperation were discussed. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 16:30 (UTC+04:00) The West Azerbaijan Community issued a statement on the biased statement of the "Freedom House" organization. Azernews reports that the statement says: "Freedom House" organization, which operates in the USA and describes itself as a guardian of democracy and human rights, has published an annual report. The report called "Peoples in Transition 2024" tries to give an ideological color to the geopolitical conflict currently taking place in the international world. The authors of the report take a clearly inflammatory approach, oppose diplomacy and mutual understanding, and deepen the dividing lines, assigning states to one or the other camp. The authors of the report, who cannot digest Azerbaijan's restoration of its territorial integrity and sovereignty and conduct of an independent policy, claim that the anti-terrorist measures implemented in September 2023 allegedly violate human rights and try to attribute our country to some geopolitical group. The special targeting of Azerbaijan in the report, which is generally harmful and incorrect, is the result of the activities of numerous radical Armenian functionaries, including Vice President Anni Boyacjiyan, who are rooted in Freedom House. "Freedom House's Armenian employees, instead of defending the highest value such as human rights, act out of national bigotry and smear Azerbaijan." The West Azerbaijani community regrets that "Freedom House" has lost its credibility due to the influence of racist circles, calls on the organization not to be a tool in the hands of political circles, and to support the right of return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 16:52 (UTC+04:00) On April 14, 2024, the Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov left for a business trip to the Republic of Uzbekistan, Azernews reports, citing Ministry. Within the framework of the visit, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov will participate in the second ministerial meeting of the Strategic Dialogue between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Central Asian countries as an honored guest, as well as hold a number of bilateral meetings. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 17:15 (UTC+04:00) The Azerbaijan Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov, who is on an official visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, met with the King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Abdullah bin Al Hussein II, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry. The Defense Minister conveyed the greetings of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev. In the meeting, the importance of cooperation with Jordan in the military field as well as in many fields was emphasized. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 13 April 2024 23:40 (UTC+04:00) Britain's climate change minister Graham Stuart resigned from the government after eight years on Friday, saying it was the right time to step down, Azernews reports. Stuart said he would stand again for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives in an election expected later this year, with the opposition Labour Party leading in polls by a large margin. "Having served as a minister for most of the last eight years I have decided that now is the time to stand down," he said in a letter to Sunak posted on social media platform X. "I will continue to give you my full support from the backbenches." Sunak's office said Justin Tomlinson, a former junior minister in the work and pensions department, would replace Stuart as climate minister. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz First responders on the scene after a stolen 18-wheeler crashed into a Texas Department of Public Safety office on US-290 in Brenham, Texas on Friday, April 12, 2024. The driver of a stolen semitrailer intentionally rammed it into the Texas public safety office in a rural town west of Houston on Friday, injuring multiple people, according to a state lawmaker. (Meredith Seaver /College Station Eagle via AP) Meredith Seaver/Associated Press A Chappell Hill man crashed a stolen 18-wheeler into the Texas Department of Public Safety building in Brenham on Friday, which authorities said resulted in over a dozen injuries. Authorities charged 42-year-old Clenard Parker in connection with the crash and he was being held in Washington County Jail. Bobby Huff, 78, was transported by medical helicopter to CHI St. Joseph Regional Hospital-Bryan, where he succumbed to his injuries on Friday, according to a news release by the agency. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Huff's wife told ABC13 he was there to renew his driver's license. The crash caused significant damage to the office building including a large gaping hole in the entrance. What's more, authorities allege he ran into the building intentionally in response to recently being denied a commercial driver's license, What happened in Brenham on Friday? Parker stole the semi-truck Friday morning from a Chappell Hill gas station, authorities said. He drove the truck toward Brenham with police catching up to him at one point and giving chase. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But they weren't able to stop him before the authorities say Parker drove into the building. Authorities say Parker had backed up the truck to hit the building again, after striking the single-story building once to hit it again but was detained before he had the chance. If he had veered a little bit to the left a second time, there would have been a collapse of that building, which would have resulted in a lot more injuries and possible death, Brenham Mayor Atwood Kenjura said. Clenard Parker was at the office the day before the crash. Why? Authorities said Clenard Parker had been told the previous day at the Brenham office that he was not eligible to renew his commercial driver's license. Advertisement Article continues below this ad How many people were injured? Aside from Huff, 14 people were injured, according to the Department of Public Safety. One person died at a hospital. Five others were taken to a hospital with two being admitted with serious injuries but are said to be in fair condition as of April 15. Three were released Friday. Authorities treated the eight other people who were injured at the scene. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What is Clenard Parker being charged with? 14 April 2024 08:00 (UTC+04:00) In a letter to Pope Francis on Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: Humanity must prevent further violations of international law in Gaza, Azernews reports. Erdogan also stated that humanity should speak out against the bombing of hospitals, schools, mosques, and churches, emphasizing that these should never be targeted, even in times of war. Without a fair resolution of the Palestine-Israel issue, establishing lasting peace and stability in the Middle East is not possible, he added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday called the April 1 Israeli strike on the Iranian diplomatic mission in Damascus that left at least 13 people dead, including a high-ranking general, a political killing, Azernews reports, citing the release of the Russian FM. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Lavrov condemned the Israeli attack in a phone talk with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. Any attacks on diplomatic and consular facilities, the inviolability of which is guaranteed by the relevant Vienna Conventions, are categorically unacceptable, as well as political killings, he said. Seven Iranian military advisers are said to have been killed in the attack, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), whom Tel Aviv accused of taking part in planning the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion. The top diplomats exchanged of views on the state of affairs in the Middle East, and agreed to maintain the high level of coordination on regional and global issues. The sides stressed the interest of both sides in consistently increasing political and diplomatic, as well as trade and economic cooperation, including in the transport and logistics sector, including transit transportation, the ministry said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 01:17 (UTC+04:00) Elnur Enveroglu Read more Iran launched hundreds of drones directly from its territory against Israel on Saturday night, in a radical change from its usual use of proxies, the IDF has confirmed. Azernews reports, citing Jerusalem Post that drones and missiles were also reportedly launched from Yemen and other countries around the region. Iran has confirmed as well that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has begun its missile and drone attack against Israel. Israeli sources told ABC News that cruise missiles had been launched from Iraq towards Israel. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 01:27 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more The attack of the Iranian military forces against Israel is likely to last for several hours. According to Azernews, this was stated by the head of the press service of the White House's National Security Council, Adrienne Watson, in her statement regarding Iran's launching of drones towards Israel from its territory. "This attack will probably last for several hours. US President Joe Biden has clearly stated that our support for Israel's security is unwavering. The United States will stand by the people of Israel and support their security against these threats from Iran," she said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 00:44 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Israel's airspace will be closed for international and domestic flights from 00:30 to 07:00 on April 14 due to Iran's attack, Azernews reports, citing foreign media sources. The Israeli army has so far identified more than 100 drones launched from Iran into Israel. The Israeli Air Force is monitoring the drones and preparing for additional waves of attacks, which could include missiles, the army said. The currently tracked drones are expected to arrive in the country within hours, but the Israeli military will try to neutralize them at an earlier stage. According to the army, dozens of fighter jets are currently in the sky and ready to strike where needed. "Kan" reports citing sources that drones were launched not only from Iran, but also from other countries, including Yemen. Adrienne Watson, head of the press service of the White House's National Security Council, said that the attack against Israel is likely to last for several hours. "This attack will probably last for several hours. President Joe Biden has made it clear that our support for Israel's security is unwavering. The United States will stand by the people of Israel and support their security in response to these threats from Iran," he said in his statement. "Al Arabiya" TV channel reported that drones launched from Iran towards Israel crossed the airspace of Jordan. The media reports that Iran attacked Israel with "Shahed" kamikaze drones. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 01:56 (UTC+04:00) Elnur Enveroglu Read more US President Joe Biden cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house and was returning to the White House on Saturday to meet with his national security team and monitor the situation in the Middle East as Iran launched an attack against Israel, Azernews reports, citing Time. Tensions are at their highest since the Israel-Hamas war began six months ago after a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force. Iran has promised to retaliate against Israel, and U.S. and Israeli officials have been bracing for an attack, raising concerns about the conflict escalating into a wider regional war. Biden was set to convene a principals meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room to discuss the events and plan the U.S. response. Besides, the U.S., along with its allies, have sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalating the conflict. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 09:51 (UTC+04:00) British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Iran's attack on Israel. The Prime Minister wrote about this on his "X" social network page. Read my statement on the Iranian regimes reckless attack against Israel. pic.twitter.com/xeuR3cd3kG Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 13, 2024 He noted that Iran once again demonstrated its intention to sow the seeds of chaos. Rishi Sunak said that he is urgently working with allied countries to stabilize the situation and prevent further escalation of tensions. "The UK will continue to defend the security of Israel and all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. Together with our allies, we are working urgently to stabilize the situation and prevent further escalation of tensions. No one wants more bloodshed," the Prime Minister said in his statement. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 10:43 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The attack on Israel can be considered as a completed response to the attack of the Iranian diplomatic facilities in Syria by the authorities of this country. Azernews informs referring to the Permanent Mission of Iran to the UN as mentioned on official "X" page as such: "The matter can be deemed concluded." Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Irans military action was in response to the Zionist regimes aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli Permanent Mission of I.R.Iran to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) April 13, 2024 The Permanent Mission noted that the release of drones to Israel is a response to this country's attack on Iran's diplomatic facilities in Damascus. At the same time, it was emphasized that if the Israeli authorities make "another mistake", Tehran's response will be "harder". Earlier, it was reported that dozens of Iranian drones flew over the southern provinces of Iraq towards the territory of Israel. Drones with warheads launched from Iran were also observed over Jordanian territory. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 10:10 (UTC+04:00) The Israeli authorities have opened the country's airspace, which was closed due to the threat of an attack. Azernews reports that the Israel Airports Authority released information about this. "According to the instructions of the security services, the airspace of the State of Israel was opened at 07:30 in the morning local time, and the Ben Gurion airport resumed operations," the information said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 11:52 (UTC+04:00) "Iran attacked Israel in response to the shelling of its consulate in Syria, and we should not expect tensions in the Middle East to increase in the future." This was told by Vladimir Fitin, the head of the Near and Middle East Center of the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies, in his statement to TASS. According to him, none of the participants of this conflict is interested in a big war that will cause unexpected consequences in the region. "Iran could not let the attack on its consulate in Syria go unanswered and therefore had to do something. Otherwise, it would appear completely unwilling in front of its people and the entire Muslim Ummah. So, Iran attacked Israel to save its image." The expert said that the attack carried out is the maximum that Iran can do in the current situation and wants to stop there. "At the same time, on the eve of the presidential elections, which are already close enough, the United States does not need war at all . On the other hand, this whole situation will further damage US President Joe Biden's chances of re-election." It should be noted that Iran attacked Israel with IEDs. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said that the army neutralized 99% of about 300 Iranian missiles flying towards the Jewish state. Note that Iran launched hundreds of drones directly from its territory against Israel on Saturday night, in a radical change from its usual use of proxies, according to foreign sources. Iran says that this was in response to an Israeli airstrike in the Mezze district of Damascus which resulted in killing 13 people, including the commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Syria and Lebanon, General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy, Mohammad Haji Rahimi. Iran has confirmed as well that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has begun its missile and drone attack against Israel. Besides, Israeli sources told ABC News that cruise missiles had been launched from Iraq towards Israel. Recall that on April 1, an Israeli airstrike in the Mezze district of Damascus killed 13 people, including the commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Syria and Lebanon, General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy, Mohammad Haji Rahimi. Since then, tensions between Iran and Israel have increased. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Zarastin Fushkova, 4, pushes her cousin, Sultonbegin Khuganazarova, 8, as they play at Evelyns Park Conservancy in Bellaire on Jan. 30, an unseasonably warm day when temperatures rose into the low 70s under sunny skies. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer You could argue that Houston is known for having both the best and worst that Texas has to offer: an astounding variety of food, excruciatingly bad traffic, and weather that alternates between clingy humidity and debilitating heat. If someone new to Houston or just visiting were to ask what are the best weather months in Houston, what would the answer be? What would you call good weather in Houston? The answer to what Houstonians would consider good weather in Houston is likely unique to each resident because we go through periods of severe heat, dangerous freezes, tropical storms, flooding rainfall, hail and even tornadoes throughout the year. People have learned to adapt and appreciate the quieter types of weather we get that other parts of the state might take for granted or not consider great at all. TEXAS TWISTERS: What were some of the worst tornadoes to hit the Houston area? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Take April for example: Houston experienced some of the nicest weather this spring on April 11, with sunny, blue skies and afternoon temperatures in the 70s. But that came only a day after a stormy cold front dumped nearly 2 inches of rain in parts of Houston and produced a low-grade tornado in nearby Katy. Good weather is pretty much always subjective, Houston Chronicle newsroom meteorologist Justin Ballard said. When forecasting the weather, Ballard said he has to be conscious of the words he uses to describe the days weather because he knows people enjoy different types of weather. Even with a couple of rounds of thunderstorms a couple rounds of severe thunderstorms weve really had nice weather these past few weeks, Ballard said. Sunny, low humidity and temperatures have generally been in the 70s to near 80. Is it really best when its hot? As the saying goes, some like it hot. Contrary to popular belief, Houstons parks are actually well-attended during the summer, despite the regions sweltering heat, said Christopher Carroll, the deputy director of the Greenspace Management Division for Houstons Parks and Recreation Department. Advertisement Article continues below this ad HURRICANE HISTORY: Ranking the worst hurricane seasons in Texas in the past 15 years People ask, Well do you really want to be in a park when its hot? I would say yes. A lot of people do. It gets their momentum going. It gets their mojo back in them, Carroll said. During Houstons summer more people are drawn to the citys swimming pools and splash pads, and the citys recreation centers are often used as cooling centers, he said. We love our weather because it brings more people to our parks, Carroll said. Can weather data tell us whats best? Throughout the year, Houstons weather is split evenly between good weather and active weather, Ballard said. Although good weather is always subjective, people normally enjoy the weather when outside temperatures are 75 to 80 degrees and skies are sunny. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The benchmarks for "normal" values by the National Weather Service. National Weather Service I dont think anyone is going to complain about that, he said. When attempting to figure out the best weather months in Houston, one could look at the average temperature for each month in Houston. The National Weather Service compiles the averages from 30 years of daily weather data, from 1991 to 2020, collected at the citys official climate observation site, Bush Intercontinental Airport. The figures are then used as benchmarks to establish normal values. Houstons monthly average high temperatures dont reach the 70s until March, which has an average high of 74 degrees. Marchs average rainfall is about 3.47 inches, but that actually makes it one of the citys relatively drier months. This year, Marchs average daily high was 76.1 degrees and the month produced only 2.2 inches of rain. Monthly average high temperatures dont return to the 70s until November, which has an average high of 72.6 degrees. But Novembers average rainfall is about 3.87 inches, but that still makes it fall's driest month. Last year, Novembers average daily high was 70.8 degrees and the month produced only 2.36 inches of rain. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Average low and high temperatures for each month in Houston. Roberto Villalpando Whats the best animal weather? With March and November seeming to have the best average temperatures and a manageable amount of rain, its not so surprising that Kevin Hodge, vice president of animal programs at the Houston Zoo, said spring and fall tend to be when people attend the zoo the most, although the summer doesnt keep people away completely. Hodge said he tells his family the best time to visit the Houston Zoo is January, February and November. Its not as crowded, its cooler and the animals are a little more active during those months, Hodge said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the summer, Hodge recommended visiting the zoo as early as possible. When the zoo designs new exhibits, they have to accommodate Houstons incredible heat and its occasional freezing temperatures. They build habitats that are comfortable enough for animals to shelter in throughout the day, so visitors may not see as many animals during the peak summer months. What about chamber of commerce weather? You might be familiar with the phrase chamber of commerce weather, especially when describing unbelievably gorgeous conditions outside that any chamber of commerce or tourism board would wish for to attract visitors. But spring and fall are also not always the time when people visit Houston the most. The number of conventions that take place in Houston and summer travel boosts the number of visitors in the summer months, according to a spokesperson from the Houston First Corporation. 14 April 2024 16:07 (UTC+04:00) Iran has no intention of attacking Americans and US bases in the region, Azernews reports, citing Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian. "We do not intend to attack the Americans or the US bases in the region, but if we are attacked from the US bases located in the countries of the region, we will have to attack them," the minister said. It should be noted that Iran conducted a military operation against Israel on April 14. During the operation, dozens of missiles and rockets were fired at Israel. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 18:20 (UTC+04:00) Turkish security forces "neutralized" four PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, the National Defense Ministry said on Saturday, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. "Our heroic Turkish Armed Forces neutralized 3 PKK terrorists in the Operation Claw-Lock area and 1 PKK terrorist in the Hakurk region in northern Iraq, the ministry said on X. "Our fight against terrorism continues effectively and decisively," it added. Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured. In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and the EU has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. PKK terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq to plot cross-border attacks in Turkiye. Turkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target the PKK terror organization's hideouts in Iraq's northern Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 18:50 (UTC+04:00) US defense chief Lloyd Austin condemned Iran's airborne attack Saturday against Israel and urged Tehran to deescalate the situation, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. "We condemn these reckless and unprecedented attacks by Iran and its proxies, and we call on Iran to immediately halt any further attacks, including from its proxy forces, and to deescalate tensions. "We do not seek conflict with Iran, but we will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defense of Israel," Austin said in a statement. He said US forces intercepted dozens of missiles and UAVs en route to Israel, launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. "Our forces remain postured to protect U.S. troops and partners in the region, provide further support for Israels defense, and enhance regional stability," he said. Austin said he would continue to "closely monitor the situation and consult with allies and partners. Iran began an airborne attack Saturday against Israel in retaliation for an April 1 airstrike on its diplomatic facility in the Syrian capital of Damascus. The strike killed at least seven members of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two top generals. Tehran has accused Israel of carrying out the attack and vowed to respond. Tel Aviv has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack but it has for months carried out several strikes against Iranian targets across Syria. Iran and Hezbollah, its main ally in Lebanon, have said the attack will not go unpunished. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 19:25 (UTC+04:00) The Dubai-based Emirates airline decided to resume the flights to Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon today, Azernews reports, citing TASS. "We resume our regular flights to and from Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq starting on the second half of April 14, because these countries have previously reopened their airspace," the airline said. The representative notes that Emirates "monitors the situation closely and coordinates its actions with corresponding authorities." Previously, the authorities of Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon decided to reopen their airspace. Despite that, UAEs Emirates, Etihad Airways and Flydubai cancelled or postponed some flights, scheduled for April 14. An Etihad Airways representative told TASS that the airline plans to resume its regular flights from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv, Amman and Beirut on April 15. Meanwhile, the airline noted that, "there is still a potential risk of certain disruptions, because the airspace of several Middle Eastern countries remains temporarily closed." On the evening of April 13, Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, calling it a response to "numerous crimes," including the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, attributed to Israel. The Iranian state media said that the strike targeted Israeli military facilities. The IDF claimed that it intercepted 99% from approximately 300 missiles moving towards Israel, adding that insignificant damage was caused to the Nevatim airbase. No killed or seriously injured Israelis were reported. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 19:50 (UTC+04:00) US President Joe Biden believes that the Iranian attack on Israel will not escalate into a full-scale war and will not lead to further escalation in the region, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said, Azernews reports, citing TASS. "I dont think that there is any reason that it needs to," he said, speaking to an NBC host. "The [US] president does not believe that it needs to move in that direction," he said, commenting on the hosts question about a full-scale war between Iran and Israel. Kirby also noted that the US does not want an escalation and does not seek a war with Iran at a greater scale. "What Israel demonstrated last night was an incredible ability to defend itself, just their own military superiority was quite remarkable, [] and the damage was extraordinary light," he said. On the evening of April 13, Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, calling it a response to "numerous crimes," including the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, attributed to Israel. The Iranian state media said that the strike targeted Israeli military facilities. The IDF claimed that it intercepted 99% from approximately 300 missiles moving towards Israel, adding that insignificant damage was caused to the Nevatim airbase. No killed or seriously injured Israelis were reported. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 April 2024 21:47 (UTC+04:00) China-Europe freight train services recorded solid expansion in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, data from China's railway operator showed Sunday, Azernews reports, citing Xinhua. A total of 4,541 China-Europe freight train trips took place in the first three months of 2024, up 9 percent year on year, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway). About 493,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of goods were transported via these freight train services during this period, up 10 percent from a year earlier, the railway operator said. By the end of March, some 87,000 China-Europe freight train trips had been made in total, providing services for 222 cities across 25 European countries, according to China Railway. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 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. Public furor at Scotland's new "hate speech" law that goose steps all over free speech has caused a dramatic crash in the popularity of its leader according to a new poll for the London Times. Scotland's First Minister and head of government Humza Yousef, an ethnic Palestinian who now leads the Scottish National Party government now has a favorability rating among all Scots of negative thirty two points, a dramatic fall since the poll taken prior to implementation of the "hate speech" law. Even among voters of his own party, Yousef has a popularity rating of negative seven points, with 29% of SNP voters approving of him and 36% disapproving, and the rest undecided. Prior to the "hate speech" law, Yousef had an approval rating of positive fifteen points. Ironically, many Scots have filed police complaints under the "hate speech" law against Yousef himself for a speech he made in parliament saying white people had too much power in Scotland, a country that is 96% white. https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/04/14/leftist-scottish-leaders-popularity-collapses-after-hate-speech-law-introduced/ It is clear that average citizens hate tyrants who try to take away their free speech. The BBC drama about PSNI officers is back on Monday night, but what can viewers expect in the second series? The Belfast Telegraph sifts the evidence Martin McCann and Sian Brooke in a scene from the new series of Blue Lights The first series of the Belfast-based BBC drama was a massive hit with viewers, shining a light on the challenging and complex world of policing here. Season one focused on the fall of the republican McIntyre gang, with plenty of drama and relationships that have left viewers eagerly anticipating where the story goes next and what is in store for our rookie cops. Ahead of its return tonight, we piece together the clues to what comes next. Q: What has happened in Belfast since the fall of the McIntyre gang? We know that in series two the narrative shifts to the east of the city, this time exploring loyalism. In series one we met the McIntyre clan and witnessed their fall, with much of the drama focused on west Belfast. This series has been billed as exploring the vacuum filled by rival gangs, all competing for dominance. As a young loyalist threatens to take over the city, the officers face a major gangland feud, culminating in a violent and devastating confrontation. The shows creator said they always planned to show the complexities of different areas of the city, explaining why it focuses on loyalism on the opposite side of Belfast. It will centre around Seamus OHara, who joins the programme as Lee Thompson a loyalist who gets caught up in the rival gangland feud. One big question is how it will play out this time and will there be any other shock deaths as a result? Blue Lights Official Trailer Q: Are Stevie and Grace now a couple? By the end of the first series we could see the flickers of romance between rookie constable Grace played by Sian Brooke and her fellow officer Stevie (Martin McCann). From their bonding over food to his clear awe at her style of policing and her empathy in terms of how she interacted with cases and victims, there was a spark from the get-go. It was clear by the end of the series there was something there, but how will it work out in series two? Will the mixing of work and romance be too much for the officers? And will they be able to separate their potential relationship from the pressures of the job? Q: How are the officers coping with the death of Gerry? One of the most shocking moments of series one was the death of fan-favourite PC Gerard Gerry Cliff played by Richard Dormer. Series two is based one year on, so what impact will his death still have on them, especially young officer Tommy played by Nathan Braniff who was partnered with Gerry and learned so much from him? So too his on-screen wife Sergeant Sandra Cliff played by Andi Osho, who will have to adapt to life both in and out of the force without him. Q: Whats next for Jen? Constable Jen Robinson (Hannah McClean) left the police at the end of series one after being caught up in the drama that saw Gerry lose his life, and her fatally shooting someone. She held Gerrys body screaming for help after he was shot as her colleagues rushed to the scene. She is now a solicitor after realising policing was not for her. However, it looks like this series will see her focus on a legacy case as she tries to find justice for Happy (played by Paddy Jenkins) a childhood friend of Gerrys whose father and brother were killed by a bomb in a chip shop in the 1970s. How her role will progress is sure to be emotive but what will be the outcome? Viewers will also wonder how her relationship with her mother, Chief Superintendent Nicola Robinson, has developed. Jen, a constable who had gone through her probationary period and was two years into the job, had tried to resign before the death of Gerry but her mum did not let her. There is a potential for resentment there for not letting her quit when she wanted. Q: What other new character should we look out for? Officer Shane Bradley (played by Frank Blake) is new to the team and has been brought in by Detective Murray Canning to boost the section as they are short-staffed. He is clearly someone with ambition. A teaser clip hints of an attraction between rookie officer Annie (Katherine Devlin) and Shane. Will there be another romance on the cards? Its said Bradley doesnt play by the rules - how will that impact on the team? The creators have worked to show more of Belfast and almost make it more of a character this time around - including a focus on standalone shots of the city that mean something to the storyline. They will aim to show the full spectrum of the city. Q: What will be in Stevies lunchboxes this time? Fans of the show will be looking forward to seeing what wonderful foodie creations Stevie has for lunch this time around. From pate to sweet treats and snacks, its become something to watch out for. So all eyes will be peeled. Anthony Franze is a native Texan and very passionate about covering any weather that is thrown at him. He can be reached at anthony.franze@express-news.net. Anthony earned a degree in Meteorology from Valparaiso University in 2017. He has worked as a broadcast meteorologist for six years, one at NBC Montana and the next five at NewsWest 9 in Midland before joining the Express-News in July 2023. In his free time, Anthony enjoys watching sports, checking out local restaurants and breweries, and getting outside whenever the heat allows for it. If you have any story ideas, questions about the weather or restaurant suggestions, drop him a line. 999 HERO: (l-r) Four Star Pizza Director of Operations Ciara Kellett, CEO Colin Hughes and Director of Marketing Sean Scott are calling on the Northern Ireland public to nominate members of the emergency services that they feel have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their job. The call to action comes on the back of the pizza chains sponsorship of the prestigious 999 Hero award at this year's Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards, an annual event that honours inspirational people from across Northern Ireland. To nominate a member of the emergency services for the 999 Hero Award, sponsored by Four Star Pizza, send an email to spiritofniawards@sundaylife.co.uk, providing some information on the person(s) they are nominating and why they deserve to win. Closing date for nominations is Sunday May 12, 2024. 999 HERO: Four Star Pizza CEO Colin Hughes is calling on the Northern Ireland public to nominate members of the emergency services that they feel have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their job. The call to action comes on the back of the pizza chains sponsorship of the prestigious 999 Hero award at this year's Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards, an annual event that honours inspirational people from across Northern Ireland. To nominate a member of the emergency services for the 999 Hero Award, sponsored by Four Star Pizza, send an email to spiritofniawards@sundaylife.co.uk, providing some information on the person(s) they are nominating and why they deserve to win. Closing date for nominations is Sunday May 12, 2024. One of the category sponsors for this year's Sunday Life Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards in partnership with Ulster Bank has launched their own appeal for customers to get a pizza the action. Four Star Pizza are a new supporter of our prestigious event and have embraced the drive to find the humble heroes making a difference in their community who deserve the spotlight to be shone on them for a change. Their call to action is to encourage the public to nominate members of the emergency services who they feel have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their job because they are sponsoring the 999 Hero award. 999 HERO: (l-r) Four Star Pizza Director of Operations Ciara Kellett, CEO Colin Hughes and Director of Marketing Sean Scott are calling on the Northern Ireland public to nominate members of the emergency services that they feel have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their job. The call to action comes on the back of the pizza chains sponsorship of the prestigious 999 Hero award at this year's Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards, an annual event that honours inspirational people from across Northern Ireland. To nominate a member of the emergency services for the 999 Hero Award, sponsored by Four Star Pizza, send an email to spiritofniawards@sundaylife.co.uk, providing some information on the person(s) they are nominating and why they deserve to win. Closing date for nominations is Sunday May 12, 2024. CEO Colin Hughes, from Lurgan, Co Armagh, said: "We are very proud to sponsor this years 999 Hero award and would urge everyone in Northern Ireland to show their support for our amazing emergency services by nominating anyone they feel has gone that extra mile in carrying out their already vital work. "While there can only be one winner of this very special award, we at Four Star Pizza see it as a salute to all those individuals and teams who, on a daily basis, selflessly serve our communities and show such bravery in the face of adversity to help save lives. "As a company deeply rooted in local communities, with franchises in towns across the island of Ireland, we offer our heartfelt gratitude, on behalf of all our customers and staff, for our emergency services extraordinary acts of courage and sacrifice, and we are honoured to help celebrate their resilience and unwavering dedication. "They are the true embodiment of heroism and, as an honest company always striving to be better, their stories serve as beacons of hope and inspiration for us all." Last years 999 Hero award was won by all-volunteer charity K9 Search and Rescue NI for the bravery shown by its handlers and rescue dogs in providing certified area search and victim recovery canines for coastal, urban, rural and disaster response. To nominate a member of the emergency services for the 999 Hero Award send an email to spiritofniawards@sundaylife.co.uk providing some information on the person(s) you are nominating and why they deserve to win. Clenaghans restaurant said rising costs meant it had unfortunately become impossible to stay in business Clenaghans is to close later this month. A popular restaurant in Co Armagh is to close at the end of this month. Clenaghans said rising costs meant it had unfortunately become impossible for the eatery to stay in business. In a dire warning about the state of the hospitality industry, its owners warned that many more outlets face closure. The restaurant is based on the Soldierstown Road near Aghalee. On its website, it promises modern comfort warming the traditional stone building. A cosy interior is housed by a building dating back to the 18th century, fusing old with new. It had opened in December 2021 in between pandemic-era restrictions. But now the restaurant, which had been trading from Thursday to Sunday, is closing. The apartment business will remain open. The news came in a statement posted on its Facebook page on Sunday evening. Its owners said: We are deeply saddened to announce that Clenaghans will be closing its doors from the 28th of this month. With rising costs hitting us from all sides, it has unfortunately become impossible to keep the doors open and to continue to provide the quality experience that we love so much to bring to you all. We have seen many other much loved venues have to make this same decision, and if nothing changes for the hospitality sector, I am sure we will continue to see many more. Pork belly dish at Clenaghan's We have made some fantastic friends and connections since taking the reins at Clenaghans mid-pandemic, and we would like to thank every customer that has joined us for a meal or a special occasion during our tenure. We are so grateful to all of you for the part you have played in our journey, particularly our regulars who have been with us every step of the way. And to all the front of house and kitchen team thank you for giving us your everything and always bringing your A game. We love you loads, and wish every single one of you the best in whatever you go on to next. The restaurant will be open as normal for now, with our last service on April 28 so please get booked in and get any outstanding vouchers used up." Customers spoke of their sadness as they reacted to the news of the restaurants closure. One said: Sadly another casualty to the near impossible trading conditions facing hospitality and small businesses throughout the country. Another said: So sorry to be reading this, Clenaghans is one of Northern Irelands best kept secrets, a lovely, quirky restaurant. Police forensics officers examine the area around a taxi as they investigate the shooting incident. A man shot in Co Down on Friday remains in a critical but stable condition in the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH), police have said. The victim, who has been named locally as Brian McCourt, was shot in the abdomen in Banbridge on Friday evening. The patient, aged in his 40s, was targeted shortly after 8pm in a car park on Rathfriland Road. He was sitting in a taxi when a masked gunman approached and opened fire. A 46-year-old man arrested in connection with the shooting has been released on police bail to allow for further enquiries. Police said in a statement: Detectives would encourage anyone with information or who witnessed what happened, to make contact with police on 101, quoting reference number 1683 12/04/24. Forensic officers in white clothing gathered evidence at the scene on Saturday. A grey car, with its passenger window shattered, remained at the location. Bandages with spatter of blood at the passenger door remain at the scene were the victim was treated Detectives are investigating a link between a burning vehicle which was found near to where the shooting happened. The PSNI initially believed the assailant made off in a Citroen car. However, new evidence emerged suggesting the vehicle was a silver Peugeot. The burnt-out car found in the Drone Hill Road area of Corbet matched that description. A 46-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and conspiracy to murder remains in custody at this time, assisting detectives with their enquiries, Detective Inspector Foley previously said. On Sunday, the PSNI confirmed there has been no change in the victims condition and that the suspect is still being questioned. A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said it received a 999 call at 8.06pm. NIAS despatched a rapid response paramedic and an emergency crew to the incident, they added. Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, one patient was taken by ambulance to RVH in Belfast. A gunman approached the car and shot the victim through the widow The Drone Hill Road and Rathfriland Road, including its off-slip and on-slip to the A1 dual carriageway, was closed for a considerable time following the incident which has been condemned by a number of politicians. Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie has appealed to anyone with information about the shocking incident to come forward. Guns do not belong on our streets, he added. "If you have any information regarding this incident please get in touch with the PSNI. DUP MP Carla Lockhart urged the public to allow the PSNI time and space to investigate this serious incident. Alliance MLA Eoin Tennyson insisted those behind the shooting do not represent the wider community in Upper Bann. I utterly condemn this sickening attack, as will any right-thinking individual, he added. My thoughts are with the victim of this terrible incident, who I hope makes a full recovery from his injuries. Mr Tennyson said the entire community has been left in a state of shock as he too warned there is no place for guns on our streets. Sinn Fein councillor Kevin Savage said those responsible need to desist as he appealed for witnesses to contact police. Detectives have asked anyone who saw what happened or noticed anything suspicious, to contact 101. We would especially like to hear from anyone who may have any CCTV, dash-cam or mobile footage of what happened, DI Foley added. This information could greatly help with our enquiries. People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll speaking during proceedings at the Northern Ireland Assembly in Parliament Buildings, Stormont (Liam McBurney/PA) Northern Irelands Finance Minister has been urged to review the industrial derating policy amid criticism of rates handouts for multinational corporations. People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll described the policy as obscene at a time when Stormont is under financial pressure and public services are underfunded. The Treasury has offered to write off almost 600 million of Stormont debt, conditional on the powersharing Executive raising 113 million and producing a plan to deliver sustainable finances. Stormont Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald (Liam McBurney/PA) The stipulation is a key element of a 3.3 billion financial package drawn up by the UK Government to support the return of devolution in Northern Ireland. A Stormont budget is expected to be unveiled by the end of April. Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald told the Assembly last week that the Executive is facing a significant challenge in terms of its budgetary situation. Industrial derating includes a 70% discount in rates for manufacturing spaces, and is awarded to more than 4,000 industrial properties in Northern Ireland Figures obtained by People Before Profit have revealed a breakdown of the properties which benefit from the policy, ranging from factories, distilleries, film studios, workshops and depots. They include businesses involved in food production as well as manufacturing. The total cost comes to more than 71 million. Mr Carroll said some of the worlds top firms are availing of rates handouts. It is unacceptable for multinational corporations to avail of such obscene handouts, he said. Ordinary people have had their rates hiked year-on-year, while corporate profiteers are allowed to hold on to millions in unpaid rates. Just last month, we were told Stormont needed to raise 113 million to invest in public services. The Executive could take tens of millions off multinational corporations at the stroke of a pen if they were prepared to challenge the rich. Every penny we let these corporations keep is money lost to our public services. The Finance Minister needs to urgently review industrial derating to stop massively wealthy corporations from raking it in at public expense. The lobby group Manufacturing NI previously urged against the ending of the industrial derating policy, claiming it would be deeply damaging. Responding, a spokesperson for the Department of Finance said the minister is assessing the findings of a consultation which looked at industrial derating. Industrial derating is awarded to around 4,400 industrial properties that are eligible for the relief, they said. Industrial derating was part of the revenue raising consultation on non-domestic and domestic rating measures. The Finance Minister will be assessing the findings of the consultation, alongside a number of other strategic areas within the rating system. Kingsmill massacre survivor Alan Black speaks to the media outside Laganside Courts, Belfast, on Friday. Pic: PA Doug Beattie, leader of the UUP, said the inquest had failed at every level (Oliver McVeigh/PA) The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party has written to the secretary of state to outline concerns about the findings of an inquest into the Kingsmill massacre, including the transparency of the Irish Government. Doug Beattie has also written to justice minister Naomi Long "to ask for her ruling on Sinn Feins disregard for the courts. In his letter, Mr. Beattie states it was deeply concerning that the victims and their solicitors were not allowed to be present when this evidence, heavily redacted, was presented. The correspondence also highlights much wider-reaching issues concerning Sinn Fein. "These commitments, under the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006, form part of the Ministerial Code and Pledge of Office applicable to previous and present office holders, it adds. 'To uphold the rule of law based as it is on the fundamental principle of fairness, impartiality and democratic accountability, including support for policing and the courts as set out in paragraph 6 of the St Andrews Agreement.' On Friday, coroner Brian Sherrard dismissed the claim that South Armagh Republican Action Force were responsible for the slaughter of 10 Protestant workmen in January 1976 as a cynical lie. He severely criticised the IRA, and its political representatives, for refusing to engage with the inquest and found that the ambush was "overtly sectarian". The attack was carried out by the IRA operating under the authority of the Army Council which had, in April 1975, given wide authorisation to IRA units, the coroner found, he added. Mr Beattie has also written to Mrs Long to ask if she has concerns around the disregard for the courts shown by Sinn Fein and what action is available to her to deal with this issue. John Bryans (46), Robert Chambers (19), Reginald Chapman (25), Walter Chapman (23), Robert Freeburn (50), Joseph Lemmon (46), John McConville (20), James McWhirter (58), Robert Walker (46) and Kenneth Worton (24) No political party or politician should be allowed to show the courts such a flagrant disregard, he said. "Sinn Fein had a duty to engage positively with this court process and the Irish Government must be more transparent when dealing with issues surrounding our troubled past. Only a United Kingdom Government inquiry, made public, can address these issues. "It will ensure our collective government can continue in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration with political parties upholding their commitments. It comes after a DUP MLA said Michelle ONeill must publicly apologise to the Kingsmill families and the sole survivor of the atrocity if she is to be a first minister for all. Jonathan Buckley said Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald also owes victims an apology. How can Michelle ONeill not apologise?" he asked. You cant be a First Minister for all if you do not recognise these victims. A First Minister for all would be appealing for evidence and for those in the republican movement to come forward and give over the evidence that is required to bring justice for these families. Other than that, its just empty words. "Saying sorry is the very least they could do. They now have a primary duty to dig for answers. Alan Black, who was shot 18 times and left for dead among his slain workmates on a Co Armagh roadside has called for a public inquiry. The textile workers were ordered from a minibus taking them home from a nearby factory and forced to line-up beside the vehicle before being systematically slaughtered. Kingsmill massacre survivor Alan Black speaks to the media outside Laganside Courts, Belfast, on Friday. Pic: PA Mr Black expressed deep disappointment after the inquest concluded and said families are not anywhere near the truth as he criticised the use of public interest immunity (PII) throughout eight year process. "At every turn of the way they have hidden behind national security, he added. "These murders happened 48 years ago, what on earth, how can national security be compromised by murders that happened 48 years ago. It beggars belief." The sister of John McConville (20) who was killed in the attack has also demanded an inquiry as she criticised the IRAs silence. "They were not prepared or honourable enough to confront their barbaric actions in the courtroom, she added. This represents the blatant disregard they have to truth recovery. "We hope this will be noted and considered by Sinn Fein. DUP interim leader Gavin Robinson has said he will never allow a rewriting of history as he criticised nationalists inconsistent messages on legacy. The East Belfast MP said he was amazed at criticism of the Legacy Act by Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Irish government given their silence after the on-the-runs (OTR) scheme. Referring to Ms ONeills claim that there was no alternative to the IRAs armed campaign during the Troubles, Mr Robinson promised to make sure such a view is firmly and robustly challenged. "There was always an alternative to shooting innocent workmen, he added. Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly has said the Kingsmill families are entitled to truth and justice, as he accused the Government of closing the door on families through the shameful Legacy Act which he said should be repealed. A Sinn Fein Spokesperson said "a number of inquests in recent weeks have clearly pointed up the need to tackle the legacy of the past to meet the needs of victims and their families when asked by this newspaper if an apology will be forthcoming. Detectives are appealing for information and witnesses following an arson attack at a property in Kilburn Street, south Belfast A man and two dogs escaped unhurt after an arson attack in south Belfast. It happened late on Saturday evening when the door of a house was set ablaze, police said. Detectives are investigating a motive. PSNI Detective Sergeant Alexander said: Police received a report at approximately 10.20pm on Saturday evening that the door of a house in the Kilburn Street area had been set alight. Officers attended, alongside colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. However, the fire was extinguished prior to their arrival. Thankfully, a man and two dogs who were inside the property at the time of the fire, were uninjured. Scorch damage was caused to the front door area of the property, including its letterbox. We are treating this report as arson with intent to endanger life and our investigation is underway to determine exactly what happened, a motive, and who was involved. I would appeal to anyone who may be able to assist with our investigation or has CCTV, dash-cam or mobile phone footage, to contact us on 101, quoting reference 1958 13/04/24. We are especially keen to hear from anyone who noticed suspicious activity or anything out of the ordinary in the Kilburn Street area between 10pm and 10.15pm, to get in touch. Jamie Bryson says he could challenge DUPs Gavin Robinson for east Belfast seat Loyalist activist has been in talks with TUV leader about becoming a candidate Jamie Bryson and Jim Allister Andrew Madden Sun 14 Apr 2024 at 22:15 Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson has revealed he is considering standing against the DUPs interim leader in the general election. UK Someones DNA is not their destiny, it is only a part of who they are expert Simon Harris said he strongly condemn Irans reckless and large-scale attack on Israel (PA) Irish premier Simon Harris has condemned Irans drone and missile attack on Israel. Iran launched the unprecedented assault on Saturday night in response to an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria earlier this month. Iran had vowed to retaliate after two of its top generals were killed in the air strike on Damascus on April 1. I strongly condemn Irans reckless and large-scale attack on Israel, the new Taoiseach said in a statement. I urge all sides to show restraint now and to avoid any escalation in military action and the devastation that would cause. Irelands deputy premier also condemned the attack, hours after Micheal Martin used his party conference keynote speech to appeal for calm in the Middle East. I strongly condemn Irans attack on Israel, Mr Martin said. My thoughts are with the Israeli people at this time. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The scale and intensity of the attack represents a flagrant threat to international peace and security and is utterly unacceptable. It does nothing to help the cause of the Palestinian people or bring us closer to an end to the suffering in Gaza. There is now an urgent need for regional de-escalation. Further escalation is in nobodys interest. I urge all actors to intensify efforts to restore stability. Ireland will work closely with our EU partners in responding to this crisis. President Joe Biden has made broadband access a focal point of his administration, but broadband funds from his signature Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have been slow to come to Texans who desperately need it. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images For thousands of Texans living in the Rio Grande Valley, the so-called Last Mile that stubborn final leg of a broadband internet network that reaches a residential neighborhood can seem endless. More than 2.8 million households across Texas dont have high-speed internet access but the problem is particularly acute in the Valley, where only 46% of households have a broadband connection, according to the Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition. While the state and federal government are sitting on mountains of cash to build out high-speed networks, only a fraction has been distributed. Many of Texas broadband deserts remain parched. Even if you live in a city lucky enough to have an internet service provider, the lack of competition means rates are often unaffordable, particularly in the Valley, where so many residents live in persistent poverty. Some experts believe broadband access will become more affordable with the state and federal government shouldering the expense of laying down fiber-optic cables for internet service providers. But thats years away. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The federal government has stepped up with a stopgap solution: the $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program created through the bipartisan infrastructure bill Congress passed in 2021. The program, administered by the Federal Communications Commission, offers a $30 monthly subsidy to low-income families to help pay for internet service. Roughly 1.7 million Texans have received the subsidy. That includes large metropolitan regions such as Harris County, where nearly 240,000 households benefit from the program, but also more sparsely populated areas in East and South Texas. In the Valleys four counties Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy more than 200,000 households benefited. Yet despite the programs success, it is set to run out of money by the end of May unless Congress acts. While the program is not a panacea, it is a crucial tool alongside the much more daunting work of establishing fiber cable broadband connections across the nation, an effort currently mired in the muck of government bureaucracy. Indeed, while Texas is set to receive $3.3 billion in broadband funds from the federal government, on top of a $1.5 billion Broadband Infrastructure Fund created by the state Legislature, the rollout of those monies has been glacial. The maps drawn up by the state and federal government to pinpoint broadband needs were littered with errors and are slowly being revised. The only federal Texas broadband project currently underway is a $17 million build-out in Sabine County. The state broadband fund, which will finance connection upgrades, pole replacements and matching funds for the federal broadband program, has yet to make any of that money available. Many parts of South Texas have grown impatient waiting on government funds to fall from the sky or for private internet service providers to lay fiber cables in their neighborhoods. For some cities the Affordable Connectivity Program is more than just a monthly utility discount its a crucial keystone in the larger puzzle of bringing high-speed internet to residents. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Take Pharr, a city of 80,000 in Hidalgo County and home to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge connecting Texas to Mexico. By some measures, Pharr was one of the worst broadband deserts in the nation. The impoverished south side was such a dead zone that even cellphone service was sparse. Cindy Garza, the citys external affairs director, told the editorial board last week that students in Pharr would often have to buy a meal at Burger King just to get access to the fast-food chains wireless internet. Some would sit on the steps of their school after dark, tapping entire essays out on their mobile phones. That is the reason why the city decided this is going to become one of our No. 1 priorities: were going to move forward on our own and were going to create our own public network, Garza said. That opportunity arose thanks to the money the Biden administration poured into cities through the American Rescue Plan in 2021. Pharr officials set aside $16 million in federal funds and added $48 million in revenue bonds to install hundreds of miles of fiber-optic cables as part of a municipal broadband network. The service officially launched in June 2022 and now has more than 5,000 subscribers. Monthly plans start as low as $25 per month but can cost up to $80 per month for high-speed access. One-third of Pharr residents live in poverty, so to help those households pay for the new service, the city connected residents with the Affordable Connectivity Program. Without it, Garza told us, Pharrs municipal service would not have gotten off the ground. The roughly 530 subscribers of the program were crucial in spreading the word. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It is such an important resource, she said. If we had decided to wait for broadband funding to come through, we would still be waiting. That may be the fate of other cities if the Affordable Connectivity Program expires. A bipartisan bill extending the programs funding through December is stuck in committee. Even if it passes, Congress should also establish longer-term funding that aligns with the four- to five-year timeline for completing broadband networks across the nation. Among those standing in the way: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. He was among Republicans who wrote a letter to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in December blasting the Biden administrations reckless spending spree and questioning why taxpayer dollars are going to households that already had broadband prior to the subsidy. The FCC disputed that claim, releasing a survey showing nearly half of the ACP recipients had either no connectivity or relied solely on mobile service before receiving the benefit. The proportion increases to more than two-thirds when counting inconsistent connectivity. Cruz seems to fundamentally misunderstand the needs of his own constituents. Advertisement Article continues below this ad While major cities with multiple internet service providers offer low-cost options for broadband, areas with one provider often dont. The Texas Tribune reported that one East Texas providers cheapest monthly option was $62. Perhaps while hes campaigning for reelection, Cruz could swing by an East Texas broadband desert and ask families living below the poverty line how much they pay for monthly internet, or whether they have internet at all. It might be enlightening. The Affordable Connectivity Program was always intended to be a temporary salve for communities lacking quality internet access. It makes no sense to terminate this program before the work of bridging the nations digital divide has even begun. RAF jets shot down a number of Iranian drones after Tehran launched its unprecedented attack on Israel, Rishi Sunak has said. The Prime Minister condemned the strikes as dangerous and unnecessary, warning that the fallout in regional stability would have been hard to overstate if they had been successful. The UK joined the US overnight into Sunday in deploying warplanes to help intercept missiles after Iran launched its first direct assault on Israeli soil. Speaking to journalists in Downing Street on Sunday, Mr Sunak called for calm heads to prevail in the aftermath. He said: I can confirm that our planes did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones. I want to pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of our pilots flying into the face of danger to protect civilians. If this attack had been successful, the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate, and we stand by the security of Israel and the wider region, which is of course important for our security here at home. Israels Iron Dome air defence system launches to intercept missiles fired from Iran (Tomer Neuberg/AP) The PM is joining other G7 leaders for urgent talks this afternoon amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said he had formally condemned the attack and made clear Tehran must stop these reckless attacks in a call with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, on Sunday. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and at least 120 ballistic missiles in an assault that set off air raid sirens across the country. By Sunday morning, Tehran said the attack was over and Israel reopened its air space. The assault was launched in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month, which killed two Iranian generals. It is the first direct military attack launched by Tehran on Israel, despite long-standing enmity dating back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. (PA Graphics) The latest development brought years of shadow war between the two foes out into the open as the conflict in Gaza inflames decades-old tensions in the Middle East. Britain and the US have offered staunch support for Israel, although Tehran has threatened a heavier response if Washington cooperates in any further military action. Attack drones were intercepted by the RAF in Syria and Iraq, where it was already operating as part of the Operation Shader mission against the Islamic State group. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said later on Sunday that multiple one-way attack drones launched by Iran and its proxies had been intercepted by Britain. Additional RAF aircraft were deployed this weekend to bolster the UKs presence, he added. Israeli military spokesman rear admiral Daniel Hagari said 99% of more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles had been shot down outside the countrys borders, with aircraft intercepting more than 10 cruise missiles. (PA Graphics) Rescuers said a seven-year-old girl was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a strike, although they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne and German foreign minister Annlena Baerbock joined a growing chorus of western leaders urging against escalation. The US President said he would convene a meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced democracies on Sunday to co-ordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. The language indicates that the Biden administration does not want Irans assault to spiral into a broader military conflict after Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant suggested the incident was not over yet. A top US official said the US had informed Israel it did not plan on striking Iran itself. All eyes will be on the response from Benjamin Netanyahus government, with countries in the region and elsewhere urging restraint to avoid intensifying the conflict. Meanwhile, Labour called on the UK to impose further sanctions on drones following the G7 call on Sunday afternoon and made clear the party would back such a move. Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy suggested the Opposition had been kept abreast on Privy Council terms of the Governments action overnight but said it was important for the PM to give a statement to Parliament on Monday. Speaking to journalists, the frontbencher said: I hope as a result of the G7 call today that the Government come forward with further sanctions, and certainly Labour will support them if they choose to do that. Im very concerned that the Shahed 136 drone has been used overnight. Its a drone that has also been sold by Iran to Russia. Its time that we stepped up sanctions on those drones, and I hope the Government will be coming forward with more plans for that tomorrow. Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has denied any wrongdoing over the row about her previous living arrangements (PA) The row over Angela Rayners previous living arrangements has deepened as her former aide reportedly wrote to police contradicting her claims. Ex-staffer Matt Finnegan said there was no doubt in my mind that this was Ms Rayners family home when he visited her at what she says was her husbands address in 2014. Officers are investigating whether Labours deputy leader broke electoral law after Tory allegations that she may given false information about her main residence a decade ago. She was registered at an ex-council house she bought in Stockport, but it is understood Conservative Party deputy chairman James Daly has suggested neighbours say she lived with her husband at a separate property. A spokesperson said Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner is looking forward to sitting down with authorities to draw a line under this matter (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Greater Manchester Police (GMP) initially said it would not be investigating the allegations, but following a complaint from the Bury North MP, the force confirmed it had reassessed information and launched a probe. Mr Finnegan left Ms Rayners employment with a 20,000 payout and non-disclosure agreement after accusing her of disability discrimination and unfair dismissal and has told police he vividly remembers her home was elsewhere, the Sunday Times reported. He visited her around the time she became a parliamentary candidate at an address in Lowndes Lane, Stockport, in the summer of 2014, according to the paper. There was no doubt in my mind that this was Ms Rayners family home, where she lived with her then-husband, Mark, his letter states. I remember it quite vividly because Ms Rayner was not at home at first and I had to wait for some time in my car before she eventually arrived. It was also memorable in that it was the first and only time I visited her home during the course of my voluntary work for her. Ms Rayner has promised to resign if she is found to have committed a crime over the accusations, but said she followed the rules at all times. Sir Keir Starmer said he has full confidence in his deputy (Danny Lawson/PA) Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed the police investigation into Ms Rayners living arrangements and said he had full confidence in her. Shadow minister Jim McMahon dismissed the allegations earlier on Saturday as a storm in a teacup after Defence Secretary Grant Shapps accused Ms Rayner of double standards. The deputy leader previously suggested former prime minister Boris Johnson should resign while Scotland Yard probed claims of Covid rule-breaking in Downing Street, prompting calls for her to step down while the GMP investigation continues. However, Scott Wortley, a law lecturer at Edinburgh University, pointed out that any potential prosecution should have been launched within a year of the suspected crime. Providing false information is an offence under Section 13D of the Representation of the People Act 1983, but the legislation imposes a time limit of a year for bringing any charge. Magistrates extend that deadline in certain circumstances, but only by another year, according to the Act. Mr Wortley described the police probe as completely pointless, saying: Why waste money on investigating something absolutely time-barred? They would not do it for (Road Traffic Act) matters nearly a decade after it could be prosecuted. It is not the role of the police to investigate something that could never be charged. A Labour spokesperson said: Angela has always made clear she also spent time at her husbands property when they had children and got married, as he did at hers. The house she owned remained her main home. Angela looks forward to sitting down with the appropriate authorities, including the police and HMRC, to set out the facts and draw a line under this matter. Rishi Sunak has condemned in the strongest terms Irans reckless attack against Israel after Tehran said it had launched dozens of drones in what threatens to become a major regional escalation. The Prime Minister said the UK will continue to stand up for Israels security and that of all our regional partners as reports in Israel suggested RAF and US warplanes had shot down some Israel-bound drones over the Iraq-Syria border area. Officials in Jerusalem said the drones, which Iraqi security sources said were seen flying over the country, would take hours to reach their targets. It brings the two archenemies to the brink of all-out conflict as decade-old tensions in the Middle East remain inflamed over the war in Gaza, with the US vowing to back Israel. Iran had been threatening to attack since an air strike, which it blamed on Israel, last week killed two Iranian generals in Syria. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Benjamin Netanyahus government has not commented on that attack. According to reports, RAF Typhoons from Akrotiri, Cyprus, have been deployed to help protect Israel. In a statement on Saturday night, Mr Sunak said: I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regimes reckless attack against Israel. These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard. The UK will continue to stand up for Israels security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No-one wants to see more bloodshed. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer condemned the unacceptable attacks. In a statement, he said: We condemn the Iranian regimes decision to subject Israelis to these unacceptable attacks. The international community has been united in urging restraint and we regret that yet again Iran has chosen a different, dangerous path. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Our thoughts are with all those in the region who want peace and security, not the fear and instability being generated by Iran. We continue to stand up for Israels security and that of our other partners in the region, including Jordan and Iraq. We support all measures designed to restore calm as we must do all we can to prevent a wider regional war. US President Joe Biden has pledged to stand with Israel against Iran, the White House said. Tehran has largely avoided directly attacking Israel, despite its targeted killings of nuclear scientists and sabotage campaigns on Irans atomic sites, instead targeting Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces. But it vowed retaliation for what it said was an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1. G7 leaders are to hold urgent talks after Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that saw RAF jets deployed to shoot down drones from Tehran. Rishi Sunak is expected to join US President Joe Biden on the call on Sunday amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. Tehran has threatened a heavier response if Washington co-operates with any further Israeli military action against it. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles early on Sunday in an attack that set off air raid sirens across the country. The assault was launched in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month which killed two Iranian generals. It marks the first time a direct military assault has been launched by Tehran on Israel despite enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. (PA Graphics) The development threatens to become a major regional escalation after years of shadow wars fought between the two foes as the war in Gaza inflames decades-old tensions in the Middle East. Britain and the US have offered staunch support for Israel, with the Ministry of Defence saying RAF warplanes in Iraq and Syria had been deployed to intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions. Israeli military spokesman rear admiral Daniel Hagari said 99% of more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles had been shot down outside the countrys borders, with aircraft intercepting more than 10 cruise missiles. Rescuers said a seven-year-old girl was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a strike, although they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. The UK Prime Minister condemned in the strongest terms Irans reckless attack as he pledged to continue to stand up for Israels security and that of all our regional partners. Cabinet minister Victoria Atkins said Britain was now putting all of our efforts into de-escalation in the Middle East, saying no-one wanted to see a miscalculation or an escalation. Mr Sunak would join other G7 leaders on a call on Sunday with updates coming throughout the day, she confirmed. She refused to be drawn on the extent to which RAF planes had been involved in protecting Israel from the Iranian attack, saying she could not provide a running commentary on a live operation. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The Prime Minister held a Cobra meeting on Friday, he was kept updated throughout yesterday and last night and has had calls already this morning, and there is planned to be a G7 leaders call later today, Ms Atkins told Sky News Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips. The circle of knowledge on developments in the conflict had to be very, very tight, she said when asked whether the Cabinet was consulted before RAF planes were authorised to protect Israel. Mr Biden said he would convene the G7 talks to co-ordinate a united diplomatic response to Irans brazen attack. Tehran had been threatening to attack since an air strike, which it blamed on Israel, killed two Iranian generals in Syria on April 1. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken to Mr Biden, who said he had reaffirmed Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. Mr Biden said the US had helped Israel to take down nearly all of the drones and missiles. Mr Netanyahu posted on X, formerly Twitter, declaring: We intercepted. We repelled. Together we will win. But Iran has warned Washington against co-operation with Israel in any military operation, with President Ebrahim Raisi saying: Any new adventure against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran. (PA Graphics) The state-run IRNA news agency quoted General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, as saying that Tehran had communicated its message to the US through the Swiss embassy, which handles US interest in Iran in the absence of diplomatic relations. Tehran has largely avoided directly attacking Israel, despite its targeted killings of nuclear scientists and sabotage campaigns on Irans atomic sites, instead targeting Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces. But it vowed retaliation for what it said was an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the party supported all measures designed to restore calm and prevent a wider regional war. The Opposition has backed the action taken by the Government overnight, with shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper telling the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: We should be clear that if action hadnt been taken to prevent those strikes, we would have seen further escalation and further risk of widening conflict. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Conservative backbencher and former Defence Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood said the UK must recognise were now involved in this too. Its very clear that Britain will stand with Israel to help defend its guys and its soil along with the United States as well, he told the Telegraph. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne and German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock joined a growing chorus of western leaders urging against escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East, Mr Guterres wrote in a statement. I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war. Iran has launched a number drones towards Israel, officials in Jerusalem have announced, as Tehrans state-run media reported that dozens had been fired. The Israeli armys spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said it would take several hours for the more than 100 aircraft to arrive and that the country was prepared. Iran had been threatening to attack Israel since an airstrike last week killed two Iranian generals in Syria. Israel has not commented on that attack, but Iran accused it of being behind it. Israeli aviation authorities said they were closing the countrys airspace to all flights as of 12.30am local time. The drone attack marked the first time Iran had ever launched a full-scale military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. In a statement carried by Irans state-run IRNA news agency, the countrys paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime. The statement did not elaborate. The White House said it would provide unspecified support for Israels defence against the ongoing attack. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defence against these threats from Iran, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. President Joe Biden was set to convene a principals meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the unfolding attack, the White House said. Mr Biden had cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House and monitor the situation. Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli military said it was cancelling school and limiting public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people as a precaution. Mr Hagari said Israel is prepared and ready with defensive and offensive actions. He also said there was tight co-operation with the US and other partners in the region. The head of the US Central Command, General Erik Kurilla, has been in Israel in recent days to co-ordinate with Israel about the Iranian threats. Israel has a number of layers of air defence capable of intercepting everything from long-range missiles to UAVs and short-range rockets. Mr Hagari said Israel has an excellent air defence system, but stressed it is not 100% effective and urged the public to listen to safety announcements. For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have threatened to slap Israel for its Syria strike. Workers clear the rubble at a destroyed building struck by Israeli jets in Damascus (SANA via AP) Iran has largely avoided directly attacking Israel, despite its targeted killings of nuclear scientists and sabotage campaigns on Irans atomic sites. Iran has targeted Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces. Israels war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip has inflamed decade-old tensions in the Middle East, and any new attack threatens to escalate that conflict into a wider regional war. Flight-tracking data showed the airspace over Jordan empty, while few flights continued on their north-south routes over Iraq. A sole Middle East Airlines flight from Dubai to Beirut remained airborne over Syria. Lebanons state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following the launch of drones from Iran. The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has been clashing with Israeli forces in the border area for more than six months. A helicopter raid targeting a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz (AP Photo) Earlier on Saturday, commandos from Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel. Irans state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guards navy carried out the attack on the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime. Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofers Zodiac Group. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC. Geneva-based MSC acknowledged the seizure and said 25 crew members were on the ship. We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing, and safe return of the vessel, MSC said. Israel has hailed its successful air defences in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran, saying it and its allies thwarted 99% of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched towards its territory. But regional tensions remain high, amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike. US President Joe Biden convened a meeting of leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced democracies to coordinate a united diplomatic response. The participants unanimously condemned the attack and said they stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives. The US made clear it would not participate in any offensive action against Iran. We dont seek a war with Iran. Were not looking for escalation here, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told NBC. Iran launched the attack in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month which killed two Iranian generals. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles early on Sunday. By Sunday morning, Iran said the attack was over and Israel reopened its air space. The two foes have for years been engaged in a shadow war marked by incidents such as the Damascus strike. Iranian demonstrators chant slogans during their anti-Israeli gathering in front of the British embassy in Tehran, Iran (Vahid Salemi/AP) But Sundays assault, which set off air raid sirens across Israel, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel has over the years established often with the help of the United States a multilayered air defence network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. That system, along with collaboration with US and other forces, helped thwart what could have been a far more devastating assault at a time when Israel is already bogged down in its war against Hamas in Gaza and engaged in low-level fighting on its northern border with Lebanons Hezbollah militia. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran. Israeli and US officials lauded the response to the aerial assault. Iran launched more than 300 threats and 99% were intercepted, said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman. That is a success. (PA Graphics) Asked if Israel would respond, Rear Admiral Hagari said the country would do what was needed to protect its citizens. Rear Admiral Hagari said that none of the drones reached Israel, 25 cruise missiles were shot down by the Israeli air force and none entered Israels airspace. He said most of the ballistic missiles were also intercepted. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a short message on X, formerly Twitter, saying: We intercepted. We blocked. Together, we will win. Defence minister Yoav Gallant also celebrated the results, thanking the US and other countries for their assistance, but warned that the incident was ongoing. This campaign is not over yet. We need to remain vigilant and to prepare for any scenario, he said in a video statement. At the same time, we blocked the first wave (of attacks), and we did it with great success. An Israeli military air force unmanned drone flies over Israel (Ariel Schalit/AP) Rear Admiral Hagari said minor damage was caused to an Israeli airbase, but he said it was still functioning. Rescuers said a seven-year-old girl was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a missile strike, though they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. Israel announced it has reopened its airspace, loosening one restriction it had imposed ahead of the strike, although schools remained closed around the country. Neighbouring Jordan also reopened its airspace. General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, said the operation was over, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. We have no intention of continuing the operation against Israel, he was quoted as saying. Irans president, Ebrahim Raisi, claimed Iran had taught Israel a lesson and warned that any new adventures against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran. A surfer waits for waves while an Israeli military naval ship patrols the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Hadera, Israel (Ariel Schalit/AP) Irans Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned the ambassadors of the UK, Germany and France after the three European nations condemned the Iranian attack on Israel. The ministry said on its website that the ambassadors were called in over their governments irresponsible stances on the Iranian operation against Israel, which was in retaliation for a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month. Israel may be particularly proud of the success of its defence because it stands in sharp contrast to the failures it endured during Hamass attack on October 7. Facing a far less powerful enemy in Hamas, Israels border defences collapsed and the military took days to repel the marauding militants an embarrassing defeat for the Middle Easts strongest and best-equipped army. While thwarting the Iranian onslaught could help restore Israels image, what it does next will be closely watched both in the region and in Western capitals. In Washington, Mr Biden said US forces helped Israel down nearly all the drones and missiles and pledged to convene allies to develop a unified response. Mr Biden, who had cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team at the White House on Saturday afternoon, spoke to Mr Netanyahu later in the day. US President Joe Biden and members of his national security team receive an update on an airborne attack on Israel from Iran in the Situation Room of the White House in Washington (Adam Schultz/The White House via AP) I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel, Mr Biden said. During the call, Mr Biden encouraged Israel to proclaim the interceptions a success against Iran and made clear the US would not participate in any offensive action against Iran, according to a senior administration official. In a statement on Sunday, secretary of state Antony Blinken said the US does not seek escalation, and would hold talks with its allies in the coming days. The US, along with its allies, has sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalating the conflict. Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard issued a new threat against the US. The terrorist US government is warned any support or participation in harming Irans interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Irans armed forces, said a statement carried by IRNA. Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israels six-month war against Hamas militants in Gaza, triggered by the October 7 attack on Israel. An Iranian demonstrator ignites a flare as others carry a Palestinian flag during an anti-Israeli gathering at the Felestin (Palestine) Square in Tehran, Iran (Vahid Salemi/AP) On that day, militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, also backed by Iran, killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed more than 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Negotiations under way meant to bring about a ceasefire in exchange for the release of the hostages appeared to hit a setback on Sunday. Mr Netanyahus office said that Hamas rejected the latest proposal for a deal, which had been presented to Hamas a week ago by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States. A Hamas official said the group wants a clear written commitment that Israel will withdraw from the Gaza Strip during the second of a three-phase ceasefire deal. The deal presented to the sides calls for a six-week ceasefire in Gaza, during which Hamas would release 40 of the more than 100 hostages the group is holding in the enclave in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners from Israels jails, including 100 serving long sentences for serious crimes. Hamas welcomed Irans attack, saying it was a natural right and a deserved response to the strike in Syria and urged the Iran-backed groups in the region to continue to support Hamas in the war against Israel. Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah began attacking Israels northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles towards Israel. An anti-missile system in action after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel. Photo: Reuters Northern Ireland-born intelligence expert Philip Ingram has said the next 48 hours will be key as to whether the situation in the Middle East escalates further. Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel following an attack on the Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus a fortnight ago. While most were intercepted or shot down by Israels Iron Dome defence system, some did get through. No fatalities have been reported, but one young girl was seriously injured. The attack was the first of its kind by Iran and Israel was aided in its defence by the US, the UK and Jordan. Speaking to this newspaper, former Army Col Philip Ingram said the attack from Iran was unique in several aspects. For one, its the first time Iran has directly attacked Israel, rather than using its proxies like Hezbollah, he said. Then theres the coordination in the defence by Israel, which was aided by the US, UK and Jordanians. To work together and mount such an effective defence requires a high degree of communication and shared intelligence. Essentially, Israel and its partners have said, If you attack us, its not just us we have friends on our side. Philip Ingram Mr Ingram said he would imagine that US President Joe Biden will have contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and told him to leave it alone, regarding potential retaliation. Essentially, the next 24 to 48 hours will be key as to how this all plays out, he added. On Sunday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Irans attack as dangerous and unnecessary, warning that the fallout in regional stability would have been hard to overstate if they had been successful. Speaking to journalists in Downing Street on Sunday, Mr Sunak called for calm heads to prevail in the aftermath. He said: I can confirm that our planes did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones. I want to pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of our pilots flying into the face of danger to protect civilians. If this attack had been successful, the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate, and we stand by the security of Israel and the wider region, which is of course important for our security here at home. The PM joined other G7 leaders for urgent talks on Sunday afternoon amid fears of further escalation. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and at least 120 ballistic missiles in an attack that set off air raid sirens across the country. By Sunday morning, Tehran said the attack was over and Israel reopened its air space. The weeks missile and drone barrage by Iran was the first direct military attack launched by Tehran on Israel, despite long-standing enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. The latest development brought years of shadow war between the two foes out into the open as the conflict in Gaza inflames decades-old tensions in the Middle East. Britain and the US have offered staunch support for Israel, although Tehran has threatened a heavier response if Washington cooperates in any further military action. The famous Irish welcome on a really busy day down south Officials went beyond call of duty to give us wonderful tour of the Aras, in itself a window into Irelands fascinating past Ivan in the president's chair Ivan Little Sun 14 Apr 2024 at 11:00 I didnt know my Aras from my elbow before I arrived at Irish President Michael D Higgins home in Dublin last week. Iran has said it believes the confrontation between the two adversaries has concluded, writes Kim Sengupta, with Western nations urging restraint as they await Israels decision The first round of Irans retaliation against Israel was spectacular symbolically, but militarily largely ineffective, with reports that 99% of the 330 suicide drones, ballistic and cruise missiles sent were shot down. It will, however, have significant consequences. The Nevatim airbase in the Negev was hit, causing minor damage according to the Israelis. The only reported casualty was a 10-year-old Bedouin child who was injured. What happens next will decide whether the matter ends with some more, limited, military action, or whether a wider war breaks out in the Middle East, sending repercussions reverberating far beyond the region. In this fraught and uncertain period, we are in Donald Rumsfelds geopolitics of known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns. It was known that Iran would have to retaliate for the killing of an Iranian commander and senior officers in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) at its consulate in Damascus by Israel, and that, in the form of Operation Honest Promise has now taken place. The known unknown is whether Israel will now carry out strikes inside Iran. What is unknown at this stage is whether such an escalation in an area which is already a tinderbox full of heavily-armed presences, will lead to a conflagration. The Israeli government has told the US and states in the Middle East that it will respond forcefully to the Iranian assault. Irans President, Ebrahim Raisi, has threatened an even stronger response to any reckless Israeli move. US President Joe Biden The Israeli response will be decided by a specially formulated three-member war cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and Benny Gantz, the former head of the Israeli military who joined the government after the Hamas massacre on 7 October. Joe Biden is said to have reiterated that Israel will have full US support in a 25-minute telephone call with Netanyahu. However, according to American media reports, the President has privately expressed concern that the Israeli prime minister is trying to drag the US more deeply into a broader conflict. There is little doubt that Israel would like to use this opportunity to fulfil its long-held ambition to try and destroy Irans nuclear installations. It has not done so yet because it would be extremely difficult to achieve without US military support. Tehran is well aware of this. After launching its attacks overnight, Irans mission to the United Nations declared that retaliation for the attack on the Damascus diplomatic compound is over. However, it added: Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Irans response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY! Iran has, ever since the killings of the IRGC officers, been assuring Washington that avenging the deaths would not involve any Western targets. The warning by Tehran that it may launch attacks on Israel meant the US was able to carry out preparations which enabled American, British and Jordanian airplanes to shoot down Iranian drones. The fact that this coordinated international action was effective was pointed out to Netanyahu by Biden in the telephone call, according to US officials. The remarkable defensive capacity, the president stressed, was a clear message to its foes they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. This, by itself, is unlikely to stop Israel from carrying out counterstrikes. The question is what form they will take. Iranian allies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shia militias in Syria and Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen could be in the firing line. There may be attacks in Iran. After all, Israel has carried out regular assassinations of scientists involved in the nuclear programme inside the country. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to curb escalation continue. Iranian officials who had been counselling caution to their own government claim that a swift condemnation of the consulate killings by the Security Council may have limited Irans response. They point out that an Iranian land assault in Afghanistan in 1998, when the Taliban killed Iranian diplomats in a consulate, was called off after a strong stricture by the UN. The US, UK and France, they complain, prevented a similar message being sent after the Damascus strike. Man (45) on bail for spying on Enniskillen police station A dissident at the centre of a plot targeting a British Army captain risks being jailed for going on a rant in support of political violence. Gabriel Meehan, who is assessed by police as being a high-ranking member of the Continuity IRA, is currently on bail for spying on Ennsikillen PSNI station and collecting information likely to be useful to terrorists including the soldiers car registration. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office filed a lawsuit against Harris County over its new guaranteed income pilot program. Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press Guaranteed income pilot Regarding Hidalgo calls Paxton lawsuit challenging Harris Countys guaranteed income program cruel, (April 10): In my view, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has no power to remove this guaranteed income program because it is using federal dollars, not state dollars. More pointedly, why would he oppose a program that helps Texans? Is it that he cares little for these voters? That he wants people to be homeless, to struggle, to go without food or electrical power? To go without anything that makes their lives better? I view the guaranteed income program as an investment in the people, a leg up, a boost and a reflection of who we are as Texans. We help one another and try to prevent homelessness, to be kind, to do good works and to provide a better opportunity, however slim. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I only wish fewer people needed such assistance and that more assets were available to help them. Hats off to County Judge Lina Hidalgo and her staff for working for the people. Mary Tegtmeier, Spring Missing pros of short-term rentals Regarding Its time for Houston to crack down on short-term rentals, (April 2): Joy Sewings thoughtful article on short-term rentals focused on the bad side of this business. There definitely are instances of bad actors, but there are good sides to this option being available which seldom are mentioned. We use short-term rentals, usually a week at a time in condos or homes, to provide an opportunity for family to gather from disparate parts of the country. If this type of accommodation is not available, we probably wont come to the area. Hotels are a poor second choice, especially with all the city fees tacked onto the price. Fortunately, weve never had the necessity of a short-term stay related to medical treatments, but in a city like Houston with world-class medical treatment, it seems that short-term rental bans could add another level of anxiety to what must be an already trying experience. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Garry Schoonover, Houston Golden parachute Regarding Boeings CEO got compensation worth nearly $33 million last year but lost a $3 million bonus, (April 5): Boeings CEO got $33 million in compensation last year, and now hes on his way out. Numerous fiascos happened under his watch, and he gets to jump out with a golden parachute? Only in (corporate) America! Hareesh Jana, Sugar Land Regarding Houston Texans minority owner Javier Loya agrees to misdemeanor; rape charge dropped in Kentucky, (April 8): I see that one of the Houston Texans minority owners, Javier Loya, received the rich man reach-around in Kentucky after being charged with rape and six counts of sexual abuse. These charges stem from two incidents at his old Kentucky home in May 2022. After a delay of nearly two years, he agreed to accept a charge of harassment with intent to annoy a Class B misdemeanor that comes with a whopping $100 fine. Advertisement Article continues below this ad How very gracious of him. He is allowed to maintain his innocence while acknowledging that there was enough evidence for a jury to find him guilty. What the heck is this? The Alford plea is nothing more than a get out of jail free card for the wealthy. Im pretty sure that there are many charged with similar offenses in the Harris County Jail who would agree to accept that offer, but I dont ever think I have seen an Alford plea offered in court for a person without means. As for the evidentiary issues cited by the prosecutors, one wonders just what about those issues specifically cancels out the crimes of rape and sexual assault. Tim Broussard, Rockport While maintaining his innocence, Javier Loya acknowledged there was enough evidence for a jury to find him guilty. Wonder just how many court-appointed attorneys have successfully used this defense? As we all know, the scales of justice ensure fairness in court cases, until you fork over the cash to produce the tilt. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I dont know Loya, but I wouldnt put it past him to proclaim his innocence, sell his minority interest in the Houston Texans, bring the lawyers back to court and fight his wife over a costly divorce settlement. As our former president squirms through his own legal spectacle, maintaining his innocence, calling the charges politically motivated, labeling witnesses as corrupt liars, it seems he too should be convicted of harassment with intent to annoy. Stay tuned! Cliff Bodin, Humble Want to stay up to date on our most recent thought-provoking editorials, columns and Letters to the Editor? Our Opinion-focused 'SaysHou' newsletter delivers our weekly highlights, directly to your inbox. Sign up now. From breakthrough in 2021 to Bafta nod in 23: The rise and rise of Belfast actress Roisin Gallagher Belfast star made a seamless transition from stage to TV in The Lovers and The Dry. Now for her latest role...bigging up NIs amazing acting talent Roisin Gallagher. Picture: David Reiss Maureen Coleman Sun 14 Apr 2024 at 11:00 Bafta-nominated Belfast actress Roisin Gallagher has praised local production companies and writers for bringing stories about Northern Ireland to the screen and providing a platform for emerging new talent. NI man walks free after sex attack on sleeping woman at house party Victim describes four-year delay in her case as an absolute joke Mark 'Greengrass' Cathcart Paul Higgins Sun 14 Apr 2024 at 10:00 A woman whose sex abuser walked free from court has described the handling of the case as an absolute disaster. NI OnlyFans model avoids jail over drugs haul at hotel The 20-year-old was found in possession of cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy. Sian Maxwell outside court after an earlier hearing last month John Toner Sun 14 Apr 2024 at 08:35 A Co Down OnlyFans model has avoided jail after she was caught with a large volume of drugs including cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy. Victims campaigner Raymond McCord has called on the Irish government to take the case of his sons murder to the European Courts. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Edward McKinley reports on Texas state government and politics from the Hearst Bureau in Austin for the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News, with a particular focus on education issues. He can be reached at edward.mckinley@houstonchronicle.com. He is a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism and Georgetowns Masters in American Government program. He previously reported for The Albany Times Union and the Kansas City Star newspapers, and he originally hails from the great state of Minnesota. Stay up to date on Berkshires news with Berkshires in Brief, our free daily newsletter SAVOY If youve driven through Savoy lately, you might have noticed a new set of stop signs at either end of a bridge near the Savoy Volunteer Fire Department. That 13.3 foot long town-owned bridge was constructed in 1959 of a prestressed concrete slab. It has broken cables underneath it, leading the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to recommend that the town restrict access to just one lane following a March 15 bridge inspection. This week, a car hit one of the jersey barriers blocking lanes and blew out two tires, and both the Select Board and the highway superintendent are thinking twice about whether it should remain open at all. The bridges deck and superstructure are both rated 5 and the substructure is rated 6. On the 0-9 scale used to rate bridges, 7-9 is good, 5-6 is fair, and 4-0 is poor. After having been inspected every two years, it will now be inspected every three months. Todd Krutiak, who was appointed highway superintendent in February, said he didnt expect to have to deal with a bridge closure in his first weeks on the job. But as a lifelong Savoy resident, hes prepared for what will come next if its completely closed. Everybodys going to complain, he said. Route 116 is technically a north-south route, but in Savoy, it runs primarily east-west. As soon as the state made the recommendation to partially close the bridge, Krutiak favored fully closing it, partly because of the downhill approach from the west. In his initial conversation with MassDOT, Krutiak said he was also thinking about snow. There's very little clearance for plows to get through. If the state agrees to close the bridge, it will likely be for a period of five to six years, while the engineering is completed for the structure over Drowned Land Brook and the town comes up with the cash to pay for the job. Krutiak has no idea how much it will cost, but he knows it will be in the millions, since a culvert replacement this season is costing $1 million. Problematic detours Meantime there will likely be two detours: One for trucks and the other for cars, Krutiak said. The truck route will take eastbound drivers south on Route 8A to Windsor, Cummington and Goshen and up Route 112 into Ashfield, where that towns elementary school, Sanderson Academy sits on the corner of Route 116. Motorists in cars will find a much quicker and more convenient workaround. They can detour using a short road called Old Main Road No. 2, which cuts between Route 8A and Route 116, just past the closed bridge. But that road has issues. Like many in Savoy, its in rough shape with multiple potholes. In fact, Krutiak would like to repave it before the bridge on Route 116 is closed completely. He is also worried about the integrity of a state-owned bridge over Drowned Land Brook. It was built 92 years ago, in 1932 and has never been reconstructed. That 8.8-foot concrete tee beam bridge is listed as open without structural deficiencies as of a Dec. 14 inspection. Its deck condition and superstructure condition are both listed as 7s and its substructure condition is listed at 6. Several pieces of yellow caution tape appear to have been broken and are tied around concrete posts and a broken railing near the bridge. There are also jersey barriers on that same side of the bridge. Of the closing, Its going to be an inconvenience, Krutiak said. But were going to have to deal with it. The Department of Justice described the States deportation system as highly litigious, with one asylum seeker having to be flown back to Dublin after injunction proceedings began while they were airborne. A briefing for Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said that, as a rule of thumb, only one out of every four cases selected for deportation is likely to be successful. Advertisement The department said charter flights for deportations which the State is planning to resume were financially burdensome, with a high risk the aircraft would depart Ireland with a much lower passenger contingent than desired due to legal challenges. The briefing for Ms McEntee, which was created ahead of a meeting of the EUs Justice and Home Affairs Council last autumn, said each charter flight was likely to cost in the region of 350,000 for a long-haul trip. Actual deportations are carried out as a measure of last resort when the persons concerned have not removed themselves from the State or engaged with the International Office for Migration (IOM) to avail of assisted voluntary return measures, the department added. The briefing said Ireland was not a member of Frontex, the EU agency for border management, and therefore its charter aircraft would not land in Dublin. Advertisement It said Ireland could fly failed international protection applicants to a city in Europe where a Frontex flight was leaving, but that realistically Ireland required its own means for larger-scale deportation operations. Legal challenges The document also spoke of how the deportation process was highly litigious, and legal challenges could and were being made right up until the point the person departs the State. In one case this year, an individual secured injunction proceedings as his plane departed and the state was required to fly him back, the briefing document stated. It said there were also difficulties in getting cooperation from receiving states, that is the country to which a deportee was being returned. Advertisement It cited a long list of nations where there were such problems, including Nigeria, Russia, Pakistan, Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt. Reasons vary, including pandemic related issues, dysfunctional administrative capacities, and outright unwillingness to cooperate. Ms McEntee was told this was forcing a rethink at EU level on whether the deportation process was an adequate solution to returning individuals to their country of origin. The main difficulty Ireland experiences is in securing travel documents so that individuals can be permitted on flights and removed. It is the case that some embassies can be slow to cooperate, the document explained. Advertisement It said so-called voluntary return seemed to be a more straightforward alternative and that assistance and resettlement grants were offered as an enticement to engage with the process. Pandemic The briefing also provided figures on how deportation had been ramped up following Covid-19. With a moratorium in place due to the pandemic, there were just 33 deportation orders signed and 38 carried out in 2021. By 2022, that rose to 528 signed and 118 removals, while in the first 10 months of last year, there were 713 orders signed off and 57 deportations carried out. In 2022, 20 deportations were to Nigeria, 18 to Pakistan, 14 to Albania, and 13 to Georgia. Of the deportations that took place up to the end of October last year, eight were to South Africa, seven each to Brazil and Georgia, and six to Pakistan. Asked about the records, a spokesperson for the department said: Working to ensure that an effective returns process is in place is a key focus in discussions on migration management at EU level. As the notes set out, deportations and assisted returns programs form an important part of the immigration system in Ireland, and their role is set to continue to grow in line with the expansion in processing of international protection applications. A student exits the Peter T. Lawn Academic Center at the University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 in Austin Alyssa Gisselle Olvera/Staff photographer AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 22: Students prepare for lecture at the University of Texas at Austin on February 22, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Brandon Bell/Getty Images For Destiny Afinni-Myles, the University of Texas at Austins diversity, equity and inclusion office gave her group for Black and African American students opportunities to meet and plan events. So when the UT administration closed a rebranded version of the office and laid off dozens of employees this month to comply with a new state DEI ban, Afinni-Myles said she and many other students were left feeling completely disheartened. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its a loss of belonging, Afinni-Myles said. A loss of community. The university has not said how many staff were let go, but advocates say at least 66 people were fired, 40 of whom formerly held DEI-related jobs. UT-Dallas announced Tuesday that it was laying off 20 workers and closing its Office of Campus Resources and Support, a new office meant to comply with the DEI ban. The moves come after state Sen. Brandon Creighton, a Conroe Republican and the author of the ban, warned university officials that simply renaming DEI offices and job titles was not enough to comply with the law. In an interview last week, Creighton declined to comment on the layoffs directly. I just know that they're making some overall strategic moves for the future, as all of the universities have to continue to evolve in ways that will make sense with their budgets and their goals, he said. At UT-Austin and UT-Dallas, news of the firings has roiled students and advocates, who argue that administrators are overreacting to the law and weakening the schools ability to recruit talented faculty. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At UT-Austin, officials had already changed the name and focus of the former DEI office at the beginning of the year, when the ban took effect, as well as many of its programs. In announcing the offices closure, the administration said some programs will move under other areas of campus, but many others will not exist past this school year. That includes the Women's Community Center, which provided students with free pregnancy tests, condoms, menstrual products, and HIV and STI testing, among other services. Other discontinued programs include targeted access to leadership, training and entrepreneurship opportunities for minority students. UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell said the school had always planned for broader changes after the laws Jan. 1 effective date. We knew that more work would be required to utilize our talent and resources most effectively in support of our teaching and research missions, and ultimately, our students, he said in a statement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Advocates have called on Hartzell to rehire the terminated staff, noting that they had already been reassigned to non-DEI positions. They did not deserve to be the victims of partisan political fights, Brian Evans, president of the Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors, said at a news conference Tuesday. State Rep. Ron Reynolds, a Missouri City Democrat and chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, said House members felt hoodwinked because during debates over the bill in the last legislative session, some GOP lawmakers said the law would not lead to layoffs. This was a breach of trust, Reynolds said. We were sold a bill of goods. They made false promises, and were calling them out on it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The House ultimately added in job protections for former DEI staffers, but they were stripped out during final negotiations between the House and Senate. Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe warned that the firings will hurt recruitment, saying officials have rolled up the welcome mats for minority students and faculty who will choose to go to other universities. Virtually overnight, UT-Austin has gone from a champion player in the higher education ecosystem to a minor leaguer, Bledsoe said. Sadly, the damage is self-inflicted. Students have responded to the firings with public demonstrations and protests. Members of a burgeoning group called #NotOurTexas mobilized last week, covering public areas on and around campus with more than 1,000 signs promoting their cause, according to its social media page. Advertisement Article continues below this ad More than 200 students and staff gathered at UTs central walkway for a silent demonstration during Mondays eclipse. Since then, the #NotOurTexas movement and other student groups have called on Hartzell and Creighton to address them directly at a town hall this month. Creighton declined to commit to attending the event. To throw a date out there and a couple of weeks and say we need you at this is very difficult, but we're looking at it, he said. Creighton added that he expects UT and other schools to continue to offer students support that is needed, and certainly will continue to strive for diverse outcomes. In addition to the firings, UT-Austin has also cut thousands of dollars in funding to student organizations, closed a popular student meeting center and eliminated certain resources for minority students. Antonio Ingram of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund said the university appeared to be reacting conservatively to the laws vague wording. There are various terms that are used, such as program or policy or training, and they're not defined, he said. So it's really hard to ascertain what activities are prohibited, and what activities are still permissive. But Ingram said some of the changes have run afoul of the plain text of the bill. Afinni-Myles, who currently heads the African Students Organization, said she fears for the future of diversity at UT, where only 4.5% of students are Black. If the university just took the time to know the opportunities and importance and belonging that these DEI institutions created for its students, its future workforce, its future leaders and its future world changers, then they wouldnt have been so quick to take it away, she said. Afinni-Myles urged university administrators and those behind the law to hear from students who are directly affected by the changes on campus. Taoiseach Simon Harris has condemned Irans drone and missile attack on Israel. Iran launched the unprecedented assault on Saturday night in response to an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria earlier this month. Advertisement Iran had vowed to retaliate after two of its top generals were killed in the air strike on Damascus on April 1st. Advertisement I strongly condemn Irans reckless and large-scale attack on Israel, the new Taoiseach said in a statement. I urge all sides to show restraint now and to avoid any escalation in military action and the devastation that would cause. Tanaiste Micheal Martin also condemned the attack, hours after he used his party conference keynote speech to appeal for calm in the Middle East. I strongly condemn Irans attack on Israel, Mr Martin said. Advertisement My thoughts are with the Israeli people at this time. I strongly condemn Irans attack on Israel. My thoughts are with the Israeli people at this time. The scale and intensity of the attack represents a flagrant threat to international peace and security and is utterly unacceptable. My full statement pic.twitter.com/1XJ7nbWC38 Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) April 14, 2024 Advertisement The scale and intensity of the attack represents a flagrant threat to international peace and security and is utterly unacceptable. It does nothing to help the cause of the Palestinian people or bring us closer to an end to the suffering in Gaza. Advertisement There is now an urgent need for regional de-escalation. Further escalation is in nobodys interest. I urge all actors to intensify efforts to restore stability. Ireland will work closely with our EU partners in responding to this crisis. Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel overnight, 99 per cent of which were shot down, the Israeli military said on Sunday, adding that the armed forces remained fully functional and were discussing follow-up options. In a televised briefing, chief miliary spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari deemed Iran's actions "very grave" and said they "push the region toward escalation". -Additional reporting Reuters Iran launched explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first direct attack on Israeli territory, a retaliatory strike that raised the threat of a wider regional conflict, as the US pledged "ironclad" backing for Israel. Sirens wailed and journalists in Israel heard distant heavy thuds and bangs from what local media called aerial interceptions of explosive drones. Authorities said a 7-year-old girl was critically injured. Advertisement US President Joe Biden, who spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said he would convene a meeting of leaders of the Group of Seven major economies on Sunday to coordinate a diplomatic response to what he called Iran's brazen attack. US President Joe Biden met with members of the National Security team. Photo: Adam Schultz/The White House via Getty Images Six months into an Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza and amid growing risks of a greater regional war, Axios quoted a senior White House official as saying Biden also told Netanyahu the US would oppose any Israeli counterattack against Iran. The UN Security Council is set to meet on Sunday after Israel requested it condemn Iran's attack and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organisation, according to a schedule released late on Saturday. Advertisement Israel's military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said Iran launched dozens of ground-to-ground missiles at Israel, most of them intercepted outside Israeli borders. They included more than 10 cruise missiles, he said. The Iranian salvo of more than 300 drones and missiles caused light damage to one Israeli military facility, Hagari said. The Israeli military said 99 per cent of the drones and missiles were shot down, adding that the armed forces remained fully functional and were discussing follow-up options. The military said it was not advising any residents to prepare to take shelter. This revision of an earlier alert appeared to signal the end of the threat. Israel's Channel 12 TV cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying there would be a "significant response" to the attack. Israeli airspace has reopened, as of 4.30am Irish time. Advertisement Iran had vowed retaliation for what it called an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1st that killed seven officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two senior commanders. Tehran said its strike was punishment for "Israeli crimes". Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the consulate attack. Demonstrators gathered in front of the British Embassy in Tehran after Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel. Photo: Atta Kenare/AFP "Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe," the Iranian mission to the United Nations said, warning the US to "stay away". However, it also said Iran now "deemed the matter concluded". US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said America did not seek conflict with Iran but would not hesitate to act to protect US forces and support defence of Israel. Advertisement United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Iran's attack, saying he was "deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation." Russian Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said on the Telegram social media app that in addition to a letter from Israel, the Security Council had received one from Iran asserting its attack was within the UN Charter framework governing the right to self-defence. "The latter warns that if Israel responds, Iran will respond in a more powerful and decisive manner," Polyanskiy said. Biden, who on Friday had warned Iran against an attack, cut short a weekend visit to his home state of Delaware and returned to Washington to meet with his national security advisers, including his secretaries of defence and state, in the White House Situation Room. He pledged to stand with Israel. Advertisement "Our commitment to Israels security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," Biden said on X after the meeting. The war in Gaza, which Israel invaded after an attack by Hamas on October 7th, has ratcheted up tensions in the region, spreading to fronts with Lebanon and Syria and drawing long-range fire at Israeli targets from as far away as Yemen and Iraq. Drones were also reportedly launched against Israel by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group, British maritime security company Ambrey said in a statement. Those clashes now threaten to morph into a direct open conflict pitting Iran and its regional allies against Israel and its main supporter, the United States. Regional power Egypt urged "utmost restraint". While Israel and Iran have been bitter foes for decades, their feud has mostly unfolded via proxies or by targeting each other's forces operating in third countries. US and British warplanes were involved in shooting down some Israel-bound drones over the Iraq-Syria border area, Israel's Channel 12 reported. The US military knocked down dozens of drones and missiles bound for Israel, three U.S. officials said. Biden said he had directed the US military to move aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. "Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles," he said. Netanyahu convened Israel's war cabinet at a military headquarters in Tel Aviv, his office said. Israel and Lebanon said they were closing their airspace on Saturday night. Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel, had readied air defences to intercept any drone or missile that violated its territory, two regional security sources said. Residents in several Jordanian cities said they heard heavy aerial activity. Syria, an ally of Iran, said it was putting its ground-to-air defence systems around the capital and major bases on high alert, army sources there said. The European Union, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Mexico, the Netherlands and Norway condemned Iran's attack. Biden's Republican rival in November's presidential election, Donald Trump, briefly referred to the airstrikes at a rally in Pennsylvania, criticising his Democratic rival. "They're under attack right now," Trump said. "That's because we show great weakness. This would not happen, the weakness that we've shown, it's unbelievable, and it would not have happened if we were in office." Israel had been bracing for an Iranian response to the Damascus consulate strike since last week, when Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel "must be punished and shall be" for an operation he called equivalent to one on Iranian soil. Iran's main ally in the region, the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah that has been exchanging fire with Israel since the Gaza war began, said early on Sunday it had fired rockets at an Israeli base. - Reuters Jordan's air defences were ready to intercept and shoot down any Iranian drones or aircraft that violate its airspace, two regional security sources said. They said the army was also in a state of high alert and radar systems were monitoring any drone activity coming from the direction of Iraq and Syria. Advertisement Residents in several cities in the northern part of the country near Syria and central and southern areas heard heavy aerial activity. A security source said the country's air force was intensifying reconnaissance flights. Jordan had earlier said it closed its airspace starting on Saturday night to all incoming, departing and transiting aircraft in what officials said were precautionary measures in the event of an Iranian strike across its border. "The relevant authorities took the decision to close the airspace for precautionary reasons as a result of the surrounding security situation," Jordan's government spokesperson Muhannad Mubaideen said. Mubaideen denied media reports that the kingdom had announced a state of emergency, adding they were baseless and there was no cause for concern among its citizens. Advertisement Jordan neighbours Syria and Iraq both countries where Iranian proxy forces operate and also is next door to Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It has watched Israels war against the Palestinian group Hamas, another Iranian ally, with rising alarm for fear of getting caught in a crossfire. Late last year, Amman asked Washington to deploy Patriot air defence systems to Jordan to bolster its border defences. Officials say the Pentagon had since increased its military aid to the kingdom, a major regional ally, where hundreds of U.S. troops are based and hold extensive exercises with the army throughout the year. In January, three US service members were killed and dozens wounded in a drone attack by Iran-backed militants on US troops in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border. It was the first deadly strike against US forces since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October, and marks a major escalation in tensions that have engulfed the Middle East. - Reuters Additional reporting by Reuters Leaders of the G7 nations have condemned Iran's attack on Israel and said they would work to try to prevent an uncontrollable regional escalation in the Middle East. Advertisement Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7, had called a meeting of G7 heads after US president Joe Biden pledged a coordinated diplomatic response to the unprecedented drone and missile attack launched overnight by Iran. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles in an attack that set off air raid sirens across the country. The assault was launched in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month which killed two Iranian generals. It marks the first time a direct military assault has been launched by Iran on Israel despite enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Advertisement The development threatens to become a major regional escalation after years of shadow wars fought between the two foes as the war in Gaza inflames decades-old tensions in the Middle East. President Biden spoke by secure video with the leaders of the G7 today. The leaders condemned Irans unprecedented attack against Israel and reaffirmed the G7's commitment to Israel's security. pic.twitter.com/ZvdSJyNbFY The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 14, 2024 Advertisement With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilisation of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided, a G7 statement issued by Italy said. The G7 leaders, which includes the US, UK, Canada, Italy, France, Germany and Japan, as well as the European Union, spoke for just under an hour on a video conference on Sunday, and called for Iran to exercise restraint. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives, it said. Mr Biden has warned Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu the US will not take part in a counter-offensive against Iran if Israel decides to retaliate. Advertisement The G7 statement also pledged to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza after more than six months of fighting. (PA Graphics) The US and UK have offered staunch support for Israel, with the UK's Ministry of Defence saying RAF warplanes in Iraq and Syria had been deployed to intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions. Advertisement Iran has threatened a heavier response if the US co-operates with any further Israeli military action against it. Israeli military spokesperson rear admiral Daniel Hagari said 99 per cent of more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles had been shot down outside the countrys borders, with aircraft intercepting more than 10 cruise missiles. Rescuers said a seven-year-old girl was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a strike, although they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. Israelis reality in the last hours: pic.twitter.com/VXeHM8WqJi Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 14, 2024 Iran had been threatening to attack since an air strike, which it blamed on Israel, killed two Iranian generals in Syria on April 1st. Mr Netanyahu spoke to Mr Biden, who said he had reaffirmed Americas ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. Mr Biden said the US had helped Israel to take down nearly all of the drones and missiles. Mr Netanyahu posted on X: We intercepted. We repelled. Together we will win. But Iran has warned Washington against co-operation with Israel in any military operation, with Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi saying: Any new adventure against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran. (PA Graphics) The state-run IRNA news agency quoted General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, as saying that Tehran had communicated its message to the US through the Swiss embassy, which handles US interest in Iran in the absence of diplomatic relations. Tehran has largely avoided directly attacking Israel, despite its targeted killings of nuclear scientists and sabotage campaigns on Irans atomic sites, instead targeting Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces. But it vowed retaliation for what it said was an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1st. I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by Iran. I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities. Neither the region nor the world can afford another war. https://t.co/Kmbt3zWMw7 Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 14, 2024 Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tanaiste Micheal Martin, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau joined a growing chorus of western leaders urging against escalation. I strongly condemn Irans reckless and large-scale attack on Israel, Mr Harris said in a statement. I urge all sides to show restraint now and to avoid any escalation in military action and the devastation that would cause. Mr Guterres echoed the Taoiseach's calls, urging all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East. I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war he added. Advertisement Eating outJust open Landmark Surry Hills pub White Horse gallops to fine-dining finish, with $6m facelift An acclaimed chef, a rooftop terrace and a toilet consultant? Your first look at the slick renovation. Scott Bolles April 15, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share This venue appears in the classic Sydney pubs all done up collection. See all stories . 1 / 5 The rooftop terrace at White Horse hotel. Gavin Green 2 / 5 Veal tongue French toast, green apple, finger lime and pigs face. Steven Woodburn 3 / 5 The bar at White Horse. Gavin Green 4 / 5 Squid ink glazed toothfish, cauliflower and phlox flowers. Steven Woodburn 5 / 5 Manjimup marron, sweetcorn and ice plant. Steven Woodburn Previous Slide Next Slide Theres nothing left except the horse, White Horse hotel director Craig Hemmings says of a meticulous, ground-up revamp of the landmark Surry Hills venue. The galvanised steel, life-sized statue of the rearing horse has remained atop the 1930s property, overseeing multimillion-dollar renovations below, the cost of entry to the upper echelons of Sydneys cut-throat hospitality scene. They had hoped to swing open the saloon doors last spring after luring star WA chef Jed Gerrard across the Nullarbor. It cost a couple of million [dollars] to bring it up to code, Hemmings says. Advertisement By the time the White Horses slick dining room and luxe bar open on Wednesday, April 17, the renovation price tag will have hit $6 million. The new dining room. Gavin Green Hemming was a colt when he opened The Third Man restaurant on Kellett Street in Potts Point 35 years ago, and hes seen a few rodeos (or rather, the opening of 15 hospitality venues) since. But each time, there are new and sometimes shocking requirements. We had a toilet door consultant, he says. The result from design shop Farago Han Studio is impressive. White Horses dedication to being a serious dining destination begins on the ground floor, where its reclaimed the pubs bar as a restaurant, with neutral tones, bold artwork, French oak tables and a mix of Danish and local chairs. Advertisement The first floor has been transformed into a luxe bar, with a rooftop terrace and a private dining room overlooking the treetops of the adjacent park. Pardoo wagyu beef sandwich. Steven Woodburn Hemmings forged his career at top-end Sydney restaurants such as Guillaume at Bennelong, and while he wants White Horse to deliver high-end food, he isnt looking to recoup its extravagant reconstruction costs overnight. He says hed rather offer punters value for their money. Its a sentiment echoed by chef Jed Gerrard. He points to a dish on the opening menu of wagyu tri-tip with chestnut mushrooms and a mushroom sabayon. Gerrard tapped into his relationship with Pilbara producer Pardoo wagyu to bring the Western Australia product with him. Advertisement Well have it on the menu for $45, in other restaurants, it might be twice the price, he says. WA marron also appears on the opening menu, perched on a risotto base of arborio rice and creamed corn. A toothfish dish has a squid ink glaze, and Berkshire pork jowl is matched with sugarloaf cabbage and nashi pear. James Audas (left), Michael Chiem and Jed Gerrard are relaunching the White Horse Hotel. Steve Woodburn Hemmings has reassembled much of the team from his time at Black by Ezard, a restaurant at The Star. Head chef Gerrard worked there before relocating to Perth, where he took on executive chef positions at a series of hotel chains, including The Ritz-Carlton, and remains culinary director at Wills Domain in Margaret River. James Audas (Lo-Fi Wines, Noma) and Michael Chiem (PS40, Sokyo) have taken on consulting roles, while Maureen Er (Tetsuyas, Manly Greenhouse) has come on board as White Horses general manager. The plan was to reimagine the White Horse through a contemporary lens, says Hemmings. Were thrilled to bring this old girl back to life. Advertisement A man and a woman have been charged with murder after a 38-year-old woman was found dead in Busselton, south-west of Perth, on Thursday evening. WA police charged the pair following an investigation into the womans death in the suburb of Broadwater. Just after 8pm on Friday, 12 April 2024 police attended a residence on Bell Drive to conduct a welfare check. During a check of the home, they located the deceased woman, police said in a statement. The charged man and the deceased were known to each other but the exact nature of the relationship at this time is unclear. Homicide detectives would like to speak to anyone who saw, or has dash-cam vision, of a man and a woman holding a toddler, riding an E-scooter from Busselton to Margaret River between 6pm Thursday and 8pm Friday, 12 April 2024. Texas state Sen. Brandon Creighton ahead of the East Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon on Aug. 2, 2022, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer State Sen. Brandon Creighton sponsored the states new ban on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at public universities. In letters sent last month, the Conroe Republican told university chancellors and regents that he was worried some may not be fully complying with the new law. His Senate committee plans to hold hearings in May to receive updates from universities. I am deeply concerned with the possibility that many institutions may choose to merely rename their offices or employee titles, Creighton wrote in letters to each of the states seven public university systems. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Days later, the University of Texas at Austin fired dozens of employees who had previously worked in DEI-related roles. On Tuesday, UT-Dallas announced it was also laying off 20 workers and closing its Office of Campus Resources and Support, a new office meant to comply with the DEI ban. At both campuses, news of the firings has roiled students and advocates, who argue that administrators are overreacting to the law and weakening the schools ability to recruit talented faculty. In an interview, Creighton discussed the changes hes seen since the law took effect Jan. 1 and what he hopes to hear from administrators when they address lawmakers next month. The conversation has been edited for length. Q. The office that UT closed was formerly a DEI office, but they changed the name of the office and the roles those employees had. Do you think its over-compliance of the law for the university to close the office since those employees were no longer in DEI roles? A. I'd have to leave it up to university officials and their general counsel on exactly how they are taking actions to comply with the bill. I know through the university leadership's press releases and the statements they issued that they also took action on consolidation and what they phrase, I believe, as duplicative efforts where there was overlap and made some further adjustments. So I'm not sure that I would couch that as taking action beyond compliance necessary to be in line with the legislation. I just know that they're making some overall strategic moves for the future, as all of the universities have to continue to evolve in ways that will make sense with their budgets and their goals. Q. The office that closed provided resources to all students, but mostly students who face barriers going to college in the first place. What would you say to students who are upset about the offices closure? Advertisement Article continues below this ad A. I would say that the will of the Legislature has been that DEI offices close and that university leadership, regents, chancellors, presidents and administrators have to follow the law. I do expect that the University of Texas, with this announcement and all other universities that make similar moves, will continue to offer students supports that are needed and certainly will continue to strive for diverse outcomes in the student body population and minority faculty recruitment and hiring outcomes that will bring real success, as those outcomes under DEI were going backwards. Q. A lot of students, especially minority students, are in favor of DEI programs. Do you think implementing SB 17 is going to impact the population of minority students at public colleges in Texas? A. I don't believe so. UT, as an example, has an incredibly diverse student body population as it is now. And Texas Women's University, one of the most diverse in the state, has never had a DEI office that was sanctioned and funded by the university. So there was life before all of these diversity, equity and inclusion offices, which mainly have ramped up over the last 10 years. I understand that some students on campus right now don't remember that. But as UT is a very diverse campus, many public universities across the state have incredible diversity as well. And I mentioned one that again, isn't relying on the offices paid for by the university to accomplish that. Q. What would you say to student groups who have been defunded because of SB 17? I know SB 17 wasnt supposed to impact student organizations but some UT student groups are going through that now, is this the intention of SB 17? A. Universities make decisions all the time that have an effect on university-related student groups or affinity groups. The bill doesn't ban student groups or affinity groups, but it certainly doesn't prevent a university from making decisions related to how the university funding flows. So those are mutually exclusive from one another. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Q. Do you have any merit-based programs in mind to replace DEI programs that were lost on campuses? A. Well, we are going to be listening to the university officials in our public hearings on that. So we would rather that be suggested to the Legislature, which obviously has oversight over the education framework in this state, so that we hear universities loud and clear on what their plans are going forward. And from those hearings, your Senate Education Committee will be making some decisions on taking steps forward to assist and providing exactly that kind of framework for future diverse outcomes. Q. Did you see the invitation posted on social media inviting you and university president Jay Hartzell to a student-led town hall about the impacts of SB 17? Do you plan on attending? A. My staff mentioned something about that. You know, we have 10,000 bills filed each session. We have 1,000 that pass and all of them go into some sort of an effective date near the same time. It is very difficult to be given a date on any and all of these bills to show up somewhere in Texas to participate in a town hall about them. We have our town halls that are in and out of the district, and we're on campuses all the time meeting with different organizations, including faculty and administration. But whether or not we can attend that one, I have no idea. We were gone a full year last year in legislative sessions. We're booking our appearance dates, town hall dates, and speaking engagements months in advance to cover the 1.1 million people I represent. So to throw a date out there and a couple of weeks and say we need you at this at that is very difficult, but we're looking at it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Q. From what youve seen so far, is UT meeting your expectations in complying with SB 17? The government borrowed nearly 33 trillion won ($23.8 billion) from the Bank of Korea (BOK) in temporary loans in the first quarter to fill its fiscal shortfall amid weaker-than-expected tax revenue during the period, data showed Sunday. According to the BOK data submitted to Rep. Yang Kyung-sook of the main opposition Democratic Party, the total outstanding amount of the government's temporary loans from the central bank during the January-March period amounted to 32.5 trillion won. Compared with the same period in previous years, it marked the largest amount of outstanding loan balance since 2011, when such statistics have been recorded. It exceeds last year's first-quarter balance by 1.5 trillion won and is more than double than that of the first quarter of 2020, when the nation saw a sudden spike in spending due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Similar to an overdraft account for private individuals with commercial banks, the BOK's temporary loan system for the government is utilized to address temporary funding shortages. "During the period from January to March, tax revenues are typically not substantial, so the government tends to rely heavily on temporary borrowing from the BOK," a finance ministry official said. The official added, "This year, there has been significant fiscal spending in the first half, which is why we borrowed money from the BOK." In January, the finance ministry announced a plan to utilize 65 percent of its annual budget for initiatives involving welfare, employment and social overhead capital projects in the first half of the year. The interest occurred from the temporary loans has been estimated at 638 billion won. The BOK is scheduled to receive the interest from the government in the second quarter. According to a BOK official, the central bank and the finance ministry have agreed on supplementary terms for the loans, such as ensuring that the loan balance does not exceed the balance of government bond issuance, following criticisms last year over an increase in temporary loans by the government. (Yonhap) The finance ministry held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the possible economic impact caused by Iran's drone strike against Israel. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok presided over the meeting with senior ministry officials in Seoul, stressing that the impact of the Mideast tensions on the Korean economy can grow further depending on how the crisis plays out. Choi said his ministry will operate a joint emergency response team of related agencies to closely monitor the financial market in Korea and abroad 24 hours a day. He also emphasized the need to examine the ministry's "contingency plan" to respond swiftly to any urgent situation that can shock the Korean economy and market concerning the escalating crisis in the Middle East. (Yonhap) Kevin Joseph Maucere passed away on Easter morning after a short but difficult fight with cancer. He was 38. Kevin was born in Somerset County, N.J. on July 9, 1985. Kevin moved with his family to Kansas City, Mo., in 1985, where he lived for his young childhood years, and where he attended Oakwood Christian School. Kevin later moved to Chattanooga with his family in 1994. Kevin lived in Chattanooga and Harrison, throughout the rest of his life and graduated with a high school diploma from Gateway Christian School in 2004. During high school, Kevin was very involved in music and drama, as he played the piano and acted in numerous plays and theatrical productions in the community. Kevin was also involved in karate during high school and earned a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. Kevin worked for 20 years at Precept Ministries in logistics. He thought of his coworkers as family. Kevin was also involved in community theater for many years as an adult in the Chattanooga and North Georgia area, and he was at his happiest when on or near the stage. Kevin was a kind and sweet soul. He had a wide smile and a large, infectious laugh. He had a way of making everyone feel happy and better about themselves. He was loving and generous. Kevins faith in Jesus Christ guided him in life and through his months of sickness. He clung to the blessed hope of the final Resurrection and never wavered in his faith. Kevin was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Richard and Joan Gillard, his paternal grandparents, Casper and Marjorie Maucere, his uncle and aunt, Edward and Joan Maucere, his uncle, Jeff Maucere, and his cousin, Craig Maucere. Kevin is survived by his parents, Dr. Raymond Maucere and Cheryl Maucere, his brothers, Jason Maucere and Scott Raymond Maucere, his sisters-in-law, Karin Maucere and Michelle Maucere, his niece, Camryn, and his five nephews, Nathan, Alex, Lucas, Josiah, and Caleb. He was his nephews' favorite uncle. A memorial service will be held at Crossroads Baptist Church, 9122 Ooltewah-Georgetown Road, on Saturday, April 20, at 2 p.m. The family will receive visitors at one o'clock. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to be made in his memory to Precept Ministries. I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. John 11:25 Virgil Varnell McGee was born November 1, 1933 in Chattanooga, Tennessee to the late Willie E. McGee and Myrtle Barrington McGee. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Willie Edward McGee, Jr., and Calvin Grady McGee and one sister, Eddie Ruth ONeal. Varnell as he was affectionately called was educated in the Hamilton County Public School System and is a 1952 graduate of Howard High School. Varnell accepted Christ at an early age and was a member of Thompkin Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Upon completion of high school, he began his college career at Tennessee A & I College (Tennessee State University) in Nashville. During his matriculation at Tennessee State he pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. While a student, he met and fell in love with LaFonde Jeanette Williams of Richmond, Virginia. Varnell graduated in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting. The couple married on July 3, 1957. One month later, Varnell was accepted to Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island and became a commissioned naval officer in 1957. With 23 years of service, he rose to the rank of Commander in the United States Navy. Commander McGee had numerous assignments, both at sea and ashore. Among these were a Division Officer aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Leyte (CVS-32); Division Officer, Heavy Cruiser USS Rochester (CA- 124); Assistant Communication Officer, Heavy Cruiser USS Los Angeles (CA-135); and First Lieutenant and Weapon Officer aboard the Seaplane Tender USS Pine Island (AV-12). In 1974, he became the Commanding Officer of the USS Vega (AF-49) stationed in Alameda, California. His shore assignments included Personnel Officer for the Naval Air Rocket Test Station, Lake Denmark, Dover, New Jersey and Communications Officer at Lake Mead Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also headed the Training Commands Operation Branch while serving under Rear Admiral Edwin M. Rosenberg at the Naval Reserve Training Base in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1971, Commander McGee received orders to become the Commanding Officer of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Unit at Savannah State College (Savannah State University) and graduated the first class of Commissioned Officers in 1974. Commander McGee retired from the Navy in 1979 and returned to Chattanooga to re-establish the family business, Live and Let Live Barber Shop which was originally started by his father in 1931. Upon returning to Chattanooga, he quickly reunited with Thompkin Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and served in several different leadership capacities to include Steward Board Chairman and Preachers Stewart. In 1986, Commander McGee was appointed by Governor Lamar Alexander to serve on the State Barber Examining Board. He was an active member of the Howard High School Class of 1952, Tennessee State Alumni Association and a very active member of the Psi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. where he served in several leadership positions. He was honored in 2023 by the Psi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha for 70 years of service. On April 9, 2024, Commander Virgil V. McGee, Sr. was called home to be with the Lord. He leaves behind to cherish the memories, his beloved wife of 66 years LaFonde McGee, his children Virgil Jr. and Nedra, three sister in-laws, Angelyn R. Williams, Barbara J. Williams, Virginia K. Williams, one granddaughter Danielle Alison Wakefield and several nieces, nephews and cousins and a host of friends and colleagues. Mr. McGee will lie in state on Wednesday, April 17, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Taylor Funeral Home. Family will be present to receive friends from 4-5 p.m. Funeral services will be on Thursday, April 18, at 11:30 a.m. at Olivet Baptist Church with Reverend Kevin Slayton, Sr. as eulogist. Burial will be in Chattanooga National Cemetery. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent an educational aid fund and stipends to a group of pro-Pyongyang ethnic Koreans in Japan ahead of the upcoming 112th birthday of late founder Kim Il-sung, the North's state media reported Sunday. The fund and stipends were valued at 303.7 million yen ($1.98 million), according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Kim sent the fund to "the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan for democratic national education of Korean children in Japan on the occasion of the 112th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung," the KCNA reported. The late founder, grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-un, died of heart failure in 1994 at age 82, opening the way for his son, Kim Jong-il, to take over in communism's first hereditary succession of power. (Yonhap) Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are planning to head to the UK together in early May -- and supposedly he uttered seven words that convinved the duchess to join him. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to make their first trip to the United Kingdom as a couple since 2022. The last time the Duchess of Sussex stepped foot in Harrys home country was back in September 2022 when the two attended Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral. Now, Harry and Meghan are returning, and rumor has it that Harry uttered one seven-word phrase to his wife to convince her to accompany him on the trip. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Toby Melville/WPA Pool/Getty Images Meghan Markle has always been supportive of Harrys Invictus Games Although Meghan might not love traveling to the UK, she has been a staunch supporter of all of Harrys business and charitable ventures since the two met. She has traveled around the world with Harry for his Invictus Games, and now, the two are set to attend a ceremony for the event to be held in the UK on May 8. However, it isnt so easy for Meghan to return to Great Britain. The duchess had a difficult time being accepted by Harrys country, with the media often portraying her in a negative light. But a source close to the couple said it only took seven words to convince Meghan to make the trip: I dont want to do this alone. A source told Express that Harry expressed his thoughts to Meghan, and it supposedly solidified her appearance. But the source adds that the question remains whether the couples kids will join them. The situation is now about whether the family should attend with increased security or Harry should go it alone. Harry recently lost a lawsuit against Britains Home Office regarding taxpayer-funded security, and his biggest qualm with bringing his family to the UK has been that hes worried his wife and children wont be safe. Harry and Meghan have private security in the United States. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markles trip could present great opportunities Harry and Meghans choice to visit the UK together comes at the perfect time to mend the royal rift. Some things are greater than arguments, and both King Charles and Kate Middletons health situations might be just enough to convince Harry and his brother, Prince William, to make amends. Harry and William have not spoken much in the last few years, though there have been rumors that Kates cancer diagnosis has changed that. We likely wont officially know whether Harrys whole family will join him in the UK until the day they arrive. And even then, they might keep Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet entirely out of the spotlight, leaving people to wonder whether theyre there or not. But the world is certainly hoping that the trip helps to heal the wounds between Harry and the rest of his family. Home News Naked man claiming to be trans at Planet Fitness arrested for indecent exposure A man who claimed to identify as a woman was arrested for indecent exposure to a minor after he walked around naked in the womens locker room at a Planet Fitness location and asked a woman to rub lotion on him and take a shower together. Christopher Allan Miller, 38, was reported to police as harassing women at the Gastonia Planet Fitness in North Carolina prior to entering the locker room. A woman who called 911 told the dispatcher that the man who entered the locker room was completely naked. Miller allegedly asked a woman to shower with him and rub lotion on his body, WSOC-TV reported. 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 Yeah, he is still in the bathroom, the woman told a 911 dispatcher. Its a man but he says he identifies as a woman, and he wont leave the restroom. But he is just walking around showing us his and he wont leave. Miller was subsequently arrested and charged with indecent exposure to a minor, WSOC-TV added. On its website, Planet Fitness outlines its Non-Discrimination Policy, which states that all gym members will have access to restroom and locker room facilities that correspond to their self-reported gender identity to the extent permitted by applicable law. At Planet Fitness, the safety of our employees and members is our top priority, and we have zero tolerance for harassment of any kind in our clubs, McCall Gosselin, chief corporate affairs officer at Planet Fitness, told The Christian Post Friday in response to the incident in Gastonia. We took immediate action to ensure the safety of club members, including notifying and working with law enforcement. The incident involving the naked man in the womens locker room comes at a time when Planet Fitness trans policy has been the focus of media headlines. Late last month, Planet Fitness Co-Founder Michael Grondahl criticized the gym franchise's policy of allowing men in women's locker rooms during an interview with Libs of TikTok founder Chaya Raichik. "Planet Fitness was like another child for me. And I put my heart and soul into building that company, and it's been pretty much destroyed in, you know, it's lost all respect within the country within the last couple of weeks," Grondahl said. "There's no common sense standing behind this." The interview took place after Alaska Planet Fitness revoked Patricia Silva's membership. Silva went viral after she posted several videos online about her encounter with a trans-identifying man shaving his face in the womens locker room. The woman claimed that a 12-year-old girl covered only by a towel was inside the locker room while the man was present. However, Planet Fitness claimed that Silva violated its policies by taking a photograph of the man in the locker room and sharing it on social media. After revoking Silva's membership, reports surfaced last month that a staffer has since accompanied the man while he uses the women's facilities. An unnamed friend of Silva's alleged that she saw the same man Silva encountered in the women's locker room. The friend claimed that the Planet Fitness staffer accompanying the man told her that she could go into the stall if she was uncomfortable having a man in the locker room. The Planet Fitness co-founder questioned the gym's decision to make the man more comfortable instead of women, stating that it's an "extremely dangerous situation." During his interview with Raichik, Grondahl said it's devastating to witness what the company has become. Michael and Mark Grondahl started Planet Fitness in 1992 after they purchased a gym in Dover, New Hampshire. According to Mike Grondahl, the pair started Planet Fitness for people who were "intimidated" by fitness centers, and that was the original intention behind the concept of a judgment-free zone. "And now, you fast forward to what's happening today, and 'judgement-free zone' means that, if you're a man, you can use the women's locker room," Grondahl lamented. "Just insane." Home News Pastors praying for Israel in response to Iran launching drone, missile attack Iran threatens severe response if US, Israel retaliate Prominent Christian leaders worldwide are urgently calling for prayers for peace and security in Israel after Iran initiated a significant aerial assault on Israel, deploying hundreds of drones and missiles early Sunday, intensifying existing regional tensions and pushing the Middle East closer to a broader conflict. Security officials reported the launches from Iran included over 300 drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, an attack described by Israels military as potentially escalating to major conflict levels, Reuters reported. Despite the vast number of launches, Israels advanced defense systems successfully intercepted the majority of these threats, as much as 99%, the Israel Defense Forces said. From Tehran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards confirmed the strikes, framing them as retaliation for an April 1 attack on its consulate in Damascus, which resulted in the deaths of two high-ranking officers. While Israel has maintained silence over allegations of its involvement, the incident has stirred considerable international response, with President Joe Biden affirming robust support for Israel. 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 Prominent religious leaders have voiced their concerns and called for peace. Pastor Greg Laurie of the Harvest Fellowship in California and Hawaii pointed to the biblical significance of the attacks. As American evangelicals, we want our Jewish friends to know that we stand behind the Jewish homeland and her people, Laurie wrote on X. This attack is on the heels of the horrific attack from Hamas, which is a proxy of Iran on Israel on October 7th. He added, We pray that God almighty would protect Israel at this hour and we are to Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:6) One of the signs of the end time is an increase in anti-Semitism and the increasing isolation of the state of Israel. we are certainly seeing that happen before our very eyes. Similarly, Jack Hibbs, a senior pastor, also connected current events with biblical prophecies. This could be [the] hook that is set into the jaw of Gog that would be Russia. ... And if Russia gets involved, then we could see Ezekiel 38 unfold. A lot of great scholars believe that the Rapture could happen before the Ezekiel battle, Hibbs, of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, said in a video post on X, urging his followers to spread the word and pray. Radio host Fr. Calvin Robinson wrote: Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed; Kindle, we pray thee, in every heart the true love of peace; and guide with thy pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility thy kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Rev. Johnnie Moore, the president of the Congress of Christian Leaders, wrote that Christian congregations worldwide will be dedicating themselves to prayer for the peace and security of Israel. There will be hundreds of millions of prayers prayed. The global community was also quick to react. Condemnations rolled in from the United Nations and several countries, highlighting the recklessness of the Iranian regime's action and its potential to spark further escalation. From Paris, the French government emphasized the attacks risk to regional stability, a sentiment echoed by authorities in Britain and Germany. In a detailed response to the aggression, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari of Israel noted the strategic success of their defense systems, which managed to neutralize most of the threats outside Israels borders, as reported by the AP. A wide-scale attack by Iran is a major escalation, Hagari stated during a press briefing. He refrained from outlining potential retaliatory steps but confirmed ongoing defensive measures. The U.S. has played a pivotal role in the current situation, with Biden directing the movement of aircraft and missile defense systems to the region over the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles, Biden stated. Further, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that American forces intercepted numerous missiles and UAVs heading toward Israel, launched not only from Iran but also from locations in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Despite the high interception rate, several missiles breached Israeli defenses, causing minor damage to an air base and injuring a 7-year-old girl in southern Israel. The Israeli military has ramped up its alert status, closing airspace and advising civilians in threatened areas to seek shelter. Israel and Iran have seen escalating tensions over the past months, particularly with the ongoing conflict involving Hamas in Gaza, which has drawn in various regional players and extended the battlefield across Lebanon, Syria and even as far as Yemen. Irans President Ebrahim Raisi said a more severe attack would be launched if Israel or its allies retaliate, the Qatari government-run Al Jazeera reported. If the Zionist regime [Israel] or its supporters demonstrate reckless behavior, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response, Raisi said in a statement on Sunday. Irans military chief, Major-General Mohammad Bagheri, said the Iranian attack on Israel has achieved all its goals, and in our view the operation has ended, and we do not intend to continue. He also warned of a much larger attack if Israel strikes back at Tehran. Home Opinion Ex porn stars testimony highlights exploitative Christianity Former Only Fans star Nala Ray recently committed her life to Christ, causing a frenzy of controversy online. Clips of her sharing her testimony and encouraging other women to leave OF and follow Christ are circulating on X and TikTok, which in her recent interview with Michael Knowles she explained is monetized for income (making little compared to her former porn career). Speculation about the authenticity of her conversion abounds, with comments ranging from joy over the return of a prodigal to derogatory remarks about body count and sociopathy. While it is true that false and shallow conversions pop up in Hollywood from time to time, the cruelty directed towards Nala even from alleged Christians took me by surprise. Critics cite her red hair and presence in the public sphere as evidence of inauthenticity. Her testimony itself didnt strike me as remarkable. Jesus Christ saves sinners, and many of the experiences she relayed sounded familiar: a conversation with God asking what was wrong and why she felt so numb, the restoration of her emotions, and everything looking brighter after baptism. This is standard, and in my opinion, believable. 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 What did strike me was the exploitation she experienced as a Baptist pastors kid and the progression to exploiting herself as an adult. She described a childhood where it was her job to always be on, to be the happy face at every church program along with her siblings and parents (who she emphasized did their best). She lived through church splits and instability in her parents marriage (who divorced, remarried, and are divorcing again). She described feeling disconnected from her parents, disconnected from peers, and disconnected from herself. This emphasis on dissociation struck a chord with me: Toxic positivity is rampant in the church. To force people, particularly children, to present themselves in line with a religious ideal of perfection and perpetual joy is a form of control and manipulation. It encourages dissociation, and it is exploitative. It turns the human being, one who in this fallen world shares in the sufferings of Christ, into a prop or commodity designed to market the Gospel as the solution to negative feelings and failures. Is it any great leap for an ambitious youth to go from shutting down their emotions to sell church to shutting down their emotions to sell sex on the internet? Are we truly surprised when young men and women who grow up in repressive environments lose touch with their hearts, enabling them to go into deeper and darker sin? Certainly, some of this depends on temperament. Nala Ray describes herself as someone who is driven and born to lead, and she capitalized on her own brokenness. Other temperaments may simply shut down and become consumers. A study by the Barna Group, released in 2013, found that pastors kids retained their faith at a rate consistent with that of congregants (40% doubting their faith, 33% no longer active in church, 7% no longer identifying as Christian). The Bible teaches if you train a child up in the way they should go, when they are grown they will not depart from it. We must therefore ask, in what ways is the church failing to train children in the way they should go? Feel good Christianity is one example of the church failing in this area. Tactics such as teaching children to speak life and reject lies in accordance with Scripture can become destructive if they turn into thought-blocking mechanisms, making children vulnerable to dissociation as well as spiritual abuse. However, some streams of Christianity err on the opposite side with toxic therapy where otherwise healthy children and adults are encouraged to constantly examine their emotions, even leading to what is commonly called trauma culture. (A particularly toxic form of church culture would be one where therapeutic methods are used to expose thoughts and emotions, which are then subjected to well-intended thought control mechanisms to encourage conformity to religious ideals.) The lack of stability in Nala Rays childhood stood out as a way in which the church failed to train her in the way she should go. Divorce in the family and divorce in the church led to a lack of security in her life. I never felt safe, she remarked. So perhaps weve underestimated the destructive tendency of protestant and non-denominational churches to split. Perhaps for us to rage against divorce and abortion in the political sphere, while modeling divorce in our church structures, is hypocritical and misses the incarnational call of Christianity. It was interesting to see Nala speak with a Catholic. I am unable to come to terms with the theology and practice of Roman Catholicism, but I see value in its relative stability. The Orthodox church likewise seems to have more success at maintaining unity, but again there are things about it that are difficult for the protestant mind to come to terms with. We value truth, and we need to value truth but truth cant simply be an intellectual assent. Is it possible for the protestant church to reclaim an embodied sense of wholeness without reverting to an abusive church hierarchy? Neuroscientific philosopher Dr. Iain McGilchrist writes extensively on how modern society has swung to a more left hemisphere dominant way of existing: in categories, abstract, impersonal. This is certainly true in modern protestant churches and is reflected in our teaching-first, beauty-last structures. Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches tend more towards right hemisphere worldviews: embodied, tangible, and beautified. Its almost as if the physical space of these traditional churches, combined with the heavy personification of the Church as one Body that cannot be split, has acted as a safeguard against the more dissociative tendencies of abstracted Protestantism. Even the physical nature of sacraments as practiced in the more traditional forms of Christianity protects against technological abstraction of the faith, in a way protestant Christianity is not protected. It is much easier to say church can be done online when church is about hearing a good message, agreeing with it, and reading song lyrics on a screen. This technological approach to faith is dissociative as well. Nala Rays story is one of a young woman crying out for physical affection, for unity in her family and community, for a more embodied practice of the faith where the full spectrum of human emotion and experience is accounted for and embraced. Without these in place, she was forced to numb herself to survive, which led to acting out in extreme ways to try to reclaim the feelings she denied. Her story begs us to examine the physical and emotional embodiment of our faith as protestant Christians. A disembodied, plastic-smile, and stoic Christianity is not what Jesus Christ of Nazareth initiated. He came and ate, and loved, was betrayed, He bled, He suffered. The Apostle Paul wrote about rejoicing while suffering a picture weve lost because of a tendency to see Scripture as a collection of fragmented parts rather than wholes. Weve lost the humans in the text, so when we apply it tend to dehumanize ourselves and each other to fit our understanding of what it is to be a Christian. Nala repeatedly cites her ability to cry and feel pain after years of numbness as evidence of Gods redemptive power in her life. How many of us see the ability to cry as a gift? I hope and pray that this young woman continues to grow healthy and whole with her new husband and family, and I pray the Church, in general, reconnects with its own humanity in such a way that stories of kids growing up in church and becoming addicts and sex workers become far less common. Archbishop of Canterbury expresses concern over Christian woman's arrest in West Bank Anglican leaders have voiced alarm following the arrest of a Christian woman by Israeli forces in the West Bank, about three years after she was previously detained for her association with a student group Israel deems illegal. Layan Nasir, a 23-year-old member of St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birzeit, was taken into custody from her home in the early morning hours on Sunday, drawing criticism from her family. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, expressed his deep concern over Nasir's arrest on social media, urging people to pray for her safety and prompt release. "I'm shocked and deeply concerned by this news," Welby wrote on X. "Together with our Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters, I pray for Layan and her family and for the congregation of St Peter's Anglican Church in the Occupied West Bank. Please pray for Layan's safety and swift release." Bishop Christopher Chessun echoed this sentiment, as reported by Church Times. Richard Sewell, the dean of St. George's College in Jerusalem, said on social media that he was "Deeply disturbed and shocked that a member of our church in Birzeit in occupied West Bank has been arrested by Israeli forces." Nasir's ordeal began when Israeli troops detained her at her family home at 4 a.m., with the family saying they didn't provide a warrant or reason for the arrest. The family remained unaware of her whereabouts until Wednesday, when they learned she was being held at Damon Prison in Israel. According to a Change.org petition, Nasir recently graduated with a nutrition degree from Birzeit University and is employed by a Palestinian NGO near Ramallah. In 2021, she was detained along with over 20 other students in a sweep by the Israeli military and held without trial for months, during which she reportedly faced ill-treatment. Her family told The Guardian that she was detained at the time on accusations of being part of a leftist student group, the Progressive Democratic Student Pole, an organization criminalized by Israel in 2020. According to Middle East Eye, the PDSP is linked to the Popular Front of Liberation of Palestine, a secular Palestinian MarxistLeninist and revolutionary socialist organization. This association was declared illegal under Israeli military orders that date back to British mandate regulations. While some of her friends, including 10 other women, were sentenced to 14 months in jail, she was released after two months after paying bail. She has been in legal limbo since, Nasir's family told the Guardian. "[Israel claims] that student unions are affiliated with organizations outside the campus, but that doesn't mean it is true," Nasir's cousin, Tala Nasir, a Palestinian rights lawyer, was quoted as saying. Layan Nasir has been living with her two brothers and parents at their home in Birzeit. Last Thursday, following the deaths of several aid workers amid the war in Gaza, Archbishop Welby reiterated calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Israel launched the offensive last October after Hamas, a terror group that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, carried out an Oct. 7 surprise attack in southern Israel that killed 1,200, mostly civilians. Over 240 people were abducted. Israel's aim has been to secure the release of hostages and eradicate Hamas. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says that over 33,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, a figure that doesn't differentiate between combatants and survivors. Many international actors and faith leaders have called for a ceasefire, while others have called on Israel to eradicate Hamas. The Christian Post North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with China's top legislator, Zhao Leji, in Pyongyang and discussed ways to further deepen bilateral ties, the North's state media said Sunday. During the luncheon meeting held Saturday, Kim said Zhao's visit to Pyongyang is "of very weighty significance in demonstrating the invincibility of the DPRK-China friendship and further developing the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries as required by the times," according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The two sides discussed the issue of "boosting the multi-faceted exchange and cooperation for developing the friendly and cooperative relations dear to the two parties and two countries into more viable ties" and other important issues of mutual concern, the KCNA said in an English-language dispatch. Kim stressed it is the "invariable and steadfast" policy of the North to develop the countries' "long-standing friendship century after century" and expressed expectation that advancing their "durable traditions of friendship" would lead to successful fruition. He then proposed a toast to the "eternal development" of socialism of the two countries and longevity and good health of Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to the KCNA. Key officials attended the meeting, including Jo Yong-won, secretary for organizational affairs at the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader. After their discussions, Kim himself saw off Zhao and other members of the delegation and bid them farewell as they left the meeting. Zhao, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, is the first high-ranking Chinese official to visit the North since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. The three-day trip by the No. 3 official in the Chinese Communist Party came as the two countries mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations. (Yonhap) MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica Sure, you could spend your entire Jamaican vacation inside your resort. But why would you? Theres so much to see in this island nation, and my five-day trip last month didnt scratch half of it. Heres a list of several trips I took from my Montego Bay resort, and a few destinations I would have liked to see. Note: Transportation costs are extra, and can be pricey. Rafting on the Martha Brae River Australian actor Errol Flynn reportedly popularized this tourist activity in Jamaica, which got its start as a way to transport bananas to port. Flynn turned it into a leisure activity, and today, its one of the countrys top tourist attractions. There are a several places in Jamaica to take a bamboo raft ride, but the Martha Brae River near Falmouth is the most popular. Guides lead groups of two down the river on 30-foot rafts made almost entirely of bamboo. Most tours last about an hour and travel three miles. Some include a foot massage. Tip: We visited on a day with no cruise ship docked in Falmouth and had the river nearly to ourselves. Cost: $99 for two. Information: jamaicarafting.com Luminous Lagoon Another popular attraction near Falmouth takes place at night in the brackish Luminous Lagoon, where the Martha Brae River meets the Caribbean Sea. The result: One of a handful of places on Earth that produces the perfect environment for tiny glow-in-the-dark microorganisms known as dinoflagellates. Visitors are transported via boat to the center of the lagoon, where swimmers can get in the water (or not). Moving around in the water makes the organisms light up. Note: The water here is only about 4 feet deep; the bottom is muddy and water shoes are recommended. Tour cost: $25. Information: glisteningwaters.com/luminous-lagoon-tour Playing in the pools at YS Falls, one of dozens of scenic waterfalls in Jamaica.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com YS Falls There are numerous scenic waterfalls in Jamaica that operate as swimming holes, including YS Falls on the south side of Jamaica. The falls features seven levels of pools to play in, along with a couple of swings to launch yourself into the water. Other falls within driving distance of Montego Bay include Dunns River (the most-visited attraction in Jamaica), Blue Hole Falls and Mayfield Falls. Admission to YS Falls: $21, $13 ages 3-15. Information: ysfalls.com Nine Mile Bob Marley fans may want to make the trek to Nine Mile, a small village in the mountains where the reggae superstar was born in 1945. Visitors can tour Marleys childhood home and final resting place. The small village is at least a two hour drive from Montego Bay. Note: Serious fans recommend traveling all the way to Kingston, home to the Bob Marley Museum, located in the musicians former residence. Built in the late 18th century, Greenwood Great House near Montego Bay, Jamaica, is filled with authentic furnishings, books and musical instruments.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com Greenwood Great House Construction on this fascinating home began in 1780 and was completed by 1800, built by Richard Barrett, cousin of English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. At one time, Barrett owned the largest sugar plantation on the island, with 8,000 acres and 2,000 slaves. Unlike most other plantation homes, this one was undamaged during the slave rebellion of Christmas 1831, which was one of the catalysts for the abolition of slavery throughout the British colonies three years later. About 70% of the house contents are original, including exquisite antique furniture and more than 300 books, most at least 200 years old. Among the memorable pieces: a first-edition Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens and a piano made for King Edward VII by Thomas Broadwood, who made pianos for Beethoven (and who actually satisfied him, when others could not, according to our guide). Also on display: a roster of the enslaved people owned by Barrett, alongside a mantrap, which was used to catch runaway slaves. Located between Montego Bay and Falmouth on a hilltop overlooking the sea, the house is currently occupied by Bob Betton, who purchased the property in 1976 and opened it to the public, and who may be around to chat about its history. Admission: $20. Information: greenwoodgreathouse.com Nearby: Rose Hall Great Hall, built in the 1770s, destroyed during the Christmas Rebellion and restored in the 1960s; tours focus on the legend of Annie Palmer, whose ghost is said to haunt the house. Information: rosehall.com Music Mansion Another historic house worth a stop: The Music Mansion, open since 2022, filled with photos and other artifacts from some of the worlds best known rock stars, including John Lennon, Prince, Bob Marley, Tina Turner and numerous others. Audio tours include intimate observations from the owner Mr. X a former music executive from Canada. The house doubles as a small inn, with rooms themed to individual musicians, from Madonna to Mick Jagger. Also available here: Jamaican cooking classes and night-time dance parties. The owner also offers private tours of nearby caves as well as Nine Mile. For information: lweinstock22@gmail.com Read more: 5 days in Jamaica, from Negril to Montego Bay, beaches, bamboo rafting and waterfalls Will this new Frontier flight from Cleveland to the Caribbean last? Enjoy it while you can Is Jamaica safe? State Department advisory raises concerns; heres what to know How a guy from Shaker Heights built a 30-year tourism career in Jamaica Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said Sunday that North Korea's hypersonic missile launched earlier this month was "unsuccessful in its last glide flight" but predicted that the North's hypersonic missile with an intermediate range could be "successful one day." Shin made the assessment during an interview with public broadcaster KBS after the North claimed it successfully test-fired the Hwasongpho-16B, a new intermediate-range ballistic missile tipped with a hypersonic warhead. "Based on a detailed analysis by the U.S. and South Korea, we assess (North Korea's hypersonic missile) to be unsuccessful in its last-stage glide flight," he said. He described that a hypersonic missile has to maneuver at a speed of at least Mach 5 in its final diving stage. "(The hypersonic missile) is still in its incomplete stages but since the North is focusing on its development, we predict that they will be successful one day," he added. On April 3, North Korea's state media announced that the "hypersonic glide warhead reached its first peak at a height of 101.1 kilometers and the second at 72.3 kilometers while making a 1,000-kilometer-long flight as planned to accurately hit waters in the East Sea." The South Korean military said the missile flew about 600 kilometers before falling into the East Sea and called the North's claims partially "exaggerated," although it said Pyongyang appears to have made some technological progress in its hypersonic weapons program. A hypersonic missile is usually hard to intercept with existing missile defense shields. It travels at a speed of at least Mach 5 five times the speed of sound and is designed to be maneuverable on unpredictable flight paths and fly at low altitudes. North Korea has been ramping up its weapons tests this year, including the launches of cruise missiles from sea and land and firing drills involving super-large multiple rocket launchers. (Yonhap) Kim Jong-uns trip to China could occur later this year, say experts By Kwak Yeon-soo North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns last week meeting with China's No. 3 official Zhao Leji in Pyongyang suggests deepening bilateral relations, analysts said Sunday, raising speculation that Kim might be preparing for a potential meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year. On Saturday, Kim met with Zhao, Chinas top legislator who led a delegation of senior officials to North Korea for a three-day trip as this year marks the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. Zhaos visit to Pyongyang holds a significance in demonstrating the invincibility of the DPRK-China friendship and further developing the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries as required by the times, Kim was quoted as saying by the Norths state-run mouthpiece Korean Central News Agency, Saturday. The DPRK stands for the official name of North Korea, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Kims meeting with Zhao has raised the possibility that discussions regarding Kims potential visit to China are underway. Kim and Xi have not met since the latter last visited Pyongyang in 2019. Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said Zhaos visit is not only a symbol of friendship and strengthening diplomatic relations but also reiterating their solidarity against the U.S. influence in the region. Zhao is the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Pyongyang since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Hong said. There could be a potential meeting between Kim and Xi following the latters summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in May and after Putins visit to North Korea. Putin, who met with Kim in Russia last year, is highly anticipated to make a reciprocal visit to North Korea this year amid growing military cooperation between the two countries. Hong added that Pyongyang and Beijing are ready to promote stronger relations amid growing security cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan. China wants to show that it still has leverage on North Korea and North Korea wants to reinforce ties with China to safeguard its interests. They share the same goal of seeking attention from the U.S. ahead of its election, he said. Lim Eul-chul, a professor of North Korean studies at Kyungnam University, said the in-person meeting with Zhao could be seen as a preparatory meeting for Kims future visit to Beijing. The two are intensifying high-level exchanges and strengthening strategic coordination, but in a more discreet way compared with Pyongyang-Moscow relations. It seems likely that North Korean leader Kim may visit China later this year, Lim said. The professor added that there is a possibility that two countries are discussing ways to deepen security cooperation in the region. There is a possibility that North Korea and China discussed tightening security ties as they seek to counter trilateral security cooperation between the U.S., South Korea and Japan, he said. However, some observers expressed doubts about the potential Kim-Xi summit taking place. Xi could have sent other high-ranking officials such as Chinas top diplomat Wang Yi if he had considered holding a summit with Kim. Sending Chinas No. 3 official suggests that he sent Zhao to meet with Kim instead of himself to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, said Park Won-gon, professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University. The top U.S. envoy to the United Nations will visit South Korea on Sunday for engagements to advance bilateral and trilateral cooperation on North Korean threats and other issues. During her four-day stay in South Korea, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield plans to meet senior Seoul officials to discuss ways to step up cooperation in the U.N. Security Council. The ambassador's visit comes after Russia last month vetoed the U.N.'s annual renewal of an expert panel monitoring the North's compliance with international sanctions. Absent the resolution, the panel's mandate is set to expire April 30, a termination that observers say could chip away at international efforts to curb evolving North Korean nuclear and missile threats. Thomas-Greenfield is expected to discuss with Seoul officials measures to ensure the continued reporting of the North's weapons proliferation and sanctions evasion activities. She will also travel to the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, meet young North Korean escapees and speak with students at Ewha Womans University, before heading to Japan on Wednesday. It marks Thomas-Greenfield's first visit to Seoul, and the first trip by a U.S. ambassador to the U.N. since 2016. (Yonhap) Land Minister Park Sang-woo recently visited Rwanda as a special envoy for the president to discuss bilateral cooperation in construction and infrastructure, Park's office said Sunday. The two-day visit from Thursday was arranged as part of efforts to strengthen Korea's construction and infrastructure ties with the African region at large, and for preparations for the successful hosting of the upcoming Korea-Africa summit set to be held in Seoul in June, the ministry said. During the trip, Park paid a courtesy call on Rwandan Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente and relayed Seoul's invitation for President Paul Kagame to attend the summit. Park also met with Jimmy Gasore, Rwanda's minister of infrastructure. According to the Seoul ministry, Gasore asked for the interest and participation of Korean companies in various development projects in Rwanda. The Korean minister pledged to actively share Seoul's experiences in laws and regulations involving smooth housing supply, and to support Rwanda's housing and urban development projects through the dispatch of a joint public-private expert team. (Yonhap) By Kyle Decker and Fleurette Estes CHICAGO Drinking Boys and Girls Choir's founding members Bae Meena and Kim Myeong-jin (MJ) have been relentless in the face of adversity and indifference after forming the skate punk band way back in 2013 in Daegu. Punk music has never been hugely popular in Korea, but after signing to Britain-based label Damnably, they had the opportunity to tour Britain in 2019. They toured Europe in early 2020 and plans were made for a U.S. tour later that year, but you can guess what happened next. In March 2024, they were finally able to tour the United States as well as Canada with labelmates Otoboke Beaver from Japan. From Feb. 20 until March 30, the two East Asian bands played 27 shows in the U.S. and two in Canada. During their two nights at Chicagos Thalia Hall on March 9 and 10, DBGC ran into some old friends and made some new ones. Here are two perspectives of that show, one from an old fan, and one from a new one. New fan, photographer Fleurette Estes I was excited to have the opportunity to photograph DBGC at Thalia Hall in Chicago. I mean who doesnt want to see an all-girl punk band from Korea, right? When we met with them for an interview, they were the kindest people Ive ever met! If time had permitted, I would have loved to just hang out with them. I am looking forward to seeing them again in the future. Whatever expectations I had were blown away! Id heard about how much energy they have and, well, they have enough for 100 people. And they sounded great! Sometimes you prepare for a show and you never really know what a show is going to be like in person. Thalia Hall was a great place to experience them for the first time. I hope more people get out to see them and support these amazingly talented gems. Especially in their home country! I first met Megan in the lounge room before Meena and MJ joined us. Megan greeted us by offering beverages. I was immediately surprised at how down-to-earth, nice and accommodating she was. I wish the roles were reversed I felt like I should have been the one offering her a beverage. We sat down for a small chat before Meena and MJ came in. Many moments stood out during the show. But seeing MJ on the drums was the best! She is a beast! She is about five feet tall (152.4 cm) and has the most incredible stamina. It was amazing and an inspiration to female punk rockers. You can tell that Meena and MJ have been playing together for over 12 years, but it's unbelievable to me that this lineup has been together for only a little over a year. Megan has fit in seamlessly and brings a fresh breath of air to the group. The drums were on point, the bass and guitar played well, and the vocals were awesome! I loved looking at the crowd and seeing their response as they danced and sang to the music. You can also tell that the band was having fun doing their thing. Witnessing all three members enjoying the moments like playing a sold-out show was inspiring not only to me but to many fans, too. DBGC had so much energy. Considering they had been on tour for almost two weeks at this point, I was amazed at how vibrant they were. Ive been following them on social media and being able to see fans across the U.S. excited to be part of their sold-out shows is pretty incredible. They deserve the welcome and recognition for their music and the hard work it took to get them here. And to be an all-woman band paves the way for more women punk rockers not only in South Korea and the U.S. but worldwide. Fleurette Estes is a Navajo visual artist originally from the Southwest United States now residing in Chicago. Drawn to a variety of subjects, from florals to landscapes, Fleurette celebrates her native cultural background as her main subject. Her work has been shown through four online publications, Dying Scene, Native Hoop, ReGen and Statik Magazines. When she is not photographing, Fleurette enjoys painting, crafting, participating at any of the American Indian Center events and attending live music shows with her husband. Old fan and friend of the band, Kyle Decker Smiths founder Morrissey once sang, We hate it when our friends become successful. But standing amid a sold-out crowd at Chicagos 800-capacity Thalia Hall as my good friends and former scene mates DBGC took the stage, nothing felt further from the truth. My heart swelled to the point of bursting. The joy was overwhelming. While living in Daegu, the citys music scene was quite literally underground as most of the venues were in basements. Bands came and went at a dizzying rate. Foreigners are on a constant rotation and the Korean men who are of the age at which one typically plays in punk and indie bands get sent to their army conscription. Yet DBGC was and remains a constant. My own band at the time, Food for Worms, played our first show with them at the long-gone Jengiy Collective in September 2014. I got a chance to meet up with OG members Meena and MJ at Bang Bang Pie and Biscuits for lunch before their Chicago show, and we reminisced about the bands and clubs in Daegu during that era. We recalled defunct clubs like Jengiy and Urban, and the still-active Club Heavy and Led Zeppelin. They filled me in on the renovations at Communes. We discussed bands like Sevendred, Skanking Bunny, Skaleton, Keukryul and The Plastic Kiz a former project of MJs. These days, it seems, the punk scene is them, Meena and MJ, Daegus first two punks and last two punks. While DBGC may struggle to gather people in its hometown, the Windy City showed up en masse. It had been on a 42-day tour across North America with Japanese punk band Otoboke Beaver, finally doing what was supposed to happen over three years ago. It has been getting some State-side buzz ever since they played SXSW in 2019, but its jaunts on this side of the pond had yet to bring them to Chicago. And say what you will about this city, it treats bands well. DBGC's unique plethora of angelic harmonies sung over lightning-fast So Cal-style melodic punk has been warmly embraced by the Midwest's largest city. I happened to mention at a Super Bowl party that some friends of mine from a Korean band were touring with Otoboke Beaver, and someone chimed in, "You know Drinking Boys and Girls Choir!?" When I was standing in the audience on the second night Chicago needed two nights someone shouted, "Play Oh My California, a song the band has been doing for 12 years. This was a song Id seen the band play to a room in its local scene that consisted only of the other bands on the bill and the significant others of said bands. And one theyd done the night before, to enthusiastic response. We are not in California, vocalist Meena responded wryly, we are in Chicago. To see hundreds of people go buck-wild to its cover of The Blue Hearts' Linda, Linda, another long-standing part of its set? I nearly cried. This is what the band deserved. Meena had the audience eating out of her hand like petting zoo ponies. She even dove into the audience to slap some bass amid a circle pit. MJ has always been a beast on the drums, and shes only gotten faster and more precise. The woman is a blur. And relative newcomer Megan Nisbet brings more guitar prowess than any other member who has cycled through that role. Her chill stage demeanor while shredding solos provided a wonderful juxtaposition to Meenas wild, audience-baiting antics. The band has made it its mission to show the world that Korean music has more to offer the world than K-pop, although the members will roll their eyes at the K-punk label, and the tendency to slap a K- on anything coming out of Korea. Its been a long road for Daegu's most resilient punks. But as the band's first albums title suggests, the mbmers just Keep Drinking. Album #2, Marriage License, picked up international buzz and found itself on SPINs best of the year list. But these women have their eyes ever forward. They released a new single, History, earlier this year. Given that the recording features Nisbet on guitar, the track is a great example of what DBGC will sound like moving forward. As for their next target? They have their sights set on putting together a headlining tour. And when that day comes, and they pass through Chicago I will gather every punk, skater and fan of great music I can find. Daegu might not fully appreciate what theyve had sitting under their noises for 12 years, but Chicago does. And it took them less than two nights. Kyle Decker is a Chicago-based author, educator and punk vocalist. He lived in Daegu from 2013 to 2018, where he fronted the multi-national punk band Food for Worms and co-organized the Once a Month Punk show series. He currently provides vocals for Bad Chemicals, the punk band from his 2023 novel "This Rancid Mill." Explosions are seen in the skies of the capital, following the attack from Iran in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 14, 2024. Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation as the United States pledged "ironclad" backing for Israel. Sirens wailed and Reuters journalists in Israel said they heard distant heavy thuds and bangs from what local media called aerial interceptions of explosive drones. The ambulance service said there was no immediate word of casualties. Israel's military said more than 100 drones were launched from Iran, with security sources in Iraq and Jordan reporting dozens seen flying overhead and U.S. officials saying the U.S. military had shot some down. Israel's Channel 12 TV cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying there would be a "significant response" to the attack. Iran's state news agency cited a source saying its military had also launched a wave of ballistic missiles. Israel's military also said missiles were fired, but there was no immediate report of these striking in Israel. Iran has vowed retaliation for what it called an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1 that killed seven Guards officers including two senior commanders and said its strike was a punishment for "Israeli crimes". Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the consulate attack. "Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe," the Iranian mission to the United Nations said, warning the U.S. to "stay away". However, it also said Iran now "deemed the matter concluded". U.S. President Joe Biden, who on Friday had warned Iran against an attack, cut short a visit to his home state of Delaware to meet national security advisers in the White House Situation Room, an official said. He pledged to stand with Israel. The Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, now in its seventh month, has driven up tensions in the region, spreading to fronts with Lebanon and Syria and drawing long-range fire at Israeli targets from as far away as Yemen and Iraq. British maritime security company Ambrey said in a statement that drones were also reportedly launched against Israel by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group. Those clashes now threaten to morph into a direct open conflict pitting Iran and its regional allies against Israel and its main supporter the United States, with regional power Egypt urging "utmost restraint". U.S. and British warplanes were involved in shooting down some Israel-bound drones over the Iraq-Syria border area, Channel 12 reported. Three U.S. officials said the U.S. military had shot down drone aircraft without saying how many. A worsening macroeconomic climate and the collapse of industry giants such as FTX and Terra have weighed on bitcoin's price this year. Bitcoin had been trading at around $70,000 on Saturday evening but plunged to below $62,000, according to data from the Bitstamp exchange. By Sunday morning it had rebounded to trade above $64,000. Other coins like ether also saw heavy selling, down by up to 10% in some cases. Bitcoin was down some 8% late on Saturday evening as U.S. officials confirmed the attack was taking place. Digital coins were some of the only risk assets trading over the weekend and the fall was seen as an initial reaction to the escalation of Middle East tensions. The cryptocurrency market suffered heavy selling overnight Saturday amid an unprecedented Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel. The sell-off for bitcoin was the steepest in more than a year, according to Bloomberg, with the coin hitting new records recently amid inflows into U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs which continue to drive the cryptocurrency's price action. In the Middle East, events overnight marked the first instance of a direct attack on Israel from Iranian territory. Israel said it had identified 300 "threats of various types" and eliminated "99%" of those bound for Israeli soil. The deluge of drones and missiles on Israel was reportedly in response to a suspected Israeli strike that killed top Iranian officials in Syria. The Iranian currency fell to a record low of 705,000 rials/USD on the unofficial market around 10:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, according to data from foreign exchange monitoring site Bonbast. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange's flagship index, the TA-35, was down 0.38% at 10:23 a.m. London time. CNBC's Ruxandra Iordache contributed to this article. US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, waits to speak during a news conference after a closed-door House Republican caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on February 29, 2024. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday he will try to advance wartime aid for Israel this week as he attempts the difficult task of winning House approval for a national security package that also includes funding for Ukraine and allies in Asia. Johnson, R-La., is already under immense political pressure from his fellow GOP lawmakers as he tries to stretch between the Republican Party's divided support for helping Kyiv defend itself from Moscow's invasion. The Republican speaker has sat for two months on a $95 billion supplemental package that would send support to the U.S. allies, as well as provide humanitarian aid for civilians in Ukraine and Gaza and funding to replenish U.S. weapons provided to Taiwan. The unprecedented attack by Iran on Israel early Sunday further ratcheted up the pressure on Johnson, but also gave him an opportunity to underscore the urgency of approving the funding. Johnson told Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures" that he and Republicans "understand the necessity of standing with Israel" and he would try this week to advance the aid. "The details of that package are being put together right now," he said. "We're looking at the options and all these supplemental issues." GOP Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that Johnson "has made it clear" that he sees a path for funding for Israel, Ukraine and allies in Asia to come to the House floor this week. The speaker has expressed support for legislation that would structure some of the funding for Kyiv as loans, pave the way for the U.S. to tap frozen Russian central bank assets and include other policy changes. Johnson has pushed for the Biden administration to lift a pause on approvals for Liquefied Natural Gas exports and at times has also demanded policy changes at the U.S. border with Mexico. But currently, the only package with wide bipartisan support in Congress is the Senate-passed bill that includes roughly $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel. White House national security spokesman John Kirby called on the speaker to put that package "on the floor as soon as possible." "We didn't need any reminders in terms of what's going on in Ukraine," Kirby said on NBC. "But last night certainly underscores significantly the threat that Israel faces in a very, very tough neighborhood." As Johnson searches for a way to advance the funding for Ukraine, he has been in conversations with both the White House and former president Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. With his job under threat, Johnson traveled to Florida on Friday for an event with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club. Trump expressed support for Johnson and said he had a "very good relationship" with him. "He and I are 100% united on these big agenda items," Johnson said. "When you talk about aid to Ukraine, he's introduced the loan-lease concept which is a really important one and I think has a lot of consensus." But Trump, with his "America First" agenda, has inspired many Republicans to push for a more isolationist stance. Support for Ukraine has steadily eroded in the roughly two years since the war began, and a cause that once enjoyed wide support has become one of Johnson's toughest problems. When he returns to Washington on Monday, Johnson also will be facing a contingent of conservatives already angry with how he has led the House in maintaining much of the status quo both on government spending and more recently, a U.S. government surveillance tool. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a right-wing Republican from Georgia, has called for Johnson's ouster. She departed the Capitol on Friday telling reporters that support for her effort was growing. While no other Republicans have openly joined Greene, a growing number of hardline conservatives are openly disparaging Johnson and defying his leadership. Meanwhile, senior GOP lawmakers who support aid to Ukraine are growing frustrated with the months-long wait to bring it to the House floor. Kyiv's troops have been running low on ammunition and Russia is becoming emboldened as it looks to gain ground in a spring and summer offensive. A massive missile and drone attack destroyed one of Ukraine's largest power plants and damaged others last week. "Russia is beginning to gain ground. Ukraine is beginning to lose the ability to defend itself," Turner said. "The United States must step up and provide Ukraine the weapons that they need." The divided dynamic has forced Johnson to try to stitch together a package that has some policy wins for Republicans while also keeping Democrats on board. Democrats, however, have repeatedly called on the speaker to put the $95 billion package passed by the Senate in February on the floor. Although progressive Democrats have resisted supporting the aid to Israel over concerns it would support its campaign into Gaza that has killed thousands of civilians, most House Democrats have gotten behind supporting the Senate package. "The reason why the Senate bill is the only bill is because of the urgency," Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said last week. "We pass the Senate bill, it goes straight to the president's desk and you start getting the aid to Ukraine immediately. That's the only option." Many Democrats also have signaled they would likely be willing to help Johnson defeat an effort to remove him from the speaker's office if he puts the Senate bill on the floor. "I'm one of those who would save him if we can do Israel, Taiwan, Ukraine and some reasonable border security," said Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat.